Dinner and a movie.

Have you ever needed a break and you didn't realize it until after you received it? That's how I felt tonight at dinner.  It wasn't planned, just last minute because of a meeting with our real estate agent and the fact that most our house is packed in boxes.  So after I took a shower (it had been a couple days and my hair was in a perma bun on top of my head) and a trip to the house, we went to the Ram and had a yummy dinner and actual conversation. Just looking across the table at Savannah and Sam made me smile.  I just love that they're here!  Plus, Max was awesome and entertained himself by eating a massive bowl of Clam Chowder (that I think was originally Savannah's.) This may all sound simple, but the end result was a relaxed momma who was able to spend quality time with my littles and my honey.  

Afterword, at Savannah's request, we watched The Call and I'm not so relaxed anymore. (That was a scary movie, of which I really don't watch anymore and now I remember why.) Although I have to admit, the junk food binge and snuggle time with Savannah and Sam made the terrible nightmares I'm about to have all worth it.

Hike for Love.

I took this of Savannah hiking in the trees.

There is currently a virtual race on Facebook called a Run for the White House for Childhood Cancer.  I have blogged about it previously, but wanted to bring light to it again tonight, because as I was running this evening, I realized just how much it has become a daily part of my life, even affecting the choices I make.  

A good Samaritan took a picture of all four of us.

This was the case yesterday when instead of heading home, we decided to stay and hike down to one more beach in our spontaneous visit to far Northeastern Washington.  I had found out that in order to get to this particular beach, we had to hike almost a mile through rain forest.  Part of the reason behind my stopping is because I did the math and I knew with all three of us hiking (Max was in a pack on my back), it would add at least four and half miles to our total for the day.  With my oldest two here and having to pack my house for our hopeful move next week, I have not been able to get as many miles in and that has bothered me.  (I joked today that I need to get a pedometer because of how much I'm on my feet and making trips up and down the stairs.)

Sam hiked out to this rock!  He loved it!

 So we decided on the hike and I am so glad we did, the forest was gorgeous and the beach was stunning.  I remember walking through the waves with Savannah and telling her about the virtual walk and it being the deciding factor for doing this hike instead of heading home.  We both stopped and said a little prayer for the little ones we are running/walking/hiking/biking for.  With them as my inspiration, they gave me the gift of an unforgettable memory.

Sam took this of Savannah, Max and I.  He's kissing my cheek!

It is often said to not let the suffering of a child (or anyone for the matter) to be done in vain.  Instead, hold them in your heart as a reminder to not take life for granted and that each day is precious.  My experience at the ocean also taught me to cherish the moments where life surprises you and pauses for a moment of pure joy.  Thank you Brian for being a beacon to so many in your quest to help bring light to the tragedy of Childhood Cancer.  This hike is in honor of you, your son and all the little ones battling cancer.       

Savannah capturing a bit of the sea and sand to remember the day.

We went searching for Vampires and found Paradise.

A perfect day, that is what today was.  On a whim, after a suggestion from Sam, we decided to drive to Forks to go see the Vampires.  We literally planned the trip moments before bed last night, woke up and Savannah, Sam, Max and I were on our way.

It is a long trip with no ideal direct root, but with gorgeous scenery none the less.  Truth be told, we loved it!  On the way up, we stopped at some random beach on the Sound and had a picnic and played with the crabs.  Then off to Forks we went to find the Vampires.  They were illusive, but we were able to see some houses, buildings and cars from the Twilight movies and books.  We didn't really have a plan and had never been up to this part of Washington, so we were totally winging it (with the help of the Visitor's center in Forks.)  

After Forks, we headed to LaPush beach, also in the movie.  It was gorgeous and we all had a blast playing in the sand and water.  It was getting late, but we decided to throw caution to the wind and stopped at another beach nearby.  This one required an almost mile hike through the rain forest down to the water.  The whole experience was breathtaking and unforgettable.  The whole day was filled with  "moments" I won't forget, but the last beach was just pure paradise.  The drastic nature of the way land had been carved by the sea was spectacular.  After exploring a bit we were contemplating on leaving, but I decided that we should go barefoot again and explore the beach a little more. This allowed us to play in the water and explore the wonder of sea-life-filled tide pools.  However, I think truthfully, we all just wanted the magic of the day to last just a little bit longer.   

