Care Packages {2011-2012 finale}

 The following is April & May's Care Packages, all combined to make one {awesome} post about all the love that came to us in the form of exciting mail & imaginary hugs in boxes the last eight weeks.
Thank you all so much!!!

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Julie:

I think I mentioned previously the awesome Easter decorations Josh's sister Julie sent us.  I wanted to show you all just how talented she is.

I now have an entire box of holiday decorations.  I can't wait to use them all again next year.

After all those boxes full of Easter treats, she sent us an airplane goody box, full of travel yummies for the boys, juice boxes and food for the baby. I am so excited to have new, special treats to entice the boys into good behavior while we travel!!!

Thanks, Julie!

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Carl & Carl: 

Josh's parents sent us a bunch of boxes after they arrived home from their visit.  They sent the ingredients for homemade lasagna.  They sent whip cream, which the boys have loved having. And they sent Mothers' Day gift ingredients for Josh's classroom. Flower pots, seeds, dirt and a clear coat to keep the students' paint job safe when they were done painting flower pots for their mothers. The flowers are even growing, and that is the first shot of green I have had since I left Washington state back in January!

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 Roxanne:

My sister. That girl loves to shop.  And I love to benefit from that! This month for her care package, she sent clothes for all three boys!!! From Gap for the olders and Carters for the younger.  The boys got these great orange & blue striped t-shirts as well as long sleeve waffle knit hoodie shirts, Logan's in grey, Jack's in Navy.  I love them!

And the baby got this aqua outfit from Carters. He looks absolutely precious in it.  Like an angel.

Thank you, Roxanne, for some much needed cute outfits for our arrival at home. 

I can't wait to see you!!!

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Mom:

My mom sent me a much needed mommy package.  In it were sleep masks (the sun is setting after 11:30pm now, and rising around 6am), my all time {favorite} Bic Atlantis pens, a set of {adorable} pajamas for Wyatt, and magazines featuring my favorite blogger (NieNie).  This is all in addition to the two books she pre-ordered for me that were fabulous! I could have died when I got that package of unopened pens.  Heavenly!

Jack talking to Nanny

I love how grown up he looks!

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Grandma:

My grandma always sends us boxes full of groceries.  This month was a hodge podge of useful items.

The boys loved the little cereal boxes she included, and honestly, so do I. They remind me of camping as a little girl, choosing from the adorable boxes of Froot Loops or Frosted Flakes.  They also sent canned chicken, from Costco, our favorite! As well as pickles!

The boys have enjoyed making cookies from the cookie mixes and I enjoyed the licorice on movie night last week.

In addition to boxes full of helpful pantry items, she also sent me a letter and cards for the boys, with dollars tucked into them to spend at the store.  This time Jack bought a Kit Kat and Logan bought a Milky Way. It's his new favorite, just like his Uncle Dallas.

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Shirley:

My grandma's best friend Shirley is the boys' adopted great grandma.  She always sends them cards for even the tiniest of holidays, and for Easter she sent the boys money! No measly dollar bills here- they get ten whole dollars to spend at the store.  They chose to buy chips and a box of cereal with their money, which I thought was wise!

Thank you great grandma Shirley!!!

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Annie:

My good friend Annie also sent us a box of groceries.  Granola bars, crackers, pudding, Tuna, Mayo, beef jerky, yogurt raisins (yum!), Ranch dressing and Apple Juice boxes.  She also sent me so spring happiness- a cheerful table cloth, and hand towel.

And for the boys? Kites!!! Scroll down to see pictures of our fun adventure flying kites on the tundra. Finally something useful to do with all the wind around here!

Thank you Annie! What a thoughtful gift!

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Susan:

I grew up across the street from Susan, Rulon and their family.  I was so touched to receive a box from her last month.  Susan works for a dentist, so the box was chock full of tooth love! (Ironically, last week, part of my upper left back molar fell out! Thankfully, I have an appointment the Monday we get back, and the dentist said he will fix it then!)  The boys adore their new toothbrushes, brushing timers, and incentive stickers.  They play constantly with the snakes & silly bands she sent.  I loved the chapstick, toothpaste & mouth wash, myself!

She also sent oranges, apples, Ritz, Cheetoh's, baby food and chocolate graham crackers.

Thank you so much Susan. 

Your package was joyfully received and very useful!

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Mandy:

Mandy is one of Susan's five (!!!) daughters.  Mandy, mom of four, sent me the ingredients to make some awesome homemade meals, as well as bandaids, always useful and a hit around here, and kid medicine, also super useful.

