we had a really short summer this year. even by portland standards. i can't tell you how much we've learned to appreciate sunny days and clear skies.
we spent a lot of time outside to capitalize on the weather, and spent almost every friday of the summer at a rainbow trout farm not too far from our house. its the perfect spot for picnicking and fishin with the fam. can't wait to go back next year...
next year i'll figure out what the heck to do with all the fish!
our last night in socal. april seems like eons ago. we capped off our trip with one last family dinner at los angeles institution- el tepeyac.
we waited centuries for a table big enough for our clan. everyone was starting to lose their cool. do you enjoy hearing about our first world problems?
holy burrito! my fam rules.
we are seriously amusement park freaks, no?! sigh.
cal actually hit this bonus! it was amazing!
awesome, awesome day.
uncle paul & auntie fo's kiddie pool.
froyo.
and i believe this is also the day we took 4 exhausted children to picture people and forced them to smile for mother's day pictures. that didn't fly, needless to say...
on this the 24th day we celebrated rylan's 3rd birthday adventure, and it was good.
happy birthday, little ry!
according to my iphoto calendar, this took place the day after legoland. fo, did you seriously drive out to loma linda the day after leaving carlsbad?! you crazy lady. oh, how i wish this photo was in focus. alyssa's expression is priceless.
here's the whole gang at legoland. from oldest to youngest- caleb, noah, casey, jacob, alyssa, tyler, brady, and andre. we took 8 children under 8 to a giant amusement park. we's crazy people.
here are the two big boys. not a single peep out of them the whole day, they were awesome.
here we are at what is essentially the teacup ride from disneyland disguised as bionicles slash hero factory. off-camera is our little casey bawling her eyes out. old enough but not tall enough to ride.
lookie who we found! these guys are enjoying their SECOND day at legoland. lucky duckies!
while the big kids were off playing carnival games, the little ones got their faces painted.
we waited an ETERNITY for this ride. 6 cars for 100 crazy kids. no bueno, legoland.
this was the kid's favorite exhibit. forget what it was called but you build your own lego-car and then race it on a ramp against all the other kiddos. they were having so much fun in there that i...
...snuck out to see miniland for the first time. i loved it! it's amazing what you can do with legos.
ok, i feel like i'm going overboard with these.
i have to draw your attention to these two gentlemen behind the miniland hollywood bowl. they are cutting the grass with scissors. seriously.
and that concludes our day in carlsbad. :)
enjoyed a lovely day at oak glen in yucaipa w/some of our favorite people in the world. we were there for the apple blossom festival, but there were no blossoms. apparently the blossoms are waiting another 3-4 weeks. in other news, have you ever had apple cider donuts? oh my.
pharoah's lost kingdom. oh yes we did! this colossal mess was built when i was in high school and though it's undergone a recent renovation, it's still as boring as it was 17 years ago. too bad, so sad.
finally... in LOMA LINDA!
six flags magic mountain. i took this picture as our tram was pulling away at the end of the day. oops.
dear lisa, you are simply the best. we love you.
day 12 kicked off with a trip to visit newborn amelia in the hospital. here she is at a wee 3 days old. babies are such a miracle!
the kids were so proud of themselves for being old enough to hold their cousin without any adult supervision. congratulations, joey & sarah!
we spent the afternoon in hollywood.
here they are comparing hands to shirley temple.
my cousin lisa got us some VIP tickets to el capitan to see mars needs moms. the movie didn't fare well in the press, but i thought it was so fun!
here we are at the old-fashioned disney soda shop next door killing some time before the show.
this is a rootbeer freeze. muy delicioso.
i used to love the walk of fame when i was younger. can't believe i'm old enough to bring my own children now. it's wild.
thank you, auntie lisa, for an amazing afternoon!
oh yes we did.
we woke up sunday morning in sierra madre- we are traveling animals! originally we had planned on meeting sarah & joey for brunch, but surprise! her water broke that morning and she went into labor. WELCOME, AMELIA! (i'll save that for another post). here we are enjoying froyo before brunch because the wait was too long - do you spy deanna & rylan?
cute little restaurant in south pasadena.
nothing like a little buttcrack in the morning.
it was the perfect day for kidspace museum- lots of sunshine and lots of breeze. what would've been even better is if we could've hopped over to the rosebowl flea market that was going on next door. someday!
