Camille, Lily, Maddie, and Kiera celebrate Camille turning 8!
Friday, December 30, 2011
Just Dance!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
night sledding deserves a quiet night
Hide and Snow-Seek
My soon to be 8 year old girl!
The TUBE!
After crashing into this snow bank a few hundred times, it is time to kick back!
My little sea turtle! Gabe would take off on the orange sled like a just born turtle out to sea as he flapped his arms to get going down the hill.
What?!?
Lake Wenatchee Rocks! Get it?!
Christmas Time Stories with Grandma!
The All Smiles Gang!
"Away in a Manger" performance! Camille and Gabe practiced "Silent Night" to sing for Christmas Eve and "Away in a Manger" for Christmas Morning! How lucky are we!
Dad and Mom on a sun stream snow morning.
Gabe and Grandpa! Feel the Love.
We are connected.
Gabe leaning in for the kiss. Makes me so happy:)
We found this Sled Hill in Lake Wenatchee Park and we wanted to bring my dad to it. We went and got him and came back around 4 o'clock. Dusk was upon us and the few people remaining had sled their final run and were leaving. We had this massive hill to ourselves. We had one double tube that by this time had been patched and taped with electric tape since we created our own hill, branches and all the first day we traipsed around (the slowest), a longer sled (the middle) and a super speedy disc (the fastest). The three of us each chose one, the slowest going first and fastest last, anticpating the disc to come crashing down the dark. My dad captured Brett and I coming down. Flying down the fir tree lined hill, the tallest holding its strength in my eye, I feel the freedom in the raw snow and silence in the static night. Joy.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
I'm going to do the Warsh!
I wanted her for my grandma. For a grandma I never knew and one who didn't want to know. I sleep with her quilt and Camille wears the bright pink dress Gladys wore to Darrell and Sherilyn's Wedding Reception. Everyone who speaks mentions that they feel loved, that they know she loved them. Isn't that the ultimate feeling we all strive for. She holds her baby sister Betty on her left hip, Betty's left arm reaches towards the heart, Gladys' right hand grasps Betty's knee, no end. Love.
When Gabe and I arrive home from the day, we wrap ourselves together in the dark, the lights from the "It's A Wonderful Life" church replica glowing in strands towards the bed. He holds tight to the program with her picture. He says she doesn't have a bed but will sleep in a box like thing underground. When he dies he wants me to leave him in his bed with his beloved fleece over the moon blanket (yes, Sherilyn, despite the new fleece, he cannot part).
Her hands are with me. One of the times we visit her she reaches out in desperation. We feel helpless. So we sit. Next to her and she holds tight to Brett's hands like the Momma bird in spring outside our window protects the babies in the nest she built. She stretches her hand for Camille's and
her warmth covers us all.
Friday, October 28, 2011
here, chicky, chicky...
Miah and Kylan. Daddy feeding his little chicken.
Gabe was having one of those, it's a cow mom, moment.
Corn-fed chickens.
My one-eyed Jack
Hello Hay Ride!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
come on now, focus, or don't.
I really did not know, when I had children, how much my brain would feel fragmented and entirely the opposite of whole. it scatters into making sure she's okay cause she has a test today or it's monday and she vomitted in her brother's shoe or he can't sit still and focus or he does focus and can't transition onto something else. these amazing babes and trying to develop me, not always wanting to be in the darkroom, but framed on the wall. as i write this, i can see that being 'framed' would be too final and that the interest and passion lie in the process of focusing the blurry image and there will be days when it is just that, blurry (i have been capturing pictures and attended a yearbook workshop last night and so it flows). i see these two final (which aren't really two but a series and aren't really final) moments and know in the midst of balancing us there is this
Friday, September 2, 2011
learn, baby, learn
it actually went well. we were at the school at least 4 times before the DAY and ms. j let you pick your spot and your desk buddy, maddy. on the DAY we had our plan which involved exactly 10.5 kisses among other things.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Time
Happy 5th Birthday, Gabe!
(the candles tell a different story. we can try to cradle him longer).
sheri's sweet shop in winthrop (homemade ice cream at its best)
made gabe's cake and it was delicious.
gabe is a pinata man. i love how the pinata is behind him and he is ready
to take that tree down or vice versa.
camille puts her entire self into capturing the pinata.
grandpa jay put up a tire swing to carry the days away.
gabe and grandpa jay share the month of august for their birthdays. brett made my dad an apple pie (his absolute favorite in 32 degrees or 78) and the three made wishes.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Pikeypones
frequent visitors
frank(enstein) rock(y)(star)
not pictured judy (she's very moody and ran rocky off) and amy.
oh, i have pictures but i won't make you watch a 300 deer slideshow like i did my husband.
those were the 300 that made the cuts.
okay, in defense of my obsessive deer stalking i got to be a part of this.
there is something about being surrounded by the non-man-made.
fairy house. they came alright and rested their wings in the furry bed,
kicked back in the mushroom chair and definitely swam in the pool.
our fav walk up the hill to the overlook.
let me address the glove. it makes many appearances because it was worn for weeks (actually this is its twin. we had to lay the first to rest. you did your job well, glove). surgery got the culprit out!
wildflowers
heart tree
the workings of clay
domo arigato, mr. roboto
standing on the massive rock poses
one of the lookouts (well, i made it one) on our hike up the mountain.
gabe (who always sits by while we swim in a lake or pool or anywhere is pretty passive about most things) LOVES hiking. let's just say he gets a pep in his step. he is determined and i love to see him lead the way. i didn't follow him here though. i look down while brett helps him out of a rock nest.
he is so excited that he just creates his own path.
on our decline gabe says, "this must be the lost and found area."
brett imitating his great great grandpa mcdaniel's photo stance.
setting up for our movie under the stars. we did that one night but the others we leaned back and stared for hours. there is worldly silence and nature speaks. we were in awe because
we saw a shooting star that flew across the entire sky.
glad i get to look into these faces everyday!
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