a series of unfortunate events

Since coming home from our trip, we have had quite our share of bad omens.

Firstly, the day after we got home, on the mondayest of tuesdays I ever did see, I scraped the side of our very nice and favorite car. And it wasn't from something daring, some grand adventure, one of those scrapes that has an exciting story to go along with it. On the contrary, it was just me picking up a sweet pork burrito for lunch. It was approximately the one millionth time I have been through this very taco time drive through only one block from my office, while looking at that damn metal bar with all of the car paint transfer from all of those unfortunate souls who just couldn't bother to pay enough attention to drive carefully around that damn corner. Only, this time, I found myself to be the unfortunate soul who wasn't paying attention.

Later that very day my littlest bear cub came home from daycare as one of the also terribly unfortunate children in his class who caught the hand foot mouth that has been passed around. Sores began to blister up along his feet, his hands, the bottom lip of his sweet little mouth, even inside his mouth. My child practically had leprosy you guys.

That night was rough. B was up crying for most of the night, and to top it off, on the rare hours when he wasn't crying and I could have caught myself a few zzz's, I acquired a pinched nerve the size of texas that mocked me with painful stabs from any position I laid in.

The next morning we woke up, or, not so much woke up as we got up out of the bed we had been laying in all night and not sleeping, to groggily head for the kitchen and brew the only thing that would magically lift us from this sleepy haze. Our sensory of smell was awakened by just the scent of the beans as we scooped them into the filter and poured the water into the reservoir robotically, as we do every morning. Only, get this, as soon as we pressed the brew button we were greeted with the dreaded error beeping.

At this point I am looking at the heavens asking God, WHY DO YOU HATE ME!?

It's Friday now, and I am happy to report that we made it through the week. We have a sweet sister in law who spent her day with the boys so I could get my pressing office matters taken care of, and a sweet husband who took a full day off work so I could do the same thing again. We have a new coffee maker (HALLELUJAH). Beck, while still exhibiting a stark amount of tiny red sores from that dreadful virus, is in much better spirits. And thanks to that heaven sent benadryl, we have all slept an entire nights worth for the past two nights. Thursday I even woke early and met my two sisters where we practiced yoga beneath the mountains while the sunrise soaked our faces, and it was like pouring warm coffee directly into my soul. Energizing and delicious and so very needed.

And really, this is what I love about our adventures. Sometimes we have grand adventures, fly by the seat of our pants road trips, lovely mountain views and memories made and stories to tell. And these grand adventures are just the kind of thing we need to fill our buckets when life inevitably hits us. Life with its car repairs and its viruses and its broken coffee machines. There will be weeks where things go wrong, and that is why we adventure. We fill our buckets and let that hold us over until the next time!

I have been taking life slowly. I have been making some big changes. I have so much to talk to you about, so many blog posts dreamed up in my mind. So stay with me! I'll be back next week! For now, we are hunkered down in quarantine. We are stocked up on taquitos and cookie dough and coloring books and plenty of You've Got Mail to get us through!

Happy Weekend friends! Get out there and get you some!


xoxo

solitude

The Valley floor is bitter cold with increasingly harsh winds and it's snowing in the high mountains. We are in a transition period between Fall and Winter, one without the benefits of snow to increase our list of activities. The darkness covers us like a blanket by five o'clock and it's often too cold to enjoy many things outside, so we cozy up and hunker down at home. It is only the middle of November and we are already experiencing some intense side effects of cabin fever.

I left work early and packed Rockie in the car. We had to get out, get away from the boredom and into the mountains, and so we drove. As the road twisted and turned next to the winding river, my heart grew lighter and lighter. We drove on and on, passing dreamy tiny cabins and leaf strewn empty camp sites, until we were far enough away that we could park and explore. Rockie and I have hearts alike, souls that long for rivers and trees and mountains and peace. We are both in our happy place there.

