Camburgers and Apple Pie

Today we celebrated Cam's birthday... well, the festivities began yesterday.  I had finished a tough exam at school, came home and took the kiddos for a walk in the sunshine.  I remembered I had stashed away a gift card for a cabin getaway in Winthrop that my folks had given us for Christmas, and eureka... what a better time than a birthday and post test anxiety.  So, we packed up and left the mountains.  We seem to really be living it up lately (just been lucky I guess), but we were just discussing how those days will quickly come to an end as our homestead grows, and there are more mouths to feed (animals not kids people)and chores that need to be done.  

 For the time being though, I think we are somewhat enchanted with our new location and enjoy exploring around us, and my mom really spoils us when it comes to things like this.  The cabin we stayed in was awesome!  Cam's always a little anti-Winthrop due what he would call the "patchouli factor" (ie... too many hipsters), but man he was ready to join the crowd when he saw the hot tub on the porch that looked out over the river.  What a place... and to think we didn't have to cross a pass to get there (well actually we did --the Loup, but it was definitely not a 4 hour drive)!  The kids loved it of course, and we were able to just walk downtown for dinner at Cam's favorite hunting hitching post "Three Finger Jacks."  I don't really care how hippy it is, I love the decor, and know that if I have a past life, it was spent in a time period such as Winthrop emulates... coming to town once a month with my horse, wagon, shotgun and hearing the cowboys boots hit the wooden plank sidewalks.  I love it.  Thanks mom!

I'd like to say, Cam and I stayed up staring into eachothers eyes while the hot tub jetted around us, but being a parent is 24/7, and poor little B came down with a nasty case of congestion that left me sleeping in the king master bedroom with B on my chest and Bear close by, while Cam was left with the smaller bed all by his lonesome.... HA talk about foiled romance!  We got a couple hours of couple time in though, which is always nice, and we always have a good time together, when the world is pushed aside for a fleeting moment before there's a half naked toddler at your sliding glass door!  You have to enjoy the moments when you can, my cousin told me recently that your time is the best thing you can give someone, and I'm really trying to make the few down moments we have count. 

 Kendyl woke seriously under the weather, so we had an early breakfast in Twisp, and hit the road.  The kids rarely (thank God), get sick.  It's like mother hen mode when they do though.... Vicks, fluids, humidifier, rest... there's part of me that sickly enjoys their poor little faces when all they want is to snuggle and SIT STILL with mom (knowing it's only a little cold of course).  After a good nap today, I think she's on the mend though, and I'm not sure what could slow that girl down two days in a row.

Anyone who knows Cam, knows that burgers were on the menu, and he has been requesting a pie for sometime now, so I set to work on that as well.  Bear helped me with the pie crust, and rolled some of the extras (which seemed to disappear magically).  Birthdays are such fun, and it's a good time to celebrate a person.  Cam never fails to amaze me in his ability to remain positive about whatever is going on with our life.  He's freakishly positive and stable, which is good because I may be a little more on the what I like to call "highly passionate" side.  We are good partners though, and I know everything is better with him by my side.  Burgers and pie were a success!  I forgot how good apple pie really is....

One exciting piece of homestead news is... we may be adding to our brood!!!!!  No Gram, not a baby.... a Pup!  I have been looking for sometime now (like years), for a female Ridgeback.  When researching the breed, it's very evident the gender differences in these dogs... It's like a lion pride... Females hunt, kill, defend... and the males step in when some muscle is needed to finish the job.  I of course, love this, and have dreamed of the dog that will basically be the kid's bodyguard, and my running companion.  Anyway, I actually started looking at importing one directly from South Africa, because we were told it's fairly similar cost wise, but ended up finding a somewhat local breeder.  So... we may be expanding!  Our first Eastern Washington baby!  

My countdown to the end of the quarter is on... so the next few weeks will be pretty intense.  Cam's rented out our neighbor's wood splitter, and is looking to possibly buy a welding machine to start a few jobs here and there as our schedule allows.  Like I said, there's a lot of unknowns, but I feel like we always make it happen one way or the other.  The weather has been gorgeous, but chilly here, and the threat of possibly a little more snow has been whispered about.  The locals seem to be worried about the lack of snow pack and how dry that will make things come summer, and the lack of water that is already showing.  It's a different feeling living in a place where nature actually affects your livelihood/potential safety.  While we dealt with flooding a bit back home, it never seemed to affect the community as a whole, but here it's fire danger, crops, animals, and homes depending on the tendencies of 'ol Mother Nature. 

I always tell Cam that I don't know how this blog will continue, because I'm not the world's most exciting person, but I always seem to have things to catch up on and talk about....
Bear turned 4 this past week.  Hard to believe really.  Seems like just yesterday Cam and my mom were plotting against me to get me to the hospital so they didn't have to deliver a baby on their own.... I always have thought Cam would've done just as good as any doc! 

