Getting back to my Roots

You know how people say a song will bring them back to a specific memory? Well, for me it is a smell. Anytime I smell honeysuckle and the coolness of shade (I think is what it is...I know the smell, but don't really know what it is I am smelling...), I am whisked immediately back to my grandparents house. Without fail. For instance, I can be running in our neighborhood and there is a certain area in our neighborhood that immediately reminds me of my grandparents house. It is a lovely smell. If I could bottle it I would, and I would use it to make my house smell this way all the time. My grandparents live in Eureka, in far northern California. It is on the coast, and it is always cold (to me). I think the temp stays in the 50s and 60s year round...but don't quote me on that. It is gorgeous there and hydrangeas, azaleas, rhododendrons all grow so well and with vivid colors. And some of my fondest childhood memories come from being in Eureka with my grandparents (this is my mom's parents...my other grandmother lives further north, along the coast, and I have many, many fond memories from her place as well...).  Several weeks back we made a very spontaneous trip out to California to see my grandparents. To put it lightly, my grandfather has been battling prostate cancer for 12+ years and, sadly, it has caught up with him. While this was a painful reason to be making this trip, our visit with my Grandpa and Grandma was spectacular. I wish California weren't so difficult for us to get to, as I so enjoy visiting my family (allllll of them!) and love getting back to my roots.

This was Keagan and Finn's first trip to visit my grandparents house (Finn's first cross-country trip). It is  moments like these that I wish with all my heart that I lived closer to family. Even though I didn't grown up anywhere near family I still have a lot of fantastic memories of my grandparents house (see also, Military lifestyle). I cannot lie: I am jealous of Josh in that all his family are basically in one town, and his memories of growing up are also lived in present time and he can readily expose his kids to those memories. I yearn to share these memories with both Josh and my children on a more regular basis. But alas, we live on the other side of the country...

One of my memories was playing out in Grandma and Grandpa's little yard. It isn't huge, but it is perfect size for little kids. And Keagan and Finn were so excited to go outside and play in the crisp air with their frisbees that their Great Uncle Ed gave them! I thought I got some fantastic pics of the boys enjoying themselves, but my focus was all off and when I loaded these on my computer I noticed that the pictures just aren't sharp. I am super disappointed in this, but I love the content/subjects.

Have I even mentioned that Finn has the most hilarious faces? Case in point:

But my gosh he is adorable!

We see this waaaaaaaay too often. :(  Mad/sad face. 

This is not a good pic of my kids. But it is the one and only pic I got of my Grandpa's 1930 Ford Model A that he built from the ground up, with all original parts. As a very little girl I remember him building this. Josh got the opportunity to ride with him down their driveway, several years back. Unfortunately it didn't leave the garage this visit. But when I think of my Grandpa I think of this car. It is beautiful. It is a work of love. It is Grandpa.

And just as soon as I was putting this blog together I asked Grandpa a question and he texted me this picture! See what I am talking about?! Isn't it gorgeous?? And I am not even a "car person"...

Prepare yourselves now...there are some fantastic pictures to come from our trip and I cannot wait to show you!!