13/52: bunnies

Sorry for friends who follow my instagram feed... the next several posts will probably have the same pictures you've already seen. We sold my actual camera, so while waiting for the next one the phone pics have had to compensate! (nothing too exciting on the camera front, just an updated version. But I'm plenty excited!)

Anyway, here are the two bunnies after they hunted for their eggs, but before they opened them (at least for Mont). When we got home from church, and after the kids' naps, we were getting ready to eat dinner, then afterwards have the egg hunt. Well as I was finishing up some dinner, Mont went upstairs to visit my mom who was visiting, and happened to look in her closet. AH! Having been sleepy from late-night stuffing, my mom simply laid the baskets of eggs down on the closet floor, just waiting for a wandering child. AH! My mom felt so bad, and my teasing probably didn't help, but I thought it was the funniest thing in the world!! Mont was so excited to have "found the eggs" and wanted to show me SO badly. I quickly explained to him that the Easter Bunny still had to come hide the eggs for the hunt, and we shouldn't look at/in them until the hunt-game has been finished. Not sure how it went over, but he seemed happy with that lame explanation. So we had our friend Andrew ring the doorbell so we could make a big deal that "The Easter Bunny's here!!! Go wait in your room until he hides them for you!" Eh. At least Mont picked up the concept that Easter is about something more important. He loves to say, "Jesus came alive again!" I just clap my hands and say, "That's right, Mont!! You're so smart. Isn't that wonderful?!" He said it tonight (April 10th - I'm backlogging these posts, sorry) again and all the excitement and wonder was still all there. Happy Moments.. happy moments.

painted water

After painting, whatever it is that I paint, one of my most favorite things of the whole experience is seeing the color of the water when I'm done. The hues are often times milky and colored just my favorite muted shades. I leave the jar out for hours afterwards just to remind myself that I finished. Nothing big, but something pretty.

The morning after I finished this particular painting, I woke up to the severe morning light striking the mantle where the water was resting. Ah, I love morning light.. always inspires and awakens energy if I let myself soak it in the way I believe we're meant to.

... I painted again that day, too. : )

12/52: berries

I feel a little bad that Emmy's been the subject of the recent portraits, but she is just at that age! Everything she does has a flare. Ha! Even eating berries in her cereal.

11/52: color love

Just like Mont used to, Emmy [usually] chooses colors that work well together. I love watching her come up with the swirly shapes and ideas for what draw. See that yellow below her right hand? She pointed to the spot when it was still white, handed me a yellow and said, "Rabbit." I had her say please first, (ha!) then I set to work, outlining the shape of a rabbit for her. When I was done, she reached for the yellow and commenced coloring it in like crazy. Watching her is a huge enjoyment for me; her movements on paper so specific. When she has a pencil or pen in hand, she can do the tiniest little squiggles you've ever seen - loads of them. Like little swirly stars all over the paper done by my little color lover.

10/52: snow bunnies

red handed jill

Emmy is just as much a pirate as her brother! Here she is, having donned all but the belt, by herself.. I confess I helped set the eyepatch just a bit more securely. I never know what her mind will dream up for her little daily adventures. She ran around the house in this getup for as long as she could, saying all the pirate phrases Montoya had taught her. She wouldn't hold still for a better picture, so this is what we get!

nakin' boy

First off, thanks for all your suggestions in comments, texts, and messages. I really have a lot to think about and ideas to go off. I don't think it's a medical thing, as he can hold it for hours and hours during the day. After a day of running around, he is his most thirsty in the late afternoon hours and cries and screams for water when we withhold it, even if he has been drinking through the day (not even excessively. He just likes water.). Even on nights where he doesn't drink a whole lot, I think he wakes up mostly out of the desire to just be up and do something. I'm not quite sure. We think if he were a heavier sleeper, he would wind up wetting the bed. I guess I'm grateful he is getting himself to the toilet for that reason. We've moved a small bose radio into their room and have been playing some soft music as they fall asleep, and that has helped for the past three nights. Also, the last three nights have been more restful; but probably due to the fact that he hardly slept at all last week! We shall see what comes of this.

