Loving the Sunshine!

David's Big Tree
Yesterday, another beautiful day, we went to Snoqualmie Falls and then to the Northwest Railway Museum in the town of Snoqualmie. The "boys" (David, Dick, and Carl) are going back there tomorrow to ride the train since it only runs on the weekends. David has talked non-stop about the trains, especially the caboose. I hope tomorrow's train ride (from Snoqualmie to North Bend and back) lives up to his expectations.
Snoqualmie Falls
The Falls are beautiful this year. We could feel the spray from the lookout point quite a distance away.
Jill, David and Sophia
Everyone was quite intrigued by the snow blower engine whose job is to keep the tracks clear. We all decided it wouldn't be fun to get caught in those blades!

Here's Sophia who is enjoying a bing cherry and just being along for the ride.

Captured!

Not too much other than entertaining is happening here, but Dick did manage to capture some photos of the faster members of our household and garden.
Our Hummer at the "Spa"
The local bird population has decided that our water fountain is their private spa, even the hummingbird! David likes to wash his hands there also because there's no soap.
Sophia's Quilt
My quilt group made a beautiful bear quilt for Sophia. Everyone appliqued a bear, and then Cathy quilted it. Sophia really loves it, but Dick had a hard time catching her as she's a speedy crawler.

Ginger doesn't quite know what to think about all this activity, but Dick did get an unexpected photo of her while trying to "preserve" the way my birthday orchid looks.
Judy's Birthday Orchid

Busy, not sleepless, in Seattle

Our house has been one busy place ever since last Sunday when David, Sophia, and Jill arrived from Chicago. (Daddy had to stay home because he's in the middle of a big work project.)
Up on the Rooftop
Yesterday we went to Auntie Catherine's condo, and she and Uncle Carl took David up to the roof to see the Space Needle which David has pronounced the "best space needle in the whole world."
Steam train
On Friday we went to Remlinger's Farm to ride the train. Opa and David rode it three times and could have ridden some more but there were lots of other things to see before everyone got tired.
Guess Who!

An old fire truck was very interesting, too!
David and Oma

Needless to say, not too much sewing of any type or knitting is happening here at the moment. (In case you're wondering about the whereabouts of Sophia....she's very fast on her hands and knees and hard to photograph!)

Honey, I shrunk....the booties!

Before
This week I tried my hand at felting and used the bobble pattern version of "Old World Booties" by Gryphon Perkins on Knittingdaily.com.

It took several washings to get them down to the right size, but it sure was fun!

Guess who came for breakfast?

What's to eat?
As I was sitting at the computer this morning, Dick said, "Come to the dining room NOW!" And guess what was peering in the window?
Mmmmm, these are really yummy!

He was not alone but had 3 friends who were sampling the tasty treats in our garden! Later they walked right past the computer room window and went over to the neighbor's house to check their wares.
Hey, these restaurants are great!

Guess Who's Comin' to Our House?

I did it myself!
David's modeling the sweater/hat set I made. It goes great with sandals and shorts, don't you think? And can you tell he buttoned it all by himself? Not bad for 3, I'd say.
Sophia's Wearing Auntie Catherine's Outfit
Jill says Sophia is standing quite well now and pretty speedy at getting wherever she wants to go. She's wearing an outfit that Catherine got for Sophia on one of her trips to India. (Catherine travels to India and the Philippines for her work with Unitus.)

Our house is going to be very busy for a couple of weeks as they are coming on Sunday. Hope the weather improves by then!

PS Check out Lynette Anderson's blog to enter a drawing for a redwork pattern. (She's the designer of the fun Noah's Ark BOM patterns.)

Color Amidst the Gloom

We are having an exceptionally grey June, with similar weather predicted for most of July. Thankfully, the blooming flowers break the "June gloom"! Last summer I planted this lupine, which is in all its glory at the moment. And I think, blooming later than normal along with columbine and iris. Whether the roses will make it by the end of June is a very good question.

Meanwhile, there has been time to stitch with no guilt. I enjoyed working on June's BOM from Lynette Anderson. It's also been fun reading her blog as she has been visiting some of our old haunts in California. I just recently purchased a light box and can't tell you how much easier tracing a pattern is now!

Playing Around

A Onesie for Sophia .

Some while ago I bought a pack of 5 onesies at Target with the thought of decorating them various ways. (Since then I've seen the identical pack at JoAnns for the same price.)

I embroidered this one with part of a pattern designed by friend of Susan's. I also put cross stitching on the sleeves and a running stitch at the neck by following the original hem stitching. Next I'm going to try silk ribbon embroidery and then the embroidery unit on my sewing machine. It's been sent off; I wonder whether it will fit?

A Garden Stroll

The past several days we've been working outside, enjoying the blooming flowers and trying to fight the weeds. It never fails to amaze me how well grass grows where it's not supposed to!
Here's a view of our front yard where you can see a hino crimson azalea, a mollis azalea, and our rhododendron.

In the backyard the golden chain is in full bloom. It's next to a Korean dogwood and a "forest pansy" redbud.

Dick also took a couple of columbine photos; they are such pretty flowers and so easy to grow here!
Pink and yellow columbine
Pink and white columbine
Here's a really different iris; it has the slightest tint of lavendar. Isn't spring great?