October-fest

 October has come in like the wind that carries it. The air has a chill as it pulls through the leaves of color falling to the ground. While we are nailing down the house in preparation of winter's delights, October also brings about celebrations for us. It is the month of our anniversary and this year made 22 years strong.

Hubby and I decided to take off for 4 wonderful days and head up north in exploring new countrysides. We  booked our resort in Birch Bay, Washington located just 7 miles from the USA / Canada border. Neither of us have a current passport, so crossing the border was never an option. But hiking trails and exploring the local culture always makes for a time of refreshing.

From the moment we checked in, we felt so very celebrated. When we said we were there to celebrate, we were given a gift bag with a bottle of sparkling cocktail, chocolate mints and these adorable little toy ducks. 

Speaking of being blessed, it seemed that everywhere we went we made friends.  One couple that lives up there takes great sport in crabbing for Dungeness all through the season. Then with their freezer stocked piled, they delight in giving it all away.  I had tasted real crab only once before and was not impressed. I didn't want to offend them so I took all the fixings with a big smile and thank you and figured if nothing else, we would have a grand adventure of trying something new. Oh my goodness! Dungeness Crab fresh from the bay is so amazing! Hubby and I smacked our lips as we ate 4 crabs with salad, bread and our bottle of celebration cocktail until out tummies were round as beach balls.

As I said before, we hiked a lot during our stay. We pulled out our letterboxing kit and blew the dust off. It was good to explore the area while gaining insights to the area from our clue maps. The thrill of finding our treasure was quick to infect us with that old fever of treasure hunting delight and we began discussing other areas to explore or plant treasure boxes even before we were finished with the task finding at hand.

Here we are in Semiahmoo Marine Park.  Thought it is hard to see in this picture, right behind us and across the bay is the border crossing and Peace Arch Park. It was beautiful to sit here and watch the wildlife. The locals have taken great care in preserving the area for nature and it seems all live together with pride of harmony.

Peace Arch Park is a beautiful area where both counties work together to create an environment of unity in honor of peace. Visitors can picnic and take pictures in this small boundary land while having the thrill of saying they literally crossed the boundary line of countries without the pains of passports and such. Everywhere I looked there were people like us with their cameras clicking away. There were also border crossing guards everywhere just to make sure everyone was indeed safe. We noticed one gentleman sitting alone on a park bench and then another gentleman walked over and sat on the opposite end for a time and then left. It was like an espionage movie. I didn't think much about it but the border patrol sure did. They were on those two quick with all sorts of questions. Needless to say, we didn't stick around to see the outcome.

 My camera was faithful seemed permanently attached to my hands as shots were everywhere to be taken. This is a picture of Mt. Baker as seen from the marina at Semiahmoo Resort. I am told that it rains up there as much as it does down here in Portland. But we were blessed with these blue sunny skies all weekend for our delight. 

Papa God how grateful I am for the beautiful colors You created.

 

 

Here are a couple of sunset shots I took in the evenings while hiking. 

I loved the wisp of the clouds in the picture above.

Below, I was laying on the shore taking shots as the sun set. 

Hubby was having fun casting rocks and we happened to time everything just right to get this shot.

 

We loved our trip and are already discussing when to go back. 

Once we drove back into our city, the schedules we waiting at the door for us. There is work, office, the hub-bub of teen/young adult energy in the house, play practices, wedding plans, job interviews and the last of our babies about to be 18 and driving. Phew! It makes my head threaten to go light headed as I take in and savor each moment with the pride and joy of being a mom to my own as well as all of my heart adopted children.

But that is not all of the updates.
Our son called the morning after we got back. I was unpacking and sorting when he begged the question, "Hey Mom, what are your plans today?" He tried to sound casual but I know him too well. He and his wife had gotten up that morning and decided a drive would be fun and spontaneous. They had put the baby girls in the car and were on the 6 hour drive to surprise us.

Oh my goodness how quickly they grow!  And even though we had not seen them in 5 months, they were both so quick to allow us to love on them and share special moments.

This is my little Miss Izabell. She is now 8 months old. 

Those big blue eyes get me every time.

This is my little Miss Abbigail. She will be 2 years old in a couple of weeks. 

She also has those piercing blue eyes.

 It was a quick over night visit but we were so grateful for the time. They say they will be back over the summer with all 5 of the grand children. That will be a blast. We will have to make plans for great fun.

Thank You God for treasures of all shapes and sizes. 

Thank You for the celebration of time and the provisions of fun places to do it in.

 

Would You Believe It's Been 21 Years?....

