April 2007

We flew back to the island on March 22nd, so we could be there for a day before Donna arrived. We had a great couple of days hanging out, then Dennis and Jennifer arrived and we did a video for CHESS. They left on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Thursday, Gina and Graham came to see us during their Spring Break. We relaxed and talked about what it would be to live in Boston and have a farm near there.
	We drove off island to Orcas on Sunday, our first time in the car. It was 30 and snowing at the top of Mt. Constitution, but we see the islands.
After lunch at a restaurant on the water where we had crab enchiladas near the Outlook Inn (which was only open for breakfast at noon), we stopped at a pottery shop on the island. This was the good one. The bad one we couldn't get away from fast enough. But this one had beautiful stuff, including the madrone limbs that held up their display shelves. A great idea for our upstairs bookcase.
	We had one day to ourselves, then Peter and Sheila and the adorables arrived. So wonderful! And then Paisley and Kelly flew in on the 4:05 from Anacortes. We had cioppino, except Kelly had a rib eye tostada because she doesn't do seafood. Cora and Morgan and Charlie had a bath, then they went to bed.
It's hard to know which side of her is better.
	Paisley and my fox colored Easter eggs. They made beautiful colors. Especially those marbeled ones.
Sheila and Haley worked on the Easter egg cookies.
	And Paisley cut my carrot cake perfectly in half. Nobody does it better!
Sage and Pearl relax together in the old windowseat. While Hawk and Liam dug out the new outdoor kitchen, Peter rebuilt the whole thing in the garage. Then all three of them worked together to slot it in just before Easter dinner. Peter kept asking permission and telling me that he would be finished well before dinner, which he was. Not only finished, but cleaned up. The mess and himself.
	Peter in his beautiful new Easter shirt with his darling little Paisley, so pregnant and just showing.
Here are some marzipan vegetables for the Spring Garden Cake. From the carrots, clockwise: leeks, cauliflower, peas in a pod, cucumers, tomatoes and one onion.
	And here's the cake. It was a carrot cake with orange and ginger with cream cheese frosting and ground chocolate cookies for the "dirt." We made corn, potatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, beets, a pumpkin and a watermelon, also. Kelly helped us think up vegetables. She did NOT approve of the watermelon.
We talked for hours after eating.
	The post-dinner mess.
The Easter bunny came and hid eggs all around the new landscape. Cora and Morgan and Charlie all went hunting.
	Beautiful Paisley and Haley, getting ready for the egg hunt.
Suzy reads an old new book about bunnies and ducks to Cora.
	Kelly's cookie, with a bite out of it. Note the elegant 3-dimensional decorations.
The complete set. Haley spent hours on them. They were the best ever this year. Not to mention delicious!
	Hawk reads another story to Morgan.
Paisley and Kelly flew home on the 4:45 plane, and we all cleaned up and relaxed. Charlie went to sleep, Suzy read Haley "The Visit," while Peter read to Morgan and Sheila read to Cora. Then the kids went to bed and we watched "Flushed Away." Perfect.
	One of our Easter bouquets.
So we flew to Madison the Tuesday after Easter and worked hard. BUT. On Sunday, we picked up Ray and drove to Chicago, where we hung out with John and Carolyn for a while. Then we picked Paisley up at O'Hare and went to Charlie's house, where he and Kelly were waiting to do our hair. Paisley got her hair cut first.
	Ray got a surfer swipe again, and then Charlie attacked his monobrow! We were all hoping he would! Suzy got her hair done, too, but she had the camera.