...All My Passions

Look What Happens With a Love Like That

2012-02-14T11:38:00.001-07:00

Source: enjoyart.com via Gypsy on Pinterest

It's Valentine's Day. I can't think of anything better to do than snuggling up next to someone I love, somewhere near a crackling fire, and reading romantic poetry. May I suggest Rumi, or this one by Kahlil Gibran?

Kahlil Gibran on Love

When love beckons to you, follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams
as the north wind lays waste the garden.

For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,
So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.

Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
He threshes you to make you naked.
He sifts you to free you from your husks.
He grinds you to whiteness.
He kneads you until you are pliant;
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.

All these things shall love do unto you that youmay know the secrets of your heart, and in thatknowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.

But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,
Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor,
Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.
Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;
For love is sufficient unto love.

When you love you should not say,"God is in my heart," but rather,"I am in the heart of God."
And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.

Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.

I Missed You Too

2012-02-13T16:26:00.003-07:00

Yesterday morning I woke to a thick white snow falling outside my window; big, fat flakes the size of quarters dropping heavy from the sky. No wind, so they just came straight down without sound, so perfect it looked fake. I realized I haven't seen snow like that in years, because it's the kind that only happens up here in the benches. Five years in windy Lehi never produced a picture so pretty. It's been since I lived in Holladay nearly ten years ago that I've had the chance to watch the world go all hushed and still during a snowstorm. If you can even call something so soft and subtle a storm.

No wonder I have become less and less a fan of winter. Months of bitter wind and cold without anything this gorgeous to take my breath away, make me stop and stare out my window in awe on a quiet Sunday morning, is a depressing thing indeed.

It's nice to be home.

***

And I mean that in more ways than one. It's been nearly two years since I blogged, and I'm ready to throw my hat in the ring again. My life got pretty intense during that last year of school, what with being a single mom and working and all... but my goodness, I graduated last April and it's about time this writer did some writing for the sheer joy of it. I've got some irons in the fire, I'm branding myself as a writer in the career sector, and I owe it to myself to write, every simmering, golden opportunity I get.

So welcome back. I hope I'll see you again and again.

Happy Birthday to Me

2010-05-23T13:21:00.006-06:00

It worked out that the weekend of my birthday, the boys were with their dad. I didn't know at first what I was going to do with myself... but it doesn't take me long to find ways to fill my time. When I realized the Tulip Festival was going on at Thanksgiving Point, that became the number one thing on my agenda for Saturday. I love spring in April SO SO much... it always feels so filled with hope. Spring bulbs bravely making their way through the soil and turning into a bright rainbow of tulips, daffodils, crocus, and more; sweet blossoms and budding leaves in the trees, everything fresh like a newborn. I love it.

I spent hours just wandering around in the sunshine at Thanksgiving Point, taking in the majesty of creation and the beauty of it all. It inspires an awe in me. I'm a little pagan in spirit, so being out in nature and celebrating the joy of earth for my birthday seemed uniquely appropriate. Here are some gems I admired along the way...

Finally, I wanted to complete one more item on my list of "30 Things to Do Before I Turn 30." As strange as it may seem, I had never before donated blood in my life. I found a stake in Lehi hosting a blood drive and walked in. I was a little nervous, but I can't say that I felt any major side effects. It was a painless experience aside from the initial prick of the needle and a bit of tingling in my arm.

The day was concluded with the perfect romantic birthday date planned by my friend Jordon. He took me out to eat at a restaurant in the Sugarhouse area, called Mazza, which serves some delicious middle-eastern cuisine. Following dinner we tried to find a place I used to love for dessert, Luna's Italian Ice, but it was no longer there. In the same area of 9th and 9th there was a Hawaiian ice cream shop, so we stopped in there instead for a treat. While we were near downtown, we drove up into the avenues to enjoy the view and the beautiful clear night... I loved spending the evening with Jordon and couldn't have planned a more perfect way to celebrate my birthday.

On Sunday, Jordon and I headed over to Liberty Park for Earthjam 2010. It's kind of perfect that Earth Day happens just a few days before my birthday, being the earth-lover that I am. We spread out a blanket on the grass and enjoyed listening to a few bands, wandered around the artisan booths that were set up, had our auras photographed, laid quietly in the sunshine for a few hours. It was lovely. Later we had dinner with most of my family at my parent's home.

When I got home, I felt so grateful for the charmed life I live and love. I have two little boys who are my heart and soul, a family who supports and loves me through sun and rain, all of our basic needs provided for in addition to most of our wants. I am grateful for the education I am receiving as a student at a great university, I have friends all over the world, I am healthy and physically active and every day find something to make me sing and smile and feel the joy of being alive. The last 30 years have brought me to this; I am looking forward to what dreams may come :)

The Posh Soiree

2010-05-23T13:03:00.004-06:00

The thought of turning 30 didn't really get to me the way I know it has for other people. I'm honestly in a really good place in my life right now--healthy, happy, with so many good things going for me... I didn't see any reason to get worked up over it.

However...

30 is a landmark. Letting go of a decade. Welcoming a new one. I wanted to do something special to honor the occasion, so instead of sitting home by myself on a Friday night two days before my birthday and feeling sorry for myself, I called up the ladies and arranged a last-minute "posh soiree" to celebrate!

I don't think it was an accident nor a coincidence that one of my best friends for nearly 20 years now has her birthday the day before mine. Shelly and I were next door neighbors and have celebrated our birthdays together since we were young girls. I was so glad to be able to go out to dinner and celebrate our 30th together!

My dear sweet friend Phyllis also celebrated her birthday that week, and it was an honor to have a classy lady like her come join us as well.

Shelly's sister Stacy came along to support our frivolity...

*Emily and Phyllis*

*Princesses for a night*

And my friend Janelle also came to make sure I had a birthday I would not soon forget!

Janelle took me dancing with my friend Meg at Studio 600...

It was a "Neon Paint Dance Party" (and I'm pretty sure I was the oldest person in the room...)

We had fun painting each other's arms and dancing to music I love and it was great to go dancing just because I love it, not because I was hoping to meet hot guys (like dancing used to be all about way back when.) It was the ultimate girl's night... I had a blast, laughed, and prepared myself for an entire weekend of enjoyment.

Dancing with the Goblins

2010-05-12T16:44:00.005-06:00

Inspired by a friend and the suspicion that the boys and I needed some quality time together, I decided to take the boys for a little overnight camping trip Easter weekend.

I have never gone camping by myself before
I have never taken my boys camping before
I realized that if I wanted to have fun adventures like that with the boys, no one was going to make it happen but me.
I also decided that I couldn't let being a single mom prevent me from getting out there and doing the things I have dreamed about doing with the boys.

I got some tips from friends, packed our bags, and off we went. The fact that the weather was going to be about 10 degrees warmer and dry, compared with the rain and snow heading for the Salt Lake Valley, was another leading motivation behind the trip.

Aside from some grouchy boys toward the end of the drive (both ways), the mini-vacation was a success. I had not been camping for years... maybe since Pioneer Trek in 1999. I guess I'm a natural; I was totally prepared, built two beautiful fires, kept the kids warm all night (despite the fact that it got down into the 30's after sundown) and we had a great time exploring Goblin Valley.

I told the kids I thought this 'goblin' looked like E.T. They told me it looked like Wall*e. I laughed--they were right! And probably don't know who E.T. is...

Stillman and Bridger said some of the funniest things. It was delightful to let their imaginations run free... Peeking into holes where the 'goblins' live, etc.

During the night while we slept, wind kept shaking the tent. When we woke up in the morning, Bridger said to me, "Mom, I HATED last night!" I was worried that he had been too cold.

"Why?" I asked him.

"Because I thought there were goblins crawling all over our tent!"

(Bridger still doesn't pronounce his 'r's correctly, so to hear him say this sounds absolutely darling. They made me laugh so much on our trip.)

We had a little bran muffin breakfast (a General Conference tradition) followed by an Easter egg hunt, and then we read about Christ's resurrection in the scriptures before we cleaned up our campsite.

Bridger wedged himself between these rocks and couldn't get out without my help.

We wandered pretty far back into the valley on Sunday. On the way back in, I felt so free and happy out in the orange sand and sunshine, I couldn't help myself... I just started dancing. Twirling and leaping and jumping. I think it was the pagan side of me celebrating Easter :)

Overall, one of the best things about getting away for a day was that there were no distractions. No cell phone, no computer, no homework. No tv. No video games. Just me and the boys. Staring into a fire is therapeutic and hypnotic for me. It got me thinking about how much I have had going on in my life these last few months, and I realized it's time to cut back. Cut things out, cut unnecessary clutter, cut activities that suck away my time and energy, cut relationships that no longer serve me, etc.

I'm so grateful for moments of awakening.

And I'm looking forward to our next adventure, just me and my boys!!!

*Worn out!*

The Things My Kids Say

2010-04-21T19:35:00.000-06:00

Stillman just said to me: "I've got lots of stuff that I don't want to keep, so I'm giving it to you."

Good plan, kid.

The Red Rocks vs. BYU

2010-04-18T10:53:00.002-06:00

We lucked out one night. (Actually we have good luck a lot these days.) ;-) A friend of the family, Scott Drews, wasn't using his tickets to the U gymnastics meet. Hot ticket too... last meet of the season against BYU! It ended up breaking a national record for ticket sales.

We had a great time watching the meet. The kids' favorite event was the floor routine. We had such great seats... I couldn't believe the height those girls achieved as they tumbled through the air. It was amazing.

Thanks Scott for the tickets! We had a really fun night!

Concrete Jungle

2010-04-04T20:34:00.005-06:00

Back in the fall 2009, I heard a little rumor that a couple of professors in the UVU COMM Department were writing a grant to take some PR students to New York. Immediately I made up my mind that I would be one of the students on that trip. I'd worked so hard to stand out as a successful and achievement-driven student; it was time for all that effort to pay off.

In December the announcement was official. In January I submitted my resume. A week later I received a phone call that I had been selected (out of 38 applicants) to interview with the deciding panel of faculty. 12 other students were interviewed. About an hour after my interview, I received the phone call: I was one of the seven students chosen to go to New York! I'll never forget standing outside the University in a light January rain just after sunset, screaming and jumping in my joy. It was one of those rare experiences in life and entirely rewarding.

It was tough to be patient for nearly two months until the day we left, March 17th, but even still when we got on the airplane I had a hard time believing it was real. I was going to New York City and UVU was paying for it. (More evidence that I live on miracles.)

As the plane took off, my heart soared along with it. We touched down in New Jersey and took a shuttle to our hotel, the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. After a quick nap & some freshening up, a few of us met for dinner. We ate family style at an Italian place a block away from out hotel called Carmine's, recommended to us by the UVU Dean of Student Affairs, Bob Rasmussen. The food was AMAZING. If you are going to New York, EAT AT CARMINE'S! Try the Penne Vodka. It's a sensory experience you will not regret. The ambiance was great as well. No two light fixtures were the same... totally appealed to the eclectic side of me. Big thanks to Dean Rasmussen for the suggestion.

*TJ Dilworth, Me, Nate Bagley*

*We had so much fun at dinner--I laughed harder than I had in a long time.*

*I live a charmed life.*

After dinner we explored Times Square. Saint Patrick's Day in Times Square... could it get any better?! Even though I had seen it in pictures and movies, the real life experience is something else. I took a picture from my camera phone and sent it to my sister to show Stillman and Bridger. Sara texted me a really funny response of Stillman's reaction. I regret now that I didn't write it down before it self-deleted from my phone. I was laughing about it for days... something about how it looked awesome though.

I kept asking myself, "Could I really live here?" and that first night, the answer was no...

*I was pretty proud of this image. It could be a postcard!*

After some exploring in Times Square, we met at The View Restaurant on the top floor of our hotel. It's a revolving restaurant, so if you sit there for an hour you get a 360-degree view of Manhattan. Since it was dark, it didn't really give me any sense of direction but it was still fun. You have to order something ($8 minimum) to sit there, so I had myself a milkshake ($10). It was pretty good. And by pretty, I mean pretty :)

*Me and my $10 strawberry milkshake.*

*If I'm going to spend $10 on a milkshake, I'm taking a picture of it.*

*Most of our group at the restaurant: Me, Professor Stephen Whyte, Nate Bagley, Kaiti Pratt, Chad Waite, Jessica Fillmore, TJ Dilworth*

We spent most of the day on Thursday in meetings with PR professionals at various companies and PR Firms in New York. It was really fun--the people on the trip were entertaining and easy to get along with--and the meetings were a singular experience that will have a lasting impact. As we were walking to our first appointment on Thursday morning, gorgeous spring weather and narrow streets sandwiched between skyscrapers, I started feeling like I might be able to see myself living and working in New York. The city by day is different from the city by night.

