Thursday, August 23, 2012

Days Gone By

A lot has been happening around here! With Aviana starting back to school this week, I finally had some time to go through some pictures from these past couple months : )



This is my oldest brother Jimmy. He's my nephew Ash's dad. He came to visit for a weekend a while ago now.








Although we don't see Jimmy very much, of the times we do, Aviana has always had a very special connection with him throughout her life.




I love him so much.




You may remember Todd Lynn, our constant. Well his favorite pie is Rhubarb. We were going to his house for dinner, so Dave and I made him one. 

I really wanted to try this new lattice top I saw in one of my new recipe books, so I showed Dave and asked, "Do you think we can do this one?" Dave cracks me up, he said..."Whatever my baby wants, my baby gets. My baby wants that lattice, my baby gets that lattice!'




And that I did! We did it!




Todd's wife wanted to take a picture of the pie and I. I said, no way! So Todd, got in the picture...much better. 

You, me, and a pie...

did you notice I found a place to wear my cowboy boots though ; )

My gosh, do I love these people, they had us over, and they are the best ever. They love and care for Avi in a way I barely ever see.

Melts my heart.

Todd, Elaine ~
I love you both to pieces.





We had been looking for a farmer, in order to try and cut Whole Foods out for some of our fruit for our pies...as they are a little pricey. So we found one. We went up there for their 100 year anniversary.




We got some peaches.




I blanched some for the first time in my entire life.

I sliced my finger in the process, but I will spare you the gore.




Made a pie, of course.




That's the one pie I don't care for, but I hear it was good!

But the highlight of my life came not in the form of fruit, or pies...




But in chickens!

I have always wanted a farm and go crazy out of my mind for these guys. So anytime there's a petting zoo involved, I ditch my family. I had taken no short of 32 pictures of these two. Finally, the owner told his son, to...are you ready for this, let me hold one of them!! 

I freaked, and threw all my stuff down. I grabbed my sweetheart and hugged her, and loved her, and squeezed her (she didn't like that) and never wanted to let her go. 

I did however realize I needed a picture with her, to have, and to hold, for the rest of my life. So I put her down, realized I needed that family I abandoned, so I looked around for Dave, Gary, my Mom, Aviana, anyone to take a picture with my girl and me, but no one. So I asked the...I'm not good at kids' ages...9 year old(?) if he could take some pictures of us together? 

I asked him to take a bunch (you know, just in case he didn't know how to use my phone) and he did!





Do I look like a kid in a candy store, or what?

"Chicky, look at the camera!"

I think she either likes my necklace, or wants to eat it?

 I don't know, I don't speak Chicky...just dog, and a little brain injured child.




The missing family all showed up as I was holding, who I later found out to be, Susan. The rooster's name was Hugh Hefner ; ) 

As I looked back at the pictures, I cracked up at this one, with Gary in the background! Anytime I need a pick me up...it's my go to!!




Hey guys! I don't know you, but I love you!




What was that??




Amy and I went to Tahoe for the night.

We grew up on the lake, boating and rafting, so Amy and I decided it was time to float around. We hadn't done that in years! 

We did for hours that day. It was so beautiful, but most of all...peaceful. 




Hey look, matching towels! I swear we didn't plan it ; ) You're right, mine doesn't have my name on it.




The life.




You are so beautiful...
to me.




Avi coughed food onto Rainey.

"Clean up on aisle Avi"




This one was just last night, and I can't stop laughing. Avi didn't cough this one onto the doggy head, but she coughed and I lifted her bib to stop it from flying everywhere and then when I flipped the bib back, this piece somehow ended up stuck in that exact spot on Rainey's head. 

I just about died.

Hazards of Rainey's job ; )








I've been baking up a storm, that is ~ up until about a week ago, or so. Can you believe it? I use baking to deal with grief, but I've been too stricken lately to even bake. What gives?  

Amy and I resumed pie-ing it forward on Tuesday night though - to the tune of 2 Chocolate Creams and an Apple.

