Pieces of Me

Maddy's Birthday Quiz

2011-12-11T14:00:00.001-07:00

In May, I interviewed Connor on his birthday and I planned on doing the same for Madeline, but I was a bit busy and I almost forgot! Better Late than Never!

Best part of being 7?

I'm older.

Favorite number?

6, but for favorite grade, that is definetely 1st grade!

Favorite Color?

purple

Favorite Food?

Are you going to do desert? Well, pizza and for desesrt ever is ...well, it has a lot of things to add. It's called the Best Desert Ever. There's mint and golden grahms and dark chocolate and milk chocolate and no peanut butter, and wheat thins, chocolate cookie mix, white chocolate chips and a lot more things to it.

Favorite thing to do outside?

Lie in the Hammock and read a book

Favorite thing to do inside?

Arts and Crafts

Favorite Breakfast food?

Golden Grahms

Favorite Restaurant?

PF Changs

Favorite Shape?

heart (and she demos with her cute little self) "A heart stands for love"

Favorite TV Show?

Dr Who

Favorite Drink?

Strawberry Milk

Favorite Desert?

See best Desert Ever

Favorite Game?

funglish

Favorite thing to do at home?

arts and crafts

Favorite Book?

the Dragons of Ordinary Farm

Favorite Movie?

Videos of our family...all about me!

Best Friend?

Evelynn

What makes you happiest?

Hanging out with Mommy and Daddy

What makes you sad?

When someone says an insult about Biggie Bear

What makes you excited?

When I go to Grandma and Grandpa's house

Favorite place?

home

Favorite Animal?

a Bear, a polar bear.

Tell me the 5 best things about you.

1-I like my blue eyes.

2-I like that I'm small.

3-I like to draw.

4-cuteness

5-I'm a big fan of Christmas

Favorite Memory

I fell asleep standing up. I know I don't really remember that but you told me about it so I remember that.

Favorite Memory take 2

I don't know.

If you could tell me two foods to never EVER serve again, what would they be?

lettuce and tomatoes...if I could.

If a genie would give you just one wish what would you pick and why? I would pick health and strength in our family, because I like my family.

There you have it. The world according to a 44 inch tall, 42 lb, 7 year old girl with frously hair.

My kids crack me up-the bathtub edition

2011-11-13T20:00:00.000-07:00

It never fails. My kids manage to do so many things that just crack me up.

This morning, Matt was laughing because our kids freak out when it rains and are litterally jumping up and down because they want to play in the rain....they opened the door, froze in place, backed up and started shivering and saying "BRRRR!" Summer is over even if they aren't ready for it!

Tonight, they wanted to test some paper boats to see which one was the best design. They plan on using the best design as a basis for their Raingutter Regatta boats. They refered to them as the "small scale model test." They really do pay attention when watching Mythbusters!

Yes, it really is floating!
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Maddy had to announce each step before they did it, cheer afterwards and act crazy...nut job all the way. But it was fun watching them figure out what boat was the most effective.
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Then they had to recreate the Mythbusters episode where they tested to see if ninjas could really breath through a straw to sneak up on people. I think they are just a little too big to be sharing a bathtub anymore, but I'm just the mom, What do I know? I love them and hope they are always creative and enthusiastic! ' '
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Random pictures from the wedding that I love

2011-09-19T21:13:00.000-07:00

Just a bunch of random images....

More Pictures of Old Wisconsin with Grandma Christa

2011-09-19T21:06:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Illinois for Julia's wedding a few days early, but Julia didn't have time to just hang out. She had final fittings, flower appointments, so on and so forth....so we lucked out and got to hang out with Josh's mom.

Christa offered to take us to Old Wisconsin. She had memories of going there as a child and wanted to share that with Maddy. The two of them both love Laura Ingalls Wilder's books so this was a lot of fun for both of them. Maddy thought it was facinating to see so many facets of life back then. I confess, this was one of my favorite parts of the trip. Don't get me wrong, the wedding was awesome. One of the best adventures a wedding can be! (tornados, hail, rain, sun, dancing and fun!) Exploring Chicago with Julia? Fantastic! But this was a nice, slow paced day that really let us relax and take our time.

Maddy and I really enjoyed spending time with Grandma Christa. She wasn't sure at first how she felt about her honorary status as a grandma, but since she could be one pretty soon, I think she was willing to snag Maddy as hers.

I'm breaking up the pictures a little bit. I'm sure that nobody wants to read ALL of them at the same time, but hopefully I'll get them all up soon.

Christa and Maddy posing with bonnets that Maddy HAD to have. Turns out that it was great because she hates wearing sunglasses and it was a very sunny day!

In this tiny little house, we learned about the history of the woman who lived there and even met some of the descendants of the original owners!

Maddy enjoyed playing housewife and learning how Laura would have done laundry and ironing....but she really loved looking at the horses in the pasture across from the house.

I love this one!

She had the chance to play at the blacksmith's shop and asked lots of questions and got to help make a wagon wheel and even got a horseshoe!

I love my kids.

2011-09-19T19:31:00.000-07:00

I haven't taken a lot of pictures of kids this month. I have been planning a "back to school" shoot but it has never been the right time..... I did snap a few this month though.

I woke up on a Saturday to find Connor in the midst of a Lego battle. His lego adventures are epic...lasting days sometimes! He and Maddy asked for Legos for Christmas. She is hoping for a huge Lego Pyramid and Connor is wavering between the Lego Millennium Falcon or a huge pirate ship...

Maddy decided to take a break from Legos this morning because she discovered that she could turn her puppy into "China Puppy" with a pair of chopsticks. While she wavers on the whole baby doll phase, stuffed animals are constantly being put in clothing and used as actors in plays. The plays are a way for me to show me I love her. They are sometimes grueling battles with my urge to run away, but usually I can sit still and focus as her 30 minute play about a bear at work winds to a breaking point. She loves putting them on but still needs to work on the idea of developing a story line BEFORE the play starts.

We have been struggling with Maddy and her lack of creativity in school. She was struggling for the first few weeks. Second Grade is full of worksheets and (her words) "Boring Math" Her teacher is a big fan of math...not art. It's strange because she has a number of art pieces around the school! So we are trying to encourage Maddy to do her homework in a more creative fashion. I get fewer complaints about homework when she does it outside! Sometimes it just takes a nice snack to motivate her, but she loves art and I'm trying to help her find that part of herself.

Just a quick shot of the view from our front door...The clouds during and right after monsoons are nice to see. I miss clouds 90% of the year!

Connor joined Matt on the POW/MIA walk last week. He had to get up, dressed and out the door in time for a 5:30am formation. (I slept in with Maddy....and loved every minute of it.) I was actually a little worried about him making it home in time to get to school on time. I feel bad for his teacher. He got back with enough time to eat breakfast but NOT enough to shower. I sprayed him down with some anti-stink and hoped it would last till school got out. I think he is almost at the stage where he needs deodorant....but I know he would just lose it or forget to use it. I'm still bugging him about brushing his teeth. He is growing up, that is for sure, that is MY old PT shirt that he has on in the pictures.

Last night he and Maddy discovered the joy of playing on the wall around the backyard. Matt's initial reaction to Connor on the wall was, "Cool, go out and get some pictures!" When Maddy grabbed her shoes so she could climb up (by herself no less!), he freaked out and insisted that she NEVER be allowed to climb the wall. Needless to say, I won that round. She managed to climb up by herself but was too scared to do anything except sit. I was fine with that. I was not fine with Matt teasing her because she was stuck and too scared to jump down. But at least it was just a little teasing....

Details-Old Wisconsin

2011-09-18T18:51:00.000-07:00

So I finally figured out how to blog directly from Lightroom. I have a feeling that my procrastination with blogging may decrease now that I can post all my pictures with one click instead of having to pick a few favorites and then save as jpg before I can upload them and then write what is on my mind.....I can just pick the ones I like....click and post. Heck, I can even write in LR (that's what I am doing now) and that way I don't have to go online until it's posted! It means that facebook and other distractions are easier to avoid while I'm trying to blog.

Now on to the pictures. While in Chicago, Grandma Christie, Maddy and I went to Old Wisconsin. Of course, with Maddy's love for Laura Ingalls Wilder meant that this was a GREAT way to spend the day. I do have pictures of the fun we had, but I also snapped some pictures of some of the details that caught my eye throughout the day.

We have pictures of the brick... furnace and organ in the church....The tools and horseshoes in the blacksmith's shop, details of a weaving loom, most tempting....vintage reproduction prints in the general store (not for sale), buttons and sewing fun too! Since this was just for me, I enjoyed playing around with the pictures in between other projects. That's why you might notice a huge variation in the processing styles. But I enjoy seeing life as it was and I am grateful for many of the things we take for granted. (although I'm in love with the great details on everything!) Enjoy. And be grateful for the power of Lightroom....because I may actually blog pictures of my kids one of these days!

The Patriotic Support of those in Maine

2011-09-18T10:26:00.000-07:00

I have been in many airports all over the country. One thing that always fills me with pride is when I see the veterans and volunteers at the airports as they greet the soldiers. I remember scrolling through hundereds of pictures when Matt deployed...just looking for that one picture of him at his last stop in the USA.

One of the groups that is dedicated to supporting our troops and showing their appreciation is http://ourstopinmaine.smugmug.com/ It's a mom and pop organization, but they make the effort to greet and shake the hands of the soldiers as they have one more layover in the states.

I know that the families appreciate seeing their loved ones one more time. I also know that while some soldiers might be embarassed at the outpouring of gratitude, that it feels great to know that someone cares. I know I appreciated it.

So this time, it was my baby brother's turn. I know I should quit refering to this grown man as my baby brother, but I love him and just can't stop. Thank you to the people who were able to be there when I couldn't. Thank you for taking his picture, for making these soldiers smile, for letting them feel loved, for shaking his hand when I couldn't be there to say goodbye.

{PS: Does anyone want to help adopt a soldier or write? I know a cute guy you can support! Or I can give you contact info for other guys that don't get a lot of mail}

This has been a very long term support....
Thanks.

Photos submitted by Ron Lare. Thank you to Cheryl Lare for handing out cards.

This is a test of LR2Blogger

2011-09-14T22:28:00.000-07:00

This is just a test....ignore this! Pictures from Old Wisconsin-

PWOC, Self-Doubt and Godly Thoughts.

2011-09-08T17:29:00.003-07:00

Last year, my neighbor invited me to join her at PWOC and I thought about going. But I felt a little out of place. I didn't really know her that well and at a meeting with some of her friends, I felt like I didn't have quite as much in common with them. I confess that I was a little worried about sticking out like a 5th wheel. And because it's Protestant Women of the Chapel, I felt a little weird about going to a women's group outside of my own faith. After all, I am an active Mormon. I love going to Gospel Doctrine and Relief Society. I love the wonderful events that we have. Would people at church think I'm strange for going to a Protestant Bible Study? Would the PWOC women criticize my faith that doesn't align exactly with theirs? Would the classes contradict my own faith?

So I couldn't make it to the first class and then I felt weird about going. Yes, I know, I'm using the word weird a lot in this post. I was letting my fears of sticking out and confrontation and leftover teenage angst stop me from trying something new.