To celebrate the big 4 year old we took a little road trip to Idaho.  A nice novelty about moving is being able to explore farther East then we have in the past.  Kellogg, Idaho was our destination, a quaint mining town now host to a ski resort and indoor waterslides! We hit Cabela's and Couer d' Alene on the way, and enjoyed a scenic drive through Northern Washington and into Idaho. Kellogg, once home to a silver mine, now is a resort town nestled in the mountains and near a beautiful Idaho river.  It was a gorgeous weekend for exploring new territory.  After waking up "in a new state," as Cam likes to remind us, we had some time to kill before hitting the slides; so we decided to go on the longest gondola in the United States!  A 3.2 mile climb to the ski lodge above the town.  The kids loved it, as did we.  We have grown  used to seeing the open land, and the trees seemed a change for us.  Next, was the waterslides!!!  What fun to watch Barrett.  I am so happy with his courage and adventurous spirit.  As a mom, I of course am protective and always wondering how he will handle different situations, but at the same time we intentionally encourage exploration, and he never fails to amaze us.  Once he figured out the slides, it was on!  Even Kendyl, running on no nap, was game for anything!  Bear was so proud to go on the slides by himself!!  There is nothing like the joy of your child. 
The kids wore themselves out.. Kendyl tried to fall asleep at dinner and was "officially" in bed by 6:30 and slept for 13 hours or so!  If a child's happiness is measured by how hard they sleep, I'd say we had an all around successful birthday weekend.  The resort is gorgeous and I could definitely see heading back sometime. 
We arrived back home to Cal and Dottie, who had joined us the week before we left, after one of my long school weeks.  Very nice to spend some time with them, and enjoyed another birthday celebration for Barrett and Cam.  It's nice to have the company, even when I have my nose stuck in a
book.  Cal gave Cam a hand with the endless pile of wood we seem to have, and they were able to take the quads out.  We always enjoy their company!

This was a short week for me (only one day of school and no clinicals), and let me tell you.... I could get used to this schedule!  We took advantage of the sun, and melted snow, to get up in the state land above our property to look for shed antlers.  We didn't have any luck on the shed front, but it was nice to stretch our legs, get outside, and reacquaint ourselves with the territory.  We were impressed how much Bear hiked, and it felt good to be out and about.  Cam continued to work on the wood pile throughout the week and me and the kids have had some good outside time.  I was able to get a good run in as well.  We seem to be gaining strength.   

Had a good visit with the neighbors and 3 of their kiddos today; nice to have some kids around, and some adult conversation as well.  The kids play hard, and I know it's probably good for them to see some faces other than ours every once in a while.  We certainly spend a lot of time thinking about their future and how we'd like to attempt to shape it.  Maybe the norm isn't all it's cracked up to be, this world sure seems to be in a spiral.....  We have a lot of unknowns right now, our 5 year plan is definitely written in sand for easy editing.  Nevertheless, our wings are stretched and the view is fine. 

Put your big girl panties on and....

There's a new sense of life around here with just the brief change of weather.  The snow has melted on our hillside, and while it remains down in the meadow, most our roads are clear and we are able to spend increasing amounts of time outside with the kids.  It sounds like a small change, and  I alluded to it a bit in my last blog, but I can tell you that spirits are lifting around here.  Two factors I think are at play.  One is a feeling of accomplishment for making it through the winter.  We survived the travel trailer in sub 10 degree weather, we took bare land and added to it water, power, and shelter, and we remain standing together.  Maybe it's a bit like childbirth, maybe God helps you remember the good stuff,  and forget some of the bad, because really you don't have much choice but to do it all over again!  The other part of the equation is the hint of spring in our step.  We get to be outside more, which I believe is one of the most powerful mood boosters.  The skies have cleared and we are reminded as we look around of the power of what we have done and the beauty that surrounds us.  We are looking forward to spring projects including building a chicken coop, a bit of fencing, and gardening...  practically paradise if you ask me.  There is just a boost generated from the swirling of all these emotions, that winters' troubles are no more, and we can finally put our best Muck boot forward.

Let my pause for a moment to catch you up on current Team Brown happenings.  We are now eating all at a table!  Cam built us an awesome "picnic" table.  I so enjoy being able to share a meal as a family again, there is just something to say for that.  Today he got an outdoor light up, which I'm sure will be nice to have on my early mornings.  Currently though, I am taking a brain break from homework, its around 10:30PM  and my husband has decided to make himself a hamburger.  Anyone who knows anything about Cam knows that heaven for Cam probably looks something like this.... A day of successful deer hunting in the backwoods, hunting coyotes with Dale Jr. on the way to the Daytona 500, where he is proceeded to be fed hand pressed bacon cheeseburgers (by his lovely wife of course--- who else were you imagining).   Hey, when you get a craving in your head... you make a hamburger at 10:30.  