I don't know if I could put him back in pull-ups/diapers.. he's accomplished this huge thing, and I don't want to take that away from him as a source of confidence, turning it into a failure (I know someone who this happened to, and the kid never bounced back quite the same..). So probably, I'll just have to stick it out, and outlast him. And go to bed earlier myself (10 or earlier). Something I've never liked doing..

On to the original reason for this post: My nakin' boy. He has a lot of different names for himself, this Mont boy of mine. But when he's naked, he becomes, "Naked Boy" of course. When it's morning time and he demands bacon for the reason that he is, "Bacon Boy!" Then there is also the time where he is really enjoying his cookie, and he calls himself the "Cookie Boy!" (this stems from his Uncle Michael who was dubbed The Cookie Boy out of his sheer adoration for the food). Not the most original of names, but he still loves these designated titles. Similar to Superman or Batman, I assume.

This particular occasion, my nakin' boy ran off to hide after using the bathroom (he strips down completely still whenever possible). Lovely.. I could not find him anywhere, and I couldn't even hear him giggling! Which is normally how I trace him through the house.

Fiiiinally I found him, in a place I had already glanced over. But even then I had to take a second look. When I reassured myself that I had in fact spotted his face, I made him hold still! don't move! while I ran to get the camera because I could not believe how stealthily he had been hiding. This is one for the record books for my funny little three year old. He's quickly becoming our hide and seek master!

sleep rewind

Today is one of those days, and I am going to take this therapeutic moment right now and write it out, then hopefully hit publish so I can possibly get some feedback or ideas if I'm not too embarrassed.

On this overcast Friday, we all have the hint of dark blue on the inner corners of our eyes, accompanied by blank stares. We are all exhausted from lack of sleep.

Thanks to Mont.

When I sleep trained him back in October, he started sleeping solidly through the night. We were all so thrilled. Next up was toilet training. He succeeded at that too. And since November has been successfully toilet trained.

However.

Sleep has gone out the window since then. I've been in denial to the degree of not admitting it here. He wakes up at least 4/5 times a night just to go to the bathroom, stripping down to his birthday suit, then needing us to help him put his pajamas on again, or remind him to flush the toilet and wash his hands. We would tell him to hold it, except each time he goes like a racehorse.

I've lost my temper more than I'd care to admit today, and have even tried putting myself in timeout, which still sent Mont into a tail spin of tears, leaving me wanting to bang my head into my headboard over and over again. ha! Seriously.

Lds.org has been visited as I read through a few talks on anger, feeling bad that I'm not more patient. I found one quote that I had to write down for my fridge:

"Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bosom of fools." (Ecclesiastes 7:9) Nice, right?

Mont has been wandering around the house, whining in a high pitched voice, and his face all skewed up, asking me for this or that, then this again, or something else entirely. I have no patience because I've been getting 5 hours of interrupted sleep for at least 3 months again. I'm so TIRED of it!

Emmy is a sleeping champ until about 5:20, then if one wakes up, they both wake up for the rest of the morning. Without Mont's influence, she will wake up at about 6:20 on her own.

We have implemented early naps here the last while, starting at 10:30, I start gearing them up for naptime at 11. Mont will only sleep about 30-40 minutes, then wake up and whine and cry. Without naps, he sleeps only marginally better for the first 4 hours, from 7-10:30/11, then the rest of the night is still bad, waking up at 5:45/6. Later bedtimes harbor the same result.

I feel like screaming! :) I smile, because this is so ridiculous. I have no idea what to do with this kid!! My parents say I was a terrible sleeper until 3.5. Mont is one month past 3.5 years, and he is still outdoing my record.

HELP. Maybe you have the number for a night nurse? ha.

