the bonny mess

Miss Amelia turns one!

2012-01-27T16:50:00.000-07:00

the way we eat: recipe resources

2011-11-07T15:53:00.001-07:00

After reading The China Study, I was all fired up and ready to try the plant-based diet experiment. But I was used to the traditional meat + starch + vegetable dinner. Looking forward to planning a month of no-meat, no-dairy, no-eggs meals felt like peering into a dark abyss. But something toward the end of the book was useful: a man who was skeptical about the plant-based diet got one recipe from his sister, a delicious vegan chili. So he made it and he liked it. What a great and EASY first step. So that's what I did. I checked out some recipe books from the library, searched "vegan" on allrecipes.com and just made ONE meal. And then one more, and so on. Some were NOT good and we ended up eating cereal (with soy milk, of course).

The thing is, there are tons of vegan and vegetarian meals that try to substitute "regular" foods with soy milk, nutritional yeast, Boca burger crumbles, etc. (Holy expensive!) But the recipes I really ended up loving didn't feature the meat look-alikes or the cheese stand-ins. They were mostly simple beans, grains, and veggies arranged in totally delicious ways. I ended up modifying some of my old favorite recipes with beans or veggies instead of meat and loved them just as much. And eventually, of course, the cheese and sour cream and yogurt sauce definitely came back to our table and were welcomed wholeheartedly, though in moderation. And for snacks: apples! almonds! broccoli! No processing necessary.

So, enough of my soapbox. Let's talk turkey. Or, tofurkey, as the case may be.

My very favorite recipe resources:

Perry's Plate: Oh my, has she got the touch for combining normal foods in remarkable ways! And her eating habits are pretty similar to ours: not much meat, lots of fresh foods. This one is vegan and this one is vegetarian, vegan if you don't use the sauce (but use the sauce). She also introduced me to The Roasted Vegetable and The Bold Vegetarian Chef, which are great cookbooks.

Joy the Baker: Such a funny writer, such delicious food. I make variations on this one a lot.

Pinterest: Do you pin? I follow a couple of people on Pinterest who keep pinning such delicious-looking recipes that I actually say, "Stop it!" out loud as I scroll down. It makes me hungry. I am particularly excited to try this one that I pinned this morning. Here is my pinboard.

The All New Good Housekeeping Cookbook: We got this for our wedding, and I have so many recipes in here that I come back to time and time again. My mother-in-law searched for it in bookstores and ended up buying it online because she liked so many things I'd made from it. Huge compliment to me, huge endorsement for the cookbook.

And a few strictly vegan recipes, if you're wanting to venture that way:

Veggie Pot Pie

Blueberry Banana Bread (my lovely and brilliant friend Marinda really likes this blog--I've tried the bread and I'm excited to try more recipes)

Alfredo Sauce

Totally unrelated: Millie loves her shoes soooo much. And black leggings on babies! I die!

I'm always interested in expanding my pool of recipes. What are your go-to resources for meal planning?

happy halloween

2011-10-31T22:13:00.000-06:00

the ghost, the spy, and the kitty

we also sometimes called her Renesmee

No really, these are funny costumes. No really, I won't be attending the midnight premiere of what's-it-called part 1. But really, I have the BEST husband ever.

the way we eat: books that changed my behavior

2011-10-27T16:54:00.001-06:00

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver
I read this in April 2010 with my excellent book group (I miss you, ladies!). It's a documentation of how Barbara Kingsolver and her family lived off the land for a year. They ate only local food and whatever they grew or raised themselves. It lit a fire under me. I wanted to do the experiment myself, to live it. I wanted my own plot of land in West Virginia. I couldn't believe I had never learned anything about what foods grow in which seasons. Why is this not taught in schools? Or is it now? It was because of this book that I grew my first garden that summer and am committed to growing something whenever I can, even while I live in a tiny, sunless apartment.

The China Study by T. Colin Campbell
This was recommended to me by a nutritionist friend and again by a marathon runner friend after they'd heard my thoughts on Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. (To me, anyone who can run nonstop for longer than three minutes is worth listening to, maybe even worthy of worship. Does this reveal anything about me?) It's fairly scientific and admittedly I skimmed some of it to get to the good stuff. But good science is very convincing to me and as far as I could determine, this was very convincing. It's a "plant-based diet" book. I went vegan for a month last fall because of this book and I loved how I felt (AND it wasn't nearly as expensive as I thought--we actually spent a bit less on groceries). Since then we've been eating meat maybe once or twice a week on average. I also try to be careful about the amount of milk and cheese we consume, because the book seems to make out dairy as being even worse than meat, but I LOVE cheese. Hmm.

The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
I would say this wasn't quite as transformative as the other two, but what I really loved about it was the section about Joel Salatin's farm. I wish the farm was next door to me. I wish all of our food was produced this way. I even wish, sometimes, to have a farm just like that one. Because of this book, I went and found farms nearby that sold 100% grass-fed, sustainably-raised beef. I have plans to take the kids to the farm, educate them about where food comes from (not just magically fabricated, packaged, and delivered by the grocery fairies to a Kroger near you), and maybe pick out "our" cow. It's not fun for me to imagine looking into the eyes of my future hamburger (those gentle, innocent eyes!), but how can I truly appreciate the blessing of delicious meat unless I understand its true and cosmic cost?

When Jared and I were in college, a religion professor of ours invited us to work on his farm on a Saturday. This event culminated with the beheading of a turkey by a couple of brave freshman boys. There was a tour of the turkey's living conditions, a last meal, a discussion of the meaning of life, a prayer of gratitude, and a very reverent, and very exciting, handling of the animal itself. Jared and I got to take it home, dress it, roast it, and share it with some loved ones. It might sound weird, but it was definitely special to have seen the whole process and know exactly what I was eating.

So all this is to say: we try to eat good food. To me that means mostly plants, animal products sparingly. Whole foods, real foods, whatever you want to call them. We grind our own flour, make our own bread, eat lots of beans, and we eat often to keep our blood sugars at a reasonable level. But we're not extreme about it. There is currently a large stash of trunk or treat Halloween candy in the cupboard which we fully intend to devour, and yesterday was spent making and frosting sugar cookies to eat and share with our friends. In my mind, all those healthy, veggie-packed dinners make up a little bit for the cookies and candy I don't want to give up just now. We do what we can, right?

So have you read any or all of these books? What are your guiding principles about food?

pictures for a Friday: Alpine Loop

2011-10-21T12:56:00.000-06:00

[Thank you, thank you for your enthusiasm about food! :) There are definitely posts in the works!]

My mom and dad and sister live in Qatar, where autumn is very...sandy...and I know they're probably missing these crisp days and flaming leaves, so I had them in mind on our drive up the Alpine Loop this week.

The colors were truly spectacular.

the way we eat

2011-10-19T00:36:00.000-06:00

Cake. We definitely eat cake.

Last year when I was pregnant and feeling less than awesome, I encountered some books and some people who really changed the way I approach my eating habits. For instance, I no longer think a dinner must include meat to be a "real" meal. In fact, last year at this time I was a vegan. And I felt awesome. Now we eat meat once or twice a week and we're quite happy. (If I could curb my sweet tooth a bit more, I'd be even happier.)

It's funny, because my conceptions of what's "healthy" (or, I guess, "healthful") have changed so much in just 18 months. I guess I am easily influenced by nutritional science. At least I'm no longer easily influenced by food commercials.

So, my question is, would you be interested in hearing about the books I read, the people I talked to, and the recipes I've tried? When I tell people we eat very little meat, they always ask me, "So...what DO you eat?" I would have asked the same question a couple of years ago.

And I'm interested: What's your healthy eating ideal? And where does it come from? Your mom? Books? The food pyramid? Or does your body just tell you what it needs?

the double crown

2011-09-13T12:41:00.000-06:00

The boys learned about ancient Egypt the good old-fashioned way, with paper and tape.

because we all need more Millie in our lives

2011-09-10T00:17:00.000-06:00

first week of home education

2011-09-06T11:58:00.000-06:00

We dove into our first week of homeschool (home education? home learning?). These children make it so fun. Of course I had the whole week planned out and structured to the half hour, but I learned quickly to relax a bit and enjoy. And oh! It's enjoyable! Here's what our first week looked like:

Games are a fun way to reinforce math and build brotherly kindness

A letter to some friends back in Colorado

Some dramatic play. I got to be a bird, a boat builder, a duck, and a wolf. Pretty good for my first week. :)

And of course, hiking! PE was NEVER this fun when I was in school!

Almost finished with summer pictures...hopefully!

2011-08-25T23:54:00.000-06:00

Miss Amelia got loved on quite a bit this summer!

Thomas lost his first tooth! He did awesome and it made his smile, if possible, even cuter.

People just love her, what can we say?

Camping on the trampoline.

Nature study at the Farmington Bird Refuge. Seriously, nature study was one of my favorite memories of this summer.

Starting solid foods! She was almost six months old here. Rice cereal was okay, but peas were next and she liked them WAY better.

playing catch up: the middle

2011-08-24T09:11:00.007-06:00

On the Fourth of July we went...sledding! Ha ha! It was so burning hot in Salt Lake for our picnic, but up at the cabin at Brighton afterwards, we cooled down with the lingering snow. Good times. :)

It was so fun to be all together with Jared's family. We sure love them!

Ooh, and we saw this really cool bird. Any guesses as to what it is?

The next week, we went to a cabin near Brian Head with my dad's side of the family.Cedar Breaks National Monument was spectacular!

And there was snow there, too!

Thomas got just a little squish from the girls. :)

Back in Bountiful, we enjoyed the local rec center pool. Millie wore her swimsuit for the second time and then promptly grew out of it. :)

Abbey was an incredible aunt this summer as always! What would we have done without her?
Jared took the boys down for a tour of BYU campus. They were excited!

