Idle Time

The little town where Darrin's parents live in Washington is home to about 700 people.  There is not a whole lot of big-town excitement here.  Which is just fine for me.  We have relaxed all week long - no agenda, no schedule.  It's been awesome and I'll be sorry to go. 

Here is how we've filled our days:  hitting baseballs, playing cards, watching movies, playing games, riding bikes, fishing, running through the sprinklers, wrestling with the dogs, and exploring the property.  A perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of life at home. 

Shyster

I think Ben comes by it honestly, because my Dad is a total shyster at Monopoly.  Allegedly, Darrin's brother Derrick also deserves a Monopoly Shyster award.  Now, playing Monopoly Junior, you can see Ben has that same look in his eyes. 

(By the way, I HIGHLY recommend this game for kids ages 5 to 8.  Ben loves it and it's great for counting money, adding & subtracting, and very fun.  It takes 20 minutes to 45 minutes depending on how many people are playing.  And it's a great intro to the real game.)

Trade It Tuesday

Being on vacation I have had the chance to go into different grocery stores than my normal two or three.  This week I've gone into Albertson's and realized that making all natural choices can be more difficult depending on where you shop.  I would not recommend Albertson's if you are trying to maximize your all natural choices.  In any case, it was an indication to me that if you are trying to get your family to weed out the preservatives and artificials, you may need to try a few different grocery stores to make your life easier. 

Some grocery stores have a natural foods section (like Bel Air or Yoke's) and some mix in the natural foods in the aisle where the unnatural foods are (like in Nugget or Albertson's).  Over time you will know exactly where to find the stuff you need. 

For Trade It Tuesday I want to talk lunch meat and bacon.  You really have to look at labels here.  A lot are all natural but add nitrates.  Some nitrates are normal, but you want to beware of ADDED nitrates.  So look for labels that say ALL NATURAL, NO PRESERVATIVES, NO ADDED NITRATES. 

I really like the Hormel Natural Choice line of lunch meats and bacon.  They are more expensive, but they are all delicious.  They even make salami and peperoni.  And I've found them at almost every grocery store I've stepped into.  Dietz and Watson brand is also all natural, and a good choice for lunch meats. 

Or, to save money, we've started buying our bacon at a local butcher shop. We buy ten pounds at a time and have them wrap it in one pound packages.  It's delicious and costs about the same as the bad bacon in the grocery store.

So. . . instead of the normal bacon, buy some with no added stuff!

The other thing I want to discuss is yogurt.  I see kids all the time with neon blue yogurt and it makes me squirm.  Yogurt should not be neon!  Why should I even have to say that?!?  Anyway, the Gogurts are super easy and I understand the draw to them, but they say right on the box that they contain artificial colors.  Instead, try Tuberz from Horizon.  Same convenience, no artificials. 

Now, we actually make our own yogurt with our Yolife Yogurt Maker.  Any store bought vanilla yogurt contains pectin and for some reason, this triggers behavior in Ben if he has it too many days in a row.  So I bought a $40 yogurt maker from target.com and I love it!  I just mix milk, all natural vanilla (if you haven't already eliminated your imitation vanilla then I will come over and throw it away for you! and watch out for McCormick All Natural Vanilla that contains corn syrup!) and a little sugar and in 12 hours we have yogurt.  Yum! 

Be aware, buyers!  Stay away from anything with artificial colors and flavors!

God's Country

I've always wondered how Darrin's parents could live so far away in Washington for six months every year.  Visiting here this week I no longer wonder why.  This is some of the most beautiful country I have ever seen.  And they get this view every day, six months of the year.  While I would NOT want to be here during the snow, I am very happy to spend a week here during the summer.  It's gorgeous.  And we are having a wonderful visit.  Here are some pictures from yesterday.  As you can see, I'm really starting to enjoy my camera, now that I'm learning how to use it!

Switching States

Yesterday we fired up the motorhome and started the second phase of our vacation, a trip from Oregon to Washington to visit Darrin's parents, Digger and Dixie.  Our stop in Oregon was about halfway to our final destination, which meant another nine hours on the road.  With my camera in hand I tried to capture the different scenery along the way.  So many different landscapes!  We were very happy to pull into Digger and Dixie's driveway after another long day of driving. 

Here are some shots along the way:

Jackie + Joel

Yesterday my cousin Jackie married her soul mate, Joel.  It was a gorgeous wedding, set at the beautiful and very natural LaLoma Lodge in McKenzie Bridge, Oregon.  Jackie's dress was simple and elegant, her smile radiant.  They were surrounded with love from family and friends.  It was a flawless day - perfect in every way.

The setting was so pretty we couldn't help but take a lot of pictures.  We were so happy to share Jackie's day and really enjoyed the time we got to spend with our family.  Ben was finally over the stupid yellow cheese reaction and was awesome all day (even quiet during the ceremony while he rubbed two sticks together trying to make fire).  Lia was enamored by the bride and the flowers, trying to steal either one from the many other guests.  Jackie was very sweet and obliged Lia by giving her special attention many times during the night.

Here are many pictures of the wonderful day.  The Kimbles wish Jackie and Joel a lifetime of happiness.  There is no doubt that these two were made for each other, and they will continue to make many happy memories together.

Congratulations to Jackie and Joel!