here we are in the 909. riverside, to be exact. my paternal cousins live there, and we went to spy on them for a few days. my little cousin stacey went to pâtissière school and now works at the cupcake shop at mission inn. we popped into her work one night and even got a surprise tour of the bakery. the cupcakes are delish!
here's sung. he used to live with us in portland and the kids absolutely adore him. he tells them funny stories about what it was like to live with their crazy selves and they die laughing.
the tops are cut off, dried, and crumbled to make topping, did you know that?
so proud of you, stace!!
hi, jina! i used to make jina brush my hair while we watched tv. i made her my hair-brushing slave and she loved it. now she is a voice coach and works with talented children. how times have changed.
have you heard of john's incredible pizza? it's pretty dang incredible.
one night stacey created this gorgeous homemade fruit tart and we had a chic flick fest. i am so spoiled, it's ridiculous.
thank you, sweet cousins, we love you.
ps. check out the awesome party we went to on the 9th. happy birthday, john & josh!
after 3 days in vegas we parted ways with the maternal side of my fam and hit the road to cali in a trusty rental car (kia forte). first stop: my dad's house in apple valley.
there sure is a lot of water in this particular section of desert (answer: man-made lake)
my dad's office. he has promised to help me drop 20 pounds. when this happens i will let you know and give you his number. :)
since both my dad and stepmom work during the day, we had a lot of time to kill. that meant hours of aimless wandering at the local super target and lots of vitamin d consumption at a nearby playground.
we also hung out at the victor valley mall which is possibly the lamest mall ever. there were some shady characters hanging about, i was actually afraid at one point.
thank goodness for scandia!
and for three square meals a day of homecookin goodness. yum.
we met the fam in vegas for a reunion long overdue. caleb was the only child at our last getaway and that means 2 things: (1) it's been that long and (2) i can see why people think 1 child is enough. just kidding.
miniature creatures of terror.
but i am powerless against this face.
the children left the pool only to pee, poo, and sleep and if i'm being honest, not even then!
aw, we miss you, daddy.
by the way, happy birthday, old man!
here's a picture of the house. it served us well.
here we are at gameworks on the strip.
dinner buffet @ the cosmopolitan
not a bad way to start off our vacay. dear family, i love you. love, sonia
- the kids collect flattened pennies now. at 51¢ a pop, i thought i had figured out a genius way of spending less money on souvenirs. turns out those stankin' machines are everywhere. apparently there are 96 different designs at disneyland alone. nice one.
- the manchild is surprisingly skilled at taekwondo, which requires quite a bit of hand-eye coordination and strength. yet at swim lesson he looks like a salmon fighting the current. confuse.
- there is a place called la petite provence near my house. it is a delightful little french bakery and restaurant. we love the risotto cakes, poached eggs, and croissants w/housemade strawberry jam.
- the little one loves to act 2 years old and routinely pastes buzz lightyear and strawberry shortcake bandaids all over her body. one day she asked me to remove one on her neck, and i demonstrated the fast-and-painless-removal technique in the airspace between us several times before i finally convinced her that it was the best method. little did i know that her skin is freakishly thin and would come off along with the bandaid. oops.
- whenever something in the house goes missing i immediately want to blame my housekeeper and that makes me a nasty and horrible beech who doesn't deserve a housekeeper at all.
- the skin around my elbows is becoming thin and old-ladyish.
- i lovelovelove that you can read long excerpts of books on itunes or kindle before committing. ham on rye by charles bukowski...to buy or not to buy?
- i can't believe i almost didn't graduate from college yet have obscenely high academic aspirations of my children.
- i really want to make one of these, but i'm scared i won't do it right.
- the downstairs toilet's handle keeps getting stuck and then the water runs continuously until someone gently sets it back to neutral and it has been driving me way past bonkers and insanity for weeks now. fortunately my husband put a stop to the incessant sound of running toilet water (or was it my high-pitched whining he got sick of first?) and wedged a giant foam sticker onto the back of the lid to keep said lid from interfering with the handle. unfortunately my husband seems to believe that a giant foam sticker stuck to the back of the toilet lid is a permanent and not, as i had hoped, temporary solution to a rather disturbing problem.
