SIPRESS SCOOP

At the beginning of the Summer I read an article about savoring the summers with our children because you only get a few years to create the bond with your children that will last a lifetime. The writer, who is also a Mom, wrote about summer activities and day trips for all types of weather… That night as Tyler & I laid in bed talking I discussed this article with another one I had read about trying not to say “No” all the time. We also discussed a news article I had seen about a little girl who lost her battle with Cancer & the mother asked that in her memory people had banana splits for dinner. Certainly there are plenty of times to say “NO” to our children for safety reasons or cost reasons. But how many times as parents do we find ourselves saying “No” simply out of laziness?   Be honest with yourself and you might realize that you have missed out on a number of memory making opportunities.   So that night as we lay in our bed we decided that this summer we were...

It seems as that I go “home” to Ferndale less and less.   Part of that is because it is tough to pack up two adults, two kids and two dogs for a weekend trip.   Part of that is because the price of gas has skyrocketed in recent years.   But really it is because going home is painful.   Going to Ferndale is a reminder that my Grandma has passed.   I left town and moved to Everett just before my 21 st birthday.  I have traveled home for many holidays and gatherings in the decade since. But because I have lived away it is easy to trick myself in to not thinking about my Grandma being gone... Until I go home and I don’t see her smile or hear her voice.   When I go to Whatcom County it seems everywhere I go in the area holds a memory of my Grandma.   Tyler luckily never complains about my endless stories that start with; ‘Once, My Grandma took me there and…” AND I get angry when things change like how dare they tear down the original ...

  I spent the morning of July third in the kitchen making homemade biscuits, fried chicken, potato salad and all the fixings.   When Tyler got off work we loaded up and went to the Auburn airport to enjoy an evening of watching low flying single engine airplanes.   Once the sun went down I busted out the collection of dollar store glow sticks I had purchased.   Around ten the fireworks at Emerald Downs Horse Track began.   This was our second summer of doing this and we all enjoy it.   The low flying coming and going of the airplanes keeps the children entertained until the sun goes down.   We also get to enjoy the fabulous Emeral d Downs fireworks show without spending a ton of money or by over stimulating the children at the horse track.   The kids love the fireworks, hooting and hollering at the most spectacular sequences. We slept in on the fourth and enjoyed a big breakfast before heading out to Auburn’s Red, White...