Bring on the Celts!

Towards the end of August, we went to our local Celtic Festival, where both the Scottish and Irish heritages were honored. I've never been to a fest where both were combined; it's usually one or the other and, beings as I'm both, I was really excited to go.

I was a little scared about how the kids would react to the bagpipes. They're not fans of anything really loud and Miss B kind of freaks out in really noisy, crowded situations. But our youngest, Lugnut, absolutely loved them! Miss B liked the Irish dancing and Bubba liked the kettle corn. I'm not gonna lie... that kid loves his food!

It was extra enjoyable as we spent the weekend with my parents and brother, who came and stayed overnight so we could partake in two days at the festival. My brother was upset he couldn't find a food vendor that sold haggis, as he really wanted to try it. I think he just really wanted to gross the rest of us out! But he and Gil enjoyed the whiskey, at least.

This festival was apparently the first one of its kind here. Gil and I went to the inaugural Hig.hland Games in my last place of residence, too, and though it was good, it was not near as large as this was. It had more and larger pipe bands, but the vendors were much more numerous at this one. Granted, it was both Irish and Scottish, not just Scottish, so that added to it a bit. But I think with some scheduling help, they can have quite the annual festival on their hands! It was so hard to choose what to do because they had the Irish dancing at the same time as the piping competitions which were going on at the same time as some of the Highland games. They didn't have a good program detailing the where and when and down-times were down for everything, so it wasn't possible to see all that we wanted... which was everything! As it was, I got small snippets of everything... just enough to make me frustrated I couldn't see more!

All in all, it was a great weekend and excellent family time. Totally worth it. And I cannot wait until next year's festival!

I call this the "Grand Entry" but I that's what we call it at a powwow... how about the Opening Ceremony?! I love seeing both the Scottish and Irish flags being carried.

There's few things more beautiful to me than respect shown to Old Glory... and a line of pipers wearing kilts!

I like how all the men are standing around watching this gal toss her caber. She did better than a lot of the men I watched.

Even a bit of modern Scots-Rock! Awesome.

And a pic of me... I actually think I look really good in this picture. "Good" is definitely not how I've been feeling about my physical self lately so it must be a testament to how great it is for a Celtic soul to enjoy some traditional time!!

Another Mud Rig

As a "sort of" anniversary present to ourselves (like the bike trip wasn't enough!!) as well as having a bit of extra cash to be able to buy what we've been talking about for a few years now, we spent our one day back in town between the bike trip and our camping weekend purchasing a 2-up ATV. Yes, it's yellow and black just like my Jeep... and my Ste.elers! And, of course, my helmet is yellow and black, too, but I feel like a space invader or something with that big ol' guard across the lower half of my face.

We took it out that very first night and totally initiated it! We met up with a friend of ours and her kids on their dirt bikes and rode up in the hills behind our house. I may complain about the inconvenience of living in the country again but I sure do love it for the very reason of being so close to our favorite playground - the forested hills and mountains... not to mention the gorgeous sunrises and sunsets God gifts us with here.

August Reunion #2

The third week in August, we had a reunion for my Mom's paternal family. Everyone gathered "en masse" at a campground for the weekend. My grandpa, or "Pop", and all his siblings and their families, plus some extended relatives dating back to my great-great-grandfather's lineage we never really knew about until the past year or two.

I have to say this reunion was much more difficult for me to be at than the one on my Dad's side earlier in the month. This is the family - our branch of it, anyway - that I grew up with having in my everyday life. As I've aged, well, it's always amazing to me how people can forget about the love we've had for others in the past and move on with their own lives and... let's just say, I hate family politics. It also wasn't a very kid-friendly gathering spot, which never would've bugged me prior to this year. But I now have three pre-schoolers who can't be expected to sit still at the top of a rocky hill in the summer heat. Our poor little kids were bored out of their minds so we spent most of our time playing in our campsite or in the lake. I really wish I could've visited at more length with some of the more distant family I never get to see but, overall, we still had a pretty good weekend.

