disney land (in no particular order)

i'm kind of having a hard time getting this post out
so i'm just going to publish and call it a day.
here are the basics:
our holiday cohort included

myself, gary, "aunty" kathleen, charlee, bodhi & jane.

my parents,

grandma jodi and papa walt flew and met us at disney land.  

so figure this, 

5 adults + 3 kids + 5 days.

the overall vibe of the week was exciting and relaxing.

we moseyed, 

we enjoyed, we rode, 

we watched.
all of our fun times just kind of blend together in my mind.
it was such a great week.
so without further ado,
here are some of our pictures,  in no particular order.
(note: "princess" post and "shazza bo did at disney land" post to come)

away - #2

day #2

this stop/ overnighter with the klassen family of theeee california fruits 

(kin of this particular klassen), 

was so much fun and a blessing of our memories made.  

the setting was serene, 

the food was delicious (sorry greg),

the company was warm and inviting,

and the trampoline, swing set and bikes where just what the doctor ordered

after nearly 20 hours in the vehicle.  

gary picked warm oranges and white grapefruits off the tree 

and i was given an insightful farm tour by "molly" (12? mabey?), 

an up and coming fruit farmer who entertained my children at the swings until the sun set.

here is a glimpse:

away - #1

now i have to admit.  

our photos aren't great.  

i kept forgetting to to pull out the camera. 

let's just say, i'm happy to have enough to tell the story.

and i'm grateful i went with people who were more on top of the whole picture taking situation

then myself.  

...

day #1

we drove. 

down the I-5 pretty much all day long. 

it was on this day, 

we figured out the inns and outs of the rental van's dvd system,

we fell in love with coffee house, the satellite radio station,

we discovered that "driving through the night" was as true to (our) life 

as a disney fairy tale

and 

we made our one and only rule for the week:

magical place (aka disney land) >>> magical attitudes.  

make sense?

(even when people drive the speed limit in the fast lane).

 we did parkour whenever we had the chance.

it helped to get the wiggles out and helped to maintain general sanity and moral.

 hotel room parkour

 gas station parkour

 and then there was this magnificent moon.

charlee thought it was as magical as anything she'd ever seen.

even after the whole trip was said and done,

this moon is still one of her highlights.

home

had such a wonderful time.

away.

and now.

happy to be home.

my sweet home.  

(photos to come).

disneyland or bust!

i am so tired.
so so tired. 

arranging, packing, and cleaning in order to go on a holiday
is really hard work.  

we leave tomorrow.
(smile)

life has been so full and so busy,

i am so looking forward to getting away with my family.
i want to sit and read and cuddle and play for days.
and that's what i will do.  
at disney land and in the california sun
and at the beach.  

shoot, i am even looking forward to the drive down.

yes. you heard me. 

we are driving.

so.

goodnite. 

see you on the other side.  

create in me...

ok.  i'll admit it, there are times 

when the "creating" starts, 

i do a little shudder and

 say "noooooooo, for the love, no" in my head.

 most of the times 

when i see the scissors and the glue and the crayola come out 

i am required to surrender something deep within my soul.

why do i focus on the mess on the table and on the floor 

(and sometimes on the walls and in the carpet),

rather than the incredible process that is taking place at my very own kitchen table?

can you relate?

my fallibility trips me up on a daily basis. 

i am so grateful for a gracious lord and his spirit, giving me direction,

and showing me the way i should think about things.  

 i stumbled across this quote in a recent real simple magazine,

"creating is a better means of self expression than possession; it is through creating, not possession, that life is revealed." 

- Vida Dutton Scudder 

...

here are a few pics

of our lives 

being revealed.

in the rain now

i love the rain.
always have.
i love the deep grey sky.
i love the sound it makes on a multitude of surface.
i love how it makes me feel quiet and content.
in my soul.
i love how it settles the dust,
and washes away the pollen and
side walk chalk.
i love the rain.
...
and now i have these (pictured below).
and besides getting them for a steal of a deal (thank you ebay),
these boots were made for
love'n the rain.
can you say puddle HUNTERs.