Hagbloms

adult par-tay

2012-01-20T22:53:00.001-07:00

I did not disappoint on my New Year's resolution of taking my camera with me somewhere in the land of "us" and actually using it. I come from a big family of seven kids and we're all grown and have kids of our own now. Lots of wee ones running round. So when we get together it's a ~~bit of a~~ madhouse and there isn't much time that we actually get to think clearly enough to visit. So we planned an adult night to do so. And, do so, we did. Complete with delicious food. And we threw in a bit of Minute To Win It.

And I have some ~~pictures~~ photographs to prove it.

(This is a big deal people.)

Amy Cakes & Karlee

Brandon with said "delicious food"

Clay & Jeff

Spencer & Dad

Me & Amy

Haley Bug & Karlee

Jenny & Brandon

Spencer & Amy Ann

the "mother of all frijoles" & Karlee

cheating by eating apples to get them to a desirable shape for stacking. tsk, tsk.

Me & Amy (not pictured) jumping & shakin' what our momma gave us

crazy eight

2012-01-17T16:49:00.002-07:00

Did I tell you Brandt had a birthday this month? Well, that boy turned eight. And I feel like "Of course he's eight." I feel like he's been around forever, that little buddy of mine. But it's weird all at the same time. I feel like once he turned five, his birthdays just started coming twice a year or something, it's moving so fast!

All week before his birthday, I thought about that oldest boy of mine and what he means to me. I don't know if I can even tell you.

Brandt is very very sweet. Every time he prays, he prays for everyone to be able to have a home. About a month ago he asked me after prayer if everybody had a home now since he'd been praying so long for it.

When I try to hold Brandt on my lap now he kind of gives off that feeling of, "Okay, are you done? Can I go play now?"

He is a self-proclaimed "bookworm," and rightfully so. The kid LOVES to read. He is so good at it. He loves Calvin & Hobbes and Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

This year he cracked us up when he announced he wanted to be a snake for Halloween & slither from house to house.

He collects rocks, bullet shells, shingles, beer bottle caps, & garbage he may need for some project later. He loves playing with legos.

Speaking of which... I looked and looked for a lego table for him for his birthday. You know, with the rim around the edge to keep them from falling off. If you have boys, and those boys have legos, you understand the challenge. It's an awesome awesome toy that is so good for them but they are constantly in pockets, in the carpet, breaking my vacuum belt, etc. And honestly, I feel bad having him clean them up all. the. time. because they're so good to have out & play with. Well, as I searched, they all seemed ridiculously expensive. So I found this old, solid wood, beat up, rimmed coffee table on KSL for $20.

Threw some leftover paint on it and voila! Lego table. He LOVES it. It's a 45x45 in. square and is perfect for stowing his lego bins beneath. Happy boy. Happy momma.

I adore Brandt. Sometimes I feel like we expect too much of him. Sometimes I wish we could go back and let him really just enjoy being little. I feel like we're always pushing him to be more & be more & hit his next important milestone. It hit me the other day that he was a month younger than Brayden is right now when he got booted from his crib because his little sister was on her way. That seems like insanity to me now.

One of my favorite memories of Brandt are him scooting around in his walker (10-18 mos.) at the rec center I/we worked at every day.

He has emptied a container of cinnamon all over just days before he turned 3. He emptied an entire jug of liquid laundry detergent onto our carpet when he was 2.

He used to have a little basketball hoop that goes over the door that he would play with constantly when he was 2 years old. He would shoot it and make it 9 times out of 10.

He adores babies and is a wonderful big brother to Brooklyn & Brayden.

If he could buy anything with his money, which he is constantly wanting to do, it would be pencils, erasers, and candy. Lots & lots of candy.

He loves talking and watching football/basketball with his dad.

I love his determination, his sweet little embarrassed smile, his silly giggle, his sparkly eyes, his notes, his creativity, his hugs, and the little skip in his step.

Happy Birthday my sweet little boy that is all boy. I love you so very much!!

Let's look at pictures of him shall we?

Sick Day

2012-01-10T12:02:00.004-07:00

I feel rather terrible today. When I talk, it sounds grating and echoes in my head. My ears, nose, & throat hurt. Thank the glorious heavens I'm not coughing. The babe is sick too with something else. My oldest 2 are off-track & jeepers, I love them. Did you need some examples of their sweetness?

While they are off track, they've been attending this little sports camp type thing that they love. I pack lunches to send with them every day. Well, today momma was out of commission. I fed & changed the baby & laid back down.Brandt asked how I was feeling and then he & Brooklyn did everything they could possibly do to get themselves ready & watched Brayden for me. I realized at some point that we needed to go to the grocery store this morning before they went. And my body said, "Nooooooooooo!"

But we did. We went. Me with hair & face undone, crying randomly. Because that's what I do when I'm feeling like Yuckso McGee. And those kids of mine were SO good in the store, I didn't have to remind them even once.

And my sweet Peanut left this for me.

And he made this for me this morning.

Which turned out to be this. (A drawing of Salt Lake City for me to color in while I laid around feeling icky.)

And Brooklyn made me this.

If you're out searching the world for the best kids on the planet, they're at my house. Waiting for the garbage truck, in fact.

p.s. I cut his hair. I'm not going to pretend I did a good job of it.

But the highchair and this distracting little lady did help out quite a bit.

Cozy Day

2012-01-07T20:36:00.001-07:00

I've been taking pictures and I had to show some. He's the usual victim since we hang out a lot while the other two are out galavanting and living it up.

The snow came down, the heat came on, and he was enamored with both. So we hung out on the kitchen floor together in our pajamas and shared a banana (evidence all over his cute little face.)

And I've decided being forced to wake a baby from a much needed nap is one of the most terrible things on the planet. Who's with me?

You should click on the last picture and take a peek at his fantastic set of eyelashes.

My Health Blog

2012-01-05T20:54:00.000-07:00

As promised...I put together a blog to track my progress as I work on becoming more fit. If you want to check it out, here's the link.

I'm not looking for anyone to say, "Oh, you have nothing to lose" or "You make me sick." And I really don't want to hear any of those things. I know my body well enough to know that it is not where it should be. I don't feel fit/healthy and I want to. I want my clothes to fit better and I want to have energy!!! :) But you are more than welcome to leave words of encouragement or a boost for me every now and then. I would really appreciate that. Thank you!!

Linds

Sunuary

2012-01-05T13:28:00.003-07:00

What the lovely?! If you live in the Salt Lake Valley and you are not outside right now, get there!! It is fantastic out today! I woke up grumpy. Today is Day 1 of changing our lifestyle to a more healthy one. I count that as a fair explanation.

I packed some lunches, cleaned some, yelled & banged things around some, and fed him this terrible looking concoction.

And he may have worked a smile out of me while I fed him breakfast. Who can be sure?

The shrimp & I took the big kids to their off-track sport program. They love it. I love it. Beautiful.

Upon returning home, I looked at that bright blue sky and glorious sunshine. I thought about the laundry, bathrooms, & messy kitchen calling to me to clean them from inside. We opted for an hour long walk.

We saw garbage and thought of the lady we met yesterday who recently moved from Minnesota to Utah and was appalled at how much trash is e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e. So Brayden & I felt the need to pick up what we could. Cause who really wants to be part of the "trash state?" Yikes!

Then Brayden & I were followed by a barking dog that set other dogs off with his little yipping. He followed us to the end of his street and knew he could not go further. Either that, or Brayden's growling scared him off. We're not sure.

We saw a tractor load up a dump truck with dirt. We swung on some swings. After I pushed him, we both got on the big girl's swing and we went really high and he giggled the whole time & made hissing noises as we swooped through the air.

He was mortified when he realized that we were in public while he was still in his pj's.

Then we walked around a bit of the lake that is partially frozen. We saw & heard the ducks & seagulls squawking at each other and that was very exciting for the little stroller passenger.

On our way home, we heard a burst of giggling and saw little littles pouring out of a house with their backpacks on. Apparently there's a preschool there. Surprise! What a fun noise to come across.

We walked further past my kid's school and could see all the kid's wild adventures at recess accompanied by constant little girls screams and yelling as they all ran amuck.

And then we got the mail.

I love living here.

Hello, night.

2012-01-04T23:54:00.001-07:00

It's 10:48.

I went to bed after consuming a huge Cafe Rio pork salad for dinner as a "last hurrah" before we embark on our healthy lifestyle tomorrow. Who has a salad as their last hurrah, I ask you? Let's just keep in mind how huge and tasty those bad boys are, alright?

I went to bed at 8:20. Woke up at 10 when the tall, dark, & handsome man wandered in and now I can't seem to sleep. So I'll share my sleepless thoughts with you instead....

It's now 10:53.

Let's just dive into my thoughts regarding picture taking:

PROFESSIONALLY: to be honest, I'm feeling less than true to myself and my style. I feel like I know what my style is, what I have an eye for, where my strengths & weaknesses lie, and the extent of my knowledge. I just don't feel I am taking MY kind of pictures and I've got to find a way to change that. It's kind of hard trying to be business minded about something & yet be true to yourself at the same time. You have to take into account the client's demand & expectations and also try & turn something out that makes your heart sing. Hmmmm. There will probably be more on that later.

PERSONALLY: I don't take that many pictures and here are the honest to goodness reasons why. Most of the time I don't forget my camera. Most of the time I make a conscious decision to leave it home when we go to do anything, big or small, in our lives. I'm afraid of coming across to people as being all up in their face about what I do. You know that type...I'm not a fan and don't ever want to come across that way about anything. And I don't want to spend the whole evening chit chatting with someone about my camera. I want to just live my blasted life, you know? Not to even mention the fact that I blow through a 4 GB card like it's a warm-up. AND I feel this ridiculous p-r-e-s-s-u-r-e to have my pictures look above average on my blog because that is in fact what I do. Do you even realize how many cute little snippets I leave off because of that feeling? That's just plain silly, but true. I feel like a plumber with a couple of rusty leaky pipes in my own house offering to take care of yours for you.

That may be something that only makes sense to a person in my position at 11:17 at night.

Plus, there's always the issue of where to set the thing down. Do I trust that it's going to be fine up on that counter or do I wear it around me all day & night and end up looking like a non-stop tourist or worse yet, increasing the odds of it being subject to one of my tripping mishaps? I'm really not the most graceful of girls.

These are my thoughts at 11:07 p.m. with my husband snoozing in the bed beside me.

Everyone has that person in their family that documents things. I think when it comes right down to it we're all really grateful that person does so. I know I am. I'm always thinking "Gosh, I hope I get copies of that." Well, I may have come upon a resolution for myself this year. And let's just clear something up. I'm not really a new year's resolution kind of girl. Goals kind of end up being the very things that do me in.

For example: last year I set a goal to run a half marathon. I picked a date, paid for a race, trained for it, even with a blasted sprained ankle, and ran and LOVED running it. I completed that thing and felt ~~great~~ fantastic. That was in July. I ran probably a total of 4 times since. What the heck?!?! It's like I get into my mind what I want to accomplish and then even if it would be great to adapt into my normal routine, once I've hit the goal point, I feel "done" and therefore that is

-THE END-

A little lame. However, all hope is not lost. I also decided to floss more last year and guess who didn't have a single cavity in 2011? Moi! So maybe I can do this....holy "lead up," oh my. I'm going to take pictures of what I do in my life. And you're going to see them. And I'm going to figure out a way to make my business more "me" than it currently is.

I also want to start a separate blog devoted to my health. Now YOU try to sleep after hearing that. :) Don't worry, you won't have to wait too long, I'll get that up running tomorrow.

And tomorrow is only about 7 minutes away. And now I'm finally feeling tired....

Rollin'

2011-12-15T10:13:00.003-07:00

Check out what the tall, dark, & handsome man brought home for the weekend....

He was pacing for hours before it came.

Hours people.

Understandably, yes?

I was way beyond excited.

There was squealing & giggling involved.

SO so very fantastic. I love fast cars.

The man took me on a date. For sushi. I'm usually quite safe with my miso soup & salad and a california or philly roll. This time, I knowingly tried raw eel & tuna & proceeded to pat myself on the back for it the rest of the evening.

(His "I am smiling" face.)

(My "focus on not crinkling your nose & Clay, please don't drop my camera" face.)

The man took me shopping. Hello new jacket, I'm kind of in love with you...

We went fast. And that thing can get fast, fast. And it is nice and LOUD.

Then the man spent the rest of the weekend taking people on rides and watched grown men giggle like school girls.

Fantastic incentive at work & I'm so glad he hit it!

p.s. The man did wind up with a ticket by the time the weekend ended, but what can you do?

Oh Christmas Tree

2011-12-14T10:05:00.002-07:00

Ahhh......December. You busy month, you. So very fun and full of activities & excitement & magic. How can I feel so happy & trampled all at once by you?

We moved into our house right before all the decorating for the holidays began, and I must say my decor is a little ho-hum this year because, as a matter of fact, I had just figured out where I wanted everything to go that is part of our everyday life. And shifting that and messing with it didn't sound too appealing. But guess what?! I put up lights outside and the wild tangle of cords you can see in the day disappear in the dark of the night and the lights look beautiful to me and make me happy.

We made homemade ornaments this year. Because they're my favorite and they make the house smell delicious baking and drying out in the hot oven.

They are still not all on our little "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree yet. I kind of love that tree. A little girl came over to our house last week and stood awhile staring at it. She finally said, "That's a really small tree. Our tree is big." It made me giggle looking at it with her. She was probably wondering what the blazes is going on with it!!! It is half decorated. At night it looks nice when the lights are on. Who doesn't love lights? But during the day, you can tell that we don't have all the ornaments on yet (they haven't all been strung) and their placement is pretty random.

The first year we got married, we lived in a small one-bedroom apartment in Midvale. I wanted a fresh-cut Christmas tree BAD and I was insistent and thought it was the only proper way to do things. So we took Clay's little green truck and cut one down and brought it home with us. I ended up putting it up by myself. That's no easy task trying to balance a sappy prickly tree while you try to screw the little tree stand into it to hold it right. It ended up crooked and that was just how it was going to have to stay. We never did that again.

The next year, we lived in another one-bedroom apartment in Salt Lake and were just weeks away from having our very first baby. I hung lights around all the windows and floated cranberries in water with candles and put up a Christmas tree I found at Target for $10. Ahhh yes, now you can picture the tree I'm talking about. :) Everything was magically lit up with with sparkly lights. Clay and I cuddled on the couch we got from a car dealership(?) and I had sewn slipcovers for with my sweet mom. And we were excited about Christmas and our house looked Christmasy.

Then that tree went with us to our 3 bedroom condo in Magna way up high on the 3rd floor and stood in the corner of our family room where my little almost one-year old baby was set down to look at his presents, without a clue what to do with them. And we laughed and unwrapped them for him.

In the little 2 bedroom yellow house down the dirt lane in Draper, it stood in our front window. That year I tied little ribbons on it from all different fabric. Brandt tried to help Brooklyn with her presents and we watched the snow fall out the big windows by the tree.

It was perfect for our house in West Valley. It fit right in the little bay window area in the front room because it's so short. The first year we were there, a glass ornament was pulled from the tree and ended up in Brooklyn's bare foot and called for an emergency room visit.

And sometimes I've gotten upset at that tree when I've retrieved it from it's storage box and taken it out and set it up myself every year. Upset that it wasn't more. Wasn't what I thought it should be. Upset that when I was through putting it together, that the color codes could clearly be seen through its sparse branches.

But I really have come to love that tree.

That tree is rough times Clay & I have made it through together. That tree is a reminder that understanding each other comes with time and an open heart. That tree reminds me that I'm a strong person and that I can do hard things. That tree is part of my memories with my little babies and then children understanding, finally, that Christmas morning is one dang exciting morning where they can't wait to see what Santa left them under that tree. That tree takes me back to snuggling on a second hand couch & smiling. It reminds me that being creative is really fun even if you're forced to because you have no other options. And I'm not at all bothered anymore to put it up alone. I put it up with a smile in my heart and a smile on my face.

