Growing...

This coming summer our family will be growing by two!

That's right,  two weddings!

 

Preston and Rachael on May 21st.

 

Keaton and Dorie on July 2nd.

 

We love these girls, who are already part of the family.  We look forward to the special days that will make it official.

 

We're pretty proud of these boys too - couldn't ask for better!

Oh Deer...

Tom and the boys removing a deer.

 

It's kind of sad here on the Palouse.  The white-tailed deer have contracted a virus called 'blue-tongue'.  It makes them very sick and then they die.  Just in the last week we have had 6 deer die on or near our property.  It sounds like they are all dropping off all over the place.

 

'Blue-tongue', from what I hear, is a virus that they get from drinking water that has been contaminated by a parasite.  It usually happens during years when there is little precipitation.  It's been a really dry year here.  We've heard it only affects the White-tail deer and not pets or people.

 

Winston and Daisy found this deer and Tom decided to get it away from the house before it started to decompose.  It's already been a bit smelly around from the other deer dying.

 

As much as the deer can be a nuisance to our yard and garden - or jumping out in front of your car - we really do like seeing them around, being well.  It's sad to see them suffering.  Last time blue-tongue happened here the herd of white-tail was nearly devastated.  I hope the herds will recover from this.

Sunnies!

Our Sunflowers really grew and grew and grew this year!
They didn't bloom for a long time, just kept growing taller and taller.  They've got to be at least 12 feet tall - probably taller!  Then finally, when they looked like Jack's Giant Beanstalk, their sunny faces finally popped out.  I love looking at them.  They like to follow the sun as it travels from east to west.  It would be fun to do a time-lapse of them.

School is back in full-swing.  Winston is loving middle school and is doing really well.  All of us are very impressed with how grown up he is becoming.  He has signed up for the school musical this year.  It is a mock-up of the story of the Princess and the Pea.  He is playing one of the knights in it.  He also asked me if he could start his own blog.  With a little help, he was able to get it up and going.  The address for it is http://firestar6.blogspot.com/ .  Check it out!

We've been busy, but I think things will slow down a bit for the weekend.  It will be nice to spend some time just hanging out and enjoying the sunflowers.  They make me smile!

The time has come...

The time has come to let you all know that

KEATON IS GETTING MARRIED!

Keaton & Dorie

 

Meet Dorothea Webb - or as we all call her - Dorie!   Dorie grew up in the Tri-Cities area and then moved to Vancouver.  She has been going to school at WSU.  Both she and Keaton will be graduating in the spring of  2016.  She is an English major, with a possible interest in teaching middle to high school English.  She and Keaton have been dating for a little over a year.  We all knew about a month ago that Keaton was going to ask her to marry him - so we had been patiently waiting for him to actually do it.  We are all very happy for them and feel like Dorie is already part of the family.  As for their plans now, they will be having their wedding sometime next summer.

 

Congratulations Keaton & Dorie!

Beautiful Blessings...

Lately I've been thinking about and appreciating a LOT how blessed we have been.  When I walk through the wheat fields or down the forest trail, I am grateful that we were directed to this place.  I marvel at God's handiwork in the beauty he has created for us to enjoy.

 

This year will be 15 years we have lived here.  FIFTEEN YEARS!  That's the longest put-down-roots either Tom or I have ever lived in one place at one time.  It is truly home now.  Tom has put a lot of hard work into our little homestead.  I often feel so lucky and thankful that I have him - with his restless, unending drive to create landscapes and fix-it's.  He has created a wonderful, comfortable home for us and our children.  We are blessed to have an open home where many have come to visit, find rest and enjoy.

 

Today is our 26th anniversary.  Still as happy together today as the day we said "I Do".  Not that life hasn't had it's little - and big - bumps.  Having a common respect for the Lord in our lives has played a big part of making us able to find victory over those things and still be united and happy together. 

 

We've recently hit a cross-roads in our lives.  Preston and Keaton have moved into their own place.  Tom walks out to the barn where they used to live and has discovered what 'empty-nester' really feels like.  I like to call it 'separation anxiety'.  They are not too far away that we can't see them easily, but still... they're not here.  We're proud of the boys and what they've been able to accomplish with school and jobs - but we still miss those two little boys that would come running up squealing "Mommy - Daddy!" as they wrapped their little arms around our legs.  We get a bit sentimental thinking about that.

 

Winston, too, is growing up.  He is so tall for his age and his voice is deeper.  He definitely has his own mind on what he wants to do.  That early teen stage, where Mom and Dad really only get to watch from the side-lines.  But for family meals and other activities, he has been a buffer and a blessing to us.  We're proud of him, too, and the terrific young man he is becoming.

 

The latest project that Tom and I have been working on together is our little greenhouse.  Tom built it and I planted in it.  We both maintain it and enjoy the 'fruits of our labor'.  It's been fun experimenting with different plants and conditions to see what we can yield.  Here are some pictures - although taken a couple of weeks ago.  I'll have to get some updated ones.  Things have grown a bit more than these show...

Lovely strawberries!

We decided to try planning them in gutters in the greenhouse.  This has protected them from the birds and bugs.  They've been beautiful berries!  We get around 4 to 6 berries a day right now.  Enough for our breakfast cereal!

Top shelf herbs: dill, basil, cilantro, thyme and rosemary.

Bottom:  watermelon and canatoupes

Cabbages, lavender and pickling cucumbers - with a glimps of tomatoes on the right.  Tomatoes take up the whole front lower section of the greenhouse.  Some of the plants have grown up through the grates - about 4 feet tall.  We hope to have a LOT of tomatoes!