Millie is such a great hiker.
The second wobbly tooth...
...popped right out by Thomas himself! The tooth fairy had a busy summer!

playing catch up: second to last

2011-08-24T08:51:00.005-06:00

We did lots and lots of hiking this summer, but one of our best hikes was the 2.5-mile hike to the ghost town of Crossons, Colorado. It was long and hot, but so worth it! Here is one of the old miner's cabins.They even left their bed springs! :)

Seeing these giant elk was definitely a highlight of the summer. They were HUGE!
Thomas and Kimball posing in front of the Tile Project art installation at the Southglenn Mall. The orange handprint six rows from the bottom is Kimball's and the one to the right of it is Thomas's. They did those a couple of years ago and it's nice to know we're now permanently a part of our old neighborhood.
And of course we couldn't leave without spending time with the awesome Lattins! We miss you guys!

Oh how we miss Grandma Adie and Grandpa Tom! We had SO much fun staying with you this summer!A goodbye visit to beautiful Red Rocks Amphitheater.

Monkeys in a tree: Niko, Thomas, and Kimball. Thanks for hiking with us, Lary and Niko!
Doug is such a sweet cousin!

playing catch up: the last part

2011-08-24T08:14:00.007-06:00

Excuse me while I recap...our entire summer. Here is the last part first:Sierra and Jeremy's wedding was so wonderful and beautiful. What a privilege for us to be a part of it! Of course I took very few pictures, so if you'd like to see all the gorgeousness, the talented Bethany Jackman did a fantastic job of capturing it all. It was the most beautiful wedding I've ever been to!

Miss Millie has been growing by leaps and bounds. Here she is, six months old! She is a pro at sitting up and using her hands to grab everything in range. We love her so so so so so so much.

On the final trip back from Colorado.
And here are the newlyweds, our first guests in our new apartment. Thanks for filling it with music, guys!

Summer: The beginning!

2011-08-24T00:13:00.000-06:00

In case you can't tell, we really like having this baby girl around. Here she is at four and a half months.

Memorial Day celebration in the mountains with such great family!

More Millie. Because we like to look at her.

The tramp in Grandma Dianna and Grandpa Brett's backyard was SO awesome for the boys this summer--all three of them!

And then of course, after jumping, reading in the shade is a great way to relax.

Sierra's bridal shower! So fun.

A little shout out to our teacher friends

2011-08-24T00:01:00.000-06:00

These are some pictures from the beginning of the summer, when we went to a party with Jared's awesome co-workers. Oh, we miss them! We did get to see them a few more times in the summer, but this is pretty much the only time I took pictures. We miss you guys!

Jared's honorary ugly shirt. So thoughtful.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-26T11:35:00.002-06:00

Three months old!

2011-04-26T11:29:00.001-06:00

science fair!

2011-04-21T15:26:00.002-06:00

UPDATE

2011-04-08T17:40:00.000-06:00

So, this blog. Well. I have to face the fact that I am probably not going to be an Awesome Blogger anytime in the near future because:

1. I have three children now.
2. I'd really like to be an excellent mother to them. (Not to say that it's impossible for other people to have three kids and be awesome mothers and awesome bloggers at the same time. I'm just finding that I'm probably not that talented or motivated.)
3. I already spend way too much time on the computer anyway. I'm looking at you, awesome blogger mommies.
4. Things are so CRAZY around here! I mean for REAL!

I keep thinking that as soon as THIS thing is over, in just a few days, life won't be so hectic anymore. I'm not complaining, because most of it is very good stuff, but wow, there's not a lot of sitting down going on around here!

So, currently:

We are enjoying our new (to us) Toyota Sienna! I was so resistant to being a van driver, but it is soooo much better. I love my door-opening button and I love buckling the little ones in without contorting my body like a circus performer.
We are working on selling our house, our Toyota Avalon, and various other items that we don't want to pack up because...
We are moving back to Provo! Oh my HECK! (I have to start saying that again.) Jared was accepted into the EIME PhD program and he starts classes this fall. We are slightly disappointed that we're not going to UCLA, but we know this is the Lord's plan for us and we're SOOO excited about so many things at BYU! Yay for being a poor student family again!
We are getting ready to homeschool next year. But that's a whole other post. Whoa.
We are mourning the loss of my dear Grandpa G. We attended his funeral in Utah last weekend and it was beautiful. It still hasn't really sunk in for me that he's gone. I just love him so much.
We are working on Thomas's science project about the phases of the moon. He wants to be a scientist and when he saw the science fair fliers in the hallway at school, he grabbed one for himself. I'm so glad he did because we have ALL learned so much about the moon!
I am truly learning to embrace and enjoy motherhood. It is harder than it has ever been, but for some reason it is also more fulfilling than ever. That needs its own post as well!
We are loving our three-year-old Kimball! He's obsessed with super heroes, he's potty trained now, and he's soooo funny. My favorite recent Kimball moment was at the funeral: "Kimball, this is Uncle Danny. Stay away from him because he's sick." [Kimball stares and then walks away, coming back a few minutes later.] "I'm Kimball. Are you still sick?" The best part is that he has a little lisp, so it's more like, "Are you thtill thick?"
We are reading and reading and reading. Thomas, Jared, and I each have our own Goodreads account and it's so fun to add books and see what other people are reading. I highly recommend it. I also highly recommend reading. It's amazing.
We are LOVING the daily delights of this little dolly: Two months old! (March 22nd) And that's the update!

blessing day!

2011-03-06T19:07:00.005-07:00

Getting ready for the big day!

Today was so, so special! We had wonderful family in town, and Millie wore the dress my grandma worked on for months and months while she went through cancer treatment. The dress was crocheted using tiny thread and embellished with gold- and peach-colored beads and tiny handmade rosettes. This was hundreds of hours of work and I am totally in awe of the sweetness of the details and the love in this dress.

Here she is wearing the slip that goes under the dress, as well as the tiny slippers Grandma made (they fit perfectly!).

Jared did a wonderful job on the blessing. Millie is a lucky girl to have such a sensitive and loving father (and I kind of like him, too! ;). All in all it was a perfect day!

one month old! (and birth announcement photo shoot)

2011-02-25T16:52:00.002-07:00

Each month, I'd like to take Amelia's picture on this blanket to show her growth. Like my belly pictures, they'll probably be only okay as far as lighting and composition go, but at least we'll have that record! The following photos, taken a couple of weeks ago, do a little more justice to my "sweet little rose petal" as someone called her the other night. :)

Yep, I'm in heaven with this little girl. I wish I could bottle up the feeling of holding her close, smelling her angel smell, touching her soft skin, rubbing her downy hair against my cheek. It's just priceless. I love being a mother.

gratuitous baby picture post

2011-02-05T15:53:00.004-07:00

birth story: Amelia Sonnet

2011-02-05T14:53:00.002-07:00

I was so sure this girl would come early. I thought, since Kimball came earlier than Thomas did, things would trend the same way, that she would come more than five days early. So because we really wanted my mom to be there for the birth (she'd never been able to be there!) she flew all the way from Qatar a full nine days before my due date. The whole week before she arrived, I had contractions in the evenings, to the point where I had to lie down and drink water just so the babe wouldn't come before Mom got here. Success on that front! :) So you see why I thought she'd come early?

Well, we had a great time that first week Mom was here. We ate delicious food, we took the boys on fun outings, we went on long walks, we played Just Dance on the Wii, I got a pedicure and a haircut and delicious time to myself, and every day I thought, "This will be the day!" Each night, we watched movies or read books while I practically stared at my belly and willed it to contract. Looking back, the week was amazing and lovely, but every day I grew more frustrated and antsy that I had NO BABY! I'm convinced the Lord designed us women to get antsy and frustrated at the end sometimes just so there's some way we can look forward to the pain associated with labor.

So anyway, Friday came around and I resigned myself to trying to enjoy my time with my boys, my mom, and my sleep, such as it was. We went out for Thai lunch and then my mom kicked me out of the house to do something by myself. I got my haircut, thoroughly enjoying the time reading magazines, being shampooed, and listening to the stylist's ideas for inducing labor. That night, instead of sitting on the couch waiting for something to happen, we took the boys to a basketball game. We smiled at the troop of admiring teenage girls Kimball had collected by the end. We enjoyed our cuddly, affectionate Thomas. It was great.

Saturday morning, January 22nd, Kimball slept in until 7 (yes!) and I got up with him because Jared had been letting me sleep in every day he possibly could. I took a shower and puttered around the house, having little, irregular contractions that I forced myself not to get excited about. But at 8, they were suddenly 2-3 minutes apart and starting to actually hurt. I started writing them down while putting on my makeup and throwing a load of whites in the washer. Jared got the boys dressed and called some friends. We alerted the parents and Jared took the boys over to the friends' house (thank you, Scott and Sarah!). While he was gone, I called the nurse and when she learned how quickly Kimball had come, she told me to book it to the hospital right away. Jared got home, Mom arrived, and at around 9am we were off!

As we drove (and Jared tried not to curse the slow drivers we encountered), my contractions felt weaker, more spaced out, and I started to worry that they'd send us back home when we got to the hospital. It happens, you know! Our hospital is about 25 minutes away and you have to go to "The Starting Place," where they check and evaluate you before you can be checked in to a real labor room.

