Author: Kelsey Ernst

  • But first, we clean

    But first, we clean

    We like to play. We love to explore and adventure. We don’t like to mop floors or scrub showers. To be able to do all the fun things we first have to get through the list of ‘must do’ things. Our kids don’t have a daily/weekly chore list, and they don’t get an allowance. The […]

  • Bagels

    Bagels

    The Recipe Makes 6 Bagels, appx 2 hours Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups warm water 2 tsp active dry yeast 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar 3 1/2 cups bread flour (plus more for kneading) 1 1/2 tsp salt Toppings (optional) Mix 1 1/2 cup warm water with 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar (stir to dissolve sugar), add 2 […]

  • New Year, New Letter

    New Year, New Letter

    **Here is a copy of our semi-annual family update letter. ** Dear Friends and Family— Last year was full of travel and adventure—we all traveled to Europe in the fall, and bought a house in December, leaving little time for a holiday letter. This year was less traditionally hectic, although a house of six is […]

  • New Year, New Traditions

    New Year, New Traditions

    January 1, 2021- The first day of the new year. Usually a time for reflecting on what we have accomplished in the previous year and what we are looking forward to in the coming months. And while we certainly tried to incorporate those highlights into our day, it also felt like 2021 was deserving of […]

  • A Year on the Island

    A Year on the Island

    A year ago today we were homeless for a few hours. That morning we sold our house on North Oak and we didn’t close on our current home until later in the day. That meant that for a few hours in the middle of the day we didn’t have an address of our own. The […]

  • New Roof, Who Dis?

    New Roof, Who Dis?

    Last week we shared how we did the ‘Great Garage Swap’. What we didn’t share was that the barn shed roof was in disrepair. We knew this when we purchased the home, but this summer we focused our energies on projects to improve our fun experiences – docks, steps and boat racks – instead of […]

  • Fall Trails

    Fall Trails

    A few weeks ago a good friend turned us onto a set of nearby trails that are under-utilized. Which is great for my COVID sensibilities. Most days we never see anyone – in the parking lot or on the miles of trails that twist and turn. As if I needed another reason to like these […]

  • New Adventures

    New Adventures

    The first of September… that special time of year when it’s still summer… yet the air is changing, the nights come just a little quicker and soup for dinner is not longer out of the question.  Don’t get me wrong there’s plenty of sunshine, watermelon and corn on the cob to come- but I also have […]