I Think I Should Have been a Cowgirl...............

Growing Together

Bear Ready for Early Morning Berry Picking

Hello, and welcome back!  I certainly apologize for the delay in writing.  My editor is furious and I have been fired numerous times only to be hired again after many pleas for compassion.  I'd hate for you to lose interest, so will try to be better moving forward here.   

 Last time we talked we were right in the middle of... the pool, due to quite a heatwave.  I'm happy to say there have been no fires in our area.  We have been stocking up on emergency supplies just in case, but are hoping of course not to use them.  We've put in some hiking time, looking for fruit trees, berries, and higher hunting ground.  Bear put in 4 miles or so with us last weekend, while Kendyl is happy to catch a ride in my backpack.  We've scouted out a forgotten apple orchard, a discovery that I know Cam's grandpa would be elated about.  It's liberating to be resourceful, to find areas of "organics" most people drool over, and to be teaching a practical/useful way of life to our kids.  Cam and I have also been putting in some time shooting our bows for the upcoming archery season.  I'm improving under his guidance, which is a necessity for the task at hand.  I'm really enjoying learning a new skill and it's a great way to decompress when I get home.           

The Family That Hikes Together....Sleeps Good!

We recently spent an interesting week over in Medical Lake, where I had a clinical rotation at the state mental health hospital.  I was a bit nervous about the task at hand prior to going.  The hospital began in 1890 something and many of the buildings built shortly after that still remain.  The grounds are expansive, and the buildings definitely have the look of an institution, it's a bit intimidating to say the least.  While I cannot talk about my experience there, I left with many lessons learned and a full heart.  I felt grateful for the life I have, and the life of my children; and grateful that I'm beginning a career that directly affects those in need.  We all have judgements and reservations when we see people that look or act a certain way, but I tell you.... until you know where that person came from, it's best to keep your rocks in your own glass house.  There are some that have it pretty rough, and our "system" does them no favors.  I've always felt like I have a compassionate spirit, but I think I also harbored a lot of my own judgements, and I'm happy to leave some of those behind.

While over there, we did have an interesting stay in a campground!  Cam and I have stayed at 2 actual campgrounds.  We generally find more secluded mountain locations free from hustle, bustle, or hookups (that's the point after all...right?!)  Cam did such a great job handling the camping reservations for us, and even talked to a local sheriff about the safest campgrounds in the area.  It had a pool for the kids, 2 playgrounds, a mini golf course, and many other activities to keep the kids occupied until I got home around 2.  What it did not have was CAMPING.  It was quite similar to apartment life.... We were packed in tighter than piglets, and were surround by people from none other than.... Lynden!  Let's just say we realized how much we have acclimatized to mountain life.  I could barely study with the noise of others around, and just seeing other people in the area of our living space was plain ol weird!  We took some fun fieldtrips though... to a great outdoor/sporting goods store in Idaho, Cabela's in Post Falls, and a tiger preserve north of Spokane.  The tigers were definitely a hit with the kids... and myself.  Kendyl made me laugh pretty hard when after she discovered that one of the tiger's had a couple missing digits on it's paw, promptly looked at me and said "Where's that tigers toes??.... Let me down... I'll go find them!"  Needless to say, we were elated to come home to happy dogs, solace, and the completion of one more challenge. 
   
Our house project remains a bit elusive.  We have a plan in hand, but it still needs some tweaking.  I can feel our time running low, but we remain at a bit of a standstill.  We are trying to find a balance between simplicity and something that will last us, and of course within the budget.  Cam is starting to chomp at the bit to get underway, so hopefully we will narrow down the blueprint this week.  I'm getting pretty excited despite how full my plate already is, and spend much of the day walking around the building site envisioning coffee on the patio, cooking while looking out over falling snow, and of course building a cozy spot for the kids to grow.  

I just finished one of the most intense weeks of nursing school yet... 4 tests and a roller coaster of battle.  I survived though!  And let out a deep breath of accomplishment.  Working hard feels good when you can look back on all you have accomplished.  I'm very focused right now, and free from the distraction of tv or other time consumers, and it feels good to be working hard for my family.  That being said, I've given myself the last couple days off, and I have enjoyed every minute.  We had a fantastic bbq with the neighbors Saturday night.  We count our blessings being up in the mountains with them, and I look forward to growing our relationship over the years.  There is much to learn and share with eachother, and I am so grateful for the bonds we are forming.  We ate, conversed, and played the night away.  After they left, Cam and I went on an undercover bee removal mission, as we had spotted a huge hive down the hill near our wild plum tree, and we have been plagued lately around the shop.  We had the brilliant idea of dropping the hive right into a heavy duty garbage sack and quickly containing the lethal tornado that was sure to occur.  Luckily for us, in hindsight, our clippers were rather dull and we aborted the mission.  Every marriage should have adventure, even if the odds are overwhelmingly against you.  Walking back to the house with the moon lighting our way, and absolute peaceful silence, it my heart was full of neighborly goodness and gratefulness for being married to someone who holds the garbage bag!!!!!!

Spirit Drummers!

Today took us on another adventure.  We woke at a leisurely time, had some Cheerios, and set out.  First stop was the restaurant at Bonaparte Lake, a small lake known for fishing, about an hour from our house, and in a fairly remote location on Highway 20.  We had a nice brunch, and then headed farther North up to Lost Lake.  Lost Lake is fairly small, definitely remote, hosts several camps and is known for the presence of a group of endangered Loons, and some good fishing.  The scenery is well taken care of by the forest service and allows for more visibility under the trees.  We wandered around the area, and several times Cam said "I love our life."  Being able to constantly explore the wilderness and watch the kids enjoy the wild, is pretty priceless.  They made quite the band together banging on some stumps with sticks, and are becoming astute berry hunters.  While our time is slim as of late, extra time is no longer wasted, but generally full of adventuring together.

We returned home to a short shower of rain, that is so welcome over here; it would take weeks of rain to soak this dust bowl.  My cousin joined us from his job up at the Holden Mine on Lake Chelan, and we are enjoying a quiet night.  Life is good.  There is a lot of work on our horizon, but I get the feeling we are not only settling into a groove around here, but are going to thrive in many ways.