A whirlwind

24 hours on a solo trip.  Visited Monticello Antiques in Portland, Camas Antiques, the boys at the Barnhouse in Battle Ground, a "vintage" garage sale and Kalama Antiques.  Found goods at every spot.  I'll share soon.

Happy Birthday Papa!

We celebrated dad's 77th birthday today!

We love you!!

These guys spent the night with me last night....love them so!!

Happy Birthday Dad!!

messing around

You may have noticed, I'm futzing with my blog design.  I still don't like it, but I keep trying.  Time goes so quickly when you cruise the internet for bloggy stuff.

It's raining outside, I can hear the drips on my big umbrella (that covers my table), that and the laundry I'm waiting to get done.

It stayed dry for Lilia's practice tonight.  Whew.  Once home, we baked blackberry cobbler (we have a ton of berries from the field) and buttermilk cake.  More baking for work.

School is going well.  Week 2 of after school sports, cross-country for Sofia and football for Alex.  So proud of those two!

Here I sit

Kids have not come downstairs.
Carter spent the night.
I'm cruising the internet and watching HGTV.

It's actually been a productive 2 days thus far.  I had Friday off and had my list of to-dos.

Upload back to school pictures
Wash sheets
Water backyard
Clean toilets
Clean bathroom floors & sinks
Scrub tubs
Vacuum
Paint bench
Drop books off at library
PT

All this was done between 9-2pm.
Sofia had cross-country until 3:20, Alex football until 4pm.  He was beat.  I'm so proud of those two.
Then off to soccer at 4:30.

Yesterday was...


Clean garage.
Weed Lilia's closet/room of toys.
More soccer

Now I'm up and have no energy.

must. get. off. couch.

{blueberry crumb cake}

I love fresh blueberries.
I love my coworkers.

So what do you do when you have some extra blueberries in your house, well, besides eat them, you make something yummy for the girls at work!  Martha Stewart's Blueberry Crumb Cake. 

I hope they like it.

Random trip details

I don't think I blogged about my trip to Washington DC at the beginning of the month.  It was work related.  Spend a Sunday traveling.  Meetings Monday and 1/2 day Tuesday.  Fly out.  Nothing glamorous.  Any free time was spent roaming the city with some colleagues.  We dined out both nights, walking leisurely to a local restaurant.  I love the feel of DC.  I love the old buildings, the hub-bub of the city, it almost had a capital hill (Seattle) type feeling.  The diversity of the population, both in ethnicity and sexual orientation.  And everyone is so comfortable.  Not so friendly, but comfortable.  I love that you could walk any block and find an amazing restaurant.  You could tell people walking were going to or from work.  Women, you didn't see high heels with that business skirt but flats.  Flats everywhere, no pumps.  Many had "to go" bags of food, maybe picking up dinner on the way home from work.

I had the chance to visit the Barack and Michelle.  Well, I stopped by.  They weren't expecting me, so I didn't really get to meet them.  But I waved from the gate.  They have a beautiful house.

*************

Just got back tonight from Portland.  Well, actually about 15 minutes south, Tualatin.  Sofia had a soccer tournament.  Our travels looked something like this.

Thursday:
8:30 finally depart the house with the girls
9pm pick up Rhea in Tacoma.
Midnight arrive at the hotel
unpack, to bed

Friday:
conference call until 11am
head to Bridgeport Mall.  Very cool.  Has the same feel as U-Village.  Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Crate & Barrell.
2:30 to game
5:30 dinner at Teriyaki.  See a woman throw her shoes into the street and cause an accident
6:30 back to hotel
7pm Sofia with team for "bonding".
Rhea, Lilia and I head to another mall -- Forever 21 and Victoria Secret
9:00 back at hotel with Coldstone for the girls

Saturday:
11:40 game
Rush to a "barnhouse" sale and pick up some cool finds
3pm back to field for another game
5:15 done for day
back to hotel for quick swim
7pm, family dinner at hotel
9pm, upstairs
10pm lights out

Sunday:
hello 6am alarm
7:15 at field
9:30 we lost, done for the tournament
out for breakfast
at hotel at 10:45
checked out at 11am

girls shopping, shopping and shopping.

8:30 arrive home

Portland area is beautiful.  It's so green, everywhere, trees galore.  In all the places I went, none of the "towns" felt like Federal Way with strip malls.  I saw many parks, which looked to be maintained.  Some had scheduled events this weekend  -- 1 music and 2 outdoor movies.  I think I could live there.

But I'm back home with my family.  Getting caught up with it all, and loving it.

Night.

Ahhhhh

Do you feel it?

Can you smell it?

The weather is changing.  It's cool outside, which means it's cooling inside. Yes!  I don't mind the sun, but I do love alternating a bit of cool with that sun.

It has cooled down enough for Sofia and I to bake tonight.  Mmmmmm, a yummy batch of "mama cookies" is in the oven as I type.  Sofia finished the kitchen and we are just waiting for them to be done.

Then off to bed...must get to bed before midnight.

nighty night.