Picnic

On Wednesday we drove the Subaru to a campground near Lake Wenatchee for a picnic lunch of salmon burgers and potato salad.

On the way back we drove past a patch of snow. Maisy (Caitlin's dog) got her first taste of snow!

The dogs had a wonderful time riding together in the car.

Happy Birthday

June 24th is my birthday. Kent made me this wonderful chocolate cake and took me out to dinner at one of my favorite Italian restaurants Visconti's in Leavenworth. We came home and Caitlin joined us for a scary thriller movie "Untraceable". It was a good day!

The funny part is I thought I was turning 26 instead of 27! I couldn't believe I was that old :) I think I got it all confused because I have been in school for the last three years on my birthday... we didn't do much celebrating while we were studying for our Masters. I guess I'm not used to all this attention. I need one of those age tickers that they give newborn babies to keep track of the months. Oh well...

33 Weeks

I have reached 7 1/2 months already! We have been attending the childbirth classes in Wenatchee which have been pretty informative. We are really looking forward to next Monday night where we get a tour of the hospital. We'll be having the baby at the Central Washington Hospital in Wenatchee. It's the same hospital that Annie's sister Caitlin works at!

Summer Flowers

I love summer blooming flowers! The vibrant reds, oranges and pinks brighten up the garden. With cooler temperatures and a overcast skies, I wonder if they even look more beautiful than normal!?

The only sad part is my camera broke AGAIN! I have to mail it back to the repair company. I spent almost $200 repairing it and I'm not looking forward to being out of a camera for another month. :(

Painting the Nursery

When we bought this house, the small downstairs bedroom had a dark green color and an animal border. Kent and I decided to make it our own by painting it a brighter warmer color.

The border was pretty easy to remove so we began painting right away. I was a little nervous at first when the yellow was so much brighter than that dark green!

Our new furniture looks really good now!

We bought a shaggy rug for the room which makes it quieter and more comfortable (and NO slivers!)

Now all we need is a baby to sleep in the room! :)

Annie's Projects

The cherries and strawberries in our garden are soooo tasty right now!

About a month ago I started crocheting during my free time... on the bus, watching movies, etc. I was amazed at the variety of things you can make! Here are two of my recent creations.

I added this flower to this purple and yellow flower to the sweater. I think my finishing touch will be purple buttons, but I haven't figured that out yet.

Wenatchee River Bluegrass Festival

Thursday evening we stopped by the fairgrounds to see the start of the Wenatchee River Bluegrass Festival. This was the evening before the event started and campers were just arriving for the weekend's activities. Every evening they have jam sessions where the musicians get out their lawn chairs and play into the wee hours of the morning. One of Kent's middle school students is really amazing at the mandolin so the older musicians let him into their groups. He is the one with the orange baseball uniform on in the photo above. Everyone was very friendly and it was fun to hear this great acoustic music. We have tickets for the weekend, so we may try and make one of the evening concerts tonight.

Kent's Climb

On Wednesday, June 18th Kent and three friends went on a day hike up Dragontail Peak which is in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. On the way this mountain goat was very friendly with them. You can see how it's shedding its winter coat.

Below is a photo of Colchuck Lake early in the morning.

Kent, Steev, and Andrew take a break.

Kent posing right below the summit with Mt. Raineer in the distance.

"Don't look down!" On the top of Dragontail with Colchuck Lake about 4000' below.

Kent, Jeff, Steev and Andrew at the top with Mt. Stuart in the background.

Baby Shower

My friends Kristin and Dawn and sister Caitlin gave me a wonderful baby shower last Sunday. Kent' s mother Britta drove down to be there for the special party. We played some fun games (organized by Caitlin), had wonderful food, opened some great presents, and most importantly had a wonderful time together.

All the ladies estimated my waist size with toilet paper. Dawn was pretty close!

Caitlin and KC were great company at the baby shower. Caitlin organized the games and made the most delicious desserts EVER! KC brought her awesome camera and was the official photographer. Thanks for such a great time!

...and if you can imagine, it tasted better than it looked!!!

Britta gave her this cute piggy bank. She said it was never to early to start saving!

Update

It has been a very busy few weeks. The first update is the new puppy the joined the family in early June. Caitlin bought this adorable goldendoodle from a breeder near Yakima. After a few different names (Molly, Lucy, etc.) she stuck with the name Maisy. It seems to fit her pretty well. Maisy's has a wonderful personality. She is very calm, loves to play and loves to be outside with our dog Cassy. She has no problem being in the yard by herself! It's been really fun to have a puppy around.

Kent has wanted a motorcycle for years and I finally caved in... I know, right before baby comes (not smart on my part). I think this helps him feel "freedom" with the huge change to our family coming in the next two months. I believe it's a 1984 Honda Nighthawk.

VANDALS! I had to say goodbye last week to all my students in Leavenworth. It was exciting for them to be getting out of school but sad because next year will be different for them. The students were allowed to be part of the hiring process which was eye-opening for them. I was very happy that they hired Skylar Garcia as the new band teacher. He is a resident of Cashmere who has his Masters from WSU. I hope the students have a wonderful time with him next year.

We haven't spent too much time in our backyard, but it does look pretty nice. The roses are blooming and the cherries taste WONDERFUL.

For the very first year it looks like we will have some grapes! I can't remember the variety, but they are golden seedless grapes that are great for eating and making raisins! I can't wait!

Saying Goodbye

I only have 3 1/2 days left of teaching! This week has been full of final concerts and goodbye's from students, parents, and staff members. Above is a photo of me after my final high school band concert with all the flowers from students and families. I think the hardest part is realizing that I finally got the program going in the right direction and then I had to leave! This job has been the most challenging and frustrating thing I have ever done; and the most rewarding in the end. When I began teaching in Leavenworth four years ago, the majority of the students did not accept me as an "equal" to their previous teacher. Over the four years that perception has changed into a very positive environment where the students treat me with respect and enjoy having me as their teacher. I wouldn't be the person I am without this experience! Goodbye Cascade!

Kettle Falls Visit

Last weekend we decided to get away for a few days to Kettle Falls to visit Kent's parents. While there, we took a drive to see land they purchased recently. This old cabin came with their purchase! Not quite resort living yet, but in a beautiful area to get away from people and phones! :) Britta and Annie had a great time looking at the wild flowers, finding raspberries and finding future wild strawberries.

Dandelions and three varieties of pansies covered this field. Cassy ran about in freedom chasing everything that resembled a ground squirrel. She could live out there!

Kent and his dad Bing walk back to the truck as the women in the big boots follow slowly!

On the way home we stopped by the Chewelah cemetery and found Kent's great-great grandfather's grave. This brought back memories of our trip to Scotland where we saw his great-great-great grandfather's grave (this man's father). It's great to see a piece of your family's history!