9/52: siesta

Wednesday was bed and bath laundry day over here, and with the affects of a 5 am wake up for all of us, we found ourselves looking for excuses to relax in softly lit spaces all day long. Mont was upstairs I believe, playing with dinosaurs, while Emmy and I snuck downstairs to sprawl out on a bare bed. I surrendered all the pillows so I could soak in every last minute of calm from her I could while I read a book. I believe this only lasted a few minutes, but it felt luxurious.

winter willow

There has been a shift in the seasons here. I can very minutely feel Winter start to loosen its hold when I stand outside on the iciest winter mornings, as the season starts to give in, ever so slightly. It's as though when Winter becomes her strongest, her willpower for ice and cold starts weakening, giving in as she readies herself for the warm embrace of Spring.

Our bodies are becoming more energized inside houses, as the morning sun pours through our Eastern facing windows. It's almost torture as we try to remain still and calm inside, not wanting to spin through our day's allotment of entertainments all in one rush. The kids and I are finding a lot to do.. puzzles, magnets, stickers, books, paints, crayons, scissors, threads, cleaning, vacuuming, dusting, laundry, dishes, cooking, eating, snacking, changing, brushing hair, brushing teeth, chasing, dinosaurs, animals, puppets, race tracks, cars, train tracks, towers, mess making, organizing, songs, dancing, writing, jumping, pirating, doll houses, movies, tv shows, electronics, memory games. The list might be longer if I gave it more thought. Every little task seems to take an important spot in our schedule as we draw out our time, spacing our minutes, allotting slots for play and slots for seriousness and time outs. There is a lot to do if you pace yourself.

We are tired of pacing ourselves. We need the freedom of green in the summertime. Of adirondack chairs with fluffy pillows and the buzz of bees drawing themselves up into the pollen filled flowers of a garden. We are craving the warm yellow that can currently only be found in the color of that cute house surrounded by snow in the picture above. For now, we feel like the willow; shrouded in ice from the previous night's fog, bending and swaying slowly as possible to not dust ourselves off too quickly, for fear of exposing our excitement of Summer too soon. Spring is getting nearer. Just a few more weeks and the snow will be turning into giant puddles, begging for the ripples that accompany little bright yellow boots.

our wonka anecdotes

online

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory has been a favorite for a while now in our home; we must have introduced it to Mont sometime last summer. Ever since, we've slowly been coming up with an arsenal of 'anecdotes' to childhood problems and concerns. Not that we are even close to experts, but for Mont, it seems to work a little bit, often enough; it works well enough that we keep using them. Let me tell you our theory about this classic film.

Every child character has a vice that is most often found in childhood. Every child meets their fate in some unfortunate way because they were selfish or disobedient to the council given to them by either their parent or their guide, Mr. Wonka. I haven't read the book it's based on yet, and as I'm writing this, I'm sure I better read it soon in order to find what more is available from the mind of Roald Dahl - not sure what's taken me so long! Perhaps I can get the audio for my new Discman. Yes!

Here's the list of children and what we like to tell little Montoya when he's not being his nicest:

Veruca Salt: This despicable girl says, "I want" about 4,000 times throughout this movie, give or take a couple. Mont calls her "the bad egg," which is ever so appropriate. Whenever Mont demands something with the phrase, "I want, I want" we say, "Oh, Veruca! No thank you. Please don't say, 'I want.' Please ask nicely. Say, 'Mama, may I please have...?' Then he does. If he doesn't, then we bring up The Garbage Shoot: because Veruca was such a bad egg and used the terrible phrase, "I want," she went down the garbage shoot. This will calm Mont down quite quickly. His eyes get big and he says, "I don't want to go down the garbage shoot. I want to be a nice boy, like Charlie." Even when times call for the "want" word, we will still try to have him use the words, "I would like... ." For example, when Santa asks, "What do you want for Christmas, little boy?" We tell him he should answer with the "I would like..." phrase. Gosh, reading this later we sound so strict.

Violet Beauregarde: This little smarty pants is a nose picker and a constant gum chewer (the gum chewing really isn't a problem for little Mont, though he does enjoy his occasional peppermint chewing stick).

