Not so March Madness ....

It was actually kind of nice not having a month jammed packed with projects, the snow was gone, and it was time to take a breather. The granddaughters' winter sports were in full swing and we went whenever time allowed, which thankfully was the majority! We celebrated another family birthday, enjoyed RJ's play performance, and contemplated our spring/summer/fall campouts.

That leads me to this ......
Unfortunately, we had to make a slight change .... Realizing our Cozy Cottage was a bit too cozy, we were on the hunt for something a wee bit larger. It was a bitter sweet day when we took her out of storage for the last time and off to the dealership. Lots of memories, even in that very short time we had her .... Rock Creek, Cresap Bay, The Arboretum, Nisqually River, and Cape Disappointment.

So now, I'd like to introduce you to Miss Elouise! 

We welcomed her into the family March 17th! It was not intended, but this pair was made for each other and not only do we love it, the looks from others, and "thumbs up" on the road are aplenty! 

Our first trip out was a couple weeks away, and the anticipation was crazy!! I'll share her maiden voyage in my next post! 

Until then, Godspeed

February in Photos!

With Spring just around the corner you never know what Mother Nature will bring our way in the PNW. From warm rains to freezing temps and snow, its a mixed bag and one we've come to expect!

In 2018, it was warm the first part of the month, giving us just enough to get outside and plant some pretties to highlight the daffodils that wanted out of the ground ....

February 6th:

February 20th:

Just when things get all settled in, here comes snow putting a chill on my pretties! :(  It was a pretty sight and love that snow falling around Maggie's face. :)

February 24th:
As luck would have it, the dryer decides to act up and no longer dries the laundry ... so, since we wanted to redo the floor in there anyways, back to tearing things up!

And here is Inspector Pepper making sure things line up properly!

While we're at it and making a mess, we might as well put new flooring in the hallway as well! Naw, we don't do things half-ass, we go ALL IN! So new flooring, fresh coat of paint, a functional over-head cabinet, a new washer/dryer pair later, and a touch of artwork, and it looks FANTASTIC!!

Hope you've enjoyed today's entry!

Godspeed

Significant Birthday & Mid-Life Crisis!

February 3rd: Although Butch's birthday was end of January, sometimes things get pushed back a bit. We were planning on meeting up with the kids for his birthday dinner at Warehouse 23 in Vancouver. I'm not sure why we were out and about earlier that day, but decided to check out a dealership because although our Yukon was a good vehicle, we knew that with over 219,000 miles on it, she wasn't going to be pulling our camper around much longer.

Butch knew what he was looking for - USED in great condition with low mileage - BUT!!!! Yep, we drove this beauty off the lot about an hour after we first set eyes on her!

Meet Big Red:

She came with just under 200 miles on her, and that new leather smell was HEAVEN!! THIS is the "Mid-Life Crisis" that we both got to experience! We've never owned a brand new vehicle in our 40 years of marriage and its was definitely time! We broke the news to the kids that night at dinner and let's just say, they were more than excited for us!

 Yep, the Big Guy turned 60 years old this year! 

The waitress had fun kidding with him ... note the sign she made for our table! LOL!

If you get the chance, Warehouse 23 has great food, love the atmosphere, and its very family friendly!

Until next time, Godspeed

My apologies .....

I'm not intentionally ignoring my blog, but life has been a three ring circus! Between the grandkids' sports, tournaments, work, remodeling, camping, crafting, and everything else we've done since January, you get the picture!

Sports are an on-going affair around here .... middle school, community ed, tournaments, and driving to all corners of the county and back again! Both grandkids are heavily involved in their sports and we love traveling to see them play. :)

Now, lets get caught up! I'm going to try to sum things up rather quickly, if possible .....

January: We took a trip to IKEA to look for a dining room set and came out of there with a new sink and vanity for our bathroom! HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?? In the process of tearing out the old sink, we discovered that the original vinyl didn't go under that area! So ..... we tore out the floor, which in turn we decided "since we're replacing the flooring now, might as well replace the toilet too!" And of course you have to paint! AND redo the molding! AND the lighting! AND the mirrors! AND towel bars, toilet paper holder, am I leaving anything out?!? I will say thought, I love the way it came out ....

 Almost finished laying the flooring ....

 Coming along rather nicely ... and what a find in the shower curtain.

That "woodsy" look ties everything together beautifully! 

 And now we have a new look to our hallway bathroom!

 And my favorite part about this whole remodel, are these lights! 

Don't they look FABULOUS?!

After a weekend of work, the total cost came in just over 1K! 

I love saving money!!

I promise to be back soon with February! 

Godspeed

Happy New Year!

I know a few days late, but hey, life has a habit of getting in the way! Lots has happened in the short time since I was here, so I'll give you the quick rundown. 

Nicole & I took a pallet painting class at Brewed Awakenings in Vancouver and what a blast!

The best part is, I got to spend the entire afternoon with her, chatting & painting! 

 Love the lights and all the foo-foo that Christmas brings. Decorating the house inside & out, the smells of baking cookies, the hustle & bustle of the crowds, the overall friendliness of strangers, and the smiles of those who you know you found that perfect gift for! Yep, I'm a sucker for Christmas!

Even Max was a good kitty this year! 

Not sure what he was thinking, but glad I captured this moment!

And of course, there's my birthday a few days after Christmas. I not only got to spend it with my kids and grand babies, guess who shows up to celebrate my day with us! I miss having them so close, but relished every second they were here! And I even got a Donut Birthday Cake!! YUM!!

 And just like that, a New Year arrived! Time flies when you're having fun!!

