FREE photography session

I am offering one free photography session in Utah during the month of May!  Session will take place between May 9th and 28th.  If you like my work, are a Utah resident and/or will be in the Salt Lake area during that time, feel free to enter my drawing!  This is all you need to do:

1) Hop over to my facebook page HERE.

2) "Like" me, if you don't already.

3) Leave me a comment expressing your interest in the drawing.

AND... a bonus...

4) Promote my page AND this drawing on YOUR facebook page, and your name will be entered into the drawing TWICE!

Drawing will take place Wednesday, April 27th at 10:00pm PST.  Winner will be announced immediately following.  Good luck!

He is RISEN

I love this! Simple, yet profound!  A perfect message for this very special day.



Happy Easter!

17 years

17 years ago today I was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  It was a tender day, and one I will remember for the rest of my life.  I am still touched, all these years later, by the magnitude of friends and family who offered me support, service and love during my journey to becoming a Mormon.  They have no idea the impact they continue to have on my life today.
 

I'm not sure where I'd be without the gospel.  There is nothing in this world which could possibly replace the peace, happiness or hope it provides.  The greatest blessings I enjoy today stem from the decision I made 17 years ago, and I am eternally grateful.

Popsicles and sunshine

What more could a boy want?

Time Out For Women recap: Friday

Wow, what an incredible weekend - last weekend, that is!  I knew Time Out For Women was going to be good, but I didn't have a clue what treasures truly awaited me.  It was, in a word, perfect.  All of it.  Perfect.  The program is without question an inspired one.  Just when I felt as though one presenter was my favorite, the next would get up and blow me away.  I kept thinking, "How did s/he know I needed to hear that?"  It was as if God was speaking directly to me.

This year's TOFW theme is "Choose to Become", and while each presentation possessed its own individual topic and charm, they all came back to the same idea of choosing to become what our Heavenly Father would have us be.  Beautiful messages were shared, and I only wish my mom and mom-in-law (and all of the other amazing women in my life) could have been there with me to partake.  In the midst of a healthy combination of laughter and tears (trust me, there was plenty of both), I took about 7 pages worth of notes.  There was so much more I wanted to document and remember, but I'm not a very fast scribe.  :)  I wish I had a recording of the entire program so I could listen to it again and again.  And I wish I could somehow capture that spiritual energy I felt and keep it in a bottle to open up and inhale on the days ahead when I might need a boost.   

Friday evening's speakers included John Bytheway and Kris Belcher, and music was provided by Michael McLean.  Here are some thoughts and quotes that stuck with me from Friday's portion of the program.

"Nothing is particularly difficult if you divide it into small jobs." -Henry Ford

Being the somewhat uptight-with-perfectionist-tendencies kinda gal that I am, I get overwhelmed pretty easily.  Most of the time the problem stems from the fact that I view my tasks as a whole and not in portions.  I'm impatient, wanting results NOW.  And because I'm so focused on crossing the finish line, I fail to endure the journey reasonably - one step at a time.  This quote by Henry Ford is so basic yet so dead on.  It gave me comfort to realize that even some of the big tasks with which I am faced really aren't impossible if I just have the right perspective and game plan.

Bytheway also referenced the common saying, "An apple a day keeps the the doctor away", and in speaking of the power of a simple apple, he likened the concept to our spiritual health, presenting this question, which he challenged us to ask ourselves: "What is the one thing that if I could stop doing today would make the biggest difference?"  He then asked the same question but this time replacing "stop doing" with "start doing."  And finally, in keeping with the TOFW's theme, presented this question, "What could I become if I did this each day?"  What a hopeful message this conveys, and what countless possibilities await us all if we ask ourselves these questions and then act on them.

John Bytheway has been around for a long time.  I've heard a talk or two of his in the past and read bits and pieces of his various books.  One of them, which I have, is entitled, 'How to Be Totally Miserable'.  The guy is just plain funny, and while I've always known this, I didn't really appreciate his humor, knowledge or spirit until I sat in the same auditorium as he.  He is truly inspiring.

Kris Belcher was pretty dang awesome too.  She was also hilarious, and I think I laughed during more of her talk than anyone else's.  She is legally blind as a result of a recent battle with cancer, and has experienced much in her life.  Yet she herself said, "It's okay to laugh, even when it's serious, heartbreaking and horrible."  The topic of Kris' talk was 'Living Vertically'.  She said, "The winds that are blowing, if we allow them to, will blow us to the Savior."  In other words, our trials and tribulations, though excruciating at times, will take us to our sanctuary if we allow them.  The title of one of her books, 'Hard Times and Holy Places' really sums up the theme of her message.  And while I'm sure I experienced this long before last summer, it was during Neil's time away that I for the first time recognized this happening in my life.  It was awful having him gone, and while thousands of women do it every day and I know my situation didn't even hold a candle to theirs, I still struggled.  I also found, however, that it was in those moments of loneliness, uneasiness and confusion that I fell to my knees - mostly because I didn't know what else to do.  And it was through falling to my knees that I found my "holy places", with God.  It really is a beautiful concept.

Here are a few other thoughts Kris shared:

"Turn your frustrations heavenward, into prayers.  Focus your feelings upward."  She spoke of Nephi, who encouraged us, before doing anything, to pray and promised that God would consecrate our efforts for our benefit. 

