Twelve...

Hannah is 12 years old today...she invited 4 friends stay the night last night, they spent the evening digging in the garden (Maddie got an amazing bunch of carrots, 6 of them intertwined), playing with the chickens and jumping on the trampoline, no movie...which I think is pretty great!  I'd rather children (and adults) play and interact, instead of be entertained by electronics.

We tilled up the garden adding compost (egg shells, vegetable peels, rinds, and the chicken manure from our coop) and planted the seeds right into the ground the first week of April.  In May, we started to harvest the lettuce.  It's been 12 weeks and we're really harvesting now.  I ♥ June, spring is beautiful, full of flowers, but what I love the most is summer the days are long, the sun is up for many hours and the flowers turn into fruit...or vegetables!

The girls helped shell the sweet peas.  The yellow squash is very tender, we ate them raw.  We also have purple carrots for the first time this year!  Anyone can garden. Look at her apartment garden!

Sunrise...sunset

We woke up at 4:30am Pacific Time (felt like 1:30am Eastern Time) to watch the sun rise over Crater Lake in Oregon.  It came over the horizon about 5am, but before it did the sky changed so much. Horrible mosquitos there!  BUT it was worth putting up with.

Rob standing by Crater Lake midday.  Clear and beautiful.  From there we drove down to the Redwoods in California.

 Hannah caught a tadpole in the Smith River...and let it go.

 The Redwoods at Jedediah State Park and National Park.  The girls earned a Jr. Ranger badge here and at Crater Lake!

 I got that striped skirt in a shop called Mia's in Portland, just a walk from my sister and her husband's place...when I saw that it was "made in USA" I had to get it.  Their green tent.  We had an orange one.

 

 

 

In the distance you can see the Battery Lighthouse.

We took a tour of the inside of the lighthouse and got up in the top.  $3/adult and $1/children.  The times for the tour depend on the tide.  It is inaccessible when there is high tide...an island.

Grilling hamburgers with Oregon's Tillamook cheddar atop...and onions and pepper cooking in the cast iron skillet on the side. 

Me and Theodore (often called "Theobeans") in our checkered Vans.

Then, a few days later, we watched the sun set at Crescent Beach, California. And roasted marshmallows over the fire and ate them with Seattle's organic salted toffee Theo milk chocolates and graham crackers.  Best kind of s'mores!

West coast...

 A train trestle...so many mountains and beautiful landscapes...snowy tops.

In Washington...we had a gourmet dinner at Seattle's Space Needle's revolving restaurant and then camped that night at Fay State Park on Bainbridge Island.  We camped just a walk away from the beach and an awesome view of Mt. Rainier!

Crossing the Columbia River from Washington to Oregon:

 In Portland...with my sister, her husband and two boys.