Merry Christmas Charlie Brown!

I love this time of year...twinkling lights, warm drinks, crisp air. Last night as we were leaving our friends farm and saying Merry Christmas and we'll see you soon, Finn stops dead in her tracks, turns and faces our friend,and yells "merry Christmas Charlie Brown". What a character!

Happy Holidays Everyone…

We hope this newsletter finds you all well and happy this holiday season. The year seems to have flown by and we find ourselves already in December getting ready for another year. This has been quite a year for us; we started a new job, purchased a new vehicle, Finn started pre-school, and we added a new addition to our family – Jeremiah August Bluejacket Aakagak Osborne-Gowey!

As many of you know, Jeremiah started a new job this spring working as the Aquatic/Landscape Ecologist for the Conservation Biology Institute, a national non-profit ecological research firm with global projects but based out of Corvallis. He’s spearheading the development of an Aquatic Conservation Program for them and is really enjoying the work and the people he works with.

Cat's work is going well and she started her own business – Feather River Consulting. Check it out on the web at FeatherRiver.us. Right now she's been hired to start a family violence prevention program for her tribe...which means a lot of grant writing and networking. Recently, she and her tribe were awarded their first grant to start the project so hopefully soon families will be able to access the care and resources they need when they need it the most. This work has allowed Cat to fulfill both her passions – justice for women and families and being a stay at home mum while the kids are small.

Finn turned three this year, my how time goes by. She’s had had a great year this year and started riding horses and doing farm chores this past winter and loves it. On her birthday, she rode all by herself (with our friend Trish holding the reins of course) for the first time. And this past fall she started pre-school and really seems to be enjoying herself. She's learning the ABC's…or her “letters” as she calls them.

Our children are our greatest accomplishment and this year our son came into our lives. On a warm summer evening in August (August 21st) he surprised us by coming on his own. We were scheduled to be induced Saturday a.m. but started having contractions at 4:30 a.m. Friday. They stayed every 45 minutes to 1 hour all day. We even had a chance to go garage sale-ing and have breakfast out. And so at 10:10pm on August 21st, we delivered little baby Jeremiah. Papa, under the watchful eye of our doctor and the nursing staff, helped deliver him, give him to his mummy, cut the cord, and bathe/weight/measure the little one. He had a full head of thick, black hair, a single cowlick at the top of his crown, and long fingernails. He weighed in at 8 pounds, 14 ounces (nearly 9 pounds!). His head was 14 1/2 inches around and he was 22 inches long. He seems so delicate and small and yet he was nearly twice as big as Finn when she was born. And let me tell you - when you cook in a water-warm oven for 2+ weeks longer than normal, you come out looking like a wrinkled prune. He was so wrinkly it was comical...especially his feet and hands. Looked like he'd been left in a bathtub for too many days. Too cute! Finn was amazed that this little creature was finally here and no longer in Mummy's tummy (she was immediately enamored with him). Suffice it to say, the whole thing was a simply amazing event! We fell blessed. For the complete birth story and updated pictures throughout the year check out our blog at http://osbornegowey.blogspot.com/j

Sidda and Quinn (our dogs) are doing well, enjoying a full household and little ones to scratch behind their ears. Our cat Katie bird is doing well...getting older but still spry and running around the house batting at the dogs when they get out of line. We did suffer a loss this year, our old cat Spencer died just this week. It was a hard time for our family, we were blessed to have him in our home for 14 years. He was our first animal, we brought him home when he was just a few months old. It was Finn's first experience with the death of a loved one...it hit her hard...they were the best of friends. Of all our furry kids, he was the one she really loved and they did everything together. We always joked that we should have gotten him a little girl years ago, we were amazed that such a grumpy and down right mean cat turned into a marshmallow when she was born. For some reason she was the one person he really loved, she could carry him around, dress him up, and he would patiently purr and let her do as she wanted. They took many naps together, read books, and shared far too many snacks I'm sure :) He will truly be missed. He was buried next to a cherry tree on our friends farm, what amazing friends we have.

Have a safe and joyful holiday season and a merry new year.

Our love and prayers are with you.
The Osborne-Goweys (Cat, Jeremiah, Finn, baby Jeremiah, Quinn, Sidda, Spencer, Katie, and several dozen oddly assorted fish)

Spencer...

