Daddy's Home

We spent the afternoon busying ourselves making this banner covered in stickers!

Daddy brought home chocolate from Turkey, head coverings, and these beautiful coin purses filled with goodies like bracelets, coins, pencils. He is a hero!

Presto! Basil Pesto

I love this time of year when my garden is bursting with produce! I harvested my basil today to make pesto (before it flowers). I planted it from seed the same time I planted my tomatoes indoors. I'm such a proud garden mama when I get to enjoy the "fruit of my labor" (pun intended).

Nana Bethie is here to help me during my last push before John returns. Many hands makes me less tired at the end of the day! ;)

Mixing in Parmesan and butter.

8 bags later, my hands reek of garlic and my kitchen is a disaster! But my grilled pizza will be better for it!

Meanwhile, this beautiful bouquet arrived

Happy 12 years, baby!

Sarah D. Photo Shoot

My neighbor is an aspiring photographer. She's an artist, no doubt. An art major by training and a potter boasting of great talent; she now would like to add photographer to the title. Here are a few shots she took of us girls in the backyard last week. Didn't they turn out great?

A little time at the Cabin

Can you see how close the deer is to Piper Lou? 15 feet close.

Learning how to play "Go Fish" with G.G.

Fort!

Little birdie followed nana around to get bites of her pear, her smoothie...

Aunt Jess arrived!

Lion kept wanting papa and Sean to hold her, but she kept calling Sean "dada." I mentioned this to John while face timing (from Croatia). His response: "I think it's time to come home." ;) Yes. Yes, it is! I miss my best friend.

Canning Cherries

Cherries are in season and I got a killer deal today on 12 pounds of sweet, local cherries. So on the spur of the moment, I decided I would be canning. All day!

I'm also dehydrating half of the batch (after pitting all twelve pounds) to use in my chocolate cherry cookies and for John to bring along on his hunting trips as a dense, healthy snack when he packs-in and tracks game in November during elk season.

Happy Independence Day

The big girls are at the cabin with Nana and Papa for the week, which has given me a little break and some sweet one-on-one time with Lion.

Enjoying some strawberries from our Victory Garden.

We are headed to a BBQ with some friends with watermelon and mint sugar (in a food processor pulse 1 cup fresh mint or basil with 3/4 cup white sugar until fine. Sprinkle over fresh watermelon, or use for mojitos!) 

Happy Fourth!