LA LA LA...LARRABEE

we camped at larrabee state park last weekend with my friend of 25 years (!) meagan and her amazing boys ian and aidan (we missed you, eric!). what a total blast we had. lots of reading and relaxing and catching up for the parents. lots of scootering and building mini fires in the dirt and playing "natives" for the kids. awesome. and of course, our camper trailer was the mvp. if you don't count the claw-like wounds hudson received from falling on the barnacle-covered rocks at the tide pools or boon's trauma when a stuffed animal landed on top of the waytoohightoreachwithjustanordinaryladder amphitheater roof, we had an absolutely fabulous time. i hope this was the beginning of many camping trips with these friends. love this family. so thankful for them.

WELCOME WELCOME WELCOME!

let's all welcome leanne and lissa to our esteemed group of followers, shall we? welcome ladies! so glad you're here, honestly and truly. xo!

OH, THOSE QUOTABLE BOYS

from boon, age 7:

"why do people lie so much?
it makes your head sick!"

a conversation after he hurt his chin at the playground:
mom: "how's your chin, buddy?"
boon: "it's getting better. but i still have to take it easy on my chin"

showing how purely optimistic he is:
"if there is another big bang, that's ok."



out of the mouth of hudson, age 5:

"carolyn is my most famous friend.
i hope i see her on the news."

"old farts come from old buns"
(we at the davis ranch like to repeat this wise phrase using a yoda voice. try it. you won't be sorry.)

THE AQUASOX AND THE MAKING OF A GOOD WINK

we took in an everett aquasox game a few weeks ago with friends. while mariner's games are cool and quite an event, aquasox have a certain quaintness about them. they feel full of a sense of community. very family friendly. you sit so close you feel part of the action. the prices are cheaper. you can buy a ticket at the game. parking is free and abundant. essentially, a low-effort event, our favorite kind. (we're all about low-effort in the davis household). and not only is a game a great place to get a photo taken with a giant frog, but apparently it's also the perfect opportunity to perfect your wink.

HUDSON ON PUNCTUATION

hudson gets a letter in the mail.
at the end of a word is an exclamation point.
he points to it and says...

"that's to make you happy."

and you make me happy, too, buddy.

ANOTHER FOLLOWER SHOUT OUT!

i'd like to welcome meagan and susie to our very prestigious follower group of 13. raise the roof. totally dope. gnarly, dude. awesome, man. totally freakintastic. welcome, ladies!

HOW TO SHAVE

slather entire face with shaving cream, then shave
1. temple
2. forehead
3. eyeball (very important...do not forget)

OUR THING

it's always fun to have 'a thing.' and it's even more fun to have 'a thing' with friends. and it's even more fun to have 'a thing' with friends as great as susie and carolyn. and last year we discovered our special thing. a trip to the beach and lunch at ivar's at the ferry dock...the sit down ivar's! so last week was our second annual day for our thing! and it was fabulous. the beach is beautiful. we all have fun chatting and digging and wading and poking and collecting and playing. and lunch is great with an actual waiter and real forks and a beautiful view. and this year we celebrated carolyn's birthday with a strawberry shortcake feast. woo hoo! it's always fun to have 'a thing,' ain't it?

HOME DECOR DAVIS STYLE

i took a picture of our table centerpiece recently.
somehow it made me laugh that i have a nice milk glass pedestal cake plate...
with a wooden painted sailboat.
but then i started thinking how this won't be forever.
how someday soon i won't have the privilege of crafty treasures from my boys.
i won't have young ones who feel proud to have their works displayed.
i'll have to resort to boring 'ol flowers and whatnot.
so right now, i'm gonna enjoy my one-of-a-kind centerpiece and
display it proudly.
because all too soon these treasures will be few and far between.
until grandchildren.
or until wyatt takes up whittling.

GOONIES NEVER SAY DIE

i joined marilyn, jodi and laurie at the fremont outdoor theater in seattle last night. it was so fun to see a 1980s classic...the goonies. sweet! mouth, chunk, data and all the gang. with clapping and cheering from the crowd. and a pile of hostess treats seemed ideal as we joined our favorite group of misfits on their adventure. such a fun night. such fun friends i have.

