SIPRESS SCOOP

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...

Every time the kids have a birthday, I like to get their pictures taken.   Sometimes we take them to Sears Portrait Studios and other times we use a professional photographer.   But with Issac and Josie’s birthdays being six months apart it seems perfect to have pictures taken twice a year.   Last month we had the pleasure of experiencing Tammey as our photographer for the third time.   Previously she took our maternity pictures when we were expecting Issac, as well as Issac’s first birthday pictures.   Normally we take family pictures during the holidays as part of Josie’s birthday pictures.   However, we took advantage and had family pictures taken because we had the opportunity to have our pictures taken on location at Everett’s Howarth Park.   Howarth Park holds many memories for Tyler & me.   Before we became romantic, we spent time there as friends in groups and alone. We tossed footballs and Frisbees, enjoyed bong fires, su...

We kicked June off by celebrating my birthday with a beautiful family hike at Twin Falls with my best friend Di and her family. It was a nice cool morning and the trail had amazing view points. We enjoyed taking in sights and sounds of nature while we enjoyed eating our lunches on a bench near a waterfall. Issac loves to go hiking and runs up the hills in full force without ever reducing his speed to enjoy the scenery.   However, Josie is still a little young and needed to be carried almost the entire two miles back down the trail to the cars.   After a nap, we attended a friend’s daughter’s birthday party before coming home to enjoy dinner and cake made by Tyler. The next weekend we stayed close to home but Issac asked to go on a hike.   We took the kids to Flaming Geyser Park.   There is currently some construction and the main hiking path is closed.   However, we adventured the path less taken and enjoyed a quiet hike through the brush along the hillsi...