Here's the big group photo of everyone... from an angle that doesn't portray how big the group is but it also doesn't show individual faces, either... there are a lot of children I would never post pictures of (including my own) without permission from their parents. Each branch of the family had their own color t-shirt so families were grouped according to that.

Here's a candid of me (almost caught off-guard) with one of my beloved great-uncles:

And my family's branch color was purple... not a color you will ever catch me wearing. It looked great on my kids and those in our family blessed with the darker Native skin... but for those of us with the predominant Irish coloring... yeah, not so good.

Another loved great-uncle:

My brother and I always seem to end up playing cribbage when we're camping and even though I lost this game (simply because it was my crib and Bro got to count first), it was the best hand I've ever gotten! Only a Jack could've made it better! We were actually all excited over this for quite a bit. Simple things amuse simple people...

One of the family friends brought his boat up and since our little kidlets have never been on a boat, Daddy just had to make sure they got a chance, however brief. Faces blurred, obviously, to protect their identities.

August Reunion #1

August seems to be the month when extended families want to get together and reunite in their shared bloodlines and histories. I got to do this for 2 branches of my family this year – my mom’s paternal side and my dad’s maternal side.

The first one, my dad's side, was just a small gathering as it wasn't the year for an "official" reunion. We've been gathering over the weekend nearest my great-grandma's birthday for a number of years now. This year, she would've been 120 years old. She passed on to heaven when she was the beautiful young age of 94.

Anyway, it was just a small gathering up at my parents' and though you always have the relatives you really wish would just eat and run, there are also always those you wish you could sit and visit forever with. We had a short time there as we chose not to camp over and had quite the drive home before putting the kids to bed. All in all, it was a great day.

This was about a third to half of us:

My dad getting dog-piled by his nephews and grandkids... and lovin' every minute of it!

Daddy and Uncle teaching the boys horseshoes:

My brother teaching some of the family stick-game, a traditional gambling game.

Coffee, Anyone?

Spotted on one of our Jeepin' trips earlier this summer. Read the words on the building...


"Would you like a plunger with that Double Skinny White Mocha?"

"No thanks... maybe a Screwdriver, though?"

Only in small town America. I love it!

Kids 'n' Cows

Why do kids gravitate toward cows like mosquitoes to sugar water? I knew I’d have to get used to cows again when we bought a home in the country but I didn’t think about how much they would occupy space in our kids’ brains!

Did I like cows that much when I was little? Because if I did, it had totally worn off by the time I’m old enough to remember! I hated opening gates (until we got all the cattle guards). I hated having cows freak out when I would drive down the lane and run into the road when they hadn’t been anywhere near it, kicking and splattering the fresh crap that was smeared all over their rear-ends. I hated when they wouldn’t run, when they would just stand in the middle of the road and I’d have to nudge them with my car and honk my horn just to get them to twitch an ear.

We had cows when I was growing up. We raised them for our own beef. We even had our own milk cow once. We cut our own hay to feed during winter, we branded, we castrated. I even helped pull a newborn calf once and helped to get it breathing when nature said he should’ve died quite awhile sooner.

I don’t totally loathe cows. I love a good steak and hunk o’ cheese. But I don’t understand the constant fascination with having to look at them and make them the center of every conversation. From the moment the kids wake up until they go to sleep, it’s “Look, Mommy, cows.” “Cows, Mommy!” “I want to see the cows, Mommy!” It’s kind of hard NOT to see cows when they’re standing 30 yards from the living room windows at any given time.

Enough with the cows already! It’s warm enough outside to permeate the air with the scent of fresh fertilizer and I’m not feeling very friendly toward the bovine species right now.

But don't they make for some dang cute pictures?!

A Family Blessing

We are unable to baptize our children until they're legally adopted but my mom suggested having a "blessing" ceremony and a "welcome to the family celebration". So that's what we did today. The priest who married Gil and I was even the one to lead the blessing. It was such a treasure to walk into the church where I've received every Sacrament of my life and see our family and friends there to welcome our children into our family. We had a "baby shower" and luncheon afterward. There was a lot of visiting, which I had to cut short because I was being ordered to start opening gifts! It was a wonderfully blessed and beautiful day... my mom sure knows how to throw a party!