Thursday, October 14, was like any other day for me for the most part. I did things around the house and took care of Daddy. Tia needed a trip to the vet clinic and that gave me a new round of doggie meds to add to the daily routine. I made a quick dinner so that my sister and niece could come over for a visit. A few times I thought about the fact that it was our wedding anniversary but told myself to focus on the task at hand. Hubby sent me nice text messages throughout the day and recorded a goofy sing song video on his phone for me and that gave me a good laugh.

As I closed up the house for the night I heard my phone going off with a call from Hubby but my hands were full with syringes and tubes so I let it ring. Then the house phone rang and I thought, " bless his heart he is persistent today."

He said, "Hi honey. I just wanted to talk to you one more time for real before the day is over. I have a problem though and was wondering if you could help me with it. See, I think every married couple should kiss at least once on their anniversary. Would you please open the door for me and let me in?"

Yes for real! He had secretly made plans a month ago to surprise me. I was in shock! God bless him. He has set up surprises for me many times in all our years together and I have feigned the wool being pulled over my eyes because it was the effort that was special. But wow! This is what it feels like to really be surprised.

Hubby had even made arrangements for my cousins to stay with Daddy so we could get away. He told me to pack a bag because he had a road trip in mind and reservations waiting for us. He knew I had been missing the breeze and serenity of the beach so this was our hotel room view in Corpus Christi.

Oh my goodness what a relaxing time. I let my hair down and felt the tension roll off and away from my shoulders as I sat listening to the warm waters of the Gulf and did some beach combing for seashell treasures.



We spent the next day driving around and laughing at ourselves getting lost numerous times as we wound around the Gulf islands of Mustang and Arnasas. All too soon it was time to head back into San Antonio. My cousins insisted that we not rush home so we spent the following evening walking the River Walk downtown. We rode a tour boat and threw snacks to the resident ducks. Then we grabbed a dinner table next to the water and feasted on the local cuisine.

It was such a wonderful weekend, a weekend that I will treasure for a long time.
Yesterday I took Hubby to the airport and we had to say an all too quick goodbye. All the same, I feel rejuvenated and more focused on the tasks at hand. I am so grateful for the blessings of each day.

And guess what? I am typing this on my brand new laptop that Hubby brought for me!
Yes I am one spoiled lady.

The Anniversary Blogger....

May 17th marks a special day for me. It is one year since I started my blogging experience. Here is my very first post. It was a scary venture to begin but after encouragement from a dear friend, I jumped. The result of that jump has been very eye opening for me.

Along the way, my focus has shifted a bit here and there as I entertained the basic questions....should I write humorously, sarcastically, write about heart matters and my family, what will make it me, who am I.... but I knew from the beginning that I wanted it to be an outlet for my thoughts. I am the kind of person that slides into auto mode very easily and I often find that weeks go by before I give my own person needs and desires attention. Writing has been a way for me to air out my thoughts and begin to find myself.

These days I find that I can't get enough of it. I love to write. I crave to write. When I have gone a few days without putting my thoughts to a post, I find myself agitated and distracted. Writing calms my thoughts, puts focus where it needs to be, and helps me let go of everything else.

Because I tend to only think in the now, blogging has been a way for me to remember things that have happened; blessings and experiences, concerns and joys. These are things that I would always tell myself I would remember on my own but then find details gone from my mind in a short time. It has always baffled me how older generations could remember happenings, conversations, details of an event, even smells with accuracy. I have never been able to do that.

Another wonderful perk has been the people I have met around the world. Visiting Australia, England, France, Canada, and even different places in the USA has always been on my wish list. Now I feel privileged to have experienced a taste of those different destinations.

Then of course, there is the relationship aspect. Before becoming a blogger, I would ignorantly scoff at the idea of people building real relationships on the web. How could you really know a person by only their writing? Now, I cherish my fellow writing friends and look forward to our visits. I learn from them as they share their lives and I glean treasures from each one. Whether they are a passing visitor or one that I have developed a deeper relationship with, each one has made new memories in my heart.

With the aid and encouragement of my blogger friends over this last year I have walked through my thoughts on being a mom, daughter, wife, friend, and teacher. I have been able to share grief in death and joy in life. I have been able to unwind my millions of thoughts and learn that beyond those many hats I am my own person. Sometimes my discoveries have been an ugly look in the mirror and sometimes it has been a celebration. All in all, it has been for the good. That is what God promises....

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him..." Romans 8:28

Will I keep on blogging? Most definitely. I think all of these perks have tipped the scales in favor of a long future on the web.