- newman's own sockarooni sauce tastes exactly like a sauce i've had at a restaurant somewhere. olive garden, is it you?
- we don't eat at fast food restaurants anymore because after eating chicken nuggets one day the little one broke out in giant hives all over her body the same way it used to happen to me when i was her age.
- my sister turns 30 this year and i feel a deep-seated need to top the trip to tulum just so i can show her who's boss. where to?
- one of my new year's resolutions is to follow my children's example and be a loyal and unconditional friend.
so. how was your christmas? ours was a gross display of gluttony, in case you were wondering. we have impulse-control issues and a general lack of good senses.
did i say we? hohoho, i make jokes.
i am thoroughly disgusted with myself and shall wallow in self-loathing until next christmas, i promise.
let it be known, however, that just prior to the annual massacre of christmas morning presents, i did actually manage to sit the two chilluns down for a lecture on the nature of advent and the miracle of Christ's birth. i waxed poetic on the anticipation of His coming and the blessings that overflow in our household due to His ultimate sacrifice and mercy. i explained that as we rejoiced that morning in the comfort of our warm home, there were others less fortunate who would go hungry and cold.
and then, like rabid monkeys, they proceeded to decimate the entirety of my first floor, tearing into their gifts in endless succession, barely pausing for photos, and issuing half-hearted, parent-coached thank-yous over skype to faraway relatives.
new year's resolution #1 - something has got to change.
emery sehrin oh is born / portland, or / jan.2010
kevin / ocksda church / jan.2010
open gym / precision elite / jan.2010
visiting emery / @ the ohs / jan.2010
cc kindy / good roots community church / jan.2010
caleb & rylan / @ the shims / jan.2010
esther's baby shower / @ the shims / jan.2010
bowling day / big al's, vancouver / jan.2010
w/the kwons / big al's, vancouver / jan.2010
bella's art party / ceramicafe / jan.2010
roc youth come over / @ the shims / jan. 2010
caleb / in the car / feb.2010
assembling care packages / ocksda church / feb.2010
skating lessons / sherwood ice arena / feb.2010
bffs / @ the shims / feb.2010
charis yuna lee is born / portland, or / feb.2010
making art / @ the shims / march 2010
orange bear / sinju / march 2010
sydney's tea party / the dollhouse tea room / march 2010
looking for breakfast / st.helena, ca / march 2010
w/daddy & charlotte / san francisco, ca / march 2010
jen & dave's wedding / san francisco, ca / march 2010
lizzy & baby / photo receive via text / march 2010
cc end of term party / good roots community church / march 2010
introducing himself / good roots community church / march 2010
superstar / good roots community church / march 2010
snow day w/friends / mt.hood, or / march 2010
ten grands concert / arlene schnitzer / april 2010
well-check / east portland pediatrics / april 2010
w/uncle brent & cousin emery / @ the ohs / april 2010
roc women's retreat / yelm, or / april 2010
roc women's retreat / yelm, or / april 2010
golfing on his bday / langdon farms / april 2010
casey takes a picture / nordstrom / april 2010
casey takes a picture / nordstrom / april 2010
cc friends come over / @ the shims / april 2010
youth lock-in / @ the shims / april 2010
youth lock-in: the morning after / @ the shims / april 2010
alyssa & casey / seattle children's museum / april 2010
packing up the car / on our way to bend, or / may 2010
babysitting cousin brady / @ the shims / may 2010
shopping w/mommy / anthropologie / may 2010
my brady / great wolf lodge, wa / may 2010
portland rose festival / waterfront pdx/ june 2010
lunchtime / @ the shims / june 2010
besties / @ the changs / june 2010
hanging w/dad / oregon zoo / june 2010
girls' trip dinner / kokkari estiatorio, san francisco / june 2010
emily's birthday dinner / red robin / june 2010
fourth of july fest / hv park / july 2010
pet hospital / portland children's museum / july 2010
w/ rowen / portland children's museum / july 2010
father & son camping / location unknown / july 2010
father & son camping / location unknown / july 2010
rylan comes to visit / oaks park / july 2010
storytime / bridgeport village / july 2010
