"Oh the Places You Will Go"

When Colin started preschool, I bought a copy of Dr. Seuss' Oh the Places You Will Go. It is one of my favorite books and I love the message. Since then, I have had each teacher sign the pages at the end of the school year.  I plan to give it to him on his graduation day. I am so excited for this!  I have one for Meli too.  It is so neat to see what his teachers have pulled out of his personality to focus on. I am excited to see how that changes throughout the years. Or it may not. Most, thus far, have commented on his curiosity, love of learning, in-depth questions, and his kindness. Proud mama!!!  He does ask a lot of questions. I even had his grandparents sign it before we moved from Virginia.

~ Love, Hugs &; Kisses ~ The B Family

Almost Summertime!!!

It is crazy to think that it is almost summer vacation. The kids are in their last week of school. Meli will have a preschool graduation, but will continue to go to preschool part-time to help her get ready for Kindergarten. The last week of school our town always has a carnival. The kids had so much fun going on the rides and playing the games. They each won a stuffed animal and were brave enough to try the rollercoaster. Meli is usually wants to try anything, but Colin has to be nudged. Like a lot!

June seems to be all of our friends' kids birthdays. We had three last Saturday and another two in a few weekends! We have gone to two Warrior Ninja parties. I think we need to try the show out. Meli and Colin loved the obstacle course. I did not take any of Colin. Did not want to embarrass him in front of his friends. 

We had an open house this past weekend, so we took the kids to the movies and had a fun day in the city. Colin got to see Turtles with daddy and Meli, Grammie and I went to Jungle Book. A very good movie. There were a few parts that frightened Meli a bit. 

So, fingers-crossed but we have accepted an offer on our house!! If all goes well, we should close the end of July. The last few days we have been looking at houses to buy. We have two very high contenders. 

Such a crazy week! I am so excited for a little vacation in Sunriver! Relaxing by the pool and family time!!

I also finally got my two additional tattoos! I have been planning them forever. I did my arrow and a phrase that means a lot to me. I still need to do my two hummingbird silhouettes with "my treasure" written in gaelic. I also will probably add "Be Strong" in Cherokee (Stiyu) with the arrow. It is what they say instead of goodbye. They do not have a word for that, because it is too permanent. .

Goodbye Mr. Cowley

“Some days there won't be a song in your heart. Sing anyway.”

- Emory Austin

Yesterday, I drove to my hometown to say goodbye and celebrate a life of a very special person. It was surreal sitting in a multipurpose that I have not been in probably 16 years or so. To revisit a very exciting and important time in my life and at the same time saying goodbye to a person that was very prominent in that period. I was fortunate to know him by different names; 1) Coach Cowley - my 7th grade basketball coach, 2) Mr. Cowley - my art teacher for 3 years, and 3) Dan - a family friend.

Dan was a great person, teacher, and coach. A person who showed a passion for creating, compassion for teaching and coaching, and joy for life. It was evident in life and in the pictures shown at the Celebration of Life that he had a great relationship with his son and  so much love for his wife. People say pictures can be deceiving but not when the joy is so obvious. True joy is hard to fake.

Someone mentioned this yesterday and truly hit it on point. He did not treat us as kids, but as people. This is a very important thing during the teenage years. Mr. Cowley would give my younger brother and I a ride to school during my 9th grade year... He knew me during some of my moodiest years and he was always full of patience. He would offer a laugh when that was what I needed and an ear when I really just needed to be heard.

It is sad that it took his passing to remind me of all the things he taught me during those formidable years. Even so, it was a very much needed reminder. It is amazing how much one person can teach you if you are just willing to pay attention and be open to learning.

After the celebration, I was able to catch up with some of my other favorite teachers from Jr. High. I was amazed how much some had changed and how a few who looked exactly the same. I noticed that if I were to name my favorite teachers there (Mr. Cowley included) they all had similar traits and outlook on life. They were kind, easy-going, and funny. They took learning and life seriously but not so seriously that they did not enjoy it. Their humor and joy was infectious.

I am very glad to have know Dan, to witness his love for his wife and son, and to have the memories of a great coach and art teacher. To have the privileged of being one of his students who heard on several occasions "Add more detail" to my drawing or painting, and one of his athletes who had to run lines for talking too much during practice learning the importance of focus. Along with the important lessons and instructions, I remember the laughs and the high fives after a great shot or play.
Goodbye Coach. Go red!


"Make every Day your Masterpiece" - Dan Cowley

“Life is a first impression. You get one shot at it. Make it everlasting.” 
― J.R. Rim

"Live Simply. Dream Big. Be Grateful. Give Love. Laugh Lots. - unknown.


~ Love, Hugs &; Kisses ~ The B Family

Meli Turns 5...Oh My!!

