The Birth of My Dreadlocks

Yes my dreadlocks on my head.

Last Sunday night my best friend Kristy began backcombing (ratting, then pulling, then twisting, then ratting some more) small sections of my hair into "dreadlocks".  I chose to not use wax, so my dreads will look more fluffy and frizzy, but as they mature that will settle down.  They won't be actual dreadlocks for a number of months, backcombing just gets the process started.  Since we have 8 kids between us, we were only able to work on my hair in the evening, so we finally finished on Thursday night.  So Thursday, December 17, 2009 I became a dreadlocked mama.

 

A few rows done...A LOT more rows to go.

I would like to hear your first reaction, but remember I have feelings.  For some of you your jaw might have dropped, you might have said "whatever" or you might have wanted to give me a big hug.  Making the decision to dreadlock my hair was not an easy one.  I have been infatuated with dreadlocks for A.LONG.TIME.  I like how they look, I like the ease of their care, I like that they are not "mainstream" and that they are a little hippie.  But more than any of those "likes", I decided to dreadlock my hair for me, to show myself that God loves me for me, regardless of my hairstyle, the makeup on my face or the clothes that I wear, I can be me and God will still love me...in fact being "me" is what God intended.  For the past two years I have been growing out my hair, two years ago it was only an inch or so long in some places, so its been a long process.  I would think and dream about having dreadlocks but my hair was so short I knew it wasn't the right time.  As my hair got longer I couldn't get dreadlocks off my mind.  Nick was not so hot on the idea at first, but it grew on him.  I tried to get the idea out of my head and I just couldn't.  Kristy and my E (my sister) were in full support and thought that dreadlocks totally fit me.  I spent lots of time researching different ways to dreadlock hair; backcombing vs. crocheting, professionally vs. a friend and I couldn't decide.  Then last week it all fell into place, I was going to be staying at Kristy's for over a week, she was so uber excited to dread my hair and so we did it :)

Our family is on a wonderful (challenging, crazy, AHHHH) journey right now and dreadlocks are somehow fitting perfectly into it.  Nick is so supportive of me and my decision, he is even loving spending time each day palm rolling them and playing with them. I walk by a mirror and I can't help but take a look and then smile.  Téadora would like to have dreadlocks of her own...but we are going to wait on that one :)  I have been very blessed to have friends and family that love me for me. 

I am going to blog about my journey and document the stages of my dreadlocks through pictures.  My dreads will be kind of crazy for a while, well maybe forever, so it shouldn't be a dull ride.

December Photo Project ~ 12/18/09

Daddy & Tèadora
Snuggle time at Papa & Grandmas!

December Photo Project ~ 12/13/09

A break in the rain allowed for a much needed break from the indoors.

December Photo Project ~ 12/12/09

Old School Nintendo
Kristy is super into Super Mario Bros.
Awesome rainy day fun!

December Photo Project ~ 12/10/09

Coda James a bazillion stuffed animals that he arranged and Kristy's beautiful Christmas tree. 
Little by little we are getting into the Christmas spirit.  I am feeling so blessed to be staying with my bestest friend and her beautiful family for the next few days. 

December Photo Project ~ 12/09/09

The Grapevine

December Photo Project ~ 12/06/09

~Primo Pizza & Pasta~

Carlsbad, Ca

Pizza, yum.

Beautiful, Unforgetable time with just the 7 of us.

By a wonderful accident, Daddy captured more than just the sign on the building.

December Photo Project ~ 12/05/09

Beautiful Avocados,  Amazing View

December Photo Project ~ 12/04/09

Jericho Toren Amadeus ~ 6 Months Old
Can you believe this little boy was born 6 weeks early and
weighed 5lbs 1oz at birth and under 5lbs at 2 weeks old.

December Photo Project ~ 12/03/09

The view from our apartment.  A view that I will only see for six more days.  What started out as 6 weeks has turned into15 weeks.  Living somewhere for 15 weeks is an awkward amount of time, atleast for us it is.  For the first 6 weeks we were busy exploring, soaking up the sun and enjoying lots of family time.  Then Nick began working longer hours, the pool wasn't quite as warm and we were feeling the desires to settle in or move on.  Well we didn't move on, but we knew we would be soon, so we couldn't settle in.  We had been going to a wonderful Church, but joining a small group just wasn't feasible.  We had met some wonderful homeschooling families, but had a hard time deepening relationships because we were leaving "soon".  We didn't make our apartment feel very "homey" from the start and by the time we felt the need to, I felt like it was too late.  This was our first stop on our adventure and we have all experienced and learned a lot.  As we prepare to head north to Santa Rosa then onto Eureka for Christmastime, I begin to reflect.  I want to figure out how to make furnished apartments "home", even if its home for only a few weeks.  I want to be able to make "friends" even though we will only be around for a little while.  I want to keep exploring even when I get blue and stop desiring to explore.  I want to be thankful for the roof over my head and not complain about stark white walls!  I want to drive away from each destination with a joyful heart!  Here is to a changed attitude for the next six days.

