210: amazingly beautiful day at the redwoods

We decided Sunday to head down to the Redwoods and go for a little hike with the girls.... SOOO amazingly beautiful! And the girls LOVED it. They never got bored of just looking at the trees, climbing, running on the trails, and ooohing and awing at the beauty.

i can't get enough of these faces

209: close beaches!

After the parade yesterday, we decided to head down to the beach and check it out. It took less than five minutes to get there. Doesn't get much better than that.

Dagny's first real beach experience!

Building a castle and making the "lake" around it

love this image.

 The water got a little too cold but we found a little tide pool that was much more comfortable. The girls were already wet, so they decided to just go for it.

This is one happy kid

I'm pretty excited to spend the summer down here. I'm thankful that the beach is so close to where we'll be living!

208: the girls' first parade

Yesterday was the Azalea parade in Brookings. Kevin had to walk with C&K and he asked Kinsley if she wanted to walk with him - she was so stoked! Dagny and I went down to the end of the course so we could see them and then join them when they were finished. The parade was a cute small-town parade - nothing fancy, but lots of people on the streets and lots people having a good time.

 

 

Dagny wasn't a fan, though. All of the loud sirens and horns scared her a little and she clung to me the entire time... That is, until this

tricked out ice cream truck got Dagny's attention

 Dagny, would you like a fudgesicle? Yes? Great!

how can you NOT be happy about a fudgesicle?

 And then we saw Daddy and Kins.

 Dagny was so excited she nearly jumped off my lap while yelling, "go ee (see) Daddy!"

 Dagny got a fudgesicle and was happy and Kins had a blast.

Doesn't get much better.

207: easy travels to brookings

I was nervous yesterday for the 4+hour drive to go visit Kevin for the weekend in Brookings. But the girls did amazing. They were both awake for the first half-hour or so and then Dagny fell asleep. Kinsley was close to follow about 40 minutes later. They both slept until we got to Bandon when they both woke up. I was nervous that we still had about an hour and a half to go - that's a long time for them to be in the car and awake. But they did great! We looked at the scenery, we put on some Raffi, we talked, laughed, and we made it to Brookings just as Kevin was getting off of work for the day. It couldn't have gone more smoothly.

206: Kimberly and Maebel

I called Kim last minute for the huge favor of hanging with my girls while I went to the chiropractor. I literally called her 40 minutes before the appointment, 30 minutes before I was supposed to be there, 20 minutes before I needed to leave, and 15 minutes before she probably had to leave to get to our place. And she didn't even hesitate to say yes. Such a life saver! And the girls had so much fun playing with her and Maebel. I was so worried that Dagny would flip out when I left because she's never been left with anyone but family ... but she didn't make a peep or bat an eyelash! And Kinsley talked all afternoon about how she wants to have Maebel over again soon for another play date.

So so so thankful for amazing people in my life like Kim.

205: chiropractic care!

Holy cow. I went in to my appointment this morning with so much pain - definitely better than Monday, but still a lot of pain and tenderness, still unable to comfortably hold the girls or move well. But holy wow. About an hour after my apointment I was already feeling 100 times better - moving 100 times easier and more comfortably. I still have tenderness when I move certain ways or twist too much or carry the girls for too long, but it is almost unnoticeable compared to what I've been feeling the last two weeks. I'm actually contemplating trying to run tomorrow ... but that might be pushing it too soon.

I have another appointment for next week. I can't wait.

204: family connections

I have felt like such a horrible mother the last few days because I simply haven't been able to function very well with the pain from my ribs. I know that I have still be doing everything in my power for the girls, but I just feel awful that I can't do more. I asked Kinsley's teacher - who recently had rib issues as well - what she did to alleviate her pain. She gave me the name of her chiropractor and raved about him and how he takes a holistic approach - right up my alley. When I called the clinic, I was told that they're booked about 2 weeks out.

I spoke with Matt B-R yesterday to ask his advice about a couple of aspects of my "injury". He asked if I'd been referred to anyone here in town and when I gave him the name, he said he would call and see what he could do. Apparently, chiropractors like to help each other out (even those they don't personally know) ... what a concept! The clinic called this morning and got me in TODAY!

Thank you thank you thank you, Matt.

