find joy in the journey

San Francisco

Just finished up a couple days in San Francisco. Thanks for treating us well.

everyday browns // vol. 3

This has been one of those weeks that was stuffed to the brim.  But full of so many wonderful things that I will not complain.  Actually, I do give myself permission to complain about my 4th crown replacement in as many months -- ugh.  But at the same time I also have to celebrate that one because it means all of my outstanding dental work is now complete!

playing . . . . we finally visited the Discovery Children's Museum this week and it is fantastic. The kids played and played and played for hours - five hours to be exact.  My friend Rachael (who got us in for free with her super membership) didn't last quite as long with her kids (2 1/2 yrs and 4 months) -- I've so been there -- but we were so thankful to her for introducing us to the place.  We are sad she is moving to Arizona in 2 weeks!

crafting . . . . between hosting craft group, a kids' craft fair, and feeding Anna's obsession by purchasing 5000 rubber bands - yes 5000 -  it has been a very crafty week in our house.  Remnants of yarn, tape, and fabric can be found in just about every room of the house.

churching . . . just trying to work on lots of to-dos on my list before I head out of town.  I'm over the Primary Program, music, nursery, and Activity Days.  It has been a good learning process to wrap my head around the Activity Days program and all that needs to happen.  And I don't know why, but I love any opportunity to help clean out & organize a church closet -- this week it was the nursery closet.

enjoying . . . all the bits of summer.  Night swimming, eating Purple Penguin snow cones on the tailgate of Scott's truck, occasional sprinkles, and lazy no-hair-dryer-no-makeup days.

camping . . . Conner left for scout camp on Monday.  Long story, but I'm not going to see the boy for two weeks.  And this was his first ever campout without Scott (the eternal Scoutmaster) coming along.  It was definitely a strange feeling when he walked out of the house without us.  Payton felt the same way when he woke up an hour later, walked into Conner's room, "hey Con--" and then realized that he was gone.  Poor kid has been pretty lost without him this week.  I bought some neon green & black basketball socks to send with Scott (who will be seeing Conner tomorrow) to let him know that his mom misses him.

For family home evening we wrote letters to Conner.  (No spelling bee awards happening around here anytime soon.)

going through the packing checklist

 

* * * * * * * * * * 

Exciting adventures coming up around here!

For the girls . . . something that starts with "San" and ends with "-o"

For the boys . . . something that starts with "I" and ends with "-o"

You can bet I'll be instagramming alllll along the way.  @shansummer

story sunday // pioneer ancestors - Rebecca Christiana Friis

Pioneer Day is coming up this week (July 24th) and I already mentioned that we had a chance to celebrate yesterday with the parade.  Today I hopped onto FamilySearch.org and clicked back through the generations on my pedigree chart until I reached a few of my pioneer ancestors that came across the plains to Utah in the mid-1800's.

I love that Family Search provides a place for the sharing of photos, histories, and stories.  I snagged one of those histories and thought I would share it today.  I've never read about Rebecca and I have to say that she has a very interesting start to her story.

Rebecca Christiana Friis (my great-great-great-grandmother) was born in Valbe near Copenhangen, Denmark on July 11, 1818.  Her parents, Casper Gottlob Friis and Rosine Kristina Konig, were both natives of Denmark. 

In fact, her father owned a large estate in Denmark and was one of the nobility.  Casper had a young Swedish man, Johannes Svenssen, working for him as a gardener.  He and Rebecca fell in love and were married.  This was contrary to the wishes of the parents of Rebecca and they disowned her.  (Doesn't this sound just like a book or movie?!)

The young couple lived in Denmark and struggled for a livelihood.  They had two children -- a girl, Emma Elisa and a boy, Frithiof Emmanuel.  At some point they met the Mormon missionaries.  Sadly, Johannes died in February 1853 in Fredriksborg, Denmark.  A few months later Rebecca was baptized and joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

She made plans to go to Utah with her two small children.  While crossing the ocean her precious baby boy died.  Once she reached America she crossed the plains - walking - with a pioneer company.  She and her daughter arrived in Utah in 1854.