*Just for fun, 5 hours after starting this post, I googled Willy Wonka's Children's dot dot dot and the 7 Deadly Sins came up. That answers a whole lot. I better read the book, but just for fun I will continue with my post, regardless! After I'm all done jotting this down I will go through that idea and see which deadly sins were assigned to each child. Pretty funny.

Back to Violet: Every time Mont's little nose starts to bother him enough that he feels he cannot wait for a piece of bathroom paper to fix it, we tell him, "Mont! Don't turn into a blueberry!! If you pick your nose you might turn into a blueberry!" To which he responds, "No! No blueberries!" ha ha

Mike Teevee: well... too much tv! He might get sucked in, turned into a million pieces and never be put back together again!

Augustas Gloop: glutony - Mont looooves his "cocoa" (Carnation Instant Breakfast Mixes + Milk). He asks for it literally morning, noon and night. But if he drinks too much he might get sucked into a cocoa river and pulled up into a tube and get stuck! Oh my.

Thankfully One: we haven't had to use the last two anecdotes.. yet. I'm sure there will come a day, probably tomorrow.

Thankfully Two: Mont really likes Charlie and how nice he is. We love to point out how hard Charlie works for money, and how he loves candy more than everyone else because he worked so hard to get it. When he gets the ticket, he is SO happy and SO surprised! He loves his mother and grandparents, and is always kind and sweet. When Mont is nice, he loves to hear that he is nice like Charlie (or Dino Dan, but that's unrelated!). Because Charlie isn't vindictive or prideful in the end, he gives back his candy, and wins the Wonka Game.

Oh this movie has so many lessons to be learned.. I am so looking forward to the book and one day reading the book to Mont. Having a boy like Mont is such a fun little adventure. His imagination is always turning and spinning. Now if only we could get him to focus in on lessons and singing time in Primary instead of his mom sitting behind the piano!

paperman

My friend Aubrey posted this on her blog on Valentine's Day, and I just had the chance to watch it. Before the month springs forward into another, I thought I'd better post it quickly to remember the coincidences that allow for love to happen, just so. Darling little film.

8/52: Sunbeam

Today was the first Sunday this boy has asked to wear a tie to church! So here he is with both a tie and a smile to match his handsome daddy's. This morning when I laid eyes on him wearing his new tie, my heart just turned to absolute mush. All through primary, too; I'd look up at him and we'd wave back and forth with our hands under our chins then give each other a thumbs up. What a little ray of sunshine for me. 

ever in my favor

via

Oh say whatever you want to say about me being years late to this craze.. but I'm reading them. And loving them. The first one I listened to via audiobook on itunes was when I had my eye surgery (still haven't posted on that.. not sure you want me to!). I loved the "reading talent" of Carolyn McCormick, and looking her up just now, she is just how I pictured she would be. The second book I read the old fashioned way, but found myself hearing the voice of Ms. Carolyn reading the words, so I decided I'd better just call ahead and request for the audiobook to be sent to the library for the third book in the trilogy. That's where I am now: Disc 1, Track 3.

This is where this post is now changing gears.. The real reason for this post has very little to do with any book series. Gotcha.

I have always been a fan of audiobooks, but they are so dang darn pricey! $25 for the first Hunger Games audiobook.. unabridged, but still. That was a bit of a stinging-dollar-bullet for me to bite, since I rarely read/listen to a book more than once. But because of the eye surgery and needing to listen to something completely captivating, I gave in and justified the purchase as a 'necessary entertainment.' ha! There had to be an easier, cheaper way..

The library! That is where I checked out the third book's audio recording, read by the great Ms. Carolyn. Ding ding ding!! Free for checkout to boot.

Uploading the discs on to my laptop, to then transfer to my phone for easy listening anywhere and anytime, I thought would be a simple enough process, if not time consuming.

