{through the rearview} old photos new life

May 16, 20133 Comments

throw back thursday

or

flash back friday.

either way…

either day…

people post older photographs on instagram.

it might be a year, or 10, or 30.

about a month ago, i was cleaning (on thursday, i clean), had to put something away in the attic, and pulled out two photo albums.

one my sister made for me.

the other was one i just put together with photos my mom passed along to me.

the kids loved looking at them.

and, to do anything to procrastinate (did i tell you i am a procrastinator?!), i posted a couple on instagram.

it’s fun.

and, you know what it reminds me of?

that i had an awesome childhood.

that is why i do what i do for my children.

it is fun to have fun.

to go on adventures.

learn something new.

play with friends and family.

i’m going to use these photos, and many more, to write some posts about my childhood.

i think it will be fun.

and, it’s fun to have fun.

home is…being reminded of my childhood.

saying no

January 23, 20136 Comments

This morning we were supposed to board a plane and head to Colorado to visit my family.

Ryan suggested the idea and I came up with the plan.

He has a meeting in California over the weekend, so we figured that the kids and I could go to Denver and visit family.

We would go for a long weekend and attend the National Western Stock Show & Rodeo just like my sister and I used to when we were little.

We would visit with family and friends we haven’t seen in months.

I even printed out all the addresses for the Goodwill’s and other thrift stores in Denver.

It was all planned.

We were checked in for our flight.

And, it just didn’t feel right.

As much as I wanted to go all the signs were telling me that it just wasn’t right.

Lorelai has been sick, the weather was calling for freezing rain right when we were supposed to head to the airport, my body was losing the battle against the unending barrage of germs that it has been fighting off since the holidays, and I was not looking forward to flying through Seattle to get to Denver by myself with the two kiddos.

Yesterday afternoon I called my mom and let her know that we were planning to come, but would keep an eye on the weather…there might be flight delays.

Within minutes of getting off the phone Lorelai threw up in the kitchen. I’m pretty sure it was caused by a coughing fit, but that was the last sign I needed.

I cried, I thought, and I finally decided that we couldn’t go.

Ryan got on the phone with the airlines and canceled our tickets.

I called my mom and let her know we wouldn’t be coming.

The last two times I have visited Colorado I have been sick.

March 2010, we visited for Spring Break. While we had a wonderful time when we were there, I was fighting a cold the entire visit and ended up with walking pneumonia when we got back.

Thanksgiving 2011, I had Laryngitis the entire time. And, Lorelai was sick both times.

I decided to say no.

No to myself.

No to the plans I had made.

No to traveling alone with the kids while we are not feeling well.

I was afraid of disappointing everybody…my parents, my sister and brother-in-law, aunts and uncles, cousins, my niece, and Reece & Lorelai.

But, I had to say no.

home is…taking care of my family.

{lake pend oreille} celebrating greg and natalie

August 13, 20123 Comments

It’s the Monday after returning from a week long vacation that was amazing.

We celebrated my cousin Greg and his beautiful new wife, Natalie.

We reunited with first and second cousins, aunts and uncles, grandparents, parents, and siblings.

It was magical.

I won’t recap everything in words as I believe that the photos will speak for themselves.

The first night we arrived was the rehearsal dinner in downtown Sandpoint…

Cousins.

Siblings.

The following afternoon was the wedding on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille…

Cousins, aunts, uncles, siblings, grandparents.

More to come…

home is…celebrating family.

making a list…

November 28, 20113 Comments

Checking it twice…

This morning I am making a list of all the things I need (want) to get done before Christmas!

We had a wonderful time in Colorado despite the fact that the majority of us were sick the entire time.

I lost my voice the day after we got there and didn’t get it back until the day after we left.

Oh well.

I wanted a “do 0ver”, but the most important thing was spending time with family and that is what we did.

The kids played, we saw deer and elk, and there was even a 10 minute snowstorm the night before we left!

So, now we are moving on…

Our lights are up outside.

I just ordered our holiday cards.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

home is…going home and coming home.

sorority girls

April 20, 2011Leave a comment

I was in a sorority.

The Pi Beta Phi house in Boulder, Colorado.

Turns out, The Pioneer Woman was a sorority girl, too.

And, a Pi Phi to boot!

She’s got a new cooking show on the Food Network coming later this summer and her recently released book, “Black Heels to Tractor Wheels“!

{I found out that she is a Pi Phi in the Spring 2011 edition of my The Arrow of Pi Beta Phi magazine}

home is…sisterhood.

home sweet home

April 1, 20116 Comments

I had hoped to get a post up of our last day in Colorado, but after an afternoon spent in airports and an airplane alone with the kiddos I am spent.

I did take 600+ photos this week…and have another 100+ that I got from my dad’s camera. Oh, and that doesn’t include photos taken on my iPhone. There will be more posts to come.

