For spring break we went to Vancouver, BC.  You can see some of the first part of our trip in my other posts.

It all started because one day when we were learning about the Pacific NW Coastal Tribes, in January of February, Mark and I remembered our last trip (10 years ago) that the University of British Columbia’s Museum had an amazing display of totem poles.  We thought it would be fun to see them again, and that Lucas and Siena get to see them.  So I did some travel planning.  After many variations of our spring break, we headed up north to Vancouver.

And yes… we visited the Museum.  Still, the most amazing display of Native Americans artifacts I’ve ever seen (I haven’d done a lot of research on places to visit for displays, but this is amazing!) Really, really amazing!  I’m glad I have digital pictures now and that I’m posting them here to remember later.  It is an incredible place.

Oh… the totem poles…

We followed a tour guide for the Native American part (‘First Nations’, in Canada), and it was fun to hear the stories and information on what the Museum has.

Cedar bentwood boxes.

Cedar bentwood box made from yellow and red cedar from 1870.

Tsimshian bentwood boxes from 1860.

A Haida Bear donated to the museum.

There was so much beauty, there’s more tomorrow.

As you can imagine nothing came up under Whipper Dog.  I guess I knew that, but you never know what you can find online. Right?  Like now.  Maybe you do search now Whipper Dog my post could come up.  Kinda’ fun I guess.

Anyways.  I did some research online and I found a few designs and clip arts for Whipper-Dog-could-look-like.  Lucas decided on the perfect one.

And then I set myself to make our freezer paper t-shirts.

I made the drawing on the freezer paper.  I cut it out with an X-Acto knife carefully, to make a stencil.

I stick it to the t-shirt with a hot iron, and then I paint what was cut out.

First I tried it as a whole piece cut out, making the Whipper Dog white on the red t-shirt. Which then made me think, that I was actually making a ‘white’ Whipper Dog, which is not the case.

So then after Mark asked me to make a border, just like last year’s, I gave it a try.  I wasn’t sure about it.  It didn’t look right when I set it on the shirt.  But did it anyways.  And you know what?  It looks really good!

Don’t you think?

So on Lucas’s first game we all wore it.

It was so cute and Lucas (and everyone in his team) loved it.

So now, I have a few more to make as the other Whipper Parents want to have one too. I love it! I’ll take a picture later in the season with everyone wearing it! And now, let me know if you ever see a real Red Whipper Dog.  I would love a photo of it!

Siena was at the pool at 7:15 am that day.  Her first competitive swim meet.  I didn’t say anything but I had a stomach ache when I woke up, and I didn’t sleep well the previous night… nervous and so very excited for my little girl.

Mark took her early to the pool so she could be on time for her warm up.  Lucas and I got there after we were ready, and had eaten breakfast.

In one of her practice dives, she lost her goggles… probably a good thing it happened then.  From then on, I saw that she made sure they were nice and tight.

I love this t-shirt from the McMinville Team: ” If you think your sport is hard, try doing it holding your breath.”  Isn’t it great!

Lucas (and all of us) always watching Siena and keeping track of her.

Siena’s first race was a team relay, and she was excited to be part of it, even though she didn’t know any of the girls. But they all trusted and supported each other.

It seemed a little chaotic and full at that end of the pool, especially with relays.  I’m glad they knew what they were doing.

She did great on her first race.

We were able to hang out together while we waited for her races.  And we were able to see everyone else’s. It was my first meet too, and it was lots of fun.

Mark and I went down by the pool every so often.  It helped me to be able to see her closer, and calm my nerves. 

As we learned that day, those kids without any official times (which means this was their first meet) they get placed in the first heat of the style. So Siena went in the first heat few times that weekend.  This one, her time and her place (first) was always excited to see and keep track.  We are learning as we go along with her.

But oh this girl of ours.  She did awesome.  She did so good! (I know…. I’m her mom, I apologize for all the comments here in this post today, of my awesome little fish of a girl we have.)

She got great times, even when she’s never competed before, and has been practicing with the team for just 2 months.   She’s so excited to be racing and to be in the water so much practicing.  She loves it so… this little fish of ours.

And she loved being there competing.

And I must say, we have such an awesome coach… he’s great really!  The same coach Lucas has for his non-competitive homeschool swim team that he started last month.  We are so excited.

