One More Graduation

He did it! Ben has graduated! If you would have asked any of us who would graduate from college, we definitely would not have guessed that Ben would be the answer. He always had tons of hobbys but somehow never seemed to stay with any of them. So, when he finally decided to go to school for graphic and web design, I was really hoping it'd stick. And it did! He has definitely found his passion in life (other than his wife and girls, of course), he always seems to be on his laptop working on some kind of project or other. If you are interested in his work you can check it out at benjhodge.com. Congratulations Ben! We are very proud of you!

Their mascot is a Sasquatch and he was creepy. 

These were not taken at graduation, but how adorable is he? I can't believe that he is now FIVE months old! Holy cow it goes by fast! I know that everyone says that, but I'm so excited for the months to come! 

That smile gets me every time, especially when accompanied by his humming.

Hike up Tower Hill

I have officially gone on my first hike in Spokane! I have lived here for almost 5 years and never even thought about hiking any of the trails until a few months ago. So it worked out perfectly when Liz invited me to go on a hike up Tower Hill (also known as Iller Creek). I'd like to rate this trail as a medium, but then I realized I have nothing to compare it to. Also Line was able to hike all the way up by herself as long as you kept her occupied with a game or something, which probably means it is pretty easy. But man, my legs are SORE. But it was way worth it, I am definitely going to go with Andy sometime soon.

Maggie loves trying to grab Charlie (and his hair).

I'm really wanting Charlie to like his Ergo but so far he is a fan of the Moby. We ended up just carrying him up 75% of the hike because he might have started to cry 5 minutes into the hike.

We made it to the top! 

Maggie might have fallen asleep again :)

Visit from the Hillsboro (Great) Grands

Andy's grandparents are the sweetest and Charlie is the luckiest kid ever. Seriously. Esta is the sweetest woman I have ever met, literally. No exaggeration. She's THE sweetest. She even sends my sister birthday and Christmas cards. ANYways, they came to town for the graduations headed home last week. These are just a few pictures from a BBQ we had as a family get together.

Bubbles make kids THIS happy. 

Cornhole!

Unrelated to the BBQ, Charlie has begun to eat food! We attempted some oatmeal about a month ago and he ate ok but ended up spitting it all up afterwards so we decided to wait. Just a few days ago I decided to try it again to see if it would help him sleep better at night. And I am happy to say that he is doing great! We've only been feeding him once a day but he already figures out how to cover himself with food (well, that's mostly my fault I guess). I can't wait to try all the veggies to see what he likes and dislikes!

Spring Roll Attempt

I had seen this recipe online and really had been wanting to try it so last week we did! Andy and I originally planned on having the spring rolls for dinner but it fit perfectly to have it as a lunch instead with Becca and the girls. We left out quite a few of the veggies that the original recipe called for (because we might not like mushrooms and I forgot about the acovado) but I think they were still pretty tasty. I just would have to practice the rolling for next time because they did not look the best. But when the food tastes good it doesn't make THAT much of a difference how it looks, right?
Also, the Thai Peanut Sauce for dipping was delicious. It really made the whole meal I think. It would be kind of bland without it. We will definitely be having these again.

Thankfully, Andy did not cut himself while slicing the veggies.

Spring Rolls (adapted from this recipe)

-Red and Yellow bell peppers, thinly sliced

-Carrots, thinly sliced

-Cucumber, thinly sliced

-Avocado, thinly sliced (although we forgot this I think it would be delicious)

-Cilantro 

-Spring roll wrappers/rice paper

1. Slice all your vegetables; make sure they are no longer than the length of a bell pepper. 

2. Fill a pan about a 1/4-inch deep with warm water, take one sheet of rice paper, and soak it in the water for 15-20 seconds, until pliable. Be careful not to soak too long, or it will tear to easily to handle. 

3. Lay the soaked sheet of rice paper on a clean plate. Lay all your fillings in the center of the paper and then fold the ends towards the center and roll from the right to left (or left to right). Now my rolling skills are not the best and this not the best way to roll it up. Here is a link to a video of how to really roll your spring rolls: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTOgdljDwa0

Thai Peanut Sauce (slightly adapted from this recipe)

-1 cup full-fat coconut milk

-1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

-1 teaspoon yellow curry powder

-2 tablespoons soy sauce

-1 tablespoon white vinegar

-1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated (I used some crushed refrigerated ginger)

-1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth. The consistency of the sauce should be thick.

Birthday Party!

Becca, Andy's sister, just had her birthday and we decided it was time to throw her a party. We just had a small get together with our small group. We barbecued some burgers and enjoyed them covered in bacon and avocados (or at least I did anyways), played some corn hole (that Andy made!), and then chatted around a fire pit. It was a great night of hanging out and celebrating her special day.

I think I ate half of these fruit kabobs. They were just so good! 

Maggie has been teething her top two teeth and the sugar really helps :)

The boys dominated at this game. It just took us girls a bit to get the hang of it.

Perfect way to end the week.

Graduation!

Andy and his sister, Becca, graduated this past Sunday! Thankfully they got to walk together (Andy might have snuck into the earlier graduation; they don't check anything so he still got his "diploma" and name read). The ceremony was fine, the speaker encouraged them to be workaholics and the group was pretty small so we were out of there within two hours. It was at 9 in the morning, so it wasn't too hot yet, but it was still pretty toasty. Especially for Mr. Charles who was supposed to be napping in his car seat, but he just gets so darn sweaty in that thing!

Yes, their football field is red. 

Pop Pop was getting Charlie to giggle and it was adorable.

Four Years

Four years ago we got married in a friends backyard with family and friends. We danced to the same five songs on the basketball court because we forgot our music (YMCA was the most played). Everyone had their mouths stained blue because of the frosting on the cookies. And Andy's car still is stained with red and white polka dots from the "washable" car decorator marker things. These past four years have been absolutely wonderful and I'm so glad that I still get to hang out with Andy every day.