Then a few weeks ago, I happened to run into a friend from church after dropping off my daughter at school. She mentioned that she was going to PWOC for the kickoff and felt a little strange about being the only Mormon there. She asked if I thought they would be critical of her beliefs or welcoming. I admitted that I had the same fears the year before but after meeting many of the PWOC women, I was sure it would be a good experience.

Then she told me about the class she signed up for and clear as a bell, I knew that this was the place I was supposed to be. I immediately changed and we went over to the post chapel.

The class is titled, "Me, Myself and Lies". The write up on it says this. "Is it time to spring clean your thought closet? Do you have thoughts bothering you from the past, present or future? Learn how to clean out that thought closet and focus on Godly self-talk."

This is something that I had actually been thinking about. I know that negative self-image and discouraging inner dialogue is something that I've struggled with my entire life. I even had a close friend give me a verbal smack upside the head just a few weeks before I ran into Melissa at the school. She pointed out that I seem very focused on the negative side of me....that day it was about my weight....again.

She is a treasured friend and I didn't want to jeopardize our friendship because I was wallowing in the mire of self-pity and frustration. I was struggling to change my thoughts but constantly berating myself because yet again...I would fail and think something negative....therefore, I was a failure.....and negative circle again.

I never ever walk my daughter to school. I did that day. I am so glad I did. I really feel that Heavenly Father knew exactly what I needed and pushed me there.

As a Mormon, we believe the same basic things that other Christians do. We are all God's children and he loves us. Christ is our Savior and without his sacrifice we would be condemned for all eternity. We believe in the Plan of Salvation, that through Christ we can be reunited with our Father in Heaven.

And here is where I think I needed a different point of view.

We believe that we are meant to learn and grow and strive to become better, to learn to be more Christlike, more in tune with God's plan.....we should pray daily, study scriptures daily, have family prayer daily, FHE etc etc etc.......

I know (mentally) that we are not expected to be perfect. Yet I constantly see a stream of "perfection" in front of me. She is so good at that.....she is good at that. Yes, I know they all have flaws of their own. But even when I learned to stop comparing myself with those around me, I still saw all of MY flaws. This huge list of To-Do's and I was a failure. I was comparing myself, not to my friends, but to a perfection that is beyond my reach today. I knew (emotionally) that I was failing.

It didn't matter that I was telling my children of God's love for us. Atonement, repentance, line upon line....mentally, I knew of these principles but I still struggle(d) with the feeling of failure.

Too fat, must be lazy

Not spiritual enough,

not patient enough

Bad mom-yell at my kids,

Messy house

And that one shouldn't faze me....years ago, someone pointed out that I have so many talents, that I shouldn't be greedy. OCD/a perfect home is a talent or the sign of a woman with no other talents. My cleanish but cluttery home despite my best efforts was a sign that my talents lay elsewhere.

But it does. Seeing my home as less than perfect is a physical representation of the clutter and stress I felt inside. I felt like a failure because I didn't get it all done. I still don't and it still bothers me BUT...

The inner dialogue in my mind is starting to change.

This class is pointing out a lot of things in ways that I haven't heard before. They are not truths that are unknown to me but I've never put them in quite that way, or applied them to myself that way. Several passages that left me feeling frustrated at my lack of Christ-like perfection before suddenly became clear as I saw that it was not my patience that was being judged, but my ability to accept HIS patience with me as I learn. That the thoughts in my mind, from childhood, past experiences or other places were not of God, that this was Satan's way of pulling me from God.

It wasn't that I didn't KNOW this before mentally.....I just didn't get it spiritually.

This blog is getting long but I'll write more later about the things that have touched me. But day one, they handed out a slip of paper with this scripture on it. And it hit me hard.....I love it. It is taped to my computer so I see it every day. Words and Thoughts.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my Redeemer.

Psalms 19:14

Mormonad....Just get along.

2011-08-07T22:40:00.002-07:00

This idea just cracked me up....I added the "so get along" I may make this larger and print it out!

A definition of Love...

2011-07-17T15:45:00.005-07:00

Someone posted a link to a page that linked to the text in red. Since they didn't link to the original source, I can't share it with you. If you do know the source, please feel free to share!

She said, "i'd say most people dislike the blogger bar at the top of most blogspot blogs. it's usually unattractive and often unwanted. i, however, do like it but just for one small reason: the link that says 'next blog'. have you guys ever discovered the joy of 'next blog'? i like next blog because i find strangers all over the world. typically i'll read for a few minutes then move on. today i clicked 'next blog' probably only 2 times before i stumbled upon this blog. pretty ordinary individual. but i couldn't help but share her profound definition of love:"

(This is the part that I love!)

"Love is patient, with your family, your friends, your co-workers, that guy who cut you off, the store clerk, the person who just doesn't get it, the person who hurt you.

Love is kind, to the people you see every day, the people you take for granted, to people who are jerks, to the people hiding pain behind their fake smiles.

Love does not envy, when all your friends are getting married and you are just getting older, when your friend gets the exact thing you wanted, when that girl over there looks good in ANYTHING, when someone has an amazing voice and is a talented singer and that's been your dream since you were little, but you can't carry a tune in a bucket.

Love isn't about me. It's not about what I did today. It's not proving I'm better or I'm right. It's not tooting my own horn or seeking my own glory. It's not about setting people up to compliment me. Love doesn't tear down others, it doesn't call people names, or point out flaws in a crowd.

Love doesn't laugh when people fall down, or get hurt or embarrassed.

Love doesn't demand to be loved back. It's not conditional. It's not about "getting" something. It's not about what I get. It's not about me.

Love looks at the other persons circumstances and leaves a HUGE learning curve before getting angry.

Love accepts that we are all flawed and gives second chances. And thirds, and 77ths.

Love doesn't keep a list of all the times you hurt me, like that time in the second grade....

Love doesn't get happy with violence, or others pain. Love doesn't approve of hate. Love supports and seeks after truth and justice. Love protects those around you, your children, others children, the old, the weak, the wounded, the confused, the backwards, the lost...

Love trusts, in those you love, in God's control. Even when there is no evidence, love hopes. For the future, for others to find love, for Home.

Love keeps going. When you are dead tired and have nothing left to give, when you are hurt and bleeding, when it seems like nothing ever changes, when everything's going good, when times are tough."

Procrastination.....or pictures from our 2011 trip!

2011-07-11T22:12:00.003-07:00

I've procrastinated posting about the Great Road Trip of 2011. I don't know why. I fully intended on blogging and sharing all of the cool stuff we saw and all of the amazing things I thought about as we were traveling.....

But then life happened and I let too much time pass. The initial urge faded and I let this slip away.

But then Lightroom happened! I finally took the plunge! I love it and it really makes my life/job easier even though I'm spending more time learning the sneaky tricks than I am processing stuff. That's partly because I waited for a lull to jump in.

Anyway, I love it. 'nuff said. So I was uploading some pictures and I found all of the pictures that Maddy took with our P&S Kodak camera. I was laughing because so many were blurry because she would excitedly whip out her camera to capture something but run off before the shutter would click! We had to practice that quite a bit before the pictures improved.

I noticed that she loves to take pictures of tiny details. Lids of water bottles, texture on blankets....stuffed puppies posed in kisses and silly adventures. Silly faces are important too!

Here are a few shots that I found .... Taken by Maddy, age 6. I'm glad that she is having fun taking pictures! Although I wish that she had waited till after all the photo opportunities to scrape the skin off her nose! (She discovered that racing scooters down a rock filled driveway is asking for disaster.)

Hard at work at Crazy Horse, photographing Connor as they were on a treasure hunt and her favorite subjects....Grandparents!

Taking a well deserved cookie break while they watched the dancers. The kids are like their dad....when blood sugar drops, they get cranky fast!

She also took a bunch at Grandma and Grandpa's house in Colorado....and of course, the cousins had fun in the car, taking more pictures!

Happy 4th! Free To Ride.

2011-07-04T14:14:00.000-07:00

My morning ride to Bisbee....
47.3 mi 03:40 12.9mph pace

I won't lie....going out was killing me. I felt like I was moving in slow motion through soup! It may have to do with leaving later and hitting more heat and the higher humidity-it was raining at 5 am when I planned on leaving. My phone was messing up my playlist too....I'd be listening to some motivating music and then suddenly a book on tape would start....NOT motivating.

The ride out was more uphill than I expected. I had planned on a short 20 ish mile ride today and as things turned out, I decided to take it a bit more. I wasn't prepared though. I wasn't hydrated yesterday and I didn't bring any food with me and only had about 48 oz of water on hand.

I got to the range and called Matt to see if he would pick me up in Bisbee because I was closer there than home. However, at the 80/90 junction, I stopped to finish my water and stare at the road as it swooped over and around the mountain. Suddenly, 9 miles to Bisbee was not nearly as easy as I thought it would be.

A crowd of firefighters showed up and debated the merits of turning around or continuing on. The moaning and groaning and tales of a steady, 9 mile climb (8-9% grade!!!) freaked me out. I tried in vain to psych myself up for it, but ended up deciding that 20+ miles home was better than 9 miles up that hill.

The guys were fast but somehow that motivated me. I fixed my playlist and charged on. I managed to keep up with them all the way back to Sierra Vista...ROCK ON! They were pretty cool and offered me ice cold gaterade at the station. I managed to finish another 48 oz in the 10 miles home from the station.

I think I'll have to look into joining a group for a long ride. I'm realizing that I can do 50 ish miles but if I'm going to get to a century, I'll need to train with some other people.....or find a route that's flat!

I'm not sure on the exact time for this ride....I did stop at mile 5 to say hi to some people at church (4th of July breakfast) but I forgot to charge my garmin so I'm not sure what my actual time was...I may have been a tad faster than this....

I'm really enjoying my rides and I'd love to do a 100 mile ride one day but after seeing this hill, THAT is my new goal! The hill and back!

Trip to Carhenge.

2011-06-16T14:08:00.002-07:00

So I'm jumping onto the world of LR. Taking a class to get familiar with it, but it turns out that most (NOT all) is easy to figure out....I"m loving it..

So since I'm playing around. Here are some pics from Carhenge. Matt loved the idea of going there. He was facinated by the entire process and concept.

The first time, we were coming through Nebraska after a trip to Michigan and we stopped for a few minutes at sunset. This time we were coming home from Mt Rushmore with g'ma and g'pa. It was cool to stop and show Charla. I obviously don't have the money to take her to Stonehenge, but this was a close second...I hope!

Birthday Interview.....Connor Age 9

2011-05-05T10:20:00.000-07:00

9 years ago, I became a mom! Connor has been one of the coolest things to ever happen to me....

I spent some time looking back at some of my favorite memories with him. He was fortunate to be around during my scrapbook phase and the start of my photography biz....although he tends to be neglected on the picture front lately....

My friend had the idea to interview her kids on her birthday and I think it's awesome. I told Connor that I wanted to interview him and he said, "Wow. I've never been interviewed before. Will I be in the paper?"

Unfortunately no.

Favorite number?

Google.