Well, I shouldn't have worried. I should have made them send me straight upstairs right away! I was dilated to a four, and they sort of leisurely went about putting in an IV and getting a wheelchair for me, la la la. So by the time I was upstairs and MORE than ready for my epidural, I was at a 7. What the nurse actually said was, "Well, we could call you a 7, an 8, a 9, whatever you want. We'll say you're a 7.5." They started the epidural process at 10:55 and it took FOREVER because I couldn't arch my back enough or something. But pretty much the moment it started to take effect and I settled in for a little relaxation, my water broke and my nurse said, "Okay, let's do a little pushing." I thought I had misheard her, but all of sudden there was an intern in all her baby-catching gear and the nurse was paging repeatedly for the resident doctor to come RIGHT NOW and they were telling me, "Okay, don't push, okay now push just a little, slow and steady, now stop, stop, okay ready, now push slowly, slowly, not so much, okay..." I felt almost nothing. Am I pushing? Is this for real? And before I could even process what was happening, there was a little wrinkled forehead, wide-open eyes, and a little purple body. I heard something about the cord being wrapped twice around her neck, but they just unwrapped it and she immediately cried out, stopped, then cried again. Then Jared was cutting the cord and they put her, my beautiful girl, on my stomach. We all cried in amazement and joy and I watched her change colors from purple to white, white to pink. I had started labor at 8am and she was delivered at 11:42am. Pretty quick. The doctor said, "Women like you are going to put me out of business!" Ha!

After a good long interval of wonderment and adoration, they took her and wrapped her up warm and cozy and then immediately returned her for her first meal. All the doctors and nurses left except one--she hadn't even been weighed or measured--and she nursed. It was amazing. Only when she was fed and I'd held her for a good long while did they come back and clean her and weigh her and do all those things they do to babies in the hospital. It was awesome.
Deciding on a name took us a little while. We had considered so many cool names, and we had favored a lot of boyish ones. But when I looked at her little face, I just knew she was Amelia.

We went home on Sunday afternoon. It was so nice to be in my own bed and in my own home with my little family close to me. My family that felt even more complete with tiny Amelia.
And this girl, wow, I love her. She has pretty little birthmarks, lovely long fingers and toes, luscious and expressive lips, and she has captured our hearts irrevocably. Her brothers dote on her, her daddy is wrapped around her little finger, and I don't mind at all being attached to her pretty much 24/7. She's my Millie. She's my girl.

40 weeks

2011-01-24T17:00:00.003-07:00

Yesterday I hit 40 weeks. This is the last picture we took of me--last week. Because on Saturday, 2 days before my due date, SHE WAS BORN!!

Amelia Sonnet
born 11:42am January 22nd
7 lbs.
19.5 inches

Oh, I was so impatient all week, but it was well worth the wait. Everything went so quickly and smoothly and we were home the next day. As soon as I can tear myself away from staring at her pretty face and trying on headbands, I'll write out the birth story. So happy!

38 weeks and still here!

2011-01-15T11:44:00.001-07:00

I'll be 39 weeks on Monday and Mom gets here tonight, so little girl, you're good to go! Anytime now! I'm about ready to be done moving at the pace of a sleepy snail...

36 weeks...

2010-12-28T14:55:00.002-07:00

...aka countdown time aka getting GINORMOUS!! All right, I am due on January 24th and I'd love to hear your guesses as to when this babe will make her appearance. Thomas came one day after his due date and Kimball came five days before his due date. SO...what do you think? We'll figure out some sort of prize for whoever guesses closest to the actual date of birth. Feel free to also guess weight, height, and time of day. Thomas was 6 lbs. 12 oz. and Kimball was 7 lbs. 9 oz. Good luck! :)

Christmas pictures!

2010-12-26T15:03:00.001-07:00

Okay, these are all out of order because Blogger is so silly, but here we go. Christmas morning! One of the two pictures we took of the boys opening presents. :)

Reading Santa's note and eating the special cereal he left--those reindeer sure liked the carrots!

I love Sierra's face! And I love that she likes the present we got her. :)

Going out to see the tree.

Christmas Eve coziness. (Ooh, I LOVE him.)Boys in woodland animal PJ's = sweet, sweet, sweet.

We love our new jammies! Yay!

Cuteness.

Merry Christmas!!

34 weeks and Christmasing!

2010-12-19T19:15:00.002-07:00

I realize this blog is pretty much the most boring reading ever, but what can I say? There are too many things to do! Like building a baby! I will be 35 weeks tomorrow, but here's last Monday's picture--34 weeks.
Monday was also the day we decorated our tree--our first real one ever! Ooooh, it smells so good! Thomas and Jared finished their semesters on Friday and I finished my YW Christmas lesson today (phew!) so we are now OFFICIALLY on Christmas break. Ah, it's delightful. Bring on Santa Claus!

32 weeks and a little chess player

2010-12-04T18:42:00.004-07:00

Aand I'm 32 weeks along. Really, almost 33. I am having a baby NEXT MONTH. Halleluiah! These boys are so excited. Thomas prays every single night that the baby will be born soon. So sweet. I hope his testimony isn't shattered by the fact that we still have many days to go. :)
In other news, Thomas had a big event today. He's been participating in his school's chess club this last semester and today was the district chess tournament. He was most definitely the smallest person there, but not the only one who cried. :)Really though, it was a fabulous experience for him and I learned a lot! For example, the sorts of parents who put their kids in chess club and attend the tournaments with them are often the kinds of parents I'm very interested to meet and learn from. So. Success.

26 weeks and 28 weeks

2010-11-01T15:34:00.003-06:00

Things seem to be moving rather quickly with this pregnancy all of a sudden!Two weeks ago I was 26 weeks along. And this is seriously the best maternity dress ever. I love it so much. There is a small pile of girly things accumulating in our closet, slowly but surely! I made these last week. It gives me such pleasure to pick out flowery fabrics, just for my little girl, and make them into warm blankets and burp cloths!

And today I'm 28 weeks! Hello, third trimester!

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-01T15:02:00.002-06:00

I let Thomas and Kimball decide on their costumes this year--ta daaa! my little scary skeleton and nice wolf
"Ooh, are you a werewolf?" "No, I'm a nice wolf."

ready for Trunk or Treat!

at the kindergarten party

and zooming through the parade!

Daddy even carved a skeleton and a wolf. It was a great holiday!

what a week!

2010-10-08T14:30:00.005-06:00

My little boy is five years old! How did this happen? Despite my mixed feelings about the fact that he is no longer a preschooler, we've had a great week of celebrating. He asked me a few weeks ago if he could have a surprise party. Well...I wasn't about to say YES then and there, but we did pull it off after all. :)
Can you see his little upturned hand? He was certainly surprised. After all (forty) of us yelled, "SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" he still thought it was someone else's party. :) What a little dear he is.
A notorious outlaw, Wild Bill, attempted to make off with the guests' loot bags, but he was caught by the mob and forced to give it all up. Turns out he's actually quite nice. :)
Aaaand as of Monday I am 24 weeks along. Hooray! And it turns out that throwing big parties sends me into a few hours of owie contractions the next day. No more throwing parties for me! We need this baby to cook for a long time yet!

On the actual birthday (Tuesday): his first day of chess club at school. He was so excited about this. Me: "So, did the teacher talk for a long time?" Thomas: "Actually, he was a Chess Master."

[Making a wish. Probably for rocket boots.]

The one thing he asked for (besides a surprise party) was a real watch with a timer and a light just like Dad's. He also prayed the night before his birthday that he would get a cake, even though he'd already had one for his birthday party. So easy to make this boy happy.

22 weeks! and thank you

2010-09-21T15:35:00.001-06:00

What a nice birthday I had. Thank you to my sweet family and to all of you kind friends who made me feel so loved! Now if only I wasn't so stinkin' old! :)

it's the most wonderful time of the year

2010-09-09T20:57:00.000-06:00

Ah, fall! It truly is my favorite season. And not just because I have a September birthday (in 11 days, but who's counting?). I have SO many reasons for loving this time of year:

Twenty weeks along! That's halfway! That baby girl is sure getting bigger and much more active! I can feel her kicking and squirming all day now! What fun. I'd better start sewing!

Speaking of bellies, we've had some good stuff in our bellies around here lately. It's the beginning of harvest season and boy am I a fan. I grew these carrots my very own self. And they were delicious!
This is some french bread from this book and YUM. It's not so much fun to bake in the heat of the summer, but watch out now because my baking is ON. This bread goes really well with a dinner of carrots, chopped veggies, beet hummus, olive oil for dipping, corn on the cob, and watermelon. Also amazing with swiss cheese fondue. Anyway, I need to buy the book because I'll probably make this dough often!

He likes it, oh yes. See the cucumbers below? I grew those, too.

And don't forget the peach cobbler--Palisade peaches, oh my. We got a box of them and ate peaches and cream, peach salsa on chicken, peach dessert, peaches with everything. And I still put up four bags of frozen peaches for smoothies and pies in the winter. Hooray! Peaches are my favorite.
And here's my little pumpkin. Isn't he sweet? We picked two others this week--the giant one is still dark green, but it's going to be a monster.
Also in the works here: cantaloupe and watermelon popsicles aplenty, Thomas loving kindergarten with a passion, some actual guitar practice on my part, and a lot of loving of my dear, hard-working husband. Oh he is a good man.