So now that tree looks a little dwarfed in our new front room and kind of silly, if we're going to be completely honest. But it makes me very very happy. And when it's all lit up at night, that thing is magical to us.

sneak

2011-12-02T13:29:00.001-07:00

Bad News:

The"little" I wasn't worried about getting into the Christmas presents, found them.

His even.

Good News:

It's going to be a good Christmas!

five things

2011-11-29T16:57:00.002-07:00

When we were little, we would sit down to Thanksgiving dinner and we had 5 kernels of corn on our plate. We would go around the room & each of us would list 5 things we were thankful for.

This year there was a large amount of people at the early Thanksgiving my family had a week prior. So my dad had us all narrow it down to one. And somehow I got skipped over. And I'm actually grateful for that. My day had been insanity. I had driven over to my parents upset with my sick husband and pressed for time. I got the food I was in charge of onto the counter and found a place to sit and watch my kids run amuck.

But when it came time to list off our blessings I suddenly became overwhelmed with how very much I am thankful for in my life. This year, the last 5 years, the last 10, my whole life. I couldn't for the life of me narrow it down to one. But here are some things lately that I am incredibly grateful for...

-I have a silverware drawer now. And it makes me happy every time I open it.
-I'm healthy and so is my little family.
-I have children that love me and want to be with me and think I am the greatest & tell me so.
-My husband. Good heavens, my husband. I love him so much.
-My babies, all 3 of them. For their twinkly eyes and funny conversations and snuggles and kisses and notes.
-Family nearby and family far away that fills my heart with happiness and takes care of us and makes life wonderful.
-My good good friends that I love, that make me laugh, and love me for me.
-My job, the friends I meet doing it, and all that it provides for me personally.
-My hairstylist.
-Our safety.
-Our pediatrician.
-Clay's job.
-A fantastically long autumn.
-And that I am able to enjoy life with the use of all my senses.
-Peanut M&M's.
-The magic of the holidays.

On Thanksgiving Day, we hung out with friends for breakfast & a turkey bowl (see picture courtesy of Jess. thanks love!).

Then later we went to Clay's grandma's for Round 2 of Thanksgiving along with a houseful of people I love and got to chit chat and eat. Then I took Brandt & Brooklyn to The Muppets movie while Clay watched football & Brayden at home. I cried 3 times. So did Brooklyn. We smuggled in licorice and, what else? M&M's, of course! Left the movie & ran into one of my best friends growing up, Monica. Smiled the rest of the night because of it. It's been a LONG time since I've seen her.

Dodged the Black Friday shopping and went to breakfast with my lady loves. Tried Kneaders french toast for the first time. Um, yum!!!!

Sunday night we cooked up Round 3 of Thanksgiving at MY house. Clay had a smoked turkey his work gave him. I made stuffing, gravy, & candied yams and his family brought over the rest and it was great! I LOVE Thanksgiving weekend! I love that Clay got to be home the whole time and our family could just enjoy each other.

old

2011-11-25T22:43:00.000-07:00

You know the crazy head bobbing you do in the passenger seat in the way home from being out late somewhere? The kind of tired that you just can't keep from yourself. Where your mouth hangs open & you even throw in some incoherent conversation when spoken to. The eyes are so weighed down, you can only manage to open one at a time, and your mind registers little snippets of information that morph straight into dreams. It's the same way when you fall asleep cuddled up on the couch watching a movie and you're crazy hot and uncomfortable in your clothes. The your husband wakes you up and it takes an eternity to move yourself from couch to sitting position to feet on the floor to actually up and attempting to walk to bed with your eyes closed. Sleeping all the while at each little milestone reached. And it's 2 a.m. and somebody's got to turn off the lights and the blaring t.v. Please don't let it be me. And you're just dying for a drink.

That was me tonight.

And when I got my drink, I glanced at the clock on the stove.

10:17 p.m.

REALLY?

We don't even go to bed at that time on a regular night.

And this is Friday night on a holiday weekend.

And I didn't go Black Friday shopping.

On a night when our children are gone, sleeping over at grandma's.

What the lame?

jug-a-lug

2011-11-20T11:26:00.000-07:00

We sat down to a breakfast of Dutch Babies and orange juice.

Clay asked why they're called Dutch Babies. I shrugged and Brandt answered, "Because it's baby meat."

Gross.

And disturbing.

They're also called Swedish pancakes, I believe. Or German. I'm not sure.

Brandt started talking about our past table. He said it was a floor table like the Chinese have. He remembered going and buying it with dad and then getting this one instead.

We have no idea what he was talking about, and we both just kind of stared at him.

Then we started discussing mugs & milk jugs.

Brandt prefers to drink from a mug and I prefer to drink from a glass. Brooklyn wanted to call the mugs "jugs" instead. I explained the difference between a mug and a jug.

Then, with her fork, she points to her non-existant ta-tas (as they're called around here) and says, "I call these jugs."

Clay and I start giggling and Clay asks, "Where did you hear that?"

"Nowhere. I made it up because they're so big."

I almost threw up, I was laughing so hard.

What is she talking about?!?!?!?!

sudsy

2011-11-18T21:24:00.003-07:00

This boy LOVES the bath. He thinks he owns it. The water runs, and he comes crawling as fast as he can haul that little diaper covered bootie of his. He will bang on the door if he hears the shower going, demanding that he be let in for his turn. He lays down in the water when he's asked to. He yells. He kicks. He crawls around. He doesn't mind a bit being rinsed off. He cleans up after himself by putting the shampoo and soap back up on the ledge before he gets out and then there is a HUGE protest when the water is "all gone!" But he calms down pretty quick when he's snuggled in his towel and gets to see himself in the mirror. He tries his hardest to eat the lotion when we put it on his face. Such a silly little boy. Such a joy. :)

More things about Brayden:

He is very careful to shut drawers properly so as not to catch is fingers.

He insists on helping sort, fold, & throw laundry into the dryer. He has also claimed the responsibility of closing the dryer door and then yelling triumphantly.

He counts like this "grunt, grunt, GRUNT" to mean "1,2,THREEE!!!"

He also enjoys sounding like the cowardly lion "Mmm-UMPH!" He sounds exactly the same.

He likes to purse his lips and breathe heavily. This makes a whistling sound that Brooklyn finds fascinating since she can't whistle yet.

He thinks it's hilarious when we pray, but he's quiet.

He stands when he isn't thinking about it.

TODAY he walked 3 steps to me and then repeated it many times for Clay & I, so very VERY proud of himself!!

He still drinks from a bottle and eats rice cereal. The most solid food the kid can get down are Kix. Give the boy a graham cracker, a roll, a pea, forget it. You WILL be puked on.

He's perfected the art of begging and knows how to say "please" with his eyes and flapping arms.

He yells to me to get him up to the window to watch Brandt & Brooklyn go to & from school.

He hears Daddy walk in at night and the bustling bootie comes hauling.

He adores me and I adore him.

He loves to watch for birdies from his highchair.

He also grabs the dustpan and takes it to the garbage like he sees us do.

I LOVE watching babies learn and catch onto things. It seems like it all happens at once.

More pictures

2011-11-08T09:28:00.000-07:00

But this time it's Amy Cakes & her family on my photo blog today. Check it, yo! :)

Pictures

2011-11-07T10:11:00.000-07:00

of Haley Bug & Walker's kids are on my photo blog today if you want to see them....

Angela

2011-11-03T11:23:00.001-06:00

is a flight attendant that finds my attractive husband attractive. So much so that she stopped in-flight at his seat, asked where he was from, and told him she was from Lehi. She found him so attractive, in fact, that she slipped him a napkin with her number on it as he left the plane with a message:

"I don't normally do this, but I hope you call me." {heart}, Angela

And my husband, who doesn't wear his wedding ring, put the napkin in his pocket. Nope, I didn't say he put it in the trash or burned it or flushed it down the toilet, I said he put it in his pocket.

When I asked what she looked like, he says, "I don't know."

Mmmmmmm-hmmmmm. Maybe rethink that answer. Feel free to lie.

So, maybe I've had a couple of dreams since where I mop the floor with this chick from Lehi.

And maybe every now & then Clay will smile at my insane jealousy & paranoia and say, "I bet Angela made dinner tonight..." or "I bet Angela doesn't nag..." or "Maybe Angela would like to go backpacking with me..."

Don't think those kind of sentences calm a girl down.

I was going over Halloween costume options with my hair stylist. She started giggling out of control and suggested I be Angela, because of COURSE she's heard the story and has offered to tag team a full out attack on the innocent female flight attendant from Lehi. LEHI, PEOPLE!!!! Not Ohio, not South Carolina, not New Mexico. Lehi. IT'S ON HIS WAY TO WORK!!!

So, of course, then I start giggling out of control. And I went about finding an "Angela" outfit worthy of the skank herself. (Don't hit on my husband or I might call you a skank too.) I found some navy blue skirt suit and tried it on one day only to find that I look ridiculous in those things without certain components.

You know what I mean.

So I did what was necessary. And the costume greatly improved.

Then, as I often do, I got distracted by who knows what and quickly changed back into my clothes for the day. Ran errands, went to the kid's school, & decorated my front porch for Halloween. Then I went inside and put my apron on to make dinner and the thing didn't fit right and I couldn't figure out why.

But I did.

Turns out I'd been running around supersized, for me, all day. Ridiculous. Haven't done that since 7th grade. Yep yep, secret's out.

Maybe Angela has some of those too....

And yes, he laughed at the costume idea. And today he's wearing his wedding ring. I love him. And I will fight anyone to the death that tries to take him away from me.

think about it

2011-11-02T14:56:00.001-06:00

My cute little sister Amy Cakes (that makes her sound like she's 4 or 5, but she's not) sent me a text telling me of a random thing. She thinks about me in my engagement picture every time she puts on mascara and how she thought my eyelashes looked awesome. Wow! Somebody thinks of MY eyelashes???? My non-existant-I-think-I got-jipped-on eyelashes and thinks they look great and thinks of me every time she puts mascara on?! I was shocked and happy & it's very possible that I will think of my eyelashes differently now. And so I was inspired to write down the things that I think of every day during my daily routine:

applying chapstick: 3 old boyfriends, one obsessed with chapstick (Greg), one who always needed it desperately but never seemed to use it (Wade), & then another who always pointed out to people that if they were going to wear lipstick, they should make sure their lips were well moisturized first, because if not, the lipstick is much harder to remove and doesn't look as good (Jake).

applying bronzer: My dad saying after a certain sister left the house once, "Alright-who's going to tell her she's starting to look like an oompa-loompa?"

using conditoner: My Aunt Toni explaining her tricks for long beautiful hair when I was 9 or so. She combs the conditioner through in the shower.

applying masacara: I think of a tip my mom told me about applying it in a sideways direction that she learned at a church function one night, being told that Kimi's friend applies it 12 times, & a drama teacher suggesting a pantomime putting on make-up and how she thought it would be funny if one were to act out the faces we make when we do so. Monica & I chose to hang laundry for our pantomime instead doing a scene from Steel Magnolia's. I miss Monica.

plucking eyebrows: my unfortunate overdo on plucking when I was 15.

brushing my teeth: I think about how I was so embarrassed to brush my teeth in front of Clay when we were first married. HA! and also that my friend Ellie said her mom brushed her teeth too well and it made the enamel come off.

shaking out my hair in the shower: living with Nikki and her laughing at me for flipping it so many times. I flip it counting to 8 three times. Not counting to 24, mind you. To 8, three times.

blow drying my hair: Clay bursting into the bathroom on our honeymoon with a camera when I was blow drying my hair and the startled picture we have as a result.

applying eyeliner: Katrina's tip that eyeliner looks amplified in pictures.

backcombing my hair: watching Karlee do hers when she was in high school and wishing I could get it right like she does.

putting on deodorant: Kiersti saying that if she gets ready in the wrong order she's bound to forget something important like deodorant.

flossing: my dentist saying "those who care floss"

putting on lotion at night: watching Debra on Everybody Loves Raymond do that every night before bed

putting my face lotion on: that on the package it said 9 out of 10 find using that product as a "luxurious experience" and Clay saying there must be gold in it considering the cost

taking my makeup off: Linda saying that every day you don't take it off, it ages your face 4 days

replacing a roll of tissue: being at EFY and the girls explaining to the boys in our group that putting the roll on the holder so it rolls towards the wall is much better than the other way

cleaning my kitchen before bed at night: my friend Mindy saying "Clean your kitchen at night & it will welcome you in the morning."

scrubbing my kitchen sink: Amy Ann saying that she scrubs her sink every time she does the dishes and my father-in-law thinking that a clean sink means a clean house regardless if the rest of the house is a mess or not.

sweeping my front porch: Switzerland

painting my nails: wishing I had remembered to explain to Russ & Kimi when helping to paint their closet doors that painting a door/wall/anything is just like painting your nails; multiple light coats are better than one heavy thick coat.

curling my hair: Mikelle & Tessa's BEAUTIFUL hair. I count to 15 & then release.

doing dishes: my friend Michelle explaining that she wanted to be a hand model when she grew up and thus protected her hands when doing the dishes by using gloves. I don't. But then, I'm no hand model. :)

removing my daughter's elastics: my friend Bryan calling me in college while babysitting his nieces wanting advice on how to remove them painlessly. And I smile because it was cute.

sneezing: an old college boyfriend's little 7 year old sister, Jessica, copying the way I sneezed, and the way I did my hair, and the way I held my glass, etc. I LOVED her.

making my bed: Lonni's grandma making her make the bed over & over & over until she got it right.

moved

2011-10-28T11:20:00.000-06:00

We're alive!!!! Oh, I've missed you!

We made the move to our new home.

We are enjoying crisp morning walks and neighborhood explorations. Brandt is playing football as much as possible across the street with all the boys and Brooklyn moved onto a street with 5 houses in a row that each contain a 6 year old girl. Heaven. Brayden took awhile to accept the fact that we live in a new place. He loves it now. :)

But we do miss our friends & neighbors and think of you often.

All of our new neighbors have been so friendly & welcoming and that makes me happy! School is going well. I've been busy with fall pictures. Clay is loving his shorter commute. We finally have pumpkins on our porch and I dare say we might actually be ready for Halloween when it shows up! Hooray!

We've been enjoying batches and batches of pumpkin bread. Mmmm. I made a roast recently that turned out fabulous, in case you were wondering. I have been decorating & organizing & running errands & making sure things are transferred, etc. Busy.

And Clay took me out last night for a surprise date to sushi! He even lined up a babysitter. SO sweet. I needed it bad. And..........we ended up sitting at our table for 20 minutes without anyone talking to us or any water so we left and went to Barabacoa instead. Tasty! I LOVE mexican food! That just means we're going to have to go for sushi another time I guess. :)

That's an update for you! See you soon!

Lil' bum!!!

2011-10-03T08:19:00.001-06:00

Hee hee!

Chartreuse...what color is that exactly?

2011-10-02T14:15:00.008-06:00

I'm not a huge fan of the front sitting room that never really gets used in a house. I want to use every possible square foot to it's greatest potential. So...ours will be a glorified furnished mud room. The large aqua desk will be there to catch mail, magazines, library books, grocery lists, & such. The reupholstered sofa will provide a place for reading and timeouts. There will be coat hooks and an umbrella stand. A large antique glass tank thing (what are those called?) to hold coins. Glass jars of all sorts & sizes to catch the random things you always find around the house but never have a really handy spot to put them away in a seconds' time (i.e. buttons, safety pins, bits of ribbon, etc.).

There will also be this little gem that I found at the D.I. for $12, and repainted. It is a rectangular coffee table that will instead be re-purposed as a bench to sit on while removing/putting on shoes with baskets underneath to hold items such as gloves, beanies, scarves, & slippers. I'm trying to find the EXACT right size of basket. It needs to be wider & taller. Throw pillows will go on top along the wall. I love the style of it and all the little details.

