find joy in the journey

uncultured?

When something like this arrives at your table, what do you do?

For me, something like this requires closer inspection before I dare stick it in my mouth.

hmm, interesting.  I almost feel embarrassed for the fella - sitting out there all exposed.  Scott said I needed to try the calamari appetizer, and so I did.

with tentacles hanging out.  I just couldn't resist.

Scott:  ahh, my uncultured wife.  (totally kidding.  at least I hope he was kidding).

But you see, I don't get out much.  To the fancy places at least.  McDonald's and Burgerville are the usual stops.  Chipotle or Red Robin is a real treat.  Compare that to Scott who spends his lunches at places like McCormick & Schmick's, McMennamin's, Macadam Grill, Rockbottom, Fulton Pub, etc. 

So when the rare date in the city comes around, he takes the opportunity to introduce me to his favorite places, and tells me his usual picks from the menu.  We went to the Harborside for dinner, with a nice view of the river.  Then as we walked from place to place (parking garage, dinner, the theater) and Scott points out familiar (to him) locations, paths that he used to walk when he got off the MAX years ago, etc. etc. etc. . . . . .  I just had to point out, "it's like you have a whole other life I don't know about."  I guess it was just weird hearing & seeing the little details of his day to day, that may not come out in the "how was your day?" conversation.

But I digress . . . .

We had a great dinner.  I ate squid.  And salmon with mushrooms & blackberries.

Then we saw the Phantom.  My 4th time.  See, I'm not completely uncultured.

what on earth

am I supposed to do with this face?

Really. Honestly . . .

I just know there are unexplored powers of manipulation waiting to come out.

retreat

My ward relief society held a little retreat this weekend.  The first one since I've been in the ward (6 yrs).  It was a fun little getaway.  There was good food, a fireside, fun games, plenty of karaoke, a great morning walk, and more delicious food.  Here is a little photo slideshow for those who attended the event, and for those we missed!

speaking on Relief Society:  "It's the variety in a garden that contributes to its beauty -- we need daisies and lilies and buttercups; we need gardeners who water, nurture, and care."  -Bonnie Parkin

summer visitors

Last week we had the special treat of having my mom, Heidi, Carlee and Preston come up for a little visit.  It was so great to spend some time with mom & Heidi, to let the cousins play together (noise overload!), and get to show off our state, little town, & new home to our new visitors. 

The previous week & weekend we had temps in the 90-100's.  And then, of course, the day they arrive it drops down to 75, begins to rain and continues to hover around 70 with rain every single day.  Grrrr.  I tried to tell them over & over again, it really does not rain all summer long!  Luckily I had Anna's impressive tan lines as proof that we do see the sun.  All of my plans revolved around little outdoor excursions, and I was a little nervous when the thunder started booming Monday morning.  But I showed them the Northwest way, and we went along with our plans rain or more rain.  :)

During our 3 days together we managed to fit in plenty of fun.

• a trip to the zoo
• sewing purses at night once the kids were tucked into bed
• a trip to the beach
• Bruce's Candy Kitchen for salt water taffy and seafoam
• digging in the sand with our bare hands
• lunch at Camp 18
• the moms watched Penelope -- cute movie
• Heidi taught me some cool photoshop tricks
• Anna & Carlee shared "the pink room" & found plenty of excuses to get out of bed
• Burgerville -- we had to introduce Heidi to their yummy milkshakes
• took Heidi on a Twilight tour around town
• Conner was excited to tell me he was "a good uncle" to Carlee & Preston, taking care of them, making them laugh, etc.
• Anna always wanted to hold the baby.  The 13-month old baby.
• the boys were waaayyy impressed that Carlee likes pickles.  They told me the other day that we need to have Carlee in our family because we need someone to eat the pickles.
• and lots of cousin chaos.
  
  
  

the mommy tag

{photos taken on July 4, 2008} 

saw this on my cousin Julie's blog:

What time do your kids wake up?  6:30am

On a good night, what time do your kids go to sleep?  during the summer, 7:30-8:00pm

How long have you been a mom?  7 years and almost 9 months

How old were you when you became a mom? 21 years & 2 months

What is your favorite kid show?  The Backyardigans

Least favorite kid TV show?  Sponge Bob -- everything my kids know about this show has only come through commercials. 

Favorite chore?  Vacuuming -- it's a relatively easy way to make the house feel fresh & clean again.

Favorite meal to cook?  to cook . . . . cold cereal. :)

What's the meal cooked most often?  Macaroni & cheese

What is the kids favorite meal?  Macaroni & cheese

What are your favorite things that Scott does with the kids?  Get down on the floor & play with them; play baseball or soccer in the backyard; the "my pink blankie" game with Anna; when he clips their fingernails & swabs the decks.

What are 5 things that make you smile while being a mom?  1)Payton's funny faces. 2)watching Conner run laps around the backyard because he wants to be healthy. 3)empty laundry baskets. 4)Anna's sweet, endearing face -- she already knows how to work it to her advantage.  5)when my kids use their imaginations to create a game or pretend play and go for it with loads of enthusiasm.