henry's swim party / mt.scott aquatic / aug.2010
belt-testing / westcoast tkd / aug.2010
belt-testing / westcoast tkd / aug.2010
audra nicole saesim is born / loma linda, ca / aug.2010
roc camping trip / beverly state beach / aug.2010
roc camping trip / beverly state beach / aug.2010
goobers / @ the shims / aug.2010
hen house / @ the paks/ sept.2010
chuck e cheese / se portland / sept.2010
brian & katie get married / laguna beach, ca / sept.2010
taekwondo lesson / westcoast tkd / sept.2010
chuck e cheese again / se portland / sept.2010
foodcarting / 12th & hawthorne / sept.2010
cc of milwaukie / good roots community church / sept.2010
annelise's gym party / precision elite / sept.2010
annelise's gym party / precision elite / sept.2010
sara bareilles / roseland theater / sept.2010
ella's princess party / @ the kims / sept.2010
swimming w/cousin becca / @ the kims / sept.2010
sophia sungah lee is born / loma linda, ca / sept.2010
grace & lisa / portland marathon / oct.2010
rocstars!! / portland marathon / oct.2010
ice cream w/sophie / pdx waterfront / oct.2010
cow train tickets / sauvie island, or / oct.2010
cousins / oregon zoo / oct.2010
gomo grace & alyssa / liepold farms / oct.2010
sienna rielle im is born / portland, or / oct.2010
brady @ the pumpkin patch / sauvie island, or / oct. 2010
andre javier cheng is born / los angeles, ca / oct. 2010
nixon hwanju cho is born / pasadena, ca / oct.2010
ninja / halloween / oct.2010
shark girl / halloween / oct.2010
harvest fest / ocksda church / oct. 2010
brother & sister / maui, hi / nov.2010
sungoddess / maui, hi / nov. 2010
cal & alyssa / kirkland sda / nov.2010
gomo & emery / ocksda church / nov.2010
thanksgiving dinner prep w/eemo / @ the shims / nov. 2010
thanksgiving dinner / @ the shims / nov.2010
alexis taehee kim is born / loma linda, ca / nov.2010
cc xmas party / mt.scott roller rink / dec.2010
cc xmas party / mt.scott roller rink / dec.2010
olivia paige liao is born / loma linda, ca / dec.2010
casey turns 5 / build-a-bear / dec.2010
casey turns 5 / spaghetti factory / dec.2010
roc fellowship boys' choir / ocksda church / dec.2010
staff christmas dinner / a cena, sellwood / dec.2010
kev & rielle / secret santa party / dec.2010
casey & auntie esther / secret santa party / dec.2010
caleb & auntie jenn / secret santa party / dec.2010
family portrait by andy / ocksda church / dec.2010
here's to another incredible year. happy 2011!!!
a creek near our home / july 2010
hi, rylan!! i miss you.
there in the back is my dear friend d. who has since brought another child into the world. welcome, nixon!!
i miss summer, don't you?
brian got married.
on this boat, no less!
here's to the gorgeous couple...
our friends ken and junghee live in salem, oregon- about an hour outside of portland proper.
they have real live chickens. or should i say hens? (you don't wanna know what happened to the roosters...)
just a little terrified.
these hams could pose for me all day long.
k&j's lovely daughters
don't think this guy left the hen house for the entire 8 hours that we were there. such an awesome day... thank you, paks!
oaks park / july 2010
dear auntie esther, thank you for this totally tubular shirt. love, casey.
you are what you wear.
and i don't know how that pertains to this post, but whatever.
did i mention that rylan came for a visit? hi, buddy!
i think he had a pretty good time. :)
bano = hole in ground. toilet tissue? nice try.
no smoking in the jungle. probably a good idea.
it should be noted that an actual monkey sighting was not guaranteed on this tour, but we were very fortunate to spot one in the first 10 minutes!
also of note is that we were deep in the mexican jungle. no glass enclosures here. we were warned to be quiet and careful.
the monkeys preferred to stay high, high up in the trees. this was perfectly fine by me.
my sister with our fabulous guide vanessa.
holy monkey balls!!
i forget what kind of monkeys these are, but they're the more aggressive ones. they and the spider monkeys intentionally live in separate areas of the jungle. it's some kind of code of the jungle.
this is the entrance to a cenote. a loooooooooong way down. this one supposedly has some very important human skulls inside of it. national geographic took a few samples to test. if you go diving in there you can see and touch them. we, did not.
