Sometimes we spend an occasional Sunday at “alterna-church” usually out in nature, tromping and exploring.  It’s difficult not to since we live in such a beautiful place and have two boys who love tromping and exploring.  Today was such a Sunday, inspired by the salmon spawning season.  We drove to the Tillamook Forest Center with the hopes of seeing salmon swim upstream, jump over hurdles… witnessing the last leg of their amazing journey home. 

We watched for jumpers, we checked the calmer pools for resters, but we didn’t see any salmon. 

We did see a miracle or two.

Bren and I got married eleven years ago today in a tiny mountain church with a rainbow as the backdrop. My brother was my man of honor, I wore purple shoes, and B and I rode his skateboard around the church yard to kill time.  Some awesome people flew from Michigan, California, Texas and Nevada to be here, bless their hearts.  It was a nice, kick-back evening.  

Our wedding treats were Swiss pastries from JaCiva’s.  Six different flavors. Yum. 

So today, we went back to our favorite part of Portland.  Back to one of our favorite places to eat for Phil’s Ono Yakisoba. Back to JaCiva’s for their ‘After Dark’ dessert room. It was difficult to choose which treat to try, but we managed.

I had “a slice of 7th heaven” or chocolate 7 ways.

Bren had the special hazelnut torte.

And we got some of those Swiss pastries we had at our wedding for mom and dad, our gracious babysitters.

Yum.  

Thanks Bren.  

For everything.

I have a talented pal, who is the art director for a very cool magazine and he asked if I’d do him a favor. Embarrassed, I said sure.  Even though I’m more comfortable behind a camera than in front of it, any excuse to wear my plaid Chuck Taylor’s, Levi’s and my hair all wigged out, I’m there.  The photo shoot left me out of breath, a nudge that I’m out of shape and nearing a new decade, but it was fun. Thanks Darryl.

There was a rumor she’d make a cameo on SNL, so I stayed up way too late and laughed oh, so much.

Even though the calendar says it’s September and kids are back in school, with 80+ degree weather one might argue that Fall isn’t here *quite* yet.  But, yesterday at T’s first soccer game, you could just tell by the way the sun was hanging in the sky that fall is here.  Then, Ash found a red leaf on our walk today.

Fall has, well, fallen.  I do believe.

Sometimes when you realize

you have something important to say

you express yourself

and it is appreciated.

The sun finally appeared today, making it actually feel like the first day of summer break.  Truman was a little bummed leaving school yesterday because he had first-grade-teacher-love for his first grade teacher, and will miss her.  After making an 8-page booklet dedicated to her, with pronouncements of love and appreciation perfectly illustrated with his best snakes, tigers, and everything he loves that’s not a weapon, he told her good-bye.

We spent most the day with neighbor girl, who we love, and a special summer break favorite, backyard fun at the cousins (who we super love).

Next up, our first Harvest Box from our CSA farm on Tuesday!  Can’t wait!

Happy summer everyone!

i love this song.

Wow.  What a week.  I’ll try not to whine, but after twelve days of boy illnesses, a bout with it myself, antibiotics, and a spouse in Boston, I’m beat.  I really don’t know what I would have done without my mom (and dad) around during this time.  Especially their willingness to take feisty small boy away from his sick and easily agitated mother brother.  Thanks mom.

I still don’t feel great, so perhaps the weepies are close at hand.  Then I checked my mailbox and found a fat envelope filled with teacher warm fuzzies.  

And I wept yet again.  

Another group of fabulous young adults are graduating from high school, young adults that blessed me with their laughter, brilliance, and energy every day during their 8th grade year.  Wow, we did have fun that year.  I have lots of memories from this class of kids a whopping four years ago.  Even a kid from my math class wrote a sweet note.  Yes, folks.  Math.  

 I love whoever at the high school does this.  They know what gets at a teacher’s soul.  This pack of notes would have been a gift, no matter the circumstance.  But today, weary and tired, I appreciate them all the more.  

Congratulations class of 2008.  You are the ones we’ve been waiting for.