I painted the thing chartreuse. It is a bright bright green/yellow. If you think the picture looks too bright, it doesn't. It's fairly representative of the actual color. Don't get too close, it might bite you!

And you can see the aqua desk behind. Told you it was deeper in color than you actually thought. Clay's a little freaked out. I'm getting more & more excited. Coming soon: the mirror goes mustard.

Aqua Smack

2011-09-30T08:29:00.005-06:00

This is a desk with a hutch on it that sat in my grandma's kitchen while I was growing up. The big drawers had markers and a huge stack of scrap paper for us to color on when we came to visit. The smaller drawers held a sharp pair of silver scissors that we'd use to cut flowers in her yard, yellow notepads, and lots of keys. Grandpa had construction pencils in there too. The smell of her house is still inside the drawers. I love this desk & the memories it brings back to me.

A month ago I painted it blue. But the color made me...nothing. I wasn't in love with it. And if you're going to put the effort of painting something, you should love it, no? So, yesterday, during naptime I painted it, again, to go in my new house. I love it. This color makes me smile. But if you're afraid of color, it might scare you. I'll post a picture with it all put together once it's completely dry.

It is smack-you-in-the-face aqua. That's not really the name of it, but it's fitting. (it's actually just like the color in the picture in the bottom right corner of the header at the top of this page, but deeper). The neighbor kids love it. Clay thinks it belongs on the set of Smurfs. Haha! It makes me happy.

COLOR!!

2011-09-27T11:07:00.002-06:00

I love color, a LOT.

My current house is like a crayon box. And I like it because color makes me feel alive. I've always had the mindset of keeping furniture neutral and changing out the wall color. Which, is much easier, less expensive, & changes the look of your room dramatically in a day's time. Fantastic!!

But now I'm moving to a house that has beautiful new neutral paint all throughout that I don't dare mess with because I really like it. But when I move all my neutral furniture into it....part of me may die with ALL that neutral surrounding me.

So.....

Today, just now in fact, I decided on a color pallet for my new house. The walls will remain neutral, but a lot of furniture will be painted and throw pillows thrown in and a loveseat is going to brave a reupholstering. This has been keeping me up at night people. Deciding on a color pallet.

And maybe I come across as crazy. But everyone has their thing. And this is mine.

And so I present to you my giggle & squeal idea of the morning:

Teal (varied light & dark)
Chartreuse
Plum
Mustard
Espresso

GET EXCITED!!!!

& a dark olive green! I forgot that.

dating tips

2011-09-22T09:47:00.000-06:00

These are for my sons. I wanted to write these down before I forget completely about the dating world. When I was dating, I took notes. I wrote down what I liked and what I didn't. I'm glad I did. So from a girl to a boy, here are my thoughts on dating......

BEST FIRST DATE: lunch, just the two of you, then drop her off.

No obligations to spend more money or time with a girl if the sparks aren't flying. If they are, then you can take her out again.
NOT a dance.
DON'T kiss her. Even if she wants you to.
Much better than a movie where you don't even learn a thing about each other.
If you're not friends first, you don't have much.

DANCES:

Wear clean clothes & deodorant. Good smelling deodorant is much better than too much cologne.
Chew gum.
Disappear for a little while and make the girl miss you and give her some time to talk about you with her friends.
Save a girl from dancing with someone she doesn't want to. Don't cut in. Just rescue her shortly after the song is over. Make sure YOU are not the one she wants to be rescued from. Don't dance with her 2 songs in a row & test the waters. If you can't find her after that, it's a no-go. She will be easy to find if she likes you back.
Learn how to dance.

GIRLS IN GENERAL:

Don't hit a girl. Ever. Not even if she hits you. She might because she likes you. It's not a good way for you to show her you feel the same.
Open the dang door! I don't care who tells you not to or if she acts offended that you did. YOU OPEN THE DOOR!!!
Don't ever EVER hint that a girl is heavy. Ever. Not even when you get married and she is ginormously pregnant. Nope, you still don't even alude to it. She won't forget. Ever.
Make sure the girl is safe. If you take her out, you are in charge of her safety. Don't drive like a wild maniac. If you're next to a road, YOU walk next to the road. You WILL know how to change a tire. Make sure she makes it into her house when you drop her off. Make sure she is enjoying herself, even if she is a dud and you are bored with her and would rather mess around with your friends.
Don't EVER mess with a girls hair. This includes, but is not limited to: noogies, letting a twisted up rubber band loose in her hair, gum, scissors, water, anything. Not funny. Not okay.
Girls put a lot of time & more effort & money into getting ready than you will ever think to. Acknowledge that and respect it.
Flowers are always a good idea, even if you have to pick them yourself. They are the very best when they're not expected.
Carry things for girls. Even if she's perfectly capable of managing on her own, and she might be proud of that. Do it anyway.
Give a girl your seat if there aren't any more, your jacket if it's chilly, your hand/arm if she needs steadying. Don't take no for an answer.
You get a lot farther with a girl by respecting her than anything else.
If a girl asks you why you like her, "because you're pretty," better be on the list but it better not be the ONLY thing on the list.

SHE'S NOT INTERESTED, GO AWAY:

You go out with her once, and she never seems available again.
You have to corner her to talk to her.
She's hard to find.
She doesn't look excited to see you.
She doesn't return your call.

SHE IS INTERESTED:

She's happy to see you.
She's magically around a lot.
Her friends talk to you about her.
You don't get a whiplash hug if you hug her.
She calls you back.
She watches you a lot.
She laughs at your jokes.

I'm sure there will be more....stay tuned.

to market to market....

2011-09-19T09:33:00.003-06:00

This is the week. The week that we close on our new house. And quite honestly, I teared up in the grocery store the other day thinking about it. The grocery store! On the bread aisle, in fact. It's funny how you get attached in that way. There's a tall lady with short, thick, pretty blonde hair that speaks with a thick German accent and wears glasses whose name I do not know. But I really like her and she adores my kids. And when I was pregnant & worried, she reassured me that my littlest would not feel lost because he was born 5 years behind the others. She is the mother of the same gap and told me it was wonderful and that he would feel so much love. And I believed her as she bagged my groceries, and I still do.

The man and girl at the bank there know me and we chit chat and laugh. She's gone to my website and she loves my pictures. There's a woman who searched the entire store with me to find tahini so I could make hummus and we laughed about it and I spelled it for her about 15 times. And we never found it.

So I got teary because I'm a sentimental. And then, then, it was SO weird because as I walked through to pick out avocados & milk & pasta & crackers, EVERYONE smiled at me. One man and his son purposely swerved their cart in a serpentine fashion in front of me laughing like they were going to run into me.

A woman asked how I was doing while I grabbed some yogurt. Like we were friends that had run into one another. A sweet old man winked at me. And I was not teary or the least bit distraught looking at this point, mind you. That was just a moment on the bread aisle. I felt like a smile magnet. Haha!

I make my grocery store sound like a circus where they hand out balloons, and the floors are spotless, and jolly music plays, and everyone pays for each other's groceries with perfect hair and shiny bright white smiles. No, that's not it. But I like to be there, and I'm hoping my new grocery store will live up to it. I like to feel recognized in a place I go to often, and leave with a smile on my face. And every time I leave there, I do, regardless of how my children have chosen to behave. New grocery store: you have some shoes to fill.

scapegoat

2011-09-16T12:54:00.001-06:00

I've been known to throw a real doozy of a tantrum in my younger days (like last week) for not being able to find what I want when I want it and need it, like RIGHT NOW because I have to head out the door or I'll be LATE!!! Toothpaste has been thrown. Doors slammed. Yelling. Silent treatment.

But now I'm a mature adult that is in charge of the house, laundry, homework, groceries, yard, tools, etc. And, just so you know, I think that alone entitles a grown-up to ice cream for dinner & staying up late if they darn well please. So, as said mature responsible adult, I have a bone to pick. Since when did I become the scapegoat for all the other people I live with? Big & little people with the exception of the tiniest (so far).

This week, Brooklyn decided I am 100% against her and "you don't love me" as I was in the middle of helping her get her homework done & whipping up her favorite snack. She was stomping around, trying to find her glasses (which she had left on her dresser rather than in her backpack) and I, I!!!, was responsible somehow for her not being able to find them!

Clay is convinced I hide his black dress socks for fun and blames me at 5:30 in the dreaded A.M. after making him breakfast and while taking care of the shrimp himself who had thrown up all over himself and the crib. WHAT?!? Like I have this special basket stashed in a deep dark closet of things people really need, but I like to stow away because it makes me giggle really hard when I come across them and think about how much they COULD get used and how much they are missed. Don't tempt me people.

What is going on? I'm quite certain I never behaved/behave this irrational when I'm upset, do I? It's kind of cool to be the center of the universe, in your home at least, because you know if anything ever happened to you, people would miss you and think of you a LOT. And it's nice to be able to kiss away tears and bring a smiley face to a person who had a bad day. But it also has this sickly downside where you are the scapegoat for all that does not end up in perfection. Boo to that.

One

2011-09-08T15:47:00.002-06:00

(Waiting for the shrimp to show up. Sorry-in the 1st video I'm nauseous thinking about the IV in my arm and the upcoming "slice." The name I wanted was Finn at the time. And the 2nd one, I apologize if I'm too scandalous for you, but c'mon, it's the 1st time meeting my baby!)

Somehow you turned one. Somehow you've been in our lives for an entire year. And it makes me think about the months before you came and our excitement at the thought of you. You started out so small, perfectly bite-size and sweet as sugar. I will always remember the first time I saw you. You make me smile. You make everyone around you smile. You make impatient people in line behind us at the grocery store smile. They can't help themselves. You are a little charmer.

You are fantastic at scaring us and making us worried. From my pregnancy with you, to the surgery on your tummy, to standing on the stairs holding the railing & acting like you're going to step down with an eyebrow raised, a silly smile on your face, and mischief & teasing in your eyes. You have it down. You LOVE a good response. But you're also getting really good at listening.

Your tongue is like a permanent part of your face now. Pink & pointy & always sticking out of your mouth. You smack your lips and jabber about. You tip your head back for your BIG smile and show all seven of your sparkly sharp teeth.

You love water. Splashing is the best. The pool is heaven. You cry when you have to get out of the bath.

You walk with us to school in the morning. Brooklyn and her friends take you on walks, with you in your little stroller and a babydoll in theirs. You love walks.

You think Brandt is hilarious. You love Brandt & Brooklyn. You will crawl to the edge of the stairs and "shout" for them. You love them to carry you around and play with you in the car. You stand on the couch and shout out the window to them when they play in the yard with their friends. You look around for Daddy in the evenings, anticipating a good tickle or to fly up high in the air. You crawl away from daddy happy and covered in scruff marks from his kisses. And he can make you laugh like crazy.

You play peek-a-boo, beg, clap, wave, and pat me on the back when you're tired. That's my favorite. You are afraid of the animal toys at Grandma MaryAnn's and you used to be terrified of daddy when he did a monkey noise. But now you are brave. You say mama and dada but we don't know that you mean them quite yet. You collapse on your soft blanket when you're tired and slam yourself to the floor when you see a bottle headed your way.

You get ready with me and dig through my bag while you wait for me to be done. You make faces & have conversations with yourself in the mirror and love to have the hair dryer blow your hair around too. You love to have your nails clipped and hold SUPER still to have your ears cleaned.

You tried orange juice for the first time yesterday and fell in love. Every time you do something for the first time we all get crazy excited for you.

I love to be with you. I love to be someone you love. I love that when you are sad, I am the one you want to fix it. I love your smiley face when I come to get you after naptime or in the morning. I love your blonde blonde hair that came from who knows where.

I'm really glad that you seem content to just be moving along at your own little pace, not in a hurry to grow up. I treasure you so much. I snuggle you and read you stories and say "love you Bray Bray" when I lay you down at night. I know that you are going to grow up quick just like my other lovies are. They're both in school all day now and we have a lot of just me & you time. And it's really quiet. It makes me realize just how much I love to be with my children. Last night we watched Tangled together. Daddy left on a fishing trip and we did the rebellious thing & stayed up late. Brooklyn ended up snuggled on my lap an Brandt was tucked into my side holding onto my arm & we giggled about the funny horse together. And you wandered the room, standing next to the couch, pounding it with your hands and letting out random yells and smiling. My heart practically stops at the thought of ever losing you. You are our sunshine. And I love having you in my life.

birdbath cricket love run

2011-08-25T09:48:00.001-06:00

In spring, when I started out getting into this whole running shenanigan, the robins were out. And they were fantastic. I would run at the high school track and one night a big ol' robin sat on the fence and watched me huff & puff my way around the track. I would get just about to him and he would fly about 20 feet away & repeatedly do that all the way around the track for me. I kid you not. What a nice little friend!

And now there are blackbirds out and I never see any robins at all. It reminds me that Halloween is really just around the corner. And I'm reminded of how much I love October and November and, forgive me, I've gotten a little bit excited for that time of year to come. Summer, I still love you. But now I'm just not as distraught about you leaving.

I say that....., but today I went to the pool all geared up with Brayden and it was closed. Drove to another pool, same story. I almost DIED. Ahem! It is NOT yet Labor Day. Isn't that the official cut off? We came home, pouting in the heat. I filled a bin with water and put the baby in it. He was delighted and splashed about, watching neighbors mowing & cars passing by. I stripped down to my swim suit and laid out in my front yard by him, enjoying my Better Homes & Gardens. Yes, it was necessary. My backyard is a jungle and I don't know if we would have found our way back out of it. We packed it up when we heard thunder. False alarm. Oh well, it was probably best for us to shut down the white trash show we were putting on.

And did you know that crickets really like to hang out in certain trees? It's true. I discovered that last night as I jogged through the streets. Sure enough every time I came to THAT type of tree it was filled with a chorus of crickets.

I love our neighbors.... {sigh}.

I love that I can forget the most IMPORTANT part of my purse (you know, the part that includes your driver's license, cash, and credit cards) and still be able to pay with a check & no I.D. , like I did this morning, at the grocery store because they know me. Love that!

And I LOVE walking to school with the chillins.

And I LOVE when Clay walks in the door and my day gets about 100 times better in an instant.

something about Mary...

2011-08-17T17:28:00.002-06:00

Do you have a friend you think is just the most beautiful person and you're no longer sure if it's the inside or the outside of them that makes you think so? I have one of those. She has such a huge place in my heart. Sometimes you just immediately have a connection with certain people. And maybe it's for that time in your life or something, I don't know. But seriously, don't you think there are some people you're just drawn to like a big ol' magnet?

So many times I think to myself, "I just need to talk to Mary." Because Mary is awesome at listening & helping me make sense of my life. She will talk with me late late late into the ~~night~~ early morning and we still have more to discuss, and I love good friends like that. Friends that are more like sisters. She might be the sweetest thing around too. No exaggeration. Her smile is sweet. Her giggle is sweet. She showers my kids with sweetness. She will give me anything and cooks dinner for my family all the time and I think she is fantastic in every way. There's no telling me anything different. And she is sweet to everyone, quietly even. And I love that.

She is one of the very best friends I've ever had in my life. I took pictures of her family recently and I'm just filled up editing through their pictures with how much I care about this cute girl. And she'll probably imagine up all sorts of things that aren't just right about her in this picture, but I have to post it because she is so beautiful to me and I'm so very very blessed to have her as my friend. I hope she can see what I see in her. Love my Mary!

things I think about

2011-08-11T11:07:00.001-06:00

...but haven't stopped to write down.

#1. The other day while cleaning ferociously to reclaim my house from back to back vacations and reckless abandon while playing with family that came into town, I got this song stuck in my head. My parents made it up when we were little (I was probably 3) and when we'd go on a campout (which we did often) we would sing this around the campfire.

It starts with a verse about my parents meeting each other, and then a verse about each of us 7 children, (each verse followed by the chorus). And in case you're confused....Thomason is my maiden name. I will share with you my verse & the chorus.

