Countless Cups of Tea

I have been battling a strong cold for a week now, sometimes I think I'm winning but other times I'm proved wrong and I need to sit back with a nice cup of hot tea. I'm even trying some other home remedies that are not nearly as tasty as tea, but I'm set out to win this battle soon. In the mean time, life goes on and there are many reasons I do not have time to dwell on my cold.

On Friday afternoon I lead these cub scouts on a hike. They are a great group of kids and had a blast during the hike and at our midpoint resting area, the beach.

The fresh air, exercise and warm sunshine felt wonderful!

This morning we headed to Ethan's baseball game and then cheered Nolan on as he competed in the Jr. Ski to Sea race. His team had a great race, they came about a minute short of making the podium. Unfortunately they had a technical difficulty with the bike. Their biker did a phenomenal job putting the chain back on, but they were not able to make up the time. At the end, having fun is what really counts, and the smile on their faces shows they had plenty of it.

The Cycle of Life

Watching nature from our deck is a delight to all of us. Spring is especially interesting, with so many birds coming back, squirrels chasing each other around the fir tree, bunnies hopping about and the deer resting peacefully on our lawn to chew their cud. In the past we have also seen a coyote cross the yard, we have seen a rabbit bouncing around and all over a deer. It looked like a scene of Bambi and Thumper, it was quite entertaining. Yesterday we saw the other side of the circle. The boys spotted a very adorable little bunny, hardly bigger then a baseball, with a wound on its hind legs. It looked like it just barely got away from a predator's mouth. Even though he was offered a carrot and some water, he showed no interest in it. Later that afternoon, as the little fur ball sat on our grass, we spotted a cat sitting very still at the edge of the woods. Soon another cat approached and froze in mid stance as it peered down the bunny. It was quite amazing to watch these house cats' hunting skills. They might be domesticated but their instincts are alive and well. It was very hard for the boys to keep form banging down on the window and chase the cats away. The bunny, with it's injuries, would not have made it for much longer anyways. If we had not mowed our lawn this past weekend the bunny might have been able to hide, but this was not the case.

The morning after all was calm again as the deer enjoyed the morning sun.

Redefining Field Trips

Not too long ago, field trips took us to pumpkin patches and zoos. Nowadays, we are visiting Navy Bases. This one will be a tough one to beat, especially when you take into consideration our fascination with jets, guns and all things Navy.It was an educational experience for all of us; however, roles were reversed. Christian and most of the other boys were far more knowledgeable than your average adult (like me). While I could hardly catch a glimpse of a plane that just flew by, they could tell you not only it's name, but also any information you would like to know. We had the opportunity to go up in the air traffic control tower and get the best view available anywhere on the base. I could not believe it! Who lets someone up in any air control tower, let alone on a Navy base. Of course we were cleared with security weeks before the visit, but still!! Take a look around

SAR (Search & Rescue) gave us an amazing presentation.

If you ever find yourself hurt or lost anywhere around Western WA, rest assured, these guys are extremely qualified. Even so, I hope never to meet one. They only go out for life and limb, if a life or a limb is in jeopardy and after all other experts (Sheriff, Coast Guard) can't help you.

Here a group of Navy officers awaits to surprise a pilot after his last flight. The blue dots are buckets full of water ready to shower him with refreshing goodbye. I understand it's a Navy tradition and although this pilot tried to outsmart the waiting crowd, he was not fast enough. Although the whole family was able to join in the experience, Shawn took Nolan and Ethan on a different day with their age group, while Christian and I went today with the older group.

It will give us some good dinner talk with many experiences to share and compare.

Double Bonus Day

Mother's Day andmy birthday in one day.

No need to say I'm being spoiled today by my four lovely men .

Not a Good Day to be a Shrimp

If you are a shrimp in the Pacific NW waters, there is a good chance you will end up in a shrimp pot. The short shrimping season is open, and we were able to experience some of it with our friends, the Manier's. We set out under beautiful sunny skies, wondering if the shrimp would come, since they like to feed in darker waters, thus, cloudy days might be better for shrimping. We did not have to worry, for under Scott's guidance and Marnie's boat maneuvering skills, we got the pots just in the right place.

Here they are bringing the pots up while the we all guess how many shrimp will have fallen into our snare. To our amazement, it exceeded all of our guesses. Fifty six shrimp in the first pot to come up. The record of the day was sixty three for one pot. At the end of the day we harvested 336 shrimps. How do we know all of this? Each shrimp had to be counted and "popped". Perfect job for the kids!

Guess what we are having for dinner tonight?

There were other attractions beside the shrimps. We were treated to an eagle flight demonstration right next to us. It looked like three eagles had spotted the same prey and dove at once to get it. It was quite a show! Here sits one of them after his exhausting flight.

Mama goose was always very protective of her goslings. With all those eagles about, who can blame her?

Exploring the islands is always important for young sea legs. Here goes a band of apprentice pirates ready to invade the land.

Once they mastered the dingy they can graduate to this ship.

After such a profitable day, it was time to head home. We made it just as the sun was setting.

Perfect ending for a perfect day.

Cocoa Tree

Tuesdays are my crazy days. Today it's a Tuesday on steroids. After teaching school0l in the morning, we head out for Christian's class, for which I'm on carpool duty today. We then have 3 different soccer practices, baseball practice, Boys Scouts and Webelos (Nolan' cub scout group). How do I keep going on a day like this? I have a little secret stash!

Tony Never Tried this Soup

Lately I have been exercising with "Tony Horton". Sometimes for a cool down we do these "pot stirring arm dangles", and he asks people to name a soup. One fellow with refined taste buds, called out green bean soup. " NASTY!!!" was Tony's reply. Nasty?? Shawn and I almost took it personally, we happen to really enjoy green bean soup and it just might be one of Shawn's top 3. We had it for dinner tonight, and it did not disappoint. Obviously, Tony has never been invited to a Mennonite home for schaubel zup. I'm pretty certain he would change his mind if he would have a taste of it.

Showing My Roots

Baseball was early today. I got home with Ethan and headed to the kitchen. Why not bake some buns and bread. While I'm at it, may as well cook up some soup for tomorrow. Humm, a nice coffee cake would go well for Sunday's faspa. I could certainly do it while I'm getting things ready for the dinner party we are having tonight. So while 3/5 of the household was out, I spent most of my Saturday in the kitchen. Just like I watched my mom do, just like any of my Mennonite ancestors would have done. I did not mind it and really enjoyed it. There is nothing like eating a fresh bun right out of the oven. Add some butter and honey on it, yum! Benefits of the job!

Although Ethan enjoyed the nice aroma wafting through the house, he was thrilled when Noah came over. Fresh air still trumps fresh buns for these guys.