Time consuming was right! My laptop is now aged and vintage, but not like a fine wine. The kids have unwittingly knocked it off the coffee table, tripped over it (I'm getting much better and making sure it's completely under the couch when not in use nowadays), dropped objects onto it (thankfully never liquid), etc. It has seen better days, but still is holding out strong for the most part. It is now a 6 year old macbook pro, and is mostly working like a champ. The only thing is that the cd drive is no longer 100% reliable; if the disc has any scratches, small or otherwise, it will struggle with reading them.

This is getting too long!!

Long story short... after hours of searching for different options of how to get that dang audio book on my dang phone, (even my phone won't hook up to my computer since it missed a major software update - what? Thanks a lot apple. Same goes for an external CD drive.) I decided to ditch the new technologies of our current day and jump back a couple decades.

I ordered a Discman. Whoa... watch out. Did I just turn 85 or 27 last November?

Really, though. Think of all the things I can be doing while listening to a book instead of on a couch with my eyes glued to a book and my fingers clutching at it. Waiting to find some scrap of an answer to any mystery that might have befallen the heroines! Dramatic, yes, but imagine doing all of this while sewing or painting, or exercising! The possibilities are nearly endless... no Pinterest while listening, however; that is too distracting as it all too attention grabbing. But most everything else - folding laundry! See? The list goes on.

Anyone else out there in the same funny boat as myself? Probably not. But if there is, and by some shred of bad luck you find yourself in my stupidly-stressful dilemma, just know I'm putting all of my pennies on the walkman's odds being ever in its own favor. ha - Happy Hunger Games! Until the batteries give out.

heavy heart

"Living the Gospel does not mean that the storms of life will pass us by, but we will be better prepared to face them with serenity and peace." -Joseph B. Wirthlin 

Social media has really shrunken my social world; when friends go through things, I feel it more deeply and more quickly than I would have hearing news through the grapevines of word-of-mouth. A couple different friends have lost some dear little loved ones the last two weeks, and my heart just aches for them. 

Inadvertently I squeeze my two little ones tighter, and smile a little longer as I listen to them and their frequent babblings. They've been getting away with a little more, and I'm not quite sure that I mind for now. For the moment, I have been reminded once again to enjoy everything completely. I remember hearing other friends who were moms long before I was, talk about their greatest fears being that something would happen to their little children, or their husband. I couldn't understand the depth of that fear until I had my own. I try not to let fear overpower my mind as I think of what could happen since I know that fear is the opposite of faith. I'm not sure how I would handle losing a little one, but in my moments of pondering and deep thinking, I am reassured by my knowledge of the resurrection. How grateful I am that we will be reunited with our loved ones again; young and old alike. The above quote is one I read yesterday, and it has since stayed close to my thoughts, as a constant reminder that we don't know what experiences are around the corner. All we can do is prepare and make our testimonies as strong as we can, to ensure that we are able to stand against the storms that will surely come to us in this life. At times this life can seem just too hard, and at those times, I hope everyone can feel the love of our Savior, and the love that is present in the plan of Salvation. Without His love, there would be nothing to hope for. With it, we have everything to hope for. 

7/52: Noah

from Katherine's Instagram

"Living the Gospel does not mean that the storms of life will pass us by, but we will be better prepared to face them with serenity and peace." -Joseph B. Wirthlin 

Sweet Noah passed away in his sleep on the night of the 10th, and this picture was taken that same day. I'm sure this will be a treasured picture for the rest of forever as they wait to be reunited with their littlest boy. My heart has been breaking so often the last week and a half as I think of our friends. There will never be words strong enough to emphasize our love for them, so we just pray. Gratefully, prayer is a wonderful thing. 

history: Katherine and Daniel are friends of ours from Alaska, and she is sisters with Aimee, our sister-in-law.

6/52: little reeders

This "portrait a week" project is just turning into an excuse for me to put pictures of the kids on here every week; the silly or the sweet. So from this latest week, one of the each, the two minis:

iphone pics

5/52: Mont

You'll see a lot of these kids with this weekly portrait project, to be sure. Maybe I don't need to warn you, but perhaps when we see a bit warmer weather, you'll be seeing some more variety on here as we find ourselves outside more often. Perhaps.