December Photo Project ~ 12/02/09

Téadora co-sleeping with baby Annabelle.

I have always been told, its not what you tell them, its what they see.  We co-slept with all of our five children and wake up many mornings to two or three of them in our bed and the others come in soon after for their "morning snuggles".  So it is only natural that Téadora would not put baby Annabelle to bed in a crib, but right beside her. 

December Photo Project ~ 12/01/09

Mama & Jericho

 Santa Paula, CA

McGrath Family Farm

On Saturday the 29th of August we were able to meet one of my friends from highschool, her special guy and their cute son. Emma, Jake & Jackson were visiting Simi Valley for a family reunion and squeezed us in for breakfast. We ate at a great little resturant "Eggs 'n Things".

Then we were onto the McGrath Family Farm in Camarillo. The McGrath Farm, is a certified organic that has its own fruit & veggie stand, stands at about 7 Farmers Markets and delivers to local resturants. The farm offers tours of their farm as long as your have a group of 3 or more, well we are 7 so we passed :) We got a one on 7 tour by the manager. He was so knowledgeable and let the kids pick strawberries, tomatoes, pumpkins and flowers. The kids pick beautiful tuberose flowers for me, bad thing, those flowers give me an instant headache. We had such a wonderful time. It was over 100 degrees, so we were HOT. The farm has about 20 full time workers. Aidan and Coda think that with our family plus a few more people we could take care of that big of a farm. I am not so sure. Dillon was sad at the end, he saw now cows. He was not understanding that it was a fruit/vegetable/flower farm, not a cow farm. It was neat to see all that they could grow with the amazing weather that blesses Southern California. They can grow strawberries ALL YEAR LONG! We are hoping to visit a citrus and avocado orchard while we are here also.

Setting Out On Our Big Adventure

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind. Nick returned from a month long working stint in Alaska on August 13th, just two days before my sisters wedding. We spent the next two days celebrating with E (my sister) and Sergio (her now-husband). It was a wonderful two days, filled with family and friends, laughing and crying and the most beautiful wedding I have ever seen. Sunday was spent saying good-bye to our Church family. Next was a day and half for Nick & I (and Jericho) to have some special bonding time. Then it was onto Monday afternoon when we began the craziness of packing up an entire house, selling furniautre, deciding what to store, what to bring and what to give away. Our deadline was Friday night as we needed to be on the road Saturday morning to head to Southern California.

While Nick was in Alaska we prayed, talked and then decided that we were a family, a family that was meant to be together. The job opportunity that Nick has right now, is a travelling job, so we decided we would go with him. It was not an easy decision to leave home, our family, our Church family & friends, but we wanted to be together. We are crazy, we know it. We have five children, 7 and under, dedided to pack everything we need into Nick's cargo van and we go carvaning down the highway. We will stay in most places 5-6 weeks, but it could be longer or shorter, just depends on the job.

So Saturday morning we left, our goal was to make it to Lompoc (about 1 hour north of Santa Barbara) where Uncle Bobby lives. It is a 9 1/2 hour drive WITHOUT stopping. Well we had to stop, if I remember correctly we stopped 4 times. It ended up taking us 12 1/2 hours. It was a long driving day!

Sunday we woke up hung out a bit, went to breakfast and then set out on the last two hours of our drive to Oxnard, CA. The drive was beautiful. Through Santa Barbara, along the coast, Ventura Beaches, just amazing.

We had an awesome family evening of a picnic dinner, playing on a pirate playground and walking along the beach. Sunday night we stayed in a hotel in Oxnard. We planned on beginning our search for an apartment or Extended Stay on Monday.

Due to a huge miracle, we found an amazing apartment...it was the first place we looked at and it was just perfect. Two bedrooms, one bath, furnished, rented by the week (which we need as we could be moved at any time), attached to a beautiful inn in a small town about 15 miles from Oxnard, so we have a pool, get clean towels and sheets as often as we need them.

Since then we have spent our time exploring Santa Paula, Ventura & Oxnard, visiting beauul parks, figuring out how to let Nick sleep (he works nights) and spending each afternoon by the pool.