Favorite Color?

green

Favorite Food?

"Just write that I don't have a favorite food, but I really like pizza."

Favorite thing to do outside?

Swordfights

Favorite Breakfast food?

waffles

Favorite Restaurant?

Big Fat Greek

Favorite Shape?

Pentagon

Favorite TV Show?

Mythbusters

Favorite Drink?

Root Beer

Connor Making Cupcakes for school-2011

Favorite Desert?

homemade Brownies

Favorite Game?

Chess

Favorite thing to do at home?

Legos

Favorite Book?

I don't know I've read a lot of good books. ONE of the best ones was....Bridge to Terabithia

Favorite Movie?

Secret of Kells

Best Friend?

Ryan (and Camdon is second)

What makes you happiest?

My Family

What makes you sad?

When Mom and Dad don't get along.

What makes you excited?

Prospect of new legos!

Favorite place?

The mountains

Favorite Animal?

Puppy.

Tell me the 5 best things about you.

1-I'm a good Chess player

2-I run fast

3-I'm good at logic problems

4-I'm good at protecting my sister and taking care of her.

5-I'm awesome at building legos.

(Mom is adding that he is a great reader AND super helpful around the house!)

If you could tell me two foods to never EVER serve again, what would they be?

I don't like Salad that much. Tomatoes and strawberries.

If a genie would give you just one wish what would you pick and why? (Attractive, genius or famous?)

Being a genius because that's what I'm natural at.

There you have it. The world according to a 62 lb, 53 1/2" tall 9 year old boy...with dirty glasses.

Lost first tooth April 2009-Connor telling his grandpa about it.

Connor gave up his bed and slept on the floor because "Maddy wanted to sleep in my bed."-age 7

Connor's birthday party- Age 7 The Mad Scientist Party

Today's Ride

2011-05-03T12:10:00.000-07:00

I learned a few things on my first long ride.

1-riding downhill into the wind is almost as hard as riding uphill with no wind. No coasting!

2-going fast around a blind corner is a bad idea. If there are beer bottles on the path and you swerve to avoid them....you might fall. ouch.

3-I can go a LOT farther than I thought I could. I finished the ride with a trip up Heritage Hill and the hill back from the Stables.

4-If I stop to go to the bathroom at mile 25 and forget to start my watch again, my distance will be off. I actually did 33.87 miles~

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I'm loving my new bike....

2011-04-30T08:18:00.000-07:00

So my running is sidelined. I've been doing some mid-distance rides but I miss logging higher miles and feeling that sense of accomplishment that comes after a 12 mile run. I know I"m teaching a power yoga class and while it is fun to make soldiers cry, it's not as satisfying as it sounds.

Matt has been riding with his SGM and they are logging in 20 mile rides pretty regularly, working towards a 60 mile trip to Benson and back. I'm not sure how I'll do longer rides like that unless I find a partner but I'm working on it.

I love ....

...seeing a huge climb and knowing I can do it.

...finishing a huge climb and realizing it wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be.

...flying down a hill at 35 mph (I chickened out and braked on a few hills.....)

....coming home and realizing I'm not exhausted yet.

...planning on what I'll be doing next!

...feeling a sense of accomplishment when I see my numbers going up.

My newest ride was out to the West Gate and back. One hill took me 15 minutes to go up (I'll go faster next time since I know what is after it....) but only 3 minutes to get back! AWESOME.

Time:	01:09:01
Distance:	13.57 mi
Elevation Gain:	1,152 ft
Calories:	768 C

Untitled by pamperedstone@yahoo.com at Garmin Connect - Details

Plus I'm frustrated with my general lack of ability to lose weight lately (darn 30s!) and I'm hoping this new challenge will be what I need!

Insomnia doesn't have to be a bad thing.....

2011-04-14T03:55:00.000-07:00

So I can't sleep. In bed, wide awake. My yesterday and tomorrow play through my head like a movie. Not a movie, not dreaming, just awake...sigh, roll over.

Matt would snore. Roll the other way.

Finally I looked at the clock. 2 am. Roll over.

The movie starts again.

I go through relaxation techniques, but then realize there is a soundtrack playing....and it's not relaxing music. The to-do list starts again.

I roll to the other side.

Was that something at our door? Is a kid coming in? I sit up.

"It's 2 am! Dana, what are you doing?" Groans my husband.

I lay down.
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.
.
.
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Another few minutes goes by and I realize that this is pointless. I don't know if I'm hungry, wired, worried, or just plain out-of-sync with my circadian rhythm tonight. So I get up and try to get dressed quietly in the dark.

I'm glad I cleaned my room. I can actually do this pretty quietly....or so I thought. Poor Matt thought that it was because he was snoring. So I go back to bed and cuddle.

He starts to snore. I'm still awake.
.
.
.
So I get up.

This isn't such a bad thing. I'm not groggy. I'm WIDE AWAKE. The house is sort of clean. I'm not feeling a crazy urge to mop the floor at 2 am. Even though, it could use it....and laundry needs to be done.

But there is this window with Chocolate Orange Bread from Joy the Baker that has been open on my computer for 2 weeks now. It's a yeast bread, so I usually think that I don't have time or it will be a mess.

I have time now. Time to bake and to clean up. Nobody calling on the phone, no errands, no kids looking for food...just me.

So I made the Chocolate Orange Bread (Note to self-buy more oranges!) and cleaned up. The bread is a yeast recipe so I have an hour. Hmmmm. I still have a grapefruit in the fridge.

Grapefruit Honey Yogurt Scones! Perfect! Quick, easy and soooooo goood.

I cleaned up.

Hmmmm. Maybe something else? An Almond Pound cake....perfect! All the fresh strawberries can become a trifle! Strawberry Almond Trifle for desert tonight.

It's not even 4 am and I have scones cooling on the counter, Almond Pound cake in the oven, Chocolate Bread (for my Jewelry party this morning) on it's final rise, a clean kitchen (I ran the dishwasher too!) and a blog ready to print.

Nope. Insomnia isn't such a bad thing!

And I think I'll start a load of laundry and work on some pictures for a client......since I'm awake!

From my 40 Bags in 40 days inspiration....

2011-04-09T22:12:00.000-07:00

Just to be honest....I found this online and wanted to be able to see it...over and over again. I printed it out too! I'm working on getting 40 bags of stuff that I have allowed to clutter my life OUT! Stuff seems to accumulate to fill space available and I need to get back to basics.

Take time to deliberate;

but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in."

Napoleon Bonaparte

Some tips for de-cluttering decisions:

Is it really that hard of a decision? If I am pondering over keeping that kitchen tool that I don't really need or want, what is the WORST thing that can happen if I get rid of it? I might have to buy a new one down the road after I find that I miss it terribly? It might cost me $3.99! If I am thinking of getting rid of something that costs $1,700 of course I will put some thought into it. But most of the clutter is the little stuff that slowly ads up. Fear of letting go of little things is silly, I have found.

I was going to post some practical professional questions I found on the internet to ask ourselves while de-cluttering, but it was just all so stupidly generic and magaziney-ish I thought "OH how dumb".

I'm a mom just like you, so here are my unprofessional REAL-LIFE thoughts when I am making decisions to rid my house of something:

Do I want this in my house anymore?
Where the heck did this come from and why is it in my house?
Do I love this toy for my children? (Was it just a gift that I would never have bought, or did I make a mistake thinking it would be hit and it's plain old dumb.)
Do they play with it often?
Do I look good in this shirt or do I never wear it because my bra straps always show and bug me or the sleeves are too short, or some other annoying thing?
Do these pants make my butt look big? Or do they make my butt look bigger than it already is?
Will my child look like a rag-a-muffin wearing this?
Will he/she EVER wear this in spite of my attempts to force them into it?
Does it have stains?
Do I want to dust this for the rest of my life?
Do I want to look at this for the rest of my life?
Is this really me or do I feel I need to keep it out of obligation?
Do I use this daily, weekly, or monthly?
How long will it be before anyone even notices it is gone?
Will I be able to sleep at night if I get rid of this, or will I be racked with guilt?
Do I really need more than one of these?
Do I swear at this thing a lot? (Like a small lamp that was in my kitchen once that shocked me all the time. Or that battery toy that never shuts off and drones on and on and on? So long, sucker.)

Or more eloquently put, I always keep this quote in mind:

Have nothing is your house that you do not know to be useful,

or believe to be beautiful.
william morris

Will you join me in my quest for not just simplicity, but in a life that is more focused on the things that REALLY matter?

New furniture and Maddy's room.

2011-03-29T10:49:00.001-07:00

The bookshelves are done! (note, if you scroll down a few posts, you will see a "before" version of her room)

I still have to move wall art around, but I have a plan! Think Canvas and paint.....

The other bookshelf.... full of toys, legos and the books that are too tall for the other one! I don't have bookends so they are over there for the time being. You can also see her 100 days of school project hanging up-she loved it too much to get rid of it....

Originally, I planned to put this bookshelf in Connor's closet to keep his toys on, but even though it isn't perfect, it's too nice to stick in a closet. I guess I'll be working on something for boy next....or maybe Matt.

Maddy's dollhouse and "grandma" chair. She loves the beanbag and the chair so we have lots of seating in her room right now.

Maddy's desk is a lot like mine......sigh.

I love.....

2011-03-19T10:10:00.001-07:00

I love the fact that my kids are "different". They are atypical kids.

I love that at almost 9 years old, Connor still sleeps with Puppy. They have been buddies since he was a baby. He isn't very creative with names. He also had "Lambie" who was a soft lamb. Lambie didn't last as long as Puppy though.

There were actually 3 puppies that were identical. I swapped them out after he wore one to shreds because he loved it so much and had to hug it constantly. I bought several and would switch them out so they would wear evenly. Eventually he noticed that one had a scratch on his eye and one had a floppier ear. We 'fessed up and he then had 3 to love. Each one had a different personality. One was wild and crazy and another was mellow. I even made a superhero mask and cape for Puppy to wear.

He has this way of snuggling his puppy between his cheek and neck that is so adorable. I know that I shouldn't use the word adorable to describe my little boy...he wants to be tough and grown up, but I love the fact that he still loves Puppy.

I also love the fact that my husband understands this. Last night we tore the house apart at midnight when Connor came out of his room with a worried look on his face and told us he couldn't find his puppy. Matt looked outside by the trampoline and in the car, under all the furniture until we found it under Madeline. They had been cuddling the morning prior with all their animals and Puppy was lost in the pile under Maddy. Matt wasn't willing to give up. He just kept looking till he could reunite his boy with his puppy.

I love that given the choice, my kids prefer plain old oatmeal to sugary cereal. Normally I make a hot breakfast during the week. Weekends are time for me to sleep in, so they have to fend for themselves and eat cold cereal. Maddy waited till I was up to ask for oatmeal this morning and then they both gushed about how fantastic plain oatmeal was. Awesome.

Matt loves how at Halloween, Maddy preferred to give her candy away and asked for an apple instead. They do eat junk but they prefer granola bars to actual candy. I bought them a chocolate Easter bunny and it's been sitting for days because they forgot about it. A dish of ice cream is usually the treat of choice....or homemade cookies.

