NO BOYS ALLOWED!!!

That's right...
NO BOYS ALLOWED!!!
...at least not when these gals get together...
(and I pity the one that dare try and cross the barrier).

We have the best, most genuine friends a person could care to dream of...
...and last night we got our families together for an end of summer BBQ at 'The Farm.'
A great place for get togethers...
but I'll get into that more in a minute.
ANYHOW...
Our families have a lot in common
The first being that between our three families we have 8 girls...
and NOT ONE BOY.
Our husbands have their own personal theory about why this has happened...
but it's a little crude so I won't share the specifics...
let's just say that...
we'll, no, on second thought, I'm just gonna leave it alone...
and I'll let you ask them.

I was unsuccessful in getting a picture with all 8 gals facing one direction...
as soon as I turned around to get a picture of the ducks...
this is what I was greeted with.
How funny, huh?
Kind of reminds me of a Verizon commercial.

They are Pete, Priscilla, Petunia and ???

(another girl name that also starts with 'P')

Here are the youngest of the gang getting a peek at the ducks.
They are all within 11 weeks apart of each other in age...
and I think they have decided there is safety in numbers.

Here we are...

'The Matriarchs' of our families.
My dear friend, Theresa is on the right (your right, my left).
She is awesome...very thoughtful, giving without end, a wonderful momma, a devoted wife...
and she almost always laughs at my jokes (which is secretly my favorite quality about her).

The gal on the left (my right) is my "Sister from another Mister," Dawn.
I love this woman to no end.
We met my sophomore year of high school and well...the details are endless, so I'll just say that we hit it off from the start.
She is that person that I can call ANYTIME of day (or night) to ask the most random of questions ("Dawn, do you like Kraft Mac-n-Cheese or Velveeta Shells-n-Cheese?")
And hands down, no contest, it's Velveeta.
Anyhow, she is someone that I look to for parenting advice, marriage advice, biblical questions, recipes, etc, etc, etc.
And I love that we can be completely honest with each other and no one gets hurt feelings.
Dawn, in case it's been awhile, I Love You.

This is our 'babysitter.'

His name is Oliver and when he's not hanging with the other 'boys' he can be found keeping an eye out on the girls. I think he is so handsome. He looks so stoic and noble here.

On the farm, the 'boys' (aka dads) are able to be boy's.
Which means they are able to:
BBQ
drink beer
retell hunting stories 100 times over
drink beer
scratch
drink beer
pee outside
(OK, in their defense they are surrounded by 11 girls when our families get together,
so they are allowed)

It's a great place for get togethers.
The girls are able to run-amok and get into all kinds of good kid mischief.
Including, but not limited to:
Chasing, getting chased and /or petting the goats
Collecting eggs
Having a 'mooing' contest
Looking for frogs
Climbing in the orchard
Picking a variety of different berries...
...the only limits are their imaginations (and their mommas).

Below is the result of what happens when:
the boys have been outside too long,
the kids are playing wonderfully AND we've eaten WAY too much!

The scary truth is that three years ago, this picture was a reality...and we were all pregnant.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT:
None of us were pregnant at the time this photo was taken...at least not that I know of)
The following photos are of some of Dawn's fun treasures that I openly covet:
And if the initials 'TS' are found under any of them...it's shear coincidence.
How cute is this bottle?
It's what Dawn uses to dispense her dish soap.

Oh! How I love this red bench!
Wouldn't it be the perfect prop for a family photo?
Oh wait is and it was.

When you owe your dear friend money...what do you repay her with?
Money? Heavens NO!
You find some great blocks, spell her name in them and call it a 'wash.'
I [heart] them.

OK..You ready?
Cause you're gonna love this next one.
READY?
I LOVE THIS LAUNDRY BASKET!
Dawn got this from her mom, who pulled it from the blackberry bushes at an estate sale.
AMAZING!
What's even more amazing?
That I was at this estate sale for a good hour before her mom got there...and I didn't see it.
DANG IT!