"Now Lindsay's the girl who has eyes for her Grandpa. She laughs & she giggles & flirts all the while. 'I do it myself' is her favorite sentence. But after she does it her eyes surely smile."

"Thomason! is a great name! It will be put in the great hall of fame! We'll all stick together cause a family's forever. Loving each other is our favorite game."

I can't tell you how many times in my life that I've accomplished something that's a big deal to me and that verse will come into my head. And I like that.

#2. I run at night. And I change it up all the time as far as where & when to be safe. At times I've run through the streets of our neighborhood in the dark. People's little lives are glowing through the windows and it makes me think a lot. About living here & leaving here. And I'm not sure I even know how to say what I feel, except that I do. I feel like....You know when you feel a chapter close in your life or you feel a big lesson learned or you feel changed in a way and you take a moment to recognize it? That's how I feel. Living here has changed me. It's made me a lot more aware of a lot more things. I'm grateful for it.

I run past an empty dark house and remember the man who lived there. The man I met and his shy little wife. Every time I saw him I thought of one of my best friends in college, because they looked & acted alike. So I immediately liked him. Christmas time came around and I'd only made up so many neighbor gifts. They don't live on my street and they weren't on my mind. My kids & I were out delivering the gifts & ended up driving by their house. I only had one left and it was meant for someone else. But I felt like I should give it to them. But my head won out over my heart and I determined that the person it was intended for would feel left out without it. So I delivered it to the family on the tag, and not to the man & his wife. The next Sunday, on our way to church, we passed the house. There was a police car in front and later that day we were told the man had died that morning. I regretted it. The house foreclosed and the little wife and new baby moved away. And now I run past the empty dark house and remember how important it is to listen to your heart.

Each glowing window I pass I think of the family inside. And I go through a lot of emotions as I do.

I see a man walk the streets with hooks for hands and legs under pants that aren't real legs.

I see people walk to work because they have no other choice.

I see friends help each other ALL THE TIME. I see a lot of giving. And sometimes those on the receiving end don't know and I see hatred directed toward the person who showed love anonymously. And it makes my heart hurt and I don't know how to fix it.

I see teens make bad choices and I struggle with what that means for them.

I see a mother leaving a whole family of children and them being grateful that she's gone.

I see families patched up together and happier children & parents because of it and that makes my heart smile. To see what once was sad become happy again amidst the struggle.

I see people struggling to make life better without money. And succeeding.

I see friends who instantly bring a smile to my face and make my world a happier place.

I see people who have made me grow. People I won't ever forget.

And these things can happen anywhere, but they happened here for me.

#3 Clay invited friends to our house a couple weeks ago. I was a wreck about it. And it turned out great. Me being a spaz about being a hostess can be viewed rudely I think. I realized that it could come across as me underestimating a friend. I've never thought of that before. It really did turn out great and she loved my house and being here. It surprised me and made me really really happy. So I might do it again sometime.

spineless

2011-08-10T13:26:00.001-06:00

My spine protrudes.

Maybe not really protrudes. I might be exaggerating. But the thing is THERE.

I didn't want it there in elementary or middle school when we were doing sit-ups on the hard gym floor.

It was excruciating then.

And at times, like sitting & hugging my knees in a swimsuit on a cement slab next to the pool, freezing and listening to my swim coach, I felt, and maybe even looked like a stegosaurus.

Now, that was not an exaggeration.

It was there when I got married and my husband thought I had an awesome back.

Too much information? Maybe, but there you have it.

I think my family is just genetically skinny on top. Ribs show, spine shows. That's how we were born. Thank heavens for that because the older we get in life, those of us that got a generous dose of man legs from our dad, still get called "skinny" because of the little top we got from our mom.

Optical illusion? Maybe, but I'll take it.

After 3 kids, it wasn't there anymore.

8th grade me rejoices and runs around squealing, glad to be "normal." The rest of me, the part that became grateful for a little bit of skeleton showing through, said, "Hmmmmm."

But.....(insert drum roll)...... it's back. And it's welcome.

It must be the running, because other than that and a dabble or two of yoga, I haven't been doing much else.

And I'm happy to be just a little less spineless.

Trip to San Diego

2011-08-05T08:41:00.001-06:00

...has now officially been posted. YESSSSSS!

Just not here.

You'll have to visit my photo blog to see it. Lo siento!

But we're all doing a happy dance in our seats because I'm catching up, right?

That's what I thought.

business

2011-07-29T10:34:00.000-06:00

I don't care how busy summer is, it's still my very favorite.

But it is busy.

And really it's almost gone when it feels like it barely just got here and I want to crumple in a heap in the corner because of that. But I won't. But really, is A track really back on already?! Barf.

Photography, busy. Tis' the season.

Kids, busy. Brayden won't stay in the same spot for longer than 15 seconds. Loving the stairs, drawers, exploring, & looking mischievous. Brandt & Brooklyn rounding up everything they own for "sales" and soliciting neighbors. I'm so sorry. I always find out after the fact that they have knocked door to door charging people a buck to join their bird watching club, buy a marble, etc. I'm usually busy chasing number 3 and have been told that they're riding their bikes. Sneaky.

House & Yard & Dinner & Laundry. Something's gotta give and sorry to say it's usually dinner that gets the shaft. We had pb&j sandwiches last night. Yum. And I admit the morning glory is winning the battle. I'm not even going to mention the sad tale of my flower pots.

We're also house hunting and I've been running in my spare time. Which is good & fun, but busy. I feel like I haven't seen my friends for AGES.

But it's beautifully sunny every morning. The robins sing to me from their nest in my backyard. I have tan lines. We've been able to vacation and play and there's more of that to come. And my little girl turns 6 next week. Family is coming and has come to visit & that is the best.

And I have a lot to tell you about, and pictures to show you, and things to discuss. But today's not that day. Today I have laundry to do, a sprinkler to move, roaster pans to find for a reunion, pictures to take, dinner to make so my family doesn't boot me out, cousins to play with, and round-up to spray.

It's hard to slam it all into 2 months (really only two when you have year-round school to factor in). But it's so so fun! I can't get enough of it!!!

I don't mean to brag, but.....

2011-07-19T13:07:00.000-06:00

Do you see what I'm doing? Yeah, I go up the stairs now. And I'm fast at it.I usually growl as I go to remind the stairs who's boss. If my mom says, "Nuh-nuh Brayden..." with her best warning voice, I just give her this look.....

...and then keep going. Sometimes I'll even throw in a little wave to please onlookers. You heard right, I also wave. I can't get down yet by myself, but that doesn't mean I don't try. It's hilarious,everyone freaks out and starts running and yelling out my name. If you ever want attention....

So if you haven't heard from my mom on her blog for awhile, it's probably because she's chasing these. Keep up lady. I've got choking hazards to find.

4th of July

2011-07-19T12:24:00.000-06:00

Yep, I'm behind. Some night that weekend, Clay & Brandt went backpacking and the girls+Brayden had the house to ourselves. We stayed up till midnight watching fireworks from our front lawn and then snuggled up in my room for a sleep over. She's such a funny girl. Dancing along with the fireworks, bringing just about every one of her possessions out to watch with us, and giggling from clear down in her belly like she always does. I love spending time with her!

growing too fast

2011-07-19T08:50:00.000-06:00

Dear Brayden,

In the 7th month my camera broke. So, I have very few pictures of you at 7 months:

In the 7th month, you...

sit by yourself. Until then you were completely content to lie down.

really REALLY laugh, not just giggle somewhere down deep in the back of your throat (daddy is the best at getting you to do this)

spin in order to manuever yourself to roll where you would like to.

learned to play peek a boo successfully with us. You're very fast at it and there are always huge smiles involved.

were taught by Brandt that shaking a plastic Easter egg with jelly beans inside of it makes a shaking noise. You now shake your "bink" on command to make the same sound.

produced two of the cutest teeth ever on the bottom in the front middle. They are sharp.

are more & more interested in being with those close to you and you're wary of those that are not. But, they still get smiles.

like to pull a soft snuggly blanket over your head when you're tired. You fall asleep on daddy's lap a lot this way.

recognize people in pictures.

love sweet potatoes.

ate cheese for the first time.

are blonde & pasty white.

cry "mamamamamama" when you're really really sad. It breaks and warms my heart all at the same time.

watched us eat dinner every night from your walker.

In the 8th month, you...

were covered from head to toe in itchy miserable chicken pox. You tried to smile anyway.

busted out another tooth on top.

gurgle constantly and happily babble "bababababababababa!" all the time.

were taught how to yell by Brooklyn. You tense up your whole body, stick your belly out and yell. Just for fun.

LOVE the vacuum and metal water containers. If they are in the room, they command your full attention.

run over our toes in your walker if we open the dishwasher in your presence.

cleaning clowns

2011-07-07T21:20:00.000-06:00

My kids are the best kids ever. All the time they're thinking of ways to surprise me with their sweetness. This particular day they were cleaning my room. I should have taken a picture of my bed. It was hilarious. It was the 1st time I've ever seen a bed made that way. Haha! Usually they are so good at making it. It made me laugh. While cleaning up Clay's favorite spot to toss things, they started trying on his clothes. That's when I walked in. And then Brandt wandered around in those pants like that for awhile giggling hysterically and making ghost noises. I love them!

overload

2011-07-07T12:40:00.000-06:00

What happened to a picture per day you ask? I'll tell you. It's pathetic. It's true. It was fantastic because I was motivated to write down and photograph things I would otherwise forget. So I liked it....but really, REALLY, it was stressing me out. Sorry. I have been taking pictures still, but sometimes when I get my expectations too high or demand too much of myself my brain gets overloaded and I just end up with my face down in a pillow being completely unproductive in everything because I added just one too many things. So it went. Sorry again. I suppose it's my blog so there should not really be an apology. Let's just consider it an insight into my little life and mind.

I admire all individuals everywhere who can remember to change their sprinkler at regular intervals rather than run their water bill up because they got too busy making breakfast, switching laundry, bathing kids, practicing reading, shopping for yet another vaccuum belt because legos hide so well in the carpet, chasing newly mobile babies away from the door and the stairs and the cupboards and the flip flops and the cords, pretending to have a plan for dinner, getting sidetracked and scrubbing the shower, finding that the kids have built a "surprise" out of things they shouldn't and talking through that/cleaning it up, and hoping that the now overwatered part of the lawn will somehow spread it's love to the dead part of it and maybe even to the potted plants that are wasting away.

(sigh)

What happened to enjoying summer like a 6 year old?

Day 27. Father's day

2011-06-19T11:00:00.002-06:00

This is my dad. I think he's pretty cute myself. When I asked him to take a picture with me he got all choked up. That's one thing I love so much about him-his soft heart. He's such a good good dad. His hugs fix everything. He has this way of making you feel safe enough to just spill your guts when you talk to him and let out all your ugly face snort style crying. He cares SO much about our family and does his best to keep everyone close and taken care of. He is one of my all-time top favorite people in the whole entire world. People told me growing up that I looked like him and that made me happy. :) He is an excellent provider, a jokester, a huge people person, and he always stands for something and I like that. He has a weakness for Almond Roca and sugar cookies. He cooks excellent Thai food and can throw a great party. His bed is a "tickle table" and he is always after the grandkid's giggle buttons. He is such a thoughtful person that I'm so grateful is such a big part of my life. Thinking of how much I love him makes me cry. I'm sorry that I look like I might eat you in this picture. I was laughing at Clay trying to figure out the camera.

This man is the next best thing. This is Clay's dad, Randy. He is one of the nicest people you will EVER meet and I am so lucky to have him as a father-in-law. He is wise. He is Clay's favorite person ever and I've come to know why. I'm blessed to know him and get to be so close to him. He can make anyone smile and feel loved. He loves Rocky Road ice cream and Christmas ham and will bust out the best spaghetti or a BBQ for you any day of the week. He's funny and I LOVE to be around him. I love that he's got a running shirt on and a tool in his hand in this picture. So him.

And Clay isn't my dad and he's not a father figure to me, but he does take care of me, and makes me feel safe & loved and now I'm just crying out of control. Enough of this post.

Day 26. First race

2011-06-18T10:50:00.000-06:00

It was the first race of my training program and I did it even with my bum ankle.

It was the first race Brandt's ever been in and he LOVED it.

We got up at 5:00 in the morning and got ready together. It was freezing outside. I did the 5K and Brandt did the 1 mile fun run. They started the kids 15 minutes after the rest of us and he was nervous. He did the stretches he does for soccer and jumped up & down to get warm. He got first place in his division and he wore his race shirt and medal the rest of the day. You should have seen him eyeing all those medals on the table while we waited for them to announce the winners. I just barely missed winning the "middle of the pack" prize. Dang it! Maybe next time. :)

Later in the day we went to Jaxon & Jordan's birthday party WITHOUT A CAMERA and swam and played and met little Ethan (Amy & Brandon's 1st little babe) for the first time. He is just so so cute. I was so happy to see them and meet him! Clay worked on the swamp cooler and sadly made no progress with the blasted thing. Looks like we're coming up on a week at the pool, eh Brayden?

Day 25. Gretel

2011-06-17T10:35:00.000-06:00

Walked to school with Brooklyn today. I love that the school is close enough that we have that option. And I'm so grateful for our loaner stroller form Karlee because it is fabulous and allows Brayden (and me!) to be so much more comfortable when we go places.

We were cutting it close on lunch time so I quickly made peanut butter and honey sandwiches for both of us to eat on our way. Brooklyn tucked some of those bright orange (I'm sure cancer causing) peanut butter crackers into the stroller for us to eat as well and a juice box. And off we went, sandwiches in hand.

After we had passed 2 houses, I looked back to see how she was keeping up. There she was, right behind me, no sandwich. She explained that she didn't want it & had set it down by a tree a little ways back. I told her that like it or not, that's lunch, and she should go back and get it. She and her pouty lip walked back, picked it up, brushed it off and came back. And off we went, sandwiches in hand.

After 3 more houses, I looked back to see how she was keeping up. There she was, right behind me, no sandwich. She explained that she didn't want it & had been dropping small pieces off it behind her for the birds to eat for lunch instead. I told her that like it or not, that was lunch. I gave her the juice box. She was mad and asked for the crackers. I said no. I opened them and ate the crackers I don't like as we walked the rest of the way. She was mad mad mad. She yelled, "Fine!" and ran in front of me to each corner, where grudgingly, she had to stop and wait for me to cross with her so she'd be safe. Such a good girl. :). I got that mad look the whole way to school. There was foot stomping and glaring. But I don't think she'll do it again.

I giggled to myself on the way back home as Brayden & I came across little sandwich bits marking our path. I told Clay the story this evening and he laughed & said she did the same thing when they hiked Grandeur earlier in the week.

Day 24. Shake it

2011-06-16T10:28:00.001-06:00

We walked to the park with sweet little Charly girl from next door and then on to drop Miss Brooklyn off for Kindergarten. Brayden threw his hat out of the stroller somewhere along the way and now it's MIA. In the market for a new hat to cover his pasty blonde head.

That night Brooklyn had a dance recital where she performed a conga dance with her class and the "Boyfriend's Back" one again. They did a WONDERFUL job. I don't know who's sadder at the end of her dance year, her or me, because I'll miss my break for the day laughing and chatting with the other dance moms. Ah well. Next year will come soon enough.... Isn't my little Kiki so cute?! She said the feathers in her hair made her look like a banshee. Funny girl!

When we got home she was so tired that she was in bed and asleep before I could even get her make-up off.

Day 22 & 23. not pictured

2011-06-14T10:24:00.000-06:00

My calendar says we had a dress rehearsal and Brooklyn went on a field trip. I did not go becasue my ankle was bugging me too much. Her favorite part, oddly enough, was the snakes. She came home and kept chatting it up with me about the slimy disgusto creatures and I started getting freaked out & trying to change the subject over & over. She was relentless and ended up coloring some pictures of the snakes and then telling me about them. Ewww.

