Mark & Joani

Green Eating Machine!

One thing Mark and I find rather amazing about Allison is how well she eats green vegetables (broccoli, snow peas, sugar snap peas and green beans). She eats green vegetables really, really well. Better than Mark and I do (excluding spinach, of course!). Recently we gave her some asparagus and she ate it up. Crazy. Neither Mark or I remember eating asparagus when we were little (I don't think I ate asparagus for the first time until I was in graduate school!). We certainly can't complain about our little green eating machine!

Wedding Fun

Did I mention we had some tuxedos to return? That was because we had the third wedding in the past year which one of us has been in on Saturday. It was a beautiful wedding and we were very happy to celebrate with our friends. Allison was the life of the party at the reception. She could have danced all night. If they would have dedicated the floor to her, of course. Once the adults started dancing she was a bit upset. It was a beautiful evening but I was so busy chasing a very busy 2-year-old I didn't get many pictures.

My favorite moment of the night (other than my dear friend, Cara Lynn, sharing the wonderful history of the romance that brought us to the wedding of course!) was Allison arriving back at our table after getting cake. We were the first people back to our table. So, she asked loudly and in a rather exasperated tone 'WHERE'S MY GUYS?!' Everyone at our table was glad to be considered one of 'Allison's Guys.'

Sunday Play Time

We headed up to Salem this past Sunday to return some tuxedos. We took advantage of the beautiful day to go to a park, let Allison ride her bike and the carousel. After a hectic weekend it was the perfect ending. We're very thankful the sun has been coming out!

Tractor Time

I picked up a well used tractor at our neighborhood garage sale a few years ago. Allison hasn't played with it much (although our neighbor Benji loves it so it has still been worth it). A few weeks ago she finally started having fun with it, pushing it backwards of the patio. Over and over and over again. So much fun!

Miss Leslie Came to Town

My good friend Leslie drove down from Seattle for a girls' weekend. She knows exactly how to get a warm welcome in our house, bring Top Pot Donuts! Allison, of course, picked one with pink frosting.

We took another trip to the Tulip Festival in Woodburn. Heidi and Janelle joined us, I just neglected to get a photo. This time around I did manage to enjoy some bratwurst. The other ladies ate some yummy looking Mexican food.

The tulips were definitely more colorful for this trip, and many were past their prime.

It was an overcast day when we left home so I put Allison in a sweater. The sweater was one that my Grandma Kroon knit for Brittney (there were two of them if I remember correctly - and don't worry - I'll tuck it away for Brittney once Allison outgrows it).

Our little poser having a grand time enjoying the tulips!

Finished in 2012 No. 5

I have had a quilt top sitting in my sewing cabinet since last August. I started it, intending to give it to my friend, Ramie, since she didn't know whether she was having a baby girl or baby boy. Then she had a baby girl and I decided she needed something girlie so I whipped up a really quick girl blanket and stashed this quilt top away. I pulled it out and decided to finish it before starting on any new quilts. This is a raw edge circle (technically oval!) quilt. I originally intended to make circles, quartered down the center but the elephant print was too big, I didn't want to cut it that much. I followed this tutorial to make this quilt (I wish I had a stash big enough to make a quilt like that!). I decided to quilt it with ovals mimicking the pattern. It was much harder than I thought it would be and I won't be trying that again anytime soon. So, I no long have an unfinished quilt top waiting in my sewing cabinet, I have a full-fledged quilt waiting for a baby boy or someone who doesn't know if they are having a boy or girl......can't wait!

Now that the elephants quilt is done I've moved onto the project I was saving - a new quilt for Allison's big girl bed. I'm using a variety of Amy Butler fabrics for this one and very excited to get sewing! Hopefully I'll be posting more on this quilt soon!

And I thought I had entirely given up on 'Block of the Month' quilts but then I found a free one online - using all half-square-triangles. I found some Fandango fabric in the sale section at my local quilt store and have been enjoying making one of these blocks each month. So far I've managed to complete each block in the given month. Hoping I can make it to December!

The Biking Season has Begun!

We started our bike rides to Gathering Together Farms early this year! The spring weather was great and we had a free Saturday in April (as did our friends, the Wagners) so we headed out. It was as good as I remember! Although the farm was a bit busier than I remember last year, I guess we weren't the only ones wanting to get an early start on summer!

Bekah got to ride her 'Wee-Hoo' this trip - it is pretty spiffy. Our little girl was a bit jealous (we're now hoping we can keep her in the Chariot through the summer for the long rides even though she is determined to be pedaling soon!). Bekah did great and was quite the attention grabber, it isn't every day you see a recumbent tag-along bike!