Meanwhile, the youngest member of Team Brown is sleeping... in her big girl Tinkerbell undies.  Kendyl spotted a package of undies I had set away for her the other day, and she was done with diapers.... I mean flat out refused to have one back on her tender buns.  So, we are potty training (or being potty trained, I'm not sure).  It's a big day for us, because we have been in the diaper game for darn near 4 years.  It's a big moment and I'm sure if we had any babysitters within 200 miles we would be celebrating.  She is stubborn... Lord only knows where she gets that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Another thing..... we figured out this year the true meaning of "spring cleaning."  I really always thought it was some 1950's husbands ploy to get his wife to deep clean the house... but no,  I'm pretty sure spring cleaning is derived from people who live in areas that actually get a fair amount of snow.  See, you can never really predict when that first snow is going to come, so you forget to clean up your yard/property, and then the snow comes.... and in places that get real winters it never goes away until spring.  So, when the thaw comes it's like Christmas, you find that pitchfork you've been searching for, any construction garbage that flew around in a storm and got buried, and about three months worth of dog residue.... Hence the Spring Clean.  It all makes sense now.

After we spent yesterday afternoon spring cleaning, Cam took a dump run this morning while I was being potty trained, I mean potty training.  We had a rather uneventful morning, but got to stretch our legs on a little hike around the property this afternoon.  It's been some time since we could really do our loop, and it was nice!  Bear is quite the character hiking around.  He really launches himself Up and Down the hills.  He likes to tell us he's going to stay behind and then stalk us by running from tree to tree or army rolling down the hills.   Kendyl likes to find whatever snow patch she can and eat a handful, and she definitely likes to stop and smell the pinecones (she may be the world's slowest hiker, but maybe she's just light years ahead us in nature appreciation).  Cam figures the bears are probably getting ready to wake up, and we noticed quite a few small buds on the bushes down in the
canyon.  Like I said... hope.  Time to dust of the running shoes......   

The Thaw

I apologize for the delay... extra moments are hard to create these days.  I definitely have been letting down my publisher (Cam). 

Things here are.... MUDDY.  I believe we may have seen the last of the snow fall, but we aren't counting it out.  Nevertheless, the roads are a Jeep's dream.  We have gotten some reprieve from the fog that has kept us socked in, and I have to say, WOW!  Cam and I walked up to our future house site today and the movies were flowing: drinking coffee soaking in the early morning Eastern Washington sun, a patio overlooking simple beauty, a garden oasis behind the house with the wildlife gracing us with their passing presence.. yes please!  We've been making plans for a chicken coop and a few outbuildings to grace our land.  It's a challenge to start from bare land, but we shape everything that happens, and Cam's hands make it real; there's something to say for that.  We enjoy dreaming up a blueprint, and creating our ranch.  It's nice to think about these things... our goals in the midst of somewhat controlled chaos. 

After a 12 hour clinical day Thursday my husband made me a fabulous dinner that led into a three day weekend.  We took a chance and waded through the mud to the park in Conconully.  It's one of my favorite drives... ranches, rolling hills, and OLD ranches.  The kids enjoyed the park.... until Bear took a spill in an icy puddle. So he rode in his skivvies home.  It's a cute little town.  We were reminded of one of the last times we were there; property searching...Cal and Dottie had come over to visit us.. and it was hot!  We have been here for almost 6 months and have seen summer, fall, and winter, with spring in sight.  Today we rode the quads farther than we have gone for quite some time.  While the ice is less, we took turns pulling eachother out of snow banks.  There is something powerful though about the promise of spring; weathering the storm, the promise of something new and bountiful.    
 
Had a great weekend away with good friends and my parents.  Cam went on his annual coyote derby down near Moses Lake.  I was glad for him to get a break, and he so enjoys the predator chase.  Anna graciously made the journey to our mountain estate to watch the kiddos while I had a long clinical day, during which I of course returned to my car to find a flat tire (the third since moving here).  When it rains it pours!  After a popcorn stop at Les Schwab we met Derrick down in Wenatchee and had an amazing sushi dinner.  It was so nice to visit with them, I had such a great time!  My parents then met us in Leavenworth to enjoy a pre birthday party for Bear and some time together.  What a great place they arranged, a lot of good childhood memories there.  The kids are definitely beyond blessed by all the love they are showered with, and it is nice to reconnect when we can.  We returned home for the Super Bowl with our neighbors and their family.  Enjoyed the good company and good food before the end of the mini vacation. 





School continues to be a challenge.  And yes I seem to have risen to the academic occasion, but it's a hard balance to keep, and I fear I am not the best juggler.  It's a battle I'm trying to keep in stride and remind myself of the end goal for my family and myself.  The journey though, that's where one should place their attention, and I'm trying to hang on to that.  Sometimes not quitting or giving up is the biggest measure of success...