Here's our family photo in front of the alter, sans kids:

Z entertained himself by learning about the order of the Mass:

My dad explaining The Last Supper to L and B:

B showing off her fancy new tie-dye dress one of my friends made her. She absolutely loves it!

My Gram made L and Z ribbon shirts and B a ribbon dress. They'll wear these at their first powwow this next Friday.

And people were bringing children to Him that He might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this He became indignant and said to them, "Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it." Then He embraced them and blessed them, placing His hands on them. (Mark 10:13-16 NAB)

Easter Blessings

The Easter Bunny was good to us this year. We have 3 kids! Yay! But EB was good to the kids, too. We had a busy weekend...

One of my cousins decided to get married on the 10-year anniversary of the first date to his sweetheart... that day just happened to fall on Easter (and his brother's birthday!). Due to this, our first holiday celebration with the kiddos was a bit messed up. Instead of the big Church and Feast day on Easter, we celebrated Saturday.

We went to Good Friday services and, truth be told, it was our first Church venture with the children. Our Sundays in the month leading up to this were busy with visits to the children, bringing the children home, letting them adjust a bit, rushing to visit Gil's uncle, etc. So we start 'em off good with a 2-hour service on Good Friday. And you know what? They were excellent! We got so many compliments on how well-behaved our children are! And Mass was right at noon so it was during their typical lunch and nap times. There were a couple of kids behind us talking and carrying on through the whole service but not ours. We were so proud. I only wish we could take the credit!

The Easter Bunny made his first appearance Friday night while we were dying Easter eggs... a little black bunny was in our front yard, just a few feet from our porch. The wind was howling and rain was falling so he was in a little ball and you could see the wind blowing his fur up from behind. I wish I would've thought to take pictures; the kids were ecstatic! They were even more ecstatic when they saw what that cute little ball of fluff left for them the next morning:

Yes, I figured out a way to post pictures of my children without posting pictures of my children! Their baskets each had the typical eggs and candy, of course, but they each got new spring jackets, a Berns.stein Bears book, and a movie.

We had a quick breakfast and then got our butts in gear to get out the door so we could make the drive to my parents and be there in time for lunch. Man oh man, I tell ya... trying to leave takes 3 times as long now with the kids... 3 hours instead of the 1 it used to take from start to finish. Yikes! I'm hoping to halve that time, at least.

After lunch, the kids opened their Easter baskets from my parents. While they were exclaiming and rejoicing in all that egg-stra fun, the Easter bunny called and said he left some surprises out in the yard! Imagine that... tracking us down all the way at my parents! The kids went berserk... especially after L spied an egg out the patio doors.

We rushed to get jackets on and the kids dumped the loot from their 2nd Easter baskets so they could use them to gather eggs. It actually started snowing while we were outside.

We spent the rest of the day relaxing and enjoying each others' company. Gil and Dad took the young'uns for a ride in the Mu.le up the hill. My brother came up and we enjoyed a nice Easter dinner (and really full bellies). We camped overnight and woke up to get ready for Church. We attended Mass with my parents and, again, the kids were fabulously well-behaved through a 1-1/2 hour long service. They got to meet a LOT of people who have prayed for us through this entire journey and shared the excitement when we found out about the kids. We took a few family photos after Mass before rushing off to my cousin's wedding... on the lake shore... where it was freezing!

But oh-so-nice. Weddings always make me happy and teary. J and C have been together for 10 years... they have 2 girls... and they are now officially married. It was a beautifully sunny day despite the chilly wind and thankfully, none of the snow from the previous day was evident.



It was a great Easter weekend.

HP Strikes Again

When we were in town visiting our children, we were able to meet-up with another HP (Hannah's Prayer) friend of mine. We met for breakfast Saturday morning so we were also able to meet each other's spouses. Meeting K was like meeting an old friend, someone I've known for awhile. Talking and laughing with each other was very natural and easy-going. J is military, too, so he and Gil had things in common, not to mention J&K just bought a new boat so there was plenty of talking about that and Gil drooling over it! We had a great time and probably could've talked all day but we were due to go meet our kids for some play time so we had to part ways... for now!