This morning at 6:20am our friend Spencer slipped away. This picture was taken this summer of Kate and Spencer, our two cats, napping on the couch as they loved to do. Spencer is/was our orange Tabby. We brought him home almost 14 years ago and today I feel like I've lost a true friend. I'm writing this as my own way to say good bye and get my feelings out. Many of you know what I'm writing about, losing a furry friend can be so difficult and often others don't understand that furry people can be family and losing one leaves a whole.

He had a heart attack this morning. It was sudden...we never saw it coming...he wasn't sick and we had no signs that he wasn't well. I woke to him making noises and I thought that it was him screaming because my folks were staying over and they had their dogs with them. Thank God for Zip and Tig, their dogs, they barked when Spencer had his attack and got our attention...by the time I made it to Spencer he was in the bathroom unable to move, he had several seizures, and then after an hour and half he died. My mom and I laid on the floor with him, stroking him, telling him how wonderful he was, and letting him go. I can't thank her enough for helping me make my friends last few moments warm and loving...she is a treasure to me.

Then...I had to tell Finn this morning. Spencer had become her best friends, anytime we travel she'd cry and ask about Spencer for our whole trip. The nap together, she reads to him, dresses him up, and they loved to watch movies. Explaining to her that she won't see her friend again was one of the hardest things I've had to do.

I know this post is depressing and many won't be able or want to read it...but I needed to get it out. I needed to say goodbye to a true friend. He saw me through my first years of marriage, college, graduate school, both of my babies, he was always there to make me feel loved.

For 14 years I've opened my front door and this orange Tabby would jump off the couch and come running to inspect whatever I brought in or to see where I'd been. We still have Kate Bird...I plan to shower her in love and help her through her grieving process...Finn said it best...she walked over to Birdie and said "I'm sorry you lost your sweety...I'll be your sweety if you want".

Bye Spencer

Thanksgiving Weekend and Tree Hunting

Thanksgiving with our family...busy! Filled with cousins, Christmas trees, and great moments.

Bed time

Every night Jeremiah puts baby Jeremiah to bed and he gives his papa a sweet smile (though I must admit the angle of this photo makes it look a bit scary). Jeremiah has never told me about this ritual the two of them have. The evening time has always been their time together...it's my time to spend getting Finn to bed and reading to her and Jeremiah feeds baby his last meal before bed and then puts him to bed. The morning is Jeremiah and Finn's time and I have my one on one with baby Jeremiah.

Last night Jeremiah took this picture of baby's "good night papa" smile...and now we're sharing it with you.

Halloween and Ice Cream

Finn had a wonderful time with her friends trick or treating around downtown on my birthday last month. She had her first ice cream cone after wards she and her friends ran and screamed out all the sugar on the waterfront.

Elk Hunting 2009

Elk hunting was a great success this year! We didn't get an elk but we had a great time with family and friends. Finn had a great time hiking and being a part of the process and baby had a great time napping with grandpa around the fire. Jeremiah was a true woodsman...changing diapers while hunting, I was rather impressed.

Our Trip to Apple Hill and Auntie's Home Town

At the beginning of the month we took a trip to Placerville California to visit Apple Hill and see what we call the "auntie Kai Hall of Fame". We've been planning this trip for quite some time...a chance to go to our friend Kai's home town an visit her folks, see her old haunts, and spend time together. Finn had a great time and Ann and Richard (Kai's parents) seem to enjoy our zoo. We toured an old mine, spent time walking in nature, ate caramel apples at Apple Hill, and then saw family on our way home. What a blessing to have such great friends...we are grateful to the Henifin's for their hospitality.

Our Girl is Growing Up...1st Day of School

Here are a few pictures...the first two are of Finn's first day of school. She was up and dressed by 8am...she insisted on carrying her lunch box and wearing her backpack around even though we didn't have to be at the school until 10am. She was so excited...we were nervous but our girl was brave and ready for independence. The first week, parents go to school with the kids...it's suppose to help with their (and our) nerves...our girl was ready for us to go home...she looked at us when we got there like "why are you staying here?...this is school". On the second week you drop the kids off and they spread their wings...I wondered if she'd be sad or upset when we actually walked out of the school...nope...she hung up her jacket and walked into class without giving us a second thought (no hug or anything!). She's such an independent and brave kid...very unlike her mum as a child who cried, screamed, and if my memory is correct hung on my mother like a monkey...sorry mom :)

The other picture is of both our kids...wow...is Finn growing up...she's feeding her brother and helping out...she's the best friend and sister a kid could have.