203: fluoride didn't pass in pdx

I'm glad. I didn't get to vote, but I would have voted no if I did.

I must say, I'm pretty tired of reading posts about how anti-F people are ignorant, uneducated, and selfish ... how all anti-F people have fallen sucker to conspiracy theories and ignore the science and have zero logic and how social justice must mean nothing. They say anit-F's are anti-government, anti-science, and anti-logic. Honestly, it's offensive to me. I'm educated - more educated than the average person. My background IS science - I'm not anti-science. I'm not anti-government. I'm not anti-poor people. As I stated on my own facebook page (and I typically NEVER post ANYTHING political): Do I think everyone deserves healthy teeth? Of course. Do I think that we should provide means to that for lower income areas? Absolutely. Do I think that putting fluoride directly into the water is the way to do that? Most definitely not. While the pro-F side enjoys saying that this is a selfish, "all about me me me" logic, I strongly feel that it is just simply not right to force people to ingest something without their consent. Period. I don't argue that fluoride is ineffective or that it is completely unnecessary, but putting it in the water is not the way to do it. I am also 100% for helping low income areas have access to health care, dental care, all care! But I completely disagree with the idea of putting a chemical (safe or not) into the water to potentially benefit the public just because it is public water. People have the right to choose what we put or don't put in our bodies. Forcing everyone to ingest fluoride is not right. And I don't think that I am a selfish person for feeling that way or that I can't see "beyond myself". I think that I am a loving mother who doesn't want to expose my developing children to any more chemicals than they already are exposed to in this world. And I think that I am a caring member of society who wants EVERYone to be thought about. For me, it comes down to giving people the choice and not forcing them to ingest something if they do not want to. There are people who can not tolerate it and it is wrong to force them to take it in anyway. It's just not right to force it on everyone when not everyone wants it.

I'm glad that Portland voted this down. I do sincerely hope, however, that money does go towards the root of this issue; that we take care of those who need the care; that we can provide dental care and EDUCATION, providing these people with the resources they need to be healthy.


I'm sure people will judge me based on this post ... because that's what people like to do - judge other people. But those who KNOW me,  know that I'm not selfish, that I am educated, that I do care about other people and society as a whole.

202: Amazon Park

Today was easily the most painful day I've had with my ribs so far. So much spasming. I couldn't lift the girls, I could hardly get myself dressed let alone them, it is crippling to try to do so much as stand up or sit down.  Thankfully it was a nice enough day to hang out at Amazon Park for a while after school today. Kinsley played with a few of her friends from school and got some good energy out and I was able to slowly follow Dagny around while moving as little as possible. The evening was pretty rough, but at least we had some good park time in the afternoon.

201: C&K is flexible so far

C&K said "no problem" to Kevin missing work Monday to get to his appointment even though he's only been there a week. See last post. I needed this.

200: an appointment made awhile ago

Kevin's been gone for a week already and it sucks. But he's back this weekend for an appointment that he made before he knew his start date in Brookings. Seeing him and getting some good hang out time is just what I needed.

199: i haven't put away my winter stuff yet!

I was thinking about packing up my winter clothes and putting them in the shed since I really have limited space in these apartment closets. But I'm glad that I didn't actually get around to it because suddently I need them again! After a good run of weather in the 80's, we're back down to the 60's with rain. Hopefully it passes soon, but until then at least I've still got my warm clothes accessible.

198: wine

Red to be specific. And the occasional early bedtimes that allow me to enjoy a glass and relax.

197: I knew Frank Kurz

This world lost an amazing man today.

A loving husband. A devoted father. A friend. A physician. Caring. Loving. Warm. Welcoming. Joyful. Encouraging. Supportive. Committed. Hard-working. Goofy. Fun-loving. Active. Infectious. Kind.

I have nothing but fond memories that go all the way back to elementary school. He and Mary raised two amazingly wonderful children who have become amazingly wonderful adults. My heart breaks for his family but they are all incredibly strong individuals and a million times stronger as a family. But ... this family and this world lost an amazing man today. I am thankful that I not only knew Frank Kurz, but that I was blessed to be able to experience so many of his gifts throughout my life.

