The Honey Hut

Reconnecting.

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Botting) — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 06:55:00 +0000

Hello Hutters....hutters....hutters.....
Yep, just as I expected. There is an echo in here.
What to say, what to say... I don't know, I'm just not feeling very inspired to write or really even share. All is well here and I am happy, just not feeling like sharing and opening up I guess. I see this blog as a space to exercise a writing "muscle" so to speak and when I am not here or thinking about this space, ease sets in. And while a nagging shadow of challenge and growth is haunting me peripherally, I am safe from sharing and challenging myself further by writing. But I'd like to get back into the habit of creating here in this space, so I'll start small by sharing a small joy I experienced this week.
Do you pick up coins on the ground? Maybe not pennies (though I do). Likely nickels and dimes, certainly you wouldn't skip over a quarter, would you? And never a silver dollar! Though I've never encountered a silver dollar free in the wild. While walking downtown with Goo this week I spotted a shiny penny on the sidewalk. As I reached down to pick it up, a small flicker to the left sparkled in my eye. So I picked up the penny then looked left at what I first though was a foreign coin. As I stretched out my finger and pinched together with my thumb, I felt a cold/burning sensation upon making contact with the coin. As I flipped it around then pressed it cradled in my palm, my eyes blinked at a dime I have never seen before. The weigh unlike other dimes, I didn't really know what I was looking at. I slipped it into my pocket, where it waited until I could take a closer look and do a bit of research at home. And what I found was this: A Mercury Dime, 90% silver, 1936, minted in San Fransisco.

2015 Apple Hill Harvest Run.

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Botting) — Wed, 04 Nov 2015 05:28:00 +0000

The Apple Hill Harvest Run is Camino School's biggest fundraiser, held the first Sunday in November. The proceeds pay for the Garden teacher as well as many other enriching activities for the students. I feel more connected to this race and how it benefits My Little Girls' school because I sit on the PTO board this year and can feel this event's important financial contribution to our budget.

This is the first year all 3 Littles ran the race! Ivy and Grady did the Kid's Fun Run. Because of other responsibilities with the race, I missed Grady's run (sniff, sniff). Tim says he had a fun time until he tripped and fell, banging up both knees pretty good. He still finished and told me after, "I didn't cry." I did see Ivy, she ran with her friend Amani. They were so sweet together and did great. Savannah, her two best girls Wrenna, Gracie and I did the 3.5, it was a beautiful day for a race.

Halloween.

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Botting) — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 01:31:00 +0000

The Little Girls had their Halloween Parade on Friday. Ivy went as Alice In Wonderland and Savannah was Little Red Riding Hood. Grady dressed up too, he was an astronaut.

Ivy's class with their lovely Miss Flynn.

Gracie, Savannah and Wrenna are "too big" to walk in the parade (sniff, sniff) but their teacher still let them dress up and watch the lower grades in all their costume glory.

Ivy says she doesn't like the parade, it makes her uncomfortable with all the people watching and indeed, the look on her face as she marched the blacktop was pathetic.

On Halloween we stopped by Great Grandma and Great Grandpa's house. Shannon, John, Dee Dee, Brandon and baby Finley were there too! Such a treat.

After we went to Gracie's house for a little party and some trick-or-treating.

Grady was really into it this year, his little knock and "Trick or Treat!" were precious. The Little Girls were so happy to be celebrating with their school friends. Sarah and Gary, Gracie's parents, always have a great party in their sweet neighborhood. This year they were such fun as Pedro and Napoleon Dynamite!

Words.