My favorite items in her box, though were the tangerines and lemons.  Ahh, fresh fruit!  

Thanks so much, Mandy!

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Kristi Hammack:

A fellow blogger and {internet} friend Kristi sent me a sweet card with, who'd a thought, Orange KoolAid!!! She heard about how it's my favorite and Fred Meyer in Anchorage doesn't carry it, so she sent like ten packets of it. Angel!

Thank you Kristi!  We've been loving it!

We love Kool Aid with silly straws!!!

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Uncle Steve & Aunt Kathy:

My aunt & uncle sent us a box with Clif bars (I'd never had them before, now I {love} them!),

hot cocoa, some toys for boys, movies for us to watch on date night & a book, as well as some other groceries.  It was so nice to receive a gift box from them.

Thanks, guys!

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New York Fan:

A follower I have had for quite some time, unbeknownst to me, recently commented for the first time on my blog, and then followed up shortly with a package.  Kasey over at It's a Powersful Life, sent me some books, magazines and a journal.  I was tickled pink over this box, full of things to bring me a daily dose of joy.

She also included postcards from New York, and a touching note.  I have since started following her blog, and love that I am meeting people from all over the place via my blog. Such fun!

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Laura:

Josh's sister Laura sent him books for his classroom, which he promptly took to work and set up on his bookshelves.  Thank you, Laura, for supporting his classroom!

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Lincoln:

My coworkers from Lincoln Elementary, where I worked prior to becoming a SAHM, sent me the best two boxes a girl of little boys could ask for! In it were white boards and white board markers that will be perfect for homeschooling.  I also got an Alphabet game (thanks Becky!), magazines (thanks Eva!), a Motherhood quote book (thanks Kathy!), potatoes, Legos for the twins (thanks Mary!), honey soap, granola bars, tuna, cards & boot warmers!!!  It came right as the weather was turning from good to bad, and was perfect timing for entertaining the boys, yet again, indoors.

 ~

You all believed in me.  You told me, on days I walked in crying, that I was a good mother, doing the best I could, and with your hugs & encouragement I made it through some of my darkest days.  For that, you will always have a special place in my heart.

I love you all!

Playing with Legos from Ms. Skinner & Room 102

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I really can't express just how much all of your care packages have meant to us this first year.  To feel your love & support, thousands of miles away, made the days and weeks pass quicker than they would have otherwise.  I think we are all mail junkies now, excitedly making our way to the post office, our hearts quickening as we see the different size & shaped boxes stacked up for us there; then making our way home to the kitchen table where, camera in hand, we open each one, pulling treasures out one by one.

I can't wait for next year, to see the creative, love-filled boxes that will grace our table August to May.  In the meantime, our departure Friday means I will be seeing many of you very soon, and that is very exciting!

 

Thank you for thinking of us and cheering us on. 

Thank you for blessing us this first year in Alaska. 

Best Mother's Day

Today was my best mothers day to date.  I slept in (until 10:45am!) and was awakened by Josh telling me he'd made me breakfast.  Fried eggs, bacon & toast with apple juice. It smelled divine.  I ate, then we watched a movie as a family, snuggled up in the living room together while the baby napped.  After that I took the boys to the park where they both spontaneously wished me a Happy Mother's Day.  I basked in the bright sun, singing to the baby while the twins ran about, playing with their friends on the equipment.

We soon  headed back home where Jack and I made enchiladas to take to the potlatch Brian was having at 6pm.  I showered, did my hair and makeup, dressed the boys in their finest, and we headed over.  The boys were on their best behavior, and it was so fun to visit with everyone.  I was the only mother there, so they gave me the best seat in the house, and I got to eat first! I felt special.

But my best Mother's Day gift this year was from Logan. And I received it Thursday night as I tucked him in.  I was giving him his final kiss and told him that the next day maybe we could play the matching game together, the three of us, not just he & Jack, and he whispered, "You're the worst mom ever." I said, "What did you say?" And he asked, "Why?" I said honestly, "Because I think you hurt my feelings."  

And he looked all shy and repeated himself, "I said you're the best mom ever."  I had misheard him the first time.  I hugged him and told him that made mommy's heart very happy to hear.  He grinned, ear to ear, and I melted into a big mommy puddle. I love that kid.

