Summer Vacation

We have been home two weeks, and I can't believe how fast those fourteen days have gone.  We have been busy settling in- buying a crib & rocker for the boys' room; setting up closets, the bathroom and getting things we need out of the storage unit.

We have also managed to squeeze in a bit of fun- getting together with family, dinners & BBQ's; a library trip with Daddy; a day at the zoo; a bit of shopping and a trip to the coast to see my beloved grandparents.

Driving to the beach to see my grandparents was awesome.  The weather was beautiful, and the drive was stunning.  So much green- the grass, the trees- and blue -the sky, the river- I just sat, staring out my window for most of the drive.

The twins watched a movie in the back.  And also slept for a bit.  But Super Wy did not sleep at all.

It's about a two hour drive, and I was nervous for Wyatt to be strapped in a carseat that long. He hasn't been in a carseat more than fifteen minutes since we got here.  But he did really well.

I will admit that coming home has been a bit overwhelming.  The first Sunday home we ran to Target with all three kids to pick up things like soap & shampoo.  On the sunscreen aisle I nearly lost it. There were so many choices, so many decisions.  Baby sunscreen? Spray sunscreen?  Chapstick sunscreen? How many? 

Being around the public again has been strange as well.  At the zoo I was surprised how many people were around and I felt myself feeling a bit claustrophobic.  But generally speaking we are very happy to be home. 

Everyone has been so happy to see us, and us them.  The weather has been fairly cooperative and we've enjoyed many bike rides to the park.  In the evenings when all three boys are down I've been enjoying sitting in Carol's backyard on her adirondack chairs, reading my Elin Hildebrand novels (a must for summer) or writing in my (86th!!!) journal, which I started this week.

The downtime has been awesome.  Going to bed early, taking turns sleeping in, days full of seeing family and running errands.  This downtime should be relaxing, but I was finding myself somewhat anxious all the time.  So I did some thinking and I have decided to stop going on Facebook for the time being, and also to quit blogging.

Josh was shocked when I told him.  But it has been feeling more like something on my to do list and less like something that I want to be spending my time doing.  I feel suddenly like I want to be living my life, not blogging it.

And so I am taking a blogging vacation. I may pop in here and there, let you know about exciting things that inspire me to blog, but I may not.

I will promise you, though, that once we are back in Marshall, I will get back to blogging again, because when I am there, it is my outlet, my way to stay connected to those I know and love.

I feel that stepping back from the computer will allow me to truly enjoy this vacation, make time to see everyone I want to see, squeeze in all the trips I want to squeeze in and allow me to focus on my boys.

Our trip to the beach was like that... Casual walks down to the main strip where we ate lunch, bought trinkets and saw the beach; a cozy night at grandma's house, bathing the boys (three in a row) in her tub and rubbing them dry with thick cozy towels; waking up in the morning to Grandpa making a fire and the boys asking to watch cartoons while I dozed on the couch.

It was perfection.

I am looking for more of that while we're home.

 More walks, more hand holding, more love.

There are so many memories to be made.

Memories that, once I am back in Marshall, I will be able to pull out and use to warm my frigid bones.  Memories that I can blog about come fall when I am stuck inside all day again.

Wyatt's first year has taught me that time goes fast. Too fast. 

Grandpa reiterated this point to me.  In January he turned 80.

Time just keeps slipping by.

So as cliche as it sounds, I am going to make time to stop and smell the roses.  I am going to sit on the beach and take it all in. I am going to rock my baby in that beige glider upstairs until long after he has fallen asleep.  And I am going to sit on the couch with my twins, those boys who, in three short days, will turn four, and watch SpongeBob because they want my company.

I am in love with this stage of my life.  I am married, with three small children, finally a stay-at-home mom, back in Washington on vacation, enjoying all my extended family, and loving every minute of it.  I don't want to spend a second doing something I don't enjoy.

Today I painted my toe nails, watched way too much TV with the twins, thanks to the rain, and made myself a gourmet sandwich for lunch. It was delish.

