little black journal

We haven’t spent a holiday in Minnesota since Juliette was born, foregoing the trip when she was a baby because of the new-parent flight-phobia we felt in those first couple of years, and then opting to make the trip in the summer when she was two and three.  But this year we decided to pull out our hats and mittens and see if our tough girl was tough enough for a true midwestern winter.

We rolled up to Shane’s parents’ house Saturday evening after a long day of travel and were greeted with warm hugs and home-cooked ham.  We were exhausted but looking forward to a few days of solid rest, of cozying up inside with family and food.  A few days of quiet.

We woke late on Sunday and lounged for awhile in our pajamas, eventually rallying to head over to Andes Resort to watch Avery bomb down the big hills on his snowboard and to watch Jules creep down the shallow bunny slope on her skis.  Turns out November in Minnesota agrees with this girl!

She was a bit timid at first, begging Shane to hold her tight as they sloooooowly made their way down the hill.

But she grew a bit bolder with each subsequent run, eventually laughing hysterically as she cried, “Faster, Daddy!  FASTER!”

Shane was also feeling bold and rode the chairlift to the top of the mountain, nailing his first-ever downhill run on skis!

Avery, on the other hand, was a madman out there from the get-go.  Kid’s got skills.

These two were so adorably proud of themselves.  Guess I better learn how to ski soon, or they’re likely to leave me in their dust…

Disappointingly, this afternoon on these slopes (made of manufactured snow, by the way) was our only romp in the powder as the rest of the week was dry, but we made the most of it!

The rest of the day was lovely and low-key – we napped and did puzzles, popping outside for a few minutes of fresh air and a quick check-in with the next-door cows, then retreating indoors for pizza and games with the whole family.

Juliette relished every moment of cousin-time and all three kids were exceedingly generous with their attention. Hayden must have played 47 rounds of Go Fish by the time our week there was over.

Monday was cold, but our lunchtime burgers and milkshakes left Juliette with oodles of energy to burn, so we headed over to Noonan’s Park to hit the playground.

Tell me again, Jules – does the cold weather bother you?

…’cause Grandma and Aunt Tiff are looking a little chilly!

Shane tentatively stepped out onto the newly frozen ice at the pond across the street, at which point Juliette desperately pleaded with him to return to solid ground.  Walking on water wasn’t a concept she could get her head around.

I dunno, Shane…is that really a good idea?!

Ok, seriously, Shane, IS THIS A GOOD IDEA?!

With outdoor swimming clearly out the question, we opted to head to the YMCA for a dip in the indoor heated pool.

Shanay joined us mid-swim and Juliette almost flew into her arms.  I got so much joy out of watching Juliette’s face light up with a million-kilowatt smile every time a new family member appeared on the scene.  The whole week was a chorus of, SHANAY!  GRANDPA!  AUNTIE TIFF!  GRANDMA! UNCLE JASON! HAYDEN!  AVERY!  SHANAAAAAAAY!

Tuesday ended with pink skies and Tiff’s enchiladas.  More Go Fish.  Pat’s peppermint bark.  A bottle of wine.  Vay-cay.

Up next:  presents, puzzles, turkey and a tractor.

We spent last weekend in Portland, convening with my parents at my brother’s house for an early Thanksgiving / birthday celebration for my mom / general cousin love-fest – the whole family typically gets together only at Christmas, so this was a happy bonus. The weekend was wet and chilly, though Mitch and Kathryn’s hot tub and fireplace offered much solace as we eased into winter.

It seems like the age gap between Morgan and Juliette lessens with each visit – these two were thick as thieves, happily bouncing from one activity to another together. Coloring! Dolls! House! Shopkins!

The age gap between Elise and Jules, though, is bigger than ever… This kid would be content to spend an entire day quietly cuddled under a blanket with a book. Kindred spirits, Elise and I.

Despite Saturday morning’s drizzle, we found ourselves itching to get outside. We warmed ourselves with lattes and vanilla steamers and then headed to Mount Tabor Park for a playground romp.