Within a year she met and married Jens Peter Andersen in Salt Lake City on February 23, 1855.  (Jens had also joined the church in his homeland of Denmark and had also lost a child while crossing the Atlantic with his first wife.  The wife died soon after they arrived in Salt Lake.)  While still in Salt Lake thier first child, James Peter (my great-great-grandfather) was born on November 28, 1855.  Hmm, if I do the math that is exactly 9 months and 5 days after their wedding date. ;)

Rebecca's history says that at that time she and Jens suffered much for want of food as the grasshoppers had taken their crops.

In 1856 they moved to Ephraim and 4 children were born.  Rebecca learned to do many things common to frontier life - such as making soap and candles, spinning and dyeing yarn for clothing.  She did the sewing for her family and other fine needlework.  Remember, she came from a family of nobility in Denmark and lived on a large estate.  I wonder how different her life was back then and if it was difficult to live and work as a pioneer in a new, undeveloped territory.  She obviously made the best of it and learned what she needed to do to take care of her family.

In 1863 they moved to Glenwood, Utah (Sevier County).  Her youngest child died while living there.

They were in Glenwood just a short time before the Indians drove them out.  They returned to Ephraim where they lived for the rest of their lives.

Rebecca endured many hardships during her life, but at no time did she ever complain.  She was a lady, kind loving wife and mother, and she lived up to ideals of right, and died as she had lived, a true and faithful Latter-day Saint on November 24, 1866.  She left three small children.

What a great lady - and to think of all the places that life took her:  living as nobility in Denmark, being disowned by her family, crossing the Atlantic and losing a child, walking across the plains to Utah, enduring hunger, being driven out by Indians . . . . this truly is the stuff of novels and movies.

Amid the hardship she did not complain and she remained a lady.  I love that.  What a great example and I'm glad to have her in my pioneer heritage! 

everyday browns // vol. 2

Payton brought his blanket to Anna's indoor soccer game.  Don't be fooled by the word "indoor" - the air conditioning is adequate at best.

Hey - they like their cantaloupe.  No rind goes to waste.

The boys negotiate a trade with Scott.  X number of french fries for one of his Nom-Noms (fried macaroni & cheese) at I {Heart} Burgers.

We killed the biggest scorpion I have ever seen.  In our house.  {{shiver}}

And the next day I picked up the library bag and out crawled a 5 inch long centipede.

And the next day I killed a giant scorpion again.

Needless to say, our pest control guy got a phone call. 

The kids like to sleep all together in the family room from time to time.  One night as they were gathering pillows, blankets, and choosing a movie (the LEGO movie), Anna came bounding down the stairs, "hey guys!  I have my dream catcher just in case anyone has a bad dream!"  So thoughtful.  And it was probably a good idea because they were planning to sleep in the room where we found the big scorpion that very day.

At dinner one night Payton said, "My worst nightmare would be being a body-builder."

The kids entered the Studio C "win-a-lunch-date-with-the-cast" contest by posting a video on instagram.  You can see it HERE.  Also inspired by Studio C, Conner purchased a Dungeons & Dragons starter set and I have to say that watching them play for the first time was great entertainment.

Today we participated in the tri-stake Pioneer Day parade with our little Primary float and it turned out great!  We had almost all the girls in pioneer bonnets, cowboy hats & bandanas on the boys, and there were ribbon wands, plenty candy to throw, and lots of bottled water and sunscreen. I'll be sure to share some photos soon.

BAKE:  Scones with honey butter sounds delicious right about now.

EAT:  I made some yeasted waffles and they were . . . interesting.  Something went wrong but we did enjoy the nutella whipped cream.

WATCH: We introduced the kids to The Beastmaster with edits.  Love the ferrets and Dar's eagle call.  But we cringe/laugh everytime someone dies - worst death acting ever!

