Parade!

My kids have been enamored with parades since I first read them the classic book Parade by Donald Crews.  They've seen several parades in Colville, but their first parade in Maine was a special affair.  In fact, we may have set the bar too high for their full enjoyment of any future streetside processions!  You see, the kids got to be IN the parade, which was a pretty BIG deal.

We were all part of the UMM float, which featured a painting of the main administration building.  This photo also happens to show my office windows, along with a replica of the "Seasons Greetings" sign on display throughout the holiday season.

Here are the kids on the back of the truck towing the float, where they practiced their princess/prince waves, shouted Christmas greetings and threw candy toward unsuspecting observers who probably wished, in hindsight, that they had brought hard hats:

On our way home, our family had a nice discussion about the special privilege it was to partake in the parade, and how we might not always get to be so involved in the festivities.  Thane took it all in stride, and stated that it would be good for other people to have a turn.  Annabel, as always, had her own take on it:  "And just think, Thanie.  Next year we can get a whole lot more candy by standing on the street watching."  She's always looking on the bright side, that girl!

The Nutcracker & Sweets

We started a new tradition this year when we took Annabel and a friend to see the Nutcracker Suite.  The ballet was held at the University, and the ballet troupe involved did a great job.  Here are the girls anxiously awaiting the start of the show:

Intermission was spent eating donuts in my office:

 

Although both girls declared that parts of the show were boring (in their defense, I think they thought that the performance would be more like the Barbie Nutcracker DVD), they were more than thrilled to meet some of the ballerinas after the show:

The most entertaining part of the day for me, however, was trying to explain to Annabel that it really was OK to say "Brake a leg" to the performers!

A Downeast Thanksgiving

We had a great, albeit quiet, Thanksgiving this year.  With our families scattered around the midwest and west coast, a large chaotic gathering with relatives just wasn't in the picture.  No worries then.  We decided to have our own celebration at our little rental.

As you will see, the whole family got into the festivities this year.  Thane provided the bulk of the centerpiece (yes, that would be a stuffed paper bag turkey):

 

Annabel provided the entertainment by singing AND dancing:

 

Even Jordan did his part by cleaning up the bathroom.  Yes folks, that is my dear husband scrubbing a toilet for the first (and probably last) time in his life - a picture worthy moment indeed!

Our families weren't far from our minds, however, and the kids really enjoyed getting to talk to both sets of grandparents before the big meal.  Our gratefulness for our beloved families were certainly not far from our minds on this day of giving thanks.

Oh, and the lobster we enjoyed instead of the traditional turkey didn't hurt either!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just Another Day...

Thane:  "Watch this Mom!"

Me:  "Be careful!"

Thane:  "Yippee!"

 

Me: "Uh, oh..."  

Thane:  !THUD!

Thane: "Waaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

 

Me:  "SIGH!"

Flower Girl

Annabel, for one, is loving life here in Maine.  A genuine beach enthusiast, Annabel drags us down to the ocean every chance she gets.  She loves digging through rocks and sand to find "treasures":  sea glass, sea shells, crab shells, cool rocks, etc. 

 

Her keen eyes even spotted a baby jellyfish once, which we all thought was pretty cool!

She continues to sing and dance at every opportunity, but her latest physical pursuit is the monkey bars. 

And yes, she's still super social, even with strangers.  At a gas stop in South Dakota, she somehow managed to persuade a couple of unsuspecting fire fighters to let her start the town fire engine!

Lastly, Annabel's gardening skills are as strongly entrenched as ever.  Give her a pair of pruning sheers and she'll have your flowers cut in no time.

 

 Consider yourself warned!

Thane Turned 4!

Due to circumstances out of our control, Thane's fourth birthday fell smack dab in the middle of our move cross country.  Lucky for him, though, we have incredibly supportive families who pulled together to give Thane not one, but two, great birthday parties.

First, GG and the rest of the Minnesota gang gathered to celebrate both cousin Mason's 6th and Thane's 4th birthdays.  We had a great, exhuberant time with almost all of the great grandchildren present:

He got lots of presents, including money.  Thane, being a true Lentz, was thrilled!