Doin' a little dance over here

2010-08-27T16:23:00.001-06:00

When we got married, we registered for these awesome blue dishes that we loved. We got two sets and they served us well for more than six years. But last month, down to five dinner plates and being in the vicinity of an Ikea (ahhh, Ikea) we treated ourselves to a new set of classy, sleek white dishes. OH I'm so happy. Every day I smile at the nice contrast between my gray table and the white dishes, and at the pretty way food looks against stark white. Is it strange that I dreamed of this purchase for at least a year before it actually happened?
Probably not, since dear Bethany has been gifting me with lovely serving dishes such as this cake plate for the last year or two just because she knew I wanted white dishes. Good motivation, no? I love her.

my little garden

2010-08-24T08:05:00.000-06:00

After I read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle earlier this year, I was determined to find a place to try growing some delicious, fresh food. Luckily for me, a friend was willing to share her patch at the community garden. I realized that since growing a cup of grass in kindergarten, I had never actually planted something and seen it grow. Deep down I was skeptical that the whole thing would actually work for regular, non-gardening people like me. But I really really really wanted to try it. WELL. Guess what, seeds really do grow into plants.

See? A cucumber! Do you want some? I have five or six in my fridge.

My lonely cantaloupe. Doesn't it look tasty?

My giant pumpkin! These are truly unbelievable. With everything I planted, I always planted two when it said to plant one, because what if one didn't work? Well, no need to worry about pumpkins. We have four or five giants growing from vines that will eventually cover the whole earth, and blossoms promising even more jack-o-lanterns and pumpkin pie! And marigolds, wow. What rewarding little seeds. And these babies will hopefully keep the bugs away from les pieces de resistance...
...tomatoes! This is not a good picture, but after two months of certainty that my tomatoes were all going to die, I have four very happy plants with ten or twelve lovely little green tomatoes. Skimpy plants compared with Jared's grandmother's six-foot wonders, but I am SO proud that I didn't kill them all. It turns out that even if you think they're going to die, have faith and put a cage around them anyway. They just need you to believe. And now I do.

I may have cried just a little...

2010-08-21T16:03:00.000-06:00

It has happened! My boy is a kindergartner. It blows my mind, since I very clearly remembering giving birth to him and I certainly haven't had him all to myself long enough!But really, he's ready as ready can be. The first day, he didn't jump up and down with excitement (though he'd spent the entire week before asking how many days until kindergarten) and he didn't act nervous; he was cool as a cucumber walking to school, standing in line, turning and waving one last time. Much cooler than I felt.Kimball was certain he was going to kindergarten, too. Not a good surprise to learn that he has to be five first.

Just one more hug, please? As he walked in, Kimball wanted to say bye one more time so we ran up to the door and Kimball said, "Bye, Thomas! Have a good day!" Then we turned and walked away. I could see Jared studying my face, and when he hugged me and asked if I was okay, the tears definitely came. And that's bad news when I'm so hormonal, because it takes a while to stop after that!

But clearly, we couldn't have imagined a nicer, more competent and loving teacher for Thomas's first year. She's amazing. I want to be in her class. Hooray for excellent teachers!

12, 14, 16 weeks

2010-08-10T16:20:00.000-06:00

Oh, and it's a GIRL!!!

summer is for...

2010-07-11T21:30:00.000-06:00

lazy afternoons,

and rainy ones,

meeting sweet angel darling baby nieces, whistling with bike helmets,

reading and more reading, especially with our hero Dad,reading in underoos is even better,beingextremelysillywith girls I love and click with so so well,

growing (and documenting) a special little belly (6 weeks)(8 weeks) being so happy* together!

*This happiness brought to you by my dear, patient, loving, faithful spouse, who cooks excellent dinners, gives wonderful massages, is such a superdad, and generally indulges my every first-trimester whim without a hint of complaint. Every award there is: it's yours, love.

it's been so long...what can I say?

2010-05-18T10:07:00.000-06:00

Presenting....

the past month and a half or so in pictures.Fun walks with fun friends,
mission reunion with some old friends,

Easter with new outfits (thank you Grandma Adie!),

some beginning piano lessons,

a successful trial run day at kindergarten,

some relaxing with books,

reuniting with family to say goodbye to our dear Grandpa Tom,

and a "surprise" visit with Grandma Dianna! Hooray!

It has been a busy whirlwind of activity around here, but this is Jared's last week of school (hip hip hooray!) so maybe I'll actually get to drop in around here a little more often. (Crossing my fingers.)

Yay for summer vacation!

spring break: Disneyland!

2010-03-30T16:15:00.001-06:00

Warning: Tons and tons of pictures ahead. Do not proceed unless you are prepared to scroll.
Disclaimer: It is apparent that I really really really need a haircut. I'm just saying.Our first ride, Kimball's favorite ride: the parking tram!We're excited to ride Peter Pan!Kimball spotted Mickey and yelled, "I see Mickey! It's Mickey Mouse!" So we chased him down. Kimball's only regret from Disneyland is that he didn't shake Mickey's hand. :) But we were very surprised that he actually cared about Mickey! He's been talking about this moment ever since. Newport Beach: is it just me, or does beach and ocean make the best backdrop for attractive human subjects? I adore these boys.

The "water pops." We spent our last hour of Disney getting soaked in the Bug's Life sprinklers. Awesome.

Aunt Beth and Aunt Karen joined us for a few hours of fun on Friday. Totally awesome aunts!

"I'm gonna touch Mickey's tummy!"

Ice cream. Mmmmmmm.

Thomas's favorite ride: the Matterhorn. He went on it three times. On his second time with me, he said he would protect me, but that I didn't need to protect him because he was brave. He laughed so hard through the whole ride.

Kimball, on the other hand, got pretty scared on a few rides. It turns out spinning and falling are not his favorite. Luckily, he just gets super cuddly when he's scared. :)

This was Kimball's second favorite ride: Heimlich's Chew Chew Train. Slow train, giant foods, just his style.

The look on Thomas's face was worth the whole 15-hour drive!

Jared's kind Aunt Margarette and cousin Bryn watched the boys one night so we could enjoy Disney grown-up style. We LOVED California Screamin'.

Dancing at the parade!

Our family cheer.

SO HAPPY!

"I see Tigger!"

Yep, it was an awesome trip. The boys were never grouchy until we left, we didn't overdo it, and we enjoyed every single minute. Disney was good when I was little, but it's even better watching my little guys experience it for the first time.

music I now love: Regina Spektor

2010-03-10T08:18:00.000-07:00

We watched 500 Days of Summer a few weeks ago and I kept thinking, "Wow, I love this song." I jumped online and found out that all the songs I loved were Regina Spektor. Oh, the piano! I can't say I love every song of hers, but here are a couple great ones:

white bedroom

2010-03-08T07:42:00.000-07:00

I've been working on redecorating a few areas of our little home--such fun! I think if I had my way, I would start with white everything and gradually add in beautiful pops of color. I loooove white. Have we established this already? So our bedroom makeover started with some snowy white bedding from Ikea. Mmm, soothing. If you don't believe me, ask Mr. Thomas:

More peeks at the makeover soon--I need to hang our upholstered headboard. In the meantime, some white inspiration: here, here, and here.

happy birthday to my little guy

2010-03-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Kimball,

Today you turn two years old. It's hard to believe that you've been here for only two years, because you seem like a permanent, forever part of our family, forward and backward. Also because you seem to have more years in your discerning brown eyes than both us parents put together.

Yesterday you told me you're not a baby and I nearly cried. Luckily, you still like me to cuddle you in your towel for a long time after your bath and you still ask me to hold you when you feel hurt or sad.

I love you, Kimball. You make me laugh every day with your complex little ideas and sentences and funny questions. I like it when you ask me, "Where's Mommy?" like you know it's the funniest joke. I like that you like to have lotion on your hands and chapstick on your lips. I like that you hop-skip or run everywhere you go on your little journeys. I like that you want to do everything "by myself." I like that you ask for hugs and kisses. I like that naughty streak in you that can't help but see what everything looks like dumped, torn, broken, or thrown. I like that you want a green cake for yourself, but also a blue cake for Thomas, a red cake for Daddy, and a yellow cake for me. And I like that all you want for your birthday is frosting.

I'm glad you were born, sweet (not a) baby boy. I love you.

Love,
Mommy

P.S. Thanks for letting me take pictures of you the other day. You are SO fast and busy, but luckily I can actually see your face in a small percentage of the photos.

feels like spring!

2010-03-03T13:42:00.001-07:00

the past three and a half months

2010-02-17T14:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, here goes:

November:

Jared turned thirty and was celebrated in style: friends, family, football, buffalo wings. Oh yeah.
Rearranged the furniture.
Thanksgiving! What a great holiday.
Ward boundaries were realigned: whole new ward. Called to be the Young Women president. Hello!

December:

Gave up on my quest to make everyone's Christmas presents. Why didn't I do this earlier? I heart Amazon. Still, I did finish a few good handmade presents.
Sang in the Nativity again. So fun!
Went to SO many Christmas events.
Finished our first semester of Joy School. Phew!
Traveled to Utah and reveled in family togetherness. Found out I'm going to be an aunt again! Hooray!
Kimball started speaking in sentences all of a sudden. Communicating is so exciting!
Visited Ikea for the first time: love at first TEKLA.

January:

New Year's resolutions! New journal! Yipee!
Branched off to make a smaller Joy School group. Decided not to do Joy School next year. :)
Started redecorating our bedroom. SOO fun! More on this later.
Painted the kitchen table dark gray. Loved it.
Rearranged the furniture again.
Fell in love with Home Depot!

February:

Had lunch with friends from BYU days. Felt nostalgic about Provo.
Celebrated Love Day with SO much good food and excellent family.
Contemplating pulling out the 30-Day Shred once more.
Who knows what other adventures will happen this month...

Those are the highlights! Consider yourself up to speed with us.

FAQ

2010-02-16T13:41:00.003-07:00

Hello, dear friends! I've missed you.

And now, some FAQ:

Q. Are you ever going to come back to blogging?

A. Yes.

Q. Are you pregnant? Is that why you're not blogging?

A. No and no. You would know if I were pregnant because I'm horrible at keeping secrets!

Q. When will you start blogging again?

A. Um, right now.

Q. But aren't you still busy? Isn't your blog one of those superfluous things in your life that will only cause you more stress? (This question was submitted by me, frequently.)