What's in a (kid's) name?...

How do people generally come up with names for their children? Is/are there common themes? And how often does history (family or not) play a part? I'm curious...

Are YOU interested in how we came up with the names for our two children? If so, read on...

I suspect that most people probably spend quite a bit of time selecting names for their children - even those that name their kids "Rocky Gravel" and "Ima Lima Bean" (no joke, real names!). We, too, spent quite a bit of time compiling lists of our favorite names, narrowing down the lists, playing with naming order, etc. I remember finally narrowing the list of names for our firstborn down to about six. And one delightful afternoon drive up the South Santiam River, we tried all the various combinations to judge flow and cadence and awkwardness (for all those unpleasant rhymes that kids might come up with to tease the child as it grows).

In fact, trying out the crazy rhymes is how we decided that Finn would be the first name instead of the second name. See, it went down like this - we decided that we really liked the name Emma, too, and narrowed it down to that and Finn. But Emma Finn didn't flow off the tongue very well. And we decided that Emma Finn sounded too much like "I'm a muffin". So that went the way of the recycle bin. Harmon, her first middle name, is an old family name from Cat's father's side of the family. And Finn was a name I'd liked prior to meeting Cat but she was never that hip on it. So I forgot about it until years later when, out of the blue, Cat says (with a mischievous, knowing wink), "Whadya think about 'Finn'?" And just like that, it stuck.

Both our kids have two middle names. Finn's second middle name was gifted to her by her King Island Iñupiaq family/community up in Nome, Alaska. And it went down like this: Cat had worked with the community (of which, her major professor Deanna Kingston is a member) for several years. She (and I) fell in love with them and they with her and sort of adopted her/us into their family units. And in their tradition, when an elder passes into the afterlife, their namesake (which also comes with some of their personality traits) passes to the next newborn member of their community in a long-standing name incarnation tradition. And they pass the names along to the next little ones via a brief, but moving, naming ceremony.

The last time we were up in Nome, Cat was 9 months pregnant with Finn. And all the elder ladies were pulling for her to deliver on King Island (it would have been the first delivery there in nearly half a century). But the relative security of and collective staffing in a medical facility were important to us, especially for our first born (we didn't know what the heck we were doing...). And we had planned to have both our families with us (but waiting outside) for the delivery so we scheduled our flight back to Oregon for the end of June (we'd deliver just over a week later). Knowing that we were heading back home to Corvallis for the delivery, the community decided that they would break slightly from tradition and give our child her Iñupiaq Eskimo name in utero (they usually wait until the infant is born). And so it was. They threw us a baby shower at one of Nome's tribal buildings and gave Finn her Iñupiaq name - Awaluk (the "l" is a special character with a tilda/~ through it; it's pronounced "Owashlook" with the "shl" [or "thl", depending] spoken like you have a lateral lisp; it's also sometimes spelled "Ugathluk").

Awaluk was also called Akorak, which means Big Sister in Iñupiaq. And many of Awaluk's peers referred to her as Akorak. After the naming ceremony, all the elder ladies would talk to Cathleen's belly (Awaluk) and say they couldn't wait to see her again. And spend time with their Akorak. Share their memories together again. Spend time together, again. And to this day, many of them still only talk to Finn in Iñupiat and call here Awaluk or Akorak. And she, for all intensive purposes, fully understands and interacts with them as if she fluently speaks Iñupiaq. It is really something special to see.

The previous woman to have the name was Cecilia Muktoyuk (b. 1936?, d. May 25 or 26, 2006). She was a marvelous woman and we had the pleasure of getting to know her and her strong, quiet ways. And she was a fine Eskimo dancer and a damn good bread maker, too. Funny thing is, when Finn was old enough to control her voluntary movements, she would dance and move her hands like nothing we'd ever seen before, save for watching the King Island dancers. She had hand/arm movements that were fluid and graceful. But she'd never seen that kind of dancing before, not like the herky-jerky movements you'd expect from an infant. One day, Dede (Deanna) brought over a DVD home movie with some of their community dancing on it. And Finn danced with it like she'd been doing those movements for years. She was entranced...and so were we!

