Results...

There are few pieces of equipment that I love more than my pressure washer.  My blower does run a very close second with my riding lawn mower close behind that.  I think my husband is forever grateful that he's married to a gal that loves the gratification of seeing immediate results!  I love, love, love a clean driveway (free of pine needles and branches) and freshly mowed lawn, but I do think that I get the most joy out of seeing the results of pressure washing!!  Wes rarely has to operate these pieces of equipment because I take care of all of it!  I should give him some credit though... I can never get the darn blower or pressure washer started myself... he's always got to set me up.  I do not know what I would do without my pressure washer!  I have to use it at least two times a year because of all of the moss build-up.

I'm almost embarrassed to show this next picture.  This is a photo of the back porch just as I was getting started.  Keep in mind that all this nasty moss is a years worth of build-up because I don't think that I got around to pressure washing last fall.  

Here's the 'After' photo... isn't it pretty?!

Here's a close-up of the difference between a clean porch and a year's worth of moss build-up!  Gross, huh?

I can't believe I'm showing you this one... I know what you all must be thinking... "If her porch looks like this, I wonder what the inside of her house looks like!"  Do you see why I LOVE my pressure washer!!?!

Service...

I am especially proud of my children today... Hayley, along with a dozen other kids from her youth group started off her morning at Storehouse.  It's an organization that collects perishable food (fruits and vegetables, dairy and bread products) that local grocery stores donate.  It's food that is close to expiring.  Hayley happily volunteered a few hours this morning sorting through the food and getting rid of moldy, heavily bruised, and oddly colored fruits and veggies.  This food is then boxed up and and immediately delivered to local needy families.

While Hayley was at Storehouse, Luke and I picked up trash in our neighborhood.  This was part of his environment and recycling requirement for Cub Scouts. I am always amazed at the amount of trash that is thrown out of cars in our community.  The hill leading up to our neighborhood is horrible!  I just hope that we made an impact on all the people that drove by in cars watching an eight year old picking up their trash.  We almost filled up a 30 gallon bag! 

Oregon Getaway 2010

We just got back from our 3rd annual Des Moines Neighbor Weekend in Seaside, Oregon.  We are wiped out, but we sure did have a great time!  Every year the Kelsey's host us at their Wyndham Timeshare and we get to kick back and relax and catch up with each other once again.  This year was very special because the Hill Family joined us for the first time. 

I made Paisley, Alan, Zach, Luke, Travis, Hayley and Alexis pose for a photo just before they started their war games in the dunes.  They've done this every year... everyone is armed with some kind of weapon (Paisley's weapon of choice was her purse) and they run, dive, chase, shoot and take prisoners for as long as we'll let them.  It's refreshing to see these guys running around like banshees brandishing weapons and using their imaginations rather than zoned out in front of their electronics.

I had to include this photo of my handsome Luke.  Look at those rosy cheeks.

Sweet picture of Hayley and Paisley returning after the war games.... maybe Paisley's actually a hostage. :)

We tried game night while the guys were out, but we only lasted through one round of LRC and Mikki's fun game before we gave up and met up with the guys at Dundee's.  Thanks to Marisa for babysitting!!  Oh my goodness... as I'm reliving the evening I just realized that we never paid you Marisa!  Ooops!  I'll put a check in the mail tomorrow!  I wish I had photos of what took place after this toast!  It was a night filled with crazy good times... Don getting kicked out of Dundee's, Ed being asked to leave the next bar (Pudgy's) because he fell asleep (passed out?) and Tammy being cut off... all of this before the clock chimed 10 p.m.

Our tradition of enjoying a wonderful Sunday breakfast at the Wayfarer in Cannon Beach.  It's right on the beach with views of Haystack.

Here's the gang from Des Moines:  Tammy and Eric, Don and Steph, Ed and Megan, Rob and Mikki and Wes and Karin.

The first photo was my beverage of choice!  They make the most delicious Bloody Mary's... my mouth is watering just looking at the picture!  The next photo is not only Wes' beverage of choice, but his breakfast on this morning after our crazy night.  Needless to say, Wes wasn't feeling super.

A gorgeous view from Ecola State Park in Cannon Beach.

Hayley took this photo and I just loved the perspective...

Bon Apetit!

I decided I wanted to try to make something that I'd never made before... Crepes!  I checked out a cookbook at the library (appropriately titled 'Crepes') and after perusing it a couple of times I decided that my initial venture would be a sweet crepe rather than a savory one... big surprise for those of you who know me!  I don't know why, but crepes have always intimidated me.  I always thought I'd need an expensive pan or a special flipping technique that I lacked.  Well, I'm pleased to say that I discovered that I needed neither!  They were quite easy to make and super delicious.  They also freeze well.

I will say that my apple filling doesn't look particularly pretty, but they really did taste yummy!

I think next time, I'll try to make the crepes even thinner...

Final outcome...