first in 6 months!

We recently returned home after another wonderful vacation with family--this time to Glacier National Park with my side of the family. Now, a few of us are sick. Can't tell you how many episodes of Backyardigans we've had on today:) I secretly love that show....but after today, that may change! I didn't even feel a bit guilty about excessive TV today. My super outdoorsy boy rejected the idea of walking to the park. Now, that is SICK!

I'll put together a little slide show of our trip later....after I swipe a few from other family members:) But I love this picture of Kelsey and me after our "strenuous" hike! It is the first one of the two of us taken in six months! Yes, we were reunited with our little sis and we couldn't be happier!

momobile

I know, three posts in one day after a looooong absence is totally crazy! I guess I'm just in the mood to get caught up.

Check out my new momobile. Mazda5. I love it! Isn't she a beauty? You tell me...is the a van or a car? I like to keep it a mystery:) Hmmm...I believe the color of ours is more like a dark gray/blue.

what a boy!

This picture captures my oldest baby in all of his glory! The expression is sooo Parker. I love this picture. I love this boy...

p.s. thanks dan:)

lake pictures

Feeling pretty lazy so I don't feel like making my own slideshow:) But here is the album Dan put together for us! Enjoy!

the good life

We spent the last week at the lake. Oh, it was so good this year! I took about two pictures the entire time, but our friend Dan captured the best moments and was nice enough to share. I'll post some later. I miss recording our life on my little blog so I'm going to get caught up a little bit.

I was feeling ambitious a few Saturdays ago and decided to take the boys up to Greenbluff to pick strawberries....on my own--Joel worked the weekend. I used to sit around and feel slightly sorry for myself on Joel's work weekends, but not anymore! I try to do special things and just enjoy the time. I try, at least. It ended up being a great trip. The boys were wonderful and got a kick out of eating all of the fruit and petting all the animals. I think they also enjoyed charming all of the old ladies:) Just another day in the good life....

walking

One of my favorite things to do is to take a walk by myself at dusk. I think it is the most beautiful time of day and it is funny how everything seems to take on a new look...even my perspective! Tonight I was listening to the Once soundtrack. Oh, I love it....especially Falling Slowly- which is on my playlist. I play it so often, Parker is starting to learn the words. Have you seen that movie? You should. So great.

Tonight I got to think more about this little phase we're in. I feel like my life has taken a slight turn and I'm a little less busy around the house. All of the sudden, Parker is (finally) a little more independent and Griffin is more independent than ever. Of course, they need me around alot still, but they need less and less of my help. It is a strange feeling. My work around the house seems to be getting done for once and then I often find myself watching the boys play. I play referee quite often. Don't get me wrong--life is still busy...I have a one and a three year old! But things are just slightly less frantic. Oh, and for this I am so thankful!

Since I have a little more time right now, I've been reading a bunch and just plain taking it easy. I'm trying to take it while I can get it during the summer. This might end up being a true lazy summer for me because I am gearing up to take on a new role in the fall. Lots of changes! Parker will likely be starting preschool and I will start watching my cousins two children full time!! I am so thrilled and excited. I've been having a hard time explaining why. I'm not doing it for the money...and I certainly know that it is NOT going to be easy to have four children all day...but my heart is just ready for this. I guess I'll just have to elaborate later...but I'm just so excited to share our life with those kids.

banner day

Griffin had quite a day. He proved himself to be more like a little dog than I thought AND a little boy may have saved him from quite a bit of injury. I'll explain...

*Well, remember this. He still does that. Yeah, nasty. Today it got worse. We were waiting out in our front yard for a friend to arrive and he leaned down to the only mud puddle in sight and slurped up a big gulp-full. I do offer the kid human beverages on a regular basis. He even knows how to ask. I guess the muddy puddle looked more interesting.

*Griffin was running toward the swings this morning and I couldn't catch up before the not-so-little boy on the swing (unknowingly) pumped his legs forward towards Griffin's head. The courageous boy next to him threw his body in between Griffin and the swinger and took the impact. Griffin just fell down and has a little bruise. It could have been much, much worse. What a brave thing to do...somebody is certainly raising their kid right.

