It's about time I updated my blog!

I haven't been very good about updating my blog lately.  With summer time there is so MUCH to do and places to go.

In June we built a greenhouse and plumbed it myself so that it was connected into the main sprinkler system.  Then I planted lots of different things to experiment and see what would grow.

In June we also went to Minnesota for 10 days and visited our son Eric, his wife Michelle and grandkids Christy, Becca, Sam, Dan, Tom and Troy.  What a fun jam-packed visit.  We went to Duluth and stayed in a cabin that slept all 10 of us nicely.  It was by Lake Superior.  We visited the Glensheen Mansion, Train Museum and took a train ride, Kids museum and played on the beach and lots of miniature golf.

At the kid's house we played games, went to the park and Cabela's and had BBQ's.

Once we got back from the MN trip I headed to Lake Oswego and kid-sit those grandkids for the weekend.  Grandma took Lance, Liam and Shella May to visit the McLoughlin House Museum and The End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center.  Liam and Shella May learned how to make homemade candles.  We also took in the Farmer's Market, visited my nephew Brian and his family and watched a couple of movies.

After those trips, it was back to work and yard work and watching my "garden" grow.  Also, slipped in another trip to Lake Oswego and saw Shella May play a game of softball.

I also found in our yard one day a baby snake trying to "eat" a big frog.  They were having a tug-of-war.  I gently pulled the frog to free him from the snake and that action saved both of them.  I don't think the snake knew what he had taken hold of.

This week I had a friend visiting from North Dakota.  It has been a whirlwind of a summer so far and it is very hard to believe it is half over already.  It is definitely summer here though with temps between 95 and 100 every day for the last couple of weeks.  Praise the Lord it gets down in the 50's at night!!!  Below are pictures in random order.

Minnesota kids

Glensheen Mansion in Duluth, MN

Greenhouse plants

Close up of plants (beans, carrots, lettuce)

Lake Oswego kids

baby snake trying to eat big frog

Minnesota grandsons

Greenhouse

Ship on Lake Superior