May 2018

Spring is so sweet in Portland! After a dark and wet winter it feels absolutely sublime to be in the sunshine and fresh air. We soaked up as much sunshine as possible in May with plenty of hikes and visits to parks.

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden

The Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden is in full bloom in May! Between the beautiful flowers and the clear water it feels like a little fairy world. We counted dozens of different colors of flowers, ran around the paths, and had fun feeding the ducks and geese. It was still early enough that we saw some ducklings and goslings, though we got hissed at by some mama geese when we got too close to their babes!

Talent Show 2018 

We had our annual homeschool talent show at our church. The girls did a Dance with No Music while Tommy recited all 45 of the presidents of the United States. It's always so enjoyable to get together and see how much the kids have learned and progressed.

Salmon River Hike 

Trackers ended in mid-May, which left us with some free days to spend in the forest. We drove to Mount Hood National Forest and did this little walk along the Salmon River. The kids threw rocks into the river, played in some sand, and ran along the trail.

We turned around when the trail intersected a little stream. We spent about an hour there, which was honestly pure bliss. We played on a log that had fallen across the stream. The kids felt very brave crossing over on top of the log.

They worked on a project where they carried the big rocks to different locations to make dams and reservoirs. The big kids called their business The Best Damn Dam and thought they were hilarious.

I helped Clara cross the stream a few times until she built up her confidence to do it by herself. Once she got the hang of it, I sat back in the sunshine and watched the kids play.

At one point I remember that Clara crossed the river, but she slipped a few times on the rocks. I was praising her for her effort, but she fixated on the fact that she slipped, not that she had finished or accomplished something new on her own. I thought a lot about what a great analogy that is for life. I slip all the time, but instead of focusing on the imperfections and the mistakes, I think God would want me to focus on my diligent effort and what I accomplish in the big picture. If I can focus on that for Clara, how much more would a perfect parent focus the effort of His imperfect children?

Sunshine is the Best Medicine 

We had some truly gorgeous days in May. It's a real party when the sun decides to come out again!

We pulled out the balcony furniture, the bikes, and other outdoor toys. Spring is really the time to enjoy Portland!

Our lives revolved around Little League for Tommy with two practices and at least one game per week. It was kind of a big deal, but I appreciated how much time we all spent outdoors. The girls and I played at the park during his practices, which was really fun and wonderful.


Tommy continues to improve his baseball skills, so much that every time he comes up to bat the crowd starts shouting, "Tommy Time!" He almost always gets a hit. He's a very reliable player who works hard, listens to his coaches, and loves every aspect of the game.

Grammy's Visit 

Grammy graced us with a short visit. It's always a party when Grammy is around. The kids played and played, got spoiled with small toys and candy, and Lily enjoyed lots of early morning snuggles with Grammy before anybody else was awake.

We celebrated the end of our school year with bowling, friends, laser tag, and arcade games. The highlights were Lily hanging with her best friend, Annabelle, Clara bowing after a decent bowl, and me creaming all the kids in a game of laser tag.

One of the best things about Grammy's visit was celebrating Tommy's birthday a few weeks early. We called a Grammy Birthday Party since she was the only one handing out presents. It's always more fun to be there to see the kids open their presents and to see how excited they are.

My favorite thing about this video is how Tommy gives Grammy a big hug, says thank you so sincerely and graciously, and then looks at his present and asks, "Question, what is this?" It's such a testament to Tommy's genuinely thoughtful nature.

Pioneer Woman's Grave Hike 

Since Trackers ended in mid-May I decided that I would continue making Thursdays an outdoor adventure day. We got a few friends together and did the Pioneer Woman's Grave Hike. It was one of Tommy's Cub Scout badges, plus it was super educational and beautiful to boot. We learned a lot about the pioneers crossing on the Barlow Road, which was the last and most treacherous leg of their entire journey across the West.

Even in May it was freezing cold that high up Mount Hood! The kids even found snow! The drive was as beautiful as the hike and I'm glad we got to do it.

Bonus Hike 

It took us almost two hours to drive up to the Pioneer Woman's Grave hike so I wasn't about to just hop in the car and go back home. We stopped in Rhododendron to do a little waterfall hike I had done the year before with some girlfriends on a weekend retreat.

The kids found new bounce in their step and cruised through that hike as well. It was warmer down there, too! Once we were done with that hike I felt satisfied enough to head home. A day out in the woods always feels amazing!