THE TAVERN FAMILY

Happy Hearts Day!

2012-02-13T21:37:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! Leila and I made her valentines last night. She is thrilled to pass them out Tuesday at daycare.

Hard at work addressing each card:

Cupid's Arrows ~ We saw this idea in Family Fun magazine. Easy, mess-free, cute and fun to make together!

Our sweet, little Valentine!

Valentine Cookie Decorating Party

2012-02-08T21:39:00.000-08:00

We threw a cookie decorating party this last weekend with Leila's closest friends! Each kiddo brought a dozen or so of his/her favorite cookies to our house. We spent the morning sharing frosting and sprinkles while creating masterpieces to eat. Everybody went home with frosted cookies and some party treats (these spoons full of melted white chocolate with sprinkles...so easy to make!).

The gang hard at work...with lots of help from the Moms. "Oops, don't lick that knife!!"

Erin and Elliott

The kiddos:
Ian, Kajsa, Elliott, Wyatt, Bergen, Leila and Sadie

Best friends: Berg and Weed

Ice

2012-02-04T15:25:00.000-08:00

After several days of a beautiful, winter wonderland the snow froze and a thick layer of ice settled on top. The picture above is so interesting to me. It looks like it had been raining, but it hadn't. The sheen is the top layer of ice. It was so thick that Leila could stand on it without breaking through. The ice was beautiful!! It was amazing to see the way it froze on tree branches, leaves, lampposts and even the rock wall. I couldn't stop taking pictures of the ice in the yard. While it was gorgeous it turned problematic rather quickly. Trees branches were snapping and falling under the weight of the ice. Power lines were downed. The line above our mailbox was sparking all night. We kept thinking we would lose power, but amazingly we did not!! The neighbors power line pole cracked at the base and was leaning, rather precariously, over the road for several days. The lines were 5 feet off the roadway. Chris and I spent quite some time sitting on the couch in the front room watching and listening to huge chunks of ice and branches fall onto the icy ground. I think even Chris was a bit nervous about the trees, as he didn't even tease me about wanting Leila to sleep in our room overnight. Not one bit. Her room is closer to all the trees in the yard and I was a little worried that part of a tree might come down. It was a very memorable winter storm to say the least!

If you click on any of the pictures it will enlarge the photo and make it easier to see just how thick the ice coat was!

Look how thick the ice on these branches is!

Winter Wonderland Wednesday

2012-02-02T21:19:00.000-08:00

We just kept getting snow! Wednesday brought us LOTS of snow! The tracks from the previous days' snow play and sledding were completely covered.

Our road...which gets pretty dicey in this kind of weather. Good thing we are both teachers and have these days off! Between our driveway and our road out front, it can be tricky to get around town.

Our back porch...

Here is our snowman from two days ago.

We measured 7.5 inches!

A cushion of snow to sit on.

The BIG snowman!! A pirate snowman...probably inspired by watching countless reruns of Disney's Jake and the Neverland Pirates with our little pirate.

More Snow on Monday!

2012-02-02T21:06:00.000-08:00

Monday morning brought even more snow! We now had the grass and trees covered. Chris stayed home all day and we played for quite some time outside! It was beautiful!!

We broke out the sled and took some turns down the smallest of inclines in our front yard.

Our home from the top of the driveway.

Leila and Chris soon decided that the next sledding adventure would be the driveway.

Tuesday morning we had a two hour delayed start of school. We rode together to Sandy's and school. Chris canceled his after school rehearsal for Tuesday. We headed to the grocery store and home as soon as we could. The forecast was calling for lots of snow Tuesday night and Wednesday...boy were the forecasters right this time!

The Storm Continues

2012-02-02T20:48:00.000-08:00

Sunday morning we woke up to the little bit of snow that was left from the night before. It wasn't much, but it was enough to play in for a bit. Chris was able to stay home and play in the snow with us until the afternoon, when he went into school to work on the set for the musical.

We built a little snowman and Leila named him Jack Skellington because of his stick fingers.

After Chris left for school, Leila and I changed Jack into Mickey Mouse.

The Snow Storm Begins

2012-02-02T20:34:00.000-08:00

Wow! In January we were hit quite hard with a huge winter storm. It all began Saturday afternoon, January 14th. When Leila woke up from her nap, it was barely starting to snow. We ran outside to play in the light dusting of snow. It continued and even started to stick!

These pictures were taken at 3:30 pm...look how cloudy and dark the skies were!

Christmas Letter 2011

2012-01-21T09:59:00.000-08:00

Each year I print our family's blog in a hardback book, so you must bear with me as I include a post with our Christmas letter for 2011. After this post, I am ready to order our book! This will be our fourth book and it is so exciting to see our family's happenings chronicled and bound for years to come!!

Merry Christmas from the Tavern Family!

With all of the Christmas decorations up, some presents under the tree, and the days of 2011 quickly dwindling, the time for the annual recap letter is upon us.

It is hard to believe that Erin and I have been married for eleven years and that we have been homeowners for the last seven. Equally difficult to fathom is the fact that Leila turned four in August. Time certainly does have a way of flying by. It seems that we always find new ways to spend time as a family. This year, we became members at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, so we spent lots of time checking out the wildlife, especially the elephants and the sharks. We also took our first trip as a family to Wild Waves. As I’m sure you can imagine Leila absolutely loved it, so of course we were repeat attenders.

We continue to throw our unwavering support behind the boys from Hockeytown, our beloved Detroit Red Wings. Whenever a game is televised - and especially during the playoffs - the three of us are decked out in Wings gear and it is the only time we’re allowed to watch TV during dinner. Though Erin and I have our perennial favorite players, Leila’s allegiance shifted this year as her favorite player from last year - Brian Rafalski - retired. We were a bit worried that his departure would mark the end of Leila’s support for the Wings, but luckily she has thrown herself staunchly behind Todd Bertuzzi, who wears number 44, or as Leila describes it: “He wears two number fours. That’s perfect because I am four!”

In addition to finding a new favorite Red Wing, our biggest blessing continued to experience a number of “firsts.” During our annual trip to southern California, Leila discovered that ocean waves aren’t scary, as she thought they were last year. This year, she loved playing in the surf. California held other new experiences for Leila, most specifically at Disneyland. In her fourth trip to the Magic Kingdom, she went on new rides galore: the Swings, Jumpin’ Jellyfish, Big Thunder Mountain, and - I type this next one with a rather large smile - Star Tours.