After our appointments we returned to the hotel again. Our evenings were free to do whatever we wanted, and right after we found out we were going to New York, a few of us decided to buy tickets to Wicked, since chances were that it would be sold out if we waited.

TJ and I had dinner at a little restaurant around the corner from the Gershwin Theatre, and we met Jessica and Kaiti at the show. Wicked is one of my all-time favorite musicals, and it was so fun to see a Broadway show in New York. If I'm being honest though... I liked it better when the touring company came to SLC; somehow the show had a different energy. I was not disappointed regardless. Especially since we sat on the third row! When Elphaba began "Defying Gravity" I swear she looked straight into my eyes as she sang the opening lines... "Something has changed within me, something is not the same..." I almost cried. It was appropriate for the feelings I was having being in New York, pondering my life, my career, my future. The entire experience was exhilarating.

Friday was a full day of meetings. Early in the morning we went to see the filming of The Today Show, and then we were off to appointments all over the city again. By the end of the day I was getting ready to be done. Our final appointment was at the headquarters for the Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter Day Saints in Manhattan (in the same building as the Manhattan Temple.) We were lucky to sit in a forum with U.N. Ambassadors as they discussed the global economy and the global issue of human trafficking. Although I was tired, I perked up at the mention human trafficking. It's a personal interest of mine (for unexplainable reasons) and my philanthropy of choice. Another highly unique experience and created some possible networking connections for future involvement to end this form of modern slavery.

*Me at SeeSaw, one of my favorite meetings*

As soon as we were out of our meetings on Friday, I made a mad dash to the subway to meet my dear friend Derrick Shore. Derrick and I go way back... he was my first boyfriend in high school. We've managed to stay friends all these years. He now lives in L.A., but it just so happened that he was in NYC at the same time I was. I met him in Chelsea and was introduced to his boyfriend Jim and their friend Peter. We had fun wandering around Chelsea and High Line Park, and then spent some time visiting at a restaurant on the top floor of a hotel in Chelsea (I think it's called the Standard Hotel?) It was a beautiful view of the harbor and in the distance, the Statue of Liberty. Derrick took my camera and started snapping some pictures. I've never had a friend do that before... and I loved it. The pictures he took were really fun.

*This is a good place to note that I didn't feel like uploading all of my pictures from the trip because it's a laborious task on Blogger. If you'd like to see more, please visit my Facebook page.

*Peter, Jim, Derrick, Me*

My dear friend John who lives in Utah but is originally from New Jersey but now lives in Utah insisted I have pizza in New York. "Where?" I asked him.

"ANYWHERE," he responded. "Just find any pizza place on any street corner. Trust me."

And he was right. This slice of pizza was the best pizza I have had in my life. Mmdelish.

*Peter and I as photographed by Derrick*

After we left the hotel we happened upon an art gallery and wandered through. It was one of the more defining moments of being in New York. The whole night on Friday felt like more of a true New York experience than the tourist attractions. I loved it.

Saturday morning we were free to explore the city after we checked out from the hotel. I was determined to have breakfast at Tiffany's which I eventually achieved, after waking up late, getting bad directions, heading nearly 20 blocks in the wrong direction, getting the right directions, hopping on the subway, and walking another several blocks to Tiffany's. As I posed for the picture, a group of Australians (I kid you not) walked past and commented with delight. I was delighted that someone actually understood what I was doing!!! No one in my NY group got it. When I told them I wanted to have breakfast at Tiffany's, someone asked, "They serve breakfast there?"

Apparently I am the one only who watches film classics anymore?

I thoroughly enjoyed my bagel and hot chocolate while gazing into the windows at Tiffany's. Sapphire dragonflies, a tanzanite ring, diamond- and emerald-drop earrings, a necklace and earring set made from a gold gemstone I couldn't name. I felt capricious. Suddenly looking in the windows wasn't enough and I entered; as I gazed around at the glass counters I knew I had to try something on. "Can I help you find something?" asked a black man wearing a very official blue sport coat.

"A ring," I blushed.

"What kind of ring?" he smiled and asked conspiratorially.

"An engagement ring," I answered.

"Oh. You have that glow," he laughed. "Second floor," he said, pointing me toward the elevator.

I laughed with amusement at his sweet response. The elevator doors opened... an entire floor just devoted to engagement and wedding rings. It was unfathomable. When I finally caught the attention of a sales clerk (who clearly didn't want to give me the time of day) I asked him to show me something vintage couture, possibly emerald cut. He showed me the Tiffany Legacy and I boldly asked to try one on. He reached into the case, slid a black box under my hand, and held out the ring. I glanced at the price tag: $92,500. I slid the ring onto my finger, paused to consider. "Does this look like me?" I wondered aloud. I turned to the mirror, holding my hand up to my face, to ask the question again. My breath caught. My heart stopped.

"Oh. Yeah. That's me."

My life will never be the same.

I met up at the World Trade Center with Derrick and Jim again. We checked out an old church, I saw the Statue of Liberty from a distance in daylight (and wasn't that impressed... it's smaller than I expected. Maybe next time I will actually ride the ferry past it.)

*Jim and Derrick*

We started heading back north toward Soho, where I really wanted to explore, but time ran out really fast and by the time we were into Soho, Derrick and Jim were in a panic that I wouldn't make it back to the hotel in Times Square in time to catch the shuttle. I was devastated because the five minutes I spent in Soho were enchanting, and I was finally starting to see things I would have liked to buy as gifts that weren't ridiculously touristy. We hopped in a cab, I ran down and waited impatiently for the subway, dashed to the hotel, jumped into the shuttle... and that was it. Our trip was over. It was a heartbreaking end to a whirlwind tour of New York. There was so much more I wanted to do and see.

I loved NYC and discovered when I got home how truly overwhelming the experience was. I can't wait to go back and do the things I didn't get to do... tour the Museum of Art and Design, shop in Soho, and wander through Central Park for a day. Try on something couture at Macy's or some other high fashion store. Buy last minute discount tickets to a random Broadway show. Eat New York cheesecake. Do more stuff off the beaten path. Make no mistake: New York will see me again.

So pretty much the only gifts I ended up buying were the typical t-shirts. It was all I could think of for Stillman and Bridger... but doesn't Bridger look so dang cute wearing it?!

Stillman's Seventh Birthday

2010-03-11T20:25:00.006-07:00

Every year that Stillman gets older, I think to myself, "How am I old enough to have a child turning this age?" I still feel like I'm practically a kid myself and here my son just turned seven.

We continued the tradition this year of having a special birthday date with mom. The weekend before his birthday we got dressed up and went out to Sweet Tomatoes for dinner (great because I can get something healthy and Stillman can get some foods that are slightly more kid-friendly.)

After dinner I decided to let Stillman choose a birthday present himself. We went over to the store and Stillman developed a very calculated process for selecting the Lego set he wanted. In fact, it was so interesting to watch him during the process that we even drew a small crowd. Gotta love that kid!

Finally, we planned to go bowling and we went over to the All Star Lanes in Sandy. Unfortunately, they were sold out for a corporate event. Oh well. Luckily Chuck-E-Cheese was next door... I always feel like I need to sanitize my entire body after spending two minutes in that place, but despite the ick-factor, we had a fun time. Stillman kept exclaiming on the way home, "This is the best birthday EVER!" (Which is the same thing he said last year, so I hope that it doesn't top out somewhere in the future...)

(Is it just me, or are those twin smiles?)

On the morning of Stillman's actual birthday, he woke up to find presents waiting for him...

(I seriously LOVE watching him read)

And that night, his dad offered to take us out to eat and celebrate having Stillman in our lives. Stillman chose to go to Sweet Tomatoes again.

He loved all of his presents and couldn't wait to sleep in the new Star Wars bedding set from his dad!

I am always so grateful to be the mother of two smart and adorable little boys. On their birthdays I try to remember how lucky I am that they came into my life...

I can still remember driving home from the hospital with Stillman in his carseat and thinking every driver on the road was so reckless, not to understand the precious cargo we were carrying with us. I remember the time he got lost at the Utah State Fair and how I prayed that he would return safely to us, and how my life would never be the same without him. Similar thoughts went through my head as we took him in for surgery last year. I have learned and grown so much because I get to be Stillman's mom. Just to watch him sleeping at night, or doing his math homework, or riding a bike... he amazes me by his very existence and I love him with every part of my soul.

Happy Birthday, Stillman! And thanks for letting me have the honor of being your mom :)

"Bridger's Surprise Haircut" and "That Does NOT Look Comfortable"

2010-03-10T16:34:00.003-07:00

Bridger begged for his hair to be buzzed. Bridger looked bald, then it started to grow back.

Good thing because his hair is one of my favorite things in this world! *I love him*

Almost Caught Up...

2010-03-10T16:04:00.004-07:00

Well after a 6+ month hiatus from the blogging world, I am almost up to present. I was hoping to be caught up for all the birthdays we have coming our way.

Christmas was... amazing. I cannot express how many miracles I experienced during the holiday season of 2009 and share enough gratitude for those angels who blessed our lives. I wished for a million dollars and a 4.0, and Santa came through on the 4.0 for me, which means next year I will limit my requests ;)

Stillman and Bridger wished for either a Playstation or Nintendo DS's and Santa brought them a Wii instead. As well as a nice, new television that was much larger than the one we previously had. We're working our way back up in the world.

Christmas morning faces are just so priceless. Don't know where Stillman came up with the idea to pant like a dog with his hands like he is begging... but it made me laugh.

I also had a great time continuing with my "Little Drummer Boy" tradition and thinking up gifts from the heart. I gave a collection of poetry I wrote to my parents and grandparents, and for the sibling gift exchange I recruited the whole family to write special memories of my sister Melissa, and/or things they love about her. Having her read them on Christmas morning as we all sat around and listened was awesome... some of them were so special and some just made us laugh until we cried (yes, I'm talking about the time I gave her titty twisters when she tried to steal my Dove chocolate bar.)

Seriously, my family is the best. It just doesn't get any better! (And I hope all of you can feel that way about your families too!) :)

{The fam in Park City, July 2009)

Breakfast with Santa & My Family is More Fun Than Your Family

2010-03-10T15:31:00.003-07:00

I didn't really fancy waiting in a long line somewhere to take my kids to sit on Santa's lap... I also couldn't bring myself to "just say no" to pictures with Santa. Enter: UVU Breakfast with Santa.

Get up early on a freezing December morning, take the kids to eat eggs, bacon, pancakes, and sausage, do a few Christmas crafts, hop on Santa's lap and tell him what they want for Christmas (which they are sadly not getting...)

End scene.

THEN... go hang out with the family on a December Sunday night and have everyone start doing crazy stunts, like seeing "who can bench-press who." That's right. We're cool like that. I love my fam!!!

November

2010-03-08T16:43:00.001-07:00

Here are a few things that went on in November:

One of my monthly highlights (when we have our game on and actually make it happen) is dinner with my girlfriends. And oh how I love The Cheesecake Factory!

Sometimes I get called upon to take pics for people, and amateur as they are, I snapped a winner of my sister Melissa, her husband Brent, and their two cute kids Alexa and Colton.

And I couldn't resist taking a picture of Stillman helping out with the dishes... I had to laugh out loud when I saw him standing there with the towel thrown over his shoulder just like his dad & his Grandpa Ballstaedt would do :) Stillman is a great helper and I'm glad that his chore of choice is to do the dishes, because that is one job I would rather not do. I love him!

More Halloween

2010-03-07T13:08:00.004-07:00

Don't you love it when your kids grab the camera and start snapping pictures without your permission? I look like a zombie in this picture... appropriate for Halloween I guess :)

And what kid decides to be a GORILLA for Halloween? I had my doubts but it just fit Bridger perfectly. My little monkey!

Finally our pumpkins... We love Halloween!

Halloween Fun

2010-02-28T13:16:00.004-07:00

Stillman and Bridger got invited to a really fun Halloween party in October 2009 by their friend Ben. The boys were so excited to wear their costumes and celebrate the season with some spooky holiday festivities! Thanks to Ben (and Suzanne and Ted and everyone else who contributed to such a fun day!)

Family Photo Session

2010-02-14T14:07:00.006-07:00

It couldn't have been a more beautiful day in September 2009 to head over to Thanksgiving Point and take some family photos with Sheryll Lynne. I love how they turned out & how handsome and adorable my boys look! Thank you Sheryll for making memories with us :)

~This pic of the boys laughing is going in a big frame on the wall!!!~

~I also want to frame this one of us standing against the wall~

~I love the asymmetrical shot here~

~Stillman looks so grown up and handsome~

~Bridger looks characteristically full of mischief~

~I love the color of the glare from the sun here~

Picnic with Grandma B

2010-02-12T17:37:00.004-07:00

The boys and I were invited to come up and visit their Grandma one Saturday afternoon in September 2009 for a picnic at the park near her home. She packed us yummy sandwiches, fruit snacks, apples from her tree, drinks, and more. We spread out a blanket under a nice big tree and enjoyed the afternoon with her. She even played hopscotch with Stillman. He got a kick out of that & I tried to capture how much fun he was having in a few photographs.

