Sassy Six

Last Tuesday was our baby girls birthday!  Six...wow! 

 Kynlee Rose

6 Years

~

Loves playing with her friends, singing, dancing, animals, craft

 and EVERYTHING and ANYTHING horses! 

This girls eats, breathes and dreams horses, and aspires to be a Rodeo Queen!!!

Has a baby doll named Stacey, and insists we tell everyone she is real.

Played Tball for the first time, loved it, and talks about playing every year.

Would eat meat and meat only for every meal

Won't eat blueberries, but loves Raspberries

Collects anything she can get her hands on...you name it, she wants to keep it.

This girl is all sass and attitude topped with lots of love and cuddles, and we just can't get enough of her.  

We love you to pieces "nugs"!  Happy, happy Birthday to you!

Kynlee asked to celebrate her party with friends and family at the Osborne Aquatic Center's outside pool "Otter Beach"...horse themed of course!!!

 

 

Here's the gang

10 Degrees of Relief

Things in our families little world, have been rather stressful these past few months.  Running a business, the household, and still trying to get the kids to and from school, sports, friends, etc...all wear on a person over time.  It's life...we all experience it, and live it every day!  BUT...sometimes you just need to take a deep breath, leave it all behind, and enjoy time together as a family.

 

That's what we did on Sunday.  We are pretty blessed to live within 40 minutes of the coast, and although we don't take advantage of it nearly as often as we should, it's always a great time when we do!  This trip however, definitely topped my list of all time fantastic trips to the beach!!!

The weather report called for high 80's in the valley, and high 60's, low 70's at the coast.  So...we packed up a few things, loaded the car, and headed to the coast for 10 degrees of heat relief, business relief, and just plain stress relief.  The Oregon coast tends to be extremely windy 90% of the time, so we only planned on staying for a bit, letting the kids run in the sand, and maybe touching our toes in the ocean before they froze off in the characteristically cold water. 


We arrived to 71 degrees, clear blue skies, and a SLIGHT breeze...not normal coast wind at all.  Found a great little path to the beach...off the beaten trail for the hundreds of other people who had our same idea...and ran for the water!

Kevin doesn't like the sand...I know..."gasp"...he just doesn't like it getting between his toes, and all over everything.  So...when we climbed down the stairs and hit the beach, he was beyond excited to be walking on hardened sand where the tide once covered it earlier that day.  No soft blowing sand to get between his toes...it was great!

The water was the WARMEST I've ever experienced at the Oregon Coast...Seriously the Warmest!  It didn't take your breath away at all, and the kids ran right out and started swimming.  Unheard of I tell ya!

We even got to introduce the kids to everyone's favorite ocean activity...jumping over the  waves.

 
I sat back, soaked up the rays, enjoyed the giggles and laughter coming from the kids...Kevin included...all the while catching up on some reading!

These are the faces of the cutest kids on the beach that day!!!  They had more fun than they've had in a long time, and kept thanking us for the "Family Day".  A reminder that we need to have more "family days", and less "I've got to get this done" days!

Horse Girl Diva

When we had to sell our horse Kizzie a few years back, I was truly devastated.  I had finally fulfilled a lifelong dream of having my own horse, and the timing just wasn't right for our family.  The plan..my plan that is...was to get another horse some day in the future, when it fit in our lives better.

I never pushed horses on our kids, nor did I ever plan on doing so...however...Kynlee quickly showed that she and I have a similar love affair with the amazing animals.  She recently has been eating, breathing and dreaming horses, spots them in fields from a mile away, and wants nothing in life more than to own HER own horse.  She begged, pleaded, and fluttered her eyelashes enough that we agreed to let her take riding lessons at a local barn, Inavale Farms.  She LOVES it!!!
 

 While our family tends to be a primarily Western/Cowboy type family, Inavale is predominantly English centered.  They get a kick out of Kynlee walking in with her jeans and cowgirl boots on, hoping on a Western Saddle, while they are all in riding pants and working on jumps and dressage.  But...the eventing bug is starting to trickle through Kynlee's little veins, and I'm curious to see how long it takes before she wants to try it out.  

Anyways...Every year Inavale hosts a 3 day event, called the Inavale Farms Horse Trials.  Hundreds of horses and riders travel from all over Oregon, Washington, Idaho and California, to be a part of the event, and it is quite the hoping place, let me tell you.  Kynlee and I, with our friend Mindy, braved the 90 degree temperatures and joined the masses for a few hours on Sunday!  It's so neat to be right up close to the action!  

Heat and all...Kynlee couldn't get enough!

The One Where I Discuss My Issues with FOOD!

So here we go...blah, blah, blah for those who have heard this a million times!

