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ugly christmas sweaters.

12 Dec

DoeBay-17-L 2

 

A month ago we snuck away for a three day weekend to Orcas Island (in the San Juan’s), and stayed at the beautiful Doe Bay Resort.  It is a great property with amazing soaking tubs and a sauna, a cozy library, directly on the water. There is a fresh, organic, vegetarian restaurant on the property. There are breath taking views.  The cabins are affordable, making it an ideal get-away. It was a really relaxing time away for me, my man, and friends.

We also wore ugly Christmas sweaters.

And made creepy poses in them.DoeBay-32-L

Look at that sweater. I mean, it can make you cry on so many levels. DoeBay-39-L

Smiles were all around- and that is exactly what time away should be. Bliss.DoeBay-54-L

My sister rockin’ the Santa Kitty. Don’t you just want to pet it?

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I was Mother Christmas. Obviously. And yes, the sweater has a TREE SKIRT as the collar.DoeBay-52-L

What happens at DB stays at DB.DoeBay-19-L

 

So good. Srsly. We will be back.

Also- isn’t Seattle Photographer Rachel Sumner wonderful?! We are lucky to have such a talented friend, because, I mean, it was a pretty epic photo shoot.

Merry Christmas, Doe Bay style.

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happy ice to-go.

2 Sep

 

Happy weekend, friends. I needed a mid-three-day-week-end-pick-me-up, so here are a few more shots from Jamaica.

And they couldn’t be more appropriate. Because our household has been on 24/7 Jer watch since he sustained a pretty terrible leg beating this past week. After one night in the ER (no brakes, fractures or clots) our minds were cleared of the worst- but he has an entire leg hematoma. And crutches. And stuck on the couch instead of the sunshine. We are keeping fingers crossed that he will be feeling a *bit* better soon, since school starts this coming week.

I saved you from some pretty rough photos and am spreading the love, instead, with smiles and sunshine and happy ice to-go.

 

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the last week-ish.

14 Aug

The summer is flying by and it is pretty much breaking my heart. This past week-ish was crazy-good and crazy-full and I have decided to stay at home all.week.long. to recover. You now how that goes, don’t you?

-Jerbear and I took Moses to Card Kingdom in Seattle for his 8th birthday gift. It was Magic. Seriously so. much. fun.{this may be because we are super into gaming}

-I spent Sunday doing writing sprints for 1 2 3 4 hours. This is where I meet up with my writing girls and we write hard for 45 minutes and then take 15 minutes to breathe. Very fun!

-Then I cleaned like a lunatic because my dear friend Pamela {friends since 8th grade, people!}was flying in from San Francisco on Monday for 7 days! So exciting, but it also meant, you know, that I needed to clean the bathroom.

-We drank coffee till noon then switched to wine at about 6 everyday. I’m not sure what we did in between.

-Well, I guess we sometimes drank beer in between.

-And then Wednesday, 8/8 was Moses’ officially 8th {golden!} birthday! Pamela got him the Pokemon card.

-Doesn’t get much better than that!

-And here is where Maisey took a picture before she threw up everywhere, like, 5 minutes later.

-And then it went from 1 who threw up to 2 3 4 who threw up daily for the next four days. Fun!

-So Jerbear and I decided to celebrate our anniversary {11!}at home to avoid making Pamela deal with vomit.

-I was given these lovely flowers and super good thai takeout.

-We are really fancy

-Then Pamela and I took the kids to my parents where they celebrated Grandpa’s birthday{!},played, threw-up {more.}, went to a music festival and did a 75 foot slip-n-slide!

-Lucky kids, right?

-Pamela and I exchanged the mini-van for my Mom’s Prias and headed to Portland to play with my sister who just moved down to the best west coast city. {yes, I am a *bit* jealous!}

-We ate amazing raw food, went to Powell’s, and had tacos.

-We went to stores with weird stuff for sale:

-We also got sister tattoo’s!

-Some people thought they were a joke but we think they are awesome.amazing.beautful.true.perfect.us. and a treasure for always.

