Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Digiscrapping

Just a little tinkering in photoshop.


What do y'all think?

Not too shabby if I do say so myself.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Bibimbop 비빔밥

What's the one meal that gets everyone excited on Hubler Planet?


Bibimbop of course!

It's one of our favorite korean meals.

We made a trip to the local korean grocery store a few weeks back. They have a small restaurant in the back. With all the conversation and smells, it felt like we had stepped onto the other side of the world for a small moment.




The trip afforded me the opportunity to stock up on some korean ingredients that I can't find anywhere else.

Gochujang 고추장 (red pepper paste), dried shitake mushrooms 표고버섯 ,black bean paste 짜장, duk (sliced rice cakes), sesame oil, doenjang 된장 (soybean paste), and lots of other goodies.



Doesn't it look yummy?


And I always have some pretty satisfied customers.



Asking for seconds...

So busy eating that hardly a word is spoken...


Leaving with full tummies.

Which makes for a very enjoyable supper.

Friday, July 23, 2010

Camp Out

The kids collect paperclips. I know...crazy thing to collect...unless you know what they can get you in the end.

For good behavior, the kids earn paperclips and when they have saved up 20 of them, they get to choose a special activity to do with either mom or dad.

Ben and Ella both saved enough to earn an adventure with Dad...and what better adventure than a camp-out on the porch?!?

Jason got out the tent and the kids jumped on helped put up the tent. Even Lily got in on the action.

Cause what's better in summer than mosquito-free tenting?




Blankets, pillows, and pretty much everything else sleeping bags were hauled downstairs.

All the comforts of comfy sleeping.



Did I mention the sun comes up on this side of the house?

Well...it does. Bright. And. Early.




The night was complete with books, flashlights, and shadow animals against the house.

And lots of giggling and squealing. Lots.



Because your very own adventure with your Dad? is a lot of fun.

And makes for some wonderful memories.



And by morning, bright and early, everyone was asking to do it again...that night.

Well...everyone under 4 feet tall.

Did I mention that I slept in my bed all night all by myself? Turns out an adventure with Dad can be a great night of sleep for Mom.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Our Baby

As I was looking at the calendar, wondering where the first half of summer has gone, a thought stopped me in my tracks.

In just under 3 weeks, we will hit a milestone. Coming up on August 9, Lily will have been a part of our family for one year now.

And I just can't believe it.

I am so ridiculously smitten with this little girl. Ridiculously! Smitten!

And it's not just me.

Ella loves her little sister.

She loves helping feed her, play with her, hug her, and kiss her.
In fact, Ella has wondered why Lily is growing up so fast.

Ben has forged a bond with Lily. After a few months of being a little skeptical of the new arrival, he has taken to her like a bee to honey.

No one can get Lily to laugh the way her big brother can. No. One. He adores her.


Even Daddy is crazy in love with her.

Lily has him wrapped around her little finger. And then some.



And me? Well, I just can't get enough of her. Cookie crumbs and all. I can't imagine this family with out her.

Turns out being the baby in this family? Is a pretty sweet spot to be.

We love you so very, very much Lily Jeeah. Almost a year already?? We are so blessed to be your parents.




Gardening

It's a first here on Hubler Planet. It's a post about Me. Yep, Me. Not exciting...maybe even a bit boring...but I decided that it was high time I proved that I really do exist in this family.
So when I'm not knee-deep in children, you can find me out puttering in my garden. Now, this is pretty monumental. Just ask my mother. I'm pretty sure that every time she sees me in my garden, her master gardener heart skips a beat.

When I was younger I vowed (and I mean vowed) that I would never, never, ever set foot in a garden. Why? Because I loathe getting dirt under my fingernails.

But who knew that I have a bit of a green thumb? Not quite like my mom...but at least a fraction of her talent goes a long way!


The only bigger fan of our garden than me...is Ella. I'm pretty sure she considers vegetables a dessert.







Tree Frogs

Here's a pic of one of those sweet, melodic tree frogs that frequent not only our pond, but sometimes our deck too.
They make the coolest sound. I love sitting outside listening to them in the evenings.

They are even cooler to hold. Their little feet are so sticky and soft.




Finished Porch/Deck

So many have asked for finished pics of the porch/deck. We absolutely love it! Definitely worth the investment. I can imagine many nights spent outside on the porch as a family, enjoying the weather as well as the company.


We hired this job out to guy who happens to be the brother of a very good friend of mine. He did awesome work and we couldn't be happier with the results. If any of you are in the market for a construction guy and need a referral, let me know.


The evenings are so wonderful and I just have two words from this girl. Mosquito Free. Gotta love it!


While out on the porch, we have seen Mr. Pheasant, a handful of deer (including a 6 point buck), the neighborhood owl, listened to lots and lots of frogs, watched the ducks and geese swimming in the pond, and have spied a few turtles.



During the Bash, many people enjoyed their time out on the deck. Including my Aunt Michelle...who pretty much made herself a fixture out there. I'm thinking she needs one of her own and she loved it out there!


The deck is great for entertaining. As it turns out, it is the perfect spot for supper. The sun has already moved to the other side of the house so it's just a lovely shaded spot to sit and relax.


And new outdoor furniture to make it complete. It's like heaven out there. Love. Love. Love it!














Monday, July 12, 2010

And...We're Back....

Life is returning to normal once again. We are back from a week at the lake and the annual Bash is over. Things have been really busy and we have been running, running, running. But now...ahhh...the calm. Here's a quick video of the kids enjoying the warm summer days until I get a chance to get the pics off the camera from all the latest activies...and boy do I have some good ones. Just you wait.