Griffin won't remember this banner day for himself...so I'll do it for him:)

pictures from life

Since my blog has been sparse in the way of words...a few pictures from life these days:)


Parker going in for a kiss with Oma during Kelsey's birthday celebration:)


My dad trying to control Griffins craziness at dinner. Totally impossible! Maybe it was the two plates of pasta?

Yes, the sweet, defenseless little brother is bullying the older one...naughty, but funny!

21 candles in spain

My baby sister turned twenty one today. Twenty one...seriously? How could that have happened? I remember the day she was born and I became a big sister. I was so very excited that I actually lost my lunch over the ordeal. I've always been so proud to be Kelsey's big sister. So proud. I guess I was also given an opportunity to love Kels in a way that gave me a taste of what being a mother is about. We've all missed her so much...she's something special. I might also lose my lunch when she comes home in a month! She's still in Spain right now, and so we are going to celebrate without her at the Old Spaghetti Factory tomorrow night. I might even get Park an Italian Soda in your honor, Kels! Love you, little sister. I miss you like crazy.

griffinized

I came back upstairs after putting a load of laundry in and found Griffin on top of the dining room table looking quite proud of himself. And then I also found this:

As if my fruit bowl needed any more help looking pathetic!

relevant books

I think one of my unspoken resolutions for 2008 was to always be in the process of reading a book. It doesn't matter what it is....fiction, non-fiction, whatever. I've found that I am happier when I'm reading things that take me outside of my little world...amazing, eh? I've made it so far (without a gap) and have read some great ones! Some have been borrowed from friends or the library and others were purchased. But I'm halfway finished with Through Painted Deserts and I was starting to get nervous about what to read next. I found a great deal at Relevant.com....all of their books are $4 right now. Oh, how I love a bargain and some of them look really interesting. Check it out...and get reading!

and griffin stuff too

Oh, Griffin is at my absolute favorite age. He is yummy yummy and I could eat him all up. Have I mentioned that Griffin is absolutely hilarious? I wish I could be more like him. He loves everyone and everyone loves him--sorta like his father...just so darn likable, it can be annoying;) Me, on the other hand...well I have to work at being likable. I think I take a little time to grow on people!! Anyway, this post isn't about me...Griffin deserves his own happy post.

Griff is at the totally-obsessed-with-two-things age. Parker went through this at this point too. I hope everybody's kids do this. I really, really hope that it isn't just genetics playing out here. Because I really hope they didn't inherit my obsessive nature. Arghhhh....there I go again--all about me! I could have written this entire post about Griffin in two words:

Goggy = Doggy
Ballball = Ball

Griffin believes that every ball is his and he must have it. Now. Or else. We saw cantaloupes in the grocery store the other day and he had a mini-fit over not being aloud to touch. Intense, I tell you.

When Griffin finally woke up out of his post-seizure slumber on Monday, he opened his eyes, took a look at Joel's shirt and yelled....

"GOGGY!"

Yeah, I was hoping that he would look deep into my eyes and whisper a "mama" or something. But no, goggy has taken over. But what can I expect at this age? He'll grow out of it and soon I will again be the love of his life.....;)

p.s. Parker took this picture with my camera today...in addition to the other 70+ photos:) Didn't he do a nice job?

more of parker...

Three things about Parker that make me laugh these days....

1. Fanfarro= a word he made up for the high hat on his drum set. Have no idea where it came from but he is so adamant about it. He must be a genius.

2. Sharp= We often spike Griffin's hair with a little gel because a spazzy kid needs some crazy hair. Parker, our more conservative son, prefers to have "sharp" hair--not spiky. Hmmm. I think sharp means clean cut and super-duper cool. Definitely.

3. Bummets= Another made up word. We believe this means dominoes. Who taught him this one? Parker looks at us as though we're big dummies whenever we say dominoes. Bummets? Weird.

febrile seizure

We had a terrifying moment on Monday...one that seemed to make time stand still. Everyone is okay now...but it has taken us a few days to recover from the experience. This picture was taken on Tuesday. He was still so tired!

