I finally finished Darin's quilt. I meant to have it finished for him way back on Father's Day, but I didn't, so it became his Birthday present quilt. I just kept adding blocks until I ran out of fabric. It kind of looks like South Dakota from an airplane.
Ben, of course, made himself right at home. This quilt is just his size.
This is the look on Darin's face when I was saying, "Get closer to Ben and give him a big hug - come on, closer, closer. He needs a hug." I don't really remember, but as I vaguely recall, I don't think Darin wanted to give Ben a big hug. I think he thought I was up to something...
AH HA! Success! This is exactly what I was going for - a big kiss from Ben complete with walrus whiskers.
I guess from the shot below you can probably tell that I couldn't talk Darin into scooting closer to Ben again to give him just one more hug. :)
Ben, of course, made himself right at home. This quilt is just his size.This is the look on Darin's face when I was saying, "Get closer to Ben and give him a big hug - come on, closer, closer. He needs a hug." I don't really remember, but as I vaguely recall, I don't think Darin wanted to give Ben a big hug. I think he thought I was up to something...AH HA! Success! This is exactly what I was going for - a big kiss from Ben complete with walrus whiskers.I guess from the shot below you can probably tell that I couldn't talk Darin into scooting closer to Ben again to give him just one more hug. :)
Sports a wicked pirate costume - watch out Johnny Depp,
Comes out in a Trojan Horse to impress and endear USC Trojan fans,
And does as many push ups as the total Oregon score each time the team adds points to the board. I've seen this duck do 47 push ups in a row!
She really liked Jake. He loves kids, so they made a good pair. Ben's not so interested in kids. He's good with kids, but he can take them or leave them where as Jake can't get enough. If Sara could fit Jake in her pocket, he'd jump in for sure.
We watched the Steelers on Monday Night Football. Darin showed Sara how to be a good Steeler's fan - complete with a Terrible Towel. Nicke and I were quite amused watching Darin that night. He would get the first half of a swear word out, and then quickly change it to something like - apple butter or kelly clarkston!
I think I did a good job capturing this mullet in all its glory. But, more than being proud, I am humbled by the kill. One note of interest - his snack of choice was chili dogs. Makes sense. I spent the rest of the game with my eyes peeled making sure there were no others in the vicinity. 
Rather than taking Hayden hiking in the snow, we drove part of the North Cascades Loop. 
Hayden skillfully spotted the big, black train in Newhalem. He had a great time climbing all over and ringing the bell. 
He also saw his first deer in Mazama. He said we probably saw forty or fifty deer! :)
The LSU fans were a real kick to watch. I've never seen fans sing and cheer their hearts out - they cheered along with the cheer squad most of the game - and at the same time, be so courteous and respectful to opposing fans. They also neatly fold their hands in their laps between plays. Okay, that's a bit of a stretch, but they are certainly reverently passionate about their football. I was very impressed. Good form, LSU fans!
I just love these trees and plants. Darin and I visit nurseries together (mostly since I tend to think that I can always find room to fit in another tree here or there, so Darin's the calm voice of reason) to check out plants. It's a good time and makes for great memories as we watch the plants grow. The dogwood in the photo below is one of our best finds; it was only $20, and it is growing into a beautiful tree! I love the arbor he built me (visible in the background); it's a simple, clean and absolutely perfect design.
The hydrangea is one of our favorite plants; I think we've been able to squeeze five into the front yard. I think I could fit a few more, though.
I think I've decided that I really need an acre or so to plant. The only problem is that I think it would still be this packed.
The plum trees have grown very well. You used to be able to see the fence behind them, and now it's barely visible. I see a good pruning in the near future for them.
If you look closely, you can see Jay in the background of this shot.
Jay braved the log jam to get to the fish. It appears as though fish control his brain, too.
Sara took a break from throwing the stick for Chloe to grab this shot. Another hiker asked her if we'd seen the bear across the lake, so we spent a good half hour watching the opposite bank. I think they were fooling us.
I'm dwelling on my lameness and healing process. I don't think my broken foot bone is connected to my ankle bone. It's connected to my whine bone. I believe I'm pretty good at turning lemons into lemonade, and I promise to be back to that soon - broken foot or not.
