Growing in Grace and Courage

6th Annual Girls' Weekend Recap

This year's theme...

~Growing in Grace & Courage~

Julie, Michelle, Virginia, DeeDee, Veronica, Linda, Frances, Chanin

Our weekends have been just that... weekends. Alternating between California where Michelle lives and Arizona where the rest of us live. Except for Chanin who lives in Bellingham WA. It was time to take our annual trip to her. Since we were going a bit further and by plane we extended our weekend get-away to 6 days!

getting ready to board

We had a wonderful time together... sisters, daughters, aunts, and cousins!

We shared meals

sometimes cooking & eating in...

and for the first time letting a guy join us!
But thankful to have David part of it as he chauffeured us and even cooked for us. (Still waiting for his recipe for the yummy green chili stew: )
He's been in my blog before... here.

sometimes we went out to eat...



lunch at Buffalo Run



dinner at Dirty Dan's




best clam chowder at Skylark's

  

the tea drinkers



the wine drinkers

 even enjoyed an outdoor picnic 

always stayed up late

 watched movies, read books

took naps

sometimes on the road

sleeping cousins

we talked, prayed, shed a few tears,

laughed lots mostly over the silliest things,  

 enjoyed just hanging out together.

We took lots of drives through beautiful country including the cascades.

 (Bigfoot country, luckily we didn't run into him)

stopped for ice-cream here...

even had a nature lesson...

We walked through town, 

stopping to smell the flowers

and stopped for a wine tasting



cheers

   some (the brave ones) went on bike rides 



David and Michelle




David and Virginia



 

we don't see deer walking around our front yards like here

but this is deer run lane

our walks

Chuckanut Drive

and so many times standing in awe enjoying our Creator's handiwork.

And being thankful for the opportunity to spend this time together!

~We are extremely blessed~

Thank you David and Chanin

we are so grateful for your warm hospitality!

from "Jesus Calling"...

"Open your eyes to the beauty all around you.

See the majesty of the mountains,

the power of the ocean waves,

the details of the tiniest wildflower,

the endless colors of the sunset -

and know that I am Holy God.

Let this awesome beauty draw you into worshipping Me.

And use the glory of My creation to tell others about Me."

Potting Bench Make-Over

As all of you gardeners well know, every gardener needs a potting bench, a place to gather all the necessary gardening tools and such.

Once upon a time, this was David's work bench which he no longer used because he got a new much nicer work bench.

He had made this one many years ago and it had sentimental value because while he was building it, Jeremy helped by hammering nails into it and it brings him good memories. David is sentimental that way... one of many reasons that make him the special man that he is. So he passed his work bench on to me to use as a potting bench.  And I made it my own...

I filled it up pretty quick

and I outgrew it really quick.

Then Sam's Club (I love Sam's Club) had a potting bench which I could not pass up. I wish I had taken a picture of it in it's natural wood color but I didn't.

I painted it and made it my own...

Now I have two potting benches

for all my necessary gardening equipment.

But wait...there's more.

I didn't have shade.
I would move a little beach umbrella here and there
and I wasn't crazy about the rock underneath.

I happened to come across a "grill gazebo" at Sam's Club (I love Sam's Club) which I really liked but we didn't need a grill gazebo. What we did need was a potting gazebo... so it was time for a make-over. 

We moved the kid's play house, the not-so-light fountain, and the sitting area stuff. This is all across my garden area. We moved both potting benches and all my necessary garden equipment. We had all the rock removed.

 and pretty new pavers installed...

and w.a.l.a.h

I have a potting gazebo

with lots of shelves

 for all my necessary garden equipment

and all kinds of hooks for hanging stuff

a potting bench on the side



 the playhouse and fountain are back in place

a nice place to sit and watch the grandkids play

 and my happy gardening space!

The Year of the Tomato

I had a wonderful crop of tomatoes this year

I bought these two plants

but the majority of them were freebies (volunteers)

everywhere I spread compost,

I had tomato plants come up

even the gold pear that I absolutely love

also in my garden, the chili peppers are coming back to life

I almost gave up on my zucchini but finally the bees came to the rescue so I'm getting one every few days. Not a good crop but at least I don't have to figure out what to do with too many.

the bell peppers and carrots are doing great

as well as the swiss chard

basil, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, thyme, and sage are thriving.

but the parsley and cilantro are done.

wish I could figure out how to grow cilantro all year!