# 1!

# 1 !!!

Yes, Master C. and his team won First Place in yesterday's League Championship for Cross-Country!!! What an event!  {big big smile} Look at all these happy faces...

The meet was all the way in West-Seattle so I took the opportunity to snap some pictures on the way. (all taken from a moving vehicle)

And in the park where the meet took place this squirrel, as soon as opened my camera bag, raced towards me with an acorn in his mouth! I had my long lens on so had a hard time catching him, but managed a few fun shots anyway...

Well, I ran my scheduled 17 minutes today (yes!) so now I feel I'm ready for the weekend. We will be hosting a French exchange teacher starting this Monday so I'm cleaning like a fool!  <wink>

Senior Night...

A couple of days ago, Master C.'s Cross-Country Team celebrated Senior Night. This is where all the senior runners get honored by the coach with a speech and flowers and cake and applause. Lots of fun!

It was a very emotional event for everybody involved. (I had already warned the family that bawling might be involved.) But it was not only me who had wet eyes, the coach completely choked up especially when it was Master C.'s turn, which of course didn't help me contain my tears...

It is difficult to stand in front of quite an audience and your coach next to your side being all emotional etc.  but Master C. remained cool and collected throughout the whole speech and I was So Proud!!!  {big smile}

When did I become the shortest member of the family? Oh yeah, way back when... 
(I'm 1.74m / 69 inches so not really what you call short...)

Cross-Country season isn't quite over yet. We have some big championships coming up in the next two or three weeks and everybody is improving every single race. Great team, great coach and great parents: what more can you ask for?!  <wink>

The Apple And The Tree Etc.

Ever since my wonderful sister gave me a real camera (Canon Rebel T1i) a year and a half ago, my Miss M. (now 15 1/2) has been developing a keen eye for photography. Once in a while I let her borrow my camera and off she goes exploring. I love what I'm seeing...

Our lovely neighbor with her new dog Bodi...

The Proverbial Apple!
(oh no, it's a tomato!!!)

At the river...

Mr. G.'s favorite pastime!

And not only does the apple not fall far from my tree, it also doesn't fall far from Mr. G.'s tree!

Fly Fishing with dad...

What a gal!  {smile}

Inspiration...

Master C. is running right at the front here...

I'm inspired! This time I don't mean creative inspiration but physical and mental inspiration. Just look at all these high school students run!  This was last week's Cross Country race (3miles = 5k) at Magnusson Park in Seattle. Our team (in the dark green shorts and white shirts) all started off right in the front, what a sight.

Master C. on the right battling it out with one of the fastest 
runners in the league.
(he didn't make it in the end, but he tried!)

Every time I see Master C. run he makes it look so effortless and graceful. And every time I see him I think to myself: I wish I could run like that...

Now I have to remain realistic and no, I will never run like that. But oh boy, I am actually running every other day and every time I go out I can run longer and it feels better and better! Yesterday I ran 7 minutes in one go, then walked for 3 (to catch my breath) and then I ran another 2 1/2 minutes all the way home. That was almost 1 mile!!! (= 1.5 km) Wahoo!!!!  {big smile}

--  **  --  **  --

Last weekend we had a taste of early Fall and we had to wear jeans and sweatshirts all of a sudden. In the mornings at least, because in the afternoon the sun would come out and everything was quite peachy again. The temps are right around 70F / 20C these days and it is just lovely.
I will be wearing a light fleece jacket today to Little Bit however, since things are always pretty chilly in the barn. Now with all the running I've been doing, I feel a lot better at Little Bit again also since a lot of walking (and schlepping of heavy saddles etc) is involved. 

Oh, before I forget: look at this fabulous find I found on the side of the road the other day: (the rack)

Yes, there is the wii-fitness balance board in the foreground.
I use that for about 30 minutes after every run...

"Nazdravja" Carla!
(little inside joke between myself and my sister)

This postcard rack only cost $15 (about 10 Euro's), it fits a ton of cards and it actually rotates! {smile} Now I just have to find a good spot for it...

Well, that was it for now. Not much blog- worthy- stuff going on over here, but I just wanted to check in with you to let you know I'm still here and still reading all your blogs of course. (always the best source of inspiration) Toodles!

Breathing...

I'm in the middle of designing a Senior Yearbook page for Master C., which means going through all the pictures from these past 18 years. All these memories evoke a lot of emotions. Remember to keep breathing...

