11 years & 1 kid later

Man at Work

We celebrated our 11th anniversary by not really celebrating our 11th anniversary.  We chose to keep it low key, but Steve did install the amazing douglas fir shelves he has been working on in the dining/kitchen.  He used metal braces to support them and I read somewhere that the 11th anniversary is steel, so I interpreted the shelves as a present.  See how I did that?  That's what 11 years of marriage gets you.  They look beautiful.

Hairdo & Missing a head, an arm & part of a leg

Grady's school picture day was this week and he styled himself in skinny jeans, Dolce & Gabana t-shirt, thrifted snap shirt and a really awesome hairdo.  The boy looked good.

Sonoma Coast at Sunset

The evenings have been cool and crisp.  We went to Jenner last Saturday night to help initiate the new fire pit at River's End with the Rangels.  They had all the fixings for s'mores and ordered up an amazing sunset.  We brought the kids neon bracelets and they loved them.  The bioluminecense was a trip to see and the kids (and Steve) took turns tossing rocks & logs into the river to watch the neon green show.

I love when we have pizza night.  We've kind of got the recipe down to a science and cooking as a family makes me really happy.  Our boy has been reading the Percy Jackson series and has really dived in, stealing away any possible moment he can to open the book and read.

G's nightly hugs to his father appear a bit awkward due to his long legs and fascination with finding his reflection in a nearby window.  This boy never tires of looking at himself!

Gemini & Autumn view of our home

The leaves are changing and dropping fast on Johns Street.  The llamas will move to a neighboring pasture as soon as the next big rain is on the horizon.  Our fields are mangy, dry and overgrown - kind of like the llamas.  

This is the last week of soccer and it's not over yet.  The Angry Hippos beat the Tidal Waves 6 - 0 and they were so fun to watch.  The boys have really come together as a team this season and it's been a thrill to see their skills build over time and learn their positions.  We have a big weekend ahead of us with a three game (minimum) soccer tournament at Ragle Park.  I guess it's official:  I'm a soccer mom.

I saw rain in the forecast for later this week and I made sure we picked one last batch of blackberries from Middle Road.  I set about canning three batches of jam today and found complete and utter peace in the quiet rhythm of my kitchen.  My task was completed by noon and I even snuck in a coffee date with Steve after dropping G off at school.  I'm getting this jamming thing down and find a lovely satisfaction in foraging & preserving the summer bounty.  I even had enough energy in me to can a few more batches of applesauce this week and Steve juiced the last of our apple harvest.  We are officially done in this department.

The weather has been unpredictable, so I've been soaking up the sunshine when it's out and reading as much as I can outside.  I know old man winter is creeping up on us, so I have been seizing the day(s).

The Valley Ford Volunteer Fire Department held an ice cream social this week, with homemade ice cream provided by the Valley Ford Young Farmers' Association.  It felt like real down-home country charm and I'm a sucker for that business.  We met a few new people from town and visited with those we see less often.  It's kind of funny how we live a town with a population of 126 and still don't know everyone.

G has a new pen pal, cousin Ana Maria from Canada.  She wrote him first and sent him cookies.  He wrote her back, sent her an introduction to birding book and illustrated his best self-portrait to date.  He was inspired to draw this beauty with new Micropens that we purchased from the art supply store a few days ago.  He ended up wanting to keep the original, so I scanned and printed off a few.

I ended up framing the original and hanging in our living room.  I enjoy watching him develop his skills as an artist and seeing how proud he is of his work.

After 11 years, I'm proud of all of this life we've created, the son we've had and the community we belong to.

Happy anniversary to us.