The drive to the ocean was beautiful … How did we spend the miles? The kids watched a couple of movies, I read and we played ‘name that TV tune.’ My husband had a collection on his ipod of famous TV theme songs (there must have been an option on iTunes called – TV theme songs) b/c I have no idea how he had so many! :) I didn’t grow up on TV (we didn’t have one). So I was thrilled with the ones I did get right – The Flinstones, The Brady Bunch, Gilligan’s Island, The Adams Family and Bewitched. It was wonderful to finally arrive at the ocean. Our sons – Kade & Kaleb couldn’t wait to run in the waves and hunt for crabs. (See photo above).

North Head Lighthouse

North Head Lighthouse – Our entire family went up inside this lighthouse. Viewing the ocean from the top of a lighthouse is beyond words…. If you ever get the chance, take a lighthouse tour!

A sand castle by the sea :) ...

The sand – We had gorgeous weather and soaked up a lot of sun! We played in the sand and hunted for sand dollars. We built a sandcastle and a mermaid on the beach …. It was so relaxing!!

Lauren and Wendy - Hat shopping along the ocean

Hat shops – There are many hat shops along the sea… Its family tradition for us to stop in as many as possible and try on hats!

Cheers to summer and the trips that make them memorable.

{SEA Creatures ...}

I so hope we find some of these on our trip to the ocean! We can hardly wait to run in the salty water, listen to the crashing sound of the waves, fly kites on the sand and hunt for treasures by the sea! :)

We hope to see - seals, whales, starfish, jellyfish, crabs, sea shells, (not so many seagulls) lighthouses, and sunsets on the beach!

{The Flavors of Summer}

Ahhh the taste of summer ... :)

My kids and I just walked in from picking cherries at a friend's house. Don't you just love the flavors of summertime? A few of my favorites are -

Cherries, pink lemonade, vanilla bean ice cream, pasta salad, fresh veggie stir fry, strawberries, peaches, tomatoes from the garden, avocados, and watermelon ...

Special thanks to Carl & Diane Volmer for sharing their cherry tree with us

(Picking cherries at their home has become a beginning of summer family tradition!!)

Happy Summer!!

{A Gorgeous Friday in JUNE}

What's on your list of stuff to do today?? ...

Here's what I've got planned -

Make French Toast for breakfast (done) - MMM that was good!

Take the car in for new tires (done) - just waiting for the 'its ready' come get it call!

Garden/lawn work (to do)

Pack my son up for a scout camp out (in the works) - hmmm might need some batteries for the flashlight :)

Buy a birthday present for my nephew (to do)

Pack my middle son up for a birthday party sleepover tonight (I think he's doing that now?)

Pack my daughter up for a sleepover at Grandma's (she's already done and ready to go:))

Book an event for an author in Boston (need to finalize that)

Go swimming (when it hits 85 degrees out!)

Celebrate my hubby's birthday tonight - with no kids ---- oh la la la!

Cheers to today :)

{Chalk Art Festival}
June 14, 2008

{Dance, Baseball & Tennis}
A few things my kids love -

Wendy and Lauren 2008

Lauren loves to dance!
Lauren takes tap lessons and has a big dance recital this weekend -

last night was the dress rehearsal... Go Lauren! :)

{Double A Little League Champs - 2008}
Oh what a game, what a season! :)

You guessed it - Kaleb loves baseball.

Kaleb with his trophy after the championship game.

Kade loves tennis ...
(We'll be spending some time on the court this summer!)

Cheers to doing what you love and loving what you do :) ...

{Baseball}

Tonight is the championship game for my son's Little League baseball team ... It has been an incredible season and we'll be there cheering!!

PS: As much as I love the game, I have to admit that I'm looking forward to the season winding down. No more washing those white baseball pants and scrubbing out the remains of the slide at second!! :)

Good luck Kaleb, Colby and crew!! And special thanks to Gary and Kathy Christensen for all your dedication to the game and the team ...

Chalk Art Festival 2007

{Chalk Art Festival 2008}
Come add your artstic flare on a square!

