we took a little drive...

... from portland to salt lake city, to visit my family.

so it was more than a little drive, nearly 800 miles more. but it was fun. we left around 11 pm and drove straight through the night so the squirrels could sleep. we arrived at my folks place around 10:30 am and everyone was still at work so we took a looooong nap and were ready to play by the time everyone got home. i didn't take many photos of our time there, but i did get these while jake was driving. they're in chronological order. {1} 5 am, somewhere between portland and slc. {2} 5:30 am, idaho is flaaaaaaat and dry. {3} brownies make you drive better. {4} semi truck. {5} more flat idaho and blue sky. {6}  road trip cuddlin' {7} mama takes a turn driving. {8} sleepy squirrel starting to wake. {9) pee stop! {10} stylish squirrel with attitude. {11} looks like idaho loves us. {12) 9 am, entering utah. {13} the wasatch front, moments from our destination.

it was a good trip, apart from the weather. every single day except the first and last was filled with rain and/or wind and/or thunder and lighting. so all of our fun outdoor summer-y plans were traded in for alternate indoor plans, but we still managed a few evenings out back around the fire and some rainy walks through the city. we thrifted a handful of treasures which i'll share soon and ate at the best mexican food cafe EVER! {mara's, on the corner of gentile and main street in layton, in case you're in the area} we got in 10 days of good family time and the squirrels played with their cousins every day until they ran out of energy. then last saturday night we loaded up the car and said our tearful goodbyes and made the drive back.

now we're home and we have 3 weeks to find a new place to live and get moved, yikes!! time to un-pack so we can re-pack everything.

if you're in the salt lake city area...

... next weekend, you should check out the GO Expo!

the Get Outdoors Expo was put together for people and families who are

passionate about living a healthy, active and adventurous lifestyle.

i'll be there, and i can't wait!

my mama works for ODEE, the company who is putting the expo together,

so if you're in slc, go and support her!

The Expo is at the Southtown Expo Center

Friday, May 13th from 12:00 - 9:00 pm

Saturday, May 15th from 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

Tickets are $10 for adults, children 12 and under are free!

{click here} to buy tickets

{click here} to visit the facebook page

{click here} to visit the website

{click here} to read an article about the expo by the local paper

let's go to the park!

we had a very fun & eventful first week of spring break.

with the house on the market we are constantly getting kicked out of the house for

hours at a time so it can be shown to prospective buyers. this is terribly inconvenient.

what do you do with 3 little squirrels, that doesn't cost a fortune when you can't be home

and the weather doesn't accommodate playing outside?

you play outside anyway!

and if you're lucky like we were this past week, the sun might even sneak out a time or two

so you can take your jacket off and run even faster!

we also got to see tangled at the bagdad for $1 per ticket,

built stuff with marshmallows,

pulled a tooth,

camped out on the living room floor,

ate lunch at laughing planet,

baked tiny cornbread,

went treasure hunting at value village,

had birthday ice cream (the best in the whole world) with uncle jesse,

and went grocery shopping, twice.

these girls were born to play together, best-est friends and if you ask them they'll

tell you they're sisters. it's pretty wonderful.

stormy weather.

jake's family lives on a small farm in washington and we love to spend time there.

this weekend we had plans to go and have a calm, relaxing few days together, just take 

it easy because a few of us were feeling a little under the weather...

speaking of weather, ours has been on the erratic side of care recently and we woke up sunday

to impressively strong winds. watching the trees move was kind of exciting at first and then

unsettling once you realized just how much and how fast they were moving.

an hour or so into watching the wind, jake went outside to bring up some wood for the stove

when he saw that one of the giant locust trees in the backyard had fallen over on top of 

the chicken coup. this is the part where our calm relaxing day turns into a lot of hard work

and a house full of exhausted people. so, not exactly what we'd all had in mind, but

it was still a pretty great day, no people or animals were harmed and the damage to the coup 

is so much less than it could have been if the tree had fallen a few inches differently than it did.

as far as falling trees go, we got pretty lucky.

and in the next week or two, we've got a LOT of wood to cut and stack!

daily photo:

having fun with pancakes.

we had someone coming to see the house this morning between 9:30 and 10:30,

which means we had to be out. a family breakfast date seemed like a perfect idea, and

we hadn't been to slappy cakes since last september which is just far too long!!!

it was so yummmmy!!

when it's cold outside...