Northwest kids ain’t gonna let a little rain keep them down!

Post-playground, the girls set up a cozy den of sleeping bags and kicked back with a couple of bowls of popcorn and a movie.

And then the moment the credits started rolling on Trolls, the kids were raring to go again.  Back out we went, this time to Westmoreland Park.

We’ve been coming to this playground for the past couple of years, and it’s been fun to see Juliette become a bit bolder with each subsequent visit.  I’ve held her hand as she’s traversed this log a dozen times or more.  Now, though, “Let me do it, Mama!”

Morgan and Juliette deemed me the “bad witch” and banished me from their fort with their imaginary wands.

In the end, though, we all made up.

A sitter came over on Saturday evening to stay with the kids and the grown-ups went out to toast to my mom’s birthday with burgers and beer.  Ahhhh, a table free from coloring sheets and back-up snacks!  What a luxury!  Happy Birthday, Mom.

I woke up on Sunday morning to find that Elise and Juliette had renewed their affection for one another.

Post-breakfast was, of course, PARK TIME.

My heart gets a little ooey-gooey when I see these three put their arms around each other.  I’ve held each of these girls as babies, felt my world rocked with abounding love as I looked into their eyes.  And now, golly, they’re so big.  So different from one another.  And all so beautiful.

Thanksgiving most definitely started early this year – I’m feeling mucho gratitude for this family of mine.

When Juliette and I started talking about Halloween costumes this year, she instantly declared that she wanted to be MOANA.  I told her that it’s a little too cold in Seattle to trick-or-treat in a tube top and a wrap skirt and asked her to pick something else, to she replied, “Ok, Mama…I guess I’ll be…MAUI!”  Maui is Moana’s cohort, a big guy who sports nothing more than a bunch of tattoos and a leaf skirt, so we were hardly heading in the right direction.  I tried to sell her on an adorable parrot costume, and then Wonder Woman, and then Minnie Mouse, but it was no, no, no.  We browsed and browsed the costume boards on Pinterest and when Juliette spotted a poofy pink unicorn outfit, the deal was sealed.  We headed to the fabric store, stocked up on felt and tulle, and got to work cutting and sewing and hot-gluing.  200 strips of tulle later, Juliette took her unicorn for a spin around the house, asking to sport her pink sunglasses too, because, well, PINK.

The Halloween festivities began on Sunday, when we headed over to a neighborhood garden for a nearby preschool’s Fall Carnival.  Juliette was eager to get her trick-or-treat on, and I was eager to watch this adorable pink poof make the rounds.  She looks good, huh?

The carnival was great, though different from your typical Halloween sugar-fest – “goodie” baskets were filled with pine cones and seashells and painted rocks.  Only in Seattle…

Still, Juliette loved it all and was perfectly content with a sparkly purple rock and the bag of kettle corn I bought her from the bake sale table.

The tail and main came out a bit…fuller than I meant for them to, but wow, that glow!

Tuesday was full-on party day at Juliette’s school – all of her buddies donned their get-ups and they trick-or-treated at all the classrooms, dancing off their sugar rush in the afternoon.

We’ve made a tradition of trick-or-treating with the Rust clan, so we headed over to West Seattle after school and joined this crazy crew for the neighborhood rounds.

Juliette was a bit timid at first, but followed the cues of the big kids and crowded in at each door with her bucket held out.

So many houses brought their Halloween A-game, with intricately carved pumpkins or strings upon strings of lights.

And some houses bordered on too spooky…  I feel like this picture needs a thought bubble over Juliette’s head, reading, “Help me, Mama!”

We headed back to the house loaded down with chocolate and Starbursts and the boys got to work sorting and trading their loot.  This girl was zonked after a full day of fun, her horn a little crumpled and her eyes a little glazed, but she had rocked that costume to its full potential.  You’re a magical creature indeed, Jules.

And the autumnal glory continues!  A few more highlights…

We spent a sunny Sunday up in Snohomish at Bob’s Pumpkin Patch, scouring the fields for the perfect pumpkin.  The country vibes were strong out there.

