Hello to all my dear friends and followers on Bluebirds and Butterflies. I feel like I am coming home, so to speak, as I begin today's blog posting. As many of you know, I have taken time away from blogging over the past few months....a summer hiatus, if you will, to spend time and giving love and support to my family and enjoying some time with them. :) After all.....home is where your heart is. xoxo
Today, as I begin my post, I am reminded of being a child (oh so many years ago) in elementary school. Visions of my teachers and friends are beginning to pop into my head at this point. Remember those days of being asked to write a paper on "What I did on my summer vacation?" Well, my posting today will be my version to you of just that. I want to share with you just a few memories of my summer of 2012. I have had a wonderful summer but you have all been missed. Here is what I have been up to:
As many of you know, around the 21st of May, I was in Houston, Texas, to celebrate the 29th birthday of my older son, Brandon. His sweet wife gave him a wonderful party and invited several of their close friends. I was so happy that I was able to travel to Houston to be a part of his celebration and help in any way I could. The party was a lot of fun, and I had the opportunity to meet a few more of their wonderful friends.
A couple of days later, I had the pleasure of taking my son and his wife out to enjoy a birthday dinner at a restaurant I love in Houston called, "Brenner's Steakhouse." I have always loved this restaurant, and used to have dinner here, occasionally, when I lived in Houston many years ago. At that time, it was called "The Rainbow Lodge." The name is different now, but the food is still just as wonderful and the atmosphere just as great. Some places are great and just stand the test of time. This is one of those places. Here is a photo of my son, Brandon, and I on his 29th birthday at Brenner's Steakhouse.
You can see what beautiful grounds surround the restaurant. Great place for dining and also for making some great photos while you are there.
I had a wonderful time visiting my son and his wife in Houston. Time flew by, and, too soon, it was time to leave to fly back to the Seattle area. As all parents will tell you, it is hard to live farther away from your children than you would like to. You savor all the time you get to spend together, and look forward to the next visit. I was sad to leave, but happy for the time we had together. Thank you, Brandon and Amy, for the wonderful hospitality and visit. Here is a cute photo of the two of them.....
With my memories, I headed back to our home. Home is where the heart is they say, and I was happy to see my dear husband, Mark. Over the summer, Mark and I spent a lot of time relaxing on our balcony in the late afternoons. We experienced so many beautiful sunsets......right from the comfort of our balcony which looks out at the Olympic Mountains on a beautiful summer day and also down to the waterfront. The sunsets in the Pacific Northwest can be soooooo beautiful.....
When we weren't enjoying a beautiful sunrise or sunset from our balcony while enjoying a nice cup of coffee or glass of wine, another relaxing spot would call to us.....
We spent many afternoons over the summer of 2012 "sitting by the dock of the bay" as Otis Redding sang. We so enjoy spending time on the docks at Liberty Bay where our sailboat, Skye, is moored. I think my husband, Mark, would rather be on our sailboat than any place in the world! :)
I love the way the sun made a starburst in this photo....and the reflection looks like tiny stars floating in the water of Liberty Bay.
I like to put my feet up and enjoy the view while we sail... I had many pedicures over the summer which is something that I enjoy doing to have some "me time" and got very brave one day at the salon as you can see from the color on my toenails! :)
Look what I looked down to see one evening while having dinner at a place that has a lot of black lights out on their deck..... I had to laugh because, to my surprise, my nail polish glowed in the dark :)
After a nice sail, my husband loves to grill chicken and shrimp on our boat. We had many nice cookouts over the summer....
My husband, Mark, makes the best grilled chicken ever!
Doesn't this look delicious?
These photos were taken on Memorial Day. I was so happy to have my younger son, Elliott, home from the University of Washington for the summer. I miss him when he is at school where he studying engineering. It was great to have him with us again. Here is Elliott with his girlfriend, Erika, enjoying Memorial Day with us on our sailboat. Elliott loves Mark's grilled shrimp.