Day 21. Katelyn

2011-06-13T10:20:00.000-06:00

Today I got to meet Haley's third little love. Miss Katelyn. She likes to be held. She is a teeny little bird of a girl. She is adorable and tiny. Did I say that already? She is. She's the same exact size my little Brayden Bug was. That pretty much blew me away. What a sweet little ladybug. Blowing bubbles...

Day 20. Grandeur Peak round 2

2011-06-12T10:15:00.000-06:00

Clay headed up the mountain with the top 2 and I stayed home with the bottom 1 & my lame ankle. Brandt & Brooklyn did great I hear. They called me once they reached the top and told me all about their adventure and waved to me from up there. :) Brandt came home proud of his duck taped foot (preventing blisters) and they all had a great time. Brayden & I snuggled at home and made yummy food.

Day 19. Soccer Studs

2011-06-11T11:26:00.000-06:00

Today was the last game of the season. Brandt was able to be on a team with best buddies Jin and Isaak and Jin's sister Mei. They had so much fun together! And Clay and I got to hang out with Jen & Duke on the sidelines. Nothing better. :) The team was made up of 7-9 year olds and I think they did pretty well as the younger end of the team. Brandt runs with the pack and stays within a few feet of the ball but doesn't really go after the ball itself. But whatever, he's out there for exercise right? He even got a chance to be goalie on a couple of games. His strategy: laying down in front of the goal to block it. He's getting a lot better at dribbling and was more focused this go round. :)

Day 18. Lagoon Day!!!

2011-06-10T23:20:00.000-06:00

Clay's work put on a Lagoon Day for all the employees and their families. I'm going to have to send them a thank you basket because Clay has had the kids convinced that Lagoon is a figment of their imaginations. He's not a rides, crowds, & lines type of guy. But, I dare say, he ended up having a great time and I'm SO glad it worked out that way! We laughed about the kids excitement and their reactions to the rides and he even got Brandt to go on Colossus with him. Tough little thing. Brandt was so excited!

Brooklyn's favorite ride: the dinosaur drop (there is a newly colored drawing of it on the kids' bulletin board)
Brandt's favorite ride: Colossus

Finished the Tidal Wave ride & Clay asked if they wanted to go again. Brooklyn, "No! Not ever again!"

Such a very very fun day with perfect weather.We finished the day off with pizza and I was in bed for the night by 6:00 p.m.

Day 17. boot & brows

2011-06-09T17:17:00.000-06:00

Boo to my ankle. Remember when Clay threw his accident-prone wife in the pool thinking she might for once in her life be graceful? Well, turns out it's sprained. I'm not particularly happy about it. Took the little Bug with me to get an x-ray today. The male technician was so nice and tried so hard to figure out a way for me to get it done in a skirt. Haha! Luckily, we worked it out without anyone being flashed. I'm trying to figure out how to look cute in a skirt and this ankle configuration. It's not working out very well.

I also got my eyebrows threaded for the first time today. They still have to fill in a bit more where you see empty spots. So glad not to look like Teen Wolf anymore! So glad to not have to hide under a hat and sunglasses anymore! I can breathe easy when I look in the mirror now. Such a relief. I took this picture after roaming the valley with the windows down. As my brother says, "If you don't have your windows rolled down on a nice day, you have no soul." Mmmmm,...LOVE windows rolled down, music turned up.

Day 16. feeding frenzy

2011-06-08T20:31:00.001-06:00

"Now, try and hold still and eat nice cause this is my first time doing this."

He also took out the trash for me today & gave me a play-by-play of how to do it properly. He's so big. So helpful. So dang cute. So loved.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

I feel I should also mention that on Brooklyn's first day of wearing glasses she left them outside on the neighbor's bench, on the picnic blanket at soccer practice, & stuffed in the car door handle when she played on the playground. Second day of wearing glasses, she forgot to put them in their case during recess, so instead shoved them next to the wall where the door opens. I might lose my mind.

Day 15. eye candy

2011-06-07T09:55:00.000-06:00

She laid out her clothes so she'd be wearing the same exact thing she wore for her eye appointment. That way they'd remember who she was and give her the right pair of glasses she picked out. purple with butterflies on the side. We picked them up. She giggled the entire time and tickled Brayden randomly out of excitement. They came with a purple cleaning cloth. She practiced her announcement to her Kindergarten class and her presentation of her first day wearing glasses the whole drive home. What they would say, what she would say, how she would show them...etc. She was all about posing like mad for the camera and then ran out the door to show the neighborhood kids. She is SO excited!

Day 14. melt

2011-06-06T09:58:00.005-06:00

And what happened to the last 3 days you ask? Well, ......here are things I should have taken a picture of:

1. my beautiful mom on her birthday
2. me and my littlest love out on a long walk
3. me icing my puffy swollen ankle
4. eating a DELICIOUS philly cheesesteak on a patio with Clay
5. us driving around & around & around looking for houses
6. Brayden sitting on my lap for dinner and getting close enough to my plate to grab some spaghetti off and throw it on my lap
7. Brayden in his new high chair
8. Snowbird with all the Burns side, chatting with relatives I don't get to see too often, tons of kids running around in kid heaven
9. Brandt beating Clay in basketball & loving every minute of it
10. Brayden standing up in his crib for the first time, proud & pleased (we moved the mattress down the day before, not a moment too soon)

Things I have learned through doing this little challenge of mine:

1. Brayden does something new every day. I could literally put a new picture of him up here every day doing something new. In the last 3 days he has learned how to make his elephant (loaner from Brandt) make music, successfully picked up & ate puffs for the first time, standing in his crib, sleeps on his tummy with his bum in the air. He looks so much older when he does that by the way.

2. Every day is not the same. Sometimes staying at home as a mom you feel like you clean up the same exact things every day, run to school and the gym at the same times daily, advance in yet another day in the same old worn out dinner menu you cycle through, wash, dry, fold & hang up laundry that you'll find on the floor tomorrow, and move dishes from cupboard to table to dishwasher to cupboard. Sometimes it gets mundane. Sometimes I feel like it is just mindless insanity. But every day something great happens that is worth taking a moment to be excited about and realize that things are progressing forward. Whether that be a child learning new things or tugging at your heart, a friend brightening your day, or making headway on organizing a closet.

3. I need more pictures of Brandt. That's tricky because he is gone so much of the day. But can I just tell you that when I meet him after school, that boy steals my heart every day? I love his smile. When he sees me, he gets all excited and forces himself not to run but I can see him walk a bit faster and his hand does a little wave down by his side and he forgets all about his sister and can't wait to tell me about his day. He's trying so hard to be cool and grown up and his little body can hardly stand it. Almost makes me cry every day.

4. I need a camera remote because I want to be in pictures WITH my family.

And this is my picture for today...I came across it at 9 a.m. and laughed right out loud. This my friends, is the temperature of my house. Air Conditioning just topped the "house shopping" list.

For more of my thoughts on living with a swamp cooler, click here.

Day 10. It's Shake & Bake...& I helped!!!

2011-06-02T14:39:00.003-06:00

I have been attacking my house without any mercy for clutter or trash. There is a LONG way to go. But I'm feeling quite proud of myself for accomplishments thus far. My pantry and fridge were down to their bones, so Brayden & I went a-shoppin' and filled the cart to the tippy top. Well, I did. He chewed on his toe for most of the time, shyly smiling, and working his charms on innocent passersby. The candy at the checkout sucked me in and some Peanut m&m's hopped in my cart. I can't say how exactly, but who am I to complain? And what luck that they're my favorite!

It's becoming warm again. That's cool and all, in fact, I love it, ....but it's just not AS cool when you live with a swamp cooler. Hmmm. Planning our escape....will this year be the year we leave? Who knows? Cross your fingers with us!

Ethan was born 2 weeks ago to my sister Amy (he is precious) and today Haley Bug is in the hospital trying to get little Katelyn to join us. Today is also Jenny's twins' birthday. They're 1 year! Baby central. SO fabulous!

Went & saw "Water For Elephants" with some good girly friends of mine the other night. Very interesting story. Want to read the book now.

My picture for today showcases my best little helper. Brandt might have tied for the title if he didn't have to go to school every day for so long. Brooklyn amazingly got the little biscuit to sleep on her lap today while I took a shower. SO impressed! She is the best! There is so much that she helps me do that I wouldn't be able to do without her. Such a sweetheart and such a good girl.

p.s. Day 9 is not pictured. I didn't realize how challenging this would actually be. Try not to be too disappointed.

p.p.s. For those of you that are family.....Grant & Kelli's kids are on my photo blog today, if you want to check those out.

Day 8. Mr. Clean

2011-05-31T20:15:00.001-06:00

Today I went and helped my friend Lonni hand out popsicles to her crosswalk kids from the junior high. Her cousin Jackie was helping too. Such a sweet thing for Lonni to do and the kids loved it. I was so pleased that the majority of them said thank you without their moms right there reminding them to. There's hope for my children!!!

We were passing them out out only to the kids who were crossing. Jackie handed one to a kid who walked off the other way. She snatched that thing back so fast! It made me laugh so hard! Driving away from that little adventure I was thinking about my friend Lonni. She gives me so much energy, makes me feel so loved and beautiful and wonderful, she just makes my heart smile. I hope everyone has a friend like that. I'm so glad and grateful that I do.

I would have taken a picture of all of us if I had remembered my camera. I came back home and cleaned the house some more before Clay got home from work. Brayden LOVES the vacuum. There aren't words to describe his feelings for the thing. When we turn it on, it has his full attention. He sits perfectly still & his head swings back and forth as he follows it's every move. If it's not turned on, but in the room, he is all about getting over and touching the thing. HE will just stare at it, drooling & smacking his little lips. He LOVES it. So if you're ever watching "his sweetness" and he starts to fuss for you, here's a little trick....start vacuuming.

Day 7.

2011-05-30T08:00:00.000-06:00

(not pictured)

Day 6. Momma

2011-05-29T23:22:00.000-06:00

Today was spent with my family. In the house while it rained outside.

And there were cooped-up-together wild tendencies. But we got past them.

Brooklyn wore my hat over her braids because she "looks really cute like that."Explained to Brandt she was wearing a "grown-up" hat. Reminded me that I'm the grown-up she's talking about. Weird. Thought about all the things I was going to do when I was a grown-up.

Brandt beat me in the the game "Lost Cities" while I played my best and the final score ended up 24 to 2.

Clay called me a ninja cat burglar like he does every time I wear all black.

Brayden insisted on sitting at the dinner table with everyone and ate peas off my plate, nodding & rocking back & forth the whole time to show us all how much he was enjoying it. Silly smiley thing.

I made snicker doodles for the first time for my kids.

I made up some wild rice & chicken casserole that was quite tasty. We haven't had a casserole in forever.

LOVED spending the day with my family all cozy like.

Thought about Jenny today while I wiped down the kitchen table and listened to my kids & Clay in the front room. Clay told them to stop doing something because it was scaring Brayden. When we were little we never had fires in our fireplace because my little sister Jenny was scared of them. I remembered that it bothered me when I was little. But, being the mom, now I understand. I think the next house needs a fireplace.....I love fires.

Day 5. Pass the popcorn please!

2011-05-28T23:25:00.002-06:00

We spent our Saturday doing our normal Saturday things...

1. Exercising in the morning. Brandt practiced dribbling his ball for a mile.

2. Some yardwork. The jungle out back has been tamed and we discovered a bird's nest in one if our trees.

3. Lunch at Cafe Rio. Tried the new Strawberry Lemonade. T-A-S-T-Y.

4. Shopped Costco.

5. Clay & Brandt played catch at the park. Brooklyn played on the playground. I fed Brayden and played with him in the car.

6. Came home for a 1/2 hour group nap.

7. Clay left for a concert. We had pizza, popcorn, & watched The Parent Trap. Brayden had his eye on the popcorn containers the whole time, knowing he was missing out on something. Also, he now, as of this week, army crawls to get where he'd like to go. We're just weeks away from sheer mayhem when he learns to crawl!!

p.s. I'm not going to promise that any of these daily pictures are going to be fabulous. Mostly I'm just going for a quick snapshot representing our day.

Day 4.

2011-05-27T10:08:00.000-06:00

Today I spent the majority of the day doing yardwork. I planted really tall sunflowers & pumpkins. New flowers for the pots on the porch. Mowed the lawn, weeded, and my neighbor was able to fix our weed whacker for me! YES! Got to chat with his wife and babies during the day and found that we both deal with the same "house struggles" and that is so nice to have someone that understands the world of living in a house that is.........how can I put this nicely?.......challenging. We laughed so hard about our ridiculous cabinets that I was crying.

Brooklyn watched Brayden for me while I did yardwork. An impossible task without her help. She played with him and then took so many laps around the neighborhood with him in his stroller. They were so cute!

I met the kids after school because the library was discarding old books and each kid was able to go and pick one out. They were so excited. Brandt's choice was a HUGE Britannica Atlas. He loves it!

Brooklyn & her friend Charly found a caterpillar while searching for rollie pollies. They screamed and thought it was poison. After I explained that it was safe and had the potential to become a butterfly, they captured it, Brooklyn took it to school, and it became the classroom pet. :) We're watching it for the weekend.

p.s. I have determined that the people who complain about rain are the ones that have sprinkler systems. I am LOVING it!

p.p.s. there were 8 neighborhood children running around my yard today. Abby & Lexi brought me tulips they'd picked and when they left, Lexi yelled, "Love you! Bye!" to me. Made my day!

Day 3. Grub N' Glasses

2011-05-26T12:04:00.002-06:00

The lovely Miss Kiki and I lovin' us some Chick-Fil-A after her morning eye exam & before Kindergarten. Stay tuned....glasses making their debut soon! She's excited!

Sorry, scary, shape-starved eyebrows revealed. By the way, the word "grub" is a disgusting word to me. Not at all appetizing. Isn't that what they call little worms & such? Grubs? Gross. That's not what we ordered.

Day 2. Two Teeth

2011-05-25T07:23:00.003-06:00

I thought it was absolutely necessary to get a picture of these two little teeth while they're all alone. I love baby teeth! Brayden got up an hour early this morning during the time I'm supposed to be unloading the dishwasher, throwing a load of laundry in, and getting breakfast made. It was much more enjoyable giggling with him on the front room floor that was glowing with early morning sunshine. Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba! (that's what makes him giggle)

Day 1. Rock

2011-05-24T15:06:00.003-06:00

Starting a new thing that I've wanted to do for awhile now. I'm calling it picperday. Kind of self-explanatory..... Just a fun way to capture my life.

"Mommy! There's a big rock

on the floor in the bathroom!

Hurry & look!"

My little Kiki yells this to me every single time she gets out of the shower or bath. Sometimes the color of the rock changes. I'm always very surprised & pretend to stand on it. But it always miraculously turns into a giggling, freshly scrubbed, little girl.

St. George trip

2011-05-23T14:50:00.000-06:00

On the day of packing & heading out of town I also had to go renew my car registration. ON MY WAY there I was pulled over for an overdue registration.

The Nephi Taco Time surveillance videos now contain multiple up close images of a giggly squealing baby. Sorry, we broke the soap dispenser in the ladies bathroom. In our defense, it looks as though this is not the first time.

We bribed our children to not be wild in the car with gummi worms.

Clay bought Wasabi Peas to snack on. I ate one and thought it was disgusting. I tried another and was hooked.

Brayden was afraid of the lamps at the condo.

"This looks like New York City!" Brandt said as we drove down the lit up Boulevard.

Brandt ran a mile and then got himself stuck by his shorts on top of a chain link fence.

My children ate berries that looked like raspberries & blackberries from a tree . They were not. We're hoping they were not poisonous. So far, so good.

Laid out in my new swimsuit and had time to flip through a magazine. Mmmm.

Clay threw me in the pool. Turns out I need to practice being unexpectedly thrown into a pool in a more graceful manner so I don't injure my ankle next time.