Griffin had a febrile seizure while we were at my parent's house. This may sound slightly dramatic, but I really don't want to recount the whole experience at this point! Long story short, he spiked a fever, went into convulsions, turned blue, was unresponsive for a bit and took his first trip in an ambulance to the ER. It was scary. Have I said that already? Seeing Griffin's little face all blue and his body shaking uncontrollably are images I've been trying to forget. It took a couple of days for Joel and I to start feeling more normal and now I feel like we're over the hump...thankfully! Griffin is fine now and back to his feisty ways! I have to admit that I've been a little more protective of him over the past few days--and he may have gotten away with a few more naughty deeds:)

We're so thankful for our sweet Griffin.

two words...

Woo Hoo!!!

As far as I'm concerned, the right David won American Idol last night! I know Archuletta has a great voice and all, but Cook definitely is the whole package. And I don't care what those judges say--American Idol is not just a singing competition. You have to have more than just a voice to make it in the music industry. You have to have a presence and style....Cook's got it all. A great finish to a fabulous season of Idol.

And now I'll officially begin my Idol withdrawal.

freely and lightly

I turned 27 yesterday! My birthday used to be not such a big deal to me...but now I love it! It is such a great time of the year, the lilacs are always blooming, and I love to reflect. I LOVED being 26--it was seriously the best year ever. Last year at this time I was feeling worn out and discouraged and now, a year later, I have learned to live freely and lightly! And I now know in my heart that my heavenly father has promised to restore my soul. I am so thankful!

Thank you all so much for the wonderful birthday cards, calls, messages, gifts and visits. You all have blessed me.

I believe this picture is the only one we have...and boy is it a doozy:) Oh well, Red Robin was singing Happy Birthday and I was digging in to my ice cream. Good day!

P.S. Idol finale happenings this week. I will either be ranting or raving on Thursday!!

a parker list

I know these are the things I'll want to remember someday...the little things. Some random things about Parker at 3 yrs. one month:

in love with Dr. Sarah*not a fan of the dentist yet*afraid of the sprinkler*loves salsa*loves to snuggle with mama*could eat Pocky all day long*calls his dark tennis shoes "Diego Shoes" and his Tevas "Teebas"*sings the best rendition of "Jesus Loves Me" ever*asks to read the "God Book"*loves his bike and helmet*very cautious*chews on sippy cups*likes to read books about school*still mixes up breakfast and dinner*thinks that when he grows up he will be a baby again*likes to cut with scissors*eats popcorn and watches movies when he is sick*my big helper--really into making bread*only eats the frosting off of cupcakes*eats ketchup by the spoonful*

I love that boy! More to come as I think of them...

doing something

Often when I read the news, I feel totally helpless...but I thought this article was a great way to give us a way of doing something to help. Very cool.

How To Help- Some groups working on Myanmar cyclone-relief efforts

C*R*A*Z*Y

I am very thankful that I didn't know much about this rafting trip beforehand!

Recently, Joel went rafting with most of the guys in his family. It was an all day adventure...full of risk and adrenaline. They truly had the time of their lives! But it really was one of those days that I was quite thankful to be a girl--and not to be invited. I enjoy skiing and hiking and such, but I was not born with the desire to risk my life in the name of adventure! I really don't think that terms like "fatal swim" and "class 5 rapid" sound fun... I also hate being cold and it just happened to be snowing that day. Fun!

However, I'm so glad that the guys were able to quench their adventurous spirit and that they told me about the level of danger after the fact:) Aren't these pictures amazing?

time well spent....

I've had some people ask me when I'll start blogging more frequently again. Well, I'm not sure. You see, I used to blog partly to help me manage stress and anxiety...which was great. But now, I'm feeling so good and blogging is just fun now. I don't NEED it anymore. Sorta sad that I needed it for a while! What have I been doing instead? Taking care of myself in different ways...napping, reading books, exercising, eating better. It feels good to take care of myself. It is definitely time well spent.

