TCI - Day Four Middle Caicos

Middle Caicos - Population 300.


They must have counted some folks more than once b/c I don't think we saw more than 10 people today. Unless their census includes flamingos, which I got to see in their natural habitat for the first time today.

TCI - Day Four North Caicos

Since there are 40 islands in the TCI chain it would be a shame to travel all this way and only see one, plus all the people on the beaches of Provo were realy crowding us (haha), so we hopped on a ferry for a thirty minute ride to North Caicos.

In the picture above you can see these unfinished resorts on one of the keys. Incomplete construction and partial development is everywhere on the islands. Many houses and resorts are just simply abandoned.

TCI - Day Three {Underwater}

TCI - Night Two, Day Three

The night before we picked Brady and Theresa up at the airport. We promptly went to one of the restaurants on my list - eating is one of the best things about vacation right? I always make sure to do plenty of research before we go anywhere (tripadvisor and frommers are always good bets) because while eating on vacation is a true pleasure, nothing is worse than overpaying for a bad meal. Unfortunately overpaying for food is unavoidable in Turks and Caicos and overpaying for mediocre food seemed highly likely from what I read. Even so, I was hopeful that atmosphere would account for something and I couldn't resist the restaurant where you essentially dine in a grove of coconut trees amid twinkling lights and cool red decor - it kind of reminded me of Brady and Theresa's wedding reception actually - how you transform a cultural hall into a tropical nightclub I still don't know but I guess it helps to be a lighting and entertainment expert.

Photo of Coco Bistro courtesy of whenwherehow.com

The English guy that seated us didn't really laugh when Ben asked, "Where you from? Jersey?" but otherwise we had great local hospitality from our servers. We ordered an ahi appetizer that tasted less than fresh, but that's our fault for not ordering something they catch locally. Ben and I then shared the 'pork 2 ways' special - tenderloin and pork belly. Really, I should have just ordered a side of pork belly and called it a day. Everything else with it was a mess. Brady and Theresa fared better with some type of curry and mahi with plantains (Brady is a sucker for plantains).



Luckily we had great dessert (Coconut Pie and Banana Chocolate Bread pudding) which helped ease the pain of an otherwise underwhelming meal.



Some people might not be interested in a play-by-play of every meal we had on vacation but it's a very important memory to me. In fact, the day before we had a really nice lunch al fresco at Las Brisas on the Chalk Sound - I had a grouper sandwich with salad and Ben had a steak sandwich with fries - both of which were tasty and only $12 - a steal for island fare....as we will learn.

So now really on to day three. We headed back to the beach that Ben and I had visited the day before. I stayed on the beach and caught up with Theresa while we left the boys to take on the barracudas. They went pretty far out and at one point we saw a fury of splashing leading me to wonder if we shouldn't have given a little more thought to getting that life insurance we were thinking about, but it turns out they were just chasing an eagle ray with a large wingspan. Last time the two of them went snorkeling together they encountered a shark. After that we hiked into the super exclusive Amanyara resort (and by exclusive I mean excluding those who don't have multiple thousands to spend for one night of lodging), because all beaches and water are public property. I'm pretty sure that the chairs and umbrellas that Brady and Theresa found to lounge on were not public property but no one else was using them. The beach and water and front of the resort is divine and I definitely felt rich swimming there.

After a lunch of PB&J in the room we went exploring the island, specifically looking for pirate markings. We never found any but we did find more deserted beaches and got to watch a pelican kamikaze diving for dinner. After driving around some more we ourselves got anxious for some food so off to another restaurant on my list, Mango Reef. Unfortunately this one again ends sadly for me. And this time it's because I didn't trust my instinct but instead ordered something I had wanted the day before - Seafood Paella over the Lobster Ravioli. I blame Ben for this, even though he wasn't directly responsible - I am able to order whatever I want at a restaurant but I/we think it's one of the perks of marriage to be able to try two dishes when dining out so we usually discuss and try to get things the other would like. He turned up his nose at the ravioli , yet despite my protests he ordered what he wanted - the surf and turf. His filet was perfect, his lobster a little overdone, mine wasn't what I really wanted and I got to spend my meal listening to the lady behind me rave about her lobster ravioli. Brady scored with the lobster curry, conch fritters and warm chocolate cake prix fixe menu and I scored by sitting next to him. So it's not just marriage that has it's dining perks but the in-laws bring something to the (literal) table as well.

*For the record - We are not hoity-toity eaters like it might sound. In fact if I could have any meal from anywhere it would be a bean and cheese burrito from Cucas...or ahi carpaccio from Roy's...forget it... a score of dishes from fine dining establishments just came to mind so I guess besides any food from any mexican stand - sanitary or not - and pizza, I like my food fancy. That being said, we had more lobster on this trip than we've ever had in our whole life. It is local and in season (and frankly overrated as a protein).

TCI - Day Three Photos

The Other Provo - Day Two

Provodenciales is known on the island as Provo. It probably has more churches per square mile than the one in Utah and that's saying a lot. It also has way more beaches. And black folks.

