We have come Full Circle!

Cedar driving the boat with Grandpa

Orien all passed out after a swim in the lake

The kiddos sleeping after a 2 day road trip....

swimming in the lake


Truth all smiles...

The Boys at Lake Superior..she is beautiful...

Avery, Orien, and Cedar relaxing at Amanda and Matts house

ahhh, we made it...2 weeks of play, travel, good food, plenty of family and friend time and we are now back in the great west. Was the perfect trip..i felt the heat, sweated more then I have in years, watched the kiddos get spoiled and fall in love with all that they meet. Cedar the kind guy that he is was so thankful for everyone that came to visit from old neighbors who played hide and seek to endless summer fun with his cousin AZ! It was hard to leave..and I filled with tears when I saw Cedars red eyes at the first stop on the trio saying he missed mimi and grandpa......he is getting big, really involved with the human touch...and to that i am thankful..what a full heart he carries. so here are the photos that tell the tale of boating, beachplay, kid time, etc.....

Top Ten Trip Moments through the eyes of the kids!

One week of traveling in MN = One week of kids being in awe and excited over things only kids are sometimes excited about! I love watching there eyes light up and there giggles all from such simple things!So here it is the Top 10 things Cedar, Orien and at times Truth enjoy in Minnesota in no particular order!! Wish I could get my photos to download..plenty to show later. We ahve decided to stay until Saturday and have Jody fly out to help co-pilot the trip back!

1. The Laundry shoot at Mimi and Grandpas house..EVERYTHING is now being sent to the basement many time a day!! Until today they had no clue where it went just that it was gone..lets keep bodies clear!
2.Riding bikes with Grandpa. Yes Grandpa dusted off his seat, filled the tires and now cruises with Cedar on the bike paths..too cute!
3.Visiting Sara and Tim (old girl friend from Junior high-College and husband) Cedar as we left said " I Love Sara" can we come back here..simply because she played with them!
4.Reading extra looong book from Mommy's book shelves from Mimi and Grandpa.
5. Feeding the ducks EVERYTHING in the front yard.
6. Watching the neighbor boy sell lemonade on a hot day. Cedar was so excited that he got out a drum, symbols,flag,,anything to help stir up business from across the way! Says he wants to sell peaches at our house when he gets back..might be aloooong wait between customers!
7.Watching milk carton boat races at Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis.
8.Having someone ride in the back of the van with them.
9.Swimming in the pool with Auntie Malia and AZ..chasing each other around. And playing in the basement of old toys with AZ(cousin) as well.
10. Eating pancakes every morning that Grandpa will cook them.

The Road Trip Itch!!

So here I am writing my blog from MN...land of hot (104), humid, sunny, green, Maple Grove. Sunday the itch began, the get in the van on a whim, visit MN family and friends...and have that feeling of open road Freedom! Must have been in the air as Cedar began begging to visit Mimi and Grandpa...and I kept saying maybe tomorrow..well see...Monday mornin came I asked Cedar what he wanted to do an yet again said "Can we visit mimi today" so with a Cedar phone call,,,Mimi excited and surprised we packed 1 random duffel bag of clothes..a cooler full of snacks, 2 bikes and Oriens scooter and said goodbye to the chickens and daddy who is working and having his own relaxing week!!

The open road..Nebraska being the most open road EVER!! Witnessed the closest funnel cloud (tornado) sirens and all from good ol' Flyin J's gas..just as the kids were dripping sweat, filling water bottles to look up and see this random twister in what seemed to be calm every where else. Cedar later asked if a tornado was an animal! (didn't point it out to them at the time) Then ahhhh a billboard for Starbucks..stop STORM HITS poor Orien scared of rain..so we watch and listen to the drums pounding in the sky to make light of the weather out there hoping that I won't loose a bike like years before when Jody and I traveled to Colorado...sipped a cold latte and juices, and headed for the road again...after of course playing smile games with Truth and coooing her way through the day...Fireflies amazing lights filling the highway all they way till the pit stop in Lincoln Nebraska where all 3 kid landed in the tub together to scrub away the sweat and food...

Wake, eat to do it all again...I realize now why someone out there invented Air Conditioning! Something we didn't realize the VW didn't have until months after buying her..but non the less a true breeze in my hair, that sweaty back...the feeling of sticking to Truth as she sips her milkies..all for hours to MN! Another call for a sbux stop..boys relaxed with wind, cold water and the secret to travel DVD's!! we made it to MN...excited to hit rush hour..sit and wait..what a lesson of patience..funny to get sunburned from sitting in the VW in 104 degree weather. we made it the kiddos are happy, already sweam in mimi and grandpa pool, played with cousin Aislin, and finally after books from Grandpa are sleeping..shhhh wish i had photos along the way but are all on the cell phone! gotta love looking back at Orien with chocolate head to toe from a smoothie that he decided to slim his body!
And now time to just enjoy MN...boating, lakes, pools, family, friends..and again head for the open road to Colorado in a few!!

