SUMMER IS GOING BY TOO FAST!

We starting to harvest some wonderful "stuff" from the garden; tomatoes, peppers, grapes, peaches, etc.
 So good, we love the garden and all the great produce we grow.... oh! peach pies!

on the dock at Twin Lakes

Then my daughter, Rachel, is home from Scotland after being gone a long year and a half for this Mom!  

Friday night Happy Hour

Brother, Rob, and Rachel

Love spending time together for this month that we have her here, then it's back to Scotland / YWAM and continuing with her missionary work and walk with God.

Niece Rylee & Aunt Rach

Then there was ...

the Paul McCartney concert in Missoula!  

60' LED Screens

The Shirt!

Tom surprised me with tickets, and this was the most amazing concert ever!!!!  Great show, Paul McCartney played for about 3 hrs, never missed a lyric and a beat, sounded amazing......so fun!

"Live & Let Die"

Out with 2013... in with 2014 - Happy New Year!

Micah, Elise, and Tobin with new hats

Rach on the tree

Christmas has come and gone and now for the start of 2014... wow, this past year has gone by quick.  The holidays were great, although daughter, Rachel, didn't make it home for the 1st time ever, but they grow and spread their wings.  I'm so very lucky to have the boys and their families close by and see them often.  Had a great time with the 5 grandkids!

Life has taken some busy changes in the last quarter of 2013.  I find myself working for wonderful people in the dental office of Psomas, Bourekis, and Warnica, DDS, and for Optimal Healthcare - new family practice clinic here in Spokane Valley, plus a few of my regular clients I've had for a number of  years now.  Busy?  Just a bit, but I love it and really enjoy the group of people I'm working with.

P,B W Christmas Party-great fun!

We had such a great time visiting Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands;  great beaches and great food.  Tom and I wondered the antigue stores and loved riding the WA Ferries.  This was taken at Washington Park in Anacortes, WA.

Winter's about to let loose..

Concrete leaves for my pond

Okay, the leaves are raked, beets dug, squash tucked away , and hoses drained. I've finished another fun project outside by adding concrete leaves I made to the pond.
Tom's checked out the snow blower and has it ready... I think were ready for the first snow fall that's supposed to happen tonight & tomorrow.   I'm busy getting geared up for Tax season, reading new tax laws and studying on new regs--- so fun!.  This tax season may be a challenge with some many pending changes but one line item at a time... one return at a time.

building arbors-- a favorite hobby

Another project was the continued project of grape arbors.... our vines produced a really nice crop of seedless white grapes and dark purple grapes-- very good!.

By the end of the season, the vines were all the way across the  front of the Shop.

Gardening and smelling the Roses

Time to tackle the Garden, and hopefully get some fishin' done, too!

Learning more about Social Media

Attended the ID Cineposium today in Coeur d'Alene and learning shortcuts &
more techniques about Facebook-- very useful.

Survived another Tax Season!

April 17th - Tax Day- has come and gone, and we all survived.  I had many really great people I got to work with / for and nice to be able to help them.  Now, it's back to accounting and bookkeeping, and training of a few new clients.
Plus, I've gotten to work with S.N.A.P. - Spokane Neighborhood Action Program- good people helping more good people; doing assessments of business's bookkeeping system and accounting procedures, then if needed help is approved, work with the owners/bookkeepers on training in QuickBooks or other accounting software.
   Then ofcourse, there's the family-- had the youngest grandson turn 2! and now the oldest of the five grandkids turning 8 this Sunday.  I am so blessed with my kids, grandchildren, and my better half, Tom Hanson all doing well.

Welcome to Deb's attempt of staying up with the social network..

Welcome to Deb's attempt of staying up with the social network..

Tax Season

Less than a month before Tax Filing Season will come to an end... another season survived and  almost completed!  Thanks to all my clients who are allowing me to help get them through their returns being filed.  "Yeah" for those getting refunds, and hang in there for those who owe.....

Flowers from Tom, this always helps me get through long days of working on tax forms!

Tax season is upon us and I so enjoy the people I work with and for... training has paid off and seems like everyone's "getting it" on what's needs.... yeah!

I love harvest time...

The tomatoes just keep comin'...

Nothing like home made salsa..

A day of braiding!

So we picked most of the garlic and then the braiding began :)

Garden to finally doing well...

 Tomatoes, basil, and peppers.... Oh My!   Finally things are growing & ripening.  Had our first tomatoes yesterday and they were great.  I tried a new fertilizer this year and the sun flowers loved it!

The bean pole on the left is producing like crazy! Grape vines are in the center.

Blast at Tom's 40th Hi-School Reunion!

We had a great trip to Great Falls for Tom's 40th High School Reunion, and now I have faces to put with many of the stories I've been hearing the last 6 yrs.   So Fun! and super nice people, plus the hotel we stayed in was beautiful.  Great accomodations- The Staybridge Inn, Great Falls, MT. and the Falls were roaring.

We also spent some time at Giant Springs-- beautiful natural springs pouring into the Missouri River.  We also took the long way home across Highway 200 in Montana and again-- beautiful country-side.  But--- it's good to be back home!

Happy 4th of July!

Just saying to those I care about "have a safe and Happy 4th of July weekend!"  We're tending the garden and taking in a few Bar-B-Q's with friends which will be fun.  Recently enjoyed Spokane's Hoopfest with family and had a great time afterwords in the backyard.  Pictures coming soon...

More Pavers...

Adding a back patio to the house has been like adding another room... well the room got bigger over the weekend.  We finished laying pavers all the way to the Shop and made everything level between the house & shop.  Grandson Paul was here helping with the sand and wheeling a paver in the wheel barrel  with Tom when needed.  Great fun, and very nice to have this done.  I also move a fence and this opened up the back yard as well.   Never-ending projects here, which I just love.  I'd be lost without something in the wings waiting to be planned, built, or constructed.
We also built rock gardens around the trees.  Rocks found near Mica Peak.  Now if it would just get warmer so the plants can come out of the greenhouse!

Glad tax season is over for another year

I know it's not quite the 18th (tax day) but all the one's I helped on are done!  Now on to projects-- gardening season is starting so that'll be so fun!  Seeds are started, beds are prepped.

A break from taxes

So, as I had a few hours to re-direct my creative nature, Tom gave me some quick lessons in throwing paint on canvas... so fun!  My friend, Bonnie, also joined in and together we turned out some wild wall hangings.

  Now, mines on the wall and Bonnie's to be installed soon, all that's missing is the signing! 

So ready for Spring

I've got the green house cleaned out and ready for seeds! Check out the following link for the remodel of the back porch that Rachel & I did.  I submitted it to "This Old House" on a remodel submission and it was accepted--- FUN.  Vote for us on this and let's see what happens!    http://youroldhouse.thisoldhouse.com/thisoldhouse/submission.jsp?id=114355 

Another completed project

This was a super fun event--- I got to help update/design Rylee's room-  my oldest granddaughter.  So we painted the room blue on Friday, added clouds & a rainbow, the on Saturday attached the pink castle that goes behind her bed.  Pictures coming, but here's a few prior to installing.  It turned out very cute, and as Rob (my son) told me I'm now setting a bench-mark for the rest of the grandkids.... so if they want this is part of their turn 6 years old option... Gram will help do a redecorating project.

Me adding texture to the frame

the towers of the castle

the shadowing done, now for pink bricks

built in the studio, ready to install