I love that Connor saw a DragonBall-Z toy and asked to see it because "I have one of those on a shirt but I didn't know it was actually a toy or something" Legos and imagination are the playthings of choice for the kids.

At least when they are not reading. I love to see both of them curled up with a book. Connor is reading Ted Dekker novels and books about mythology and adventure. Maddy loves the Boxcar Children lately. She also loves Little House on the Prairie. I was reading to her while she cleaned her room and stopped to take a sip of water....so she finished the next line verbatim. I love it. They get excited when we go to the library or bookstore.

I love that our tv is huge but the kids don't watch iCarly or cartoons. They fight between Mythbusters and National Geographic specials most of the time. And that really isn't that often...once a week or so. They do love Pixar movies and other movies, but they love to learn about dinosaurs or the planet. It's awesome to walk in the living room and see them cuddled up with their dad getting excited about a predator's hunt.

I love how they love each other. Connor always runs to rescue Maddy when she gets hurt....even if I already am cuddling her. They have grand adventures and lego battles that stretch from one room to another. They snuggle up with a book and read together. They get along most of the time and I only hope that this lasts through teenage years!

I love the fact that they like to tell jokes. Bad jokes. Bad puns. But it's still funny to watch them laugh at their own jokes.

I love my kids.

10 on 10 March

2011-03-12T12:16:00.002-07:00

First off, I can count. I'm just ignoring the ten part of the 10 on 10 and posting what I want. After all, usually I forget to even do this project!

We are dealing with Connor's tooth neglect. It's driving me crazy, so Matt has taken to the supervision of boy and his dental hygiene. One more reason that I am grateful for my wonderful, patient husband.

I picked Maddy up from school on Friday and she forgot the homework sheet again on Monday. To my surprise, she was supposed to make a Leprechaun Trap for class. Tuesday, the note was shoved to the bottom of her backpack and I missed it till Wed morning. It was due on Thursday. Sigh. Fortuantely, she is very creative and came up with this great idea. She managed to do almost everything by herself with a liberal amount of duct tape and scotch tape. I helped hold pieces in place while she taped. Pretty cute though!

Apparently Leprechauns like to cause mischief and do not obey signs....and they like glitter.

Maddy added duct tape to keep them from escaping....later she added a thimble of water and a marshmallow for a snack. She can't have a hungry leprechaun!

This is what I planned to do today....

but I ended up sitting here and discussing camera purchases, portrait orders and yoga schedules with all of the people who called all day!

And then I watched a photoshop video training and learned a few new tips....that I probably won't use since I don't have Lightroom and that was today's lesson. Notice my really yummy sandwich on my knees? yum!

The other reason I stayed home all day.....I was waiting for the dishwasher repairman. I was so frustrated because maintenance lost my work-order! Fortunately, the people who run things are fantastic and had the GE guy out to repair it in 24 hours.....sometime between 8 am and 5 pm. He was fast and HORRAY! I have a dishwasher again! I am SOOO Happy. There are just no words.

so I finally pulled out the pattern that I wanted to try....and had to decide....clean up my craft area first or sew? (Sewing won out. I'll clean after it's done)

It was also playdate day at my house. Thursdays are early release, so we like to have friends over. Connor invited Cameden and Richard.....they attacked me with airplanes when I walked in.

The girls were supposed to make these rainbow cookies, but the dough had not set, so this is a "bonus" picture from Friday. They made them at Hannah's house on the Friday playdate. They look great but actually taste like playdough. ugh. All the kids thought they were awesome, but I couldn't' finish one.

And these all count as one, right? Matt talking to Julia on the phone as he explains that I am the bestest wife in the entire world....ever.

A 2011 Kawasaki Vulcan custom....almost all blacked out with some grey accents...

Yeah, he likes it almost as much as his GTO. However, he only has 27 more days to find it a new home. My minivan has been outside for years and I finally got a spot in the garage. I'll be darned if I lose my parking spot inside for another toy. So Matt has to clean out the garage to make room for his toys on HIS half.

A bunch of random pictures from February and some random facts....

2011-02-24T19:39:00.000-07:00

1. I think I have ugly feet.

2. I am so grateful for technology.

3. I rarely keep in touch with friends from High School or my childhood, but I'm close with women all over the world and go to visit them....and a big part of that is thanks to Facebook, blogs and skype.

4. Connor has a friend in Korea and talked on the cell phone for 40 minutes and Skyped with him. Technology is good.

4. I hate getting up in front of people to do "stupid" things. The Haka is not stupid. It's a Maori war dance and the cub scouts thought it was cool. Still...I would have felt a little dorky.

5. My camera provides a great excuse and a fairly sizable shield to hide behind.

6. Connor is a lot like me in that regard. He can be a complete dork and not care, but he usually gets embarrassed if he has to do things in a large group. Strangely enough, a war dance is not cringe inducing.

7. I love when Maddy draws pictures for me or writes letters to me.

8. I wish I would take more pictures of her art.

9. Maddy and I love to create and build things. She is at the perfect age for Lowe's Building Projects for Kids. I love to watch her focus and read the directions and the pride in her face when she is done.

10. I'm a chocoholic. I'm addicted to sweets and even though the Valentine's Party had cheap chocolate dipped fruits and snacks....I couldn't resist. I love it. So does Maddy.

11. I love to teach yoga. I was running and actually enjoying it, but when I start to hurt, I crave yoga. I know running is good for me and I do like the satisfaction, but yoga makes me feel good. Running just hurts.

12. I love to shoot with a wide open lens. I love the shallow depth of field.....sometimes too much.

13. I hate clutter. I hate messy rooms. I do like to see kids having fun and playing though.

14. I'm just as messy as my kids....I would rather have fun, do crafts or anything else. Plus I'm lazy.

And one more just for fun....

15. I love how my kids may be well-mannered, well-behaved and well-spoken, but sometimes they do things like this that remind me that they are little kids. Maddy is only 6 and *should* be a kindergartner. Sometimes I take her smarts and behavior for granted and forget that she is a little, tiny girl.

And I love her for it. And my boy (he surprises me with spontaneous cuddles) can be small and little too.

A sewing project for Valentine's Day.

2011-02-13T21:51:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine gave me some shirts that didn't work for her (she is losing weight and looks amazing!) I loved one shirt but it never looked right on me. I would try it on and then take it off in frustration. It was so pretty but on me, it looked boxy and made me look pregnant....and not in a good way!

The last time I tried to find a way to wear it, I took it off and tossed it on my sewing table where it landed on this green paisley fabric. I RARELY mix patterns. I love how they look, but I can never seem to match them up on my own. Well, I looked over and loved the combination. I doubt I would have thought about these two fabrics had it not been for the fortuitous juxtaposition. So I made a skirt and dress out of the shirt and fabric. I started Saturday night and found myself in a full on sewing kick. I managed to finish in time for Maddy to wear it to church the next day. (her choice, not mine, I thought it was more of a school dress)

I confess that I love the fact that the shirt already had a nifty ruffled edge. When I get my serger up and running again, I'm going to try this as a way to accent other outfits. Super cute! With a few minutes and a trusted seam ripper I was able to tie the green fabric strips in....

With some more careful snipping of the shirt, I was able to create a matching section of ruffle for the peasant blouse. As a note for myself: Make the shirt a hair wider and the base and a tiny bit longer to allow for a larger seam.

I repurposed a seam on the shirt as a tie on the shirt. Maddy is so skinny that without a tie, many shirts and dresses look too baggy. It's hard to see but I also added a fantastic little extra that I love. I made a false hem at the bottom of the shirt with extra topstitching as a detail. It lays perfectly and came out just as I imagined. I played around with a scrap for a good 5 minutes, folding and pressing to figure out the best way to get the look. (happy sigh)

I would love to have custom tags for my clothing, but I am too cheap to buy 300 at a pop! (Let me know if you have a good store for smaller quantities!) I dressed it up with a tiny purple tag for fun.

You are probably wondering what the entire outfit looks like....of course, my daughter is adorable and cute and did NOT feel like cooperating. The best shot? This one. I do love her so much. I love her excitement and joy!

Cousin Sam

2011-02-12T19:29:00.000-07:00

I just realized that these pictures never made it onto the blog....My younger brother Adam's daughter lives in Colorado with her mom and we had the chance to visit at Itz while we were in town.

Here is Sam, being cute.

Itz is an indoor playland with rides and games and food. It's a great option for kids when it's cold outside. But don't be fooled by the fun we are having though. When we were finally done playing and eating, we looked outside and it was definitely winter! We were caught in a huge snowstorm. The 5 minute drive there turned into a 2 hour drive home!

Connor and Maddy loved the Skyflier ride. I think Maddy rode it 10 or 12 times!

Sam driving a car game....even though her feet don't reach the pedals!

The jumprope game....

She was excited to win the tickets. As it turned out, I messed up when I loaded the kids tickets into the machine. Fortunately, the guys in the prize shop felt sorry for me. They gave me several 1/2 loaded cards and a stack of 800 tickets. We had only earned about 50, so the kids were THRILLED!

Maddy and Sam really enjoyed playing together. They cracked me up as they ran around trying all the rides and games... I will definitely have to make sure we have the girls play every time we go to Colorado!

Connor had to show Maddy how strong he was, but Maddy wasn't quite strong enough to swing the hammer, so Connor had to help her out.

They also had a virtual rollercoaster! I love how Maddy has her hands in the air!

And one more of Cousin Sam.

Funny at 6 but inappropriate at 16....

2011-02-07T20:19:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of Matt.

Maddy neglected to put a tshirt on under her Jujisu gi and Matt told her that she needed to wear one.

She eyeballed him and said, "Well Connor doesn't wear one."

When Matt paused, she asked, "Is it because of boobs?"

He just about freaked out but calmly said, "Yes, Maddy. It's because of boobs."

Maddy pointed out, "But I don't have one." (Yes, she said "one")

He explained about dressing modestly even if you don't have a boob.

I love these conversations....

And later...Maddy just came to tell me the story and why she needs to be modest. She then unzipped her footie jammies and flashed me to demonstrate how she really doesn't have boobs yet.

Once again, an example of "funny at 6 but completely inappopriate at 16"...

New addiction.....savage chickens....

2011-01-31T17:12:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I just need an escape. After a few minutes with Savage Chickens, I feel much better.

The end.

Then and Now

2011-01-31T14:23:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago the road behind out house was torn out and I listened to the construction all day long.

The key thing however is what is in the background....

Here, blue sky and mountains with just a little snow left.

And today, the snow was falling and the mountains are gone....got to love the Arizona weather!

Smirk.

2011-01-24T08:20:00.000-07:00

I saw this comic and laughed so hard milk could have come out of my nose. I wasn't drinking any, but if I was....it would have been hilarious. Don't you sometimes wish someone would ACTUALLY do this to those punks?

For some reason this made me think of my dad...For his HUMOR. He isn't a mass murderer. I swear.

Mwahahahaa.

Okay, back to work.

Video of my finish line.

2011-01-19T20:04:00.000-07:00

This is the link to the video of my finish and some pictures.

