Today was a good day! It began with a tub of cream cheese frosting.

Add to that some lemon sweet cupin cakes.

Wow! Look what happens when the two collide! Colorful stuff!

Larissa came over to help decorate the cupcakes. She got right to work. Blue frosting was the first choice.

Many toppings were available and she did a great job with them.

Pink frosting was another choice. Three faces smiling at you!

She was so creative! I enjoyed watching her at work: she is really good at this. You go girl!

I did a couple, so between us we decorated some colorful, beautiful, amazing cupcakes.

We then took a short drive to the Ronald McDonald house to deliver the goods. Larissa put out the cupcakes.

Happy face looking at you. How could you not smile when looking at this little fellow?

We went on a tour of the house, and one of our first stops was the play area outside.

Ah, she made a new friend.

One of the hallways have Disney characters painted throughout. You can see Larissa's favorite.

A couple of children greet you at the front door. Very playful. At the right of the picture is a list of activities for the house: this allows residents to keep up with what's happening day by day.

More children to greet you. Here we are outside the front door.

Along the garden wall are ceramic figures and pictures made from ceramic tiles. I have to admit I haven't taken the time to look at all the pictures. It was fun for both of us to take our time and check them out.

Okay, now she found another friend. This is one great kid!

Isn't he cute? And yes, he's missing a hand. And the kid next to him only has a head.

Kinda bizarre, really.


It was fun checking all this out with Larissa. I'm glad she was able to come with me.

After we came home she called Mom and then we high tailed it over to Metzger School to play on the playground. The spinning seat was a hit.

It took her a while, but she got it going pretty well. And then I spun her around for a while. She got going pretty well!

She found the climbing wall.

Going strong.

Queen of the hill!!!!!!!!!

Climbing the bridge. Back and forth, back and forth.

Hanging around.

Going up.

Going down.

And then she came back to hang out with Lire. Lire really liked her: it was a mutual admiration society.

I had a good time with Larissa today. Doug jokingly asked me if I was auditioning for a new kid. Well, this one is a keeper!!

One of my favorite times of year.

What a wonderful sunny day! AND there's HS football practice to boot. Man, I'm one lucky gal.

Football practice. I've loved it ever since Steven began playing in third grade. I would stay for pretty much every practice. And I do mean every year. Some of my best friends are the mom and dads I hung out with while we all watched practice.

I remember some of these boys from when they were in preschool, watching their big brothers play.

Yep, back when they were just about this age.


Our new coach is getting right in there with the boys.
Our 'old' coach, Coach Vander Yacht, is also right in there, bossy as ever.

I video taped the scrimmage. We'll see if the coach likes how I work.

I love football. I love Tigard HS Football. I can't wait for the season to begin. Go Tigard!!

Couldn't have been better

I have the best family in the world. I thought I was working this Monday, found out last week I wasn't, and so we asked (at the last minute...bad Mark and Mary...sigh..) Mary Jo and Randy if we could come up and hang out at their place. They were lovely and said yes. We adore you for being that kind of family.

And we called Mom and Dad and they were going to be home too. Score! Lots of family to hang out with.

When we drove up to Mom and Dad's there were llamas waiting to greet us.

At Mary Jo's there were deer in the front yard to greet us!

We might be able to arrange a stray cat, or a roving raccoon at our house. Man, we gotta work on the wildlife experience at our place. We're not keeping up. Bummer.

On Sunday morning we went to Costco. Mark and Mary Jo checked out the little car parked next to us.

Hmmm...Mark and Randy go to check something out.

Wow, the folks you run into at Costco!

Considering these folks were running to Costco to buy hamburgers and watermelon (WONDERFUL watermelon) for our dinner, we were glad they were there.

Mary Jo took us to see where Megan is going to get married. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.


The reception will take place here in the covered area. Amazing view, eh?


Hi Mary Jo! Good choice girlfriend.

Randy approved.

Mark approved. Mary Jo and Mary took pictures.

Mark took pictures too.

No Mark, you can't golf during the ceremony. No way.

THEN Mary Jo and I went up to Mom's to get dirt. Mary Jo knew what she was doing.

A woman on a mission.

Mom came out to make sure the woman with a mission knew what she was doing. OR to say hello. One of those two choices: make your own guess. It's a free country.

The woman on a mission got busy, and all the planters looked great when she was done.

Geez, even Mark was checking to make sure the woman with a mission knew what she was doing.

We found some pretty flowers for Mom.

Here we give some pretty flowers to Mom.

Hanging out with family is the best. Mark and I are lucky that all of our family is fun to hang out with.

Looking out the kitchen window you can hang out with some of the llamas.

And this pretty lady came up to say hello.

We had a wonderful time, it couldn't have been better, and we're looking forward to the next time we can be together.