We found out when we got there that getting to the actual pumpkin patch required a short hayride, which seemed like a pain, but Juliette ended up loving the bumpy little jaunt out to the fields.  I’m tellin’ you, COUNTRY VIBES!

And thus, the search begins:

We have our first winner!

Photo cred:  Jules!

I’m so glad she wore her rain boots…

Strike a pose, little one:

Despite the fact that our wheelbarrow was full by this point, we kept wandering further and further out, into the dreamy sunlight.  I couldn’t bring myself to turn back!

We found a little patch of little gourds and Juliette plucked one from the ground, calling it her “maraca” and shaking it all the way back to the tractor.

Seriously, so glad she wore her rain boots.

Thanks, Bob’s!  We’ll see you next year.

And then there was that glorious Mama-Jules/Mama-Nico Friday at Volunteer Park.  Nico and Juliette bee-lined for the playground when we got out of our cars, but La Verne and I both had our sights set on this brilliant patch of sunny grass across the street.  Once we’d completed the swing-slide-twirl circuit, we shepherded the kids to the lawn, promising them magic tree tunnels and a game of chase.

On our third lap we discovered that someone had left us a gift, in the form of a big fluffy pile of Fall leaves…

…and I got shutter-happy.  Keep scrolling!

Ahhhh, sweet, sweet serenity.

Soak it up, kids – winter is coming!

Juliette and I capped off our fun-fest with a climb to the top of the water tower, where we spotted Daddy’s office and Lake Washington and a billion more beautiful trees.

We have made a tradition of visiting Ravenna Park every Fall and Juliette and I headed out there last Sunday, as we found ourselves with several hours to fill while Shane did some work.  It was a little gray that day and the trails were especially quiet.

I spy…two blue eyes.

Just as we were heading back to our car, the sun came out and this grove of trees turned into an Autumn wonderland.  Juliette did a few laps to celebrate!

And then, as Juliette and I were out running errands a couple of days ago, the wind picked up and the rain turned all white and fluffy…it was snowing in Seattle!  One week after our jacket-less romp through Volunteer Park, we were donning our puffy coats and catching snowflakes on our tongues.  It seems winter is here.  Kudos to this girl for greeting its arrival with such glee….I’m gonna need a little time to get on board.

 

And now that Paris is in the books, we return to our regularly scheduled programming, because it is FALL in Seattle and this city is stunning.  We’ve been doing our October circuit these past couple of weeks, playing in leaves and picking pumpkins, oohing and ahhing over the yellows and oranges and reds.

Juliette and I made an impromptu visit to Lincoln Park the Friday after I got back from France, because we were in West Seattle anyway and the sun was shining and we needed to lift our spirits after an especially traumatic doctor’s visit (those four-year-old shots are a  doozy!).

I’m adding this yellow tree to our list of annual October must-see’s…

It felt so good to see this kid smiling again!  There was a moment that morning, as I was holding her down on the doctor’s table while she shrieked and squirmed, when I wondered if she’d ever forgive me.

(She forgave me.)

We made a follow-up bonus trip to Lincoln Park the very next day because Gryff and Isaiah had a soccer game there and Juliette and I were eager to see their fancy footwork.

We made our annual Autumn pilgrimage to Kubota Gardens a couple of weeks ago.  It’s always a little tough to sell Juliette on a visit to a park that doesn’t have a playground, but I kept reminding her that this place has the prettiest trees!

And the best bridges!

And the most magical patch of grass for playing soccer…

Were the sun not setting at what felt like lightning speed, we could have played here for hours…

Shane had Friday off a week and a half ago, so the three of us declared it a day-late celebration for Dad’s birthday and chowed down on soup dumplings at Din Tai Fung for lunch.

Bellies full, we took a crisp afternoon stroll through the Arboretum for more tree-gazing.

Every year, this place takes my breath away.

It just…glows.

Up next:  pumpkins, a rainbow unicorn, and a leaf-jumping marathon.  October rules.