First up we ventured to a beach near our hotel. Aside from a few footprints there was no trace of humans as far as the eye can see. Such locations can become topless beaches real quick...that is unless you have a feeling that P. Diddy's yacht floating out there at sea might have a pair of binoculars on it. In any case, the snorkeling was what we came for.

The water was a great but where did all the fishes go?

Oh hello Mr. Barracuda. I really didn't want to see a barracuda on our first trip out. I glance down at my wedding band as I remember they are attracted to shiny things. I consider swallowing it. Never mind that Ben wields a very shiny yellow and silver camera that resembles some of the fish we've seen. The fish that are long gone.

The barracuda leaves us and we swim out father, although I am feeling less than excited after the sighting, not to mention my snorkel fills with water and my mask continually fogs up. evntually two more barracuda join us, or maybe the first one went back and got a friend. They are big and they want us. I can tell by the way they circle us. I just start swimming back to shore - against the current. When we both are safe on land Ben tells me that they followed him most of the way and he couldn't tell if they were curious or going to be aggressive. Anyhow, we spend the rest of the day touring the island on land.

Chalk Sound

Where are we?

We arrived in Providenciales at 8:30 at night. Our rental car that was included in our hotel reservation was waiting at the airport. We quickly make adjustments because the steering wheel is on the right and they drive on the left side of the road - it's a British Territory - never mind that they use the U.S. dollar for currency - but anyhow, I am not going to be driving here. Instead I will just grip my seat and suck in my breath real hard every time Ben turns a corner, while navigating mostly unmarked roads and chastising him for going over the 20 mile an hour speed limit. By day two or three I will back off of that realizing that 20 mph is really really slow. I will also be riding in the back.

I flip on Ben's phone to see if we have service and the date registered is January 6, 1980. It just might be that we have gone back in time.

It's a Saturday night and people are walking the streets, which makes the driving situation that more precarious. We turn off onto a dirt road in the middle of nowhere and I ask for the fourth time that night "where are we?" because really I'm not sure. I'm not sure that anyone knows where Turks and Caicos is*, at least from what I read about it before I came. Some guide books classify it as the Carribean which it is not, it looks as though it might be part of the Bahamian chain but it's not. It's in the Atlantic ocean but the water is warm. People native to the island are called 'Belongers' which I think is a strange name and I often find my mind pondering alternative names for them. The islands closest neighbors besides the Bahamas are Haiti and the Dominican Republic - which did you know is one island separated by a large river? They seem so dissimilar to me - mostly I'm thinking in appearance and language because really I know little else about the country/ies. Cuba is close too.

We get to our resort and it is dark. Partly because we are out in the middle of nowhere and partly because no one is there. The office is closed and it is just dark. The stars are awesome however. Finally we see a flashlight bobbing up the path and we are checked in by the hotel staff. They have upgraded us to an ocean view condo which is nice but it doesn't make much of a difference to me b/c I don't plan on spending much time in the room. We drive over to where we will be staying and as we are walking to our room, admiring the surroundings, a guy comes out and says "oh, I didn't know we had any guests right now". And he then informs us that he has to drain the pool the next day. Which is not the best news except that we are surrounded by water so it's no big deal to me. Ben disagrees. But then it sets in that we are the only ones at the resort minus the staff and a couple permanent condo dwellers. This fact, plus the ocean breeze makes me all giggly and I wonder this time not where are we but "what is this place"? (Did I mention that we also did not bring our children.) So we explore the beach we have to ourselves, the soon to be drained pool that we have to ourselves, the hot tub that will not be drained that we have to ourselves under a bright starry sky on an island that seems to be deserted.

Since our internal clocks are still on West Coast time (TCI is on EST) we head into town to see what goes on in the islands on a Saturday night. We do so with a warning from the houskeeper to watch out for the Belongers walking on the sides of the road since, well, the night is dark as are they. On our way into town at 10pm we pass churches and beauty shops still open with people congregating all over town. It looks like some are playing games and others just walking and chatting. We hear some recorded voodoo type chanting out of one house and we eventually made our way to the main drag in town - where the big resorts are, opposite the part of the island we ended up on - we have nachos at the most happening bar on the island, which is not exactly hopping and then make our trek back to our private villa with it's hammocks and hot tub and the promise of not having to wake up to an alarm clock (which is probably more of a welcome relief for Ben than it is me) and even though I am still not sure where we are I can't wait to see it in the daylight.

* Apparently it is appropriately classified as the British West Indies.

TCI here we come...

Seattle to Chicago

Chicago to Miami

I do think it's a little bit unfair to post pictures of our new house followed by tropical vacation paradise pictures, but we really wouldn't have been able to go on this vacation had it not been for our house and the loan surplus we had due falling materials and labor prices, not to mention the work we put in ourselves. So to reward ourselves for the hours of tiling and other DIY projects we decided to go somewhere we didn't really know much about - except that it was warm and surrounded by fish filled waters - the Turks and Caicos archipelago. More pictures to come - but for now you can enjoy what a good traveling companion Ben is as depicted above. It's a good thing I brought a book!

Living Room

Guest Room/Office

Guest Bath

Kitchen/Dining Room

Counters - Antique Brown Granite (shown above) and the lighter brownish gray is Quartzite/Sandstone in Cocoa Nova.