And finally, she said this:

"Try living vertically.  See if your rough edges are not smoothed out."  I especially loved this because I, as most women probably do, feel I have many rough edges.  Too many to name, in fact.  But to know He has the power to smooth those rough edges, to make our weaknesses our strengths, is a very encouraging and real truth.

Micheal McLean provided music between Bytheway's and Belcher's messages, and while it took some time, by the end of the evening he had grown on me. It wasn't so much his music, style or personality, but the spirit he carried that really got me. I wish I'd jotted down more of what he said, but his overall message was that of encouragement and hope, reminding us how truly exquisite we are in the sight of God.  He reminded us that God knows us each so well, and takes more interest in our day to day things, thoughts, feelings, challenges, experiences, etc. than we can even imagine.  He played a song about adoption entitled, 'From God's Arms, To My Arms, To Yours'. Even though I have not had a personal experience with adoption I have been touched by others' stories, including a good friend of mine who has adopted two boys. And, well, I think as a mother it's impossible to not be moved by the lyrics of this inspired piece. I'm sure it's more fitting for a woman to sing, but I found this on YouTube, and since this is how the song was first presented to me, I'd like to share it with you.



I left Friday's program already feeling edified and renewed.  And I could hardly wait to see what Saturday had in store for me.  More on that soon...

How quickly time passes...

Each day I am reminded of how quickly time passes.  Today I was reminded, not once, but twice. 

This evening I attended Kindergarten Orientation.  Enough said, right?  As I sat in the very classroom where Chloe may spend her first year as an elementary school student, it hit me the many changes that were coming, and that I'm about to see a lot less of Chloe.  This naturally presented the question, "Have I made the best of my time with her?" Well, only I know the answer to that, and while I've had plenty of shortcomings, I'd like to think the good has outweighed the bad. 

A little later this evening, just after we got Ryan down for the night, we remaining three plopped on the couch together for our nightly reading.  Now before I go on, let me rewind back about three weeks when I was in the kitchen one afternoon and Chloe quietly approached me. Upon doing so, she held up a book which she'd grabbed from the bookshelf in the play area upstairs and simply asked, "Mom, can we read this?" 

As random as it was that my five-year-old was requesting a book with no pictures which was broken down into chapters and well exceeded 150 pages, I wasn't too surprised, nor was I about to say no.  And so, that very night, Neil, Chloe and I sat together on the couch and read chapter 1 aloud.  The next night, chapter 2.  And over the next two and a half weeks, well, life happened and we missed some nights, but the important thing is that we kept at it.  Some nights we'd even whiz through a chapter without a single pause, almost forgetting that we were reading to a small child who probably didn't understand everything, only to hear, in her own words a recap of that chapter.  It was pretty amazing, the whole thing.

Tonight we finished our book.

How quickly time passes.  One minute I'm holding my precious, tiny newborn baby, and the next I'm enrolling her in kindergarten and reading with her one of C.S. Lewis' greatest classics. 

Going to time out, literally

In exactly 2 hours I will be headed to Fresno for 24 hours of spiritual bliss.  My sweet friends, Tina and Brittany invited me to go with them to Time Out For Women, a program our church offers across the country as well as New Zealand and Australia throughout each year.  Click on the link above to read all about it.

I am grateful Neil is supportive of me leaving him and the kids for a day and a half to go enjoy some "me" time.  And at this very moment I am especially grateful to my friend Shelly, who is taking my kids for the afternoon on very little notice thanks to Neil getting called to a case in Roseville last minute.  Don't these things always happen?  I am really looking forward to this chance to be spiritually fed, recharge my batteries and be reminded of my divinity, worth and purpose. 

Front yard progress

Wow, crazy last couple of weeks! My computer was having issues week before last and ended up in the shop up until last Wednesday. While I missed the convenience of having photoshop and blogger at my finger tips, I'll have to say the break was nice, and somewhat needed. And really, what a great week to be without a computer with sunny, upper 70 degree temps! Last Thursday and Friday even crept into the 80s and was actually hot! We ate dinner on our front porch and opened windows that night when the cool breeze kicked in. It is so bizarre to me that it's already beginning to feel like summer and yet we're barely into April. I love it though.

Neil and I spent quite a bit of last week working in the yard. We moved a few bushes around, replaced some dead plants with new ones, planted 2 trees, installed countless drip lines and potted some flowers for the front porch.  Neil did most of the work while I kept the kids out of his way, but I would like to think I was fairly helpful too.  I took a lot of pictures, mostly for my family - Neil's mom in particular, who is the greenest of all green thumbs out there and will appreciate the assortment of pictures below probably more than anyone else who bothers to read this post!

So let's rewind back to March 19th when we had a massive rain storm, complete with I don't even know how many mile an hour winds but definitely not an appealing number!  Earlier that day I participated in a photo shoot that my friend Tami had arranged for some photographers in the area.  It was cold, wet and windy then, and unfortunately only got worse as the evening progressed.  I ended up having to run out at 10pm to get some things for a church program the following evening.  As I was exiting the freeway to come home a huge branch fell from a tree just ten or so feet ahead of me, which was pretty scary.  Luckily I dodged it.  Then all night we heard the wind and the tree branches in our front yard hitting the windows.  Needless to say by morning when the winds had calmed, we were relieved.  I glanced out the window at some point that morning and discovered a couple things that were out of place. 