mayans used to believe that these cenotes were entrances into the underworld. unfortunately, this is also where they needed to go in order to obtain fresh water. they set up shrines nearby to pray for protection.
vanessa was such an amazing guide! please contact her company manzano's expeditions to book your own tour in the future. (and if you're planning on hiking around the mexican jungle, please remember to pack good pants and sensible shoes. bug spray is a must.)
tinkerbell ballet party, dec. '09
in t-minus 3 days i get to see this here little booger. have you missed me, alyssa? do you know who the heck i am?
kids these days.
you give, you give, you give, and what do ya get?!
here she is wandering aimlessly.
which is basically what she did for the entire 45 minutes.
lil' booger.
who reveled in being the eldest for once.
shall we continue our tour? today we head to the ruins of tulum...
the entrance. i can't tell you how amazing it felt to be in such close proximity to the grandeur and magnificence of these ancient mayan buildings. it was jawdropping. how did they do that?
sigh... THE EXIT! it was excruciatingly hot & humid that day. like... for reals... you have no idea... thank you baby Jesus for the helado stand we found outside the ruin walls. mine went from mouth to belly in 2.3 seconds flat, you'd better believe it, baby.
next week, COBA!
the walkway towards our bungalow
tulum is truly a piece of paradise.
entrance to bungalow
view from the front (this is our neighbor's)
looking at these pictures makes me want to go back immediately. when's the last time you were somewhere so magical?
protection from all the jungle critters
but then i remember the stifling heat in our room.
of which there were in abundance. (shown: dead gnats. unpictured: rodent droppings.)
due to the ill-placed sandbar in front of our window, air-circulation was impossible. try sleeping in a sauna for 3 days.
our closet.
not that i'm complaining! it is the jungle, after all. i felt rather adventurous and brave.
thatched-roof built in the traditional mayan style. aside from our 20-watt bulb, we had no electricity. this is what happens when you stay in the "eco-zone" of tulum.
but a little oxygen couldn't have hurt. just sayin'.
exterior- restaurant
luckily for us, we had no plans to stay indoors! why would we do that?!
interior- restaurant
isn't it the cutest restaurant you ever did see?
huevos rancheros para mi y chilaquiles para tu. muy delicioso! (my spanish doesn't go past sophomore year in high school, obviously. is this even grammatically correct?)
sister..beach..bar..restaurant..hut. is there anything else i could have possibly desired?
no way.
TOMORROW NEXT WEEK- tulum ruins!
somewhere over mexico...isn't it lovely?
this month i turn 31, which means that it's already been a year since my sister surprised me with an all-expenses trip to the mayan riviera for my 30th. (i love you, g!)
surprisingly edible!
which means that it's also been a year since i showed up at LAX with an expired passport.
black as night when we arrive...
did you know that you can't board an international flight without a valid passport?
we arrived to find out that our hotel restaurant doesn't serve dinner, and after 12 hours on the road, we are in desperate need of sustenance, stat!
down the dusty road a ways, however, we find a hotel willing to oblige.
it is about a 100 degrees with 100% humidity in our room. stifling and suffocating beyond belief. (it is actually funnier than it sounds.)
and believe it or not, we laugh ourselves to sleep as only sisters can.
TOMORROW...the hotel grounds!
YAY, PRESENTS!!!!!! who doesn't love presents?!
oooooooooooo, calico critters!! how very delightful! just what i wanted!
what's THIS? a my little sandbox for my brother?!
WHAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!?
the HUMANNNNNITY!!! the INJUSTICE!!!
oh. ohhhhhhhhhh... thank you, santa.
so disgusting.
once upon a time, the little girls of roc fellowship @ oregon central korean seventh-day adventist church put on a special performance.
there's my little munchkin. isn't she precious? she and her 2 tiny companions were given the mammoth task of putting christmas carols to hand motion on the fly. they weren't even supposed to be up there, to my knowledge.
somebody please tell me what happened to kalia's matching dress- poor child!
acknowledging her audience with a tentative wave...
remembering she's got a job to do...
and that is the end.
we went to visit the ahns. it was brady's 100 day.
now that i'm the ripe old age of almost-31, i feel like a hundred days go by every time i blink. this is not far from the truth.
we stayed in a ridiculously large and luxurious suite, because apparently i travel a lot, and that means free hotel stays. sweeeeeeet!
i would like to take this time to declare to all who will listen that i use my husband's money for mostly good and not evil- but sometimes i get suckered in by ridiculously large and luxurious suites that are presumably for free...