Fourth Of July and everything in between..

summer summer summer,,,in love with the heat,sun, bike rides, farmers market, everything outside..makes me want to live somewhere warm all year!!so here it is the photo gallery of the last week!! Sometimes i have nothing to tell of but love to show the kiddos in there week! Truth already 7 weeks..is grinning when i come to find her from naps and after sweet milkies, but darn it cant ever get the photo!!!! And check out that strong chick lifting herself up take focus!! Daddy is hoping she keep her beautiful blue eyes....We did what we now consider a mini tradition of watching the fireworks in Estes and then touring via bikes around town until it is way too late for all..with our other friends Lina.Dave and Alissa/john plus lots of chariots with little ones !!! You cant beat biking in the dark. Something about that endless energy and freedom under the stars and hugged by mountains. Orien officially moved into a "big boy bed" after the crib got recalled! So yes still in our room..but now in a cute little toddler bed that Cedar squishes into in the AM as well....

The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

So here you have it a week that equalled all 3....lets start with the good...our growing chickens have let us some surprises..EGGS!! we truly thought we had at least another month or so before the brown eggs would arrive!! And so a coop half done...the nests to be built and I have found the first 2 eggs..let the cooking begin!!

But before the good came the bad....last week we heard the infamous cock-a-doodle-do....yes one of these things just isn't the same...the most beautiful chicken...the one i pointed out daily was a rooster all along! so we were in the midst of getting ready to find him a home when the ugly....

We meaning the 3 kiddos and I arrived home after a day in town to feathers...my gut wrenched as I grabbed the keys to the coop,,,running over I realize the coop door is open and NO chickens to be found,,,and then the UGLY I found 2 dead chickens by good ole' Nesta...Yes it seems the chickens took advantage of a door not latching correctly to "free range" and well 2 got in the line of dog fire...and lost..not how i ever wanted to see them..so there went the rooster and one other ..and now we have 7...

time to build nests, better roosts, and keep our little ladies safe and sound...

My little Beach Bum at 1 month

Happy Birthday Cedar

Yeah..Cedar is 4..unbelievable really...again I still think of Cedar as my babe..my little babooshka. And now though not a big guy..he is definitely a big guy!! Only 4 lbs older then Orien he is the oldest!! So I figured this again would be a nice excuse to write a letter in honor of your birthday to help document your last year!!

Dear Cedar,

You are officially 4..well not quite if you go by your beautiful birth at 5:14 pm..but we'll let that float! You little red head ....the same beautiful hair finally grew in this last year! In fact you had your first hair cut at a little kid shop called Silly Scissors. You began a lot of new classes as well...You had your first season of soccer..you really like the coach and within a couple weeks you were really into the running and kicking! You also went to a little waldorf school with mommy and Orien callede Sweet Pea garden where we made delicious applesauce, you played, fed goats, and enjoyed the teachers songs..but soon you graduated and went to school for the first time without mommy....You LOVE it which came as a great surprise. At the Enchanted Circle waldorf school you spend now 2 days a week with Ms. Red and all you new friends...your favorite Rafe and Stewart amd of course Benjamin whom we hear about daily. You spend time baking bread, singing songs, (your favorite the days of the week song, and primary colors)digging in the dirt, catching bugs, growing a garden and hiking! It is so nice to hear you say you love school...and enjoy the time without the family!! And i think your other favorie new activity is dance class. You fell in love with tap and ballet and were the sutest duck I hav ever seen.singing "you are my sunshine, and rubber ducky" at you dance recital. And you have a huge crush on the dance teachers daughter Alex who helps teach you all the wonderful moves in dance class!!!!

Cedar you are an amazing fellow. You have a strong mind of your own..a trait that will get you far in life. When you set you mind to something that is it!!!You can negotiate better then many adults and fair well in getting what you want!!!! I love to watch you in crowds..You are a true observer..standing back in the group to take it all in and then BOOM when you are comfortable weather that be in minutes, weeks or months you join in and Love the activity etc...At time the follower I see you watching the "big Kids" and wanting so bad to do what they are doing! A bit of a daredevil...you will try many new tricks at bouncy castles, in pools or at the park! You are a true introvert spending so much time out in the sandbox building "houses" digging holes for the concrete mixer to pour...talking all the while to tour self as you go about your play! At night you read to yourself for hours....and then eventually fall asleep..all to wake, run upstairs, and cuddle the nights away up in our big bed!

You are a sweet big brother...giving kisses to Orien and Truth. Playing outside for hours with Orien...you love to "celebrate" your version of a party in the trampoline. you constantly are singing...you 2 could start a band one day! You have a gentle heart..full of "i love yous" to your daddy,mommy, siblings..and whenever you are around your friends you are full of hugs! Just today as we left playing with Benjamin you turned to me and said "I Love Benjamin" "He is my best friend" what a nice guy! and had to run back to give him a hug!

When I look back to the last 4 year I am amazed at how much you have grown. I love watching your silly quirks everyday from the finger rub when you are exhausted to the rubbing of the "night night" that still somehow has survived. Your energy is endless..I dont think you will ever enjoy sitting a table to eat..(unless at a tea room for sushi!), You wish you culd stay up all night every night...(ugh) and for all this we love you....and cant wait for another day filled with bug catching, swimming in the muddy pool and building beautiful fairy homes!! Happy Birthday Cedar....You are a treat to be with daily!!