Spring is for adventure!

When I began the draft of this post, I titled it “Spring Things [2017]“, and I worked on it for weeks, returning to it, adding a bit here and there (that’s how I tend to blog these days) before I realized that it’s not actually 2017 anymore. I almost published it with the wrong year, and I think that’s indicative of something. Don’t ask me what, but something.

Life is moving quickly, and I used to say that with the subtext “too quickly, I can’t keep up” but now everything is different and the subtext is more like “WHEEEEE this is awesome!”

Life is moving quickly because it’s very, very full and everything that fills it is happy and good. For once, and finally. Things are so good.

While I was organizing this post and putting all the finishing touches in place, I couldn’t help but notice how many of these photos were taken outside. In nature. In the wild, wide open. And isn’t that what spring is all about? Re-emerging, and re-embracing that wild, wide open?

Here are a few of my favorite moments from Spring:

Look at this most perfect princess angel baby! Growing up so fast. ♥


We took our annual family trip to Disneyland for Waits’s birthday, and brought along Waits’s best little friend, and it was just as magical and happy-making as it always is.


Celebrating Ostara with my dearest wise-women. ♥


More adventuring! This time to the seal rookerie, where we ooh-ed and aww-ed over the newborn babies.


Babies! And that beautiful, turbulent early spring ocean.


Impossible burger at Golden Road Brewery in Los Angeles, with my favorite peoples.


This perfect baby.


This perfect burger.

After we got back from our epic Spring Break Road Trip Adventure, we decided as a family that camping is basically the greatest thing ever, and so we vowed to camp AS MUCH as possible this summer, but AT MINIMUM at least once per month from April thru October. So far so good.

“Campfire toast” is Waits’s favorite breakfast.


This picture is out of focus and I think it’s perfect. Celebrating Beltane.

On May 4th, Jeremy and I celebrated our 5-year anniversary — an anniversary that was very hard earned. Through moving to a new city, starting a small business, starting and finishing graduate school, opening a wine bar together, closing the wine bar and the business, moving in together and then moving again, bouts of depression, finding new jobs, constant financial struggle in this ridiculously expensive part of the world, and of course parenting our way through all of it — well, it hasn’t been easy. I don’t talk about it much, the details of our relationship, I guess because it feels like they aren’t just mine to share. But I will tell you this: we’ve gotten here by the skin of our teeth. 5 years. And there were so many times I was sure we wouldn’t make it. Relationships are strange things, and this one is particularly so, because it involves two emotional, eccentric, opinionated people (and one very, very spirited child). But I don’t know, man. We keep working and trying, growing and learning. And we keep on loving each other through all of it, despite all of it, and also because of all of it. I am so proud of what we’ve been through, how far we’ve come, and how we’ve both made the commitment to keep showing up for this relationship, again and again, no matter what.

5 years.

We went camping, of course.

Camping sans-kid means lazy afternoons with grown-up games and grown-up beverages (aged Riesling and it was amaaaazing).


And elaborate campfire cooking, like this cast iron paella which was DELICIOUS. I’m thinking of posting a recipe for this. Should I post a recipe for this?


Exploring the Ojai back country, after the fires and after the floods.


And a visit to the Matilija hot springs. Healing.

It was a wonderful weekend, and a perfect way to celebrate our 5 years together. But of course, all good things must come to an end. Back to real life . . .

VOTE!


Last day of 2nd grade.

This little person, who is not so little any more, finished second grade. It was a bittersweet beginning to our summer vacation, because his lovely little charter school, where he has gone for kindergarten and 1st grade and 2nd grade, and has had the same amazing teacher the entire time, is closing its doors for good. It was a hard goodbye; the loss of a wonderful community, and a real shaking of foundation for Waits.

Which, you know, I guess that’s life? Endings and beginnings, love and loss. Spring turns into summer turns into autumn. Little baby boys turn into charming young men, and grow up way too fast and it breaks their mothers’ hearts (am I right?). That’s the way of the world.

As it should be.

~~~

And now , because it’s been so very very long — the one, the only, Le Love List!

Waits cooked Jeremy and I dinner, from start to finish, with very minimal help, and not only was it amazing to see him so careful and focused, but it was GOOD. It was a damn good meal. // Homegrown anti-anxiety tea. // My garden in general, it’s so pretty this year. // The way the cold night air hits me when I leave my office after dark. The whole world smells like ocean. // Waits singing at the top of his lungs when he’s in the shower. // Painting Vesper’s toenails. // Burning candles every night (this one really makes Jeremy happy). // Jade. // I didn’t shave my legs for 2 whole months during winter, and it was awesome. // When Waits lets us sleep in waaaaay late on the weekend. // Jeremy and I getting down and dancing to Salt ‘n Peppa in the kitchen. // Childish Gambino (duh). // Juicing pineapple. Every. Day. // WE ARE GOING TO BELIZE!!! Jeremy and I have been talking about traveling together internationally since the day we met, and we have been planning this trip for soooo long. But life always got in the way — it was always something coming along that would make us have to change plans, and postpone and postpone and postpone. Until now. Now, the flights are booked and the work leave is scheduled and the beachfront cabana is reserved and we are GOING TO BELIZE in August. 1 masters degree, 2 small businesses, 3 big moves, and a million obstacles overcome later, we are going to Belize. And damn I think we deserve it. ♥

~~~

So alright, that’s it for now. I miss all of you and I’d love to hear about your spring, what you’ve been up to, what’s been hard and what’s been good — all that stuff that makes up a life worth living. Leave me a comment, let’s catch up!

♥