As we were leaving, Bridger grabbed the camera from me and took this snapshot. I love it because I look like a bobblehead :)

Perfect Autumn Weather

2010-02-12T17:32:00.003-07:00

If you know anything about me, you know my passion for spending time outside in fine weather. Mr. Sun and me are good friends. We had a great time playing at the playground near our home all throughout the spring, summer, and fall (until the return of the nasty cold weather. Boo.)

~Bridger and our neighbor Cole, who loves to coach my boys in baseball~

Learning to Read

2010-02-12T17:27:00.002-07:00

I LOVE watching my kids learn to read, because I am such a book-lover myself. Stillman is supposed to read for 20 minutes every day as part of his homework; I can read to him, or he can read himself. One day he was pretty excited because he had brought home a 'chapter book' and felt so grown-up for choosing it. Here he is, stretched out on the couch, reading his book, and I couldn't help but take a picture (or two).

1st Day of School

2010-01-31T18:11:00.004-07:00

The first day of school in 2009 went a little better than in 2008. Summer went by so fast; Stillman started 1st grade on August 17. The first week or two were an adjustment for him. I think the longer days wore him out and when he got home he was just tired and grouchy. We finally got into a rhythm and now Stillman loves first grade and his teacher!

Easy Like Sunday Afternoon

2010-01-30T19:18:00.002-07:00

Sometimes on Sunday afternoons, I like to go hang out at my parent's house with my family. Actually, I like to do that most of the time. My family is the best and my mom makes the most delicious Sunday dinners.

So, one lazy Sunday afternoon in August that is where I found myself, hangin' out with the fam and listening to my little brother strumming on his ukelele. Easy like Sunday.

American Fork Steel Days

2010-01-28T20:26:00.005-07:00

For a couple days in July, the carnival comes to town in A.F. There's something about summer, cotton candy, and carnival rides that just makes me happy! I took the kids to have some fun one evening and we enjoyed a few rides (and of course the melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness I mentioned before.)

Have you ever tried to self-photograph while riding a ferris wheel? Apparently I'm a little challenged. See pics for evidence.

I love how in this picture you can see the whole in Stillman's mouth

where he lost his two bottom teeth.

This picture of Stillman...

...and this one of Bridger just make me laugh! Close angle photos can make people look so funny :)

Not to mention how white Bridger's hair looks against his brown little skin.

I love those boys.

Park City

2010-01-27T21:40:00.004-07:00

My family took a little weekend getaway during July 2009 to the Canyons in Park City. The place we stayed was so super posh... I love it when my dad has connections and we get to do cool stuff!

The vacation started with an afternoon of shopping at the outlets with 'just the girls'--my mom and sisters. Later in the evening everyone else met up with us and we had dinner on Main Street. Mmm delish pizza.

The rest of the time we spent hanging out at the pool, playing games, watching movies or t.v. and just having a grand old time. Weirdly it was kind of cool and rainy most of the time we were up there, and luckily there was a pretty sweet hot tub that was the size of a small swimming pool, and another one that was more of a normal size. So we 'swam' in those too :)

We spent one evening up at the Alpine Slide and Coaster, went and saw the movie "UP!" and overall had a really awesome time. Family vacations are the BEST.

Enter: Tooth Fairy

2010-01-25T21:47:00.005-07:00

Stillman pulled and pulled at his two bottom teeth for months. At his dentist appointment in March 2009 (St. Patrick's Day, to be exact) the dentist informed him that he had two teeth he would probably lose within the next six months. It was almost hard to tell they were even loose.

Finally in June 2009, there was some good wiggle to one of them, and Stillman just pulled and pulled and moved it around with his tongue, until finally one day it came out. I was kind of sad I missed it; it happened while I was at work and he was at daycare.

We left it under his pillow for the tooth fairy (she was pretty excited to do her job) and when Stillman woke up in the morning, he found a note and a sprinkling of change in exchange for his precious first tooth.

Halfway through the day Stillman felt kind of sad for giving up his tooth. He wanted it back. Luckily he got over it pretty fast.

~I was amazed at how tiny that little baby tooth was~

Stillman holding his money and the note from the Tooth Fairy

~Bridger was pretty excited for Stillman too~

Interestingly enough, the second tooth came out just a week or so later while Stillman was chewing gum at my parent's house. We were spending the night on July 3rd so that we could all go up to the Brighton breakfast together on the 4th of July.

Losing both teeth was a painless adventure for Stillman. Some of the things that I remember as being so traumatic when I was a girl (losing teeth, learning to ride a bike) are so easy for him... this must be the difference between having girls and boys.

My kids are growing up so fast!

Catching Up--Boating 2009

2010-01-22T21:45:00.005-07:00

My sister Sara called us up and invited us to go boating with her and her husband one Saturday. We met them up at Deer Creek Reservoir. The water was *freezing* but that didn't stop my boys from getting in and having a good time. Me? I got myself a nice tan. (OK lets be honest, a mild sunburn.) Here are some photos of the fun...

Bridger~TJ~Stillman

Bridger lovin' it

Me and Sara-- I'm so brave to post a pic of me sans makeup & without my hair done :)

The boys lookin' darling

Yes, I rode the banana but did not get in the ice cold water!

Stillman's face says it all...

and Bridger's :)

Thanks Aunt Sara & Uncle Brent! We're looking forward to a repeat in 2010!

Avoidance Mechanisms

2010-01-17T22:33:00.003-07:00

I should be reading a textbook right now, or cleaning my house, or at least tucking myself into bed, despite a three-hour Sunday nap. I'm not doing any of those things because sometimes life invades and assaults me with information that I don't know how to handle and my level of functionality decreases significantly. I wonder what it would take for me to shift my methods of escapism to things which are actually productive... instead, I am blogging.

And since I am really way behind on what's being going on for the last six months, here's a half-hearted attempt to catch up. Aren't you excited.

Which is no way to introduce this photograph, girls who have been with me through life's hell and fury as well as some of the sweetest and most precious miracles I have known. This photo was taken at one of our monthly ritualistic gatherings late last Spring. I'm so grateful to have friendships that have lasted for nearly 20 years (or in the case of Megan, since we were toddlers.) And I think it's time for another girl's night out. Or in. All that matters is that we spend it together.

~Shelly, Emily, Shannon (aka Betty Crocker), Suzanne, and Megan~

Don't Hold Your Breath

2009-12-15T21:27:00.002-07:00

Just wanted to let you all know, we're still here, still healthy, and busier than ever. I just finished up the semester, but with the holiday season upon us, I may not find time to post before school starts again in January. Unless you wish for it really hard, on the wishing star, plus sit on Santa's lap and ask him for it, and then kiss someone at midnight on New Year's Eve for good luck.

;)

xoxo

Emily

Evergreen Park

2009-06-14T22:56:00.002-06:00

Our plans took us up to Holladay one sunny Saturday and we decided to make a stop at one of my favorite parks from my childhood... nothing has changed about this place, except that all the playground equipment seems to have shrunk :) I loved this park as a little girl, especially the castle and Cinderella pumpkin carriage. Everything about this park is perfect, from the enormous shade trees, to the sound of spring runoff rushing down the canal nearby (which is completely fenced off from little ones who wander.) There is tons of grass to run around and throw frisbees and footballs, a baseball diamond, and a swingset. I only wish we had packed a picnic and stayed longer :) Next time we'll have to invite friends and make a day of it.

Charity Bowl-A-Thon

2009-06-14T22:26:00.003-06:00

After a couple months of blood, sweat, and tears, I pulled off a charity bowl-a-thon (Strike Out Abuse) for the WIN Foundation, our charity for the Mrs. Globe system. I had some seriously cool donations, amazing prizes, delicious food, and a wonderful host for the event, Jack & Jill Bowling in American Fork. Thanks to everyone who attended! Donations are still being accepted; contact me for more info.

Congrats to the WIN-ning team!

I LOVED this amazing trophy designed by my friend Heather. View more of her work here.

Kindergarten Graduation

2009-06-14T22:11:00.002-06:00

Stillman successfully completed his first year of Kindergarten... what a champ! He got to the play the part of George Washington in the program. He wanted to keep the hat because of the cool wig inside. What a funny kid.

Having Aunt Sara (or 'Mrs. McClellan') be Stillman's teacher was such a special experience for them both! It was lucky that it worked out that way and Stillman is prepared and ready for his next adventure... 1st grade!

Cut-It-Out Salons Against Abuse--Charity Fashion Show

2009-06-14T22:02:00.002-06:00

Me with an avante garde model

Jeff & Patricia Downward-Owners of Echelon Edge Academy (who organized the fashion show)

Jeff is on the board at Cut-It-Out Salons Against Abuse

With one of the avante garde models

Mother's Day 2009

2009-06-14T21:51:00.003-06:00

One of my new things is to get a picture with my mom every year on Mother's Day. I wanted one with my kids too but somehow we didn't get it done...

As you can see, my little brother Matt in the background is stretched out on the couch with a broken leg... only a couple weeks before Mother's Day he snapped his patellar tendon and fractured his tibia while playin' basketball :( Not much the rest of us could do for his pain, but we did the best we could to make him comfortable and keep him entertained, such as my sister and her husband lending him their Wii. So the family spent Mother's Day playing Rock Band, and it was my first experience with the game. Yes, I am a little behind the Rock Band times...

Happy Mother's Day Mom! Thanks for supporting me and helping me to be a strong woman like you. I love you!

GPA!

2009-06-14T21:47:00.003-06:00

Right around this time (in May, because it has taken me forever to update my blog), I received my final grades for Spring 2009... I was hoping for a 4.0, but I came out at a 3.93 because of ONE silly A minus. I was kind of frustrated, but then I remembered some things:

this is the best GPA i have gotten in college... and maybe even in high school...
under more challenging circumstances than i have ever faced in my life...
and it leaves me a goal to continue to work toward

So... on to Summer semester, more reading, studying, writing, spending time in class, taking tests... etc. I love school.

Get Together and Give

2009-06-14T21:42:00.001-06:00

One of my first appearances as Ms. Utah Globe 2009... I took the kids with me to a charity event at the mall, where we assembled hygiene kits for women at the YWCA. Stillman put together like 20 himself... he thought it was so fun and I was so proud of him. It's nice to get your kids involved in service. I was glad I decided to bring them along.

HaPpy BiRtHdAy BRiDgeR!!!

2009-06-14T20:51:00.005-06:00

This year I asked Bridger what he wanted his birthday to be like, and he said he wanted the house full of balloons. I had this mental image from the film Patch Adams, where he fills up her entire apartment with balloons from floor to ceiling... and I knew that wasn't going to happen...

Brigdger loved running into the room full of balloons anyway!!!

Bridger loves puzzles, loves to be a goof and a clown around the house... always silly and very tender hearted

He had a great time putting together this Cars floor puzzle, one of his favorite presents :)

For Bridger's birthday date, what he most wanted to do was to visit the pet store and hold the animals. He is a total dog lover, and loves animals in general. This smile on his face was the best part of my day... because you can see that it was the best part of his day :) That snuggly soft chubby little puppy in his arms...

This bird was hilarious, it climbed all the way up to Bridger's shoulder (which he wasn't too sure about) and then it tried to eat my watch. Apparently they like shiny things... so maybe I have that in common with birds? ;)

Trying out a bearded dragon (we held almost every type of animal in the store... even a snake)

Bridger holding another dog (I think he held about 4-5)

Bridger, on your birthday, I wanted to make sure you know how much I love you and that you are a special and important person in our family, and in my life. I hope that our pet store date will always be a memory that makes you happy and reminds you that I love you!
Sometimes I let you climb into bed with me at night because I know you need a little extra time with mom... even when that means I don't sleep as well because of the way you wiggle in your sleep.
I love to read you your most favorite books and snuggle on the couch with you when we do
I love the way strangers stop us to comment on how cute you are, with your olive skin, brown eyes, and shock of white-blonde hair (you are the cutest toehead around!) Someday every girl is going to get her heart broken by you...
You are one of the most fearless little kids I know... I'll never forget the time I found you in the middle of the counter (you were not even two) because you had used the kitchen drawers like a ladder and climbed up; or just recently coming outside to find you halfway across the monkey bars with your legs dangling like crazy... you are my little Spiderman :)
I love watching you and your relationship with your brother: best of friends and worst of enemies, sometimes within a matter of seconds... the way you two giggle together makes my heart smile
Every ounce of who I am matters more because I get to be your mom. It is one of the greatest honors Heavenly Father has given me in this life, to know you and have such a great and special responsibility toward you. I love you and hope your birthday was everything you hoped and wished for!