Date: Saturday June 14, 2008
Location: Uptown Shopping Center / Richland, WA
Time: 9 am - 2 pm (ish)
You can pre-register at the Octopus Garden or Aunt Franny's Toys -
http://www.auntfrannystoys.com/
http://www.octopusgarden.com/

PS: This is a great event for the entire family! Wear some clothes you don't mind getting dirty, bring some wet wipes (to wash your hands after using the chalk) and your spirit of FUN! :)

{Dress It Up Day - June 6, 2008}

Happy Dress It Up Day!! I hope you enjoy the many dresses posted below ...
Ahhhh the power of a dress and a little imagination - Enjoy :)

Go ahead ... post something dressy up on your site.

{For the Beam Me Up Moments}

Ever been on a date where you wish you could just say "Beam me up" and be transported to another place and time? Well, this dress was designed for that very purpose! It's called the Spock Collection and includes: Star Trek earrings, a UFO cell phone, and a very Trekish dress.
(When you are ready to be 'transported' - simply say "Beam me up" into the UFO Cell Phone)!

{The Wendy Bird}

OK I have this friend (who I've known for 20+ years) and she calls me Wendy Bird. It's her name for me... Why? I don't know - I need to ask her! Anyhow, this outfit collection was inspired by her nickname for me! The Wendy Bird - Dress, bird handbag, slip on heels (3") - complete with nest on top of shoe. Perfect for a "Free Bird" dance or concert ...

{Whimsical}

This dress is for those of you who loved the movie Ever After starring Drew Barrymore (PG, 1998). I have always loved butterflies and find them to be so inspiring... It may have something to do with knowing that an ugly worm can turn into something beautiful and fly away!! :)

The purse says imagine which happens to sum up this entire outfit!! Set includes: Fairy dress, butterfly shoes, imagine purse and sparkly wings - Enjoy!

{The Blooper}

I think there needs to be a shoe called The Blooper. There it is ... It goes with anything!

designs by Wendy Christensen

More dresses - keep reading ----

{Dress It Up Day Gallery}
Dress Inspirations ...
Enjoy the dress collection below ... More to come!!

{Learning to Fly}

Dress Designer: Lauren

Sometimes, you just need to feel like an angel. Please notice the green and pink dress above. It was created by my Angel for other angels to wear and enjoy! This dress comes with pink wings, a green purse and pink square (block) shoes. If you would like to purchase the angel shaped earrings those are sold separately. The next dress in this collection is called the Nest. This dress is available for moms and children. If you'd like matching nest dresses please let me know. This dress comes with a nest purse (there are eggs on the purse) - Lauren just informed me that they will not hatch. The shoes have bird nests on the top with polka dot fabric. The earrings are eggs and are sold separately. Cheers to spring and all things that are growing/hatching and learning to 'fly'!!

{The Furry Kind}
Dress Designer: Lauren

Please notice the 3 dresses above. The first one is called the Squirrel. Feel free to purchase the acorn earrings and adorable squirrel purse and shoes to complete the squirrel look. PS: The fabric for this dress is fuzzy brown fur. The second dress is called the Rabbit. The outfit is complete with heart earrings and a little rabbit handbag. The final design in this animal collection is a hula dress. This is a beautiful creation perfect for summer nights on the beach (or at the park) - no need to bring your hula hoop (there's one built in the skirt)! Hula away kidos! :)

{Prom dress dreams ... back in the 90s}
Dress Designer: Katie Lichfield

Back in the early 90s, I was a student at college and mail from home via the mailman was like heaven! One day, I received a very fun letter from my sister, Katie. Inside was this drawing of her dream prom dress! I loved reading all about her plans for the big night and was happy to know that I was not alone in realizing the power of a DRESS! Don't you find it amazing how planning for a big event can add a spark of magic to all involved?!... For the record, the dress turned out beautiful and looked gorgeous on 'Princess Katie'!!

PS:

Cheers to your style and panache that makes YOU YOU!!

{A prayer on the sidewalk}

Yesterday was a dark and rainy day. It rained all day and felt like we were back in Noah’s time when the earth was being cleansed by a flood! Luckily, we know that will never happen again … (the flood part).

The animal two by two did happen again. – Two dogs showed up on our front lawn late in the evening. (One female and one male) they ended up here on accident or they followed the scent of a happy house full of happy people and couldn’t help but stop by! Luckily, one had a collar with info so we returned it to its home. The other dog was completely lost and thought my husband was his master. He also thought he could come into the house. After an hour of trying to help him find his way home (with no luck) we decided to call around and see if there were any shelters that would take him for the night. They were all closed… Finally, we had to just come inside and turn out the lights. That poor dog stood on our front steps and barked for an hour. I’m sure the barks would have translated into – “Why, can’t I find my home? Why was there thunder in the sky tonight and why did I run away?
And finally, why can’t you just let me come in?”

