My Reward

I just needed to get some work done on the computer. I planned to have my kids do some mandatory quiet time today (and every day -- serious, I am going to start this), however, when I looked at my watch and it was already almost 5:30 pm I knew there was no chance mandatory quiet time would work to my favor (I do count on the kids going to sleep in the evenings and quiet time at 5:30 would send 2/3 of my family off to slumber land for sure, which would mean I am up all night trying to get them to go to bed later).

So, I just left 'em, ALL of 'em.

OK, I don't have that many kids, but I really did just quietly slip away back to my cave where I hoped to get some paperwork done for my 'other' job. Besides hearing shouts of "C is in the treat bowl . . ", I thought all was going well enough out there.

Then the girls came to visit me (in case you are wondering, I did get my paperwork done - thanks for asking). This was my "Hello":

Look carefully, the marker is across forehead and just for the record, it is all over her legs too, but that is from the other day

I do love 'em.

City Slickers Through and Through

What a great Saturday!

I can't wait for you to see my picture today because -- drum roll please -- I am in the picture! And, it wasn't taken by a stranger, the picture was taken by the father in my home, my husband :-). Knowing what lies ahead (big summer trip where I'll be doing many, many activities with the kids by myself), I really appreciate having both parents around. Plus, he is just so much fun.

I ran a race today and after the race was kids' activities including: pony rides and cake walks and face painting. It was sort of like a "small-town celebration" in a big city.

So here's what you've been waiting for: 

So, who wouldn't smile at that? I love being a family at a family event and this summer I will really miss the other part of my family that stays in WA. So, here is to being happy today (as well as recognizing my kids and I are as city slicker as they come -- I mean, c'mon, look at us paying to ride an animal . . ).


I couldn't believe she allowed herself to be put on this little pony




No Fear, no smile





The last time she rode a pony, she was VERY frightened



Sunset

Seeing evidence of a sunset, let alone evidence of the sun here is pretty remarkable. Tonight I got to go to the temple in Bellevue and on my way home, there was such a beautiful sunset hitting the tall buildings at all the right angles. Of course, I was driving and didn't have my camera anyway, so just picture it please.


Bellevue skyline



Here is another look, but in your imaginings, know that Seattle is much bigger than Bellevue.



Seattle Sunset



I love sunsets and my memories of Utah sunsets are the best. Anyway, this (along with actually being in the temple) made my heart happy today.

The Little Things

Just a quick post about two family members that boosted my spirits in the last few days. I didn't even realize my spirits needed boosting until they were boosted (should I say boost again just for effect?). Anyway, Janie made me laugh on a morning when laughing was truly the best medicine and then last night I got an email from Curt that was short and sweet and filled a space in my heart that was hurting just a little.

I tell my kids there are happy tears and sad tears, so this post is kind of like that. There can be happy, make-you-laugh posts/memories and there can be happy, appreciative posts.

I am thankful for love shown in different ways.


Janie is just so-darn cute and I love this memory



Curt has a way with each of my kids to make them smile and talk, I just love it.

You know you are a Mom when . .

This has been one of those days. It started out like this:

This girl does not go here

So, I figured I might as well climb back in bed and stage this:

I don't do so well with her feet in my eyes. So, I got up to take a jog. It felt so good. I just kept on going, but when I returned home, it was as though havoc wreaked while I was gone. Everyone was mad and everything was my fault. Happy Monday!

These little things that remind me of my privilege to be a mother, like the water bottle. We can have 3 or 4 different bottles, and they all can be in the fridge

and still the one I claim and proclaim to be mine, somehow becomes the family communal drinking fountain.

Or, as I tidy up (never-ending) and come upon this

and realize my decor has become the newest play toy to add to the mix.That elephant is supposed to be here:

In spite of it all, my heart still melts when I see 

Horses probably need diapers and hair bows - they've definitely got the hair.

 or ask my son, "So, do you think you match today?" when he looks like this:

His answer: "Yes, my shirt is totally stripes and m y shorts are totally boxes (plaid-- he has always called these shorts his box shorts and I just figured out his reasoning today).

This was all today. Good night.

Taste of Idaho

Yea! My parents came for a short visit. I love visitors. My parents are really easy to have around because they just step into my life and let me live it and they easily step out (even if I am crying for them to stay longer). Here are a few spoonfuls of their visit:

I left my son in charge of my parents :-) when I needed to leave for a speech session. The report upon my arrival:
Son:  Grandpa needs to learn more patience
Grandpa (my dad): He changes the rules too much so I quit

My 5 yo had no problem buttering right up to her grandparents.

