30 second moods of a two year old...

The 30 second moods of a two year old keep you on your toes.

You never know if you will be dealing with a mad devil, angry screamer or a cuddly angel.


Sometimes their glaring eyes make you feel about 2 inches tall.

Sometimes a two year old can look at you in "hatred" one second and then rub their eyes and tell you they are "sweepy" and would you hold them, pwease.

At that point, you sometimes get a cute little smile and it takes all the badness away. Suddenly, you remember how great this kid is. Suddenly, you just want to sweep them up in your arms and never let them go.

SPRING!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my goodness, how could I have forgotten?!

Today is the first day of Spring! I am so happy... even though snow is forcasted for monday.

I love this time of year. Love, love, love it!

Happy Spring to all of You!

Say us... Mean Him...

My husband started cleaning up our front bathroom the other day. We, and when I say we I mean He, started painting the walls yellow and sanding down the cabinets.

The people who owned this house before us had painted the cabinet the most ugly color of green that I have ever seen.

I thought it was black until I got really close and saw this hideous green color.

I'm not sure what has to be wrong with someone to pick a color like that, but I am sure it is something major.

Anyway...

He has finished sanding the cabinet and painting the first coat of yellow.

After another coat of paint, he is going to put up wainscotting on the lower part of the walls in there. I am so excited about that. I love that look!

So... I can't wait for us (and when I say us I mean him) to finish the bathroom.

(Now before you think I never help him, let me clarify that this is a small bathroom. There would be no way for us to both be in there. Besides, someone has to make sure our boy doesn't dive off the entertainment center or climb out of a window or jump off the roof.)

The girliest girl in the world turns 11...

She is so full of love and excitement.

Sometimes, I am not quite sure how to handle her.

None of the other girls are as girly as Sydnee. She is definitely her own person.

We are so blessed to have her in our lives. If you are one of the few who knows her birth story, you know she was meant to do something special here. We thank God for the blessing he gave us when he brought her into our lives.

Happy Birthday, little leprechaun!

In My Daughter's Eyes...

In my daughter's eyes,

I can see the future.

A reflection of who I am,

An' what will be.

An' though she'll grow an', some day, leave:

Maybe raise a family,

When I'm gone,

I hope you'll see,

How happy she made me,

For I'll be there,

in my daughter's eyes.

**Martina McBride

random...

Yesterday, was busy.

You know...

One of those days where you schedule too many appointments in too little time.

It was so beautiful yesterday that all I wanted to do was hang out outside. You can't do that when you are sitting in the dentist's chair... or the physical therapists table...

I managed to get outside for about an hour and rake up the most disgusting doggie leftovers from the winter. I will spare you all of the gory details. Let's just say that we have a large back yard and he had used every single bit of space. I had done most of it about a week ago and had the worst area left. I managed to get it done, but not without threatening the dog a couple of times.

The kids have been learning to do flips on the trampoline. One of the kids has become this little flipping bean... jumping bean... flipping bean? Who cares.

The littles managed to get outside and soak up some sun. They always sleep so much better when they can get some sunshine time.

I actually saw some buds coming out on the trees! You just don't know what this does to my heart. I love the warmer weather! Winter is very hard for me. ( too much time spent growing up in the dark Alaska wilderness winters) My body longs for sunshine and warm temperatures.

I talked to my dad the other night and he seems to be doing a lot better. His business is starting to pick up now that the weather is doing better out his way. He seemed so much more positive about everything. I am very relieved. I was a little worried about things out there.

Okay, can you tell that I just want to get to the sunshine today? I am rambling. I know. Sometimes, I just have to drop all of the boring info and get away from the computer. Today is not one of those amazing moments when I post about something random and it turns into something cute or funny. Today is just... random.

Sometimes, that is enough.

simply because...

When your daughter is 15...

you want to pull your hair out

jump off a bridge

send her to her room for the next 10 years

hide out in your own room

cry

but when you have a really great 15 year old daughter...

you nt to smile

sing joyful songs

hang out with her all of the time

and cry

...simply because she is amazing

(Cadi and Chey... stop whining that I didn't say such nice things about you when you were 15! I love you too, but it is Miranda's turn to be told how amazing she is!)

Happy 11th Birthday, Beautiful!

smile...

Today, give a stranger one of your smiles.

It might be the only sunshine he sees all day.

A Typical Great Day...

We spent the day outside.

The weather was wonderful.

Warm.

Sunshine.

Lovely!

The bigger kids were trying to fix their bikes while the littles were trying to scale the bikes.

I think they were pretending to be a biker dude and his biker babe!


The bikes were fixed. The kids got some much needed time outside with actual sunshine.

...and

The littlest of the bunch doesn't think life is fair!

You know, a typical great day.

A great week...

This past week was Mark's vacation.

Miranda made him a sign to welcome him home from work last saturday.

Happy Vacation Dad!

We didn't go anywhere "vacationy".

We stayed home and took the kids out in groups to do special things.

Bowling, shopping, skiing...

You know, fun stuff that you can do from home when school is supposed to be happening!

We ate out a few times and went to the coffee shop before getting called home to separate an argument.

It was a great week.

I wish he didn't have to go back to work tomorrow, but all good things must come to and end.

Thanks for a really great week, sweetie!

These are the littles...

Yes, we categorize our children by

1. The big girls

2. The mediums

3. The littles

Ms. Ari is 2 years old.

She is the sweetest, most hugging little girl that will turn around and cross her arms and roll her eyes at you.

Yeah...

I really don't care for that particular behavior.

So...

Next!

Lily is 4.

She is so SMART!

I mean keep you on your toes... Oh My Ever Loving Living...

Yeah!

Really Smart!

This is Brysen...

He is 3.

We like to think of him as the joker.