Eventually the barking and whining stopped and he made his way out into the night
in search of his home.

PS:
The cutest part of the whole night was watching (from the front door) as my husband and our 3 children said a prayer (out loud) in the rain on the sidewalk for the dog and master to be reunited!

Dog, wherever you are, know that there are 5 people hoping you find your home full of love and yummy dog treats … :)

Blogger DRESS-IT-UP Day!!
YOU are Invited!!

{GET YOUR FASH ON}

Friday June 6, 2008

I thought it would be fun to create a few blogger holidays! The very first Blogger holiday is June 6th, 2008. Want to be part of it? Here’s how –

Step 1 -
Design a dress and post it up on your blog.
Or
Post a picture of your favorite dress up on your blog
Or
Post a picture of you wearing your favorite dress on your blog
Please post on Friday June 6th (that's the holiday) :)

Step 2 –
Add commentary… Tell us the juicy details about your dress. Why do you love it, who designed it? What accessories go with the dress? How do you feel when you get all dolled up - where do you want to go??!

Step 3 –
Send me a comment so I can check out your blog and share your link on mine!

Step 4 –
Be creative, have fun and get 'dressy' :)!!!

PS - Invite your blogging buddies to join the FUN!

{Shiver Me Timbers and Yo-ho-ho}

It's off to a birthday party we go!

Beware! Priates afoot ...


Kade and Lauren on the treasure hunt ...
What aarrr you seeing matey??!


Walking the plank ...
This was dangerous as there were giant crocodiles looking for a meal!
(Tick-tock)



Ahoy ...Treasure!

Pirates of the Yakima - Wendy and Kaleb

Happy Birthday Isaac :) ... We loved being part of your BIG Pirate Party!

{Happy Birthday KADE}

Our oldest son, Kade, turned 12 yesterday!
Its hard to believe I've been a mom for that long... OH the things we've learned together.
We celebrated last weekend at the park with a big family and friends party! We played kick ball for 2 hours and enjoyed an ice cream cake, friends and a pile of wonderful gifts.

Last night I made his favorite dinner - Tacos! For dessert we had brownies and ice cream. It was perfect. Love you Kade - Thanks for being such a GREAT person.

Fast facts about Kade - He loves art, soccer, friends, tennis and reading.
His teachers call him the leader at his Middle School and say he's the kindest kid on campus...

I agree!! :)

{Take your Mom to work day ...}

Like these earings? You can find them and many others at http://www.1928.com/

The jewerely shop in Fred Meyer - where my daughter (who is 5) works carry this 1928 brand. I love them!

Inside the mind of a child -

My daughter, Lauren, who is five loves to pretend she is an employee at Fred Meyer. They have a jewelry section (not the one with diamonds and REAL jewels) but the other little section in the store next to the socks and watches. She has ‘worked’ at this shop for over a year now!

We wake up some mornings and she informs me she has a very important meeting she must attend. So, we hurry and dash off to the shop so she can be on time. Today, I was having a turtle day (bit slower than usual) and she kept telling me that she couldn’t be late for the meeting at the jewelry shop! I started to laugh and said: “Lauren what is so important about this meeting?” She said, “Its take your Mom to work day!”

So again, we dashed off to the shop so I could see just exactly what it is she does there. Once inside, she informed me the meeting was cancelled. She was thrilled about that and just showed me around the jewelry. When we had enough of that, she informed me she was such a good worker she was given a job in the garden section too.

Yup, we went to check that out as well. I had the grand tour of the garden section and learned things about flowers and plants I never dreamed possible. When it was over I thanked her for taking me to work with her and she assured me that we could do that everyday if we wanted :)!!

Cheers to the power of imagination and going to work with a child.

PS: Ask your kid where he/she works – it may totally surprise you!

{Greenies}
pedal.kayak.organics

Have you ever been kayaking? I have not but want to try it out! A new shop just opened that offers kayak rentals - My husband and I can hardly wait to get a tandem kayak for the day
and paddle away :)

Thanks Matt and Patti Murphy for opening such a fun store…

Their site is under construction but should be opening soon – http://www.greenlife.com/

Cheers to trying something NEW!! :)

{The Savage WEST}

On Monday night, my son, Kaleb informed me that his class needed another parent to attend their school field trip the next day. I had somehow missed the sign up sheet to volunteer and was thrilled to be part of the adventure! Care to join us? OK come on – keep reading and learn some very interesting facts about the savage west.