Notice anything odd?  Like, oh, I don't know.  A trampoline sitting on its side and crunching into the fence?

What about here?  Yep, you got it.  A basketball hoop that once stood.

And as if that wasn't crazy enough, here's what we discovered backing out of our driveway to head to church!

Our poor tree on the side of our house got knocked down.  When we got home from church and gave the tree a closer look, Neil quickly discovered that the largest roots had snapped in half, and that the tree had no chance of survival.  We were both really sad because it was a beautiful tree and a decent size!  How ironic, too, that of the 2 trees in our yard (not counting the ugly palm tree in our backyard which we are considering replacing down the road), one of them would get destroyed during a storm!  Neil said the roots were very shallow in the ground to begin with, which could have contributed to the fall.

So there's that story!  What's also ironic is that less than a week prior, we planted an orange tree just 20 feet from where this tree stood.  Right now it's 21 inches tall, and luckily the storm didn't have any effect on it.  It's just ironic that the very week we planted a new tree, we lost an old tree.  I'll post pictures of the orange tree planting extravaganza soon.  It was a lot of fun.  Okay, now onto the fun part of the post!

So the front walk way had quite a few weeds and dead plants which we ripped out, and then Neil and I headed to Lowe's to find some new stuff to fill in the gaps.  It was so fun picking out flowers and plants.  I don't know what it is about Spring but it just makes me feel so happy!  The process of filling my cart with greenery and other vibrant colors, all the while inhaling the various fragrances; then coming home and planting the goods in the warm sunshine, followed by watering, and finally, admiring!  Ahh!  The whole process from start to finish just makes me happy! 

Thursday was the hottest day of the week, and at one point we turned on the sprinklers so the kids could cool off.  They only lasted 15 minutes before they were finished, but it was 15 minutes of giggles and squeals.  It was great watching them.  And as I sat there on the sidewalk doing just that, I realized I was living a moment which years before I envisioned in my head and hoped to someday live.  Who wouldn't love watching their children have the time of their lives running through sprinklers on a warm Spring day?

I probably ought to start thinking about buying Ryan a swimsuit. 

Friday and Saturday I potted some plants.  I think our porch still needs some touches, but it's off to a great start.  Neil is planning to build a wooden bench and possibly a matching planter box.  I also want to get a large shrub (one of those twirly looking tree shrubs - you follow me?) to sit in a large pot directly left of the front door.  In time.  In time.  Anyway, here are pictures.

You really can't even see the walkway very well.  All the plants are still so tiny, but give them a year or two and they'll fill up the space and look gorgeous!

Here's the side of our house.  That door on the far left leads into the kitchen.  That alone is probably my favorite feature of the house.  The sun light that creeps in through that big window around dinner time is just amazing, and the convenience of unloading groceries, checking on the kids while they play on the driveway and I cook dinner, etc. is just more than I could have asked for.  I love my kitchen door, and I hope those hydrangeas Chloe and I planted next to the door grow and flourish so I have just one more thing to admire!


Another view from the side.  Just to give you an idea of how large Chloe's bedroom is, the 2 top windows on the side of the house are hers, as are the 3 around the corner from it AND the 2 next to it.  7 windows!!  The other 2 windows on the far right (covered by the trees) look into the play room.

We aren't crazy about the shrubs lining the side of the house, and would rather have something that has a little more character and that flowers.  We had to rip out a plant that was overtaking some of these shrubs and are now waiting to see how it all fills in.  They certainly don't look bad.  Just not our first choice.

Neil's Grandma Jean painted the pots below (chili peppers and strawberries).  Love them.
The left center picture is of a magnolia tree we planted on the far right side of our yard.  I fell in love with it at a Nursery by our house.  It's beginning to bud now and produces the most beautiful pink flowers!  The right center picture is of the tree we planted in place of the one we lost during the storm.  Right now it's about 2 feet high, but it supposedly grows 4 inches a month, so in no time it'll be a decent size.  I can't remember what it's called.  Bottom right picture is the view from our front door.

Bench will go to the far left of the porch (not seen in the picture below), and the potted shrub will go right smack against the blank wall to the left of the door.

I am so grateful for an established front yard that we can simply add to here and there, for a good sized tree that I can admire out my windows, for a huge porch where I can sit and watch the kids play, and for the overall warm and cozy feel that exists here.  There are still things we aren't crazy about like the placement of some of the bushes and the lack of variety, however we made great progress last week and will continue to as time passes.  Eventually it will feel like it's ours.  I am really growing to love this house, and I think the more we can do to improve it, the more it will feel like "home."

Chloe and Ryan's first argument

As Ryan is becoming more proficient at holding his own, fights between the kids are unfortunately becoming more common.  Normally what sets things off is Chloe telling Ryan that he either has to or can't do something.  Ryan does not take orders graciously from Chloe and will not hesitate to lash out at her if she says the wrong thing.  This then results in one of two things.  Either Chloe lashes back at him and I end up having to pull one of them off of the other -OR- Chloe comes whining to me that Ryan hurt her.  Either way, both of the kids end up in tears and then we go into meltdown mode and suddenly I want to give them both up for adoption.