A. Yes, probably. So no promises about regularity of posts. But I just want to blog, so I'll blog. Plus I'm succumbing to peer pressure.

Q. What have you been up to for the last three and a half months?

A. Yikes, too much for one post. Maybe I'll do a little recap post...later.

And so I'm back. I think. :)

happy

2009-11-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

Today I wrote this in my journal:

"I feel happy right now. I feel happy to be at home with my family, to be focusing on my daily tasks and the huge, juicy stack of library books always waiting for me. I feel fulfilled by the company of my sweet husband, friends, and neighbors. I feel my testimony and my commitment to Jesus Christ growing steadily. These are such great blessings."

Things have been steadily dropping out of my life recently. I've been letting them fall like crisp, light leaves off a tree. It started a month or two ago when I cleaned out my ridiculously cluttered Google Reader. Not actual clutter, just mental clutter. I used to leave it on screen all day and stop every time I passed so I could read the new stuff. I pared it down from around 70 to around 30. Now I just go to those other (crafty, designy, post every day, make-you-want-to-buy-stuff) blogs if I have time and the inkling to do so.

Then our DTV box broke. Wow, that was awesome. It actually still works once in a while (oddly enough, when very important sporting events are on), but for the most part, even Glee and SYTYCD and the Office are no longer a part of our evening routine. We spend a lot of time cuddled up on the couch with our books. I finished the Lord of the Rings trilogy in a week and a half. Seriously, I wish I had had the courage to give up TV earlier. I like it.

And then somehow I stopped blogging. It was always sort of a guilty pleasure for me--I LOVED reading nice comments, I loved creating something pretty for the whole world to see. But now as my priorities are unusually clear and well-aligned, blogging is not so important to me. There are SO many other good things clamoring for my time and attention (number one, two, and three being my sweet man and boys) and I feel so happy to focus on them for a while. It's a little sad for me and, I'm sure, fleeting, but for now I am content to read your darling and amazing blogs while keeping my words to my own little journal.

But because I have learned that my projects and passions change frequently and dramatically, this is definitely not bye bye blog. Goodness, no! How dramatic it would be, though: "Farewell, dear friends...I shall never return...my priorities have changed...it's not you, it's me..." But really, let's just call this a blogging break. It might be long and I might be back tomorrow. But it will probably be long-ish.

The good news is, I just set up a Flickr account--quick uploads, not too time consuming. So those of you who are interested in seeing pictures (Mom, Adrienne) can go here for (ideally) regular photo updates.

See you later, alligators.

what's happening now

2009-10-29T18:54:00.000-06:00

Dressing up: Optimus Prime and the little dragon who was supposed to be a tiger but insisted on last year's almost-too-small costume. Hopefully Halloween will be different.More dressing up: we had a BLAST out in the snow today. Daddy even joined us because school was cancelled today. The snow was deep and powdery and we got totally covered. Hello, winter!

See? Deep and powdery. Wouldn't want to be under that ledge when the snow falls off.

four years old

2009-10-07T15:20:00.002-06:00

Wow, I can't believe my little boy is four! It goes so fast. His birthday on Monday came at the end of a long weekend of sickness for all of us but Jared, so it was definitely a laid back celebration. But all the essential components were there: his favorite spaghetti dinner, a happy recounting of the day he was born,

the robot cake (requested months ago),

presents (this sketchbook has at least ten drawings in it already, the funny pillowish thing is a robot I made for him),
decorations,

and a very big moment: his very first library card. If you click on the picture, maybe you can make out his sweet writing. Wow, I am so proud.

I sure love my Thomas. He is thoughtful, kind, super smart, and I'm SO blessed to be his mother.

yes yes yes

2009-09-23T13:09:00.002-06:00

image from here

Oh, how I aspire to have the most relaxing Christmas ever! Inspired by this post and the accompanying printables, I'm making a list and checking it twice, buying supplies, and generally feeling the Christmas spirit. In September!

And really, did you know there are only 13 weeks until Christmas? It's practically upon us!

I win again!

2009-09-22T07:16:00.000-06:00

Wow, I have had such good luck this month! The ever-so-nice Sam Hirst of Inklore hosted a giveaway and I won! The three darling tea towels I chose arrived on Saturday. I think they will look so nice in my kitchen. Thank you, Sam!

guess what I got for my birthday?

2009-09-21T11:13:00.001-06:00

I know you're just dying to find out. :) Don't scroll down too quickly unless you want to ruin the suspense.

A couple of months ago, Jared bought me Wicked tickets for my birthday. YES! I love Wicked! So of course I said he needn't get me anything else, but he insisted on getting me something small so I could have a present to open on my birthday. Well, okay. :)

A couple of weeks ago he brought home a little box and wrapped it. It sat on my piano, beckoning to me, for many many days. Jared acted so excited, but then always assured me that it wasn't that great, so don't get my hopes up.

Yesterday morning, Jared got up with the baby at 6:30 and I turned over and stretched luxuriously, ready for a fantastic birthday sleep-in (which I had practiced for the morning before, thanks dear). But two seconds later, he jumped back into bed and whispered, "You know how I said your present wasn't that great? I was lying. I'm going to wake Thomas up."

I was awake. Thomas wandered in a couple minutes later. "What do you want to say to Mom?" Thomas rubbed his eyes. "Thank you."

We went to the kitchen and I finally got to open the mysterious package (please ignore the ugliness on my part). Inside was...a bunch of packing material! And a tiny package containing triangular pieces of plastic. Hmmm... Jared said, "Oh, that's the wrong box! Let me go get the right one." And somewhere between the time he said that and the time he came back with the right box, I figured out what the little plastic triangles were.

They were guitar picks.

I am SO happy! What a perfect day. Many thanks to my darling husband and to all the lovely people who made me feel like royalty all day long.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2009-09-21T10:48:00.002-06:00

I'm so happy that my power finally came back on this morning so I could post this great picture! Mom posted this on facebook yesterday for my birthday. Isn't she beautiful? Aren't I cute? She's such a great mom and we have so many happy memories together. And she's on her way to London today! She so deserves it!

I love you, Mom! Thank you for being born!

my first polaroid

2009-09-18T13:54:00.002-06:00

What fun! Instant photo gratification! Our morning walk preserved for posterity. Hmm, what shall I use my few precious remaining shots on? And now it's time to do a little birthday weekending. Bring on the cake!

the big secret event revealed

2009-09-14T13:34:00.000-06:00

disclaimers:
I promise I know how to sing on key.
I promise there were lots of adults in attendance (you'll see what I mean).
Yes, those are my new boots (see, Janssen? happy birthday).

And now, for your viewing enjoyment (because it's certainly not for mine):

living room furniture: before and after

2009-09-11T08:05:00.002-06:00

before:after:
We love them! It's all very brown, like a nice, clean palette all ready for some punches of color. Throw pillows, anyone? :)

something soft for someone sweet

2009-09-09T12:41:00.002-06:00

Last week some friends of ours had a house fire. They lost basically the whole top floor of their house, including all their clothes and shoes and furniture and toys. They have two little girls who are close in age to my two boys. And yes, their insurance will cover all their losses (at least financially), but when we got an invitation to their baby Kathleen's 1st birthday party, I started salivating over all the soft, pink sewing possibilities. Girls are just so fun to sew for! So here are Kathleen's quilt and matching cuddle bear. I've had that little rose-patterned cotton for so long and I've been waiting for just the right project to use it on because I LOVE it. So it became binding and the little bear's back side.

I felt so awesome as I was sewing the binding on the little quilt: "Look at me, look at me, I don't even have to get out my sewing book to remember how to do mitered corners!" But oh yeah, I sewed them totally wrong. Had to unpick them and everything. But eventually it turned out very nicely, I think.

lent

2009-09-08T14:45:00.000-06:00

Can I celebrate Lent if I'm Mormon? And if it's September? Well, no, but still. Lent, or un-Lent, is what I'm calling it: this week is my un-Lent (like un-birthday, you know).

Last week was decadent. We bought a couch and chair (pictures coming soon), I ate dessert after every meal (yes!), I spent a lot of time browsing the internet for fun (oh wow, there's so much!), I ordered a bunch of stuff for Christmas making, and to top it all off I went to Ross and treated myself to the boots I've been dreaming of ($18!). It was lovely, really lovely. And I felt a little bit guilty. I probably gained some weight. I definitely felt spendy and I definitely felt sort of selfish. I don't NEED new furniture, boots, bloggy ideas about fashion and crafting. It was a splurgy week.

So now it's time to tone it down. Trim the fat. I'm off dessert this week. I'm off buying non-essentials this week. And I'm off hours and hours of Internet. My "weight-loss" plan for success includes teaching six little kids plus Kimball, practicing for the event this Saturday that will be revealed if I don't totally stink it up, coaching some teenage volleyball (yes, me, I know), some really fun sewing projects (coming soon on this blog), and frequently calling my husband at work. Really, I shouldn't even have time for anything else.

Except I could really use a cookie or twelve right now...

a place to sit

2009-09-04T07:04:00.000-06:00

Shopping for a new couch has been super fun. Jared and I are really different in our preferences and styles, so it will take us a while to find THE couch. After lots and lots of research, here are some couches that would make us very happy, though I think we'd go for a bit darker upholstery. (from Z Gallerie, Crate & Barrel, Crate & Barrel)

Also, we'd appreciate a couch for about half (or a third, or a fifth) the price of these, as I'd much prefer to invest $1000 in appreciable assets rather than a couch I could possible hate in a few years. *sigh*

oh boy!

