Our Drive

 When June was a newborn I discovered a little drive to go on to help calm her and me down. I had just left my house and as I was thinking, "I wish I could just take one minute and already be out driving in the middle of nowhere," I turned the corner and I was suddenly surrounded by fields and trees and horses. What the...? Thank you Lehi Utah. And so it was. And turns out there is a little seemly unpopular lake side docking area that I discovered. Minutes away from us! Ever since then it has become "our drive" that either Buck and I take together or I take alone. (well, and always with June.) Either way, the other day I took a friend out there to show her and she thought it was pretty remarkable and I realized just how lucky we've been. So I thought I'd share some of the serenity with everyone!

 

Hope you all have a place nearby to get away from it all!

Dear Buck,

The sun sets, falling under the waves. Colors shatter and break in the air.

Slowly we rock back and forth, the small ship sleepy and calm.

On strong wooden planks you hold me and we dance.
The stars sit down to watch. The darkest blue turns black. Water becomes sky.

We rock, and we rock, back and forth.

Peace laps up against the boat.

The storms have brought us so far from the land, the clouds ushered us on. They sailed us to a place unknown by any traveler. Our place of rest. Our sea-breeze lullaby.

The kind wind hums softly the songs born by her travels-  distant and enchanting. Somehow she has found us. She takes our tale and continues on, telling it to the sea.

But we stay on.
And we rock and we rock and we rock to sleep. 

 ------

I Love you and the life we have together. Thanks for keeping perspective with me and wrapping me up in peace.

Love,
anna

Boise

Going home to Boise is always worth it. Even this past Thanksgiving when June screamed the whole week we were there. It was still worth it. I've actually come to enjoy living here in Utah. But yet, even a quick trip to the grocery store feels different and better somehow in Boise. I don't know how to explain it. (but okay, it's prettier here in Utah. Can't beat these mountains...)

The reason we went back this weekend was because my parents were in a play! Our friends Max and Rebecca also came from Oregon and stayed with us this weekend and we got to meet there cute baby Charlie. (they used to live here in Utah with us and we were always having adventures together so it was a sad day when they moved back home to Oregon.) Also, my grandparents, aunt, two cousins, and some other relatives with more complicated titles like 2nd cousin once removed or something came too. And a grand aunt and uncle. Basically- it was a party.

And all to see my parents take on new roles on the stage. The play was Fiddler on the Roof and my mom and dad had the main roles- Tevye and Golda- who are husband and wife in the play. My dad has really grown in his talent in theater and has had the chance to be in many productions- usually as the lead male role. Or as a clock in Beauty and Beast. Either way. This man has memorized millions of words and sang dozens of songs. And he is SO GOOD. Everyone always loves him. He works hard and it shows. He steals the show everytime and when I'm in the audience watching I forget that he's even my dad up there; I keep having to remind myself. And that, my friends, is a true actor. Fools his own daughter.

It was a special treat to watch my mom in this. She hasn't done as many plays as my dad and it has been awhile. This was her biggest role yet. And she did AMAZING. She was nervous when she was cast for the part but seeing her up there I also forgot that I was watching my mom up there. And it was great to hear her sing with confidence. Both of my parents are so ridiculously talented! I wish everyone could have seen it but I know those who could come (aside from the people who are mean and don't care ;)) were there. Thanks to everyone who supported them! It not only means a lot to them but to our whole family.

And Aside from seeing the play we hung out, made s'mores, sat in the hot tub (glorious) played games, stayed up too late, ate lots of good food and did lots of talking.

And June was so great!! So much better than Thanksgiving break. Going there and back we left at 8:00 p.m. and it worked out perfect. She slept the whole way (after she fell asleep) and then was successfully moved to her bed and slept the whole night. BLESSING. I'm feeling a lot better about travel with her now. Except that today has been rough being home. She has been grouchy. And I honestly think it's because she had so much new and exciting things and varied attention all weekend that now she is bored being with just me today. And we have been stuck at home without a car. And it's cold outside. And our heater doesn't work so we have been confined to the living room with the fireplace. And she has NOT been happy with me about all of this. Someone should come visit us.

And now for the photo dump.

Max, Rebecca, and baby Charlie!

With his Tevye beard

Erin took a quick trip to the islands

Okay. These few "attack" photos can sum up everyday of our life together. If only Erin was always around to photograph our savage marriage

tickle attack. I got him good.

This is what happens when we stay up too late. Ballet.

Grandma's Sweetie!

Yes it can.

Don't they look authentic?

Day(s) of love

This year for Valentine's day Buck had lots of homework and stuff. Plus, who wants to babysit someone else's baby on Valentines day? Exactly. So instead we did a little celebrating on Saturday. Nothing too sappy- we went ice skating and then used our other gift card at Texas Road house, where my sister and June met us for dinner. (And June was a little road house angel.) It was a fun little date. Buck and I realized that we have never ice skated together. So maybe I was the one who fell on the ice (and maybe it was because I was trying to bust out a dance move- Bad. Idea.) But we got to spin around together and successfully avoid the group of high schoolers who kept stopping and congregating on the ice to hang out like they were standing by their lockers.

Watch out Olympics

My "Buck" necklace. Love.

Afterwards we talked about all the things that we still get to experience together. Somethings that neither of us have done and other things that we've done without the other. Like go to an art museum. Like the MOMA or something. I can't wait. There is so much to do together in this life!

Then yesterday Buck woke me up with a rose and some rock candy.

And then he was gone most of the day. Hence my previous two posts- lots of time to take lots of June pictures and then make a singing Valentine for my darling. And make a feast for when he got home.

