So, my glasses broke. Basically, they just fell apart. I went to Walmart and bought new frames, and am now the proud owner of a pair of purple(!) glasses. My old frames are getting good use.

If you didn't know, these are my two oldest children.

Lucy wanted to wear my new ones.

Whoooaaaaa!
Then the old ones.

Maybe it's the glasses, but I think they look like me.

Despite his obvious excitement about going to kindergarten, Bowden slowed a little once we actually got to the school. Once outside of the room, he was close to us, but still on his toes. He did not really want me to take a picture of him at his desk, but reluctantly agreed. He had his name tag on, his backpack stowed in his cubby, and he went off to play. Josh and I hung out with the multitude of other parents, watching and waiting to be kicked out by the teacher. Bowden would come back periodically and check in with us...I pretended to not want to go. I told him that I had loved kindergarten, and I wanted to stay instead of him. He laughed, "Noooo, Mommy!" When I asked him if he wanted us to leave, he said, "Not yet. Stay a couple more minutes."
The kids kept coming- there are thirty in his class this year! He came up to me at one point and said, "There are too many people!" He went into the little corner by the books and found a magnet game.

Bowden knows about half of the kids from Awana and preschool, and Idyllwild is a small town, so I knew most of the parents.
Mrs. Adler and Bowden with a little girl I don't know...
Mrs. Adler said, "Okay, parents, time to go!" There were some nervous kids, but Bowden was not one of them anymore, and we left- although many parents were not satisfied with that ending and had to look in the room.

Bowden's bag, hung outside his classroom.
At noon, a whole hour and a half earlier than preschool got out, I went to pick up Bowden. I got him from the lunch room, where he was sitting with Lilly D. and Destinee. He loved especially the bag of milk that you could stab a straw into.
He wasn't anxious to go- he loved it. He told me that Mrs. Adler really was nice, "just like Teacher Cathy said she was." He liked learning time best of all.

"What did you learn about?" I asked.

"Oh, mostly the rules."

We went home and he said that his only homework was to practice writing his name, so
we did it- Lucy started learning to write an, "L."

I saw his teacher on Friday for a few minutes in the hall, and she said, "Bowden's doing great."

I asked her how she was (30 children!) and she said, "Oh! You must read to Bowden! His comprehension is unbelievable. He's not going to have any problems."

I feel pretty good about it- and I didn't really feel like crying. Josh misted up when we prayed for him after we dropped him off...it was hardest for the Daddy, I guess.

Today was Nathanael Peck's seventeenth birthday. Rachel came with me down to Hemet today- we asked 'thanael to come, but he refused. It gave us an opportunity to get ready for his birthday celebration at the staff bible study tonight. Rachel and Ryane made the cake- a lovely beach scene! There were goldfish in the sea and teddy grahams soaking up the rays on the graham cracker sand.
Nathanael put up with the singing and attention.
He blew out the candles- just as a side note, Mom Peck, this son of yours needs a haircut.
After the study, we sat around and visited. The kids on the couch are Cale Jaffarian, Judith Rath, Ryane Salazar, and Rachel Peck.

On the brick, closest to farthest, Jessica Buse, Cory Salazar, the birthday boy, and Philip Underwood.
Nick Finney, right in front.
Gretchen Martini, Kristin Underwood, always hating to have her picture taken, and Shannon Barr.
We got Nathanael a photo album for his summer pictures...we love this kid. We're so glad to have him, especially on his birthday! Look how sweet he was to pose for this picture! If you knew how much he hated it, you would know how kind he was being.

I have so many things I want to post, but it hasn't yet happened. Here we go...

The Irvings were here for a happy three days, and the only picture I took was this one. Josh took more, but I believe they were only of the Electoral College game we played. We talked a lot about the Simple Church practice as opposed to traditional church...

I am sorry that I didn't take more of the kids playing, and I am especially sad not to have caught a picture of their sweet little one, baby John. He is a very, very happy baby, and cute as a boot to boot.

This morning, the kids all sat at the top of the stairs in a row, giggling and giggling. I saw them, and went to get a picture, but the perfect shot was gone. Lucy and Belle really set each other off, with little provocation, so it was fun to get a picture of it.

We had an amazing visit, even if we didn't play Settlers of Catan this time. Hopefully we will be able to go out this fall to see them on our way to see the Paulwentzellson's new place!
Bowden is helping Jack down. He's a sweet boy- and starting KINDERGARTEN tomorrow.



I think I might cry. I'm excited for him, but my baby.....

Lucy made up for a long nap with a long wakefulness, so here are hers.

Up so late. She's a funny sleeper, and I don't mean, "ha ha."

I took some pictures to replace the two of Bowden and one of Lucy and none of Jack that we have on our table- Lucy has no hair and is barely mobile, and the picture of Bowden is equally dated. These aren't very good, but that's irrelevant with my picture-taking skills. I'm just hoping to catch that one face that I see with my eyes closed when I think of Bowden, or Jack, or Lucille.


None of these are the right picture for the frame, but I love these faces. Did I say one? It may be more like a thousand and one.

Jack was engrossed with his car playing, and wouldn't look at me for long. He is waving in the middle shot.

Lucy is sleeping.

The most potent of all of us Tates. What a handsome mug.

On Friday, we drove up to Santa Maria. There has always been, in my memory, a wash behind my grandfather's house there, but it used to go four times as far. Beyond the wall were cattle and jackrabbits. At the end of the wash a field held the biggest pepper tree I'd ever seen. My father loved it. The grass was nice to play in after a long drive.


Bowden ran down the wash, and everything for me brought to mind a memory- a feeling- like the way it felt to run the wash with half of your body below the other half. As though you could take off at any moment, or fall. I remember falling into the very warm and slimy water that pooled at the bottom. I remember the smell.
We talked about the past, and our family that we don't see, and it was really nice to be together.

Selah wanted to climb into my Poppy's lap.


All of us Paulsons, except for Bowden, who was cranky.
Selah Paix, amazed and astounded.

My mom told the kids that she would take them swimming in the harbor after the beach, and true to her word, she went in. The chickens were more reluctant.
Bowden would not let go of the surfboard.
Lucy had a stranglehold on my mom, and was only in for a short while.

Bowden enjoyed the mussels he stripped from the wall.
They even cleared the sailboat of some growth.
Lucy got back in again, for a bit.

The harbor just looks better from the dock.