I have one last (big) batch of tank-topped photos to put up, and then we’ll be onto sweaters and golden leaves and pumpkins.  Fall is HERE, whether I’m ready to bid farewell to summer or not.  (I’m not.)

Juliette came back from La Pine a regular speed demon on her bike – it was fun to hit the last of the season’s bicycle Sundays with her on the Boulevard.  Our first time out, I left my bike at home and figured I’d walk alongside her, in case she needed any help getting started or staying on course.  Three miles in, I was sweating and huffing as she gleefully left me in her dust!

We unwisely let her take her bike out and pedal a little ways ahead of us at a new park in Sammamish a few weeks ago – she rounded a corner and started barreling down a hill we didn’t see coming, and though I chased after that girl like a bat out of hell, I just couldn’t reach her.  She hadn’t figured out braking but bravely followed my directions when I told her to turn off the path onto the grass, where she bumped/skidded to a stop and tumbled onto the ground.  Thankfully, she only skinned a shoulder and an elbow, but GAH!  MY HEART!  I spent the rest of the day with my arms wrapped around her, letting go only long enough to let her finish the ice cream cone I bought her at Molly Moon’s that evening.  So, so, SO sorry, kiddo…

I resisted the urge to slap a pair of training wheels on her bike and cover her in bubble wrap when she asked to get back out on her hot rod the very next day.

We spent the first few days of September doing the spray park circuit, wanting to get our splashes in before they all ran dry after Labor Day.

And we spent a Saturday harvesting beets, zucchini, berries, and apples at the farm of one of Shane’s co-workers.  He was incredibly generous, telling us we could take as much as we could possibly eat, handing his very last few raspberries to a grateful Juliette.

Zucchini baby!

We spent Labor Day on a boat with the Chens, zipping around Lake Washington.  We’d done this a few years ago with the gang and figured we were due for another round.  We pulled away from the dock, nice and easy…  (That poor little shoulder!)

And then Jack hit the gas and the crowd went wild!

Juliette apparently loves the feel of the wind in her hair.  And I confess, I got a little giggly and giddy myself as the boat skidded across the water.

I know, I was snap-happy with the camera, but I mean, COME ON.  This is one happy kid.

Thanks, Shane!  Don’t mind if I do…

We drank our mimosas, snacked on our bread and cheese spread, and then turned off the motor for a bit so the guys could take a dip and practice their synchronized karate kicks.

Then, the pedal was put back to the metal.

I had a now-or-never urge to jump in as our rental time drew to a close, so I took a quick dip myself.  My last lake swim of the year…

Turns out the thrill of it all was just too much for this little guy!

We spent a slightly-cooler Saturday checking out Farrel McWhirter Park in Redmond – I was eager to visit the farm animals and Shane wanted to try his hand at orienteering with Juliette.

These two were pretty sweet, carefully tracking the map and searching for markers in the woods as if they were hidden treasures.

Plus, blackberries for dayyyyyys…

The final marker!  Mission complete.

Jules had a good long chat with a chicken before we left – she’s does a pretty good bok-a-bok.

That evening, we roasted s’mores in the Rusts’ backyard.  I’m a little bummed that we didn’t make it out for one last camping trip in September, but this offered some solace.

We kicked off Juliette’s “birthday week” with an afternoon game at Safeco field, again wanting to squeeze in one of those only-in-the-summer events.

The Mariners weren’t faring too well against the Yankees, but we still sang Take Me Out to the Ballgame with great gusto.

The field was open to kids after the game, so we all headed down for a jaunt, in search of the Mariners Moose.

Before the attendants could even yell “Go!”, Jules was off.

This kid had a serious case of the kettle corn crazies by the time we rolled back into our neighborhood:

And…over and out!  Summer 2017, you. were. epic.

Welp, baby girl has done it again – gotten another year older, gotten braver and funnier and taller and awesomer.

