Photo Shoot

Backdated from Oct 4, 2012

 

 

 

  

 

   

 

 

  

   

 

  

 

 

These were taken in beautiful Haigler Creek outside of my dad’s cabin,

by the talented husband/wife combo of my sister Mimi and bro-in-law Dave.

Focus

I need to focus.

I’ve gone in waves with this blog in the past, but the drought of these last few months has felt a little more final – and I don’t like that. I’m losing perspective. I’m losing my sanity.

I’ve pretty much lost my mind throughout this whole pregnancy. I’ve been incapable of focusing on a solitary idea, or activity, for more than a minute or two. A blog entry takes more than a minute or two. So the twenty minutes before bed I used to devote to my blournal, I’ve spent wandering around the surreal perfection of pinterest instead, and then I go to bed in a dream-like haze of idealism.

But life is not ideal. Not right now. And that is another deterrent for me from writing.

And it sickens me that I have let all this time go undocumented. Good or bad. Shouldn’t matter. I used to be able to flip the bad into good. It’s usually not that hard to do.

But lately it has been.

It’s that “focus” thing again.

I haven’t got it.

And now I have only a few more day.

3 more days before my family changes forever. For the better – make no mistake.

But Change is still hard.

And I took what will most likely be my very last nap with my 4-year-old daughter today. We held hands as we often do, while our minds drift away into peaceful slumber. I love falling asleep with her hand in mine. But even more, I love awakening to the realization that are hands are still clasped together. Neither of us letting the other go, even in our dreams.

I will miss those naps.

I will miss that time with her.

And now I’m losing focus again

it’s time for bed

What Matters Most

How Traditions are Made

In my family growing up, it was Tickle Monster on Sundays and kisses after family prayer.

With my new crew, it’s Family Towers and Ride on Your Back.

Palmerpedia Definitions:

Family Tower: an occurrence that inevitably happens if one member of the family is sitting on another member of the family, then all family members are required to join in. For example: if mom is sitting on dad’s lap, all children, by some unknown magnetic force, are pulled in, one on top of the other, and a family tower is created.

This phenomenon also inevitably occurs whenever one parental figure lies down on the ground for a moment of relaxation. Children see to it that that moment is inconsequentially brief as forces of nature again pull them to the spot of relaxing doom and the layering of children commences.

Family Towers are an easy way to promote prompt unity and powerful lungs.

Ride on Your Back: These are the first words usually uttered after the exclamation of “Daddy!” when the family’s father-figure enters the home from a long day at work. Nothing more relaxing than saddling up three children onto your back for a ride around the living room. Sometimes, when Dad isn’t around, Mom will “horse around” instead, but Dad makes the greatest Stud!

Rides on Your Back are sure to bring sore knees, a topple or two, and multitudinous smiles!

 

Spring Cleaning

I splurged.

I had a $5 bill,

a van covered in winter grime,

and 3 kids that needed entertainment.

.

The Chevron car wash is where we headed.

And while the kids intently watched the rotating arm of the spray bar,

I watched my kids:

Zion laughed her hearty, evil laugh the whole time.

Evan waited with giddy anticipation for the sprayer to cover his window with slimy soap or jolts of water.

And Taryn. Well Taryn sat frozen in terror. But at least she stayed in her car seat.

.

Pure entertainment indeed.

 

Game Time

I've heard parenting gets more fun as the kids get older.

I have to agree with that!

Christmas List Makeover

I think it's good timing to have Thanksgiving come right before Christmas. It's good to be reminded of how blessed and fortunate we are before we start writing our wish lists that suddenly become two pages long, and opening [let me count... one, two, three, four, five, six, seven ...] eight web browsers of supposed "cyber monday" deals and filling online shopping carts with unnecessary, yet seemingly necessary items. Reminds me of the conversation I had with Evan today.

Me: Are you cold at school when you go out to recess?
Evan: No, I'm warm.
Me: Okay, but let me know. Because if you start getting cold we can bundle you up with warmer clothes. Like a snow hat or we can buy you a scarf.
Evan: A scarf? Thomas has a scarf. Everyone has a scarf. Yeah, I want a scarf.
Me: Is a scarf something that you want, or something that you actually need?
Evan: It's something that I NEED because everyone has one!

hm...

I'm going to go ahead and close all those web browsers now.

Parenting: Touching the Hearts of Our Youth

This is another new Mormon Message that is spot on. I've been thinking a lot lately about the time I spend with my children - or most especially, the "Quality Time" I spend or don't spend with them.

There is a quote I was recently introduced to that has been on my mind. It is this:

So I suppose I should leave the keyboard now and go play a game of hide-n-go-seek. If the dishes can wait till I'm done blogging, then they can most certainly wait for a few rounds of games.

A Trip to the Library

There's a Broadway Song that goes like this:

A Trip to the Library
has made a new girl of me
for suddenly I can see
the magic of Books!

I took the kids to the library for the first time the other day (I know, I know. I'm a terrible mom. How could this be the first time!? I can't believe it myself, but alas, it's true).

And besides the 15 books we came home with, you'll never guess what else our trip to the library yielded...

A Sweet Potato Pie!

Yup! That was the title of one of the books Evan picked out. And when we read it, we found that it included a recipe for "Mama's Sweet Potato Pie". Now this pie sounded pretty spectacular from what we read. Heck - she even sold enough of them to save the family farm. So I told Evan that our next trip to the store we would get us some sweet potatoes.

So we did -- but I got confused after looking at sweet potatoes and yams right next to eachother in the produce section. How is it that I thought those were the same thing? I'm still a bit confused. But I bought the sweet potatoes even though the yams seemed like the thing I should have.

And today we baked!

I've never made a pie. And I've especially never made a crust from scratch. But according to the book "it was Mama's special, extra-flaky crust that made her pies so good." Now, if that isn't pressure?!

Add some vanilla icecream on the side and it turned out pretty darn good. I don't think we'll be selling any at the state fair or saving our family farm with the proceeds, but it was a fun experience nonetheless.

I wonder what our next trip to the library will bring ...

p.s. And "yes" - those are pajamas the kids are still wearing. I could deceive you and make you think we had this pie for dessert and the kiddos were already dressed in their pjs, but that would not be true. Suffice it to say, it was a late and lazy Sunday morning today. And the afternoon pie tasting was even better in our jammies. :)