 

-After that Pamela and I hopped into the car, grabbed Jerbear, and headed to Julie’s 30th Birthday party. But somehow I have no pictures:(

-Yesterday Pamela and I went through 1 2 3 4 5 dressers of clothing and did all the laundry and sorted out everything that was super stained and gross, too small or redundant and pared the kids clothes wayyyyy down. We even bagged 1 2 3 4 bags for the Goodwill!

-She’s a good friend, right?

-I was very sad to say good-bye, but I am sure she will be okay because a week of vomit isn’t as cool as, you know, a week with-OUT vomit. Generally speaking, of course.

-And I read the book Penelope by Rebecca Harrington.

-It’s about a freshman girl, Penelope, at Harvard and it is the funniest book I have ever read. It is seriously funny people.

What did you do this week?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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the ocean.

30 Jul

12 days away with your man and your kids does something good for your soul.

It fills you up and reminds you of the good.

The very. very. good. stuff goin’ on all around me.

Somehow the weather was perfect. The entire time. And if you know the Oregon Coast you know that is a tricky thing to serve up. But it held.

The blue skies held us and the soft sand held us and the smiles we shared held us

up.

So high.

And we flew the kites that had been tucked away for a long time. Tucked away in our hearts. Because sometimes you need a little time with the people most dear to feel Brave enough to fly them high.

And I did.

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jamaica mon.

21 Jul

There were views like this:

 

And birds like this:

 

 

And beds like this:

 

 

And friends like this:

 

 

And this:

 

 

And this:

And smiles like this:We had a blast. It was 8 days in paradise with my baby daddy and 3 other couples who I adore. Vacationing with friends is fun, it turns out.

And it isn’t just because we are all fans of the Bacholerette  (who happened to clear out an entire game room at the resort to watch Monday nights episode together). No not us. That would be lame. Or would it?

Because it also means we were eight people who could laugh at ourselves, who could make a joke out of most anything and who could sing karaoke at the top of our lungs.

The pictures here  don’t capture everything (most our on my desktop at home, I am in Lincoln City , OR right now with the family). But no picture really could. Because most of the best moments never make it to a camera. Most live in our hearts.

My heart is full.

xoxo

 

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love & sunshine & the in-laws.

8 Jul

All year the plan had been for Jer-bear to end work and the whole family pack up and head east about 5 hours to Grandpa and Grandma’s house. Plans changed when he was appointed Principal at the Junior High he has been V.P. at for the past three years. We were all so proud!

Of course that also meant I would be flying solo as Jer-bear needed to stay at work an extra week before he could begin summer break. Luckily, I love my in-laws and was very excited to sit at their pool for a week! And read books and have someone else do the dishes and, and, and…because they truly have hearts that are bent towards serving others.

We loaded the car and the kiddos quickly settled into laps and found hands to hold.

The kids smiled for a week straight. It was good.

They were so sad to leave, Moses was in bed the last night telling me, “I just feel like I want to cry, having to leave is just so sad.” I love that he is expressing himself, his feelings. If I preach one thing I think that is it!

And besides the pool and the river and binoculars and soccer- there were BB GUNS and Zombie Target practice!

Also, there were berries. Lots and lots of ‘em. Maisey Sue was found with a bowl full all week long.

We were able to play with cousins we don’t see nearly enough. Everyone is getting so big! Atticus is the baby of the family now. It seems just like yesterday our hands were all full of babes and toddlers and now everyone is growing up…sigh.

We came home for a 24 hour lay over. Because right now Jer-bear and I are sitting in Charleston, NC waiting to board a plane to Jamaica! 

Join me in raising a toast to my sister and bro-in-law for watching the kids for the next 8 days! xoxo

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late night gratitudes.

30 Apr

It is 10:45 and I just ate a handful of Cheeto’s and a glass of boxed wine. I suppose confessions are best made when the sky is dark and the house is quiet.

I wanted to come to this little place and list my gratitudes at this moment, on this day.

To record where my heart is at this time in history.

Today I am grateful for:

::a friend who made me a {delicious} latte this afternoon, willing to chat about the everyday parts of our lives.