Mudroom

Entry/Hallway

Kids Bedroom/Playroom

Kid's Bath

Laundry Room/Closet

This is probably the motivating factor in building our own house - having the laundry room off of the master closet. Basically you can go through our room, through the bathroom, through the closet to get to the laundry room or from the hallway to the laundry room. In theory I'm supposed to put clothes directly from the dryer onto hangers or into drawers instead of being thrown on the couch or on a bed only to get tossed on the ground when Ben wants to go to sleep and then sit there for days...in theory. Usually they just make it to the counter. But...I have a counter*!

-

* Counter is made of cement which we did ourselves, floor is cork which we installed ourselves, washer/dryer by Whirlpool. Closet by John Louis Home from Overstock.

Master Bedroom

Master Bath

I'll (finally) start the virtual house tour with probably one of my favorite rooms in the house - Master Bath. I probably spend the least amount of time in there but I really love how our design came together...and the heated tile floors.

School Recap

Now that I've officially had a school-attending child for a month now I need to recap and recount those very important first days of school.

Day One - I drop her off and wait for emotion to kick in. It does. The emotion - jealousy. I don't shed a tear, I don't feel nervous, just jealous that she gets to go to school and I don't. Now what? Miles and I drive around a bit as I try to figure out a) what to do at this time of morning and b) what to do with only one child at home and a child I have really never been alone with for any length of time. We head to the gym. Time to try out some of those energizing a.m. classes. We pass Carl's Jr. on the way. They are hiring. Maybe I should get a job?

By noon I feel as if I have been awake forever and I still have multiple hours till she comes home and until I can find out all of the fun stuff I am missing out on. She takes the bus home. I'm a bit nervous about this because the bus schedule is not clear on the drop off times. I wait for 20 minutes. She arrives and I start in with the questions. She is in no mood to talk. All day kindergarten will do that to a girl I guess. She wants to watch cartoons. Later that day I finally get her to talk while she bathes. All I really get from her is that she got in trouble three times. This of course engenders further nagging on my part. She says not like "in time-out trouble" the teacher just said her name. I know that Avery is an interrupter, so I ask and it turns out that this indeed was her offense. She informs me that she doesn't want me to drive her anymore and she doesn't want me to make her a lunch. She wants one of those card things she gets to swipe. I will continue to make her a lunch but I was never planning on driving her to school each day.

Week one - Nothing new. Still cranky when she gets home.

Week two - I ask the bus driver if we can change the bus stop to right by our house since no one else was showing up at the assigned stop and it was a bit of a hike. Wish granted. No more sprinting to catch the bus in the morning. Or at least now it is a shorter sprint. One of my very favorite things about Avery's school - free hot breakfast for all. Good stuff too - omelets, pigs in a blanket, bagel and cream cheese, breakfast pizza or a daily assortment of cold cereal. This blessing alone saves us 15-20 minutes in the morning. I get up 20 minutes till the bus comes and make her lunch. I wake her up 10 minutes till the bus comes and she brushes teeth, hair and gets dressed in whatever she has picked out the night before - or sometimes put on the night before - or sometimes worn the day before, slept in and worn again (this only happened once and she insisted and as I'm not one to care so much for appearances go right ahead). Miles sleeps through this whole affair.

She has been singing Christmas (and Hanukkah and Navidad) songs, which I'm guessing is for an upcoming holiday performance. Now Miles even sings them when she is gone. His Spanish is better than hers.

In each weeks classroom newsletter the teacher mentions those students with excellent behavior. Avery has not been on this short list yet but does get a mention for getting the most "thank-you sticks". These are for helping the teacher in some way or another. When you get ten you get to pick something from the treasure box. 6 more to go.

Week three - Avery is adjusting to her new schedule and is more chipper when she gets home. It also helps that her new and first best school friend sits next to her on the bus and goes to church with her (and turns out her mom is my visiting teaching companion - perfect!). She often exits the bus with glittered hair and purple eyeshadow. One day they had a male bus driver, who based on Avery's impression is from a Slavic country, and who told them "Dis is not a beauty school" From the looks of it they just giggled and went back to painting their faces.

Back to school night. Finally I can get the low down on the getting into trouble thing. Turns out she was interrupting and asking questions just as I assumed but that she has learned the teachers "system" now and is complying with protocol (and common courtesy). Her teacher praised her vocabulary and sentence structure and said she was a very good helper. Her teacher is just what Avery needs - experienced, no-nonsense and has high expectations for her kindergartners. Ben was able to make it to meet the teacher and I'm sure she was wondering why I brought Avery's older brother instead of Capt. Westbrook. That ball cap, baggy pants and Laker's shirt just makes me look ancient next to it. Maybe I should revive my high school wardrobe.

Avery showed us around the classroom and pointed out all kinds of important sounding features - the "literacy lab", the workstations with "polydrons" and some other geometric sounding things.

