All the Monkeys aren't at the Zoo

 Amy and her kids came to visit over President's day weekend. Of course we ate good food, but healthy food - Amy wanted my house to be like a "health spa." Like a health spa was a stretch, but we didn't go crazy and have creme brulee french toast like before, so it was definitely an improvement. (I did have to make smores bars though, for the kids, you know, YUM!)
We played scrabble, but only two times, because Amy couldn't stand to lose three times in a row. I smoked her. We also tried to sew a cute paper-pieced crazy heart but only successfully made two because of machine issues.
We did have a lot of fun going to the zoo, going on a hike, and going to explora, a hands-on science museum that the kids really love.
We realized when we were at the zoo that it was a big day for the baby rhino - his coming-out-for-the-first-time day. Honestly I didn't even catch a glimpse of him because there were too many people crowded around. And then before I knew it, I looked over and Jacob was getting wired up with a microphone and being interviewed by a local news channel. The guy asked Jacob questions about the new baby rhino like what he thought of his name, Chomper ("It's great.), what he thought of how big he was, ("Wow."), and what he thought of how much food Chomper ate everyday, ("That's alot."). I watched the news that night for Jacob's riveting interview, but for some reason they didn't air him.

It was a beautiful day, just a tad bit cold but not bad, and the kids loved running around and climbing on every available rock and tree trunk. Here are Mikey and Jacob.

We did get one good picture of all of us (Rus was the photo man). Bekah's face is half buried by Sarah's school bear Barney. Marianne LOVED the attention from Luke and Joshua. They were so cute with her!

The next day we went on a hike in the Sandias. It was another beautiful day. There are a ton of sky shots because the sky was such a perfect deep blue color. The kids could not get enough of climbing on rocks. I say "rocks" but I mean gigantic boulders/small mountains. They could scamper up there without a problem, but getting down was sometimes trickier.

 Show me your belly buttons! I love that Beau still has a baby belly.

Amy and Sarah have been doing a photo series of bridges. Sarah does excellent bridges. I don't think bodies are meant to be so bendy...but hers sure is.

 The cool kids. I really should have taken a picture showing how high up they were.

Oh wait, here's a good shot...Hello up there!

An action shot of Luke jumping off a big boulder. If this was me it would have ended badly with one or two or seven cracks. But for a limber ten year old, this was no problem.

 Luke is my buddy. He is the best joke teller. He is also way too big to have a piggy back ride. But I gave him one anyway because his feet hurt (maybe it had something to do with the previous picture), and because I wanted to be the cool aunt.

Here's Amy and the Sandias. Amy looks good in hats.

 Rus was there too. He and the Bug were pals. She was such a happy traveler - she didn't even make a peep the whole time. I think it was because she was holding her bottle between her teeth the whole time, a habit of hers. I took it out for the picture.

The whole weekend was wonderful and low key and fun. The morning before she left we had crepes and conversation for breakfast.
A memorable weekend, to be sure.

Warning: Deep Thoughts

I've had a lot of thoughts going on in my mind with the start of this new year...like what my goals should be this year, what it means to be a good mother, what I should be doing better for my children, what kefir is, what new places I want to visit and experience this year...
I have so many projects I would like to work on and so many things I would like to be successful at that I am a little worried that I'll do a mediocre job at all of them. I have decided that really successful people in history have such a singleness of mind on a particular subject that they think about it, work on it, and pursue it constantly. And because of their extreme devotion to that particular thing, they become a master of it. Artists, inventors, explorers, even politicians...the extremely successful ones are so because they devote their hearts and minds to the advancement of their interests.
I am afraid I am never going to be a successful artist, because I cannot yet narrow all the focus of my mind and heart to making a great piece of artwork. And I'm not going to be an extremely, crazily fit person because I have no desire to hyper focus all my time and energy to becoming so. I am never going to be a rousing civic leader because I have no concept of politics and no desire to learn. I am not going to be a stellar interior designer because a small part of me finds decorating to be frivolous (both in regards to time and money). I could name a hundred more roles I will never play.
But I can be a good artist and a healthy person and involved in my community. I can still develop a "good eye" when it comes to designing and decorating a home.
I am realizing that I don't mind being just okay at somethings, but there are other things that I do want to be successful at.
When my kids are ten, twenty, forty, ninety-nine, I want them to say that I am/was an amazing mother. That I loved them deeply and was their advocate at every turn. (I'm counting on the golden glows of their memories to help my lesser qualities fade away...) I want them to say I was stalwart, diligent, and valiant. I want them to say I was gracious and loved them unconditionally. I don't think I'll be okay with much less.
I also want to be successful at developing a strong and deep and well-rounded testimony. I think that is one area where, even with everything going on in my life, I can have a singleness of mind to pursue it and devote my heart and mind to advancing it. I want to be unshakeable. I want to be unwavering. I want to love people like Christ does. I don't think I'll be okay with much less.
That is what I want. Deep down. Maybe this year I'll get a little bit closer to becoming that kind of person...

