Portlandia

One of Evan's bday gifts was a ticket to see the TrailBlazers, so we got all three kids out of school,

made a quick stop for Andrew's well check doctor appointment,

hit the road,

hit Seattle traffic because there's never not,

watched the clock the whole drive because we were going to be so close to tip off,

stopped at the worst gas station to go potty - one toilet for the million of us who had to go -, 

made it to Portland,

Jim dropped us off at the stadium,

while he vallet'd the car at our hotel, 

met up in line miraculously before going into the stadium,

made our way to our nosebleed level 300 seats, 

sat down,

ANNNND TIP OFF.

We made it just in time SOMEHOW!

It was a blowout. Turns out they were playing the 2nd best team in the league.

But it was also so fun to be in the atmosphere. Me and Andrew were "acting cringe" together. 

PS Someone call Guinness because I had the world's worst hot dog. 

I didn't know gross hot dogs even existed, but they do at Moda Stadium.

After the game we walked to our hotel. It was the nicest hotel with the best view of downtown Portland. 

The next morning we dinked around and worked out in the gym,

then went to Voodoo, 

This area of the city is hip and touristy, 

but it was also DEAD. There was no one around. It felt weird and quiet. 

This was punctuated by the vigilant and attentive security guard letting us in and out of Voodoo.

Hmmm. I don't understand what's the status of this failing city, but it's a shame for it to go to pot because it is SUCH a neat, scenic city. So many bridges and cool architecture and artwork. 

On our way out of town, we stopped at a park under the St. John's bridge. 

I get a kick out of being under a bridge. It's neat. 

It was also COLD, so we didn't last long. 

On the way home I realized we came to Portland/Oregon Coast last year on this four day weekend! 

New tradition? I would say definitely yes except for the drive/traffic home IS THE WORST. 

It took one zillion hours when it should have only taken 4.5. 

May, You Be Wild

Guys soccer is over. 

I have a lot of feelings about it. Lots of contradictory feelings. 

Thank goodness for Lindsay. Thank goodness for our forest loop. That's who and where I dump all my insides about it all. It's a lot of little things that start adding up. 

I miss these girls, I am so glad I don't have to spend my afternoon out there with these girls. 

I feel like I am a great coach, I feel like I have so much to learn about coaching.

I wonder what I could have done different to make our season more successful, I know middle school girls don't care a ton about being successful. 

All of it. 

I have a lot of selfies from them stealing my phone,

and I have a lot of BeReals with them. Any time the alert went off during soccer, I made sure to stop everything and get the closest child in the picture with me.

This Marcella is one of my top favorites. She's a dark horse. Look out for her in the future. 

Quiet, doesn't demand attention, goes anywhere on the field I ask her to without complaining: goalie, defense, mid field. 

One game I had a lot of girls gone for Ranger tryouts, so I asked her to be center mid. She was the whole engine of the team and did amazing. 

Mother's Day

There's a lot to say about motherhood here in the teen zone when things have really picked up speed. 

 I really truly didn't know I was going to ever get to this phase. This was for older moms. 

It's so fun, and so nervy, and confusing. But also kind of easier? More fun, more annoying. You get more disappointed when they act like fools because they should know better! Like, why would you put the hand towel on the toilet after drying your hands? Little stuff like that. Forgivable for preschoolers, by why would a high schooler do such a thing? 

That just happened today, so it's the only thing I can think of. haha.  

I squint my eyes at them and wonder if they are going to make it in the real world. 

Haha luckily they still have time to figure it all out. 

I gave a lesson in relief society on mother's day. One of the things we talked about is how AMBIGUOUS it is being a mom. Starting with EVE and her decision. She had to use all her discerning powers to come up with the realization that there was more to life than the garden of eden. She had an innate ability to be in tune with God's purposes. 

Because it's impossible to sum up motherhood in any other way - the comparison to Eve will have to do. 

I say "I don't know" on the daily. Because there is no knowing. Both answers are right, both answers are wrong. 

You just have to use that God given gift to see beyond the literal into the divine. 

Good luck everyone!

Bea and Avery RANDOMLY got the appointment to get their braces off at the same time same place!

They both did not like their teeth once the braces were off. I can't totally figure out why. 

But they have come around. 

I think they look amazing. 

HIKES!

The weather this month has been perfecto. It's like summer, and we take all the summer we can get around here. Don't miss a sunny day. 

Lair of the Bear. 

We put our bare(bear?) feet in the water while Jim and Joe mountain biked. 

Prettiest light. 

Fragrance Lake. First lake jump in of the summer. 

Canoe up Dreyton Harbor.

The water was like glass because of slack tide. 

Whoopsie Woodle overlook. 

And yesterday Bob's Trail while Jim and Vance mountain biked. 

Hammock season!

First dock jump!

Still soccer season for Andrew. 

This stupid picture of Juno and Koda in a cone is fully loaded. 

This weekend, the Dicksons officially moved out of the neighborhood. The new people and new car are parked in the Dickson house. 

We are not ok.

We had Bea and Gus and Juno stay with us for a few nights while they are transitioning to the new house - homeless for a week. 

First of all, Juno and Koda cannot figure out who the dominant dog is. They both want to be Alpha, neither can back down. So we had a giant dog fight in our yard the other day. Koda got 5 staples, Juno had some puncture wounds, and Jim got a bite to the arm while trying to break it up. 

So dumb. Then the next day when we all got home from school, they got into it AGAIN. This time Evan broke it up by grabbing Koda's butt and Bea grabbed Juno's butt. 

Koda's cone sliced Juno's leg. So then Juno was also in a cone. 

Oh yes, and we have Scout for a few days and SHE HAS A CONE because of a hot spot. 

SO IF YOU'RE KEEPING TRACK: Three shepherds all wearing cones of shame. 

haha it's hilarious and I'm also crying. 

It's too much mostly because Lindsay is gone. 

So many times the past few days I was gonna ask her to do a loop with me in OUR FOREST WE CREATED TOGETHER but she's not there. She's not there. 

Lindsay is the friend who listens to me the most. Because we are out there walking our dogs every day, she is there for the EVERY DAY mundane. The every day stuff about school and sports and kid dynamics. The every little gripe and every little stage of growing children. 

We don't save up for the big conversations because EVERY DAY it's the little conversations. 

(but also we have had some BIG conversations)

I can't explain why the fact that we graduated the same school year and were influenced by all the same pop culture and wore the same baggy plaided grunge clothes makes her click in my brain as though she's been my friend my whole life.  

And then we have kids at the same stages of life, so she pretty much showed me how to be the best mom I could be. She takes all the ambiguity and filters out the nonsense. 

Since Avery was in 1st grade we have been talking it all through. She is my mom mentor. 

And don't forget the stupid covid years. MY COHORT. 

That is the best dang description of her - my cohort. 

I know it's nothing new to have a friend move away. It's also nothing new that IT'S HARD. 

I don't like it. 

She moved five minutes down the road, so it's not the end of the world. 

And we promised we would still take dogs for walks on the regular. So. 

Plus she's co-owner of the forest, so.