The Neighbors

On Saturday, after making chocolate chip cookies and going to Zumba with my MIL (What? Those are not contradiction in my book, but rather happy complements.), we all decided to go for a walk in the neighborhood and check out the local flavor. 

And my, oh my, did we ever find some flavor!

 It was still quite squigy from recent rains, so we all pulled on rainboots and slickers.

 Don't you just love this mossy, rainforest-y, old barn? It took my breath away.

 Umm, flamingos, anyone? I told Kiel to run up and see if they were real before the barking dogs on the property came after us. I should mention we lovingly refer to some  most of the people around here as hill-billies.  

Tree-man. 

Saintly spot. 

These cross-streets are from downtown Seattle, so someone clearly got this by questionable means.

Daddys are THE best mode-of-transportation. 

But he's a good sport about it.

A fireplace is all that remains here. So quaint.

Love.

 This place says, "Yacht Club" on the front gate. Awesome. I want to see these river-going yachts.

Fiddle-heads (aka, edible fern sprouts). 

American pride, I missed you. 

Fear of strangers. 

A favorite tree. 

Home again. Home again. Loopety-Loo!

Playa Bonita, Granite Falls

Date night!!

Matt and I went out for dinner last night and we chose to try the authentic Mexican place right here in Granite. We had heard rave reviews, which was evidenced by the huge crowd waiting outside the door when we arrived. Squamish, though four times the size of Granite Falls, was not outfitted with any good Mexican joints, so we were sorely due for some good "South of the Border" fare. 

 We were seated super quickly. Most of the people waiting were in large groups, so it took longer for them to get in. We ordered asap and were soon brought our yummy drinks. I chose a Pom Mojito and was not disappointed with either the taste or strength (hello alcohol!).

 The plates were bigger than our heads, but we pushed up our sleeves and tucked in, ooh-ing and ah-ing the entire meal. I piled half my food into some tortillas and set them aside to take home. What remained was perfection. We left with empty plates and satisfied bellies.

 The standard Mexican decor made me so happy. There were even rootbeer barrels in the candy dish by the door, which made Matt's night.

  The bathroom is what got me. Check out this ying/yang sink...

 To end our date, we ran down to the river to snag a pic with just the two of us...

...before running inside and wrestling the kids into bed.

Hugs,

m

Pancakes (Minus the Cake)

We knew going into it that living with relatives this month would result in a lot of lifestyle changes. The expected ones were normal things, such as learning the location of the nearest coffee shop, being on someone else's schedule and in their space, and having the kids discombobulated in new surroundings. But the unexpected lifestyle changes have been surprisingly...delicious!

Let's get something straight right now, I love to cook. Put me in the kitchen with some butter and a fantastic spatula, and I am one happy woman! But there is one cooking method that I never had the necessity to try, before now. Matt's mom and step-dad are on a high protein diet. Also known, of course, as Atkins. Did I lose you? Wait! Rest assured that this will NOT become a post about losing weight or blah blah blah. I feel we get enough of that on just about every street corner or billboard ad, and I trust that each of you are doing what you feel is best for yourself and your family. For my fam of four, this has been a fun new way to look at food. For our extended family as a whole (aunt, grandparent, etc), this has been a really, really, really good thing. Like 100lbs total off of four people good! I've enjoyed seeing my hyper 2-year old little boy have a much calmer demeanour after cutting out a lot of refined foods. I mean, in a normal day, he would have cereal/oatmeal and fruit for breaky, a PB&J  and carrots for lunch, and spaghetti and peas for dinner. Sounds healthy enough, right? But, looking closer, every single thing on that menu was carb heavy.  So, I've made small changes in his diet, adding more protein were there used to be carbs. Like a cheese stick instead of animal crackers for snack. Simple. 

So far, we've been enjoying full-on weekend breakfasts every morning -- eggs and bacon or sausage -- cooked by Dale. We aren't all that strict and will often throw a bagel or toast on the side. We haven't made a commitment or anything, so we feel at liberty to add whatever. Not to mention, we've kinda had all the carbs lying around the house thrown at us since our arrival, since they were going un-eaten! You should see the bread stash on the counter. 

This morning, I set out to bring back a carby favorite -- pancakes -- into the family diet, but minus the cake part. The recipe was simple and everyone went ga-ga over them, so I thought I'd share!

link

Makes 4 pancakes or 1 serving

2 eggs

2 ounces cream cheese (I used neufchatel)

1 packet of Stevia 

+ cinnamon (optional)

Gather your three ingredients and plop them in a cuisinart, blender, or bullet.

 Blend until all your cream cheese is incorporated. Let it rest for a few minutes while you heat your pan.

Sizzle some butter (or cooking spray) in your hot pan. Mmm.

 Once your butter is melted, transfer your mix to a measuring cup (or not, but I found this easiest) and pour 1/4 of the batter into your hot pan. Cook for two minutes, then flip and cook one minute more.

 And devour!!

 ... or eat daintily. 

Whichever you prefer. 

Bon appetit!  

Love, The Sarge Fam

We Made It!

Matt and I were married in December 2007. Two days after returning from our honeymoon, we packed up and moved to the Great White North. Now, after four and a half years of marriage and two kids in beautiful Squamish, BC, we're back in the States as foreigners in our homeland.

Last Wednesday, Matt's mother arrived to bring me and the kids to her home in Granite Falls, Washington while Matt stayed back to pack the truck with help from some friends. The kids were great on the four-hour drive, and the border was a breeze.

We packed this car, AKA BOB (the Bright Orange Beacon), like a can of sardines! 

Matt's mom, Marty, and her husband, Dale (affectionately known as Mimi and Papa) have a cabin home on Canyon Creek. This will be our temporary home as we transition to Oregon, and we are in love with this powerful gush in our backyard-- so incredible!

Kiel has been in boy heaven playing on the riverbank and we take him out every chance we get!

Matt arrived in Granite on Saturday and we were all head-over-heels delighted to be reunited! Three days apart felt like an eternity. Many hours down by the river commenced!

"Pretty please throw my ball?" 

On Sunday morning, we went to the Foursquare Church in Granite. The kids behaved excellently! We then headed home for a hot dog and marshmallow roast in the backyard. It was sunny with a high of 75F and we couldn't have asked for a better spot to enjoy it!

Eva, 7.5 months, soaking up some spring sun.

Afterwards, Matt and I did some shopping around Kirkland, so excited to see our old stomping grounds. I literally cried driving by our first home in Juanita. Then we all met up at Gigi's (Great Grandma Miriam) house in Bothell for family dinner. Matt's sister Janna and her fiancé Andrew came up. And Aunt Joanie and Uncle Lee came by for a visit and to meet their great grand nephew and niece for the very first time. It was a great evening with a dash of crazy thrown in, with kids running every which way and stories flying. We are so thankful to be surrounded by family again and are very much looking forward to spending time with them and getting some much needed rest here in Washington! 

Lastly, here's a pic of the private cabin where Matt and I are honeymooning during our stay in Granite, while our kids sleep in the main house. 

Pretty sweet, right?!? It's a snug fit, but we are so enjoying our private little abode. 

Kiel and one of his Squamish besties, Catriona. 

That's all for now! We already miss Squamish and our friends there tremendously but are thankful for all the good gifts we are finding here in WA and are excited to see where God is taking us!