These two pictures are different from one another in that the first, is Mont trying a new food. In the second, he is being his usual, silly self. 

Trying a new food never happens, and yet it has happened twice in the last two weeks. He actually has asked for it each time! The first: mushrooms (thanks to the dancing red mushrooms on Fantasia). The second: popcorn (thanks to Dennis the Menace, the original tv show). Here is Mont chowing down on his new favorite snack. This is huge for him! 

The second is just so... Mont: never holding still, as busy as a honey bee.  

Also.. he is growing right out of his clothes. 

blackberry dreams

image: web find

Blackberries have been finding their way into the grocery cart when we are shopping, even though they're a little tart, they're still sweet enough. While little Emmy enjoys the berries, I can't help but think back to the late summer visits to Washington when the berries are plentiful, plump and ripe on the berry bushes that line the road behind my parents' home. In my mind, I'm already dreaming of the next visit when we can pick berries on our way to and from the park, watching Emmy pop them quickly into her mouth, and mmm-ing all the way.

I'm doing a lot of day dreaming of warm summer days as I wake up to the ice that is still drafting its way to the inside lines of our windows. We can hardly wait to see some green outside these ice-lined windows!

4/52: Jack

Oh, Jack. This is Jack Jones, who lives down our street. His parents are friends of ours, and it truly is like "keeping up with the Jones'" in all senses of the phrase. They have three boys, two older than this cutie, who are very energetic and smart. They have more toys than I can imagine, it's amazing their house is always so organized! Going over there for us is like a trip to a fair. Good food, fun times, and wonderful amusements. 

About a year ago, I checked a book out for the kids called, Give That Back, Jack! written by Phil Roxbee. It was a fun little cautionary tale for children to not take without asking, and this little blonde haired boy named Jack who does all this taking and getting in trouble, and in the end meets his demise because he wasn't very nice. Well, when our kids were reading that a year ago, we had already known little blonde haired Jack down the street, so it was easy to glue the two ideas together... terrible!!

It gets even worse.. When we are having a hard day with our kids (namely, Mont) often we have to take the toys away from them for the 'toy-time-out-box' ... if that doesn't work, we bring out the big ammo.. the "do we need to give all your toys to Jack?" The resounding "nooooo THANK YOU." is all we need to hear before they start shaping up (usually, at least). Poor Jack. HA! It's a good thing our kids still love to play with him. Otherwise, our tactics might be in need of adjustment.  

three little cars

three little cars, 9 x 12, 140 lb watercolor paper

Three years ago, when I had done these Neverland Pieces for new-baby Mont, my cousin (and childhood friend and next-door neighbor all in one) wondered if I could paint a retro sort of car for her son Jameson's room. Even though it has taken me so very long, I have never forgotten, and it's always been on the top of my to-paint list; but I never found a sort of car painting I liked until just recently. I'm happy to finally do something for her because she is always, always so willing to help others and send me off with clothes and fun stuff for my kids. She works so hard in her callings and always remembers her friends and family in everything she does. So surprise, Brit, if you're reading this! ; )

Watercolor has become a fun medium for me to try again after so many years. It's fun to see what happens when it's on the page, with altering amounts of color or water. 

First things first.. laid out my watercolor pencils for outlines, then began the sketches:

Pretty primitive, until step two when I get down my brushes: 

I wanted something that felt young, and a little bit beginner, and with these very basic cars, I really hope it is an okay piece for his room. The simplistic colors and lines, hopefully, will be a fun little view point to catch his eye and make him think about playtime, racing his toy cars around the floor and between furniture legs. Mont just might have to get a copy for his room too; his reaction when he saw it made me smile. Let me just say he used the word "cute!" He is my funny little sweetheart for quite a few reasons, that one.