I Love Feeling Wicked

2009-06-14T20:37:00.003-06:00

As I mentioned back at Christmas, tickets to Wicked were among my favorite gifts I received :) It was way fun to share them with my best friend Shelly, just a couple days after each of our birthdays... one cool thing is to have a best friend with a birthday the day before yours! So, Happy Birthday to us, we celebrated at WICKED! First we rode TRAX downtown so we could just enjoy each other's company and not have to worry about parking...

Here we are, in anticipation of the show about to begin :) (I wore eye makeup inspired by the Emerald City... green and glittering... I got lots of compliments. The pictures didn't really do it justice.)

Here's me and my daddy at intermission... thanks for the tickets, I love you! (toss toss! -inside joke, if you have seen Wicked.)

My Dad, sisters and me

Honestly what a magical show. Goosebumps several times... breathtaking costumes, stellar performances, music that will tear your heart out, and at the end when the best friends-witches sang their farewell to each other, I thought: what a perfect show to see with my best friend sitting next to me. I loved it. Can't wait to see it again. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. A night I will always remember!

Happy Birthday to Me

2009-06-14T20:03:00.004-06:00

In my humble opinion, April birthdays have always been the best. This year I was treated to breakfast with Taylor and the boys at IHOP... thanks guys!

I received so many wonderful birthday wishes via telephone, mail, email, Facebook... I truly felt like a princess. I used my Sanctuary Day Spa credit to get a pedicure, enjoyed some beautiful April rain, and loved the gifts I received. Thank you to everyone who made my day special :)

Some Days Just Go Right

2009-04-10T21:22:00.002-06:00

Earlier this week I decided to work on increasing the number of push-ups I can do, because I wanted to improve for my PES Final Assessment at the end of the semester. Well, I did two sets of 30, so I did 60 push-ups. Two days later my left shoulder was completely out of commission, and I had a muscle knotted right below my collarbone... it was big enough that I could actually see it. OH the pain. AND to make things worse my professor decided to bump that final up to yesterday.

Well in the end he let me out of the push-ups portion after I explained that I didn't want to do any further damage to my shoulder. By the time I got home last night though, I had a killer headache and was so fatigued that I put the kids to bed and crawled into my own bed immediately after... at 8:30pm. That's right. And I have to confess I wasn't holding a lot of hope for today to be too grand. Mostly I just wanted to be feeling well enough to function.

I woke up this morning and found that my headache was gone, and I could actually move my body without feeling contorted or in pain (shoulder still tender but moveable.) And we just went about the day, kind of taking things easy and playing it by ear... an appointment at eleven, home again around noon for a spontaneous outdoor picnic lunch. Kids played with their friends for an hour or so, before coming in for an hour of quiet time, and back out to play with friends for another hour while I tackled some homework. The boys came home and we died our Easter eggs which turned out to be delightful. I was nervous about a mess but we were surprisingly neat. Then... here's the kicker. I made Pasta Roni, asparagus, and peaches for dinner... and Stillman liked the asparagus and not the Pasta Roni. Somewhere in my parenting I must have done something right. :)

Following our tasty dinner we decorated the dry eggs and decided to end our evening with a movie night. Stillman was exclaiming with joy over what a great day they had, listing off all the great things (one of which included playing with the 'real' swords at the doctor's office.)

For movie night we watched The Princess Bride since Stillman is so into pirates and sword-fighting... he was a little resistant when I pulled it out but ended up loving it. He wants to watch it again tomorrow. The boys went to bed without a hassle, and I sat down and realized...

Some days turn out wrong, and some days just go right. I'm glad we had the latter :)

A Week of Birthday

2009-03-15T18:31:00.002-06:00

Earlier this week, at the Wee Care, one of the girls (Aliyah) said: "Oh my gosh, that Stillman is SO hot! I just love him!"

A couple days later Stillman came home from school and told me that during the movie he sat next to Emma and told her she was hot. (He has already confessed his love to her publicly multiple times. Even in my presence. Luckily she is a darling and I approve.)

My baby turned six this week! I don't know how the time has flown, I still feel like a kid myself, but here is my tribute to one of the most amazing humans I know.

For you Stillman, I wore my hair in curls on our birthday date, because that is the way you like it.
For you I woke up extra early to make birthday "cupcakes" for breakfast.
For you I wake up every weekday morning, on most occasions earlier than my body would like to, to feed you, help you get clean clothes for school, and drive you there on time.
For you I buy and make the foods you like.
For you I do most things in life, I work to provide for your needs and wants, I live to make our home and family a good life to grow up in.
For you I do dishes, laundry, and other housecleaning so your home can be safe, healthy, and comfortable.
For you I worry. For you I plan ways to keep you safe, and at the same time help you branch out to learn independence and responsibility.
For you I watch the same favorite movies, read the same favorite books, play the same favorite games, because I know you love quality time together.
For you I close the closet door each night so you won't be scared.
For you give my heart, my time, my energy, for I love you!

My favorite memories of Stillman's birthday this year:

The first Sunday of the month, Grandpa Nate and Grandma Nancy gave Stillman his first present, a lego kit. He chose to assemble it over eating chocolate birthday cake.
The morning of Stillman's birthday, I had his presents laid out on the table along with a special collage I made for him. I was around the corner in the laundry room when he first saw it, but I heard him say "Mom made this for me!" to his little brother Bridger. And I could tell by the sound of his voice how special that was to him.
I took Stillman out to dinner and a movie on his birthday, a date for just the two of us, and as we were eating he said something to me about being 'just a lucky kid' and how 'this was a great birthday' and it reminded me of the kinds of things my dad tells me I used to say on our dates when I was little. It just made me smile to know I was giving him a special memory.
During the movie, Stillman kept shouting out to the characters which totally made me laugh, and at one semi-intense part he covered his eyes and said "We should not have come to this movie!" Overall he loved it though, especially the Dr. Pepper and popcorn.

All in all it seems Stillman's birthday celebration lasted a whole week long, with a friends party on Friday. It was super casual, the kids mostly ran around and entertained themselves by playing "Star Wars" at the playground. The pizza was a hit. All of his friends gave him something that had to do with Star Wars. I survived two hours of burping, giggling, grunting and yelling, and found myself laughing a long at the antics of boys (something completely foreign to me, having grown up with all sisters until little Matt came along and by the time he was old enough for this stuff, I was already out of the house!)

Saturday Stillman had another party with the Ballstaedts, plus my mom took him out birthday shopping. I hope Stillman had a wonderful birthday, not because he got so many presents or had all those parties, but because he felt loved and important. I am so grateful Stillman came into my life six years ago to teach me. I love being his mom. I love learning about myself as I develop my relationship with him. I love that he can tell me all about his friends, and the girls he has a crush on, and I hope that our good relationship will last forever.

I Love You Stillman!

Take That, You...!

2009-03-05T21:34:00.002-07:00

OK, so a couple of weeks ago I asked a question in one of my classes at school and heard this girl behind me mutter "Who cares?!" (Really. I heard this.) A couple days later I was studying for the test with this guy from my class, and I mentioned how I had heard that, and he said that he had heard the girls behind him gossiping about me. What?! I thought I was exempt from that, since I am 28 years old in college, not 17 years old in high school! Needless to say, I was bugged. And you know what I wish I had done? I wish I had turned right around when that girl said "who cares" and said "I do." Because let me tell you something, honey: I CARE. My education is so important to me that I will take the risk that I might be slightly annoying by sitting in the middle of the front row every day and asking questions.

Oh, and by the way: test scores came back today. Guess who got the highest score in the class? That's right, me. Not only that, but the teacher grades on a curve, and I set the bar.

AND they had to LOWER it!

The teacher decided to use the second highest grade in the class, instead. So take that, you...! When those scholarships roll in, it will all have been worth it!

Wee Care

2009-02-25T21:35:00.000-07:00

One of the hugest blessings in my life, something that made it entirely possible for me to go back to school as a single mom, is the UVU Wee Care Center.

The kids have been so happy here, and I feel good knowing that they are in a safe and fun environment while I am studying. The Wee Care feeds my kids healthy and balanced meals, keeps them on a daily routine, and plans crafts and activities for them every day, including playing outside.

Gosh, they do a better job than me.

Bridger playing dress-up (what a cute shark!)

The teachers at the Wee Care love to tell me about the great towers Stillman builds with the blocks. I made it to the center in time one evening to snap a picture of one of his creations. He is so creative and talented. I think we have an architect or an engineer in the making!

Thank you UVU Wee Care!!!

Will you Be My Valentine?

2009-02-14T19:59:00.003-07:00

Today I started thinking about some of my favorite and memorable Valentines of the past. I remembered how in elementary school it seemed all about the confession of your secret crush, and how carefully I would hand-pick the Valentines for each of the kids in my class. I was especially careful about what it said on the boys cards... you know, it had to say something like "You're a great pal, Valentine" and not "Dreams come true when I'm with you." In fifth grade I had this big old crush on Tyler Raleigh and after the Valentine party, I went through all my Valentines in my box. There was one from every kid in the class except him, and there was one conspicously anonymous card that just happened to be the same Michael Jordan kind Tyler had given to everyone else in the class. I was too self-deprecating back then to accept it, but now I have no hesitation in acknowledging that Tyler totally had a crush on me too.

I remember the big let-down of the first Valentine's dance in 9th grade, and that was the same day I found out my secret crush liked someone else... so heartbreaking...

And then in 10th grade when Tom Ingebretsen wrote me a love poem asking me to be his girlfriend, and I answered him with a conversation heart (it probably said something like "I Do") and how we broke up two weeks later over the fact that he hadn't broken up with his previous girlfriend. From then on Valentine's Day and I had a rocky relationship... we teetered on unstable ground for a few years after that.

It got pretty good the year Taylor took me to Bangkok Thai for dinner and surprised me with a carriage ride downtown in the snow. Since then, I think Valentine's day and I have had sort of a mutual respect for one another...

but after this year...

all bets are off.

I thought it would be really cool to donate my hair to Locks of Love since I have been growing it out for FIVE YEARS for that exact purpose. I am not 100% sure what put that little idea into my head, but it has been quite the process, because halfway into growing it out I found out the hair could not be bleached. That was pretty much like starting over from scratch, since my hair was totally highlighted. Last year I had finally grown it out, but I was pretty sure the ends still had some bleached remnants, so I took those off and waited. And then four months ago I took off another four inches and waited.

And then... the February 2009 issue of InStyle came out with Kate Winslet on the cover, with this incredibly gorgeous blonde wavy hairdo, and I knew if I didn't reach for the scissors fast, I would have bleached it and never attempted this whole Locks of Love thing again. Because let's face it, it has been kind of a pain. It did teach me how much I love my hair long though.

So I bit the bullet and made the appointment for today... you know, the day of LOVE, Locks of LOVE, doing something selfless and loving for someone else (in this case some poor little child who has lost their hair due to cancer treatments) and I was feeling pretty good about the decision. I had a great Victoria Beckham hairstyle all picked out, I took it into the salon with me, and I tried to relax. I was nervous. I kept reminding myself that it didn't matter if it wasn't perfect, because hair grows back. And then the stylist starting chopping away and...

Before (Front)
Before (Back)

(How weird does this look? It was hard to get a good photo of it, but I have this outer ring of copper hair surrounding a much darker inner core. It looked so weird.)

Back to the story. I ended up with a hack-job, a completely uneven and shoddy looking butch. My friend caught me and turned me back around. "You go back and tell them to fix this, or demand your money back."

So, I went back, and another stylist finally evened out the back (it looks better now than it did in the photo) but I still have a hole on the left side of my head where she totally screwed up. It will grow back... it will grow back... it will grow back... I am chanting it like a mantra.

In the meantime, I am trying to figure out how I can disguise this crappy head of hair for the next month or two until I can regain an inch or two in length. (Any suggestions?)

And as a side note to Valentine's Day: this means war.

What I have learned from this process is that I LOVE my hair long. I don't think I will ever cut it short again. I am glad that I donated my hair. Because I spent so much time working toward this goal, I know I would have always regretted it if I had caved and not followed through. I will never wonder how that would have felt, I will never feel guilty for not doing something I felt inspired to do.

I may have mentioned this before but the regrets I have a harder time living with are the ones over things I didn't do: try out for cheerleader, stick it out that extra month in Chile, etc. Sure I have my regrets about things I have done, and roll my eyes at the stupid mistakes I have made, but at least I have lived and learned in the process. I mean I have lived. Not watched from the sidelines. I regret chopping my hair off, but not nearly as much as I would have regretted NOT chopping my hair off. You get my point?

Anyway I hope all the rest of you had a fabulous Valentine's Day. This little conflict I have with the date does not require you to take sides. In fact, you'd better just stay out of it. The gloves are coming off and I am dealing with Valentine's Day in my own way (next year, when I have figured out how.)

