Family days

My favorite spot to sit now. :)

Before you start thinking that my husband is never ever around, I thought I'd post some pictures of the family days we sneak in every now and again. ;)

Great walk at Padilla Bay.

Atty learned how to ride his bike! We turned his bike into a balance bike last year by removing the training wheels that weren't doing him any good and taking off the pedals. It really did help him get the idea of balancing. This year we put the pedals back on but he wasn't showing much interest in learning how to ride. Well a few weeks ago I really wanted to go on a family bike ride (our first one ever!) so I told Atty he could either push himself alone the whole ride or he could learn to ride his bike. It was slow going at first, and Ryder and I took turns hanging back with him while the rest zipped ahead. At one point he got really discouraged and I started talking to him about his attitude. That he needed to have a "can do" attitude and that someone who beat seizures can do anything they put their mind to. I traded spots with Ryder and went ahead with the other kids. A little while later I hear Ryder singing to Atty, a sweet song about being a bike rider now. I look over my shoulder and sure enough there is Atty just cruising along. Made my heart so happy. It's a real feat with his neurological issues. I'm really excited too because it's a good therapy for him! The whole rest of the 4 mile ride he kept up his good attitude, even in the rough spots, I was really proud of him. He's a bike rider now!

The moments when we are all together are the moments I feel the most peace. Such a treasure.

Just enjoying nature

More pictures of our favorite spot.

We can't spend enough time here. ;)

It was wonderful

Mother's day weekend.

Spent hiking with my mom and kids on Saturday. And hanging out with the kiddos on Sunday. Unfortunately Ryder had to work both days. 

But we still had fun. :)

Never imagined how full and wonderful my life would be. I feel so thankful every day. Even on the rough days. Granted on those days it's usually not until late at night, after they are asleep and look like little angels. ;) The children spoiled me on Mother's day. They all sat quietly with me in church instead of going to their Sunday school classes. It was so nice as I often sit alone. Then we went shopping, and I splurged a little bit. Then we went to a plant nursery and I splurged a little more. Maybe my husband shouldn't leave me alone on Mother's day. ;) He did make a yummy dinner when he got home, even though he was beyond tired from working non-stop. I'm a lucky gal. I was spoiled with gifts, and Leiella in particular had a whole bag of home made crafts/cards for me. She was so excited to give it to me as she had apparently been squirreling it all away for some time. All in all it was one of the most wonderful Mother's days I've ever had.  

Thriving

Garden is in full swing again, and ever changing.

A game of catch up

Well once again I'm scrambling to catch up. But at least I'm blogging. :) Now that school is sort of out for the summer (we keep doing a little bit here and there so it stays fresh) I should have some more breathing room!

So now for a little bit of randomness...

Ira finished up a great baseball season, he's really good! Super intent and focused, a real pro in the works! He will probably play for a league next year instead of the city. It's been fun for him, but he needs a bit more. :)

That kid never ceases to amazing me, he's so good at whatever he puts his mind to!

I took an all day wild edibles class, and then on a whim jumped into an herbal apprenticeship program. It meets up once a month for an all day class. So far it's been amazing, although figuring out childcare for my brood has been a bit stressful. :/ I knew it would be though. I also knew it wasn't really the right time in my life to start something like this. But it's a passion of mine, and it just felt right and makes me feel excited to be learning something that I'm so interested in. Feels good for the soul. So I went for it, regardless. :) Plus I didn't have to pay full price, because of taking the wild edible class, so that made it more affordable, I just couldn't pass it up! I haven't had to pay for childcare yet, but I'm sure at some point I will and that, for all four, is a pretty penny!

My children hunting for sorrel, one of their favorite wild edibles. :) 

We've been spending a lot of time at our favorite spot. Looking for wild edibles, bird watching, playing at the river on the sandy beach, you name it this place has it. ;) And it's right across the street from our  house. We are so lucky. Love my little adventurers.

Nettle pesto, harvested at our favorite spot! Love this stuff! My kids just gobble it down. They now point out when the nettles pop up so I don't forget to harvest some. ;)

And because I don't have enough to do ;) the kids (and my bonus kids) and I are volunteering at a community garden at a local church. We get this garden bed all to ourselves. Which is not as awesome as it sounds, since it's plagued with horsetails. Ugly little beasts. If I had to battle those in my own garden I think I would cease to be a gardener. :( I wasn't expecting to take on such a task, but the person who use to garden that section asked me to take it on because they have some health problems. So once again I'm in over my head on accident. ;) It's been okay, I just wish I could do more. It's hard to garden with a baby and five kids "helping".

We also took a really awesome birding class that was enjoyed by all, but especially Atty.

Well that catches up a bit of randomness, now for some more focused posts. ;)