the tree

“To dwellers in a wood, almost every species of tree has its voice as well as its feature.” 

― Thomas Hardy, Under the Greenwood Tree

“In a forest of a hundred thousand trees, no two leaves are alike. And no two journeys along the same path are alike.” 
― Paulo Coelho, Aleph

“Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky.” 
― Khalil Gibran, Sand and Foam

“There is always music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it.” 
― Minnie Aumonier

When you enter a grove peopled with ancient trees, higher than the ordinary, and shutting out the sky with their thickly inter-twined branches, do not the stately shadows of the wood, the stillness of the place, and the awful gloom of this doomed cavern then strike you with the presence of a deity?” 
― Luci Anneu Sèneca

To be without trees would, in the most literal way, to be without our roots.” 
― Richard Mabey, Beechcombings: The Narratives of Trees

“Her eye fell everywhere on lawns and plantations of the freshest green; and the trees, though not fully clothed, were in that delightful state when farther beauty is known to be at hand, and when, while much is actually given to the sight, more yet remains for the imagination.” 
― Jane Austen

“He that planteth a tree is a servant of God, he provideth a kindness for many generations, and faces that he hath not seen shall bless him.” 
― Henry van Dyke

thank you compassionate One, 

the One who blew the seed

and told it to grow

into 

the tree.

the beginning of his third

the house is silent.
the parent breathes deep, wondering
alert to the tiniest sound, who will wake first?

a voice trails down the hallway
"mommy! I w-art in your bed!"

and a very happy birthday to our Alexander!

to our boy who's sense of humour keeps us all going!

to the boy who finds his own way into boxes and tunnels

to the boy who shows us what's really important to pack

the toad or fly picker

the flower picker

the bug picker

the nose picker

the berry picker

the boy who takes words and life seriously

understanding the joy involved in every moment

the boy who crashes and with a kiss from his big brother, is up and at em again, and again!

the boy who sings and drums and sings louder to hear himself over the drumming then drums louder to match the singing!

the boy who has always done things his own way!

"I can do it myss-elf!"

the boy who will go where others will not.

the boy who will lead his older brother through
the dark

the boy who will say yes to his older brothers adventures
his sisters food and daddys' snuggles

the boy who hugs his grammie

takes after his boppa

looks like his daddy

chats with his long distance gramps

plays with his nana

and knows all his family as his best friends!

Happy Birthday to our dearest Alexander

thank you for such a great three years so far...

for your perky personality!

for putting up with us!

and for 

always 

being 

you.

North

its cabin time on the bayou!

we hit the cabin with it's largest family gathering in a very very long time!

Uncle Tamron & Auntie Wendy
Boppa & Meame
& Daddy all stayed at the cabin, doing a little renovation project that daddy said made them all rather tired.

I think it was because they had to work really hard to get the great meals Meame and Auntie Wendy were putting on.

obviously daddy was the braun...

because we were the entertainment!

we visited every other day for 10 days

coming for a meal and a swim off the dock

for fishing and blue berry eating....

I mean picking.

and some big work too!  Benjamin and Alexander built a sandbox!  They let daddy and Uncle Cameron assist them when they were needed.  Things like cutting the wood and hauling sand from the lake...

Benjamin was on the first shift
Alexander the next showing daddy how it's done
and Katherine,
quality control

Of course we did lots of other things too.

Like fishing for minnows

swimming (both boys swam on their own by the end of the week, and Katherine wanted in every minute)


hiking (explored the nearby camp ground, climbed rocks, ran down roads -faster mommy faster-)



picked even more blue berries and wildflowers







and saw daddy every chance we got!







10 days of sun,
10 days of outside air
10 days of yummy food
10 days of good family
10 days of less and less sleep
10 days of tired kids
10 days of swimming and hiking
10 days of vacation......and ready for our own beds.

home again home again,

thank you
beautiful North
for a good vacation!

the weathers of summer

we had a thunder storm last night.

this morning, Benjamin drew an accurate view from the backyard.

he enjoys talking about thunder, lightning, clouds moving all over the world




"Alexander, if the whole world was on your knee, where would you live?"

(Alexander pauses to consider, looking intently at his knee) A-"inside it"

we celebrated mommy's birthday in chunks (something mommy enjoys, it makes her birthday happen over and over)

and daddy chose the brightest and funkiest
wheel barrow on the market,

then of course, we added our own special touches

a family tree!

a family vehicle as daddy later demonstrated.



"Mommy, we should dig something to put in the wheel barrow"

"Benjamin, I'm already doing other things"



"Mommy, why do the plants have to drink water?"

"Because they need food too.  Just like you.  What do you think is easier to take care of, Benjamin, kids or plants?"

Benjamin is quiet.

"Well Benjamin?"

B- "Both!"

And now we pack for the cabin,

Katherine knows what goes in a cooler...

Herself!

Unless Alexander or Benjamin

beat her to it!

She was helping mommy the other day

anybody's guess on this plant?

packing clothes when she sat on the

laundry basket which tipped and

knocked her right into the corner of

                                                the dresser, rewarding her with the 

                                      first black eye of the family.

the flowers are in full bloom, the veggies

somewhat defeating the weeds in the big garden.

The sunflower tent is NOT a tent, as Benjamin

points out daily. but it is lovely to be around

none the less.

Glorious summer continues...

Summer Bliss

from tallest to smallest,

we had our family here!

from tallest to smallest,

we played and ate and ran and jumped and biked together!

from tallest to smallest,

we made bird houses,

we blew bubbles,

we roasted hotdogs,

we sang songs,

danced dances,

jumped and spun,

from tallest to smallest,

we had loads of family fun.

we had cousins teaching cousins the right way to eat food, and throw cups on the ground

we had sons teaching daddy's the best way to fire a rocket.

we had cousins in sand boxes, 

and sand in cousins,

we had cousins under trees,

and trees under cousins,

we had mommy's and aunties' chatting and laughing

we had daddy's and uncle's joking and roaring

we had a Nana keeping tabs on babies and clean dishes,

we even had good advice on how to keep deer out of the garden

we had such a great noisy weekend

with family we love

it's hard to believe, 

that now it's done.