YOU'RE THE GOURMET AROUND HERE, ED

let's set the stage for this photo, shall we?

hot day.
busy day.
kids and i went out for breakfast, ran some errands, and hung out at the park.
came home for a little rest, then headed to carolyn and susie's to play and chat.
got home at 5:30.
needed dinner.
fridge and cupboard look like paupers live here.
had to pull something out of my, well, you know...
found a pound of organic ground beef, a box of penne, and a small head of broccoli.
add some olive oil, salt and pepper and parmesan cheese and voila!
instant sad little dinner.
the boys loved it.
wyatt and i found it bearable.
and the name for this improvised delight?

HAMBURGER HELPLESS

awesome. thank you, wyatt. a great chef always names her dishes.

but is the chef or the diners helpless? i think it's clear. BOTH, in this case.

WELCOME!

i'd like to send a huge woot! woot! out to my two new followers...jamie and marilyn! welcome, you two. so glad to have you join the craziness!

THE POWER OF WORMS

A conversation with Boon, age 7.

Boon: Sometime can we dig under our house and make a basement?

Mom: That would be cool, but unfortunately I don't think it would work where we live.

Boon: Maybe too many worms.

I HEART RON

i need more ron swanson in my life. if you don't know ron swanson, it doesn't really matter. just sit back and enjoy the feast for your eyes. the world needs more 'stache.

CHEWS

yesterday in the car, the boys were looking at a big star wars book. there was a page featuring the wookies. hudson says, "there's all the chews." you know. chewbacca. chewmacca. chewzacca. oh, and their cousin, chewshmacca.

TODAY IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE LETTERS G, H and I

the
TRAIL OF TEARS
FROM A TO Z
continues!

G












Gebhardt Reunion: amidst the national park fest we made a stop in bozeman, montana for a family reunion for my dad's side. rendezvous at gebhardt lane was a fest to remember. yee haw! my aunt and uncle live in a beautiful home surrounded by gorgeous views. a very different location than where the rest of us live, so it made the time together that much more special. we celebrated july birthdays, reconnected with cousins, aunts and uncles, played horseshoes, croquet and bingo, talked and talked and ate and ate and laughed and laughed and had a fabulous time. we are lucky to be a part of this delightfully fun family. one of my favorite photos from the weekend is at the top. we took a picture of all of the family in-laws (spouses) and we always call them the outlaws, so the bandanas were perfect. cracks me up every time!




Going to the Sun Road: this is the road that takes you to logan pass in glacier national park. and it doesn't just take you to the sun. it takes you to waterfalls, mountain peaks, wildlife, alpine meadows, glaciers, clear blue skies and unfathomable beauty. narrow, winding, crowded...and breathtaking.

Grand Canyon of Yellowstone: yellowstone national park has its own grand canyon. yea, i didn't know that either. and it's really beautiful. ruggedly beautiful. that park has it all, man.


Gun Barrel Restaurant: when it's your wife's birthday, and you and the family are in jackson hole, wyoming for a night, where do you go to celebrate? why, none other than the local restaurant sporting steak and game on its vast menu. husband went for the buffalo. wife stuck with the salmon. but it was awesome. taxidermy everywhere! and rifle stir sticks in the drinks. saaaawwweeeet! thanks, honey!


H

Hole, Jackson: spent one night here. what a tourist fest it is! we took in a gun fight reenactment that got the boys and their imaginations running wild. gun fights were busting out all over town, in the hotel room, and the next day in the car. yee haw!

Hot Springs: we took a little hike to some hot springs near our campsite in mt. rainier national park. what a pure disappointment to boon. they weren't even hot! they were more like luke warm springs. or maybe even just barely not cold springs.

I

Icy Waters: swimming was attempted in yellowstone lake and jackson lake in grand teton national park. not a whole lot of swimming was actually done. these are glacial waters, people. glacial.

MY ITALIAN STALLIONS?

did that first photo give you a start? looks kinda real, eh? meet my boxers/actors. and in this case, my slow motion boxers. they box to the beat of the indiana jones raiders of the lost ark soundtrack. fast upbeat song. fast crazy boxing. slow romantic song. slow motion boxing. hilarious. why didn't rocky think of using couch cushions and ginormous bears to soften his landing in the ring? brilliant!

WELCOME!

today i have the pleasure of welcoming codie and bridgette to my esteemed list of followers. i've promised myself a present if i get into double digits. ha! welcome, girls!

YO, ADRIAN! IT'S ME, ROCKY.

our little rocky.