This year she also attended her very first live theatrical show, Mary Poppins at The Paramount. Later, we all went to see Aladdin at the 5th Avenue Theatre and Leila was on the edge of her seat for the entire show (well, really the edge of my lap or Erin’s). It is hard to describe how amazing it was to see her swept away by the magic of theatre. After seeing how much she loved these shows, we decided it was time to become season-ticket holders at Seattle Children’s Theatre. If our first show - Harold & The Purple Crayon - was any indication, Leila is on the road to loving live theatre as much as her parents.

If you were to ask Leila about the biggest moments of the year, she would definitely tell you about starting dance classes. And then she would show you some of the ballet, jazz, and tap moves that she is learning in her once a week sessions.

Erin - who has not turned into a Dance Mom - continues to amaze as a first grade teacher. Though her six and seven year olds aren’t always able to voice their appreciation at the time, Erin’s care, patience, and expert teaching has a long-lasting impact on her students. I’m plugging away through year two at the high school level, with successful productions of Scapino!, Annie Get Your Gun, and The Tempest under my belt. We recently started rehearsals for this year’s musical, Footloose, so the early months of 2012 will certainly be full of lots of time spent working on the show.

As one year closes and another is set to begin, I am always thankful that we get to end the year with the Christmas season. Surrounded by family, holiday cheer, and the remarkable wonder of this special season seems to be the perfect time to look back at the year that was. Though things don’t always go as we would plan them, we are reminded that the ones that we love and the memories we make with them will long outlast the temporary disappointments. Whatever the past year held for you, we wish you a very blessed Christmas season and a new year filled with joy, prosperity, and, most importantly, love.

Peace and Good Wishes,

Chris ~ Erin ~ Leila

Family Photo Session

2012-01-14T21:31:00.000-08:00

It only took us four years to have family photos, but we finally did it! Thanks to one of Chris's super talented students, Kayla Walker, we have lots of great pictures to cherish for years to come! It was a very chilly December afternoon but we managed to keep warm by putting our coats on between shots. We had a wonderful day and we can't thank Kayla enough!

Check out her Facebook page: k.Dub Photography.

Leila - just shy of 4.5 years-old

A Tavern Christmas - 2011

2012-01-03T19:52:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning finally arrived! We had a very blessed Christmas this year! We had many family get togethers on both sides of our family. Chris and I are thankful for our smart, funny and beautiful daughter and we couldn't have been happier as we watched her joyful spirit on Christmas morning!

It was a crazy couple of minutes at the start of Christmas morning. Leila woke up and I heard her door open and an excited gasp at the exact moment the cat threw up on the carpet. "Wait!", I yelled to Leila. "Go back in your room for three minutes!!!". I really wanted to see her expression as she looked at Santa's gifts, but I couldn't leave the mess on the carpet. Ugh! Just a few minutes later we were ready for take two. Leila was so surprised! Santa left her a dollhouse, a new baby and Jingle the dog.

We always start with stockings after settling in on the floor. I don't think Leila's stocking would have fit one more thing!

A portrait of Christmas morning joy:

After Leila's nap we headed to Christopher's parents' house for Christmas dinner and gifts. We have a tradition of watching one of the best Christmas movies of ALL TIME, White Christmas, each year. Leila watched the entire thing this year and kept talking about the dance moves she saw and the ones she knew already from dance classes. It became one of her favorites this season and we couldn't be more pleased!

A family picture at Mike and Shawn's:

Papa, Leila and Gramma

Leila should be a poster child for The Disney Store. She got Mulan, Captain John Smith, Li Shang, the Beast and clothes for Mulan. She already has about 6 more of their dolls at home. She is set for a lot of princess play!!

Christmas Eve

2012-01-03T18:51:00.000-08:00

We had a low-key Christmas Eve at home. Usually, we pack up the car and drive through the neighborhood streets looking at Christmas lights, but this year we decided that staying home sounded nicer to all three of us. After a Christmas movie, a bath for Leila, and dinner, we set out our cookies and milk for Santa. Of course, we left something for Rudolph too! Leila colored a picture for Santa. Then before tucking her in for the night, Chris and she tracked Santa's whereabouts on the computer (the BRAND new computer...notice that the old one is still sitting here on the desk).

Leila finally fell asleep around 10:00pm! She kept coming up with reasons that she NEEDED to come out of her room. I think someone was too excited to sleep!!

Christmas Eve Brunch at GG and GP's

2012-01-01T15:04:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve morning we headed over to Christopher's grandparents' house for brunch and some present opening. It was a great way to spend the morning with the family. We all enjoyed some pastries and Starbucks while visiting.

Look at Leila's stack of presents! GG and GP got her a train! It is an HO model train and it will fit perfectly around our Christmas tree in years to come. She is thrilled with it!

Leila also got a new baby that came with matching pajamas so they can be twins.

GP and Leila

Leila and GG

Leila wanted to put the matching jams on before we even left...and it was only noon.

Oh, Canada!

2011-12-27T19:50:00.000-08:00

For Chris's birthday in October his family bought him a ticket to the Red Wings and Canucks game. Leila and I were lucky enough to get to benefit from his birthday too, as we were also given tickets!! The game was December 21st in Vancouver, BC. We headed north a day earlier than the game and stayed a day later. We had an amazing time together in the beautiful and chilly Van City! Our hotel was right in the center of the city, so we walked everywhere we wanted to go, which is always a great way to see everything!

We got into town a little before our room was ready, so we parked the car and hit the streets. We found a coffee shop to warm up in. Leila had some milk in a mug and was pretending she was drinking tea like Chris and me.

We stumbled upon the outdoor ice rink in the center of town. We thought about renting some skates, but weren't sure how Leila would like it. Maybe next year?

This huge, beautiful tree was right at the end of the ice rink.

The next morning we walked across town, in 36 degree weather, to visit the Olympic Cauldron. If you know me, you know I LOVE the Olympics!!!! Summer or winter, it doesn't matter. Chris and Leila love me enough that they indulged me with some photo time even with the cold weather. Thank you family! The cauldron sits right on the water front.

Look at the amazing weather we were blessed with. Crisp, but clear. Vancouver really is a gorgeous city!!

Right next to the cauldron is this awesome whale statue that reminded us of legos.

The view from our room. There was a Christmas Village kitty corner to us. We saw Santa there one evening. The red banners in this photo are on the CBC Radio building. That building was busy all day and night.

