Happy Birthday Madelon Rose!

Today Madelon Rose is 6 years old! Wow- time has flown by so quickly!! She was such a tiny little thing when she arrived. NO hair, pale skin and BLUE eyes. She arrived smiling and hasn't stopped.

Madelon Rose wakes up with a smile on her face and a skip to her walk. She really is the happiest child on this planet. She constantly sings, dances and dresses up. Every thing is a "Fancy Nancy" moment. Madelon Rose is a gift from God!

I pray that she will always keep that happiness! Even when I don't understand her or her quirks, she just hugs me- thinks I am wonderful- then bounces off to the next moment!

To live with such love for life and simple joys.

Happy 6 Big Girl---- We love you so very much!

May God Bless you all your days, sweet angel.

Cherries--- YUMMY!

This is going to be a short post. I have lots to share of our weekend to Stehekin ( U say- Stu- he- kin). It was lovely and I can't wait to share the pictures.

So- this is short because we learned something this weekend. On Thursday we borrowed an orchard ladder from our friend. It was time to pick cherries..... YUMMY!!!!

So here is the thing- We asked our friend who has the orchard of cherries if ours were ready for picking. He went through color, texture, taste. He told us how others pick cherries but that it is personal.

OK?!?! So, we being the greedy ones we thought-- we will start to pick some THEN when we return from our weekend we will go to town and pick till our heart is content. We will be in cherry heaven!! The envy to all our friends--- we might go into business!!! STOP RIGHT THERE!

We picked 2 huge bowls full- giggled to how smart we were and off we went for our weekend.

Returning from paradise- I went and picked lettuce, radish and rhubarb. I then headed to the cherries.

OMG- I was shocked!! I felt the earth turn and spin. I felt sick to my stomach. I wanted to cry!

THE BIRDS!!! THE  ^&%*(#  BIRDS!!!!!! Our tree looked like a blood bath had taken place.

They got 90% of our tree......aaaaagh! It was horrific looking and terribly sad.

Our friend had said that a couple of birds can cause thousands of dollars of damage! Well, we left town and the whole scene from "16 CANDLES "had taken place in our cherry tree. The only thing missing was the oriental bird falling out of the tree from cherry overdose!!

WE were stupid to think they would be there when we got home...... lesson here--- pick them and eat them if you like them!! Don't get snotty on if it is "deep burgundy" or just plain red. If they are sweet- eat them. AAAAGH- so frustrating!!!

So, this is the first and ONLY picture of this season's cherries from our cherry tree! Oh well, next year.

Watch out birds-- I will be BACK and waiting--- with an air gun!

PS- Thank goodness you can get 2lbs of cherries for $2 here or I would have really been mad! :}

Gardening 101...

I talked to a dear friend tonight. She said some great words--- "I am proud of you". WOW! It brought tears to my eyes......

Listen, I will flash back from time to time to remind you guys what type of "life change" I am going through. I make it present tense because I am not sure when I will be finished with the "change".
So here is the flash back!
I love the finer things in life... good food, great clothes, high heeled shoes. I love designer, NY, Five star anything and traveling.... especially if it is Five Star!
Most people would read that and say--- she is spoiled and snotty.... I am spoiled but NOT snotty! It takes a big person to admit they like "things", "comforts", "items". I am just admitting it- that is all.
I love all of those things still, but living in Wenatchee, I am giving up my Michael Kors high heels for my Tevas, Chacos and clogs. But don't think for one second I am a Berkeinstock girl-- NO! I still have fashion since--- it is just simplified for now.
So- even though I was brought up around farm land, gardens, and guns.... it has been a long time since I have gone back to those roots.
NOW- we have a garden, I make baby food, I tend to a compost pile, I cut roses and I am now brunette..... SCARY!
For some reason- I like it-- A LOT! I love the fact my kids play outside. They dig for worms in the compost piles. They are anxious to tend to the garden and they never complain. They eat veggies. OK- not Blaise--- but he is eating fish sticks!!! This is progress people.

BTW- worm to the right- average worm-- worm to the left the mega night crawlers.

Even Madelon Rose still wears a dress but digs in the garden.

Right now- I picked about 1.5 pounds of beautiful lettuce and radishes today. I gave a bunch of radish to my neighbor and half of the bib lettuce. Then we picked the rasberries..... they aren't in full bloom - YET!

