Au Revoir Summer

It was a busy summer. A milestone celebrated, a graduation party experienced, a trip to the beach, and a lot of yard work. My sibling and her family from Canada visited us, and it doesn't happen very often. So, whenever we get a chance, I make sure to catch up and spend time together with them.

It has also been hot and dry for two months, but it finally rained, and I'm ready for colder weather. Before I can say goodbye to summer, I would like to take one more look and enjoy our garden. It's kind of sad that the plants are slowly dying and turning yellow. They are changing colors, which means that they're giving way to a new season. Just like our life, there are changes, challenges, and trials along the way. But just like them, we survive, despite the harsh weather and storms of our lives.

We had a lot of plants in our garden this year. Through the years we planted mostly ornamental plants and we thought, "Why not incorporate vegetables in our front yard?" Our goal was to plant more vegetable \s so that we had more fresh produce during the summer. It's all organic, too, since we didn't use pesticides.

Every year our yard was nominated as the best in our neighborhood, and this year, we won an prize for it. We're happy that the neighborhood committee acknowledges our efforts and hard work in maintaining our yard. A lot of people enjoy it, so it's worth all the watering and improvement. We even shared our produce with our friends, family, and neighbors.

Here are some of the pictures of flowers and vegetables in our garden.

Spring Plants

Summer Plants

Late Summer Plants

Vegetables

Flower and Vegetable Arrangement

Family Summer Vacation 2017

Nothing compares to the strong and deep love from a family, and no amount of money or success can take the place for the time spent with them. Nowadays, with technology and social media, you can still connect with them virtually. So, distance is not a reason to not to catch up with them and be involved in their lives.

When you're living miles away from your siblings and relatives, it's a rare occasion that you get to spend time with them. My sister and her family traveled all the way from Canada just to visit us and attended my daughter's graduation. The last time we saw them was when we were in Cancun way back 2012. It was also their first time visiting Washington state.

We did some sightseeing in Seattle and after the graduation we went to the beach for a little getaway. My brother-in-law, Diome, and his family were with us too, and it was nice that we spent time together and had fun. We did a barbecue at the lodge that we rented, ate dinner, had few drinks and enjoyed the night.

Lodge Clubhouse

Lodge at Cannon Beach

We didn't stay very long, but Lorna's family stayed for three days to explore and enjoy the coast more. They had a good time and took good pictures. I had to give credit to Bong for the beautiful shots that he took capturing the breathtaking views along the Coast. Here are some of our pictures in our getaway that left us memories that we can treasure and keep.

First Day at Cannon Beach

Dinnertime and Barbeque

Second Day at Cannon Beach

Exploring Haystack Rock During Low Tide

Some of Bong's Pictures