Memorial Day. Marriage. Maiden Voyage.

For this weekend of remembering and honoring, we did as many do, we camped.

We camped on a ledge, off the side of the road, overlooking a stormy bay. We saw seals playing and fishing. We saw whales almost breaking the surface of the water. I spent many, many hopeful minutes with my face glued to binoculars, just knowing I would see one breach. No luck. The spray from their blowholes, still enough for me. Amazing.

We were lucky to be camping with a good friend with a big comfy camper. Lots of room for Monopoly and escaping the pretty much constant rain and wind.

Except for one brief opening in the weather with enough time for a quick fire and two Reese's-Peanut-Butter-Cup-S'mores each. Those are GOOD! Just swap out a slab of chocolate bar for a peanut butter cup. Be sure to melt your cup on a rock next to the fire first. Just adds a little somethin'. These were introduced to us by old family friends that we used to camp with every year. (Thanks guys.)

We also celebrated 13 years together, this guy and me. (13!) That's a lot. We ended up celebrating in a special way...

...we woke up on the morning of our thirteenth year, in our very own teardrop.

This little beauty, over two years in the making, took its first trip. She kept us cozy and dry. Handled the curvy roads like a champ and just looks so darn cute. There are some finishing touches to be done, a pretty green for the outside and little shelves for the inside. That's it. She will be complete. The man I married 13 years ago, built it with his own hands from the ground up. I was yet again, impressed and amazed at what Jeff can do.

So, my husband is a pretty cool guy, and I am just so happy I don't have to sleep on the ground anymore.

So happy.

saturday

this moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

-Amanda Soule (SouleMama)

School's out.

Crab Fest is here.

Hanging with friends.

That's all there is to say.

Happy weekend!

This Moment.

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

-Amanda Soule (SouleMama)

Happy Friday! Happy weekend!

(PS-It's raining. A bunch.)

Some Way Better Mother's Days.

We woke up to this on Mother's Day.

(I know!)

By the end of the day it looked like this...

In between, this mom was a whole lotta sick.

Complete with an embarrassing spectacle of 

losing my stomach in the Safeway parking lot.

I love that story.

Here are some days as a mother that were so much more awesome...

Sully made me a Mom,  December 29th, 2001.

 Colyer came to us,  August 10th, 2004.

Minna arrives, (all 10lbs of her!) June 17th, 2008.

(She will be four next month, by the way.)

I love how I have that, 

"Whoa! What the...? Did i just do that?"  look in my eyes.

I really was shocked each time.

And amazed at my good fortune.

Hope you Moms had a beautiful, 

throw-up free Mother's Day.

Happy Wednesday!

This Moment.

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

-Amanda Soule (SouleMama)

Happy Friday!

A Whirl Around The Yard.

We were outside all day.

Here is some of what's going on out here.

(I do other things besides chicken things.)

I weeded and cleared dry leaves 
and brush from our bed by the front door.

Green poking out!

I was lured into photographing this bush off the deck.

I was asked today what it was.

I don't know.

I do know that I can not capture the red on camera, 

that I see with my eyes in real life.

Next time I see the gal that planted 
and nurtured this pretty thing 

for years before I inherited it, I will ask..

Til then, any ideas?

(It isn't a berry.)

We have wood. 

So. Much. Wood.

And saw dust.

Everywhere.

I do enjoy watching Jeff chop it though.

And we will have plenty of wood come fall for our stove.

We are trying to rid ourselves of the 
fuel oil system we have for heating.

That will be awesome.

We raked and cleared a path to our raised beds. 

Made the kids help line it with river rocks.

I love that look.

The coop is rocked too.

There is a lot of work to do in there 
but I am super motivated.

It's fun to do yard stuff with the family.

Minna had her work gloves on today. 
She dug right in!

And Hazel.

Just plain, ole constant cute.

Starting to shape up out here!

What's your yard doing?

Scenes, And Behind The Scenes, Of "Rio".

Minna, little, teeny Minna, was on a huge stage on Saturday. 

She flapped her wings and turned to the music as Baby Blu in "Songs and Scenes From Rio."  Have you seen the movie "Rio"? I was not really into it at first but after Minna's portrayal, it's a new fave. The music is so fun.

Anyway, I loved this production because there was a huge age range of dancers, from 3 years old to adult. And, there was a lot of homemade involved. Most dancers made some part of their costume. Wings, ears, fruit head-dresses and fancy hooped frocks. Pretty neat. 

We made three props for Minna's part. Jeff made a cage from netting we found under the snow at the river. It ended up being bigger than anticipated so it couldn't be dropped from the ceiling over Minna. Luckily, there was a plan B. It was carefully placed over Baby Blu by the bird nappers. (Those bird nappers were right off stage dancing and encouraging her during opening scene.)

I made Minna a tree trunk and nest out of a garbage can. I stained the dining room floor painting it in my pajamas. It was shiny onstage under those lights. She fit in there nice and snug and her feathers poked out just so. Love those feathers. I made her wings too. Maybe more on those later.

Minna enjoyed the making and the prop testing. She thought her nest was done at this point and said it was a great nest. "Perfect Mom!" We just added a few finishing touches.

Young Linda finds Baby Blu in a shipping crate. We scavenged some cardboard boxes, deconstructed and then rebuilt them to fit Minna inside. Her feathers poked out the air holes too.

Minna also got to be a Jungle Insect with all her friends from dance class. Including, one of her besties who is moving away with her family this Summer. This experience will be a neat memory for both of them. (And their Mums.)

Take a bow, my sweet bird!

I struggled a bit with the choice to put Minna on stage, with more than one part especially. It was a lot of responsibility for a little person. I swore that we would make it stress free and fun, while enjoying the work that goes into something like this. I did not push and I knew in my heart that I wouldn't hesitate to remove her if it came to be too much. The hardest part for her was waiting backstage without me on show night. (That was the hardest for me to.) She handled it well and went on and proved how hard she did work. 


As her Dad would say, "She killed it".


Now, out here where the line between everyday wear and dress-up clothes blur quite a bit, we have a flurry of feathers and bug attire to add to the mix. Be sure to say hi to the little girl wearing the feather tutu at the grocery store.

She sure earned those lovely blue feathers.

sunday

saturday

This Moment (Stolen From Late Last Week.)

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

-Amanda Soule (SouleMama)

After this last weekend of soccer games, 

and the debut of dancing Minna on Saturday night, 

things will slow, 

and I hope to be here more often.

Slow sounds kinda good doesn't it?

Happy Friday!