The naming of our second child went down in much the same fashion as our first: go for a nice drive, narrow the name list, try all the different combinations, and see which one(s) just seem to work. Cathleen was really pulling for Jeremiah. I wasn't so sure about it. I really like my name but didn't want to have a "Junior" or give him a complex that we were trying to create another me (we weren't). We talked with several parent/children duos to get their perspectives and, without fail, they all said that it just seemed to work and none of the children felt pigeon-holed into being their parent. And so it stuck. Jeremiah's first middle name, August, is a family name from my father's mother's side that goes back at least to the 1400's. Bluejacket is Cathleen's tribal family name (Eastern Shawnee) from her mother's father's side. It, too, goes way back. The Bluejackets were the Shawnee chief-dom line for a long time. Cat's great-grandmother's last name was Bluejacket before she married an Irishman. When she did marry, the name ended with her. We're just carrying it on in Jeremiah August.

About two weeks after Jeremiah August Bluejacket was born, he, too, was gifted a King Island Iñupiaq name (which will now be his third middle name; wow!) as another tribal elder, Gabriel Muktoyuk, Sr. (b. , d. , 2009) had recently passed away. Several community members apparently agreed that they wanted to give Gabriel's Iñupiaq name(s), Aakagak and PaGiina, to little Jeremiah. And in a perhaps not all that ironic twist, Cecilia and Gabriel were brother and sister (by marriage, but still a cool coincidence). What a wonderful gift. Like Finn's, we cherish it as part of who he is.


And I have no doubt that the next time he sees his Iñupiat family, they will speak to him in Iñupiat and he, like his sister, will understand, respond and interact with them as family. It's truly an amazing sight to behold...and, in fact, Gabriel's daughter (Theresa) recently spoke with us and said that she's going to call him "dad" and he will caller her "kal" (which is what Gabriel called her).

We are truly surrounded by (and have) an amazing family...

Jeremiah August Bluejacket is HERE!!!

Our boy is here! He surprised us yesterday by coming on his own. We were scheduled to be induced Saturday a.m. but started having contractions at 4:30 a.m. Friday. They stayed every 45 minutes to 1 hour all day. We even had a chance to go garage sale-ing and have breakfast out. By 1pm they ramped up and were a bit more intense. By 2pm we called Jeremiah's sister Rebekah, Auntie Doula, to come down because baby was on his way. By the time she made it to our house, the contractions were 30 minutes apart. We visited for a bit and within 1 hour, the contractions were coming every 10 minutes. We called the hospital at 7pm to say we were coming in and that the contractions were coming every 5 1/2 to 6 minutes. By the time we got the hospital ~20 minutes later, the contractions were about 3 minutes apart. By the time we got up to our room about 5 minutes later, they were coming every 2 minutes (and stayed that way until delivery). By the time the doctor made it over about an hour later, Cat said she felt like she wanted to push...so we did and a little bit later, out he came!

And so at 10:10pm last night (August 21st), we delivered Jeremiah August Bluejacket Osborne-Gowey. Papa (Goo, Jeremiah), under the watchful eye of our doctor and the nursing staff, helped deliver him, give him to his mummy, cut the cord (and inspect it), deliver the placenta and inspect it, and bathe/weight/measure the little one. He had a full head of thick, black hair, a single cowlick at the top of his crown, and long fingernails. He weighed in at 8 pounds, 14 ounces (nearly 9 pounds!). His head was 14 1/2 inches around and he was 22 inches long. He seems so delicate and small and yet he was nearly twice as big as Finn when she was born. And let me tell you - when you cook in a water-warm oven for 2+ weeks longer than normal, you come out looking like a wrinkled prune. He was so wrinkly it was comical...especially his feet and hands. Looked like he'd been left in a bathtub for too many days. Too cute!

Papa was again amazed at how tough Cat is (women, in general, really). At one point while in the middle of a particularly large contraction, Cat smiled and winked at the doc and said, I'm not done pushing (with Finn, she was making jokes with the nursing staff during contractions)! Mummy (Cat, Cathleen) was amazed that a nearly 9 pound baby felt no different to deliver than a 5+ pound baby. Auntie Doula was again amazed at how strong and in control Mummy was. The doc was amazed at how well Cat dealt with huge contractions. The nursing staff was amazed at how big a head and heavy he was based on Mummy's laboring (she has such a high pain tolerance that you wouldn't have guessed his size based on her visible pain level). And Finn was amazed that this little creature was finally here and no longer in Mummy's tummy (she was immediately enamored with him). Suffice it to say, the whole thing was a simply amazing event! We fell blessed. And thank you to all those that have been keeping us in your thoughts/prayers over these last several weeks. We so appreciate it (and have felt the good vibes coming our way).