Finally, the night of the game! I forgot to change the settings on the camera and when I realized it, Leila was finished smiling. These are the best we have of the three of us in our Red Wings garb.

The tree in the hotel lobby was all decked out in support of the Red Wings too!! ;0)

Great seats! We sat next to the three nicest people in Canada I think, even if they were wearing blue.

Our boys taking the ice for some warm-ups.

The cutest Wings fans around!

Leila loved the festive zamboni...I did too actually!

Getting ready to head back home the next day. We had a wonderful time! I think it is safe to say that we would do it again in a heartbeat!

Santa Claus Is Coming to Town

2011-12-26T22:08:00.001-08:00

Leila visited with Santa a few weeks ago. This year she asked for a new baby doll and a toy dog named Jingle. She asked Chris and me for a bigger magna doodle, a jacket with polka dots that looks like a dalmatian puppy and a picture of Chris and me in a frame to hang by her bed. Could she be any sweeter?

Random Gem

2011-12-26T22:06:00.000-08:00

We bought a new computer this week and in Chris transferring all the photos, I think things got shuffled around because I just saw this picture for the first time and I am in love with it. Someone took it with Chris's phone at Kalles. It looks like the set of a NOMT (Night of Musical Theater) production. I love that it conveys feelings of joy and exhaustion simultaneously.

Christmas Cookie Decorating Party

2011-12-26T22:02:00.000-08:00

Leila was invited to a cookie decorating party at Ian's house. Everyone was asked to bring a dozen cookies (ready to be frosted) and any sprinkles he/she wanted to the party. Ian's Mom, Colleen, had frosting, of every different color, ready for the kids to share. It was a great morning and I am totally stealing the idea for Valentine's Day!

Tavern Gathering

2011-12-26T21:44:00.000-08:00

We hosted the Tavern Christmas Celebration this year at our house. We spent the evening eating good food, opening gifts, and enjoying way too much dessert. We finished the night with a game of Pictionary. Leila even played with us. She was so excited to draw and wasn't too bad either!

The gang: Shanna, Sean, Lynn, Mike, Danny, Shawn, me, Chris, Missy, Leila and Jimmy

Chris's gift from his Aunt Lynn was a new beanie. This time Leila got a matching one! Aunt Lynn can crank these hats out in no time flat!

Snowmen

2011-12-26T21:36:00.000-08:00

Leila and I made these snowmen from some water and juice bottles. We found the idea in Disney's Family Fun magazine and decided to give them to Leila's daycare provider for a Christmas gift. Only one is pictured lit up, but each snowman had a battery operated votive inside to make them glow. We had a lot of fun making them together and Sandy was pleased to receive them.

Frog and Toad

2011-12-22T19:37:00.000-08:00

The first weekend of December we took in our second show at Seattle Children's Theatre. This time we saw Frog and Toad. It was so good! In October, when we saw Harold and the Purple Crayon, I thought how can they top this production, but Frog and Toad did it! The music was fabulous and the sets were charming. We had a super afternoon in downtown Christmas-decorated Seattle!

In the lobby before the show:

Waiting for the lights to dim:

Leila LOVES the shows, but the intermission treats are a big hit too! For both shows that we have seen they have sold a special treat that follows the theme of the production. Leila chose a frog sugar cookie to enjoy at intermission this time around. Yum!

Now we have to wait until spring to see our next show: The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Decorating

2011-12-17T23:08:00.000-08:00

We took a break while decorating the house for some pictures in the yard. What a cheese ball this kid is. Love her!

Tavern Tree Hunting

2011-12-15T23:01:00.000-08:00

We got our tree Thanksgiving weekend when we got home from my Mom's. We pulled into the garage, dashed inside to grab our rain gear and jumped back in the car. It was a race to get to Jo-El's Tree Farm before they closed and before we lost the daylight. We made it!

Can you tell someone is thrilled to have her picture taken?!?!

Leila still didn't want to smile...

...so I kicked her out of the picture!

We decorated it the following night after it dried out and it looks fabulous in our front room!

Tree Shopping in Portland

2011-12-07T20:59:00.001-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving weekend with my family in Portland. We had a great time laughing, eating, and playing with each other. On Friday morning, we headed to a tree farm out in the country near my Mom's house. One of Aunt Kathy's patients owns the farm and was more than happy to let my family pick out three trees...on the house!

Leila, Amanda and Uncle Jonny - these three are trouble!

We spent some time trying to get that PERFECT pose for the Christmas cards.

Leila, Granddad and Grammy

Aunt Kathy and Uncle Tom

A quick game of Red Light, Green Light before heading home to Mom's. Good thing we had to leave before this game got too competitive!

Spanaway Lights

2011-11-28T21:36:00.001-08:00

The Sunday before Thanksgiving we went to preview the Spanaway Lights Display. Thanks to a friend's suggestion, we found out that we could walk through the display rather than drive for that Sunday night only. Some how we had never known about this. It was VERY cold that evening, but we bundled up well enough to enjoy the lights and the evening walk. The organization of the parking lots left A LOT to be desired, but we are trying not to think about that!!

Some of our favorite designs of the evening:

After seeing all the lights, we headed home for dinner and some warm blankets!

Book Lover

2011-11-28T21:22:00.001-08:00

Last weekend when I went to change Leila's sheets, I found quite the stock pile of books under the covers! Chris and I have no problem letting her keep books in her bed...heck, we would probably do it too if there was enough room! All three of us LOVE to read. But just look at the number of books she had in there.

After unloading them, I looked at her shelf. I should have noticed! What a funny girl!

Silliness

2011-11-19T16:05:00.001-08:00

Goofing around...

Halloween 2011...continued

2011-11-11T19:20:00.000-08:00

I forgot that I had "stolen" several pictures from my Mom's camera when she was here on Halloween. Here are some of the day's events that I forgot to mention in the previous post. Since Mom was here that Monday, Leila got to stay at home and have a Grammy Day. They did visit Sandy's house mid morning to make veggie pumpkins with the kids. Mom said the kids had a BLAST!

Leila, Bergen and their pumpkins:

The Monday gang: Bergen, Kajsa, Leila and Wyatt

After Sandy's, Mom and L headed to Great Harvest for lunch.