And speaking of time well spent...took the boys to the dentist today. I took them to a great pediatric dentist here to try and avoid the major anxiety their mama has about going to the dentist. I hope it works. This place was awesome...pretty much like a kid's dream! However, since I took the boys at 11:30 (right before naps and lunch) and Griff had a poopy diaper, the experience still was par for the course:) I'm not sure why I didn't plan this appointment for a day when Joel and I could have tag-teamed it. Perhaps I thought I could hold two nervous children... and two balloons... all while capturing the exams on camera? Nope, not Super Woman!

But Parker is totally Superman! I was so proud of Parker. He was very nervous, but trying to be brave!

Ready...set...GO!

For all who love Griffin...but especially for a special someone who is on an adventure a world away. We miss you.

things I love - #2

NAPPING!!!

After 3 years of motherhood, I have finally figured out that taking a nap when time allows is not a guilty pleasure. There should be no guilt associated whatsoever! I am more patient, more fun, and just generally a better mom and wife when I am well rested--and sometimes this requires a nap. Aaaaaaahhhhh, naps! Freedom! Parker doesn't take a nap everyday so I don't always have a time when I'm not needed, however I am jumping at every chance I can get nowadays. Wonderful, I tell you! I'm just not sure why I didn't figure this out sooner. Restorative sleep is so much more important than a clean house:)

And for fun....pictures from this very day in May in 2007. How they have grown!

Finally...

Been meaning to post these for a long while. These are the pictures taken after the infamous buzz cuts! Griffin looks better with more hair, in my opinion:)

things i love... #1

Just pretend I am like Julie Andrews singing about my favorite things! I am really enjoying some simple things these days and I feel like sharing.

#1 The way my boys smell, except when the obvious happens. I especially love when they smell like graham crackers. Griffin just entered this stage and I'm just eating it up.

More to come...

Springtime Fun

I have found it is really pointless to complain too much about the weather...because we have absolutely no control over it. Oh, and gas prices...totally not worth spending time complaining about. But I'll admit, I do both from time to time:) But let's just say that spring has sprung verrry slowly in these parts and we'll take any sunny day we can get. Yesterday was one of them. I failed to take pictures because every time I went to look for the camera, something happened. It was a beautiful day and we spent much of it outside...how refreshing! Parker was even able to use one of his birthday gifts and I'm now a huge fan!

These outside paints are so cool! I love being able to let the kids loose and not worry about a mess inside. The paint easily washes off with a hose and the boys have fun making colorful art--what could be better?

Looking forward to more Springtime Fun!

before and after

Can't believe the difference a few months makes!

Happy Birthday Parker

My first baby is THREE
How can it be?

He says it best all by himself...

Parker's Party

We moved our computer into our new office space and now our internet connection is so s-l-o-w. I mean really slow. And annoying. I really want to post pictures of Parker's party, but I don't have the patience. So instead, I'll post this link to pictures my friend Dan took. His are way better than mine anyway! Thank you, Dan...you saved the day again! It was a perfect day. I really can't believe how perfect it was.

Parker's 3rd Birthday!

delayed gratification

It seems that for an almost three year old, delayed gratification is simply torture during the "delay". Who can blame him? I don't particularly enjoy it either. Parker has been asking endlessly about his upcoming birthday. I went out this morning to get some party decorations and he started crying when he couldn't play with the plates. The poor thing...a big package was delivered to our house today containing a delightful birthday gift. He knows it is for him but he isn't allowed to open it yet. Oh, the torture! And we've literally been telling him for months that his new bedroom is almost ready....and that day still hasn't come. Very soon, maybe even in time for his party on Saturday!

Exciting days ahead! And about that mysterious box, a little hint:)

love it

And you should too.

I promise....Bath & Body Works isn't paying me to say this! I've been using this lip gloss for quite a few months now--and I'm hooked. It is the perfect combination of good shine and color, great therapeutic qualities, and it even tastes good. My sister introduced me to this stuff but I chose a different color. Tint no. 1137 is the best. I promise. And I'm an expert in lip care products. Try it, you'll never go back to your old stuff.

Oh, and apparently Griffin loves this stuff as much as I do. Whenever he sees the tube, he begs to carry it around and use it for his teether. I'm just hoping he doesn't puncture it, because then we could have quite a mess!