Gross.

Ike's hair was all spiky and I realized it was because when I pulled his shirt over his head all the boogers from his nose got dragged up his face and gave him a new hairstyle.  Disgusting.  He thought it was awesome.

A Bit of Chafing

 Ike pretty much lives in these skates which works out well when he is mixing beats on the keyboard.  I swear I met the grown up version of this guy working at Classic Skating.  Let's hope it is a phase.

Snuggles

I not stuck. I Ike.

Little Lovebirds

 Mostly they are picking at each other, but once in awhile the sun comes out and these kids remember that they are friends.

 Okay, so the joy of running also comes with pain.  I took this picture as a joke.  I wasn't hurting that much, but I will admit I was hurting.  I had 24 miles on my schedule and because of a variety of reasons I had to do the last 2 by myself.  My friend said to send her a photo when I was done so that she knew I wasn't dead. 
I was super tired though.  And so so so happy to be finished.  And I was inexplicably chafed under one arm. The sleeve of my shirt rubbed me raw, just on one side. Who knows why. 

It ain't all sunshine and rainbows.
But I have heard it said and I agree that you never regret a run.

Daisy at 8

 Our Daisy girl turned 8.  She is a delightful person.  She is kind and warm and beloved by adults and kids alike.  She still has a great belly laugh and an artistic eye and is a great joy to our family.
She wanted Skittles cupcakes and everyone helped make them. 

 Ike was the self-appointed taste tester and got kicked out of the kitchen almost immediately.

 For her birthday meal she wanted pesto tortellini and sweet potato fries.  She begged for school play sets which have been in almost constant use since she got them.

 Since Sailor and Nora share the birthday with her she always gets the best party.  This year it was especially great because Sailor's grandparents provided everything.  It was a unicorn extravaganza.

 She also chose to spend the afternoon at Get Air and for a special treat we put as many kids as we could fit into the Hurricane Simulator.  Hilarious.

When I went to the school to deliver the birthday treat (Fruit by the Foot...which was on the list of approved 'healthy' treats for some unknown reason) this boy came by to introduce himself. 
"Hi, I am Manuel, or you can call me Manny.  Daisy and I have crushes on each other.  We are basically boyfriend and girlfriend."
He was so cute and so confident.  I worried a little bit about their relationship though when I saw the body language in this hug, check out her hands.  Whenever I ask Daisy about how she feels she just giggles. He told me that I don't need to worry.  He knows she is moving away but that they will find each other again some day. 
Good luck Manuel.  You seem like a real sweet kid.

Mom Life

A Perfect Moment in Time...Avocado Toast and Friends

Stink Eye

 These next two photos are an accurate representation of about 80 percent of my life right now. 

Okay, so it is probably really only around 75 percent.  I don't want to get caught up in hyperbole.

Actual Snow

 But it actually did end up snowing, for real.  I mean, for as real as it snows in Eugene.  We had a couple of inches.  It was perfect because we had a late start for school and we got to sleep in, but I didn't have to entertain everyone all day.  And by the time school was over, the snow was gone.  Lovely!

 This photo imagines where our next home will be. 

One of my friends sent me this running photo.  I looked at it a long time before I realized it was me.  The funny thing about running buddies is that you are super familiar with how they look from behind, but you don't know much about the view they are getting of you.
There is no way to adequately describe how much I love being on those trails with such strong and fun women.  No matter how chaotic my life has been feeling, I find peace and purpose as we wind up and down through the trees wearing ourselves out physically and find truth and healing through the beauty of nature and great conversation. 

Sunday Afternoon

 This is definitely the cutest manicurist I have ever seen.

 I didn't help make the birthday video for Jonah but I sure enjoyed watching the others do it.   As a mom I am often in the middle of our family story and I find a lot of tenderness when I get to be on the outside looking in. 

Family Home Evening

Midnight Snacker