CREATE: Smiley favor pouches - just adorable!  And this DIY kinda makes me want to dress up as a pineapple for Halloween.

ENTER:  Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a copy of The Best-Kept Secrets of Parenting.  Ends on Sunday!

giveaway // The Best-Kept Secrets of Parenting

Today is July 16th and we are exactly half-way through summer vacation. At this mid-point I like to stop and assess . . . . Is the summer chore chart still working for us?  Have we done enough fun things together?  What projects do I still need to accomplish?  Am I being a fun mom or a crabby mom?  When was the last time the boys showered?  

In the middle of my mental assessment I had the chance to pick up and read, The Best-Kept Secrets of Parenting: 18 Principles that Can Change Everything by Brad Wilcox (love everything he writes - I even took a class at BYU from him) and Jerrick Robbins (who happens to be a native of Henderson, Nevada wouldn't you know?).  

Disclosure:  This book was provided to me by the publisher, but all opinions are 100% my own.

It was so nice to get a refresher on parenting concepts that I already know are important, with some added insights.  And this book covers it all . . . up and down the parenting track, such as:

*choosing happiness -- I loved the title of this chapter, "Get Over Being Under-appreciated".  Ha!  Hmm, so you're saying I shouldn't be offended when the kids gag on the food I made for dinner last night.  "If we let our happiness rest on the actions and moods of others, we will always be disappointed.  Happiness depends not of what others do for us, but on what we do for others and the inner peace we feel from that service."

*being careful with the web -- I'm so glad that we already do some of the things they recommend like having the computer in a public area.  But this is such an important topic that I don't mind being reminded about it often so that I can reassess our family systems, safeguards, rules, and recommit to being a better example by limiting my own screen time. 

*journaling -- What?!  A chapter on journaling!  That is my thing.  I'll tell you that I get so much joy and personal satisfaction when I read back over old blog or journal entries.  Like this one, this one, and this one.  The opportunity to re-live, for a moment, those phases, parenting triumphs, and struggles reminds me that we have learned and grown so much.  More so, I love writing because "we can find personal journals to be an ideal environment to 'become' the people we want to become" by verbalizing our thoughts and feelings, possibly venting, and taking a moment to appreciate the everyday stuff.  "Thoughts are created in the act of writing."

*self-esteem -- "When we have healthy attitudes about ourselves, it is much easier to overcome problems."  I feel like I have been formulating a blog post on this topic in my mind for months (self-esteem, confidence) so I really enjoyed the comments in this chapter. 

While The Best-Kept Secrets of Parenting does not share tips on how to get your toddler to nap or how to deal with tantrums . . . . it does share some essential parenting tools that will help to create healthy relationships, foster respect and love, and make family life more enjoyable.

Beyond parenting, I also think the "secrets" in this book are great advice for cultivating a good life in general -- enjoy life through its ups and downs, speak compassionately, be honest, work hard, be kind to yourself, and have perseverance to never give up.

* * * * * * * * * * * 

The publisher, Familius, has kindly offered me a copy of The Best-Kept Secrets of Parenting: 18 Principles that Can Change Everything to giveaway to one of my readers.  (Also, be sure to check out their beautiful website with lots of great resources.)

To enter:  Use the Rafflecopter widget below.  Giveaway ends Sunday, July 20th at midnight PST and I will announce a winner shortly after.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

And the winner is . . . . Amy Hall!  Congratulations!

hike park city

Each time I take the kids hiking I love it even more.  Being out in nature, pointing out all the amazing creations around us, feeling my body work with each step forward, spending time together without distractions . . . it just fills me up!  

While the men played golf one morning, I took the kids hiking on the mountain right behind our resort in Park City.  It was beautiful and so so so GREEN!!  Like really, really green.  I could hardly believe it.  

And the wildflowers . . . I just couldn't get enough!  Although, wildflowers and bees are a package deal and every buzz had Anna freaking out.  After an hour and a half of hiking we had gone as far as I wanted to so we turned around to hike back.  And suddenly, miraculously, she was okay.  Really.

