Christmas morning

I felt really magical about our first Christmas in the new house. It was joyous, and Rhona ate it up. This is probably the last year this will ever happen, but she never wanted to open the next gift because she was so busy playing with whatever was in her hand. 

Ready for adventure

Move over Indiana Jones. We're going on an adventure. 

Santa Train

Thank you Dad and Mom for splurging on a trip to see Santa in his old fashion train. (Santa prefers it to the mall I'll have you know.) We had a blast. 

Marmalade

As a kid I took marmalade to school for teacher gifts in December. It was important not to tip the box lest the paraffin wax cover would come loose in the jars and the jam would spill out. I've participated in a great deal of slicing oranges for marmalade, but until this year had never made my own batch. My grandmother Aunie tweaked her mother's recipe, my mom has tweaked that, and this year I've added my signature: canning. No more paraffin lids!

One, two, three... smile!

Linton has taught Rhona to smile on the count of three. They practice it a lot in the mirror, which is hilarious to watch. Now I'm getting really good selfies with my daughter. Thank you, Linton!

knitting spell

I'm going through a big knitting spell just now. I finished these socks for Ro yesterday so we had fun splashing around outside while I took pictures.

Have you heard?

Have you heard that Amanda and her family have moved back to Washington state? Do you know that it is incredibly good to have them here, that we are relishing their company, and that we feel crazy lucky to have them here? It is like winning the social lottery. Rhona and Maximo adore each other, had you heard?

Have you heard that we are all taking turns hosting Sunday dinner? Do you know that we had 12 grown ups and two babies at our house the last time we hosted? Crazy and so, so much fun. Had you heard?

Happy Halloween

I told myself that this was the year to stop carving the same sad pumpkin face. I copied other folks' patterns and borrowed Linton's delicate modeling tools, oh yeah and took hours, but am so please with the results that I'm bragging about them here... 

You have to open the following picture to see Rhona's over the moon happy face, because...

...(surprise, surprise) our little ladybug loves chocolate. 

A variety of autumn

We've done a few pumpkin patches and farm visits this autumn. Here are some of my favorite pictures.

Caprese

This is the prettiest food to come out of the garden this year. I did a terrible job managing the blight on my tomatoes, but I have many more summers to practice in tomato world.

We are still here...

The blog has been off my mind for a while now. Sorry about that! Here we are alive and kicking in the middle of a corn maze we went through at the Skagit Festival of Family Farms. More harvest pictures to follow. 

Walk at Wylie Slough

Two peas

Auntie Amanda just gave Ro this little hat that happens to match her Daddy's. Doesn't she seem chuffed?

Busy Daddy

Speaking of Daddy projects Ro got a new sand pit this week. Lucky girl!

More baby proofing

Hey Daddy, the house needs more baby proofing. Go!

Added slats makes the back porch safe for Ro...

who gives them a good rattle, deems them safe...

 and crawls inside to grab a book: just like Grandpa Colin!

Thanks, Daddy!

pole beans

Small harvest, enormous satisfaction.

baby proof

Hey Daddy, it's time to move your electronics drawer up... again.

Back to walking

Linton and I were so good at taking weekend walks before getting bogged down in home buying. (Can you say first world problems? I can.) But we went on another walk this weekend, and it was bliss.