Week four -

They have a substitute for two days while some teaching training is happening. During this time Avery gets knocked down from the gold behavior level (the best) to green (not so best). The reason "It's a long story". Turns out the story is not so long at all. She was just swordfighting with a boy next to her. With pencils of course. Sounds like a great day at school to me. Avery starts getting "homework" this week, something I've been anticipating but have to yet to experience. It's lame kindergarten homework like recognizing shapes in nature. I did get tripped up though with the 'rhombus' - turns out that's a fancy word for diamond shape. From now on we will be using the scientific name. We don't want Avery to flunk kindergarten.

This week they also switch their social studies unit from "feelings" to family and friend relationships and conflict resolution. And Avery got her tenth "thank you' stick and picked out a not so giant size bag of sour-patch kids (she has her dad's palate) and even though there were probably only four in the bag she shared with Miles, so maybe she's learning something after all.

By now I am enjoying seeing how much I can accomplish by noon. One day I managed to take a yoga class, drop off some left over building materials, pick up some metal lathe, buy some boots and running shoes for Avery (her school does allow flip flops but it's a little chilly for bare toes at 7am), pick up some more plants at the nursery and grab a few things at the grocery store all before 11am. And Miles is actually a fun little companion on these outings.

September Recap

Ben - Did not start selling fruits yet, instead continues the daily grind. Gave up tanning, more on that later. Went to Weezer concert, more on that later. Football season started so we don't talk much anymore. Denver Bronco's: remarkably 4-0.


Miles - Had the flu. I hope it was the swine flu so that we can have been there and done that but who knows. He has made a full recovery. He also recovered from a dreaded grey (gray? I can never figure out which way to spell it) tooth which was the result of falling face first from a bar stool. It appeared a few days later so I didn't make the connection until I did some research. Thankfully it wasn't rotting and we didn't need to go to the dentist. My best hope was that it would eventually turn yellow until it fell out one day (worst case - it would be capped with silver and we'd have to move to Mississippi to blend in) but it came back white after about a month.

Taking precautions.

Just kidding. We don't make him wear a mask.

He was pretending to be Avery's patient but he was really sick.

Avery - See school update (in progress). She also started Awana's again and is a Sparky. She has already learned John 3:16 (which Ben says qualifies her to attend pro sporting events now, or at least make signs for them). In other religious/memorization news, apparently the primary kids are also learning 'How Firm a Foundation' at church as well because she was singing along with that today. I'm so glad that a village is raising my children.

Me - While other people have been teaching and nurturing my children, I have been gardening, landscaping (I use that term loosely) and still setting up house. Mostly I could been found wandering around outside looking for projects and soaking up the last of the northwest's sun for the year. One project on the list was getting a compost heap started. Because building our own would have required moving a sprinkler head I found a good, cost-effective option at Lowe's and Ben put it together for me. Thank you and check that off the list.

In addition to stocking up on vitamin D I have been trying to get serious about our emergency storage which primarily includes filling up Mylar bags with water. More on that later. I also finally got a calling in our new ward. Drumroll please....Activities Commitee Member. Don't be jealous. We work really really hard four times a year. I guess having a husband with 50% church attendance has it's perks.

I keep forgetting to provide an update on our lawnmower purchase. To date we have owned two electric battery powered models. First we tried the cheapest option from Home Depot. It worked okay, but not well enough for long term use so we took it back and upgraded to a heftier version that was on sale but still a lot for a mower. I liked it and enjoyed using it, even if it did cut a bit unevenly. Unfortunately, since I solicited opinions and got a few from the male/eco-terrorist population Ben couldn't shake it and had to get a emission spewing model. It's loud, it stinks but at least it cuts the grass evenly and quickly. I refuse to use it. But at least he uses the mulching function. And our lawn is the greenest in the neighborhood because of it. Or maybe it's because its the newest grass in the neighborhood.

This month we also had Ben's brother Nate and his college roommate Jeff and family come visit (and family includes a gorgeous wife and two identical, adorable little girls). Yea for having visitors. It gives purpose to my life :)

Pearl Jammin

To the tune of Pearl Jam - Just Breathe.

Friday Funny - A whole bunch of nuts (PG-18)

Current news obsession - the ACORN story. (Which reminds me that I need to watch Heroes on the High Seas that I taped weeks ago, but pirates arrrrrgh old news now). This story cracks me up. (Especially as told by Jon Stewart below.) I have nothing against ACORN (I know a great person who went to work for them after college) and I have no political agenda - I didn't even vote in the last election. Gasp*.

Although the story is not supposed to be funny, it's so ridiculous and blatantly illegal that it is . (And it's a welcome break from news about murders and abductions.) Although I do feel a little bit sad about the ladies who lost their jobs and were (or should be) embarrassed by what was shown on national TV. Anyway here's a few minutes of inappropriate fun for your Friday, and if you have a half-hour or more read the 70 page transcript from the San Bernardino ACORN office visit. Actually don't waste your time, but in it the representative admits not only to have formerly owning an escort service but also to killing her ex-husband. Okay, waste your time watching this video.

Now I've got to get back to important things like finding out if you can contract Swine Flu from yoga mats at the gym before Miles wakes up.