The other day we experienced something new.  The kids had an argument.  It was not physical in any way, but rather a battle of wills.  Definitely a first for these two who normally go down the "sticks and stones may break my bones" avenue.  I'm not even sure what set it off.  All I know is that the kids went from sitting quietly at the table with their coloring books one minute to standing on their chairs yelling at each other the next.  Neil and I were both standing in the kitchen and witnessed the whole thing.  Here are the basics:

Chloe (in a whiny tone): "Ryan, you're mean!"
Ryan (in an authoritative almost dominating tone): "No n'not!  Yo a too too tain ahd!" (translation: "No, I'm not.  You're a choo choo train head!")
Chloe (getting frustrated but still maintaining a more whiny than angry tone): "Stooooooop!  You're not being nice!"
Ryan (same tone): "No n'not!  Yo a too too tain ahd!"

Chloe's come backs varied over the next minute as they kept at it.  She said things like, "I'm NOT a choo choo train head!" followed by, "Ryan, you're a bad brother!" and something about "That's my marker!  Give it back!".  She was growing more and more flustered, and the fact that Ryan's responses to her remained the same only made it worse.  Can you even imagine sweet Ryan yelling at his sister like a drill sergeant?

While Neil and I normally would have put this to an end right off the bat, we were too entertained this time around to want to.  I finally had to leave the room because I couldn't contain my laughter any longer.  Chloe noticed this and saw that both Neil and I were grinning, which I think gave her a boost of confidence because suddenly she stood up on her chair, tone of voice rising twice as high, and started throwing even more ridiculous come backs at Ryan, like...

"You're a petunia!"

Of course we all know what Ryan's response was.  Maybe you had to be there to truly appreciate the humor.  And maybe those of you who aren't catching onto the humor think that we are abusive parents.  But I just have to say that I felt a little proud watching my two children go at it, each being just as determined as the other to have the final word.  Obviously we don't encourage yelling matches in our household, but I hope that in life, when Chloe and Ryan are faced with confrontations about things that do legitimately matter, they will not be afraid to practice the same level of conviction that they demonstrated at the dining room table during their first argument.

Don't forget to give her winter

I have so many reasons to smile and be thankful. I have a devoted and patient husband, two healthy and happy children, an amazing extended family, my health, an understanding of and love for my religion and the many ways it has guided and strengthened me, a roof over my head and food in my fridge, helpful friends and a warm and inviting ward family, and countless other things. While I recognize, acknowledge and express gratitude to my Heavenly Father each day for these many blessings in my life, they do not free me from daily challenges and frustrations. And unfortunately, I've been feeling especially low these last couple of weeks.

While talking with my mom recently, she reminded me of a poem she shared with me years ago. When I read it this time, it hit home and I found myself getting quite emotional over the message it conveyed. Perhaps it's because I am a mother now, who has already witnessed my daughter enduring a challenge in her life, knowing just how difficult it was but still allowing for it because I knew it was necessary for her growth.

A couple weeks ago during our young women's mid-week activity, we talked with the girls about preparing for motherhood. We had a guest speaker who at one point asked us each to list attributes on a piece of paper that our own mothers had and/or attributes we hoped to one day possess as mothers. Here are the things that stood out to me which I am still working toward achieving, even 5+ years in:

- Love them unconditionally

- Nurture them

- Show affection

-Teach them the gospel

- Teach them good habits and manners

-Teach them the concept of hard work and responsibility

- Give of your time

- Listen to them

-Allow them to practice agency

- Set a good example and truly practice what you preach

- Be willing to apologize when needed

- Pray for them continually

- Practice tough love

- Don't give them everything they want

- Laugh

As we discussed these things I was once again reminded of the poem my mom had just shared with me. I felt impressed to share it with the girls, so I did.

Prayer for a Daughter

God of men and God of nature,

Shape my daughter like the seasons.

Give her all the song of springtime

And the subtlety of April,

Generosity of summer,

Warmth and all the sweet fulfillment,

And the sparkling wit of autumn,

Color like October hillsides.

Lest her charms may be too many,

Give her something of the winter:

Stars and distances and silence,

Courage of the open spaces,

Wisdom of the waiting branches,

Don't forget to give her winter.

- Esther Wood

Yes! Of course we want our daughters (and sons) to have the song of springtime, the warmth of summer, and the colors of autumn.  BUT!  We also know that they need something of winter. Just as we mothers watch our children suffer due to unfortunate circumstances or poor choices, our Heavenly Father watches us endure life's challenges and hardships. And while He wants to free us from the pains and protect us from the evils, He knows that without them we can never grow.  And without growth, there's little purpose to our earthly life.

One point my mom made after sharing this poem was that winter can be beautiful. In fact, Salt Lake, where she lives, had just received a fresh thick coat of snow, and she talked about how gorgeous the tree branches looked and how the white powder glistened on the ground. Yes, trials are not always beautiful, but from our trials come the greatest beauties out there: growth, character, a greater perspective, a deeper appreciation, peace, empathy, and even sometimes a certain indescribable fondness of the memories those trials provided.

Looking back at last summer when Neil and I were apart for 3 months, I now find myself smiling. While during that time I often felt miserable, uncertain, inadequate and lonely, I now recognize the many ways in which I grew; ways I never could have otherwise grown had it not been for the "winter" of that summer.  And, believe it or not, I honestly do look back at those 3 months with fondness.