...until you factor in $40 valet parking and $88 breakfasts-in-bed, which one person proceeds to consume ALL BY HERSELF. ahem, leave some for me next time?
i tell you, AIN'T NUTHIN FOR FREE. and that's the truth.
unless you count all the free hugs these guys dole out on their cousins. it's pretty dang precious and gets me all farklempt verklempt..
miss you, ahns!
cc xmas party @ the kwons
so, did you enjoy the holidays? if my long absence is any indication, i sure did. i stuffed myself full of all the wonderful things that christmas and the new year bring. it was great. i hope you had your share of family and friends too.
my one resolution this year is to stick with the moral i've learned from this book. it takes all of 10 minutes to read, but for me at least, really shocked my system into action. try it.
so far the new year's off to a rolling start. a new addition was welcomed into the family on the 2nd, for one (hi, emery!). and two, my body is pretty much paralyzed this morning from having exerted myself at hockey practice yesterday. i take this as a good omen. happy new year!
we went to seaworld.
these are the luckiest kids in the world.
don't you think?
what i wanna know is... who's the first wiseguy who thought it'd be a good idea to take a giant killer whale and train it? wow.
this little one was too short to ride the rapids. we were waiting and waiting and waiting for eons!
finally!
soaked through!
here we are at dinner getting our korean bbq on. as far as i'm concerned, only the city of angels gets it right. (still beat pdx by a landslide though!)
and here we are at sd korean sda church the next day.
breakfast at cafe chloe the following morning. (thank you, hedy, it was great!)
and that about sums up our weekend in sd. happy birthday to my wonderful mother-in-law, lydia. we hope it was a special one for you...
man, time sure does fly. back in february, during our month long excursion to los angeles, we had the opportunity to visit a medieval castle. did you know that there is a medieval castle in buena park, orange county? it's true.
this is before star wars took a strangle-hold over the boy's life, and he was still interested in other things like knights and pirates.
front-row, where the action is!
this mesh is meant to protect you from dust and horse excrement while you are enjoying a dinner of turkey legs. and judging by said turkey legs, the animal in question probably stood about 4 feet tall, i'm not kidding. also, everything is eaten sans dining utensils. i'm led to believe that this is the medieval experience.
my strawberry daiquiri was served in a mammoth chalice the size of a child's head.
some very excited participants.
our knight in shining flannel armor. THE GREEEEEEEEEEN KNIIIIIIIIGHT!!!! (he actually won the tournament to our giddy amusement.)
sir caleb and the victor. a great time was had by all. (my cousin lisa is curiously absent from all these pictures. i'm so sorry, lis!)
our first (and maybe last?) pumpkin patch trip of the year. liepold farms in boring, oregon (remember last year?). i organized a visit for our homeschool group a couple weeks back, and of course, it was just all kinds of awesomeness. see for yourselves.
as promised: tuscan-inspired wedding. calistoga, ca. september 13, 2009.
welcome to earth, brady ahn! 6 weeks early to boot, he just couldn't wait any longer.
oh girl,
so that when you pierce your noise and tattoo your lower back, i can go back to these letters and cry quietly to myself on days gone by. that's what this is for, you know.
too bad my mommy brain gets exponentially worse by the day and sitting here, 6 months after the fact, trying to remember what you were like on your 3rd birthday, i've drawn a blank.
the memories are vague.
i remember that at 3, you loved curious george. what a great expense of time and energy it was that you loved that curious little monkey so much. when you are older you will realize that the curious george books are unbearably long and only a saint like your father would put up with reading 4 of them verbatim before tucking you into bed for the night. mommy'd just flip through the pages and make you name all the objects one by one...
balloon, good.daddy is your favorite.
at 3 you got your first bike. you stopped eating mushrooms. you'd carry stuffed animals everywhere. you moved into your own room. your favorite foods included banana yogurt, noodles, beans, and celery. you were a genius at puzzles, not to mention a rather skilled whiner. you loved to whisk eggs. singing and dancing were a favorite pastime. your brother was simultaneously your hero and nemesis. you loved scooby-doo. you always had to wear socks. you'd ask me 10 times a day for potato chips. you had your first dental appointment and subsequent filling. blue was your favorite color. and you'd wake up every stinking day at 7:30 on the dot no matter how late you'd slept the night before.