We walked beside the flowing river while the sharp wind pierced us. We studied deer scat (I hoped it was deer scat), we found an old abandoned outhouse, she dipped her paws in the cold water of the river and I took a hundred pictures of the thumbnail moon which was perched perfectly just above the jagged mountain top. The farther we wandered the better I felt, letting the peace and clarity wash me as though I were taking a soapy shower while caked in mud.

I never wanted to leave. But after a long while, when the sun began to bid us farewell behind the mountains and the clock ticking in my pocket began burning like coal, ever a reminder that I have obligations and real life to attend to, in the end the promise of a warm home and some hot dinner finally won me.

A mulberry scented candle is burning in the kitchen for what will likely be its last time, the red wax thin on the bottom of the glass jar now. A hot loaf of honey wheat bread is baking in the oven, filling my home with a thick smell of warm flour.

When the timer finally dings it is late, both of the boys are fast asleep in their beds and the house is dark and serene. I saw through the hot bread loaf with a tall serrated knife to create a thick slice, and I pull apart dense morsels of bread with my fingertips to savor in my mouth while I huddle in front of the cracked oven door which is emitting heat through me like a campfire.

I am reminded that there was once a day when I hated the quiet. In college I would fall asleep to the radio every single night. I don't know if it is my age or if it is a direct result of having small children, but I am at a point now where I crave the quiet. I long for the solitude, the time alone with myself where I can hear my own thoughts.

But then moments come along that give me a little more perspective, as is inevitable I suppose. Yesterday Jace sweet talked his way into a sleepover at Grandpa's house. Beck went to bed at 7:30 and instantly the house was quiet again. It has been so long since I haven't had an almost five year old around all evening on a Thursday night that I didn't know what to do with myself! I ended curled up on the couch with a blanket and a bucket of popcorn where Dan and I spent the remainder of the evening watching 20/20 and Jimmy Fallon reruns. Bedtime was easy without having to check off a list of brushing teeth and reading books and convincing him to stay in his bed instead of falling asleep in ours. Before turning out the lights, I tucked Rockie in at the foot of our bed instead of the foot of Jace's bed where she normally sleeps, and I said for the millionth time that night, I miss Jace...

So nights such as these remind me that sometimes, the quiet can actually be overrated.

our week in pictures

It's the first day of Spring! If that isn't the best news I've heard all week. This week was full of massive project deadlines at work and now I have a four day weekend that I'm praising to high heaven. I love my job, have I told you that? I do, very much so. I manage a busy doctors office and I love it. I'm proud of it. I enjoy it. While also, what is loving your job if not that you are always so in dire need of a weekend? It's a good sign that you work hard, I suppose.

Monday is my first born's birthday and as you can only imagine, I've many thoughts and words on the matter. Many, many thoughts. I'm going to come back here and write them all down, a whole post adoring the birthday boy, but that doesn't surprise you does it now? However, today is not that day. Today is busy in all of the right ways and so today is for less words and more pictures.

I hope that's okay.

Here is our week in pictures, and listen, have a great weekend willya?!?

TGIF

As I type this, I'm eating a thick slice of cranberry sour cream bread, and my cup of joe is filled with chocolate-caramel creamer, this despite my recent declaration of banishing white breads and sugar from my diet. Because today is Friday and I've needed today so very much! When haven't I needed Friday? My muscles are sore all over my body from what started with a windy day of kayaking against the current and led into some insanely tough workouts this week. It's the kind of sore that I love, feeling my muscles hardening while I get stronger.Yesterday's full moon is waning and our clocks will be springing forward an hour this weekend, not too mention I'm on the verge of a possible head cold that I've been fighting with extra vitamin c supplements all week long. So I'm feeling a tad out of whack while also very optimistic all at the same time.

Because it's Friday, remember? And Rusted Root is singing Send Me On My Way on the radio right now, which is always a mood booster.

The hubs came home yesterday and told me this story, and it just took the cake, you know? It truly made my day. I'm awe inspired that there are millionaires out there who are so grounded, and wait not just millionaires, but twenty-one year old millionaires! It really restores my faith.