::a daughter who choose to be Brave this weekend, even though it is so, so hard.

::a dedicated group of writers who push me every. single. day. to put the story of my heart on paper.

::a husband who drinks coffee and plays board games with me on Sunday mornings.

::a son who lets me sing him to sleep, lets me kiss his tears, who is willing to share his hurt with me.

::a phone call with my oldest friend, laughing out loud despite the hundreds of miles that separate us, feeling like I was sitting on her couch.

::deals at the Good Will in the form of bicycles and sweat pants.

::cheetos. and wine.

Sweet Dreams, my friends.

May you always find gratitude in this great big beautiful life.

 

 

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surprise! {the story of turning 30}

20 Apr

It started with staying the night in the city. Kids with the grandparents {thank you!!!}

A birthday dinner planned in the city with my brother and his fiance and my sister and her hubs.

We ate at The Sexton {best. fried. chicken. ever}.

My birthday card from my mom {given to me by Jer at dinner} said she was gifting me with another night in the city sans kids!

Then Jer’s card said we were going to go shopping for some new digs and go to a fancy-shmancy dinner he had planned for the two of us!

Um. Sounds like an amazing plan, right?

Well it got better.

After a Sounders game,

shopping at Anthro for a dress {and polka dot tights!}

I got all dressed up. Got in a cab headed for a super secret lo-cal. We were dropped off at an average looking restaurant called Grimms, but Jer took the lead- we headed straight up the tucked away stairs to a room filled with some of my very favorite people on earth.

It was truly an amazing SURPRISE.

All night long I had the chance to talk with friends and family,

drink my special cocktails,

laugh.

smile.

In the Butterfly Room. A room surrounded by hundreds of butterflies in vases. It was spectacular.

Post party we headed up another flight of stairs to the DANCE PARTY in the Woodland Room.

Yes, we danced liked fools, till our feet ached in the late night club.

We finished the night with a taco truck.

And man. It was the night of my life.

Thank you to all the wonderful loves of my life who trekked all the way, found child care for the kiddos, who came to celebrate silly ‘ole me.

And a very special thank you to Jerbear.

For knowing me best.

For loving me best.

For always, always, always finding ways to make my heart sing, my dreams to come true, my life to be more full then I could have possibly dreamed.

I am the lucky one.

xoxoxo.

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friday five spot.

23 Mar

1. I got a new BFF!

I watched the documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead last week and am on the juicing band wagon. I know several other families are as well, like  this one and this one. I get why after a week of drinking this yummy stuff! This is my favorite blend:

beets+carrots+lemon+apple=:)

Truly though, it is much better then the V8 I tried to make yesterday. Maybe it was too much red onion, maybe too many tomatoes, all I know is it was seriously gross. I find this much more energizing then my green smoothies. Jer and I did a 30 day juice fast about 6 years ago. And I lost 24 pounds! But I was also a psycho *bleep* to be around so I am not going to do that again.

So what are we doing? This week I have been making Jer a 20 oz. bottles of juice for breakfast and lunch and I have been *mostly* doing the same. So we are meal replacing with amazing micronutrients! I am also *trying* to not eat or drink after 7pm. Sad right? But I will be much happier when I go to Jamaica this summer, just sayin’…I am not being hard core about it. I have cheated a few times (both were so worth it!), and that brings us to #2:

2. I saw these on Tuesday afternoon and on an impulse I stopped at the store on the way home from school for the ingredients. My kids thought I was magical.

So crappy picture aside, what is this?! It is an oreo topped with peanut butter, topped with an oreo topped with peanut butter baked inside a brownie. Um. Yeah. I also did a variation using cream cheese for the layers since I have one kiddo who dislikes peanuts. Basically a sugar coma- but oh so worth it.

3. Speaking of food, I have been really into making this apple cake. I have been making it once a week or so because it stores well and the kids love it. Also- so easy with the things I have on hand. Including the dozen canned apple quarts I don’t know what to do with. Fresh apples would work too. 