2009-09-03T10:52:00.002-06:00

It's a big week for Mr. Thomas! He's a preschooler now! We're doing Joy School, which means that I get the seven small people in my house on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the next three weeks. How exciting! I'm a little nervous about it, considering that I'm never quite sure what to do with other peoples' kids, but every single minute is planned out for me, including discipline strategies and transitions. What could go wrong, right? And really, you can't beat the price and you can't beat the really good feeling of preschooling that is so aligned with my family values.
Plus, he really just likes it. That's extra good.

I win I win!

2009-09-02T08:42:00.000-06:00

And speaking of Polaroids, looky what happened yesterday! I am so so lucky!

"polaroids"

2009-09-02T07:53:00.001-06:00

I've been playing with some photos using rollip.com (found via her) and I just love the old polaroid look!Here's the original photo.
And here it is after. Cool, no?

I think they look so summery and nostalgic.

happy september

2009-09-01T07:49:00.000-06:00

this lovely boot from here

Ooh, it's finally my favorite month of the year! My windows are open, the morning breeze is cooling my little home, and I'm feeling just a bit fall-ish. Nevermind that it will hit 90 degrees here today. Time for tights! Boots! New jeans! Plaid! Maybe even a scarf, in a few weeks of course. I just love the leafy smell, the anticipation of my birthday, the school buses rolling along the street. Makes me glad to be married to a teacher so that my life can continue to revolve around the school year: a new semester, a fresh start, every few months of the year.

Things here are so great. We sold our couch and chair (good riddance, Southwestern fabric) in one day on Craigslist and so we're now happily shopping for our birthday/Christmas presents in the form of a couch and chair. I'm getting ready to make a very large fool of myself at a ward party coming up, and the crafting for birthday season and Christmas has begun. No, I will not be buying those gorgeous boots pictured above, but I do like to fall asleep at night imagining the very cute outfits I could create if I had them. Hurrah for September!

school's in

2009-08-18T19:49:00.001-06:00

let us eat pie.

mmmm :)

home again, home again, jiggety jig

2009-08-17T13:30:00.000-06:00

Jared pulled the realtor's sign out of our front window last night. Today I'm walking around the condo, unsticking the little signs that say, "Special Feature: New Bath Countertops" and "Pet Free." I'm thinking about paint chips and fabric swatches again.

We had an offer last week. We rejected it. We're staying here.

Do I seem sad? I'm a little sad. I never like to fail at something I set out to accomplish. When we listed our little home, interest rates were incredibly low, everybody and their dog was planting a garden, and I needed NEEDED a yard and and some more storage space. I was so sure we'd have good offers within a week or two because, you know, things usually go our way. I entertained the possibility of being "on the market" for a few months, but that was just a remote and awful possibility.

The showings began. We neglected our friends for the sake of keeping things clean, we transformed into neat freaks, we ate lots of picnics. It wasn't hard, it was just annoying. And every showing, or absence thereof, was an emotional rollercoaster. Will they like it? Why aren't they coming to see it? What if we do sell? What if we don't? What if we don't find a house? And, most of all, WHEN will life be back to normal?

And every time we came home after a showing, the house looking and smelling so fresh and clean, I remembered how much I truly loved being here.

About halfway through the summer, Jared heard some advice about never taking on a home loan that was more than three times your income. Apparently this is pretty standard, common sense stuff--that we had never heard before! We were looking at properties that would have put us in debt for between five and six times our annual income.

So we shifted our plan a bit. We would sell our condo and then rent a little house (with a yard!) for about the same monthly payment. In the meantime, we would set aside all that extra money for a bigger mortgage and invest it so we could buy a really great house in five or ten years, maybe even without a mortgage. (Can you imagine?!)

We also thought about just buying a much cheaper house so we could still get the tax deductions, but then we would have had to sell it again in ten or fifteen years and I NEVER wanted to go through readying a house and showing it again. Still, both plans were good.

We could also just stay here, still get the tax deductions, invest our savings, and have zero extra bills. I mean, there's really no reason why we HAD to move this summer, especially when the interest rates were no longer amazing.

And then the new mall, just across the street from our complex, started opening up. The library is now a four minute walk away, and just outside the library is a Gateway-style fountain, made for kids to run through and be entertained on hot summer days. Soon there will be a movie theater, a bunch of restaurants, fun shopping, and a little playground, all just across the street. I knew it would be fun, but it's, like, really really fun. We were over there every single day last week.

So then the offer came. As soon as we finished with our realtor, we knew it was time to unlist ourselves, to put our roots back down for a while. I felt a tiny twinge of wistful regret when I thought about a lawn, a garden, dirt for boys to dig in, our very own snow in the winter. But really the overwhelming feeling was peace. I'm so happy to be done (for now) with showings, I'm so happy the uncertainty is over, I'm so happy to be keeping our ward and neighbors, and I'm so happy to be building a very strong financial foundation for our family. So happy to be in the Lord's hands.

A house can wait. We're truly happy right now, right here, at home.

Uncle Ben's motorcycle

2009-08-01T07:30:00.000-06:00

His last time on a motorcycle if I have anything to say about it. :)

Kaua'i!

2009-07-31T08:27:00.000-06:00

Seven nights in paradise, oh my. Here are some of my favorite parts...

This little crab at Lydgate State Park says, "Welcome to Hawai'i. I am a crab."Lava rocks and gorgeous waves...and a really handsome guy.The sacred Wailua River Valley from the site of an ancient heiau, or temple, made of rocks hauled up from the river. Catchin' some waves. So fun. Except for when I got rocked by waves that flipped me pounded my forehead into the sand. Wipeout! It happens.

The most beautiful waterfall I have ever seen: Wailua Falls, 180 ft. They say ancient Hawaiians had to jump off of it to prove their manhood. Ouch.
Secret Beach: pristine white sand edged by tall, green-covered rocks and little waterfalls spouting from the cliffs. Wow. And we had it all to ourselves. We snorkeled for a good long time here.

Probably our favorite activity: a catamaran cruise to see the Na Pali coast, which is amazing and inaccesible by car. Also kissing, another highlight of the trip. :)Spinner dolphins! We saw 136 of them, according to our captain. They loved following the boat and showing off their jumps. We also saw a few giant sea turtles, flying fish, and some beautifully bright-colored fish while we snorkeled off the boat. Oh, the water was so BLUE and clear, you could see to the bottom from the deck most of the time.
Sampling the local cuisine: saimin, which tastes exactly like ramen. :)
The luau on our last night. So fun.

Other highlights:

taking our tiny compact rental car up the jungly mountain on a muddy, rocky road for quite the adventure
having soft skin and effortless curls the entire time (except for when I tried straightening--that was a mistake)
getting completely rested
hearing wild roosters cock-a-doodle-doo every two minutes, so funny
snorkeling at Tunnels Beach, where we swam with at least thirty different kinds of beautiful fish
being able to wake up at our leisure, read for a while, then turn to each other and say, "What shall we do today?"
falling in love with my honey all over again

What a huge blessing that we were able to go. I've been wanting to see Hawai'i since I was five years old and my uncle sent me a postcard from the big island. It was a dream come true, everything I thought it would be and more. We're so thankful to all the people who made it possible.

Aloha!

hellooooooo!

2009-07-24T22:37:00.002-06:00

got in this morning, tears in my eyes when we saw our boys. love 'em.

my parents and Jared's parents are the best parents ever ever ever.

feeling energized and relaxed and even *gasp* a little teeny bit tan. have lots of good pictures to share...later.

98 emails and 198 items in my google reader. just finished 'em off. yeah!

tomorrow we're going to cabin it up with my family. bring on the jet skis!!

I love summer...

did I mention...

2009-07-16T16:03:00.000-06:00

...that right now I'm in an airplane somewhere over the Pacific Ocean? My babies are in good hands, my for-sale home is in good hands, and my dear husband and I are celebrating five glorious years of marriage. In Kauai. Oh my, how am I so lucky?

Signing off for a few days...

lots of love to you all,
Kristy

more freezer paper love

2009-07-15T22:03:00.000-06:00

I've been trying out some new paint application techniques...

Here's one for me:And this one for my artist brother on his birthday, from this design he drew: He drew the original with ink, so there was this cool, sort of scribbled effect inside the shapes. I tried to recreate that with a small paintbrush and I'm pleased with how it turned out.

Happy 23rd, little brother!

strawberry celebration

2009-07-14T06:28:00.000-06:00

Friday, I declared, was Strawberry Day. And what, you may ask, can you do with eight pounds of beautiful strawberries bought on sale?You can make them look quite lovely in a bowl,

you can smash them up with sugar and pectin to make oh-so-much-better-for-you-than-storebought-jam freezer jam,

you can smash them in your hands to make the to-die-for frosting from this recipe, which you will then spread on everything in sight,

and THEN you'll still have enough for a huge strawberry-spinach salad with dinner AND strawberries on your cereal for the next few days.

I heart strawberries.

for Natalie

2009-07-14T06:15:00.000-06:00

no slouching

stop that, you
human
look up
stand up
be what you are.
curvy backs and downcast
eyes, no
I can’t recognize you.
check the sky,
check the faces of the other
humans:
you can see, yourself,
how sad
a floppy stance.
set down your book,
you,
make a story
for your grandchildren
to tell
their grandchildren.
who is that woman
in the park?
do you know
the color of the tree
outside your window?
write a poem.
write a letter
with a pen,
on a blanket on the grass
in the sun.
or at least
open your window
and your eyes
and sit up tall.