Then that evening, prior to trick-or-treating, Leila had dance class.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-07T20:30:00.000-08:00

Halloween finally came! Leila was so excited to dress as Annie Oakley!!! She had dance class that night, so it was a busy evening, but very fun! After dance, we picked up Chris and stopped by a few friends' houses. My Mom was still here from Portland, so she was able to experience Halloween with Leila. We ended the evening with dessert at Gramma and Papa Tavern's house.

Leila got ready at the dance studio. She told me this was an "Annie Oakley smile".

We always stop by Sandy and Will's house too. It is a little strange ringing their doorbell since every other time we are there we come and go without any knocking or ringing. I had to remind Leila that we were there to trick-or-treat and not for daycare, so we had to ring the bell.

Sandy and Annie

Pumpkins for the Porch

2011-11-07T20:23:00.000-08:00

Even with only three days before opening night, Chris is always home Sunday mornings. There is a church that meets in his theater, so he can't go in until after 2 pm. I know this causes some stress for him sometimes, but selfishly it is nice to have a reason for him to be here on Sunday mornings...especially as the show gets closer to opening and we see him less and less in the evenings. Anyway, the Sunday before Halloween, we decided to decorate our pumpkins while Chris was still home for the day. We used the Potato Head pieces again. These are super easy for Leila to do and they look different year to year with differently shaped pumpkins.

Our morning faces!

We are officially ready for Halloween now!

Boo-yallup in Puyallup

2011-11-05T16:21:00.000-07:00

Annie Oakley

Halloween 2011

This year marked the second year that I took Leila trick-or-treating at the businesses in downtown Puyallup. This year, Puyallup hosted the event on Saturday. It was nice to have another time for Leila to wear her costume. The weather was crisp, but dry...perfect! My Mom, Chris's Mom and his Aunt Chris joined us for the outing.

Leila's favorite part of the afternoon was the carnival in the parking lot. They passed out small bags of cotton candy, let the kids bounce in an inflatable and had some easy games to play!

Leila had a good time, but was ready to go after an hour of walking around and some time on the playground.

Portland Pumpkins

2011-11-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Leila and I traveled south to Portland to spend time with my family while Chris lived and slept on stage at school. My Mom and Jim didn't have any pumpkins yet, so we decided a trip to the pumpkin patch was much needed. We headed to Sauvie Island and met up with Jonny, Amanda and her parents and Daniel and Jo Jo. Oh, and dogs...several of them. I have never been to a pumpkin patch with dogs! It seems the Portlanders even take their dogs pumpkin picking.

Leila and Jo Jo.

Taking the hayride out to the patch. The girls LOVE Amanda's dog, Ruby!

Leila and Uncle Jonny.

Not sure who was more excited to ride the cow train, the 4 and 5 year-old or the grown men??

Almost to the top of the hay pyramid.

The gang, minus Mom (thanks for taking the picture). Jonny, Barb, me, Amanda, Dick, Daniel, Leila and Jo Jo. And the dogs. Mitzi, Max and Ruby.

PLU in the Fall

2011-10-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

A weekend ago, Leila and I, on a whim, headed over to PLU to take some pictures. PLU has such a beautiful campus...especially in the fall. We had a lot of laughs walking around campus and finding interesting places to smile. I am not sure how interested she was, but I kept telling her her stories from the "good ole college days" at each of the spots. I know we are doing something right, as she already wants to go to PLU! She even knows her two roommates: Bergen and Sadie. Attaway, future Lute!!

On the side steps of Harstad Hall.

The bell in front of Eastvold Chapel.

Coincidentally, it was Homecoming weekend, so the campus was full of Lute banners and PLU families.

This sweater Leila is wearing was my brother's when he was young. Our Aunt Doris crocheted it. Aunt Doris passed away last October, so it is really special that Leila fits into it now.

Spookatastic!

2011-10-18T19:11:00.000-07:00

Leila's new word for the season is SPOOKATASTIC! Every time we pass a decorated house, she excitedly points out the spookatastic decorations. The first weekend of October we headed to our favorite pumpkin patch: Spooner Farms to find some spookatastic decorations of our own. The weather wasn't too promising, but we managed to pick the perfect window and were in the car, loaded with pumpkins, gourds and corn stalks before it started to rain. Whew!!

Oh, the choices!
A picture of the hills surrounding the patch.

There are just some pictures that are a must...year after year.

I asked a lady if she would mind taking our family picture...little did I know she was a professional photographer on a paid photo shoot. Oops. She wasn't thrilled, but took one anyway.

Picking out some "baby pumpkins" and gourds for our porch.

The girls each picked out a yummy treat. Leila chose a ghost cookie to snack on and I chose a sliced caramel apple. Yum!

The Tavern girls.

This year was the first year we spent some time in the kids' activity barn. Leila had a good time coloring, riding the bouncy horses and visiting with some animals.

The Dad.

When we left the patch, Chris asked if we wanted to make a scare crow for our porch. Of course! So, we stopped by Good Will and bought some clothes to make a kid-sized scare crow. Leila helped her Dad a bit.

The finished product. It works well...our cat won't go out the front door for fear that the scare crow will attack. Really Quincy?!?!?

Our porch is ready for the season. It is difficult to see the scare crow, larger pumpkins and hay bale from this angle, but you get the idea.

We are officially SPOOKATASTIC!!!!

Little Man Slater

2011-10-16T17:56:00.000-07:00

Leila and I had an afternoon with Easton this last week. We had a great time making him laugh. He has such a wonderful giggle!

He was laughing so hard his eyes were watering. Look closely and you can see...

We even got some smiles outside!

Since the day Easton was born, Leila has called herself his big sister. Love it!

Theater Lover

2011-10-09T20:24:00.000-07:00

This summer, we became Seattle Children's Theater subscribers. We were so excited last weekend to take in our first show, Harold and the Purple Crayon!! I think we read the book every night for a week and half leading up to the show date. It did not disappoint! Very entertaining, imaginative and engaging for the whole family!

Waiting for the show and doodling in the program. The theater had a page inside with a "picture starter" for the kids to draw like Harold.

Top Pot's special donuts for the show. Enjoying one at intermission.

I asked a family to take our picture, but forgot to turn the flash back on. This was the best I got.

Our next show is A Year With Frog and Toad in November. We are so looking forward to it!

CMT's B-Day

2011-10-04T20:48:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday (October 3rd) to my wonderful, caring hubby! To celebrate Christopher's 32nd, we had both sides of the family over for dinner, pie and presents.