As the night was winding down, we decided it was time for dessert.
I brought the PW's Creamy Lemon Bars and her Peach Crisp with Maple Sauce

(minus the maple sauce...I DON'T DO MAPLE.
So I made my own sauce using her recipe but substituting honey for maple extract.
As you can tell...it was a HUGE HIT!
"Ya'll washed your hands, right?"
Here is Dawn's third...
doing her best to NOT be photographed.
And here's her oldest...Miss K.
I adore this girl...and I'm sure it has nothing to do with her being a 'first born.'
How do you know that it's past our bedtimes and time to go home?
The babies start to confuse with boy is their dad.
For instance, this is not this girls daddy.

And the boy's start to 'google.'
Here they are 'googling' a guitarist by the name of Andy McKee.
But I have to admit, he is INCREDIBLY TALENTED.
Go ahead and 'google' him...I won't tell.
He IS good.

And FINALLY, the last picture of the night.
Everyone gathered around the kitchen.
We all had such a great time at 'the farm.'
I am already looking forward to our next visit...

EXCEPT:
hunting season has officially begun and that means that each of us momma's is about to become 'weekend widows' for the next 3 months.

DARN BOYS...for ruining our fun. :-)

September 2nd...you know what that means!?!

OH MY GOODNESS!!
Really?
How did this happen?
Today?
Really?
Nah!!
Couldn't be!!

Well...the calendar does say it's September 2nd, 2010...
...so I guess it is!

TODAY WAS A'S FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN!!
WA-HOO!!!

It snuck up on me when I wasn't looking

(ok, that's not completely true...we all know what a planner I am...

...I knew she'd be starting Kindergarten before she was born).
Who am I trying to kid?

Here A and J are having a 'pre-breakfast' snack of Nilla wafers...
...only because I forgot to put them away the night before after Jas and I were practicing our own 'Minute-To-Win-It.'
You know the one where they have to skoot Oreo's from their forehead's to their mouths without using their hands.
Turns out it much harder than it looks on TV...and notice there are no pictures of us trying this. It was a RIOT! I strongly urge each of you to try this.

Here A is trying to decide which shoes she is going to wear her first day of school.
You know I was so proud when she picked her 'garage sale' cowboy boots.
Thatta girl!!
J was so pumped that she chose them, too.
We pray (DAILY) that she will stay true to herself and her own self of style and not be so heavily influenced by her peers.
(...and if she's anything like her dad...this will NOT be a problem)

Have I ever mentioned how much I love and adore our neighborhood.
Here is our dear neighbor and friend, Bri, coaching A on to eat her breakfast (while catching up on the newest Anthro catalog).

Bri came over extra early so that she could help me to take pictures of A's most special day!!
SO if there are any pictures that look like they are taken by a professional...Bri took them and I have to give her the credit.

How beautiful is this girl??? Takes my breath away.

My little poser! I say that in good way and with nothing but love!

Here Had is giving her big sissy a 'yub' (aka love) before we head off to school.

Here we are as a family heading off to A's first day of school.
I LOVE that her school is close enough that we can walk
(when the weather permits and I'm feeling motivated)...

We got lots of honks and waves on our trek to school.
A's school does not "bus" their students to school...

...parents are responsible for pick-up and drop-off.
I LOVE THIS!!!

It means that I, too, will also get to meet new friends...

...and that there is a lot more 'face' time with A's teacher.
...have I mentioned how much I love our neighborhood.

Bri was sweet enough to drive our car to A's school so that Jas could get to work at a decent hour.
"Hmmm...maybe this Kindergarten thing isn't such a bad thing after all!?!"
Here Had is thoroughly enjoying a donut provided by the PTA.

IT'S GOING TO BE SUCH A GREAT YEAR!!!

I am most excited for A and the friendships that she will make and potentially have for a very long time.
I have a very special friend of mine that is someone that I met when I was in Kindergarten...and here we are married, with kiddos and still dear friends.
We lovingly refer to each other as "K-12 Buddies.

Jas and I are so eager, excited and proud of our little (but growing bigger every day) girl
and are eager for what this year holds for us!

WE MADE IT (again)!!!

