Happy Independence Day!

Our yearly 4th of July tradition...Hillsoboro 5K Run and Parade...

Accomplished

"And amongst all of Rachel's other talents, she can sew too!"

That, my friends, is a conversation that I hope to overhear some day, but alas, I doubt it will ever come to pass.

Nothing brings me more angst and frustration than sewing. My pioneer heritage has somehow instilled the guilt within that as a mormon woman I must know how to sew and so I keep trying, but as the teddy bear that I made in my junior high home ec. class proves, I keep failing. ( I gave it to my brother for Christmas and a week later, all of the stitches had fallen out.)

So one can imagine the pride I am feeling right now to have tried again and perhaps not proven to be successful ( don't look too closely), but to not have failed too miserably either.

And Wa - La!...

Clara here is modeling the 4th of July outfit that I made her. Very simple pattern, but hey baby steps, right? The amazing thing about this project is that I did it all on my own, unlike my other projects in which I had someone holding my hand (literally) all the way. Yes, a pat on the back would be nice. ( I really need it if I'm ever going to attempt this again and since I bought enough fabric to make three more similar outfits, I'm really going to need the encouragment).

Happy 6th Birthday Max!

After a busy week of basketball camp, activity day girl camp and a fun crazy weekend of camping, I neglected to put much thought or planning into Max's birthday. He kept saying how excited he was for his surprise party ( he clearly misunderstood what I meant when he asked me what he could do for his birthday and I said, "it's a surprise"...not realizing that was code for "I have no idea"). Needless to say, I needed to come up with something fast. Soooo...this is how it went down...first off we went to ToysRUs to spend his birthday money and he picked out...you guessed it...a metal detector. Apparently this is the hottest item for 6 year old boys these days...who knew. He is counting on the moment it will lead him to his fortune. He also decided to get a newer fancier marble race to replace the older shabbier one he currently owns.

After he took all of fifteen minutes to make that purchasing decision, it was lunch time at his favorite restaurant...you guessed it again, ...Sushi Town...such a conventional kid, right? So predictable right? I mean sushi and metal detectors...whatever happened to legos and McDonalds?And then it came part for what Max later told me was his least favorite part of the day...his haircut. I know, kind of boring, but he desperately needed one and when they found out it was his birthday, he not only got his cut for free......he got the VIP treatment. Not too shabby, eh? We stopped for a little refreshment of Jamba Juice after that and then off to...

...the Park! I had previously called a handful of Max's closest friends and had them meet us at the park for fountain, sandbox, playground fun and cupcakes!

I haven't had a chance to ask him how he liked his "surprise party" since he slept all the way home and is still sleeping now. For a six year old, I'm going to take that as code for, "mom, I had the greatest time ever!"

Max, I love that mischievous, yet cheerful disposition, that scrawny, but oh so squeezable body, your enthusuasm, your tenacity, your strong will and your ever so charming personality. Max, I love you with all my heart. Happy Birthday kiddo!

Memorial Day weekend

Jason and I took the kids to Lincoln City for Memorial Day weekend and had a great mini family vacation complete with a trip to the aquarium, Ripley's Believe it or Not, Mo's, PigNPancake, the park, Devil's Punchbowl, Yaquina Head Lighthouse, the outlet stores and sea lion viewing and ice cream cones at Tillamook. The weather made it difficult to actually get to the sand and play, but we really had an enjoyable time...here's a few pictures...

Procrastination

In true Rachel form, I have managed to postpone all of my "spring blogging" until today...June 21st...the official first day of summer. If it doesn't get done today, it never will...so here it goes...(deep breath in)...
spring break, made my first skirt, celebrated a great 60th birthday party for my mom, planned and executed two big RS activities, fabulous Memorial Day weekend at coast, watched Mary play spring basketball, wrestled with the locals over the politics of local baseball, watched Max graduate from Kindergarten, watched Mary in her piano recital, watched Jaykob improve his guitar skills and perfect his Justin Bieber impersonation, celebrated a relaxing Mother's Day, did NOT do an ounce of spring cleaning, ran a 10K in my personal best time, unwillingly decided to raise chickens, planned my summer, planted a garden, had a relaxing anniversary trip to Bend with hubby and listened to Clara sing the ABC song at least a million times...(deep breath out).

And today starts our summer ...(deep breath in)...

PURPLE!

So when I was in fifth grade, my friends and I formed a club titled "The Awesome Purple Preps". In order to be in this club, every Friday one must wear their purple Izod sweater, their shrink to fit 501 Levi jeans and their penny loafers (with pennies inserted). What else we did as club members, I'm not sure (although I do think a choreographed Elton John dance was part of the initiation as well as an undying devotion to unicorns and rainbows), I just remember the outfits. Years later, I looked back at pictures and was horrified of the permed hair and the clothes and vowed I would never wear purple again. Did I really think I was awesome? What a silly fifth grader I was. Didn't I know that purple should only be worn by old ladies who think that tea time still exists and that bonnets should still be worn at Easter?

Well that will teach me to never make vows of the unicorn kind or in this case, the never wearing purple again kind. My mom bought me these great shoes for my birthday.

Of course I loved them, but I had to think, "weird...I don't usually go for purple...I wonder why I like these shoes"...apparently, I don't know myself so well. I looked through my closet and found not one, not two, but seven purple tops...I also noticed one purple dress...

So here's the deal...either
A. I'm old
B. the eighties are making a comeback
C. I'm trying to relive my youth or
D. maybe purple wasn't so bad to begin with

I realize there is some reality to all of those options which means I can end this post by saying...Purple is Awesome!!! (I am not inserting the "prep" part into that because I vow that I will never try to pull off that look that John Hughes...RIP...made so famous in the eighties again. No turned up shirt collars for me. No siree! Oops...famous last words, huh?)