Last of Campfire :0(

Camp Fire USA builds caring, confident youth and future leaders in our communities. My kids have been a part of COOL Cougars for three years now. They truly enjoyed the camaraderie of running with friends weekly plus contributing in special events around town...but not the fundraising aspect, sadly.

This is their first environmental trail at Camp Meadow for the year but also last as Campfire kids.

I still plan to volunteer as day camp counselor in the summer so my kids will still be able to hang out with their friends for a week in Tumalo State Park. Maybe they will change their mind to rejoin before then?

LEAN ON ME
Sometimes in our lives,
We all have pain, we all have sorrow.
But if we are wise,
we know that there's always tomorrow.

Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on,
For it won't be long, 'til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on.

Please swallow your pride,
If I have things you need to borrow.
For no one can fill those of your needs
That you won't let show

Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on,
For it won't be long, 'til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on.

You just call on me sister when you need a hand.
We all need somebody to lean on.
I just might have a problem that you'll understand.
We all need somebody to lean on.

You just call on me sister if you need a friend.
We all need somebody to lean on.
I just might have a problem that you'll understand.
We all need somebody to lean on.

Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on,
For it won't be long, 'til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on.

DREAM...EXPLORE...AND DISCOVER! (stop by here to see what I've been creating)!

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1st Day Back in School since Kindergarten

...not so fast. We are still homeschooling. DD#1 is only enrolling in Advanced Band. The first day of school is special. It is the first official send off for my child to school and quite possibly the return of normalcy for me--who am I kidding?

Little advice to the 8th graders: Be open, polite, and nice. If you're funny, you're gold! Don't let boys take your focus away from school work! Seeing friends can make the first day a good one (thanks Erica for being there for my daughter.) You sure can make the day special by wearing an outfit you like.

It's time to pick the kids up...YIKES!!!!! I couldn't even get close to the parking lot. DD#1 ended up meeting me on the main street and we had to detour out of this mess. How do all other moms do it and so well?

Where did the day go? I have been working on getting these two photos from early loaded and somehow it has taken me 'til the very last minute to get it done. DD#2 decided to be in the band this year. The other two started Campfire. Honestly, everyone was thrilled to be starting back up again. I am grateful that my kids enjoy their activities.

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Many First Days...First Times

What a week it has been! T'was my first trip ever...for five days...without kids…without husband...I have friends that do it often to keep their marriage in check; I have some that don’t. Different styles work for different relationships. I have intentionally chosen not to travel without my little ones until they reached a certain age. I guess the time has come.

I have to admit I was nervous about leaving them and worried if they would be okay without me. Leaving was harder for me than them. I was at a four-day intense workshop in Hood River with tons of fun experiments and new friends (another post in my crafty blog, another day.) Off I went...

(Pictured Right: Mt Adams and mouth of White Salmon River--bridge is Washington State Highway 14 crossing White Salmon.) I spent five days in my new spinnerati friend Mary Alice Wagner's lovely home in White Salmon--a beautiful, rural town situated on the bluff overlooking the Columbia River Gorge area in southern Washington. The views from my private studio are quite spectacular. From the bluff looking south I can see the truly majestic Mt. Hood. Looking northeast I can catch a glimpse of Mt Adams. Taking its name from the nearby White Salmon River, the City was named by the Lewis and Clark Expedition when they observed the river teeming with salmon whose color had turned white after spawning. The area is well known for windsurfing, biking, hiking, white water rafting, salmon fishing, and many more outdoor activities. Next trip I'll be sure to include some recreation fun. I had no idea how valuable the decision would be...and my neck, back, hip, thigh and joint still ache from spinning, standing, and driving.

How I used to love the first day of school! I have fond memories even of those tense, excited breakfasts in elementary school when my dad would tease me about my new teacher for next grade would be Mrs. Awful. “Really, Dad?” “Yes and I hear she’s awful.” Quivering lips and plaintive glances at my mom who’d remind me it was only, after all, Ms. Lee. I remember great new outfits in apple green, with new knee hi, and heading off to school with a new lunchbox. And I remember, years later, poring over Seventeen in search of just the right plaid jumper for a cute new back-to-school look and having my mom help me put pennies in my new loafers. Part of becoming a homeschooled-mom, I’m sure, has to do with my fondness for this rhythm of the year, this sense of September beginnings, of autumn promise. But this year, there are just too many first days/first times. Instead of feeling like a fond old hand, I’m just a nervous little kid, each new day turning my stomach upside down again.

My first ever...not only taking a class, but, a four FULL-DAY workshop.

My 13-year-old teen wants to be a part of a school band...what if she doesn’t like it...things don’t work out...what if she likes it and want to be in school full-time...

