The A Team

Whenever it's just Annie and I together, she likes to call us the "A Team." (Annie and Alaina - that makes Daddy and Dayna the "D Team.") Today it was just the A Team for the afternoon. We had an impromptu picnic in the backyard and even some time to snuggle and read some fairy tales together. Love my little snuggle bunny!

Whole Lotta Nothing Going On

It seems that summer has been off to a slow start. We've had a whole lot of nothing going on around here. Some projects on the house. Some down time for knitting or reading. A lot of walking. And I mean a LOT of walking (over 5 miles a day.) Even some running here and there. Evenings at the water park. Visits to the library. Bike rides to the park.

But really, it's been a quiet summer so far. Things are getting ready to kick into full gear now, and we're ready for July and August. Just not so sure how ready we are for school to start again. And with as busy as things are about to get, we need to start shopping now.

Here's to summer!

June's Finished Projects

I've actually been quite busy this month, and I'm within hours of finishing a couple of other projects. But I can say that these two projects were finished this week.

This blanket was made for my dear friend Martha. She lost her mom several years ago to ALS. Last winter, Martha gave me boxes of her mom's yarn. When Martha had a sweet baby boy a few months ago, it was only right to use her Mama's yarn to make something for little Austin.

These are the socks that drove me batty. Love the colors (go Seahawks!), love the way the pattern looks. Just didn't love the process (pattern is Geek Socks on Ravelry.) The yarn was super yummy! I purchased it online from New Zealand with my birthday money (Stray Cats on Etsy). But having never worked with slip stitches on socks, I found them to be way too small (see last month's post.) So I ripped them back to the heel, turned them inside out to knit and used a larger needle. Now with some finessing, I can wear them. But I don't know that I will do this particular pattern again. They were definitely a learning curve for me.

And yes, I do realize that both projects are blue, green and white stripes. Purely coincidental. Maybe Austin will grow up to love the Seahawks, too!

New Look at 206

We've got a new look going on at the Wilson house. When we bought the house 14 years ago, it desperately needed new siding. Like you could stick your finger through rotten cardboard siding. A hail storm two years ago provided the insurance coverage for a new roof and one side of the house to be replaced. We finally scraped together the funds and are slowly changing the face of our house.

Before:

During:

 After:

 

Painted (still need to do trim work):

Yes, we also got a new garage door!

Father's Day

We had a fun weekend celebrating one of the best Dads ever! From family fun watching "Finding Dory" to lunch at California Taco (featured on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives") to train watching - Dan was thoroughly spoiled by his girls.

We appreciate all the big and little things he does without fanfare (and also without complaint) for our family.

Love you, Dan!

Sand in the City 2016

Once again, the Nebraska Children's Home Society put on their great fundraiser, "Sand in the City." We haven't missed a year since it started - even when it meant we went in the rain. This year was warm, but we went early enough before the day got too hot. The sand sculptures were amazing, the family activities and Kid's Zone was lots of fun, and next year, we hope to be able to volunteer for part of the event.

Jazz in June - 2016 Edition

We only made it to Jazz in June twice this year. But our streak is strong - we've gone at least once every summer for twenty years now. This year marked the 25th anniversary of the festival. To celebrate, the opening artist this year was Arturo Sandoval. Quite possibly the best act I've seen in this venue.

The girls, as usual, had fun with sidewalk chalk and making new friends.