well hello there, Summer!

Summer has finally come to the Pacific Northwest! Hot, sunny days with blue skies, kids playing in the spray parks, the scent of BBQ smoke in the air, and dripping ice cream cones abound.

The Blankenship family has been enjoying the sunshine and its perks to the fullest. Walks to the beach, a trip to see the salmon climbing the fish ladder at the Ballard Locks, BBQ's in the park with friends, sipping smoothies, playing ball, and backyard slip 'n slides are just a few of the activities that have filled up our calendar so far.

Here's a photo journal of a few of our summer activities:

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 We got one break from slathering on the sunscreen when an unusual weather pattern came through and brought us thunderstorms! A phenomenon I'm used to from growing up in Florida, but poor Jackson was experiencing the "rumble, rumble" for the first time and didn't know what to make of it. He snuggled on my lap for awhile and then I talked him into building a fort in the living room for him and his bears. The distraction worked and his smile came back.

 

 

That afternoon, the thunderstorms came through again after nap time. Jackson insisted that we had to build another fort. I guess I really started something.

 

Hot summer days can lead to hot summer nights. Dan's parents watched Jackson for us so that we could join 7 other couples from church for an evening of delicious Mexican dining and HOT (as in no air-conditioning) salsa dancing. As you can see from the pictures, Dan and I enjoyed ourselves on the dance floor. Especially Dan.

 

Summer is also a great time for family parties. Today we had a belated birthday celebration for Dan's mom, who turned 70 on July 8th. Food and fun were had by all.

 

 

 

 

Happy birthday, Mom/Grandma Jan!

dance like nobody's watching

Jackson has some pretty fancy dance moves.
This morning I caught him dancing in his undies.


This reminds me, I never posted Jackson's version of The Ellen Show's dance dare. You can tell by these videos that he's a big Ellen fan.


Dance dare take 2:

A Red, White, and Blue 4th of July

The Blankenships enjoyed an all-American day of sunshine, BBQ, and small-town charm this beautiful Independence Day. Decked out in our finest red, white, and blue threads, we walked the few blocks into the heart of town to join some friends for the infamous Edmonds 4th of July parade!

 

With our Starbucks frappuccinos in hand (and all over Jackson's white shirt), we waved American flags and watched fire engines, antique cars, clowns, bagpipes, tuba-players, pirates, and a myriad of other mis-matched characters parade through the city streets.

 

While neither Jackson nor myself enjoyed the clowns (he actually peed his pants when a clown lunged at him), fun was had by all and free candy was thrown at us at random intervals -- enough to fill a mason jar and to help Dan satisfy his sweet tooth over the coming week.

Part 2 of our Independence Day was spent in Tacoma with Rob and Beth and friends Alex and Shenyi who invited us to share a perfect view of Mt. Rainier, the rising orange moon, and the fireworks over the Port of Tacoma from their deck.

 

 

 

Jackson enjoyed himself fully and entertained himself by taking orders (pictured below) and "cooking" invisible food for Dan and me in his "kitchen" (the space between the deck chair and the wall). I have to tell you, he makes great chicken salad, tasty meat, and a very delicious "avocado-tomato-sprout sandwich with a side of chips on a plate!"

While the clowns earlier in the day had scared Jackson quite a bit, he braved the fireworks pretty well. He threw a few "poppers" on the ground himself with enthusiasm and watched about half of the fireworks show, alternating between out on the deck with Dan and inside behind the safety of the window with me and his new friend Lily. While the fireworks held some fascination, they really couldn't compete with "Lizardo," Alex's pet lizard that eats crickets. Jackson visited Lizardo half a dozen times during the fireworks display.

 

 

 

 

It was a great (and LONG) day for The Blankenships.

 Happy birthday, America!

home videos

Here's some footage from our trip to New Smyrna Beach with Grandmama. Jackson likes to mix up popular songs and add more...pizazz! Another favored song these days is the I Like Peanut Butter song. Part of it is a real song and part of it is just Jackson. And in case you've always wondered what sound a peacock makes, Jackson is always ready to let you know. We've been hearing this noise on a regular basis ever since we saw peacocks at the Point Defiance Zoo in May.

Father's Day festivities part 1

Father's day has been postponed until July 1st. At least at our house it has. Jackson and I will be in Florida for a wedding on the actual holiday so we're doing Daddy's Day a little different this year. While we'll celebrate Dan in all of his fatherly glory when we get back into town, we couldn't leave without showering him with some Father's Day love a little early.