Present time:

Two of his favorite things - Fallon and Toms

This looks fabulous on the front porch!

Of course he was given the Star Wars collection on blu-ray. Perfect timing Lucas!
Love the giant tag!
Chris's side of the family went in together and bought him (and me and Leila too!) tickets to see the Red Wings play in Vancouver this December! Chris is being silly in this picture because I made him take a picture with the peanuts (he didn't know what else was in the bag or how "big" it was!).
Aaah...now the bag of peanuts makes sense!

Look at this man! This is my new favorite picture of my handsome hubby!
Happy birthday, Babe!

Documenting

2011-10-04T19:44:00.000-07:00

When I was pregnant with Leila, we ordered a tree through the Modern Woodmen's Association. I can't remember what type of tree it is (don't worry, I have the tag somewhere), but it sure started to take off this summer. We thought it was a goner a few times over the last four years. Thankfully, it must have taken root this spring and summer! It still looks pretty small in these pictures, but considering what it looked like when we planted it, I think it is doing pretty well!!

New Duds

2011-09-27T20:56:00.000-07:00

Thank you OshKosh B'Gosh for making good, ol' fashioned, cute kids' clothes in this day and age! I had the hardest time this season finding regular blue denim overalls. I didn't want that yucky wash that looks brown. I didn't want trendy rips and holes in the knees. I didn't want tons of embroidery on the pockets. I just wanted overalls. Overalls that were both cute and comfortable!

Thank goodness OshKosh still knows how to make 'em!!

Puyallup Fair

2011-09-24T21:49:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, we only made it to the Puyallup Fair one time this year. Luckily, we were able to enjoy a few hours there last weekend with our good friends the Wallers. We stayed long enough for the girls to ride some kiddie rides, eat some scones and corn-dogs, eat an elephant ear, and see the bunnies before it started to rain. Becky and I even got to ride The Wild Cat roller coaster! I haven't ridden that since junior high.

Leila playing music on the crazy instrument.

Just like their mamas, these girls love the roller coasters!

Hopefully next September we will enjoy more than one visit!

Tiny Dancer

2011-09-22T17:10:00.000-07:00

Leila started ballet and tap dance classes last week! She has been so excited! Every Tuesday night she gets to twirl and skip to her heart's content with 5 other little girls. It seriously is THE. CUTEST. THING ever! All the girls are beyond adorable with their tiny tutus and slippers!!
Waiting to meet her teacher, Miss Mandy.

Baby Waterfall Photo Shoot

2011-09-17T20:03:00.000-07:00

When we visit my Mom and Jim in Portland, we always find time to squeeze in a walk or two. The development they live in has a little water feature at the entrance and it is one of Leila's favorite places to check out. Our visit last weekend was no exception and we were actually able to catch Leila in a smiling mood!

My Mom made this adorable outfit!

Sailing the Columbia

2011-09-13T21:47:00.000-07:00

Can you even believe this??!!? Jon and Amanda own a sailboat! That just sounds crazy to me! This last weekend we celebrated Mom's birthday in Portland and spent Saturday on the Columbia River in their new boat. Gorgeous, gorgeous weather! Too hot while the crew prepared the boat in the dock's parking lot, but refreshing when we finally set sail! I enjoyed almost every minute of the adventure. There were several wind gusts that were a little too strong for my liking, sending the boat at what I consider to be unnatural angles, but my Mom and I seemed to be the only ones concerned. I guess I am just not used to sailing yet. Anyway...what a great day! Jon, Amanda and Chris were an amazing crew and kept us afloat the entire day.

Amanda stocking the sailboat prior to heading for the dock.

Jon and Amanda's new house....just minutes from the river and the airport (perfect for Jon's job).

Leila and Uncle Jonny

Leila wants nobody else when Amanda is around!

The Captain

We stopped midday at Government Island for a swim. Notice the air tower and the Portland airport in the background.

We can't have Jon and Chris together without taking some crazy picture:

This is really hard to see, but Jon and Amanda are standing in front of THIER BOAT here!

Leila took her afternoon in the cabin.

While the rest of unpacked the boat, Leila and Grammy played on the beach.

King of the Hill Game

2011-09-13T21:36:00.000-07:00

Last Friday was the BIG King of the Hill football game between ERHS and Rogers. What a game! There were several times throughout the evening that it looked like ER was gonna pull out a victory, but sadly, Rogers won the game. Even though the Jags didn't win, the team should be very PROUD! It is quite impressive to see football players being respectful and demonstrating self-control! Watching the team and the fans of Jag Nation reminds me a lot of PLU football. There is a sense of teamwork and support. I am excited to watch the rest of the ERHS football season. Go Jaguars!

Leila with one of her favorite ERHS students: Miss Jenna!

Leila spent most of the second half with all the "big kids". Thanks to Jenna, Madi, Josh, Taylor, and Isaac for coloring with her! She loves you guys!!

Jaguar Football

2011-09-09T13:44:00.000-07:00

Last Friday marked the opening game for the Emerald Ridge Jags! We had a great time enjoying the band, watching the game, chatting with friends and celebrating the WIN!! Jags beat Todd Beamer High School with a score of 21-14. Way to go, Jags!

Leila LOVES Josh! We sat right across the aisle from the band just for Leila.
Two teachers' kids: Fry and Tavern.
Copying the cheerleaders.

The night just kept getting better for Leila. There was Josh, the band, a new friend to color with, cheerleaders to mimic and then, OH BOY, total excitement happened!!! Leila was allowed to come out WITH the cheerleaders and cheer on one of the boxes! Thank you, Brooke! Leila was giddy!

Watching the game.

Look at that littlest cheerleader on the left. Adorable!

Brooke is trying to teach her some cheers.

The big King of the Hill game is tonight at Sparks. ER versus Rogers. This game always messes with our heads. Do we root for the Jags or our dear, old alma mater??! Okay, okay....go Emerald Ridge!!

Family Picnic

2011-09-06T20:54:00.000-07:00

With our summer coming to a close last week, we spent an evening relishing each other's company at our favorite, family picnic spot. We LOVE heading out to Brown's Point for Northwest, summer evenings. We grabbed Subway sandwiches on the way and spent a few hours throwing rocks, running in the field, snacking and snapping pictures. Lovely!

Leila's princess pose.

Leila wanted a break, but Chris was ready for another picture.

