First kayak trip for Forrest

 Alex and I are super excited to really call Forrest a boater! He's gone down the river a couple of times before either in a big raft or Alex's drift boat, but this was the first trip down in the kayak, which, by the way, can flip pretty easily. He's flipped with me before right in front of our beach, so I knew he would do okay if it happened. The run we did was perfect, enough small rapids to keep it exciting, but short enough for the 4 year old attention span. He loves to stop at various beaches and rocks to explore.

 Aunt Megan came with us too! She made a surprise visit for the weekend from Santa Barbara and had her first tubing experience down our white water river and did great! We love the fun "adventures" with our Forrest.

Old Friends...

It's so nice to keep in touch with old friends. Friends from the past, pre kiddies, pre marriage, when I had very different goals and aspirations. I don't keep in touch with many in person, but the ones I do I'm very thankful for.

Jess went to PA school with me. She now works at CPMC as a hepatology and liver clinic PA, has worked her way up to management level, and it's always so interesting and and wonderful to hear how wonderful her and her husband Joe are doing.

They happened to be headed up to the Trinity Lake area and we jumped at the opportunity to meet them. We met and a super cute river side cafe and restaurant called the Straw House. It is by far the BEST, (and only...for 35 miles each direction!) place to eat while you enjoy a gorgeous view of the river. Complete with almond milk green berry smoothies, gourmet wonderful coffee, all the local wonderful wine and microbrews, and wood fired pizza with a great selection of salads.  Yummo, not much more to really tell! Except, who's next? If you're in the area, we'd love to meet you here too! ;-)
We had a great, albeit short, 2 hour visit where we caught up on life, they caught up on the kiddos, and we got to meet their kiddo pup who is a sweet heart!

 

It's rare anyone is in our neck of the woods so I love to jump at the opportunity and have a little catching up/ social time in person!
As a bonus we got a family picture taken where we are ALL looking at the camera. Miraculous and worth a celebration in its own right...

July 11th, 2 years 2 months, musings of a mama

 We have come to the age of 2 years 2 months with Talin. The exact same age Forrest happened to be during Talin's birth. For whatever reason this is important to me. I'm not sure why. Perhaps it is my trouble in remembering how Forrest was at Talin's age. I seem to remember better after Talin was born. Maybe this is because they are just entirely different kids. Forrest a fire ball in every way, dynamic personality, super smiley, super feisty, super aggressive, seemingly older than his age, you get the picture. And Talin, more following the milestone baby book, happy, mellow, awful sleeper, yada yada and I could go on.

Above is Forrest the night before Talin was born, at that age of 2 years 2 months. The blondie he was, wearing the same shirt and shoes Talin still wears now. I've always thought Talin had looked so more babyish than Forrest, maybe it's his baby blue eyes, or maybe because he is truly my baby, I don't know. He still seems that way. I remember distinctly Forrest climbing up on my hospital bed seeing me and his newborn baby brother for the first time. What a big boy he already seemed, much older than Talin seems now. Possibly truly playing that Big Brother role already, born into it.
And below is Talin now...still my baby. He's really a toddler in every sense of the way. And goodness has he hit the two's. It's so apparent because perhaps usually he is so happy and mellow, but man I tell you he can throw the dramatic tantrums, throwing himself onto the ground, banging his fists on the floor. Short lived, within a few minutes he is done. Alex and I just want to laugh at him because after raising Forrest through this stage Talin's antics do seem so funny! I'm glad I can laugh through it with my second. I guess that is the blessing of going through this school of parenting that has been thrust on us :-)

What a lucky Mom I am to have these two wonderful boys, now making a sort of a circle with their ages.  I can't wait for what the future holds...

Carpe Diem...Summer/Family Style!

Family, nothing better! Am amazing day with Granny and Papa on our river beach

A peak at our day, beer and kids running wild on the river...FUN!

Forrest the squirt gun guru!

this kid has it rough...watermelon in a swing on the river....WOW!

Yummy Watermelon!

The fight is on!

Forrest pegs Papa!

I wonder who got what they deserved?

Fun on the kayak

The squirt gun demolition team!

Mom gets a chance to take an evening post dinner dive

"NO!!!"

The "terrible two's" have hit, Talin style, (which really isn't so terrible at all...;-)

Crawdad!!!

So much fun!

Papa getting warmed up!

The amazing waterfight duo, Granny and Papa!

