“There’s water all over the place!”
Alternately titled: Portraits Of A Weekend: Dykstra! Edition.
This weekend Angella, Matthew, Graham, Nathan & Emily were in the Pacific Northwest celebrating their Canadian Thanksgiving by stimulating our economy (See? There is no end to The Canadian Nice!) and visiting friends and family. I feel lucky to be counted in that former relational group and have actually been able to see Angella more this year than any other year, which has made this year quite awesome.
Enter, The Mush(y).
I’ve watched myriad people who occupy this great big online space so dubbed “The Internet” attempt to explain to their readers, and to their non-online friends and family, what this community can mean on a tangible level, how these daily/weekly/monthly interactions with people you might never have known otherwise can change your life, and how you can change theirs. I don’t know that I can or will do a better job of explaining the phenomenon. All I know is that it’s true.
This year I experienced the power of that aforementioned community first-hand, and Angella was a driving force behind that power. (She and a slew of equally amazing women who literally lifted me up up and away when I was feeling like my world was falling down around me.) Angella is a driven, talented woman, an amazing friend, a loving mother; she is someone I feel beyond blessed to have in my proverbial corner.
(Right now I feel like I could spend an entire post listing and linking to people I consider dear friends, who once upon a time were simply faces and names behind sites I read and maybe commented on once a week. I know you guys all know who you are, though, and I hope I can continue to show you how (rad! you are, and) how much I love having you in my life.)
In short, the friendships I’ve made and fostered because of this website are the reason this website still exists. They are the reason this website will continue to exist despite my feeling so quiet as of late, despite my feeling so overwhelmed by all that’s happened and all that is continuing to happen that I find myself pausing to take inventory of my life, still sorting and seeking and gingerly traipsing a path I have never before laid eyes upon.
The friendships I’ve made and fostered because of this website are also the reason I can now show you (more!) pictures of my favorite beach on Oregon’s coastline, a beach I spent Sunday sharing with Angella & Co. as they made their first annual!* visit to the Oregon Coast.
(This first picture is technically an outtake, but it was my favorite outtake.)
(The non-outtake, Polaroid style. I love how Iggy’s oh so joyous! face made it into the bottom of the shot.)
A sampling of some of my favorite verbal exchanges with three of the most engaging and hilarious kids on the planet:
“I didn’t keep the caterpillar because caterpillars are creepy.” “Oh, you decided Iggy the caterpillar was creepy?” “Yeah.” -This was Graham and I, after Graham was explaining to Nathan & Emily why he didn’t have his caterpillar as they got back into the van.
“Can you come visit?” “Definitely.” “Tomorrow?” “Maybe not tomorrow, but soon.” “Next Saturday then?” -Nathan and I after lunch.
“Iggy’s just so cute. His face is so funny and CUTE.” -Emily, at lunch, sitting across the table from where Iggy was sitting on my lap.
And Emily, randomly throughout the day:
“Bob. That’s such a funny name. Bob!” (Followed of course by endless (and completely contagious) giggles.)
Postscript: There are no (good) pictures of Angella & I, because for some reason I like to spaz! out whenever I do a self-take, and I promise you, on the other (now cropped) side of the picture below you would have seen me, making a drunk muppet face. (Or what I imagine a drunk muppet face to look like, having technically never seen one.)
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*That was just for you, Rhi.
The title to this post is me quoting Nathan, who exclaimed it in a surprised tone while we were traipsing around Ecola State Park yesterday.
1) I so totally should have kidnapped you and made you take all of my photos of my trip to the NW. Yours are all artistic and mine are all “I pointed my camera toward the ocean thingy and pushed the button”.
2) Cute hair!
3) I’m not sure I’ve seen a drunk muppet either, but I have to think that Animal was snorting cocaine in his dressing room.
4) It really is amazing how people who read what you write from far away can become part of your world, in such a positive way.
So sad I missed them! (and I’m ignoring that OTHER THING) (HOW DARE YOU)
Those kids say the funniest things. I’m especially partial to Emily’s Bob comment. Hee!
Glad you all got to hang out. It’s true, these friendships we’ve made are golden.
xoxo
Look at that adorable haircut. So good on you.
Cute hair! Doesn’t it feel good to cut a bunch of it off?
Aww, looks like you guys had a great time! And your new haircut is so cute! I wish I could pull of short hair, but I have evidence that distinctly shows I should never EVER do that again.
Also, Emily is right. Bob is a funny name. I laugh every time I say it (which is often, considering). Especially when you add a “the” in front of it: The Bob. Hee. :)
OMG both you and Erin Cooks chopped your locks this week … and you both look soooo cute! And also? I love the Oregon coast, as I do the girl who took me there just last month!
I’m already dreaming up my next Kerri Anne play date. (Blogher 2010? Erin Cooks says the three of us have to room together, just an FYI).
That first outtake is MARVELLOUS. A perfect capture of what life is like for those guys, although I imagine there’s much more running involved.
Also, nice chop!
THESE PICTURES ARE BEAUTIFUL love the hair
wonderful photos. great bangs!
Are you using Latisse? Your lashes are fabulous.
I cut off my hair too, but yours looks so much better. :) Great photos! I completely know what you mean about online friends. I feel the same way.
Loved this. Love YOU.
Can you move here? Because that would be rad.
Great shots, Kerri! What a fun time you all had.
[...] to the Coast for some long-awaited girl-chat time. Those two hours felt like twenty minutes. Kerri summed it up far better than I could, but there’s something about the heart connection that you make with blogging friends. The [...]
everything about you is beautiful, lady – your words, your pictures, your hair.
kisses!
Love the new haircut!
I am insanely jealous of your weekend and that you’ve gotten to meet Angella’s kids! And that they got to hang out with you!
This post makes my heart happy. I’m so lucky to be friends with both of you ladies. (On a less sappy note, LOVE the hair!)
Hi Kerri Anne-
Congrats on the mention at Nathan Bransford’s blog! I LOVED your paragraph. I am a grief and loss therapist and worked in hospice care for a number of years. Every single child with whom I ever worked spoke those very same words. Is this a book you’ve written?? I would love to hear more.
I like that you say you once lived in a van down by the river…al la Chris Farley, from SNL, right? I loved him! I entertain my nieces and nephews by imitating all the lame characters from SNL’s present and past.
Glad to have found you and I feel the same way about my own connections made via the internet. My life is richer bc of some of the profound relationships I’ve built in such a short period of time.
All the best!
Cute hairs!!