This picture of Chris and Leila makes me laugh. It looks like an engagement pose.
Leila tried her hand at taking our picture with the big camera. Almost!
And another Leila shot. A tab better...at least you can see our chins!

Dinner with Friends

2011-09-03T18:04:00.000-07:00

A week before school started, we made evening plans with our friends, the Wallers. Mike and Becky invited us to their house for dinner. I think the four adults were really looking forward to visiting, but our girls were even MORE excited to see each other! Sadie and Leila so enjoy playing together! It was the perfect Northwest, summer evening to eat outside. Becky is quite the chef! Thanks Wallers for a great evening!

The girls at their kids' table.

If only I had taken a picture 15 seconds earlier! They had their arms around each other while Leila read Sadie books.

Ahoy, Matey!

2011-08-28T21:05:00.000-07:00

To celebrate Leila's 4th birthday with our families, we invited both sides over for some pirate party fun! Leila loves Jake and the Neverland Pirates on Disney Junior. I think at one point we had every episode ever made recorded on our DVR. Goodness! We had great weather for the afternoon and a houseful of family! Perfect!!

Leila keeps telling Chris and me that she would like a dog. Sorry, kid...not in this house. We did get her a dalmation though for her birthday!

This girl loves some smurfs!
Princess nightgown!

Does the cake look like a pirate hat?? That is what I was going for with the cupcakes representing some jewels.

Uncle Jonny and Leila - birthday buds, both August 20th babies!
My baby and my baby brother...love them lots!

Leila at 4

2011-08-22T23:58:00.000-07:00

My favorite part of keeping a blog happens each January when I print the year's posts in a hard-bound book. We now have three years of Tavern Family History in print. I am telling you, it is the easiest way to scrapbook! I am looking forward to the years ahead when Leila flips through them with us and we can share our memories. With those times in mind, I write this post to Leila.

August 20, 2011 ~ age 4

Words/phrases we LOVE to hear you say...

(it will be a sad day when you outgrow them):

puftit = perfect

chip chops = chocolate chip cookies

ah judgers! = a statement of frustration

rade = past tense of read - "Mommy, we rade that book last night."

honeys = baby dolls - "My honeys are sleeping. Shh."

before it starts blooding

hoop-a-loop = hula hoop

paputer - computer

buh-pyano = piano

Can I be accused? = Can I be excused?

Our gate speaks "panish" = We have to speak to our gate in Spanish.

Words/phrases that we can't believe you use correctly in your everyday conversations:

I prefer

certainly is

actually

perhaps

probably

Is that a good plan?

A sentence that melted your Dad's heart recently:

"Daddy, I prayed that I was a real princess and I married you." (6.23.2011)

A bittersweet moment for your Mom and Dad:

You started pronouncing L correctly. It was no longer a W sound.

Weeda became Leila on July 6, 2011 and you grew up a little bit more before our eyes.

Things you love:

Blankie**Hoppity**books**Aladdin**Hercules**music**hockey**purple**

Ritz Bitz**blue Gatorade**Brian Rafalski**Star Wars**Disney princesses**

squashed pennies**coloring**smurfs**Yo Gabba Gabba**stickers**

painted nails**searching for Hondas on the road**puzzles**Wheat Thins

We love you, Leila Elizabeth! You have filled our home and family with joy, smiles, love, and laughter these past four years. We are truly blessed beyond measure to call you our daughter!!! Happy 4th birthday, Weeda!!

Happy Birthday, Sweet Girl!

2011-08-22T22:57:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year again when Chris and I look at each other and wonder how the year went by so quickly. On August 20th, Leila turned FOUR! To celebrate her special day we surprised her with a morning treat of powdered donuts. I stacked 4 donuts and stuck a tall candle through the centers. She was so eager to eat them that I didn't even have a chance for a picture with the candle.

After breakfast, we got ready for Leila's first ever "Friend Party". All her pals met at the park for playtime, sweets and presents. Instead of making a cake, I had the kids decorate sugar cookies.
The best part of kid parties is watching the guests creep closer and closer to the birthday kid while he/she is opening presents.

The group - Alivia, Sadie, Mackenzie, LEILA, Ian, Bergen, Kajsa and Anniston (not pictured - Baby Leif, Baby Finley, Elliott and Edith)

The big girls - Kenzie, Leila and Bergen
For dinner that night we did the usual and headed to Red Robin. It is Leila's favorite place to eat and has become a tradition for her birthday dinner.

Rainiers Baseball

2011-08-21T20:37:00.000-07:00

We LOVE having a minor league baseball team so close and although we don't go to the games as much as we would like, it sure is fun when we do make it! Monday night, we headed to the newly remodeled Cheney Stadium to take in a game. The weather was gorgeous, we had great company, sat in super seats and the Rainiers won...so what more could we ask for??!!??

Leila and her "cottonin candy". She had pretty much the entire bag to herself...no one else really dug the purple flavor.

We sat behind home plate , but Chris is friends with the "PR man", so Geoff asked Chris if he would like to sing between the innings. It was Hawaiian Night and Chris's job was to complete the missing lyrics to a Hawaiian song. He did super!

Waiting for Dad to sing.
Leila met Rhubarb while we were waiting.

The Jumbo Screen

Asking the crowd what they thought of Christopher's singing...of course they LOVED it!

The Rainiers won in the last inning! What a way to end the night!!

Pierce County Fair

2011-08-21T20:26:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was the "Small Fair", as we like to call it. The Pierce County Fair is a fun way to spend an afternoon, but really leaves us yearning for the Puyallup Fair! We met Gramma and Papa on Sunday afternoon and spent a few fun hours together.

We rode the swings:

Ran into some friends by chance (Mackenzie):

Posed for some pictures at the Fire and Rescue booth:
Dressed up like a fire fighter:

And decided we wouldn't smile (for ANYTHING!) inside the truck:
I REALLY wanted to see the inside of the engine!! I guess the fire fighter could tell because he told me I could crawl inside and I didn't even ask him. Thanks!
Not long now until the "Big Puyallup Fair"!!

"Camping"

2011-08-17T21:44:00.000-07:00

Two nights this last week Leila and Chris attempted to sleep outside in our backyard. Both nights Leila ditched the tent for the house around 10:30 pm. Chris decided to stay in the tent the second night, but Leila just wasn't ready to spend the entire night outside. She had a blast reading and playing with Dad for several hours prior to lights out, but as soon as the tent flaps were zipped up, she was ready to bail. I understand kiddo!

