One more step towards independence

Saturday, July 4

Sydney just started swimming lessons this week. She love the water so much that on Tuesday I was really surprised that she broke out in tears, complaining that it was just too hard and she wanted to quit. So I did my best to encourage her, bribe her, give her a pep talk and tell her she didn't have to do everything they asked, just do your best and don't quit (or cry!). Two days later she finally got used to the goggles and keeping her face in the water. I've never seen her so happy, she was ecstatic. Everyone at the pool knew that she learned to "swim" that day. I was looking forward to not going to the pool yesterday, but the girls insisted on going even though there were no lessons. I was probably a bad time for a 3 day break anyway. Here is a short clip.

Happy Independence Day!

You Capture - Photographers Choice

Wednesday, July 1

This week was photographer's choice for the photo challenge. I didn't really take that many pictures this week although I was fairly entertained by a squirrel at the birthday party today, but I think I'll save those for later this week. Here is a series of sunset shots I got and my parent's house last weekend.
Look at this next one, the clouds at the top are doing something crazy.

So I decided to just zoom in on those and here is what I got after trying the auto contrast button on Picasa.

Click here to see the other photographers.

One Year Ago

Wednesday July 1

I can't believe it, one year ago today we were on a plane for Paris! That means we have been back for as long as we were gone - 6 months. You know how you have these big events in your life: marriage, moving, and kids. You say stuff like, "Did we do such and such before or after so and so was born.?" Or you say, "Wow we've been parents for 8 years now!" No we do that in reference to "the trip". It was such a huge and wonderful experience that we shared together.

Sometimes it seems like we were just in Spain last month and if you saw how many boxes are still in our garage you would actually believe it. I haven't even posted all the pics from our cruise back in November! Now I just want to go back everyday this summer and see where we were one year ago. Hey, this could be a blog about the trip forever. OK, I guess you would get tired of that - time to move on. I just removed the itineraries from the side bar so people wouldn't get confused. If you need to see them one last time, here you go.

The Trip
6/30 - Depart from PDX
7/01 - Paris, France
7/05 - Scotland
7/12 - Edinburgh
7/20 - Cardiff, Wales
7/22 - Bristol, England
7/25 - Oxford, England
7/27 - London, England
8/03 - Bruges, Belgium
8/06 - Amsterdam
8/09 - Prague
8/16 - Milan, Italy
8/18 - Barcelona, Spain
8/25 - Granada, Spain
12/16- Carolinas for Christmas
12/31 - Home for New Years Eve!


Cruise
Nov 20 Fly to Venice
Nov 22 Bon Voyage
Nov 23 Dubrovnik, Croatia
Nov 25 Santorini, Greece
Nov 27 Tunis, Tunisia
Nov 29 Malaga, Spain
Nov 30 Casablanca, Morocco
Dec 2 debark in Lisbon, Portugal
Dec 3 Seville, Spain
Dec 5 back to Granada

Ahhh, what a trip!

Phase I - Before & After

Tuesday, June 30

I think Kyla was both excited and dreading the beginning of her day yesterday, but she survived getting braces on her top teeth. She was a little sore in the afternoon. Today, she already seems used to them and they are not too sore. She is still getting used to the amount of food that gets stuck in all her appliances. She has a lot of metal wires in the roof of her mouth that are part of the palette expanding process. She got a goody bag with all kids of cleaning supplies and soft foods so that makes it all exciting. Here she is just before her appointment.

And after.

I think they make her look older. Maybe 'cause back in my day kids didn't get braces until they were about 12. I didn't get mine until I was 14! Did you need to see them closer?

Peace & Quiet

Sunday, June 28

Last week was the most peaceful week that I've experienced in the last 8 years. Today, not so much, but now at 8:30pm the girls are already asleep reviving themselves for adventure tomorrow. Kevin and I stayed for three nights in an upstairs room in this little antique shop in Ashland.
Here was our comfy bedroom, complete with private bathroom, coffee cart, and small fridge.

There were fresh flowers while we had breakfast of scones and tea.

It was only a block to the Shakespeare Festival . We got to see Don Quixote and Much Ado About Nothing and both were great. The one time we drove to go see a movie, we returned to find this little deer in our parking spot.

We had a quiet picnic while watching this pond at Lithia Park. I kept feeling like something was missing. No one was yelling or whining or hanging on my arm. For a few days my name was Deanna instead of mommy. Ahhhhh.

Thank you Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Ken for keeping the kids so happy! They had a great time and now complain that our yard is sooo boring, no riding lawnmowers, no fishing poles, no cousins and no swing.

You Capture - Summer

Thursday, June 25

As I'm writing I've got 52 more minutes left until midnight Pacific time to get this weeks photo challenge posted. I haven't missed one yet. I have spent the last four days without kids, and the last three without internet. I missed them both! This last week was a great way to start out the summer. It involved a road trip...
A very scenic 18 mile bike ride (Bear Creek Greenway, Ashland, OR).

While the kids enjoyed time with their cousins and uncle at Gma & Gpa's house.

To see the other summer shots, click here.

Macro Monday - Stalagmite

Monday, June 22

How does this sort of thing happen - stalagmites in my freezer? Maybe I should ask a chemistry prof.

The girls are going to VBS with grandma and grandpa in Salem this week. Kevin and I are headed to Ashland. That is 4 nights without kids! A first for us - ahhh the peace and quiet. Almost two years ago we had 2 nights . . . and we went to Ashland. Someday soon they will be old enough to go to the Shakespeare festival. I'm going to go pack now!