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!

So long, furry friend.

We went in search of a dog at the beginning of April and came home with Jasper. Big, beautiful, cuddly, neurotic, possessive, cat chasing, stuff chewing Jasper. Ben fell in love with him at first sight. Sebastian loved to chase and play with him. Honestly, it took me some time to come to love him. I LOVE animals... and it was my idea to get a dog. This, however, turned out simply to not be a good match for our family. While he was overall gentle, he knocked Sebastian over constantly due to his size and level of excitement. On two occasions, Sebastian was bitten while attempting to play while Jasper was enjoying a treat. Both instances resulted in big bruises on Sebastian's legs. On top of all of that, this guy chewed up anything and everything he had access to when left alone for more than a half hour. We aren't gone much, but we do occasionally like to get out. 

We wrestled with our decision for a couple of weeks, and finally we realized that the stress of having him around was much greater than the stress of letting him go... Which is saying a lot considering my lack of sleep this past week. We took him in and provided detailed information to the shelter so he can be placed with an appropriate family. We rescued him from a 'no kill' shelter and had an agreement to return him to them if things didn't work out. For that I am thankful. Jasper will find a home. (I still cried my eyes out when we turned him over). 

I'm not sure what Sebastian thinks about it all. He was sleeping when we did the deed, and then Jasper was gone. 

Jasper: We send you off with wishes for a happy life in a loving home; with older children and cats that love to be chased. May you have tons of room to run, someone to walk you as much as you need, a friend to rub your belly and put peanut butter in your Kong toy. It was so hard to let you go... and I already miss you so.