Random Pictures by a Biased Mother

A few weeks ago...maybe even more than a month...my kids decided to come out of hibernation, button up their coats and zip up their hoodies and brave the winter chill. Marianne LOVES being outside. I am already dreaming of living outdoors in the summer where she will be happily entertained by dirt and sticks and rocks. Ahh...Anyway it was late afternoon and the sun was giving off this wonderful bright lighting and so I had to snap some pictures. Here is Bekah in her hat. If I didn't tell you already, Bekah lives in this hat from about October until March. The room mom in her classroom didn't recognize her the one day last month that she didn't wear her hat. She said her head gets cold. Who can argue with that?

I also caught Jacob in that snazzy lighting. This boy is currently OBSESSED with ocean animals. He eats, sleeps, and breaths sharks and sea turtles and eels and octopi. He is, right this minute, pouting because he didn't get to watch Jaques Cousteau's Ocean Tales on netflix and I'm not even letting him look at National Geographic online. I am so mean.

 I don't know if any of you have this problem, but most of the time the boys' room looks like fisher price threw up in there. Toys everywhere. I am in no way a neat freak, but their room [insert shiver] was overwhelming. So I took all of their buckets of toys and dumped them out in the middle of the room, and pulled everything out of every crack and crevice and then sorted everything so it had a place - Imaginext toys, nerf guns, legos, trios, and on and on. Then I had Beau take pictures of each box. Then I made a check-out sheet for each toy box that said, "By checking out these toy I realize that I alone am responsible for cleaning it up."
And so the Occupation began. All of the boxes and buckets of toys went in their closet so absolutely nothing else was left out to play with except for stuffed animals. They had to write their name on the check out sheet when they wanted a toy and had to clean it up before checking out another toy. It was super successful for the first week. It is still fairly successful, although the actual check-out sheets have gotten lost under the bed.

 For the months of January and February, most of Bekah and Jacob's free time was spent doing science projects for the science fair. I had an itch to try my hand at dying fabrics with natural dyes, so I convinced Bekah that it was a worthy science project. We had a lot of fun doing it. The really dark orange fabric, third from the left on the top, was actually died with onion skins. Amazing, huh?

 Jacob and Rus did something with turning water into a gas that burned. I didn't really understand it a whole lot. I don't know that Jacob really did either. But he did enjoy himself!

Also many weeks ago Steve O. came over to entertain, wrestle, and be a human jungle gym for my kids have dinner. My kids adore Steve. The love to climb on him, jump on him, and basically physically abuse him the entire time he's here (or at least until their bedtimes). How could you not love a guy who lets you do this...And you can't tell in the picture of course, but he was also jumping up and down with them all on his back.

Marianne went through a phase of being absolutely and completely opposed to taking a bath. So I had to put her in the sink a few times, which she found notably more acceptable. This girl has a LOT of hair, like her momma. I'm so proud.

And she looks good in a mohawk, too.

There. Don't you feel so updated?

Lindsey's Amazing Wedding Experience

I just attended a celebration that I have anticipated for years. My best friend from high school Lindsey and her sweetheart Adam were married last Thursday. It was such a beautiful, deep, heartfelt union of two amazing people who have waited so long to find each other. They were married in the Washington D.C. temple with a reception at an amazing atrium in Virginia. It was hands down the most beautiful reception I have ever attended. There was a river running through the atrium. How cool is that. (It was about two feet across, but still.)

But back to the actual sealing in the temple.

My favorite moment was when all of the guests were waiting in the sealing room for Lindsey and Adam to come in. They walked through the door, tearful but happy, and my heart leapt. I know that at least for Lindsey, being in the temple and being sealed to her Love was the realization of innumerable hours of anguished and heartfelt prayer. It was reaching the summit. It was awesome.

