RIP Everett Great Harvest

Exactly two months ago today we closed our bakery.  We drive passed it almost everyday, and yes, it is still vacant with big For Lease signs on the windows.  If only the landlords would have agreed to give us a more reasonable rent price, it would still be occupied, they would have been making money, and we would still be in business. 

We miss our employees, we miss our customers, we miss the fresh bread and tasty sweets; we do not, however, miss the stress.  Boy do I ever not miss the stress!  I don't think I am cut out to be a business owner.  Christopher, on the other hand, has not been scarred for life like me, and would consider doing it again if the circumstances were right.

Here are a few pictures of our last day open.

Counting inventory and boxing up

The lady in red on the left was one of my favorite customers.  So super nice!

Lisa & Megan

Leah, Kierstie, & Ruben

Me packing up the shelves

Sam packing up himself

Dixie works a couple stores down from the bakery at Big 5.  She was the very first Everett Great Harvest customer when it first opened five years ago.  She wanted to be the very last customer when we closed.  The first time around she came in her pajamas, so she wanted to recreate that moment.

A picture of the first Everett Great Harvest customers

We LOVE Dixie!  She is such a fun person!

Our last month open was crazy busy as people were stocking up and freezing bread to last them awhile.  Everyone was so supportive and understanding.  I think I only cried a few times our last day open (which is better than I had anticipated). 

Life post bakery has been pretty good.  I have read more books in the past two months than I had read probably the entire time we owned the bakery.  We eat dinner at a more reasonable hour every night.  We get more sleep.  We have more time to play with Sam and make fun memories together.    We learned a lot in the past 2 1/2 years, but are definitely ready to move onto the next chapter in our lives.

Rest in peace, Everett Great Harvest. 

Preschool

This fall Sam started preschool.  We are just doing a little preschool co-op with some of our friends with kids Sam's age.  We love it!  We only have to teach every fifth week, it's free, Sam loves to be with his friends, and he is learning new things!  Next year he will start kindergarten.

Sam's first day of preschool

Tour of the fire station

Learning about baking bread at our bakery before we closed it

Our little pilgrims (we're missing one boy who was on vacation)

Learning about measuring

Sometimes Sam gets a little over-excited when it's at our house

September 2010

Back in September, my parents came up to visit for Sam's first Primary program.  We had a great weekend together!  Sam was ready and excited to give his part, but in the end, he refused to go up with his group.  Later he was sad he didn't do it, so I let him say his part in the microphone during opening exercises in Primary afterwords.  This was my third Primary program as the Primary chorister. 

Here is a video of Sam singing "I Know that My Savior Loves Me."  (If you get our posts in an email, you'll need to go to our actual blog to watch it: www.camillataylor.blogspot.com)

Playing at the park, feeding the ducks

We took a scenic drive to Bellingham following Chuckanutt Drive

We had such a good time with them!  Visitors are always welcome!

Our August Visitors

In August my dad, sister, and her two kids came to visit.  Here are a few pictures of what we did.

 It was so fun!  Come again soon!

Summer Recap

Time for another catch-up post.  Here is how we spent our summer:

Our one and only vacation was going to Electric City, Washington for our friend Jody's wedding (which I already blogged about here).  Before the trip, we had a fun tea party/bridal shower where we all got to wear fun and exciting hats!

 Here's a couple more wedding pictures I missed from the original post.

 We did two farmers markets in Lake Stevens and Granite Falls all summer long.  Sam made some really good friends with the other vendor's kids. 

 When we could make it, Sam played soccer with his friends once or twice a week. 

 And in our free time, we'd go to the beach!

 We also had some visitors in August, but that will get a whole post of its own.

Sam Learning French

Here is a short video of Sam singing I am a Child of God in French (for those who get my posts in your email, you will probably need to go directly to camillataylor.blogspot.com to watch it):



He has started babbling in French which we find adorable! He knows many words and phrases, and he is now trying to put things together, but it doesn't always make sense. The other night I was putting him to bed, and he was "speaking" in French to me: "Comment ca va, comment? Moi, moi, comment. Oui ou non? C'est bon." Our French neighbor across the hall from us loves to talk to Sam in French, and loves it when he responds in French--usually it's just a bonjour or au revoir, but it still melts her heart.

Since the very beginning of our marriage, Christopher and I have always sung French hymns as part of our Family Home Evening. Now that Sam is around, we sing French Primary songs instead. Our current favorite is the Popcorn Popping song in French. Sam sings it pretty well. I'll try to get it on video one of these days.

Silly Sam

Sam has been waking up the past few nights with bad dreams. Here are a few of them:

• Cell phones were falling into his bed.
• His hand got caught in a spider web, and a spider bit him.
• Someone took his scone and threw it into the water.
• The vacuum was trying to slurp him up.

Last night I had a scary dream: I was a contestant on America's Next Top Model. Yikes!

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The other day, Sam was playing with his toy police man and fire man.

Sam: Quick! There's an emergency!

Me: Oh no! What is it? Is something on fire?

Sam: No, Mom. It's an emergency dance party! (Police Man and Fire Man begin to dance)


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Sam: Did you used to be a little girl?

Me: Yep, a long time ago.

Sam: Like 100 years ago?