Boots: $12 on ebay

Hat & vest: $11 at the local trift store

Holster: $1 thrift store purse - repurposed

Bandana: free from my stash

Badge: homemade

6.75 year-old who wants to dress up and play cowboy: priceless

At last Saturday’s t-ball game he swapped out the mismatched boots for his fire helmet.  He’s becoming famous with the t-ball crowd for his fashion sense.  And, honestly, amidst all the baseball caps, this was pretty cute.

Along with the stylish boot phase, Asher also loves mail.  So one day we made him his own mailbox, and sometimes he even gets some of his own mail.  Last week, after hearing the mailcarrier’s heavy boots on the porch and our creeky mailbox telling us of his sneaky work, he went out to check his box.  Disappointed that it was empty, he yelled across the street, “Where’s my mail?” to our friendly carrier.  The carrier just waved his friendly wave.  

I wonder what phase is next…

I won’t mention any names, but I have one pal who LOVES to be the go-to mom for kid costumes. Is it 4:00 on Halloween and need a costume? Call her. By knowing her, I have had several ah-ha moments of all sorts, because that’s the type of gal she is, but recently I admired the capes and cloaks her boys have. She made them all from thrifted fabric and they are great.

So, on a whim, like I am apt to do, I decided to “whip up” a cape or two for my guys this evening, because small guys love capes. I should have done this years ago when they started running through the house with their blankies tied in knots around their necks, but sometimes I’m slow.

I’m not a sew-er, but I do know how to sew a straight line and buttons. Thus, the cape: left over navy fabric, white thread (because I hate changing thread and making new bobbins) and “pirate gold” broach-like buttons. The beauty of it is my rudimentary skills are enough because it doesn’t have to be well-crafted, just well loved.

And tonight it was.

In honor of a coworker who battled breast cancer during the school year, Brendon, Truman and I participated in Relay for Life last June.  In doing so we realized that cancer has hit Bren’s family pretty hard, so we dedicated a luminary to his cousin who, in the middle of his senior year of high school, was diagnosed with cancer, fought it and won.  Way to go Ryan!

We’re doing it again this year, and so I can tailor my fundraising efforts to fit my bloggy lifestyle, to the 7 people who might actually visit this blog in a week, feel free click on this link to donate to the cause.  Heidi, you don’t need to because you’re on my team, so that leaves my 6 other readers to be guilted into donating. Mom?  Dad? 

Thanks all.

I spent many years performing all sorts of acrobatic feats, trying to inspire middle school kids to find their voice and write. In my own house, kid writing has blossomed recently, which has been fun to watch.

Couple that with an afternoon whim of tearing apart old calendars, I folded them in half-ish, filled them with blank paper, and ran a simple stitch down the side for a binding. I’ve made mini books before, but there’s something special about these soft-bound wonders.

Tru loves them. He took the first and filled it with proclamations of love for his family and Transformer drawings. Even before he left to go to his grandparents’ house for the night, he grabbed one from the stack and stuffed it in his backpack. Warmed my writing heart. And my sewing machine.

I made four more this afternoon.

During my monster-making phase, my nephew designed his own monster one afternoon. Since he was specific and wanted yellow eyes, and I didn’t have any yellow embroidery floss or felt, it took a while before I was able to get yellow-eye materials… and my gumption. I had to make cute pillow covers for the living room first, for some reason.

I finally made his monster, from start to finish, on Monday night, thanks to Dancing with the Stars. And I think it looks pretty close to his design, which is great, because his picture is so cute.

So, I hear that Nephew told some pals at school that his aunt would make some monsters - all they needed to do was draw a picture. Supposedly, there’s a stack of pictures at my sis-in-law’s house waiting to be delivered to me.

Sorry kids. Nephew gets the last one.

Asher spent about a week choosing to wear boots. Mismatched boots. All four boots would be in a pile together and he specifically chose one of each, disregarding how many lefts or rights he had. They went famously with “my special raincoat”. Yes, they did.

This ranks right up there with my niece wearing her well-loved bunny slippers to a restaurant.

I’m so glad I snapped these pictures last Saturday, because, like a good piece of chocolate, it’s over all too soon.