Jeannette's poem

2009-07-13T13:27:00.000-06:00

landscape

this mountain you stand on, live on,
will never meet the ocean.
and nor will you
unless
your feet unplant,
uproot.

guess how many steps
from the mountain
to the beach:
too many.

you choose,
you must,
where your allegiances lie.

in the salty noise and motion
or on the new, regal rocks.

good mail day

2009-07-12T20:12:00.000-06:00

I smiled all the way back from the mailbox:
my first order from Etsy, certainly not the last
my lovely winnings from this giveaway, first blog win EVER!
a darling, heartfelt card from a dear friend
a FREE magazine (who cares if it's fluffy? and a little useless?)

I know the Internet is all awesome and stuff, but I do love me some good snail mail.

for Marcell and Dad!

2009-07-07T17:06:00.002-06:00

at the park

he points at them:
woof, woof, woof
walking in a fast, wobbly line
to pat, pat their low heads, their backs
in that imprecise baby way
and follow them, on his knees,
under the park bench
the shadows in stripes on their bodies.
miniature bites on miniature fingers:
oooh
he falls back, but puppies doing puppy things
pull him in, smiling, like a magnet,
the tiny teeth forgotten or unimportant.

Sherry's

2009-07-07T17:04:00.000-06:00

just one shower a day

air,
conditioned,
is cool and sweet,
just right for living in.

when the air is hot
and baked,
sweat curls the pages of your novel,
the hair on your neck,
salad replaces dinner,
everyone’s red, sticky, loose.

no need to experience the true,
heavy summertime drama.
no longer wilted and sluggish,
we breathe the cool, clean air,
our palms dry.

a short one for Bethany

2009-07-07T16:54:00.000-06:00

peonies

fairies wielding sharp scissors,
cutting without a pattern,
make ruffly, lacy creatures:
carefully unkempt;
strategically wild gardens
made for bunching in a big vase
to fill the kitchen
with a sweet and yeasty aroma

as I skip off to the library with my notebook:

2009-06-30T10:00:00.001-06:00

" ...Writing is a kind of double living. The writer experiences everything twice. Once in reality and once in that mirror which waits always before or behind."

~Catherine Drinker Bowen

yep, that's me!

2009-06-29T07:15:00.001-06:00

I was #4! Can you tell whether or not I'm smiling?

If you're wondering how it feels to be swathed in yards and yards of swishy, black fabric, I'll tell you: it feels a little stifling and a little like being a ninja.

The abaya (the dress/robe part, right Mom?) wasn't so bad, and because the sleeves were so long, I wouldn't even have to wear gloves to cover my hands. Yay! The shayla (head scarf) is not the worst thing either, except it would be hard to keep in place all day. It kept falling off my shoulder, off my head, slipping every which way.

The mask (hijab?), on the other hand, was very difficult to wear, not only physically, but emotionally. My hot breath was trapped close to my face, making me feel instantly claustrophobic and sticky. I realized how much I use my face to communicate and portray emotion, as my various reactions to the garb felt very private under all that black. I felt cut off from the world under there, limited in my movement and my connection to others.

That being said, I have a new-found respect for the women who choose to wear that every day. As a woman who chooses to wear a religious garment that to others might seem extreme, I sympathize with these very devout Muslim women. I'm also very impressed that they can keep it all arranged correctly AND complete their daily activities at the same time! Wow.

Thanks for the very educational experience, Mom! Sorry to you or any Muslim readers if I named things incorrectly.

can you pick me out?

2009-06-27T14:39:00.002-06:00

Go check out this post about Muslim women's attire and see if you can tell which one I am! Fifty points and ten gold stars if you get it right.

two poems for Alicia

2009-06-27T14:29:00.002-06:00

stretch pants

like
a dinosaur
like a duck or
a balloon
she rolls,
slow and waterlogged
so as not to jostle.
[she can’t lace her laces]
like a painting by Dalí,
melting larger and larger and
it’s pickles, pickles all day and
ice cream all night for her,
[yes,crisp and floating gently in their mossy jar,
slopping from bowl to spoon,
soft and cold in her swollen mouth]
like a hammock,
holding and rocking
and ready to split ropes
under the weight.

....................................................................................

Temple of Isis

(do you know
why I carry you
so?)

I make you:
you
not just a
symphony,
sculpture,
fortune,
garden,
masterpiece
because I summon you
from nothing
without hands
and I cause you,
miracle,
to happen.

I watch the news and you have fingers.
I read my novel and you can kick your legs.

Who is so powerful as me?

I sleep,
naturally gifted,
without books
or a doctorate,
and water rushes and you are finished,
born,
a person:
entire,
whole.

Oh, am I strong then.
Who is so powerful as me?

(because I will see
your face)

...............................................................................................

[Alicia will be giving birth to a baby girl at any moment! She asked for two poems about pregnancy: one funny, one touching (no pressure) and I thought I'd better deliver before she does...]

freezer paper stencils

2009-06-24T06:48:00.000-06:00

I am so HAPPY that I finally tried this craft! I read about it first on Soulemama more than a year ago, and then it seemed to pop up everywhere for a while. Everything I read said it was addicting, but I just didn't get it together and actually try it. So then I saw it on whipup again last month. Hey, I already had the fabric paint, and HEY, freezer paper really is right next to the aluminum foil at the grocery store. Easy!

I tried it first with my girls Emily and Alicia. We used shirts we already had and some cheapies from Forever 21. There are plenty of stencils here (and I did end up using the robot for Kimball's onesie and a tree on one of my shirts) but we wanted to be all artsy and original so we designed our own stencils, too.

This is our process:

1. Think of a great idea. Emily and Alicia pulled darling designs out of their genius brains, I flipped through a Martha magazine and found a luscious rose to make into a stencil.

2. Trace your stencil onto the non-waxy side of the freezer paper and cut it out with an X-acto knife. Make sure you leave plenty of paper around the stencil so your paint stays where you want it to.

3. Iron the stencil onto your fabric, waxy side down, making sure all the little edges are securely stuck to the fabric.
4. Put some newspaper or cardboard under your fabric (we put ours inside our shirts) to catch any bleeding paint, then dab the paint on with a sponge brush. You can make it splotchy or solid, dark or light.

5. Let it dry for a few hours (set it with an iron if your paint needs that) and then peel the stencil off. It's so hard to wait! But so rewarding.Ta daa! This picture does not do justice to the awesomeness. It really looks like screen printing. I just did some more this weekend with Sierra--I made a Gatsby shirt for Jared and she used the sweet robot on a T-shirt--and I'm in danger of freezer papering every textile in sight. It really is addicting. Hooray for bonding through crafts!

(and thanks for the pictures, Alicia!)

this is for Grandma D

2009-06-23T21:47:00.003-06:00

who comments on my blog over the phone, which thrills me to no end. She said:

"My friend Becky swims everyday to get fit--I'd love a poem for her."

regime

like dancing
parallel to the ground,
she pushes the water away
to slide forward, forward,
breathing in rhythm,
in pulse with the beat
of her thumping heart.
each stroke is survival,
measured and streaming
through the deep
that would pull her down, down
were she not so strong.
she beats on the blue,
hands drumming the surface,
feet kicking percussive:
she lives, she lives.

house hunt: trip three

2009-06-22T15:14:00.005-06:00

Oh me oh my, we're really starting to find some great houses. On Friday we saw six houses and we could have been super happy living in four or five of them. Wow!

These are the top two favorites:This one just has two stories and no basement, but it's completely gorgeous. I walked through every room of the house four or five times, just in total awe and admiration. It has four bedrooms, three baths, a very nice deck and patio, and a huge yard. Just no storage and not much space for guests/office/sewing. Also very little laundry space: you'd have to have stacking washer/dryer. Not exactly practical for the long term, but I had the hardest time tearing myself away from this KITCHEN. Everything is brand new: white cabinets with pull-out shelves, stainless steel appliances, marble slab counter tops, aaaaah.
The second, more likely option is a ranch with a basement on a lovely cul-de-sac. It has a huge wonderland of a yard (treehouse!) that backs up to open space and a park. It has three bedrooms upstairs and three in the basement.

The kitchen is newly remodeled, and while it's not the colors I would choose, it's very nice. Especially without the island there (it wasn't there when we saw the house).

So house #1 is dreamy (and at the top of our price range) but has no room for growth, while house #2 is just the right size (and price) and is move-in ready, but we'd be doing projects every year to make it our own. Hmmm...What do you guys think?

Oh yeah, and we need to sell our condo first. :)

Mary's poem

2009-06-22T15:13:00.002-06:00

[This came out sounding very sad! Sorry, Mary! I do, in fact, love your Pandora. But I was very sad to lose my childhood pets and that's reflected in this poem.]

Never Buy a Puppy

he will brown your grass
and yellow your carpet.

you will spend years of your life
walking him, cleaning up after him.

he will chew your favorite shoes to shreds,
your couch to thread and fluff.

you will take him to the vet,
spend lots of money (and worry)
to retrieve your lost nickels.

he will bark, rhythmic and high-pitched,
into the dark of the middle of the night.

you will not sleep through this,
and neither will your neighbors.

he will claw and bite
in his excitement to see you.
he will be happy to see you
even when you are not happy to see him.

you will spend way too much time
teaching him to sit and to heel.

he will spill the water dish
and spread garbage
all over your kitchen floor.
and then he will drink from the toilet.

he will leave a fine, clumpy layer of fur
on everything
and everyone.

you will lint-brush your clothes
and vacuum your furniture
way more than regular, pet-free people.
you will be a "dog person."

he will live a much shorter life than you will.

you will watch him grow old.
you will watch him suffer stiffness, blindness, cancer.
you will pet his head in the vet's office.
you will be so sad.

better not to buy a puppy in the first place.

weekend report

2009-06-17T14:52:00.004-06:00

So I took a short break from blogging/writing/life because I had to make a very important, top secret trip. These nice people (oh yeah! I know them!) traveled around the world back to Utah, and we surprised them at the airport. Hooray!But before that, we had a blast with Jared's sister and her lovely family. Thomas was in cousinland heaven. Glorious backyard!Sleepovers! Bugs! Hooray!
And then the whole clan was reunited. What a good day.