My first crossing a steel bridge, alone, over the Columbia River Gorge from Oregon to Washington

Though short...but seemed forever! Coming back to Oregon side was a breeze
...I had a target to follow. Thanks, Kristin, for coming to the rescue :D
Leaving the kids with MIL for another week while my partner and I make time for each other here at home. We are different alone as two people should be. We’re different when we are in family mode--I love that place--it gives our life meaning. But, I like who we are when it’s just the two of us too.

I am motivated to do something new…a way to break away from routine work ^:^ There's plenty of fun excitement in amidst the whirlwind while enjoying the Summer Harvest Of Goodness.

DREAM...EXPLORE...AND DISCOVER! (stop by here to see what I've been creating)!

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Gotta Love My A/C

...and it works!

The extended time interval of abnormally and uncomfortably heat wave doesn't appear to be parting any time soon. The nights never dropped below 75° with the days in 100°, it's difficult not to turn on the A/C. We finally gave in--first time this year. Oooooh, it's sweet to be COOL again (even for a few hours set at 75°) without having to drive to the library or a tea house--not that it's a bad idea...just a nice option to stay home once in awhile. Nothing's better on a hot summer's day in Bend than a wild ride down the river!

Suggestive actions you should take to prepare for the heat:
NEVER LEAVE CHILDREN OR PETS IN A PARKED CAR: Temperature can raise to 135 ° in less than 10 minutes, which can cause death to children or pets. If you see a child or pet left unattended in a parked car, you should call 9-1-1 and alert authorities.
SLOW DOWN. Strenuous activities should be reduced, eliminated, or rescheduled to the coolest time of the day. Individuals at risk should stay in the coolest available place, not necessarily indoors.
DRESS FOR SUMMER. Lightweight, light-colored clothing reflects heat and sunlight, and helps your body maintain normal temperatures.
DRINK PLENTY OF WATER. Your body needs water to keep cool. Drink plenty of fluids even if you don't feel thirsty.
DON'T DRINK ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
DON'T GET TOO MUCH SUN. Sunburn makes the job of heat dissipation that much more difficult.

Gotta run...my yard waste, or is it my hubby, is calling out for my attention. Enjoy the glorious weekend.

DREAM...EXPLORE...AND DISCOVER! (stop by here to see what I've been creating)!

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The Simple Things in Life

Deschutes County has so much activities in the summer months and we have enjoyed taking advantage of some of them. Today, my friend Kristin and I squeezed in a block of time and spun with a few inspiring spinners in Sunriver Summer Craft Market while our boys played games in the mall together.

Later, we met up with hubbies and Kristin's dad down at Drake Park to hear live music by my favorite band Mystic River. As I sat and watched the people, I was so touched by some of the scenes I saw...dads dancing with their little girls, hubbies slow or line-dancing with their wives, people scattering and leaving when icy rain drops began to downpour following thunders and lightnings, kids of all ages dancing, running, and playing in the way that only kids can/would do freely. At the risk of sounding cheesy, I thought it was beautiful.




I hear so much negative about our world and, the state it is in, sometimes it can be scary to imagine my angels growing up in it. Then I sit and watch people on a night like tonight and remember...people can still enjoy the simple things in life and love and enjoy each other. It put a smile on my face and made my heart sing along with the great music. Thank you, Lord, for the gentle reminder--All Things Are Beautiful.

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Happy Birthday, My Sweet Angel

Family life is many things

And one of the nicest joys it brings

Is having a daughter as dear as you

Side by side

Or miles apart

always close to the heart

Whose thought of in a special way

Not only on a special day

But warmly and with love

The whole year through

Happy Birthday!!!

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A New Path...Beauty and Goodness

I don't think the feeling I have right now, in my heart and in my mind, will ever be matched again in my lifetime. We are on a new path...change is here, and it's never felt better! You know? Sometimes you can't explain why, it just is. There are times when it dawns on me that I'm having a most excellent day. I want to take a deep breath and inhale all of the beauty and goodness and light and joy around me because I can't believe how good it is.

I want to sing loudly with every song I hear.

I want to laugh with my kids.


I want to do everything I enjoy doing, all at the same time.

I want to drink in the green of the trees

and the blue of the sky

and absorb the heat of the sun all the way to my core.

Today was one of those days.

I felt inexplicably happy and thankful for my life.

It is a good life.

And even though I know that any number of variables in my life could turn on a dime and come crashing down around me, days like today give me hope that maybe, even in the face of trauma or tragedy, I'd still be able to say, Life is good because, as much as it might seem otherwise, I know it isn't the circumstances that make it so. It's the One who made it all, and he never turns or changes.

Life is good. :D

DREAM...EXPLORE...AND DISCOVER! (stop by here to see what I've been creating)!

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