Sara and Brent

2009-02-13T22:07:00.003-07:00

This was kind of a rough day for me. I was so happy for Sara and Brent to be sealed in the Bountiful Temple. I met my family there and my sister Stefani was going to watch the boys in the waiting area during the sealing. As my dad and I were walking in, the temple attendant scanned my temple recommend and there was a problem with it... it had expired. I had been so busy running through life that I hadn't even realized it, and we were already running a bit late so I waved my dad on and ended up sitting by myself on a bench while the sweet temple workers tried to comfort me. It was a mess... we had moved just 12 days before and I didn't even know my new bishop or stake president's information. I tried not to cry but I couldn't help it.

By the time they finally got hold of someone from my previous bishopric, the sealing was over. The matrons let me go into the bride's room to help Sara into her wedding dress, and my eyes were all red and puffy, makeup all runny... not a pretty sight. During pictures, the kids were acting crazy, it was freezing outside, and I was quickly wearing out.

(I did manage to snap this awesome picture of the happy couple though)

Anyone who wanted to join the family for lunch at Little America was invited. The kids were still acting crazy... Sara and Brent were getting their pictures taken up at the temple for a while... by the time they got to the restaurant we had eaten and were ready to leave. I think my family felt bad for me. I even felt bad for me. I was emotionally exhausted!

~Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Nate~

(I think Grandpa and Grammy were giving Bridger a lecture about how he needed to be more well behaved for his mom. )

Alive and Well

2009-02-07T23:51:00.002-07:00

OK, so the last month had me a little occupied. Even now I should be in bed and not blogging but there is a chance we will all sleep in tomorrow, so I am taking the risk.

Basically I have been running around like crazy--work, school, home, church, shopping, blah blah blah. On the 30th the boys and I moved into our condo and I am still moving piles of boxes and et ceteras around, because we are hardly ever here so I haven't found much time to unpack and settle. I made major headway this morning, because I did not work until 4pm, and I met some wonderful neighbors who helped me get rid of the growing pile of boxes outside my door. Getting to know them (if only briefly) added to my gratitude of how lucky we were to find this condo. We are closer to Stillman's school now too... it's so nice! It gives me an extra five minutes to sleep in :)

School is fun but SO much work. I confess to not being a very dedicated college student 8-10 years ago, so this is kind of new experience for me. I think I am staying on top of it all. I have a few tests coming up in the next couple of weeks... if you don't hear from me until after then, that is probably why. It will be the true measure of if and how my ways have changed...

Teacher's Pet, or Second Day of School

2009-01-13T21:41:00.002-07:00

My first day back in college rolled around and got away from me so fast, that I forgot to have one of my boys take a picture of me! You see, I decided that now that I am all grown up and don't have my mom to document this landmark/hallmark/beautymark in my life, it's up to me. So, I was going to recruit the kids to take some snapshots but like I said, the moment evaded me. It was a busy day. What can I say? Late that night, when I was greasy and tired, I remembered that I forgot and tried to do a self-shot (that dark one in the bottom right corner. I tried to get some better ones but every attempt got worse...)

So, today as I got ready I decided to have Bridger take a picture and I could fake it as the first day of school picture. But as I walked back to my car after my last class today, I got to thinking how much BETTER the second day of school is. I mean, the first day is exciting, don't get me wrong, but it can be overwhelming too. But the second day, you feel so much more confident, because you know where all your classes are, you have an idea of what is expected of you, everything just goes a lot smoother. So why not celebrate my second day of school, where I had time to appreciate the energy of walking through the hallowed hallways in an institution of higher learning, where great minds convene. I reveled in the few minutes I spent in the bookstore, with piles of difficult and comprehensive textbooks surrounding me, inspiring me by the greatness of the minds who wrote them and the ones that will read them. I had a pleasant handshake introduction with the Dean of Student Affairs, who kindly introduced me to some other leaders on campus who will help open the doors of opportunity and experience to me.

And yes, I was the girl asking all the questions and making interested comments in my classes, and the professors raised their eyebrows and smiled subtly in silent awareness of a student that actually cares. I realized I am probably the annoying student that the others despise but I didn't even care, because this is MY education and I am taking ownership of it right now: I love it, appreciate it, admire it, respect it. I ENJOY it.

I even had the time and presence of mind today to notice that my Philosophy instructor looks like Matt Damon, and after that realization I actually stuttered when I spoke to him after class. (Yes, that is true, both the resemblance and the stuttering; and sorry ladies, he's married.)

So enjoy the great pics Bridger took of me. He is very artistic and creative, I love all the angles he took, don't you? (Just to cover my bases I did another self-snapshot, upper right.)

*Photographer for Hire*

Welcome to My Revolution

2009-01-06T20:14:00.002-07:00

Happy New Year to all! This post title comes from a SHeDAISY song called Brand New Year, from their holiday album. Pretty clever... since a year is one revolution of the earth around the sun... :)

I blogged in the New Year (see previous post dates & times) but what can I say? Earlier in the evening I had the funnest movie night with my boys--we watched Wall*e and LOVED it--then I put them to bed around 10pm or so, and planned to go to bed myself, but ended up blogging instead. It was good to catch up. When midnight arrived I heard fireworks and cheering throughout the neighborhood. It made me smile.

I drew up a few resolutions, like maintaining a 3.7 or higher GPA, because I start school at UVU on Thursday which I realized is another great reason to have changed my blog background and theme to greens: I am now a Wolverine! I bought books today and couldn't be more excited. 2 years seems so short right now... I will have that Bachelor's Degree in a heartbeat!

The Fruits of His Labor

2009-01-01T00:29:00.004-07:00

Stillman got a few Legos kits for Christmas that he immediately set to assembling. Here is the result of a few days' work!

White Christmas

2009-01-01T00:11:00.004-07:00

"On Christmas morning you awaken with a smile..." -a favorite song of mine by Kenny Loggins.

Having been up until 1am putting the finishing touches on 'Christmas', I can't actually say I woke with a smile at 6am when Stillman woke up. I made him and Bridger play in their room until about 6:45 when Taylor and I were a little more ready to handle it. (But not much.)

This is the look of anticipation before they get to see what Santa brought:

And this is the priceless look on their faces as they actually see it:

The boys exchanged gifts as well, and here is Bridger holding his big dog from Stillman (he loves it!)

And here is Stillman holding his Lego Star Wars kit from Bridger (this year was ALL about Legos and Star Wars for Stillman!)

They got everything they wanted and more. It was a great morning. The drive to the family party at 11am was a little nuts... it first consisted of shoveling the driveway (Taylor did the snow, I did the ice) and the freeway was a slippery ribbon of slush, but we got to my grandparent's safely. Our delicious Christmas brunch consisted of the traditional Christmas casserole (a favorite every year!) as well as our favorite Christmas fruit slush (mmm, so good!) bran muffins, and sticky buns.

A hilarious memory from the morning is when the kids all went downstairs to watch a movie while the grown-ups stayed upstairs and watched Elmo Live, the funniest doll my mom and dad gave Bridger. We were all laughing and having the best time with a toy that is made for toddlers!

I have to say that my favorite present of all was the letter my dad gave me and my siblings on Christmas eve, it was straight from his heart and those are the best kind of presents. The ticket to Wicked in April is nothing to complain over, either!!! :) In honor of that, I changed my blog background to green and my playlist to Wicked. I have wanted to see this musical for almost 5 years... the time has come! Hooray!

Christmas in Review

2008-12-31T23:57:00.003-07:00

Most of you beat me to it, but I am getting around to blogging our Christmas Events.

The morning of Christmas Eve, I took a little snapshot of the tree with all the presents underneath... I thought we were having a simple Christmas this year (and we did) but it still seemed like there were so many under the tree... I held off wrapping them for as long as I could for a dramatic effect. The kids were so excited.

That evening we went to my parents for our traditional Christmas Eve dinner: Prime Rib, Christmas Salad, Au Gratin Potatoes, Broccoli Casserole... the food was so great!

Following dinner we always have a short program where we read from Luke II in the Bible and then watch the short video of Luke II. My kids are starting to understand that part of Christmas, and I am grateful that they are learning it is the TRUE meaning of Christmas, not just about Santa. My grandpa, an amazing guitarist, treats us to a couple of carols, and then we have our gift exchange.

My brother-in-law Brent plays the guitar, and my nephew Colton was so delighted to see his dad playing for a minute. I couldn't resist taking a picture of the grin on his face!

(Stefani, Stillman, and Matt watching Luke II)

My boys decided they were too hot and took off their shirts. They had a crazy moment jumping on the couch... I don't remember what they were saying but I remember it was funny...

Then home to our beds so visions of sugar plums could dance in our heads!

Christmas Eve Eve

2008-12-23T20:38:00.002-07:00

Yes, it is the night before Christmas Eve, and as I was putting my kids to bed, Stillman prayed that tomorrow Santa would get to our house safely, that his reindeer would not unhook, and that the toys wouldn't break. I admit I was laughing silently... it was just so cute. My kids are learning to pray so thoughtfully and I love to hear the things they come up with!

Taylor also mentioned that I should record somewhere that Stillman likes hard-boiled eggs (something I am only now getting used to as an adult) and he thinks the yellow center is cheese.

Yesterday the kids were at my parent's for the day and they helped to shovel the driveway. My dad paid them each a dollar which they could not wait to spend, so we visited the dollar store today and they both picked out one toy. Stillman came home with an FBI Action Kit and Bridger picked out a little ceramic Dalmation figure (both of which are now partially broken.)

They really are such cute kids! I am so grateful that they are mine and I get to be their mother and experience life with them! They bring me so much joy!

Consider This

2008-12-21T18:56:00.002-07:00

Are you wealthy?

In addition to walking, do you have another mode of transportation available to you?
Do you own more than one pair of shoes?
Do you have variety in your diet--two or more food items available for each meal?
Do you have more than one set of underwear?

If you answered yes to three or more of these questions, you are better of than 90% of ALL people who have EVER lived!

(Glenn and Nelsen, Raising Self-Reliant Children, 44-45)

Bridger Brown-Eyes

2008-12-20T13:38:00.003-07:00

Those of you who know Bridger will understand why everywhere we go, people just fall in love with him. His olive skin, brown eyes, and shockingly white-blond hair, not to mention the little dimple that appears on his right cheek if you happen to get him to smile, are just part of why he is so darn charming.

A few weeks ago we found this Batman mask at Walmart and he has been pretty attached to it ever since. He recently insisted on wearing it all throughout Macey's as we went grocery shopping. You can imagine he was a big hit!

Today, yes, 5 days from Christmas, he pulled out his Halloween costume to wear around the house. I guess he's just a Holiday Hero!

Santa's On His Way

2008-12-20T13:33:00.004-07:00

Yesterday Stillman decided to imagine he was Santa Claus. He loaded up his 'sleigh', then delivered the presents to different homes (around the room) complete with jumping down the chimney and magically whooshing back up (he even provided sound effects.) Oh and if you love the duds he's got on, the idea came from Benny on Sandlot. Stillman thinks it's really cool to wear his shirt like that now, because his Uncle Matt does it too. Sheesh...

Immediately following this I drove Stillman up to a birthday party in Suncrest during the winter blizzard that hit our area pretty hard. I guess I really AM Supermom...

Snow Day

2008-12-17T21:38:00.005-07:00

If you can't tell, my camera is back in action (yippee!) Turns out my battery would no longer recharge.

Stillman came home from school yesterday and was very disappointed that I had already shoveled the driveway. He had really wanted to help me with that, and to play in the snow. To make him feel better I told him he could shovel the back deck. He said that wasn't enough. So, I offered to let him shovel the back patio as well.

When he got bored of that, he went out to play in the front yard for a while. That is not very fun for a little boy who is all by himself because his friends are all still at school, so I suggested he shovel his friend Abby's driveway. He got pretty excited about doing that.

A little while later I went to check on him, and at first I could not see him. Then I noticed he had moved on to his friend Chalise's house, and was shoveling that driveway too.

This photo should give you some perspective... he is the little figure by the lamppost :)

I went out to check on him again, and couldn't see him. Suddenly he came running out the front door of Chalise's house. At first I thought maybe he had gone in to use the restroom, or Amber (Chalise's mom) had given him some hot cocoa or something. He ran home, dragging the shovel along with him, and as he came up the front steps I saw dollar bills in his hand. He came running inside to show me he had been paid for his good work!

As we were talking about it, he said, "I didn't know Amber would pay me."

The phone rang and Amber was calling to thank Stillman and tell me what a good job he had done. "Even better than I could do it," she said. She told me he had knocked on the door and asked if he could shovel their driveway. Oh my heck-of-cute. That boy is a pride and joy!

As Stillman counted out his $3, he exclaimed, "It's my lucky day!"