In a bowl mix:

3 cups flour

1 cup any sort of sugar

4 eggs

1 cup oil

1 tablespoon baking soda

1/2 cup apple juice or in my case the syrup from my canned apples

Then spread half the batter on the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Lay apple slice (however many you have) and sprinkle with brown sugaer, nutmeg, cinnamon, whatever you have around.

Then spread the 2nd half of the batter and bake for an hour on 350*

Smells good. Tastes good. Every piece is always eaten up. I tweaked a recipe I found on cooks.com and like this more. Less sugar, no oranges. Easy breakfast for us!

4.Also on the food wagon…Lincoln turned !5! yesterday (post and pics to come after his party tomorrow) but for breakfast I made some yummy,easy donuts.

Combine:

1 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
3 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder

Drop by teaspoonfulls into a pan of hot oil and turn when one side is brown. When cooked through and golden throw them in powder sugar or cinnamon and sugar and dig in. this recipe makes like, 40. And the whole plate will be devoured. MAke this for breakfast tomorrow!

5. I promise ONE ‘spot’ un-food related:) I turned of my facebook account, again. I know. I did the same thing last year and I realize I am not the only person with a never ending inner struggle with, well, everything. It came down, for me, the fact that last year when I was without fb I completed a novel. I want to do that again. So it is time to take a step back from that social outlet. I am hoping to continue to use this little space, but if I am here less, know that I am working hard at finding the ever precarious tight rope of a dance called Balance.

Happy Weekend Friends!

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friday five spot.

17 Feb

Hey it is Friday, so here is the five spot!

1. I so want these right now for my trip to Florida in a few weeks! So stinkin’ cute!

2. I get to go here on Sunday with my husband and daughter for her birthday dinner! Isabela has been dreaming of going here for years- so it is gonna be great!

 

3. BRAG alert: Moses is the Star Student of the Month in his classroom. This was the first month this program started in his school so I am so proud he was chosen! His teacher said this about him: “Moses has an excellent attitude and is a model student for his classmates!” Um, could I be more proud? Be still my heart.

4. I started painting my stairs a few days ago.

Since pinterest and I are now BFF’s again I am loving the inspiration I am finding! I am hoping they end up something like this: 

But I will do it free hand. You know, so it looks ‘rustic’ …Suggestions on words/quote I should use?

5. My darling husband came home on the evening of Valentine’s day at about 7 o’clock, a yummy bag of Chinese in hand. I had skillfully bribed the children to go to bed extra early, so they were in bed with a Nintendo DS (2), an iPod touch and an iPad. Yes. Don’t judge. I had the living room clean, Pandora on {Station: Love Songs, basically Seal and Bryon Adams}. Once settled in with plates of goodness, he asked where the flowers were. I hadn’t received any so I was like, um, what flowers? He had ordered some to be delivered during the day and was surprised that they weren’t here. It was after 7pm. So he called the florist, closed at 6. He re-checked the email, guaranteed delivery. We looked on the porch again, nothing. He decided he would call the next day and request a refund. After all, he paid extra for the V-Day delivery. We went to bed around 9:30 and still nothing.

Well the next morning as he left for work at 5:55 he walked into our room with a bouquet that was sitting on out porch. Um, the did a midnight delivery I guess? They were gorgeous, but still, that is super lame. He called them and they said they delivered them at 6pm and that they rang the door bell and then they left them at the front of the door.

Um that is a straight up lie folks! 1) They weren’t on the porch at 9:30 pm and 2) We don’t have a doorbell! Jer told him, Hey we don’t have a doorbell. The guy said, well I rang it. Jer said, We don’t even have a dummy one to press! {I cut them off and unscrewed the front and back door bells, remember when Phoenix would spend hours ringing them when he was mad?! No bell to press, I guarantee it!}. Anyways, they did not apologize, ask how to fix their error, give a refund. Nothing. So, I don’t typically tell people to never use a certain business, but anyone local DO NOT USE PAULS FLOWERS!! Like, EVER!

So there it is, my dears. What have you been up to? What is your 5-spot? Tell me in the comments!

 

 

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