unplugged

On Friday I flew to San Francisco by myself to see our friends John and Shannon. I didn't bring my laptop. And my phone had no coverage at their house. I was completely unplugged. Shannon and I went for a few walks, shared a lot of great meals and mostly talked about everything. I had told her I was ready for some good soulful conversation, and that is exactly what we had.

When she first picked me up we went and had lunch and then walked around a little lake on the dirt path that took us through the redwoods. It was really stunning. And then we went back to her house and each took a nap. She had scheduled it into our plans. Nap time. It felt so luxurious. Followed by a drive to a great town for an incredible dinner.

Being unplugged for that long, away from  my email, facebook, instagram, blogs, my blog, was so awesome. I read so much. I sat out in she sunshine overlooking the glorious hills in their backyard. I wrote with a pen on paper and got a few thoughts worked out.

It was a sweet time with a very dear friend. I came home with a full heart, grateful and glad. And I think that's what Rory was feeling too, when I drove back up the lane: grateful and glad to see me and ready for a nap time of his own.

mother's day

This family picture above is a new favorite of mine. Look at all that love for the mama! We had a great mother's day. Except that I didn't get to see my own mom! The Harrington's had last minute plans to get to Jedd's grandpa's funeral so we got to join the Groves for some sweet family time and one amazing buffet.

These pictures make me so happy. Kirby was three when I worked for Sara and Troy. And now I have my own three year old who wears stripes and adores his big cousins.

Rory brought tomato plants for all of the mama's. A fun tradition he has started. Here is Sara and Mike Wozowski. We typically bring big lilac bouquets for everyone but everything is so late in Minnesota...they aren't even budding!

And in a crazy twist, I woke up on Sunday morning with absolutely no voice. Even a whisper was hard to hear. So I sat next to Lisa and whispered into her ear when I wanted to say something. Which proved to be a lot like a game of telephone with lots lost in translation. Many a laugh at our end of the table...

sonna is seven

The May birthdays are here! A week after Mara's ladybug party, my niece Sonna had her Zebra party. Last year, you may remember was a rainbow theme, and this year was all black and white. She started her party with a scavenger hunt all over the neighborhood. It was pretty much pandemonium. Because nine first graders seem to come with a whole lot energy.

One of the stops on the scavenger hunt was to the neighbor's zip line. Which was a huge hit.

Sonna wasn't able to be in the picture with her zebra cake because she was too busy hanging out with the boys at the horsey swing. Sonna has a TON of personality and brings a whole lot of energy to every moment of the day.

Annika made this awesome zebra cake and the party was super fun. The kids ate those jelly bellies, where each color jelly bean is either something yummy or yucky. A peach colored jelly bean will either taste like peaches or vomit. Or a black jelly bean will either taste like skunk spray or black licorice. That game lasted a long time. And then the kids had hotdogs roasted over the fire and ended playing out under the pine trees in the way, way backyard.

We love you Sonna. You are so fun to be around, so full of creativity and energy. Yo have so much personality and confidence. You are amazingly talented at gymnastics and I envy your ability to do a cartwheel. :) I love you so much!

Syrup is now on Sale!

Rory has everything lined up. Our Maple Syrup is now on Sale! Click here to order.

It really is fun to have come to this stage of the syrup making process. Especially after watching Rory stand by a fire for twenty-some hours this spring, often in the rain. I'm happy to have my large pots and pans back for my own kitchen use and excited to get to share all of this sweetness with you. Enjoy!

celebrating maddie!

My niece Maddie turns 21 this week. So to celebrate, her folks invited the family out to Radison Blu where in some fantastic twist her hair matched the curtains. It was awesome. And the night was incredible. We celebrated Maddie and her style, spirit and enthusiasm for life. She was given gifts and then we each had a turn to ask her one question to answer. The night was hilarious and sweet. She cried a few times and the whole night was a joy.

I'm so sorry I didn't get a picture of my end of the table, but I was down at this end by Kirby, Toby, Ruby, Troy, Rory and Jack. I laughed the whole night long. My cheeks hurt on the drive home. Sitting with my nephews is the new hot spot at family gatherings. It's like being at a family function and inviting mystery science theatre to come and comment on everything that happens. Jack is basically my personal Jim Carrey. Today at Mother's Day lunch Rory was all like, "Jack! Jack! Come sit by us! Now be funny!" My nephews kill me and I can't wait to continue to watch them come into their own. And hear what comes out of their mouths. I do believe the gentlemen pictured below have something to do with their humor...quite the role models.

Maddie has style unending. But she seems to still accept me in spite of my many target cardigans. I remember even when I first was dating Rory being overwhelmed by her sense of style. Which is so funny, because if this was ten years ago then I was feeling fashion pressure from an 11-year-old. So glad I'm over all that, and so glad Maddie is exactly who she is. She is joy, fun and makes me want to air punch.

Love you, Maddie. (And I have no recollection of what we are doing in this picture. In particular, Rory and his elbow.)