Happy Birthday, Shan!

My little sister turns 28 today! We miss you, Shannio! Hope your birthday is memorable.

We love you,
Michele, Chris, Raegan Kendall, and Morgan Presley

Blog tag

Melody tagged me...I guess I'm it. =)

The "rules" of the game are as follows:

1. Post the rules on your blog
2. Write 6 random things about yourself
3. Tag 6 people at the end of your post
4. If you're tagged, DO IT and pass on the tag

1. I have a hand-washing, germ-a-phobic OCD. You may have seen me using a napkin to open doors.

2. Just once, in high school, I sneaked out of the house wearing cut-off jean shorts, crochet fishnet tights, mock Doc Martins, and a flannel. Nothing too risque; but Mom would not have approved.

3. I passed up "sweet 16 and never been kissed"...I was kiss-less until I was 21. My first one was from my future husband (and he's still the only boy I've ever kissed).

4. I love Pauly Shore movies. Nauseating, I know. Bud-dy!

5. I read every word of my subscription magazines (Victoria and Martha); from contents to very last page.

6. I love crows. They are not usually liked by most people, but I think they're mysterious--and oddly cute.

I tag:

Mom
Shannon
Jamie
Zoe
Sarah
Carl

Dutch Babies

This is my babies' very favorite thing to eat! The recipe originally came from our dear friend Sheryl Endicott, and now I'll share it with you.

1 stick of butter (I never recommend margarine--nasty stuff)

6 eggs (we are so happy to have our own suppliers, Misses Lizzy and Crow)

1 1/2 C flour

1 1/2 C milk

Melt the whole stick of butter in a 9x13 pan while you preheat the oven to 425*. Beat the eggs, flour and milk together (it's so handy to have a stand mixer), and pour the batter into the melted butter. Bake for 20 minutes. Drizzle with pure maple syrup and prepare to be wowed! This doesn't keep as nicely, but don't worry--there will be no leftovers.

Chateau Buffet

My mom gave me this set of custard cups a few years ago; she knows I just love the colors! Three have the Taylor Smith & Taylor (TS&T) marking, and one has the Homer Laughlin (HLC) stamp. My favorite use for these sweet dishes is serving baby food--they're the perfect size. But, they are also great for sauces, condiments, and extras. I'll have to try custard sometime.

Our annual tour

Hurray! A girls' day out! My mom and I have been touring the historic homes in Port Townsend for several years now. Despite a gray, drizzly morning, the weather turned balmy when we arrived in town. Just perfect for strolling the quiet streets, and admiring the quaint old buildings.

We were allowed to ring the bell at the Trinity Methodist Church. We were also treated to a little concert by the organist on the antique pipe organ; and Mom got to "play" the beautiful grand piano.

On our way home, we stopped at the Organic Valley dairy farm to see where our milk comes from! There are so many residents on a farm!

Support your local farmer! And go organic! =)

Welcome, Autumn!

Don't be jealous, ladies, but my husband is quite the gourmet cook at our house. After spending Sunday in Port Townsend with my mom, I came home to a lovely pot roast, with chanterelle mushrooms, baby carrots, onions, and mashed potatoes that my husband had waiting for me. What a cozy dinner in honor of the new season!

Come back tomorrow for photos of the Victorian Homes Tour.

The loo

Another room on the virtual tour: the bathroom before.

Caution! Men (and sewer rat) at work!

And the fresh new bathroom after much labor by man and beast.

It was love at first sight for me with these tiles for my shower. They remind me of a Venetian palazzo.

Our saltillo floor tiles came labeled "animal prints". Sure enough, some little creature walked across some tiles baking in the Mexican sun. This one is placed to look like he just stepped into the tub.

RAT MAT SAT

I'm such a proud mama! Raegan is reading at 3 years old. But I can't take the credit; God has blessed me with two smart wee ones. And I am so thankful to call them my own, whether they read at 3 or 13. We are using Teach Your Child To Read In 100 Easy Lessons. It is so nice to sit down, just the two of us while Sissy is napping, and have "school". Next, learning to drive in one hair-raising lesson?

Good clean fun!

This is one of my favorite pictures of my husband, but I didn't even know him when it was taken! Here he is, in Arizona driving trucks through the mud with his buddies. Does he know how to have a good time, or what?!

Do the Puyallup

We went to the fair yesterday. My goodness! was it ever packed, and Mama B got a little too much sun, but we did have fun. We always plan our day around the food--corn dogs, corn on the cob, roast turkey legs, elephant ears--and rides for the kiddos. Raegan rode the little tiger roller coaster, the giant slide (twice), and of course, the carousel. Little Miss M can't wait until she's big enough to ride, too! We also got to see the new piglets, cows, goats, and horses. After all, aren't these what the fair is all about?

Love that chocolate milk!

Thank you for voting!

Well, the poll is closed; thank you all for participating! Did you think it was fun? If anyone would like to comment, I would love to know who voted for which time and place...and why. =) I personally had a hard time deciding what place in history I would want to visit. They all have something interesting and unique! But, the world of Shakespeare has always been alluring to me. And the Mediterranean boasts such astounding magnificence...ah, here I go, daydreaming...


p.s. Since the results are not showing up very well with my color scheme, here they are:


50% for 1950's America (the winner!)
16% for Regency England
16% for Renaissance Italy
16% for Ancient Egypt

Tastes like chicken?

"Contrary to popular belief, not everything tastes like chicken. Take this giraffe, for instance... Trust me, I've tried just about everything (edible or not) and I wouldn't recommend this particular delicacy." MP Browning, food critic

Vote

Don't forget to vote for your favorite era! =) (see the poll at right)

Bust a move!

We honor the many people whose lives were lost on September 11th seven years ago, and all who serve our country in the war on terror. May God heal our country and turn our hearts to Himself.

Remember troll dolls?

The garden, close-up

To drink the nectar and breathe the sweet perfume of flowers, to lie drowsily amongst the petals swaying in the breeze...I envy the bees.

A good observation

While cuddling with our kitty Cleopatra today, Raegan commented, "This cat doesn't know my name." I said, "Oh, yeah?" She replied, "No, she calls me 'meow'."

Miss Pea (Morgan Presley) has been calling any animal that resembles a cat, "Ceo" for months now. And she has just recently learned that these same animals say, "mow". I just love early language development!

Bubbles

There aren't too many things more fun than chasing bubbles on a summer afternoon...

Happy feet

We are back to ballet this week! Raegan loves to dance and could hardly wait for fall and the return of class! She was a Japanese doll for their performance of Coppelia in June. We look forward to finding out what part she will play next spring.


Little sister dreams of being a ballerina, too, someday.

My kitchen

I have had requests for pictures of our home, since some of our friends have not seen it yet. I will highlight different rooms every now and then (as I tidy them up and make them photo-worthy). But please visit us any time for a personal tour!

Today we'll see my scrumptious kitchen. To fully appreciate the drastic change, I will include before and after photos.

Granted, I am in the process of "moving out" for remodeling here, but I think it still makes a statement--and not a good one.


I cannot even express how much I love this "heart of the home"! I was even tempted to sleep here when it was first finished. I can't decide what my favorite part is; the insanely gorgeous granite counters, the matching stainless appliances, the under-cabinet lighting, or maybe the beautiful heated slate floor that my sweet husband hand-tiled!