I'm Back...

o.k., so now that summer is coming to a end, I think I am going to have some time to sit down at the computer... well, not really, but I going to try to make time I guess.

Yesterday it hit me HARD that my somewhat simple life is sort of coming to a close, and I am not sure how I feel about that. We were on the go from playgroup, to school, to canning, to school, to birthday party, to soccer, to dinner at 8pm, to baths & bedtime, to off to work meeting, and home at 11:30.

Balance, right?

I spent a portion of my time at university learning how to teach others how to achieve balance in their life. Hoping I can apply the knowledge to my own life now.

when??

• When do you people find time to upload pictures and write about them on your blog???? I still can't seem to figure that out.
  I thought I would give this blogging thing a try because believe me I have the crazy stories, thoughts, pictures, words of wisdom, etc... to share, I just can't ever sit down to record them! If its staying up past 10pm to do it, then I'm afraid I will never succeed at this blogging thing. Like right now, I have at least 10 other important things that I need to be doing... like piles of laundry, cleaning/organizing the garage, preparing the soil to plant my garden, going to the tile store to order the tile for the fireplace surround, painting the walls upstairs, getting out my kids summer clothes and putting away the winter stuff, installing the chair rail up stairs, deep cleaning both bathrooms, sewing some gifts for friends, laying the brick borders around all the flowerbeds, ordering plants for the yard, making dinner, organizing the office--K, that's more than 10 and I have 5 more major things to add! So this is my problem...seriously when do you blog?

A Must

It has been so long since I read a book that I had nearly forgotten how... on Easter Sunday the kids and I were off to California in Janie's minivan. Not only was it a treat to not have to drive (thank you Janie!) but even more a treat when Carianne handed me this book saying "Read it, it will change your life". So I read...and read... and yes, it changed me. It took me on a journey I was not quite expecting, but needed. For many reasons it made me desperately miss my Ardeshir. I hate it that I have to spend the rest of my life wondering how he is, praying that he is happy and being treated right, and well just missing him. But that is the nature of my work, and well my life. 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' gave me insight beyond insight(if that is even possible), and forced me to express gratitude for all the things that I just expect and well most of the time take for granted: 1. my husband--my sweet, kind, good, thoughful, will do anything for you husband. 2. freedom. 3. friendships. 4. faith 5. An ability to overcome tradgedy.
Now that I am in the book reading zone, I need another good one... any ideas?? although I probably should clean my house first.

IN ALL IT'S GLORY

Remember when I mentioned 'seeing the mullet in all its glory'.... well this is it! LOVE THIS LOOK! Hope you enjoy it as much as I do each morning! But I must admit... pictures just don't do it justice.

Spring Snow!

This is what we woke up to this morning. It seems like everyone is annoyed that snow is here again, but for some reason it made my day (and it was birthday!). When the season changes from winter to spring, I feel energized and ready to LIVE my best life, but I would be fibbing if failed to admit that once all the snow has melted there is a part of me that misses it. So after a couple weeks of gorgeous warm weather, it was nice to wake up to a fresh blanket of clean snow. Plus it was all melted by the end of the day...and that I believe is the best part of spring snow.

making cookies... FINALLY

One of my favorite activities to do with the kids is making and decorating sugar cookies. We only do it around holidays and since we ripped out our kitchen on October 1st and have been living in the aftermath for the past 6 months we missed a lot of 'making cookie holidays'... halloween, thanksgiving, christmas, valentines... But not St. Patrick's day! Not only did we make cookies but we had a St. Patrick's day Party! The kids made cool hats, ate green food, learned all about St. Patrick, made leprechaun coin bags and coins, took a trip to story time at the library, and I saved the best for last...decorating cookies. But this is the best part... after friends left Elsa and Carter were helping me finish up the rest of the cookies. As you can imagine they were having a blast until... Elsa lost her balance on the chair she and Carter were standing on, trying to catch her fall she hit Carter who in the process of falling off the chair hit the cookie stand with all the cookies. Carter ended up on the floor with a frosted cookie stuck to the side of his head. Both of them in tears and all the cookies on the floor.... and I didn't get a picture!!! You gotta love those moments!

look who's here...

SPRING... Oh how I love you... let me count the ways:
1. Daffodils: They just scream spring and fun to me. We always had them in our yard growing up, but I became passionate about them in Hyde Park in London. We lived a block or two from Hyde Park and every spring the park was filled with daffodils... and not in flower beds-- they popped up throughout the grass in perfect little bouquets. I miss that.
2. The grill is out, and what a relief as I have desperately needed a change to my cooking routine. Grill= less mess and good food.
2. Elsa can finally wear short sleeves! While in Southern Cali. in January, we were spoiled with temps in the 80's. Elsa LOVES short sleeve t-shirts... and got to where them everyday there. Of course, once home we were greeted with more and more snow, which meant more and more tears as she pleaded to me (and to Heavenly Father) EVERYDAY for summer to come. Well, her prayers were answered b/c it was in the 70's all last week and that is unbelievably warm weather for March. She is thrilled and so am I.
3. Gardening: Last summer was the first time I planted a full out veggie garden. It was a lot of work, but worth it. This year it will be much bigger.
4. My birthday. Spring is the best time of year to have a birthday. This year my wards 'Relief Society Birthday' celebration is on my birthday. The enrichment committee asked for volunteers to decorate the tables. I signed up to do one and I have decided that I will be decorating a table to celebrate my birthday and only those who love me can sit at it. ha ha. I am sure some random person will wander over and take a seat... and that will be interesting.

disguising the mullet

So.... which one is the winner?? or do you prefer the mullet?