1st time Brayden's skin touched chlorine. 1st time wearing his sunhat. Looked like a stud. Giggled his head off every time Clay fell backwards into the water.

We went out of town and ended up eating out at the same place we always do. Cafe Rio, $12 total, four people, delicious food. Can't beat it.

New shorts.

Clay and kids played dodgeball with a baseball. Smart? No. No one listens to me.

"Pom Pom trees" = Brooklyn's term for palm trees.

BROOKLYN: "Where are we?"
ME: "In a city called Washington."
BROOKLYN: "Hmmm......well, I don't see any prophets around here."

A group of guys at the table next to us kept turning to look at me while we were at In N' Out. The kind of looking at you that makes you think you have a gash down the side of your face you don't know about. I decided they were freaked out by my eyebrows that I'm trying to grow out before they can be shaped. It's not pretty.

Brandt & Brooklyn did not sleep during the 5 hour drive to St. George. Brandt & Brooklyn did not sleep during the 5 hour drive to Salt Lake City. I taught them the alphabet game. They then made up the number game. I think they made it to 14.

The Fillmore Maverick just made my Top 10 Rest Stops list.

Brayden giggled and explored the front room for two hours straight once we returned home.

Clay's trying to be brave for our upcoming road trip to San Diego.

I can't wait!!!

Impromptu photo shoot inspired by this gas pump we passed.

Cash N' Chicken Scratch

2011-05-18T21:39:00.000-06:00

Well, my last post begged for a follow-up, so here it is. After Brandt wrote his offer to the tooth fairy, Clay came home with dinner and I went for a run. By the time I came back, Brandt had lost his lost tooth, and either in a desperate attempt to replace it or out of sheer greed, the boy PULLED out another one. Yeah, he pulled it out. Even threw in a twist (cringe) and there was blood everywhere. I'm gonna throw up thinking about it. I can't stomach wiggly teeth or the removal of them or the thought of eating with them. The whole thing just flips my stomach. But I was kinda impressed. Tough little guy.

So, he put the newly pulled tooth into his tooth holder, slipped it safely under his pillow, and went to sleep. My mom and I giggled yesterday about the whole situation and she asked what on earth I was going to do after his "sale." Haha!

Well, mother of the year here actually laid down in bed last night not thinking about teeth or money. Clay reminded me and I fished around in his wallet and went down and exhanged the tooth for a dollar. Brandt was SO happy this morning about his dollar. I'm pretty sure he's going to blow it all on new pencils & erasers at school. He's obsessed with those things.

Our other little boy has 2 new teeth coming in on top. Hooray! He also contracted the chicken pox this week. He's 8 1/2 months and polka dot all over. Poor little biscuit. He can't quite figure out how to scratch them, so he wiggles a LOT instead. He is all over that crib in the night. Poor little Brayden Bug. And he wants to be held, by me, a LOT. But it's not snuggle holding, it's squirmy wiggly holding with random screams of frustration mixed in while he sticks his belly out to let me know he means it.

Kind of cute. Don't tell him I said that. We're on Day 4 and Day 10 can't come fast enough!

The Negotiator

2011-05-17T16:30:00.002-06:00

This afternoon Brandt burst through the door after school and proudly showed me the first hole in the lineup of his bottom teeth. He is 7 1/2 and has been waiting & waiting & waiting for this moment to arrive. He then presented me with a tooth holder that the school provided him along with a lot of excited jabbering about how it fell on his desk and he just can't lose it. Then he zipped upstairs to scribble out a note to the tooth fairy. If you know my little Peanut well, you know that he is ever a negotiator. Here is what the note said:

"Dear tooth fairy, I am letting you have this tooth for $25."

I am anxious to see her response.

spring? and things

2011-05-04T13:00:00.004-06:00

I'm going to go right ahead and announce that I think it is in fact spring. Yes. I'm going to predict no more snow. My kids just went back on track after a 3 week "Spring Break." As an alternantive to losing my mind during the snowpacked 3 weeks, I signed them up for swim lessons and it worked marvelously. Actually, it went so well that I'm considering abandoning school altogether. Maybe. I love when my kids are home and we can have our own schedule and do our own things. It was really so nice this time around.

I put some spring pictures of Brooklyn up on my photography blog if you want to see those. We stumbled upon a swing and after trying to communicate in Spanish to the owner of the house that I would like to take pictures of my little girl on her swing, she and her five little kids watched and giggled as Brooklyn & I did our thing.

I've decided I'm very very happy they captured Bin Laden but I feel really weird about celebrating someone's death. So, yay, for capture!

I purchased some lights online recently, they didn't work out, and I returned them. Looks like I just really like paying for things to be shipped around with nothing to show for it. New hobby of mine to the dismay of my husband.

If anyone is interested in a free baby swing (you have to wind it up), let me know. It's all yours. I'm being serious.

I've been spring cleaning and finished the family room so far. Hmmmmm. How does it take so long.

I have not seen more than one itty bitty spider in my house thus far. I will be knocking on wood for 20 minutes straight now.

I can NOT sleep when Clay is gone so I stay up super late watching mindless shows. Enough.

Brayden has learned to yell. He loves it. He also smacks his lips at us. I'm also 100% convinced that he if now saying "mama" clearly & intentionally. Clay can also get him to laugh SO hard lately. The cute little shrimp is terribly distracting. Hence my lack of progress on spring cleaning.

Brandt has his first wiggly tooth and can't wait for it to come out. I won't look at it. We went to the dentist last week. No cavities for anyone! It looks like my flossing resolution is paying off. YESSSS!!!

Brooklyn is obsessed with organizing and now none of us can find ANYTHING we're looking for EVER. But should you really discourage a girl from organizing & cleaning everything?

We've started soccer & we're finishing up dance.

I still look like death. Sorry for the visual assault. Apparently, I've built up an immunity to Jergens Glow.

Just discovered a new fantastic/food product at Costco (of course.) Greek Yogurt Jalapeno Dip. Love it! I encourage you all to buy it so it doesn't become discontinued. I'm begging you.

Evolve

2011-04-21T11:15:00.000-06:00

This is something I've been thinking about lately while driving around in my car listening to familiar old songs that pop up and at the swimming pool during swim lessons. (snippet: I love the smell of chlorine!)

I've been watching old men and women waddle slowly in and out of the water, EVERYTHING sagging. They smile at each other every morning and hold hands with any newcomer that is entering the pool so they won't slip and fall. Because falling when you're old is not okay. Then I see my little boy with his skinny Jiminy Cricket legs trying his best to make his run look like a walk as he giggles all the way over to meet his class in the deep end. He learned to use a kickboard today. The old man in the lane next to him was using a kickboard too and slowly and steadily working his way down his lane and he smiled at my giggly wiggly little boy as he tried to get the hang of it.

And I wondered how many of those old women used to look like my tan little darling Brooklyn, obsessed with her multi-colored fingernails and her ruffly, heart-covered swimsuit. But it didn't make me sad for them, it made me think. It made me think about being pregnant. How you are so excited to get your body back to normal after 9 months. But they don't really have that "then I'll just get back to normal" thing going on. It's interesting to me how it kind of just goes away without asking, and it's left up to each individual how they will handle it.

I've also thought a LOT about how I've evolved as a person in a lot of ways. Much of the time I didn't even realize that is what was happening, I can just see it so clearly looking back. For example, I still say I'm a shy person, but I'm not shy. I used to be. I used to get red from head to toe and speak a ton softer than I do now and I was painfully polite & considerate & agreeable. I think to the point that I may have made others uncomfortable. But I'm not shy anymore and it's kind of funny to me to realize that. And it's very interesting to me to look back and see the major turning points in my life that have forced me to take large steps to overcome it.

I love how love evolves. I love thinking about when Clay & I were first Clay & I and how much we did not know about each other. I love thinking about each point that has made our love stronger or tested our relationship to the very edges. I love how with each new baby our love grows more than we thought it could. And I think that love has made me evolve as a person in a lot of ways. Of course, I suppose that's to be expected. :) But I'm happy to think about it. And happy to know that even though I love my children and Clay so much right now, that someday I will look back at this and realize how much I didn't love them yet.

10 things

2011-04-12T20:26:00.002-06:00

1. I don't have an "outie" or an "inny." I have a "flatty." I think there are very few of us in the world.

2. I have to re-pierce my ears every time I wear earrings. Sometimes the thought makes my stomach hurt, so I give up and go without. I will wear jewelry around my house sometimes, but usually end up taking it off if I'm headed out the door because I'm not brave enough and am afraid I look ridiculous.

3. If I were to throw out my tweezers and just let nature run it's course, I would have, wait for it...........a third eyebrow.

4. Chocolate with caramel &/or nuts &/or peanut butter &/or coconut. I'm not the chocolate & fruit combo type. I think it gives the fruit or chocolate a sort of "rotten" flavor. It's either fruit or it's chocolate. Not to mesh. Except chocolate dipped strawberries. In that case, there is enough fruit that tastes like fruit going on. Please don't question me.

5. I was a "mouth-breather" until I heard that term, actually. Then I thought about it, and am hoping that has been completely resolved. Sorry, world.

6. I don't share dairy. Ice cream, cereal with milk in it, yogurt, a glass of milk, etc . ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! And I do not drink my cereal milk. Blegh!

7. I am highly interested in having a middle name. Feel free to leave your best suggestion. It may become official.

8. My neck is technically not attached or not attached well enough to my spine to count as actually being attached.

9. I have two scars on the knuckles of my right hand from standing still, bored, and swinging my flute case so hard that I fell over on the sidewalk when I was in middle school.

10. I have been pantsed, had a carton of chocolate milk dumped into my pocket purposely, been thrown in a school garbage can wrapped up in tape, tied to a door at Zuka Juice with my own apron strings, had a "nip-slip" in front of 3 boys, been ditched at prom, locked outside by my husband till I peed my pants, fled from a stick shift truck blocking 2 lanes of oncoming traffic while trying to learn, and I've completely taken apart a sink 3 separate times to retrieve a lost gas permeable contact lens so I didn't have to buy new ones.

That's my 10, Jess. Anyone else?

Welcoming Brayden

2011-04-12T15:09:00.001-06:00

The kids & I sat down the day before Brayden's arrival to our family and wrote little messages to him on a receiving blanket with permanent marker. It fades. So I'm writing it on here before the words are completely faded out. What we will still miss out on are the tracings of their little hands next to their messages and the messages themselves written in their handwriting.

Brandt: "You are so cute. I love being your brother. I will teach you how to play dodgeball. You can teach me a game that you make up. XOXO Brandt-7 years old"

Brooklyn: "I will teach you how to draw a heart & scribble & color. I will play with you. I will be your sister & help take care of you. I like you & you are so sweet. Please don't push on Mommy's tummy. {heart} Brooklyn-5 years old"

Me:"We're so excited to have you as part of our family. You already mean so much to us. I love you so very much & I always will. Love, Mommy"

What I remember of him being born....

I remember getting ready to go to the hospital. I packed an entire suitcase just for Brandt & Brooklyn's entertainment (snacks, new coloring books, library books, movies, games & games). Grandma MaryAnn met us at the hospital. The time got pushed back a couple of times due to surgery complications in front of us. So while we waited for the C-section, Clay messed around with the video camera, I had my blood drawn & was queasy about that & the upcoming procedure and we had Nightmare Before Christmas playing. Weird show Brooklyn wanted to watch. Then they decided it was time to go and Clay got all suited up while they wheeled me into the operating room.

I loved my doctor. It was Daren Watts and he was fantastic. With my other two I had Dr. Kent Rasmussen & loved him as well but he retired. I'm always a little afraid that the anesthesia isn't going to take and I'm going to feel it. But, no. Hooray! Clay walked in after they put the iodine all over my tummy and he said that looked really weird. Then there was the sensation of them pushing on my tummy for awhile as they joked about what his name might end up being (we hadn't decided yet).

I watched Clay's face and giggled and I remember being sleepy. Clay watched the whole thing like he did with the other kids. I just watch his face. I love the moment when you can see that they're just about there. Clay was anxious and holding onto me. And then he cried seeing our little Brayden for the first time. And then Brayden & I cried too. The nurse grabbed him and brought him where I could see him behind my little divider thing. He was purpley and crying and teeny. She gave him to Clay and they left me to weigh him and clean him up a bit.

Then it took awhile for them to tie my tubes. And honestly, from there on I don't remember much. I remember holding him for the first time and saying hello to the little boy I felt I already knew. I remember MaryAnn holding him for the first time. And then I remember being really sleepy and Clay telling me to go to sleep and he would make sure everything went great. Then they all left me and went to bathe him while I slept a BUNCH.

It's kind of weird that it's over. All the newborn, pregnancy, tiny baby stuff. As he grows out of things I pack them up for my sisters and it's all slowly sent packing as my baby gets bigger & bigger. He's almost able to sit up by himself now. He's kind of content to just be a baby. I love that. We love our baby Brayden. It's really different this time around with him. It's still busy but it's not like having a year and a half year old child running around at the same time.

Brandt is in love with him. Brooklyn is in love with him. Clay is in love with him. And I am in love with him. And there isn't any jealousy over him at my house and the better part of every family prayer we have is about how grateful we are for our "little brother" and for how sweet he is and how we want him to be healthy and happy and sleep well and know how much we love him. :)

He's such a sweet and smiley and sparkly boy. He is filled to the top with sunshine. His eyes light up and his smile just about comes right off his face. He's outgrown his swing. He scoots around really well in his little walker around the kitchen, smiling, while I cook or clean. He loves chewing on Brooklyn's little Cinderella doll. Every time he eats his rice cereal he puts on a huge show making sure everyone's watching him and has to smile at each person individually after a bite. The he'll turn and look at himself in the mirror for awhile. It's all very exciting. :)

He's ticklish and finally started really giggling last month. His first tooth came in last week and it's in the front on the bottom and very sharp. He has always loved my dark hair and looking at my nails. He's obsessed with his feet lately and giggles when he sucks on his big toe. He loves putting a good soft blanket over his face and sucking on his "bink" to go to sleep.

Rainy Day Snaps

2011-04-07T22:13:00.002-06:00

Playin' with my baby love while my other 2 kids built a fort out of their homework desk where Peanut read Kiki some Calvin & Hobbes. This little rugrat just managed to shove a pointy tooth through his lower gum & we are ALL so happy about it! Can't even see the thing yet. Isn't he delicious? I call him "Biscuit" lately and took these much-needed photos of us together with my toe. Yes, my toe. I'm thinking of entering a talent show...

Spring Break!!!

2011-03-28T10:30:00.000-06:00

Took a quick hiatus this past week and flew out to sunny San Diego to play with my baby sister, Karlee and her little man, Luke, while Austin was out doing some training (?). It was SO nice to see palm trees and sun and flowers and green everywhere, and 2 of my very favorite people!!!! Loved it!
We hung out in San Diego for a bit and then headed up to Carlsbad to the beach. It was a tad bit chilly (hence the jeans) but marvelous anyway. That little Luke is just a charmer. One of my very favorite parts of my trip was him recognizing me and waving to me when they picked me up at the airport. YAY!
Loved hanging out with Kar Bar, braving the crazy rain to run and get some Mexican food, seeing where she lives, soaking up all the wonderfulness that is California, and getting a much needed break away (thanks to my mom for taking my kids). And we had to squeeze in some shopping before I left in San Clemente. Such a cute little city! Can't wait to go back!

sick day

2011-03-27T18:05:00.001-06:00

Found my little Kiki like this....

and the camera woke her up.

It's been a day of
movies and
Tylenol and
jammies.

I wish...

2011-03-21T13:04:00.005-06:00

I was born in Oregon and my Grandma Barnes lived close by, just a few streets over actually. My grandpa had a HUGE shop out back, past the large horse chestnut climbing tree, past their huge vegetable garden, and past the apple trees. It was like a giant cream colored half cylinder laid on its side with a door in the middle and one large garage door on the end for the trucks and forklift to go in & out. My grandpa was a builder. Inside his shop were TONS of tools and industrial saws and a canoe and an office and a massive storage room. They also kept the wooden slide that my grandpa built stored in there. There was a hallway that we would only walk partway into, because it was dark so we didn't go back any farther. At the beginning of the hallway was a little white antique stove that I always thought was so cute.