Until we chat again,
Goo, Cat, Finn, and Jeremiah (The Osborne-Gowey Clan)

No Baby Yet...but We're Having Fun

Well we don't have a baby yet but we are hoping it will be soon. Yesterday I mowed the lawn, swept the back, front, and side patio, swept the house and then moped. After that we went to the farmers market, had friends over for lemonade and supper, and then went to the end of the year softball party down in Halsey. We didn't get home until after 11pm. Today we got up and had a relaxing breakfast while reading the paper and then did yard work. Now it's time to relax and enjoy the afternoon...I see reading and naps in our future. Jeremiah's going to make homemade pesto so we can have pesto in the freezer for the rest of the summer and fall.

What a beautiful day today is, spending the day with my family is the best present I could ever ask for. Now just to go into labor and then our son can join us. Soon...soon as Finn says.

Finn Riding Riggins on her Birthday

I can't believe how big the horse looks when she's on him. She had so much fun riding him on her birthday.

An amazing weekend

Ooops. Forgot to post this blog entry a month back...

We've had an amazing weekend! Yesterday we went to the coast to escape the heat and enjoyed playing on the beach, had a picnic, and then took the long way home. We went through Toledo to Elk City, through Harlan, and then stopped at the old Blodgett Country Store. We didn't get home until almost 9pm! We stopped at a boat ramp on the road from Newport to Toledo...it was so beautiful...the birds were out, the evening sun was up, the leaves were moving in the breeze and wildflowers were everywhere. We sat on a boat dock and threw rocks in the water...it was such a great summer moment.

Finn and Nudity

What a funny evening we are having. First I must preface this story by explaining that our daughter loves to run around the backyard in the buff...sleep in the buff...basically we're lucky to get clothes on her. Tonight, while Finn and papa barbecued dinner, papa took his shirt off and Finn asked if she could take hers off too. Papa said yes and brought her in the house to take her shirt off...before we knew it Finn was totally naked and ready to go back outside and play. Laughing Finn and papa started to head out...Finn then turned and looked at papa and said "papa please take your shorts off too and be naked outside" to which papa replied "no if I take my shorts off and go naked outside I'll be arrested". Oh the funny moments in parenting...the things you never thought you'd have to say or explain.

Have a great evening everyone!

Our Little Girl

Wow have we been busy! Finn is now 3 and going on 30 sometimes. As I write this she is passed out in her papa's arms while we watch a movie...so sweet. We've had a busy few weeks. Last week was her birthday, she rode horses, had a party, and then danced the evening away at a friends wedding. The party was such fun, full of family and friends. At her party her grammie gave her a box of dress up clothes and this outfit was in it...she loves it so much we have a hard time getting it off of her. She wore it to the doctor's office the other day...complete with sparkle shoes and these glasses. It was like traveling with a movie star. Last night we went to a concert in the park by campus and she wore it again...she ran around in the night with her girl friend and they looked like fairies dancing in the night...such an amazing thing to see. They giggled, twirled, danced, and ate popcorn. Today we went to breakfast, worked in our garden plot, and then went to DaVinci days. Now our family is relaxing at home waiting for baby "limpet" to arrive.

Summer and Berries

What fun we've had the past few days...picking raspberries in the evening sun last night and blueberries in the early morning hours this morning. Our girl ran up and down the rows eating as much of the berries as she could and we enjoyed good friends, good food, and great conversation. Can summer get any better!

Bottling Beer

Hello all...

I just had to add a post about Finn and Jeremiah bottling his home brew tonight. First they inspect the bottles...she looks at each one while squinting her whole face...then hands it off to papa for further inspection. Then they take the brew to the bath tub where they clean the carboys...again she inspects everything and takes it back to the kitchen. Then it's bottled and she helps place each cap perfectly on top of the bottles. She's the only soon to be 3 year old who loves to bottle beer and hang out at the brew shop while papa has his home brew club meetings. She knows right where the toys are at the shop and play happily while they discuss home brewing. Finn is definitely a papa's girl. I love the two of them.