Boy did I feel rusty. 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla Jen. 
Va-what?
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Huh? 





My friend Sara has twin girls and they love reading to Aviana. Books have always been the way to our girl's heart, so it's book central around this place. We went to Sara's house for dinner one night and Avi was especially captivated that particular night. I was eating up every ounce of this moment.




It was truly an amazing, Aviana was actually holding her head up, listening, and so attentive to every word coming out of her mouth. 




They have a way to, and through this heart of mine...every time!




It was someone's birthday recently. Someone really special. My momma bear. The best mom in the entire world. One I wouldn't trade...even for a chicken, or a rooster, or Gary Allan (eek), or a house in Tahoe (aahh)!

Oh mom, you better keep up the good work...there's a lot of great things on the line here.

We grew an assortment of fruit, slaved all night long, and made her a beautiful tart....

no we didn't.

My Uncle Roger brings the most amazing desserts from the best bakery ever for special occasions, and my mom's birthday was no exception. 




Dixie, who we met through our blog came up to visit. It was so nice spending time with her! She was also kind enough to bring a case of pears for us to make Pear Pies with, so we did! Four or five different varieties too! It was crazy! Crazy good, that is.

























Amy made this one, isn't it a beauty?




We were on the computer, and turned around to Avi looking like this...
just beautiful, if I do say so myself ; )




A few pictures later, Rainey went in for a smooch,
right after this picture - Avi threw a fit.




Brown Eyed Baker's Rocky Road Bark was calling our name...
much too loud to ignore!




Oh Ray Ray, now maybe Nana and Papa will stop saying,

"Come here boy!"
"Tell him to come here."
"Does he want a treat."
"Tell him to stop licking my lotion."
"He's such a good boy."

Because...

He's not a boy...

He's a girl!!!

I know you say you're old and traumatized.

It's okay *kind of* 

I still love you both.




We went swimming at our awesomest friend's house...The Zuves.

You might remember, they were one of our first stops after we went on our Honeymoon last year : )




Avi was in the pool for, I think about 4 hours.




We finally put her in the spa when it got cold, and she spun around like a record baby. She fell asleep, it was really cute. 




This is what I usually get to see as I come out of the shower. They are too cute.

"Hey mom, what's on the agenda for today?"




My mom has suddenly taken to raiding my nail polish cabinet. I was in Tahoe with my friend Sophie (more to come on that weekend soon) and my mom was watching Aviana. 
I got an email with this subject line: Like? I opened it and saw the above picture. I thought it was hilarious. 




A few days ago, she then showed up with these nails. Yes, she is now buying her own colors. My mom is a big Katy Perry fan, and as she was walking down the walkway, admiring her nails, she said...I feel like Katy Perry.

There are older women who do things like this to try to hold onto their youth, and kind of look a little funny doing it, my mom is not one of them. My mom looks absolutely adorably, cute with her brightly colored nails.

I love them, and I love her.




New toys can be so exhausting!




I've got one question for you Rainey...

are you comfortable?

Well good,

because that's all that matters : )

6 comments:

  1. I loved all of these photos. Your pies look amazing, your mom's nail made me smile and Avi looks great. I would keep the kids coming over to read to her. She was so alert. I can't wait to hear about her school year!

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  2. I love that I can visualize so much of this post, your mom, your kitchen, Avi and Rainey. I wish I was your neighbor!

    I hope the new school year is as good or better than spring was. Avi looks so attentive when the girls are reading to her. Maybe her new school could incorporate that in her day, using peers from other classes.

    XOXO
    Dixie

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  3. Pie-ing it forward - BRILLIANT! All the pies look sooooo good. And those cupcakes oh my... you're making me so hungry for cupcakes!

    Tahoe looks gorgeous as always. Your mom is cool. You have some lovely photos and beautiful family & friends. I love love Rainey in the bow.