Next to the storage room was a steep set of wooden stairs with no railing. It was always a little nerve racking to go up them. When you got to the top there was a loft type area where they stored wood poles, & sheets of wood. There were large wooden chests up there as well and one tiny little window on the back wall. Spiders liked to get into the wooden poles and we could see their webs left behind. We loved to play hide and seek up there. We were always very careful not to go by the edge of the loft as there was no railing. The forklift needed to be able to have it clear to get pallets of wood down.

In the storage room was kept all sorts of food storage and emergency preparedness supplies, sleeping bags, etc. That room had a different smell than the rest of the shop and it was really cold. We didn't go in there a whole lot. But when we got things ready for girl's camp we always needed a lot from that room. My grandma went to girls camp and was in charge of it for years & years. When I moved to Utah, I flew back every summer to go to girl's camp with her.

In the large room next to the storage room they built my cousin Dustin's coffin. He was a few years older than me and died when I was in college.

We went out to the office one day and my Uncle Dwight gave us a miniature wooden highchair that he had built for our dolls.

The whole place smelled of sawdust & concrete. That's how my grandpa smelled. He died when I was 9 years old. Sometimes when I go to Home Depot or Lowe's, I walk back to the lumber section just to take a nice deep breath and get a shred of that smell. It's not quite the same though.

My grandma moved to Utah about 10 years ago and wasn't able to bring much of what she owned when she came. Many sentimental things will just be memories in my heart. She moved into a retirement community and that soon became home. It was a big move for her. One thing I love is that when I open her garage at her house now, I can still smell the shop and my grandpa. So much of what she has in her garage are things that sat in the shop for years and have kept that smell with them. It's a very pleasant surprise for me every time I open her garage door.

This past week she has been going through the process of yet another big move. She is moving into an assisted living space where she will be able to take even less of all the wonderful little things she loves & holds dear. Today my dad sent an email out to my family to write down the things she will have to leave behind that we are interested in.

My number one thing I want is something I can't have. That smell. That smell of some of my very favorite childhood memories, the smell of my grandpa, the smell of Oregon rain, and preparations for girl's camp with my grandma. I wish I could bottle it up and keep it forever. But it's going to go away. And that breaks my heart some.

Antelope Island

2011-03-18T13:21:00.004-06:00

Last weekend we packed up the whole family & went on a hike. We did Dooly Knob and most of Frary Peak out on Antelope Island, which is in the middle of the Great Salt Lake. I've lived here for almost 20 years, & I have never been out there myself. We really enjoyed it and the kids were great little hikers. Brandt loves it so we weren't worried about him. But Brooklyn did an outstanding job. There was no whining to go back or to be carried. Nothing. She was even leading us all on Frary Peak and was all about going farther. Brayden slept the entire time except for our stop at Dooly Knob. Very fun beautiful little day with the family.

P.S. We saw buffalo. I had asked Brooklyn on our hike what she would do if we ran into one. She responded that she would lasso it with the rope she found, name it Lara, ride it back home on the freeway, and let it live in our backyard. Well, when we actually DID see one, it didn't quite go down like that.

I was surprised.

Nieces & nephews

2011-03-09T10:47:00.001-07:00

Hey,

For those of you who know me or my family well, I just posted photos of the kids on the Thomason side, if you want to see. Just click the large pink button on my sidebar.

book buddies

2011-03-03T19:31:00.000-07:00

This was one of my favorite moments from today. Peanut was doing his daily reading & decided to share his book with Brayden Bug. Right now he's leaping around the family room in a cape made from one of Brayden's blankets and getting lots of baby giggles & coos.

Runners up include the following:

Clay getting up with me at 2:00 a.m. to care for the feverish, screaming, vomiting, Brayden.

My friend Lonni running Peanut to school for me since I wasn't able to manage with the sick little bug.

My friend Susan running Brooklyn to Kindergarten since I wasn't able to manage with the sick little bug.

Having friends that insist on helping when you really hate to ask.

My mom understanding and insisting that I stay home with said sick bug instead of teaching Yoga for her group.

I didn't get a picture of any of those. But if I did, you would see me looking like I've been run over going on 3 hours of sleep in my hat, unmatching clothes, sans make-up and shower, but with a big smile on my face and a really really grateful heart.

Dinner

2011-03-02T19:57:00.001-07:00

Had this tonight. It was easy, fast, tasty, & healthy. I recommend it.

(Not my picture.)

It's called Penne with Spring Vegetables. I used the Whole Grain variety from Barilla.

"teef"

2011-03-01T22:20:00.001-07:00

The littlest man in our house had a rough day. He's in the long drawn out process of getting teeth and today was just miserable for him. He's usually such a smiley little thing and today there were no smiles from 6:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Poor little man. I took these at 4:00 p.m. in celebration of the long awaited smiles that I love SO much!

rollover

2011-03-01T08:52:00.000-07:00

I was cleaning upstairs while Kiki was dressing Brayden for the day downstairs. All of a sudden I heard screaming and a lot of wild giggling. "Brayden, you're AMAZING!!!!! Mom! Mom! Mom! Brayden rolled over all by himself! I didn't even help him! He did it like this Mom!"

Proceeded to roll over herself on the floor to show me just exactly how it was done, 3 times in a row.

"Brayden! I can't believe it!!!

Haha! I almost said, "Yep, he did that for the first time a week ago", but I caught myself. She was just so excited! :)

And yes, she dresses the shrimp, changes wet diapers, and can get him out of his car seat and lay him on the floor. And she's in heaven the whole time.......

Snow Showers

2011-02-27T02:11:00.000-07:00

Today, well, yesterday because I am up SUPER late waiting for Clay to come home from a concert. It is 2:00. GO TO BED!!!

I refuse.

Anyway, so technically yesterday I went kicking and screaming to the gym. I had 2 workouts to do since we went out to eat the day before and I missed that day's workout. So I had to stack them. That was only half the reason for the tantrum mind you.

I'm kind of, no, completely done with snow. It can go. I was freezing IN my house and was not interested in being outside. But Clay thinks he's my personal trainer/dietician and he convinced me to get ready & go to the gym. Boo to that.

Of course, I felt better just driving there, once my heater kicked in. And I ended up texting Clay later and informing him that I hate when he's right. Why did I have to marry someone so smart & that knows me so well? Sheesh.

So I did my 2 workouts. Weights and then a beasty draining cardio ordeal. I almost died.

Thank you for your sympathy.

Then I left, red-faced & panting, with my jacket in my hand. The freezing outside air felt so tasty. Got in my car, threw my jacket to the passenger side and started to head home. Then I decided I was too hot so I figured opening the sunroof would be a great solution. Not so much if it's winter and it snowed the night before and there is still a bunch of snow on top of the car roof.

I think I totally freaked out the kid on the sidewalk as I was screaming and threw my car in park and jumped out right in front of him. Haha!

Dog Lake

2011-02-06T12:59:00.001-07:00

I think that's where they went snowshoeing last week. I wish I could have gone and taken pictures. It looks so beautiful!

oopsie!

2011-01-31T23:41:00.000-07:00

Tonight Clay was messing with me while I brushed my teeth. This is nothing new. He's always bonking into me, or tickling me, etc. So I'm used to brushing my teeth in a less than peaceful manner.

Tonight topped it.

I was brushing my teeth, innocently, I might add. Clay kept impersonating my voice, which apparently is a mix between a saskwatch and Yoda. He was doing this while flossing his teeth beside me. Then he decided to start kneeing me in the legs to throw my spitting game off. Turns out he hit just the right spot that gave me an instant dead leg.

I don't know if all my weight was on that leg or what but I went down fast. Onto the floor. Spitting all over myself in the process. It caught me so off guard that once I hit the floor I may have peed my pants. Apparently, in a shocked state, I pee. Beware Publisher's Clearing House.

Not my proudest moment. I could not stop laughing, and moaning.

Base Camp & Beyond

2011-01-31T12:19:00.006-07:00

If you don't know what I'm talking about, it's part of this program. It's the program Clay & I are doing right now and "Base Camp" is the beginning of it. I suggest getting the book from the library and taking the time to read it. Those who do it without reading it miss out on concepts, explanations, and certain rules. I think that can very easily lead to discouragement and quitting early.

ANYWAY...

Looking at the list of food you're encouraged to eat is a bit daunting when you can't think of a way to put it together. So, here's some other stuff we eat/ate that I thought of ......

Healthy Chicken & Vegetable Pasta

Barilla Whole Grain Rotini pasta (1) 13.25 oz. box
extra virgin olive oil
black olives, drained, whole or chopped
raw broccoli, chopped into small pieces
2 fresh tomatoes, diced (if you use canned, most store-bought have sugar, make sure the ones you put in don't)
3 cups chicken, shredded (I use the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken)
2 TBS. flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup raw slivered almonds, optional

Cook pasta according to directions on box. Drain, Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Combine with the rest of the ingredients. Eat.

Cilantro Lime Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah). That's a good recipe. We eat it with salmon.

We've also eaten this Turkey Chili and it's tasty.

Basic Spaghetti Sauce (add to it as you like): I have yet to find a store bought spaghetti sauce without sugar in it.

6 fresh tomatoes, pureed in blender
olive oil (one turn of the pan)
minced garlic
1 TBS. fresh basil, chopped
sprinkle of dried oregano
salt & pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic for just a bit, like 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, oregano & salt & pepper. Reduce heat to medium low. Stir continuously until olive oil is mostly absorbed. Remove from heat and stir in fresh basil. Now you can eat that on some whole grain pasta. We cook up ground turkey and mix that in the sauce for protein as well.

-scrambled eggs (1 whole, 2 whites), sliced avocado, 2 slices fresh tomato, (add a slice of toast after Base Camp)

-veggies & hummus (add pitas after Base Camp)

-those skinny little rice crackers (get the wheat ones, these are not rice cakes, they're on the cracker aisle) with hummus

-turkey burgers (sprinkle with Montreal Steak or Chicken Seasoning) topped with avocados & tomatoes (add wheat buns after Base Camp)

-fresh spinach salad with fresh blueberries, cherry tomatoes, chicken (like some from your rotisserie chicken), broccoli, and any other vegetable. Good with balsamic vinegar. (add a scoop of cottage cheese after Base Camp)

-oatmeal with vanilla, unsweetened raisins, & cinnamon. Chopped up apples and cinnamon are great too so it's not just plain old boring oatmeal.

-if you feel like you MUST have cereal after base camp, bite size Shredded Wheat Wheat N' Bran is something you can have. Add bananas or blueberries to make it more exciting.

-fruit smoothie with 4 oz. orange juice, 4 frozen strawberries, 1/2 banana, ice. Throw in some protein powder too if you want. (add a 1/2 cup of plain non-fat yogurt after Base Camp)

-cottage cheese with sliced tomatoes (not for Base Camp)

-fruit parfait: layer plain no-fat yogurt, & fresh or frozen berries. The berries really have enough natural sugar in them to make that plain yogurt sweet. (not for Base Camp)

-sweet potatoes. Clay loves these for breakfast. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

-don't forget black beans. You could have those mixed with rice for breakfast if you want to feel like you're from South America. :)

-mushrooms, peppers & onions can liven things up a bit too. Like if you had a hamburger and stacked those on top...

-pitas filled with hummus, strips of string cheese, shredded rotisserie chicken, lettuce, avocado, & tomato. Yum! (not for Base Camp)

Hope that helps! If you need more recipes click here. You'll be able to tell right away which ones are healthy and the ones that aren't so much. :)

right now....

2011-01-27T15:04:00.001-07:00

I'm snuggling my little bug. He's asleep on me and breathing his short little breaths. Every now & then his blue eyes will peek open & he'll look up at me. Only when he gets startled by a noise though. We've been laying on my sofa by the window in silence listening to Peanut clicking legos together in his room. He came up moments ago to show me the ins and outs of the lego gas station he's building.

We heard the mail truck pull up outside, stop, and drive off again. Our neighbor boy drove up in his beater car with music blasting and was welcomed home by the barking of his 2 boxer dogs. And then there's the non-stop squealing and chatter coming from Brooklyn and her little friend. They're across the street taking turns sitting on a runaway skateboard as it flies down the sidewalk, their dolls lined up on the grass to "watch."

There's a pile of laundry on the other couch and the dishwasher needs to be unloaded & reloaded. My bed hasn't been made yet and I really should be hanging up clothes. But right now I'm happy to be laying here with a baby that thinks I'm the world, and listening to my children be children, and happy that the sun came out, and the sky is blue.

Super Healthy "off the beaten path" Snacks

2011-01-22T13:18:00.000-07:00

This is all sugarless stuff. Completely all natural without any additives. Just 100% good good good for you and delicious. Careful on dried fruit, it's usually LOADED with sugar. But dried mangoes with just "mangoes" as the ingredient are FABULOUS! Typically the less ingredients on the label, the better it is for you.

-Edamame (way fun for kids to eat)
-Pitas, Veggies, & Hummus
-Smoothie with fruit, fat-free plain yogurt, & ice (in high demand at our house)
-Hard boiled eggs
-Larabars from Costco (made from only fruit & nuts) SO good! I LOVE them.
-Raw nuts (not salted or roasted, just plain) After having these for a bit you'll realize just how good they are TOTALLY plain.
-Celery with all-natural peanut butter ( I LOVE Adams chunky-completely worth stirring)
-pick a new fruit or vegetable every time you go to the store just to try. Warning: you may REALLY like it.

My kids love every single one of these. LOVE them. And so do I. Of course there's a bunch of others, carrots, pears, etc. But that's a given. These are some things that may change things up just enough that you don't lose your motivation to be healthy.

Dear Gym Creeper

2011-01-11T21:31:00.002-07:00

First off, you're not fooling anyone by seeing me and instantly changing direction to follow me. And then when you stand behind my treadmill, it makes me want to whip around, jump off, and high kick you in the face. Did I say in the face? Yeah, I meant in the face.

So then I hop off , when I'm done, and grab my things, so maybe it looks like I'm going to go. Coincidentally, you put on your jacket and prepare to go as well. Well, creep-o, I'm just ready to go over to the mat and exercise more. Funny how we think the same because your jacket comes back off & you're suddenly interested in doing crunches within 10 feet of me while I do push ups. Now I go get a drink & it looks like I really might be going this time. Your jacket goes back on and you and your friends all gather up ready to head out. Back I go for lunges.

Gosh, you are unpredictable. Your jacket comes back off (it seems that you're suffering from some serious temperature fluctuations) and you just stand there against the wall watching me lunge. You're lovely, by the way. I appreciate that.

I move to crunches myself and you come even closer, to watch me in the reflection of a window. Seriously? The reflection shows you too. I can see you trying to be sneaky. Then I'm packing it up. Your jacket goes back on and you practically run downstairs to your group of friends in front of me. I hit the bottom of the stairs and you stop mid-sentence to follow me out. I suddenly change direction at the last second and go to the front desk. This totally throws you. If a person's walk could possibly stutter, you accomplished it. I can see you from the corner of my eye as you hesitate and then decide to walk out alone slowly.

I talk to the chick at the counter. There is no way I'm walking out to my car alone. I find someone to walk out with 10 minutes later in the hopes that you have given up. If your creeper stare didn't give you away for 45 minutes, your actions sure did. Thanks for a fun filled evening scaring me out of my mind. How is it possible to get THAT creepy of a look?

I'm now in the market for mace.