little girl, i really miss you at 3.
only a week from now, you will be starting preschool. officially one step closer to the day the chapel bells toll my heartbreak and you take another name. (please take your time and never settle. explore europe. learn how to surf. get a master's in romance languages. spend a summer volunteering in south america. you can DO ANYTHING. fighting!) when i strap on your backpack and send you off with a turkey sandwich, please don't forget what i've told you, promise? and sneak me a hug every once in a while why don't cha.
i miss you already, kid.love, mom
ah, the great outdoors. our annual trip to florence, oregon occurred just a couple days after my return from the big city and the juxtaposition, lemme tell you, was stark. (but in a good way, i swear).
the orange tent adjacent to ours was home to jenn and andy. hi, neighbors! i can't tell you how much i love having them (her) with us in portland. jenn and i are soul-sisters, it's pretty clear.
the nice thing about an annual camping trip is that (1) it's only annual and (2) it gives us a chance to reconnect with nature and (3) it's only annual (did i say that already?) and we are forced to remember how blessed we are to have luxurious shelter, reliable plumbing, and central air/heat. amen.
our contribution to the mass stash of junk food provided by all the church members in attendance. i wish i had the capacity to eat without remorse, but no, i always kick myself afterwards. that s'mores was the death of me. sigh.
in year's past i distinctly remember WALKING to the beach. since when do we get a leisurely ride in the bed of a giant truck? we just ate 5 bags of smokies, people!
guilty as charged- yeah, i'm talkin' to y-o-u!
i never seem to know where this guy is when we're on trips. does he run away or am i conveniently oblivious to the fact that i have children? hmm...
view from the front.
from the side.
from the back.
if i remember correctly, i have 2 children. i think.
where there is sand, there are, inevitably, some buried bodies. wanna see the cutest thing?
how 'bout a buried dog? the sweetest, gentlest dog in the world- ruby chang! what a cutie.
you can't tell from the looks of things, but THE WIND, THE WIND! it was nuts. not to mention butt-cold. that's an actual term, look it up.
see?
that's better.
he slays me! so cute.
who invented these things?! they-don't-MOVE!
here's lloyd rescuing his son from peril. before i could finish screaming "LLLLLOOOOYYYYDDD!" he was already crashing into the water. wow, so manly.
aw man, i wish i got a shot of emerson in his aviator shades! you shoulda seen him.
the boys' club.
the not-so-lady-like ladies.
and this is only half of 'em, i swear. we just LOVE to procreate up here.
close-up on these two troublemakers. yoom, you ready for their teen years?
the boy's 6th birthday extravaganza- stay tuned.
remember memorial day weekend?
our neighbors have a cabin near mt. hood, and we lucky punks got to hang out with them there for a day.
where the sandy and zig zag rivers meet. it's majestic and grand. i love it.
that's morgan, who is an 8 year old trapped in a 12 year old's body (just about my height, if you're wondering).
these jokers ran around barefoot for 8 hours straight and ended up with countless cuts and scrapes.
good thing i'm raising my children to be impervious to pain. less hassle for me, you understand.
the cabin.
view from the cabin. couldn't you just stare at that all day?
here we are waiting for the bats, which are supposed to surface at dusk. after 2 hours, we realized they weren't gonna show. oh well! (obviously our neighbors are from a behemoth scandinavian strand of peoples. scott used to play college football.) thank you for a great day, yons!
so it seems our lovely vacay to turks is coming to a close at long last...
i really do miss the water.
i sure do miss our friends & family.
where we going next year, guys?
and just because i don't think you've seen enough of him yet..........
goodbye, turks & caicos! thank you!!!
the color coordination going on in this photograph was no mistake, my friends.
activities-planner saesim made sure to get our group together for a sunset photoshoot.
the kids were more interested in the sand, though.
it was coming down quick! we had to mobilize.
family 1.
family 2.
family 3.
family 4.
family 5? heehee. just kidding, tommy!
cute!!!
of course, the requisite beach-jumping photos.
notice how utterly ridiculous the guys look, though. why?
sunset-in-hawaii prom 2009.
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