Up Close & Personal

The weekend in a nutshell :)












The Goats - why is this the best part of the zoo experience?


Just a year ago...it makes me sad to think how quickly they grow up!

Potty Wars

(see both posts)

It's me...

and this...

plus this little guy...


I will win.

There may be some wee challenges...ok, so there might have been some already (cough cough)...but I will survive!! hey hey

You're Invited...

You're invited to Elise's Tea Party!

What: A Little Girl's Dream Tea Party!
*We'll be serving lots of expensive lotion in Princess teacups (complete with whatever toys I can find) - come ready to party!*

When: Whenever Mom & Dad aren't looking!

Where: Mom& Dad's bedroom - or wherever else I shouldn't be :)

Bring: Lots & lots of toys!! We've got to dunk them all (and Mom & Dad's covers/carpet)!

RSVP as soon as possible...shhh! I hear them coming!

There's an after-party bath to follow!

Mwahaha!

I fooled you all - new posts haven't come for two months!!

Why does blogging get to be such a burden? Pressure mounts and I avoid it. Sometimes it's so much easier to forget the camera and just enjoy life while I'm in the moment, instead of thinking up the next blog post :) Ah... I'll be better ;)

What have we been up to in the past few months? Well, we moved into a new apartment - same complex, bigger place (love it!). Rand finished up the semester - never saw him thanks to a certain Spanish class that required an outrageously long essay (on top of other essays) - I'm not bitter or anything :). We've hiked every square inch of southeastern Idaho and have enjoyed every minute of the incredible summer here. We visited Rand's family and spent some time enjoying Lake Tahoe (otherwise known as the most beautiful place on earth). And I've been treasuring up my time as a mother to two of the sweetest little kids ever - even if they wake up at 5am.

Where is my camera cord?! You'll have to put up with old pics :)

New posts!!

Lots of new posts - and more to come!

So, don't look bored...


Or give a half smile, either!


Don't look tired...


Or skeptical...


Instead, be excited!

(I don't know what I was so grossed out about that brought such a smile to Michael's face)

And look forward...




to taking a walk with us

And bridge the gap between our family and yours :)

Alright, I admit - I'm a little cheesey. But, check out our new posts and come back often!

It's Raining, It's Pouring

And what's better to do than stare out the window?

Sometimes, she looks so grown up.

Yes, the garbage man is that exciting :)

This little boy bumped his head, but he still managed to pose for some cute pics :)

What's Up Doc?

They were being quiet, usually a cause for concern. But they were actually good! Not to mention cute, even if one of them was going into slobber overdrive over a plastic carrot :)


Elise could care less :) If You Give a Moose a Muffin must be pretty intense.

Check out that drool!

Attack of the Killer Sheep

Yes, they look innocent and sweet. And they're even kind of cute, but beware!!

They jumped out at us while we were driving around one day and came right up to the car (and wouldn't move). The kids loved it :)




50mph + steer ranch = fun times...



And some sleepy kids :)

This one kept screaming "baa baa" anytime anyone mentioned sheep.

Dancing in the Rain

Yes... I know. I still have a Christmas banner up. A new one is in the works :)

I saw this bumper sticker the other day and thought it was so powerful:

Life is not about surviving the storm, 

but dancing in the rain.

It really hit me. Hard. I've been going through a lot of personal struggles lately. Since January, I've been plagued with depression and anxiety. Panic attacks are no fun. :) I've gone to doctors, and just recently a counselor, and things are looking better, but it's given me some time to think about life. Granted, there are MUCH much worse things to experience in life, but this challenge has been a tough one for me.

Some things I've learned, or I should say am learning: Slow down! Life is to be enjoyed, it's not just a chore. I watched Michael inquisitively look at this slice of bread - a piece of bread! There is just so much wonder in the world that I just pass by. It sounds cheesy just writing this, but it's true. I've looked at rainclouds in such a different light. Have you every noticed that raindrops look like jewels on leaves - it's incredible! If I hadn't slowed down my rushed pace, I would never have noticed this. I'm glad that I can figure this out now, instead of fifty years from now.

Where is the pressure coming from? I felt I needed to home-educate my children, bake my own bread (not to mention homemake everything else), keep a clean home, socialize my kids/myself everyday, attend storytime, serve the neighborhood/world, etc. I was gone every single night with some activity that I had to attend. I was worried that my children were going to suffer enormously from their lack of attending preschool and my not knowing how to do the Heimlich maneuver, while second-guessing everything I'm doing. I really, truly think that what little children need most is the love and security from a mother being home with them - showing love to them. Throwing everything else out (at least for the time being) has seemed to help.

I never took any time to myself - a break, a time to develop my own talents. I thought my kids' development was more important than my own. Therefore, guilt reared its ugly head every time I even thought of slipping away for a second to read a book or just stop. A mother is a person with her own identity. My development is just as important as my children's. It is so nice to sit down and eat with my kids instead of jumping up every ten seconds for whatever it is they have demanded. :) They still get what they need (after I'm done), but I also get what I need: time to sit and time to do what makes me an individual.

I've been blessed to enjoy a wonderful life, but when trials or hard times come about, it's easy to forget this. Through these experiences, I've really come to know God. He isn't trying to punish me for not knowing how to do life in the right way :) Rather, He has helped me through all this and is showing me the way out (and let me tell you, I'm so thankful there's a way out!!). He is teaching me how to find joy in the journey and to appreciate all the wonderful things I've been blessed with. One major thing that I've learned through all this is that I have value, meaning, purpose, worth - so many things that others may not reinforce, but that God reinforces daily. When I pay attention, I recognize His hand in so many little, but so significant, ways.

So, whatever experiences you may be going through - take heart and hope :) Life isn't perfect for anyone, regardless of how it appears. So, though it may be raining (as is often the case here), go out and dance! :) 

Where have we been in the last two months?

Here in Idaho, winter still has a death grip on the weather... meaning I've become pretty creative with indoor activities. Thank you to you moms close by who have inspired me and kept me sane by coming over :) Kids + seven months of winter = just a little frustration (and makeup all over the upstairs carpet, but that's another story).

We've planted seeds! And they actually are growing - who would have thought?! We'll see how long tomatoes and onions can really be maintained in a small pot... These one's are the marigolds.

Elise has decided she likes ballet. Not the dancing - just the tutus and the music :) I have to put on Tchaikovsky, her ballerina clothes (Michael, thankfully, is spared from this), and allow her to jump, twirl, and run in circles around the living room. She loves wearing costume jewelery along with it all, too. Three year-old's are pretty fun :)

Her new camera smile

Michael is speaking in sentences. Okay, so two word one's, but I'm impressed (mostly "get down," "sit down," and "down please"). He repeats everything you ask him to say (he asked for cream cheese and strawberries the other day), identifies a few animals and their corresponding sounds, says "please" and "thank you," has started to sing (very funny), and can identify the colors purple and yellow - Genius! Alright, alright, I'll stop gushing, they're just so cute :)

And, for Mother's Day, Rand had my violin fixed - those lucky neighbors of mine :)