Into The Cool Comfort of the Woods

On unbearably hot days, we head to the cool shade of the forest. We've had a row of intense heat and rain storms, so there are mushrooms sprouting up through the underbrush. We also found tiny baby toads soaking in cloudy puddles, and yellow leaves scattered on the ground. 

I'm longing for autumn, but finding the beauty in summer, too.

Because every season is beautiful when you have love and laughter in your life.

xoxoxo

Harbingers Of Spring

What a glorious day we had. The sun shone, birds sang, and there were little signs of spring all along our walk, if you were careful enough to look closely. I even saw the first sprouts of wild garlic. It won't be long now, and everything will be covered in green!

Our little Rafael has a fever, we're guessing it's due to teething. But besides being a bit more tired than usual, he's been in a good mood all day. He just loves the weekend, when his Papa is home. He was allowed to watch some skiing with his Daddy today, because when you are sick, you are allowed to do everything.

Happy weekend everyone! I hope you find little inklings of spring where you are, too!

xoxo

A Walk In The March Woods

Yes, the days are longer and the skies are blue. March is here, beckoning spring, new beginnings, warmth, and glorious sunshine. This morning there was a distinct color palette: blue, grey, camel, and brown.

On our walk we spotted two tree trunks with freshly hewn woodpecker homes. Can you spot them? I've noticed over the years that woodpecker homes have two holes, one above the other. In the first photograph of a woodpecker home, there is only one, but above that hole, you can see the beginning of another. I love watching things like that progress every day on my walks.

I wondered while I was pregnant: would I be able to blog once my baby was here? Would I be able to keep in touch with friends, remember birthdays, and manage to give my friends and family members the attention they deserve? The first couple of months of Rafael's life, when he slept a lot, I thought, No problem! And now, since about two months, I've been struggling with the guilt and realization that: No, it's not the same, and it's not possible to keep up with friendships and blogging the way I had hoped I could. There are too many new things Rafael shows me every day, and I don't want to miss a minute of it. Not to mention all of the every-day tasks which I must fit into the moments in between when I get the chance. Sometimes, at the end of the day, I'll go online and zone out on Pinterest, because I don't need to think to do that. Meanwhile, I feel guilty that I am not responding to lovely emails, or writing thank you notes for kind gifts and letters. Hopefully I will learn how to balance my life more sufficiently, and in the meantime, I hope my friends (that includes all of you!) will have some understanding for my situation.

On a more happy note, I've made friends with two other mothers with boys the same age as Rafael. We meet regularly for walks and visits to each other's homes. We hope our three boys will go to kindergarten together, and, essentially, grow up together. You can't plan these things, but it would be wonderful.

Wishing you all sunny days! I'll be back tomorrow with Rafael's week in pictures, something I am determined to keep up.

xoxoxo

P.S. We are somewhat baffled by Rafael's eyes. What color are they? Ramon has brown, I have blue. It seems Raffi has a mix of both if that is possible. What do you think?

A Love Snippet

Yesterday we were braving the extreme cold in the woods, pushing Rafael in his stroller, and Ramon said, "When we get home I want a croissant with Nutella, and a glass of milk. And I'm going to sit on the couch and watch the ski race."

When we got home, he sat down on the couch and turned on the TV. I took Rafael with me to the kitchen, fed the dogs, and then saw the paper bakery bag with the croissants in it.

I put one on a plate, placed the Nutella jar, a napkin, and a butter knife next to it, and filled a glass with milk. When I brought it to Ramon, his eyes were big.

"To what do I owe this treatment? I don't think you've served me anything in ten years!" (This isn't true of course, but I have to admit that, since having Rafael, I'm not quite as good at pampering my husband.)

He smeared the croissant with Nutella and started eating. Big flakes of buttery pastry started sprinkling down everywhere. At first I thought of reprimanding him, but then the little dust buster caught my eye. I grabbed it and started vacuuming his chest and thighs. We both laughed.

He said, "I wish we would have more moments like this."

And I said, "We will. We'll have a whole lifetime of them."

So, as you can see, Valentine's Day came early to our home.

And I was reminded: husbands need attention, just like doggies and babies do.

xoxo

The Height Of Autumn

What a golden day we've had!

My mother Julia was here for a short visit, traveling all the way from California to meet her grandson. Today was her last day, and nature shone in golden glory on our final walk together.

October is coming to an end. The arrival of November is a reminder: winter is right around the corner, with stark landscapes and short days. So we soak up these final glowing hours and ready ourselves for the long stretch of cold.

P.S. I've realized it may be a long time until I get a photograph of Raffi and myself where I am wearing makeup. So until then, I am being brave and posting pictures of my naked face. :)

End Of August

The air was cool last night, and the morning fresh. I think we have had our last of scorching August days. Now the weather will be milder, and the leaves will slowly begin to turn. Haying time is here, and there are seedy cloudberries ripening on the vine. I threw a flannel shirt on over my tank top for the evening walk yesterday, and listened to the crickets in the brush. This is the time of year where I am most alert: on the lookout for signs of fall's arrival.

Over the weekend I had bouts of false labor and my hormones got the best of me for the first time this pregnancy. I burst into tears suddenly, and when Ramon asked why, I said I was so sad because it was Sunday and he would have to go back to work the next day. I cried again about nothing in particular a few times after that, feeling overwhelmed and impatient and lost. Woke up in the night from cramps and aches in my lower back, hoping maybe this was the beginning of labor, and then fell back asleep, exhausted, and woke up, realizing it was another false alarm. These final weeks of pregnancy are an emotional and physical roller coaster ride.

Morning at the Creek

There's a pathway that we call the 'Lord of the Rings Way' right across the street from our home; a relatively hidden way cuts up behind the local gas station, leading straight into the cool shade of the woods. One branch of the trail goes to the left, and after a ten minute walk up hill you have a lookout over the town square and church tower. If you take a right, you have countless miles of woods ahead of you. Since I got pregnant, I always take a left, because the way to the right has a steep ravine on one side, and there are also many blind bends where you can't see if there's another dog around the corner.

But on weekends, when Ramon is home, we love taking the Lord of the Rings way, nicknamed after the movie because of how beautiful and fairytale-like it is. It's the perfect place to take the dogs, because there is a creek, glistening and cold, which winds along one side. The trail is beautiful in every season; here are photos of it in fall, winter, and spring.

This morning was very hot with no wind. The cool running water, with leaves and sticks floating on it's calm surface, was a lovely relief. We sat on a fallen tree trunk while the dogs picked around in the water; Boston dug in the mud for stones and Kiki snatched fallen leaves.

It's such a blessing to have all of this right outside our door.

Round Here Lately

Boston is recovering well. He is absolutely miserable with the plastic cone on, so I take it off when I am here to keep an eye on him, and put it back on when I leave the house and before going to sleep.
We enjoyed a couple of sunny days, but this morning it's overcast again, so it looks like it will be a cozy weekend. Ramon got us 'Romancing the Stone' and 'The Jewel of the Nile' to watch; perfect cozy weekend entertainment!
I've finally finished shopping for the baby, we have everything we need now, and the hospital bag is also packed and ready. Tomorrow we hit the 34 week mark.