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  4. 1. Do you realize you wear that striped shirt ALL.THE.TIME????? ♥♥♥♥♥

    2. Killer cowboy boots. Had any other use for them ;)

    3. Twin Peaks Orchards???? Really???? I was the BIGGEST "Twin Peaks" fan! I even had a scrapbook of stuff. We went to Snoqualmie Falls while the show was on, hit the RR Diner, had a damn fine cup of coffee and a slice of cherry pie, which I hate by the way. I'm a David Lynch fanatic. It was quite possibly the coolest news I had heard when a few weeks ago Norm's uncle posted that he met and chatted with David Lynch. Genius!

    4. You want a chicken? Mom used to have a chicken coop. Did she tell you? She LOVED her chickens. She even had a rooster, Sir, who got sick one night so he spent the night in the house. When your house is about 400 square feet and the rooster isn't in a cage, the rooster kind of takes over the whole house. Oh how mom loved her chickens. She named each one and loved them so much.

    5. By the way, for as much as we're alike, we're also sooooo different. I DESPISE petting zoos!!! I often gauge how much I love my kids by telling people that I go on school field trips to PETTING ZOOS! A - I don't like other people's kids, B - I'm a field trip chaperone in charge of five other kids (some are ok, others I want to beat), C - I corral these kids through a petting zoo. THAT is how much I love my kids because taking just MY kids to a petting zoo is hell enough but throw in 4-5 of other people's kids in that mix, oh man, strap me down and feed me the loudest, twangiest country music for a month straight instead! Please! I would have ditched you too if I saw you headed for a petting zoo, lol.

    (my comment was so long I had to split it between two! Haha!!!)

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  5. 6. Rainey is just exquisite.

    7. Cupcakes? Really? Now you're invading in MY territory Hodder! Granted, my cupcakes come from a box and the frosting from a can but I DO use a pastry tip and no two are decorated the same way but hey, details, details.

    8. I was trying to figure out who Brenda was. Who is this Brenda that Jen loves so much? I've never heard of her! The best mom in the world? Who IS BRENDA??? Then I realized "Oh! That's right! Brenda is who I call Jen's mom!" She'll never be Brenda, she's Jen's Mom. Tell Jen's Mom I said happy birthday from Beya and me ♥♥♥♥

    9. I want that pool. I wouldn't be friends with those people very long because they'd be kicking me out of it every day. I don't think I've seen a cuter picture of Aviana than floating around in the hot tub, snoozing away.

    10. Jen's Mom and the colored nails. About six months ago or so (my sense of time is so fucked, it could have been a year ago) Beya bought about 3-4 different bright colored nail polish.....WITH the white crackle finish! She was so excited to try it! We agreed that it looked more like she had splashed some white out on her nails but I still love her bright nails. She cracks me up. I agree, she doesn't look like one of those silly older women trying to look younger, with her face pulled tighter than Ryan Lochte's swim cap, she looks like a woman who's having FUN! Valentina knows to raid Beya's nail polish's because mine are all either red, beige or pink. I don't have any fun colors, Beya does.

    Ok, that's my book on your book of a post. I have LOVED reading your post 2-3 times. I've been wondering what has been up with you and your family and I always know when you don't post for a while you're in a pretty bad spot. I'm so sorry and I love you dearly.

    BTW (by the way, haha) the kids finally spent their Disney gift cards while we were gone. You will crack up when you see what they chose to buy with them. Valentina loved the Disney store more than Disneyland!!! Stinker. I could have saved a whole hell of a lot of money since our little trip to Seattle was more fun for them and almost free! Note to self, next time they ask to go to Disneyland, go to a Seattle hotel with nice pool and take them to the Disney store. I'm going to have them email you a video thank you.

    Love you!

    And happy birthday Jen's Mom!

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  6. I was just leaving my comment and the kids came up to the computer and Asa shouted "is that Rainey?? Yay Rainey! You're the best doggie every Rainey!" Valentina came running from the dining room and saying "I wanna see Rainey! Oh Rainey, I love you!"

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