100 Days of School!

2011-01-19T10:41:00.001-07:00

Before I show off Maddy's awesome 100 Day's project.....I present the midget's solution to getting an apple. Yup. This is how I found her when she said that she could get an apple all by herself. Awesome kid. Crazy, but OSM!

The 1st grade is doing a 100 Days of School Project. Each child is supposed to present a display of 100 things. Suggestions included 100 toothpicks glued to look like a house or 100 seashells....

Maddy picked 100 books. Mostly because we discovered that 100 books are taller than she is! We did have to swap a couple out for some thicker ones, but we did get the height that she was working for.

She has actually read most of these books. The ones she hasn't read are ones that she is currently working on (A Cricket in Times square and Ramona and Her Father) or I know she will finish (the Nature's Children books-she read most of them and is constantly reading them)

As we worked on this project, I realized that we have not been buying very many books for girl. She is a library fiend and most of her books come from the school library. She did get The Doll People for her birthday and Where the Sidewalk Ends for Christmas.

I originally thought about printing out her picture life size, but then I realized that even a cheap poster print was NOT very cheap. So we went with a 10x30 picture instead.

We snapped a few sitting pictures too. This is what 100 books looks like. As a side note, this is one of Maddy's favorite outfits. She LOVES the tie her Daddy bought for her and her big blue bow. She has recently decided that girl's don't need to tuck in shirts though. The badge on her shirt is from her Student of the Week fame....

And this is what they look like about .3 seconds from being all over the floor!

The project is really supposed to be accomplished by the child. Even though she picked the books and counted them (by 2s, 5s and 10s), I wanted there to be a visible display of her effort. So she made a sign (with help from Mom and Dad) Matt painted cardboard white and drew the outlined letters. Then Mommy and Maddy had fun decorating the board while the boy's were at scouts.

And just so everyone knows....I really hate my point and shoot camera. That is all.

She has stripes and spots and balloons and stars, but I love the Eyes in the 100. The P is an Ice Cream cone. O is a sun. J has flowers (Mom's) C is a monster eating the T carrot and the ! is a hot air balloon. Oh, the D is a rainbow and the S is a snake and the apostrophe is a balloon. I like doing projects like this that help her to see things as the potential for something else....creativity without too much mess!

We also made 100 Thumbprints in 10 different colors on the bottom portion. Maddy will write each number on them after school.

And yes, that is food on her face. I didn't check too closely before we started.

The final print....soon to be covered with glitter and girly decor. I'll post the finished products soon!

Kids Rock too!

2011-01-19T10:02:00.001-07:00

Connor ran the Kids Rock Arizona and did a great job! It was really crowded and he was just a little nervous, so I was planning on standing with him till he started the race. Since Erika showed up, we both ran with him!

The small pictures are from the official race photography website here. Since the pictures are $15 a pop, I'll just post the thumbnails here.

The start line. The kids had a wave start by grade with about 10 kids going ever 15 seconds. Connor's group had 300 kids!

The obligatory post race shot with his awesome medal.....

Running with mom. (My inner voice is saying that I really need some new jeans. Those look awful!) But I digress. The focus should be on my boy.

This is a cool action shot. Although I think he was saying something about how he thought he was going to die and his legs were tired. I took no sympathy and told him to keep running!

The finish with Mom and Erika. Why didn't I pull my hair back before I started to run?!?! Sorry....all about me again. Boy is really awesome......he wasn't happy with us at first....but then he was proud.

Connor decided to stretch before the race. So he stretched his wrists. I have no idea what he was thinking.

At the start, waiting for his turn to go. The lines on the ground mark each wave.

Connor's cheering squad and motivators!

And just because I love seeing the kids together.....a shot of them at the hotel the night before his race. I think it is great that they still love each other so much!

Yeah, he is a pretty great kid.

Race stats no pics.

2011-01-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

Note. The difference between Clock time and Chip time is the difference between how long I took (chip time) and how long it took to actually get to the start line.

I finished with a time of 2:14 and the average time was 2:29. The average female time was 2:37. The average male time was 2:17! So I'm above average! Woo Hoo!

I'll do better next year!

Distance	HALF MAR
Clock Time	2:39:50
Chip Time	2:14:32
Overall Place	7903 / 19298
Gender Place	3710 / 11886
Division Place	688 / 1947
Age Grade	49.2%
Pace	10:16
Agegrade	49.2
Placeagegrade	8038
Ttlrace	19298
Ttldiv	1947
Ttlsex	11886
5 Km	31:49
10 Km	1:02:51
8 5 Mi	1:26:16
10 Mi	1:42:48

guess what I got for my birthday?

2011-01-12T14:26:00.000-07:00

More Christmas at the Stone House

2011-01-12T08:58:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that Christmas is my favorite holiday....and season! I am really glad that we celebrate the birth of our Savior for more than just one day.

So without further delay, more decorations.

One more Nativity that I picked up two years ago. It's a whimsical Nativity, but it's not gaudish or disrepectful (I can't stand the snowmen Nativities or the Cowboy versions!) With some happy bokah.

There are actually 2 full Nativities on our mini tree. In the Advent Calendar, we have boxes filled with ornaments. Every day the kids get to put another ornament on this tree and read a scripture. I taped a list of Christmas scriptures inside the door last year instead of putting them in the box. That way they don't get lost after we read them.

We love our gingerbread houses too. This year we bought a kit and made a village instead of making them from scratch. I have to say that it's just as much fun to decorate these as the homemade ones.

We used up the last of the Halloween candy as well. Matt's house is in the back left with a one-eyed alien landing on the roof.

Maddy's house was a bit more traditional this year....

I do have a few snowmen around since we don't have any real snow!

Our tree is filled with ornaments that remind us of past years. We try to get a new one for each member of the family every year. (and maybe a few extra just for fun)

I have several photos on the tree. I'm trying to add these every year. That way, when the kids are grown and married with kids, I will have a tree full of happy memories of my babies!

Hidden Mickey from our trip to Disney world on Matt's R&R 2009

Matt's Jack from Disney

My maternal Grandmother gave this to me. When her husband died, she never seemed to really get over it. I see this and it makes me think of how happy I'll be to celebrate my 25th Anniversary with Matt. Too many marriages don't last and this is a symbol of what can be.

I made this with my mom when I was a kid. I don't remember when we did it, but this was at a Relief Society function (probably Super Saturday) and I got to make this one. It's warped over the years, but I still love it.

Every year that Matt deployed, I bought a patriotic ornament. Needless to say, we have a lot of those.

more pictures of the kids!

This was the Hallmark ornament that came out the year we were married. We actually have 2 of them. My parents and Matt's parents both gave one to us for Christmas.

The snowman family in the back left is "our first Christmas as a family". Unfortunately, it wasn't Connor's first Christmas because Matt was in Korea at the time. So the following year, 2003 was our "1st year"

And I was a Can Can Dancer for several years.....so I HAD to get a dancing Rudolf and Santa!

We bought our little house in Texas in 1999, when I was 21. I came back from Bosnia and Matt had jsut returned from Peru. We were thrilled to have a home. Little did we know that we would live in that house by Fort Hood for 11 years.

I've never found a tree topper that I really liked. They are usually too gaudy, so I made this one when we first got married. It's still not what I want....but I'll change it when I find the perfect topper. There are also two flags at the top of the tree. Matt's family does that every year and we wanted to carry on that tradition.

I also decided to add a flag to the tree for every member of our family that has served in the military.

Both our fathers, My mother, All of my siblings, cousins on both sides, grandparents and great grandparents ......the list is pretty long.

Texas is HOT! Got to have some Chili peppers! Although these work just as well for Arizona!

Central Texas was great-We were close enough to visit Sea World several times, usually with our friend's the McCormick family!

I sold Pampered Chef after Connor was born so I got this little pot rack with mini dishes.

Cool Cars are very important to Matt! (64 GTO)

This is one of the ornaments that I have from my childhood collection....

The first year we were married, we had very little money for a tree. The PX had a huge tree on sale for $50. We couldn't believe it! This was a $300 tree. Apparently, instead of getting 30 trees, they had hundreds arrive at the store. So 13 years later, we have this amazing tree. The down side was we couldn't afford to buy ornaments! We had to wait till the next payday to get some and even then the tree was pretty bare. Many of the ornaments have broken over the years, but we still have a few. These bells and some blue balls and marroon balls can still be found if you look hard enough! They are tied on with ribbon because we didn't have hangers and had to make do with what we could find.

My Grandma Nova made this for me in 1981....I love this.

One of Connor's ornaments. He had a time where he was crazy about firetrucks and firefighters...

Maddy made a lot of ornaments this year. "For God so loved the world"

Connor doesn't look very happy here.....but I love handmade ornaments.

Matt was in Korea in 2002....

Matt was in Iraq with the Cav in 2006....

I love Ikea. I love these ornaments. Coincidence? I think not.

Our photo from Disney world 2009

Matt's dream car. 69 GTO Judge, with presents in the back seat!

This is the view most people are used to seeing.

I showed this nativity yesterday....

Here is where it was sitting. The kids made snowflakes and you can see the kissing ball reflected in the mirror.

Matt bought me these mini trees for the entryway.....Maddy made a popcorn string and we hung pinecones and cinnamon ornaments.

I helped Maddy's class make Gingerbread houses. Maddy has two gingerbread guys having a marshmallow snowball fight....love it!

Love her!

I know this isn't from Germany, but one day I will go and see all the cool places that Matt has been. I love the look of the Christmas carousels....this has a nativity on it that spins when the candles are lit.

Matt's nutcracker from Germany

and a few more nutcrackers....

Christmas Decorations-Nativities

2011-01-11T17:59:00.000-07:00

I admit that this post is a bit late. However, my Christmas tree is still up so, I suppose that I'm right on time for me!

I took some pictures of my decorations this year and this post is about my nativities. I love the meaning of Christmas and I love how Nativities are such a beautiful expression of that day.

My absolute favorite is one that I bought in 2005. I love the simple lines and carved wood. I think that the tarnished metal accents are perfect. It's not fancy, but I prefer the simple to the elaborate.

With a bit o'bokah....

My other favorite Nativity is my Willowtree set. I saw this years ago, before they were available in Hallmark and other stores. The only place I could find them was at a little shop in Salado. It was displayed in a tea shop that was tucked away behind a row of antique shops. I loved it but it was so expensive that I just went back again and again to dream.

I took Matt one day and showed them to him. I thought he might buy me a piece every year for Christmas until I had the whole set. He walked up to the counter on our next visit to town and told the woman to wrap up the set for me. She thought he meant the Holy Family, but nope, he meant ALL of them.

So much for developing my patience! Matt made sure I had it all. I actually did get the creche as well, but this was the perfect lighting and the perfect spot to showcase this in our new house.

I love how even though there are no details on the faces, you can still sense the love Mary has for her newborn son.

I picked up this one a few years ago. I like the old world feel to it. I doubt it is hand carved....but I still like it.

This was the set from when I was a little girl. I don't know where they came from, but I remember rearranging the figures over and over as a child. I'm glad that I have this piece of my childhood for my children to enjoy. Of course, for the very first time ever, one of the pieces was damaged. I knocked the poor shepherd boy onto the tile and broke his leg. You can still see the white on his leg where a chip broke off.