-18

What a tease the pink morning light was this morning streaming through our bedroom windows as I made beds. I opened the curtains to let Buckwheat out and noticed the ice inside our glass doors. It was cooooold. When I took this picture, it was -18, but our neighbor's temperature readings were even colder than that, without factoring in windchill.

We're looking forward to warm summer days spent outside, making up for lost time on that slide and swing-set. When the trees are fat with green and the grass is soft and wet from sprinklers, we'll be in our swimsuits, playing in the sun. I can hardly wait!

sundog

I thought I'd seen sundogs before, but I didn't realize just what they were supposed to look like until I pulled out of our garage for church on Sunday. Mont was sick, and Mark was at work, and I had to play the piano for the last two hours of Primary. Leaving the kids with Stacey and Molly, I set out on the ice-blown roads for town. What I saw in the sky when I started to drive, made me hit the brakes almost instantly. It was insane!

This is what a sun dog is truly like, but my phone pictures are even darker than it was in person. Incredible, miraculous, divine, celestial... I can't think of profound enough adjectives to get my point across, so these pictures will just have to suffice. My first views of it were only half the whole thing.

When I pulled on to the main roads where there was enough horizontal view to see, I could see the entire full circle of the sundog. I was mesmerized.. I was lucky to make it to church because I was so distracted by this ... phenomenon.

3/52: Stacey

Meet "Grandma Stacey." This wonderful woman is Mark's mother, and sweetheart to Mont and Emmy.  Mark and I are so lucky to have our mothers; both raised us with music, culture, travel, fun, and taught us how to organize, clean, respect ourselves and others, and love the gospel. I love watching Stacey with our children. She raised 5 and has so many ways of helping children avoid trouble, I wish I had a notebook filled with her ideas. She has this way of understanding just what the child needs (mine or others), whether it's something to learn, something to distract, something to hold or someone to be silly with. It is so natural for her to recognize 'disaster' and divert it with something equally good and fun, neutralizing the child's encroaching bad mood. It's truly awe-inspiring to see her with Mont and Emmy, who love her more than candy itself. Always fun, always loving, always caring, and always Stacey. I love this Mother-in-law of mine.

Reeder's Digest | distinguished visitors

The night of the day I found the star-flake, was the night Stacey and Molly flew into town - ha! did that make sense? The kids were so excited to wake up to them the next morning. Saturday we were expecting a non-snow blizzard: strong enough winds that would kick up enough snow to make blizzard-like conditions.. sounds so fun. Mark was signed up to be the "Point Of Contact" for showing the plane off to some cheerleaders who were here from Minnesota for a Pre-Superbowl Extravaganza Party.. sounds so fun. They call these cheerleaders, "distinguished visitors" since they were setting up VIP things for them and all, but we had our own DVs to show around base! We threw as many layers on the kids as we could, hats, coats, what have you and hugged them tight as we ran ice skated from the car, through the gate, and 500+ more ft to the hangar. It was beyond freezing, and with the wind it truly hurt to breathe, if you could indeed take a breath. The kids even began to cry because it was so cold and harsh.. I couldn't help but think of pioneers and their sweet children. Ah, before I cry, I'll get back on track. We took these kids and ladies in to see Mark's plane before the cheerleaders showed up, to get our own pictures taken with it. It was great! I never thought I'd get a picture with it, and just so you know, this might be the last you'll ever see of it on this blog! I'm so proud of my Mark! He does so much for our country, and no one will ever even know about it. Shhhh.. :) so fun to be apart of something like his job, even if I'm just on the home front. I love him and am so proud to be his partner in this adventure. Mont's pretty dang proud of his dad too. He was struttin' his stuff with his [too] little jacket. Emmy... well, she's just too cute. It was so fun for Mont and Emmy to run and dance around the plane, and for Stacey to see what her son flies. Distinguished Visitors to be sure.

seein' stars

This morning it all began at three thirty in the morning; Mont yelling and crying for us, as he walks in our room. Something about a dream; blueberries, he would tell me later (thanks, Willy Wonka). This continued for every 30 minutes or so, interrupted with bathroom breaks, until 5:30 when Mont fell asleep.