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Botting) — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 04:27:00 +0000

Hi. Are you still here? Coming to The Hut? Life around here has been busy and full and we have been sick and healthy and sick again and you know, I have an unpublished post waiting in the queue-something I wanted to share with you that I've been working on but all this sort of is irrelevant because a friend of mine, Amy, has horribly and tragically died in a car accident. So sudden, so painfully sad. I will miss her because, well, of course any reason you would miss a friend but you know, you can't imagine how lovely Amy's spirit is. And the thing I think of every time I close my eyes or wake up or sit quietly in any space since her accident is this: that darkness in grief, that split second of realization and then lingering period of complete agony of not having this person in your physical space anymore, that scary cavern of empty space where she no longer is, that fear of life without her, that list of unanswered questions, that questioning why her, that not being able to say goodbye? Amy's family feels that right now. It makes me physically ill to know people I care about are hurting like this. I've been there feeling that and it's just awful. Anyways, maybe more on this later (I'd sure like to share some fun stuff about Amy)...maybe not. This wound is fresh and has privately torn open an old one for me.

Escape To Alcatraz.

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Botting) — Mon, 12 Oct 2015 13:00:00 +0000

What do you ask for your 10th birthday if you are Savannah? To go the Alcatraz with your best friend! So early Saturday morning Savannah and I picked up Wrenna and Krista and headed off to the city. Because it is Fleet Week in San Fransisco we knew the traffic would be crazy, we took the ferry.

Little and big Girls were spooked by the haunting audio tour inside the prison.

We all marveled at the view of the bay from this standpoint. Such breathtaking views.

We returned to the piers just in time for an incredible air show! The girls splashed in the water while Thunderbirds, Blue Angeles and a biplane performed ridiculous tricks and stunts in the bay.

Savannah's request for lunch was to eat at Greens. Our food was delicious and the view, lovely.

Thank you Savannah for choosing a fantastic way to celebrate a big birthday and to Krista and Wrenna for joining us in the fun.

Gardenwood.

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Botting) — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 04:22:00 +0000

Tara's new house in Poulsbo has a name! I swoon at a property with a name, don't you? The previous owner and builder of this lovely spot was a Master Gardener. The acreage is lush and vibrant, curated meticulously with a variety of plants, trees, flowers, fruit and vegetables. There is a tree house, rope swing, island with moat(!), acreage enough for a hike, barn, ponds, large living space...

(Tara on a hike around property)

AND A SHE SHED!! Yes, Tara has her own little cottage! Previously a potting shed, I can't wait to see what she makes of it.

I cannot tell you how lovely a feeling it was to sit at Tara's kitchen table and chat over coffee while Littles played nearby. Such peace and comfort to drink from those same mugs and share in the newness of this Washington life.

Oh, and Georgia (one of the Morris' cats) made herself right at home in Ivy's suitcase. I guess she needed a little bit of Camino to feel at home.

Seattle Trip.

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Botting) — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 03:22:00 +0000

Ivy and I flew North to Seattle for a few days, reuniting with our best girls Tara and Olive. This is our first trip together, just the 2 of us. So lovely to connect with Ivy in a way I could not have done at home.

Ivy and Olive headed to Pike's Place.

Gum Wall.

Tara! So good to see this face.

Dahlias aplenty.

Balloon Man.

Ferry to Bainbridge Island, on our way to Tara and Olive's new house.

A perfect Autumn day. Space Needle in the distance, beyond these silly Little Girls.

10.

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Botting) — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 04:38:00 +0000

Savannah Jane is 10 years old! She was awake and ready to meet this new year at 5:30 this morning. There has been a lot of anticipation about this birthday. She has been squeaking her seal call (a excited sound she started making at 6 months old) bouncing around the house in excited expectation of this day.

She wanted me to make Whoopie Pies to share with her class, but told me this after I had already made chocolate-dipped meringues. She really didn't care too much but then her teacher forgot to celebrate her birthday during school! SO, I guess the treats have to wait until tomorrow. Speaking of school...it is ridiculously sad and difficult for me to send My Littles to school on their birthdays. I hate spending the majority of the day away from them. It was brutal this morning to see Savannah go.

Tonight we celebrated with homemade cheesecake, brownies and ice cream. Grandpa Dan, Sylvia and The Potter's came for dessert and in celebration of this sweet girl.

I can't believe she is 10 years old...
Happy Birthday Savannah Jane!