Here I am making a goofy face with the beautiful Mrs. Pence. Isn't she gorgeous?! 

 

 So beautiful. Did you know she first saw a picture of this dress on a billboard in Utah years ago and took a picture of it because she loved it so much? And then when she got engaged (in Virginia), she called the store (in Utah) and told them about her dream dress and they said it was discontinued but they had one left. And they mailed it to her to see if it would fit without even making her buy it first. And the rest is wedding-photo history.

Did I mention that my mom also made the trip with me...which made this trip WAY more fun that it would have been by myself. Also, by myself (and without the help of my mom's phone's GPS which I nicknamed "Janice"), I would have never gotten anywhere because I would still be trying to get on the 267 from the 28. Those freeways were something else.
My mom and I actually orchestrated our flights so that we met up in Denver. I boarded the plane that she was already on, and there she was, saving me a seat in row eight with a beautiful brown bag from Paradise Bakery in hand with a sandwich and cookie waiting inside for me. Did I mention how wonderful my mom is? We had a great time together. We didn't even yell at each other when we got each other lost on the awful roads. That's true friends right there.

Another fun part of coming to the wedding and reception was that Lindsey had asked me to take care of all her signage at the reception. I made signs saying "Mocktails," "Love is Sweet," "Adam and Lindsey," "Thank You," "Plant One on Us," and an unused photo booth sign. I also painted a bare tree that she used as a guest sign in. I also made little signs for her edible centerpieces that said, "Eat Me," "Bite Me," "Try Me," and "Nibble Me." It was so fun to make everything for her and then be able to see it in place at her reception. She had other people take care of other things like centerpieces and cake pops and these amazing apple flowers, and everything came together SO well. All the little things really made the reception special. Here are some pics of my stuff:
The "Adam and Lindsey" sign is kind of hiding on the left. I also cut little stumps with slits in the top for smaller signs to go in. They were so stinkin cute, if I do say so myself.

Weren't her table decorations stunning?

Here's the tree...I'm so sad I didn't take a picture of it full. The guests did a great job of spacing their fingerprints all around.

And here are all the signs before they were totally finished, just so you can see them better. They are made out of 1/2" MDF (wood). I stuck them on a dowel and used a stump as a base and used green/cream/black ribbon to embellish them.

I was happily enjoying myself at the reception, talking with a few of Lindsey's work friends that I hadn't met before, when someone came up behind me and slapped my butt! It was Nikki from Sierra Vista! I was so happy to see her! Together with April and Lindsey we had a little S.V. reunion. It was so fun to catch up with April and Nikki, and to see Nikki's beautiful girls.

This is us pretending to laugh at something really funny...

Yep, we were goofballs.
One last word about the reception - the music was awesome. I danced the night away. I told Lindsey and Adam that we had to do that every night of my trip but they decided to go on a honeymoon instead. Darnit.
 The next day we got to meet up again with Lindsey, Adam, and their families for a lovely brunch. I just love Lindsey's family. They remind me of bananas foster and St. George...two terrific memories. I look super fluffy here. I think it's because it was really cold and I had on a billion layers. Or it could be all the food I enjoyed...whichever...

The wedding and reception were on Thursday. On Friday we went to brunch and then took off to visit my Mom's friend (from when she lived in Springfield), and to do some shopping in Occoquan and catch a movie later.
On Saturday we drove to old town Alexandria. We walked up and down the main street there and enjoyed all of the shops. One of my favorites had so many cute things...I saw some beautiful cupcakes on a tray and told my mom, "Those are so cute! They totally look real!" And then the shopkeeper informed me that they were real and were for the customers. Call me a sucker, but a gorgeous free cupcake totally made my day. And it tasted amazing too.
I might have loved the ambience of the street more than the shops themselves. I have drawings in the works of these buildings. I loved all of the different colors and the interesting rooflines. If only I had snapped a picture without a glaringly red car in it.

All together it was an amazing trip. I loved seeing Adam and Lindsey in their moment, and I loved spending time with my mom. I'm so grateful that Rus was so supportive of me going. He took time off to watch the kids and went on a little shopping spree of his own. And let me tell you, he spent WAY more money than I did. I'll show you some pictures of Herbie soon.

