Thankful

My cousin Debra, who is currently living in Israel with her family, asked me to join her in blogging about Thankfulness for " http://tweetsgiving.epicchange.org/join-us/"

1. I am thankful for health and happiness and my Poppa who taught me that
2. I am thankful for the people in my life: my family, my friends and those that inspire me
3. I am thankful for my freedom
4. I am thankful for the hope, pride and optimism I feel that Barack Obama was elected our president
5. I am thankful for my heritage and my ancestors
6. I am thankful for forgiveness
7. I am thankful for opportunity
8. I am thankful for my dreams both big and small, those when I am awake and those when I am asleep
9. I am thankful for food, warmth, shelter, love and that all my basic needs are met
10. I am thankful that my eyes are wide open and I see things
11. I am thankful for my knowledge
12. I am thankful for creativity
13. I am thankful that our house will soon be finished and we can have more time in our lives for other things
14. I am thankful to have this opportunity to live on Orcas Island and see my Mom regularly
15. I am thankful for the people in my life who are no longer living but who live within my heart always
16. I am thankful for my strength
17. I am thankful for my memories
18. I am thankful for the sense of security I feel deep down even when everything feels uncertain
19. I am thankful for the earth and the increased awareness of taking care of it
20. I am thankful for YOU!!!!

so busy livin' the good life

We thought fall had arrived but it still feels like summer with every possible moment spent soaking up the sun and dipping into the water for what might be the last time of the year. The new school year has begun and the kids are both now going to the new Waldorf school on Orcas. They love it and I love having them both at school at the same time a couple mornings a week. Emmit is full of thoughtful questions about whether electricians install skylights or explaining that the way you win a soccer game is to have more people on your team then on the other team.

Asher is still the ham but starting to show his sensitive side. Emmit came down with a high fever today and Asher was full of ideas on how to make him feel better, "Lets listen to Peter and the Wolf". He made Emmit tea, brought him crackers, and snuggled up in bed with him and listened to Peter and the Wolf with him. Asher likes to tell us all his most up to date list of likes and dislikes.

We are reading Pippi Longstocking and loving it. Dennis is coaching Emmit's soccer team which is the sweetest and most noncompetitive soccer I have ever seen. I am not sure if all my beloved blog readers have given up on me or not but I am still here and living such a full life that have become a very lame blogger. I will try to be more regular but no promises!

glimpses of summer days with friends

come on........ there is room for at least one or two more!
a photo dedicated to our Ohrn/Miller family!!!!
I love this photo and if only it weren't a camera phone photo so I could print it! They were "fishing" and entertained for so long.
visit/tour of App's boat with friends Kaj and Tashi.
sailing away towards lots of pirates, I am sure!

Post 3 from Dennis, Emmit, and Asher's trip to the Columbia River Gorge, Long Beach, and Seattle

Asher looking upon one of the several lighthouses on Cape Disappointment in Long Beach, Washington.

Asher and Emmit on the Beach in the town of Long Beach.

E and A uses wet brushes on stone at the Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park.

Asher sitting in/om the infamous sculpture framing the Seattle space needle.

Emmit and Asher checking out the model boats and the Lewis and Clark Interpretive center.

Post 2 from Dennis, Emmit, and Asher's trip to the Columbia River Gorge, Long Beach, and Seattle

E and A looking into the fish ladder at Bonneville Dam (on the Washington Side)

Mt. Hood in the distance from Great Grandpa and Grandma house in Parkdale, Oregon.

Check out who is holding the cup in the back and great grandma and grandpa's house

Post 1 from Dennis, Emmit, and Asher's trip to the Columbia River Gorge, Long Beach, and Seattle

Grandpa Steve and Asher on High Prarie

Grandpa Steve and Asher playing on big machinery.

Dennis and Emmit working with the bow and arrow.

Asher trying to ride a goat!

daily craft time and Mama's sunglass (thanks Auntie Claire)

watching the sheep get their wooly hairs cut!

here they come and there they go

We are out of school this week due to the pig flu you might have heard about! We are holing up with two other families and have worked out a marvelous swapping system where the six kids rotate houses. Today we visited the Bullock's Permaculture Farm for their Sunday potluck and then hung out at Kaj and Tashi's Farm. Dennis worked on the house which now has a second floor!!!!

beach castles for pirates

We currently live in a world of make believe and I never know when I wake up whether I will be greeted by cordial knights or gregarious pirates. Sometimes gnomes, sometimes animals, sometimes firefighters, sometimes it is a character still unnamed. We are off to enjoy the first day of the farmers market, a sustainable living fair and a variety of garage sales. My mom and I worked for 7 hours side by side building yesterday while Dennis took our kids plus one more to the May Day Celebration at school, swimming lessons and gawking for hours at Janet's house construction.

I love you, I love you not, oh but I love you!

Asher with his friend Ava playing in the lovely field of dandilions! I have been sewing up a storm and failing to document much at all. It seems that life is all about being outside in this Orcas life and we do that lifestyle very well. The house now has four walls and interior walls and we will soon start on the second floor. One other house is at the same stage as ours and the other 6 are at various stages of getting ready for flooring and framing. We are gearing up for a summer of wonderful visits from friends and family. It is a good life!

quick visit to beach before swim lessons

lame lame lame on posting photos

Adam Farish shows Kiyomi, Emmit and Asher where the secret crystals are hidden and catches some fish!
5 hours spent at Obstruction Pass on day last week with our friend Janet soaking in the sun
Asher gave Emmit Legos for his birthday and they arrived on a very sunny day so they had to be taken outside! Luckily Emmit shares incredibly well.
hiking with lots of sticks
lounging during our 5 hours at Obstruction Pass beach
riding his bike to school with tights under his shorts

Happy Spring!!!!!

Dennis has lots of photos he is supposed to post and yet life just seems to be full of so many things like building our house, being outside, at the beach, hiking, more building, eating, sleeping, reading, cuddling, school, more building and all that makes us smile. Emmit is almost 5!!!!!! Asher continues to crack us up and make us cringe simultaneously. Often where there is a crash, there is Asher!!! Emmit is there pointing at the mess and making sure we know that he had nothing to do with it. The various holes in the body are a big topic lately too. It is a good life, a full life and a life that we are choosing for ourselves.