I did not mention it, but during all the fun we had I was battling a cold that I caught the week before we left. It’s still sticking around. It started out with my left side (nose, ear, throat) all stuffed and plugged and migrated to my right side the last couple of days. Not sure if I also had allergies in Colorado, too…the wind was blowing all kinds of dust around!

At any rate, I am headed to bed with some kind of get better medicine and vitamins.

home is…home sweet home.

{colorado} day 6

March 31, 201111 Comments

Today started with saying good morning to the deer.

And, hanging out with the dogs.

Then it was all about tu-tu’s and capes.

And, all the play that happens when you are wearing them.

I made tu-tu’s for the girls, and Meme made capes for all of the kids.

Baby girl liked the tu-tu!

The little guy and Sha-Sha, I mean Batman and Batgirl, loved the capes!

We took a trip to another beautiful playground in my parents neighborhood.

Baby girl and the little guy did not want to leave. They had so much fun in the warm, sunny weather…even if the wind was blowing like crazy.

The little guy tried to teach Sha-Sha about remote control Jeeps. She wasn’t as interested as he had hoped, but she did alright.

The Jeep has a busted rear axle…a couple too many trips down the stairs.

We did have to change the batteries three times during our visit…the little guy loves the thing! We’ll definitely have to get a remote control Jeep for home.

We even painted finger and toenails today.

My sister came up to have dinner with us tonight. I wish I could have spent more time with her, but we’ll just have to plan another visit…or they can come out to visit us in Oregon!

As I was packing up some of our things tonight the little guy asked, “Can I bring my cape home?”

I said, “Of course, that’s why Meme made it for you!”

Then he said, “Can I sleep with my cape on?”

To that I had to tell him, “No, it’s not safe.” Although I thought that was one of the cutest questions I had ever heard.

I have a feeling that we will need Meme to make many more capes for the little guy!

Meme is putting him to bed tonight…with his cape right next to him.

home is…super heros and ballerina fairies.

{colorado} day 4

March 29, 20113 Comments

Everybody slept well last night. I know the update on the sleep thing is boring, but when you are traveling with 2 kids under the age of 4 sleep is important…for everybody!

Although the weather people thought we *may* get snow last night we woke up to blue skies this morning. Weather people can be wrong everywhere…not just in Portland! I also find it funny that no matter where you go people always say, “Just wait a few minutes and it will change,” about the weather…but I digress.

So, the snow and Sha-Sha were no shows today. My niece had a bad cough so stayed home in Denver with my sister.

So, we improvised.

We took our time this morning taking showers and getting dressed and then headed down the hill. We made a quick trip to Michaels to get supplies for making tu-tu’s and capes, went to get a bagel at Einstein’s for lunch, and drove into Golden to play at a playground while it was nice and sunny!

We played outside a bit at Meme & Tophers and then baby girl had a nap and the little guy and Mommy had some quiet time when Meme ran a quick errand.

We eventually went back outside to play in the sun with the remote control Jeep that Topher brought home on Saturday.

We also headed to the playground that with arguably one of the best views in the world.
You be the judge.

Then it was bathtime!

And, shortly after we had more visitors to the yard.

Tomorrow we have a fun adventure planned…stay tuned!

home is…being tired, happy and excited (and missing the hubby).

{colorado} day 3

March 28, 20112 Comments

The kids crashed last night.

Then both woke up around 1 am and wanted to be snuggled, but would not snuggle with me in the same bed. Thanks to Meme for snuggling with the little guy so I could snuggle with baby girl.

Eventually everybody got back to sleep and woke at a decent hour for the day.

We woke up to an unexpected (for me, at least) snowfall. A few inches of the white stuff had fallen and was falling as baby girl and I headed up for breakfast.

In Portland, schools would have been closed for a snow day, but life went on here in the foothills west of Denver.

The deer were eating their breakfast outside.

We shoveled the snow.

Tried to play with the deer.

Threw snow in the air.

Went sledding.

Built a snowman.

And, watched the snow melt.

We also took a trip to Whole Foods and Target, played with the remote control Jeep, and took naps (baby girl and I took naps while Meme played with the little guy).

The kids are sleeping and I am headed to bed soon…lets hope everybody sleeps through the night. We have a big day planned for tomorrow with cousin Sha-Sha! And, we may get more snow tonight!

Oh yeah, we also saw a coyote running up the draw before we went out sledding this morning!

home is…fun in the unexpected snow!

{colorado} day 1 and 2

March 27, 20113 Comments

We made it to Colorado with the two kids in tow!

We got up to my parents house last night after a pretty uneventful morning of travel.

We got acquainted with the wildlife (actually said hello to some deer out the back window, too).

Played with a new remote control Jeep that Topher brought home.

And had dinner with my sister, brother-in-law, and niece.

Ryan left to fly to Florida for work on Sunday morning, so he missed out on the festivities which included lunch with the Catlin/Fields/Larson/Maiman bunch.