I've picked some fresh spearmint from the yard and have brewed several cups of tea. Keep breathing...

To keep the mind calm I've sewn a new tablecloth and some matching napkins out of an old sheet I found at Value Village last week. Inhale ~ Exhale...

Seniors!!!

Yes! The day has finally come that my baby boy is now a Senior!!!  (woot woot!) 

Our school has a fun tradition that on the very first day of the new school year, the Senior Students line up half way down the hill with hand-made signs (and in their senior class hoodie sweat shirts) to greet the other students and parents. Lots of hollering and hooting and honking is involved: Love it!  {smile}

Bottom left you see our new boss. My lovely husband is standing to his right,
keeping an eye on things... (it gets pretty crazy!)

Three cheers to the Senior Class of 2013!!!

Odds & Ends...

I'll start off this post by sending a great big 'thank you' to my mother (who is now sailing in Greenland!) for sending me the most beautiful birthday present this week. Just look at this:

The silver square is only 1 inch by 1 inch (2,5 cm x 2,5cm) and if you look at it in the right light you can see the pictures appear. (these are the pictures I took while we were visiting Long Beach, WA)
Just to be clear, this is one pendant with a picture on either side. I think it was meant as a key chain hanger, but I want to make it into a necklace. I just love it so!  {smile}

--  **  --  **  --

'Tis the last Friday before school starts again and the tensions are building. 

Mr. G. (who is the head of our High School) is experiencing the busiest time of year and so is 'off on another planet' as I call it. The kids are reading like crazy to finish their summer reading and  trying to remember all their crazy Math skills for their Math packets that are also due on Monday and on which they will be tested! Master C. will be taking Calculus this year and Miss M. does Algebra 2 Honors. They are both way further in this field than I ever was...

Cross-Country Running practices started last Monday (every day from 3:30 until 5:30pm) for Master C. and Miss M. is almost done with all the driver's ed classes. (and is doing great by the way) This all meant  that I felt like a taxi driver this week: first 25 minutes to school to drop off Master C., then another 30 minutes (through very busy traffic) to drop-off Miss M. at her driver's ed and then another 30 minutes to get home from there. Thankfully Mr. G. then picked up Miss M. at 6:15pm so that I didn't have to jump into the car again... Pfiew!

Anyway, that is over now. Master C. will be taking my car today and Miss M. will be picked up for a fun Laser Tag event somewhere south of Seattle I think, so I will have a whole day to myself and might actually start a little bit of sewing, who knows... <wink>

I did do some sewing over the summer holidays and this was one of them: a new sewing machine cover.

I just love the combination of these two fabrics! I made a handbag out of them also last year and a little credit card/ business card holder this summer, but I haven't made any pictures of that last one yet.

In the upper picture you can see that I have some patterns spread out on the table for my perusal. Still haven't decided on which one to tackle first but hopefully that decision will be made this morning...  <wink>

And in news from the garden: we have onions!

And finally, just look at what I found at Target yesterday:

I just had to have it! 

I think I will use it to store all my zippers in since it is about a foot tall and measures approx. 6 inches across. (30 cm tall by 15 cm)   Giant I tell you!  {smile}

Meet Bode!

And here is the latest addition to our neighborhood: say hello to 10-week old Body!

Just kiddin'...

Miss M. is very happy as well!

He's flying!

He truly is the smallest dog I've ever seen!  <wink>

Welcome to the neighborhood Bode!  {smile}

Yesterday...

What a fun birthday day! (and thank you so much for your lovely wishes! )

First we went on a picnic by the river, organised by the children...

A Value Village find from earlier that morning:
I love these kinds of pots!

The Skykomish River and a farm in the distance...

Picnic basket with freshly baked scones and Clotted Cream!

Iced tea...

Another lovely old barn...

Beautiful flower farms...

And after a little nap in the shadier parts of our backyard, we had dinner at my Dutch aunt and uncle's house in Edmonds. The views from their deck are always spectacular but yesterday's were of an Olympic level. (double pun intended since the mountains we were looking at are also called The Olympics...)

Holland- America line cruise ship...

A lonely sailor...

Glittering waters....

As we were eating Nasi Goreng (an Indonesian rice dish: Yum!) we saw this happening:

Wow, wow, wow!

When we finally came home we all laid down in the grass and looked at the Perseid's Meteor shower over our heads....

And now today we celebrate our 19th wedding anniversary!  {big smile}