Our Last Summer Fling

To celebrate the end of summer,and to just enjoy some quality time together, we decided to head off "down south" to visit with family as well as vacation a bit along the way!

Thomas is swimming like a fish now!

We enjoyed a lovely time in Palm Springs with my parents and Grandma. The luxurious Thomas Family Resort and Spa was fabulous.

It was an average of about 115 degrees every day and we spent much of our time in the pool!

It was fun to share and laugh and eat wonderful tasting food together for several days...we were spoiled for sure... very relaxing indeed.

We also made a special trip into Los Angeles to visit my Grandpa and Becky.

Grandpa Thomas and his new wife Becky

Sarah and her Great Grandpa

The children enjoyed exploring their back yard filled with fruit trees and my late Grandmother's beautiful roses and birdhouses...I saw touches of her hand still living on in memory of her. I miss her very much.


Visiting with Grandpa was so good. We laughed and got caught up with all the extended family members as well as cooked some Lebanese Majadra (a middle eastern dish consisting of lentils, rice and onions) together....

While in LA, we spent part of a day visiting the Rancho La Brea Tar Pits.



It was fascinating to learn about the still visible tar pits that have been excavated over the years holding thousands and thousands of bones from very old or extinct animals including ancient horses, wolves, Saber Toothed Tigers and Giant Sloths... What was most fascinating to us was that the ground all around is still oozing up tar... right in the middle of down town Los Angeles!

Beauty springing up out of tar...

Our visit with family was a blessing and we are so very thankful for every opportunity we have to enjoy their company and share in their lives.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game!

The kids enjoyed a special treat this week... a trip to Dodger Stadium with Daddy and Grandpa!

Phillies and the Dodgers in Los Angeles...

My husband and father had a great time sharing the "all-American" game with the children...

they had a grand time...

Go Phillies!

Time Flys When You're Havin Fun!

This August seems but a blur. Earlier this week, I looked at the calendar and realized it is almost over... again I ask, "where does the time go"?

In the beginning of the month we were busy finishing up our trip around the Northwest. We enjoyed meeting up with family and friends on our journey... It was great to catch up with those we hold dear...reconnecting, catching up and making new memories.

Our final stop was Post Falls, Idaho.

The children relished swimming in the Spokane River while my husband was busy in meetings all day.

They especially enjoyed swimming with the geese!

We also celebrated my husband's birthday at a wonderful French restaurant, "Fleur de Sel", (meaning flower of salt).

Happy Birthday!

Sarah and her Daddy

It was a lovely evening and we enjoyed eating "Al fresco" on the beautiful patio over looking the golf course.

The view was beautiful
from on top of the hill where the restaurant is perched.

We did return home to a garden full of ripening produce!

The Zinnia's seemed to greet me with grand and colorful blooms to enjoy...

Mid month, another camping adventure with dear friends led us again into the great outdoors for a nice weekend of fresh air, campfires and streams to explore.

Dear friends are a blessing...

August is slowly slipping away... the days are getting shorter and the weather is getting cooler. All showing signs that the sweet days of summer are soon coming to an end.

On to Seattle

Next on our agenda, we made our way to Seattle. We spent a few days on the weekend at my sister's place. She was unfortunately out of town, but we were able to enjoy the comfort of her familiar home. The kids had a great time playing and we enjoyed cooking a few good meals...


We spent a morning downtown at Pikes Place Market. A favorite for my husband and I. We were hoping to give our children a good first impression, but there were too many people (several cruise ships were docked). They seemed to all have the same idea... we could not walk through without feeling a bit like we were in a mob...

In spite of the the crowd, we were able to make a stop at the fish market where the men threw our fish through the air to wrap it up for home. The kids loved watching the theatrics of the fishermen yelling out and throwing fish. We enjoyed very fresh Coho Salmon on the grill for dinner...

Sarah and Thomas enjoying the cool summer breeze
outside of the Irish pub we stopped at for lunch.
We all enjoyed wonderful potato soup and freshly baked
Irish soda bread for lunch!

Quote for the Day

"Bee Balm", in Portland's Rose Garden

"Rest is not idleness,
and to lie sometimes on the grass
under trees on a summer's day,
listening to the murmur of the water...

Sarah and Thomas taking time to listen.

or watching the clouds float across the sky...

The open sky in Eastern Oregon.


... is by no means a waste of time."

John Lubbock

On The Road Again

We have ventured off on another family adventure.

This time we are making a loop around the Pacific Northwest.

Mixing business with a little pleasure...

On our way, we stopped by the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Baker City, Oregon.
We ate our picnic lunch overlooking the beautiful valley.

Westward HO!

Thomas and Sarah Traveling West

Our first destination was Portland, Oregon.

Portland is one of our favorite cities and holds many good memories for our family.

While my husband spent the day working, we enjoyed a lovely walk through the
Rose Garden up in Washington Park.

The roses were in full bloom and gave us quiet a show.

The children enjoyed running and playing through the rows of flowers and
we all took some time to stop and smell the roses...

Later in the day we enjoyed a visit with some of our dearest friends from the area...

Sweet friends...

My beautiful friend Kristi Knifong...
showing off the quilt I made for her new little one.

It is always a joy to sit again with friends
and start up where we left off...
as if we have not been apart at all...
friends like these are a true blessing.

A trip to Portland would not be complete without a visit to the Oregon Zoo...

The kids and I had a great time exploring the new exhibits
and making a few new friends along the way!

Happy Birthday Thomas!

This past week my son turned seven years old...

Where does the time go?

The Reading Days of Summer

Summer is a time when we don't have a minute by minute schedule. Moments are flexible and there are many purposeful hours of quiet throughout our day to just sit and ponder... Reading is a huge part of our lives and this is the time to just read to our heart's content...

Our favorite outing has become our bi weekly trek to the library to check out as many books as we can carry home.

Sarah is always reading a book. Lately, she has had an interest in historical fiction. She currently has her nose in, "Caddie Woodlawn"; I just finished reading a wonderful Lamplighter book, "Worth More than Gold"; and I am also reading aloud "Little Pilgrim's Progress" to Thomas, one chapter at a time... in the evenings before bed.

What a blessing today to peak out my window and see my son with a stack of books, recently borrowed from the local library, on the back porch..."reading".

Is there anything more wonderful?