All the Whos Down in Whoville

2008-12-17T21:19:00.004-07:00

Stillman's Kindergarten put on a cute little Christmas program, a version of "How the Grinch stole Christmas." They got to dress up like Whos and here is my little Who:

Sitting next to his friends (look at their cute Who costumes!)

Taking a bow (so cute, Stillman put his hand over his heart when he bowed... not sure where he learned that!)

Mrs. McClellan's Class

And... the Christmas party that followed! Bridger got to be my little buddy at the Hot Cocoa table :)

On the 3rd Day of Christmas...

2008-12-17T21:16:00.002-07:00

I confess I have a little soft spot for the 12 Days of Christmas, and this year I am doing it again. I thought this idea was pretty clever (and yes, I do laugh at my own jokes.)

12 Days to Make You Smile--I Totally Loved This!!!

2008-12-12T21:20:00.002-07:00

All of you Office fans... I think Andy would totally approve!

(PS you wil probably want to pause the Christmas music I have going on the right sidebar before you start the video... if you want to fully appreciate it that is!)

On the Go

2008-12-09T21:37:00.004-07:00

Today we pretty much ran all over town without much rest in between activities and errands. First, Stillman to school bright and early; home to clean up, shower, and back to school to be the room mother for an hour; straight to the grocery store to pick up picnic lunches to enjoy at our next stop, the mall, where we watched our favorite band give a mini Christmas concert. Then home for a stop off before back to back appointments at 3pm and 4pm, off to the gym for mom to squeeze in a workout, home finally for dinner, baths, and bed... sigh. It's exhausting just writing about it! But it was a great day, and my kids enjoyed the concert, especially Bridger, who dreams of being a musician when he grows up (right now he wants to play the drums.) It totally made their day to be able to meet the band and shake their hands afterwards. Merry Christmas!

PS-I think I need a new camera battery so I apologize for the lack of pictures. Hopefully I will get that remedied by this weekend. Got to do it before Christmas no matter what!

The Christmas I've Been Talking About

2008-12-07T21:11:00.001-07:00

Cream Pie

2008-12-07T21:05:00.001-07:00

You Are Cream Pie

You're the perfect combo of simplicity and divinity.

You are a secret hedonist. No one knows how indulgent you can be.

You don't indulge often, but when you do, you go for the best.

You have expensive taste - even if you aren't rich.

Those who like you life for understated pleasures.

You're not flashy or trendy, but you have a depth that most people lack.

Interacting with you makes most people feel incredibly satisfied.

You are gentle, super sweet, and in harmony with those around you.

What Kind of Pie Are You?

I am Thankful for...

2008-12-06T10:56:00.003-07:00

Colors. I love colors. If you ever want to shut me up/keep me busy/get rid of me, just hand me a flip chart of paint swatches and tell me to pick out colors. It will seriously entertain me for hours. I just LOVE color!

I am thankful for Mother Earth as well. Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother are the most amazing artists. I hope to be like them someday, and to create a world as breathtaking an inspiring as this one; I am so grateful for the beauty of the earth and also for the life and nourishment it gives us. I love the smell of fresh turned soil and working in the garden, I love the energy and power in the ground beneath my feet. It awes me. So thankful to be living on this earth.

And that is #30... to add to that, I am a little bit thankful the 30 days are over, because it did get a little bit exhausting to have to blog so frequently, but in the same vein it was an excellent exercise in gratitude for me and I truly am grateful for so many things, if I go into detail I would never stop. My life is blessed!

I am Thankful

2008-12-04T22:36:00.002-07:00

SO thankful for my new teal dress that I bought at Dillards' for 99% off. Just kidding, it was 70% and they took off an extra 10% for a loose button. But hey, it was a steal at $24 when the original price said $90. I should buy all my clothes that way. I always love it when I do find something amazing that is marked way way down! I am grateful for great bargains. I am also grateful for the things you spend a little extra money on, but then they last you forever and never go out of style and always look great on you no matter how much weight you gain or lose. OK that is partly a fairytale but I do have this one pink shirt and this one pair of black pants that somehow have managed to last through my weight ups and downs of the last 10 years, and I still have them, and they are still great clothes.

And I am also grateful for Taylor, have to give a little shout out because we have survived almost 9 years in each other's lives without killing each other, which is a miracle because I am not an easy person to live with. Did I mention the 'aha' I had within the last week or so about how ridiculous I really am? If you know anything about the Color Code I am totally a yellow who tried to be a red in order to survive and so most people think I am a red but when you get right down to it I am so yellow and that must confuse the h-ll out of people who have to live with me because you never know which part of me you are going to get.

So thank you Taylor, for struggling to keep up with me and handling my tendency to be aloof and not fully aware of what is going on. Thank you for working so hard to provide for us and for cooking yummy meals on occasion. Thank you for helping around the house and making sure my car stays in good working condition. Thank you for the yard work that you do tons better than me because somehow I can't start the lawn mower (I swear it's the lawn mower's problem and not mine because I used to mow the lawn all the time before we got married.) Thank you for 9 years of growing pains because no matter what I am a better person today than I was when we got married and you helped me get here. I am grateful for you.

A Beautiful Mind

2008-12-02T14:05:00.003-07:00

I must make a note here that although this is post #26 on gratitude, these have been listed in no particular order. I am just expressing my gratitude as thoughts come to me, and so often the ones that are the most important are the ones that are overlooked and taken for granted.

That being said, I am thankful for my mind, what separates me from the beasts, the ability to think and reason, the power of choice, the opportunity for learning and growth. I am grateful that I am first intelligence, then human, for without a mind my body would not mean much.

I have come to realize lately that I am one of those people who comes off as very smart, and I can learn quickly anything I set my mind to do and focus on, but without the concious choice I am actually quite aloof and naive. It's sort of an eye-opener, so I have to apologize to everyone out there who never knew that about me, and I hope you can all love me for being a bit spacey (I love blonde jokes because as a child I was one, and still probably am deep inside!)

Here's a toast to me trying to be more conciously aware of the people and the world around me, and not be such a daydreamer (however I will never stop DREAMING!)

Gratitude #25

2008-12-01T20:17:00.002-07:00

Some days it's ok just to be grateful that the day is over. Like today.

:)

Oh, and 25 is my favorite number.

#24

2008-11-30T21:00:00.002-07:00

I am thankful for modern technology. Dishwashers, washing machines, telephones, cars, computers, etc. They probably complicate my life in some ways, but for the most part I think my life is a whole lot easier thanks to these inventions. They allow me time to spend on other things, like relationships with the people I love, and relaxing and taking care of myself. Tonight I turned on a fabulous little movie called "Stardust" and watched it while I folded laundry from the dryer, while I had two more loads running. At the same time the dishwasher was drying the dishes from the last two days after washing them for me.

As much as I want to be Anne of Green Gables, I am grateful to live in modern times with our blessings of technology.

Making an Effort

2008-11-29T19:34:00.002-07:00

So it looks like about once a week or so I have a day where I resist being grateful. Last night I got up several times for as many reasons, and it really makes a difference when you don't get a good night's rest. (As I've already mentioned, I'm thankful for those.)

What saved me today when I was too tired to do it all was my parents, who took me and the kids to Costco for a shopping spree. Thanks Mom and Dad, for the early Christmas gifts and helping me get the kids out of the house for a while. I am pretty sure the morning could have been a lot worse without you! (And while I'm at it, I am thankful for Costco. That place is like Disneyland.)

When we got home Stillman went over to his friend's to play while Bridger and I took naps. I am also thankful my kids have friends and parents I trust so they can play and I don't have to worry (too much) about them while they are gone. And I am also thankful for naps. Both Bridger and I really needed them today and since I haven't had one in a long while, it was so nice to sneak it in while laying by the fire. Oh, and I am thankful for a fireplace. Fires in the hearth are so cozy and comforting.

Sometimes the days you don't want to be thankful are the days when you have so much more to be thankful for!

Sixth Sense

2008-11-28T22:30:00.003-07:00

I'll bet you thought I was done with my senses, didn't you? Well I have to be grateful for my sixth sense too. It's that one we call intuition, instincts, gut feeling, what your heart tells you, etc etc. And I have that sense! We all do! (If you don't think you do, you are wrong.) Sometimes to use that sixth sense you really have to be centered, which is the unification of mind, body, and spirit. I am grateful for all the times I have listened to my sixth sense. Who knows what might have happened otherwise... :)

Gratitude 18-21

2008-11-27T09:16:00.002-07:00

My computer and I haven't spent a lot of quality time together lately. I have some catching up to do!

#18: I am grateful for my sight. As commentors pointed out, it would be much easier to get by deaf than blind. I am so grateful for the ability to see clearly (with the help of contacts... hee hee) I am grateful for sights that inspire me, warn me, please me, teach me. I love to see my children every day. I love to see Heavenly Father's masterpieces in nature. I love to see the words on pages so I can read. I am definitely thankful for my eyes and the sense of sight!

#19: I am thankful for a nose that can smell. I love to smell delicious food (favorite memory: coming home to smell that my mom had made homemade chicken noodle soup... ah, delicious!) I love to smell nice perffumes and colognes (Swiss Army for men ranks up there on the list, as well as Juicy Couture for women) I love the smell of rain and fresh turned soil in the earth. I love the smell of herbs and essential oils (chamomile and lavender especially come to mind) I am grateful for smells that also warn me, like when I thought the gas range was lit but it's not and I can smell the natural gas, or when I am burning dinner, or when my kids' diapers needed to be changed as babies (yeah didn't love the smell but it definitely helped me take good care of my kiddos!) I am thankful for the gift of smell.

#20: I am thankful for the sense of touch. I am a very affectionate person. Physical touch is my primary love language and so I love to lavish my loved ones with hugs and kisses, pats on the head, snuggling close to read books or watch TV and movies, holding hands, and so on and so forth. The sense of touch is also a great protector to indicate when we need to protect ourselves, by giving us pain. I am even thankful for the pain, because it teaches me and helps me take better care of the gift of my body.

#21: I am thankful for the sense of taste. How appropriate since today is Thanksgiving and not only to we get to fill our bodies with delicious food that provides us with energy to survive, but also we get to enjoy the delicious flavors of all that food! I personally am looking forward to my mom's turkey because she just makes it better than I do, especially the gravy (I will be standing very close when she makes it this year so I can figure out what I need to do differently.) I am going to enjoy my serving of mashed potatoes (it's going to be all about portion control! I can eat more as leftovers tomorrow) I get to make one of my Thanksgiving favorites, cauliflower and carrots in a creamy cheese sauce, and I will love it! That is one dish I wonder to myself why I don't make it the rest of the year, because when Thanksgiving rolls around I remember how good it really is...! So thankful for the gift of taste, for as mentioned in a previous post how much I love food :)

On another note, because today is Thanksgiving, I just wanted to share how overcome with emotion I was this morning with my kids in the bathtub as I took the moment to tell them how grateful I am for them. They are #1 on my list, always and forever. Stillman said he is thankful for our home and Bridger said he is thankful for a bed. Kids after my own heart, I tell ya. I love them, I love them, I love them.

And to share with you something I think is amazing (we should have more politcal leaders like this one.) Notice how much he refers to God and giving thanks to HIM for all we have and are given. What a different time, and how blessed we are now by that influence. Strong people with strong faith truly can affect the world as ripples in a pond through centuries of time. (The bold is added by me.)

Proclamation of Thanksgiving

Washington, D.C.

October 3, 1863

This is the proclamation which set the precedent for America's national day of Thanksgiving. During his administration, President Lincoln issued many orders like this. For example, on November 28, 1861, he ordered government departments closed for a local day of thanksgiving.

Sarah Josepha Hale, a prominent magazine editor, wrote a letter to Lincoln on 28, 1863, urging him to have the "day of our annual Thanksgiving made a National and fixed Union Festival." She wrote, "You may have observed that, for some years past, there has been an increasing interest felt in our land to have the Thanksgiving held on the same day, in all the States; it now needs National recognition and authoritive fixation, only, to become permanently, an American custom and institution." The document below sets apart the last Thursday of November "as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise."

According to an April 1, 1864, letter from John Nicolay, one of President Lincoln's secretaries, this document was written by Secretary of State William Seward, and the original was in his handwriting. On October 3, 1863, fellow Cabinet member Gideon Welles recorded in his diary that he complimented Seward on his work. A year later the manuscript was sold to benefit Union troops.

By the President of the United States of America.

A Proclamation.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consiousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the Unites States the Eighty-eighth.

By the President: Abraham Lincoln

William H. Seward, Secretary of State

Thankful For Ears to Hear

2008-11-23T19:50:00.002-07:00

I have decided that the next five posts will be a series, expressing how I am thankful for my five senses. Today I will talk about why I am thankful for ears and hearing.