We also came across a big mound of snow, a snake, mountain bikers, lots of squirrels & chipmunks, and we took pictures of every variety of wildflower that we saw.

I've decided that I want to schedule a family hike once a month.  Luckily, with the mild winters in Vegas we can pretty much do that year round.  We just have to find some alternate locations for June, July, and August. :)

super summer theatre & a picnic

Red Rock Canyon.  Outdoor theater.  Monty Python jokes.  Picnic.  And a cool summer night (thanks to being in the canyon).

This was the recipe for one perfect date!

I've known about the Super Summer Theatre for quite sometime and always thought it would be fun to go.  When I saw that they were showing Spamalot, and knowing my husband's appreciation of all things Monty Python (he does own a set of coconut shells), I thought this was the perfect opportunity to give it a shot.

So we packed up a picnic and headed into the desert

No, this is not where we picnicked - a little too dangerous if you ask me.  I just thought that it was beautiful so I had to take a picture.  

The theatre is in the Spring Mountain Ranch State Park which is shockingly green and cool compared to the city.  We have the nearby spring to thank for that.  Yay for water!

The stage is perfectly positioned on the east side of the lawn so the sun sets behind you.  With this huge grassy lawn, and the mountains right behind us, I thought it was a great venue.

I love that they divide the lawn right down the middle -- chair seating on the right, and blanket seating on the left.  First come, first serve.  We chose blanket seating and definitely feel that is the way to go.  Always.

I spy Scott . . . 

There's that handsome guy munching on some cheese and crackers.

Speaking of our picnic . . . isn't this spread just beautiful?  

No PB&J, potato chips, or Oreos here.  We seriously felt so grown-up munching on our selection of fancy meats and cheeses.

Our dinner included wafer crackers and sliced baguette, genoa salami and prosciutto, smoked gouda and colby jack cheese, dried pears, fruit salad, and some toffee peanuts & chocolate coconut almonds for snacking.  (Earlier in the day we took a little trip to Sprouts - love their bulk bins!)

And we were stuffed!  

We also used the blanket, bag, and picnic dishes that my mom & dad gave us for the homemade Christmas this past year.  Aren't these glass containers so pretty?  I believe they are from Cost Plus.

As for the show . . . it was great!  We were both very impressed with the quality of the actors, music, sets, costume, lighting, really everything.  Not to mention the venue and the view.  With tickets at just $13 each it was a total win.  Shrek is playing next month and I think it would be really fun to bring the whole family.  But with a slightly less fancy picnic.  How about a couple of pizzas?

Like I said, what a great date!  I loved that we could arrive early and casually lounge and eat and visit for an hour or two before the show began.  I'm so happy we did this.

Note to self:  Next time bring a bigger cooler for more drinks.  And pick up two cushioned stadium seats with backs.

everyday browns // vol. 1

Payton and Anna started swimming lessons this week.  They are great swimmers, but I'm insistent that they know how to do proper swim strokes.  Well.

Scott picked up a giant inflatable Orca from the store.  Anna has named it Sparkles and pretends to be a whale trainer.

Anna rearranged the furniture in her bedroom again.

Monsoon season is here.  Lots of ominous looking clouds that roll in and out during the day, lightning at night, and a little more humidity than normal.

Scott and Payton went on a Scout campout for 11 year olds.  Payton had the best time and we were so proud of him for passing the BSA swim check.  

Speaking of Scouts, Conner has done the write-up for his Eagle Project and just needs to get it approved before he can get started.   

Two months ago we made a big order for new exterior doors -- double front door, bathroom side door, master bedroom door, and french doors.  The french doors were finally installed on Monday!  And we were sooo happy to say goodbye to the impossible-to-open sliding glass doors.  No amount of WD-40 was going to make those puppies slide any smoother.