A Little Problem

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Botting) — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 01:37:00 +0000

Ivy swallowed a key. Yep...a key. Her diary key to be exact. And no, I don't know why. But once it happened, absolute panic ensued. Ivy scream-crying at me, Savannah crying on the couch and Goo right at my side, in confusion. Ivy ran from living room to bathroom while I called an advice nurse and trembled in slow motion. While holding for the nurse, all 3 Littles sat on the couch. Ivy clinging to Savannah asked, "Savannah, am I going to die? I don't want to die right now. Can I have one last hug?" Then both Little Girls crumbled into a sobbing mess. It was heartbreaking. When Tim got home a few minutes later, we loaded up The Littles and drove to the Emergency Room. Since the key isn't lodged in her esophagus and looks to be headed through the digestive system without any trouble so far, Ivy will have to pass it naturally. We are so relieved. And so I am on stool patrol for the next 3-5 days. Yep. I consider myself lucky as this is the very first time any of My Littles has swallowed a foreign object, at least that I know of anyway.

Hope Valley.

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Botting) — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 20:05:00 +0000

This weekend we met up with our college friends-The Whitcomb, Evans and Chinnock families- in Hope Valley for our second annual camping trip. There were 19 of us all together, it was such fun!

We took a small hike following the river alongside the campground. Littles waded, fished, held snakes and frogs. We hunted for treasures like broken glass pieces and carving sticks. Ivy and Abby painted rocks and glass pieces, Little boys rode bikes and climbed trees.

"Mister Fix It"

Tim's favorite: Games! These buddies playing "Puerto Rico".

Littles playing games too.

Right before we all headed home, we found an old dump site. Broken glass and rusting cans exposed to the elements. Littles thought it all treasure and collected their favorite pieces, mementos of such a fun time together.

39.

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Botting) — Sun, 06 Sep 2015 03:33:00 +0000

Happy Birthday Tim. You tolerate a lot by allowing me this indulgence of our annual tradition,The Birthday Hat. I love you.

Update.

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Botting) — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 18:05:00 +0000

Hutters.

Oh Happy Day! My tests results came back negative for breast cancer. Thank you for your calls, texts, thoughts, prayers and positive energy. If I've learned anything these last few days-- waiting for the unknown, it is that life is so very, very precious.

Love to you all,

Dusty.

Saying Goodbye To The Very Best.

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Botting) — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 13:00:00 +0000

For the past 2 years I have sat in this kitchen 2-3, sometimes up to 4 mornings a week drinking coffee with Tara. Littles played at our feet or upstairs in the playroom or out in the yard while we sat marveling of them, discussing their triumphs and failures, hoping for their bright futures, cracking up at the things they say and sharing our hard times raising Littles. We shared recipes, clothes, children with food allergies, a deep involvement in our Littles' schooling, instilling in them a love of outdoors and teaching them about artists and different styles of art (we did summer art school once a week for all the Littles, we all loved it! We used this book). Tara and I gardened together, shared books, shared a love for running--helping each other train for different races, we both have family businesses and our husbands work long hours. We both have a loving parent who has passed away. Tara has been a partner to me, having coffee with her and watching our Littles grow has been akin to "going to the office"/"heading into work". We met when she changed schools after a few weeks into the school year, her daughter Olive joined Ivy's Kinder class and the rest is history. Tara, Olive and Luxen left this morning early to start a new life in Poulsbo, Washington. They are joining Jeremy, who has been working up there the last few weeks. They have bought a lovely house and piece of property. I am so happy for them--to settle down, raise a farm, start fresh in a place Jeremy's business can thrive.
And I am sad for me. Friendship came easily between Tara and I. I hate to see her leave and...I really did. This morning, hoping she hadn't pulled out of her driveway yet, I got up with the sun and took her a last cup of coffee to share at her house in Camino. Her Littles and I talked while she finished packing the car. We loaded up her 3 cats and I watched them pull away; from me, from Camino and from a future here.

