Logan's First Haircut!

Logan got his first official haircut! Yes, he is 4 years old and yes this is really his first. Partly this is because it took him forever to grow hair.  Here he is on his 1st birthday and as you can see, practically no hair...

But let's be honest, it took me this long to get his hair cut professionally mostly because it's Logan.  Logan has been our little challenge and trying to get him to sit still during "his terrible twos" or his "you have got to be kidding me threes" was out of the question.  I wouldn't subject a stylist to his tantrums and instead I cut his curly mop in the bathtub whenever I could distract him.

But he is a much more reasonable four year old now and I felt like he was ready.  Thankfully I was right - he did great!  In fact, after his cut he asked if he could come back the next day and do it again! 

 

Emmie didn't get a haircut but the princess still got attention. She loved the sparkly face painting. 

Here is the "After" picture of Logan and Joey's haircuts.  I am happy to report Logan's hair is just as crazy curly as it was after I would cut it!

Let Soccer Season Begin!

Soccer season has officially begun which means our Saturday mornings are booked through November.  Logan is playing in his first season and this is Joey's third.  Saturday was Logan's first game, Joey missed his because of a lingering fever.  Unfortunately I also missed the game as I had plans with my dad and sister for our annual trip to the bay area to visit my grandparents' graves.  It was a great trip but I was bummed to miss Logan's first ever soccer game.  But, fortunately Cheri was on hand to take photos for us and cheer him on! 

Joey also used Cheri's camera to snap some action shots of his little brother.

Joey in his awesome hat!

Jeff trying to talk to Logan while Logan appears to completely ignore him. 

Apparently half way through the game Logan said he was done and decided to sit with Daddy instead.

Adorable team photo.  Really at this age it is like herding cats on the soccer field!

Such a character!

Serious business...

Eating the traditional orange slices at the break.

Our handsome soccer star!

Stranger Things Have Happened

While all we wanted to do this last month was crawl into bed, pull the covers over our heads, and stay there indefinitely... we have kids.  As every parent knows, when you have kids you don't get to wallow in whatever is troubling you for long.  So, in reviewing my iPhone pics I realized I have missed some very blog-worthy moments and now I am going to attempt to catch up.

We went camping.  I realize this may not sound like anything too special but you have to understand that I do not camp.  I certainly do not camp in a tent and I definitely do not camp without running water bathrooms.  But I did it! I seriously almost cried the first time I had to use that glorified outhouse they call "vaulted toilets" but I survived.  The worst part is I drank hardly any wine, and wine would have made the whole outhouse thing more tolerable, but it also would have made me have to use the nasty outhouse more! It was a tragic catch-22.

The purpose of this trip, besides the obvious enjoying the great outdoors stuff, was to celebrate our neighbor/friend's 40th birthday.   Jeff even got to go on a zip line tour of the mountains because he has the most awesome wife ever who stayed back at camp all day with the kids, dirt, and bugs so he could play Tarzan in the trees. 

This was Logan and Emmie's first official camping trip, Joey is a seasoned pro.

Ready to go on our camping adventure!  I even offered to eat a gas station sandwich - cuz I can "rough it"
(thankfully Jeff stopped at Taco Bell for me instead!)

Joey

The view from our campsite at Sly Park

He gets that duck face from me and I got it from my dad...

Daddy & the princess

He loves me!

Emmie loved the dirt!

Tarzan

Cutie pie with curly hair!

He loved playing catch.

And he spent hours collecting pine cones to throw into the fire.

Emmie could spend hours throwing rocks into the stream.

Logan giving his little sister a ride on the trike.



Can you tell these two are siblings??

 

Tough guy checking out his muscles.

Mommy and Joey by the campfire.

 

1,000+ Reasons to Smile

I have been silent on this blog for awhile now.  You see life has thrown me a curve ball, or rather a sucker punch, and I didn't really want to document any of it.  I don't want to remember the last month, it was dark and twisty and terrifying.  The worst part is that it's not over.  We are still riding the shock waves that erupted with a literal knock at our door.  I'm not trying to create dramatic suspense here, but I don't want to get into the details here either.  It is not something I want to remember in depth years from now; and that is what I use this blog for, a virtual diary to catalog the moments in life that slip by too quickly.  Unfortunately this mess is not something I want to refer back to.