Juliette officially turned four on Thursday, kicking off a veritable birthday bonanza.  I got up early that morning to tie a big balloon on her bed, then hovered outside her room waiting for her to stir.  She rolled over and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, her face slowly cracking open into a huge grin as she discovered the giant pink 4 bobbing just over her head.  I smothered her with kisses and birthday exclamations, telling her how four years ago at that time, she was so close to coming out of my belly, how I was at the hospital with Daddy and Nancy and the doctor excitedly waiting to hold her in my arms.  Feels like forever ago…

We breakfasted at Juliette’s favorite coffee shop and then I dropped her off at school with 20 mini-cupcakes, to be shared with all her classmates.  She was so proud, felt so all-important, strutting in with all that sugar.  When we picked her up that evening, she was wearing a birthday crown and clutching a gift from her favorite teacher.  Queen for a day!

We had asked her what she wanted for her special birthday dinner and without hesitation she requested meatballs and pizza and ice cream from Tutta Bella, so we met up with the Chens, happy to indulge her (and ourselves).

Happy Birthday to Youuuuuuu!

Juliette opened her gifts from Shane and me back at home and then we put a bow on Day 1 of the birthday bonanza.

On Friday we went to the coffee shop and the park and put together Juliette’s new Moana Lego set and then, magically, she spent nearly an hour quietly doing crafts in her room, happy to have her birthday balloon as her only company.  Dare I hope that we’re entering new realms of independence?!

We ended the day at the Rusts’ for our weekly family dinner, and while I forgot to get any pics of the birthday decorations Nancy had sweetly strung up around the house, I did get this photo of the kids poring over the Zelda manual.  All three of them, obsessed.

Saturday was the big event, the birthday bash that we’d been planning for the previous few weeks.  Juliette really wanted a party where she could play in the water and while I wasn’t sure that beach weather would stick around in Seattle through mid-September, we crossed our fingers and went for it, purchasing sand pails and beach balls and water squirters as party favors, planning a menu of bbq ribs and watermelon and cupcakes.  And Saturday at Gene Coulon was glorious.  A little hazy, but sunny and warm enough to go for a dip.  What a way to bid hello to Four and farewell to Summer.

There were no magicians or princesses or bounce houses, no Pinterest-worthy decorations, but this was everything we wanted.

The kids took a brief break from splashing around to join the grown-ups on the beach blankets for dinner.

So much lovely mayhem, with wet jeans and watermelon slices dropped in the sand and peanut butter and jelly smeared on toddler cheeks…this is our party scene now.

Juliette came down with a bout of shyness when I brought out the cupcakes and everyone gathered around, so we skipped the singing and let Shane blow out her candle.  I get it, kiddo…being the life of the party can be exhausting!

Buoyed by a sugar boost, Juliette wanted to go back in the water, but only to get her hair wet – not her feet.  Think I can pull off this stunt when she’s five?!

Nance wrote the kindest note to Jules and Isaiah read it aloud to her and I just about cried.  “We are so happy that you are part of our life and our chosen family.  You inspire all four of us with your bravery, your spunk, your enthusiasm, and your amazing laugh.  We love you SO much…”

And now, she’s four.  SHE’S FOUR.  And I’m fine.  I’M FINE.  Sweet Jesus, I miss my baby girl, and looking back over the past year’s photos and videos did send me into a tailspin of panic over how fast this growing-up thing is all happening, but there’s no doubt that we’re loving the journey.  Happiest of Birthdays, Juliette Grace.  You have given us so many reasons to celebrate.

Juliette woke up on Thursday morning eager to get back on her wheels, so we headed over to the basketball courts to let her practice her turns.  She did circle after circle around Shane and I while the Dixie Chicks’ Wide Open Spaces looped through my head.

A quick game of tag, a speedy ride home, and then high fives were due all around.  You rock, Jules.

We drove up to Bend later that morning for legit coffee at Strictly Organic and legit beer at Immersion Brewing.  Gotta stay hydrated!

And then we popped over to Farewell Bend Park for a romp on the playground and a walk along the Deschutes River Trail.

I love the terrain along here – feels like part desert canyon, part mountain woods.

We were dusty and tired after our riverside jaunt, so we pulled off at Paulina Creek on our way home to stretch out and put our feet in the calm, cool water.