I may not "need" HP as much for infertility support as I did when I joined over two years ago but some of the friendships I've created there have been a true blessing from God. And now that I've been able to meet two of them IRL (in real life), an even greater blessing. I can't wait to meet some of my other "neighbors"!

New Friends

In between all the projects we're trying to complete this week in preparation for bringing our children home, I was blessed to be able to have dinner with a new friend last night (Tuesday). This is a friend from "HP", what we "locals" affectionately refer to when speaking of Hannah's Prayer, our online Christian support for infertility, pregnancy/adoption loss, and all things related to the matter (and NOT related, for that matter! We can get some crazy, off-the-wall subject threads going!).

This friend, M, is one of the few (there are 4 of us) from our state in this online community and when we moved last summer, we moved within 20 miles of where M lives! Yes, it's taken us 8 months to get together, but we finally met!


This is a horrible picture as my little "pocket" camera I keep in my purse for occasions such as this is getting used and abused and needs to be replaced. I'm glad I'm realizing this now, though, so I remember to lug along our big, fancy camera for good pictures this weekend. I'll be meeting another HP friend Saturday morning for breakfast when we travel to her city... which is where we'll be meeting our children!!!

It's Official...

I. Am. A. Dork.

Just in case it was ever in question before, I will admit it now. I've lost my mind! Maybe I've lived in the country too long already after my time as a "city" girl. Maybe I am just alone too much, working from home and staring at a beautiful landscape, yes, but one with just not enough action.

This is the view from my office window... the gorgeousness I get to bask in every day.


Today, I got a major case of the chuckles when I saw a big ol' semi truck (or tractor trailer as some call 'em) driving in reverse (yes, BACKwards) a little over a quarter-mile down our lane from the main road in order to pick up some cattle from the place just east of us.

And I chuckled even harder when I thought to run down and take a picture.


I do realize you can't tell the truck is driving in reverse from this picture; you'll just have to take my word for it. I am impressed by good backing up skills. Even more so when they're done with big rigs like this.

It doesn't take much to amuse me.

I realize I need a longer lens for my camera but this is as close as I could get from a window in the upper level of our home. Cows are being chased up onto the ramp and into the truck. Or, to be more accurate, into the trailer.


Have I mentioned how much I love this old barn? Oops, maybe I haven't mentioned it yet. Here's a link to a picture of the barn from my old photography blog I haven't updated in months. I even like the old water tank on stilts that is actually just on the other side of the fence from our property.


I grew up in the country where we raised our own beef and cut our own hay so this isn't "new" stuff for me. It's just been awhile, I guess. Either that or I really do spend too much time alone out here in the boondocks with nothing terribly exciting going on.

And in a completely un-related matter, we've been dealing with a lot of early daytime fog lately. Unlike a lot of people, I love the fog. It never lasts long and as long as I don't have to drive anywhere, I find it very comforting to be encased and blocked off from everything else around me. Yesterday morning, once it got a bit lighter outside, I had to take a quick break from work to walk outside and snap a few photos of our trees against the fog. I have a thing for trees... don't ask. This is probably one of my faves, though, of the trees just on the other side of the corrals adjoining the barn. I love the fading of color from bottom to top and how the trees are ghosted while the corrals are so stark in the foreground.


Yep... too long in the country. I love it.

Monday's Musings

I am thankful for... unconditional love of family by blood and family by choice. This past month and a half has been a huge struggle for me - physically, emotionally and spiritually. I am grateful for those who stand beside me and love me through it.

Outside my window... a pitch black sky with a beautiful shining sliver of moon and bright stars. It feels like a spring night out there rather than one supposedly in the dead middle of winter.

I am going... insane by reason of insomnia. I've been lucky enough to have my husband beside me every day and night for a solid month and this is our first night back into his traveling schedule. I miss him terribly.

I am reading... a fellow HP sister's blog and twitter feeds detailing their journey in trying to get their adoptive son home from Hai.ti, whether by immigration visa or huma.nitarian parole. She was in Hai.ti visiting her son when the quake struck.

