Gad Zukes!!

So earlier this year we planted a small little zucchini plant only to find it explode with life and get really, really big. This little beauty was our first pick and we used it in a stir fry dish. It was yummy!

Then came the monster. I kept watering the plant, but not really checking on how quickly the next ones were ripening. I can water it while standing by the front door and spraying the hose to it, so I never had to get close enough to see it growing. I had a feeling it was getting big as I could see the yellow fleshyness of it peeking through the greenery. Well, I also thought I wanted to keep it on the vine to keep it fresh so that when we did use it it would be right off the vine, right? :O)

Well, as you can see it grew THROUGH the edging trellis. Which I was ok with, as I thought I could just pull the fence up and have a huge zuke.
Come to find out, the fence has a bottom, so the zucchini had to be CUT OUT!! Aaaauuuuggghhhh!



It measured 18 inches...Wish we had a scale to weigh it. I had to figure out what to do with all of that zuke, because really, neither Jason or I LOVE to eat it. I don't mind it in cooked with other tasty things or in zucchini bread, but I don't just sit and munch on it. I found a website that had some good suggestions as well as a link to another site that had some good recipes. The broken off end made 4 cups of cubed zucchini to become part of this casserole. The remaining portion was cut up, shred up and frozen to make this zucchini bread and many more recipes to come!

Warning: This zucchini bread recipe is so moist and sweet it's more like a dessert. Yum!

Second Warning: The leaves of the plant are so prickly I was scratched all over my arms and hands. The stinging was getting worse (like nettles) and we found a natural remedy of rubbing fresh onion all over it. It took away the sting immediately! Vinegar didn't help, but the onion did. I only smelled like onion for the next three days. :O)

Auntie Nikki comes to town!!

In mid-August Jason's sister Nikki came to spend a week with us! It was a busy week, we had so much that we wanted to do with her and she so willingly came along! We went to the zoo, took a tour around Oregon City (it was the first city established this side of the Rockies! It's old!) and enjoyed the county fair (rides and all!)

We were entertained by the elephant training

As well as the penguin feeding..

AND the toss AND catch exhibit by Tyson and Papa

That week the weather just got hotter and hotter. We hung out at the mall one day to beat the heat and decided to go out to dinner since we knew our house would be way too hot. Of course the place we chose didn't have air conditioning either! Oh well, it was nice to not have to cook and it was still cooler than outside. We ended the week at the Clackamas County Fair. It was HOT!! But we played and Nikki treated us to some rides. It was great having her in town, come back anytime!!

Bottom's Up

A different perspective on the world. Tyson starting striking this pose a few weeks ago. He thinks it's pretty funny how things look upside down. His silly parents have found it amusing to stand butt to butt with him and take a peek through their own legs at him. Yeah, we're a goofy family. Never a dull moment in the Howland house. :)

barking orders

Busy busy...

Keeping cool on a warm day. Unfortunately, a few weeks after this picture was taken Miss Jada took the blow up swimming pool for a romp around the yard and somehow popped every air cell, so we now have a flat 'drinking dish' she enjoys drinking out of...Thanks Grandma Patrick for the oversized water dish! :O(






Berry picking...strawberries and raspberries. This was a really hot day as well and we went out in the afternoon...



Tyson came down with roseola in the middle of July...a few days of fever followed by a few days of having a rash..



Tyson's eyebrow - meet corner of coffee table...

Coffee table, meet Tyson...





Trying mama's homemade strawberry jam. (not from the ones we picked, these were store bought)


Two weeks ago Cousins Steven, Nina and Isabelle came to visit and we spent the day at the zoo. It was fun having them spend the night. Isabelle is taking soccer lessons, so she was showing Tyson how to kick the ball...

Forget about petting the goat, there were rocks to be thrown!!

She's a keeper!

Yesterday we found her!! She's a little over 1, born a few days after Tyson. She's a mix, obvious German Shepherd coloring, but in a little lab body. She's a postpartum mom, just having given birth to 10 puppies (!! Way to go mama!!!) in late May. She soo very good with Tyson. She won us over when we took her for a walk and he was tottering behind her about 50 yards. He took a spill on the pavement and cried a bit. She immediately looked concerned, pulled me around and we jogged back to see how Ty and Jason were doing. She gave Tyson a few licks on the face and sniffed Jason to make sure everything was ok.. Awww.....We weren't sure how her 'watch dog' skills would be, but once we were home she checked each and every time the front door openend. And then, to top it off, during the night, when Tyson would cry, she was interested and wanted to go in an give us a hand. Maybe we should name her Nana, like the dog in Peter Pan. She really doesn't mind him at all, learning to touch her, accidently stepping on her toes, picking up and dropping her tail. Jason says it's probably not as much activity as she had with all the pups crawling and nipping her. Tyson gets on his hands and knees and says, 'Ar Ar'. How does he know to do that??? It's too cute.

Her given name is Jolie, but it just doesn't quite fit...so we'd like to see what you all think about the names we're thinking about.

She seems to be adjusting really well...already potty trained (whew) and just comfortable hanging out and checking things out. We could go on and on...and it hasn't even been 24 hrs yet.

*sigh*

Hooked up!

The comcast guy came today...ahh...so nice...we have our own internet that's fast and ON! :O) So a few pics that can sum up the last month and half or so...

He's a one year old!!

checkin' out his new ride

Our overnight camping trip...During the day Tyson was sooo excited about being out in nature. Here he is on our way to Oxbow Park:

at the beach

mmmm....sand-wich

"What, I ate some mud...so?"

he thoroughly enjoyed the dirt...

here's the after..

Then we went to the zoo...it was such a nice day and a lot of animals were busy eating and frolicking in the sun. Here we are watching the giraffe's:

And then off for a hike at Tryon Creek Park. The trails all intermingle and there are horse trails as well. We saw a couple of horses go by while we were eating lunch...They were huge and Tyson just watched with wonder.