Crawdad, Talin style!

Get that invisible pirate, get him!!!!!

The Match!

Granny pegs 'Papa before he can react!

'Papa gets Forrest good in the 'earball'......

The epic water fight is fought till the bitter end....

And Dad retreats......

And thus comes another end to the epic beach day, Fulton/Stollmeyer Style...oh of course except add a dinner of BBQ chicken apple sausage/sauteed summer squash/and pasta salad capped with homemade watermelon, Yummo!
We will all sleep well tonight!

What you can get from a 3:50 a.m. wake up call that does not involve a little person....

 ....perhaps, this!!! Two weeks ago Alex and I escaped for a morning down to the coveted Burnt Ranch salmon hole just upriver from us. Alex had been fishing it for a couple of weeks as this is the time the "springers" start to come up river. It had just gotten good, really good, the night before, (Father's day evening,) and it worked out for us to have kiddie care and Voila....I was down fishing again! I haven't fished this spot and caught anything for years...before Forrest was born at the very least. It has a very difficult and humbling spot to be in, nonetheless fish in. The trail is a cliff side scramble straight up and down, and fishing for these glorious, strong, amazing salmon that like to spool your line, jump up feet in the air , and run the rapids is quite an amazing fight. For the morning fishing session you hike down with a head lamp, down a very slick trail, and I just try to not kill myself basically. Alex in all his svelteness seems to just glide down as I find myself on my butt more than a few times. Regardless we make it, wait for dawn to break for it to be light enough to fish, and take in the beauty of this remote river spot that we are lucky enough to have all to ourselves...

The plan was for Alex to hook and land two, (his allowable catch,) and then any more he would hook he would pass the rod to me to land...or TRY to land. So he got his two...and then...we lost one after another. SO difficult. I would fish, and then stop briefly to eat or stretch, and then fish again despite my lack of luck...and skill most likely. Then, I had one on! And I landed it! This beauty above was my fish, a nice 8-9 pounder, and I was so thankful for the thrill of it all. I never got my second that morning, but the one was plenty.
Yes this mama still can fish and catch something more than little human boys once in awhile :-)

Granny is here, Granny is here!

I was lucky enough to bring back my Mom from our annual King's River trip to stay with us for awhile during her summer break.
Forrest is SO excited, and couldn't say enough about his Granny, the super long back rubs she was going to give him, and how much he missed her "so much!"

So far we've endured a rainy few days on the ranch, a crazy work and call week for this mama, and now a heat wave...oh yes, and all the sweet moments of night time cuddling with books in Granny's bed, sweet coast beach trips where we beat the heat and happened to find a sand sculpture contest, pool side afternoons, evening walks, and everything else in between.

 My parents live 12 hours away, (California is a LONG state!) so summer time is awesome as we always get at least one good visit with my Mom to look forward to.

Kings River Annual Extravaganza

Sending all the family off for the float!

Talin and I made the trek down the the Kings River in the heart of central Cal last weekend and boy did we have fun. I had made the decision to just take one kiddo as Alex could not make the trip this year and both parents elected to have Talin be my partner and Forrest to stay and do big boy things with Dad at home. We all had fun in our respected  places and Talin did great in his first real camping experience, (though who are we kidding I often feel like our home is one giant camping trip!!)
But really though, he did great with 40+ family memebers, most who he had never met, camping around him. He loved to wander up to his bigger cousins just wanting to be part of the action and play with them. He also, I think, really did well without the constant big brother influence. For the first time he was truly his own being and he did great! Other than he very picky eating tendencies, (a phase he's going through at home and away!) he did great, playing in the sand, skipping naps without grouchy moments, taking boat rides, and meeting family he had never really met before.

I love my family and I love this trip. I didn't get a float trip down the river this year, nor did I get a ski ride, but I had a great time with my family and cousins and that's what counts.
Till next year Kings River!

Float goers the Dickerson family with Brenna and little brother to be wait for final send off...

Rick, Kyle, and Ryan drive the historic float Mobile...the Great White Truck...

Checking out the paddle board with the young one, (he wasn't quite the fan yet...)

afternoon river cruise

Talin and Papa get a boat ride

I brought the trademark BBQ salmon to share :-)

"I'm Grandma's Favorite!!!"--All my cousins and I were given "special shirts" by my awesome Grandma truly showing who is the favorite... ;-)

Talin gets his Aunt Megan time