As I face the inevitable cloudy days of life, I try to focus on the rainbows that I know will follow. I am grateful for a mother (and father) who gave me winter and who have helped me understand its importance. I'm a better person for it, and I hope I can be a strength to my own daughter as she faces her winters.

Our little pianist

Chloe has been showing interest in the piano for some time now.  Three Sundays ago as we sat together banging around on the keys, Chloe asked me to teach her a song.  I decided 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' was basic enough, and so we proceeded to walk through it.  She caught on much faster than I expected, and before the end of the evening she almost had it.  The following morning first thing she raced downstairs and proceeded to play the song with perfection.  Apparently a little break and a good night's sleep did the trick!  Here she is on that same morning showing off her newly acquired skill.

 

All week she anxiously awaited any opportunity to play for an audience.  She played for her neighborhood friends, for both of her Grandmas (over the phone), and of course boring old mom and dad.  By the following Sunday she could practically play the song in her sleep, and was clearly ready for more.  So, we moved on to 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat', which she caught onto almost instantly, followed by 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star'.  Neil also brought to her attention that 'Twinkle, Twinkle' carries the same melody as 'ABCs', so now she proudly tells people that she can play 4 songs on the piano!

I took this video of her last week sometime.  The timing of the recording is actually really funny.  Why, may you ask?  Well, just listen in the background near the end.  That's right.  As Chloe's finishing up 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat', Ryan is finishing up some bathroom business, and is a little more than eager to announce it.

Please don't look too closely at Chloe's finger placement.  I didn't even realize until after watching this video that she was alternating between her right and left hand.  We've been working on that.  This week we're learning 'Happy Birthday to you', and I think 'Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree' isn't too far behind.  I've also got my eye on a children's piano book so that Chloe can begin familiarizing herself with the notes.  A few people I've talked to have told me that 5 is generally young to start piano lessons.  Maybe that's true, but Chloe wants it!  She begs me to sit with her and spends a solid hour each day playing by herself.  She is driven to learn piano, and I'd be a fool not to take advantage of that!

I have so much more I want to share about Chloe's recent interests and discoveries and will get to them soon.  But for now, I hope you enjoyed her little piano debut!

Happy 72nd!

Yesterday's phone conversation between Chloe and Jared:

Chloe: Happy Birthday, Uncle Jared!
Jared: {don't know because I couldn't hear him}
Chloe: How old are you?
Jared: {pretty sure I know this one but I won't spoil it}
Chloe: 72!?... {slight pause} ...I would have guessed 84!

Now come to think of it I can't remember if it was 72 and 84 or 82 and 74.  Oh well.  72, 84, 74, 82, 31, 32; no matter how old or how young, we love Jared just the same. 

Happy Birthday!

Love this

Forget the money tree!  I'm gettin' me one of these!

A spontaneous drive to Sac and an aspiring photographer

Speaking of perspective, on Monday Chloe had a chance to share hers with the rest of us.  After a full week of driving to and from Sacramento to help cover cases at Kaiser for a co-worker who was on vacation, Neil was looking forward to a less chaotic week of staying within a 25 mile radius of our house and his own territory.  That is, until he got a call from the same guy Monday morning requesting his help later that afternoon.  With this job, it's common for a surgery to get pushed back or rescheduled at the last minute, sometimes resulting in double-bookings.  And because it's impossible to be in two ORs at once, helping hands are often needed.  Unpredictability is a frustrating reality but just part of the job.

We barely saw Neil last week.  He was out the door as early as 6am and home as late as 7pm from Tuesday on.  And to make matters worse, both Neil and Ryan caught the same crud Chloe had the week prior.  So even when Neil did make it home by 6, he was in bed by 8.  Anyway, Monday morning when he told me he was heading back to Sac, yet again, I asked if we could tag along.  It's a solid hour's drive, so I figured it might be nice for him to have some company in the car for a change.  Plus he wasn't expecting to be there long so we could easily occupy ourselves while he did what he needed to.  While this made a great excuse to spend a little extra time with Neil, I was also just plain anxious to get out of the house.  Between Ryan's potty training and cold bug last week, we didn't make it out much.

I promise I'm going somewhere with this story.

One of my dad's oldest friends, David, who in our family goes by his middle name, "Alfred" and his wife, Grace live in Sacramento.  My brother and I call Alfred "[our] Mexican uncle".  He and my dad were in the Air Force together eons ago and became close.  In fact, Alfred, who was the chief photographer for the Vallejo Times Herald for several years, took this beloved picture of my dad and me when I was just a few days old, as well as the one below of Grace holding me when I was not much older.

We've seen Alfred and Grace a handful of times since we moved to California, and I figured since the kids and I were going to have some time to kill, why not give them a call?  So I did.  Grace was working so Alfred and I took the kids to the mall for a bit while Neil did his thing. Then we all met up for dinner a little later when Grace was off work and Neil was finished at the hospital.

I got my camera out while we were at the restaurant.  Chloe has recently expressed a greater interest in taking pictures and lately has asked to use my camera practically every time she's laid eyes on it.  This was no exception, and I reluctantly handed it over.  Luckily I just had my small, light 50mm on there so it wasn't too enormously heavy for her.  Now after looking these over I'm really glad I let her carry my camera around.  Out of the dozen or so shots she captured, she got a handful of true keepers!