Where do you want to take your kids someday?  a church history vacation to Palmyra, Nauvoo, etc.

When was the last time you and Scott went out without the kids?  last Saturday.  It was sort of a work night out -- sort of a chance to entertain one of the interns.  There were 5 of us all together & the girls (the other co-workers) planned the night.  We went to California Pizza Kitchen (my first time and I loved the BBQ Chicken pizza).  Then some place that I can't "remember".  And ended the night at a karaoke bar.  Scott sang "Mandy" by Barry Manilow and "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by ???.  I sang "I Think We're Alone Now" by Tiffany.  It was so much fun!!!  When we got home (pretty late) I had to apologize to our groggy baby-sitter for our smelly clothes (smoke - ewww).

One thing you said you'd never do as a mom?  hmm . . . . .

Favorite past time with your kids?  swimming at the pool.  Going for little walks.

Advice for a new mom:  Enjoy the journey.  Invest in a baby swing (life-saver).  Baby Einstein is your friend.  Bring maternity clothes to wear home from the hospital, cuz you're still gonna look pregnant when you leave.

What's a scary or heartbreaking moment you've had?  Scary -- last month when we were walking through an unfinished home in Scott's parent's neighborhood.  Upstairs, I just wasn't thinking about it, until I saw Anna approach a "wall" (just 2x4's) that opened up to the family room 20 feet below.  Snatched her up and my heart did a big jump.  I had tried to put that one out of my mind, so thanks quiz for bringing it back up. 

When was the last time your kids said "I love you"?  Today, of course!

airshow highlights

the army booth.  They had a table covered with stuff to give away (pencils, pens, toys, shirts, etc.) but they came at cost.  Push-ups.

Conner said:  "Sure!  Okay, how many push-ups do I need to do?"

Uncle Kevin would be so proud.

An army pen cost you 25 push-ups. 

Payton decided he was willing to do 10.

Later we walked by the Marines booth.  They were also giving away stuff, at a cost . . . pull-ups.  Conner also volunteered himself, but we steered him away from that.  He only just figured out the monkey bars this summer.

the cool helicopters.  

the elephant ears.  Mmmm. 

the F-16, F-18, whatever it was, fly-bys.  In the general admission section (the grass) we were sitting in what you would call the second row, with the runway right in front of us.  The jets flew by 3 times and not only was it loud, but they were soooo close!

The video is a bit shaky in parts.  I love the part where you can see Payton talking, his lips are moving, but you hear absolutely nothing!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

now accepting applications

in the car, Saturday morning

Payton:  Can we play video games today?

Me:  Payton, we're going to an airshow today.  We're on our way to do something really fun, we don't even need to talk about video games.

Payton:  But it's been 3 days since we played.  And 7 days since we played Mario Kart.

Me:  We don't need to play video games everyday.  You know, it would be okay if we went a whole week without playing video games.

Payton:  but . . . . whine, complain, pout . . . .

Me:  Payton, if you don't quit I'm going to take away the video games for a month.

Payton:  silence.

10 minutes later

Payton (with teary eyes):  I wish that we had a new mom and dad who let us play video games everyday.

Scott and I turned to each other and couldn't help but just smile.

So Payton is currently accepting applications for new parents.  Anyone is welcome to apply.

We love the boy to pieces, we just need to find a way to extract a bit of the whine.  Any suggestions? 

I have to think the day was a success for the kid:  sitting in helicopters, watching F-16's fly by, and eating a bubblegum snowcone.  Waaay better than video games, in my opinion.  

I call this

senior portraits: the stay at home mom re-mix.

Months ago on Tara Whitney's blog I saw that she did a photo shoot of a friend, who was a mom.  Just her.  No one else.  No particular reason.  She posed the question, "is your senior portrait session really the last time you're allowed to feel pretty, cute, & special?"  The answer was a resounding no.

I thought about this and I thought it was so true.  Especially when I considered the number of pictures that I take of my family, of my kids, and how many of them I am missing from.  Sure, I hand my camera over to Scott or the kids from time to time, but it's never quite the picture I have in my head.

Enter, my talented picture taking brother Sam and his & Heidi's mad editing skills.  While at my parents house this summer we stepped outside before church for a quick little photo session.  It was fun.  I felt a little silly at first because I had no idea where to put my hands or if I should smile big or little or be serious-like & deep in thought.  But I just went with it and I had total trust in Sam's expertise, knowing that he would never frame my face with a glowing orb of feathery softness. ;) 

I just got my CD of pictures in the mail this week and I was sooo impressed!  I've got 25 photos in my favorites folder.

more favorites here.   

So, ya.  My brother's pretty awesome.  Thanks Sam - love ya!

