Saltwater, Stitches, and Scooters

The weekends my brothers and their wives come to town are always very full of sarcasm (my family’s favorite form of humor).  Nobody is very insecure, so we poke fun and merrily disagree about everything from food to medical to politics to the proper length of shorts. Sometimes my parents wish we all agreed on some things, but that’s what they get for being so good at teaching us to think and research and make mistakes for ourselves.

Since Ryan had to work much of Saturday, I drove up to my parents on my scooter to hang out for the day. My brothers immediately ‘handed in their man card’ and took the scooter joyriding about twice an hour. Later the stories came about what that scooter is capable of. Apparently it can get up to 70mph going down an epic nearby hill.  Going flat with one large male onboard it can get up to 49mph, and gets air coming off speed bumps. With two 20 something males it just barely makes it around the block at full throttle. (I wish we had a picture).

We went down to a beach on the Puget Sound to walk along the water. It was almost a warm day.

Caleb had 9 stiches in his leg from a clumsy moment a couple weeks ago. They needed to come out, and Mom and Grace decided it would be good for Grace practice with her tweezers and tiny blue scissors. It was great family entertainment.

It was also Grace’s 21st birthday week, so we went out for a drink. We made lots of jokes about having to carry her back home afterwards…but unfortunately for a 21 fun run, we all one-or-two drink people.  We took her to the whiskey bar 9 Million in Unmarked Bills (or according to one person in our party, 90 Billion Bills and Dollars of Money). Then very early the next morning (who makes 7:45am breakfast reservations?) we were up and out at a favorite hipster cafe for a Father’s Day Breakfast, church, and then off to see the classic yacht show.

Grace’s Birthday Backyard BBQ

Grace finally turned 21. The rest of us have been eagerly waiting for the final family member to be recognized as an adult by the government.  (We’ve all known her as a responsible adult since she was 15).  Ryan and I hosted a bbq to celebrate with friends and many of the kids she babysits. The kids brought cards they had made for her and I think they enjoyed her birthday balloons more than she did.

She isn’t normally terrifying to children…

Ryan grilled for 30+ people, starting with stacks of zucchini and peppers.  So delicious.

Chocolate and Carrot Cake cupcakes. Because nothing says a party like cupcakes.

My favorite part of this picture is the kid so extremely excited for one of Mom’s chocolate cupcakes.  But then who be excited for that?

Officially and Finally a Family Nurse Practitioner

Not your typical celebration a person has for their mom.  Pretty incredible!  Mom has spent the last 3 years neck deep in earning her Masters as a Family Nurse Practitioner at SPU here in Seattle.  Also in that time she’s worked at various hospitals, volunteered her time at Carenet, and attended the weddings of three of her children.

Those of us in town went to her hooding achievement ceremony.  It was nice to meet some of her professors and classmates and their families. (The families could all sympathize amongst themselves of being assessed for and diagnosed with all diseases and conditions studied.) Mom gave the closing prayer of the evening.

Apricot Orange is the color of nursing degree’s hoods for the academic robe. Every degree type has their own color of hood.

After the ceremony, Dad took us all out for drinks and appetizers at Hunger.  Grace was pretty excited to try it since she drives by every day on her way to school.  We ordered the charcuterie plate, thinking the pork belly, duck neck, and pork loin was a good choice to celebrate a nursing degree.

Two Talls and a Small

What kind of world do we live in where we pay money to run in circles and have people throw paint at you?

Ryan and I were running late, sitting in traffic on I-90 on the motorcycle, me clinging to Ryan with one arm, and texting Grace to get an alternate route with the other. (Unless you’re my mom, in which case I was holding on with BOTH hands the whole time.)  Since all three of us have run serious races, Kathy especially, we knew the importance of being there on time, at the start line, bibbed and ready to go.  So as soon as I hit the ground, I frantically searched for them, we made a quick stop at the port-a-potties, dumped our stuff with Ryan, (thanks, babe!!) and raced for the start line.

Then we stood around listening to the party music…and threw all of our paint, made fun of the DJ, rubbed pink paint in Kathy’s baby’s hair, and waited. We ran with the 7th starting group some hour and ten minutes after the start time.

We had a great time, but next time will be more prepared for the party atmosphere rather than a serious race!  Our team name was the best…Two Talls and a Small.  Probably the one time in Grace’s life she will be classified as tall.

I took a handful of blue paint to the face almost immediately…thus my awesome blue beard appearance.

Pentecost

Pentecost Sunday, fifty days after the death of Christ, the day the Holy Spirit came down to earth and started the spreading of God’s word across the world to Jew and Gentile alike.  Sounds like a great reason to celebrate to me.

Our church has a Pentecost Feast every year, everyone brings food from countries around the world, we play things like international trivia, and celebrate the spreading of the Gospel.

Ryan hung flags across the stage.  When I said ‘across the front of the stage’ I was thinking of the waist-high stage front.  But the top is even better!

Looking back through the pictures I took, I realized they are mostly kids. They’re the ones who really know how to let their hair down.  So here’s all the kids learning to party.

Waiting sooo patiently for food.

Not a chance the boys were going to be still long enough for a picture. Guesses on the game?  Tag? Football without the ball?

Discovering the joys of mixing bubble wands and a fan.

This guy is growing up too fast.

Listening to the music

Taking a break from football to listen.

Blueberry Crumble Muffins (dairy and egg free)

I am slowly climbing the learning curve for vegan baking. (Allergic to dairy and eggs) The recipes’ timelines are not as forgiving. Ryan can attest to the occasional breakdown when I think about the fact I can’t have butter for another couple months.  Occasionally I think ahead and freeze lard to use in biscuits and such, which also helps tide me over until butter and eggs enter my realm again.

These muffins were delicious.  Perfect for tucking away in an airtight container to pull out for breakfast every morning this week before work. Until the morning Ryan and I race for the last one.

A few tiny ones for the times you just need a mouthful.

BlueBerry Muffins

Mix together:

2 cups flour (I used unbleached white this time, but next time will use a almond/white/wheat mix)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

stir together and add all at once:

1/2 cup milk (real or coconut or almond)

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup applesauce

1 TBLS coconut oil

2 TBLS A.C. Vinegar

Add to dry mix along with:

2 cups blueberries tossed with a tablespoon of flour.

Spoon into greased muffins tins.

Top with:

1 T sugar

2 T oats

2 T finely chopped almonds

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 T melted coconut oil

Bake at 350 for  12-18 min.

To make them non-vegan, sub 2 eggs for the vinegar and soda, and use butter instead of oil.

In Love with Spring

Flowers blooming in Ryan’s flower beds.

Grilling.  Under that delicious pile grilled onion and peppers and avocado and bacon etc is a homemade grilled burger.  Thus the pretty awesome life of no-bun-because-I’m-allergic-to-yeast.  Ryan’s boring old burger in a bun wasn’t nearly as interesting.

And since there’s so much energy from all the hours of sunshine and fresh air…homemade thin mint cookies.

And of course there’s learning to ride my scooter in deserted parking lots. I take my endorsement test this weekend. Ryan put alot of work into fixing everything that was wrong, brakes, tire, replacing turn signals and headlight, basically screwing the whole thing back together.  I think he did a pretty great job.  Now I just have to learn to drive the thing in something more than a straight line with no obstacles.  Ask my brothers…I am the world’s worst bicycle rider, and now I have one with a motor.  Scary.  I think I’ve given Ryan about four heart attacks as he watches me try to learn.