I especially love this one of Grace.  The angle and overall composition (particularly the placement of the subject with other items blurred in the foreground and the Chinese lanterns hanging from the ceiling, which are also blurred), not to mention Grace's expression, which is so telling of the sweet and nurturing woman she is.

Here are a couple more taken outside the restaurant.

It was a bit of a spontaneous drive up to Sac, but definitely a worth while one.  Neil even mentioned he was glad we came so he could drive in the carpool lane.  :)  It's really cool being so close to loved ones.  Alfred and Grace have been a part of my family longer than I have!  They will always be my "uncle" and "aunt," and I'm grateful Chloe and Ryan can grow up knowing and seeing them frequently.

Wordless Wednesday

Improvising

Ryan stands in front of my camera plenty, but rarely gets to stand behind it.  As much as I'd love to see things from his perspective, I'm not willing to risk the life of my camera.  Good thing he knows how to improvise!

"Say teeeeeez, Mama!" 

One more forgotten post: Chloeisms

This post was written last May about the one and only: Chloe Mae Andersen.  As I read this I'm realizing that not much has changed.  She's still in love with her brother, feminine as ever, generous, compassionate, argumentative, and the friendliest, most outgoing 5-year-old I know.  The post was lacking in pictures so I inserted a couple that were taken the same month this was written. 

Originally written 26 May 2010
I cannot believe Chloe is 6 months away from celebrating her 5th birthday! How is this even possible? I had originally planned to write a post on or around her 4th birthday summarizing her recent updates and milestones, but seeing how that was half a year ago, I think it's safe to say I passed up the opportunity. I'm sure I've forgotten half of what I would have said.  I haven't been so good about jotting things down lately but before my brain turns to complete mush, let me share the few updates I can remember.

Chloe.  Wow.  Never a dull moment. Her spirit and personality are like a flaming torch that never burns out.  She loves her little brother, and sometimes shows it a little too much. He loves her too, but easily gets annoyed with her constant touching, hugging and picking.  Can't really blame him!  The sibling rivalry has officially begun too. Some days I feel like all I do is referee. The problem is, they BOTH like to egg each other on. Usually it's Ryan trying to pull Chloe's blanket away from her while laughing, or Chloe trying to pick Ryan up or hug him when he just wants to be left alone. It's pretty funny stuff, actually. I always have to laugh extra hard when Chloe comes crying to me that Ryan hit her. As if he could really hurt her, or would do it intentionally. She's such a baby sometimes, yet the very next second she's back to tormenting him.

{May 2010 - How do you like Ryan's soft, wispy mullet?}

Chloe continues to love wearing skirts and dresses, putting on her princess shoes and dancing around to a movie that has singing and dancing in it. Her current favorite movies are 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers', 'The Slipper and the Rose' (a Cinderella story), 'The Sound of Music', and, of course, the all time fave, 'Mary Poppins'. It's pretty cool seeing her grow to love these classics that I loved, and watching her dance around and sing to the same songs that I danced and sang to.  There are moments when I feel as though I'm peering back into the past and seeing 4-year-old me.  My parents talk about that more and more too.

Chloe is a very compassionate person, always worried when she senses someone is sad or having a hard time. At the end of March, our good friend, Cindy took Chloe to an Easter egg hunt her work was hosting. While they were waiting to go outside to begin the egg hunt, Chloe noticed 2 boys, who appeared to be brothers. One of them had just hit the other (or something), and made him cry. Chloe was watching them, and suddenly said to Cindy, "He's sad. We should take him flowers."

Chloe is also very giving. The minute a guest walks in the door, she's bombarding him/her with various things such as a piece of gum, a band aid, some chips, or, when she's feeling really generous, her most prized possession (at the time). Sometimes I get annoyed by her intense desire to please and make those around her feel comfortable because it seems as though she's causing more inconvenience than convenience. I certainly don't see anything wrong with making the effort, but the way she goes about it at times is very IN YOUR FACE. I have recently realized, however, that this nature is a blessing and something I ought to encourage. It's satisfying to know my daughter thinks of others and tries to do what she can to spread happiness.  I know with time and growth, she'll gain a better understanding of social skills and proper boundaries.

{May 2010}

Chloe continues to be quite the negotiator. She is constantly presenting me with ideas that will benefit her, such as, "Mommy, I drank all my milk, so now I get to have a piece of candy!", to which I'll usually respond, "Okay, you may have one piece." Sometimes, but not always, she'll push it and then say, "How about two pieces! Just two pieces!  Yes?" She's too much.

Chloe is so friendly, it's embarrassing. Sometimes I just want to go to the grocery store without having to make new friends, but Chloe doesn't seem to understand that. She's constantly waving at, saying hi to and conversing with complete strangers. She's got no shame, and it doesn't matter who happens to walk past us or how scary they may look. When I'm out and about, I'm usually in a hurry.  What can I say?  It's tough dragging two little kids around everywhere you go, and so the faster you can be, the better. Her need to talk with everyone definitely slows things down and sometimes I don't have the patience for it. The other day we were backing out of the driveway, and she noticed our neighbor and immediately rolled down the window and started yelling, "HI MOOOOOSE!" (that's his name).  I recognize, again, that this is a good thing!  I'd rather she be outgoing and able to strike up a conversation with anyone than be shy and unwilling to look anyone in he eye let alone talk to them.  It's just a matter of guiding her along to know when it's appropriate to converse and when it's not.  And further, some of the topics that are and aren't appropriate to discuss such as a woman who may look slightly overweight but isn't necessarily pregnant.  Yep.  We learned that one the hard way.  I'll save that story for another day!