After the first day of races, all the families met at a great local pizza place in Lincoln City.  Fun to meet other families and everyone outside the swimming pool and with more time than rushing in and out of the pool.

And then to a bonfire and playing at the beach.

With new friendships made.

And then the next morning, our second day at the Lincoln City Community Center’s swimming pool.

We are trying to understand the booklet with all the races and times and all the information in those pages. We had a high learning curve, for sure!  We still do, since everything is new for us.

Siena and Lucas got to play some while we waited for the races.

And like all the other times, we see smiles most of the time when she’s racing and swimming… she loves it so much.

And Siena (and us) all love her coach.  He’s so supportive, and is great with the kids.  And have taught Siena so much in these past 15 months.  Thank you D!

And then we were done for the weekend.  Our day and the meet was over.  We were heading for lunch and then home, after an amazing weekend.

Crossing the shortest river in the world.

And a beautiful day to cross the coast range and valleys on our way home.

But while Siena was swimming, Lucas made her this very special ribbon.

To a very special big fish of a sister.  So special, from someone who looks up to her and loves her so much.  Such a cute little guy!

At the end of last month, we headed south and to the coast, to Lincoln City.

We’ve never stayed here before, but it didn’t really matter.  We were there for a very special reason.  It was Siena’s first competitive swim meet.

We went a day early, to hang out and enjoy a little the beach.  But it’s what most of us did, because the kids had to be there the next day at 7:15 am.

We played at the beach a little and had fun.

But we were there for this little girl of ours.

Together to support her in this new adventure, in something so foreign to us but ready to learn and dig our feet and hearts in.

We were all there to support her and cheer for her, and have fun with her.

To see her swim…

but really, to see her stretch her wings a little more, a little further, get to know herself and push herself a little more.  To see her fly and grow right in front of us.

:: feeling the warmth and those days last week that seemed summer around these parts.  So nice.

:: holding on to those meals outside and spending more time out of doors than indoors during our days.  But the rain and cooler air seemed to have arrived again this week.  I know it’s OK.  It’s still spring.

:: noticing how big Siena seems.

:: and loving how much Siena loves this little furry friend.

We all do, really!

:: having so much fun showing Portland and the areas around to our friends.  I really do love where we live.

:: enjoying spring and the colors it brings.

:: in love with my two boys.

:: taking it all in, in the senses I can enjoy, this clematis.  My Mother’s Day Clematis…actually is two plants… clemataii?

:: filled with memories (and sand) from our weekend at the beach with our friends.  Oh, what a great few days we had.

:: hanging on to every minute we have with our friends until they have to go back.  It’s been so much fun to see them again.

:: enjoying Lucas’s baseball games so much.   They’ve learned and grown a lot since last year.  It’s great!

:: so proud of this little guy of mine.  As I learned after the game, my son made an amazing play.  I think it’s called ‘a triple play’.  It was exciting at the moment, because everyone is cheering, the coach is happy, the dads sitting next to use are yelling at Lucas how great it was, awesome play… I thought then he must have done something great!  He was on third base.  Caught the ball in the air, touched the boy who was going to home base, and the kid coming to third (I think I got it right.) It looked so pretty and amazing what he did, but it was even more amazing once I was explained by him and Mark what he had really done.  We looked online, and the one play like that was so good I guess that was even shown on ESPN. We are all so proud of him.

(I don’t know if I should even clarify that I didn’t grow up with baseball and I’m learning a bit every game, and every day, when Lucas comes to me and explains to me one more play, or position or baseball word… I’m learning.)

:: never wanting to forget how special this day was for Lucas.  The day after the game, I’m walking with him back from swimming, and he says “Mamá, I’m so proud of myself for that triple play I did yesterday…” You should, my little guy, you should be overly proud.  My heart melted.

:: having so much fun making our baseball t-shirts for this year’s team (more on that to come.)

:: overwhelmed of pride by my kids and their recent accomplishments.  Siena also received three prizes after her first formal swim meet we went a couple of weeks ago, down at the coast in Lincoln City (pictures are coming soon, I know I’m way behind in our days here…. we’ve been having too much fun!) She did an amazing first (ever) race, and even with no formal recorded times (which means, never raced before), she received three ribbons for being in the top 9 places in three races.  She’s amazing!  So strong, giving everything she has.  I am so proud of my little (OK, big) girl.