196: a busy/distracting day

Kevin's gone and it sucks. But I know that I need to take it one day at a time and to stay as busy as possible. Today was a good day for that. Dagny had swimming first thing this morning. We came home from that and got ready for a play date with one of Kinsley's classmates. We followed that by a Costco run and a couple of other errands. When we got home, we unloaded the car, had a snack, and got ready for Kinsley's swimming. We came home, made some dinner, talked to Daddy on the phone, played, read some books, and now the girls are asleep.

Super busy day, but I'm thankful for it. Days like this will make this time apart go much faster. And while I don't want to wish away any of my days with my girls, it sucks being apart from Kevin and I want this particular month to maybe go just a little faster so we can be together again.

195: lavender oil

I burned my finger tonight taking a pan out of the oven ... I burned it THROUGH the oven mit. I have no idea how it happened. I immediately pulled out my folder of essential oils, grabbed the lavender, put a couple of drops on, and smeared it over the area. Within seconds the pain was gone and it didn't come back.

Apparently lavender is the go-to, all-purpose oil and so far it is living up to it's reputation.

194: beautiful scenery

I had planned to make the drive back to Eugene around nap time, like I usually like to travel, but it just didn't pan out. SO, it turned into a bedtime drive. I left Bend around 7:15, which made for an ETA of about 9:30. If I have to make an evening drive, by myself with the girls asleep, with a bruised rib, and sad that the party is over and Kevin is now down in Brookings ... at least it is an amazingly beautiful drive. The mountains, the little lakes, the trees, and the sun setting ... glorious.

193: Timmy and Alex

People often ask me if Timmy and I have always gotten along ... the answer is always a very emphatic and quick "no." In fact, when we worked together for a year at Rebound and were at the company holiday party one of our coworkers asked us just that. When we told her "no" she asked, "what about your other sister? Have you guys always gotten along with her?" We answered that with a quick "no" as well. When she asked why not, my only response was, "I don't know. I always wanted him to like me but he just didn't." She asked Timmy why he didn't like us and he chimed in with a response that has stuck with me and I enjoy giving him crap for it ... "Let me put it this way. If both of you (Kyra and me) were hanging from the side of a cliff, I would have let her hang there ... and I would have pushed you off." ... !!!!!!! Needless to say, we've come a long way since then.

When Timmy first told me about Alex, I was driving from Portland to Eugene with the girls sleeping in the backseat. He had just gotten out of a pretty long relationship and I remember asking him, "don't you think it's a little too soon?!?" I certainly thought it was. But he insisted that this girl was different than any other he'd ever dated. He said he'd never been able to truly be himself, but he is with Alex. He told me that "she is a colossal spaz"and that "even her verbal diarrhea is cute." He continued to tell me that they "just get each other" and that he knows he's falling hard for her but he knows it's bigger than anything else he's experienced. I was intrigued and wanted to meet her, but he said he wasn't sure if she'd be able to join us for our family Christmas trip at the beach.

When I finally did meet Alex a little while later, I liked her. I wasn't convinced, though, that they weren't both jumping in to something too quickly. They seemed very much into each other and their personalities definitely fit, but I was worried that it was the novelty of a new relationship. Then they told us that they were going to travel to Thailand for a month together. At that point, I knew that a trip like that would either make them or break them - spending 24 hours a day together for a month in a foreign country could either make them want to strangle each other or it would glue them together ... and thankfully did the latter.

I never really knew that there was something missing until I saw "Timmy with Alex." He's always been a spaz himself and has always been the life of the party. But now he is the best of him. I have never seen him so genuinely happy. He smiles more than he ever has - even in pictures, which is a big deal for him. He used to have such a horrible forced smile - it looked like he was trying to smile while someone was making him smell something awful. Now we see his infectious smile that he gives when he laughs. He laughs more, he is more playful, and there is another side of him that I have never seen - his loving, committed, devoted side. I can tell that he loves Alex with every ounce of his being.

Their vows this weekend were so beautiful - they wrote them themselves. They were so sincere and so loving and so heartfelt.

Timmy and Alex bring out the best in each other. They are playful and funny, but they are incredibly loving. I am so thankful that Timmy has found someone who he can honestly be himself with and I am thankful that she makes him so genuinely happy.

192: safe travels

I'm very thankful that everyone made it safely to town to help celebrate Timmy and Alex's big day.