**Update - Apparently there is now a San Diego office video. This time it is a male employee. What is funny is that when the first one came out ACORN said this was one solitary office and that they were kicked out of any other ones they attempted to go undercover in. Oops.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
The Audacity of Hos
http://www.thedailyshow.com/
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Healthcare Protests

* I know, completely unamerican of me. I had trouble getting my absentee ballot and then just plain wasn't inspired enough to get registered locally. I have voted in previous elections and think voting is important but I was feeling rather neutral on issues and personalities this year. I still feel that way.

Career Change?

Last night Avery wanted Ben to watch a movie with her. He said "Oh Avery I -" She put her hand up to stop him and said "Let me guess, you have to do some work".



As he shrugged in agreement she said "Dad, why don't you just get a job selling fruits or something."

photo by someone else.

The hills are alive.

Naches Peak Loop - August 3, 2009

This public swim complex is so awesome! It has a waterslide - we didn't realize until after Avery (5) and Addy (4) had gone on a million times that you are supposed to be 42" AND 7 yrs old, a lazy river, a bubble tub dump buckets and more. And it's only $5 for a whole day for 4 and up.

Had I discovered this at the beginning of the summer instead of the very last week I would have taken the $50 I donated* to the pool at the AF base and spent it here.

*I say donated because I bought the family pass for unlimited summer use thinking that it would end up being a better deal than paying the $1 per person per visit. Thanks to Washington's sunny but not always warm summer climate I lost money on this bet.

Seattle Fountain

* What you can't tell from these pictures is that the fountain is set to music and goes from just bubbling to skyrocketing into the sky at random.

** For those former Marylander's who may be wondering if some of the children look somewhat familiar - indeed, the spawn of the McArthur and Spackman clans are pictured.

Tolmie State Park

Who needs white sand and clear water when you have hundreds of sanddollars and muck?

Gparents visit

Gma Louva and Gpa Dwight came for a quick visit this summer. We managed to try out a few local eateries and Ben got some help and expert advice on putting in his basketball hoop. We are glad that Gpa Dwight would take off a few days of work to come see us ;)

It's only suffering if you don't like it.

Triple Threat Tri Series - Race #2

Sprint 1/2 mile swim, 15 mile bike, 5K run

(My number was 866 - not 998 like I wore it on my bike helmet.)

The two Sara(h)'s and myself pre-race.

Saw this sign right before entering lake for start of race. Decided to try to outswim larvae.

Felt a little dizzy after swim - but not itchy. That is not me in the wetsuit.

This is where I bonked. Could someone get this gal a Coke?

Stats:

Overall* Age ----- Swim ----- ----- Bike ----- ----- Run ----- Total

Place Rank Name Age Rnk Time Pace Rnk Time Pace Rnk Time Pace Time
17 4 Lynn Westbrook 31 2 13:54 27:48 6 51:42 3:27 7 28:27 9:29 1:34:04

Times include transitions.

"Only got in trouble three times..."

First Day of School

Today is my first day of school. I'm excited, nervous, I certainly don't have a clue about what to wear. Will I get to school on time every day? Ride the bus or drive? Are flip-flops alllowed? Lunch bag or lunch money? Will I be able to remember when there are half days and am I really ready for this? I think so. I don't feel old enough for this to be happening. I can't wait to make new friends and I hope we get to make Stone Soup. What I really can't wait for is high school again - maybe I'll actually learn calculus this time around, and that's when we read all of my favorite books.

Today is my first day of school and the last day of life as I know it. Tomorrow is her first day.
Tomorrrow we become alarm-setting, schedule-adhering humans, with our immunizations complete and with $30 worth of required school supplies ready to hand over to the teacher. The teacher that I get to meet today. Today on my first day of school. I'm so glad it doesn't start until 2.

June/July/August Recap

Note - some of the activities mentioned below have photos and more of a story to accompany them, but if i didn't start somewhere i wasn't going to start at all. expect posting and back posting en masse in the coming days. i am also dedicated to getting pics of the inside of our house posted - decorated, unpacked or not.


Our first full summer in the PNW - and it was great! My life changed the day I got a call from a lady in the know and she said the two most glorious words known to man - "outdoor-pool". This was precisely as I had gotten out of an indoor pool for a rather uninspiring swim. It turns out that there is not a complete absence of open-air water here at all. There are spray-parks, pools, fountains, not to mention a million lakes and the sound. I think we hit up every one in a 50 mile radius. Not really every one but we found a few to satisfy our craving for sun. And there is plenty of sun here in the summer. At one point I think it started getting light at 4:45am and didn't disappear until 9:45pm. Which perhaps explains the giant squash. What I could have used more of however was heat. Most sunny days it just wasn't hot enough to justify getting in the water.

We did have a few days of 100F + weather, which I thought was awesome. Even without a/c in our house we survived, so I'm glad we made the choice not to put it in. Speaking of the house - we are still doing projects and unpacking. It just never ends. Even though Ben thinks it would end if I spent less time gallivanting and more time at home.

We also made a couple camping trips. One was at the church campground where they had a stake pioneer day weekend. Camping, softball, food and church services outdoors, it was a lot of fun. We also went for a family trip and even though we left at noon on a Friday (on a non-holiday weekend) there were no spots to be found at any of the four Capitol Forest campsites we went to. 4 hours later we ended up at a private lake and campground which wasn't as rustic maybe as we had in mind but actually turned out to be the most fun for the kids and I would definitely go back. And next time we want to go camping in August we will go somewhere that takes reservations.