Sunday afternoon I got the urge to start making Pioneer bonnets.  3 so far.  Somewhat random, I know.  But not completely.  I've got the Pioneer Day parade on my brain as I'm in charge of pulling together the float for our Primary.  And it's not actually going to be a "float" but more like a bunch of kids riding in the back of Scott's truck and throwing candy.  But still awesome.  

This week has also included Risk, bowling, a trip to the activity pool, Crepe Shack, Guitar Hero with Conner while everyone else is gone, a Target summer clearance win (see patio chair above), and really good cantaloupe.  Don't you just love a perfectly ripe cantaloupe?

andersen family reunion // talent show

One of my favorite activities at the family reunion (aside from the beach) was the talent show.  I think I loved it so much this year because everyone had so many great things to share!  I was fully entertained and smiling / clapping / cheering at all the creative, cute, and even simple things that people had to share.

For example:

There was Audrey's adorable bunny dance

Anna played the piano while Carlee did a little ballet

Denver & Bree did a hilarious French cooking skit in the kitchen

Becca played a beautiful piece on the piano

Alene & her parents did a silly dance / re-enactment to a song from Frozen

Kent did some magic (science) tricks 

Nicholas - I still crack up when I think about it -- Nicholas had us all stand by the living room windows as he went outside and ran back and forth really fast.  

Ellie sang one of her favorite Frozen songs on video.

Sam and Heidi did a dance number from Just Dance.  I loved it!  Even more so as I considered all the hours/evenings they spent memorizing and practicing it together.  Talk about a fun date night!

Carlee and Preston put on glow-in-the-dark suits and did a dance number (also from Just Dance) in the dark theater room.  So so cool!

As for our family . . . here is what we contributed to the show.  

Scott and Anna sang a duet - Don't Stop Believin'.  Anna's choice.

It was totally adorable and even included a dance interlude!

Even though that last photo is a little fuzzy I love the look of glee on Anna's face!  So happy and so excited to be doing something special with her dad.

Conner, Payton, Anna, and Scott also did a sketch from Studio C -- Three Wishes

Payton and I pulled out the red Solo cups, sat on the ground cross-legged, and did the Cups song.  He had learned it for Instrument Ensemble and I asked him to teach me.  It was really fun to do that together!

At the end of the show Conner and Payton both presented videos that they had made.  We were all down in the theater at this point so it was cool to watch their videos on the big screen.  

First, Conner made a short stop-animation Lego movie.  He uses the Lego Movie Maker app on his iPod touch.

Second, Payton made a movie trailer with the iMovie app on his iPod touch.  I love this clip!  I remember the day that he made it . . . I had just downloaded the iMovie app for him and then he spent the afternoon wandering around the house recording these short video clips.  He did it all completely on his own and I have to say that I was SO impressed with his creativity when it came to camera angles and the variety of content.

If you're scratching your head, "Maytember 16th" is a Studio C joke.  

What a great talent show!  I love that it was fun and light and everyone was supportive of each other.  That definitely makes it easier when you have to stand in front of a group and perform!  

friends first

On Saturday we took the kids to see Maleficent.  The kids brought their own money for popcorn & snacks and stood in front of the counter debating this important decision for quite some time.  Conner and Payton decided to pool their money together and were in serious talks about the most cost-effective options.

I loved how Conner wrapped his arm around Payton, and then pulled him close as he pointed to items on the menu.  Most of all I loved observing this simple, tender gesture which demonstrated the brotherly kindness, friendship, and trust that they have for each other.

Seeing things like this, hearing my kids get along, and watching them choose to spend time with each other -- that is what makes me happiest.

We teach our children to be kind to others, to be a friend to everyone, and we really enjoy doing activities with friends . . . . but at the same time as a mom I have never put a lot of emphasis on playdates, friend parties, carpool, etc.  

I want them to be friends first and foremost with each other. 