He is the biggest crack up around.

To give you an example of his sense of humor...

Today he decided that everyone was a...

buttcycle.

Yes, you read it right...

Not a popcycle.

Not a bicycle.

Buttcycle.

I am sure that those of you who have raised a few boys will probably tell me that this is common among those that are part of the boys club.

Remember, however, that our subscription to this club is only 3 years old.

I am very familiar with the girls club. I know all of the rules and can read all of the signs.

This club is a whole new world to me.

It's a good thing I find butt jokes funny, I guess.

So... for those of you who have been a part of this club for years,

Nice to meet you...... you buttcycles.

Signs of Spring...

I took these pictures on a day that was so spring like that we were all outside in our short sleeves, riding bikes, skating and hanging out in the yard.

The next day, the snow fell... again... and we had about 8 or 10 inches of the white stuff covering everything.

But...

Hey, that is spring in the inner mountain region.

I am just so encouraged to see little green shoots coming up from the brown earth!

It makes me smile.

Now the snow is almost gone... again.

Every single snow storm we have had this year has been the really heavy, wet snow.

I know...

some of you are saying, "Isn't all snow wet?"

Well...

technically yes...

but

No... not really. Sometimes it is just sopping wet and makes the really easilly formed snowballs that you can ream your children with... what? Who said that? I would NEVER do that...

Anywho...

Every snow this year was really wet and it caused a lot of damage to the trees around here. We had a couple of neighbors trees come down on our fence and there are branches down all over the place.

Mark spent a day cutting, trimming, pulling...

and then that aforementioned snow fell. Now, he is just waiting for it all to melt so he can load it into the back of the truck and haul it away to the green waste.

Yeah...

That is just a small portion of the damage.

Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

Yep... Family Project!

skiing...

Today while I stay at home with little ones and schooling ones...

my vacationing husband took Miranda and went skiing!

He is having so much fun this week!

I guarantee it!!

I hope they take some ski pictures this time...

Miranda entertains with a couple of songs...

Crochet update...

We think we have figured this out... but we may need Grandma Carol's expertise to be sure!

Our Newest Interest...

Let's learn to crochet...

I knew a few basics from my own childhood, but I thought it was time to teach the kids and what better way to improve than to learn together.

Another High School Science Experiment...

Why do all science experiment pictures have to make people look a little crazy?

What was this one about?

It had something to do with iceburgs and the level of salt in the water...

Why...

Because my husband insists...

Sunday Trip to the Zoo...

It was a little chilly when we first arrived,

but a cup of hot chocolate for the kids

and the worst tasting mocha I've ever had

helped warm us up.Look at the beautiful wolf right behind Miranda's head!



We've never gone to the zoo in the cold weather...

but the animals were so much more active than when we usually go in the hot, hot, hot weather.

We loved it!


Brysen named the giraffes...

Mom

Dad

and Ari...

(Dad was the pooping giraffe... we thought that must mean something)

We all agreed that it was one of the best zoo trips we have ever made.

After the zoo, we went to the park and ate lunch and let the kids run and play at the park.

They were so funny...

jumping, swinging, climbing...

they exhausted themselves!


On the trip home, the kids either slept or totally vegged out.

It was a great day!

rambling thoughts...

Some of us can remember the good old days when cell phones were not attached to everyones ears.

As I was looking through some photos tonight, I noticed that even in the good old days... my oldest still had a cell phone attached to her ear.

At 7 years old, she had converted a cordless phone from a playhouse to her personal cell phone. I should have known that this was a sign of things to come. Now, everytime you see her, she has her phone in her hand. She texts more than she talks... don't we all?... but the phone is always there.

Wasn't she a beauty here?

This was my favorite dress! That is, until the goat ate part of it... while she was wearing it!

New printer...

Our main printer died.

So...

We got the joy of walking into a store where the associates attack you so they can be the one to sell you a new printer.

We do love our new printer, though... it works!

LIFE...

Why is it that when things seem to be going well in a life...

something always comes along and makes you feel horrible?

Ugggg!!!

LIFE!

Be good...

On behalf of every man

Looking out for every girl

You are the god and the weight of her world

So fathers be good to your daughters

Daughters will love like you do

Girls become lovers who turn into mothers

So mothers be good to your daughters, too

~John Mayer

One More Time...

My first "real" job was working at Tastee Freeze in Tok, Alaska. I was 15 years old and thought I was so grown up.

I remember receiving my first paycheck... I think I had made about $350... it was Alaska after all. I was so excited and started thinking about how I could move out and live on my own and never have to listen to my mom again... not even one more time!

Now, I laugh... Ha... in the face of my 15 year old naivety.

I have children who have reached that same point in life and they have also had that same thought... yes, girls... I know what you're thinking! You see, I have been there too.

No matter how old my girls think I am (not yet 40... but to them that is ancient) and no matter how many years have gone by since I moved out on my own... I remember being a young lady starting out, making my own rules and trying to figure out what I believed and why.

I remember getting on a plane at 17 years of age and crying so hard as the plane left the ground. The man sitting next to me said, "Wow, that must have been some boyfriend." I burst out, " It was my Mom!" and cried for the next 3 hours. Leaving your childhood behind is hard and painful. There are moments when you think you have everything under control and in the next second, you miss being that little girl who could climb up in your mommy's lap and know that the world was a safe place.

The lesson I am learning now is not new. I realize that I was here before. I have walked similar roads. The form is slightly altered but the journey is the same. I am learning how to live without my mother. I am learning to walk on my own. I am figuring out what I believe and why. I am growing into something new and different. It is hard and painful... oh, so painful. (anyone who has been down this road can attest to the pain) I know, however, that when I get to the other side... I will be okay.

I just wish, at this one moment in time, that I could hear my mother's voice... just one more time.