191: two years down, one to go!

Kevin finished his last final of the year today! That's two years down and one more to go on this adventure in Eugene. It has been an amazing ride and has flown by so far. We're going to soak up the time we have left and try to enjoy it as much as possible. This time next year, who knows where we'll be?!?

190: amazing weather in Bend

Timmy and Alex are getting hitched this weekend and it looks like it's going to be absolutely perfect weather-wise. We got in to town around 2:30 and it is just gorgeous.

189: oil pulling

I had never heard of it until just a couple of weeks ago, but I pinned it on pinterest and sort of forgot about it. I've been feeling much better from the horrible evening that I had on Friday - just a little lingering congestion and a tickly throat that makes me cough. But I hate being congested. I revisited my pin and saw that it's supposed to not only help kill bacteria in the mouth, but it detoxes the lymph system and clears congestion. It can't hurt to try. So I put about a teaspoon of coconut oil in and gave it a good 6 minutes of swishing, swirling, pushing, and pulling. I would have done it longer, but that's all I had. My nose did run a little by the end, but nothing major. However, within about 15 minutes I started clearing some gnarly stuff out of my system. I was blowing so much crap out of my nose that it was actually shocking to me - and it was crazy thick and disgusting. I was coughing up the same stuff.

And the rest of the day I was able to breathe clearly from both nostrils. A.MAZING.

I still have the tickly throat that makes me cough, but my face feels so much more clear! I am just beginning to get a little of the congestion back, so I may try it again tonight before bed ... but I will certainly be doing it again in the morning ... and it may just become part of my regular routine.

188: 1800contacts

I wear my contacts too long - much longer than I'm supposed to. I have 30ish-day lenses, yet I probably wear them for a good 5 or 6 months before changing them. I know it's not good for my eyes, but I don't have vision insurance right now and ... that gets expensive.

I've been noticing that my lenses have been drier than normal, so I know I needed new ones soon. Then I remembered that I have an account with 1800contacts! I'm pretty sure that my prescription on there is over 3 years old, but I was able to order from it and get my new lenses within a couple of days! So easy, and MUCH cheaper than going to a doctor to get a new prescription and ordering from there.

187: Yaya and Papa's garden

The girls love to help Y & P out in the garden. I love that they get to be exposed to where good food comes from. They have helped in the entire process - they've helped plant, they've helped water, they've helped push soil around, they've helped pull weeds and replace rocks, they've helped harvest, and they've definitely enjoyed watching the food get put onto the table and eating it.

It's so important to me that they get this experience. I think it's one that every kid should get exposure to.

186: Callie

Today is little Finn's 1st birthday,  which I also learned is AKA StarWars Day (May the 4th be with you). Finn is one lucky little man to have a mama like Callie. Callie is one of those people who everyone loves - she's easily one of the kindest people I know, she has the most infectious laugh, and she knows how to have a good time. It doesn't matter how long it's been since the last time we've seen each other, every time we get together we pick up right where we left off. I've known her since 4th grade and I don't think I've ever met someone as giving as her.And even though we had different groups of friends in high school and college, we have always stayed close and I am so so grateful for that. Everyone needs a friend like Callie.

185: We left for PDX when we did

Again we made the trip to Portland after picking Kinsley up at school. After making a Starbucks stop and a quick stop at the bank, we drove into Yaya and Papa's driveway around 2:30. Around 4:30 I started getting crazy congested - so bad that my face was tender to the touch. I started coughing, but not terribly. However, being that I hurt my back last week, with every little shake from my cough my back felt throttled.

I'm not sure that I would have made the drive if I would have been feeling like this ... so I'm glad that we left and made it to Portland before this junk hit.

184: Costco

It may sound silly, but I'm thankful that we have one so close to us here in Eugene. It's so nice to be able to get things that we go through so quickly in bulk and at cheaper prices. It saves us countless dollars as well as time having to go back and forth to the grocery store. We don't get everything there, but we do get the basics that we go through: peanut butter, bread, coconut oil, frozen fruit (when they have it organic), coffee, etc. Ocassionally they have organic fruit and we'll grab some, but I typically shop for those locally at our smaller market.

Gotta love Costco.

183: coconut oil

I swear ... it is the best gift from Mother Earth.