Mother's day...

So, for Mother's Day, Bryce asked me what I wanted and all I wanted was to be in the mountains camping with our boys.  So....we did.  This post is a bit late...but the trip was wonderful.  It rained on us, which made us very grateful for the ridiculously large tent we bought recently (it has 2 rooms!). 

Here the boys are throwing rocks in the river on a hike to Linville Falls:

 Oskar, and one of his amazingly wonderful looks:

 Oliver and Oskar at the head of the hike:

 Hiking Mama.  Oskar likes to hike/carry/run/walk/carry/walk/piggy pack/ run/ ride on your shoulders/hike.  It's a mix and we just roll with it. 

 Me and Huggie:

 Oliver in a beautiful field (the picture really didn't capture it).  Oliver is constantly bringing me flowers.  Sweet boy.  Hope this habit lasts...

Oskar in the field:

 
Bryce and the boys:

 This picture makes me laugh.  Oskar is standing EXACTLY like Bryce always stands with his hands on his hips and his hips slightly to the side.  So funny how some similarities just show up...

 Beautiful NC mountains:

 One of the shots of Linville Falls...

 Oliver, climbing into a tree stump:

Oliver, IN the tree stump:

Me and Huggie and the flower that it is illeagle to pick.  It was really pretty.  It is a rhododendron.  They are all over the NC mountains and were in full bloom.  

 Me and the illegal flower---worth it!:

 Me and Huggie with the falls behind us:

At this point in the hike, the boys were DONE posing for pictures as you can see....

Oliver, riding his horse.  At this point in the hike, we were both carrying a son.  People were laughing at us, saying "those boys have it made" and the like.  Funny.  We are suckers.  But we also like to keep moving and don't mind it really. 

This picture on the fallen tree is significant because when Bryce came to NC to visit when we were dating in 2000, we did this same hike and took a picture of the two of us on this same tree!  We didn't even remember the hike until we saw this tree.

We also spent some time in one of our favorite towns, Boone, NC.  Its a great college town with awesome shopping.  Lots of cool hippie consignment shops and little cheap local boutiques.  My mother's day gift was being able to wander aimlessly and shop and buy a few things.  It was a perfect weekend. 

long time coming...

Well...this blog has been a long time coming, to say the least.  My delay was partly a time issue, but mostly because the computer on which my pictures are stored was on the fritz and wouldn't stay connected to the internet reliably. 

Nevertheless, there's a lot to catch up on. 

Below are some GREAT pics of my boys  and their cousins (Adam and Jenny's kids).  They were here for about 9-10 days in April.  We miss them so much!  The cousins all had a blast.  I thought our home was loud before, but add 5 more babes and you have a circus!   Enjoy:


Oliver and Wesley:

 Ryan:

 Jessica on one of our tire swings:

 Zachary and Oskar:

 Oliver and Bryce, standing very straight...

 Wesley....(love that face)

 Beautiful jessica:

 Jenny (7 months pregnant!!!) being pulled by Zach and Bryce.  I think she was trying to induce labor:

 Oskar...not sure what this pose was:

 Oskar (another pose....funny)...

 The cousins playing in the side yard:

Kobe: 

Bryce and Wesley:  We took the boat(s) out many times.  

 Zachary and Bryce.  They actually swam in the pond several times. 

 Me and Bryce and Wesley

 I love this shot of Bryce.  Very Peter Pan.  and very HIM

 Ryan and Oliver doing an experiment on the porch with bubbles...

 Sweet Oskar...

 Bryce making spaghetti...

 Oliver with the "bow" that we made out of an old kids broom.  it actually worked better than I had hoped.  We had to be careful with it...

 Jessica and the frog she found:

 Oliver and that poor frog...

 Oliver and Wesley.  BFF's (when they weren't fighting...)

It was such an amazing visit.  THANK YOU, Adam and Jenny for coming (especially Jenny for making the drive at 7 months pregnant!  You are amazing!)

Many more things to blog about....stay tuned!

fairies, soccer, found objects, memories and celebrating love...

 So, when Mary and Crit were here when we first arrived, Mary and Oliver discovered a magical village just by our house in a cedar tree that is wound with wisteria.  They deemed this area "Dreamland Village"....and then their imaginations took off.  There are fairies, wizards, dragons, Pegasus and ponies.  Many nights we have to go and feed the fairies a very specific meal of magnolia leaves, moss, grass and flowers.  This is all from the imagination of Oliver and Mary and it is lovely. 

Oliver's imagination has found new breath here....it was always alive...but it has run wild here....

 We had a fun sleepover with Kobe last weekend.  Here they are in the early hours....this will certainly be used against them when and if they are older and care that they were practically spooning.  Regardless....i love this...and sweet Kobe is such a good cousin.  He's so helpful and STRONG. 

Bryce and I are still navigating the schedule of him working from home.  It's been a challenge because he is HERE...but needs to focus and not be disturbed.  So, we are trying to develop our schedule.  One great thing (for me) is that on *workdays* Bryce wakes up with the boys and I get to either sleep in, go running or do yoga.  It's a toss up as to which wins....but...when I do yoga....(deep breath)....this is my sweet view...:

 I roll out my mat at the foot of our bed and look out this gloriously tall window onto a gigantic trees and a winding driveway.  I breathe deep breaths in this space...

 This was a gift from my sweet friend, Julie.  I feel it....  Right now...this is where I belong.  I am so connected to the earth here...


We've been going out on the pond almost every day....until recently...we only had an OLD flat bottom fishing boat that you have to empty out every time you set to water: 

Me and Huggie,, pre-pond-cruise:

 Oliver and Bryce fishing:

Oskar and I stayed ashore...hunting for turtles:

I found Bryce, Oliver and Oskar watching a soccer game in Dad's room....beautiful to see them enjoying this together:

So....as I have explained to Oliver...this house is FILLED with hidden treasures.  FILLED!  Recently I found Mom's sewing box.  it was filled with threads, needles, ribbon, lace, patterns....a wealth of projects and memories.  It made me feel so connected to her as I rummaged through its contents...

 so....I took a few photos in an effort to capture its magic...

While on the topic of *found* objects...my beloved Critti is getting married on April 21.  I am leaving tomorrow to join the wedding festivities.  I have been working for a while now on her gift, which is entirely made of fond objects in this home and our lives...  here's my collection: 

I wanted to also share my Cranes....when I was in the hospital this past summer, Mary (Crit's daughter) and her friend made me strands and strands of "get well soon" cranes.  They carry with them a power and I like to keep them close....:

Here is Crit and Tate's wedding gift that I created from the found objects.  In case you can't make it out, it reads "i carry your heart"...which is a line from a favorite poem of Crit's and mine by e.e. cummings. Every piece of this from the wood (reclaimed from one of the fallen buildings on our land) to the green fabric (cut from the baby sling that I carried Oskar in) came from things that I found and re-pourposed.  It was really fulfilling to create this.  I am so excited for Crit's beautiful wedding this weekend and welcome that I will be present for this union....

these  beads, that make the ellipsis are from a necklace that Dad brought back from Mexico...

 i love the grains of this wood...

 I wrapped the ee cummings piece and some NC pottery very mindfully as well...here are some shots:

I leave tomorrow for Arizona....to witness the union of my BFF to her love on Saturday.   I wish we could've afforded to all go...but it's just me.  I am looking forward to the time and the celebration....I'll take tons of pictures.