My yard is fighting some funky fungus right now. Too much rain, cool days and water. I have to treat it this week. I have fungus on some of my flowers-- bummer-- and a scale on my Holly hocks (sp?).
My cherries are starting to get red and ripe for picking. OMG- exciting!! Apples are not ready till fall.
My blueberry bushes will start in the next couple of weeks. OK, I could be Whole Foods. I will have to eat all the time just to consume this food.... amazing!
*Things I hate--- turning the compost pile! It is VERY heavy!

It takes time for all of this land. I wouldn't trade it for anything!! I wish my friends would come visit. It is so lovely....hope you will soon!!!
Overall- things are good. Thomas is relaxed. He starts work on the 28th ( pray for him!) and we will go through another "change". The kids are healthy (TBTG) and having a ball just being "kids". They will start basketball camp soon. Memom is adjusting to her new digs. Chi Chi is STILL trying to find employment ( PLEASE pray even harder for this!! ). I am just "being". It is scary but ok. Not on any schedule..... YET!

Whale Watching!!

This past week Thomas and I took the girls and Henry to the San Juan Islands. We thought it would be a neat birthday present for Madelon Rose to see some whales and wildlife. The next day we went to pick up Memom from the airport ( another blog).
So- off we went on a 3.5 hour car trip ( Austin to Dallas type trip) then an hour ferry ride. We walked up hill to the hotel ( STRAIGHT up  a hill for about 1.5 miles). We checked in, got a snack then off we went to watch for whales.

We even found Big Foot on our way to the San Juan Islands!!! He was very kind!
Interjection here---
Ok- to be honest, it wasn't a great trip for Elizabeth. Just too much and too long. Ages 5 and up is great-- anything below that age is not worth it-- so wait a year or so! OH- and if you have an infant, you must stay "inside" the cabin part... ugh! Thomas and I had to switch a lot so we could see more!
Last thing- you need more than 8 hours to truly enjoy the San Juan Islands.... so cute, funky and relaxing!!

                                                                  San Juan Island Port
The boat took us around the NW part of San Juan Islands. The whales had been spotted there earlier in the day and were still feeding. Did you know they have large "PODS" or families. This one had 22 in its family and we saw approximately 10 whales that were stuck together. There is an "alpha" male and the pod stays with its maternal side till death..... boy, this sounds like MY family! LOL!!
These are Orca whales. Orcas are not killer whales. Orcas are actually large porpoise. Yep, a big dolphin! They eat over 200 pounds of fish per day per whale....
So- I know I sound like a Sea World trainer- but it really was interesting. After seeing these great animals in the wild- you really don't want to see them at Sea World. I know , I know-- the great debate on animals in captivity or free.....

Madelon Rose SQUEALED with excitement when she saw them. At first they just rolled to the surface, spouting and you could see the dorsal fin. The baby was even with them...
Towards the end of the visit they just went wacko!!! They came up for "looksies" and then they rolled, jumped and splashed a little boat out in the middle of the ocean. It was quite the show.... even the staff on the boat was amazed! I was amazed.... I squealed when I captured these photos.....( hope they are good- try to enhance if you can)!

Later we went to see other wildlife on other surrounding islands. Some islands are rugged, some are grassy and some look like forest. Amazing. All with different wildlife... some by accident.
We saw Bald Eagles- WOW!! HUGE bird! They are no longer on the extinct list by the way.
We saw a cool looking camp that if you go ( I think its through Boy Scouts) it shows you how the indians lived... the whole camp experience is in the old t-pees....

This picture is the farthest point of the Northwest.... to the left is Canada.... coolio!
At the end of the day we were exhausted from the excitement. We quickly went to dinner and found a WONDERFUL margarita!! First one since we got here-- made with REAL lime juice, no mix....OMG, like heaven!
The next day we left San Juan and headed to the airport to get Memom.... to welcome her home.
It was a GREAT experience- can't wait to take the boys. Highly recommend this trip.
This week we go to Seattle- for a day of shopping for spices, fish and other treasures. We will be taking Jax and Henry. The down side of this moving-- I haven't had much alone time with Thomas! Silly, I know, but I need some one to one "talk" time without being interrupted. HA- we are taking Jax who NEVER shuts up.... oh well, there went that theory of quality time together.... :}

* One last note- I am really having a HARD time getting my pictures to upload to my blog. It is taking 5 minutes a picture???? I had some really nice ones to show-- but this is all I could get.
KW- have you ever had this trouble?? Call me! :}

Happy Father's Day!

