giggles

I heard the chuckle...hiding in his core for years. I heard the giggle and laughter and it came from his brother. I wanted to be recording it. I wanted to hold a place where I could guarantee I wouldn't forget it. But I didn't. I can't. I just sat there and listened. A real laugh,the kind that you cant stop..all from his big brother pushing him on a swing. I wanted to capture it...and I did.

Definition: family

"any of various social units differing from but regarded as equivalent to the traditional family," or more commonly,
"a group of individuals living under one roof and usually under one head : household2 a: a group of persons of common ancestry :

Family: such a simple word but I feel in our generation we have changed the terms. On one hand I am so saddened to notice such large shift in Americans..especially Caucasians. There is no us, extended family. It is rare for grandparents, uncle/aunts to be neighbors much less living in the same state. As I contemplated how mothers stay relaxed, cool and calm, and happy with large families..it came to my attention we were families back then..yes the old saying, "It takes a village to raise a family." We all say it but does anyone want it??? God I dream of that place. The place where the elder, young and everyone in between has a place..a sticky glue spot in the family. ..How mothers and fathers not so many year before me were successful at having so many healthy children and seemed to look relaxed about it. That is where family has changed. family meant the full house hold lived, worked, helped, maintained that harmony, and connection all the hours of the day. I am blessed to have a family. To have extended family in other states I and my kids adore. But there is this place I still want to go in my everyday lie..where we start to see it as togetherness rather then Mine and yours. I had a glimpse of my family last weekend at Rocygrass. my kids, husband and the branching off from there of old and new friends. And how good it felt. To have family looking out for each other...watching the kiddos simply because they loved them, not because they were getting paid or because it was right but because they simply enjoyed our kids. Yes as I type this I sounds hokey..but I don't care. So to my extended family...the family that calls when things are good and bad, the family that dives right in, or knows when to step back. but overall is there....So cheers to a different generation that can maybe one day piece back the idea of the village.

From the Garden to our mouths in minutes

Ahhh. I am falling in love with our garden. Seeds have now been in the ground for 2 months and we have delighted in radishes, romaine, red leaf lettuce and snow peas...but nothing has been as good as our beets. I am sad to say that Jody and I have never roasted beets until yesterday. Where have we been. Oh my gosh and the greens sauteed a true surprise of wonderful food. They are amazing........So we wait patiently as the carrots grow bigger, the squash turn bright yellows and greens, our beans go from flowers to poles, and we will greet the fall with pumpkins. But for now I will revel in the days spent weeding while the boys pick peas and giggle when I show them new sprouts...and truthy eats mud, crawls in mud, and picks at our greens!!!

love my family....

Dear Eamonn clan,

this one is to you all!! As cedar just figured out 2 days ago " we all have the same name Eamonn" he seemed to relieved and excited about that one!! We just returned from 2 weeks road trippin to the Midwest...It was our first official road trip..the kind where you actually stop..just to stop and sight see, eat yummy food..and shop (okay at Wall Drug)..and it was GREAT..the sun on our arms, feeling the heat of the tar we wandered the great Midwest states...sipping crappy coffee along the way!!! Really we could have gone anywhere and it would have been perfect..we wandered through the Black Hills of SD, saw Mt. Rushmore, cruised the Badlands, ate treats at Wall Drug next to a dinosaur, and made to the land of 10,000 lakes..Minnesota. Watching the kids in awww at Rushmore, sweat in the Badlands, and laugh, cruise to close to tornadoes, scream and sleep in the truck it felt so good..to be free from the everyday rhythms.... of cleaning, working, stressing about this and that...we spent time in MN with family and friends..roamed the worlds biggest Lake..Lake Superior, road trains, feasted more, played on the beach, threw rocks, ran through water, boated, fished.....I love family time...and now we are back..and I can say it was long enough because we all returned ready for our home, animals, rest and a true rhythm.....I love being home, love spending time in my front yard while the boys ride bikes, love watching the goats nibble on weeds, love watching truth walk...find animals and kiss them all over!!!!!! It is summer...a time for sun, play and relaxation...time to sink into family time, sink into kids simple world of needs...sink in the now......thanks to my family for being the best..and thanks to my parents for getting us to the great Midwest :)

trucks

dont ever buy a truck without thinkin twice!!! This has been the week I would call Truck Sage..thi story is much too long....too awful to wast time telling again...nothing matter in the end except that....Live and learn..and as I write this I am waiting for our new to us truck to be ready and the family to hit the road on a much needed Summer Road trip to the wild wild Midest!!!!!!

