Family Wedding Fun

Cousin Caiti marries her longtime sweetheart John on a beautiful location in Poulsbo.

There's a ferry ride...

A whole gaggle of Goweys...

 And lawn games...

Refreshments during the ceremony = best idea.

An entire room of pinball games...

Beautiful setting with chickens & braying donkeys.

Leaving the bride hanging...

Gowey Shower

How to Throw a Joint Baby & Bridal Shower
 First, have two beautiful ladies (who happen to be cousins, as well as good friends) -- one soon-to-be-married & one expecting a baby boy. 

Next, it's very helpful when they have a color in common. The expecting momma likes grey & elephants, the bride likes sherbert orange & they both like light blue! With the help of creative relatives, have fun decorating with their colors/themes, including baby & bridal elements for each.

Use games that include both baby & bridal -- decorate a onesie for the baby & undies for the bride!

Gather loved ones & celebrate both special occasions!

Especially useful for large, close-knit families.

If possible, arrange for a visit from an adorable little boy. :)

Enjoy celebrating the two beautiful ladies & their upcoming special events. Save the games, decor & cute homemade touches to send home with the bride & momma-to-be as keepsakes or nursery decorations. Enjoy leftover food & flowers. Congratulate yourself for combining two occasions.

Chicken Coup & Urban Farm Tour

For a couple decades now, Seattle Tilth has hosted some version of a City Chicken Coup Tour, allowing folks a glimpse into the gardens & coups of their city neighbors. I'm not sure how many years my mom took her mother on the tour, but it was always eagerly anticipated. My Grandma Donnie was a rural girl, raised on a large farm in the countryside of North Carolina. With her marriage & move to the northwest, she became an urban farmer, growing a plethora of food on a large lot in Lake Forest Park & almost always keeping a small flock of chickens. My sister & I went along the eventful year that one of the tour hosts advertised needing a home for her flock of Banties (Grandma's favorite) -- Grandma elected to go there first & had herself a new flock of Bantam chickens within ten minutes of our arrival.

We continued the tour tradition this July & my mom, Boo, Blake & I spent a wonderful day visiting urban farms in North Seattle. Not only do you see some beautifully innovative coups, but you also get to see gardens & yards! People's ideas & creativity are truly amazing! We saw honeybees, treehouses, living roofs, water saving systems, an ingenious under-the-deck chicken run, ponds, inviting patios, yard art including a pressure washed Seattle skyline, solar panels, a pig, & imaginative kids' play areas. We ate delicious raspberries & blueberries off the bush, introduced Blakey to lemonade (couldn't get enough) & learned about hugelkultur. 

A fantastic, inspiring day.

Chatter Creek

Growing up, we spent a number of summers camping with the whole Gowey family, always in the same huge group campground at Chatter Creek near Leavenworth.

Hopefully that tradition is reviving.

Highlights from this year...

• So many people for Blake to play with!

 

• Frisbee golf 

• Camp life, particularly Andy's amazing panini sammiches & the tent that was erected without poles.

•  Hikes, with gaggles of Goweys

• A trip into town & a visit from Hoang

Even sleep deprived, we had a great time.

 

Henry

Meet Henry the Owl, Blake's new companion & napping buddy.

Blake's sleep habits are currently a bit all over the place so we're all reading "Good Night, Sleep Tight" by the magic Sleep Lady. We will officially start sleep training next week when Blake & I return home from our California trip. Henry was introduced in the hopes of becoming what the book calls a "lovey" -- a familiar soft toy or blanket to provide comfort & cozies for naps & bedtimes. Known in our family as a "frienny" (named by Grandma Donnie, derived from "friend"). So far, Blake seems to be very fond of Henry & likes to pull on his arms & chew on his ears.