I am about 4 days behind of posting! I wanted to get this out before I hit the pillow....
Happy Father's Day!
There were many a great influences in my life growing up.... my grandfathers were wonderful! Strong men who expected a lot from a little girl. Usually- Love God, obey your parents and what ever you are doing would God be proud or sad in your decision!
They were strong , FAITHFUL and loving men and they were my rock during many years of my life.
My Step dad was always kind and gentle and loving to me.... He was a good Dad to a me during my teenage years.... Thank you Ernest!

My Dad- Marvin- is a GREAT guy. I have always loved just being with my Dad. No matter what- he kept me accountable for my actions. He taught me to always take responsibility for my actions, deal with the consequences and move on. Never blame others-- it is a waste of time.
Try to breathe more- panic less... a lesson I still work on every day.  My Dad is the dude who knows where to go on vacation and how not to break the bank. He knows music and instilled it into my soul. He taught me a girl CAN play baseball with boys- if she wants too. My Dad use to wake me to the UT marching band fight song on Saturday mornings--- hope he will do this with my kids.
My Dad LOVES Jimmy Buffet--- a true Parrot Head!!
I just REALLY love my Dad. It is so very hard for me to be so far away but I do love and miss him terribly. He is my Hero....

My children really have a GREAT Dad. Thomas doesn't always realize how his kids watch and react to him. They adore him and LOVE being with him..... He is a blessed man. My husband has given up a lot for his children. Our kids will see that there is NO doubt their Dad loves them. We both traveled a long path to be parents and your Daddy has a special story. I pray one day they will look back and realize how much he loves them..
Honey- your kids love you.... you are an AMAZING DAD!!

So to all the Dads, Uncles, Grandpas, Friends of Family and role models--- THANKS!
Just remember- the simple things is what the kids like-- even if you think it is nothing--- they will remember this "little thing" for the rest of their lives.....
Lots of Love-- Have a great day!

Look who is sitting up!

Ok... this will be a short blog post. I just have to be a proud Mommy and show off number 5!
Seriously- this short, fat, big headed, bald baby is C-U-T-E!!! Not to mention he totally has my number! I walk across the room and his bottom lip rolls out and he starts to heave his chest-- then WHAMO- he is in my arms and I am kicking myself....
You would think after the 5th baby I would know he isn't going to die if he cries.... but he is soooo cute!
I am starting to have serious issues with my thumbs and forearms from holding him so his days are numbered.

Look- no hands!

So, the other day we practiced sitting and he sat up a very long time. Ok, longer than 10 seconds. He was so proud of himself.... he quickly did the backwards thrust onto the carpet. Luckily for ChiChi- she can still move and caught him before he ate it.

Thank GOD for the ChiChi ( that is my mom - for you new to the blog).

I said it would be short and sweet.... 

We are still practicing- we have to put him in the position of "sit- stay" but before we know it he will be crawling out of the crib.

Big WET kisses from Henry!

Fishing!!

The VERY cool thing about this area is what the communities do on the weekends. Simply amazing!
Starting in April the towns from Seattle to Spokane start their "kid's fishing weekends". They invite families into the hatcheries to learn about types of fish, casting, cleaning, anatomy and trivia of fish. They also let the kids fish for 2 fish per kid. IT IS AWESOME!!!
For those of you who like to fish but know it takes a LONG time to catch one... this is THE WAY TO FISH!!!!!
For little kids- it is exciting- challenging and rewarding. Soon (rather than later) they will catch a fish. And if you are doing something "wrong" here comes a ranger or volunteer to give you a bigger worm , a bigger hook or another secret tip on how to "HOOK THE BIG ONE"......

For the kids- they even have a station where they learn to cast. This was very exciting for the boys. Madelon Rose almost threw her rod.... the boys took it serious and were very impressive!
Remember- these city kids are learning the simple things in life.... and they are totally embracing it!

We even met Smoky the Bear!

Madelon Rose was the FIRST one to catch a fish and she was thrilled. Her brothers were "disturbed" that a girl-- especially Madelon Rose ( who is silly ) could catch a fish "first"! Something was wrong with the universe and the chase was ON!
Blaise waited so patiently and at the end got 2 of the biggest fish out of the entire group. Elizabeth refused to get near the fish.....
The roaring river behind the Hatchery was gorgeous. Looking around- mountains. The sun was sooo very bright. I actually got sunburned. I forget we are a higher altitude. The day was relaxing!

                                                     Fish Trivia....

                                                     Water and boat safety!!!

At the end of it the kids had 6 fish to fillet. It was so easy, so relaxing so fun. In Texas, 4 thousand of your closest friends would have been there- the volunteers would be hating themselves for being there and you would have started before the sun came up because of the heat index.
It really is fun....... so far- I am relaxed and liking it!