Limpet Is Officially A BOY

We had our 32 week ultrasound and all was well.  Our doctor has ordered an ultrasound for 32 and 36 weeks to double check that our little guy is putting on weight (his sister was a bit petite) and their are no placental abruptions from the accident.  The worry has been that a small one could have existed but gone undetected until the placenta got larger with baby.  I'm proud to report all is well.  All his measurements were perfect and we noticed he is in fact a boy.  At our 20 week ultrasound the tech told us Limpet was a boy but their is always a chance of error...but at our ultrasound last week we discovered their is no room for error :)  So far he looks just like his sister...same nose and chin and head. 

All is well in our world.  Jeremiah got a new job at CBI (Conservation Biology Institute) and is really enjoying it.  Finn and I are settling back into a routine where papa is gone all day...hard but we're getting used to it again.  That's when we all wish we were independently wealthy and he could be home with us everyday. 

My work is going well...slow at times and fast at others.  As the pregnancy progresses I find I need a few more naps than I used to so I have to be more organized to get everything done in a day.  That's when I really rely on Jeremiah.

I had an amazing baby shower last week and a fabulous mummy shower last Friday.  My best girlfriend Kai put it on for me...women visiting...good food...and a fabulous atmosphere.

Finn is still riding horses and loving it.  She's getting ready to turn 3 next month...where has the time gone.  She had her first Urgent Care experience last week.   While at the garden plot she fell with a hand trowel and cut not only her finger but took part of the nail with it...ouch.  Papa scooped her and a queezy mummy up and we all went to the urgent care.  She was so brave...and her papa showed his amazing fathering skills.  What a great father I have chosen for my children...I'm amazed everyday. 

Love to you all!

Some very busy days...

We've been pretty busy these last several days (when aren't we, I guess) but we've also been having a pretty great time.

Last week, Finn could hardly wait to get back out to Trish and Roger's farm to ride Riggins the horse ("with the purple sadd-oh" [saddle], she says). Sure enough, as soon as we got out there, she promptly asked to ride Riggins and use the purple saddle (it's actually just a riding pad but she loves it). And she wanted me (Papa) to walk Riggins around (Trish usually does for the first little bit). So we called all the horses up from the pasture, saddled Riggins up and walked over to the riding arena.

Without skipping a beat, she asked to be hoisted up and off we went, her happy as a clam, me leading Riggins around (we're still getting used to each other out but have developed a nice, respecting relationship), and mummy nervously watching as I led them around the arena.

Then, perhaps in an act of defiance since we called him up from pasture and saddled him up BEFORE giving him grain, Riggins decided to trot rather than walk as I'd asked him to. So there's mummy standing very nervously by the fence, Finn looking a little uncertain and me trying to get Riggins to mind. After Riggins and I worked it out, Finn got back up on him again as Trish had just returned with a camera to take some pics. I've included a pic here but you can view all of them on this Picasa web album (http://picasaweb.google.com/jeremiahosbornegowey/TheFarm?feat=directlink).

Friday, after several exhausting marathon days working on a proposal (prospective job), I decided to take the day to "relax". And by relax, I mean "do all the outdoor chores that had been piling up". But the day's activities hinged around making another batch of homebrew (this one an Imperial Red-Rye). It was my second all-grain batch and I've been learning a lot with every brewing session. Since so much of the time is spent waiting for water to boil, or grains to steep, or proteins to rest, or enzymes to break down, I had the chance to clean the gutters for summer, pot several more hops rhizomes (hops are the herbs that give beer its bitterness and impart floral/citrus aromas to balance out the malty sweetness), move the greenhouse to let the grass grow, mow the yard, get some more veggie starts going, organize my brewing supplies, and build a new-fangled hops trellis for the roof. A busy day for sure.

On Saturday, while Cat was participating in the 5K CARDV (Center Against Rape and Domestic Violence) with some girlfriends, Finn and I helped dig camas bulbs to bake for the annual OSU Native American Longhouse Salmon Bake. We've been digging camas bulbs for the event for several years but this was the first year Cat had another prior engagement. We missed her dearly but had a great time anyway. Camas bulbs are a traditional PNW tribal food staple and, when baked, taste something akin to a starchy onion (think potato and onion cross). The property we dug on this year was VERY soggy and we got covered in mud but enjoyed ourselves tremendously. Finn had a blast walking around to all the different diggers but had a particular fondness for a few of the ladies...and they, too, were enthralled with her (go figure, eh?!). I dug about 150 bulbs (and have a blister to show for it) of various sizes and had a great time making with new friends. Later in the day, after her 5K walk, Cat was able to join us for lunch (what a treat!). We were invited to stick around for a sweat in the sweatlodge later that afternoon but we headed home, all exhausted from the day's outings, as Finn was in desparate need of a nap (which lasted until nearly 6pm!; perhaps we'll sweat with them in two weeks time...). Later that evening, Finn and I got out the crepe paper, scissors, crayons, markers, pencils, pens and tape. We made mummy a very special Mother's Day card and wrapped a few presents (bird feeders). What fun!...

