Ryan & I took the ferry over to Sequim this weekend to enjoy the lavender festival. We visited 3 different lavender farms all of which harvest their lavender for a variety of products such as lotions, shampoos, sachets, jams, syrups, chocolates, meat rubs, marinades etc. We really enjoyed trying several varieties of homemade lavender ice cream and "lavenade" (lavender lemonade). My favorite part was picking our own bunch of lavender to take home.

Smile . . . PLEASE!

I've heard people complain about how difficult it is to get their children to smile in pictures, but let me tell you about my husband! I say "smile please" and I get all sorts of interesting facial contortions, none of which meet my criteria for a smile. If he's this bad, what are our children going to be like?

Ryan's Backpacking Trip

Ryan went on a 3-day trip to the Olympic Peninsula with a great bunch of guys and had a wonderful time. I am about a month late in posting these, but here are just a few of the pictures that capture some of the beauty and fun of their adventure.

Ryan's Ultimate Frisbee Game

Yesterday, I watched Ryan's
team (Med Square) play a
fun, intelligent game, & best
of all, they won! There are
actually two teams, a men's
team & a co-ed team. Both
teams did so well and are
now in the semifinals!

My Cool Cupcakes

Since it was my turn to host a birthday for someone at work, I made these rainbow-bear cupcakes. Although the picture on the recipe I followed looked much better, I am still proud that my cupcakes ended up resembling bears and tasting okay too.

Our Newest Nephew: Jonas!

Our cute nephew was born just this last Saturday, May 17th! Ryan & I met him a day later to belatedly celebrate his birthday. Neither of us had ever seen or held such a newborn baby. What a little miracle!

The Latina Health Fair

Ryan & I helped out at a booth promoting healthy eating & lifestyles for kids. One of the cool posters we had showed the amount of sugar in common drinks & candy. To further illustrate the high sugar content, kids could measure & funnel into bottles the exact amount of sugar there is in bottled drinks like Coke, Sprite, Gatorade, etc. See the empty bag on the poster? That's for water . . . always the best choice for hydration!

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

A Winning Dinner

At a service auction at church a few months ago, I won a gourmet dinner by Sukwan. Ryan & I just cashed in on our prize and it was amazing!

My 28th Birthday!

My super nice (and handsome) husband took me to The Cheesecake Factory for a special birthday dinner. He made sure I had a candle to blow out on my decadent Tres Leches cheesecake. Thanks to all who called, texted, & mailed birthday wishes. That was so nice!

Trivia Night

The Rules

• No more than 6 people per team
• Team names must be creative (e.g., The Sassy Sombreros)
• The announcer should think he's pretty funny even if no one else does
• Only those over 60 who watch a lot of TV can know the answers

Needless to say, we didn't do very well, but we didn't lose!
And since we were with fun people
---Katie, Jana, Jen, etc.---
we couldn't help but have fun!

Missionary Mike in Mexico

Here is the most recent picture my brother sent from Mexico. He says he wants a street bike when he gets back. I am so proud of my little brother and the amazing person he is and is becoming. He has just about 8 months left!