Thanks to the extra crafty motivation of one of my friends, I have this new display. It's a glass brick filled with Christmas lights and a vinyl image on the front. With a shot of gratuitous bokah as well!

I made this set a few years ago. Actually I made most of the set a while ago, but I finally finished it this year. I had procrastinated stuffing the camel so I stole couch cushion stuffing.....it's for a good cause, right?

I like the fact that I have a set that small children can feel free to play with and not worry about breaking. Maddy still loves to play with them! I did have a great experience with a 2 year old. He came over and promptly told me the entire Christmas story as he set up the nativity. He was so sweet and sincere that it made my day.

I also have several ornaments. These two I hang on the stockings (got to remember the REAL meaning!) I've never been a huge fan of Santa but I love my nativities.

Funny story, Connor had opened his stocking and realized that he had a new bike helmet by it. He was so excited that he started hooting and hollering and then he turned to Matt and said, "COOL!! Now you don't have to buy one for me anymore!!!"

I guess he really does believe in Santa.....

My goal for 2011

2011-01-03T11:07:00.001-07:00

2010-12-24T00:09:00.000-07:00

I watched the kids drink apple cider and talk about how much fun they had today, so I grabbed my camera.

And since they are photographer's children, this is what I got.

And then they wanted to pose a bit.....making a toast...

Showing me how delicious the cider was......

But then they calmed down for a minute.

Would you look at those eyelashes? I'm jealous of my own son....plus I just want to hug him.

Maddy had to show off one of the nativities and rearrange all the pieces.

I'm glad that she still likes this set. I made it for the kids when Connor was little so he could have one that was safe to touch. It is pretty popular with visitors as well.

And boy tries to be cool and aloof,

But then he decides that he's still my cute little boy.

Running and a Haircut!

2010-12-20T19:02:00.000-07:00

Just as a note...I'm writing this as I walk on my new treadmill! I have it set up so I can use the walking desk while I'm online. No longer will I feel like I"m wasting time....now I'm being productive and exercising! Although I'll have to work up to walking faster than 3.2 mph. I tend to make more typing errors when I am going fast. I'm sure I'll get the hang of this and hopefully, this will motivate me to not only walk when the weather gets colder, but to keep up with my blogging since this is the closest to journalling I'm likely to get!

I've also set a goal to do 350 miles in 2011. Ideally, I'll be closer to 700 if I do 15 a week but I'm trying to be practical. Who knows if I will get 15 in every week? I certainly don't now. With being sick and kids and the holidays, my running has really suffered. I'm actually frustrated by the fact that I lost 3 weeks due to being sick. Bronchitis just makes it way to hard to run, especially at this altitude. It didn't help that I was slacking before then because I lost my running buddy Erika. (I really miss having her around btw. And not just for running motivation but because I loved having an adult friend to spend time with on a regular basis! She's always been fun to hang out with and talk books or trapeze or whatever.

Back to my running gripes....I was at the point where I could do 10 miles and not die. Now I"m feeling my lungs scream at 2 miles (although that is getting better slowly but surely) and my knees are starting to ache again. I couldn't believe how much my left knee was hurting at mile 4. How can I possibly run a half marathon in less than a month if my knee hurts this much at 4 miles?? Sigh. I'll do the best I can, but I was hoping my best would involve a bit more satisfaction and joy.

Even though I"m struggling to get back into the swing of my workouts, I am noticing that I like to run. I enjoy getting outside and feeling the rhythm of my feet on the pavement and the wind in my hair. I like to feel strong and healthy and satisfied at the end of a good run. I did just over 5 and 1/2 today and I watched the sky over the mountains turn pink and gold and highlight the rocks and hills. It really is a beautiful place to be and I'm loving it, despite the lack of trees and oxygen. I liked running on post at dusk and enjoying the peaceful evening. I actually like it.

I never EVER thought I would say that. I love swimming and yoga, but I've always hated running. I hurt and couldn't breathe. It never came easy and was a source of frustration and a sense of failure. I did manage to learn to run fast in the Army (record 2 mile time was 14 minutes flat) but I didn't learn to love it till recently. I hope I can push past this point and get to where I feel like I'm fighting for it less and progressing more.

I'll quit babbling about my running and get to the pictures. Maddy's hair has been long for her entire life. She had hair in pigtails at 6 weeks and curlers at 8 months. I've cut it several times, but it's been quite a while since we did any serious snipping. The tangles were taking over and I decided to try and cut it myself. I have to say that it's a skill. One that I've not developed, but I think I did a passable job cutting in a semi-straight line!

Maddy is THRILLED to have "short" hair, but it's still pretty long even though we cut 4, nearly 5 inches off!

In leu of a Christmas Newsletter....

2010-12-20T14:21:00.000-07:00

Somehow this never got posted, but better late than never!

2010-12-20T13:32:00.000-07:00

I love Christmas...everything about it. I love the music and the lights, giving gifts, spending time with friends and family, decorating, mint m&ms (only at christmas!), the food, everything. I love the spiritual meaning behind the celebration. I love the magic of the season for the kids. I love how my son really believed (?) in Santa and at 6 he thought that Santa was hired by James Madison. (long story....but J.M. was his favorite president) I confess, I even love how stores start decorating in September!

And a pic from my 365 project in 2007.

I told you all that so I could tell you this. Matt and I got in a "fight" this morning.

Yup. It's a yearly tradition. It happens every single year since the year we got married.

We "fight" about Christmas. (It's all in fun, folks. So don't get your panties in a twist.)

We don't agree on ANYTHING about Christmas. Well, maybe a few things, but I can't think of them!

I think all of the decorations should be up by Thanksgiving. He thinks the day after is pushing it. I bet he would wait longer if I let him.

I like twinkly white lights. He loves colored lights that fade in and out.

I think the tree should have lots of lights. He thinks one strand is enough. (I used 13 strands of 200 each this year)

I think we should open ALL of the presents on Christmas Eve. He wants to wait till Christmas morning and calls me a heathen for my blatant disregard for Christmas tradition..

I think that Santa is overrated. He....well, he doesn't really disagree that much on this point.

I want to not go too crazy and spoil the kids. He IS a kid at heart and just can't stop himself.

I want a family Christmas at home with the people we love close beside us.
He wants the same thing.

I guess we do agree.

And while looking for a picture I found this....

Just cause she was so cute.

Maddy wanted a picture

2010-12-17T17:59:00.002-07:00

so I took these before school.

Gingerbread village

2010-12-16T09:28:00.003-07:00

Matt and I helped the kids make a gingerbread village for Christmas! It was a fun way to start the holiday season!

Maddy didn't like the royal icing!

Maddy's house...

Matt put the halloween eyeball on his house....

Sugar cookie party....

2010-12-15T23:51:00.004-07:00

Maddy had several friends come over after school to play and we had to make Christmas cookies! (More pictures later) Just as a note, her "Cindy Loo Hoo" Hairdo didn't last jumping on the trampoline. :( I should have done this one BEFORE I cut her hair shorter.

Sugar cookie party....

2010-12-15T23:51:00.002-07:00

Sugar cookie party....

2010-12-15T23:51:00.000-07:00

2010-12-15T16:38:00.002-07:00

Juliet brought Jerrith and Sophia down for a visit and to take some pictures. Maddy got in on the action with her buddy too!

The Christmas Frenzy

2010-12-15T15:55:00.002-07:00

I've been baking up a storm this last few weeks. I've been looking up new recipes online and debating the merits of this one over that one. I've made
Chocolate Chip,
Oatmeal,
Pumpkin,
Pumpkin Dark chocolate,
Double Chocolate Mint,
White Chocolate Cranberry,
Sugar,
The infamous Pink Things (2 batches)
Muffins, Cranberry and blueberry
and today was a new mint cream.
I've made candy cane hearts

I've done a lot of craft projects with Maddy and her crowd of friends....at her birthday and just for the fun of it. I've been sewing up a storm, making pants and dresses and costumes and skirts.

The best part of all of this? I'm actually enjoying the holiday season. I *Should* be addressing Christmas Cards and mailing them out. I should be scrubbing my house and wrapping presents.

But I'm not.

I was sick with bronchitis and I can't run. That's one less thing on my plate.

I've been struggling with breathing, so I don't feel too bad about blowing off my cleaning duties for ones that involve less effort and more fun.

My Serger and one of my sewing machines are in the shop. So no pressure to sew since I'm on my "backup" machine. The costume stressed me out a bit until I found fabric (35 min away!) but once that step was done, I actually enjoyed figuring out how I was going to create the littlest Christmas tree.

Since I'm not swamped with work (I've turned away all but one last minute Christmas shoots) so I have time to volunteer at Maddy's class. We made gingerbread houses today and I brought my camera just for the joy of it. No work involved. I'll go tomorrow and shoot the 1st Grade play as well.

I think I'm catching on to the secret. I had the idea to bake in advance and freeze pre-made cookie dough balls for baking later on. My shopping was done way in advance, although I still find myself buying more books for the kids! (Shel Silverstein Rocks!) I've even shipped gifts unwrapped directly from the online website to my dad (He will wrap it for Dede for me) I decorated, but I finished pretty quickly and didn't go as overboard as I sometimes do.

I'm no Martha Stewart or HGTV guru. My laundry sits unfolded for at LEAST 24 hours most of the time. I'm not scrubbing the floors every day so my house is perfect for unexpected visits. My friends will love me clutter and all.

The secret? LET IT GO.

Let it go. It doesn't have to be perfect. The girls had more fun over-handling the dough and smashing it into shapes than I would if I struggled to perfectly cut out and ice them. I do want to learn that skill one
day! But I fail miserably and after 10 cookies, I decided to LET IT GO.

Let it go. We don't have to go to every concert and every holiday activity. We can enjoy our own home and decorations in our neighborhood just as much as a trip to the "big" lights.

Let it go. I'm not going to stress out with people, clients or family that stress me out at Christmas. I'm done with orders for Christmas day. Everything else can wait till everyone is done with holidays. I don't have to have a gift for everyone (although I would love to). If I don't' know what to get you. Maybe I'll get you a valentines surprise. I'm no longer going to stress out about not having a gift for every one in my extended family or every teacher that works with my kids at school. I found a great deal at Bath and Body Works. If that or cookies won't work as a token of my appreciation, then I am letting it go.

I'm letting go of what I "have to do" and finding that the spontaneous holiday fun is actually happening more often! So my clean kitchen is suddenly covered with flour? It's okay to throw everything out of whack for an hour to have fun. I'm not planning, but the fun things are still happening. So the cute crafts are less than perfect? The hair bows were a last minute activity and fit perfectly into my life.....but planning to death would have sucked the joy out of it.

Let it go. That's what I tell brides on their wedding day. What's the worst that can happen? As long as we remember that the important stuff isnt' all the extras, we can give ourselves permission to stress less. Christmas will be imperfect. Someone will be sick. Someone will make a mess. But imperfection lets us focus on the wonderful daily activities and moments that are more important than the "perfection" could ever do.