Tara packing up while we chat, coffee and Little Boys play.

Tara, Olive and Luxen at Silver Lake.

Goodbye dinner for the Morris' Family at Potter's. This group is together often on Saturday nights during the Summer at Potter's ranch. (l-r Mike, Tara, Jeremy, Potter, Tim, myself, Krista behind the camera)

All our Littles playing as the sun goes down here in Camino.

Donuts, Toes and Boobs.

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Botting) — Fri, 28 Aug 2015 12:30:00 +0000

Raise your hand if you are ready for the weekend Hutters! Yes, it's okay to raise both. Today is opening day for Apple Hill, I plan on taking the Littles to Rainbow Orchards before school, it has been a long 9 months since we've indulged in one of these Apple Cider Donuts. I can't wait.

The last 4 days have been a bit of a whirlwind for me. I rarely see the doctor and so this week's events have taken their toll. Monday I saw my doctor after becoming concerned with a lump in my breast that had changed shape. What followed Wednesday were 2 mammograms, an ultrasound and a scheduled needle biopsy and follow up mammogram for Thursday morning.

In the meantime, Wednesday night I broke my toe...again. But it's a new toe I haven't broken before so does it count? Pain receptors say aye. AYE!

While I sit here with an ice pack tucked into my bra let me tell you what happened. I have a long standing relationship with a cyst in my left breast. When I noticed during a yoga pose a small discomfort, I did a self check which pushed me to make an appointment. The lump seemed to have changed shape and density. Fast forward past the 2 mammograms and ultrasound and straight to the biopsy: the biopsy had me nervous. A hollow vacuum needle goes into the breast guided by the image on the ultrasound. The doctor opens up the needle and starts vacuuming up the abnormal breast tissue. Once samples are taken, a marker is placed inside my breast and the needle comes out. I felt none of this thanks to the pre-numbing shots given at the beginning of the procedure. Once the needle is out, extreme pressure is applied to the breast to stop the bleeding. This was painful and because of my typically low blood pressure, I started to feel faint and nauseous. After bleeding stopped and bandage applied I felt better and got up to take a final mammogram. At the machine during the second slide I .....................................................................................saw a tall man in a black suit and bowtie, he was wearing a top hat and was holding his hand out to me. I was about to take his hand and as I reached out.......................................................................................................

nurse Debbie brought me back. She caught me on my way down, I passed out cold. And you know what? Those 5 seconds were the best sleep I've had in days. I stayed laying flat on the floor for quite some time then graduated to sitting up and eventually taking that last mammogram image then retreating to the comfort of my own clothes. I stayed an hour or so longer until I felt good enough to drive myself home. Since then it's been ice packs (boob and toe), Tylenol and laying low. I don't find out the results from the biopsy until next week, which is you know, unnerving. But I do feel optimistic thanks to some reassurance from the doctor and nurses who took exemplary care of me.

A Mountain Date.

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Botting) — Tue, 25 Aug 2015 05:31:00 +0000

On Friday I took The Littles to Grandpa and Grumbie's house for the weekend and Tim and I celebrated a late, late anniversary weekend. Our destination/plan? Stay home and do things normally challenging with 3 Littles. We ate at our favorite local restaurants and our big outing was to hike out of Echo Lake as far as we felt we could without loosing enjoyment of the adventure. Which took us to Tamarac Lake. Tim was the first to get in, brave lad, the waters were cold. And the lake is a bit eerie: the shoreline is rocky and shallow for about 10 feet out then an extreme dark drop off awaits. I was spooked.

But not enough to miss out. I forgot my suit but couldn't resist a refreshing swim. So in true adventure style, skinny-dipped.

I have always wanted to take the water taxi across both lakes (upper and lower Echo) and so on the hike back down Tim indulged me. The cabins on the perimeter of the lake and on the islands were charming and picturesque.

