Seven years. Same Canyon, Same place, Same amazing kids

2005

You don’t realize the days that transform your world, I mean collectively the days that turn into weeks that turn into months and then years and so forth. This life that we live is so extraordinary and yet we breath it one second at a time and quite frankly experience it so slowly that it is no wonder that we miss so much of it as it passes us by.

Perhaps that is why I love taking pictures so much. Why I am thrilled by what I see through a lens and what I have as a historical footprint for myself as well as my children and, some day, their children.

I was here, I am here, and I remember as if it were yesterday when really it was seven years ago. 

2012

Happy Mothers Day.

Skiing the Golden Gate Bridge

This year for the holidays Erik and I had the brilliant plan to not get the kids anything. 














To not get them anything because well, they already have everything they need and most everything they could possibly want. So, THIS year we would get them non tangible gifts and give them a super cool trip instead (ooh aah). A ski trip to be exact in wonderful Lake Tahoe. While the boys exhausted themselves with overstimulated ski 24/7 Kates and I would take time out to hit the spa and unwind, shop, enjoy, and you know, wave at the slopes.

So while I went around town and watched friends and strangers frantically looking for gifts and crossing off names on lists that were pages long, I made quick stops at the local sporting goods store getting gloves, scarves, and warming packets for our pockets. Picked up cocoa at the grocery store while also picking up dinner for that day. Little things that would fill stockings and fit under the tree but nothing major or stressful to burden my mind. I was soooo sure THIS was the year I had it all figured out.

Then on December 21st a friend of mine who lives in Reno sent me this...

...and I panicked. Really what is Tahoe without snow? It’s kinda like Wally World being closed for repairs. Not only that but everything else under our holiday tree was specifically purchased to go with the big snow trip AND it was dangerously close to Christmas day (see bold font above for emphasis). 

Cut to me frantically getting on my phone backing out of rentals and bouncing around town returning things (yeah I’m THAT person) holding up lines and bringing sales people to the breaking point who are already six espressos deep after three straight shifts of “Countdown to Santa Days”.

With our money in hand and a day to get things done Erik and I bought the only thing we could agree upon and each had a margarita rocks no salt. Then we had another. Yeah, it was pretty much a crap shoot from there on out.

The next day it was Kindle fires all around (Amazon Prime rocks it yet again) which was a great choice since we would be driving to San Francisco and, as you can see, we had a terrible time. 

                                                                                It was the best not a ski trip ever.

The Water Fight

I have the best kids in the world. Really. Hands down the best.

The other night we were all at the fair having a great time. It was a big group, my cousins had come for a visit and we had allowed each of the kids to bring a friend which of course meant they also brought a friend. We were a small cyclone meandering through the fair and rides.

It wasn’t intended to be that big, but somehow in addition to our already large group we became the dump all of all other parents at the fair that evening. We would simply run into adults we knew and then suddenly the kids where with us and the parents were nowhere to be seen. It was eery really if you thought about it. Though we didn’t mind horribly. It was the fair, and we were having fun watching the kids absorb it all in. besides it was Orange County and everyone had there own phones should they have needed to contact anyone.

One particular child was one of the youngest and most shy. A sibling to an older child and friend of our daughter. In the excitement this child had an accident. The worst kind, since all the other kids could obviously see the dark stain upon his previously dry jeans. My husband did his best to comfort and walk in front of the child, but it was inevitable that someone would notice.

That is about the time my cousin and kids began the water fight. I yelled at first unaware of their plan, I had just paid ten dollars for ONE bottle, throwing it on anyone was out of the question. I was rationing as it was, this bottle was going to be with me till Christmas!

I was explaining this when it dawned on me what they were doing. My cousins and children had positioned themselves in front of and behind this child who had had the accident. Then they were each tossing the water back and forth towards each other in a mock water fight.

Within minutes not only did ALL the children have splashes of water on their clothes, but the child with the stained pants could no longer be deciphered from the rest of the group who had been in on it unless you looked really close.

It was a simple act that left me prouder then any other parent could be.

Kids- you rock!!! (and I won’t really take the ten dollars out of your allowances.)