Rising

Okay, I'm terrible...I'll admit it. I have let this blog go by the wayside. It wasn't intentional, life just took over and I have had very little desire to write this year. And I'm a writer at heart! Well, I thought maybe it was high time I do a little updating. I probably won't be up to doing the long, drawn out version of the life since March (the last time I blogged). So I will stick to the highlights.


We celebrated K's birthday in June. She turned 8 years old! My baby girl...not such a baby anymore. We had this big 'ol party planned for her and she was so excited for it. All her little friends were invited and I had been preparing for weeks. Unfortunately, her birthday coincides with report cards and end-of-year wrap up obiligations at my school so I was super busy and exhausted. During this time, I caught the flu and was ordered on bedrest by my doctor. I hadn't had the flu in years, so this one kicked my arse! Well, the worst of it just happened to occur during K's birthday. I told DH to celebrate without me, but he wouldn't have it. He didn't feel that we should have her birthday without me. So he canceled the party and needless to say, I felt terrible. K took it like a trooper, but I could tell she was disappointed. I promised to make it up to her. She and I had a special day when I took her to lunch and to get her a mini mani/pedi. She loved that! We also took her with Grandma to go bowling at Big Al's with just the immediate family. The kids both love bowling, but can't always afford to go, so that's always a treat in their eyes.

As summer got underway, the kids signed up for some activities. N took an art class on 3D drawing, K took tumbling, and both had swimming lessons. N had to repeat his Goldfish class from last summer since he hadn't passed, but this time he did. K will have to repeat her Frog class next time too as it was difficult for her to master all the skills. N was excited to finally make it to Hammerhead level. N also had his first art show. The place he takes his classes hosted a teacher/student joint art exhibition and personally requested his dinosaur sculpture he'd made the the previous summer be in it. We were thrilled for him!

We didn't go anywhere exotic this year. Kind of a bummer, but finances have been tight (isn't it like that everywhere?). Although we did get to visit my family in Bend a couple of times. It doesn't count as a vacay, but at least it was a change of scenery. DH came along for the first trip over 4th of July weekend. We visited my best friend from high school at her candy shop, The Candy Jar, in Lapine. It had been years since we'd seen each other. It was good to catch up, even if it was only for a little while. And then we went to ride horses at my cousin's place. In addition, we took the kids to Lava Lands to explore all the lava flow. The visitor's center had changed considerably since I was a kid. They took out the interactive exhibit, much to my disappointment. Although the kids still enjoyed checking out all the geology going on and standing atop the butte. Then on the 4th, we started the day with a charity breakfast in the park, the annual pet parade, and then celebrated with the whole family with a BBQ and evening fireworks display atop Pilot Butte.

My familycame to celebrate, although not everyone could be there

"See? I'm taller than you are!"
(Jace and Ariella so cute!)

At Mirror Pond on the 4th



Cowboyin up!



My bff from high school

During August, I drove the kids back to Bend and stayed the weekend. We spent a day up at Cultus Lake (a favorite childhood spot). We went kayaking and swimming all over the cove. So much fun! My mom and I snuck in a movie and saw The Help. After the movie ended, nobody said a word or moved. Then all of a sudden everyone burst into applause. I'd never seen anything like it. Hope it wins an Oscar next year! It was so good.

On a more serious note, I also got to visit my brother too. I hadn't seen him in almost 2 years. I'd been writing to him, but it felt good to see him face to face...sort of. It was certainly a different sort of experience to see him behind plate glass and only be able to talk through those phones they have. He was looking a bit older and thinner, but kept his spirits up. Not sure if it was for my sake or his own, but I appreciated how easy he made it on me. When you know big brother is listening and you can't talk about the big elephant in the room, it can make things a little awkward. Regardless, I was so grateful for the time I had with him. After my visit with Steve, I drove back home without the kids. They stayed with my parents for the rest of the week. It was their first time doing so, so they had a blast.

One of the highlights of the summer was our annual campout with some dear friends. This was our fourth year and the number of kids seems to increase with each year. This time 6 adults, 12 dogs children, and 4 dogs made the trip! You can say it was a busy weekend. We stayed again at the rural property of DH's coworker along the lower Nehalem River. The kids enjoyed swimming in the river and swinging on the tire swing. Everyone gobbled up the yummy camp food and jumbo marshmallow s'mores. Why does everything taste better when you're camping? Go figure. Maybe it's nature's way of welcoming you to her world.

It's not really cheaper by the dozen



Just a swingin!



Turning over a new leaf...literally





Camp life

It's chilly out there!

We spent most of the summer doing little things as a family and with some dear friends. We went berry-picking a lot and the kids played in the park fountain quite regularly. All in all, it was a relaxing, albeit quick summer. For the first time, I never really totally into summer mode. I can be a ball of stress sometimes, so I'm always working on ways to fix that. I knew this school year would be more stressful than most with all the changes, so it was hard to let go of the anxiety and anticipation. As it turns out, I was justified in my fears. Being a travelling teacher is one of the most challenging things I have ever done in my career. There have been harder things, but this year has been a true lesson in juggling...but that's a blog for another day.

N turned 11 in September. He got to enjoy a full weekend of festivities. We took him out for a nice birthday dinner at a local country diner with a classic car theme. We then held a joint celebration for N and the daughter of family friends who also has a September birthday. Then on Sunday, N and I went on a mother-son date to see Dolphin Tale (which was really good by the way!). It was surreal to think how much time had passed since I'd held my firstborn in my arms as a baby. Where does the time go?

Earlier this month, DH went hunting with his friends for the second time. He was gone for a week and had no luck, although his friend did get a deer. Last week we took the kids on a our annual trip to the pumpkin patch/apple orchard. They got to go through the hay maze and pet some horses. There were a lot of fun things to see and we bought some honeycrisps and apple cider. This time of year always makes me crave egg nog, but it won't be available for another couple of weeks. :( Next up is Halloween! :)

It is now late October and the kids are well into the new school year. K is a 3rd grader in a 3/4 blend and N is a 5th grader in a 5/6 blend class. He seems to be adjusting well and excelling in most subjects. He's even taken on participating in an advanced vocabulary program initiated by his teacher to further challenge him (he's TAG). K on the other hand has been struggling a bit. She's not fond of school and so she prefers to daydream. It's tough, because she is really smart and creative. We're trying to find ways to motivate her and keep her focused.

On top of balancing the craziness that is my job (oh how I wish I could teach just one grade level) and keeping up with my kids, my brother's trial begins Monday. My family is hoping for the best, but do not have false hope either. I believe in my brother and pray that the truth will truly set him free. I can't really go into things here, so I will not comment further until there is some kind of outcome. Suffice it say, I am trying to stay in a positive place in spite of the dark cloud that's been hanging over us this past year. I believe that these experiences test us and it helps one see what they are truly made of.

I love this from Nelson Mandela...

"The greatest glory in living comes not from never falling, but in rising every time we fall."