Given a choice between sight and hearing... let's not go there. I want to keep them both. I am thankful to hear:

my children's voices, laughter, and singing
I love music and always have. I am thankful for ears to hear and enjoy the beauty of music.
nature's wonders (rushing water, rain, birds, wind, etc.)
warnings (alarms, etc.)
the voices of those around me. What a powerful communication tool.

Heavenly Father created us in His image. I am so thankful that I have the blessing of hearing, and hope that along with that gift I take the time to actually listen. I hope to be the kind of person who listens well to the people around me. Especially the people I love (family and friends!) I am thankful for ears and hearing (and the acquired gift of listening!)

I Am Thankful

2008-11-22T17:01:00.002-07:00

Gratitude #16 is my car (notice how I have to put the # in each post so I can keep track of all 30.) I have a great car. It has a CD player and radio, A/C and heat, power locks and windows, a sunroof, gets good gas mileage, fits our family, has a trunk, and hardly ever looks dirty, even if it is (gotta love gray cars.) It has cup holders. It has LATCH (the best invention since the carseat.) It has cruise control (I have already expressed how grateful I am for that.) It handles well in the snow, which can be especially important in a Utah winter. All I have to do is take a little interest in the basic care of the car, like filling it up with gas and getting oil changes (which I am always twice the months/mileage overdue when I get around to it) and still this car has been good to me. Car trouble does not exist in this relationship. In fact I probably take Sugar for granted, considering how little she asks of me and how much I use her. (Yes, I just took the liberty of naming my car Sugar. We have been together now for 4 1/2 years... it's about time.) I am so grateful for a low maintenance, reliable car that gets me and my family safely to and from everywhere.

Grateful for...

2008-11-21T15:18:00.002-07:00

This is #15 and I am halfway there. I am grateful for the beautiful home that I live in. It may not always be the cleanest house on the block, but I do try to take good care of it and keep it organized and inviting. I love the refuge and the sanctuary from the world that I find in my home. I love feeling comfortable and safe here. I love it when it smells good from cooking or baking, or cleaning, or the fresh air through the windows, or scented candles. One time we went on vacation and turned off the A/C and we came home and it smelled like new house (fresh paint, etc.) We are so lucky to have all the storage space I want and need. I love my spacious kitchen and the deep bathtub. I hope no one thinks I am bragging, I am just truly grateful to have such luxury in my life when I know there are so many in the world who have far less. Somewhere I heard that you are in the top 10% in the world if you have more than one pair of shoes and a choice of what to eat each day. I know I have much more than that. I am so blessed and I am grateful for the home that is not only the basic necessity of shelter, but also a place where me and my family can create and enjoy and love and laugh. I am so blessed.

Gratitude 13 and 14

2008-11-20T14:46:00.002-07:00

Lately I have been a little chilly when I head to bed, especially my feet. Rather than use an electric blanket or heating pad, which electric energy is not that great for your body, I invested a few years ago in a hot water bottle from WalMart (you know, the red ones that you see mostly in cartoons.) I have to say, it works wonders for cold feet and makes the bed nice and toasty warm so I can relax and have a good night's rest. I am thankful for that little red bag. (Also, a great investment for emergencies. If the power goes out, you can heat some water and crawl into bed with it. In Chile, where they did not have electric or central heating in their homes, that is frequently what they used at night; I have also heard of wrapping hot bricks in towels.)

I also have to express gratitude for child-directed play. To help build your child's self-esteem and show an invested interest in them, I was taught this week to schedule 'special time with mommy' with each of my boys (one-on-one time, so they don't have to share my attention.) Every other day each child gets 15-20 minutes to spend playing with me, doing an activity of their choice. During that time, it is ALL about the child. Following the "PRIDE" outline:

Praise- Praise your child during play time. Be specific. Rather than 'good job', say 'You are cutting the play-doh so well.' 'I really appreciate how you are sharing.' Etc. Aim for 10 compliments in 60 seconds. (Probably impossible but keeps you thinking about it!)

Reflect- Repeat back what your child says to you. Can be verbatim. Refrain from questions, as they draw the attention back to yourself. (Watch the inflection of your voice, so you don't repeat what the child says in question form, i.e, You like orange? /You like orange!)

Imitate- Copy what your child is doing. If they drive the truck over their knee, drive the truck over your knee. If they roll the play-doh into a ball, you roll the play-doh into a ball.

Describe- Talk about what they are doing. "Jacob is building a tower of blocks! Emma is combing her doll's hair!"

Enthusiasm- Have fun. Basically act like you are a sports commentator totally excited about what your child is doing.

This is just a brief description for anyone who might find it useful, but I have been so impressed with how my kids have eaten this up. They love it. It is so important to them and anything that can enrich my relationship with my kids is valuable to me! I am grateful for learning to be better than I am!

So Thankful For Support

2008-11-18T13:59:00.002-07:00

I feel that I can't ever be grateful enough to all the people who support me in being a mother. In our modern society I think it is a tad easy to shut yourself off from others, and in reality I don't think that is the way it was ever intended to be. When we network with those around us we are so much stronger, and I am grateful that I have people who help me with the care of my children when I need some time to do other equally important things, like take care of myself for a little while. I could not do this mothering job alone.

I think that is how our ancestors must have done it. Their lives were much more demanding (um, can I add here that I am grateful for dishwashers and laundry machines?) I think the only way those women could do it all with the cleaning and the cooking and the sewing was to join as sisters and do it together. It may seem antiquated in theory but I think we still need that today and I am thankful for the women in my life who are part of my 'sisterhood'. Love those ladies!

Gratitude #11

2008-11-17T17:54:00.002-07:00

I was put on to this article by a friend's blog last night, and it gave me pause to consider how grateful I am that I live in a country where we are free to worship as we choose, without persecution. The recent protests outside the temples in California make me realize how lucky recent generations of LDS church members have been not to face persecution like our pioneer forefathers, and I wonder just a little bit if this is the beginning of it for us. I read once that in the last days, members of the church will be holding up the Constitution of the United States in their fists, demanding their rights. Sounds a little bit like what could be said of what is happening in California right now. I pray that there will be a peaceful resolution to this.

To reiterate, I am so grateful for the right to worship freely, who, what, when, where and how I choose. I am grateful for the gospel as I understand it, for the courage and truth it gives me and the blessings unnumbered. The square root of all my gratitudes come back to a loving Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ the Savior, without whom I would have nothing, down to my very existence. I thank Them for all I am.

Days 9 & 10 of Gratitude

2008-11-16T20:53:00.002-07:00

Sometimes this challenge actually is one. I had a pretty good day yesterday but today was not so hot, and now I am tired and don't think I have been very grateful for anything all day, and I am having a hard time thinking of anything I might have been grateful for yesterday. I am just being unabashedly honest here, and I am going to be just fine after a good night's rest. This is a blog and it is what it is.

Truthfully tonight I had a great dinner, and I am a lover of food, so it wouldn't be entirely innapropriate to say that I am thankful for food. I am not a picky eater, but I am aware when I have been served something unique and fabulous, thanks to my hedonist tendencies. As much as I love to savor and indulge, I am also grateful for the nourishment I receive from food, the nutrients we need for energy and life. So grateful that I have never gone without.

As for yesterday's bit of gratitude, I know I already said I am thankful for family, but can I just say again how much I love my boys? They were awesome yesterday while I had a work-related party at my house, and last night we had a fit of giggles together when I put them to bed. I am so grateful for two little boys who make me smile and laugh all the time. I love them, I love them, I love them.

Thankful for the Green Stuff

2008-11-14T23:04:00.004-07:00

I'm talking money, baby. I am thankful for it. Not trying to be materialistic, it's just a matter of fact that it takes money to take care of yourself and your loved ones. So I am so grateful for all the people who have provided money for me over the years (Dad, Mom, Taylor); all those who have gifted it to me (grandparents, friends, family, strangers...yes, strangers); all those who have provided a way for me to make my own money, etc. I am thankful that I have always had enough. I know cash has been tight at times, and sometimes we live in fear of that, but the truth is, not having money is NOT a threat to your mortality. But it can help to keep you alive by helping you buy the necessities of life, for which I am so grateful. I am grateful for always having enough money, and I am especially grateful when I have MORE than enough money (hint to the universe...)

(Going on day 8 of this gratitude thing, and I am wondering how creative I will get as we get closer to 30)

Heavenly Peace

2008-11-13T21:56:00.002-07:00

I am thankful for sleep. Not too much, not too little... just the right amount feels soooooo good.

Have a good night's rest!

I'm Thankful For Book Club!!!

2008-11-12T22:01:00.002-07:00

Yay, today I was trying to decide which gratitude I would blog and then I hosted book club tonight and this had to be it. It is so wonderful to have friends that you can read literature with, and then discuss it, and then talk about other things and the world and families and parenting and politics and religion and spirituality and preparedness and etc etc all night long. Love my book club ladies and I am so grateful for stimulating female conversation!

Gratitudes Day 4 and 5

2008-11-11T19:56:00.002-07:00

Yesterday got away from me and I wasn't able to blog #4, but I had it all planned out. I am grateful for cruise control. That might sound odd to a lot of you but I don't realize how much I rely on it until it's raining or snowing and I can't use it. I love to 'set it and forget it.' When I am driving anywhere over 25 mph and I just want to maintain a consistent speed, I hit cruise control. I heard somewhere that it helps conserve gas mileage, which is awesome, and it's so nice not to have to look at the speedometer. Thank you for cruise control!

#5 today came in correlation with that thought... things we take for granted until something goes awry... a big one would be good health. I pay little attention to how good it feels to breathe through both nostrils until suddenly congestion develops due to a cold or allergies or whatever. Or when you don't realize how grateful you are for thumbs until you hurt one and can't use it, or whatever other part of your body may one day be in pain and all the time you think, "I wish this felt better again." Well I am grateful for all the time that my body feels GOOD. I am grateful for good health, for energy and strength, for physical fitness and a sound body. SO grateful. I love the body I am in, and I try to treat it that way... in fact I love my health so much, it is definitely one of my passions!

Day 3

2008-11-09T10:28:00.002-07:00

The thing that I am very most grateful for in my life that it almost goes without saying, is my family. I am especially grateful to be a mother myself, and I am so blessed that Heavenly Father has put two of his children into my care in this earthly life. I love my boys so much it breaks my heart, because it's not big enough to hold all that I feel for them. I think my heart constantly has growing pains because it has to grow to meet the need.

I am so grateful for what my family and children teach me. I am so grateful for their trust and love. I am grateful for their support and understanding. I am grateful for the bond of love that we share, that we can spend time together and actually enjoy being in one another's company... I smile every day and laugh almost every day because of the joy they bring into my life. Love all you guys!

I'm Grrrrr...ateful

2008-11-08T20:55:00.003-07:00

Did you notice the growl at the beginning of 'grateful'? It's because I'm not in the mood for being grateful right now but I promised myself I would do this. It's funny how when you are not in the mood to be grateful, gratitude is the cure but you don't want it. *Growl*

Well anyway, today was actually not all that bad up until just barely but what are ya gonna do. While I was at work I thought about this (kind of an, "Oh, yeah...I need to do Day 2 of gratitude tonight...") and I had a few thoughts flip through my mind, but mostly since I was at work, just grateful for my job. Sales have been a little down this last month, and even though I get hourly plus commission, it has started to get to me. So it was nice to have a good Saturday; for as busy as the mall was, I would have liked even more sales but I am grateful to at least have had sales! It was a better than average Saturday and I am grateful. Grateful to make some money, grateful for my employers who are flexible with my scheduling needs, grateful for the perks like a LOT of downtime to read and write, grateful for the awesome makeup, that sort of thing. Grateful for all of it. Grateful enough that I am starting to feel a little better. Oh man, and I was trying so hard to stay grouchy...

Will the Real Barack Obama please stand up?

2008-11-07T21:29:00.002-07:00

Wow, I just can't stop tonight. I have had no time for blogging lately so I am totally bingeing. At least it's not food. And still before bedtime.

So, I'm not bashing our new President Elect, I am just very curious to finally find out who this man really is. I heard Senator Bob Bennett on the radio the day after the election, and when asked his opinion of the election turnout, his response was: "Will the real Barack Obama please stand up?" Essentially, that in the beginning of his campaign, Obama was so aligned with left wing radicals and liberals, and then as it came closer to election time he brought himself around closer to center and acknowledged some of the Republican views. So I loved how Senator Bennett phrased that and I am keeping my eyes open to see how things turn out...

And incidentally, I think I want to read Team of Rivals, the book Obama said he would bring to the White House with him. I hope that is what he really believes in, because from what I understand of Team of Rivals, it will represent both parties, which is a balanced democracy and what I personally believe in.

Oh, and I thought it was interesting that the same people who voted for Obama in CA also voted for Prop 8. What an interesting turn of events. (I am not expressing an opinion here, just merely observing... I'm not sure I saw that one coming.)

