There she goes!

With pride, admiration, a few tears, respect, joy, and so, so much love, I am thrilled to announce Rachel's graduation from high school.

There she goes!

From left: Robert, brother Jason, me, Rachel, brother Billy, Audrey (Robert's mom, Rachel's aunt), and grandma Carolyne (Robert and Rachel's grandma)

Jason and Billy came all the way from Texas to see Rachel graduate. Billy is Jason's brother, and he's now my brother too. He knows I'm a blogger and wants me to tell everyone he's single ; ).

This is my favorite picture of the whole night. From left: grandma Carolyne, grandma Jan, and grandpa Ross. All of her grandparents!

I love these dorks!

Josie (left) and Margo (right) threw Rachel a graduation party. Our house was simply packed with friends, family, and teachers to congratulate Rachel. It was an introvert's worst nightmare but such a beautiful testimony to how many people Rachel has positively impacted with her awesomeness.

Margo wants everyone to know how much she enjoyed looking at herself in Josie's balloon.

An example of what we all looked like after the party:

We love you, Rachel!!!

10 Years of Gratitude Journaling Part 5

I remember this day clearly and I look at the hiking pictures almost once a month (I currently have one up at work). Something I didn't mention in my journal, but I still remember clearly, were the bees.  First, it's important to let you know we were hiking in Arizona, which means Africanized bees. Scott and I were climbing up a rocky ledge covered in prickly undergrowth and a few small trees.  Quite suddenly there was a ferocious buzzing sound and Scott and I took off back down the hill like our pants were on fire. Both of us had heard stories of Africanized bees plus Scott had some in his bathroom at one point (I'm not sure if it was before or after this journal entry). Anyways, we may never again move as fast as we did that day.  When we were a good distance away we could still hear a faint humming. It's strange we hadn't noticed it before. I think it's possible we riled them up by getting so close. The fact I didn't record it in my journal means I was either in a big hurry when writing the entry or I was still terrified out of my mind.  

I haven't had my grandmother's cornbread and molasses since 2014, though I've really wanted to make it. It takes a cast iron skillet to make it, which we have, but we've had poor luck seasoning the skillet.     

vroom vroom

I had so much fun coming up with this carpet wall activity.  I found these blocks at a thrift store for $1 while looking for something else.  I laminated a bunch of construction vehicle clipart and then velcroed the crap out of everything.  I was surprised by how little velcro I actually needed.  I wasn't even expecting the blocks to hang onto the laminated pictures very well, but I was hopeful.  We changed several things on the children's side at the beginning of May and two things I was hoping would work out splendidly had to be modified.  This new interactive display, however, worked out even better than I imagined.  The kids are really enjoying it!

Supposedly they wiggle a little if they're alive

One of my poems, The Fly Fishers, was recently published in the sports edition of The Poeming Pigeon, which is a Portland, Oregon literary journal.  When I was invited to attend the reception and reading for the issue I was published in, I told Robert, "we're going to Oregon!"

While it isn't feasible to go to every poetry reception/reading, I knew I needed to go to this one, and I'm ever so glad I did.  Robert and I have made a few attempts to travel to Oregon, but each attempt has been foiled in some way or another.  I've never been to Oregon and have always felt a pull to go.  I usually trust my gut, and thankfully, it's usually right about things.  

This was one of the best trips I've ever taken.  It was incredibly short but we made every minute count, and I am thrilled Rachel and I got to experience our first Oregon trip together.

I have so many things to share!  I don't even know where to begin!

As we got closer to the end of our flight we saw some beautiful views.

When a coworker asked what we planned to do in Oregon, I realized I hadn't planned anything and we were leaving the next day.  It must have sounded crazy to talk about how much I've always wanted to go somewhere but not have a specific destination planned, especially as a person who plans every minute of every day.  I told my coworker I knew we were going to the beach but wasn't sure where.  I am blessed with wonderful coworkers.  She didn't give me any crap or funny looks.  She just launched straight into librarian mode and jotted down two must-see places in Oregon - Powell's Books and Cannon Beach - and told me the beach was going to be cold.

We got in late Friday afternoon and had just enough time to go to Powell's Books, which was overwhelming and expensive, but truly a wonder to behold.  I found several books to check out at the library later, the most extraordinary licorice I've ever had (a weird but somehow appropriate thing to find at a bookstore), and a couple magazines (one a northwest poetry journal!) to read on the plane ride home.  

The next morning we woke up a little before four local time and drove to Cannon Beach.  We were simply too excited to sleep much knowing we were just hours away from going to the beach.  Cannon Beach was otherworldly and gorgeous.  I thought the ocean would be the highlight of visiting Cannon Beach but I was wrong.  I didn't realize how many critters and birds call Haystack Rock a home - sea slugs, anemone, starfish, even puffins.  Scattered around the beach were knowledgeable people ready to help us spot the creatures that were trickier to find (ocean rangers?).  Exploring Cannon Beach with two of my favorite people was an extraordinary moment in my life that I'll never forget.

There were sand dollars everywhere! We left them alone because we weren't sure how to tell if they were still living. Even after looking it up, I'm still not sure.  Supposedly they wiggle a little if they're alive.

This may be my new favorite selfie. We got completely distracted and were cracking up about something and it captured the best of us. Look at Rachel!  Doesn't she have the best smile?  And I look so much like my brothers, Rusty and Scott and also my grandpa too.  Robert's light is shining through like it does sometimes, that magical light that only unicorns and lovely, selfless, nerdy heartthrobs have.  

After Cannon Beach, we still had plenty of time for exploring before the poetry reading so we moseyed along the coast for awhile and got out to walk a few times.

