Raking leaves...

The many adventures of Kristin...

Got locked out of my house today. Great fun!! The only window opening was on the second floor, the bathroom. On the upside, this really makes me gratefully acknowledge how tightly sealed my home is. On the downside, I, in my tunnel vision "must get back inside" mode, put a 6 foot ladder on top of 2 lawn chairs on top of two garbage cans....I just needed another six inches from there, to propel myself through the miniscule opening in order to get inside, get phone, call to rant to Kent and open the doors for the kids. (yes, in that order). Luckily, the only neighbor who I have met and one that may still keep a semi-decent opinion of my sanity, after seeing me 30 feet in the air, honestly entertaining the idea of a lasso and a good heave, came to rescue reassuring me that nothing is worth paralyzation for life.

I believe I have given people enough embarrassing visuals of me in the last week. That's it! Prim and proper from now on....I swear!

I don't want to repeat today, any time in the near future. I am considering doing a jig if I don't have to. But luckily, I still have truly, amazingly cute kids, with a really great sense-of-humor! Thanks for laughing with me Harry and Bella.

Pumpkin pickin' at Roloff farms...

Mavi.....

We all have one. You know, that one pair of jeans from our high school days, sighing at us from the closet, promising a perfect fit someday. Whenever you put them on, and they actually fit, they feel like chocolate to your skin, saying you have worn me once more, you never thought this would happen.

Well, I should have known by the way my Mavi's hugged my arss just perfectly, how they felt like old sweats, so comforting. I should have known they were hugging their last. Alas, on a bike ride to the local produce stand yesterday, I tumbled over the bars and my butt tore through the jeans. That was obviously the most prominent and noticeable tear, truly an entire cheek was hanging out, but the knees also experienced some collateral damage. After making sure, the children were fine, and my humiliation was strewn all over the sidewalk, a plumber who saw the tumble stopped to ask if I am OK.

Kent:"Were you wearing your helmet?"

Kristin:"No I was on the phone.....going slowly and on the phone for one second."

Kent: "How's your head?"

Kristin:"You're missing the point....my jeans, my antique 15 year old jeans."

Anyway I got back on the bike and kept going....I needed produce. And it happened again....pressed the brake and slid, this time in a construction zone none-the-less. (and no, I wasn't on the phone this time). And that's when it clicked, my brakes are out...duh, duh, duh. By the way, when I got to the produce stand it was closed for the season. It's last day was yesterday. Why, I ask you, why????(fist pumping to the sky.) So I left my pride there and went to the park instead (it was all flat cruisin' to the park).


And thus ends a day...

NOTE: In an attempt to look on the bright side, find the silver lining and make lemonade of the situation, Bella on the way to the park, in the "mom-might-lose-it" silence pointed to a bird in flight. She said "Mom, you see how that bird softly flies through the air. He goes here and there and never lands. It's perfect huh? That's what you need to be like on the bike, here and there and never land."

My response: (stunned silence, continued peddaling, quiet laughter, awed acceptance and then...) "Yes dear, you're right. "

I am not even close to exagerating here, where the heck did she come up with that perfect explanation?! She is so amazing! Aren't kidlets the best?!

Tid bits...

The 'burning bush' in our backyard. I love doing the dishes and looking out the window at this.
Caught them reading. As a mom, I live for moments like this.
This was the backpack that Bella lived in between the ages of 1 and 3! Now she passes on the tradition to Shyann Ronica (her cabbage patch doll).
I took this picture on a foggy Friday morning, while I was driving. The scenery just kept taking my breath away. I had to capture it, despite the 45 MPH moving vehicle problem.
Harrison, Barrison puddin-and-pie! This kid is truly one of the funniest little people I have ever met. He is so unique and hilarious. At his 18 month appointment, his pediatrician stared at him and whispered "I wonder what you are going to be?" and she was being serious. We honestly wonder what our little man, who sleeps only on a sheepskin rug, with his "b", drinks only goats milk, can run faster then me, loves cooking, is upset in the car unless we're listening to Classical music, won't let me sing to him (truly, am I that tone-deaf?), and makes those scrunchy faces will be??! I always argued on the Nuture side of the Nature/Nuture battle. Now, I am completely aware of the fact that they just come as themselves, unique, perfect and individual! Amazing! Whatever he is going to be, he is ours and we adore him! As the doctor finished by saying, "whatever it is, it will be profound."

This picture warrants a story. When we were in the market for a vacuum, I involved Kent...alot, because I wanted him to feel like he had ownership of the vacuum....that he liked it....I wanted him and the vacuum to be one. Anyway, so after dinner, they were vacuuming (who puts carpet in a dining room? Roar...) and Harry had to be part of it. I just love this picture of the male bonding taking place.

Chinese gardens...

Inspired by the one and only Suz....I have added the must have from the 80's, bless that Heart! I put this on my Ipod on Saturday to help push me through the long run. It totally worked too! Anyway, I was feeling the music..here's what we've been up too!

We spent our first day in downtown Portland. The Chinese gardens were peaceful and stunning and very fragrant. Man, it smelled like heaven.

I love, love, love this picture. It is just so them!
The architecture was amazing. My favorite was the floor though. the simple design made up with tiny stones.

The tea-house.

See look....amazing huh?!
It just smelled so good.

Anyway, while we were downtown, we stopped at the most amazing book store on the planet. I was in awe! It takes up an entire city block - a whole block of new and used books. I just felt smarter walking in there. We also stopped at a random hippie arts farmers market thing. I am a huge farmers market fan - huge, but this was so different. It was just so Portland...and slightly frightening...the thing that put it over the top was the pregnant homeless woman, rubbing her stomach, smoking and bargaining things with a sign asking for donations in front of her. Stuff like that just irks me! Let's leave it at we won't be doing that again. But, besides miniscule amount of slime, the rest was great. It was beautiful day, just being together, discovering together.

Not actual size....

Downloading pictures 101....when you transfer pictures from a website after transfering pictures from a camera to a folder to a website...the pictures become very, very small. They in fact bring into focus the childhood belief that Tolkien's hobbits do exist and here are the pictures to prove it. Sorry about the size...I blame Aristotle...because when in doubt....blame Aristotle!

Best friends


Aunt "Annie" Harry is such a huge fan!



And for some reason, the one that turns out is the one that encompasses Bella's daily smile. We were so thrilled to go home and be surrounded by love and family and memories. Even though I didn't have my camera...thanks mom for bringing yours, always picking up my slack!
We had thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis much fun.
So these pictures do not represent the actual size of the fun, love, memories or people.

The things that aren't pictorially documented are:
Julianne's Bridal shower
(This, for the record, would include pictures that confirm that perfection is possible)
Cousin Rachey & Ben-ja
Aunt Lindsey and Eric
Great Grandpa visits
etc.
but they are (to pirate a phrase from Shakepeare, because he's dead and doesn't care) "written on our hearts forever."
So good to see you guys.

A trip to Utah.....

Just returned from a trip to Utah. Besides confirming that something had indeed jumped into my gene pool many generations ago, we were able to hike, shop, laugh, play, hold babies, go to the Children's Museum, Farmer's Market, Farm etc. etc.

But, the surprising thing here is.....I was alright with coming back. And the sky was beautiful here and the trees were green. And although rain is inevitably in the forecast, well....that's life! Maybe the rain is what makes life beautiful. I'm sensing yet another lesson from nature.

Oh, and I left my camera in Oregon. Yet another lesson from MY Nature! I will post more when I get them .