{us, polaroid by susannah}
I'm kind of loving (okay, totally loving) this photo of us. It just feels so gooood to have a photo together! Is it typical that photographers rarely have a family photo taken of themselves?
Here we are. Our family. And Cedar love...just looks like he's so part of us. And it brings me goosebumps. You know, many many times since Cedar was born, when people find out he is adopted, we get an emotional response. It could be the person near us on the airplane that talked with us for a few hours and spent time with Cedar or one of his teachers, or someone that spent 30 minutes chatting at a store or a neighbor, etc; there is always an emotional reaction when they learn our story. Gasps, tears and an embrace. And many times people have said "...but he is SO you guys!" Every time I well up with tears and laugh and cry with them because its such a heart-spirit-energy thing that is collectively felt. Its what I felt when I first held him seconds after his birth with my husband and his birth parents circling me. A feeling of home and belonging and I know most people that have adopted know exactly what I am sharing and so do all of those that have birthed their children when they have felt they knew them beforehand. And what I am sharing has nothing to do with whether or not Cedar "looks" like us. Its so much about his heart and how me moves and grooves and interweaves so perfectly into our family.
We've been going through an awakening with Cedar that is intense and sacred and all consuming right now and when I am able to find the words, I will share it here soon. But when I opened up this photo in an email today that my friend Sus sent to me, I felt the tears spill. I see the three of us and I know deeply how we are all three teachers and guides for one another and I feel such an affirmation to trust the process.
Someone wrote to me the other day that our story offered them hope when they felt so desperately that there was no hope left. I am humbled and honored to hear these things and I never take it for granted and I most always am taken aback by the outpouring. I always said if your desire to be a mother or a father is there, it is there for a reason and your child will find you and hear your longing. There is so much purpose to the union of your child. Cedar is one of my life guides and I think one of the things that kept me going during our fertility journey was trusting that my desire was there because there was much to learn from it...during the journey AND the destination.
{a slice of heaven, taken last week}
Words are not finding me this week. I am just feeling so present in my world. Perhaps these images express the gratefulness my heart is beating to.
Winner is 
{texture shop downtown bellingham, taken today}
{teresa in her yummy shop downtown bellingham}
{teresa & me today}
{Comfy Mini :: Gathered Skirt. See other colors available 
Many of you have been reaching out asking if I could share more images of our home. Here are some of our living room, kitchen and master bedroom. I still need to fill my walls with photos of family and friends, pieces of art and drape fabric from the ceiling of our bedroom with twinkle lights. When my sister was here, we gathered much of what you see from local antique stores and some items we painted and distressed ourselves outside on the grass over a big piece of canvas. It reminded me of when I was single living in Dallas, TX in my mid twenties and she flew out to visit and helped me design the sweetest little apartment that all my neighbors would ask to come into just to breathe deep. Her and I together created the essence of a beach cottage in the middle of a city. This time around it's eclectic and rooted, soulful and rich and playful.
{our wild and magical back yard}
Our dear 
The energy in those fields was so tranquil and lingered with us. The drive home was lavender scent soaked and my sister hung our bunches on a string above the kitchen table. Now over a week later, I have placed the dried lavender in our old vintage bottles and mason jars scattered throughout the house.
Notice the light pink beauties on my shelf?
Those of you that have been coming to this space for years know how much I adore Anne of Green Gables and how those stories are held in my heart. How when I was a teenager, my best friend and I vowed we would marry men like Gilbert Blithe and one of the things I adored about him was how he pronounced "sorry" (soar-ree) in that yummy Canadian way. And here I am, married to a Canadian and seriously, all he needs to do when I am feeling blue is say "sorry" and my heart melts. I even find myself pronouncing it that way having lived with him for so long. ; )
{These walls are light pink with dark pink trim. We are not allowed to paint until we buy this home in a year. I wasn't sure how to work around pink!}
Right now everything is so wildly WILD. Overgrown grass and rose bushes and flowers. Its hard to tell the difference between weeds or flowers or berry bushes and we've had to cut pathways to get around. Part of me adores the romance of this so and part of me worries about my son getting snagged by large prickly stems reaching out between paths. Our landlord was an avid gardener when she first moved into this home and I adore her way of thinking. So many arbors with vines and flowers growing up and out and over all things. MMMMmmmm...but it has been quite let go in her older age. This weekend we plan on walking through with her to create a space that is both mildly wild and safe for our son and his friends as they come to play. She wants us to buy this house and has taken such great care of us.
{she brought cedar a box of feathers she found around her farm to start a collection. he was delighted}
{first morning together, cuddled on the couch}
{serenading cedar}
{some birthday love & breakfast in bed for him}
{my boys eating breakfast and telling stories on one of our first mornings here}
From blue house to yellow house we go!!
Summer solstice. Mmmmm...Summer SOULstice.
This friend did not move when I approached. I walked towards it gently, wondering if it would run but it just sat there, staring into my eyes. I paused and breathed in and thanked the deer for reminding me. Ah yes, this is my Year of the Deer. My year of gentleness. I talked to the deer for a while, it tilted its head. I moved closer and it got up but it didn't run out of our yard through the large hole in the fence between us and our neighbor. It walked around the yard close to me. I walked in a circle and it walked in the circle with me. It felt like a dance of sorts. And I wondered if what the deer was telling me was that I will be surrounded by this energy if I remain clear that it is what I need.
{her beautiful 
Susannah has done a fun and exciting 
You may order the book through Susannah’s website by clicking 
{jon & angela ~ boho photo engagement session, 2011}
I would love if any of you feel inspired to do so, to share in this space a little slice of wisdom for this married couple to be. Or even just a love story of your own with a nugget of sage they can carry with them for their journey ahead. This space is very near and dear to Angela's heart. I know she will be here listening and honoring.
{this is one of our favorite images of cedar taken the other day. totally random mixture of pajamas, rubber boots, shiny funky vest and summer hat. but more than that...its his expression, which is SO him.}
Greetings lovelies...
Lauren Luquin is an Artist and Ordained Minister/Practitioner of Metaphysics living in Southern, CA with her husband, 2 children, and their dog. They enjoy unschooling, urban-
farming, and natural living. She shares her poetry, stories, and art on her blog at
Yesterday was an emotional day for me. So much of how I am moving through things these days is very quietly, very inner. So, for my