Healthy "Sweet Chicken" soup

2011-01-11T15:22:00.002-07:00

Kind of made this up last weekend & thought I'd share the recipe because it's super healthy as well. If you couldn't tell we're eating super duper healthy lately and I'm trying to make it pleasant. :) I didn't puree the potatoes and wished I would have, so here's the recipe with the changes made for you:

4 sweet potatoes, baked
3 stalks celery, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 large rotisserie chicken, meat taken from and cut up/shredded
4 cans reduced sodium Swanson chicken broth
pepper to taste

Scoop insides out of baked sweet potatoes & puree with chicken broth. It may take a couple little batches through your blender. Put in large stock pot. Saute celery, garlic, & onion (with tablespoon olive oil) in small frying pan together until celery is softened & onions are translucent. Put into stock pot. Start the soup simmering. De-meat the chicken, cut & put in stock pot as well. Pepper to taste.

Brring!!! (magical paintbrush)

2011-01-11T12:02:00.005-07:00

(This is mostly for out of town sisters who want to see the changes I've made.)

I love paint. I love what it can do for something in a snap and make it look completely different than it once was. I got tired of my kitchen (red cabinets, cream walls) and decided to paint them in all my spare time over Christmas Break. Haha!

I was thinking to myself, "The next house we live in I want the kitchen to be green, white, & black." Then I decided I'd rather just have it right now. So I transformed it.

I had to paint the cabinets white and the walls green so it took a while and I spread it out over 2 weeks. But I'm really happy with it now.

Inspiration: this year's wrapping paper and my fridge magnets.

I'm also going to put this up on top of the cabinets there on the left side of "love conquers all" but I have to be patient.

Aww....the bug!

New clutter station: $5 DownEast Home

Then, since I had paint out, I decided to attack an old dresser we got from my in-laws. It used to be dark brown wood with old bronze handles. You know what I'm talking about, we all grew up with that dresser. So now it's our new entertainment center since the open style sofa table is just not going to cut it when Mr. Brayden starts crawling and cord-chewing. SO pleased. I just need to put some glass panels in where the wood panels used to be and then we'll be set! I know it looks like 2 different colors on camera. The first photograph is more what the color actually looks like.

Another project I busted out was this collage of photographs that now line my stairs. I realized one day that I did not have ONE single photograph that I had taken printed & framed and displayed in my house! And being a photographer myself, I found that ridiculous, absurd, and surprising. So, I changed that.

And this is a new beasty painting Clay got for me to put in our family room & I just love it!

p.s. Dee, if you have any suggestions you know I'd love them! The little shelves on the side of the mirror need SOMETHING but I haven't quite put my finger on it yet. The mirror just felt naked to me.

Must read

2011-01-11T09:59:00.000-07:00

You need to read my friend Kiersti's blog today. I died, just DIED, laughing.

Blessed

2011-01-09T17:04:00.000-07:00

Clay blessed the little bug today at church. It was very sweet. Brooklyn thought it was his "anniversary." I'm so blessed to have these 4 in my life and so close to me. I love them so much!

SEVEN!!!

2011-01-08T17:27:00.000-07:00

The Peanut turned seven on me. That's right-seven. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. For his birthday this year we went up as a family and stayed at a little cottage at Brighton ski resort where he & Clay could try out the new snowshoes Santa brought them for Christmas. They loved it & did great!

Then this past week he had a little party with some of his besties and our family at Fat Cats. Bowling, pizza, cupcakes, and a whole lot of screaming, squealing, giggling, and knock-knock jokes all the way home.

Brayden was mesmerized by the disco ball. Can you guess what Brooklyn's "go-to" pose is? It was Clay's first time attending a friend party and I don't think he realized what he signed up for! Haha! It was a great night though!

This year Brandt started first grade. He AMAZES us with how well he can read. He is a tender-hearted little scamp and we love him! He is always coming up with little notes for me. He is a true Utah fan and even made his gingerbread house this year a Utes house. He takes good care of his sister and helps out with so much around the house that I find it hard to get by without him. It's so weird to have him gone the WHOLE DAY at school. He kissed a girl for the first time this year. He is obsessed with Legos & spying. He learned how to tie his own shoes this year and showers completely on his own.

Every day I am reminded of how fast he is growing up by questions he asks and new things he can do. He just loves his new baby brother and can't get enough of him and can't wait for him to grow up so he can teach him all sorts of things. He loves playing games and making paper airplanes and building things. Right now he's torn between wanting to be a builder or an "army guy" when he grows up.

favorite food: treats
favorite treat: circus animal cookies
favorite restaurant: Cracker Barrel
favorite place to go: grandma & grandpa's
favorite thing to do: play with legos with dad & him helping me
best friends: all of my friends
favorite color: all of them, even pink & purple
favorite thing about school: lunch & recess

I love my little Peanut!

Healthy Fried Rice

2011-01-06T20:20:00.003-07:00

Is that possible? Yep. Had it for dinner along with some salmon tonight. SO glad salmon and I are still cool. We had a falling out during my pregnancy that I didn't think we were going to be able to recover from, but now here we are again, in love.

We buy the big ol' mother lovin' bag of rice from Costco but I know they sell it in small packages at Smith's as well. It's called Lundgren Organic Short Grain Brown Rice. It's a really good rice, BUT you MUST cook it according to the directions. Even, I daresay, according to the stovetop instructions. When we cook it in the rice cooker it just doesn't ever seem to get quite right. So it's time consuming, but this is great for leftover rice. I'm babbling.

So here's how to make the rice:

-3 cups cooked brown rice
-1/2 bunch green onions, sliced
-the whites of 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
-1-2 handfuls of chopped raw almonds
-enough soy sauce to flavor the rice some
-1 cup frozen green peas
-pepper

Mix rice, soy sauce, eggs, and onions in a bowl. Spray a skillet with non-stick olive oil spray. Heat to medium high heat. Add the rice mixture till heated through. Pepper to taste. Throw in almonds & peas. Cook until peas are bright green and no longer frozen. Serve.

I'm not the only one....

2011-01-05T19:31:00.000-07:00

Clay was getting ready to get in the shower after the gym and walked out of the bathroom in his briefs (the shorts kind-not to be mistaken as tighty whities) to get a towel out of the hall closet. Brooklyn looked up at him and COMPLETELY lost it laughing. She laughed so long and so loud & so hard she could hardly breathe enough to say, "DID YOU SEE HIM?!?"

This girl...{sigh}. At least now he knows how it feels when she asks me if I'm going to be a whale for Halloween or worried that I won't fit in the same room as her.

Just for the record, I don't know what she was laughing at. I was like, "Oooooo, yummy!"

And now, you have my permission to go vomit.

Super Healthy Pasta

2011-01-05T12:10:00.008-07:00

Since a lot of you seem to think I'm a complete health nut & ask me for healthy recipes often, I thought I would share this one today. My mom concocted this little creation. Then I made some additions of my own. Feel free to mess with it yourself. The BEST part of this dish, other than the fact that it is tasty while being completely healthy in every way, is that it is FAST!!!

You're seriously looking at about 15 minutes here. I'm not talking Rachel Ray time either. Her "30 minutes meals" seem to take an average of an hour & a half for me. So, you can trust me when I say 15 minutes. You'll also notice that it is mostly comprised of items you can store in your pantry & whip out in a pinch. Because when you're trying to be healthy but your HUNGRY you want something you can get done & in you NOW. Am I right?!

p.s. my kids LOVE it too.

And now that I've bored you with my raving....here is the recipe.

1 13 oz. box whole grain penne pasta (I like Barilla)
1 can chicken (I like the Kirkland ones from costco that you can use for chicken salad as well), shred with fork
2 10 oz.cans diced tomatoes with jalapenos (I like Rotel), undrained
1/2 bunch green onions, diced
a handful cilantro, roughly chopped
extra virgin olive oil

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain water. Drizzle noodles lightly with olive oil. Put in cans of tomatoes, chicken, onions, & cilantro. Mix up & serve.

Also good with parmesan cheese.

Also good without.

I would have posted a picture, but I just had to eat it first. Make it yourself, & you can see what it looks like. :)

Dancing girl!!

2010-12-27T12:36:00.000-07:00

(If anyone has any tips for me on how to upload a video to this PLEASE leave a comment. I have a "Flip" recorder. I tried to let the thing upload ALL DAY LONG and still it didn't work to get it onto here. I downloaded it off the Flip into Iphoto as a movie. So....any help from there would be great. Oh and it's a bit over 2 minutes if that's helpful info at all.)

Here's my little Kiki at her dance performance she had before Christmas. She was SO excited for her performance and for the make-up (which I've asked her lovely aunt Kimi to do from here on out, because I'm a bit challenged in that area. Ha!) As we were curling her hair to get ready, she just burst into tears from all the anxiety. Then she composed herself, looked in the mirror, put her hand on her chest, and said, "Just breathe Brooklyn, just breathe." I just love her! She always does such a great job. She's such a smiley little girl up there and she just loves to dance. The song was "My Boyfriend's Back." She's the third from the left. Love my little ladybug!

Here are all the lovely little dance friends. We should've taken one of all the moms too because we've become good friends as well. And yes, the one on the far right IS supposed to be in the picture. She had another dance she was in before this one. Hence, the different costume. :)

Thanks to all those of you who came and supported her. She loved it. Even Santa came!

Wishing you a....

2010-12-21T22:06:00.000-07:00

Love ya!

How 30 feels...

2010-12-16T16:20:00.000-07:00

to me.

I pay attention to things like sunscreen, calories, sales on housewares, and anti-aging commercials.

I look at my hands and see the hands my mom had while I was growing up.

I don't know where these things are coming from on my face.

I'm curious, why do I still have the bra size of a 12 year old?

I always wondered why moms wore their pants like that. Now, I see that it's difficult not to.

I had a goal to have all of my children by the time I was 30. Check.

I didn't especially like turning 20. Nineteen was good. But 20 wasn't bad. I was 15 fifteen years ago. Why doesn't it feel like that? I am very interested in being 20-something for a good while longer. I think this has been the only birthday in my life that I haven't been excited for. That I've been able to sleep the night before.

I'm sounding depressive. Sorry. Can I sign up for a different number?

I won't lie and I'm not going to sugar coat it. I don't want to be 30 today. I'd like 27 back, please.

a kick in the pants

2010-11-28T15:04:00.000-07:00

I was informed recently by Miss Kissyface herself that my "bum moves by itself." Then just yesterday she was thinking quietly on the couch and then said, "Mom, I don't remember what you are like when you're skinny. I don't remember."

So, either the girl needs a serious talk about disgression or I need to get it together. Probably both. You wait so long for them to talk and be able to communicate with you and then there are moments where you would sign right back up for grunts and crying.

Well, Clay & I are starting a program tomorrow. Wish me luck. I'm excited about the results I know will come from it, but I can't say I'm too excited to DO it. Looks like I better focus on the end result. :) HA!

Photo Tip #10-Be a perfect helper!!!

2010-11-27T13:56:00.006-07:00

Just when you thought I might never do one of these again.....here we go.

It's short & sweet. At least, I intend for it to be that way here at the beginning. I never know if I'm going to get carried away. :)

I really want to show you an example of this, but I'm not going to. It happens a lot, but I don't want to make anyone feel bad that is trying to help out.

Let me explain.

When I photograph people, little people, there is usually another adult on hand. These adults can be INCREDIBLY helpful. It's not easy to jump around and make a fool of myself for your child and then snap back behind my camera at precisely the right moment to catch the twinkle in their eye and the silly grin and giggly laughs. So, if another adult is there to do so, it is marvelous.

BUT, it is also dangerous.

It is helpful DIRECTLY behind my head. Not 10 feet to my left or where do you think those little eyes are going to go? Yep. 10 feet to my left. And then you're going to get those pictures back and you're going to see those grins you worked so hard for but you'll be disappointed because the child isn't looking at the camera. That's because they were looking at you. :)

So, my helper tip is to be RIGHT behind the camera. Not two steps to the right. Right behind the camera. If I crouch down, you crouch down. I stand back up, you stand back up. Like a shadow. ONE helper. Not a group. A group is overwhelming. How often does a child have 6 people jumping and cooing baby voices and waving and screaming "CHEESE!!!" in front of them? The look on their faces are like,"uhhhhhhhhh....." Every time. Or they start crying out of embarrassment or from being overwhelmed.

That is precisely one of the reasons why I prefer not to take extended family group photos. There are way too many people hanging around watching the others get their photos taken. It makes you even more self-conscious than a camera does. If that's even possible! And the people in the photograph have too much to look at.

So that's my tip. If you're helping a photographer out anywhere, ask them if they'd like your help and then give it like this or walk away. Out of sight away and encourage anyone else with you to do the same. If you need to stay for your child's sense of security or your own but helping out is not your cup of tea or the photographer has asked you not to, I would suggest that you be very quiet and maybe just sit or stand directly behind the photographer. Not one foot behind them like some crazy stalker. Haha! But you know what I mean. :)

And I know it's really hard to remember. I just want them to turn out the best for you. It really is SO helpful when it's done right.

To DO List

2010-11-23T12:58:00.002-07:00

I went to get my oil changed yesterday with my little Kiki & the Snugglebug. I was thinking that the people in the waiting area always look the same. Are they, in fact, the same people? Do they hang out there frequently or are we just on the same 3-5,000 mile cycle? Hmmmmmm. Maybe I should get names.

Sports Center was on. They gave us the choice of Sports Center or Rachel Ray. I think you know what I would have chosen, but being the only female in the room besides Kik, I didn't insist. So I sat quietly in the corner and read my magazine. This month in Real Simple (my favorite magazine), I loved what the editor had to say.

Her main point, if you don't read it, but I think you should, was a suggestion to substitute a person each day for some THING on our daily To Do list. I liked that. Sometimes I am overwhelmed by all the good that can & needs to be done and the stuff I must get done myself. This made it seem doable.

Her last paragraph made me cry. And I'm not pregnant and I don't have any hormonal issues to blame it on, so apparently it's just downright good. (Sidenote: Peanut says "apparently" all the time. Wonder where he got that!) Here's what she said.....

"There was one other item in the envelope that I uncovered the other day. It was a faded green construction-paper message from one of my sons, written when he was seven. Apparently we had argued because I took away his GameBoy. But he forgave me, because the note said: 'For 100000000 years I will never in my whole life not love you again.' Tonight when I'm lying in bed, I'm going to try to let go of my to-do list and give thanks for that little boy instead."

So sweet, and it reminded me of my little Peanut. He has posted a sign on the door that leads to the "basminte" with a rather excessive amount of Scotch tape. On it are listed the rules that we all must follow if we are to enter.

"Olwase go down with shoos. Olwase do what your sopoest to be dooing."

I won't let anyone touch it. That little sign is a piece of heaven to me. The "shoos" are so you'll be prepared if you see a spider, you can kill it. (Yeah, we kill them around here. We're basically heartless. For all those of you out there that free them back out into the wild, maybe you can warn your spider friends that if they come to my house, they'll die. Then we'll all be happy.)

I LOVE finding little stuff like that around my house or a doll that is seated at my kitchen table not touching her plastic food, but pleasantly watching me clean the house. I sure will miss that stuff. My kids can push me to the edge of my sanity at times, but boy, do I love them and their little ways. I'm so grateful they're mine.

A little bit of morning sunshine

2010-11-19T07:01:00.002-07:00

Well, well, well, look who decided to open his sparkly little eyes and smile for the camera! Before I got pregnant with this little nugget, I just kept feeling that we were missing someone. And, boy, were we!

I think he looks like Brandt in the top one, Clay & Brooklyn in the middle, and me in the last one.

Clay thinks he looks like a frog in these pj's.

I might just eat him right up for breakfast!

LEAVES!!!!

2010-11-18T14:15:00.001-07:00

This is random and has no bearing whatsoever on your lives.

Read on if you must.

Today I was driving by a really long chain link fence next to a golf course and the wind has been CRAZY lately, ya know? So, the dry leaves were blown up and had stuck all the way up the whole fence, not just at the bottom. It was like a wall of dry leaves. I don't think I've ever seen that before in my life.

Yep, I really just wrote that down because I thought it was THAT cool.