Several days later, on his actual birthday, my mom's family hosted another party at my grandma's home.

Thane adored all of his gifts in the comfort of his new fireman outfit (courtesy of my sister Kim and her boys, who clearly know good fashion when they see it!)

It's hard to believe that my baby is four.  Happy Birthday, little man!

Early Days in Maine

Those last couple days of our move west were packed with quick visits with friends:  lunch and goodies with my Uncle Dale in upstate New York,  Chinese food with the Sampson girls,and an early breakfast with Becky, a friend from high school.

As great as these times were, I can not overstate the relief we all felt when our road weary bodies exited our overstuffed vehicle for the last time.  Ah, home sweet temporary home. 

With our furniture and almost all of our household belongings staying with Jordan in Washington for a few weeks, the kids and I found a furnished rental in seaside Cutler, Maine.  Actually, we are living in a condo on an old naval station.  The view across the way is pretty darn great, day...

...and night:

Although we all missed Jordan terribly, we took advantage of the balmy fall weather to do a little family bonding.

I guess that they (whoever "they" are) are right.  It truly is "Maine, the way life should be."

Back East

Lao Tzu once said “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes."  Truer words were never spoken, at least for the Lentz family!  If you've kept up with our blog, you know that we put our house on the market in early summer, and since then we've been contemplating some major life changes.  I guess you could call that a natural change. 

In late July on a whim, I applied for a job in a small town in Maine.  Spontaneous, for sure!  Weeks passed with nary a response.  No biggie - this was not our path then.  Fine.  Let's cut and stack fire wood, winterize our home, etc.  But wait...  An unexpected phone call in early September turned into a phone interview, which led to a cross country flight where I met a wonderful group of folks, the chief of whom offered me a full time position at a university in tiny coastal Machias, Maine - about as far from Colville as one can get in the continental U.S.  Lo and behold, 17 short days later the kids and I kissed Jordan goodbye and blearily headed toward the faint glow of sunrise in the eastern sky. 

 

Those frantic few weeks before our journey east are still a weary blur in my mind.  Thankfully, we had already scheduled a big yard sale at our home.  This was the first yard sale I'd ever had.  What a huge amount of work - and reward as it turned out.

We gave ourselves one day to breathe, and then the box collecting, bubble wrapping, packing, unpacking, repacking, errand running, road trip prepping and farewelling began in earnest.  Those chaotic days were a mind-numbing blur, even as I desperately tried to stop time and treasure fleeting moments of snatched conversations with so many of the lovely friends and family we were leaving behind in Colville.  In hindsight, the whirlwind of activity was a blessing - it's hard to process life, let alone loss, when operating in overdrive.

Thus, two weeks flew by and I found myself making my second cross country move in less than six years.  As before, we were lucky enough to spend a day or two with beloved family and friends on the journey.  The kids spent several hours playing in the park in Sheridan, WY, with Grandpa Frank and Gramma Bobi:
 

We had a wonderful visit with GG and the rest of Jordan's family in the suburbs of Minneapolis, MN, where the kids got lots of time to play with their favorite second cousins Mason and Xeni. I took advantage of all of the babysitters to have lunch with dear family friends, Chuck & Dorris Brooks, who traveled more than three hours to have lunch.  (Now THAT's love!)  Thane was also treated to the first of two birthday parties there.

As much as the kids enjoyed the ferry ride across Lake Michigan, I was even more thrilled to shave off a couple hundred miles on this short cut from Wisconsin to Michigan!  (Thane is waving goodbye to the west).


In Michigan, Uncle Larry and Aunt Karen treated the kids with a trip to the zoo, while I got some quiet time to visit with Uncle Randy, Aunt Karen, and Grandpa & Grandma Heydenburg.  We were lavished with love and even more gifts for the kids at a second birthday celebration for Thane.

Two travel-weary days later, we were crossing the bridge over the Piscataqua River which divides Maine and New Hampshire.  There truly is no place like home, no matter how spontaneous the journey may be!

O Christmas Tree

Christmas Tree? In September?!?  Yes, you read that title correctly.  I said Christmas Tree.  Quick:  Where will the United States Capitol Christmas tree come from this year?  You've got 5 seconds to answer.  Go!  1, 2, 3, 4, 5...

