Good Places and Cute Faces

(my brother Dave and his wife Judy's beautiful country home)

 It took a few days to recover my oomph after getting up early to catch the plane home and then waking up in the night a lot the next night.  Bill and Brad came all the way from the Philippines so jet lag is a major factor, causing tossing and turning.  I'm a light sleeper.  Oh well!  I am so happy to be home with Bill and also happy to be back in grandkid territory.
Yay!  While I was in Washington I was able to see my Auntie!  She is on the left, my lovely mama is on the right. Aren't they BEAUTIFUL?  I love this photo of two light-bright faces.

 Auntie is making a bird quilt for my mom.  We love birds in this family.

 We had lunch at a big garden center.  Isn't this cute?  I knew you'd like it.

 The next day we were off for Guemes Island.  The little ferry is a big part of the fun.

 My mom said it well, "When you drive off the ferry and onto the island roads, you realize there is NO PLACE LIKE Guemes."  It is SO life-giving, so beautiful!

 When we were kids we visited this little log cabin often.  My uncle and aunt spent their vacation here.  He was a Lutheran pastor and they moved around quite frequently, but this was their true home-sweet-home.  They shared.

 I shot a few photos through the window.  Guess what?  It looks just the same!  What a relief!  I remember lying on the bed, reading Pollyanna.  I can almost hear the grownups chatting and the door opening and closing.

 I remember this small counter, the potluck meals, the suds and dishes in the sink, the wood stove used for ALL the cooking.

 This is the backyard where my uncle set up tent-bedrooms for my cousins.

 The view.  Gorgeous and lasting.  My brother Dave still spends a week at Guemes every summer.  It's his very favorite place to be and even though he couldn't pull crab pots this year (the surgery, remember?) he was still able to soak up the Guemes vibe.

 Before heading back to my mom's we took a tour around Anacortes.  Here is my grandparents' church.  My mom and dad met Jesus here.  They ALL did.  The whole family.  

My other grandma lived here, with my great grandmother.  I have many memories of this cute little storybook house.  Karol and I played on the stairs, stuck pinwheels in the front planter boxes, watched my grandma hang clothes on the line, ate tasty meals that always included bread and butter.  My grandma's kitchen drawers were always neat and tidy.  Her house was snug and lovely.  I'm so happy that we stopped by to take photos.

 We spent many Sunday afternoons here at my dad's parents' house.  Grandma and Grandpa were welcoming hosts.  It seems like there were always swarms of people and lots of food.

 We stopped to photograph my mom's high school home, too.  I loved knowing that my mother lived right there, with her widowed mother, my nice uncle, and the auntie pictured above.  

 Meanwhile at home the garden was harvested.

 You can see "the pickers" below.  Good girls!

 James is building quite a good relationship with his kitty.  Christie says that the kitty needs LOTS of attention!

 We all landed in Denver at the same time, so I was thrilled with grand hugs and a chance to take a photo of our precious Ft. Collins family!  

We are back to normal for a week.  Bill heads out again and I go to Kelli's to stay with the girls while their parents visit the wine country in California.  We'll have fun!
Samantha Rose starts kindergarten tomorrow afternoon.  I get to go, too!  Yay!
While I was using the restroom at the airport, my backpack fell off the door hook and landed on my head.  Yeah, my neck is a little sore from THAT! 
I'm drinking LOTS of water and trying to be a bit quiet so Bill can recover from the exhaustion of his trip AND jet lag again.
I have another finished object to show you soon.  That makes three!  I'll put them all on and take another selfie!  Ha!
I hope your August is warm and wonderful, sunny and full of harvested garden goodness.  I appreciate your visit, nice person.
Thanks for hanging in there for this long ramble!
(xoxoxo)