... just turn on the oven!

we made experimental oatmeal-coconut-pecan cookies,

and they are yummmmmy!

here's what we used:

1 cup of whole wheat flour

1/2 cup of buckwheat flour

1/4 cup of almond meal

1 tsp of baking soda

1/2 tsp of sea salt

1 tbsp of cinnamon

2 1/2 cups of oats

1 cup of shredded coconut

1 cup of butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup rice milk

1 tbsp of lemon juice

1 tbsp of vanilla extract

1 tbsp of molasses 

and here's how we did it:

first combine the dry ingredients,

then mix the butter and sugar until light & fluffy,

then add to that the remaining non-dry ingredients and mix well,

then mix in the dry ingredients.

scoop out onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake

at 375˙ for 10-12 minutes.

oh, we also baked shrinky-dink charms!

isn't she cute?!!

hope we're not the only ones having fun and keeping warm today.

daily photo(s):

what a pair.

makes my heart all warm and gooey.

daily photo:

best buds.

smelly cat & riley-roo

daily photo:

my niece, rowynn. a miniature, version of my brother. plus a bow.

she oozes cuteness.

i felt like i was six again today...

... and it was exactly what i needed.

thank you makenzie, mikayla, riley, amy, jake, elliot and delaney for
a perfect afternoon.

delaney, i'm so glad you started throwing leaves at us today!

sidewalk chalk rules!

uncles are good too.

a perfect thursday =

my 3 favorite people + sunshine + climber + friends + hot lips + ecotrust.

we spent the afternoon and evening at an outdoor concert in nw portland, the last

in a series of outdoor summer shows at the portland ecotrust building.

we went for climber, and caught a surprise acoustic set by silversun pickups.

both bands were fantastic and we had such a good time. 

we soaked in the blue sky,

*photo by smelly cat

and laughed til we nearly peed!
*photo by smelly cat

we held hands,

and talked and talked and talked.
*photo by smelly cat

we were actors, the verrrry dramatic sort.

we were beautiful...

and happy...

and awesome.

*smelly is 5 and already knows her way around a camera. she's got an eye for composition and loves taking photos of everything around her. i love looking through her photos.

sunny sunday afternoon

hanging out with jesse while the nephews run through the sprinklers.knitting something I'm very excited to finish.enjoying one of my favorite beers.soaking in all the vitamin d I can.missing two someones.wishing some things were different.so glad it's summer.

today is...

... mother's day.

... hard.

... sunny.

... a good day for spring cleaning.

happy mother's day to all the mommas in my life.

i wish i could hug you all today.

babies!!

all i can think about is babies.

i would like one of these please...

... it's a hand-knit baby!!! really i must have one.

my not-so-little little brother {he'd outgrown me by the time he was 10} and his wife welcomed a new baby girl to their family today. this makes me auntie to four now. two nieces and two nephews.

meet rowynn.

six pounds, fifteen ounces. nineteen inches long. ten fingers, ten toes. perfectly delicious and she looks so much like my brother did as a baby.

i can't wait to meet her. i want to go now. i wish i could.

i could use a good long cuddle with a tiny baby.

my babies are miniature adults.

so independent. and smart.

and fashionable...

and sweet...

and beautiful...

and wonderfully weird...

they're so grown up. it happened fast. everyone tells you it will, they're not kidding around. it does.

what i wouldn't give to hold baby d & e in my arms again.

quick, someone get me a baby.