Raspberry jam made by 9am, a hard morning with a 7 year old that has the attitude of a 14 year old at times, not liking to say no to fun things, feeling like i have to have my thumb on her all day- hashing it out. Lunch out on a sand pile, both kids "helping" their grandma Kali on the sand- Abs all proud that she got to help on the real pile not her makeshift one on the side. Some management and errands but also some sweet quiet time in the middle of the day and a really good book. A girl right now laughing that belly laugh that i love so much while her brother is trying to fall down on purpose and laughing, crawling all fast like he does when he is having fun. The sun is out and the day is only half over, a big breath comes out of me.

Little Forever

We are in the hammock in the evening a few days ago- talking about Wes's birthday coming up.

Abby: Momma, wouldn't it be cool if we could do some sort of magic and make it so Wes never got any bigger than he is right now. Mom, he is so cute. I'm going to miss his little sounds he makes when he starts saying real words. Maybe i could have that magic too and just get to be a kid forever, maybe i would wait until i was 10 to do it because i think its going to be really cool when i'm 10.

Last night as we were heading to bed she wanted me to pick her up and carry her to brush her teeth.

Momma: Abby i'm too tired, you're too big.

Abs: Don't say that momma. I never want to get any bigger. I mean i want to have birthdays, of course..., but i don't want to get any taller and i want my voice to be the same.

My sweet girl, you are a gem.

Some Pics

The super cheesy grin I've been trying to catch on film. Ha- I got it.

The kids at salt creek in the raft.

The boys' early morning swim on Joe's birthday.

Joe and Wes doing some work. :) Wes loves the tractor- he is all still and in his observation mode.

Alex and Jerry when they got here for the summer!!

Horray for no school and barefeet

Summertime....summertime. Finally.

The kiddos braving the water at Lake Crescent, cold but beautiful!










Luigi, Asha, and Ethan up at Hurricaine Ridge, some hiking and sun.








The end of the week. Joe, Asha, and Kali

The cousins. Jeremiah, Keelee, Alex, and Chelsea

Abs took this picture of Keelee and Wes, so beautiful.

Vacation vacation

What a week we had. The hottest weather of the year, trips to the punch bowl and turquoise water. Salt creek, surfing, great food, walking back and forth from Asha'a house she rented to ours, soooo nice. We got to go kayaking in the bay as the sun was going down, the water all glass, the frogs croaking and the quiet- oh how quiet. Tents in the yard along with slip in slides, pools, and squirt guns. We had a party on the 4th for Joe, bad weather but everyone still came and by the evening the sun was out. We got to show them Port Townsend and they hiked around Hurricaine Ridge. Late nights, nice talks, lots of laughing and Terets. Cars full of teenagers and all the entertainment that that brings as well as sweet young kids, Abs and Ethan playing all week together- mostly they ran and laughed. We had the Payesko kids and Angelina to make the 6-8 yr old pack of kids bigger and tons of fun. We loved having you all, thanks everyone for the week, for the memories and all the sweet hugs and love. We really have such an amazing family.

Running

This is off Court's phone from facebook, not sure how to make it look normal. But here is us after the run, happy happy we are done!!

Pre-race shoes and numbers, ready.