My 3 yo stopped whispering by the time I got home, which is improvement from other new visitors. Soon enough Grandpa had her warmed up as well.


Dad didn't like reading "Joseph Had a Little Overcoat" he said it was too silly

 There's nothing like smiling for two days straight. I loved having them here. I told them I was in charge. The first thing we did was go out to eat at a favorite restaurant of mine. I have obviously not eaten at restaurants with my dad very many times, because he is not an enjoyable date. He never really relaxes, which made me feel hurried. He has a tendency to inhale food anyway, so this shouldn't have been a surprise to me. Anyway, the food was really good and at least my mom is a good date :-).

Oh, this is where I learned my dad knows all about "felons" -- can you believe it? Just google/bing it: "felon".
That is what I almost had a few weeks ago with an infection. He talked about his mom getting a felon. Of all the crazy facts I didn't know.

Then we had violin lessons. My dad iced his knee at my house and my mom came with me (cheerfully - even though I commanded her to come). I actually stayed awake and wrote legible notes. My mom smiled and acted like she enjoyed the whole thing. I loved having her there.

We had a great evening (my kids had the idea to wait and do our weekly "Family Night" with Grandpa and Grandma). So, they got to have first hand experience of London Bridges, Chutes and Ladders, and a story and discussion from the Friend magazine.


Doesn't my dad look enthused? Seriously - swap a smile . .

The next day we took a little drive (my dad's only "entertaining" request - isn't that great?). I could listen to my parents talk about anything for a long time. My dad and husband stayed awake talking one night till after 11.

Anyway, that was my main smile this past week.


Playing the "Fuller Bang"



Swinging Bridge at a local campsite



Looking back

My sister makes me laugh. That is why I call her. I have more than one and they all make me laugh. Since I shared a few college years in close proximity with one sister, I am focusing on her this time. We talk on the phone often and when we start running out of things to say, conversations like this start to come up:

"Well, I guess we're done now."

"Yup, guess so."

"I can tell you are doing something else."

"No, I really am listening."

I listened to a talk this morning given at the most recent worldwide general conference for our church. The talk I am referring to is: http://lds.org/general-conference/2011/04/more-than-conquerors-through-him-that-loved-us?lang=eng. Elder Johnson (I refer to him this way as a title in the church leadership hierarchy) talked about trials and referenced a hike in the Logan, UT canyon called "Crimson Trail". He referred to the hike's difficulty increasing near the top, but once the top is reached, the views are magnificent and definitely worth the climb.

Besides loving the whole tone of his talk and feeling as though I have had a pep talk like, "Keep on going" (I loved his reference to gold being refined: The furnace of affliction helps purify even the very best of Saints by burning away the dross in their lives and leaving behind pure gold. ⁶ Even very rich ore needs refining to remove impurities. Being good is not enough.) The burning sensation is a pretty great metaphor isn't it?

I am getting off track. I wanted to share the reference to the Crimson Trail hike with my sister. I just love that hike and want to do it again. I've done that one at midnight with only the moon (and maybe some flashlights) to guide us). It was awesome. Maybe I wasn't with my sister on this date, but we laughed and reminisced over some of the names of "fellows" that came over to the Prov House where we lived. What fun memories, some of the best times.

Just a little tired

I thought I had outgrown the tendency to drift off mid-class after college (specififically undergrad classes). However, this past week, I have proven bad habits die hard. I must have been particularly wiped out the other day because during my daughters' violin lessons, I drifted in and out, head-bobbing included, the entire time.

The repurcussion of my actions is that now when I try to practice with my girls, I have absolutely no idea what I am supposed to be doing with them. Look at this closely:

I get a chuckle every time though because I have countless memories (and pages) of notes taken in college classes that look just like this. I was doing my best to stay awake and alert, as can be seen by all of the cross-outs and gibberish. Next week I'll do better, I must do better for my girls. . .

"Glad" Day

This is getting better and better. I am not making this up, but yesterday when I opened my kitchen drawer (you know: ziplock, saran wrap, tinfoil, wax paper), I felt such relief. It was as though a little, cumbersome problem has been solved. It opened cleanly and without catching.

When I was in college and my next door neighbor met me, he saw how after particularly grueling study sessions, my fingers would look awful. I must have had a tendency to just play with little flaps of skin and hangnails, as though the more I pulled, the more information I could cram into my brain.

Now that my next door neighbor is no longer my neighbor, but a much closer acquaintence, I think he won't be surprised at all to see what I've done to our box of Glad saran wrap. It was just one of those days.