The Birds

These eagle pictures are mostly for my dad. I'm sure if he could he would spend all day watching the Golden Eagles pick the fish out of the lake. It is really amazing. I wish I could see what they see from up there. I lost count, but this week I have seen dozens of eagles carry fish out of the lake.

Since I am talking about my dad I should thank him again for the camera. It was one of the best gifts I've ever received.

These are the two ducks that live off our cabin's rocks. The girls have named them Donald and Daisy.

Okay, they got a little help with the names but the alternatives were something like Sunlight and Ducky. I'm sure they will get new names by the time we are back here again anyway.

One of the favorite activities while we are here is feeding the ducks. Well, geese in this case. We have watched several families swim by and this lucky flock of six got our leftover bread.

I'm glad our girls are growing up with memories like these.

Out and About

We decided to get out of the cabin today and do a little exploring. The girls and I did a little hiking on a nearby trail. They were interested in the flowers, moss, rocks, sticks... basically everything.

Very curious.

We went to get Ava's haircut straight from the trail. She has been needing one badly. After the hike and the stop by the hair salon we caught a showing of the movie Up. It feels good to get out of the house but it feels even better to come home.

Soup on a Summer Day.

It has been raining on and off all week. The perfect weather for trying out some new recipes. Usually I don't like to go anywhere near a stove/oven after April but drizzly weather has put me in the mood to cook. The butternut squash risotto might look great but the real winner here is the lentil soup with potatoes and chard. So yummy, filling and healthy this dish is being added into my cookbook.

Erin on the other hand is happy with her pb&j.

Lentil Soup with Potatoes and Chard

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 small carrot, chopped

1/3 cup minced celery

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium all-purpose potatoes, peeled and diced

1 1/2 cups dried brown lentils, rinsed and picked over

6 cups vegetable stock or water

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

2 bay leaves

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Leaves from 1 small bunch Swiss chard (about 6 cups)

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, cover and cook, stirring a few times, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, lentils, stock, parsley, bay leaves, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally , until the lentils are tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Add more water if the soup becomes too thick. Remove and discard the bay leaves.

2. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water cook the chard until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water to cool and coarsely chop.

3. Stir the chard into the soup and simmer for 5 minutes longer. Adjust the seasonings and serve.

Yes, I know its still Spring but Summer vacation is Summer vacation to me.

My Return to Crafting.

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Originally uploaded by MyKangaroo

Spring is a very busy time at our house. When I'm not planning birthday parties I'm thinking about everything I need to do at work before the end of the school year. I love my job but inevitably there are piles of paperwork, meetings and a list of "stuff" that needs to be finished in May. It pretty much dries all my creative juices. If I'm making anything by hand these days it generally involves food.

I am happy to report that I (with help from my SLP-A) tied up all the loose ends at work. The next day I packed up my family and hit the road. We've been slowing down and enjoying some mountain air at our family cabin in the White Mountains. My brother and his family joined us for the weekend. Jeff left today to go back to work. And right now the girls and I are left with an empty house, bags of projects and no return date. It is hard to decide if I should read, cook, knit or do art projects and play board games with the kids. I think over the next few days we'll be doing it all. I'll be taking pictures too so I don't have to post old photos like this one from last October.

But like any healthy relationship sometimes when you take a break from what you love you return refreshed and excited. So I say, Summer is officially here, let the creative juices flow!

Ava's 7th Birthday

Ava turns seven today.We celebrated with friends yesterday at our 'crafty' themed party. Despite the fact that invitations got sent out at the last minute 6 of the 8 guests (plus some siblings) were able to make it. We also decided to have the party at our house instead of the park just the day before. We were able to play and open presents indoors which gave us just enough break from the heat. We decorated aprons and painted pendants, pins and magnets that I put together with wood pieces and glue. After opening presents we finished up with pizza, cake and ice cream. It was pretty much a perfect party, simple and sweet.

We are looking forward to summer, slowing down and spending time with cousins up at the Cabin. Have a great year Ava, we love you.