This little oasis was just so…oasis-y.

Sometimes this girl refuses to have her picture taken.  And sometimes, this…

Juliette fished pinecones out of the water while I sat back and sealed this moment away in my happy PNW memory bank.

“Dips, Mommy, more dips!”

I closed out our final evening in La Pine with a sunset stroll through the neighborhood – I was ready to get back to Seattle but sure was going to miss this slow, quiet life we’d been living for the past few days.

We said goodbye to my mom and dad (and Bernie!) on Friday morning and hit the road to Portland.

First though, because you know I like to pack it in, a stop at Waldo Lake to see if the water there was as beautiful as we’d read it was.

IT WAS.

Seriously, this lake is something else, with water that ranged from the deepest cerulean blue to the clearest turquoise.

Dang it,  Jules!  Summer looks so lovely on you.

Shane asked me the other night if I’m more of a lake person or a beach person and at the time I said I was pretty evenly drawn to both.  But after taking another look at these pictures, I think it’s lakes for the win.

And with that, the paddle board was deflated and Central Oregon Bonanza 2017 was a wrap.  (Waaaahhhhh!)

We powered on to Portland for a one-night layover, where we were greeted by my brother with a couple of cold home brews.  Jack and La Verne coincidentally rolled into town a couple of hours later to begin their own Oregonian vacation, so they joined our party for a bit.

Together again and it feels so good!

 

Saturday morning was filled with cookies, cousin time, and a riverside stroll…

We got home late Saturday afternoon, dropped our bags on the floor, and ventured only as far as Costco on Sunday.  We were beat.  You’re just too good, Oregon.  Too good.

I have a tendency to over-do the sight-seeing and the getting-out when we vacation, but I made a conscious effort to lay a little lower during our week in La Pine.  Our mornings were always leisurely, with coffee and puzzles and maybe a short stroll around the block.  The espresso pickin’s are slim in my parents’ little town, but my mom and I did our darnedest to track down the best latte within a few-mile radius.  After discovering that the favorite neighborhood diner got rid of their espresso machine, we found ourselves at the coffee cart in the parking lot next to the gas station.  Desperate times, people, desperate times.

…And a post-latte morning walk (Jules hearts Bernie 4-ever).

Jules can lay low for only so long, so around lunchtime we drove up to Bend to check out the pool at the Juniper Swim Center, aka Juliette’s New Happy Place.

This place was magical, with pools and a splash pad and slides of all sizes.

After seeing that look of alarm on Juliette’s face as she blipped down the tiny slide, I was surprised to hear her say she wanted to do the BIG slide with Daddy.  I watched her excitedly wait in line, knowing this would end in either laughter or tears.

Loved it!

“Again, Daddy, AGAIN!”

The third time around she asked to go by herself – I waited near the bottom, a little anxious, but my worry was all for naught.  She shot out the end of that thing into the water, bobbed right up, and zipped back to the stairs for another round.

Getting Juliette out of the pool took no small amount of coaxing, but with the promise of french fries and a lollipop, we lured her out and headed over to Worthy Brewing for dinner.

We spent the evening chasing Juliette around the neighborhood on her bike – a couple of small wobbles, and then this girl was solidly off to the races.

I was trailing 50 feet behind her and Shane with the giddiest, proudest grin on my face when a neighbor called from their front yard, “You sure look happy!  Did you win the lottery or somethin’?”

I mean, she is one in a million…

On Wednesday we opted for an easy walk along the Deschutes River up to Benham Falls.

This river is so serene in places, so mighty in others.

Hiking with Jules can be the best of times or the hardest of times.  She can be an amazing little trooper or she can be whiny and stubborn and slow.  Usually she’s some of each within the same mile.  We’ve learned to roll with it.

We picnicked in a shady grove of pines and then Shane strung up the hammock as a makeshift swing for Juliette.

I was jonesing to get out on the paddle board that afternoon, so we went over to Crane Prairie for a quick row – it turned out to be super, super-smoky over there, but goodness, it was quiet.