We stopped in Tillamook, Oregon for smiley face pancakes at a cozy diner called Dutch Mill.

Next up was the poetry reading in Milwaukie, OR.  It was one of the best readings I've been to.  Several poems were dotted with humor, and a couple poems really stuck with me. I'll post a few from the journal on Poem Bouquet in the near-future.

I can only hope this is how I look during storytimes and well, everyday life in general, because it's how I feel most of the time - a little anxious and uncertain, but mostly gobsmacked by how awesome life is and all the amazing people it's filled with.

I'm holding the journal in the next picture.  It's a journal that comes out twice a year and is always themed.  The pigeon on the cover never changes, but its hat and the things it holds changes with each theme. It's a true piece of art.  If you look closely behind me, there's a flock of baby geese.  Definitely not pigeons, but a still a nice nod to The Poeming Pigeon.

It seems as if Portland likes licorice and wall murals about as much as I do, because every time I turned around I was met with both. It was my first licorice ice cream experience.

My tongue was still black the next day though, so it may just be a one-time experience.

On Sunday we went on a quiet early-morning hike at the Marquam Nature Park.  I wasn't expecting much because it was in the middle of the city, but it was pretty secluded and packed with beauty.  If you look closely there's a spider on the back of the snail.

After our hike we had enough time to squeeze in a visit to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry before flying home.  We toured the USS Blueback Submarine, learned how to properly touch a python's belly, and played with all the interactive exhibits.  I highly recommend a visit to this museum if you have children and/or act like children.

What a trip!  I can't wait to go back.

good kind of crazy

Life has been pretty darn crazy.  Thankfully it's the good kind of crazy.  

I haven't had much time to post so here's all the beautiful things I've been meaning to share:

A barred owl has been hanging out in our backyard. It's a dream come true, one I never thought would happen in the city.  I'm not sure if he is nesting and the nest is nearby or he is simply enjoying the bunny buffet in our backyard.  For whatever reason, the rabbits still haven't learned that our yard is full of scary dogs and have stashed their baby rabbits all over the yard. They're hidden fairly well in pockets of dog-hair nests, but our puppies have discovered them a couple times already.

Whatever the owl's reason for visiting, we're enjoying his company. He doesn't seem to mind the dogs, which are often let loose in the backyard.  I groomed Ella on the deck the other night and he just ignored us.  If a human comes out alone, however, he usually goes higher in the tree.  While grooming Ella, he eventually flew away, and I was a little disappointed.  Suddenly dozens of birds started screaming ohshitohshitohshit in different bird languages and a nearby crow threw a tornado of a tantrum, whipping leaves everywhere.  I knew the owl must have come back. Sure enough, Ella and I eventually spotted the owl, who was giving us withering looks from the power line.

We've all been taking lots of walks, picking up questionable things and smelling all the flowers we can.

There's also been a lot of baths, but the bliss of running free through the slop is totally worth the mess.

Josie sleeps in a kennel in the master bedroom and Margo sleeps in a kennel in Rachel's bedroom. This has been working out great.  Each dog gets some one-on-one time, and I'm beginning to enjoy Josie's over-the-top lovey-dovey personality.

Ella seems to be enjoying the little stinker too.

Favorite April Reads

If I were to pick one word to describe the books I read in April, the word would be, "inspirational."

Enjoy!

Because by Mo Willems and illustrated by Amber Ren (picture book)

An inspirational, sweet story about how one girl grows up to be a musician because of lots of factors including a special, extra ticket to a symphony. I loved the illustrations, especially the moment when the audience grows quiet and the orchestra plays. There's no text on two pages while this happens, and it's a beautiful representation of the anticipation and wonder you feel before something amazing happens. 

Cut Paper Pictures by Clover Robin (adult nonfiction)

I really like how this book takes you through the steps of making collages and the variety of collages you can make. It also uses a mixture of painted papers that you create yourself (a fun activity when your creative juices are muddled and you can't focus on the intricate stuff but you really want to make something) and other found papers like those with print on them. Unlike other books that suggest using photographs as inspiration for collages but then try to exactly replicate the photograph, I felt like this one really took the word "inspiration" to heart. The examples of photographs and the collages that reflect the photographs do not look exactly alike. Instead, there are elements from the photographs that have been exemplified and further enhanced with imagination. This was a terrific eye-opener for me! As soon as I finished reading this book, I was ready to examine my own collage-making processes and dig out some photographs I've tried working with before. I was instantly smitten and completely consumed with inspiration.

Collage Workshop for Kids by Shannon Merenstein (juvenile nonfiction)

This book is a wealth of inspiration! These unique projects use ingenious materials (like coffee sleeves!), and look pretty easy to execute.

Homesick by Jean Fritz (juvenile fiction)

Homesick took me right to Hankow, China during the early twentieth century. Rich details of Jean's adventures like discovering the junk (boat) skeleton and her exhilarating mountain climb to their vacation home in Kuling made this a quick read. I also enjoyed the relationships between the characters and the longing Jean felt to grow up but also still enjoy the joys of being a child. I was so sad when this book ended, because it wasn't enough. I would have liked for this fictionalized memoir to continue into Jean's adult life.

My Cat Looks Like My Dad by Thao Lam (picture book)

My favorite thing about this book is its surprise ending, and I don't want to ruin it for anyone so I'll keep mum about that and talk about how much I love the illustrations. The illustrations are packed with details (including some clues about the ending). They also have a lot of texture and personality. There are patterns galore, endearing facial expressions, and even some cat yoga that makes me squeal with delight whenever I flip to it. My favorite moment in the book (other than the surprise ending) is the part about how much cat and dad love boxes.

Bonus interview with Thao Lam!!!