But that's as much of a friday round up as I can muster this morning, since I've got an almost-four-going-on-sixteen-year-old who is begggiiinnngggg for his turn on the computer now. So for now, here are some pictures of our life lately!

HAPPY WEEKEND FRIENDS!

xoxoxo

FRIDAYYYYY

It's Friday! I'm late to the party, I know. Since I got home from my kick-ass kickboxing class at the crack of dawn this morning, I've been either feeding a child, rocking a child, playing "police chase" with a child or cleaning up after a child, and I'm just now sitting down at the computer to do a friday blog post. And you should know, I'm doing this BEFORE I shower or get ready for the day. Is it really 1:00 already?!

Hashtag this is the life.

Here is my friday round up for the week. Pop yo'self a bowl of popcorn!


>> THIS cover of 500 miles. (swoon.)("if this cover doesn't make you want to fall in love right this second with the person closest to your vicinity, then i fear for your overall capability to feel emotion." ha!)


>> THIS thought provoking article about mormon women and boob jobs.


>> THIS is what I will be doing sunday night! you too?


>> THESE vans that i'm dying to buy.


>> THIS song that I'm dancing around the house to all morning (warning! if you don't mind some F-bombs!)(i listen to it on my headphones, don't worry)


>> THIS. this! this! this! Humans really are better together! i still tear up whenever i think about this show. i just miss it so much.


>> THIS, because I aspire to take pictures this beautiful.


>> THIS article on the sequel. how do you feel about this anyway? i'm still in shock.


>>  THIS recipe that I can't wait to try. (hey locals, that reminds me: hardback cafe has THE BEST dirty vanilla chai latte. make it iced and add a shot of coconut, it will blow your mind. this thanks to my having a barista for a sister!)


>> THIS beaut, because as of late I have fallen hard for the concept of both living in a log cabin in the woods and that cabin having a black exterior.


>> THIS is amazing. I don't have a kid with a speech disorder, but I think this can be applied to building confidence in all kids really. #2 is my favorite.


>> THESE.


And now, I think I'll get ready for the day. This is getting ridiculous.

TGIF, happy weekend friends!

xoxo

five things

^^ if you're my facebook or IG friend, it's no secret that i've been in love with my new fitbit flex. for so many reasons, the main one being that it has made me so aware. i've been much more cautious about what i'm putting into my body, much more active, and overall much more healthy. holy smokes i love this thing.

^^ thank you god for target. i've been obsessed with oversized comfy tshirts, and hands down the best i have found so far are these mossimo t's at target. if you haven't noticed, these three t's have been worn on repeat all summer long.

^^ this instant pore eraser. my strawberry nose thanks you, maybelline.(i found mine at walgreens.)

^^ best foods mayo with olive oil. much healthier than mayo, but much better tasting than light mayo. because i like mayo so much that i spoon it straight from the jar. (just kidding! or am i?)

^^ this lipton green tea and honey, mango pineapple flavored go packs. 5 calories of delightful, healthy and energizing! if you haven't heard the benefits of green tea, i mean really.

// and there you have it! bringing back the ol' five things i'm loving this week, errr friday folks. you're welcome.

and aren't we so glad that it's finally friday?! i'm ridiculous in that i always beg time to please slow the heck down and for heavens sake stop going so fast!, but then monday rolls around and i'm just wishing for friday. every single week. i'm nothing but a walking contradiction.

i just love me some weekend.

we have plans of taking the j-ster rock climbing for his first time this weekend, and i've been looking forward to this all summer! j man loves the idea of rock climbing. i love him for so many reasons, and one of those reasons is that he's so much like his daddy. it's golden.

once climbing is checked off the list, he's also been begging to go roller skating, golfing and skiing. the list is getting longer, and all i know is thank goodness for him to keep us young. life through his eyes is kind of the best. when you grow up and get all jaded on life and responsibilities and work, well it's just so needed to have a kid that gives you new glasses to look through. everything is such an adventure.

happy friday friends!

xoxo