Cool Chick

Kate asked for "sungackes" for about a week before I was able to get to the store to find some. I let her pick the ones she wanted and she went for the J-Lo look.

Beedoh's Graduation and Shower in Chicago

I'm forever trying to catch up with blogging for the summer! These photos are from our trip to Chicago at the end of June for Beedoh's graduation and bridal shower. The shower was given by her bridesmaids. We held it at Unique So Chique- a tea and chocolate house in Chicago. Beedoh's friend Jackie found it and really took care of much of the organizing. It was perfect! They served sandwiches, desserts and tea. Dad and Alex kept Kate so I was able to give Beedoh my full attention!

It was wonderful to get to see Gagy, Mom Dad and Alex, Beedoh and Brad.

Here is the apron on its beautiful new owner!

Beedoh graduated from Northwestern with an MA in Counseling Psychology.

Kate and I stayed with Beedoh and Brad in their condo in Old Town. Kate discovered that Aunt Beedoh really is much cooler than her mom. Kate loved Aunt Beedoh's shoes and playing dress up in cool Aunt Beedoh's things.

Will this fit me??

Kate still asks for Uncle Brad and Uncle Alex! Kate with Great Gagy

Prayer request

I've got a prayer request for everyone- our nephew Braden has speech difficulties due to problems with the formation of the back of his throat. He will be having surgery on 7/2 to help correct the throat and allow him to speak more easily. We'll join them in Washington DC on Thursday to help care for the rest of the family while they are with Braden in the hospital. Please pray for Braden, for his surgical team, his family and for our safe travels.

Projects

Here is what has occupied my evenings after Kate has gone to bed!

A reversible apron and matching oven mitt for my sister's bridal shower this weekend:

and the "Itty bitty baby dress" for a baby shower

and some bigger Itty Bitty dresses for birthday girls:



I've knit 4 dishcloths so far to use in our kitchen. I've been working on these while I'm on the bus, which is wasted time otherwise! I started with a very simple pattern and have been gradually getting more adventurous

Where do I even begin? 3. Garden

My garden has really taken off in the last few weeks. I have:

Basil: Huge! Froze a bunch yesterday, maybe will try to dry some next week

Chives: doing well. Put them in everything we eat!

Cucumbers: lots ready to harvest, what am I going to do with all of them?!?

Zucchini: almost ready

Broccoli: had one for dinner last night, others are starting to grow heads (slight caterpillar problem with these guys...)

Lettuce: almost done for the spring season. We've had salads almost every night

Onions: some ready to be cured

Tomatoes: lots of big green ones

Green Beans: flowering now

Long Beans: flowering now

Random Beans planted by Braden and Ryder: flowering now

Hot Peppers: tiny fruits now appearing

Banana Peppers: green ones just about to ripen

Bell Peppers: blooming now

Spinach: maybe the one failure...I think the seeds went in too late and now they are shaded by the giant zucchini

Bok Choi: some bolted, some ok. I think they are too hot now.

My flowers are so pretty right now as well! Blooming right now I have lots of roses (pink and red knockouts), daylilies, salvia, hostas, yellow and white black-eyed-susans, pink coneflowers, catmint, pansies (almost too hot), astilbe and veronica.

May:

June:

Where do I even begin? 2. Vermont trip

We had a great trip to Vermont last weekend! None of had been there and it was beautiful. Our story begins with a very well behaved little traveler who carried her own rolling backback through the entire DC airport. It was so cute! I wish I'd had the video with me. Kate is so much better on the plane in her own seat. While I'm not looking forward to having to pay for her tickets, it will be nice to have a guaranteed seat for her. On the trip home, there were 4 people total on our flight. After flying into Burlington, VT, we drove to Northfield, where Norwich University is located. Loren teaches an online class for Norwich and this was their "residency week" where everyone comes to the campus.

Seriously, are we there yet?

Look at that handsome driver!

We stayed at a bed and breakfast called the Northfield Inn which was really a treat! Aglaia, the innkeeper was so kind and Loren the smooth talker really got a great deal--a $179/night room for $63/night! Nice! However, her dog bit Kate on the face the first day. Luckily it barely broke the skin. Maybe it will help Kate to learn not to pull on animals!

They had a great swing on a big old tree where we spent a lot of our time!!


While Loren was attending to his duties, Kate and I toured the countryside of Vermont. We went to the Ben and Jerry's Factory, to the Cabot Creamery where they make cheese and to the Bragg Farm Maple Sugar House.

"Yummy, Mommy. I like it!"

Who can resist a puddle?

We had a bit of trouble getting back and ended up spending the night in NJ. However, we called Loren's cousins Brent and Sara and were able to go stay with them. They gutted an old home and did an amazing renovation. It was just beautiful. We'll have to go back and spend more time there. Overall, it was a great trip! Happy Birthday Loren!

Where to even begin? 1. Kate

Sorry, I'm a slacker. I love my summer schedule and I'm really enjoying it! I've done a bunch of new sewing projects (and still have a bunch on my to do list) that I need to post, tons of gardening and cooking. I think I'm going to do separate posts to get all caught up, though. This first will be on my favorite subject: Kate!

Still to come: Vermont trip, Projects, Garden, Chinese dumpling lessons

She is talking so much! It is really a lot of fun. She can tell us what is wrong, tell us what she needs and has whole conversations with us! I can ask her what happened during her day and she can remember and relate it back to me. For example, she had a bruise on her head the other day and I asked her how she got it. She told me she fell out of bed during her nap that day. Talking is pretty useful huh?!?

Kate picked up occasionally calling me "Meggan" instead of "Mommy" from her cousins. Ok fine. But what is really funny is that she thinks Loren's name is "Ryan". What?

This is Kate showing what you do with wet diapers "Squeeeeeeeee it" I've got to get a video. It is so funny!

Terrible twos: T-3 months until Kate's 2nd birthday, but we are starting a bit of ornery-ness. The other day she didn't want to take an afternoon nap and was pretty wound up. When I came back to her room to tell her to go to sleep, she was jumping on the bed saying "naughty, naughty". So I know she knows she is being disobedient. I guess at least she knows...we just have to work on that self control...