Father's Day

I have to admit something:

I'm not perfect.

I'm close, but not quite.

I accidentally planned our trip to Oregon so that we'd be gone for Father's Day.

Whoops.

Who leaves their father home alone on Father's Day?

I do.

But don't go feeling bad for Michael.

He did this on Father's Day.

And I left him surprise gifts to open - some fancy filament for his 3D printer and some fancy sugar-free caramels.  He reported that his day was great despite being abandoned. Hooray for friends with a boat!

I'm sure grateful this guy is the father in our home.  He is amazing at it.

Happy Father's Day, Mykey!

Oregon, Part Deux

After a few glorious days with my sister, we bid farewell and skedaddled off to meet up with our friends.  Sissy's head nearly exploded with excitement on our journey.  As we pulled into town, I asked Sissy if she recognized anything.  It's funny how kids' brains operate.  Everything was exactly as I remembered it, they were the same streets I traveled for years, but Sissy could only pick out one or two things that were familiar.  Maybe it has something to do with the fact that her eyes are continuously diverted to a book when we drive, or that she's just a kid, but I expected her to recognize more.  However, she did manage to pull out memories everytime we ventured to a specific location, and it was fun to reminisce about her early years in Oregon.

It was also fun to see our friends.  We stayed with our besties - Sissy and her bestie have been intertwined since they were babies.  It's a mind warp to see these girls as pre-teens. Like us, some of our friends have also moved away, so we didn't get to see all of our old buddies.  But it sure was fun to see the ones we could.

We were able to repeat some firsts: I went on a walk with my dear friend at the park where we first met.  At that same park, I pushed Baby in the swings for the first time. They were the very same swings where my older baby also had her first swinging encounter.

Baby had her first breadstick at Straight from New York.

And her first visit to PanezaNellie's, the family-run restaurant we visited every Saturday after swim lessons.  When we walked in, the girls behind the counter exclaimed, "Wow! We were just talking about you and wondering how you were!" I felt a little teary at that. 

It was a wonderful visit.  We had lots to do - we went on a very hot history walking tour for Juneteenth then enjoyed BBQ for lunch.

Had an art party and stayed up late with childhood friends.

Visited a woman who is dear to me.

And ventured to a park and enjoyed the weather.

We also gathered with my friends for an evening of gossip, went swimming, drove by our old house, and had plenty of laughter and fun.

It was a great trip!  I'm glad we were able to go and revisit the past for a bit.  

(But I'm also glad to be back home and living in the now.) 

Oregon

If you're interested in having an elevated heart rate, unrestrained sweating, and steady panic for hours upon hours, I have an infallible formula for you.

Take a one-year-old on an airplane across the country by yourself.

You could also throw in an eleven-year-old, who will argue that she's old enough to roam the Atlanta airport WITHOUT YOU, and that she doesn't need to ever take off her headphones or eat anything that grows in the earth.

Trust me...you will experience all of the unpleasantness.

But, once you arrive all the way across the country, you'll be filled with an explosion of happiness that will nearly make you forget about all of the stroke-inducing stress.  Nearly - some trauma never fully disappears.

Here's what happened: when we decided to move to TN, I promised Sissy that I would one day bring her back to Oregon to visit all of our friends. That "one day" came sooner than I anticipated.  But a promise is a promise so off we flew.

We had a delightful 10 days out West.  We spent the first half of our trip at my sister's place with cousins.  It was just like old times but also different.  A lot changes in a couple of years during puberty age.  Like forgetting how to smile for a photo.

We had such fun hanging out and laughing.  We went to an immersive art experience called Hopscotch.  There were cool light displays and fun interactive exhibits.

We visited the wooden troll.

We walked around downtown and had snow cones and hit up the library.

Sissy played video games with her equally obsessed cousin.

We ate delicious food. So much delicious food.  

And we just enjoyed each other.  We talked and laughed.  We swam in the pool at the hotel and shattered the lid to my sister's glass cake stand - oops. We played games. We went to the park and had a picnic. We were together and it was wonderful.

In addition to being wonderful, it was odd being back in Oregon.  We lived there for 9 years.  It was the only home Sissy ever knew.  But being back felt different.  It was familiar, I knew how to navigate everywhere without GPS, nothing had changed in the surroundings.  But I have changed and it didn't feel like home anymore. I felt like a stranger in a familiar place.  It was odd.  However, closure accompanied the oddness. I have felt some guilt about moving Sissy all the way across the country to a new home, I've missed my dear friends, and I've longed for the beauty of the Pacific Northwest.  In the depths of my head, I've sometimes wondered if it was the right choice for us to leave Oregon.