We had time only for dinner together. So it was a lot like every night. I needed to make it special somehow. So aside from a candle lit dinner (which I do sometimes anyways for the heck of it) I bought CRAB LEGS. Oh glorious crab legs! And then we also had asparagus and Fettichini Alfredo. And for dessert I made strawberry short cake parfaits. We also put our little candy presents to each other on our chairs- as is a Pew family tradition. (only it normally would happen at breakfast. But Buck had to leave to early for me to want to get out of bed for that...)

And anyway. We were able to spend a little bit of time together at night. So it was good day. But everyday is really. But I'm thankful for holidays and the excuse they give us to do things like wear more pink and eat chocolate. Or be extra romantic.

Dear Buck,

Yeah you. Just wanted to say HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! I know that this year we aren't on the news in Nebraska or buying a pet triop, but I love this Valentines day just as much. (well, okay, that's kind of a lie. I really liked our first one in Valentine Nebraska. That and I really wish that you were home right now.)

But since you're not home right now, I needed a way to reach you. And I know you check my blog everyday. So I thought I'd write you here. And embarrass myself a bit. And I do so taking a risk. I know your computer is dead right now and you will only check this on your phone but I'm hoping this little video clip will still work...

So here I am singing you a little love song. There are so many I could sing but I really like this one- we both know it fits. So the video clip isn't exactly taken in the most romantic room of the house (June's room) but I only had a small moment she would let me take this. You know how she is. But she's in the video too so that you (or anyone else who decides to) will have someone more entertaining to watch. And just wait and see- praises be! She let me record this whole song! A Valentines day miracle indeed. Also, I didn't have time to memorize the song so I'm looking at the words the whole time... which is better than making awkward eye contact with the camera anyways. So it is what it is, you know?

And it's all to say I LOVE YOU. I can't wait till you're home. And I really can't wait for you to be done with school. As in graduate.

I had serious issues uploading this video. Just click here to see it.

We love you!

Love,
 your little Valentines

Happy Valentines Day

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

Hope your day looks just as sweet as ours does.

Last year I was more on top of things and sent out some Valentines and such. So dear family, just know that we love you and hope that you know that and have a beautiful day.

Celebrations

So far I'm liking this February. First of all, it's the warmest one I've participated in in a long time. Second, there are lots of little holidays. Like groundhog's day. To celebrate that I made "dirt"(pudding with crushed oreos. I'm soo creative...) with a ground hog and NO shadow. I don't care what his forecast is this year. And anyway, these ground hogs are awesome/terrifying- no?

Then yesterday we celebrated Abraham Lincoln's birthday! To do this I researched and found an interesting site that listed his favorite dinner and the recipes. Erin and Ben came over to feast. We had chicken fricassee, oyster soup, homemade biscuits, and apple pie. It was so good! Cooking meals from the 1800's is a lot more of an involved process than our quick meals these days, but man alive it's worth it.

We made sure to have good old Abe's photo hanging up.

Here is a photo of our apple pie. True story.

And I thought about leaving it at that- letting you all think that I made this pie. But alas- my sister Erin made this masterpiece. And it tasted as good as it looked!

Here are a couple more photos from the night:

Dressed in her Sunday best

Rice cereal kisses for her uncle Ben

The onesie says it all (this goes for both of her Aunts. :) )

And now tomorrow is Valentines Day and I am so excited! Not even because we are doing anything epic but I just really like holidays (obviously), and I've always loved Valentines Day. Even when I didn't "have someone to spend it with." In my family it was about love for everyone and we all felt special! And WHO CARES if it's commercialized? I personally love the aisles full of pink sparkly things. Holiday cynics get to me. 

Oh! And this month we get to celebrate Leap Year! And of course President's day. In case you were wondering.

February is good.

Sliver of Moonlight

Once I was traveling alone somewhere. I had a long layover in the Denver airport. As I wandered around I found a little art exhibit they put up temporary. On one of the walls there was a long stream of words, spanning the entire side of the hall. It was filled with various poems. I carefully read them all and wrote down a few that stood out to me. I found this the other day and the poems were now much more significant. 

You squat on the sidewalk under the oak,

small fingers dismembering a rose, face smeared

with cherry juice.

Over our heads a toy jet pulls a white thread 

across a shout of blue sky.

Sun. Cloud. Tree. Flower.

Simple things you can't even name.

Behind my eyes, certain knowledge your life

will be touched by sorrows and losses I can't even name.

Against these debits we enter the credits of unhurried days,

the concentrated pleasures of your first summer-

each day a green bead on a green string.

At night when you lie suspended in the small death that nourishes life,

I lean my cheek against the closed door:

                           I need to hear you breathe.

Once I was a mother to a sliver of moonlight I tucked into a crib and kissed at day's end.

Tonight I am the drowsy child and she, a sprite returning late who leans down out of the thunder moon to place a kiss on my brow. 

And the night flows through her, a stream of secrets. 

My daughter-mother wrapped in a cloak of cool air, pockets lined with outgrown fears,

dreams caught like brambles in her bright hair.

The night becomes her as she becomes the night, bristling with stars.

I remember when I chose these ones. I knew/hoped I would understand them one day. 

And now here I am.

Granted, I am not yet to the second one but I know I will be one day! And maybe my own mother can relate. Either way I like thinking of June as my sliver of moonlight that I tuck into bed.

You are the trip I did not take

You are the pearls I cannot buy

You are my blue Italian Lake

You are my piece of foreign sky

(Not sure who wrote this lovely little poem. But I love it.)