Elliott and Erika relaxing on the dock. Erika graduated from University of Washington in June. Elliott attended her graduation with her family. Congratulations to Erika who now has her degree in Archeology! Over the past couple of years or so that Elliott has dated Erika, she has become like part of our family. She is a very talented and very sweet gal.
Here is to a very bright future for both Elliott and Erika. They will both do very well in life.... Here I am toasting with a glass of wine on Memorial Day. That is our sailboat "Skye" in the photo. For you ladies, I want to tell you that the top I am wearing is not actually a shirt. It is my bathing suit! I found this great bathing suit while I was visiting my son and his wife in Houston. It has kind of an old fashioned very short skirt that comes over the attached bottom. I liked the stripe for the nautical look. Because of the "skirt" on the suit, I can wear jeans with it and it looks just like a top. You would never dream it is a bathing suit when I have it on. I bought this for the birthday party my daughter-in-law gave for my son. Part of the party was out by the pool. I wore the bathing suit with white cropped pants for the party.
Not a great photo of me, because I had this big hat on to protect my skin from the sun, but here is the suit without the pants on and used as a bathing suit. You can see what I mean about the old fashioned "skirt" on it. I have several other bathing suits in various styles from whole pieces to bikinis, but, I loved the idea of being able to wear this so easily with pants and that you couldn't tell it was a bathing suit! As I said, not a great shot. I had to look way up for the photo because of the big hat.....but you get the idea of the suit. :)
Mark bought this cute dinghy to go with our boat over the summer....
One view of our marina and Poulsbo from the water... The church you see in the background has the most beautiful bells that chime. On Sundays, they play the most beautiful songs which you can hear down at the waterfront. I love to hear the bells!
June 8th was Elliott's last day for the year at UW. We took the trailer and drove over to Seattle to pick up Elliott's dorm things to be stored for this school year. Erika's parents were in town to help pack up Erika and to attend Erika's graduation ceremony at University of Washington. We had dinner at a place located in a great shopping and restaurant area called "University Village" which is walking distance of the college. Here is a photo of us with Erika on that night. The Pacific Northwest can be chilly in the evenings, even in June! You can see that Mark and I had our light jackets on as the evening approached....
Erika has wonderful parents, and we enjoy spending time with them when they visit the area. We had a wonderful dinner. Thank you, Heidi and Gil, for inviting us to join you at the Ram. We enjoyed not only the great food, but also the wonderful company. So proud of Erika for her accomplishments at UW. Elliott, you are NEXT! :) Yea! Here is Erika with her lovely parents....
The proud parents.... (Notice the beautiful geraniums baskets hanging on the lamp posts. This is so common where we live. Hanging baskets are everywhere filled with beautiful flowers in the Northwest during the spring and summer. We have some of the most beautiful flowers in our area due to the mild climate and our sprinklings of rain in the winter and early spring.)
Father's Day came quickly. Happy Father's Day to Mark! Mark wanted to (did you guess????) spend the day on the boat and have another cookout. All Fathers should get their wish on Father's Day! So............
I love Mark's baseball cap. As you can tell, it is from a Brad Paisley concert we attended. What a great concert that was! Here are more photos from Father's Day beginning with another nice photo of Mark....
We have this alcohol lantern inside our sailboat...
On many days, we take Miss Sadie Mae with us when we go to the sailboat....
Elliott, Miss Sadie Mae, and Mark on "Skye, the Lillie-James"....
I have this photo of my dear Dad with a fish he caught on the St. Johns River in Florida hanging in the cabin of our sailboat. Sadly, as my regular readers know, I lost both my parents in 2008. My Dad had a lifelong passion for boating and fishing and always thought we should have a boat. It gives me a nice feeling to come into the boat and see my Dad's photo there. Miss you, Dad!
Elliott, Sadie, and I enjoying a delicious lunch on the boat...