Adios

5 years and 2 days later!!

with a blink of an eye Cedar Ojassa Eamonn has yet again been with us one more yr. From our first baby love to our first 5 yr old!!!! We have been counting down to 5 for months. How ironic that when you are this young birthday just never come fast enough, and well we the adults know all about the opposite. Wishing time would slow down.

Cedar,

You are 5. This has been the age you have been dreaming about for months! I don't think it is the age but the awareness that with birthdays come celebrations!! We celebrated from dawn until dusk on the 20th. Your friends came up, hit the pinata, feasted, chased goats, had sword fights and played, played, played!!!!!

Cedar you are ever changing and growing up. Our conversations have become deep...at times I am shocked by your ever thinking world!! But always Magical!!! From the biggest question of "who or what was the first animal here, and how did it get here?" to the more random daily wondering about fruit growing, tool working, fairy wondering questions. You LOVE to be outside. You can find something to do in the woods for hours!! You dream of building, are always ready to help daddy with chores, and have built a tepee and cabin in the last month!! You spend 2 to 3 times a week wandering in the woods with your friend Emmett, and are always excited to be there. You have also begun to ride your bike without training wheels..well actually for the last half of the yr you have been cruising around the lake walk and all over the mountain. You danced for your second yr and love every minute of it!! Your favorite move is when you have your hands on you hips and are moving from side to side!!! You danced both tap and ballet for the recital. You also are now playing T-ball and every time we go you tell us how much you LOVE it We got a big thumbs up the first time you caught the ball...

In so many ways you are the same sweet, high energy, persistent, strong willed boy. And I continue to try to find ways of honoring your strong will and energy!!!! when you really believe what you want you will go the extra mile to get it and I believe this will do you well as you age!! I don't see you as someone who ever gives up...You have started your first yr of homeschooling with the Enki curriculum and you are always to excited to do it. You really enjoy the circle adventures, love to be animals and fairy, and enjoy all of the folk and fairy tales! You are finger crocheting, painting, working with wax, and baking weekly.

Cedar you are a hoot to be with! Things you love: cuddling in the morning, taking hours to go to bed (night owl), love the sunshine, diggers, bugs, building, destroying, hiding piles of toys behind your bed, pictures taken of you, books, fairy's, pirates, swords, animals, being mischievous, being with your family....

we love you and cant wait for the Big 5 to come alive!!!!!!!!!

the facts of life

So it has become obvious to me that I am not in control, nor was I, or will I be able to control Mother Nature! You could say we, the Eamonns, have started a hobby farm! It has been fun, but with everything new comes the reality of the good, bad, and ugly! About a year ago we were getting our first egg from our chickens! and then we began to dream. We have land, we love animals, we want a place our kiddos are filled up with nurturing, growth, love, chores, and change. And so we added goats..lots more chickens and now a 900 sq ft space for gardening. And in the last couple monthes we have been tested. We have had goats chased by dogs, goats attacked by a dog, chickens getting out and eaten by dogs...and the garden fighting the weather, lack of sun and warm temperatures and goats who find snacks out of starter plants. So I surrender. Surrender to any expectation I might have had about eating lush bright red tomatoes, crunchy cucumbers, spicy peppers..my mouth is drooling..and all this helps me to be able to have a glimpse into so many peoples lives. To have investes every last penny on a gamble of what kind of crop will produce throught the season. I am impressed that people for lifetimes have dedicated there entire life to crops. And damn I get it, get CSA's, I get the pain, and to no level can I say I understand what it must feel like to have an entire crop flushed away by snow, heavy rain,lack there of rain, and hail. To loose it all and have to hope for another yr to play catch up on credit So to all the True Farmers...I cross my fingers that this season brings more them can be eaten in one season. I cross my fingers my kids can pick one strawberry and taste the sweetness in a job well done of weeding, watering, waiting patiently for mother nature to so her part..what that may be this summer of 09'