All in all, I am so impressed with Chloe's growth and progression.  She is such a light in the lives of her family and loved ones, and I'm happy I get to spend my days with her.  She has taught me many lessons, and I'm grateful that she is patient with and forgiving of my shortcomings as her mother. 

And yet another (forgotten post, that is): 2 months

Here's another.  This time, January 2009, 11 days after Ryan turned 2 months, and 10 days before being admitted to the hospital for RSV.  I have no idea why I didn't publish this.  Maybe I'd planned to add more to it, who knows.  It's so strange picturing Ryan in this little baby stage, especially now that he's becoming such an independent toddler.  I realize it may seem ridiculous that I'm bothering to post this now, 2 years later, but for journaling purposes I'm going to anyway.  Don't worry, there aren't too many more of these posts left.

Originally written 20 January 2009

I can't even believe Ryan's 2 months. Gosh, he turned 2 months a week and a half ago! Where oh where does the time go? Why can't it slow down just a little when you have a baby? I look at pictures of him from only a month ago and he looks entirely different now. I think like most moms, a part of me yearns for those first weeks again. There's just something so indescribably precious about a newborn baby. A newborn baby whose head flops around; whose limbs are so scrawny that if his older sister pulled hard enough she could probably yank them right out of their sockets; whose cry is so distinct that it turns heads while out in public; whose scent is so new and perfect; whose warmth and softness make one feel as though s/he's in the presence of an angel. While I'm sad to see this stage disappear, I will have to say I am loving the fun and interactive little guy Ryan's becoming. He had his 2 month check-up Friday morning and he's doing really well. At 11 pounds, 15 ounces, and 23 inches, he's measuring in the 58th percentile for weight and 55th for height. It's hard to believe he's already gained 4 pounds and grown 2 inches since birth! He likes to eat though, so it's really no wonder!

Ryan is such a smiley boy! If only I could capture more of those smiles on camera! He loves eye contact and close interaction. While he can't talk, his expressions speak volumes! They are so animated and sweet. He reacts dramatically to the sound of my voice: raising his eye brows as I tell him stories or sing to him, opening his mouth and making movements with his lips as if to talk back, squealing and cooing with enthusiasm as he jerks his tiny limbs all over the place, and as always, gleaming with smiles. When he and I are able to find one on one time together, everything else around us disappears. He is so easy to love.

I'll be honest. These last two months have been far from easy. Part of that is the transition from having one child to suddenly having two, I'm sure.  But looking back, Chloe was a much easier newborn than Ryan has been. I don't know that I'd go so far as to say Ryan had colic, but it was most certainly something like it. Yes, he knows how to scream, and has had a handful of good long screaming sessions like any other newborn baby. But the greatest challenge I've faced with Ryan hasn't been so much the screaming and crying but the constant uneasiness. For the first 8 weeks of his life the boy wouldn't sit still. He was always squirming around and seeming uncomfortable and on the verge of crying.  In the beginning I suspected he had reflux. He's the gassiest kid ever, not to mention an impressive spitter-upper - 2 common side effects of reflux.  Unfortunately I was never really able to pin-point the culprit. In an attempt to do so, I tried removing several things from my diet temporarily.  While I still haven't figured it out, he seems to finally be growing out of the uneasy stage, and the sweet and happy boy Ryan's wanted to be from day 1 is finally becoming a regular thing!

Seems like I had more to say, but I couldn't tell ya what it was now.  Oh, look at those fat cheeks!  I could just reach into these pictures and kiss on him for hours!  They grow way too fast.  Way. Too. Fast.

Long, and I mean LONG forgotten post: Painting Tips

I'm chuckling to myself right now.  Would you believe it if I told you I wrote this post in June of 2008?  I was 4 months pregnant with Ryan!  It's on a completely random topic too.  In continued attempts to get my blog current I gave a quick glance through the handful of "drafts" I had written, never thinking it was necessary to look back past 2010 until I came across Brady and Sara's wedding post from October 2009.  I probably ought to finish that one now that they've been married for a year and a half and are expecting their first child!  Anyhoo, not long after stumbling upon theirs, I found this post, which I wrote even longer ago than that!  Completely forgot about it, obviously.  I almost immediately deleted it, but then decided it was still useful, and, if I went to the trouble to write it why not still share it?  So often when people came to our house (in CO) they'd comment on my painted walls and ask how I got such straight and perfect lines. Believe it or not, it's not so difficult to achieve.  And so, 3 years later, here are the steps.

Originally written 16 JUNE 2008

I am anal about a lot of things.  Anyone who knows me knows that.  Painting is no exception. I've done more of it lately than I'd like to say, and thought I'd share a few tips while it's all still fresh in my head!

Does it drive any of you crazy to have gone to the trouble of taping an entire room (and spending quite possibly an hour and a half or longer doing it) only to then pull it all off (once you've finished painting) and find countless spots where the paint bled, requiring you to then spend another hour touching up? Perhaps you're so tired of painting by this point that you don't care. Or perhaps it bothers you, but you figure you'll put it off for another day. Well why not get it right the first time so the removing of tape is the final step of the process!?

Follow these steps, and I guarantee you'll be happy with the results!