My dad said there’s usually a beautiful view of the mountains from here.  I’m afraid I just had to take his word for it…

While Shane got out for his turn, Jules and my dad played a rousing game of “guess which hand”.  Three year olds can be so easily amused.

Almost apocalyptic, isn’t it?

Dip those toes while you can, darlin’.  Summer is waning!

Up next: more rivers, more lakes, more mountain zen.

AUGUST.  August was good.  I think we vacationed almost as many days as we worked this month.  Carpe summer, right?

We set out for La Pine to visit my parents two weeks ago, bags packed with swimsuits, floaties, and eclipse glasses.  We spent Friday night at a hotel in Salem to break up the trip, and let me tell you, we rocked that Hampton Inn.  The pool!  The Costco next door!  The brewpub down the street!  The breakfast waffle bar!  Suburban stays have their perks.

We grabbed coffee on Saturday morning at Salem’s finest cafe and then powered south.

Central Oregon has been pummeled by wildfires this summer, made apparent by the haze of smoke that hung over highway 58 east of Eugene.

We did a little sightseeing along the way, popping out to see gushing Salt Creek Falls.

We landed in La Pine around lunchtime, stiff-legged and a little tired of the Moana soundtrack, but hey, we made it!  Hi, Bernie!

My parents moved into a new house in December, and while they downsized their yard, they gained a great neighborhood park, complete with basketball courts and a soccer field and a club house.  It was the perfect place for Juliette to get her wiggles out.

Juliette (and her grandma, and her dad, and her mom) did dozens of laps around this soccer field over the course of the week.  “Chase me, Grandma!  CHASE ME!”  I’m done pretending I can’t catch her – I really can’t catch her.

Shane and I played a round of tennis (aka “fetch”) at the high school tennis courts that evening while my dad and Juliette took Bernie for a walk.  They spotted a family of deer in the woods and Shane and I managed to avoid twisting any ankles.  Wins all around.

Shane was bound and determined to make it to the path of totality for Monday’s eclipse, so he set out for Madras early Sunday morning to join some friends who had snagged a campsite.  My FOT (Fear Of Traffic) outweighed my FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), so Juliette and I opted to stay closer to home, enjoying a quiet day at Twin Lake with my mom and dad.

It was smoky out there, but so still and serene.  For awhile, we had the whole place to ourselves.

We kayaked and paddle-boarded and floated the day away.

We super-duper love the lake life.

Some days, this girl literally lights up my world…

A lot of days, actually.

(I just told her that the general store down the shore sells ice cream.)

Our evening was a quiet bout of puzzle-mania back at the house.

Shane’s evening was quiet, too!

Madras was touted as Oregon’s premier eclipse-viewing location – everything I read projected total mayhem in the town.  Somehow, though, Shane found an introvert’s dream spot amidst the crowds.

The big event began around 9:15 Monday morning – we grabbed our glasses and walked over to the soccer field to spread out and wait for 10:30 am dusk.  Even as we were just getting started with a meager bite out of the sun, Juliette was waaaaay impressed.

Way impressed for a minute, that is.  Then it was all, “Chase me, Grandpa!  CHASE ME!”

In between bouts of beach ball soccer, we watched the sun fade to 99% coverage.  The light was eerily gray and suddenly it was so chilly that goosebumps popped up on my arms.  It felt kind of other-worldly out there.

Shane, though…he said the total eclipse blew his mind.  Texas 2024!

We chilled at home in the afternoon with puzzles and homemade coconut treats.

Shane rolled back into town in the evening and joined us for dinner at the local Mexican joint.  This kiddo missed her dad somethin’ fierce.  Together again!

That evening Juliette asked Shane to put the pedals back on her big-kid bike – he’d taken them off so that she could scoot around on it like a bigger version of the red balance bike she’s been rocking since she was two.  He obliged and held fast to the back of her seat, keeping her steady as she wobbled up and down the driveway.

And then, before I could tell him not to, he…let go.  And she…kept on going!

Oh, baby girl.  Ride like the wind.  Oregon’s a magical place.