Too Many Goodbyes

 We have adored the Eugene 3rd Ward.  I have been challenged in the best possible way to take responsibility for my own spirituality.  I have met strong and intelligent women and men who have become true friends and mentors and who have reached out to my kids with love.
Almost every week Brandon and the kids sat in the car while they waited for me to chat with people and it took a long time because there were so many that I wanted to see.  In fact, I had a hard time making it to class because on my way I would run across someone I had been dying to talk to, which is a shame because our Sunday School lessons were incredible.

 I am going to miss these cute faces way too much.

Katy, Jess, Marissa and Nicole

Yasmin, Silvia and Rojelio

These guys are from Cuba and it was really by chance that we got to be friends. Rojelio rode with us to school for half of the year and I grew closer with his mama and grandma as time went on.  We had some pretty cool experiences together, some of them could even be considered miracles.

 Amazon Pool has saved our sanity many a summer day. From the authentic Japanese food and shaved ice to the sandbox and the coveted shady spots, I loved that place. It felt so great to find an antidote to the heat in the water. Mostly I liked it because every time I went I ran into people that I loved.  Friends from church, school, and the community all meet up at the pool. I even ran into a couple that I met almost 20 years ago when I worked in Alaska.  When we lived at Spencer View we could walk and when the lifeguards blew their whistles we walked home in the warm evening our bodies still cool from the water. I love the feeling of satisfaction that a day spent at the pool was a summer day well done.

 And the last place that we went in Eugene was the same one we went last year when we left.  I already wrote my ode to the Richeys pool.  I didn't write earlier about how much I love the Richeys themselves.  I could talk to Kathryn or Troy for hours.  Their house is a meeting place for awesome people.

Friends Forever

And that was it.  Our Eugene adventure has come to an end.  For real this time.  I wrote earlier that this year was borrowed time and it felt like a great bonus.  I was able to strengthen old friendships and make some new ones. I had a lot of time running, walking, and hanging out with people I love in a beautiful place. It hurt to drive away from this house but I am so glad that I have made such good memories that I can take with me.

A Run to Remember

I went with Laurie and Heather to Medford to do a section of the 100 mile race they are preparing for.  I didn't end up with many photos but I will never forget it.  Let's just say it was hot and extremely intense and it made me recognize once again how much I love my friends. Also, I have a much better idea on how to deal with heat exhaustion and a renewed love of cold water.

Yard Sale

 We sold most of the things we had in a giant yard sale.  I have never done something like this before and I guarantee I will never do it again.  Part of me thinks that everyone should do it once in their life, just for the experience.  It is a bizarre experience to welcome strangers into your personal space to have them weigh and measure your belongings and eventually have them walk away with all of your things.
We met some interesting people and earned almost $700 so I guess it was a success.  I am still exhausted, a little traumatized, and a lot less burdened by stuff.

Vanilla Jill's - One Last Time

Old friends are the bomb!

Camping

 Because of all the chaos in our lives right now we only camped for 1 night in the whole summer which kind of breaks my heart.  Oregon is so gorgeous we would have been better served by sleeping in our house only 1 night.
We checked out the new Tillamook Cheese Factory with about 6 million other people. We had promised the kids ice cream but then when we saw the lines and the size of the cones we ended up just going through the McDonald's drive through for soft serve. It was probably the most happy moment of the trip.

 The campground we had planned on was full so we did some searching and found a gem of a place.  It opened up into a wetland area but when we took a walk that evening we came out on a gorgeous beach.

Rosy: Basically the whole summer. She has a hard life.

 These Oregon girls don't care that it is freezing, they are in the ocean, wearing swimsuits, determined to love it.

Like I said: Hard Life

Lazy Days

 The month of July was filled with a lot of activities.  We went to free lunch in the park almost every day.  We picked blueberries and went to story time.  We hit almost all of the $1 summer movies and I took naps in the air conditioned theater. The kids made projects on Artie the Art Bus and we played at the splash pads. We watched a lot of Mako Mermaids and listened to The Greatest Showman songs.  We did a lot of swimming a played way too many claw games.

The magic moment when Daisy won, not 1, but 2 rubber duckies after only 30 minutes of trying.

There were also a lot of tantrums, fights, and grumpy hangry moments.  Those can just melt into oblivion and we will forget that they ever happened and remember our last summer in Eugene with delight.

Let Freedom Ring

 Daisy and I ran the Butte to Butte 10k with our friends.  I couldn't believe how strong she was.  It pushed her right to the limit but she kept going.  I love the tradition.  It is so fun to see how many people in the community participate.  I am such a sucker for a community event.

 We spent the day watching cooking shows on Netflix and then met up at Marissa's for delicious food and great company.

 Daisy still prefers to be in the car when fireworks are being lit.  She might look like a scaredy cat but she is the smartest one of us all. 

Dog Sitting

 We tried to make Macarons.  It wasn't bad for a first attempt and it was fun to cook together with Rocky.  She is starting to be pretty good around the kitchen.

 Daisy and Rosy are getting better and better at making tents.

This kid LOVES nursery!!

Just a regular dinner with a regular family.

 Our summer was greatly improved by the dog-sitting gig we scored.  Not only are they the cutest dogs but they come with a fantastic yard.  We hung out there and pretended that we were living the white picket fence fantasy.

The hot tub was when we were squatting at Audrey's.  We really live the good life when people leave town.