Helping with set-up.

She was soooooo excited!

Practicing what sleeping would feel like.

Maybe next summer?

Working with Dad

2011-08-16T12:18:00.000-07:00

My car got a nice treat last week! Leila and Chris washed it for me! Thanks! It looked pretty good...except for a spot or two. :0)

Watch out, Dad!

Disneyland - Part Deux

2011-08-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

Our last day in sunny CA was spent at the Happiest Place on Earth!! We definitely made the most of our 15 hours there!!

Waiting in line for the Dumbo ride with her magic feather to help him fly.

From Dumbo we went to Storybook. Me and my girl.

One of the Taverns' favorite things to do while waiting in line at Disneyland is to pass the time eating churros. Here is L waiting in line for Alice in Wonderland...she hadn't been on this ride as it was closed last year for refurbishment.

I couldn't convince Weeda to smile...at all.
Our Goofy girl.
Teacups - these are some of my favorite pics of the day.

Now boarding...
We spent lunch in Goofy's Kitchen meeting all the characters.

We celebrated Leila's 4th birthday early in Disney style.

In line for the Monorail.

Showing off her personality.

When we came off of the Jungle Cruise, we noticed a line was forming, although we didn't know which character it was for. Low and behold, it was Aladdin!!!!! Then right before we got to the front, Jasmine joined him. What lucky timing!!!!!

Leila was so excited as she waited in line...she could peek through this little window to watch them as we waited our turn.

Meeting Aladdin - Leila's favorite Disney person! He asked her if she wanted to be Jasmine and to his surprise Leila said no, she wanted to be him. He loved it!

Saluting before heading to Star Tours.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

View from the top of the Tarzan Treehouse.

Watching the parade on Daddy's shoulders. This parade was PERFECT for Leila...all her favorites! Much better than last year's.

Aladdin

Rapunzel

Chimney sweeps.

California Adventure is creating a new Cars ride.

Ariel and Eric at the end of the new Little Mermaid ride.

Leila made everyone take turns on the Jumping Jellyfish ride...even Dad, who is afraid of heights.

Aunt Chris's turn.

Watching the fireworks.
Wiped out! Whew, what a day! We certainly did Disneyland!!!!!!!!

Sharks!

2011-08-10T09:34:00.000-07:00

After leaving my family's house, we headed back south to spend the remaining time with Chris's family. We visited the Aquarium of the Pacific at Long Beach on Monday. Sharks sure are fascinating! Leila is afraid of butterflies, but will stand forever at the shark tank with her face pressed up against the glass. I don't get that!

Trying to convince L to touch the rays...she wouldn't have anything to with that.

The funny thing is that when we got home Discovery started Shark Week. We were taping shows left and right for L to watch. Many of the shows we saw featured the Aquarium of the Pacific at Long Beach. How cool is that?! The Long Beach Aquarium is VERY good, but I still would LOVE, love, love to see the Monterey Bay Aquarium some day!!!

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

2011-08-09T20:48:00.000-07:00

No visit in Ventura is complete without a trip to Santa Barbara! SB is absolutely beautiful and not too far up the coast from the Holmstrom house. Aunt Vicky and I thought that Leila would be thrilled to visit the museum as they were hosting a butterfly exhibit. We couldn't have been more wrong! One landed on her and she absolutely freaked!!! I am not exaggerating one bit! I was afraid she would bat it away and hurt it...luckily that didn't happen. But I am ahead of myself.

When we arrived at the museum life was good for L. Uncle Jonny and her checked out the skeleton of a blue whale.

Cut out photo op butterflies were totally cool with Leila.

Mom inside the butterfly garden.
Aunt Vicky...the butterfly whisperer!
Aunt Vick, Uncle Rick (my Mom's brother) and Mom
After a few hours at the museum, we headed to this sweet, little restaurant for lunch. It was right on the beach! There was even a 12x12 or so sandpit for the kids to play in while the food was being prepared. Genius!

We had a little visitor during our meal.
The view from our table.
My crazy family...minus my cousins.
Leila was over due for her nap and pretty crabby.

Waiting for the bunny to reappear.

My brother and his girl, Amanda. Love her!

Hanging with the Family

2011-08-09T16:48:00.000-07:00

After a day at the beach we headed back to Aunt Vick and Uncle Ricky's house to clean up. Anyone who knows my family knows it takes a bit for us to get the show on the road. Sooo...I had some time to snap some pictures of my brother, Amanda and Leila snuggling on the couch before we headed out to Snapper Jack's (best little Mexican restaurant in Ventura!) for dinner.

Look at my Aunt's living room! This is just a snippet of what the entire house looked like! We had 10 people staying the night in the house....needless to say, there was stuff every where!

Thanks for letting us invade your house Aunt Vicky and Uncle Rick!!

Marina Park Beach Trip

2011-08-06T21:30:00.000-07:00

Our second day with my side of the family in CA, we headed to Marina Park Beach in Ventura. This is only about 10 minutes from my Aunt and Uncle's house. Wow! We had almost the whole family there and we spent a huge chunk of the day playing in the ocean. It was the perfect beach day!

When we got too cold, we headed to the towels for some snacks before returning to the water for more waves. I spent most of the afternoon boogie boarding. It was so much fun!!

We ended our family beach day with a trip to In n Out for burgers. Can't get any more Californian than that!!

Ventura Reunion

2011-08-05T16:32:00.000-07:00

Midway through our CA vacation we drove north a couple of hours to visit my family. My Aunt and Uncle live in Ventura, but it wasn't just them that we were visiting. My Mom, Brother, Amanda, Aunt Kathy and my cousins also rendezvoused at the Holmstrom home. We had a great three days of fun, laughter and good food. Our first morning there, Aunt Vick fixed a delicious breakfast spread! Leila got in on the action and helped prepare the bacon for the oven.

The boys wanted MORE bacon. Their words - "You can never have enough bacon at breakfast!".

Huntington Beach and Pier

2011-08-03T15:09:00.000-07:00

One afternoon, after Leila woke up from a nap, we decided to spend a few hours at the beach. Christopher's Aunt and Uncle live right on Huntington Harbor, so as you can imagine Huntington Beach and Pier are just minutes away. The ocean was a little too "BIG" for Leila last year. She wasn't thrilled with it, but this year was quite different. We only walked along the water's edge (dinner was cooking at home and we couldn't stay too long), but she really enjoyed it!