Tim and I haven't had a "trip" or time away from Littles in quite some time. It is easy for a relationship to get put on the backburner while family time and the raising of Littles presses emergent. After some perspective and alone time with Tim I realize how very important it is to reconnect with my partner. Thank you to Tim's parents for taking such tremendously good care of our Littles and for spoiling them so fantastically.

Ivy is 8.

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Botting) — Tue, 18 Aug 2015 04:54:00 +0000

All Ivy wanted to do for her birthday was go to Granite Arch and rock climb with her family. We loved the idea! So her Grandparents, Margaret and Gordon, met us up in Sacramento and we spent the afternoon watching The Littles climb.

She chose The Old Spaghetti Factory for her birthday dinner.

And opened a few presents, she got exactly what she wanted!

Her actual birthday fell on the 2nd day of school, she wanted chocolate dipped meringues to share with her class then peach cobbler for dessert after dinner.

Grandpa Dan and Sylvia joined us for dessert and celebrating Ivy's turning 8. This Little Red is sweet, tender, loving and funny. She has a mind of her own and marches to the beat of her own little drum. I can't wait to see how she grows this new year.

By the way, Ivy is the best sleeper. She knows just when she has had enough, powers down and once asleep, sleeps solid. I love and admire this about her, she doesn't try to push herself into exhaustion and values the rejuvenation of a good night's sleep.

First Day of 2nd and 4th Grade, Last Day of 7.

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Botting) — Thu, 13 Aug 2015 04:49:00 +0000

Today The Little Girls started back at school. Ivy is in 2nd Grade and Savannah is in 4th. Both girls are on the same campus but they now go to different schools. Ivy is in the traditional program with a favorite teacher of ours while Savannah was accepted into the Science and Natural Resource Charter School. They will see each other in passing each day but no longer share recess together.

Sending The Little Girls back to school is difficult for me. I miss them terribly. I am not the mom who dreads summer and can't wait to get the kids back in classes again. I am the mom who comes home after drop-off and sadly looks at the last places The Little Girls touched, pining for them. The half eaten pancake swimming in a syrupy dish on the table, the 3 outfits that didn't make the cut strewn across the house in piles on the floor, beds unmade and loved stuffies settling in for the long day without their people. Sniff, sniff. I might be the mom who told Goo, "Let's go clean the girls' room and make it nice for them when they come home!" just so I could sit in the light of their living space for a bit longer. I likely have a harder time sending them back to school than they have readjusting from easy summer to school schedule. I'll get back into the swing of things soon I'm sure.

Also, today is Ivy's last day of 7. For the last few weeks she has been so excited for her birthday. Just now as I kissed her goodnight, she told me she was sad. She wants to stay 7, is a bit afraid of turning 8. She wants to stay little forever and you know? I am right there with her.

Nevada City Craft Fair.

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Botting) — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 05:37:00 +0000

On Friday afternoon we met up with Shannon and John for a fun evening in Nevada City. Each year The Miner's Foundry hosts The Nevada City Craft Fair where local artists and crafters set up booths and present their treasures for sale.

Littles waiting to see their aunt and uncle.

Shannon and John spoiling the girls with a choice lovey for their birthdays. (Thank you!)

The venue.

Where boys sit and wait for girls who shop.
We each walked away with something special, one of a kind items. A fun little story: while perusing beautifully screen printed t-shirts, the artist and her boyfriend leaned over saying, "We couldn't help but hear you talking with your son, did you say his name was Grady?" I said yes and the boyfriend said, "My name is Grady too! And get this, my dad's name is Tim." Neat connection as we have never before met a Grady and certainly not a Grady whose dad's name is also Tim! Mind blow. We all got a kick out of such a unique coincidence. The evening was such fun exploring a different town with Shannon and John.
Saturday morning Savannah Jane got a back to school haircut. I just had to share her first look reaction, she loves it.

National Night Out.

