An unexpected dinner with two friends

Long Time Friends

A flash from the past
We pick up where we left off
A friend forever

Old Friends

Connected by roots
A strong system brings us here
together again

In the park

Long legs are quite helpful in jumping over creeks. Way to go Ruben!

Zoe on bars, she can really go round and round on those bars! Hang on Ruben!

Parks have always been a sacred space to me. I bring my kids to parks to experience the outdoors, give their large motors skills a chance to develop and refine, and simply to enjoy. When we made our cross country trip a while back, parks were our main stopping place. Not just National Parks, but state, county, & city parks too. Living on the coast we are are close to some pretty amazing parks. This particular place also has a fantastic playground. Which is not usually the case in most of the parks we visit. So this place is extra special, it is close to home, with a playground meant for kids of all sizes, along with bodies of water for swimming and exploration, and trails lots of trails to ride and hike.
In the park...that's where we like to be.

Gratitudes

I am inspired by Woolymossroot's blog by Taryn Wilson to make a list of gratitude's  www.woolymossroots.blogspot.com  I have read her blog for a while now, and notice the list of things she is grateful for are a great way to start the week. I have so many things to be grateful for that I thought sharing them here would just be one more way of appreciating them. It is also a great way to start a Monday...when I wish it were Sunday...(that is my fun day :)

For the past week I have felt grateful for...

*Flowers blooming in my yard.

*Good ideas that come to me while riding my bike.

*Sons who love the outdoors, like I do.

*Cousins who live in my neighborhood, the late night visits & new baby chicks to visit.

*Opportunity to volunteer in Ruben and Spencer's classroom.

*When Tres makes me laugh. Not just a little laugh, but a big out loud laugh. I love that about us, we still make each other just crack up.

* A job I walk to from home, that doesn't quite feel like a job.

*Phone conversations with Jake, so good to hear his voice.

*A recent inspiration for indoor spring cleaning and purging. I love to get rid of stuff and make the corners and drawers of my home tidy.

*Pancho, for all the humor and companionship he brings each one of us in the family.

What are you feeling grateful for?

Gearing up for biking

We do pretty good at riding all year round, but it does seem like these bikes sat in the garage untouched for the last couple of months. The season has been offering a few clear days lately and since a bike ride is so refreshing and energizing we have given our tires a few pumps of air, moved our bikes to the front of the garage, and taken them out riding just a bit lately. Here is a morning ride before we head to school and work. Pancho always appreciates a good run too, before he retires to his pillow throne for the afternoon. Spencer loves to ride to the "fire house" down the street from our neighborhood, it is just a fun ride.  While on the subject of bike riding, I must mention that I have signed up for Cycle Oregon this year! So cycling is starting to be a daily thing for me. I have never been hard core about much, I like to dabble here and there in all sorts of fun and recreation. Yet Cycle Oregon is pretty hard core to my standards, and I am terrified and ecstatic at the same time for such an event. One more thing that just delights me over this event is...I will be joining my sister for this event! Oh what fun it is going to be! Serious hard work and serious fun! I am excited to share more in this space about my adventures in bike riding over the next six months. Check out cycle Oregon website and blog for more details on the ride and history   www.cycleoregon.com

Monkey business

Spencer managed to squeeze his big self into this little outfit that he wore at 3 to 6 months old.  I was in another room and then suddenly he appeared dressed like this. I laughed out loud at him and had to take a photo. I have a little basket of his baby clothes that I will keep, they are in his room. Every once in a while he will go through them, looking, asking questions, sometimes dressing a stuffed teddy. He brought an outfit to school one day for sharing. This certainly tops it, shows how big he is now and how little he was then. The shirt got a little stuck coming off, so I gave it a tug too and that gave him a good laugh. I'm not sure I will ever pass these little outfits on, may just keep them forever.

Home for the weekend

It sure felt good to have Jake home for the weekend. Even Pancho was delighted to see him. Weekends sure do go by fast. Our conversations during the week, just don't compare to seeing my son's face. I really miss him while he is away at school, but I couldn't be more proud of his efforts and goals. Keep up the hard Jake, we love you!