As usual, a little behind on my post. So much is going on that I want to write about, but finding the time proves to be difficult lately. I am attempting to catch up this week. We will see…

Meli turned 5 in the beginning of May. Oh my goodness! Slow down baby girl! She has morphed right under my nose into a full blown kid. Still with some lingering toddler traits that are so cute and that I am so thankful for. I can just see certain stages passing us by. Unless, something changes she will be our last (you just never know with us) and that just breaks my heart a bit. I am glad to be done with a lot of things from those stages, but there are so many things I will dearly miss. I am sure most people think this, but even though I was always aware to pay attention and remember these moments…I still feel like it was not enough. Like did I really enjoy them as much as I should have or did I do enough to keep the memories with me?  Anyone who reads my blog knows that I definitely take pictures and write about all things mundane and thrilling. I also keep a journal for each kid (which I do need to be even better at) and other things…but it does not change the fact that they are gone.

I am excited for the next stages. I love that Colin is reading so well and enjoying books that I loved as a kid. Meli is learning so much at pre-school and is ready for Kindergarten.

Anyway, back to her birthday. She celebrated for over a week. On her birthday, we celebrated with friends. We had a big pasta dinner with the band and some family. One of the band significant others had a birthday on the same day as Meli, so we combined the celebration. Here is a video of Meli being sung to by the band. She loved it!

We spent a day at Wildlife Safari (which I wrote about previously). Then on the weekend, we had a kid party at Get Air. An awesome trampoline play area. There are ball bits (well more foam squares), trampoline floors, etc.

Meli had a blast! Oh my pure joy. It was fantastic watching the kids just having so much fun!  She slept very nicely that night. I could not get her to drink water during, so you can see in the picture with her friends how much she needs it. She just kept saying “water”. 

~ Love, Hugs &; Kisses ~ The B Family

Beach day

We had a weekend of getting the house ready to put on the market, so we treated the kids to a day at the beach. Meli loves the coast! She says almost as much as Sunriver! 

We headed to Florence to see Heceta Lighthouse. It has been on my list for quite sometime,so I am glad to finally have seen it. 

Colin loved the lighthouse! He enjoyed the tour and even asked questions. 

It was such a beautiful day on the coast! Great weather! Will was cold, but he always thinks the coast is cold (on this side). I started feeling yucky after a bit and ended up sleeping the whole car ride home and laid in bed about 18 hours with high fevers, body aches, and chills. Not fun. 

"Happy Mother's Day" - Love, The Aggressive Ostrich

I had such a nice Mother's Day this year. It is not a holiday that I feel I have to celebrate or need gifts or anything... Even so, it is nice to have my kiddos (and hubby) show their love and appreciation. With all of the rewards that parenting brings it can really be tiring and discouraging at times. I will often question my methods or thoughts on parenting...but seeing their smiles and outright signs of a happy life is so amazing and uplifting. I must be getting at least some parts right. 

Meli's birthday was close to Mother's Day and it was my uncle's birthday. So, we had a super busy, fun day planned. We started the morning with muffins and Dutch Bros coffee. Meli and Colin love the Not So Hot Cocoa. The kids love that they put whipped cream on the straw! 

Then we went on an early morning hike. It rained, but I think that makes it even more enjoyable sometimes. It was still beautiful out and just very peaceful. A nice atmosphere for celebrating motherhood. 

Since it was technically my day, my hubby could not complain about all of the stops I take for photo ops! Bonus! I totally took advantage of that.

Later that afternoon, we headed down to Roseburg for a birthday/Mother's Day lunch at Abby's (pizza). Meli scored with several princess dresses (Anna and Ariel), princess accessories, and all things Frozen. After cake, we headed to Wildlife Safari. We had not done the drive part of the park in some time, so it was very exciting for the kids. They loved how close you got to the bears and bison. 

This guy (above) was one of my favorites. He thought we had food, so he put his head right in our window.

Due to past experience, I explained very clearly to Meli that if she was going to sit in my lap up front (do not worry you drive less than 8 mph for the most part) she was in charge of the window. So, if an ostrich came up to our car she was to roll it up very fast. When it came time to do this, she thought it was funny to hear the stress in my voice. She just kept waiting. Well, I know those things can be mean, so I encouraged her (with as much niceness and patience as possible) to get the window up that instant. She thankfully got it up just as the ostrich approached. He stayed with us for a bit. The kids thought it was hilarious that he was pecking the window. He/she was very much trying to get Meli's hand on the window.

Such a gorgeous day!

His little nubs grossed me out a bit, but he was so cute.

My hummingbird

It was such a nice day. One of those magical days that has a balance of all that one needs to be happy. I am going to store it in the memory bank to use when I may have a day that I need a reminder of how blessed I am and how good life is. 

                                                      ~ Love, Hugs & Kisses ~
                                                                     The B Family

A Mama Break to Lincoln City

A few weekends ago, I was able to take a weekend mama break and head to Lincoln City with some of my longest and dearest friends from school years. Two I had met in 3rd grade and the other two in Jr. High. All except one, was able to make it from our group that went to Disneyland for our senior trip. It was so nice seeing everyone. I am not always the best at keeping in touch, but it was so much fun and I love being around everyone - so I need to be better. I am glad that we are able to meet up and just pick up where we left off. I really felt like I was back in high school!

