Day 63

This was technically a picture taken yesterday but I didn't really do anything today but rest.  :)

Day 62

Fireworks at the Old Fashion Festival last night!

Day 61

Day 60

Soaking up the sunshine!  (PS she got hot real fast and moved to a cooler place...)

Day 59

Day 4 of Yearly Meeting.  Becky Ankeny was approved today as the new Superintendent of Northwest Yearly Meeting.

Day 58

(Sorry for the lateness of the post...)  Day three of Yearly Meeting.  This was a gift from the churches of the Yearly Meeting to the Saxtons as a goodbye gift.  They will be leaving as Colin has accepted a job at FUM.  They will be dearly missed.

Day 57

Second day of Yearly Meeting.

(Mark & Kaitlin Thomas)

Day 56

Today was the first day of yearly meeting.  I have so many good memories of this week growing up.  Can't wait for the rest of it.

(Jon Roberts)

Day 55

Art, barbeque, wine and Woodards, doesn't get much better than that!

(Toni Woodard)

Day 54

Strawberry shortcake = SUCCESS!!!

Day 53

Day 52

Day 51

Rain rain go away

Come again oh sunny days!

Day 50

Day 49

Went goodwilling with Kelsey today and then played bananagrams (which by the way is a wonderful game).  While we were at good will we were distracted by a colorful display of tattoos but as we drew closer I found myself dismayed.

Notice the "Girl-toos" next to the "Skulls" not the "Boy-toos."  In other words, girls deserve distinctly named tattoos while boys don't.  Why do we separate things based on gender?  Toys for example, is a pink toy really better for a girl and is something with flames painted on the sides better for a boy?  My guess is that they don't even really notice the difference until we put meaning to it.  We tell boys that they should not wear nail polish and that girls should all want to be princesses.  Even if it's not with our words it is in the way we choose gifts for them.  People play gentler with girl babies than boy babies.  Are girls really more fragile?  What are we doing to our children?

Then we grow up and the separation is so ingrained that we hardly notice and we take it for granted.  Do men and women really need different kinds of deodorant and shampoo?  Think about it.

Day 48

I apologize for any confusion but I haven't missed a day, just posted the last two late.  It was a couple of late nights so the posts didn't happen till the next day.

Today I decided to randomly go up to my parents house.  I spent a nice afternoon with my dad sorting brass, cleaning my room and eating dinner.  We are about to go watch a movie.  A good day and I'm glad I came here for a little bit.  Below is one of my mothers beautiful flowers.  :)

Day 47

Day 46

Day 45

We got to see reptile man today.  Both of the kids were ridiculously excited and they got to touch a snake!  Doesn't get much better than that.  :)  Afterwards Lizzie and I had our own tea party and then laid down in the lawn to look at the clouds.  Good day.

Day 44

We hung out with Grandma King today, climbing on hay bails, building with tinker toys, and the kids enjoye!d soda floats.  :)  What a good, relaxing day!

Day 43

Today was a wonderfully full day.  It started out with a bike ride.  I haven't ridden a bike in a really really long time and let me tell you, it does not come back super easily but after a couple near disasters I managed to stay on the thing for the straight bits of road.  Then we have tea and sandwiches outside on the sidewalk before ending the day with an epic lightsaber fight in which I lost.  After playing with the kids all morning I went and pulled/chopped weeds for a couple hours at a professors place.  Even though allergies suck it was a fitting end to the day.

Day 41 & 42

 I got to spend the whole weekend with Kelsey and it was wonderful.  We watched a lot of movies, ate by the river, had ice cream, went to the cupcake shop, and in general just had a good time.  I'm glad we're besties and it's always nice to have her closer during the summer.  

Day 40

Even though I have lived in Newberg for almost five years now I have never been to my grandparents grave.  My grandma passed away in 2002 and grandpa in 2007.  Today I went.  I think of them often when I pass large milestones in my life.  When I graduated from high school, though it was a momentous occasion, I could not help but feeling a sense of loss.  I know that my grandma wanted to see my graduate and she died when I was in eighth grade.  Then grandpa died the February before I graduated so he was not able to see me either.  Even though it has been a while some days the pain and sadness is enough to drop me to my knees and steal my breath away.  There are things that I regret that I try not to let myself dwell on too much.  When grandpa died I was supposed to visit him that weekend and he passed the day before.  I was the only one in my family who did not get the chance to say goodbye or to even see him before he died.  I know that I cannot do anything about that but sometimes I can't help but be angry at myself and the fact that I didn't go with Dad and Robyn the day they went.

So much of who I have become is because of these two people in my life.  My grandma is my hero and admire so much of who she was and what I remember about her.  She made such an effort to be involved in mine and Robyn's lives before she died.  I remember trips that she and I took, especially the one to Lake Chelan.  I remember that we were chased by a goose and I found a half dollar.  I remember going to see plays at George Fox and when she nursed a terrible sunburn I got at camp Tillikum.  I remember playing in the filbert orchard behind their house, picking raspberries and imprinting our hands in the newly poured cement of their back porch.  For my twelfth birthday we went on a hot air balloon ride and I almost drank champagne by mistake.  Some of the other memories I have are not so happy.  I remember her getting sick and wishing that God would let me take her pain away.  I remember that she died the day after I finished reading the Psalms to her.

Now that I have graduated from college I cannot help but feel a little sadness too that she and grandpa were not able to be there, that they cannot see who I have become.  I miss her acutely as I am learning what a heart I have for marginalized women.  There is no doubt in my mind that some of this comes from her influence on my life.  I wish she knew the woman I have grown up to be and that I could share this passion with her.  I wish we could sit down over coffee and talk about my faith, my struggles with men, and how I want to be with women in the sex industry.  At the same time I am incredibly thankful for her and how she invested her time in me while she was here.  So, it may seem silly, but I went to her grave today and shared with her some of the things I've accomplished in the last four years.  I sat and let myself both laugh, cry and remember what an amazing woman she was.

Day 39

I spent most of the day today with Becca.  It was a wonderful day full of laughter, cheesecake, Thai food and a few serious moments.  I am reminded over and over what a good friend I have in this woman.  She has been such a blessing in my life and I love her dearly.  She helps to keep me grounded and my life in perspective.  I am going to miss her when she and her husband move, but for now I plan on soaking in her friendship as much as possible.

Day 38

Day 37

Got smoothies at Chapters today with the kids.  Yum!

Day 36

Got to share a picnic, stories and lots of laughter with Mark, Kaitlin and Anna today.  I smiled every time I heard them use the words "wife" or "husband."  :)

Day 35

Yesterday's post is late due to the surprise nature of the pictures.  Mark and Kaitlin have been gone on their honeymoon and we helped to decorate their apartment.  They come home today.  Happy 4th and today's picture will be here later!

Day 34

So, I decided I was bored with my hair and got a hair cut today.  It is significantly shorter (but not as short as it was in high school).  Turns out I really miss having short hair.  :)

Day 33