So for the bit of grumbling i did about this race being a bit of a pain, the training was harder to find time for, didn't feel like i ran enough, a separate trip to Seattle for the registration, (WTF), and all that goes into leaving overnight by myself, to say the least it seemed like alot. But... when we finally got to the start, looking at a sea of people doing this, that all went away and I just felt where i was. I was lucky enough to be running with my niece in a half marathon. The conditions were perfect, the course- freeways shut down, running through tunnels and next to lake Washington. Running by people of every race, color, kids, mom's/dad's, grandparents, people holding US flags with people's names on them, all sorts of people cheering everyone on, didn't matter if they knew you or not. I saw moms walking with daughters holding hands the whole way, lots of women running with other women- laughing, talking, and encouraging each other along, couples running together, kids joining their moms for a bit of the way and then yelling that they loved them and back they went to the next cheering spot. I saw many people with names and pictures of people on their back that they were running for, people who had died of cancer. Mostly though, for that morning there were 27,000 people running or walking for something bigger than themselves, a whole morning where that many people in one place all had feelings of goodwill, everyone smiling and feeling empowered after they were finished. When we came out of the tunnel and saw Safeco and Qwest field I was endorphin high and basically had goosebumps until the end. Thanks everyone so much for helping me get all those runs in at home, thanks Cass for deciding to do it with me, to Court and Dawn for letting us crash at your house and for braving the morning race traffic/policemen, to Kali and Joe for hanging with the kids all those times so i could run. I could not have done it without any of you. And to end the story of the previous post, yes, the strep throat did get me but i'm on the mend!

5:42

Well.... here goes nothing. The rock and roll half marathon this morning. Seattle is overcast which is fantastic for this runner, Cass's pre-race mix is on, we have directions to the start, we are set. Stay strong knee and the strep throat that is trying to get me, just wait for 5 more hours, then you can have me. Woot-woot!!

Thurs Nite

Exciting week here. First week out of school and the weather is actually nice.
Warm nights and days, the hammock is up, and the most exciting thing.....
The big boys are here for the summer from N.Carolina and we are so happy to see them.
Abby is totally excited and they are great with her, watching Bambi II right now with her down in Kali's house. We have been laughing a lot since they came, they are bigger and have lost a little boyish-ness but mostly they are the same sweet boys. It makes me look at Wes differently, a quick glimpse forward how it might be with a teenage boy in the house. It makes me smile at the same time hug Wes closer, it goes so quick really. Spent the morning in Seattle with Wes on my back, a quick few minutes with Han as she walked me back to the ferry.
And finally, the question of the day: If you had a week, what would you do?

Amazing

Any of you that have the opportunity to see this movie, do it. Thank you Anna and Kristy for going, thank you husbands for holding down the fort for a short notice trip to Port townsend, and thank you sweet Rose Theatre for having it and for being one of my favorite places to be.

Gratitude

A busy day of work that felt good- like I actually helped some mom's today and got to see some really sweet babies.
The sun all warm when we got home, we just stayed outside, talked to the neighbor, Wes in his diaper and t-shirt.
Joe changing the sprinklers, taking care of the fields with Wes on his back.
Abs and I reading in the sun on the porch.
Dinner that i didn't have to cook delivered- we ate on the porch with the sun and breeze on our faces and watched the sprinklers- such a nice sound.
The water tonight all bright blue, calm, with so many birds flying.
Ahhhhh.........

Sunday

Abby really wanted this one on here. This is Wes's disappointed face.

Wes thinking he's big stuff riding his little 4 wheeler.

Abs with her snake named Sam. Sam was in a cage for maybe 10 minutes, then released to the wild potato patch.

Performances

Our girl had her gymnastics performance tonight, she was so excited. It is one of the sweetest rewards i think as parents, to watch your kids do well in something that they are really into, to watch them be successful.
Lots of work for Joe this week and little sleep all around.
It is basic i know..... i just hope for sleep tonight.
And that everyone i love is safe.

Friday night after crappy sleep, and a day of work.
Yummy turkey from mom making the house all cozy, movies, Wes asleep after some major
fussiness- him chewing on everything, including me and getting in trouble. The house quiet, the beginning of a long weekend that is low on plans.
Good news at Seattle cancer care, clear tests after 2 years with baby and breastfeeding.
7 year old being the DJ in the kitchen while i cook dinner, making her brother laugh and dance.
Notes that say "I love you" waiting in my car for me, coffee with half and half.
So amazing really.

Tonight

What we got planted tonight in addition to getting the pumpkins and squash plants in the ground!

Abs in the light

Our art project for the evening, all the markers ready for planting veggies, so exciting!!!