Saturday AM

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend the weather is AMAZING! Feels great to be home this morning, light pouring through the windows, an early morning run to the beach, and home for a super yummy coffee in my favorite cup.

"We write to taste life twice. Once in the moment, and once in retrospection." - Anais Nin

I borrowed this quote from Carla's blog- thanks girl its a cool one.

Early Morning Light

Recent Creative Happenings

I just finished my scarf- yeah, I love it.

Canning peaches with the girls- so fun!

At our house, not finishing the beans until midnight. The day I did these Abs, Mom and I sat at her kitchen table and all snapped beans together. It felt all nice, like replaying a memory that I have- snapping beans with my mom and Grandma.

Abby helping with the beans, decked out in her lifevest? In between bean tasks she was leading me on a boat excursion outside in the galvanized water tub around the yard, I mean sea. Multi-tasking at its best.

Visiting, Horses, and School

The Prock boys checking out the cows. We had such a good visit- so glad you made the trek!



















Wow, it is still really hard to get a picture of all three kids actually looking at the camera. Oh well.



First Day of Kindergarten, our sweetie girl. She is loving it by the way!

Amazing how things work.... 1 week earlier.....

Abs: momma, i wish i could have a black horse with a really smooth coat.

Mom: Maybe someday Abby.

The next week Ben proceeds to get his horse back from a friend who was keeping her and asks us if she can be in the field with Sage to keep her company.

Wow, a black horse with a smooth coat. Her name is Willow.

Abs: Momma, can i just pretend she's mine?

Abby had a fantastic day full of sun, new kids and old friends, new challenges and full on excitement. She even told us a little about her day and what kinds of things she did which didn't happen at all last year. Momma, on the other hand had a really rough day. Very low on sleep and high on emotion aren't a great combo for me. Today, I just kept telling myself to breathe. I found myself searching for the sun to hit my face- today lunch on the porch and at the bluffs lying down on Tom's bench listening to the waves. We made it through.

Welcome to Kindy Abby

I stayed a little longer tonight in bed as you fell asleep, memorizing how you looked as your eyes got heavy. I caught myself looking at you today more like my brain wasn't registering that you were really old enough. At varying times today it felt hard to breathe, my stomach tight with tention. So this is what it feels like to transition to the next phase.... you are ready but I'm reluctant. I have felt nervous this last week for tomorrow to come even though you are at the same school just going more days and with new teachers. You will do well there is no doubt.

Your light is so bright, may you show others.

Your creativity and imagination are sweet, may you nurture that for your whole life.

Your mind is quick, may you attain the knowledge that you need to be successful in your eyes, in your own way.

Your spirit can be wild and lead you to trouble but it will also serve you well in reaching your goals.

May you always treat people with respect, ESPECIALLY yourself.

May you always be honest even when it is hard.

May you always feel that you are loved and supported, even if we don't always agree.

May you always be true to yourself.... who you are.... and what makes you happy.

We love you like crazy girl.

The last of Summer

So many things are pointing to the last days of summer- makes me feel like shutting my eyes. The days getting shorter, Abby's school conference for "Kindy", Labor day weekend plans, going through clothes, a few leaves on the ground, sunflowers up, cool nights again..... all things point to fall but.... just..... not... ready.. quite.. yet.

The Family

Abby, Angelina, Luke and Liam. Sweet cousins.

A recent pic of the fam sans Ben, when Anth and Jenny were here for a last weekend before the move to LaMoore Airforce base in California. Sooo sad, we are going to miss them like crazy.

So I've never really owned a vehicle that I had any mechanical trouble with. Before I got the Jetta I had a sweet little Subaru- totally dependable, totally functional. The reason we sold it- because we could still get some money for it 1, and also because we wanted to do biodiesel and get great gas mileage. I did lots of research and looked for quite awhile. So I do love the gas mileage, to drive it, and the radio but more of me hates the car now. The last 2 months I've actually been getting consistently flipped off while driving due to the black exhaust pouring out of it when I step on the gas. I finally found a good mechanic shop that ISN't the dealership and they figured out the problem. I was all excited and liking my car for approx. 2 days. Then leaving Kristy's house 1/4 mile from the shop luckily and NOT at the gorge or going 79 mph down the road the axle broke and proceeded to then punch a hole in the transmission case. *$@^&, liquid is just pouring out of the front end, not good. To make matters worse.... I was supposed to leave for the Jack Johnson concert the next day, OMG.
Thanks to everyone for helping me out....for getting me to the mechanic, home the scenic route and for telling me it was going to be fine.... for making me mojitos and playing Jack for me on Friday... for offering their car for me to take....Joe for hugging me when I was mad and crying, and for a 9pm call from the concert telling me what the gorge looked like and letting me listen to Jack in the background singing. Wa-hoo!!! Love you all.

Moments when your heart skips...

Tonight going to sleep....
Abs: "Momma what does heroic mean?"
Me: well, it usually means someone who is really strong, brave or has lots of courage. Maybe someone who saves someone or protects them.
Abs: Like a hero, right?
Me: Yeah, babe.
Abs: "You're my hero momma."

Early morning here....



















Yumm-o apricot jam- Thanks Anna.









Kali is back from California. Happy birthday- we missed you!!














Abby and Jezzie.















Hard to believe if you've seen my tea cupboard that i haven't had an herbal tea for the last while so no tea at night but tonight i found some up on the top shelf- yeah!!

Old Turtle and Hope

A story about how we all once listened and heard and saw but stopped somewhere along the way. From Old Turtle to the little girl- "Remember this also, Little One, " she said. "The Broken Truth, and life itself, will be mended only when on person meets another- someone from a different place or with a different face or different ways- and sees and hears...herself.

Tonight we read Old Turtle by Douglas Wood.

Its not often that kids books that you have read alot, over and over as kids like to do, give you goose bumps and the chills because the message is so amazing. If you haven't read it, maybe you could?

Mama Mia

Notice the Abba on the music? Ok girls, if you haven't seen Mama Mia you should grab your girlfriends and go. Meryl Streep is so amazing and it is just great, slightly cheezy but really fun.
http://www.mammamiamovie.com/
Now if I can just get that music out of my head!!

We went out today and headed for the woods with a backpack, a lunch, both of us in skirts and painted faces. Abby decided to be a tiger to scare off any cougars we might see. How amazing to have lunch in the mountains by the Dungeness River and in half an hour be at the state park in the hot sun looking for shells, oysters and anything we could find. Vacation was beautiful but home is just as amazing.