When It Rains, We Shop!

Clark & I traveled with my in.laws to visit family in Oregon. We were gone for seven days and during those days it snowed, hailed, rained, and was sunny & gorgeous! From what I know, OR is really not that big into snow, in fact, this time of year is usually quite pleasant and very picture-esque. The blossoms on the trees were gorgeous, sometimes they were hard to see through the huge snow flakes. I was very excited to go to the tulip festival and play around. When we arrived it was snowing. I thought for sure my pics would be from inside the car, lame but proof we were there. Then as we were heading out of the grounds the sun came out. We all got out and let the kids run around while I headed into the field. I was pretty bummed as you can see, that the tulips weren't opening because of the cold front. My only trooper tulips were these red and yellow ones. How fun are they to be in line with the cute windmill too?! I'll be sure to go middle-end April next time. That is some flower power! Speaking of power, we got our shopping in with all that gloomy weather, ok, we would have done so anyway. Lindy (sis.in.law) took us up to Portland and we shopped fast and hard. Ah, all those stores, so little time! We managed our faves, of course.



all tulips out there, rain rain go away!

Sunday we drove out to the coast. It was cold and raining/snowing when we left Salem. Jonah (bro.in.law) kept teasing how it would be a "drive by shoot" for me. Not again, I thought. As we came around the corner for our first coastal view, the sun was shining and everybody was out. It was gorgeous! I love the ocean, how could it not be. It was Clark's first time seeing the ocean. He thought it was cool, but seemed to like the beach and all it's findings better. He looked for crabs, driftwood, seaweed, etc. and wouldn't do seashell patrol. Then he got his feet all soaked as the tide started coming in and caught him by surprise. He loved that! Then all the kids were doing it! I loved how he got right to work in this pic. He is always working. I have lots more pics but they need to be converted. These are the pics he took to preschool for show and tell. We had a great time and appreciated Lindy & Jonah's hospitality and their darling early birds (for me, anyway). I will post some more pics later.

A "herd", "school", "group", what have you, of sea lions just across the cove from us. They look dead, but we did see a few of them moving around and swimming in the water.

Man Rituals

I'm all for the "Man Rituals" ~testosterone in the air, sweaty men in tight pants, roughin' each other up on the fields or the courts, but when it comes to my man drawing blood or keeling over in pain from receiving a slapshot to his manhood, well my opinion changes completely. His first incident was the slapshot. He said he has never felt that kind of pain ever. He was on the ground for about five minutes. One guy said his eyes were rolling in the back of his head. He laid in the snow for about 10 minutes afterward, he needed the numbing, and still got up to play.
Last Thursday, he was being, probably, over aggressive (for his age, hee, hee) and him and another guy were going to fast and hard and straight into the net, totally NOT of their own accord. He came into the house with his hands covered in blood and said jokingly, "you should see the other guy". I then grabbed the camera to really zoom in to see the gash. We were uncertain if he needed stitches and since we live in Canada now, we were more than happy to get a professional opinion. However, Jonathan didn't want to go right then, he wanted to finish the game. While at the hospital to get his glue and bandage, he ran into a friend from high school and they laughed, compared scars and reminisced their days of intense floor hockey and after school fights. Good times for them (if only they were sweaty or in tight pants, ok, I'll leave that to the professionals as well) Jonathan is protesting wearing a helmet but will give in, because IT always happens in threes, and I think his teeth are next. He is faithfully wearing a cup, and I asked him from across the backyard during his game, "Honey, are you wearing protection?" The guys had a chuckle from that and I believe many have heeded the warning. The game must go on, no matter the scar or the age.


neighbor hood sport court in Bikman's backyard. pic was taken last summer, obviously. we are still quite brown up here.

the perfect blog?! no such thing!

Ya right!
I only titled it that way because I have been talking with people and hearing their opinions of blogs vs. facebook, yada yadas... "I don't have the time", "it's too much work", and one friend said she couldn't keep up with all the clever & creative posts and updates that she had come across, to feel that her blog would even be interesting. I said, WHATEVER, just have at it. I love reading the different personalities and thoughts and "excuses" of the slow-to-update-ers. LOVE IT! I still think this is more fun and I appreciate all the creative juice out there, sometimes it can get stifled with all the hats women wear these days. Keep it up or get one started! BLOG POWER!