Happy Valentine's Day! (Expanded)

Roses are red
Violets are blue,
Balloons make me happy
And walruses do too.

Here was Rus' Valentine. I won't show you the inside. But just know that the sideburn mustache was drawn per his request (as opposed to a handle bar 'stache or something else). Don't ask where the mustached-walrus theme came from. I don't know. But I loved drawing them.

I greeted Marianne in her bed this morning with a red helium balloon. It made for instant-happiness. She squeezed it so hard I was worried it would pop.

We had pink heart shaped pancakes for breakfast, like I'm sure 95% of the rest of the US did. I don't know why I feel the urge to always start the kids out on something sweet for Valentine's day, because they always wind up eating just under two tons of candy and sweets at school.

Then I went to work making and baking and pretty much ensuring that I would hate my kitchen by dinnertime.

I did.

I was super close to just ordering pizza, but I "put on my big girl panties" and just fried up that chicken like I had originally planned. We had chicken and broccoli for dinner. That was it. We all wanted to save room for homeade angel food cake and strawberries and chocolate sauce.

We fondued.

It was delicious.

It might have tasted better if I hadn't already eaten a half dozen of my brother's truffle cookies that he mailed me. He is awesome. The cookies were really small, fyi.

In addition to Rus' card, I also sent a mustached walrus to my dad. His poem read:

If roses are red

And violets are blue,

Who has the cooler 'stache,

The walrus or YOU?

 

Yesterday he texted me my poem. It said,

Roses are red,

In north Virginia as in ABQ.

What a wonderful friend you are

Flying to see Lindsey be as happy as you.

(I am flying to her wedding soon, hooray!)

I texted him back:

Yay thank you! Did you get yours yet?

Dad: No (sad face) how did you send it?

Me: Pigeon

Dad: Oh yah, thanks, I just washed it off my truck, what a load! If I'd known it was from you...

Me: Did you READ it first? It had a great punchline.

 

I am still laughing.

 

Last week Bekah, Beau, Jacob and I made Valentines. Bekah's were owls with a heart that said, "Valentine, you're a hoot". They were really cute and fun, especially the ones for the boys, which she gave "crazy eyes."

 Beau and Jacob made bug jar valentines that said, "Valentine, you make me go BUGGY." We hot glued plastic bugs to the paper jars. Here is Beau practicing his names. He's getting so big.

Hooray for a happy Valentine's day! (Tyler and Lindsey, my one with you is still my favorite).

Betty Jo Aves

Yesterday I attended the funeral for Rus' great aunt Betty. She was his mom's aunt, and while I had met her on a few different occasions, I never really knew anything about her. Rus' mom is a convert to the church, so her extended family is not LDS. The funeral was held at the Methodist church, a beautiful building with devoted patrons and clergy. It seemed that the pastors knew her very well and that she had devoted many hours of service to her church community. I was so impressed that the sermons were so well tailored to the kind of person Aunt Betty was, someone (I learned), who majored in geology and loved to pull off on the side of the road and chip off a piece of rock "thousands of years in the making" just to see what it was made of...someone who was a weaver and spinner and dyer of wool and also a weaver of many close and intimate relationships. I learned that she had a very strong sense of community and was always looking to bring her family and friends together. I learned that while she was opinionated, she was also able to graciously confront or correct someone, and that friends found they could trust her because she was very open and not afraid to speak her mind. Most of all I learned that I really missed out on knowing an adventurous, vibrant woman who could have taught me so much. I took away two things from her funeral, first that I should always have something in my purse to work on in case I get stuck somewhere (a habit of hers I would like to adopt), and second that I should never under-value the potential of a friendship with someone, especially someone who is younger or older than me.
I hope to never learn to like another person at their funeral!

You wouldn't know it but...

Marianne is a certified terd. Just today she gagged herself repeatedly while walking around the house, making herself throw up twice. She chewed chunks off the sponge on my mop while I was helping Beau in the other room. She devoured a glue stick like it was candy...well like it was Chapstick, actually, because she's done that too. Yesterday she dug into one of my plants and ate the dirt before spreading handfuls at random around my house. She enjoys doing the same thing to my dishwasher soap packs. And all of this when she wasn't occupied upending trash cans and taking plates out of the drawer. I might survive all this, but you can be sure my house will never be the same. (Does permanent marker come off piano keys?)
She definitely needs a more watchful mother, that's for sure.