 

Not pictured are the pepper plants: jalepenos, anaheims, cayenne, oriental chilis and sweet bells.  AND my lovely Martha Washington plant, that I have not been able to get to bloom since the first year I had it.  It is blooming beautifully in the greenhouse!  I'll have to post pictures of it too!

The garden spot.

We decided to try boxes.  So far it's going great!  We were always fighting the grass for space.  This way we only have to weed the boxes, and we can mow the grass!  So much easier!  The boxes contain zucchini, summer squash, lettuce & spinach, walla walla sweet onions, carrots, beans, more tomatoes and corn.  In tires are the potatoes, and on the hillside are the pumpkins and acorn squash.  Along the fence are sugar-snap peas, asparagus, lavender and raspberries.  So far they have done really well, despite a freeze last week.  We couldn't believe it!  80-90 degree days for the past two weeks, and then a freeze that nipped the tops of the plants.  Thank goodness it wasn't a hard freeze!

 

We've enjoyed working together in the garden too, and look forward to harvesting what we grow there.  I am so, so thankful for our many blessings!

 

Puerto Rico!

Tom recently got to spend a week in Puerto Rico with his brother, Paul.

 

So while the rest of us were soaking in the 30/40 degree snow/rain mix, he was soaking up some rays on a nice sandy beach.  LUCKY!

 

He really had a great time, and it was really good for him to get to spend this time with his brother.

 

Here are just a few pictures he took while he was there...

 

Sunrise over Palomino Island - photo taken from the deck of their hotel room.

 

Palomino Island is where they went to play.  They rode a ferry over there and did a lot of swimming, snorkeling and laying in the sun.  Tom said they even saw nurse sharks in the water there.  I guess part of the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' was filmed here.  One day they snorkeled out to a little sandy island where Tom laid out on the beach, exhausted from the swim, and proceeded to get his belly sunburnt. 

 

A view of part of the hotel where they stayed.  They were in the upper part.  This picture is the lower part of the resort.  There was a gondola you could ride to get down to this part which had a water park and marina.  This is where they would catch the ferry to the Island.

 

Paul, leaf-surfing in the rain forest.

 

One day they went hiking in the tropical rain forest.  There were some old watchtowers they were able to climb up while on the hike.  Tom took a lot of video of it, and it looks very beautiful.

A sunken boat

 

Mostly Tom took video of the trip, so there aren't very many pictures.  They saw a lot of Iguanas and lizards.  The Iguanas like to hang out in the top of the shrub trees.  There were a lot of 'Kokee (sp) Frogs' that made really cool sounds at night.  Definitely a great experience for him.

I think he could get used to this!

An Update & probably TMI...

 

Well, first off...

 

Our dear Koko passed away this evening.  She was getting pretty old and frail.  I sat with her for quite a while this evening, giving her as much love as I could and telling her it was okay for her to go.  We knew she wasn't going to last through the night.  Finally I had to get up and stretch my legs, and Tom was with her when she passed.  She was a great family dog, loved by all of us.  She also had a good life, living the farm-dog life.  She was the fastest running dog I'd ever seen!  We're so sad, but are relieved that she is not going to suffer anymore.

 

In other news...

 

After graduation, Preston was able to get some temporary work at the college doing some demolition for a new workout facility in one of the dorms.  They have enough work to keep him busy full-time for about the next three months.  Just enough to give him time to apply for work in his field.  He's applied for a couple of positions but hasn't heard anything yet.

 

Not much has changed with Keaton.  He's still working for the CUB and going to classes.  He made a You-tube video with his Uncle Nels' and Dorie's help.  It's pretty cute.  It's called the 'Plastic Chef'.  You should check it out when you get the chance.

 

Winston is growing out of everything.  I bought some new pants for him at Christmas and a week later they didn't fit.  He is in the small end of the adult men's jeans now.  Also wearing a size 9 men's shoe!  Bah!  I can't keep up with that kid!!!  His voice is starting change and it's been kind of funny when a random squeak comes out when he talks excitedly.  Ready or not, my baby is growing up.

 

I recently had a new experience.  Here's where the TMI comes in... I'd been experiencing some pain in my side for a few years, and the last year seemed to be getting worse.  My doc ran some tests and a CT scan and nothing showed up - which is good, but still having the pain, not good.  So he sent me in for a colonoscopy - yuk!  The worst part was spending a whole day prepping for it.  I won't go into the gory details.  The procedure, itself, was a piece of cake.  They knocked me out and I had a nice nap.  Good news, I got a clean bill of health.  Bad news, still pain.  The doc said that if nothing is wrong with the plumbing, it's probably the wiring.  He thinks it's the nerves acting up, which means changing the diet again.  Funny thing - I thought eating apples was supposed to be healthy.  I have been eating a lot of apples and yogurt.  Evidently both are not a good match for my gut.  I'm hoping some changes in what I eat helps.  Hopefully I didn't gross you out too much with that little story.

 

Tom's still doing great.  We made a trip to Bend to visit his grandparents last weekend.  It was nice to see them again.  I also got to do a little shopping at the outlet malls.  Again - not for me, but for Winston.  He's back in jeans and shoes again for the short-time-being.

 

Well, that's about it for now.

Until next time...

 

Kow-a-bunga Dudes!

A Salute to Our Prestonian...

Preston graduated from WSU in December.

We are so proud of him!

He is now officially a Geologist!

He will be looking for work in his field, and hopefully he can find something that is fairly close to home.

Preston & Rachael

He's the one right in the middle - kind of facing the camera.

There were a LOT of people graduating!

On the big screen as he went to get his diploma.

Congratulations Preston!

We know you will do well in whatever you decide to do.  We just wish you the very best in whatever it will be!

We Love You!