I continue to be amazed at how fast time passes. I can't believe it was last Spring since my last blog post. As much as I fight to slow everything down, it just continues to go faster and faster. Sometimes I find myself so sad about how fast time is flying. I need to learn that I can't slow it down and I need to just try and make the most out of every second and enjoy EVERY little moment.
Here are all the events since May! And again, I'm not computer savvy enough to figure out how to download them and have them stay in the correct order.
Here's Quade and his LONG hair. Jordan and Quade go on
these strange hair kicks. It kills me. Either long hippy
hair or shaved skin heads.
Hay season 2019. Jordan and his mini-me.
Austyn and Aunt Debi testing bails. They made the
best partners and had so much fun together.
Dad and Quade operating the bandwagon. Probably Quade's
last year being able to fit in there.
4th of July at Aunt Debi Iddings. Cousins watching
the Dads put on a firework show. I love the tradition of going
over there to BBQ and watch fireworks.
Jordan at work, doing one of his favorite things. Playing
in the river.
Thompson Reservoir camp trip.
Same camp trip, kids kayaking. Crazy to think they are old
enough to just go out by themselves.
At the kids school last year, they had a fiddle player
come for a week. Each kid got to practice with their own
fiddle all week. Austyn fell in love with it and we
have been doing fiddle lessons ever since.
Here they are!!!! My little sluggers. This was the best
year yet for baseball. I played Quade up a year so he
would be on Austyns team and I could coach both of them.
The team consisted of lots of cousins and really close friends.
It was a great year. This was the first and last year that the
kids could be on the same team.
Chad and Jasmin's wedding. It was a beautiful and
very fun wedding. Every time I look at pictures from
the wedding I barely recognize myself. Jasmin had
someone do our make-up and hair.
For Mother's Day the kids always choose what we do.
This year they chose to go to Wildlife Safari.
Fun summer time evenings. Left over beer from the
wedding.
This was a great trip to the coast with Mom and Dad. We
took a couple day trips and it was so much fun.
I worked at the school most days from February to about May.
I did all the State testing for each kid. This day Austyn had the
flu and she had to come to school with me because I was working.
She LOVED being able to show up in her jimmies and relax
in the nurses room and watch movies for a while.
Another one from hay season. Quade and Austyn were
the official field transports this year.
Austyn got her braces off.
Every other year at the kids school they do a week of Outdoor
School. They rent out Camp Lutherwood and go for an entire
week. I split my time there between Quade's clan and Austyn's.
It is so much fun for the kids all week.
If I remember correctly, this is the first swim of
the summer.
This year Jordan made Hay Season hats for everyone.
And he even personalized them on the back with
everyones job titles. So cool and will be a fun
tradition to wear each year.
Austyn drew this at a pizza parlor. Pretty impressive.
Outdoor school. Each day they have 4 stations
to go to. This one was bead making.
Tent sleeping!! We had an off year with the tenting
this summer. We kept getting infested with ants.
So we ended up just taking it down and sleeping on
the back patio.
We went to an Ems baseball game this summer.
Always a good time.
We only got to fish one time this summer. But
everyone was able to catch a fish at least.
Gram's Birthday dinner.
She was preparing for her hip replacement surgery and
mom got her a bunch of canes as a joke. Here we are
teasing her after dinner. She's always such a good sport.
We got some kayaks. The kids already had a small one
that they use but Jordan wanted to get some for us. And
since this picture we got one more. So now we all have
one. We floated from Franklin to our house one day. It was so
pretty and peaceful. And we also took a couple trips
to Horton pond for an evening float.
Here are the two twins at a rodeo this summer.
Austyn LOVES and I mean LOVES Papa's
Pizza taco pizza. She and I were in town one
evening and we stopped and she got her own
pizza.
We had to take a big beautiful oak down to make room
for the shop. This thing was massive. It had split in
half during the last ice storm and was going to fall
down anyways. Jordan worked his Jordan magic and
gave it to a company that makes furniture, and in turn
we get a slab of it to make a patio table. Win Win!
One of our favorite things to do during the evening this
summer was to walk up and get ice cream from Dari Mart,
then sit on the guard rail by the road and watch cars.
We made this game up where each one of us would pick a
color of car and then we would count how many cars went
by in that color. First one to 15 wins! It was so much fun.
The simple things in life.
Floating the Long Tom.
Kids first day of school.
Quade being Quade. Always entertaining us.
Another camp trip we did was to Wickiup for Dad's
Birthday again. Quade would have fished the entire
time if he could have gotten someone to stay with him.
Always the best memories are made from that trip.
Dad grading for our shop.