I am hoping... for a better year than this past one (or three). Though there have been some joys and major blessings scattered in, the years since we were married have been tumultuous with grief, sorrow and being stressed to the max by crazy schedules and house projects.

I am hearing... a muted tv with news coverage of the destruction in Hai.ti. I thought looking at a tv screen with my burning eyes might prompt them to shut and allow me to go to sleep. So far, it's failed.

One of my favorite things... a raspberry limeade drink from one of my favorite burger places I figured out the recipe for! Mmm.

Here is a picture I'm sharing... our nieces (family by choice) square dancing; with those skirts, I just had to make them twirl! One of the last things I did before we moved was to go watch them at their performance capping off a session of square dance lessons. I still need to get them copies of these pictures. I just want them to know they are not forgotten and we miss them terribly.

The Germans Are Coming

And sadly, they've already come and gone.

In September, our friends H&G from Germany came to visit for three weeks and brought their friends B&L. For those of you who don't know, Gil lived in Germany for eight years while he served in the Army and going through his medical discharge and rehab. While there, he became very close friends with H and his girlfriend G. H is actually how Gil got into huskies and dog-sledding and they went to numerous races throughout Germany and France together.

Anyway... since Gil's been stateside and we've been together, H&G have come to visit every other year (and back-to-back years when we got married). Luckily, with the added guests of B&L this visit, we're in a new home big enough to accommodate everyone.

During the first two work weeks while Gil was out of town, the Germans took side trips to Yello.wstone Park one week and off to Oly.mpia Natio.nal Forest the next week. We had a lot of good quality time together this visit on the weekends and most weeknights.

One weekend, we rented an extra Harl.ey (because we only have two) and went on an excursion to Glaci.er Park. Even though I went as a passenger, I had a fabulous time! Actually, all six of us ride bikes so all the girls had to give up control and ride b*$&%.

Here we are at the summit of Goi.ng to the S.un Road.
Left to right: me, B, Gil, L, H and G (kneeling).

I took this picture mainly for Gil's mom because she'd appreciate the vessel used for a planter. This was in front of the restaurant we ate at.

Everyone wanted to go golfing and H was the only one who had been before (and only once at that!). Here's Gil giving them some quick lessons. I had to stay in the cart all day because I had majorly sprained my ankle just the day before and was unable to walk.

This is one of my favorite photos. I caught G in the middle of a laugh as she had just made a huge divot trying to hit the ball. I love the joy and abandon she's expressing.

And they brought me beer. All the way from Germany. If I weren't so darned Irish, I'd be more German than the smidgeon I am. I love beer. Dark beer. And though this isn't terribly dark, it was absolutely fantastic! Notice the word on the neck label? Hell. Yep. Though drinking one felt akin to heaven, I can see where a few too many would go drastically opposite.

We love having H&G here. They are truly family in every sense of the word and we miss them terribly. Our goodbyes at the end of every visit are becoming more difficult. We're planning a trip to see them (finally) next year as Gil wants to go back in the winter for the Christmas markets. Barring anything substantial happening in the kid department, we'll be able to spend about two to three weeks there. I really need to start building up my vacation time!

Monday's Musings

I'm going to try re-starting my "Monday's Meme" thing at an attempt to get back into the groove of blogging after my emotional break. However, I'm going to do the same meme every Monday, just with different answers. So here goes...

The Simple Things for which I'm grateful...

I am thankful for... free phone calls. With Gil gone so much, we're able to stay in touch without having to pay extra.

Outside my window... a raging storm. It's died down a bit as I write this but the wind was howling something fierce, so strong it was blowing the rain right on through.

I am going... to bed shortly; it's been a long day.

I am reading... Self and BHG magazines; my newest editions arrived in the mail over the weekend.

I am hoping... for a brighter emotional week than the last one.

I am hearing... silence. I just turned the tv off in preparation for bed.

One of my favorite things... brownies! I sinfully ate three throughout the course of today!

Here is a picture I'm sharing... a smokey sunset scene from last month before our resident forest fire was extinguished by the first snow.

