Life is Beautiful
Over the past year, Joe and I have shared many wonderful moments of simple beauty. With our family, with nature, and with each other...
OCTOBER
One year ago, October 27th, my first nephew, Ashgen, was born to my step-sister. He was two months premature and has down syndrome. He spent his first three months of life in intensive care in Seattle. He fought hard each day to become healthy.
NOVEMBER
We shared a simple day of giving thanks with Joe's sisters on the chilly coast of Washington.
DECEMBER
Joe's sister Melissa and brother in law Marc Paul gave birth to Joe's first niece, Evelyn Winter, on December 10th in Denver. (Joe and I made the quilt)
JANUARY
We ventured to my mom's house in the Methow valley in the North Cascades of Washington with our awesome friends Janet and Jeff for a quiet weekend, and some good rounds of cooperative board games (remnants of my childhood in this house).
FEBRUARY
The whole family gathered in Port Angeles for the first time ever. Both baby Ashgen and my step brother Casey had returned healthy, and Joe spent his first meals with us all together.
Joe and I love that my sister, Marina, lives so close to us in Seattle. Though brief, I have been so glad to have this time near her before our paths part directions again.
MARCH
We get to hang out with little Evelyn in Denver over spring break. Melissa helped Evelyn express her joy as they watched Joe, Marc Paul and I dig up their tiny backyard and make way for their abundant garden!
APRIL
I joined my sister, mom, and grandmother in San Francisco for a great week of crazy lady adventures. I really do love hanging out with these women.
We spent my 23rd birthday with my mom in the Methow (where I was born). We have spent lots of time with my mom over the past several months, and I'm so glad she and Joe are such good friends.
MAY
I was blessed to make it up to the Methow during its most glorious week of the year. I honestly can't remember ever seeing it so beautiful. And my mom and sister and I so rarely get to all be together here, it was an awesome treat.
JUNE
Joe and I found a new, wonderful home in Seattle. Before we even moved our furniture in we got our summer garden planted. We love having this tiny cottage all to ourselves and our own garden at our doorstep.
I graduated from Evergreen in June with a bachelors degree in Methods of Social Change.
Joe's dad Michael and my mom's partner Lyle cooked up a feast for a gathering of our friends at Corona Farm in Port Townsend to celebrate my graduation and my mom and Lyle's new adventure moving to the Methow.
Joe's parents came to Seattle for my graduation and then the four of us traveled to the San Juan Islands. We loved it so much, we changed our plans and stayed another night just to return to the top of Mt. Constitution to see the sunset. (We had seen sunset from the beach the night before and just didn't feel complete unless we saw both amazing views. We even brought our spaghetti dinner with us to the top).
The water was cold, but so rejuvenating.
JULY
We spent another great week in Denver and got to see all the growth Evelyn and their garden had been doing.
Our garden was growing along steadily back home as well.
We took our first overnight trip of the season in the Olympics to Buckhorn Mountain.
AUGUST
Growth continued in all corners of our lives, as my mom rejuvinated her 1980's garden beds into a stunning vegetable patch, Ashgen began to smile and play, and my dad grew into his new roll as 'papa'.
SEPTEMBER
We took our second (and sadly last) summer backpacking trip to Mount Saint Helens. What an unusual and stunning place.
OCTOBER
We've now harvested our summer crop and put our kale and beet starts in the ground. Joe is back to his studies, and the fall rains have begun.
We made a trip over to visit our farmer friends on the Olympic Peninsula this past weekend. We pressed four gallons of cider from apples we gleaned from wild trees in Seattle, and soaked in the pastoral quiet.
On October 27th, Ashgen's 1st birthday, and our 3rd anniversary, I will celebrate Ashgen with my family in Port Angeles, and Joe will be in San Deigo presenting his research at the American Public Health Association conference. By the end of that week we will meet up in the Methow one more time before school and winter tie us down.
OCTOBER
One year ago, October 27th, my first nephew, Ashgen, was born to my step-sister. He was two months premature and has down syndrome. He spent his first three months of life in intensive care in Seattle. He fought hard each day to become healthy.
NOVEMBER
We shared a simple day of giving thanks with Joe's sisters on the chilly coast of Washington.
DECEMBER
Joe's sister Melissa and brother in law Marc Paul gave birth to Joe's first niece, Evelyn Winter, on December 10th in Denver. (Joe and I made the quilt)
JANUARY
We ventured to my mom's house in the Methow valley in the North Cascades of Washington with our awesome friends Janet and Jeff for a quiet weekend, and some good rounds of cooperative board games (remnants of my childhood in this house).
FEBRUARY
The whole family gathered in Port Angeles for the first time ever. Both baby Ashgen and my step brother Casey had returned healthy, and Joe spent his first meals with us all together.
Joe and I love that my sister, Marina, lives so close to us in Seattle. Though brief, I have been so glad to have this time near her before our paths part directions again.
MARCH
We get to hang out with little Evelyn in Denver over spring break. Melissa helped Evelyn express her joy as they watched Joe, Marc Paul and I dig up their tiny backyard and make way for their abundant garden!
APRIL
I joined my sister, mom, and grandmother in San Francisco for a great week of crazy lady adventures. I really do love hanging out with these women.
We spent my 23rd birthday with my mom in the Methow (where I was born). We have spent lots of time with my mom over the past several months, and I'm so glad she and Joe are such good friends.
MAY
I was blessed to make it up to the Methow during its most glorious week of the year. I honestly can't remember ever seeing it so beautiful. And my mom and sister and I so rarely get to all be together here, it was an awesome treat.
JUNE
Joe and I found a new, wonderful home in Seattle. Before we even moved our furniture in we got our summer garden planted. We love having this tiny cottage all to ourselves and our own garden at our doorstep.
I graduated from Evergreen in June with a bachelors degree in Methods of Social Change.
Joe's dad Michael and my mom's partner Lyle cooked up a feast for a gathering of our friends at Corona Farm in Port Townsend to celebrate my graduation and my mom and Lyle's new adventure moving to the Methow.
Joe's parents came to Seattle for my graduation and then the four of us traveled to the San Juan Islands. We loved it so much, we changed our plans and stayed another night just to return to the top of Mt. Constitution to see the sunset. (We had seen sunset from the beach the night before and just didn't feel complete unless we saw both amazing views. We even brought our spaghetti dinner with us to the top).
The water was cold, but so rejuvenating.
JULY
We spent another great week in Denver and got to see all the growth Evelyn and their garden had been doing.
Our garden was growing along steadily back home as well.
We took our first overnight trip of the season in the Olympics to Buckhorn Mountain.
AUGUST
Growth continued in all corners of our lives, as my mom rejuvinated her 1980's garden beds into a stunning vegetable patch, Ashgen began to smile and play, and my dad grew into his new roll as 'papa'.
SEPTEMBER
We took our second (and sadly last) summer backpacking trip to Mount Saint Helens. What an unusual and stunning place.
OCTOBER
We've now harvested our summer crop and put our kale and beet starts in the ground. Joe is back to his studies, and the fall rains have begun.
We made a trip over to visit our farmer friends on the Olympic Peninsula this past weekend. We pressed four gallons of cider from apples we gleaned from wild trees in Seattle, and soaked in the pastoral quiet.
On October 27th, Ashgen's 1st birthday, and our 3rd anniversary, I will celebrate Ashgen with my family in Port Angeles, and Joe will be in San Deigo presenting his research at the American Public Health Association conference. By the end of that week we will meet up in the Methow one more time before school and winter tie us down.
posted by Haley at 7:48 PM
1 Comments:
We love you both very much. You have had a beautiful year! Peace, Melissa.
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