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Activity

A Tradition: Blackberry picking

By Leslie Parks - Sunday, August 25, 2019
Blackberry picking is not for the faint of heart. The thorns tear at your flesh and grab your clothes as you reach towards the dark purple fruit. We scout out our spot and drive by watching, waiting for the perfect time to start picking. Blackberries grow everywhere, invading parking areas, crumbling asphalt, pushing up between the tiniest cracks. And yet we love the...

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Projects

A Project: Flower pots

By Leslie Parks - Wednesday, August 21, 2019
I love my flower pots this year.  I stuck with a color theme, green, white and  hints of red or pink but not as flowers but in the leaves.  In each of our pots with the light poles, John planted a geranium or two, some petunias, allysium, and a perennial.  The perennials were all different.  One pot had a fern and that was...

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Vacation

Cannon Beach views

By Leslie Parks - Friday, August 09, 2019
The early morning mist floated off the ocean in the morning towards the hills only to return in the evening as it was greeted by the sinking sun. The water glimmered with sparkles as the waves licked the sand. As the sun slows rises or sets, the waves and sky take on pastel hues of pinks, purples and oranges. I try to get...

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Activity

Cannon Beach: Boogie Boarding

By Leslie Parks - Friday, August 09, 2019
When we first started going to Cannon Beach, we played in the water running in and out of the water as the waves licked their ankles. They chased seagulls and splashed around the tide pools.  As they grew older, we added skim boarding to our water play. They watched videos of tricks and worked on jumping on the moving board at the beach....

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Activity

Cannon Beach: Pickle Ball

By Leslie Parks - Friday, August 09, 2019
So this year Isaac has gotten into pickle ball. He has played with a couple of friends and has John playing it as well.  He has pulled Job and his friends into it. This has become the thing to do. So before leaving for vacation, Isaac purchased a portable pickle ball net so that he could use the tennis courts by the conference...

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Activity

Cannon Beach: Smash Ball

By Leslie Parks - Thursday, August 08, 2019
Smash ball is the perfect beach game. It's light weight, portable and easy to set up. We were introduced to this game at various church events. We hauled this contraption down to Crescent Beach so we could play in the sand. Teams were quickly chosen, four being a good number. Me, not being quite coordinated enough to join happily watched and laughed, cheering...

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Friends

A Friendship

By Leslie Parks - Thursday, August 08, 2019
Two vans, not quite alike but together.  A symbol of friendship that spans the years cementing kids and parents together as we walk through difficulties and celebrations. Sometimes paths don't run parallel anymore but the core is still there. These vans also show an end of a season as kids grow and move. Two vans, not quite alike but together.  A symbol of...

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