A few weeks ago we decided to plant a garden.  Our house came complete with a garden bed, so I was very excited when we finally got around to doing something with it.  None of us know a thing about gardening, so we just went out and got a bunch of starters and put them in the ground haphazardly.  Hopefully we will at least get a return for our money. Jedidiah was a big help.

Our weekend last weekend

Last weekend I photographed a wedding.  I'd love to elaborate more on that but I am first interested in talking about our drive home from the wedding, which was in beautiful and quaint Shady Cove Oregon.

I had been excited about this trip for weeks, mostly because I love adventures of any sort and this was to be the first out of town adventure we would have had since our little Jedidiah was born on November 6, 2009 at 6:15pm weighing 7lbs 14 oz, and basically took over our lives.

Early in the morning, we took Jedidiah to our baby sitter for which we were very grateful. He did not cry because he was very involved with her cabinet doors, although I might have cried.  But I got over it quickly as we drove all by ourselves without hearing "no, no, no, doggie, banana, no no", for two hours, and it was a very nice and peaceful experience. We loved Jedidiah from a distance that day.

We drove the 2.5 hour drive to Shady cove through some sort of desolate roads and worried the whole time that we were going the wrong way.  If we were going the wrong way that would have been a disaster because I don't think at this point they would have been able to call another photographer.  I suppose that they could have held their wedding off for another few hours, or a few days depending on how lost we really were.

Luckily, we did not arrive late, or get lost.  Our desolate road took us to the right location and once again Isaiah's remarkable map/direction skills truly saved our lives. We arrived at the wedding and photographed from 1-9pm and it was marvelous, I will elaborate more later.

So, we arrived back at our hotel around 9:30 and I had it in my head that we would go out for some fun without Jedidiah.  I was imagining a night out on the town, not even having to worry about bringing Jed to a babysitter. To my dismay the only thing I had energy for was pressing the remote control buttons and pulling the remote from Isaiah's hands.  Besides, we thought about it and about the only thing available at 9:30 at night was a shady gas station.

So we watched T.V. for one hour.  Isaiah and I do not have a television in our house, so when we get our hands on one we have tears of joy at our ability to sit mindlessly and click a remote control for a while. Well, maybe not tears, but you know.  We use cable T.V. primarily to make fun of people.  We watched the food network and saw a bacon-weaved wrapped meatloaf thing that was big enough to feed about eight people and really revolting, and a seven pound burrito baking in the oven with a gallon of habanaro sauce and cheese poured over it.  I decided that it was too much to watch, so we turned off the T.V. and had a very deep conversation about why they didn't just stuff the bacon meatloaf weave inside of the giant habanaro burrito and maybe stuff a pizza inside of it and add some eggrolls on top, and maybe a Cesar salad?

Anyway we didn't really rest well because we were dreaming about weddings all night long and couldn't sleep.  So when we woke up we were completely exhausted, and we had a 2.5 hour drive a head of us.  We wanted to go somewhere crazy, so we decided to stop in Canyonville, a small town in between where we were coming and where we were going and go to a breakfast diner (I know, crazy!).  Isaiah and I have a weird thing for breakfast diners, and we found one we particularly thought would be enjoyable, perhaps because it was the only diner in the town.  Unfortunately, we had to lug our camera stuff into the restaurant because I was afraid that a hillbilly might steal it and that was a scary thought. 

Bringing a bunch of camera equipment into a small town breakfast diner was interesting.  I don't think hillbillies get hippy looking photographer girls (Okay, I am not that hippy looking don't worry if you haven't seen me in a while.  I just don't look much like a hillbilly that goes to small town diners.) coming into their diner and taking pictures of their silverware but somehow I couldn't control myself.  I took about 5 pictures and was satisfied and now after this weekend I never want to take a picture again.

We ordered our breakfast.  I got a waffle with scrambled eggs and bacon and he got biscuits and gravy and we shared a hash brown, and I felt right at home and very comforted by the food and the ambiance of the small time diner.  The waiter was sure to inform me that they no longer served ice cream.  When I asked her why she said something about "Ma'm most of our customers have blue hair, grey hair or no hair. They all are worried about their cholesterol." I found that interesting considering the other menu choices.  None the less that will probably become one of many quotes that we repeat over and over again through the course of our relationship.

Well, we went on our merry way very full and very satisfied.  That was an amazing waffle I don't regret getting.  I could have lived without the scrambled eggs, though.  I decided recently that I am about the only person who can make scrambled eggs I will eat, but I hate washing scrambled egg dishes I think I would rather just throw the pan I used out the window but that might get expensive.  But I liked the waffle.

We took a little stroll around the cute quiet little town.  I felt at perfect peace as I sat on a bench and waited for Isaiah to get out of a man-tool store that he found appealing to look at.  While I waited I saw an old man with a curly white cowboy hat get into a bronco with another old man with a curly cowboy hat.  The mountains in the distanced enhanced the experience, and the whole peacefulness of the town made me feel very happy.  I was also at peace because it was nice to not hear the sound of traffic anywhere, which is a nice change from Eugene where you can hear traffic just about anywhere.