I think Max said it best when out of the blue he declared, "I like this place."   Savannah, Sam and I agreed.  It was an awesome adventure and a new memory of a day exploring uncharted territory. On the way home we went a little different route and found ourselves diving along The Crescent Lake in the Olympic Mountains.  As Sam said, it seemed to go on forever and was a beautiful deep blue.  It almost looked fake with how the hills hit the water and the clouds hung between both.  Just another unexpected visual treat to finalize our day.

All in all,  I think I fell even more in love with Washington and all it has to offer today and I am so grateful that Savannah and Sam were here to share it with me.  Today was another example of when we allowed ourselves to stop doing and instead, just be.

Side note:  I am off to bed, a wee bit tired after quite a day, but promise to post more pictures tomorrow.  

Instagram her life.

My teenage daughter is introducing me into the whole new budding culture of "self-ees"(pictures taken of yourself) and "likes" on Instagram.  She has lessoned me on when you post, how many in a day and how to tell if a picture is "likable" or not.  What are the most popular pictures?  Not artistic shots or landscaping like her ol' mom posts, but pictures of yourself.

Yesterday I took this picture after hanging out at Meeker Days, in a little park on our way to the car.  My beautiful little girl all grown up.  I didn't know how I felt about her putting her picture onto the web to be liked or not.  However, after seeing some of the completely inappropriate pictures that her fellow classmates were posting, I was grateful for what she chose to share. 

Last night she asked me if I would take some pictures of her all dressed up and I was more than happy to. After all, it's not often that your child willingly lets you photograph them.  I'm used to trying to wrangle Max for a picture, which is like trying to keep a wave upon the sand.  However I am still a little unsure about the fact that people are basically voting on how pretty my daughter is.  To me she is this beaming sunshine who is truly one of a kind, she's my love, my life and perfect in every way.  She deserves a million likes as far as I'm concerned.  I don't want her to ever view herself one way or another based on peer "likes."  None the less, while I have to accept this is the culture she is growing up in, I do find some comfort that she is choosing photos her mom not only approves of, but actually took.   

  

 

    

Change of Perspective

I have been fortunate enough to have traveled through and physically touched 49 of our 50 states.  (I still need Alaska.)  Each and every state has it's own culture, character and soul.  I have actually traveled through each of these states, driving from Albuquerque to Maine, Albuquerque to FL, CO to California, Colorado to WA, Back and forth from NM & CO to the Midwest.  I drove from Indianapolis to Kiawah Island, South Carolina by myself when I was 20.  I took a train by myself (when I was barely 20) from OR to Indiana, sleeping in coach or on the floor of the caboose.  I have driven from OR to CA to NV to AZ to UT to WY to MT to ID and back to OR in a week, all on little to no sleep.


I have canoed/camped in the Boundary waters of Minnesota, woke up to Elk outside my tent in Rocky Mountain National Park and walked around an island while camping in Orcas Island in Washington.  I have driven through the night while crossing our great country, dealt with temperatures ranging from 110 + in AZ, to  -30 when moving here and driving through MT.  I drove from Bloomington, IN to Memphis with my best friend to visit Elvis' house and from IN to WI to live for the summer.  From IN to GA to visit the south.  I have driven solo, with family and with friends.



My four oldest babies have driven literally thousands of miles and have been to over 30 states while traveling with me on many of these journeys.  Starting with Savannah driving from IN to CO when she was just six weeks old.  Saxton also started young traveling at three weeks from NM to AZ and then also at six weeks from NM to IN via CO.  I have even crossed the Canadian border at the Niagara Falls and from AZ and later CA into Mexico.  In 2005 I was in the ocean in Maine and then in California, opposite coasts, all in the same month, while living in New Mexico.    



These are just a sample of my long and sometimes short trips across our great country.  We are blessed to have just about every kind of landscape, from mountains to prairies, rocky coastlines to those laid out like glass.  Each and every state has offered me some sort of perspective, a different way of viewing life.  I have experienced the poorest of cities while helping in West Virginia with Habitat for Humanity, to the wealthiest while working in Los Angeles and visiting NYC.  I have enjoyed Sunrises on the East Coast, to Sunsets on the west, sometimes alone and sometimes with someone I love.




I have now found my home to be a town just south of Seattle, over two thousand miles from my hometown in Indiana.  My heart is content here, my soul finally finding some peace.  One of my favorite places to visit, Pike Place Market, has a personality all its own and is one of my favorite spots to photograph.