What to pack:
Rain gear, warm clothing, walking shoes, a sack lunch and a spirit of adventure!

Whitman Mission
Walla Walla, Washington
(National Historic Site)

Back in 1836 five missionaries made the long trek across America for the Oregon Territory. Two of them were a newly married couple – Marcus & Narcissa Whitman. Marcus had 6 weeks of education and was a Doctor. (Amazing how things have changed!) Narcissa wanted to come out west so badly that she agreed to marry Marcus without having met him. Their honeymoon was their journey to the west. Narcissa was one of the first white women to ever set foot in Oregon and Washington.

The reason for their journey was due to the Indians requesting a copy of the White man’s religious book (The Bible) and they wanted to learn what it said. So these missionaries agreed to come to the west to meet the Indians and teach them of the white man’s ways and about the Bible.

Marcus and Narcissa set up the Whitman Mission and had a lot of interaction with the warlike Cayuse Indians. They were not as receptive to the Bible’s teachings or the ways of the white people as was hoped.


(Covered wagon like the ones used long ago)
The kids loved seeing this ...

{Tragedy Strikes}
This is the Great Grave at the Mission where the 14 people killed are remembered

After episodes of illness and other hardships, the Cayuse Indians attacked the Whitman Mission (known as the Whitman massacre) killing 14 people (including the Whitmans). There is a monument at the Center that stands way high on a hill. It is beautiful and you hike up to it. Once at the top you can look out over the place where the mission used to be. I couldn’t help imaging what it must have been like to live in such hard times. I am always amazed when I learn or visit places of our past how strong and brave our pioneer anscestors were. They inspire me.


It was a really cold, rainy day and as we toured the site, pelicans flew above us ...

Cheers to history and the past that we LEARN from ...
Thanks for joining us!!


PS -
I really enjoyed the field trip and would encourage any who visit Walla Walla to make this part of the trip. Tid bit: The elementary school I attended was called – Marcus Whitman Elementary. It’s nice to know I attended a school named after such a good, brave man!

Whitman Mission web site -
http://www.nps.gov/whmi/

{Wendy’s Pasta Salad}

16 ounce bag of colored rotini pasta
1 can sliced olives
1 can baby corn
1 jar quartered artichoke hearts
Kraft zesty Italian dressing
Grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil pasta. Drain and rinse with cold water. Pour cooled pasta into big serving bowl and mix together with - olives (drain them), corn (drain those too), artichoke hearts (drain them). Then coat with the Italian dressing. Sprinkle the top with grated parmesan cheese, cover and chill in the refrigerator. (You may want to add a little more dressing just before you serve the salad).

This salad is a hit everywhere I take it! Enjoy!
PS: What is your favorite summer salad? :)

{Superwoman cape - use it!}

Yesterday, my oldest son (who is in middle school) forgot to take his freshly washed PE uniform to school. I realized I still had time to drive to the school and get to his locker before the first class began. I grabbed the uniform and dashed for the middle school. To my surprise, there were kids everywhere all wearing strange wigs and funky hair. I completely shocked my son when I touched him on the arm at his locker and said, “You forgot this.” His first period teacher was standing there and said, “You fit right in – it’s crazy hair day!” I laughed really hard at that one! (Hey when you need to be a hero, you don’t stop to look gorgeous).

PS: Do you have a red Superwoman cape? I do! This cape gives me powers beyond the normal average powers that come with being a woman. If you don’t have one – I recommend you get one! Cheers to super powers ....!!

:)

PS: click on the cape photo above to see it better!
The little hook holding the cape reads - hers.

{Race Chariots}

My Grandpa Lichfield (who is no longer alive) used to own a race chariot business. He made these amazing chariots and when we would go visit him, they were in his backyard. The older cousins would pretend to be horses and pull the chariots full of the younger cousins around ...

We recently sold our house and I'm trying to de-junk and go through everything as we will be
moving (in the not too distant future) and I came across the above bumper sticker.
My Grandpa used to give those out to everyone he met!
I always loved his sense of humor and his ability to tell stories!

I can just hear him saying -
"The Surgeon General said nothing about smoking the competition!"

Funny :)