Can't guess?  Why, the Colville National Forest of course!  Providing the White House's mammoth holiday tree is pretty big news around here, and the whole town has come together to be a part of this historic event.  Even the kids have gotten involved by making hundreds of ornaments that will decorate the tree.  The theme for the decor is "Sharing Washington's Good Nature," and both our kids and a neighborhood friend wanted to participate.  The fact that they were to make their ornaments at Grandma Nancy's workplace didn't hurt either!

Here are the kids crafting their ornaments:

Annabel's ladybug is first,

followed by Thane's dragonfly:

True, neither of the ornaments were created with traditional Christmas color choices, but I'm fairly certain that both will stand out in the crowd!

Kids Play

Of course, the majority of our summer free time has been spent playing.  Annabel has continued to develop her creative side this year, and our home is filled with scores of handmade treasures (see her colorful fairy wings made from a styrofoam take-out box below):

She has also spent a lot of time reading, another of her passions.  She even enrolled in the local library's Summertime Reading Program, which required each child to read a total of 20 hours in 20 minute increments.  Of course Annabel isn't really reading yet (she just finished preschool), but at her age it was acceptable for parents to read to the kids.  Annabel finished the program with a few weeks to spare, and she was awarded "Super Reader" status for her efforts.

Don't worry - all of her swimming, crafting and reading activities didn't diminish her amiable spirit as is evident by her new friendship with Smokey the Bear.  Smokey recently celebrated his 69th birthday, and the kids were on hand to participate in the festivities.

Thane was busy as well, although he prefers to stay outdoors as much as possible.  Apparently with the summer heat, Thane felt that clothing was definitely optional at our place.  (Yes, that is my kid riding his bike au natural down the driveway.  And no, he did not remain naked for long!)

 

My little pep talk on bike safety must have hit a chord as Thane's item of choice at a yard sale a few weeks later was a helmet.  This multipurpose accessory also serves as a watering can, Spider man mask, cowboy hat and football helmet. 

 

Lastly, Thane spent a bit of his idle time contemplating his future.  While his aspirations of being a fire truck (not a fire fighter, but a fire truck!), a cowboy and/or a carpenter change from day-to-day, his desire to be a tractor man has remained fairly consistent.

 Time will tell!

Learning Curve

Both Annabel and Thane will be in school this year.  If you hear a high pitched squeal emanating from the west, that would be me shouting "Hallelujah!" as I perform the Happy Dance over and over again!

Thane is in preschool 3 mornings per week at Johnson Christian  School. He seems to be adjusting fairly well, although he's already had a few sick days. 

Annabel had testing last week, so she didn't start until this morning.  She is wiped out from her first full day of school, but she had a great day. 

 

As for me, I spent the day patting myself on the back for making it to this momentous time.  Ha!  It turns out that my self congrats were a bit premature. Annabel came home with her dress on backwards and with a very soggy lunch because I neglected to screw her thermos cover on tight.  Clearly she is more ready for this than I!

Gone Fishin'

Another one of our favorite summer pastimes is fishing.  While not the most patient of anglers out there, both of the kids thoroughly enjoy fishing with Jordan.

One of our favorite fishing holes is located in the Little Pend Oreille Wildlife Refuge, located a few short miles from our home.  The fishing (or should I say "catching") may be better elsewhere, but we love the drive through the refuge.  We've seen bears, elk, deer, moose and numerous other animals as we've driven to and from Potters Pond. 

Encompassing over 42,494 acres of land, Little Pend Oreille consists of lakes, ponds, streams, a river and acres of woodland and pasture.  One much beloved spot of ours has an old, delapidated cottage on it.

 

Ruins such as this are common sights here.  While it is sad to watch someone's hard work and craftsmanship crumble with neglect, such sights also serve to remind me of the labor, pluck and pride that homesteaders displayed as they hacked out a life for themselves in the wild. As we consider leaving behind the home we have spent the past 5 years building, the grueling lives of the people who settled this land hold a place of respect in my heart.  Let's just hope that our home doesn't end up like this!