On our way down the street we found a hippy grocery store amongst all the hillbilly other stores. (I guess every town in Oregon is required to have at least one hippy grocery store.)  Isaiah and I went in and discovered that all hippy grocery stores are the same and all of their employees are the same skinny people with long frazzled hair.  We bought an over priced drink for the road and I told him that I wished that going into a hippy grocery store could be just as exciting as it was before I moved to Oregon.  Now its more a novelty to see a hillbilly breakfast diner.

When we left, we had to fulfill one more duty:  The casino.  Isaiah had three dollars left in his wallet and he told me that he wanted to use it to gamble. Don't get me wrong, I do not endorse gambling, but if Isaiah has ever gambled he winds up wining money.  So I didn't mind him wasting three dollars. In the end, those three dollars did not go to waste because we created a good memory of going into the casino and wasting three dollars. 

Well, we finally drove home.  It felt really weird to not have to lug Jedidiah all over and I kept wondering if I left him at the Casino.  Perhaps he was gambling his life away at a young age, hopefully I raised him better than that.

It was a longish drive home probably because we were so tired. Along the way we crossed over some suicidal turkey vultures.  That was the best way I could describe vultures that looked like turkeys that intentionally flew into your car.

Arriving in Eugene was amazing.  There was a yellow sign to a garage sale that Isaiah insisted on following for about 10 blocks.  When we got there the only thing worth buying was a book for Jedidiah that had doggies and babies in it, his two favorite things.  When we finally got to Jedidiah, I was so tired that I could barely be exited about seeing him.  He looked like he felt the same about us.  I was told that he ate a lot of dirt and had such a good time that he was wondering why we don't leave him with a sitter every week.

When we got home, let Isaiah take a nap because he can't handle being tired as well as I can. I fed Jedidiah and we walked up to the park to push Jed on the swings. That was the end of our day.

A couple of nights ago our shower broke.  As realized that I could not shower, panic overcame me because  I wanted to shower so bad I could die. I had the remnants of the day left on me:  Melted cheese, cooking oil, kid boogers, dirt, sweat, who knows what else. The only thing I could do was look with envy at Isaiah as he was the last person to successfully  shower and was all refreshed and clean with good smelling hair before the shower exploded, and I was just standing there thinking about how unfair life is. Then I really did get angry at him, only because I felt the need to be angry and he was the only one there, and besides he doesn't care all that much about being clean even though I would rather him care about being clean. 

Usually he is very patient with my needs even though he doesn't understand them.  That night he wasn't.  He just looked at me and said "you don't have to shower tonight, you can skip just one night of showering."  I was amazed at his insensitivity.  I have to shower there is no other option.  Every night no matter what I have to or I will lay awake for hours thinking about being clean.  Isaiah thinks showering is a chore, I think its a necessity, and the only way to truly relax and wash the day away from you.  Besides it helps to keep your bed smelling clean and fresh and that's important to me.  I am not sure what I will do when the Apocalypse happens, because we have disaster related plans for just about everything except how I will be able to take a shower.  I guess I better go think about that right now........

5/19/11



Today we went to the goodwill. After we went to the goodwill, I was so impressed with Jedidiah's behavior that I decided that he deserved a smoothie because that just sounded really good.  It has been such a warm and beautiful day, that I couldn't think of a better ending. We had such a delightful time in the smoothie shop. He re-arranged all the tables and chairs to his liking while he waited for his mama to make up her mind about flavors and free supplements. When he was done with that he ran out the door, reminding me to not be so indecisive. Life is too short and apparently too dangerous to hesitate about life altering decisions as such. Anyway, I finally decided on the 5 fruit smoothie so I didn't leave any fruit choice out, and in the end decided not to get a free protein supplement. We finally sat down at a chair and enjoyed some mamma-Jedidiah time. Jedidiah sat in my lap and had a free sample while I drank my smoothie. As I was drinking my smoothie I began to glance at a toddler cookbook I found laying on the table. When I looked back at Jed I realized that I don't think I have ever seen him so happy ever as he was sitting there drinking his own "little people" sized smoothie AND eating the cup that came with it. He had so much fun and was so worn that he fell asleep on the way home with his face covered in raspberry juice and he is currently sleeping on the couch, which he has never done before. I am delighted to have a few moments to sit and write without being interrupted. It was a good, simple day.

(Oh, just for the record, the smoothie above was a smoothie from Miami, from a smoothie shop that I believe is much superior to to the smoothie shop I went to today, but I felt I needed a photo of a smoothie to go with this story.)

Family

My cousin, Sarah posted these photographs on her Facebook page and entitled the album "Family makes us stronger."  I have looked at them over and over and because I think the realitity is that family is often what God uses to makes us stronger and sometimes you just go through things where you need to get stronger.  Even if you don't have a good family you probably know why one is important and meaningful.   I have so little photos of my family when I was younger that its ridiculous, and even though I would a thousand times over prefer to hold the photos in my hands and look at them that way for now this is what I have of my cousins and I am glad of it. 

