14 years ago...

 we got engaged in sandpoint, idaho.  WOW, what a crazy ride since then, in the best way possible!

signs...

strawberry hearts are like hugs from the universe

listen

i was in the front yard with banjo and i looked down in the grass and there was this leaf that is in the shape of a perfect heart.  i am learning to listen and be in tune to the "signs"

appreciation

the kids have some really special staff at their school!  one of their recess teachers in particular is amazing and the kids adore her!  i have gotten to know her better this year and we just "get each other."  she gave me these bulbs for mothers day and i was so touched by her thoughtfulness.

staff appreciation

take care of the ones who take care of you

change of scenery

this pilea has not been very happy in my kitchen windowsill.  it has been turning a lime green color and losing leaves.  so i decided to try a new spot and i think it just needed a change of scenery.  it is looking a lot perkier and happier.  a good lesson that when we are feeling stagnant, sometimes we just need to shake things up.

team

when literally NO BODY filled the PTA exec board positions, these people did.  they are all 5th grade parents, so they really didn't have to, but they did and that shows so much about their character.  i think this team was formed because we were meant to cross paths and become friends. 

happy anniversary

happy 49th wedding anniversary, you guys are an inspiration!

cold plunge 2023

christmas day cold plunge 2023 in the cedar river with friends that are family.

 

happy birthday jarad

happy birthday to our favorite guy!  we love you SOOOOOO much!  42 going on 15!

2023 vision board

the kids and i along with their teacher (ms. jessica) made vision boards for 2023.  i wish i got a pic of the kids with jessica, they were so excited to have her over and show her all their toys and get to do a special craft with her all to themselves!

we cut out pics from all kinds of magazines of things we want to see in the new year and decorated our boards with words, stickers and positive images.  we had a blast!  

dreaming

this picture is worth a thousand words to me.  i have so much respect, appreciation and love for this man i am lucky enough to call my husband.  he is our rock, protector and heart.  i was watching jarad working hard as i was working out in the garage this morning, and i realized that we are currently living all the dreams we had for ourselves and family.  now we patiently wait while bigger dreams are yet to unfold.  

graduation idea

my books arrived!  i got both kids a copy of this book and plan to have their teachers write them a note at the end of each school year.  it will be a gift to them when they get older and graduate.

feel good story

a couple of weeks ago a man posted on the maple valley community facebook page asking where the best place was to get flan.  some people answered with some local mexican restaurants and one women said she had a great home made one at a dinner party.  he asked if she would get the recipe for him.  so i responded to his post and told him i have the best flan recipe and he could message me if he was interested.  he did message me and said he wanted to surprise his wife with it and asked if he could purchase one from me.  i agreed, and he had a trip planned the next day and said he would be in touch when he returned.

he reached out this weekend to touch base and i said i will make it for him.  for my trouble he wanted to give me a bottle of coquito, which he describes as a spiked eggnog tasting drink.  sounded like a good deal to me, and i told him that i couldn't take his money.  i explained to him that i am not originally from here and there have been many times i wished for one of my favorite foods that reminds me of "home" and family.  this community has been so good to us and it made me happy to bring his family some joy of one of their favorite desserts.  the world feels so divided and heavy that i simply wanted to do something kind for someone else.  he told me that he has been trying to spread positivity on the community page and wanted to share our story.  

and here is the message he sent to me after he tasted the flan. 

"O M F(reaking) G!!!!!!!!!!!! Your grandfather is a man of his word!!! No lie

This was absolutely awesome. Very much a Latin Flan!!!!

It’s a hit. A huge HIT!!! We loved it!!! But most of all we loved that a stranger could be generous and so we loved meeting you both and are thankful for the treat and the experience."

please read his community facebook post below.  it felt so heart warming to do something nice for someone else and it also goes to show the power of food to bring people together.   and i think i got the better end of the deal, the coquito was AMAZING!!! absolutely delicious!

from the moment I met this couple, I had this strong presence of my grandma bev, watching down on us, smiling ear to ear over this encounter. these are the kind of moments that make you wonder if it was really more than just a coincidence???

here nick's post on the community page:

Would you indulge me in a feel-good Community post….

 

The story of the Coquito and the FLAN!

 

A few weeks back I asked on the Maple Valley page for recommendation for a good Latin version of a flan, one of my wife’s favorite desserts, in an attempt to surprise her with a treat when she came back from he church mission’s trip.

 

A wonderful person, and stranger to me (Erin), offered to cook and gift us her flan, believing she knew exactly what I was looking for. I offered to make her my good Puerto Rican coquito (a puerto Rican traditional Christmas drink, kind of like our version of egg nog). 

 

We kept in comms and today we finally made each other our treats and met up at at Erin’s house for the exchange. My wife came with a bottle of coquito in her hand not knowing where we were going or why. As we pulled up to the driveway I explained it all. She was elated and happy about the surprise, but much more at the fact that a Maple Valley neighbor and stranger would have so joyously done that for us. 

 

We met, greeted, hugged and exchanged treats. I have to report…. HOLY CRAP IT WAS DELICIOUS!!! It is exactly like the flans of my youth in Puerto Rico.

But what I really wanted to convey… is the beauty there is in doing something simple and sweet and kind for others… even strangers. And how nice it is to create opportunities to meet new people… make new friends. We now know a new couple in Maple Valley that we did not before… and it was tasty to do it. 

 

Keep using this page to grow the bonds of our community members. Blessed Sunday to all and a huge huge thanks to Erin and her hubby!

latest read

i have finished 2 books in about 3 weeks, who am i?  the kids have been playing nicely together lately as well as independently which has opened up some free time for me to read.  it's been a long time since i have been able to read for fun and it's so nice!  i just finished this book "the 5 second rule" by mel robbins.  it's about counting down from 5 to 1 to find your motivation, kick anxiety and take control of your thoughts.

storytime

in honor of pride month, one of our local taprooms hosted a drag queen story time!  this is a thing, in fact we missed it pre-covid when there was a traveling drag queen story time that the libraries were hosting.  anyways, we were surprised to see some of our favorite beers on tap and got a spot on the outdoor patio. the taproom is kid and dog friendly and they had some games inside for the kids.  they had fun building with some jenga blocks.  miss sylvia read some books and sang some songs.  i think this will be a monthly event and we will definately be back!!!

while our kids are too young to understand what pride month is, it is never too early for them to understand love, caring, kindness and acceptance.  it is important to us that our kids know love is love, and in our home we support all versions of it and believe in inclusiveness!!!

good read

just finished this book and enjoyed it.  if you are passionate about preserving childhood for your kids, this is a good read.  it focuses on the use of technology and kids, the importance of nature and lots of outdoor time, boredom, age appropriate independence and the power of adventure.  

"let them be kids" by jessica smartt

happy 40th!!!

happy 40th babe!  we love you soooo much!

every celebration starts off with a cinnamon wheel in our house!

luckily you got a good ride in yesterday cause the weather was total crap today.  and every year you make your own dinner, chicken wings.  but we love you so much and i hope you have a special birthday!  40 looks good on you, even with a mullet.

39 vs. 40

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happy 8 years!

happy 8th anniversary, how lucky i am to be loved by you!

library haul

notice some trends here?  we are ready for spring and summer!  and always an opportunity to talk about kindness, manners and inclusiveness.