Gratitude

2008-11-07T21:06:00.003-07:00

Hmm... looks like I should have quit while I was ahead. But no, I had to notice updates on my friends' blogs and there on Whitney's was the challenge to do 30 days of gratitude. I do a lot of this in my own journal, but why not share it with the world?

Lately I have felt this immense gratitude for my neighbor Tecia. She totally stepped in at a difficult time for me and has made my life so much easier. From the moment I met her I was awed by her amazing example and I consider myself so lucky to have her as a friend. Wow, what an inspiring woman. I am so grateful for people like her. She is doing so much for me and my kids and acts like it is no big deal, but to me it is. She is one of the people who is inspiring the spirit of Christmas in me so early this year.

Thank you Heavenly Father, for Tecia and all the people like her who teach and inspire me every day.

I Need A Little Christmas

2008-11-07T20:33:00.002-07:00

Let me be frank. Usually at this time of year, I am one of the people boycotting every station already playing Christmas music. My personal philosophy: the week of Thanksgiving, let Christmas gradually creep in. Maybe set up the tree the day before Thanksgiving, so it can be enjoyed throughout the big holiday dinner. Use the Christmas china perhaps, for the Thanksgiving meal. That way you have a good month to enjoy Christmas without totally overshadowing Thanksgiving, a special holiday in and of itself, as far as I am concerned. I just can't seem to stand it when Halloween is hardly over and suddenly Christmas is everywhere, in its commercialized form. (Because you can bet most people aren't pondering the birth of our Saviour when Jingle Bells is overtaking your radio on November 1st.)

Now, I will be honest. For some reason, I found myself willing turning on the Christmas music this week, and felt that little stirring in my heart that I honestly haven't felt for a long time. Maybe it was the snowstorm that blasted my state on Tuesday. Or maybe... maybe I've been through a lot and am ready to enjoy some fond memories and family fun. Or I'll even go one deeper: maybe the result of the struggles and trials I have faced recently, and the outpouring of love and support from friends, family, and neighbors, have turned my heart to that special place of gratitude where Christmas means more than the giving and the getting of presents.

I don't know why I am surprised. I basically asked for it, last year when I decided I wanted to give of myself like the little drummer boy. I even wrote about it in my Christmas Resolutions. And the law of attraction says you will get what you ask for, so here I am feeling all full in my heart and wanting to jump into the spirit of the season, WAY earlier than I expected it. But giving of myself might take a little more time, thought and effort than traditional presents, so it's probably all for the better. I better get started, actually... why am I wasting time blogging?!

October's Festivities

2008-11-01T15:09:00.006-06:00

Wow... it has been a busy month! Let's see if I can sum things up: I LOVE Halloween. Probably because I love costumes! There is something so fun about everyone dressing up as something else. Come to realize, I think I like it so much because your costume can say a lot about who you are... or at least who you'd like to be. What fun way to get a little deeper into one another's pysches!

And of course, the happy, glowing jack-o-lanterns, sparkling witches and fairies, everything whimsical about this holiday just makes me grin. I have probably totally lost sight of the origins of the holiday (demons, devils, ghosts, the night of the undead, etc) but even all that can be done in good fun.

Anyway, back to the point, here is a log of some of the great fun we have had this month: (readers beware, this is a long post!)

Gardener Village

I made two trips here this month; first, with my good high school girlfriends and our kids to do a little 'witch sighting.' The kids had a blast. It was one of those perfect fall days, the weather was awesome, the leaves were crunching under our feet... classic. The next trip was a little hectic, I went with my mom and sisters for some girl's fun, and it was a MADHOUSE. We did enjoy a little lunch from the Naborhood Bakery though. (Thanks MOM!)

Isabelle, Luke, Stillman, Ben, Bridger, Jack, Thomas (above)

Isabelle, Stillman, Bridger (and a witch!)

The best photo session we have ever had, with all the kids smiling and saying 'cheese' for like 5 minutes. It cracked us up and there are probably 400 versions of this photo between the 5 of us because we couldn't stop taking them--it was classic!

Halloween treatsies

We had a lot of fun this month experimenting with Halloween recipes. Most of them were just plain recipes to which I attached spooky names (i.e, spaghetti became bloody brains, and peach cobbler with ice cream became swamp treat with ghost cream.) But we also made 'Halloweenies' (hot dogs wrapped in dough to look like mummies) and Halloween shaped sugar cookies (danger for my figure!!) and these little guys:

Our Halloween 'globlins' (looked cute they did; tasted good they did not!)

La Caille

Taylor scored us some gift certificates to La Caille a while back and it was finally time to use them before they expired. We didn't really know what to expect, because it was a first time for both of us. We have both heard a lot of things about it being over rated, that the food isn't that good, the portions are small, etc. I guess when your expectations are low it is easier to be pleased, because we had an AWESOME night! (The whole day was great really, because earlier we got to go see Into The Woods at Hale Centre Theatre which is one of my favorite musicals ever, and the performance was incredible. L-o-v-e-d it!)

First, Taylor had requested a quiet corner for us. That ended up being a private room-- all to ourselves! The restaurant was busy that night with a wedding reception and a high school reunion, but perhaps not as many dinner patrons so we lucked out.

The food was too beautiful to eat and it tasted delicious! Every course they brought out, Taylor just stared at his plate while I immediately dug in to eat it because I was starving. So, most of these pictures are probably of his food because I couldn't wait... it all tasted SO good!

When we were through eating (stuffed to the brim from all the food...small portions? Are you kidding? With so many courses they HAVE to be small or you would never get to eat it all!) the waitresses (yes, we had three) gave us permission to wander around the restaurant and the gardens, which we did with pleasure. The reception was over by then, and the family had opted not to take home the flowers, so some were offered to us. We took them home to my mom, to thank her for tending (it was a late night!)

This is just a random picture of Bridger, so tired we could not even wake him up to eat dinner, even though we dragged him out of bed and set him at the table:

(How cute is he?!)

Pumpkin Carving

After much research, I still could not find a decent Star Wars pumpkin stencil per Stillman's request. I ended up designing my own, and did it not turn out amazing? Taylor helped carve it a little, and he was rather proud of our accomplishment too :)

This is Halloween

B-u-s-y day. I was one of the room mothers for Stillman's kindergarten class, so we had an early morning getting into costumes and to school (I admit, we were a little late!) The activites were delightful and filled me with good ideas for years to come! With 8 eight-minute rotations, the kids had a Halloween blast!

Me and my sister (I am the cat and she is Cruella De Ville)

Stillman was so happy about his Anakin Skywalker costume and Bridger was thrilled about his last-minute costume change from Buzz Lightyear to Spiderman (our grateful neighbor borrowed Buzz for her little boy, who hated his elephant costume that was too small anyway.) I'm not really sure what Taylor is... this picture doesn't show his arms (he was wearing tattoo sleeves)

Trick-or-treaters! Tre, Chelise, Stillman, and Bridger

Me (-ow!)

Anxious?

2008-10-22T20:17:00.001-06:00

I will post soon! I have been busy :)

(and don't worry, that's a good thing!)

Alexa

2008-10-12T20:03:00.005-06:00

This little princess is my first blood niece, and therefore first granddaughter to my parents. I got to spend two hours holding her today while I visited my sister at the hospital, and later on I brought my boys back for their first meeting. Stillman and Bridger were hushed and awed, and very gentle with Alexa. Stillman held her first, but lost interest pretty quickly. I think Bridger might have held her longer but our time was short, as we were on our way to family dinner. Here are the photos snapped today!

Shh... Don't Tell

2008-10-12T07:36:00.000-06:00

Earlier this week (ok for the last three months) I noticed my kids watching TV and playing video games WAY more than is healthy or normal. On Thursday I happened to read something about the detriments of television (what I already knew but was too complacent to do anything about) but for some reason, it really hit home when I read it this time.

Over the years I have debated cutting the cord, but instead of being so drastic, I decided to try a little social experiment within the walls of my own home, and I unplugged the TV before going to bed that night. The cords are conveniently hidden behind the large and heavy entertainment center.

The next morning, when my kids heard me stirring (yes they woke up at 6am, for the third time in a row; I sleep in to an undecent 7) they ran in to inform me that the TV was not working. Stillman even managed to bring some tears along with this revelation. That was definitely an indication that we are a little too attached-- I daresay dependent on television. But interestingly enough, they have found plenty of things to do to pass the time without TV since then. Without complaint. Without much, if any, input or suggestions from mom. Even that morning they played with their toys for a whole hour! Without coming to tell me about the TV until I woke up (ok fully woke up; how else would I know they were up at 6?)

We are on our third day without TV and so far I have not been even close to plugging the TV back in. I had the fleeting thought once, but I knew that if I plugged it in it would give away the secret. Right now they have come up with their own reasons for why it is not working, without any explanation from me. The current consensus is that they watched it too much and the batteries ran out. They also suspected mom of unplugging it in the beginning, worried that it was broken, and perhaps a few other theories, but for now my kids are exploring and learning that there is more to the world than TV. Their toys are enjoying a renaissance, as well as their crayons and coloring books. I even (gasp!) caught Stillman laying quietly in a pile of stuffed animals on the floor with his blanket. Stillman? Quiet? Maybe this whole break from TV should be permanent...

Baby Girls

2008-10-12T07:31:00.000-06:00

My nieces doubled this week! On Monday I had two nieces and now I have four. Both little girls came into this world in their own unique way.

Little Alice was born in the bathroom at home, before mom and dad could get to the hospital. They made the front page of the local paper.

Tiny Alexa was born over a month early. Her mom has been on bedrest since the beginning of September.

My prediction: Alice is full of surprises and Alexa is impatient. And both of them are full of little girl wonderfulness!

I Want... To Go Live in a Jane Austen Novel

2008-10-09T21:46:00.000-06:00

That's all.

Coping Skills

2008-10-04T13:34:00.001-06:00

I consider myself to be pretty good at rolling with the punches. I can take things one day at a time, and come out of rough patches pretty well because I have learned a lot of good techniques along this road of life to help me out when I need it.

It gets harder though, when you don't have time to recover from one thing before the next one hits you, and then the next one, and then the next one... which is pretty much how my week went from mid-day Wednesday on. Things like getting pulled over because of an expired car registration, planning to meet someone and both of us interpreting different locations, missing an important appointment, and the list... goes... on...

I am politely asking the universe for a break. I need some recovery time please. I appreciate the blessings/aid/assistance I received to help me through these last few days, but I'm a little worn out now. Can I have the next two days off?

My Heart Goes Out

2008-09-27T09:15:00.000-06:00

I am called back to earth, and reminded to be humble, by a tragedy that happened this week just a little too close to home.

My brother- and sister-in law lost their little 18-month old nephew on Tuesday. He drowned in a shallow pool of water. I can't even begin to imagine the devastation of such an event, nor do I ever want to experience it.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Rich family today as they have the funeral for little Jack. I love you and pray for your hearts to find healing... the scars will always be there to remind you of your love for your precious baby boy.

Two Goods Things in One Day!

2008-09-24T13:56:00.000-06:00

To have one REALLY good thing happen in a day is enough to be grateful for, but yesterday TWO awesome things happened.

Both of them happened when I checked my email first thing in the morning. First, I got an email to notify me that I have been selected to be Ms. Utah 2009! I was thrilled! For more info, check out: http://www.mrsglobe.com/

After that, there was another email, an acceptance letter to UVU (http://www.uvu.edu/) where I will be attending school starting in January. I am going back to get my bachelor's degree. There was no doubt in my mind that I would be accepted, but it is still good news and I am on my way! I will be majoring in Communications-Public Relations and Advertising, and I hope to minor in English.

Two new passions for me to pursue :)

I (heart) Health

2008-09-21T12:20:00.000-06:00

So if anything reminds me just how passionate I am about health, it's getting sick. As much as I would rather not get sick, (I rarely enjoy the experience) it always serves as a great reinforcer to my passion for good health. I work to be and stay healthy and it is definitely a major focus in my life. Nothing else really seems important if we don't have the good health to enjoy it.

So although I have been coughing, suffering from a dry throat all day and mucus and phlegm each morning (yes I know you appreciate the descriptiveness) I am SO grateful for all the time that I do spend healthy. I am also quite grateful that my kids seem to be immune so far from whatever has been plaguing me, because it is nearly impossible to get yourself better when you are taking care of sick kids too.

Here's to Passion for Health! (And Healing and Recovery, because I am on my way there!)

Welcome to My Passion

2008-09-19T13:09:00.000-06:00

This blog was created for the purpose of sharing my passions with the world. Some of them are easy to guess (Stillman, Bridger) and some of them may surprise you (the secret thrill I get from planting seeds and watching them sprout and grow in the garden, or soaking in a hot bubble bath by candelight, while listening to meditative music.) OK that second one might not be a surprise. In fact, nothing I say might surprise you at all, or maybe everything will. But this isn't about you...

...it's about me and my passions.