There is no reward for outdoing Molly M. down the block and no prize for out-Martha-ing the Queen of Obsessing. Besides, if you did manage to replicate EVERY cool thing on every blog out there, you would be too tired to enjoy Christmas morning.

Maddy's Birthday Party!

2010-12-04T22:32:00.001-07:00

Maddy wanted to have an "Art Party" with her friends, so after school the house was filled with 5 of her closest friends for crafts and art projects!

(They joined the other girls after they finished!)

Maddy chose Rainbow Layer Cupcakes (with this frosting) instead of the crazy 8 layer cake she originally hoped for! (I am actually glad I got to try the cupcakes, but one of these days, I'm making the big cake!)

The finished Art Gallery!

Of course, I had to play with play-dough too!

The cousins we never met and didn't know we had

2010-12-04T22:00:00.003-07:00

When we explained to the kids that we were going to go to Phoenix and meet some relatives that they had not met, Maddy kept calling them "the cousins we never met" even after the trip!

Matt's mom, Charla's family lives in Phoenix and since it's only 3 hours away, we decided to take a trip up there to visit. Whew! 6 hours of driving was rough. Next time we will have to stay overnight!

Both kids had a hard time with the concept of cousins that were older than them. They are technically Matt's cousins, so most of them are older. They also had a hard time with "aunt Launna" and "uncle Mark". The rest of their aunts and uncles are in the 20-40 age range, so hearing Matt call Launna "aunt" was confusing. We finally decided to go with "Aunt Grandma and Uncle Grandpa". I think Maddy actually came up with the idea and Connor was more than happy to go along with it!

Here are a few snapshots. I forgot to take more pictures!

Uncle Grandpa Mark

Dana and Matt's Grandpa Fuge

Connor and his Great Grandpa.

stupid cheap camera.

Later on the trip we met with some Texas friends who moved to Phoenix....Juliet's kids, Sophia and Jerrith were constantly playing at my house...when my kids were not at her place!

We went to the Phoenix Science Center. A lot of the exhibits were closed but we still had a lot of fun!
Maddy and Aunt Grandma with Cousin Angela

Connor on a bed of nails!

My kids do NOT like loud sounds or scary movies. One exhibit demonstrated different weather patterns around the world. The heat lamps came on for the desert and the floor shook for earthquakes. Monsoons had huge fans that blew wind and rain and LOUD thunderclaps. Maddy loved it EXCEPT for that part....so Connor bravely protected her!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-29T20:03:00.000-07:00

I procrastinate too often about posting on my blog, mainly because I don't always feel like I have a lot to say. But I love my family and this year, I decided that I like Thanksgiving.

As a kid, I didn't always like the green beans and the turkey with gravy. As a teen, I felt out of place in my step-mother's home with her family over. As an adult, I felt like it was a lot of work for one meal and a whole lot of gorging.

But this year, my kids are older. They understand the ideas behind the holiday. They are cheerful and loving and were excited. (mostly about the 9 pies) Maddy was proud that she was able to help me make the chocolate cream pie and the deviled eggs....plus she did her hair all by herself. See how proud she was?

Connor was pretty happy, but he really wanted his pie first and not salad.

I thought the salad was pretty yummy. I made a homemade vinaigrette and I think it's my new fav salad.

We made a new Thankful Tree and I look forward to adding more every year.

My husband is home and that more than anything makes me feel thankful and glad to celebrate the season. There have been too many years where he has been gone. It's just not a holiday that begs to be celebrated when the love of my life is thousands of miles away in a war zone.

We invited friends. I stressed about my house being clean enough and the food being delicious enough. Then one family bailed so they could spend their one day off together (Can't blame them for that!) and one family developed an suddenly unhealthy, contagious little boy. So we had 2 soldiers...one single and one geographically single. Suddenly, I was less stressed. I prepared for a ton of guests and we were down to 2. We had WAY more food than we needed and as bachelors, they were not picky!

We had 5 big pies and 4 individual mini-pies for the kids.

Bacon laced mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, candied sweet potatoes with toasted coconut, a 28 lb turkey with a LOT of stuffing, homemade cornbread, salad, spinach artichoke dip, veggies and apples.....

Matt washed the dishes when I took food over to Ms. C and her sick family. That was something I was dreading and he made my day! My week even!

So this was our family's 1st Thanksgiving in Arizona. The first year where we don't have looming deployments or never ending separations. It was content. I'm looking forward to as many of these as possible.

And just for kicks, Connor with his puppy and his Weasley hat that he loves and even wears to bed.

The brain in a 5 year old girl is weird.

2010-11-18T13:44:00.000-07:00

Madeline just told me that she got to be the princess today at recess. She has been frustrated because Kayla has been the princess every day and she wanted a turn. We talked this morning about how Kayla never wants to share princess time and everyone else has to be the foxes that chase the princess. She went to school in a princess dress, with princess hair extremely motivated to have a turn!

This afternoon she updated me. They were both princesses because Maddy said (and I quote) "that whoever was kissed by the prince would live happily ever after but whoever didn't would die. But nobody was kissed by the prince, so we were dead. The prince was Daniel, Kayla's boyfriend. But Kayla is too little to have a boyfriend because she should be ...

...(insert long pause here)...

....footloose and fancy free".

I'm rolling my eyes. At least she thinks footloose and fancy free means you can run and play on the playground with anyone you want.

christmas is coming!

2010-11-01T13:23:00.006-07:00

So I have already had a few calls about kids and Christmas gifts.

So I'll just post some ideas here as well as what we bought.

Maddy
She asked for "An easy bake oven, a violin, and a pony (and all the stuff you need to have a pony)

I'll be honest. We are not buying any of those items. Please note, if you buy her a pony, you have to include someone to muck out the stall.

She really wants:
~~*Legos ****We already bought her a big set for Christmas and a little one for her birthday***~~

*She loves to sing along with music, but her cd player broke. ****Just replaced****

*A scooter (or gift card toward said purchase)

*books (she has read all the Junie B books and can finish one in about an hour-hopefully that helps you find ones that are her level. She has not read the Little House books yet but likes the Color/Weather/Pet Fairies and Magic Treehouse. We bought her the DollHouse series-I know she tested at 2nd or 3rd grade level, but is still a bit young in interest level.)

*Baby doll clothes. (she has a 18" doll similar to the original (chubbier) American Girl dolls and a cabbage patch doll.)

*She wants to be an author and has written several stories, so a blank book to write in.
Art Supplies****Thanks Dad! She loved them for her birthday!****

*WARM TIGHTS! She outgrew all of her tights!

Connor
He loves legos. And Books.

~~, he REALLY wants a book called "Battery Science: Make Widgets That Work and Gadgets That Go". It comes with a battery and wires....anything in this vein would be perfect for him.~~ Please don't send Pop Bottle Science. We got 4 of them last year for his birthday!

We bought him a mega lego set and some books. He loves books. I'd tell you what he wants, but he reads too fast to keep up with his newest favorites. He just read the Narnia books and about 4 other series. He's about 8-10th grade in ability, but only about 6-9th in interest.

He had a growth spurt again. He went from a size 11/12 shoe in May to a size 3 in October. ~~So all of his church pants are too short yet again. Size 8 in pants and shirts. He likes to wear polo shirts but only has a few "cool" ones.~~

The growth spurt means that his bike that he rides to school everyday is starting to be a bit small as well. We can't raise the seat anymore, so for his birthday or Christmas, he will need a new bike. If you want to donate to that, he will be working to earn money and we will cover the rest. ***Already replaced it*******

Matt-Books or gift cards for books. GTO parts-floor mats that say GTO? Movies? He is hard to shop for....he is biking a lot to work and for PT so hopefully that helps!

ME!

I have no idea. Sorry. Workout clothes? A water belt for long runs. Like this or this

A smaller carry camera? A fun Music mix for running? A camera something? Sorry. Ask Matt.

Arizona DOES have green grass and water!

2010-10-08T05:31:00.006-07:00

I struggled when I moved to Texas. I grew up in Michigan with 4 seasons, green grass, water, (and way too much snow) but Texas seemed dry and hot and had shrubs with big egos, not real trees.

I was sure that Arizona, being a desert wouldn't be very pretty. I was a bit disappointed when it was dry, hot and brown. But Monsoons can change things! Plus with time, this place has grown on me. I love seeing the mountains!

I found a creek that is perfect for pictures and took the kids out to play in the water. Enjoy!

I love how the kids love each other!

Climbing the "waterfall"

This area was under a bridge and it reflected the greens into the water....I love it!

Notice Maddy's pink underwear? She has a surfer swimsuit with a t-shirt and polka-dotted bottoms. She decided that she has to wear underwear with regular clothes, so she must need swim panties too!

Connor examining tracks to determine if they are bear tracks or wolverine tracks. (I'm betting it's neither!)

Maddy and Connor have some friends that they love to play with. Typically Ana will play with Maddy at our house and Connor will go to Ryan's and they will play in the fields and woods behind his house. Then we swap back later on. That means I have lots of pictures of the girls....but very few of the boys!

Horseback riding!

2010-10-08T04:54:00.002-07:00

Connor and Maddy took horseback riding lessons this summer and loved it! They could not wait to show off how much fun they had!

Maddy learned how to clean the horses shoes. They were expected to care for the horses as part of class.

Connor only looks nervous, he said he was busy concentrating!

Back to school anxiety.

2010-08-10T18:39:00.002-07:00

Today was meet-the-teacher day. I have mixed feelings -- as usual -- excitement and dread, all at once -- to send my children off to school for so many hours each day. See, I really like my kids and I want them around. But, of course, without an education, they will likely be 'around' for the next 50 years, so that won't work.

I am sure I will love them even more when I do get to see them. Plus the school day is much much shorter in Arizona than it was in Texas. I timed Connor and it takes him exactly 10 minutes and 4 seconds to walk home from school. That doesn't mean I am any less anxious about actually letting him walk alone, unsupervised. It doesn't matter how many times I put my trust in him, how many times that he has proven his ability to do the right thing.....walking home from school will stress me out until I see him walk through the door. And since his school is in the OPPOSITE direction from Maddy's school....he will be most likely walking or riding his bike at least SOME of the time. I just don't think there is time to walk there, drop him off and get to Maddy's school that starts 15 minutes later....but maybe.

I have to remember to be patient and let the teachers get settled into the school year before I go in and looking too closely. It will take time for everything to work out.....

I also decided to make a cute patchwork skirt for Maddy and while I did have her model it, we noticed that it's just a tad bit big. I think I'll tuck it away and let her wear it later in the year. No back to school dress I suppose.

So my dad lovingly pointed out that I have not updated my blog in a long time.....and I confess, I'm guilty. I've posted pics on Facebook, but have neglected our family blog.

I'm going to try and update this a bit. (Dad, let me know if you want any pictures!)

We lucked out this year. While the kids don't go to the same school, I can see BOTH schools from my house and we can walk to school. Connor doesn't have to leave till 7:30 and Maddy and I walk over at 8. No more rushed mornings where we are racing to get out the door at 6:50!