Sunday morning, Cat got up early for her early morning walk (ritual) with Quinn and Finn and I snuck out of the house, walked down the street to a friend's house, and picked some beautifully dark purple (almost black) lilacs. I made her a special breakfast of tarragon egg puffs, yogurt and a scone from the local food co-op. We spent a wonderful day together playing the yard and gardening but the previous day's activities caught up to us both and we took a marvelous short nap together while Finn napped. A wonderful day indeed!

Wow...it's been way too long since we've updated our blog. Well, for those who don't already know we are having a boy! He's due August 10th...but his sister was due August 3rd and came July 11th so who knows. We've been wanting to post our ultrasound pics but we've been having technical difficulties. Things are going well...Finn is growing so fast and talking all the time...she loves to say "mummy let's have a conversation". We've had a great start to our mothers day weekend...I walked the 5K family violence/domestic violence prevention walk with a girl friend and her mom this morning while Finn and Jeremiah dug camas with the Native American Longhouse for the Salmon Bake on Wednesday.


I'll try to update with new pictures today...but the sun is out so I might have to go plant flowers...we'll see.

Stay Tuned...

On March 11th we will know the gender of our little Limpet...as soon as we know we'll post and let you all know.

Our Faith Restored in Humanity

For those of you who don't know two weeks ago our family, while on vacation in California, was hit by a drunk driver. After a visit to the emergency room our family is all fine, I was checked out the most since I'm pregnant and the impact with the seat belt caused small contractions. Unfortunately our car is not alright...it's totaled.

At first the woman who hit us took off and never stopped, she looked right at us and speed away. We limped our car off the road and sat there scared to death...me in contractions and Jeremiah trying to comfort me and Finn while calling the police. We were in a strange large city feeling like no one cared...boy were we wrong. Two amazing individuals restored our faith in human kindness. One man who witnessed the accident got the woman's plate numbers and pulled in behind us, called an ambulance for us, and stayed all through the event to make sure we were okay. Another man who witnessed the accident followed the drunk driver and pushed her into a parking lot, called the police, and stayed blocking her exit until they arrived.

These days it can often feel like we are all alone and no one cares but in that moment we had two individuals show us that we were not alone. We were able to get a copy of the police report last week and found both of their names and addresses and I plan to send a thank you card to them...they have no idea how their faces made us feel safe and not alone. I can't tell you how grateful we feel...how terrified we were. I haven't been so scared in my life. We sat in an emergency room, me crying, Jeremiah with huge eyes trying to get me seen... wondering if we would lose our baby. Thankfully we have also have an amazing family, Jeremiah's brother and sisters live in the area and took Finn for the evening, and our dogs who were also in the car, and allowed us to go to the hospital without scaring Finn more than she already was.

Hold your family close tonight and be glad for the little things...and know you are not alone in this world...we sure learned that.

A Tough Day Being Parents

Hello all...

Today has been a tough day being a parent...if I could have a glass of wine I would. Finn has been having a terrible 2 day...saying all the things she shouldn't, getting fussy, getting teary, and just having a hard time. By the end of the day Finn couldn't even eat her favorite meal, noodles, without crying and getting frustrated...though she gladly ate all her cauliflower. Finally the evening is coming to a close and mummy escaped outside to take the garbage outside (a mini vacation) and I come in to find Finn bent over crying and throwing up all over the kitchen floor and papa trying to comfort her. Goo and I have had a bad cold and Goo has been gargling with salt water to help a sore throat...well Finn was at the sink watching papa do just that when she took a big drink of her sippy cup and tried to gargle...as you guessed it...it didn't go well. She cried and was very scared...but after a warm bath, lots of hugs, a teary promise to not gargle her water anymore, she's in bed while papa reads her a "libary book" she checked out on valentines day. Oh the joy of being a parent...I don't think there was anything in the parent book about a day like today...I just wish she could always be little and a hot bath, hugs, and papa reading a library book could fix anything.