Monday, June 25, 2012

Shock & Awe

For Cayenne's 11th birthday, Acacia and I decided to redecorate her room and add a desk, as my goal this year was to help her feel like the middle-schooler she almost is.

Ten hours later Acacia was asleep on her feet, encouraging me not to go to bed before we replaced the doors on Cayenne's and my bedrooms. She was a rock star. The desk would not leave the master bedroom without removing the door, to which the scratches in said door will attest. Whoops.

Was it only ten hours? Felt like more. Turns out our episode of Extreme Makeover was actually one from Hoarders. 

Nightmare.

During Operation Shock & Awe, which lasted until midnight, I was annoyed, exasperated and deeply disappointed. I seriously worried about how I was going to present this gift with a glad heart. But the pure joy in my not-so-little-anymore girl when she saw her new grown-up room was magnificent. 

The new desk is in the left-hand corner just out of the photo. This was taken at midnight! Acacia could barely lift her arms after helping me move all that solid oak furniture - Nick's set from when he was a boy.

Today we went bowling, tucked into the triple chocolate cake Acacia and I baked yesterday and enjoyed dinner at the Grandparents' place by their pond.




It's so hot and dry right now - the Four Corners is surrounded by wildfires -
I felt as though just walking outside with these little flames was going to ignite the actual air!

This is the moment she realized her grandparents had given her
her first computer, for middle school.
See? He really is just a lap dog.
Satcho reveled in the a/c chez les grandparents...


Cayenne was so happy today. So so happy. It almost made me forget the visions I'd had of running away to a grass hut on the beach, my only belonging a sarong, my only decision what curry to have for dinner.... But this wasn't about me. It was about giving Cayenne a leg-up into this next phase of her evolving self, and using the state of her room as a lesson in respect.

Taken on a recent hike with her Papa.

Happy Birthday, my Pearl. The world is your oyster!


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   Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad!!


Thursday, June 14, 2012

Summer!

What: A summer sunset family party
Why: To celebrate summer
When: Friday June 8th, 5pm - ?
Includes: Music, dinner, dessert and a beautiful sunset
Dress: Summery

Our latest invitation into Cayenne's World. She cooked dinner, laid out a blanket and we enjoyed our supper sitting on the grass overlooking the mountains. Bliss.

Less blissy was the growing fire we were witnessing climbing up those mountains. We'd been tracking it for about an hour by the time we sat down, and were watching helicopters dump 95 gallon buckets of water over it. It's the 10th anniversary of Durango's Missionary Ridge fire - an inferno that consumed 72,962 acres - so the town takes these things seriously. Our firemen were on it like ants at a picnic.



View from dinner


The triangle is water pouring out of the bucket


Actually, the fire raging near Fort Collins right now started on June 9th, same as Missionary Ridge. That one was started by lightening - or rather, by Mother Nature rejuvenating herself. Normally I would say let it burn itself out, but when it's so close to people, it's scary stuff.

Speaking of which, we are heading out at the crack-o-dawn to climb the first 14er of the season, so I'd better go pack up and then pack it in.

But I'll be back!

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Happy Birthday Ilona!

Congratulations to my wonderful friend Ann Cobb who became a Grandmother today. WooHoo!