This journey of motherhood has kept me on my toes.  From bringing home the twins as infants, to experiencing life with a singleton thanks to Wyatt, I just think I have it figured out and things change again.  But I was talking to my grandpa on the phone yesterday and he said, "You know, things keep on changing. And really, we wouldn't want it any other way."

He's right.  The twins keep finding new ways to challenge me, but along with those challenges comes growth.  Wyatt continues to amaze me, stretching my love further than I ever thought possible.

I am so blessed by them.

By my three boys.

~

Sacred Ground

We will depart Marshall for sacred ground in nine days.  Next Friday I will wake up, shower, dress my kids, grab our luggage and drive down the winding dirt road to the MLL Airport.  We will take a charter that we're sharing with Josh's coworkers (who have four kids themselves) to Bethel, where we will eat lunch, and then catch the afternoon flight to Anchorage.

We will spend the night in Anchorage, allowing me some time at the mall, and our family a meal or two in a restaurant (!!!), and Sunday we will arrive at Ted Stevens International Airport ready to make the four hour flight home, to the Northwest.

Imagining our homecoming, our family hugging us and exclaiming how some of us have grown (and others of us have shrunk) has gotten me through some tough moments the last few weeks.  Beyond that moment, which I think will be off the charts, we have been planning, talking, dreaming.

"I want to go to the beach. I want to drive. Just drive, and go somewhere, anywhere I want."

"I can't wait to go to the river. And swim.  Oh, oh! And I can't wait to walk on the waterfront."

Even the boys are in on it. "I want to play in Nanny's backyard with Ferris!"

"I want to go to Grandma's park and ride bikes with Gustav!"

There are some places that I always knew, even when I never had any intention of leaving Washington, were special.  There was "the river".  Also known as the Washougal, where our family had been swimming for all the summers I could remember.  Big rocks walked on by little Saltwaters.  Crawdads caught by boys' summer-tanned hands.  Racing rapids enjoyed in huge inner tubes.

Or "the beach". Also known as Rockaway, where my grandparents retired and we spent spring breaks, long weekends and sunny summer days flying kites, eating ice cream cones and picking out treasures at Flamingo Jim's.

But now that I have left my home, the one place I had ever lived in my life, more items have been added to that list of sacred places I will forever cherish.

For instance, Main street.  The church where we married; the ice cream shop that makes its own ice cream so divine I would pay about $100 right now to have some in the freezer; the tea house where my coworkers and I spent our first lunch break back at work, catching up and thanking the heavens that if we had to be at work, at least we had each other; the Walgreens where we would run to get candy before heading to a movie, filling our purses with Milk Duds and Junior Mints, spending $20 less than we would have paid at the theater; and the Starbucks, with all its delicious baked goods, that would often call my name on the way to work.

And also the Columbia River Waterfront where I could often be found after work, pushing the double stroller filled with my twice-as-nice, watching the boats float by, and the trains whistle past.  Oh, how I miss it. I miss water. I miss rain.  I miss moisture.  Everything here has been frozen, cold, solid, and dry.  I might just dance in the rain when it finally decides to fall.  If it decides to fall- it snowed again last night, about half an inch... I am beginning to think I won't see a drop of rain until my feet hit the concrete at PDX.

More sacred ground? My mother-in-law's front yard, where we can often be found in the summer months, sitting in the grass (grass!) visiting and watching the grandkids play, ride bikes and fight with one another.   

My mom's backyard, with the slip'n'slide set up, ready for a big, wet adventure, and little boys all covered in sunscreen, giggling as they crash into each other.   

My sister-in-law Julie's patio where all of the adults will sit while the boys swim in the pool, jump on the trampoline and do tricks on her play structure.

The Oregon Zoo, is another landmark I feel I took for granted.  With its expansive trails & walkways, leading you to and from the animal exhibits.  The amazing train ride that so enthralls our boys.  The elephant ears they sell at vendors established throughout the park.

A park.  Any park.  With green grass, a play structure and a picnic table to eat snack at.  I am so excited to go park-hopping this summer. To load up the Pilot with balls and bikes and bubbles and boys, and spend entire afternoons in the sun, surrounded by green, watching the twins run and play in the bark chips, kick a soccer ball in the grass, and careen wildly down big, tall slides.

Being stuck in the house for four months will do a lot to a girl.  Thankfully, it's made me grateful, not crazy (at least not yet!) and I can't wait to visit all these locations that have danced through my mind since we left in January.

