Wordless Wednesday - This is what home looks like to me

Joseph, OR November 2011

Joseph Little Things

My good friend Jenn has this great blog thing that she does, it's called, The Little Things.  It's taking stock of all the good things happening in her life, when there isn't time to blog it all.

We went to Joseph to see my mom on August 13....and go to the Bronze, Blues, and Brews.  It didn't suck.  It was awesome even.  I say that because if I'm honest, every time we have gone away with 3 kids for a long weekend since having Bryson, it has totally sucked and by the last day, I'm SO ready to get back to our own house and our own sleeping arrangements/baby gated community.  It's not that I never enjoy myself, but the first year I was still nursing and or pumping...which for the record sucks while you are camping in so many ways.  Then this year it has poured down rain and been terrible weather every time we've left home. 

So I was COMMITTED to enjoying our time in Joseph.  No matter what.  We thought about what might make it more enjoyable, and decided to to pick up my 15 year old cousin, Susannah and bring her along as an extra set of hands and some great company.  It was the perfect decision, we enjoyed each other's company, got to know each other a little better, and she was awesome with the kids.  All of my friends couldn't say enough good things about her.

I made sure to take inventory of the little things:
The mostly peaceful even-though-they-don't-sleep-on-the-7-hr-drive car ride
The planning ahead
Bringing less = more
Girls at camp so we left a little later and had peace packing the car while Jennifer took Brys to the park
The smell of the mountain air with a dash of charcoal on the BBQ when we pulled into my mom's driveway
The feeling of Addie's small hand holding mine
Watching the girls run to mom's front door in delight screaming "Grandma, Grandma, Grandma"
Watching Bryson do the same, even though he had no clue where we were
Hugging Mom
Hugging Will
Hugging Mandy
Hugging Leah
Going to bed early
Everyone sleeping through the night
A morning run with Mandy
When it's hot in Joseph early in the morning
Mom buying our tickets as an early anniversary present
Lawrence getting there early and waiting in line for a spot in the shade
Listening to blues music while playing card games with my kids
Drinking a few too many microbrews and being able to walk to my moms
Old friends catching up
Old friends saying, "are those your cute kids who've been running in the sprinkler?"
The incredible sunset over the mountains
Susannah's sweet smile saying, "I'll go chase him for a while, you sit!"
Forgetting about the FORTY FIVE degree temperature drop when it goes from 85 to 40 when the sunsets
Kids riding bikes through town
7 ice cream cones for $1.75.  REALLY?
Mom and Bryson time
"Welcome to BeeCrowBee everything you see outside is half off today" - Lily at the sidewalk sale Will set up for them
Tacos at Mandy and Joe's
Morning power walk with Mandy
Day at the Lake with Will
Getting a picture on that huge chair with the girls when he promised himself he'd never be photoed there
Susannah's first go Kart ride with Lily as her passenger.
The look of excitement and terror on her face.
Watching my kids try to skip rocks and play in my lake
Outside Seating at Terminal Gravity
Staying up too late laughing with friends
Realizing that it's the last day, and wishing it wasn't over rather than wishing it was.
Kids being good AGAIN on the drive home-again not sleeping!!

And now...here are too many pictures!

I love the sunsets and the friendships in my home town.

I love my mom and my kids.

I love my husband.

I love my mountains and my Main street.

I love.

Wordless Wednesday - Winter Wonderland

Joseph, Oregon - Thanksgiving Weekend

I'm so excited about NEXT week's Wordless Wednesday that I almost forgot about today!

I know I'm really spreading out trip to Joseph out, but...it really is amazing there.

There was a Jingle through Joseph parade. If we didn't have to worry about driving home 8 hours in it, it would have been the most magical peaceful place on earth.

99 luftballons

You kind of had to be there, and I'm disappointed that this is the only picture we got of our Luftballons jump mania.


We had SO much fun in Joseph going out with Bean - Bean. Since she is normally our sitter for date night, we haven't ever really had a date night with her and we just had a blast, while Grandma Lanie watched the three kids. In Joseph, everything is in walking distance, so on Saturday night we headed down to The Stubborn Mule and The Hydrant for some fun with our friends. At the Stubborn Mule there was a, get this, BIKINI competition. Yes, this little town is 1000 people, and not really where you'd expect a tiki party complete with fire throwing tricks. (A whole other post on that. The guy actually threw and dropped a fire baton/stick which caught a guy's hat and drink on fire...that only stopped him for about 5 minutes when the fire tricks continued!) Anyway, we were a little too old for the party that was happening at that bar, so we walked one block to the OTHER bar in Joseph and it was pretty much empty, ours for the taking. We were a group of 20+ (since the extended Shaw family alone was like 10 of them). We Kareokeed and danced and drank and had a really good time.

We decided to JUMP when this song came on and again, just so much fun. Sabine wouldn't Kareokee it in German like everyone wanted her to do... :)



Or in German:




Other memorable parts of the night.

OZ sarenading Sabine
Lawrence stealing mikes + cowboy hats
Carrie Phillips has still got it!
Halle getting Bean to do a shot "lemon drop"
Bean Bean imidating our tweaky bartender
Laughing heads off with MegMeg
Lawrence and OZ singing "their" song
Michael yelling DungeonMaster at Joe 10,000+x
Jer and Lawrence doing a horrific job of "Baby got Back"

You know, the fun and goodness of old friends + being there with Sabine + a super fun hubby who I love dearly, just brings a big huge smile to my face.