We had a great time though. We stayed busy! We did a morning run (well three of us), then shopped, ate at some amazing restaurants (Side Door Cafe, Blackfish Cafe and Kyllo's -  I loved all three), hiked (Drift Creek), relaxed in the hot tub, and enjoyed late night drinks. To make it even feel more like high school we watch a little bit of Grease!

I am so thankful for great friends and a time to step away from the busy and just breathe.

                                                        ~ Love, Hugs & Kisses ~
                                                                The B Family

Running buddies

Colin has been my little running partner lately, I prefer to do sprint intervals over straight distance running so it is perfect for a kid to do. I find I get bored just running straight even with music. Plus, I love the feeling of that ran hard super out of breath, chest pounding and lungs burning. Colin is a good motivator for me. He wants to beat me so badly in one of our sprints. I have been very clear that I will not let him win. Colin's time of victory will be well earned. Sadly, it may happen sooner than I would like, but you never know. 

A couple of days ago, Colin was in big trouble (like super, big trouble that I will have to post about sometime), so he could not run with me. Meli was pleading with me to let her go with me. "I have been so good. No timeouts today!" She was just so stinkin' cute...I gave in. Boy was she so excited! She had to put on shorts, because that is what you do when you run. So, after an outfit change we headed out the door. She somehow took three stuffed animals with her that I did not notice until we turned the corner. I made her take them back. She ran all of the way home (not too far) and ran back. Then she was so tired from running she was thirsty. So, she ran all the way back to the house and got a drink. After running all of the way back to me, we started. Ten minutes and Meli is the only one who got a workout so far. After I warmed up my bad knee by walking for a bit, I was ready to run...as I take my first step to run my ankle goes funny and a sharp pain hits me. OMG! This was turning out to be the most unproductive run ever! I tried to jog on my ankle, but mostly had to walk it out. Meli had a blast though. Doing anything but running. She looked out at the river, climbed whatever she could. Even though it was not really a workout for me, it was nice having some mommy/daughter time.

A Kindergartner is Coming!!

Meli had Kindergarten registration the other day. Oh my! I cannot believe that she is starting big girl school. I am not an overly emotional person, but this one may get me a little bit. She was so excited to be at Colin's school! She will be 5 in a few weeks and this just put the idea upfront in her mind. She is a big girl! One that is very quirky and fun - but also very stubborn and sometimes moody. Not sure who she gets that all from (haha). She reminds me a lot of me as a kid but I was a lot shyer. So, certain aspects of my personality were only shown around ones that I was super comfortable around. 

I like how they have it set up. They are staggering the start days over the first two days, so that they can see the personalities of kids before placing them with their teacher. The first month they may still move the child to a different class. They really want to have each child with the best fit teacher for them. They also will not do full day for the first month. That is nice. Even though Meli is in preschool/daycare now, she has not been going all that long. Plus, she only goes part-time. We plan to up it this summer to help her adjust to full days better. 

Well, on to the next chapter of the B Family. Both kids in school. 

Will took a few days off last week, so he took Meli for a daddy/daughter breakfast. It was the first day of rain in awhile, so Meli got in cold weather mode. She wanted gloves and a hat (no sweatshirt or coat for some reason) and two extra hats - "just in case" (her new phrase). Below she is playing in their little kid area. 

Meli enjoys cooking! I love this and not so much at the same time. I really enjoy having the kids help me out, but sometimes when I am in a rush or cooking a lot of different dishes it can be stressful and a lot more work. Most of the time it is a fun experience.  Below is a picture from this weekend of all of our plates. Meli wanted to help with breakfast. She decided what we were going to have. I reminded her that we needed a fruit, protein, etc. Then she remembered that not everyone liked certain things. So, I would say who likes mushrooms. She would say "not Meli and daddy". So we each had our special plate. She even scrambled the eggs! 

Until next time! This is parenthood...
                                                                Hugs, Love & Kisses
                                                                        The B Family

Flashback - 3 Years Ago

Rest area break - they were so small!

Facebook reminded me that three years ago this last week, we said goodbye to our life in Virginia and started our drive to Oregon. I enjoyed looking at the pictures that I had posted during that drive. Meli was so small, not quite 2 and Colin was 5. I remember being nervous about the drive because Meli hated being in the car. Anything that restricted her was not cool. That is why I opted out of flying with just her. I knew it would only be one day, but man I could not imagine her in such a restricted place like a plane. Colin was a great flyer at 2, but I was fairly certain Meli would not be the same. 

Colin was set

Surprisingly, she did fantastic in the car. We had a few tricks up our sleeve. Like each day she had something new like a book, coloring book, or toy to entertain her. We also bought a DVD player for the car. We were not big on the idea of that but for long trips such a lifesaver. 

Sleepy Mae

I cannot believe that is has already been three years! A lot has happened in that time. I am so glad for our move and I think it was the right choice, but I really do miss the east coast too. 

Continental breakfast are wonderful!

I think this is Wyoming. 

Meli loved the hotel rooms!