The Market has taught me that you don't always have to travel far to discover something new, that even a place you have frequented many times can still show you a fresh point of view, but only if you are able to change your perspective.

Side Note:  These are all my photographs at different perspectives and during different visits to Pike Place Market in Seattle Washington.

    

Pee Parties and other little Victories of Motherhood...

In honor of Mother's Day, I contemplated what to write about.  It came to me as I thought of myself jumping around, clapping and cheering in the family restroom at Kohl's on Monday. It's the little victories that lead to such things as pee parties, which matter most.  Max and I had walked over to Kohl's while we were waiting for our tire to get fixed at Les Schwab.  I had to use the restroom and decided on going family style so I didn't have to worry about Max crawling under the stall door and escaping.  Oh happy day, sure they had the regular run-of-the-mill toilet, but they also had a very attractive toddler toilet that gained Max's utmost attention.  He hadn't peed on the toilet for me yet, but with his growing excitement for this mini-commode, I thought I'd try.  So I put on a seat cover (of course) and he sat down and peed!  I whooped and hollered in a most animated fashion, which made him excited!  Moments later, just before I was able to get him back in his diaper and clothes; the guy called to tell me our car was ready.  While I was talking to him, Max sat back down and peed more.  I quickly hung up and started the party all over again!  This was a big moment after all.  (Max did get to pick out a prize afterward; the toys were right outside the bathroom and made it too easy.  Although it must be noted, I didn't promise him any such reward prior, he had honestly chosen to pee on his own accord!)

These pee parties and the like are the best part of being a mommy.   They get us through the trials and tribulations of mother-hood.  With this trend of the great roller coaster in mind, I was able to help Sage the other day after her soccer game.  It was the first of the outdoor season and Sage had made not one, not two, but three goals!  She was the only one to score and helped her team win their game.  However, instead of being happy, she was in her "sage mode" and worried her teammates would view her as a ball hog.  I looked at her and told her no, she wasn't a ball hog, just in the right place at the right time.  Going further, I reminded her about the team that she and Saxton were on last spring that didn't win a game, often didn't even have a full 9 person team and were held to just a couple of goals the whole season.  I reminded her that even in such tough conditions, they didn't give up and went to every game and played their hearts out.  As a mom I cheered them on with pride, not because they won or lost, but because of how they played the game.  I told Sage that she deserved those three goals; she earned them by not giving up when things were at there worst.  I told her to celebrate, after all they might be the only ones she makes all season and wouldn't it be a shame if she didn't enjoy it.  She smiled and agreed.  Sage went on to score again this last Saturday and then cheered as two of her teammates scored in a play they had went over in practice.  Her team won again, but I don't think that mattered as much as the lessons she was learning.

With this same concept in mind, Savannah made me proud this spring by going out for track.  However one day, she was unnecessarily tough on herself about how she was performing.  I reminded her of her PRs (personal records) but that more importantly, she was doing something healthy and constructive with her time.  Instead of hanging out after school possibly getting in trouble or making bad choices, she was choosing instead to get in shape and be part of a team.  I was proud of her for that more than anything.  Good for you Savannah, good for you!  

These Mommy moments come in all kinds of ways. Yesterday I was getting the kids ready to take them to school and I asked Brayden where Saxton was.  He told me she was in the car already, never mind it was only 7:54 and we didn't need to leave for at least ten or fifteen minutes.  I laughed with my husband about it later.  It's kind of a joke around the house concerning the fact that she is a drill Sergeant when it comes to leaving for school.  However we will take it, it's much better than the alternative of being late because she doesn't want to go.  I am very proud of the student she has become and how important school is to her.  That's my girl, a nerd like her mom.  So no matter if it is Sergeant Saxton, or other little victories like watching Brayden choose to play cars with his little brother, or Sam getting excited about building villages in X-box Minecraft  (versus more violent games), give me reasons to get excited.

  

So yes, I celebrated my "Mother's Day Weekend" with a wonderful date night on Saturday and a Sunday in Seattle, walking through Pike Place Market, bike riding on Alki Beach and feeling all the love from my little’s.  And true, come Monday, the laundry, dishes, cleaning and driving were back. But that's all okay, because I also was also able to enjoy a Pee Party and that makes it all worthwhile.

Happy Mother's Day (a few days late in fully mommy fashion) to all my fellow mommas out there!  Love you!

Most importantly, thank you to my little’s who give me the title of mom, I love all of you to the moon and stars and back!