(We are missing one more ribbon in the picture she was given few days after we celebrated this day.)

:: counting the days until Mark gets out of school…

“…to live in this world

you must be able
to do three things
to love what is mortal;
to hold it

against your bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it go,
to let it go”

― Mary Oliver, From her poem In Blackwater Woods in her book New and Selected Poems, Vol. 1

 

The other day we got the library’s Children’s Museum pass, and decided to go to their clay  studio.

And we spent the whole morning there, playing and making.

Now we are waiting for some of these pieces to get fired there.  It was fun.

Lucas is having so much fun this year.  With a year of baseball under his belt, he’s excited to be playing again.

And on picture day, our team got to go around the bases and “give fives” to the big kids.

And with new friends and old friends watching, from the side line and from the field, we are all excited to get started.

When we went last February for a hike to Eagle Creek, we knew we had to take our friends there to see it. It’s not a long hike, it’s close to Portland, and it is so beautiful.

We go there every fall, to see the salmon run, and to me it means the beginning of fall.

Last winter we didn’t see many people. Some hikers here and there, but this time, it was packed!

t must have been the hot day that everyone wanted to get out of the city.

A 2-mile hike to Punchbowl Falls, under the canopy of tall trees, and in parts, you are as high as the top of some of them.

Not far into our hike, we stopped to see the river, while we were still low.

And if you are by a river, you have to throw rocks, right?

And get your feet wet…

 Back in the trail, we saw this garter snake.  Actually we saw two of them that day.

And yes, they make sure you don’t hold them!

Once at the fall, we had a nice lunch under these beautiful trees, in wonderful company.

And then we stopped again by this nice pool in the river, to cool off.

But we were not as brave as Ros was.  It was freezing water! Well actually, just a little over freezing because it was liquid, but you know what I mean.

A fun hike that day that ended where you should any hot day.

Where the small ice cream is larger than I’ve ever seen!

How many shoes/boots do you see in this picture above?

We walked all the way to Punchbowl Falls.  Yup! The same one that we saw that kid go down the falls in his kayak.  And yesterday when we were going for a tour to the Leatherman factory, we saw a photo in the Outside magazine from last December.  Incredible!

And if you do a google search… you find lots of great photos and links!  and of course my videos are there too.  We had a fun Sunday on a beautiful summer-like day.

We’ve had our friends from overseas for just over a week, and we’ve had many late nights, many stories remembered, new stories as well and lots of laughter.  We’ve had many meals, beers, wine, tea and coffee.  We’ve gone for bike rides, walks, hikes, runs, car drives, bus and light rail rides. We’ve had breakfast, lunch and dinners together.  We’ve played inside, watched shows, and played out of doors more than anything.  We’ve seen bald eagles, ospreys, blue herons and raccoons.  We’ve had fires and sat in the shade to stay cool.  Some of us have gone swimming in the swimming pool and some of us (Ros) has gone swimming in an almost freezing creek.  We’ve taken pictures and videos and done paintings and written in the blog.

There’s just so much to be remembered from now and from our time together in India, and so much to enjoy and celebrate now that we see each other once again.  This time, in the comfort of our home.

Like this airplane competition.

And games inside.

Learning together.

Oh yes.. the sunshine has been present every day since they’ve arrived, with days so warm that seems that summer has arrived.  A special treat in May.

And of course, tetherball games.  Many of them.

The other day we also went downtown in the bus.

Walked to the Central Library.

It is such a beautiful building.

We’ve been showing them Portland and the areas close by, because really, Portland is such a beautiful city, and Oregon has so much beauty everywhere you look.  In my opinion.

Here we are at Council Crest Park in SW Portland, with what I think is the best view of Portland and it’s surroundings.  You can see in the background Mt. St. Helens and in the back (can’t really see in the photo) we saw Mt Reinier, and then on the right of the photo, you can see Mt. Adams.   Further to the right, we were able to see Mt. Hood too and because the trees are big, we didn’t see the other mountains that I’m sure we could have seen further to the south.

It’s funny to think, that the last time we took a similar picture like this one, we were all in India, more than a year ago.  Now… we are making new memories in a new place.  Fun to celebrate.