I like their shadows in this next shot.

They have squashed pennies on the pier!! Leila got all four designs. Her book is practically full now. Only three spaces left.

Santa Ana Children's Musuem

2011-08-03T14:48:00.000-07:00

The day after Disneyland, we enjoyed a low key afternoon at the movie theater. Then the following day, we ventured to the Santa Ana Children's Museum. It was very crowded and definitely NOT low key! We had a good time though and were glad that we checked it out.

Leila and Aunt Chris working on their potatoes.
So proud of Chris...he could solve this children's puzzle. :0)
Dad is trying to explain a vortex to Leila.
The entire second story of the museum is an exhibit that demonstrates how science is used in hockey! It was pretty cool....even if it was sponsored by the Ducks. Leila got to record and listen to herself calling the plays of some hockey footage.
"Driving" the Zamboni.
Getting ready to take some shots.
I think they each scored one.
Creating her own hockey uniform.
Okay, okay...I just had to take this picture!! I think you will know why if you read it!! Love it!!!!!

Tavern Family Vacation

2011-07-31T22:27:00.000-07:00

We spent 10 days in Southern California and boy did we pack as much fun as possible into those 10 days!! The first day there we visited our favorite place:

DISNEYLAND!!!!

Leila with the Mouse! And one with Mickey and Mommy (my favorite Disney character!).

The Tangled tower. You could meet Rapunzel inside, but we chose not to. The line was SUPER long!

Crazy flyin' on Dumbo.
Storybook Boats
Toon Town - Gadget's Coaster
One of Leila's favorites!

Small World with Aunt Chris
Then we headed to CA Adventure and rode Monters Inc.
We spent a lot of time in A Bug's Land...

Waiting for the Disney Junior Live stage show. Chris is giving me a bad time here about taking one more picture.

Not a good picture, but a great ride! It is the new Little Mermaid ride in CA Adventure. I think it is Leila's favorite now!
Another new ride for Leila. She LOVED this!!!! I think we rode this about 15 times.

Chris walked laps until Leila finally dozed off for a late afternoon nap.

Waiting for the fireworks with my hubby. Love him!

East Coast Visitors

2011-07-29T20:54:00.000-07:00

The Sunday before we left for our California vacation, we had the opportunity to host our friends for brunch. The O'Hanlons were in town from the East Coast. We were thrilled to meet their sweet, little Emerson and catch up with Brian and Jill. It had been way too long!! Jill and I both love snapping photos, so it is pretty shocking that we each only took ONE photo of the visit! What!!??!! I guess we were just too busy chatting and laughing with each other. Thanks for the visit O'Hanlon clan!

Aladdin's Premiere

2011-07-17T10:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the family headed to the 5th Avenue Theater to see the new stage version of Aladdin! We have season tickets to The 5th, but this was Leila's first visit. Some 25 years ago Chris was introduced to live theater at The 5th, so having Leila join us for the show was very special! Aladdin did not disappoint! We were very proud of Leila as she was a perfect audience member!!

Outside the rehearsal space under the stage.

After the show...Leila is singing here. She has been Aladdin ever since leaving.

Northwest Trek

2011-07-16T10:31:00.000-07:00

Thursday we braved the storm clouds and rain! We met up with some new friends at Northwest Trek. Leila has become good friends with Ian at swim lessons. His Mom is also a first grade teacher, so we have loads to talk about. They invited us and we were thrilled with the play date! This was Leila's first trip to NW Trek. She LOVED the tram ride! Since the weather was on the colder side, ALL the animals were out! We lucked out, as it didn't start raining until we were headed to the exit gates. Notice the winter coats and hats the kids had on...in the middle of JULY! While we were eating in the cafe, the employees started a fire in the huge, stone fireplace. It truly felt like October!

Another tram photo.

This bison was sitting RIGHT next to the tram's path.
I loved seeing all the elk!

Taking a rest in the Discovery Center.

One of our favorite things to do when we visit new places is to check for squashed penny machines. We were in luck! The kids each got two.
Fun! We can't wait to get together with Ian and Colleen again!

PLU Bookstore Event

2011-07-14T15:30:00.000-07:00

My friend, Sarah, called yesterday morning and invited us to the PLU Bookstore for a Winnie the Pooh promotional event. The girls had fun coloring, getting their faces painted, playing a Pooh game, hearing a story and going on a scavenger hunt throughout the store. What a nice little outing and CLOSE to home!!
Leila and Mackenzie

A New Toy

2011-07-13T19:11:00.000-07:00

What a resourceful hubby I have! We have had a pretty ghetto garden hose for the last few years and luckily we finally got around to replacing it. It had about 6 permanent kinks in it, which was annoying when dragging it around the lawn watering flowers. Rather than tossing it in the garbage can, Chris decided to build a new toy for sunny days! He drilled holes the length of the hose and now we have a sprinkler system that runs the whole side of our slip and slide. Genius!

Adding a few more holes.
Love this - Chris is working, Leila is catching water in her mouth.

STP 2011

2011-07-12T15:55:00.000-07:00

Christopher's Uncle Sean completed his first Seattle to Portland bike ride this last weekend! Saturday morning we dashed up to Spanaway Jr. High to surprise him at the first pit stop. It was so inspiring to see all the cyclists crowding around. Leila was super excited to spot Uncle Sean!!!

Waiting for Uncle Sean. If you look closely, you can see Leila is wearing her bike jammies. She insisted.

The Taverns: Chris, Aunt Lynn, Leila and Papa Mike

Leila and her Dad.
Surprise! Sean stopped for a quick bite to eat, oh and some pictures that the women demanded!

Leila gave Uncle Sean some "good luck and get going" hugs!
Headed to Centralia...

Leila wanted to stay much longer and help Aunt Lynn in the first aid booth. This nice, nice lady was so patient and let Leila help bandage her road rash. Bless her! I thanked her and she said, "Oh, I have grandkids her age. I loved it!"
Way to go, Uncle Sean! We are proud of you!!

More Yard Work

2011-07-12T15:46:00.000-07:00

Our yard got a fresh look with a few yards of beauty bark (or bark dust, as I was raised to call it). Such a difference bark always makes! This year, Leila even pitched in to spread it in the beds.

At the end of the day. Awww.

Chris got some new garden timbers to add a layer to my rose bed. The old layer was barely above the ground anymore and was beginning to rot away. So much cleaner now!
A final shot from the top of the drive.