Moving Day... Almost

This past week was, well, let's just say there were a lot of frustrations. We found out Wednesday evening that we were not going to sign/close on our house Thursday as planned. Our loan agent "forgot" he didn't need to go through the process to procure a certificate we already had, delaying our whole process by a week. Fortunately, however, the seller had already agreed to let us move our stuff out of our storage unit and into our new shop so we didn't have to pay another full months' rent on our unit for a single day's use. So our plans to move this weekend went forth as planned, we just had to put everything in the shop rather than the house, which means we get to move again from shop to house this coming weekend when we finally do sign/close.

Then... we find out that one of the trailers we were planning to use could no longer be used and, while we still had another one to use in addition to ours, we'd have to make a 2nd trip and use a 2nd day. So while we're getting the trailers ready Thursday night, we discover this:

Thankfully, we discovered the tire an hour before the service center closed and we were able to buy and have mounted a new one. Three's a charm so we headed out Friday morning and loaded our storage unit onto the two trailers and then unloaded them. Saturday morning, we repeated the process with most of the stuff stored in my parents' garage.

We filled this - to the max - twice:


We filled this once with the big stuff and once with the Jeep Willys:


This is what we all felt like at the end of Day 1:


That's my dad. Can you imagine how we felt at the end of Day 2? Yeah... totally exhausted. Ready for a foot soak and bed. Moving in two 95+ degree days... ugh. It'll be worth it when we can officially call it "home" next weekend.

July 18th, Part 2 of 3

Tie Dying...

An "old" buddy from kindergarten through high school was here this past weekend for their annual family reunion. I haven't seen H in about 7 years, I'm guessing, and probably haven't had a chance to truly visit in about 10 or more. So much has happened in both our lives since then and it was a real treat to be able to see her Saturday.

We started off with a pancake breakfast at another friend's house. It was a fun time just hanging out while A slaved away in the kitchen flipping cakes and frying bacon. The kids were running around crazy; A&S have 2 and H has 3 and there were 2 tricycles in the house, another outside as well as 4 kittens, dress-up clothes and kiddy cosmetics... make of it what you will. I'm so glad I can still enjoy others' children through the pain of not having any of my own. It was noisy and chaotic and awesome.

After breakfast, we went to the parade (see previous post for pictures). All was done and over within an hour so Gil and I rushed home to start our chores... he wanted to get a luggage rack fabricated for the Jeep to go over the spare tire before the madness of moving takes away all our free time. I had laundry to do as Sunday we'd be on the road and Monday Gil would leave for the week for work and Tuesday I'd also be out of town. I got a couple loads through and decided to skip out and leave Gil in the garage while I stole mom to go over and crash H's family reunion, where she'd invited us to come try out tie dying (is it still considered "crashing" when you're invited?!). Mom and I were only gone 2 hours but it seemed like so much more. It was a great way to spend a sweaty hot July afternoon... Mom practically grew up in H's family (the generation older than us, of course) so it was good for her to see everyone again, and I felt like we were right back in school again being around H's family... except for the fact that everyone who used to be kids had their own little kids running around (except me, of course).

I don't know why I've never tried tie dying before... it was all the rage while we were in junior and high school and then the fad kinda faded. I get flack from my brother that it's the stuff of hippies and tree huggers, but who cares?! I love it! And now, thanks to H, I'm even considering getting my own kit and hosting my own tie dye parties.

Here's H mixing up the colors... making me another green to use 'cause, y'know, green's one of my fave colors.

Here's H, baby-wearing while tie dying! :)

You couldn't ask for a better backdrop for tie dying... or any other activity, for that matter.

Being silly.

My messy workstation.

The one on the left is mom's... mine are the orange/yellow and green ones...

notice not a single drop of pink!

Ta-da!

Thanks, H, I had a fabulous day! Not just 'cause I've renewed life in 2 of my dingy ol' shirts, but 'cause I got to see you again and catch up in a way that computers can't compare.

PS - A note to H's dad, who informed me he occasionally checks on me via my blog: You brew a really mean (that means good) beer! Yummy stuff!