Summer

July feels like just about the fastest month yet.  It's been a great start to Summer, for sure.  With the great news about Maggie's brain scan, Ken's cancer scans being clear yet again, avoiding (so far) any major colds/flu/crazy Summer disease... I'm just so thankful that health-wise, we're good.  We've been able to do a lot of outdoor activities and that's been awesome.  We had a trip to Spokane over the 4th of July to celebrate Maggie's 5th birthday & my Dad's 65th.  It was a great time, albeit way too short! ;)  Maggie had two birthday gatherings with family; one on the 5th to celebrate her actual birthday on the North side of town with Ken's side of the fam, and then a joint papa/granddaughter birthday on the South end of town that Saturday with my side of the family.  She had a ball getting to see grandparents (her birthday wish!) and playing with cousins & dear friends.  I can't tell you how much we enjoy Maggie -- love this girl & everything about her; spunk & fiery days n' all. ;)  She's got so much personality & this age is one of my favorites!  Birthday celebrating was wonderful & I'm so glad it worked out to spend it where she wanted to be.  We were on the road by 5am Sunday morning for the long haul back to Sutherlin, but really enjoyed our time & have fun along the drive at various stopping points. 

Jack finished t-ball & had a great first year - Ken & I may be more encouraging towards another sport; not sure that was quite the right fit for our fam.  It's a mighty big deal down here - I mean, we're talkin' tailgating even for the little ones leagues. ;) They play for 2hrs 45minutes --- which at this stage, is waaay beyond every kids' attention spans.  45 minutes in, they're mentally done & usually physically draggin' in the heat.   You know you're a parent on a 5&6yr old little league team when half the team is at the playground, part way through the game, and all the parents & coaches are trying to corral everyone back on the field despite the heat. ;)  Everyone bats, there are no outs, and best part of the game is probably getting to bat & snacks at the end. :)  Looking back, it's actually pretty comical; Jack had fun & that was the intent from the start--- we enjoyed getting to know the parents & kids & loved the way a small town kinda rallies together for these events. 

Maggie just finished her first year of hula.  She LOVED it!  I love that she got so excited about it every week and really looked forward to the grand finale luau at the end of the season.  It was pretty special, too, that she got to learn a piece of her heritage.  (Most of you might already know that my Dad was born & raised in Hawaii & is half Chinese, half Hawaiian - so hula is in the fam on his side.) :)  We really didn't know what to expect for the luau.  Come to find out, it was quite the event.  800 tickets were sold.  Yeah, EIGHT HUNDRED!  Her teacher, "Miss" Sharon works really hard with her classes of every age group, and then at the end of the season, puts on a huge luau at her home on the river.  It's really an ideal location - right on the water, they bring in tents, videographers, people start setting up chairs by 10am...  a stage gets assembled..   I think it lasted a few hours but we had to leave after the first hour; Logan kinda keeps us on our toes & with the river right there, ya can't blame him for wanting to constantly jet for it in the Summer air. ;)  Maggie's group did a routine called Animal farm & bless a friend's heart who stayed up til the wee hours helping me sew her costume!  She wasn't nervous at all & loved getting out there - even her brothers were so proud of her! :)

Little Loges has had a great time getting into all kinds of things.  He is such a mini Ken with adventure & courage that I simply can't relate to.  While home for Maggie's birthday, he got a little zealous in his dancing & bit the dust, crashing into Ken's parents' brick hearth -splicing open his forehead.  It squirted.  We probably should have taken him in to get stitches to minimize scarring but the ER on the 4th of July just seemed like a nightmare and I honestly thought he'd be ok.  He didn't get a concussion, and after cleaning it up & bandaging the wound well, we knew he'd be alright.   It's almost healed by now & while there will likely be a small scar for life, Ken says these are cool bragging rights as a boy.  Plus, he's still got the shag haircut & his bangs kinda cover over it in the front. ;)  We went camping 2 weekends ago with friends down at this beautiful spot outside Ashland, OR and while there, we thought he may have gotten into poison oak/ivy because he broke out in crazy hives all over.  Back home at urgent care, just an allergic reaction to something --- thank goodness not poison oak all over.  But we do have tons of it around here - we may have gotten into it yesterday while picking blueberries with friends.  (We'll see... as my kids were hunting for ripe, wild blackberries near where our car was parked after they were done picking blueberries, my friend came over & said, "oh, this is all poison oak in through here.")  Awesome.  I lathered their arms with as much purel as I had to let the alcohol neutralize whatever poison oak oil might have gotten on their skin, then plunked 'em in the car to head home -washed all their clothes & car seat covers through two full wash cycles, scrubbed 'em all down with soap, and so far... no rashes.  Am praying they don't have to deal with that as I've seen pics & heard from locals just how miserable it is. 