Summer also kicked off the season for visitors, which we always enjoy. April H. and children were our first, followed by my grandparents, then my mom, then my sister and her friend Annie (whom Miles fell hard for) then Ben's brother Nate. We're gearing up for another round in the fall but 2010 is completely open so far...

What did we accomplish individually this summer? I think I have covered most of our adventures but something may come to me if I try to break it down:

Ben - Ben did nothing but work this summer (I sure miss those days when he had summer off - or at least a couple weeks off). He had a particularly horrendous month on the ICU, which he is still suffering the effects from based on his ratio of consciousness to unconsciousness when he is at home. One week he worked 100+ hours in 6 days with a smattering of sleep. If you're thinking this should be illegal. It is. (They get around this by using an 80 hr average per month or something, whatever, I don't mind it so much, I know lots of you endure similar schedules - I just feel bad for Ben). I can't wait till he goes back to a 70 hour week.

He did get one fun trip this summer, work related of course, he got to go to Vail for a conference. I always wanted to see Vail in the summer (or anytime) but his room was already full - by those who fly-fish.

Miles - Miles would never go on a trip without me. He won't even go upstairs or downstairs without me. I'm hoping this clinginess subsides in the near future. He does just fine when I am not around, in fact he barely misses me. But if I am in the vicinity he wants to be on my hip. And although unflattering but true, he screams and cries in the morning if he wakes up and I am not around. Besides that he is a joy. He is starting to actually go potty by himself, on his own, either using a stool or by going outside, which is good since he seems to need to go frequently and when it is most inconvenient for me. He is also the most polite little sucker I have ever known and it doesn't seem to just be a phase. He's just nice. His sister on the other hand...

Avery - When we were talking about how she should behave at school in order to win friends and influence people I told her she should just be polite and treat others how she would like to be treated. She shrugged and said "Polite? I'm not good at that". At least she knows her weaknesses.

Besides spending our days out and about this summer we also did every reading program we could. The kids earned ice skating and zoo passes, rubber ducks, free meals at subway and a free book. The reading of course was done by mom or dad (and gpa dwight did his fair share of reading while he was here) even though Avery can read the very basic if she puts her mind to it, but she usually refuses. Which is why I am not homeschooling her.

Me - Reliving our summer schedule I guess moms work plenty of hours too, although it does seem like an awful lot of play. I did steal away for a quick trip to Indiana, which although I was going for rather somber circumstances, was actually quite enjoyable thanks to my mom coming up to watch my children so I could go alone. I also did a triathlon (thanks to my grandparents being here to watch the kids) and in medical news I had a punch biopsy on a mole on my back - which is not noteworthy except that I thought it was funny when I came home and Miles asked if the doctor took my "guaca-'mole'y" off.

The Sandwich Stoppe

Just wanted to spread the word about Anna and Mese Ugapo's new restaurant in Beaumont -

The Sandwich Stoppe.

225 E 6th St Beaumont, CA 92223

951-845-9344

Mon-Fri 9am-4pm

Go there to get some tasty food. I've never eaten there personally but I have had food prepared by them elsewhere and I think a restaurant is a great place to showcase their talents. Also, I want them to still be in business the next time I make it down. If you have eaten there feel free to leave comments on your favorite menu item (that way I know what to order ;)). Also if I have any info wrong let me know so I can fix it.

Whooo do you share a hairline with?

While we were at the library craft and story time on the topic of owls I realized how much Miles resembles the Great-Horned Owl.

Out of Control

Update on how the garden is growing.

The Build-a-House-Workout

(I do realize that my frecklage is more impressive than my biceps)

Despite the house taking up most of my discretionary time and energy (in other words - I don't have it in me to do a proper workout) I have found myself in surprisingly good shape. Probably in better shape than I am in when I am consistently exercising. All of that drilling, grouting, shoveling, lifting and sweeping has resulted in some serious strength. Luckily landscaping and gardening has similar benefits so my workout is not over just yet. But after that is complete I am going to have to find some other kind of manual labor to do. Otherwise I will just fall back into a irregular routine of pilates, zumba, spinning etc. that just may not be enough*. It kind of reminds me of polygamous women who have all those children but stay remarkably trim. It's because they work all day - between baking bread, gardening, tending children etc**- I doubt they do much lounging or tv watching. They are constantly moving. Not to mention the simplicity and purity of the food they might eat. Unfortunately that is the downfall of my build-a-house-workout. The build-a-house-diet is incredibly poor and usually involves driving through to pick up cheap and fast food at 11pm.

* These classes are really more for fun and getting out of the house than for actual results. I have a "work out like a dude" philosophy for when I am really trying to have results - this would include P90X, pushups, pullups etc. - minumum time maximum effort but it's something that comes in spurts and that I don't keep up over long periods of time even though I probably should.