I admit that the school ratings in Arizona made me nervous, but I'll blog about that later. Here are pictures of Maddy on her first day of Kindergarden and Connor's first day of 3rd grade! School started in AUGUST....crazy. I swear that when I was a kid, I didn't start so early.

Connor is suddenly all grown up. My little boy is not a little kid....suddenly he is cool. (although I love his lucky yoda socks!)

And one more.....

okay...another because he is so cute...

And my baby....oh my cute, sweet little girl. She is all adorable and smart and just as cute as a bug.

She was in kindergarden for just a few weeks....but the school pointed out that when they tested her, she passed the end-of-the-year test for 1st grade. We debated it and decided to let her skip kindergarden starting sept 8th.. She is much happier in 1st, but still the smallest kid...and still adorable! (she insisted on wearing the same outfit for her first day of 1st grade so these pics can double for both!)

She found a grasshopper and decided to cheer him on "Jump little grasshopper! JUMP!" You may notice her cute shoes....unfortunately we waited too long to wear them...She grew over the summer and about 1/2 way to school, we had to turn around and trade them for another pair.

and one last one.....my friend Cecilia makes bows....and Maddy needed something for her curls!

Rainy day fun

2010-08-04T22:31:00.002-07:00

My kids will whine and complain when it's time for a shower, but given the chance to play in the rain? They will beg and plead to have the chance to get soaked. I didn't want to get my camera wet, but I was able to snag a few fun pictures from inside.

Maddy is trying to wait for her friend Ana to come over. She didn't want to wait at the door, she really thought she should be able to go outside and walk down the street to make her playdate come faster!

The girls were disappointed that it wasn't raining, but made due with a sprinkler!

Superhero or ninja?

2010-07-23T17:57:00.002-07:00

I suppose it doesn't matter what he prefers to be...I'm glad he loves to be so wild and crazy!

and a timer shot of us....try to ignore my wrinkles!

Photowalk in Bisbe, Arizona

2010-06-06T14:37:00.003-07:00

wanted to go on the I heart Faces photowalk in Bisbee Arizona, but I didn't get registered before the spots filled up. Not to fear! My trusty neighbor, Patty and I headed out the door to Bisbee and went on our own mini-photo walk!

Here is Patty with her brand spankin' new Nikon d80.

Bisbee was a cool place to visit and walk around....although it is blessed with a LOT of hills and stairs! It was not very crowded at all for a Saturday. Turns out that since the summer is so hot, many shops close up for the summer and everything dies down. I am looking forward to visiting again. There are TONS of amazing places for pictures and lots of interesting shops to browse through.

And even though it was starting to get hot (very hot!), there were still flowers and greenery to be found. Admitedly, most of it was blooming cacti, but there were some Jasmine blooms that just smelled fantastic!

A bee was enjoying the blooms!

I'm still a sunflare junkie...I didn't realized that this was a "peace" flag till the wind picked up, but I still love this.

And before I forget...the hills were everywhere. This was the last big hill....we finally made it to the top and I had to document our progress. The extra altitude made sure that we got our exercise in for the day!

Patty and I met some interesting people. This guy was working in Peddler's Alley and we talked to him for a few minutes about the area. Very laid back hippie who was happy to sit and chill as he manned his free cappachino stall.

I wanted to post a picture of a guy who was playing guitar in the park, but I guess I have not uploaded it yet. Oh well, it can wait for next time.
There is a railroad museum there as well. Not cheap to visit, but we may check it out next time we are in town. They had a bunch of equipment outside that I know my kids will love to play on! Gears are fascinating to Connor...I'm sure this will spark an entire round of construction.

Let me just say that I LOVE LOVE LOVE this green door. I can't wait for the perfect reason to head out there and shoot someone!

Speaking of things I love, Want to guess what I am currently in LOVE with? I can just see me using this on an amazing shoot....my heart flutters when I think of all the fun I am going to have with this!

I saw this in the window of a Bike Shop called Bisbee Bicycle Brothel. It cracks me up but I saw this calling to me! The copper just drew me in.

Other things I'm drawn to are patterns and repeating lines. I love the look of stairs, fences and shadows...

A cool park had giant chessboards and other boardgames...love the stairs too!

Here is another picture of my partner in crime on the Save the 1000 step staircase...

and a few shots she snapped.
I love this..she saw these in an antique store that we peeked in.

I played with this picture when she came by to show me her shots....

And because I have been accused of not posting pictures of me....here is one.

okay...one more, so I can show off my dorky side.

Bikes!

2010-06-05T19:30:00.000-07:00

Our family decided that since we no longer live on a street with psycho speeders, that the whole family should have bikes! Connor is the only one with a bike that fit him, so Maddie was upgraded to a bigger bike and Mom and Dad got bikes too!

Since we are all now in possession of high speed two wheeled vehicles, the nightly family bike ride has been a great way to bond. We have been heading out a bit farther every day as we test the kids endurance.

However, we have had 5 flat tires in one week! Craziness. Matt is pretty good at changing tires out and patching inner tubes now! Both his tires, Both of Connor's, one of Maddie's and mine was just low. Whew! That's almost as much work as riding bikes at 4000 feet above sea level!

I took a few snapshots the other day of Matt and the kids riding around our street. I realized that Connor is hard to get pictures of...he is way too fast! I did get a few and I'll try to snag more another day.

I'm standing in our driveway...Here you can see the fencing from the construction. They opened up three more houses on our left and opened up the soon-to-be grassy area leading to a park across the street from our house.

Notice the bandaids on Maddie's knees-She has been learning about bike wrecks!

My favorite picture!

The morning dawns bright in Arizona

2010-05-30T13:32:00.003-07:00

I told Maddie that the workers had taken down a huge section of fence that had blocked the street. (They are opening up new houses 3 at a time.) She wanted to run outside to see the new development right away. Unfortunately, even with sunglasses on, she is struggling with the extreme bright, cloud-free sky here in Arizona. She has such fair skin and pale blue eyes...and that means she is also very photosensitive. It drives me crazy because if I don't snap a picture of her immediately, she squints her eyes and whines about how the light hurts her. So I often have pictures of the back of her hand or the top of her head as she looks downward.

And so, after only a few seconds, Madeline dashed back for the house, crying that they light isn't very nice at all!

Poor child.

Matt is loving Arizona though. He has already taken his grill out for a spin and is having a blast!

Trifle...yum-o

2010-05-30T13:22:00.004-07:00

In honor of Memorial Day, we are once again having Trifle. It's one of Matt's favorite things....mine too!

Unfortunately, this is the only picture I managed to take of the process. This is something that I will one day manage to document through every step of the way, but not today.

I snapped a picture of the finished product...I'll post it soon...

For those who have not yet sampled the deliciousness, it is a layered desert. First Cake, then Jello, then berries, then pudding, then fruit, then whipped cream and finally topped with cherries and almonds.

Be still my beating heart. This is sooo good! This version is Strawberry and banana, but I love Rasperry Peach and any version with Chocolate!

And just for fun, a picture of Maddy and Val Kennedy.

Maddy absolutely loves Val. She would always snag the kids at church and cuddle them. She and I met when Connor was a baby and she has showered love and kisses on them from day one. Maddy was so sad to find out that Val was not coming with us!

Wordle...What I write about.

2010-05-25T08:23:00.001-07:00

I wondered what would happen if I slurped my blog into wordle. The idea is the largest words are used either most often or most recently....the smaller the word, the less frequently it is used. I guess this proves that I talk about my kids a lot. I have made a goal to start blogging more frequently, and on a regular basis and about more than just the cute things my kids do.

Right now my life is at that strange point where I am still up in the air because of the move, still have a to-do-list a mile long, but yet, I am feeling calmer and happier than in years.

I love the Army life but living under the looming deployments for so long was taking it's toll. There are many things about Fort Hood that really do make it a "Great Place". It's grown so much in the last 12 years and Austin has fantastic things as well. But even though we had friends and a safe little home, it wasn't someplace I could relax and feel comfortable. If it wasn't MY husband off on yet another deployment, it was a friend who was suffering or lonely. It was the fact that I know way too many widows...all of them Army wives who made a sacrifice. It was the fact that the Cav, while full of grand tradition, was also full of arrogance, politicking and backstabbing. Unfortunately, it only takes a few bad individuals to make a workplace miserable. Even though we have had several amazing, fantastic units....by the end, we were ready to go.

Leaving wasn't much fun. There were headaches and one teeny tiny nervous breakdown on my part. We had to leave Fort Hood on VERY short notice. Our realtor did not ensure that we were definitely going to be able to stay in our home past the closing date, as planned. We found out on a Wed night that it wasn't going to work. Since Matt had to leave that weekend anyway and there was no way for me to drive a moving van with 2 kids in the front seat safely....we all just starting packing like crazy!

We packed up on Thursday, got the truck on Friday and finished loading it up on Saturday morning....just in time for us to leave bright and early Sunday! We had to take it easy since Matt was towing his GTO behind the 26 foot moving truck. We took 2 days to make the drive and then stayed in a 20x20 room for a week while we waited for our home to be ready. I love my kids, but I do have more respect for the pioneer families that lived 6 or more to a tiny room!

I'll update with our home pictures later, but for now, we are loving the laid back attitudes, the dry weather and the lack of insanity! I didn't realize how much I liked the dry altitude until we made a quick trip back to Killeen. Wow. Muggy and humid! It didn't take me long to readjust at all!

Matt wanted to just roar into town, grab his truck and leave again, but he was wonderful and sweet as usual. We stayed for two days so I could say goodbye to friends and see them one last time. I didn't get much time for goodbyes the first time we left! I am glad that I have a blog and facebook....I don't want to loose touch with the friends I've made the last few years. I've had friends move away and come back several times to Fort Hood....but I probably won't see them at Fort Huachuca. Of course, visitors are always welcome!

So there you have it....a blog that is NOT about my kids.

Moving....and and unexpected blessing

2010-05-13T20:16:00.003-07:00

We were supposed to move to Sierra Vista/Fort Huachuca later this month. Life interfered (I'll skip the drama, but it was highly stress inducing and frustrating) All said and done, we got a phone call at 7:30 on Wed and moved out on the following weekend. We arrived at our hotel in Sierra Vista on Monday night....to live in a 20x20 box with our kids for a week till our new home was ready.

The Goat on the move

That meant a lot of close personal contact with very little privacy or quiet. I took the kids on a tour of the town...and that took very little time. We swam in the pool and vegged out in the room. but by Wed I was going stir crazy.

I realized that the Gila Valley Temple was having an open house this week. I hadn't planned on going because we were not even supposed to be here! So I loaded the kids in the car for the 2 hour drive (as though we hadn't had enough time in the car so far!)

It was a good decision. I clearly felt the Spirit there. I was impressed at how much my kids responded to their visit to the House of the Lord. It was a wonderful opportunity to bear witness of Christ to my kids and see them really take it to heart.

Maddy is struggling with the very bright Arizona sun, so she wore the hat that I bought at Disneyworld last year!

See? Bright!

I will always remember the sight of my precious son praying with real intent in the Celestial room and my daughter whispering to me that she loved being there. I will remember that my children felt the presence of the Lord and truely know him.