"A beautiful source of water Mom!"

Really! This is the precious statement that came from Spencer on our walk the other day. He saw this little stream so he ventured off the road and down the bank to a small creek. His first sentence was " A beautiful source of water Mom!" "I'm just going to look a little, my shoes might get wet." I waited and watched. Lately I have been appreciating and loving the descriptive words that come out of his mouth. They are just so true and pure in his experience. When Tres and I are together and hear him explain something and it comes out beautifully awkward, but just right for a five year old little boy, we both just look at each other and gush with an overwhelming adoration. We know these conversations are fleeting and words will evolve. For now his misuse of some words, like using inventory, association, and proclamation(they are fun to say!), or his perfectly unusual composed sentences of his reality, are really resonating with me, I am remembering to soak it all up.

Is it Spring yet?

I was just starting to think about spring. Thinking of ordering seeds, starting more of my garden this year from seeds, and not starts. I even got a phone call from a friend, to tell me my plot of garden space at his place has been tilled and covered. We got to talk about fertilizer too. I have some new space at my house that will be transformed into garden space this year too. I am so excited for that too, since it gets way more sun than any other space in our yard. I was sitting here just imagining all the good hard work gardening requires and how satisfying it is. Then it hailed like crazy for several minutes. The ground was covered, everything was white. It looked like snow! The temperature dropped too. I grabbed my camera and walked around the yard to find this little patch of hopeful early bloomers, covered in hail. I finally went back inside and sat by the wood stove. I decided I had better soak up all the indoor coziness, it is still winter after all. Soon I'll be outdoors with dirt on my hands. For now I will enjoy what winter has to offer...slow and cozy.

Finally a dream coming true...

Sounds silly doesn't it a dream come true with a picture of my sewing machine! Ha! Well it is true, for years I have dreamed of learning to sew. To sew my own clothes, bags, kids clothes, quilts, really anything! So I have finally set the intention to make that easily attained dream come true. I had a little sewing and machine maintenance lesson from a dear friend . A few hours later I found myself in a time warp of sewing. I mean it was 2pm when I went up stairs to cut and sew and the next thing I new it was 7pm and the family was asking if I was going to make dinner tonight. I have made so many mistakes, which I love, because I am learning so much. I have also started making a dent in the pile of bed sheets I never use, yep they are getting cut up and made into bag straps, or pockets, or a liner or two! Oh man this is fun, just like I dreamed it would be.

Winter Water Play

"No way, I am not getting in that water, it is WAY too cold!...but Spencer could you find me a salamander too?"

If you have been reading this blog for a while you will notice that the scenery in these photos are familiar. One of Spencer's most favorite places in his world. Woahink Lake is a sure location to find the beloved salamander, or rough skinned newt. Spencer was truly desperate on this very chilly Sunday afternoon, to find a newt. He knew the water was cold, and I knew he wouldn't stay out of the water, so we brought the wet suit along on our winter picnic to the lake today. Hot chocolate was the main course along with corn chips. Some picnic huh?! The boys got to choose what I put in the picnic basket today.  Unfortunately he didn't find those wiggly little amphibians anywhere, he concluded it was just too cold for them too. I think Spencer and I might have to start a polar bear club...swimming in the lakes at least once each month of the year. I think he would certainly make a great club president. I'm in...any other takers?

Having fun...

View
Curving cliff rough ridge
Like spine of a dinosaur
This living land breathes

Poodle at the beach
Fancy with haircut
Curls and skin, shampoo and fluff
Happy dirty dog

Ocean
Lines of peeked water
Roll in under winds rushing
Uniform...in awe

Today's Swell
The force and flow moves
High and low peeks come crashing
Never tiring

Devil's Elbow
We come to the edge
Where sand and dirt, salt and fresh
Mingle here at beach

A day at Heceta

A quick pic of the four of us with the timer.