And when I see things like this outside the window . . . a sunscreen train . . . and hear the laughing and giggling that goes along with it, I feel pretty confident that we are establishing just that.

celebrating the 4th

posing with the flag  . . . . I just love the looks on the kids' faces!  They are cracking up simply because the wind was blowing the flag back and forth over their heads.  I continue to be delighted as I see them growing older and still taking joy in the simplest things.

battling with tanks . . . an essential part of our 4th of July celebrations.  So important, in fact, that we ran around to 4 different fireworks stands just to find them!

eating our red, white, & blue . . . . we made these cool layered drinks (modeled by my handsome husband), a patriotic fruit pizza, and also some stained glass Jell-O (not pictured)

barbecuing with friends . . . thankful to receive an invite for some swimming & BBQ-ing.  For me, the perfect  4th of July formula is parade + BBQ + driveway fireworks.  We didn't make it to a parade in the morning (too hot for me) so being able to gather with friends for a BBQ helped make the day feel just right.

trying something new . . . we were pretty sure that we could get a good view of the local fireworks show from our balcony.  At least we hoped so!  We gathered our party of 5 on the balcony with chairs, glowsticks, popcorn, M&M's, Junior Mints, and an oscillating fan for cool comfort and waited with anticipation.

watching the fireworks show . . . success!  We had a great view of the show and what better, more convenient location than our own house.  :)

moving the party to the front . . . . along with our popcorn and bowl of Junior Mints that melted on the hot sidewalk.  Yummy.  As an added bonus to our fireworks show on the ground, there was a nice little aerial show going on a couple streets over in our perfect view.

loving the fiery brilliance of it all . . . . pop, pop, crackle, crackle, pop

ending with sparklers . . . I love taking these kinds of photos.  The streaks and patterns of light never ceases to amaze me.  Last year I shared a few tips for taking sparkler photos here.  This year my settings were a little different:  ISO 1600, f/16, shutter 0"8

Just as the last sparkler burned out the raindrops started to fall from the sky.  What a great way to wrap things up . . . . monsoon rains, thunder, and lightning flashing outside as we curled into bed and slept heavily after a wonderful day.

july 1st

Welcome to July!

Yesterday we stayed home all day and did a little 4th of July crafting.  I love the 4th of July but it always sneaks up on me and I miss out on my opportunity to decorate with red, white & blue.  And that makes me sad.  But not this year!

First we made some tissue tassel garlands.  Say that 5 times fast. (I found a tutorial here)

The 1776 hoop is a little embroidery project I did at the Andersen family reunion.  And I made the God Bless America canvas last year at my Pinterest party.

Yesterday we also painted 5 yardsticks to make ourselves one gigantic star!  (Inspiration here)

I absolutely love it!  Scott came home from work and while eating dinner I said, "did you see my star?"  Then we had to rush out to clean the church and I asked, "did you see my star?"  Finally when we got home I said, "Scott go see my star!"  So if anyone else wants to come over to see my star I am more than happy to show it off.  I love that it will also double as a Christmas decoration.  Maybe string some white lights around it . . . . 

As you can see I used the holes that were already in the yardsticks to tie the points together with baker's twine.  No glue needed.

I'll tell you right now that it is HOT in Vegas.  Supposed to reach 112 today.  And tomorrow.  And pretty much stay above 105 forever.  In this kind of heat I don't want to go anywhere.  And when I do leave the house I try to plan my escape for the early morning -- like today when I went grocery shopping at 7am.  I thought about going last night, but it was still going to be 100 degrees at 10pm.

Oh, sometimes I just have to laugh at these crazy temps!  And thank my lucky stars for A/C.  And a swimming pool.

My grandfather and great-grandparents are actually from this area.  Overton.  Although I can hardly imagine it, somehow they made it without air conditioning.  My dad says that they would soak burlap sacks with water and hang them in the windows, hoping to cool the air that came through by just a couple degrees.

Oh my goodness, I think I'll go kiss my A/C right now that chugs along 24/7 to keep our house at a live-able 76 degrees!  We have it pretty nice.