Taking time out to enjoy Fall

I try really hard to keep Sundays a free day to do something as a family. Fall is a busy time and it gets harder to carve out family time. But I've realized how important it is for us to have one day of family time, preferably on an outing of some sort or else we get consumed with household chores and iPads and Iphones, etc. .So, with the amazing weather we've had, we were lucky enough to find time for getting pumpkins one weekend and apple picking another weekend. Apple picking in particular was a great day...20 pounds of gorgeous apples are now in our garage. You can't beat spending a day in Hood River picking apples in warm Fall sunshine. Not to mention the amazing views you see in every direction.  

"I Am From" by Sean

I am from Jade stones,
from iPod Nano and Instant Breakfast.
I am from the rain of chilly days and waiting for the sun.
I am from the Rhododendrun and the raspbery bush.
I am from nerf guns and fights with my brother,
from Jackson and "but, Mom!" and "where is Sean".
I am from the srticyness and humorous.
From "hurry up!" and SLOW DOWN.
I am from getting donuts from church.
I'm from Manzanita, marshmallow oaties.
From the Amazon nerf gun, the lemondae war, and the lemonade stand.
I am from the wooden box my grandafther gave me, full of souvenirs and reminders of the past.

A good ending to the week

A snippet of the fourth grade concert...Sean is next to the boy in the orange shirt in the back row.



This is Sean reading a poem he wrote in front of the entire lower school!

A well-loved dog for sure!

Weekend ice cream at our Portland favorite, Salt & Straw.

Last week ended on a positive note. We went to Sean's Friday community meeting because the fourth graders were performing their first mini music production. What we didn't know was  that Sean was one of 5  fourth graders who were presenting poems in front of the lower school...that's everyone grades 1-5. Jim and I were speechless because not only was his presentation confident and clear, but his poem was incredible. I will share it in the next update.

A random sampling of photos for Friday

Jackson with friends at the amazing indoor bike park

A view of anniversary cocktails

Jackson made this longboard with Jim over the summer!

A quiet run in Forest Park. Ahhhhhh...

The reader!

Trombone practice.

One of my favorite shops in Portland....Ink and Peat.

15 years ago today...

Park City, Utah

And Happy Anniversary to Coach and Ruby, too!

Rolling along

Jackson's team photo.

The school year is going well! The second week is always the big test....the first week is all fun and socializing and no real work is done. Week two is when things get real. There was a minor homework meltdown for one son ("I'm drowning in homework!") and a minor crisis with another son ("I thought it was due Wednesday, not today!"), but the good news is that we got through both situations and learned helpful lessons. Drowning in homework was actually not the case at all since it was a packet meant to complete over the course of the week. And, not realizing when something was due was an excellent reminder to check your planner for due dates every night. 

I had my own snafu when I was late getting Sean to his soccer game and he was wearing the wrong color jersey. Oooops. Parenting FAIL. But, this was a wonderful opportunity to put into practice what I always tell the boys....learn from your mistakes and then move on.  Normally that kind of goof up makes me crazy and I get angry at myself but really, in the grand scheme of things, it's not the end of the world. From here on out, though, I'm keeping an extra soccer jersey in the car just in case.  

Back to school...changes!

This was a big Back To School Year....2 new schools! Our hope would've been one new school, but life doesn't always work out the way you think it will. And I keep telling myself, change is good! Change makes us stronger! But the truth is that change is also kind of scary and usually not fun while you're in the midst of it. We are solidly in the midst of it...feeling good, a little nervous but holding on to optimistic thoughts.
And during times like this, I think we all become thankful for the little things that remain constant regardless of all the other chaos. For me, one of these things is the sight of Talus sprawled out at various locations throughout the house, snoozing away with not a care in the world. This is a dog who knows the meaning of the word Relax! So, that is what I intend to do when my head gets filled up with worry...channel my inner Talus, take a deep breath and relax.

Hiking and a bit of "culture"

When did these boys get so tall?



Quick stop for lunch.



Amazing scenery

In addition to a yummy lunch, there were free Ruby Jewel ice cream sandwiches

The installation on the wall is made entirely of bike helmets

The performing bicycle troupe called the Sprockettes....burlesque on bikes!

One of our favorite places to hike is the Columbia River Gorge. About 45 minutes from Portland, it has amazing hikes for all ability levels and spectacular views. Plus, if you travel a bit further down, you end up in Hood River which is a very unique, vibrant little town filled with windsurfers and cute cafes and shops. Oh-and great ice cream at Mike's Ice Cream. We also recently went to a block party at the Portland Art Museum in honor of their recent Cyclopedia exhibit. The exhibit features the private bike collection of Michael Embacher, who loaned out 40 of his amazing bicycles from his collection in Vienna.  The exhibit itself is stunning and in addition there have been all kinds of bike-related workshops and events. The block party featured some BMX performers doing daredevil tricks on bikes, a fun band, great food and also the Sprockettes...a group of ladies doing a different kind of bike performance. Kind of like Cirque de Soleil meets roller derby. Entertaining for sure but maybe not a good fit for the family crowd!! I tried to explain to the boys that culture comes in many different forms but they were definitely more interested in watching the BMX bikers and eating ice cream sandwiches.

We went camping

We made great campfires, enjoyed smores, saw bats, went fishing, hiked around Smith Rock, rode horses and in general had an amazing time exploring Central Oregon. It's a great place to be in summer! It's safe to say more camping is in our future.

Summer berry picking

Places we love....