** I honestly don't know what they do all day but I am just guessing.

Gymtime - A family affair

Here are some pictures from the gymnastics class I took back in March- May. I did two sessions then have taken a break because moving takes so much time/energy. It was a lot of fun and I was pleasantly surprised that my tumbling is as strong as it is after all these years. Flexibility - not so much. Front tuck - better than ever. Front walk-over - forget it.

Ben took a class and the kids just love getting thrown in the pit.

(This is as far as Ben can stretch)

How does your garden grow?

There were two things I was really excited about when we got close to finishing our house - having a housewarming party and growing a garden. The housewarming party hasn't happened - at least not with the elaborate menu I daydreamed about - but we have had numerous BBQ's and gatherings so what we lacked in quality we have made up in quantity.

And the garden... well, the jury's still out on what kind of bounty we will have but we did finally get stuff in the ground. I started seeds indoors in early April. They didn't get transplanted until mid-June. Then they promply went into shock. But the good news is - we are enjoying a revival. Everything managed to perk up, although it has yet to bear fruit. Unless you count the lettuces. They've been ready for weeks.

Ben built me some garden/grow boxes and this is what I planted:

- Mesclun (which is basically a mix of leafy greens - lettuces, spinach, arugula, Swiss chard, mustard greens, endive, dandelion, frisée, mizuna, oak leaf, mâche, radicchio, sorrel, kale etc.

- Carrots (rainbow variety)

- Tomatoes (heirloom variety, roma, early girl, sweet 100's & sungella)

- Squash & Zucchini (two plants that are taking over an entire box)

- Peppers (Bell, Jalapeno, Anaheim, Habenero)

- Radishes (I heard these helped carrots grow better)

- Herbs (Cilantro, Parsley, Thai Basil, Thyme, Oregano, Chives)

- Cabbage (Red and Savoy)

- Onions (Red, Sweet and Green onions)

- Brussel Sprouts

- Giant Pumpkins

- Peas and Long Beans

- Red Grapes

- Berries (Blackberry (rampant and inhereted with the lot), Blueberries and Seascape Strawberries)

-Mystery Plants - I have more than a few that I can't figure out. Some may be weeds.

I also have tiny dwarf orange, lemon and a lime tree but I think I live in the wrong climate for them to produce.

There are more things I would like to add - Raspberries, maybe a type of small potato, some fall/winter squash varieties, garlic. If anyone has any suggestions let me know. My garden philosophy is to grow things that either you usually just need a bit of but have to buy in larger quantities at the store (i.e. herbs), things that are expensive or things that are rare. But mostly I just like to watch things grow.

Anniversaries

Today marks one year for us in the state of Washington. I feel that we have accomplished a lot but so far we have seen very little of the Pacific Northwest. Something I hope to change in the coming years. One year in Washington also means one year since we were living it up in the land of Aloha. For the most part we don't speak of our premature departure from Hawai'i and I'll admit that on more than one occasion I have gotten emotional at the thought of what we left behind (occasions such as an infrequent Washington rainbow or Miss Hawai'i's hula during the Miss America pageant). But being that it is summer and summer in Washington is glorious and the days are long (still a little chilly for my taste) we are excited about the possibilities and the adventures that await us.

Today marks two years since I started the blah blah blog and looking back at some of the earlier posts I am so glad that I have such a fun record of our goings on or at least of my perspective of our goings on. Now I just have to do as intended and get it bound so that all will not be lost should cyberspace implode.

Coincidentally, my first post two years ago recounts events all too similar to those of today. A day that marks eight years of marriage and more than one occasion of forgetfulness. Luckily, it is a marriage that is not weakened by such oversight - oversight which is made up for many times over by daily courtesies, affection and lots of laughs. We're a good team, and I look forward to not celebrating many more anniversaries with him in the future.

How I love thee…let me count the ways. (caution, explicit passage may not be suitable for children or overly sensitive)

Today was Lynn and I’s 8th anniversary. I forgot. Again. Of the 8 times this date has come and gone, I have remembered to do something nice five of those times. What makes things worse, I don’t do much better with birthdays. Essentially, I am a Jehovah’s Witness by practice in that I just can’t be held accountable for not celebrating these pagan observances. How close to Muslim terrorist does a Mormon Jehovah’s Witness sit on the religious fanaticism spectrum?

I wish I could say that was all there is to the story, but it gets worse. How did the discovery of my forgetfulness come about? Lynn and I were on the couch at about 9pm. She was watching the Bachelorette and I was half paying attention and half finishing some presentations I have for work tomorrow. She passes me a note that asks if I would like to forgo our separate rooms and share a fantasy suite for the night. Trying to be responsible I respond just as Jillian did on the show. I respectfully declined citing my desire to keep a clear head for the upcoming rose ceremony. I also make a snide remark that insinuates that the only reason the Bachelorette is declining is because she is nursing a flare up of an STD acquired from her previous stint as a finalist on the Bachelor (note-while probably untrue, these types of remarks are appropriate based on the fact that I am a real life doctor). She chuckles uncontrollably while scribbling a response and then throws the note pad on my chest. Her response – “It is our anniversary, you idiot!”

