*family*

Why ever would one consider selecting, say 10, of her favorite family pictures when one can just go right on ahead and post all of them?  Let the super-post begin!

Note:  I will not be held liable or otherwise accountable for your boredom if: a) I accidentally posted the same picture more than once. (There's a least a gajillion pictures here and remember, I am avoiding editing/refining.  That would take too much work.) OR  b) I posted pictures that may or may not look exactly the same, but are indeed different shots. 

Our Sweet 2 Year Old

Emmett is 2!  Yes, I know-he's been 2 for, oh, about 3 months now.  It's not like he just turned 2, yet somehow I can't wrap my mind around the fact that our littlest baby is not really a baby anymore.  Keeping with the tradition, when our kids have a birthday, I write them a letter recapping all the things they did and all the ways we love them.  Obviously, I'm a little slow out of the gates on this birthday.  But I'll get there!  It's not because I don't have so, so many thoughts to write about him.  I just haven't quite figured out how to get a year's worth of dimply smiles, raucous belly laughs, adorable moments all into one letter.  Until I get it finished, here are some shots that say more than I ever could about how perfectly wonderful he is and how much he's stonlen our hearts.  (Shot by the amazing Shannon of  Sweet Pea Memories at her studio in Sedro Woolley.)

Checking in

I've digressed to my old ways...2 months without a post. Sadly, that's not even a record for me.  It's been business as usual around here, but we are trying so hard to strike that balance between work and fun.  I couldn't help but revisit the plans we laid out earlier this summer.  And you know I couldn't resist checking off a few items...

1. Cut and stack enough firewood to refill the woodshed.
2. Repair rotten boards on garage siding.
3. Add gutters to woodshed.
4. Repair and repaint siding on south side of house.
5. Till, compost, and plant new annual plot and pumpkin patch.
6. Build roadside stand for selling flowers.
7. Build and paint sandwich board for stand.
8. Finish top dressing perennial beds.
9. Finish painting basement.
10. Paint the chicken coop.
11. Caulk and repaint porch stairs.
12. Stain swingset.
13. Sand and repaint the pile of hoarded furniture in the garage.
14. Have a garage sale.
15. Mow field, rototil, and plant with cover crop.
16. Sand and paint interior stairs-both sets.

 We're fitting in more time for fun too....

1. Skipping rocks in a "stream" at our hotel in Arizona.

Slowly, we're ticking off our wish list for summer fun, too...

1. Go on picnics.
2. Hike at Mt. Baker.
3. Take a day trip to San Juans.
4. Keep fresh flowers on our nightstand.
5. Invite friends over for ice cream-preferrably on a whim.
6. Hang laundry outside to dry. 
7. Skip rocks at the beach.
8. Fish with Papa. (Eli's addition.)
9. Pick strawberries.
10. Pick blueberries.
11. Hike to Little Mountain.
12. Camp at Camano State Park.
13. Camp in our backyard.
14. Go to the fair and eat elephant ears.
15. Visit friends in Chelan.
16. Camp at Swakayne.
17. Go swimming at the lake.
18. Go swimming in our inflatable pool.
19. Stay up late and roast marshmallows. (Eli's addition.)
20. Go to a rodeo.
21. Go to the Arlington Fly In.
22. Go to Chloe's beach. (Eli's addition.)

A family vacation to Arizona, a trip to the zoo, swimming with friends, 4th July bbq and fireworks, building fairy houses, and perfecting the mud pie weren't on the original list but have fit quite nicely too!