annoucing...

Baby Bo is officially Cooper James Bowen. I will definitely put on pictures as soon as I can. What a week !! Both girls moving into their new homes down here in Phoenix. Kelly and Bo have been in an apartment here since July, and sort of forgot that when one moves one prepacks ones stuff in boxes. Throw in a brand new baby and his parents on a learning curve ( and they are catching on nicely.) Porters family traveled down to help with their move-in. Bo's family - those who aren't currently living in Arizona - came down as well. A fabulous turkey dinner was truly on the back burner this year..and thats ok. The weather has been devine..although the natives are complaining about it being chilly. Seriously?! It feels lovely.
I have taken pictures, and I Will get them on.
My blessings, and the gratitude I feel for all of them have never been more apparent than they were this year.

baby bo

WELCOME LITTLE ONE !! After laboring since friday, Kelly finally gave birth to baby bo at 3:15 pm this day...november 23rd...her actual due date. The baby remains un-named, but odds are on "Dallin" for at- very least- the middle name. He is a very charming little guy. Kelly was simply beaming with him in her arms. As the post-partum nurse settled the two into their room for the night, she said to Kelly "do you feel as good as you look?" And so true - Kelly looked absolutely fabulous even without make-up on and having just gone through a marathon of labor. I loved seeing this new beginning for her and papa bo...she seemed to be taking to the motherhood role beautifully. So glad the little man is finally here - we feel complete again.

vital statistics : 6 lbs 15 ounces....20 3/4 inches....little bit of hair....ten fingers and ten toes

Hopefully a name tomorrow !

summer memories..

It is snowing..I am already nostalgic about last summer. What an amazing summer it was. What a lucky gal I am. Blessed with a fun-loving husband and a big chunk of wide open time. The children were done with another school year,no one was on a sports team and Kevin wasn't working. So why not write up a list of places we have always wanted to see, or go back to and share with others. And that is what we did..hit the road running with the whole dang summer Open in front of us. We paced ourselves and far from exhausting, the adventure became energizing. What better way to spend our money ( after writing out the Waterford tuition check of course ) than to see America with our family?!! I will never regret that we took this time and had ourselves a Real adventure.

There are so many new things to see in this world ! Imagine experiencing Both the Redwood National Forest and Acadia National Park in the same summer ! It was wonderful to let the little goats see Boston, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine for the first time. To see how incredibly different the northeast is from home.One only truly understands this first hand. To visit historical sites from Concord&Lexington, to the John F Kennedy library and Fenway Park.

We traveled by plane, car, kayak, bus, hydro-jet, subway and tram for a total of 20,000 miles (includes a parental finale in Hawaii.) The dogs were the least excited about our travel plans since they had to stay home! I really wish that they could have come to Tahoe with us..they would have Loved the lake. Even in Tahoe, with all our traditional " have-to's" we found new and wonderful things this year.

Allrighty..some of the-best-of-the-best..

1. The art supplies at the University of Oregon's student bookstore..FABULOUS !!

2 . A funky little beach in Kauai COVERED with sea glass- WOW.

3. Kayaking on Long Pond in Maine.

4. Finding this little restaurant way late at night in Tahoe..an old ski cabin that someone turned into a dining spot..complete with twinkle lights in the trees and Excellent food.

5. Being so Impressed with the classic charm of Dartmouth..beautiful.

6. Whiskey Town lake in No. Cal. Why have I never even heard of it?!! Absolutely gorgeous.

7. How darling javalinas are when they trot/bounce along a desert skyline.

8. Wondering if sharon Vermont is THE most beautiful place in America.

9. Sailboats in the late afternoon sun ,they are the definition of summer.

10 .How many stunning shades of blue are there ? Each state has its own particular hue.

11. Is seafood better in Maine or Hawaii ? Not sure, further investigation is needed !!

12. Are blueberries or pineapple the best fruit ?! ( see #11 )

The list goes on and on..and i wouldn't have known any of it without traveling. My cup of gratitude runneth over. Thanks Kev..

Even in Tahoe, with all our traditional " have-to's"we found new and wonderful things to do

oak trees and november sunshine

This entry finds me in Sacramento. Kevin's father dick passed away on the 29th, and we are all out here for the funeral. Kevin has been out here since last monday when the doctors disn't think he would make it through the day. He lasted the week on a morphine drip,but no feeding tube. Not the best way to go...hard on his immediate family standing vigil - they could have used a morphine drip by mid-week as well.

My mom had her 85th birthday in the middle of all this, and even Kevin was saying," I hope he doesn't pass on her actual b-day. She gets rather - I don't even know what the right word is here - about these kind of things. So my mind has been all caught up in dying,death and reactions. Years ago, ok decades really, my best friend mom died on my mom's birthday. Not just next-door-neighbors but inseperable buddies she and I. My dad brought home a brand new deep cooper colored Grand Prix for moms birthday. It was a very sweet gesture of course - just rather awkward timing. The Allens were flooded with family and friends coming to the house to see how the family was doing etc. Holly and I were in second grade. She finally escaped the sadness/tears/cheek-pinching and came up to myhouse. And there we were oohing and ahhing over moms new car. When they left us alone we got in the car and shut the door. I was trying to say how sorry I was about her mom, and of course at 8 years old doing a lousy job. She starting crying again and so did I...and then suddenly we were crying/laughing and completely unable to stop. I remember us saying how glad we were that the doors were closed and no one could hear us. It wasn't at all mean spirited - more like a release, and not knowing what else to do.

Reacting to death is complicated..its messy..it is so personal. One of my little goats was feeling bad that he didn't cry when we told him gramps had died. Oh yes, reacting to death is also a real guilt swirly. I tried to reassure him that everyone responds differently..and honestly ever death that occurs in one's life is a new experience. With Dick, most of us are just so glad that he is out of pain and his worn-out body.Dick was crazy about his first family and childhood in Pangiutch..and I like to picture his mom and siblings welcoming him home. It is hard to cry when he is in such a good place now.