Ok- cooking!!!
We got some oysters and prawns and thought we could just shuck the oysters like no tomorrow. HA HA!
It is HARD to shuck oysters.... REAL hard! And oysters on the grill-- ick! I like them RAW!!!!!
We also learned how to get my oven to broil... how to get the egg white NOT to turn to scrambled eggs when whipping it into the sauce pan.... and how to make a FRESH margarita!!!
Listen folks- you are taking your fresh squeezed lime juice from the store for granted! There is ZERO of that here and to perfect the most wonderful TX margarita was a challenge today.
We think we FINALLY got it..... to bad we wasted so much stock! Yes, getting good tequila, tequila agave juice, etc is hard! Sooooo- stop saying "What is their problem? Just go to the store!".....
WRONG! We are squeezing our limes- thank you very much!!!!
I didn't mind wasting tequila as much as I did watching my husband shuck an oyster! OMG-- I kept saying- let me take my hand off---- you are the one who needs both hands. I broke into a sweat!

I know it is hot there.... sorry! It is nice here and my garden is starting to grow. I need to put some tensil up in the cherry trees to keep off the birds! Yes, we have 1 cherry, 1 pear, 1 peach, 1 apricot and 5 apple trees. Oh- 3 sets of grapes! Yummy!!!
Next blog is on Henry--- That baby is sooo dang cute!
Hugs and Prayers to everyone!

LIVE from KPQ in Wenatchee......

On Monday Thomas and I were invited to be on a local radio show in Wenatchee. It was a way for the host, Lisa, to say goodbye to her Oncologist and to welcome Thomas into the community.

I did not realize I was suppose to speak on the show and for some reason I got very nervous and had a hard time finding words....... I know miracles never cease!!

So, here we went..... and it went very well. It was fun and the fastest hour in our life. We wish we could have done it over because we would have said a little more and been more confident. Weird, I can stand in front of a crowd and "be on" but you put me in front of a microphone where NO ONE is looking at me and I freeze like a popsicle.

In the end, we were glad and honored that this door was opened for us. We hope the community will love us and especially Thomas! Dr. Notter (above) had nothing but super nice things to say about Thomas. This clinic took over 1.5 years to find "the perfect fit". They have been so kind, so supportive and so welcoming. Our life has changed so very much and we haven't even touched the tip of the iceberg. The move itself has and was a lot harder than we had "planned". Leaving people behind has been hard. Leaving our resources behind has been hard. Leaving has been hard!!
Unpacking is the worse.... but I move past this every day.
Listening to Dr. Notter speak about his life here in Wenatchee brought a tear to our eyes. Here we are, "replacing" an icon in the community. The best thing is- Thomas truly knows he cannot "replace" him but honor him by doing a good job and becoming part of this wonderful community!!
We pray this will happen for us. It will take time and PATIENCE!!!

Thank you Wenatchee for giving us a welcoming start. We look forward to knowing you and becoming part of this community. Pray for us..... this journey has just started!!

Henry Joseph-- 6 Months

My how the time has flown by these past 6 months. Henry is just a joy! He is so easy going and giggles and smiles at everyone. He LOVES his Momma! I can't even walk through the room without him falling to pieces..... Blaise did the same thing at this age!
He is VERY loved by his siblings. Everyday there is a competition every morning to see who can hold Henry first! I haven't even got the first cup of coffee down when the swarming starts.... :}
I never thought I would have any children.... more or less FIVE! I sure am glad God knew what he was doing by blessing me with the kids. I might not know what  I am doing but I wouldn't trade it for the world.

So one last bit- I took Henry to his new pediatrician. She is wonderful and thinks Henry is pretty darn cute-- would you expect her to say anything else?
Seems that he is 65% in weight, 80% in the head ( good old Adcock round head) and 5-10% in height. Basically she told me we have a short, fat, big bald headed baby!!! Thank goodness he is only 6 months or he might have a complex.

Happy 6 month sweet boy..... you are truly a joy and a gift from God!!! WE love you.

Scratch and Sniff!!

Dear Friends-

It has been a rough week. A lot of emotions are flowing at the Tucker Family Circus Big Top! I find myself walking my yard over, over and over again. I usually walk around one last time in the evenings!!
I thought I would share some of the blooming flowers in our yard...... but this is only a taste!
Seriously- if you could only see and smell them for yourself--- you would see my therapy!
Have a bright weekend!

   AHHHHHH----- go smell the roses friends- it doesn't last forever!!!