Cook-out and chocolate cake

Thumbs up for a sweltering Saturday afternoon cookout with the Brashers! Ryan sacrificed by standing over the grill. Great chicken and veggie kabobs, and fun to see Gemma and Elijah (6 weeks younger) starting to take more notice of each other. Gemma enjoys poking eyes and mouths and Elijah was very agreeable about it. And older brother Thomas is becoming very talkative - sorry we didn't get a photo of him this time.

Oh and Jim made this AMAZING four-layer fudge chocolate cake with ganache that we all gobbled down!! (recipe from King Arthur Flour) You know...when he says, "I feel like making a chocolate cake," who can resist?

Early days of walking!

Our Gemma is 10 months old! and these days her main activity is walking, walking, walking. Fortunately she waited about 5 days after Jim returned from Thailand before she took her first steps - at the end of June - and since then she improves every day. Lately her favorite thing is to carry toys with her while she walks, shaking them and making excited noises (esp. rattles and her babydoll). The only problem with carrying the babydoll is that she likes to give it kisses and bury her face in it, and then she runs into the couch or something (but never fusses). She is perfecting turning and likes to walk in a big circle, or from the front door to the back door in the kitchen. Here are some recent action shots! including one of her new funny face all squinched up. (is squinched a word?)

She continues to love books and is very taken with practicing turning pages and pointing at pictures. We are going to the public swimming pool a couple of times per week, and she is pretty fearless. The bottom photo is Jim and Gemma, in her new outfit from the Ro family.

Jul & Gem in Port Orchard

continuing from a previous post about J & G's trip to Seattle in mid-June...

After our time with the Kirkland Giesers, we journeyed back to Port Orchard for 8 days with Phillip, Samuel and Daniel (oh, and Matt & Hannah, too!). The two older boys really spoiled Gemma with constant hugs and attention - not to mention sharing their Legos and trucks. Most mornings began with, "Where's baby Gemma?" and a round of hugs, followed by Phillip's question at the breakfast table, "What are we going to do today, Mom?" Since the weather was pretty nice, mixed sun and clouds in the 60s, we would do one big outing every day - usually something outdoors involving exercise and snacks of Tillamook cheese & fresh peaches! Awesome! Plus of course many hours at home, playing on the big deck. Oh wait, and taking naps too.

since Blogger is giving me layout problems with inserting text, here is the explanation on the photos below:

• playtime; Port Orchard harbour and a park along the water, with Daniel and Gemma testing out the mulch; a trip to the Tacoma Zoo
  
• Matt in his office (lots of paperwork!); playtime in the backyard; Aunt Karen, Jonathan, Rebekah and Joel over for dinner;
  
• a chilly visit to a beach on Bainbridge Island; salmon for Father's Day (Matt also cooked up shrimp, french fries and sweet potato fries. Wow! and Wow for a dad who made his own Father's Day meal)

There were also many, many moments of great conversations (thanks, Hannah); tremendous lattes from Tully's and cinnamon rolls from Sluy's bakery; lovely afternoon walks ("we're getting our exercise", says Phillip) and the simple joy of participating in life together for a few days amidst the beautiful P.O. scenery of water and hills and tall trees and sweet, fresh air.

My little helper

Jim in Thailand: Street Food III