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Botting) — Fri, 07 Aug 2015 17:53:00 +0000

Did you go to your community's National Night Out? This is Camino's best free event, the Community Action Committee provides live music, a BBQ, raffles and family old timey games. The Sheriff comes out to give children a tour of the gear and vehicles, local paramedics also let children sit in the driver's seat.

Krista and I help Edie (below at the fishing hole) with the games; water balloon toss, sack races and 3 legged races.

Goo and I were partners...we didn't fall down!

Potter and Botting girls.

Our picnic

Water balloon tosssssssss!!!!
I love this event. It's charming to see our neighbors come together and enjoy our little town on a Tuesday night.

Peaches And Littles.

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Botting) — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 13:00:00 +0000

The peaches are ready at Sattler Ranch, I couldn't be more delighted. The conundrum of what to do with so much fruit is a happy puzzle to solve. So far I've canned peach bellini jam, vanilla white peach and nectarine jam, made sangria, dried peaches, peaches for the winter months are zipped away in the freezer and I still have several boxes for eating and canning. Such bounty, thanks Dad for sharing with me.

This last week we took a little break from peaches and rode over to our new Auburn store with Tim for the day. Littles and I drove up to Nevada City for breakfast, explored a bit

then spent the afternoon at Funfinity, an indoor play place. Where Grady made a new friend!

We ended the day at the Kuest's house, friends of ours from way back. Seeing our Littles play together was awesome.

The Botting's Go Backpacking...sort of.

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Botting) — Sun, 26 Jul 2015 21:38:00 +0000

The Kyburz Fire is just up Hwy 50 from us. We had planned on backpacking this weekend out of Echo Lake to Tamarac but as of Friday morning when we departed, the freeway was closed. So instead we headed south to Hwy 88, our destination: Lake Margaret. The trailhead is just across the highway from Kirkwood Ski Area and just as we were driving down the ridge within eyesight of our turn off, traffic was dead stopped. And so there we sat, ready to hit the trail, for 2 hours. But seeing as we were so close, we waited with the promise of a beautiful ending and refreshing swim in the lake.

At the trailhead, full of excitement. The sign warns of an unreliable trail, easy to get off course. Watch for markers.

Littles with happy hearts and excited to be carrying their own packs.

The meadow early in the trail was gorgeous. Wildflowers like fireworks against the lush green landscape.

Just after this photo, we lost the trail. Tim pulled me aside and said, "This feels wrong, let's go back to the trailhead." We did continue on a little further, my stubbornness and map/trail navigation going into overdrive. When we crossed the river and Tim/Grady slipped and got their shoes soaked, I saw Tim break and be done. It took me a bit longer, about 100 yards further until a trail we were on dead ended at a fallen tree with no clear path on the other side. Despondent, we turned around. Chalked it up to a day hike.

The next day we thought we'd try again up 50 this time as the highway was opened, though only 1 lane. We sat in traffic for 5 minutes and turned around towards home.

A trip like this is hard and I don't mean the backpacking part because honestly The Littles never complained with the weight on their backs and were happy about the adventure ahead. The preparation, the potential obstacles, the mindset of taking Littles into the woods even on a well marked trail. The hardest part of our adventure was not earning the reward at the end of the trail. Something about making it all the way in and sitting by the lake, reveling in how far we've come and marveling at nature's splendor. I can't wait until we backpack successfully, hopefully soon.

4.

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Botting) — Mon, 13 Jul 2015 21:55:00 +0000

Grady Goo is 4. I cannot believe he is so big. Yesterday he invited the Grandparents and his few friends for a BBQ.

Grady wanted Chocolate Cake and Pavlova, and asked about his presents all day long. This was his first real birthday party with guests and he loved the attention.

Grady loves superheroes and trucks. And by the looks of his cousins Jack and Hank, they do too!

This one with Jack imagining how Grady feels in his new cozy blanket, so sweet.

Thank you Grandpa Dan, Grandma Sylvia, Grandpa Gordon, Grumby (Margaret), Jared and boys and Morris' for your friendship and celebrating with Grady.