Here is what I will say on the topic -
#1 - Having a blended family can be a great joy, but it can also be a source of great heartache.  When another person or another family has influence over yours, they have power to disrupt your life whether you like it or not.  They can violate you, manipulate you, and hurt you in ways you never saw coming. 
#2 - In the epic battle of good versus evil that has raged on in many forms since the beginning of time, good can often lose in the short term because it will not stoop to the levels evil so happily lives in.
#3 - Quotes, cliches, and proverbs are trotted out on parade in times of great struggle. This is our futile attempt to make sense of the senseless, and surprisingly it does help.  It helps to know that others have lived through something trying and horrible and lived to say something quotable about it later.  It is comforting to repeat them in a mantra of hope, to hold on to them as though they were a life raft, and to post them on to a Pinterest board.
#4 - Your true friends are there for you in times like these.  Messy times full of tears and wine and more tears are when real friends show up with more wine.  We have amazing friends.  We have friends who text, call, clean, cook, grocery shop, watch our kids, make us run, make us laugh, send us inspirational quotes, show up to sit in waiting rooms with us, distract us, and support us in any and every way they can.  We are truly blessed.

One friend sent me this quote - "When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a thousand reasons to smile. - Unknown"

I have more than a thousand reasons to smile and it is time to start focusing on that. This isn't over, but while we are riding this roller coaster I choose to focus on the positives as much as possible. I have amazing friends, a wonderful husband, and incredible children. 

Let the Summer Fun Begin!

Summer has officially begun at the Freeland house and that means trips to the zoo, swimming, BBQs, camping, birthdays and more!  This is always a busy and fun time for us since Jeff is off all summer and we have a lot of summertime traditions to squeeze into just a couple months.  Here are some pics from last weekend...

Joey helping Emmie onto the frog at the zoo.

Tommy lifting Joey up to the misters on a hot day.

Logan is apparently incognito at the zoo checking out his map.

Logan Monkey

Logan aka Curly-Q

When the princess tires of walking, her big brother is there to assist.

Here is our fearless daughter having a blast at our first trip to the pool for the summer.

Pretty sure she jumped 100x.

Joey requested an apple juice with a little umbrella in it...

Our handsome boy!

Now this is a miracle - Logan has avoided water every summer and this is the first time he has ever
willingly gotten into a pool.  Even sprinklers were off limits to him last year.

He even followed his little sister's lead and jumped in a couple times.

Another handsome boy!

Logan is going to box...

More handsome boys!!
Christian wore Tommy out that day wrestling in the pool for hours!

1/2 Marathon Here I Come

Heather and I are on a 20 week schedule to train for a 1/2 marathon in October.  Running a 1/2 marathon has been a goal of mine for years now.  I've never loved running so this goal is sort of random for me.  And now that I have been running at least 3x per week for nearly three months and have put in my first 5k, I can honestly say that I still have no idea why this is a goal! 

People keep asking me, "don't you feel great after a run?"  Nope.  No I don't.  I feel sweaty and gross and so hungry!  "But don't you get to a point in the run where you just feel like you are walking?"  Nope.  That elusive runners high has never happened to me.  "Can you tell you have more energy now?"  No.  "Are you losing weight?" Nope.  Nada.  Nill.  May have gained a pound or two which is just a cruel cosmic joke.  "Muscle weighs more than fat, maybe you are just gaining muscle.  Do your clothes fit differently?"  Not really.

I'm not a negative person.  But I am honest, and honestly I still have no idea why I am running.  During the 5k I just kept thinking, "this is the worst hobby EVER!"  But I kept running.  And I will keep running.  And I will drag my ass across that finish line in October after 13+ miles.  Why?  Because it is a goal.  Because it is a goal that, barring any crazy injuries or something, I have control over accomplishing.  I have a lot of goals that are delayed because of circumstances beyond my control.  Even this whole running thing has been delayed by totally legitimate excuses like surgery and pregnancy in the past. 

But now I don't have anything holding me back other than the fact that it sucks, and hurts, and it's hot outside, and I hate being hot.  Obviously those are just stupid reasons and obviously there are a ton of reasons why running is great for you.  So, I will just focus on the goal and will be thankful that I have Heather to run with because I am pretty sure I would have given up on this goal 2 months ago without her.  She has literally pulled me along on this journey at times, and I am very grateful to her for encouraging me along the way.

I am also grateful to my supportive husband for juggling bathtimes and bedtimes while I run.  And to my friends who have supported and sponsored me thus far and of course cheered me on.  While much to Joey's dismay I will never "win" any of these races, I will finish them and that is good enough for me.