HOORAY!!!
I am VERY PLEASED (and humbled) and PROUD to announce that the
4th Avenue Gals (Margee, Bri and I)
will be amongst some of the very best antiques vendors that the Northwest has to offer at the upcoming
Junk Salvation Show in October

(formerly presented as the Funky Junk Sisters Vintage Flea Market)

and we couldn't be more excited.



I was just perusing the list of blogs that I follow and saw that the Funky Junk Sisters had a new post titled, "Junk Salvation "A" list: Are you on it?"
and I am so proud to announce

WE ARE!!!
Bri, Margee and I have spent our time since the last show in search of fun and unique treasures to save and bring to the Junk Salvation Show. And here are just a few of my favorites.

These are old reader-board letters (that I borrowed from my dad's tire shop) that I repainted green and have placed in my garden in an effort to try and persuade my veggies to flourish. I think next year I'm gonna place the letters: S H I N E near the sun to encourage it to come out and play a little earlier next summer.

I picked up these old blocks prior to our last show and have been displaying them in a vintage children's toy barn. Hmmm...you may see them in October (but only if a dear friend of mine hasn't stolen them for herself)!!! You know who you are!!

I also grabbed this lamp and have since repainted it in a more solid white color minus the lovely gold flecks (although I may paint it one more time before the show).

OH MY!! How I do love me some old insulators. I have been spending time recreating these into fun treasures to add a little romance to anyone's backyard.

I love this drop leaf table!!! Plain and Simple!! And as hard as I've tried, I can't seem to find a permanent place for her in my yard...so if my efforts continue to be unsuccessful, she'll be there, also.

And last, but certainly NOT LEAST, I will have an array of wristlets to choose from. And at only $10 a piece you can surely pick up numerous ones to go with a variety of different outfits (and moods). GREAT GIFT IDEAS!!

The above is 'Betty'

and this is 'Lucy.'

We are again, so incredibly excited for the Junk Salvation Show in October (the 15th and 16th to be exact)...and hope you are as well.

Looking forward to seeing some old, familiar faces there and of course meeting some new ones, as well.

WILL YOU BE THERE??

Customer of the Month

If you are a regular reader of our blog...you have surely noticed a regularly reoccurring visitor...
...my grande, non-fat stirred caramel macchiato from Starbucks.
What???
...you were expecting a person or a pet?
Nope...although this beverage does hold a special place in my life.
She keeps me caffienated and ready to face my days with my 'other' girls.

As a result, we have gotten to know a few of the baristas at our local Starbucks.

It all started with our one of our favorite baristas. A noticed that she was wearing a cute, trendy belt with rhinestones and pirate skulls on it. Coincidentally, A was wearing her pirate flip flops...and thus a friendship between the two was imminent.

Meet Lennox...she's is GREAT!

She always goes out of her way to come over to the drive-up (no I am not brave enough to bring two little kiddos in) window (even if she is working 'the bar' and making drinks) to say hello to my ladies.

One morning, when the line was exceptionally long, I went in to order my drinks and left my ladies in the car with my friend. Lennox was working the drive thru and saw me in line. She took a moment to leave a note for A and Had.

Isn't that sweet?

And you know it's a sign that you frequent an establishment a little too often when:

Lennox went to Japan to study abroad for 3 weeks and returned with a gift for my girls.

Their very own coffee mug from a Starbucks in Tokyo.

UNBELIEVABLE!!

We also have a few other baristas that we adore and look forward to seeing on the days they are working....Ashley, Desi and Jay.

Jay told us today that he is trying to talk his manager into letting some of the baristas participate in our weekly, "Pajama Monday's."

They are all so sweet to my girls and talk to them as people, not kiddos; and are quick to greet them before they greet me.

Now I would expect this kind of attention at a locally-owned, independent espresso stand, but not necessarily at the biggest coffee franchise in the world. I am convinced that this is a coincidence and that it has more to do with the town that we live in and not the fact that it is Starbucks.

A is a very thoughtful and giving girl...always ready to share a special rock, stick or picture that she's colored with anyone she meets....and our friends at Starbucks are frequently on the receiving end of these treasures. And in return, my drink frequently comes with a smiley face on it.