About 3 years ago I was "diagnosed" with a Gluten Intolerance.  Celiac you ask...Not sure.  The tests I had done were not a Celiac Panel, and after I realized that...it was too late.  I had already pulled Gluten from my diet, and I wasn't about to start eating it again just to have some expensive lab work done so I could have a formal diagnosis.  Gluten makes my stomach hurt, along with a huge list of other symptoms...so I don't eat it.  Simple as that.  If you'd like to read more...this is my original post on the matter Finally answers

Anyways....Fast forward to present day, and you will be inundated with my obsession with food, and all things food related.  I LOVE learning about the latest and greatest fad, and diets alike.  I can't get enough of blogs, articles, etc. that discuss the benefits and detriments that certain foods have on our bodies!  I've recently started on a Paleo Journey, and I am hooked.  Dairy Free, Grain Free, Legume Free and Free of Refined Sugars...basically, meat, veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds!  Do I occasionally "cheat"...yes...but I don't worry too much about it, and move on to the next meal!

So...I could go on and on about this subject...as I normally do...but I'll spare you.  Instead I'll share what we had for dinner last night...Just because it was SOOOO delicious, and we couldn't get enough!

I got the recipe here: www.skinnytaste.com/
and boy did it deliver!!!  Mine look just as scrumptious, don't you think!

  Go make it tonight...your family will thank you! Enjoy!!!

Kids Grow...Who Knew

Well...It's true.  Kids grow up.  They start out so small, depending on their parents for the most basic needs, then, they can do it themselves!!! 

They start the year as Kindergarteners,

and end it ready to move into first grade. 

They start as 1st Graders...

and end the year ready for 2nd grade.  2nd GRADE...REALLY?

It happens.  We may not like it...but it happens!  Tear, sob, sniff!

Bye, Bye Facebook...Hello New Time Sucker

Well Hello there...I've been away for some time...haven't I!  Well, a LOT has changed since I last made an appearance on my blog, and I felt like it was time to dredge the ol' gal up, and start rambling again for you all to read and
enjoy suffer through.  Paleo living, Crossfit, life on the "farm", growing kids, etc. etc. etc...it's all here for you to get a glimpse into our daily lives!

What prompted this you ask??? Well, after a lot of turmoil and debate (that should have been my first clue), I made the decision to TEMPORARILY disable my Facebook Account, in an attempt to not spend countless hours stalking friends and foe alike.  I LOVE FB, don't get me wrong, and it serves many wonderful purposes...but for me, my love, errr addiction, of the site was far from healthy.  Every chance I sat at a computer, tablet or phone, I would check my account.  I would be focused on things I could post and write about, so I could get atta girls or props from people, instead of focused on my family and living life.  I would fret about friends talking with each other, wondering why I wasn't invited to a certain event, or longing to be part of other events.  So unnecessary, and not who I wanted to become.  So...for the time being...Facebook has been disabled for me!

Now you ask...why another time sucking hobby???  Because my friends and family are continually asking what our little family is up to, and enjoying pictures here and there of the munchkins.  Because I love food, exercise and general healthy living topics, and love to share about them.  Because I have a lot of words and thoughts to use of throughout the day, and my husband has a turn off button where he can only handle so much of my ramblings...so I need an outlet!!!  Because, Because, Because...why not?!?!

So enjoy!

Johnny Popper

Well...we hardly live on a farm...but "Farmer Albin" was out the other day, living it up.  I have to admit, it was pretty fun watching my boys drive around our property taking the ol' Johnny Popper for a whirl.  Kynlee stood around soaking in the sunshine, looking cute as ever, while I sat on the back porch imagining what is to come on our little two acre piece of PARADISE!!!  We are loving it out here, and can't wait for the rain to stop...or let me be real, slow up a bit...afterall, we do live in Oregon!!!  The future is bright, and we're ready to live it up!!!

Boxes, Boxes, Boxes

I know I said I'd update you all a bit more often, and that IS the plan.  Right now I seem to be digging through the trenches of many years worth of boxes simply to walk around my house, and the thought of sitting down and updating you all on the madness...is kind of daunting!  Such is life when you move, and when you downsize for that matter.  We went from a house with attic and basement storage (each full to the brim, mind you)... into one with neither.  The amount of STUFF we have is ridiculous....R-I-D-ICULOUS!  I'm strongly considering putting all of the boxes in the yard and lighting a torch.  We will never miss the stuff, I'm fairly certain!!! 

It isn't as bad as it sounds, don't let me complain too much.  We do have a large barn/shop on the property that we will store some of our things in until we build the house...but that's a process in and of itself.  Unload boxes in the house, then repack what we don't think we'll need on a daily basis into Rubbermaid totes to try and keep the rodents out, and stack them in the shop.  Quite the process.  I'm a "get in and stay up all night until you're unpacked and it looks like you've lived there for years" kind of gal...so not being fully moved in after almost 2 weeks is REALLY hard!  I will be done, one day, and I'll post pictures of the pad for you all to enjoy!  Until then...go to your closets, and start throwing things away that you never use.  One day you will thank me.  Stuff collects in places you never think about until you are forced too and then you just want to cry thinking about all of the hundreds of dollars worth of things that have sat tucked away in cupboards and closets, and sucked the life right out of ya;)  Okay...maybe a bit dramatic...but I think you get the idea!  If I never see another box after this move, it will be too soon!!!