And now a few Grady-isms:
"Mommy, am I 3 or am I 5 now?"
"Mommy. I love you, I like you, and I like who you are."
"What we can do tomorrow for nother fun time?"
"Goules, It's family bounce night!"
"Mommy, you sniferdid?"
"I am 4? Today I am 4? So, now I am 4 can I say 'shit'?" (he has an obsession with foul language).
And yesterday before the BBQ, Savannah had put together a Lego surprise for Grady. I told him many times not to go in my room and peek, ruining his surprise. While I was preparing food, he was playing down the hallway. After a while, he came into the kitchen, swinging his arms saying, "yep." chin quivering "I just took a big nap. In my room. On my bed." eyes tearing "Big nap." I asked him, "Grady, did you go in my room and peek at your surprise?" He replied, "I was in my room." chin quaking at this point. "Grady, Are you lying to me?" He burst into tears, "I'm so sorry...I couldn't wait. I lost my temper."

Happy Birthday Little Buddy.

Independence Day.

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Botting) — Mon, 06 Jul 2015 13:00:00 +0000

Did you have a fun 4th? I hope so. We enjoyed the most relaxing weekend, sharing time with friends and indulging in quality family time. We gathered at The Potter's for an incredible BBQ feast, you would not have believed the selection of dishes at this potluck! All The Littles went wild when the dads turned the hoses on them, it was a riot. We have been so deprived of kid fun in sprinklers due to the drought, it was sweet to throw caution to the wind and let the water flow in order to encourage the happy squeals and laughter the quickly followed.

As the sun began to set, the crazy came out! This moment with Kevin was awesome.

Once dark, The Littles dressed up for some sparklers.

Such a fun night. Thanks Kevin and Krista.

Rockets, Rapids and Friendship.

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Botting) — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 07:10:00 +0000

Hi Hutters. I know this space is often ignored and I appreciate you checking in anyways...thank you. I feel like The Littles and I are on a summer bullet train, in the event of any little alone time I find myself craving quiet, creative solitude which excludes this blog. I post more frequently little happenings on Instagram, you can find me here.

Yesterday Krista and I got our Littles together for some rocket building and launching. This was Krista's brilliant idea, one she uses with her high school science students. The Littles decorated, named, cut out and adhered rockets from a pre-made pattern, then we ran outside to launch!

You can see video of My Littles rocket launches in my Instagram feed.

Today we went sought cooler temperatures with Tara and her family at a new-to-us swimming hole just up the highway about 20 minutes from The Hut. Alder Creek. It was lovely.

Gentle rapids and sandy swimming holes. Crawdads scampering under rocks. Splashing and reenergizing in the calm crisp waters.

Can't wait to do it again, next time with Tim too.

Easing Into Summer.

noreply@blogger.com (Dusty Botting) — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 06:04:00 +0000

Last week I started a bit of canning.

Apricot/Pineapple Jam, Apricot Sauce and Marionberry Jam. I picked a few bags full of blueberries from Dad's ranch to put in the freezer also.

Half of the garlic I planted back in October/November was ready to be harvested. Sadly only this handful of the early variety survived. Gophers stole the majority. This is my first garlic harvest and though I planted 50 cloves, I feel lucky to have these few in my pantry.

Our biggest news out of last week is Charlie. He is a sweet little kitty and accepting his new life at The Hut well enough. I am sitting on the floor of the kitchen right now, listening to him cry in the laundry room. It's pathetic. He misses his sibling kitties.

But why should he? Charlie is barely on his own four paws what with all The Littles' snuggles and cuddles. He is well loved and this is the first time since we've become pet owners that I am shoving off a little and shirking the responsibility onto The Little Girls as they well know they have broke me and now I am the Mom who brings home animals at request. ugh. Kindly Savannah and Ivy do my bidding whenever I tell them what Charlie needs. Food? Check. Water? Check. Outside to potty? Check. Charlie needs some alone time? Check. Charlie is harassing the chickens in their coop? Check. He is keeping them very busy.