We saw this man, just shouting for joy at the magnificant Pacific Ocean. Kind of a precarious spot, boys were very curious about this. We later saw this man on the hiking trail, he seemed overjoyed. This ocean can do that to a person.

I took the boys to Devil's Elbow beach and Heceta Lighthouse for a day of playing, hiking, sketching, and sun worshipping. This is a very magical beach, since there are so many natural things occurring...a large rushing creek, tide pools, caves, waves, a trail to the lighthouse and a magnificent view. I got such a kick out of watching the Spencer get right to work on the beach, while wearing his clip on tie. I think of the beach as a place to relax, sit, watch, listen to the nature around me, but the boys immediately start planning and working on damming a small flow of water, gathering sticks, rocks, and shells. Simply just getting right to work, it's a busy place to be. It must be some kind of natural instinct that makes these little boys focus in and work together on playing, creating, and letting their imagination take the lead. I absolutely love it and it is a joy to sit back and watch it all unfold.  In a previous post I mentioned the sketch books and making art in the outdoors. Well today I picked up a pack of new colored pencils and brought them with us. The boys were very inspired by the lighthouse, birds, ocean, and the outdoors. It was a treat to see them what they were drawing and how they interpret their surroundings. We will definitely be doing this again and maybe try paint next time. Another good day here on the coast of Oregon, loving the opportunities to be in the outdoors together.

Backyard Bliss

I love my back yard. It is not landscaped beautifully, in fact it is quite wild and as close to natural as possible. Evening fires under stars and moon light are just about as awesome as it can get for me. I know, cheap date, but really! I just love hanging out in the back yard around the fire. Tonight was nearly a date with my sweetie. The boys were put to bed early, which gave us some extra time together to just step outside and feel the heat from the fire and the see the stars and moon shine in the sky, on a cool, clear winter night. Back yard bliss for sure!

Good Morning Sketch Book

I like to wake up early...a little early before the boys. To drink my nectar of the Gods(coffee) in quiet peace, to think of what the day might bring and how I can seize this day to make it "successful" in my eyes. This early morning time is precious to me. I greet each of my sons as they wake and pitter, patter to my arms for a morning hug. This morning I noticed both boys went straight to their sketch books. What a way to start the day! I was very inspired and thought this was certainly a sign as to what the day should bring us. Today I explained to the boys the joy of arting in the outdoors...yes! drawing, sketching, painting, pastels, oils, or watercolor...in the outdoors, a place in nature where you set up your little spot, sit down and just make art from the inspiration around you. Nature. So what a way to start the day. Good morning sketch books!

Feeling Beachy

We have had some distance from the beach lately. The high surf and winds, along with all the storms, we stayed far from the beach. Yet as soon as the storms passed and the weather cleared just a bit, we were headed to the beach. Last week we were informed of the disaster of foam and trash the storm had left on the North Jetty. Surfrider's called for an emergency beach clean up. We arrived to see the N. Jetty looking entirely different and covered in trash and large pieces of Styrofoam. Within two hours three truck beds were full of foam and there were over 40 people there to pick up the after storm mess. It felt good to come together so quickly to take care of a place we love so much.
The day was so beautiful, clear, sunny, and some surf too. That evening we went to the South Jetty to have a bon fire. There is so much wood on the beach from the storm we could of had a fire for a week straight! We stayed until well after dark, cooked dinner over the fire, and enjoyed the company of many friends, the stars were shining, and it was fun to be there, at the beach.

Gaming...unplugged

I have always enjoyed playing games; board games, card games, word games, group games, and many more. What I really love is playing games with these two, and what I adore is to see these two play games together. It takes me right back to my childhood, and I remember playing games with my brother. We loved, Sorry, king's corner, uno, enchanted forest. It was simply a fun and real way to have a good time. The boys are playing more games than ever. Here they are on their first round of Mastermind a gift their Aunt Katlyn gave them for Christmas, over a cup of tea. Like I said a moment like this just delights me! I play the winner!