Poor kids had to clean out 21 holes. They were
the only ones that could fit in them and reach the bottom.
Trust me I tried to do it, but my butt kept hitting the side
and my arms weren't long enough to reach the bottom.
Here we are on the patio after getting ran out of the
tent from ants.
Austyn didn't dance in the festival this year, but she
did work in the Aebleskiver booth with Jordan.
She ran her own pan and everything. She loved it and
was so cute doing it.
Hatchet throwing was our camping past time this year.
And another past time were these cute little fur balls.
Quade talked me into getting bunnies. He knows my weakness
for animals.
Austyn's is named Pebbles
Quade's is named Chase
Got them dressed up for the festival. Austyn worked
the booth with Jordan. Quade and I walked around
and looked at all the booths.
Another memorable summer time evening.
We just recently went to Newport to see the whales. They
were so close and so incredible to see. We stopped by a hidden
little beach on the way home and explored. Couldn't have been
a better day at the coast.
Dad in my Mexico hat.
Dad getting ready to dock his Kayak on
our dock...
Dad hitting the dock...
Dad is under that hat still...
Jordan watching the whole thing happen...
Dad ta-da'ing
That was the funniest thing ever!!!
Quade was so very excited for first grade this year.
He gets his own desk and doesn't have to share any
of his school supplies.
The kids and I were in town visiting Jordan and work
and decided to go to pizza afterwards. Little did we
know these guys were there too. Quade and Austyn
were so excited. It was a great surprise.
This year we celebrated our 10 year anniversary. Jordan
surprised me with a trip to Pacific City with just the two
of us for the night. It was absolutely amazing. Our room
was the fanciest room I've ever seen and the weather was
fantastic. We hadn't been anywhere with just the two of us
since I was pregnant with Quade.
My big girl turned 9! I can't believe it.
Austyn is in soccer right now and Quade
is doing flag football. They are both loving it.
Quade in his first football game.
I saw this flower the day KODA passed. And the
reason it caught my eye is because I drive past this
place everyday and I had never seen it before. Strange
things happen when your loved ones pass.
On a very sad note, we had to put KODA down. She would have been 14 in January. She had been declining in her health for months now and had lost a significant amount of weight. Without any diagnostic tests we were certain she was full of cancer and had a very bad heart condition. And her quality of life was not good. Although she appeared to be perky and still continued to go on walks daily, it just wasn't fair to her to keep her going on as she was. It was clear she was suffering. I had been very real with myself as I watched her health deteriorate and I knew it was coming. I thought I was going to be prepared for the day when it came. But I was WRONG WRONG WRONG! All the memories came flooding back to me. I had gotten KODA to keep me company when I was moving to Klamath Falls for school. I remember the first night I moved there she slept with me (as she did from then on) and I just held her crying because I missed home. I can remember she went everywhere with me. We would just go drive around together to pass the time. She helped me through so many hard times in my life. She was my first kid. She was the most loyal dog and truly loved only a few people in her life. She had the biggest heart and would have and did do everything for those she loved. There will never be another dog that can be held to her standards. I'll never have another dog with her qualities. Although I love Andi dearly, I love her in different ways than I did KODA. And Andi serves a much different purpose in my life than KODA did. KODA was my companion, my best friend. I remember when she started slowly moving herself in at my Grandma's house. It was very very very hard for me to let that happen. I liked being greeted by her when I would drive in, but eventually I had to let it happen. She just wouldn't stay at our place anymore. I guess things happen for a reason. Because without my Grandma catering to her over the years, KODA wouldn't have made it this long. She quit eating for me a long time ago. She was use to me hiding every kind of pill in her food her whole life (she never had the best health). So I have to be very grateful for my Grandma for helping her stay with us for longer than what KODA would have allowed me.
I found this on my bed the next day. Austyn is the most
kind soul ever.
Jordan is very very busy building the shop. We again are so fortunate to have all the help we have during our projects. It's pretty amazing to watch them build this monstrous building from the ground up.
Austyn is loving 3rd grade and soccer. I will add her Birthday post shortly with more details on her.
Quade is totally digging 1st grade. He is so smart and loves doing his homework and reading. He is incredible in flag football and I just love watching him. He is very talented with everything he does. It blows my mind. He totally took after Jordan with that. He has really been liking the whole building process of the shop. He helps so much when he can and loves dressing just like the guys and uses his own tools to help build. It's so cute. This kid is a crack up too. He is so entertaining.
I am just doing the things. All the things. Trying to keep up with everyone and enjoy everything as much as I can.
Hope all is well with everyone. I'll TRY to be better with posting a bit more often. Can't make any promises.