With a damp cloth, wipe down the trim (baseboards, doorways, and whatever else you'll be taping). The tape won't stick if it's applied to a dusty surface, so this is a crucial step if you don't want bleeding to occur.

Depending on the condition of the trim, you may even want to take it a step further by applying to it a fresh coat of paint. Sure it's more work in the long run, but the end result makes it very worthwhile. I naturally do this before I paint any room, because I feel it gives the final product a more complete look that the room wouldn't otherwise have had I painted the walls but left the trim as is.

Okay, so once your trim looks fresh and clean:

1) Tape along the trim. Line the edges of the tape as close to where the wall begins as possible. Rub the tape down as well as you can to ensure a good firm stick!

{Now this will sound weird, but stay with me - this is the most important step of all}

2) Say you're painting the walls green. So at this point, you'd normally apply your first coat of the green along the trim, right? If you were to do this, there's a good chance some green would still manage to sneak under the tape in areas, resulting in an occasional bleed. To prevent any bleeding, with your brush you're going to first apply a light coat of the baseboard paint along the trim. Now I know you're thinking, "Wait a minute! First you tell me to apply a fresh coat of trim paint to the trim before taping! And now I have to apply another coat of trim paint, after I've taped? How does that make sense if the wall color is green? Basically what happens here is the trim color bleeds in the areas under the tape where the green would have bled had you applied green straight over the freshly applied tape. However, because the white was applied first, you'll not only never know where it bled (because it's the same color), but that trim color, once dry, is going to seal in every space that exists, so that when you finally apply the green paint (in the next step), there's no chance of bleeding! (Sorry, I don't have a picture to accompany this step)

3) Once the trim color is completely dry (give it at least 2 hours), with a different brush, apply your first coat of green.

As far as the ceiling goes, I don't tape. I use a slanted brush and wing it. I find I get better results doing it that way than taping but I was also blessed with a steady hand. If you feel more comfortable taping along the ceiling, steps 2 and 3 can still be useful.  Same idea if you're painting one wall one color and the wall next to it a different color. 

Hopefully this all made sense and saves you some time on your next painting adventure!

A deeper appreciation

I am finding, with age, that I value my parents and grandparents more and more.  I value the (little) time I get to spend with them.  I value the memories I have of them from years past.  I value the advice they give me today, and more graciously embrace the advice they gave me yesterday.  And most recently, I value simple facts and details of their lives, and yearn to know more.  My mom has always been an excellent journal keeper.  I remember years and years ago reading in her journal from 1962 when she and my dad first met.  She was 18 years old!  How cool is that?  How many kids get to read and enjoy a glimpse of who their mother was at 18?  She also had a journal for both my brother and me, and we used to sit around the table as a family and read from them.  After reading came the inevitable laughter, and it was just an all around good thing.  She always captured the funniest things and in the most creative way.  One of us would read aloud various quotes from our 3 and 4 year old mouths, display pictures we'd drawn, awards we'd won, clippings of our hair (some of which we had clipped ourselves), and photographs, all of which she had lovingly placed into those journals.  I remember finding so much joy in reading simple facts about me and the baby/toddler/little girl I was.  Whether I realized it or not, I did value the time and determination my mom gave in providing my brother and me with that documentation of our early years.  And whether it was a conscious decision I made or just something that was ingrained into me, I knew from a very young age that I needed to provide my children with the same type of treasure my mom had provided for us. 

Journal keeping, in a literal sense, was never my strength, nor was it something I much enjoyed.  I just didn't recognize the value in it as a teenager.  And even after Neil and I got married I didn't think that the every day happenings of our lives were spectacular enough to write about.  Now that I've discovered the thrill of hearing simply, "every day" stories about my grandparents and other family members who have passed on, I'm kicking myself for not starting my own history sooner.  It's certainly never too late, and I am grateful that this blog, which truly does contain the "every day" of my life for the last 3 1/2 years will be around in years to come when, perhaps, I can sit at the table with my own family and laugh over the silly things I took the time to write down which otherwise would have been long forgotten.

If Chloe is anything like me when she turns 29, she will value the things I have to say now.  She will value my memories of loved ones.  She will value what I've learned from my mother which has partially molded me into the mother I am.  She will value the things I've said about her, the confidence I have in her and the love I have for her.  That said, I am going to make a more conscious effort to document special memories of and facts about my parents, Neil's parents, my grandparents, Neil's grandparents and whatever other extended family members I might feel so inclined to write about.  I will need Neil's help with some of this, but I'm looking forward to it.  We have been commanded to document.  President Spencer W. Kimball said, in the October 1975 New Era, while emphasizing to the youth of the Church the importance of keeping a journal:

“Get a notebook, my young folks, a journal that will last through all time, and maybe the angels may quote from it for eternity. Begin today and write in it your goings and comings, your deepest thoughts, your achievements and your failures, your associations and your triumphs, your impressions and your testimonies. Remember, the Savior chastised those who failed to record important events.”

There is always something to write about, especially when you live in a house with small children who are learning, growing and changing every day.  I am grateful for an incredible family to build memories with, learn from, and write about; for parents, a 94-year-old grandmother, an awesome brother and countless other family members, all from whom I can learn many things.  And I'm going to make a greater effort to document the little bits and pieces of them here so that my own children will always have a record of the incredible family from which they came.