Easing Into Summer.

Last week I started a bit of canning.

Apricot/Pineapple Jam, Apricot Sauce and Marionberry Jam. I picked a few bags full of blueberries from Dad's ranch to put in the freezer also.

Half of the garlic I planted back in October/November was ready to be harvested. Sadly only this handful of the early variety survived. Gophers stole the majority. This is my first garlic harvest and though I planted 50 cloves, I feel lucky to have these few in my pantry.

Our biggest news out of last week is Charlie. He is a sweet little kitty and accepting his new life at The Hut well enough. I am sitting on the floor of the kitchen right now, listening to him cry in the laundry room. It's pathetic. He misses his sibling kitties.

But why should he? Charlie is barely on his own four paws what with all The Littles' snuggles and cuddles. He is well loved and this is the first time since we've become pet owners that I am shoving off a little and shirking the responsibility onto The Little Girls as they well know they have broke me and now I am the Mom who brings home animals at request. ugh. Kindly Savannah and Ivy do my bidding whenever I tell them what Charlie needs. Food? Check. Water? Check. Outside to potty? Check. Charlie needs some alone time? Check. Charlie is harassing the chickens in their coop? Check. He is keeping them very busy.

Baby Finley.

My sister Deanna, brother-in-law Brandon and Baby Finley were in town over the weekend. We were happy to finally meet her. She is precious, smells amazing and is very sweet. She is a content little girl, which of course makes her all the more endearing.

Savannah loved to hold Finley, especially while she slept but was a champ holding her while awake too. Ivy was cautious, watched Finley closely from afar but didn't want to hold her. She told me later she was afraid she might hurt Finley or do something wrong. She kept telling me what a cute baby Finley is.

Goo got a good snuggle in too. I kept asking him if he was done holding her and he said no while petting her soft skin. Their little moment together was sweet.

Having new life in the family is exciting and The Littles talk about Finley often. How she was made, how she was born, how she was made, how she lives far away and how they miss her, how she would love to wear this or that and how cute tennis shoes would look on her, how they want to teach her to hold chickens and ride a bicycle...it's so special to have a new baby girl cousin.

Bodega Bay.

School has been out for a full week now and we are settling into Summer. Weeks before the last day of classes, The Little Girls were at each other's throats with arguing and criticism. It was rough on all of us. Happily we are passed that terrible spell and slipping easily into hours of unlimited playing between siblings and friends.
We were invited by Potter's on their annual "School's Out, Let's Party Campout!" (they are both high school teachers) to Doran Beach in Bodega Bay. It was magic.

Chasing and being chased by waves, swimming, playing in giant hole, boat rides (here Littles watch The Dads do a drive-by), kite flying, rocket launching, tree climbing, sand in all body parts type playing, great campfires at night, checking crab pots in the morning & evenings (Food was unreal delicious!) and great conversation while sitting beachside watching Littles enjoy their childhood.