While the rain poured outside, we stayed in, where it was cozy, and made chocolate chip cookies.  Then we proceeded to eat them all.  With a little help.

I want to make time to see old friends, and make new ones.

I want so much for these next two months.

We head back to Marshall August 13th.  I will look forward to being home, having our own space and our own routines again, but I will also sorely miss everything the Northwest has to offer.

So while I am here, I want to soak it all in.

I also want to memorize these moments with my boys.

To explore with them, eyes wide open, every experience like brand new.

And I want to carry out traditions that I grew up with.

Weekend trips to Rockaway.

Camping at Cougar.

Swimming in the Washougal.

And while in Rockaway, tradition is

shopping at Flamingo Jim's.

This time complete with a flamingo car out front!

This beach trip was Wyatt's first experience in the sand.  

He dug his hands in, feeling it between his fingers.

Then he found a rock.

The silly bub.

And of course... it went...

right into...

his mouth!

Then he did what Jack always did when he was a baby at the beach, he laid down, face first and came up with a sandy drool beard.

 I love him!

Sandy beard and all!

 I tried to get some sand off of him (and his brothers) before we got home, but the tub was still full of sand after baths that night!

After playing at the beach, we walked home, treasures tucked into back pockets,

and we read bedtime stories with Papa Jerry.

Wyatt was so fun while we were visiting.
Crawling all over the place,

and being adorable.

It's pretty much ridiculous how cute that baby is.

I could eat his face!

And I'm  not the only one who loves him.

 His new crawling makes us all so proud of him!

 

He even showed Grandma & Grandpa a new trick- 

pulled himself up to standing on their coffee table.

Tricky little boy!

---

This summer will consist for us of  more bike rides,

more family time,

more reading,

and more journaling.

I am determined that there will be less distractions,

more clarity,

more joy,

and more gratitude.

I am in such a happy place this summer.

I am so blessed by these boys,

and by this baby,

and this man...

I am a lucky woman
and I am not going to take any of my blessings for granted.

So I will see you in the fall,
unless the mood strikes to write again in the meantime.

Have a happy summer!

We are home!

 Whew! What a busy couple of days we have had... It all started Friday morning when we finished up packing, locked the door of our beautiful home, and rode with Mary, Susan, Joe & Krista and their kids, and Nick, to the airport.

We said farewell to Mary, who won't be with us next year, and shed some tears.  We will so miss that girl.  She was Josh's sanity when he was there alone, and she was my sanity when I'd been in the house too many days.  I am so happy to have met her, and was very sad to see her go.

 Soon we boarded our Caravan charter and the adventure began.  Susan was up front with Logan, Jack & Aaliyah in rows behind her.

 Josh was on the other side, with Wyatt & I, Joe & Khasia, and Krista & Khaila behind him.

 Wyatt was a perfect angel the entire flight.  We just gazed out the window, fascinated by all the geography below us.  We got lucky, and it wasn't too cold, but it was windy.  The flight was a bit shaky.

Lucky for us, we were able to make it Marshall to Bethel (about forty minutes) with no problems and landed safely with plenty of time to eat and let the children play while we waited for our flight to Anchorage.

While we were in the Bethel airport I met a woman in my shoes- SAHM to a couple little boys in a rural village- and it was so good to talk to someone who knows exactly what my life is like. 

Our stay in Anchorage was short & sweet. We landed, got our luggage, found our rental car, checked into the hotel and hit the mall. I was able to take Wyatt and shop for new (smaller!) clothes at Gap. I nearly cried (and did hug the girl Kelly who was helping me) when I found out I could wear a size ten.  My last pair of Gap jeans were a 16.

While Mommy shopped Daddy & the big boys got haircuts and shoes that fit.  Then we met back up for dinner at a restaurant!!! We ate at Red Robin where the boys got milkshakes and the baby tried his first french fry.

