the week that was...

 

we were tired of living in a house. so we packed our gear, and food for picky eaters, sumptuous treats for company, and we battled horrendous traffic to get out of town. we drove through the secret roads, our car tossing up dust to anyone that dare follow us down twisty paths, and made our way to the cabin on the lake.

we kicked off our shoes and walked down to the dock, rode in pirate ships, tamed sharks, and glided through the water like royalty in a throne of gold. we knit scarves for penguin, took midnight boat rides to gaze at stars, held magic gatherings and busted fresh with "the sprinkler". a holy cow led the d&d crew to honest abe, who wanted nothing more than love and cuddles, revealing that even the most wildest fantasies can reflect our very perfect realities.

we walked among our giant friends, listening to their secrets as we followed abe up and down steep slopes and marveled at the bright colors that popped out to greet us in the most unassuming of spaces. we danced and sang, and laughed and kissed, we swam and ate great food, explored and engaged in conversation with ease.

we watched our energetic young boy tumble into the lake, fully clothed and unprepared for the fright of his life. he was lifted right out, scooped up and held close, as the water and fear dripped away in the arms of safety and comfort. he was wrapped in warmth and love and dry clothes, held tight and reminded of rules.

we loved the cabin, until it was time to go. so we said our goodbyes, and gave great big hugs, we said thank you and we'll be back soon, piled into the car, and went home to live in a house. 

thank you to our dear friend chuck, for the weekend of relaxation and fun. getting to know you better was time well spent!

FOVC and "FEED HOPE"

normally i've been doing a "friday faves" list on fridays, but i'm changing it up today. as you read this, the worst drought in 60 years is ravaging somalia, and thousands of people have already died and are fleeing or have fled for refugee camps in kenya. experts are calling it the worst humanitarian crisis in years. so what can we do? we, as in you and me; the ones living with a roof over our heads, clean water, and food in our bellies. there are many relief organizations helping provide aide to the areas and people affected.

let me share with you about FOVC (parts of this borrowed from my amazing friend Tamara B!). FOVC is also another great organization that is getting relief to surrounding areas affected by the drought and lack of food. FOVC is doing a huge campaign to raise funds to feed those in and around shanto (southern ethiopia near durame and soddo) who will otherwise get no emergency help. their goal is big but doable. you can read more about that campaign on their site http://www.fovc.org/feed-hope-relief.html. FOVC is huge on not just giving hand outs. this relief project is due to the desperate emergency created by the drought/famine. this will be short term help (4 months) and then back to normal developmental stuff where they enable people to feed their families by learning valuable crop, textile and other skills.

there is often a call for help from many organizations all over the world. if you’re in a position to help, whether it is $5 or $500, whether you can physically help with your talent and skills, or simply raise awareness, for issues at home or abroad, taking the time to do so often has a greater impact than we can imagine. to give you some motivation, i'll share with you what we're doing. we recently got a bonus at work, and our intention was to put it in our adoption fund. our adoption fund can wait. people are dying today; they cannot wait. we just mailed off a check to FOVC today. any amount helps, and if you can help in any way, big or small, please do so either by visiting the FOVC website above, or you can contact me privately and i can give you an address to mail a check. if you can spread awareness to your friends and family, you have my complete gratitude!

don't look now...

but there goes "peace and justice man" to the rescue!

 

the week that was...

a starfish came to visit, and moved about the pool with grace... or something close to it.

the locs are in! twists for now, but working their way to genuine awesomeness. i've only had one problem thus far, and that is they make my son look two years older.

the girl played dress up and liked what she saw... conversation flowed easily between us as we passed the afternoon hours discussing teenage trials and tribulations. i certainly don't miss my own teenage years, though i have vowed to never forget them, lest i lose touch with teenage reality and watch my children close up and shy away from the openness we currently enjoy.

the oldest boy completed an online survey, earning himself $10 from the oregon department of transportation. he took this task very seriously. as i expected he would. and that's why i wasn't worried about his first driving lesson. one down, many to go.

delightful beverages were consumed, accompanied by witty conversation, card games with borrowed money, and support given and received between some of the best of friends.

we traveled to some of the tallest trees, and pranced across several bridges... some were strong and sturdy, wearing their finest colors with flair. others were fragile yet lovely, offering support in exchange for delicate footsteps and respect of natural beauty. we danced, and kissed, and vowed to focus on the present so as not to become consumed by the future and what could be one day. the sun came out and basked us in glory, a guitarist played a song to our dancing, and holding hands seemed the most intimate of details.

i've often thought i was born into the wrong period in history, imagining my life as simpler while hard working, and yet i can say with certainty that 1894 is not my time either.

molten chocolate lava cake spontaneously appeared, not once, but twice! this homemade treat is fast becoming my dude's signature dessert... i accept it with homemade whipped cream, with or without strawberries. that's just how kind i am.

friday faves

• the 7 year old that wakes up at "5 something" and decides to get dressed for the day, crawl back into bed and wait for his alarm to go off at 6am, all in a quest to "be the first one at daycare". in case you're wondering, we were there right at 6:30 when they opened, and now that he has accomplished this feat, i hope that the desire is now laid to rest.
• peanut butter kisses.
• enjoying breakfast out with husband and daughter.
• alex's birthday is today! the world is brighter, kinder and absolutely a better place with the presence of this wonderful soul.
• four hours of conversation and singing with my husband while we hit the road.
• baking cookies for lovely friends.
• heading to see a friend i don't see often enough... looking forward to witty conversation, dry humor, hugs and pondering of anything that pops into our heads.

the week that was...

the three cherry trees were named by the three kiddos, and i was introduced to each tree with proper manners and lots of smiles... edgar, boo boo and cherry are well loved and growing with each passing day.

spicy's aroma was sought out and enjoyed by a lovely boy who reminds me to look at each new day as an opportunity to enjoy all the sights, sounds and smells around us. 

two of my favorite guys jumped at the chance to bring out their power tools and fix the freshly painted door... so great to have my handy guys around.
 
we took a trip to the beach and basked in the glorious sunshine, jumped waves, and leaped over mountains of sand. buried limbs busted loose like a monster ready to prowl, and sand flew everywhere. a skim board easily glided through the shallow waters, carrying the teen as he proved to be a wise master of balance and skill. lunch and treats were devoured after hours of frolic and horseplay. wild beasts carried us around in delight before we headed home for the evening.

the teens took turns carting around the youngest, helping him feel loved and cherished. i watched and thought about how nice those reminders are indeed.

lego mania hit us again and a wild duck overturned my hijacked bus as i tried to escape the corrupt police chief after i revealed his dastardly deeds!

friday faves...

• freestyle four square, yo
• a fresh blue kitchen door
• "giddy-up dolphin"
• locs more than halfway done
• homemade pizza lovingly prepared by the dude
• lego play
• playing the afro drums (said cay):