Cousin Hanna and Cherie conspiring against Sarah on our yearly camping trips.

Me and Sarah or her sister Hannah or Sister Lyla, except probably not the sister Lyla because she is far to young to have been born when this photo was taken.  All the girls look so much alike in their younger years its hard to tell them apart.

My cousins: Sarah, Hannah and my little Sister Cherie on a  camping trip at our yearly camp spot in Blue Springs, Florida. Oh and my wonderful friend Jessica who came with us that year.  If anyone goes to Florida please visit Blue Springs near Orlando,  Go swimming,  your life will be changed forever by this amazing spring.  And when you get there, remember that I had a lot of good memories there, some of which involve Alligators.

My little sister, Cherie and our cousin, Sarah.  We are suspecting that Cherie crossed Sarah out of this picture.  Don't be deceived by that sweet little smile.......

My cousin Hannah.  I just love about any photo that has someone this genuinely happy in it.

I had aunties coming out of my ears as I grew up.  I was probably somewhat grown up at the time of this picture. This is my cousin Louie, the brother I never had, his mother, and one of my many other aunts, who all love to wear button down shirts and visors.  I am thankful that I have access to at least one photo of my cousin.   This was taken at Matheson Hammock in Miami, the only place our family ever seemed to "get together."  I don't know what life would be like without this place. 

This is not necessarily a love squeeze.

Dear Louie, thank you for being my cousin.  Not that you had anything to do with it, but you were more than a cousin to me but more like a little brother.  In Sarah's words, this is how we will always remember you, HAPPY!

    

To my cousin

Dear Louie,

Thank you for the Joy you gave me in my life. I still remember and have all the drawings we made together. I still have the cassette tape-recording of the silly talk show we made up. I still think of you when I remember running around in Grandpa and Grandma's house, in waist high grass, stopping every now and then to grab a slice of American Cheese out of the fridge. Thank you for being the little brother that I never had.

Its hard in the news when I read your name, because I can't believe they are referring to you as a man.  They are all mistaken, you are a boy, just a little boy with missing two front teeth. You are three years old and I am trying to teach you how to walk, because I didn't realize that you could already walk.  You are laughing with that big bubbly laugh, running around in the yard in the sunshine with no shoes on.

I don't know what happened to you, or what drove you to this madness, as years passed by and we grew further and further apart. I can only guess. The news suggests that you are a crazy person,  But we know the truth.  You are a son, you are a cousin, a brother, to people who raised you and nurtured you.  We know  you carried many sorrows and burdens of this world on your shoulders. You were someone who mattered and that people love.   If you only know the tears that are shed because we love you so much, and wished this is not how life had to be!  We will all miss you terribly.

Love,
JoAnna

I have got to admit that waking up to a sloshy wet world and gray skies outside did not make me reflect on Easter this morning. Where I come from, Easter is truly a wellspring of sunshine and new life. Little girls buy summery yellow dresses and everything about bunnies hopping around and outdoors and outdoor Easter egg hunts is totally appropriate. I remember when I was a kid waking up before dawn to go downtown to watch the sunrise on the ocean. Hundreds of people came from everywhere and I remember the songs being sung about Christ being risen as I watched the sun rise over the ocean and cascade its brilliant colors everywhere. Even as a young child I could not stop myself from rejoicing. It was a big deal to me, and I loved Easter. How do you feel like that when the world outside does not reflect anything of newness of life? Even when you look at the blossoming trees and flowers they are muted by the depressing grey skies.

Well, here is my answer. Think about yesterday, literally. Yesterday truly did feel like Easter. Yesterday, we woke up to birds chirping. To a warm breeze. To  SUNSHINE!  Jedidiah looked with wonder at this strange glowing warm phenomenon called the sun.  We were truly graced and we used the opportunity to visit (in my opinion) one of the most beautiful places there is in the Eugene, Oregon area:  Mt Pisgah. 

I am not one to document beautiful nature scenery because I know full and well that when I arrive at home and look at the picture later the magic is lost, at least enough to not make the effort to take pictures too often.  Besides, I only have a big fat camera now because Jedidiah decided to take our point and shoot and stir a glass of water with it.  We intend on using our point and shoot for days such as these. Not having a small pocket point and shoot makes it difficult to take loads of photos of all of your surroundings.

But I DID take some photos of my beautiful family.  I know that I feel sorry for myself for having to suffer through the slop and drear of the northwest winter, but I praise God for the glimpses of hope that he gives us in this world, through sunny, beautiful days such as these and beautiful  places to visit.

Anyway, here are some photos of our Family.  I don't have beautiful pictures of me, mainly because my hair was frizzy and embarrassing so I left myself out of the equasion.  I want everyone to know, though that Isaiah is not a single Father.  He just happens to have a wife who loves to take photographs.  So usually I am behind the camera, and I am okay with my presence being there most of the time.

So,  Maybe I am not watching the sun rise over the ocean, but I am watching something else beautiful.