Swingin' on a Star(fish)

Would you like to swing on a star?

Carry moonbeams home in a jar?

Be better off than you are?

...Then learn and play through the summer, quite hard!

[This is a summer educational public service announcement from Wood House & Home-- and a trip to Salt Creek.]

Yay!

Hear the Trumpets!

Drum roll, please.
--you see that title photo right above here?
With the buds on the branches. Ya.
Guess what, those rose bushes are dead.
The season begins as I officially proclaim, "Gardening is an Experiment!"
It is the sounding caveat-phrase that I can heap all my dead plants into, brush my hands of it, and walk away with a theory.

I have no idea what I did or didn't do right or wrong with "those of the rose."
They were like that when I got back from vacation. So I'm assuming the weather dipped low and long enough...
But coming back to Wood House & Home, I surely did know there would be other things in Unrest.

 Crashing their symbols and marching onward.

 And so begins our time outside.

Our unfurled banner is the Blue Blanket: the rhythm to our picnics,

cuddletime, and

playful sneakiness.
It's always outside, starting now.

My version of roses this year (hostas). Bravo!

I immerse myself in the prospect of surrounding myself with moments like these.

Absolutely, I consider these blue-eyed lovelies as part of my band:

 No tune without The Good Sisters.

And I hope they know they're Students right along side me

and come up with pretty good warm weather compositions of their own.

Party, Party, Party

Literally, "Party, Party, Party" means that a two-year-old that I know and love, indeed had three little parties this spring.
First, while visiting the Woodhouse's and MacDonald's:

Second, while on the day of her birth, I had a few presents up my sleeve. Courtesy Daddy and Sister:

Third, we had a party visiting the Shawvers. And there were a couple of nice photo-snapping Woodhouses sprinkled in:

"...Only when you're two."
N'estce pas?

Over the River and Through the Woods

(Professional Pictures by S. Hieb)

The closer we get to Grandma and Grandpa's house the further I feel displaced by my nice surrounding  evergreens and weepy clouds. We become space travelers, each little homestead to be seen for miles takes a lightyear to slowly pass around us. Each unable to hide from the sun. My kids are not used to the sun. They are natives.

So, did you know that if you really push it, you can drive from the edge of the world (Strait of Juan de Fuca) to outer space (South East Idaho) in 16 hours? It took us nineteen. Naturally, a few phenomenons occur, like loosing the camera bag, somehow. But when we got there, there was a grandma and grandpa on the other side that reminded us what their sweet and windy world was all about. Grandma Susie had a camera to spare.

We rode on equipment, fell asleep on equipment, took Idaho pictures with equipment, and my husband got a good "farmer's tan" by using a welder. By the way, said husband was in heaven; it's a treat to live such labors. Plus, it became a great way to celebrate our marital institution--seven years strong--I believe.

This I do know, he loves exploring the "outer space" life as much as I like living on the "edge of the world." He did admit he may or may not have heard a lot of profanity. But the farmers in question may or may not realize that he does work in Corrections, so no big deal.

Aunt Kaeley was heavenly. I can't believe I have a busy little sister! Who is a perfect teenager. She gave me a bunch of stuff from her own closet. Thank-you-very-much. And she also helped Allison become addicted to the Wii.

As for Danielle, well she had a lot of adjusting to the new environment which resulted in literally sleeping through a game of "real" bowling at Starlite Lanes, Blackfoot. Though Allison likes "Wii" bowling much morer.

We celebrated Easter. A moment I don't really comprehend, yet.

 And had an Idaho-side Birthday party for a change. The gist of the speech I didn't give was that we wanted to celebrate Danielle's life, for good reason. It was so fun!
(Pictures to come, I need to get them from another source. Didn't have a camera any more, 'member.)
-------------
And as the legend will soon tell regarding the ride home, the husband in the car was unlikely going to pull over at the first stop to be had to potentially find our camera. And I hopped out before the car was done rolling by the Massacre Rocks Park booth, where we had once been 8 days prior. I looked all around to find nothing of a camera and decided to ask what I thought to be construction workers working in the park in the distance. I said, "... Excuse me, did you happened to see a camera bag any where?"
"OH SURE! Ya, I thought it was a big diaper bag at first but ya, there was a Nikon camera (and at this point I am nodding stupified as I loose feeling in my finger tips) a little video camera, another camera, a bunch of stuff. We tried to find out who it might belong to. I saw some pictures in there of Forks. I used to live there...follow me up to the Visitors Center and I will get it for you." So of course, what do I say? "God Bless You, Sirs!!" And they wouldn't accept any monetary reward.
Really?
Good story, huh?
Jake gave me a high-five.

And back over the river and through the woods we went.
Just along for the ride....

P.S. Congrats to Brock and Sophie, we will be headin' out again to a fine wedding in just a few months.