Annual Snake Race and Frog Jumping Contest!

This was a first experience for us all, both sets of grandparents included! Wasn't there a Mark Twain tale, Jumping Frog of Calaveras County? That's my only recollection of frog jumping contests. This is supposedly a long tradition in our town, and it definitely piqued Gabe's interest. Grandma helped him find a beautiful specimen of a frog in our forest wetland just in time for the noon contest. Gabe allowed Lydia to enter the frog in her age division as well, and Freddy Frog earned 2nd place for length from tip to toe and 2nd place in Lydia's division for distance in three consecutive jumps even if he tried to outwit all with plan of escape and reverse of direction. He didn't earn a kiss from the court princess, but he was a real prince of a frog in our estimation.



Graduation Day!

A beautiful day on the Puget Sound.... Four more months of residency, but you've got to feel closer to the end on graduation day, right?! It was graduation, formal ceremony, celebratory, and satisfying all the same. Eight years ago, we entered the scene with the Family Practice intern class. Today we finally arrived at the summation of all those years of experience, challenge, perseverance and accomplishment. It felt good to be at the other end of those years, good years though they were, and look ahead to good years ....



Homeschool

A snapshot of home-school.
We are in the 20th lesson of a 26 lesson curriculum, My Father's World, J-j Jewel.
A lesson from the Jewels: Jesus is more valuable than anything else.
"Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." Philippians 3:8a NLT

First ER Visit

Dinner was canceled en lieu of an ER visit Monday night. Gabe and Lydia were playing a little match of pre-dinner golf when Gabe caught the club in the face during little sister's wind up. We figured the details out much later, as nothing made sense in the immediate aftermath of screams, sobs and protestations of both guilt and innocence. I had no idea what the unintended weapon had been. The iron had been dropped in the grass like it was caught sin itself. The cause of the open gash was left to my imagination. I was relieved to see eyes, teeth, and features intact. The gash was clean and straight, right in the smile line before the swelling. I was running around like... a crazy woman but managed to procure sane actions. Marshal was just rousing himself from catch-up sleep and readying for another night at the hospital. I let him know in a fly-by that stitches were in order for the evening. He continued his preparations as if nothing was amiss, calm, stoic, steady, contemplative. He checked out Gabe and came up with his action plan. He made his coffee and microwaved an Amy's lasagna I had stowed for a year, for such a time as this, and sent me to the hospital ahead of him.
Now, having a fine doctor for a husband and dad does have its benefits! Gabe, Lydia, and I checked in at the Naval Hospital ER and sat for awhile. Just before Gabriel was called back we caught sight of Daddy, already in his scrubs, looking for us. After the stats were taken, and we were ushered into a procedures room, Marshal met us, and it was just us.... Gabe on the bed, his eyes big, vulnerable and brave, his hand in mine; Lydia on my lap, being Mommy's little helper by being quiet and still, holding in her myriad of questions; Dr. Daddy bending over Gabe, talking him through the work of his proficient hands, cleansing, anesthetizing, irrigating, and stitching the wound. Now how is that for a first emergency room experience?! Almost makes this whole crazy life worth it! Nothing like going to the ER to spend an extra hour or two with your hubby. Too bad we set the stage for a busy night at the ER that kept Marshal hopping without reprieve. He was too spent to recover today before he headed back in tonight. We are praying, hoping for some rest for him this night - last shift - clinic tomorrow - four day weekend on the horizon.

First Recital




We have already come to the close of Lydia's Ballet 1 class! These are dressing room photos of Lydia's first dance recital. She danced to Topsy Turvy from Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame. The costumes alluded to court jesters. In the third photo, Lydia's fellow ballerinas are pictured in a grouping behind her. Daddy was able to watch the full dress rehearsal, and Grammy and Grandpa came for the Saturday night performance. It was a delight to watch our little girl of course, and Lydia loved the stage.

Busy Bees



With the perceived threat and implications of the demise of bees, I have found myself bending low and taking a closer look at these beautiful little pollinators. I have been comforted to see so many varieties of wild bumbles still buzzing about my clover and lavender. I'm hoping some sunflowers and cosmos come up this summer for their sake too. Gabe has been just as eager to point out the different bees and exclaim over their unique color patterns.

Evening Shadows and Patches

Something is growing on this patch of hillside.
Waiting to find out....
A wildflower patch would be lovely.

Gabe and Lydia's pumpkin patch.

Special Day

This month, Marshal has worked or slept through all the "special days," as he is working nights with a couple long days to bookend each week..... Almost done with this insanity. Graduation is a week from Friday, although four more months of putting in the time to be officially done with residency! Father's Day we still had a smidgen of time to tell Marshal what a great dad he is, and we've learned to celebrate the moments. Tonight we celebrated a perfect evening to eat a summer meal outside at Lydia's request. First day of summer is almost here! We've had some gray, cool weather, but this evening was still, warm, 72 degrees, bug-free, and altogether blissful. We ate and soaked up the tranquility, warmth, beauty, and comfort of the evening on our deck in the space of less than half an hour, but it holds promise of future days to come.

Anniversary


We celebrated eight years today. We were not at leisure to celebrate liberally but seized the precious moments to express our hearts... red roses, endearing written words, a twenty-minute candlelight dinner in courses while the frozen lasagna continued to cook, a shared toast with our children as we clinked glasses of wedding sparkling cider. Then - last parting kisses, "Happy Anniversary. See you tomorrow." It was happy, and my heart is full.