If you're still with me, thanks for reading.  Hope you all are having a great Summer, too!!  Here are pics.  Oh, and as for Ken & I - Ken just had a great time climbing Mt. Theilsen with our next door neighbor and a group of guys.  I think it's the highest peak of these lower Cascades??  The only pic I have is one he texted to me from the top, so sorry it's a little grainy.  What else?  Oh, we wrote an offer on a house - little rancher on 3acres on the top of this hillside with an incredible view of the Roseburg valley area... wasn't meant to be, I guess.  While writing our offer with the realtor, the bank accepted another offer for much, much less... so, bummer there but ya know, we don't know how long we'll be here for so it could be a blessing in disguise.  And as to the farm house I posted about a few posts back --- we had multiple contractors meet out there to take a look & it was overwhelmingly unanimous that it's a tear-down, not a fixer home.  So, that, was not the kind of project we were looking for if at all in Ken's mind. ;) I'm keeping busy with the kids & Logan constantly darting out the door to play outside, and got to build a farm table for fun to appease my creative bug that has been on hold a bit while living in a rental.  All in all, a great start to Summer - and holy smokes - we're just about to August already?!!

Jack super excited about his first tball game & getting to finally wear the uniform! :)  *as a quick little add, notice that single tooth he's missing there?... well, while camping, he lost 2 more on the same day!  Both bottom teeth are gone now too ;)  Big ol', adorable gap of 3 gonners in the front :)

waiting to bat

at the mound

Even at the long games, Logan had fun pretending to play too

the kids with the Maxwell fam picnicking after church at the peakcock park

this pic is for my Aunt & Uncle, Carla & Bill - who picked out a bunch of new books for the kids - we've loved having new stories to read at night!

the morning of Maggie's birthday, July 5th

celebrating at my parents'

the Montgomery kids with our kids

Happy Birthday dear Maggie!  Can't believe you're already FIVE!!!

the kids LOVE taking mower rides with Papa when they visit

my Dad's 65th party; their good friend, Mrs. Oprea on the swing

Near Hawthorne Prairie (great mountain lake campsite outside Ashland, OR)

Logan was so pumped about the tent

camping with friends; this is the McCord family; Justin & Ken work together & Justin's wife, Amber, is a total sweetheart.  They have 2 boys close in age to ours, Lawson & Tanner & the kids had a ball together!

Maggie, Logan, Lawson & Tanner, and Jack

Filthy, is about standard when camping with our kids.  Here he's got a mix of dirt and watermelon while he plays with a hula hoop ;)... and about this time is when we noticed the hives starting to break out

just some of the beautiful blue mountains along the drive near Grants Pass, OR just an hour south of us

The kids all crashed hard on the drive home from camping ;)

My hula girl!  The following give a glimpse of her fun personality :)

this is their hula group; Maggie is 2nd from the right (as you look at the screen) - she has her arm out reaching for that uli or whatever you call those morroccan/feather shaker thingamajiggers

so proud

the best attempt at a quick family shot at the event

wagon rides with Grandma & Papa at Greenbluff on the 4th of July

Grandma & Logan picking berries

My parents in the field with the kids

I picked too; I think there's something soul-therapuetic about picking berries on a beautiful day

After celebrating Maggie's birthday, we went back up for a 2nd day of picking berries wtih the Montgomery's.  I have to say it because I love that Belinda gets asked this often & in this pic, you can totally see it too --- does she not remind you of Kate Middleton? :)

Nana with Maggie on her birthday

Grandpa Boggs with Mags on her 5th birthday

Ken at the top of Mt. Theilsen on Saturday - the other pic he texted is perma grin almost the whole screen :)

scenic view from the top of Mt. Thielsen

 

granite wall scramble to the peak - look closely, you'll see one brave gal climber towards the top. Ken said the hike itself up til this point was pretty basic/easy aside from the tenacious mosquitos, but it's this last haul (literally climbing up this big granite wall with nice holds) that gets a bit tricky. I asked if they repelled down. You could, - probably should be roped in just in case, but they just carefully climbed down.