Flash Forward a few months...

The girls and I pull up to the Order Here speaker and A rolls down her window and proceeds to order my drink for me (yes, she can order it like a champ) and recognizes that the person taking her order is Jay. She tells him that she has a present for him. He responds with, "Oh Yeah! Well, I have a present for you, too!" My curiosity was sparked.

We wait our turn in line and pull forward to exchange our goodies.

Jay got his specially colored picture and A got...

THIS!!!

My girls and I were voted Customers of the Month! How cute is that?

And BONUS: I (I mean 'we') got 7 free drinks as a prize.

We had to make a special trip inside so that A could see that her special sign presenting her as "Customer of the Month." She was beaming.

These pictures are proof that it is very difficult to get a picture of two kiddos in which they both look cute. One of them is almost always looking away, being overly cheesy or having freakishly HUGE eyes.

We do adore our local Starbucks and all of the friends that we have met as a result of my addiction...I mean love of all things caramel.

Do you frequent coffee shops?

What is your favorite drink to order?

I am always up to try something new.

It's Finally Happened...

It Did!!!
As much as I wish it hadn't...
...it was beyond our control.
Our beloved apricot tree bit the dust....LITERALLY!
(an entire blog post about a tree...
I know...a little ridiculous, but we sure did love her...)

A little shocking insn't it?

O.K. let me take you back a few steps.

A few years ago, Jas had the itch to start pruning our trees. Sounds rather reasonable...I know it does. But trust me...it was NOT a good idea. Because you see, Jas' idea of pruning typically involves a chainsaw, not clippers or pruners.
After some serious begging and pleading, I finally convinced him to let me call an arborist.
Well to make a long story short, the arborist came back at us with some good news and some bad news.
Being the optimist, the good news was that Jas would not hit his head on the limbs of our tree for much longer because...the bad news, the tree had approximately 2 more years left with us.
And as much as we had hoped and prayed that this arborist was hoakey and that he didn't know what he was talking about; that was NOT the case.

So fast forward really quick to yesterday afternoon.
I was visiting with some friends in our back driveway and watching our kiddos/grandkiddos ride bikes.
When out of nowhere, there was a noise that sounded like the loudest rumble of thunder EVER. For a quick moment, I thought what in the world is that? The skies were overcast, but there was no wind, it was slightly warm, no rain...no nothing.
And by the time that the rumble stopped I looked quick into the yard and discovered that our dear tree had lived her last moment with us...and had tipped over. I was in utter shock.

But as I thought back to the diagnosis that we were given by the arborist...he had told us that we would have her for about 2 more years...and that was August 2008!!! I don't know that you get any more exact than that!

(let me know if you want his number...cause DANG! That's pretty accurate!)

Oh how we'll miss her and the majesty that she bestowed upon our backyard.

Jas and I reflected and decided that she was probably near 60 years old...as our home was built in the early 50's...and she was probably planted shortly after.

Look! Her roots remained firmly planted. She just up and tipped over.

I did praise God for keeping our children and pets safe...as they could have easily have been playing underneath her or in their playhouse (which she feel on) or climbing her, which A loved to do.

In fact, after our guests left, I went inside to put Had down for her nap and was greeted by A with VERY red and VERY puffy eyes.

My little epathetic and sensitive girl was grieving the loss of our dear friend.

What's a mom to do, I ask? Load up the girls...and head to the 'Golden Arches.'

Yep...it was a no-holds-bar trip. Happy Meal...check! Sprite...check! Ice Cream Cone...check! I was ready to do anything to help my peanut to feel better.

Good thing she's like her momma...IT TOTALLY WORKED!

Here she is climbing her 'climbing' tree for the last time.

Boy oh boy...do we have our work cut out for us or what?

I guess I know what we are doing this weekend.

It was a BIG tree.

I leave you with a picture that I took only a few weeks ago...mainly because I can't find where I hid any of the other ones on our computer.

Wasn't she gorgeous?

We will surely miss her and the shade that she cast upon our back yard.

She was a good ole tree.