Nine more days.  So much work before then, but every ounce of effort will be worth it when my boys are suited up and dipping their toes in the freezing fresh-off-the-mountain water at the Washougal, or when they are able, finally, to play with their long-lost cousins after a simple drive across town.

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, 

places to play in and pray in, 

where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.  

-John Muir

My third boy

Wyatt Nathanial

ten and a half months

27 pounds

29.5 inches long

Loves to: play in the playroom with his brothers, snuggle with mommy, go for walks, and take baths.

Favorite toys: rainbow rings, stacking cups, baby photo albums and his singing helicopter.

Special talents: stacking his rainbow rings, cleaning up his own toys, heart warming snuggles, and turning his mother into a puddle of love.

Enjoys eating: Cheerios, bites of table food (especially toast, macaroni, and peaches) Cheese sticks & chocolate graham crackers.  He also loves to drink apple juice from his sippy cup- and can do it all by himself!

Birthday wishes: hugs from Nanny, Grandma, Aunt Julie & Aunt Roxanne.  Also, baby books and musical toys.

Couldn't live without: Mommy.

My second boy

Jack Sawyer

Three years, eleven months

42 pounds

41 inches tall

Loves to: help mommy (with Wyatt, in the kitchen or doing chores), snuggle with Daddy and hold Wyatt when he's sleeping.

Favorite toys: Matchbox airplanes, Duplo Legos and Cars character cars.

Special talents: Zipping his own coat (!), touch counting, shoveling snow, brushing his own teeth, and cleaning the toilet.

Enjoys eating: Lasagna, sliced cheese, pancakes, Wheat Thins, chicken nuggets with ketchup and apple juice.

Birthday wishes: A new bike & helmet from Mommy, a remote control car, and more airplanes.

Couldn't live without: his Santa bubba, his next meal, and Logan.

My first boy

Logan Henry

Three years, eleven months

36 pounds

39.5 inches tall

Loves to: take pictures with my camera, play hide-and-seek, and play outside

Favorite toys: Cars character cars, Matchbox airplanes, Monster trucks, and Duplo Legos.

Special talents: using his imagination, climbing the "rock wall" at the school, putting his own clothes away, and dressing himself.

Enjoys eating: Crunchy (homemade) macaroni, Cheerios, Gogurt, chips, cheese hot dogs and Oreos.

Birthday wishes: Buzz Lightyear, cars, a ray gun, and a robot.

Couldn't live without: Movies, stuffed animals, and Jack.

Someone That Loves You Just As You Are

This week's Thank YOU! Thursday was a no-brainer.
Someone who loves me just how I am would be my mom.  

{My First Birthday :: 1983}

 We've had our share of ups and downs the last year, and no matter where I've been emotionally (super happy, super sad or super pissed) I know she will support me.  The move has been hard on our relationship, as we don't talk everyday, and are somewhat out of the loop on each others' daily lives.

{Car seats have come a long way!}

But I am hoping with time we get back to that, talking more often, and figuring out how to fit each other into our already crazy-busy days.  Being home this summer will make it easy, being in the same place, hanging out with my sister & her boys, and loving on my three boys.  I am looking forward to it.

{Shelly & Roxanne :: 1992}

My mom is a very forgiving person.  When I complain to her about Josh, or my sister, or my friends, she is very quick to offer me their potential perspective, an excuse for their behavior or a mirror to look at myself in.  When I was getting married, and thought all of my life was going to be perfect (sunshine & lollipops), she loved me.  She let me bask in my naivete, knowing all the while that life was not always going to be so kind.  She let me be because optimism is good to have, and life was going to come at me, whether she warned me or not.  

{Thursday November 18, 1982}

And then, when life did come at me, and I found myself feeling dark, pessimistic and wanting for hope, she was there for me. She was the one who hugged me joyfully the morning I found out I was pregnant with Wyatt, and she was the one who let me be angry a year later when Josh left for Alaska.

She tells me now how raging I was. How sharp & unhuggable I became when he left.  But at the time, knowing me and loving me, she just let me feel my feelings and be.

{Dallas, Shelly & a newborn kitten}

She loves me as I am, without ever needing or wanting to change me.  She accepts that I am growing, loving me through each painful stage, knowing that I will come out on the other side a better person.

She loves me fat and she loves me skinny.  I know no matter how I look, I am her daughter, she loves me and she enjoys my company.  I feel completely comfortable in my own skin around her.

{This one reminds me of Wyatt}

So, mom, thank you. 

Thank you for loving me as I am
throughout all my whole life, 

but particularly the last five years.