Being there confirmed that it was right to leave. It was time for us to write a new chapter. But I will always be grateful for the years we had in Oregon and the friends we made there. It will always hold a piece of my heart. 

But, wait! What about all of these friends I've been rambling on about? Did we visit any of them?  

I'll tell you next time. 

Random Tings

Someone went to Girl's Camp for the very first time and loved it.

Someone has braces now.

Someone is watching...always watching.

Someone is an unphotogenic weirdo. 

Wait. What?

1-year-old Stats

With the arrival of Baby's birthday, it was also time for her check-up with the ol' doctor-roo.

Here's how our girl measures up these days:

Weight: 21.3 pounds - 72nd percentile
Head Circumference: 17 inches - 10th percentile 
Height: 29.5 inches - 62nd percentile

She currently has two small teeth on the bottom and one tooth on the top that is starting to come in.  Baby can pull herself up to standing and walk with assistance.  She can't walk on her own or balance without being held.  She is a pro at holding herself up against the couch.

Baby is very happy and loves to dance.  She starts shaking the moment music comes on.  She also loves to be held.  She sleeps through the night but is an early riser.  Booney could do without the dawn wake-up calls but I can't deny that she is an absolute joy.  

We sure love this little baby of ours!

One!

Can you believe this?!

Seriously though. Can you?

I don't think I can.  Yet, here we are.

My youngest baby turned 1 and we celebrated in style with a pool party.  She happens to share her birthday with one of our favorite local cousins. He was turning 12 and he was happy to have a combined party.

Baby wasn't as gracious.

In addition, she didn't even really want to go in the pool.  Mykey was the picture of patience and stood in the water for an indecent length of time trying to acclimate the poor babe.  He eventually succeeded.

But only after he realized that his mobile phone was in his pocket.  His pocket that was submerged in water.  His pocket that was submerged in water for an indecent length of time.

Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.  

Well, Baby wasn't the only one receiving gifts on her birthday...Daddy gets a new phone!

No matter, we had a most delightful event.  We played in the water - (well...I didn't but...you know...everyone else did), we ate pizza, we opened gifts, and we enjoyed cake.  

Baby took a while to warm up to the idea of smashing hers, but she eventually found her groove.  She ate her own slobbery mess while the rest of us enjoyed a chocolate creation made by my very talented cousin-in-law.  It was delicious.

Baby was gifted sunglasses, a little piano, an Inny Bin, and an offensive stuffed cougar from my cousin.  It's a shame she loves him.

Her favorite gift was a singing card from my parents.  It blasts "Celebration" by Kool and The Gang.  She won't stop playing it.  I have to admit that despite its annoyingness, I think it's adorable. 

I can't believe my baby is one.  We waited for so long for her to arrive and the first year breezed right by.  She is a true delight and the perfect completion to our family.

Happy 1st Birthday to my baby girl! 

Quick Trip

The day after school let out, we were on an airplane bound for the far away land of Idaho.  

It was an unplanned trip - Michael's mom is having health struggles so we flew in for a quick week to check in on her.  And a week really does go quickly. 

It wasn't a trip full of adventures.  It was a trip of family time. We spent most of our days visiting with Mykey's mom and my parents.  We did get to spend Memorial Day with my family and that was divine.  It used to be a big holiday for us when we all lived near each other.  My uncle showed up at the cemetery while we were there so that was a fun surprise. 

After visiting the cemetery, we had lunch at KFC for old time's sake. We also visited the grave of a kid from my Mom's childhood.  It was our first time going to that grave and it was a tender moment.  It was just incredibly nice to be with my family.

Other than that, it was very low-key.  Sissy went to the temple with her cousin.

My mommy worked on my dad's corns.  This has been a constant my entire life. Talk about true love.

Baby was busy with her chores.

And then was exhausted from her hard work.

As I think about my mother-in-law's health and the inevitability of her death sooner rather than later, I am grateful for my foundation in Christ.  It is peaceful to know that mortality is not the end - that God has plans beyond our comprehension for us once we leave this earth. It also reminds me how quickly life truly does pass.  

I'm trying to savor the moments more and be more sincerely grateful.

I'm also trying to fight less with Sissy.  It's a challenge.

My dang Viking blood runs hot.  

And I mean HOT. But I'll get there.

All said and done, it was a meaningful and lovely trip.  Idaho does it again.