So to summarize, 2017 was a great year, full of wonderful times, made some awesome memories, celebrated some milestones, and know anything is possible surrounded by the love of family and friends! So, as I opened this post, I will end it with ...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

May 2018 be all you imagined!!

Godspeed

SUNDAY FUNDAY!

Sunday's are for family gatherings, watching the game on the tube, and this particular Sunday, carving pumpkins! Hard work creating that perfect pumpkin .... look at that concentration!

Ruby's masterpiece!

All on display at dusk .....

And what is a Halloween pumpkin party without a birthday celebration! We've been so busy with work, practices, appointments, soccer, and life in general that we just had to tuck Michelle's Birthday in to our day as well! 🎉Happy Belated birthday Michelle! 🎉

Until next time ..... Godspeed

PUMPKINS! PUMPKINS! WE GOT PUMPKINS!!

Last weekend we decided to head off to The Patch in Woodland, WA for our annual search for that perfect pumpkin. And to our surprise, the weather was perfect, too! Just warm enough for a sweatshirt and no muddy patches or a drop of rain in sight! They had a great selection of pumpkins to chose from, hot apple cider, and pumpkin bowling! It was a nice way to spend the afternoon with the kids and granddaughters. 🎃

Until next time ... Godspeed

Fall ball has come to a close ...

It seems the season just gets started and then its over ....

Fall Softball is always way too short. Just as the bats start to get 'hot' its time to put the equipment away until spring. Makayla had a very good season doing what she does best behind the plate. Had to give my new Nikon a workout with the different settings and just fell in love with the sports mode and those lenses! Took 100's of shots over a tournament weekend and just love how these turned out! 

Always focused and ready for the next play! Yeah, she knows how to keep the runner on first base "honest" 😉 In the end, the girls finish third in this tournament and were very pleased with their game play. Great team!

Until next time ... Godspeed

SURPRISE!

Well, we did it! Meet our new Cozy Cottage!

A little backstory .... we went to Cabela's to find a tent that fit over the back of our Yukon so we could venture into the great outdoors. We found one we liked, but it would have to be ordered so we got the necessary order numbers and headed home, or so we thought!

We had been researching travel trailers but didn't think our vehicle was large enough to tow one. Just for the heck of it, we stopped in a sales floor on the way home. We knew exactly the one we wanted, knew this place didn't have that manufacturer available so it was just a "let's see what else is out there on the market." Lo and behold, the one requirement we had .... a murphy bed that folded up into the wall exposing the sofa underneath .... was right there on the lot!  Three hours later, we were the owners of this! Isn't she pretty! She is just enough for our very first travel trailer and we couldn't be more excited!

August 5th, 2017

Let the adventures begin!

Introduction ....

I honestly cannot believe that I haven't blogged about this little darling until now! Pepper was born November 26th, 2016. From the moment  we saw this wobbly, little ball of black fur with white hair on the tips of her toes at four weeks of age, we knew she belonged here with us! On January 13th, 2017 we were able to meet up and bring her home! At first she didn't want to leave the carrier, but in time she ventured out and took a look around.

**That face just melts my heart!**

Our granddaughters got a puppy for Christmas as well, and we were excited to have Pepper meet Jynx. That very next day we made that happen. Being only four weeks apart, they instantly made friends, romped around the house, stole each others toys, played in the snow (see video) and it was then we knew we were in for some fun adventures! 

And although I swore "NO DOGS ON THE COUCH!" as you can see, that didn't last very long with Pepper. 😊

And that "whittle" tongue .... STOP IT!! 💟💟💟 Be still my heart!! 💟💟💟

And just for giggles, here is a size comparison about a month later ..... Skylar, Jynx, & Pepper. Just like our human babies, why can't they stay small longer? 

Now, 4 1/2 months later, Pepper is housebroken (YAY!!), has chewed up numerous toys, and created a bad habit of making HOLES in our CARPET! She may be a sweetheart, but its time for THAT to come to a halt cause Momma's not happy! 

I'll be back on occasion to update and get caught up, in the meantime, leash training is definitely in order! My shoulder can't take much more pulling. 🙁

Godspeed

A FIRST!

Sometimes we just have to step outside our comfort zone and go for it! Today I did just that and made four loaves of Artisan Bread from scratch! Love, love the taste but just couldn't afford all that goodness from the bakery section. When I found this very simple recipe, I figured why not, the only thing I'd be out was some flour and 99 cents worth of yeast. But then again, the skeptic in me thought it was waaaaay too easy! ;)

Homemade Artisan Bread 

• 3 cups lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast
• 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher or other course salt
• 6 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• cornmeal for pizza peel (optional)

1. In a very large bowl, add your flour, yeast, and salt.

2. Pour in your water and stir until combined, just a few minutes.

3. Cover your bowl with foil or greased plastic wrap for 2-5 hours. 

4. Divide your dough into 3 loaves with a knife. Cover each loaf with flour and form it into a ball.

5. Lay onto a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or onto a pizza stone sprinkled with cornmeal. Let this dough rest for about 30 or so minutes.

6. With a sharp knife, slash the top of each loaf into 3 lines or a criss-cross pattern. This helps let out some steam in the dough. If you don’t slash your bread, the bread will most likely make it’s own tear somewhere during cooking.

7. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and add a small pan filled with 1 cup of water on a lower rack for a water bath. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

8. Place your baked bread on a baking rack to cool.

SUCCESS!! I will just say it was so EASY, tastes just as good as the bakery shop .... chewy crust with moist inside .... and can either be eaten with or without butter. It was FABULOUS!! 

From now on, I'm stepping outside that box more often! 

Godspeed