More poems and posts coming up soon. I love summer!

Mom's poem

2009-06-09T11:02:00.001-06:00

sand

rock,
licked millions of times
by water or wind, melts
into sand
which pools itself
into hills and valleys:
tiny rocks moving
against one another,
shifting under pressure:
soft, molding to the shape
of toes
and heels

Xarissa's poem

2009-06-08T13:02:00.000-06:00

Thank you, Xarissa! I wrote pages and pages on this one. I could have written fifty poems on this prompt alone. Lovely idea.

body

bodies move so fluid
wave pulling wave,
hand pulling arm,
connected in molecules
and to the moon

newborns throw fists and cries haphazard,
uncontrolled, like droplets
from a sidewalk puddle

can people move as a body,
groups,
parts moving as one
in a wave,
ebb and flow,
oceans and rivulets?

mastering the unification
of mind and body
(I have not completely aligned my thoughts and actions)
moving as a body

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately..."

2009-06-04T06:03:00.001-06:00

off to girls' camp today
("camp" being a relative term--cabins and lodges and a big TV surrounded by nature. boo yah.)

way high in the mountains: hiking s'mores campfires pedicures :)

bringing my notebook

keep those requests coming, I'm loving them

see you back here Monday :)

hot off the presses: Bart's poem

2009-06-03T08:45:00.000-06:00

the final frontier

should you travel to the furthest sun
its planets swinging round it like glossy beads
tell me what colors you would see
from here I see white—a small dot
in the black and open sky.

could you see, beyond the edge there
tell me: heaven or hell,
black or white nothing?

before you return, touch that burning star
then hurry back
across lifetimes
and show me your scarred hand
like a medal, a souvenir,
a badge from far,
so far away
I would come from my grave
to touch it
and congratulate you
and hear
about the colors
I would come from my grave

ridiculous amounts of pictures

2009-06-02T07:36:00.000-06:00

First of all, THANK YOU to those of you who have given me poetry topics. I'm working hard on them already. You guys are geniuses. If you haven't done so yet, scroll on down and tell me what you'd like a poem about.

Now brace yourselves...

Last week with Emily + Alicia was SO fun that I just can't stop myself from sharing our week: in pictures.

there were lots of cute childrenthey all played very nicely
there were multiple jam sessions (aaahh, these should happen WAY more often)there was baby showering

there was stuffing of our faces with really good food

there was swimming

there was laughing, lots of laughing (this picture is very representative of the entire week)

and oh yes, a ladies' night birthday dinner!
there was freezer paper stenciling (totally addicted now, this needs its own post)

there was swinging and wood chips

and "goggies" at the park

there were lots of good memories, old and new--like the time I pointed a knife at Alicia and she fell on the floor--good times :)

Emily is a ray of sunshine and we already miss her. Friend Land is such a happy place...:) Come back soon, Em!

free poems II

2009-06-01T06:28:00.001-06:00

Last year, I said:

"As part of my quest to bring poetry back into everyday life, I am opening a virtual writing booth right here and now. Please line up in an orderly fashion and submit your topic--anything from belly buttons to death beds to poppies--in a comment. I will write you your own poem to keep forever. If it's decent, I might just put it on the blog. I apologize if your poem comes out corny or cliche or downright awful. Guaranteed some of them will, I am just a beginner after all. But I need the practice, so step right up!"

This year, my motivations are more pointed: I want to become a better writer. I'm in a writer's group which meets every week. I am resolved to write daily. Your topics will spark me--prompts with a person behind them. Can't wait to see what you come up with.

Writing booth...open!

operation mortification: things I like about myself, 1994

2009-05-28T06:54:00.000-06:00

1. I can read good.
2. I have good penmanship.
3. I play with my brother a lot.
4. I can get things done.
5. I can play piano good.
6. I can make a lot of things.
7. I love my family.
8. I can get along with my brother.

on my way to the airport...

2009-05-23T15:37:00.000-06:00

...to pick up these two lovely ladies. A whole week with Emily and her sweet Cassie! What could be better?

[picture by this lovely lady]

There will be catching up. There will be sightseeing. There will be singing. There will be lots of good food and maybe even some crafting. Hurrah!

we have a winner

2009-05-22T13:34:00.003-06:00

random.org says: #8!

Emily said:
"Okay, pink parlor, New York (or little flower...), and piano lessons with Mrs. Cheney/meeting each other. This is exciting!"

Yay, Emily! Can't wait to get started on a little story about two girls and their piano teacher...

family portrait: this week

2009-05-22T06:37:00.003-06:00

Kimball:

still smells like a baby: sweet and warm
has feathery, red hair that needs to be cut but won't be cut any time soon
wakes up well before 6am recently
loves chicken nuggets and strawberries
has dried ketchup on his toes
throws himself on the floor with gusto when he doesn't get his way
calls everybody "dah-dah!" ("no, his dad doesn't look like you, or you either, ma'am...")
likes sifting dirt through his fingers
walks very quickly, widelegged like a cowboy, wherever he goes
eats crayons, dirt, and soap (and usually throws them right back up)
loves to "read" Go, Dog, Go at my feet and will follow me around the house, plopping down next to me each time I stop and continuing: "go go go gog go go"

Thomas:

reads words, imagines words in his head, asks how to spell words all day
wipes his boogers on the furniture
sleeps past eight these days
pretends to be a pterodactyl, blankie for wings
smells like a little boy, like grass and running
asks, "Can I watch somethin'?" about forty times a day
wants a blue house with no stairs in front
likes to say "absolutely"
makes Lego robots all in a row on his dresser
gets braver every day
says, "I love you, Mom," when I least expect it

Jared:

feels empowered and on top of things and also worn out
has one more work day left until summer break
will be a stay-at-home daddy and husband all summer (yay!)
is multitasking extremely well
needs new jeans
is especially handsome right now
keeps me from buying every house we see
has my whole heart and then some

Kristy:

now puts things away as she uses them
practices her writing every day
misses her many projects, but kind of likes focusing on one thing at a time for once
is resolved to hide the TV away for months as soon as this selling business is over
triumphantly turned off the Bachelorette premiere after ten minutes
is reading a really good book
has gotten to be a pretty good little cleaner (finally!)
is learning patience
is trusting in the Lord's plan for her family

operation mortification: the eleven-year journal

2009-05-21T07:06:00.000-06:00

first journal ever: started when I was six, wrote sporadically, finished when I was seventeen. the inside covers hold "treasures" from all those years.a sampling of my evolving signature alongside some kindergarten-y art.a lunchtime poem on a napkin:
Eyes of the fair blue
We all love you.
Dave wants to hold your hand
Hey ya wanna be in a band?
Lips of the pink hue
Again, we all love you.
Class is beckoning to you & us
Hey let's buy a bus.
Gotta go, Kristy, eyes of blue
We, the boys, love you.

Mmm, there were good things about high school. :)
also on this page: drawing of jacks and Ali's pager (!!) number: she made a zillion of these yellows and passed them out like fliers at school when she got a pager. I was so jealous.
back inside cover: ticket stubs, Chad's phone number (must have been special, probably because it was a boy's number--though I can't remember who exactly this was), a pen rendering of our sweet gold "Chevrolet," and a Dick's Market (woot!) receipt which holds my first ABC gum. Nasty.

house hunt report

2009-05-20T08:55:00.000-06:00

Our first foray into the housing jungle was super fun AND educational, but we will not be buying any of these houses. #1 was too stinky and needed too much work, #2 had the worst layout ever, and #3 was totally charming and lovely but totally impractical. Really #3 deserves its own long post, it was that amazing and confusing.

Up next: old, but not quite as old, houses very near where we live now. The candidates include:This modern beauty. It's low on our list because it has old windows, but just THINK of the potential for decorating. And it has a super spacious feel to it. And a humongous yard with a detached two-car garage. Probably more than we need, but I have to see it.

Not much to look at on the outside, but everything has been updated: windows, furnace, roof, kitchen, bathrooms. The inside is really nice, at least from the pictures. We drove by it the other day and it seems the shirtless neighbors fix motorcycles in their driveway. Hmm. But it's a great house with a great yard. Except for the front yard, which needs to be totally ripped out.This one is so cute and the big things are updated, but the appliances are old. Also has a huge yard and is right across the street from a really fun park.I can't wait to see this one. On paper it has everything we want. I wish they would post the floorplan online, and also that I could smell it online...

After these, we're on to newer houses, smaller yards, not-fixer-uppers. Woohoo!

yellow roses

2009-05-19T06:59:00.001-06:00

I am not a morning person. Waking up takes me forever and all the people who intersect with Morning Kristy must suffer the consequences: the perma-scowl, my tendency to blame them for my misery, grudging one-word replies, not to mention exceptionally bad hair. My poor boys.

But one morning not too long ago, I stumbled into the bathroom, flipped the light on and was greeted by these luscious, yellow beauties. From Jared, of course; he was proud of me, of my small exercise and housekeeping accomplishments. Not only did I feel so cherished and awesome, but the bright yellow on these blooms was such a lovely color, I was happily wide-eyed and awake and cheered for days every time they caught my eye. Happy morning to me!

Funny how a little color can lift your mood. And awesome how everything is better when there's someone (especially someone so good-looking) to share it with.