If you can stand to read any more, it gets even worse. I digress for a moment to make a comparison. I remember the first time I watched the movie Meet My Parents or the British version of the Office. I think that was the first time I was truly exposed to the type of humor that makes you feel completely uncomfortable while you are watching it. This story is along that same vein. As I try to call on some quick goat thinking to get me out of an irreparable situation I recall the events earlier in the day. Lynn and I went to the local hardware store, an almost daily event for us over the past several months while finishing our house. We have recently been working (Lynn more than I) on our landscaping. Lynn has been reading all about the plants that will do well in the environment and selecting a few at a time to plant around our house. What is one of the common purchases for one buying potted plants to transfer to their landscaping? Well, fertilizer of course. What is the point I am getting at?

I bought my wife shit for our 8th anniversary. Literally.

So when I try to count the ways that I love her, I only have to count to one and then I can stop. Why would I need more reasons to love someone who can continue to love me despite my egregious imperfections. She laughed with me as we went over the days events and how many times I should have been queued to its importance. Should our discussions of an exotic vacation to Hawaii or Tahiti not have clued me in? How 'bout the sign at the post office that we stared at for 30 minutes while we waited in line that said " Today is July 6th"? Maybe our planning a "special" day up at Alki park should have done the trick. The elaborate meal she cooked on our new infrared grill? Sad, but no.

She is not mad. I am embarrassed at my ineptitude. How could I possibly make this one up to her? Her and I will have to discuss that in the fantasy suite.

-Westbrook, out!

Patriotism at it's best!

Imagine America The Beautiful playing in the background and if it doesn't draw a tear to your eye, you might not be human. Or red-blooded American, anyway. Pics are worth a thousand words!

The Grass is Greener

We have a yard! No one is allowed to walk/play on it yet (Ben...I saw you taking a short cut across the grass the other day) but it won't be long. This is the grass at two weeks post-seeding. The bottom two photos are one week after. But having a lush lawn means maintenance - something we've never had to worry about ourselves in the past thanks to condo associations and/or having a gardener as part of the rent. First item of business - purchasing a lawnmower - a task that should be easy enough...or is it?

After reading a couple books on lawn care (I recommend "Lawn Geek" by Trey Rogers) and searching the Net I have decided that #1 - I want a lawnmower that mulches. Everything I have read has suggested that leaving clippings on the grass a) returns much needed nutrients to the soil and b) cuts down on the need for watering. It also saves me from having to empty the bag (when mowing as a teenager I never did like to be interupted by a full bag - plus it gets heavy). #2 - I don't really want to deal with getting gas, storing gas and emptying gas when storing for the winter. Or the fumes. #3 - I also don't want to have to wear noise-cancelling ear thingys when mowing the lawn. So this leaves me three choices - a plug-in electric model - nope, don't want to deal with a cord, a battery operated electric mulching mower or a push reel mower (yes they still make these).

I thought I had settled on the second option and found one I liked on Amazon that had good reviews. The downfall of the cordless electric option is a finicky battery that can only charge for so many hours before being ruined and is expensive to replace. So why not a push reel mower - it supposedly gives a great cut and I think I'd get a great workout as well.

I think Ben wants a manly roaring, fuming, self-propelled version. At first we'll probably fight over who gets to mow because we are so excited to have a yard (and b/c we enjoy bickering). But we all know who's going to end up mowing. Oh, we don't all know? My guess is it will be me - since I just stay at home lounging all the time. But, I don't think ladies of leisure are supposed to do yard work...

So I need experience and opinions here - opinions borne of experience. I am happy to hear that at least one friend does actually have and like the cordless electric mower. I consider that to be one vote in favor of option #2. There will be a poll.

Aloha PNX 864

The County of Honolulu Vehicle Licensing Department apparently wants me to get over the idea that maybe I'll have to move back to Hawaii so therefore I should keep my plates, because they aren't taking my calls. Or accepting my written correspondence. I guess they don't want my new address. I even gave them an extra two weeks after my tags expired just in case. Finally, I broke down and applied for WA license plates, trading the rainbow for Mt. Rainer- and upping our collection from different states to six.

On another note, I don't know why I can't keep my car registration and other vehicular matters up-to-date (I take that back - I would never miss an oil change). Last year I was late getting new tags and the year before that I got new ones when we moved to Hawaii but never put the sticker on. I went an entire year with no expiration sticker whatsoever. That same year I also let my license expire - by over two months - which I don't recommend because if your license is expired for more than 40 days you have to take a driving and written test. I found that out the hard way. And to quote the rather scary lady who was in charge of said test "you're lucky I'm going to let you pass, but you won't change your ways anyway". My "ways"? Excuse me, but driving with your knees while applying mascara* takes an extreme amount of skill. She's lucky I don't know how to text.

If I can get away with having expired registration and license without getting in trouble I must not be doing so bad. (For the record the last time I got pulled over was over 10 years ago - which is not perfect - like one of my grandmothers who I think has never been pulled over - but my driving skills are improving with age).


*That's a joke, I would never drive with my knees and apply mascara at the same time.

Happy Fptheus Day Ben.

*This last box of goodies Avery made one night for ben after we all went to sleep. It wasn't for Father's Day but it shows how much Abe's does love her dad.