Above all else, it is about leaving a mark that I existed:  I was here.  I was hungry.  I was defeated.  I was happy.  I was sad.  I was in love.  I was afraid.  I was hopeful.  I had an idea and I had a good purpose.  Felix Gonzalez-Torres

puff paints revisited

When I was 7, 8, 9 years old . . . . man, puff paints were the coolest.  The perfect anytime activity.  Grab a t-shirt, a hat, a tote bag, or a white pair of keds and go to town.

Today the kids made these:

I've decided I really like the iron-on letters.  The puff paints (at least at this age) just make me nervous.

Swarly:  he was really excited about his artistic swirlies/puddles.  And he was really excited about the letter "L".

Anna:  She drew a blob, then asked me to draw a penny, and then I added a girly face & crown just for fun.  All of this was proceeded by 15 minutes of crying & screaming, "I can't stop crying", "no, you be quiet", and 3 time-outs.

The Crakers master:  He's the one who came up with the idea for this activity.  You can bet that as soon as the puff paints dry he will be wearing this shirt 7 days a week.  Along with his dark blue Crakers shorts that find a new hiding place at the end of each day.  I'm crossing my fingers that having the patience to make this project happen will earn me a big "Craker X"!  {inside joke}.  Ahhh, someday I think I need to have a Crakers post -- just so you can see a little into the world & mind of our dear boy Conner.

finished & just started

I finished the book!  Ahhhhhh.  Last night my fuzzy eyes read the last page in the Twilight saga.  The end.  At least the end of Bella's story, as Stephenie has often mentioned.

{I'm not going to go into details, but knowing myself I would not want to read this if I had not finished the book.}

My review:  I thought it was great!  And oh man, it was an exhilarating ride!  It seems that the other books build to a big climax at the end with a few tense moments here and there.  But this one was an all out thrill ride.  It moved pretty quickly, crazy events happening at every turn, Scott heard plenty of "what the heck?!"coming from the living room, and I found myself very emotional in several parts.  I guess I've just gotten attached to the characters.  Like I said, I loved it, such a fun/exciting/adrenaline fueled read . . . . . until the end.  I thought the big climax dragged out waaaay to long.  I found myself reading and thinking to myself: is it really this long or am I just sleepy.  I flipped back through the book and sure enough, it was just long - 60 pages long.  So because of that, I had a hard time keeping focus/interest on the big stand-off.  But there were lots of things I enjoyed.  I like how she broke it up into 3 books.  I even liked being inside Jacob's head for a while -- I wasn't sure about it at first, though.  I am Team Edward through and through.  I was happy with how the story ended.  Everyone got what they wanted, everything was set right, and Bella has the life that was meant for her.

Aside from reading Breaking Dawn this weekend and preparing a singing extravaganza for sharing time  in Primary, we also tore up our yard!

In the morning Scott did this:

Soon it looked like this:

Lovely, huh?  Kinda looks like the pigs found us.  ;)

After a lunch break to Burgerville for raspberry milkshakes we all pitched in to roll and stack the sod.  This morning it looks like this:

At church yesterday a neighbor boy asked Scott, "what are you doing in your yard?  Are you putting in a pool?" 

Yes.  Yes, a pool.

No, not really.  That was a good thought, until we remembered we lived in the northwest!

The plan is to install sprinklers & seed for a new lawn in the next 2 months, hopefully.  And then landscape in the spring.  But for the rest of the summer our yard will look like this.  It's pretty safe to say that you'll be finding us at the pool and the park on a regular basis. 

checking out

I'm officially checking out.

Tomorrow at 9am I will be picking up my shiny new copy of Breaking Dawn and intend to quickly retreat to my home to spend the rest of the weekend reading (and probably into Monday at the rate I read).  I will not be blogging.  I will not be reading blogs.  I will not be checking my e-mail.  If you see me at church I will have my fingers in my ears saying "la, la, la, la" before the words "have you rea---" or "the book is sooo . . . " can come out of your mouth.

Hopefully I'm not sounding rude, but I don't want any smidgen of this experience spoiled!  I'm sure you know what I mean.  This is the last book people!  I'm planning to savor it.  To enjoy every page in my little Twilight bubble.

I'm so excited!  And nervous - I don't want to be disappointed.  Stephenie Meyer says she is happy with the story & the ending, so I'm going to trust her.

Happy reading!

favorite Breaking Dawn quotes, thus far:

Bella:  "Jasper?  What do vampires do for bachelor parties?  You're not taking him to a strip club, are you?"

Tanya:  "Ah, Edward.  I've missed you."

Charlie:  "Bells, we're up to bat."  {is Charlie really playing baseball with the Cullens??!!!!}

Bella:  "Why am I covered in feathers?"

AND . . . . go here to watch the Breaking Dawn Concert series in NYC tonight.  I just caught the last 10 minutes of the live web broadcast.  It looked really good!  Stephenie discusses the characters & writing the books.  And Justin Furstenfeld of Blue October performs some of his songs with themes that closely match the characters & the story.  They are going to play it again at 9pm EST and midnight EST tonight.