The Hair Cut--part 2

Well it's been like, what, 3 weeks since the hair cut, and although I still get frustrated when I see that mullet in all it's glory (after a bath, or first thing in the morning), I am laughing about it, and I have gained a few positive insights from the experience...thanks to my family and friends
1. First an foremost, if cutting her hair into an '80's' mullet once a year was the only bad choice I ever had to worry about her making, that would be a blessing!
2. Elsa has a very artistic mind, and well, loves to create.... she is a 'do-it-yourself-er', and there is no question who she got that from. (thank you, Mom for helping me to realize that)
3. Where most every other mother would of taken her in to the hair salon and had it all cut off and made even, and I have a talent of being able to keep the hair that is left and hide it with a few different 'up do's'. (There are not many of us that can french braid 2" pieces of hair now are there??)
4. And from her own mouth... "Mom, I am pretty if I have short hair or long hair... if you didn't cut your hair, I wouldn't of cut mine"

Oh Elsa, I love you. Just let me know the next time you are feeling like you need a hair cut.

WHY!

Well, she did it again....she cut her hair into a horrible a-symmetrical mullet. I guess the joke is on me this time, since I trusted she would never do it again. I am sure most of you are like, get over it, all little girls do that... but I guess the reason it gets to me is because we already did this! Her hair had finally grow out this month--it took a year and a half from the last mullet she cut. Maybe I need to stop caring what my children look like, and let them walk around with uncombed hair and mismatched clothes. It's ridiculous that I just said that because, let's be honest, we all know that will never happen. Oh my gosh, I am so irritated that I can not take a photo to post with this...maybe in a few days when I have cooled off, and then you can all have a good laugh, and hopefully I will be laughing too!

My boy

My boy turned 3 a couple of weeks ago.
Why does time go so fast? With superman underwear on that little bum, and a pirate sword in his hand, he's not my baby anymore. But two things remain the same... he's a mommy's boy through and through, and I can stare at his face all day! Thank you, God, for Carter.

Cotton Candy, Cotton Candy, Cotton Candy

I can not think of a worse treat than cotton candy! It's like the forbidden fruit...looks so beautiful and irresistible on the outside, but made of nothing but sugar. Again, I can not think of anything worse for a kid to snack on. Of course it was the first thing Elsa spotted in Disneyland, and after a day and a half of distracting and ignoring her when she asked for it, I finally let Rob buy some. Now that I think about it, I need to appreciate that ALL it takes is a $3.00 purchase of Cotton Candy to make her the happiest little girl on Earth. Carter had NO IDEA what he was about to experience. And whoever said that sugar makes kids hyper was wrong... maybe Disneyland sells 'special' cotton candy. hummm...

The Famous Sandals

We love Saltwater Sandals. With my purchases along with my cousin Melanie's hand-me-downs, Elsa enjoys quite a collection of them. Is it a compliment when all the princesses at Disneyland tell you that they love your yellow sandals?

Could it be London?

uhhhh that would be NO. This is called 'a little bit of London in California' at Disneyland. Unfortunately for me, this is the closest I have been to my favorite city on Earth in three years. I would much rather have it be 'a little bit of Cali. in London', but I will take what I can get. It put a smile on my face none the less, and that is all that matters.

Blame it on the rain...

So, my friend Penny has corporate lift tickets for Sundance. We scheduled the date weeks in advance and hoped that we would have fresh snow when the date arrived. Well... not only did we NOT have fresh snow, but we had RAIN! Ya, it was crazy... if you have never boarded in rain, you need to try it! JUST KIDDING. Luckily for us, it didn't cost us any $$! I havn't been in a year, so I spent the first couple runs trying to remember if I rode goofy foot, or regular. Once I got that figured out, I didn't eat it quite as much. When I got home, I could litterally ring water out of my pants, gloves, jacket, and hat.

Rob in tights!

Oh Halloween... we love to dress up! We have yet to live up to our favorite costume from like 7 years ago where Rob was 'Almond Joy' and I was 'Mounds' and on Rob's back it said "I have nuts" and my back said "I don't". Mind you all the letters involved were hand cut out of black felt! Anyway, Rob and I were originally going to be Elsa and Carter, but when the kitchen re-model started Oct. 1st and I did not have the time or energy to sew us some matching gingham smocked outfits, that idea was out... then Rob and I were going to dress up like each other (since at the time we had the same hair cut/style--cause Rob copied me!) and I was going to get Rob some skinny jeans and flats, but that was out because we were going to be at the church carnival, and Rob said that we shouldn't cross dress at church. So Peter Pan, Wendy (with bleach blond hair!), Tinkerbell(modern funky version), and Captain Hook it was...

let it snow!

A couple of weeks ago it snowed for like 2 days straight, O.k., maybe it was only like 1, but it seemed like forever, and Elsa and Carter were able to sled on 6- 8 foot piles of snow right in front of our house! Pretty cool daily activity for a kid! I had high hopes to build an igloo or a snow fort--- but that didn't work so well... I think I need to do some more research on that! I'm open for tips and/or suggestions...