30 days of smiles: Days 24 through 30!

That'll teach me to do a '30 days' challenge without factoring in the vacation and time away from a computer. Whoops!

The trip was great! MUCH needed. Honestly, there was a whole lot of stress around it and way too much of my mind was wrapped in worry at making everyone else happy... Yeah, yeah: lesson learned (though I may need a reminder next time around). We are SO glad to be home.

We spent some time playing in the park and eating amazing food in Ashland on the way down to California. We spent a night with Aunt Ronda in McCloud, Ca on the way down and on the way back home.

No pix of the festival!? I know! How did that happen? Also, pix of many people are lacking. I tend to forget to whip out the camera when I am preoccupied. ;)

Time in Shasta was incredibly healing... so was time with family and friends. The icing on the proverbial cake was soaking in the hot springs at Stewart Mineral Springs (on Mother's Day!) the afternoon before we came home. Words cannot express how much I needed that "reset".

This is probably my most scattered post so far and I apologize for that. I'm gearing up to be away from home for a week (and my little one... *sadface*) for a doula training. I'm trying to conserve some energy and ready myself, but I am failing miserably. Surely, I will have tons to post about when I return! 

SPRING (& an ode to Winter)...

SO so so so so much has happened since December. I swear, I never meant to take this long of a blog break, but I suppose life got in the way. Just to catch you up:

We moved! We decided to leave the coast of Oregon and settle inland about 50 miles just on the edge of Corvallis in a community called Philomath. It's small. It's all American... It just may be the safest feeling place that I have ever lived. We love it. We do miss the coast on occasion, but we resonate so much closer to the vibe that is Corvallis and we truly couldn't be happier with our decision. Here's a glimpse of one of the perks of our rental house: SUNROOM! We spend every morning (and much of the day) in here. We drink tea/coffee, do arts and crafts, watch the birds swoop in for snacks, play cars on the floor, color; etc. It really is a little slice of heaven. Note the playground just outside of our back fence. Baz is head over heels!

We've had visitors... One of which indulged the Bazlet in a serious jam session:

Ben began a new job (which he loves!) and we have taken a few breakfast dates to enjoy some alone time to connect.

We said goodbye to a very special animal friend... Actually, said goodbye to 2. My snake, Shiva, made his way out about a month and a half before my sweet kitty Shasta.

Breakfast dates were made possible by a little someone beginning preschool! That's his preschool building just past the trees. It is set at the edge of a gorgeous park and has a fab playground out back. Again, he's in love. Loves his teachers and making new friends. Working on learning the ways of school life and finding his place in the group.

Baz GREW!

...and grew some more!

I've found little bits of my spirit self that had been neglected and hiding... Feeling so much clearer.

Got some tattoos...

Matched by a Sister-friend!

Took a spontaneous trip to Cali to visit friends and fam (and my fave mountain: Shasta!).

Connected with a niece/cousin that we hadn't yet had the chance to know.

Spent time with cherished friends (& fam; many of whom shy away from the camera)...

and decided that we just can't live without a sweet kitty friend (okay, that's all me... I'm missing my Shasti, but I'm ready for the next adventure. We welcome our new kitty this Thursday!).

Okay, yeah... so, a lot has happened in the past season... much more than I have listed, surely. I feel like I hit the major points spot on, though. Looking forward to sharing the next changes. Feeling grateful for Ms. Amelia for kickin' my butt into blog action by requesting that I get to posting and expressing that she has missed my bloggy presence. Send us some "get well" lovin'. We've got a nasty cough/cold brewing in our house. Sun has been popping out for bits and we really want to get outside and take advantage of the blooms and light!

California Baby.

I didn't anticipate needing so much time to recuperate from being away from home. 18 days is a looooooong time.

Sebastian thoroughly enjoyed the train. He slept well, played hard & had a blast playing peek-a-boo over his seat with fellow passengers. I thought that the 17 hour ride each way would never end, but I think I would entertain the idea of doing it all over again (maybe next year).

The first leg of the trip was all about Davis, CA. We spent a relaxing and fun weekend with our friends Jevan and Amelia.

We were able to spend a yummy BBQ evening at our old apartment community. Sebastian was more than thrilled to see his friend Kubi again. My biggest trip regret is that we didn't have more time in Davis. Ahhhh, next time...

We moved on to Carmichael, Ca to vist with Nana Alta and Lenny. Another regrettably short leg of the trip, but a very good time. Time spent in the pool & morning talks. Ahhhh, I miss the morning talks.

2 fun days in West Sac were next. Uncle Jared and Niaree filled us up with super delicious food. We had some down time around their apartment & enjoyed a walk through the Capitol yard to one of our fave restaurants (Zocalo!). 2 words: Blackberry Margaritas. Bliss. Okay, truly... Most legs of our trip were individually too short.

YOSEMITE! My dad, Step Ma & cousin took us on over for a trip to the beauty land. SO incredible. Unfortunately, Sebastian wasn't much up for being in the car the whole time, so we missed out on some stuff. I am so thankful for the experience, though, and wouldn't have had it any other way. Plus, I got a day of fun talks with my dad and lazing around the campground. After 5 days of true vacation, we did spend some time at my parent's house swimming, lounging, playing & having haircuts.

YAY! Sebastian's first haircut... marking the change he has made from baby to toddler. The change is so pronounced, it really did need to be physically acknowledged. Although I do miss those sweet blonde curls.

Mom's! We spent most of the end of the trip with my mom/Gradma Winnie. We enjoyed being inside with the air conditioner as it had finally become too hot to handle. We also had a super fun evening walk to the park where we took part in a family game show night. Sebastian LOVED running through the fountains & keeping me busy chasing him all over the park. We had some nice meals out, one of which included a visit with Aunt Cris.

What surprised me the most? Stepping off the train and back into Davis, I felt like it was a place to visit. I no longer belong there. It isn't home. I loved visiting California, and plan to many times over... but it is weird to me that it doesn't feel more than just familiar. We had a lovely time overall. 18 days really was too long, but I am glad that we made it that long for the first trip. Too short and the exhausting train ride wouldn't have felt worth it.

Anyway, for some reason I was having trouble composing this entry all around... So this is just a short recap. I am looking forward to getting back into the groove of posting regularly. Enjoy the summer heat!