A sleepy pup....
Sadie Mae after the nap :)
It didn't take long for the 3rd and 4th of July to arrive! We usually enjoy the fireworks from our sailboat each year. Fireworks are normally shot on the 3rd of July down on Liberty Bay. Many people enjoy the fireworks from the waterfront. But, this year, the weatherman predicted that there could possibly be some drizzle. We had guests coming, as usual, for the fireworks and didn't want to have any issues with people getting damp if it did rain down on the docks. Sooooo, for the first year that we have lived in our little "forever home" in Poulsbo, we invited a few guests over to our balcony to watch the firework display. If it rained, no problem! We had a great time enjoying the display from our upstairs balcony which looks down toward the waterfront. Here I am with Sadie before the guests arrived.
We had our usual decorations out to ring in the 4th...
Sadie Mae looked cute in her patriotic sailor outfit...
We had munchies on hand and were ready to welcome our guests for a fun night of conversation, food, and fireworks....
I like to keep it simple and somewhat healthy, too....
Mark collects these nautical lights. They are fun to use on the balcony along with candles...
Ready for guests who begin arriving...
No mosquitoes in our area where we live so french doors are opened wide to let the fresh air in. Very few people have airconditioning in the Seattle area. You don't really need it....
Mark and Sadie relaxing before our guests arrive.
Mark and some guests enjoying some nice conversation and snacks before the fireworks...
Our friends, Nate and Emily, stopped by with their cute little baby, Thomas. We don't have to show Nate around our house, he was the construction supervisor and helped to turn our designs for our home into a reality. :)
Downtown Poulsbo, just a short walk from our home, is ready for the fireworks, too!
Shops are proudly displaying their 4th of July decor...
Flags are flying...
Including our flags on our sailboat, "Skye the Lillie-James"....
Happy 4th!!!!
On July 7th, we went on a mini-vacation to Bellingham. My son, Elliott, has friends that live in the area and attend college. He had been wanting to visit them and see the Bellingham area, so we decided to drive him over to stay a few days with his friends. My husband and I stayed at a very nice hotel, called the Hotel Bellwether which is right on the waterfront in Bellingham.
Bellingham has the second largest marina in the State of Washington. We enjoyed seeing the many boats that were moored at the marina and loved walking along the path that ran beside the waterfront.
The first day we were there, there was a wedding taking place outside. What a beautiful background for a wedding! The Bride was very beautiful, and the Groom is a firefighter.
Can you guess what the get-away vehicle was? :)
Yes, that is right, a firetruck! Sadie Mae and I posed for a couple of pictures with it while the couple was enjoying their reception.
These guys were part of the service, too...
Our hotel was very nice and in walking distance of great restaurants and the waterfront.
There is even a lighthouse type building that you can stay in. It would be great for a special occasion stay! The hotel staff was nice enough to let us tour the building. We loved it!
Flowers along the waterfront were pretty...
Mark and I walked over to a nice Italian Restaurant called Giuseppe's one night to eat. We met the owner and his wife who were very nice. A couple sitting next to us took this photo of my husband and I. The food was very good and the weather was perfect for dining alfresco.
Our hotel...
Sadie and I by the waterfront....
There was a bluff up above the hotel that had some homes built on it. My husband and I love to drive through neighborhoods and look at homes when we visit new towns. Here are some of the homes that were on the bluff....
Before leaving, we headed into the little town for a bit...
Fairhaven Village....
They were having a festival in town and many people were dressed in costume. This nice couple was sweet enough to allow me to photograph them...
We picked up Elliott in Fairhaven who had a great visit with his friends and headed back to Poulsbo. We had a wonderful visit and a beautiful drive back home...
On July 21st, we celebrated Elliott's 23rd birthday!
Elliott had a few of his friends over to our home for pizza and cake and enjoyed a afternoon of bowling with friends.
