Solar Eclipse

We had been planning to go visit Max's parents during Summer 2017 in Prineville for a long time and when we learned that the eclipse was going through Prineville, we decided to go on that very weekend. As it got closer, and newscasters were mentioning doom and gloom with traffic and the power going out and food being scarce, I got a little nervous. Sitting in traffic with 3 little ones is pretty horrible. Anyway, Max soothed my worries and we set out on Friday the 18th around 9pm. The kids slept in the car and we had a pleasant traffic-free drive. We stayed at Max's brother's house who happened to be out of town at a family reunion in California. So it was a bummer we didn't get to spend time with them.

But, we heard from my sister in law Elizabeth and she was planning on traveling for the eclipse so we had plans to meet up and she was able to stay with us at Brent and Lisa's house. It may have been a little confusing for our kids because they were at a cousins house but playing with cousins from the other side of the family!!

But we had a fantastic fun-filled cousin weekend. Max was able to spend lots of time with his parents and help fix things around their house which he was happy to do. We had a whole lot of trampoline time! 

And Popsicle time (aww...I miss summer)

And all the cousins play so well together!

Thanks to cousin August for sharing his room and toys!

 Miss Gwenevere took such good care of Edwin.

They were always being creative! It's fun to see them grow up and play together.

 

Charlie and Grace are 3 months apart and they seem to get along really well...I started telling Charlie to get off the fence then I saw the cute moment that was happening to I just shut my mouth. (Sorry Aunt Lisa)

Sunday afternoon was spent with a picnic at Castle Park...more wonderful playtime with the cousins.

Everett and Miles are 6 months apart.

 Edwin was perfectly content getting snuggled by Gwenevere or playing with Grandma and Grandpa's dog.

And this sequence is wrangling kids for a photo for Grandma and Grandpa... Notice Max and Miles in the background...

 

And this is the best one of all of them looking at me...

And Everett is gone again...

Then more playground because it was summer and warm and still light outside! Those were the days!

And the occasional chat with Daddy after trying to hit mommy.

Edwin got some good Gracie snuggles too!

Then we eventually made our way home.
More chats with dad. I think this may have been nail trimming too.

 The next morning was the day of the eclipse.
We had a tasty breakfast then made our way outside. We tried to be in the front yard because it was a better view but the kids kept running to the backyard so we made our way back there...

Just before totality we made our way to the front yard and got ready!

And holy cow...totality was less than 2 minutes but it was so incredible. Dusk came at 10:30am. It felt so absurd to the core of my body. The temperature dropped the birds got confused. We barely blinked then it was over, yet we stood amazed at the perfection of God's creation. 

Here are the photos I took, mostly through the glasses except for the total eclipse and "diamond ring."

Also, funny side note, Charlie kept looking through the glasses then saying..."this is a moon one" then he would try another pair and claim it was a moon one as well. I think, by the end he understood he was looking at the sun with the moon blocking it, making it look like a crescent moon. But he thought it was the glasses making it look that way.
Another funny side note...Minutes after totality, we noticed Edwin's first tooth had cut through. I had just checked the day before and there was no tooth. So it had to have been an eclipse miracle. (his tooth is not pictured here, but his lovely blue green eyes are)

Shortly after cousins left, we made our way home too. the smoky sun was setting.

We did end up hitting some traffic but the kids slept for most of it and it was filled with good conversation about life goals to get black belts in karate.

6 Months

This is back when Edwin turned 6 months, my good camera was still broken so I got this phone shot.

6 months was a big deal  because he was half a year old. Also, I almost made it to 6 months pumping and feeding him breast milk. My freezer stash was all used up and shortly thereafter i had no more milk to give my baby.  It was bitter sweet but mostly sweet. It was hard to be so attached to the pump, especially in summer time and my big boys want to live outside (I would always make them come in when I needed to pump) I know I didn't have to pump, but for my baby, I felt like it was the right thing to do, in fact, many times the Holy Spirit reminded my mind that "this is doing more good than you know" I constantly felt like there was no way I could comprehend the benefits that my family was receiving from that choice. But sometimes I like to speculate... maybe it was to help balance my hormones, maybe to protect my baby from a threatening disease sometime in his life, maybe to help with my time management, maybe to make my big boys more independent...I don't really know. But I'm glad I was able to do it but I'm also glad it is done and Edwin is still healthy and happy! So happy 6 months to Edwin...3 months ago. Back before he was crawling...sigh!

The last of the freezer stash...

Haircut

I don't cut my hair very often, it stays pretty healthy because I rarely dry or curl it. But it had been over a year and it was getting pretty shaggy so I finally gave in. I decided to be bold and cut a whole 10 inches off so I could donate it to Locks of Love.

In all its shaggy glory!

 So then she braid it off in four separate braids and cuts the first one and sets it on the table. (All the while, I couldn't see in the mirror because the stylist was so short that she needed the chair lower than the mirror, If I had been able to see in the mirror, I could have stopped her when I saw she braided well over 10 inches) So I see the first braid and I ask, is that really ten inches? And she responds with Yeah!

 And then she wanted to take a picture in this great (horrific) lighting!

 So, I'm too nice to make a big deal about it, and I know my hair grows fast, and I think about it as an opportunity to experiment with short hair when I never thought I'd be bold enough to do it....but the truth is...I've regretted it. I miss my long hair. I miss being able to do an easy top knot or braid.

 When not braided, it reaches to 17 inches...just a bit off the mark.

Oh well...it's already grown a bit...but I'm bringing a ruler next time.

Charlie and Max on the River

Back in July Max and Charlie got to go on the annual Family Rafting Trip. I didn't go because Edwin was still too young for me to leave him and Miles didn't go since that would be quite a handful for Max to have 2 big boys and be in charge of his boat. So Charlie got some special time with Dad and they had a blast. And thanks to Auntie Lisa, there are pictures to document it! I don't think these are in the right order, but here is a glimpse of their trip.

 

 
Hammock and stories! Max was reading Abel's Island which was one of his childhood favorites.

Max and Charlie made the huge hike up to the flag. I don't think there are any photos to document it this time but there is cell phone service at the top of the mountain so they Face-timed me which was incredibly exciting after days of zero contact.  
Their rafting schedule was a little different this year as they went farther down the river where there are a couple bigger rapids. Max made sure to scout the rapids before-hand to make sure he could take Charlie safely through. (at least that's what he told me to ease my worried mama heart)
Max was in the red boat... Charlie August, Uncle Brent, and Brayden are in the front, Max rowing and Mitchel in the rear!

 

And just for reference, this is what it looks like when you're not being super careful...
 And then they came home to me, filthy but tan and alive, with loads of stories to tell. Next year Miles and I should be joining them...assuming Grandma wants to take on Edwin...the most easy-going baby in the world!