Before we knew it it was Saturday morning and we were boarding our final flight.  On this flight I made another friend, Julia, whose baby boy Joel was just edible! Thanks to our visiting, the flight went so fast, and I was blessed to have the third seat in our row empty.  The twins' behavior was perfect and the baby slept for most of it.

Before we knew it, we had landed in Portland and were making our way toward our family.

I'll let the pictures do the talking...

Our homecoming was heartwarming, just as I imagined it would be, and we felt so loved. There must have been nearly twenty people at the airport to meet us. It has been an awesome week, spending time here with Carol & Carl (whom we will stay with for the summer); spending time with Josh's sister Julie & her boys; and spending time with my sister, her boys & my mom at my mom's house.  Despite the rain we have had all week, we are happy to be home, and grateful for our loved ones.

Proud

 I just left the potlatch, which was emotional even for me, so I can't imagine how Josh must be feeling.  After we all ate, the elders spoke (in Yupik, and then someone translated the gist of it) and thanked the teachers for being there and for doing all they do.

 It felt good, as the wife of a teacher whose heart is in his classroom, to hear my husband and his devoted co-workers be thanked for their tireless effort in educating Marshall's youth.

 I am so proud of Josh.

I am proud that he moved here by himself in August,

and that when I left him at the airport so many months ago,

he had a smile on his face, and his excitement was palpable.

 I am proud that he got along so well with his roommate,

who became a very close friend;

and that he found a place among the staff here.

 I am proud that he endured the transition of us coming to join him

and am grateful that he has had nothing but positive things to say about us being here.

And lastly, I am proud that he survived his first year teaching.

That he was able {finally} to provide for our family the way he always imagined.

I love you babe.

You make me so proud.

Crazy proud.

my bathing beauties

{jack}

 Today has been a little different than I had thought.  

I'm such a planner, that most of my work is done.

{yummy}

 So when Josh called today to invite us to lunch at school with him, 

we took him up on the offer and got out of the house!

{wyatt}

 Wyatt is now at the stage where he DOES NOT like people other than Josh or I to hold him. 

He cried for four out of the five people who tried to hold him at lunch.

{baby piggies}

 The only girl he didn't cry for was Nichole, 

who looks a bit like me, and apparently has the magic touch!

{in these two jack still looks like he has a baby face}

It was nice to get out of the house, see some students, teachers & friends and eat a burger.

{love his pink cheeks}

And tonight the community is having a potlatch for us.  So while I am finishing up the last of the laundry and triple-checking THE LIST, I am also putting in and pulling out tray after tray of chocolate peanut butter cookies. 

{Oh, and blogging the last of the pictures in my "Alaska" file, 

so that when I arrive in Washington my "Summer" file can begin!!!}

Holy Packing!!!

 The last three days have been a blur of cleaning, organizing
and preparing the house for our three month absence.

Today I was finally able to actually start packing.  While the baby was sleeping, I planted the boys in front of the television to watch Dora & Boots go on adventure after adventure while I went nuts upstairs.

 This is what our (normally empty) banister looked like.

 And the upstairs hallway.

 And the boys' room.

 I set out clothes for today & Friday, 

 as well as jammies for each night.

 Then I separated what I will need at the hotel in Anchorage
from what I will need at Carol's when we get there.

Then we have carry on's, a tote, a cooler and all three boys' carseats. Whew.  I can't wait to be on that plane, because that means my work here will be done!

Before bedtime I managed to get everything into it's appropriate piece of luggage and I am as ready as I can be at this point.  I still can't believe that we are out of here in one short day.  But more than that, I can't believe we made it.  We have survived our first year in bush Alaska.  Josh survived his first year teaching, in his own classroom, and was even invited back for another year! (hooray!)  And somehow, I survived every transition, change & challenge thrown at me; from taking care of the kids on my own for five months, to traveling alone with Wyatt to see Josh in October, to moving in with Josh's parents, and finally to making the move to our new housing at the start of the year.  I know I will be sad come August, to leave our friends & family, again, but I do think it will be easier this year, with less unknowns.

We did this. We did it!  It's so surreal!