Months before Elliott's birthday, I had purchased tickets for my husband, Elliott and I to see the broadway production of "Rent." Elliott and I enjoyed the movie, and I was excited to surprise him with the tickets. Our family enjoys seeing concerts and shows that come to Seattle. Great way to celebrate a special occasion!
We love to make a weekend of our special celebrations, so we sometimes stay at Hotel Monaco in Seattle. The hotel is in walking distance of 5th Avenue Theater, great shopping, and restaurants. They also very happily welcome your pets!
Our room....
Sadie feels very at home at Hotel Monaco...
We enjoyed a nice weekend together in Seattle....seeing Rent, shopping and enjoying some good food together at the local restaurants....
Love the architecture of some of the buildings in Seattle...
After a nice weekend, we headed towards the ferry terminal to return back home to Poulsbo. I made a few photos of the "Great Wheel" which is our new ferris wheel along the waterfront. I have not been up on it yet, but, Elliott and Erika rode the ferris wheel recently and enjoyed the experience. I plan to go up on it in spring....
It was late afternoon, by the time we got back to the Seattle ferry terminal. Time to board the ferry....taking with us our memories of a wonderful weekend together.
On the ferry, we gazed out at the seagulls, passing boats, and the skyline of Seattle which was becoming smaller in the distance as we headed back to Poulsbo. I reflected on my summer as I watched a sailboat pass by the ferry.....
It is not so much what you do in the summer that makes the season memorable......it is the people you enjoy it with.
As the holidays approach, I want to thank all my family and friends....and you.....for being a part of my life. YOU fill my life with wonderful memories and with love.
Thank you for visiting me at my blog today (((((hugs)))))
xoxo Kim
Hi Kim, just popped in and to my surprise you had put another post up :) it's great to see what you've been up to during the Summer. Looks like you had a great time the photo's are great (your whole family are very photogenic) I laughed about your toe nail polish but they look good!! nice to see your back I missed you. Have a great day. Trish xo ;)
Posted by: Trish | Monday, December 03, 2012 at 01:31 AM
Hi Trish!
Hope all has been well with you there in beautiful Australia! Thank you so much for the nice comments and for visiting me on my blog today. Love to you and your family and hello to the patchwork ladies! I am hoping that you have enjoyed some nice tea times with your daughter and family since we last chatted. (((((hugs))))) Kim @ Bluebirds and Butterflies
Posted by: Bluebirds and Butterflies | Monday, December 03, 2012 at 12:32 PM
Glad to see a post from you--your summer break sounds like it was the perfect thing to do. You were gone so long, I almost started to worry about you. The Merriest of Christmases and a good New Year to you and your family and cute little Saddie, too.
Posted by: Sonja | Wednesday, December 19, 2012 at 12:19 PM
Hello Kim,
I haven't heard from you in so long. You had such a busy summer last year. All your pictures are so colorful and pretty. Love the one with you in the black and white blouse. I always like seeing pictures of your sister, as she is gorgeous. The flower pictures are beautiful. I really think that flowers are the magic in our lives. Did you have a nice Christmas? I have thought about you through the months and wondered if you would return to blogging. I hope the new year is being kind to you, Kim, and it's good to have you back. (If you want to see Nel's wedding pictures, we did a post on October 20).
~Sheri at Red Rose Alley
Posted by: Red Rose Alley | Thursday, January 10, 2013 at 02:22 PM
Hi Kim! Where are you now? Dropped by to wish you and your family a Happy New Year! You had quite the summer! Your photos are fantastic! I retired from UM at the end of December after 18 years of working there. No pension so we're down one paycheck. It's only for a year though because I plan to work some more after I graduate from CMU. I'm finishing up my degree online. Gotta get in the groove with time management because all I want to do is tweak my decor and that means spending money. Have to stop that for awhile! Hope to hear from you really soon!
Hugs, Sandy
Posted by: Sandy | Wednesday, January 16, 2013 at 06:48 AM