The final weeks of school have my heart filled with so many different emotions as I reflect on all the activities and memories of the past nine months.
I did something today that I hesitated to do all year, fearing that this move would jinx the peace and normalcy of this school year: I threw away my masks. They sat, untouched, for over a year, but I never could throw them away, fearing superstitiously that they would again emerge their ugly head. But now, after going through an entire normal school year, I felt confident. (I also threw away a ton of mismatched, single socks)
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| The boys learned how to play--master--chess this year. |
This final stretch of school has brought up some deep emotions in me. I have moments when I get a pit in my stomach because I realize that my children will soon no longer be 3rd and 5th grade. These were such great grades.
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| Evie and me at our Courageous Girls tea on May 13. |
I no longer have young children. I now have a middle schooler and upper elementary boys.
Those COVID years have robbed me (all of us) a whole bunch of years, and it felt like Evelyn went from 1st to 5th in a blink.
She is moving on to 6th grade next year; technically it's middle school, but our private school still has them in the same building.
April and May were filled with baseball. The boys really enjoyed their teammates and coaches. The weather turned wonderfully sunny in May, which made baseball even more enjoyable.
There were a few memorable moments. One time the three boys were all on base at the same time: bases loaded, 1st, 2nd and 3rd.
Another memory was them all playing infield together, James on third, Levi pitching and Caleb on 2nd.
And the coach gave all three of them a shot at pitching this year, which was fun (and so stressful!) to watch.
My parents came in May to see some of their baseball. I got to slip away with John on his business trip to Denver. It was there that we revisited the spot we met 20 years ago, Snow Mountain Ranch in the Rocky Mountains. The land was not as beautiful and lush as I remembered it to be, and sure enough when we inquired about that, they said that beetles and fires stripped that land of its green.
We roamed around the old buildings. Some of them have changed, some remained the same. Little did I know that 20 years ago all that awaited me, this life that has unfolded. I was just a 21 year old college student, uncertain about my future, living for adventures.
The weather was rainy and grey in Denver. We spent much of the time indoors, relaxing. John had to work, so I spent one rainy day just passing time alone.
I love being away, but my heart is at home. 20 years ago I had insatiable "wanderlust." Now, I love the familiarity and comfort of my home and family.
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| I turned 41 on May 14, mothers day. Blessed! 🥹 |
This will be our 10th summer in this home, in this neighborhood, and as I walk the streets, my heart is in love with it. It is home. I know every tree, every house, many of the neighbors and dogs. I know the forest, the paths and the sounds. I know the views and the smells. I know it all, and there is no where else I want to spend my summer than here.
We have truly made our life here. And even with all of its problems, my heart is still attached.
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| Wahkeena Trail |
Over memorial day weekend we rented a house for two nights with some friends in the gorge. We did some hiking and enjoyed some familiar spots. The gorge is not what is was with the forest fires six years ago; yet whenever I am there, I feel as if I am getting a little hint of heaven.
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| Our 5.5 mile hike ended at Multnomah Falls |
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| Wahkeena Falls |
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| A little taste of heaven |
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| Even Lucy |
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| A reward for making it all the way |
I also took the boys fishing down in the Tualatin river behind our house. I like the idea of fishing, but I really don't know anything about it. Everytime I take the boys, I am frustrated by tangled fishing line and lost casts in treetops. James ended up catching a little blue gill, and right then and there Levi decided he wanted nothing to do with fishing. The thought of hurting the fish made him give it up without even trying.
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| I love that we can walk to the river from our house |
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| Boy Life |
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| James caught a Blue Gill |
The hour dragged on and despite insisting to the boys it was time to go, Caleb was determined to catch his fish. And if you know Caleb, he will.
And he did.
And it was a big one.
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| The Catch of the day! |
We had a hard time getting it back in the water, but I assumed that his catch would allow us to pack it up and finally head home.
Nope, it sure didn't. Now that Caleb caught a bigger fish only made James want to try catch another one, bigger and better. And so the competition continues, yet again. Bigger and better is always the name of the game.
Another exciting part of the weekend was camping in the neighbor friend's backyard. Suburban camping I call it: pitching a tent on turf behind a fence next to a road. Nonetheless, the boys "roughed it" and they were over the moon excited about this experience.
Which is good..because a week later, John packed up the boys and all the gear and headed out to raft the Rogue River with some experienced rafting friends. My heart was full and joyful as I watched them pull out of the driveway, ready for their adventure.
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| So much stuff! |
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| All packed up and ready to go! |
And as they pulled back into the driveway three days later, they were dirty, tired but totally elated about the entire experience.
Despite Levi's itchy poison oak, they were in good spirits, talking about the camp sights, the river and the bats that circled around them at night.
Evelyn and I had a great weekend as well. It was strange having just her home. It was quiet, orderly and clean; but Evie agreed, it's better to have the whole family and more of a chaotic mess.
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| Adventures with Lucy |
We kept busy as well, having dinner with friends, getting a pedicure, walking the newly constructed park path to Starbucks from our house, hosting our final Courageous Girls meeting of the year....every single second of our time was well used!
I'm hoping that Evelyn can find some ways to lead or do some work this summer. She doesn't really have interest in day camps anymore, and she is truly built to lead.
At school this year she participated in a craft fair which raised money for the school to build a new playground. She made little yarn snakes and candles. The snakes were a hit. She sold out. She named each one and attached an encouraging scripture to each one.
One Saturday she was invited to her friend's house to swim in her pool. She insisted on bringing an appetizer and created a very beautiful charcuterie board:
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| The salami flowers are all her work! |
With the hot, sunny weather we've been enjoying, it seems natural that we are on the brink of summer vacation.
I anticipate a fun summer with the family, a good mix of rest and activity. My goal is to totally appreciate every day in this season of summer, because before I know it, I will be back to school shopping.
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| Our neighborhood Duck Pond. 🦆 My heart belongs here at home with my family. ❤️ |
