on my bookshelf : : summer 2013

And the Mountains Echoed : : Khaled Hosseini
This is Hosseini's brand new book - author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns.  
“I suspect the truth is that we are waiting, all of us, against insurmountable odds, for something extraordinary to happen to us.” 

The Language of Flowers : : Vanessa Diffenbaugh
I don't think I loved this book as much as some of my sisters (sorry!) - the story was a little out there in terms of being realistic.  If you are a mother, read this and tell me I'm wrong.  Still a worthwhile read...a quick one!
“Perhaps the unattached, the unwanted, the unloved, could grow to give love as lushly as anyone else.” 

East of Eden : : John Steinbeck

I've read this once before, but something compelled me to read it again.  Though it's a pretty sad story, it has several of my favorite elements: lots of characters, spans a long period of time, set in the past, etc. 
“And now that you don't have to be perfect, you can be good.”

Happier at Home : : Gretchen Rubin
I loved her first book and I love this one too.  Since we were home shopping/buying/selling all summer, this seemed like the perfect book.  But I haven't finished it yet!
“As I turned the key and pushed open the front door, as I crossed the threshold, I thought how breathtaking, how fleeting, how precious was my ordinary day. Now is now. Here is my treasure.”

Silver Star  : : Jeanette Walls
Her other books are favorites of mind - this one was almost as good as The Glass Castle and Half Broke Horses.
I can't recall my favorite quote and I've already passed the book along!

A Game of Thrones : : George R. R. Martin
Yes, I have jumped on the Game of Thrones bandwagon.  Not for everyone, but I'm hooked!
“A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge.” 

A Clash of Kings : : George R.R. Martin (Game of Thrones Book 2)

I blew threw the 800 pages of Book 1 when I wasn't furiously cleaning the house to get it sold during the month of August.  Book 2 has not gone as quickly, since we have been busy unpacking and painting and cleaning and organizing (which is also fun!).  200ish pages to go on this one!

“People often claim to hunger for truth, but seldom like the taste when it's served up.”

The Handbuilt Home: 34 Simple Stylish and Budget-Friendly Woodworking Projects for Every Room : : Ana White 

Jamie and I have grand visions of some DIY furniture projects for the new place--we'll see how far we get on that.  But I LOVE this book and her website, Pinterest, etc etc.  I got the book from the library but just might have to purchase my own copy!

Whew!  A summer of great reading!  Sorry, but my next post will probably be Game of Thrones 3, 4, 5.......

cool august nights in neskowin!

 

We were lucky enough to be able to take another trip to Neskowin - last weekend!

 We had one perfect beach afternoon.  The sun was shining but it wasn't hot, it was just perfect.  Lots of sand, cousins to play with, holes to dig, and waves to chase.

 

 The water was, of course, icy cold.  Did that bother this kid?  Nope! What bothered him was when we took him away. :/

Another highlight was a family hike and picnic at the top of Cascade Head.

Baby-wearing Dads!

 Charlie and Grandma

Henry & Romy held hands almost the whole way up. :)

Shannon & Bernie

(Stole these last pics from Shannon - thanks!)

 

 Goofy family photo

Not pictured: deli treats, Cafe at Hawk Creek, yummy meals at the Green Dragon, bonfire + s'mores at the beach, Auntie Janice, glider flying (attempts), shared baths (kids), and walks through town.  Can't wait to go back!

totally worth the drive

This past weekend shall henceforth be known as The Weekend of the Longest Car Rides to Portland and Back EVER.  Despite the seriously horrendous traffic, we had a great trip down south!

 Books make long car rides WAY more enjoyable.

 We spent Saturday morning with Grammy, Grandpa, and the Howells at the Lake Oswego Farmer's Market.  All you really need to know about the Lake Oswego Farmer's Market is: Amazing Fresh Donuts.  Would have taken a picture of mine, but I scarfed it down too fast.  Henry was a wild man, wanting to walk all over the market (paying no attention to who or what he plowed into) - but he did stop a moment to look up to his cousin Romy.

 and play on the grassy knoll...

 Then Henry had his first ride on a speed boat.  Trust me, this was a happy face.  He keep yelling "Yeahhhh!"

Then the most gorgeous backyard wedding ever.  (besides yours Emily) So happy for Carsten and Kit, and great to see the whole gang again!

 

Totally worth the drive, but now off to scour the interwebs for tutorials on building a teleportation device....

blackberry harvest

Sooo, we're selling our house.  Which means life is not proceeding as usual.  No more sewing, lots more cleaning and house-y tasks.  It also means I have been finding WAY more time to read (doesn't make a mess :), more reason to get out of the house to find summer fun, and even time to make a delicious dessert or two. 

 We've been keeping a close eye on our blackberry crop.  The time was right last night for a harvest.  We mixed in some other berries, acquired the necessary vanilla ice cream, and BOOM! Dessert!

Recipe for Mini Blackberry Cobblers here!

4th of July on the farm

We spent a glorious week on the farm for the 4th of July holiday!  Tons of pool fun at Grandma Mary's...

 

The Johnson Parade....my 29th!

 Security was out in full force.

So were the Johnson Royalty!

 Miss Chief indeed!  Henry really started perfecting his walking skills at Grandma's!

Safety First!

....just a lot of lounging and playing in general!

 These cousins had a ball together.   There is the same age difference between Opal and Pearl as between Henry and Bernie.  So much fun!

 4-wheeler rides

 The grandkids with grandma!

 Happy 4th, everyone!

summer continues...

Is September always this awesome? I feel like I wouldn't know, because usually I'm in the back-to-school fog and before it registers that it's September, it's already October.  This year I finally get to find out what September is all about!  I have to say that I think I've been missing out on a very fabulous month all these years (it also helps that the weather has been AMAZING in Seattle).  So what has been going on?

 Baking, as always... these are "Old Fashioned Doughnut Muffins." - a Pinterest Find - YUM!

 Blackberry harvesting from the backyard.  Yes, I realize that having blackberry bushes encroaching is not a good thing for your yard. But it's a very good thing for your dessert:

 ANOTHER Pinterest recipe - Raspberry Blackberry Crumb Pie with 60 Second Crust (although it was easy, I might disagree about the 60-second part)

 More Greenlake walks with our PEPS buddies

 Visit from Sara

 Watching the flowers bloom in the pots on the deck...

Did you know that plants grow really well when you water them regularly?? Who knew!

riding the big wheel

I had to share these photos of our ride on the Seattle ferris wheel a few weeks ago.  Not too shabby for my little iPhone camera!

 gorgeous blue sky 

 

 amazing view of the city

 henry was, apparently, not impressed.

the sound (do you see an orca?)

...please ignore the sticky forehead prints on the glass (not ours)...

 henry and dad

 

 sunset

What these pictures don't show is the 8 adults and one baby-in-carseat squeeeezed into the one car.  We were all thankful that a) everyone had showered that day and b) Henry chose this portion of the night to not scream.  The rest of the night however.........

I'm going to miss these summer nights!