At 8:00 we hear, "it's YELLOW!" as we look at each other and realize that we overslept because of the awful morning. Normally that "yellow siren" goes off right at 7:00 when the kids' good-nite-lite turns to the sun. They overslept as well.

Mark has a sim later in the afternoon, but planning goes on in the morning, from 8 - 12, for which he's late! No rush... I go out to shovel the drive while he eats breakfast with the kids watching Ichabod (and Mont has bad dreams about blueberries???). It's slick out, but I avoid slipping, as I notice a star-flake right on the freshly shoveled driveway amongst the rain-like hail that is falling.

Maybe it's a good omen.

We finally get out the door, back out of the garage, ... and the garage door won't go down. Great. Mark asks, "is the snow shovel blocking the sensor?" "No, I don't think so... maybe?" He goes and checks, nodding to himself that yes, he was right. He walks to the car...

Then he's starts to skid, and whoosh! He goes down.

So much for that good omen!

We get him to work, then go pick him up for lunch after I get ready. Where is this day going?!

When he gets in the car he tells us that "Grandma Stacey and Aunt Molly are coming tonight!"

The day starts to smile again. ... Well, let's be honest. The day started smiling when I got to get ready!

Mark leaves again to get to his sim, after which my neighbor comes over to show me her mom's meatball sauce recipe. Holy Heavens, its the best I've ever had. My house now smells utterly amazing.. makes me feel accomplished somehow. ha!

Hope everyone found their star-flakes today too.

*And read their scriptures and said their prayers. That helps a lot too. :) 

on hold

Emmy has been trying her luck at sitting at the table recently, which usually ends up with her on my lap at meal time anyway. The high-chair is losing her interest quickly, yet this table top is a little too near her chin to make anything easy. So this morning as I sit on the phone, holding, hearing my call-number climb the ladder to number one, we improvised a little and she ended up with a table top she felt was just right.

Happy Eating!

woohoo! after an hour, caller number one!

2/52: Mont

For a Christmas present, we gave this boy Fantasia (the original and 2000). The first time we watched it, he could not care less about it. But all the sudden the last week or so, it's all he asks for. He loves the "horses" which incorporates the pegasus, centaurs, the satyrs, the cherubs, and the thunder and lightening gods. I love it because there are no words, just music. It was one of the movies we were allowed to watch on a Sunday afternoon after church when my sister and I were kids. So yesterday we watched it in the quiet hours of our Sunday. Mont always has loved classical music, making up story lines as the music ebbs and flows, crescendos, growing more and more exciting, then lulls back into the pace it began. This movie for him has probably been just a manifestation of what he already visualizes as he listens to instrumental music. This kid has a thing for the classics.

Here is the boy last October at Gardner's Village in Utah. We've been able to go every year so far to see all the cute witches they have flying, crashing, and floating around the shops and storefronts. It's been a lot of fun, and this picture still has a place on my fridge (in b&w) because I cannot get enough of this sarcastic face. I think he's got a lot of fun in store for me.

*This post is part of the 52 portrait series: a portrait, once a week, every week, in 2013.*

sugared

Friday night as I carried Buckwheat out to his run, I looked around at the eerie low clouds, and the smothered yellow light of street lamps. Quietly and quickly as possible, I tiptoed back into the house and shut the door, locking it. Then repeated when the pup was satisfied with his encounter with nature's wild and needed to be warmed again by the blanket-warm indoors. Saturday morning we awoke to powdery white trees, grass, fences, and rooftops. Snow hadn't come our way, but fog? Yes.

Saturday morning, as the haze thinned, we took note of all it left in its wake: sugar. Or at least it appeared like everything had received a nice dusting of sugar. We all hopped in the car and went out for a drive to Turtle River to get a good long stare at this wintery silvery splendor.

1/52: Emmy

(Pajama Diaries)

In all her messy breakfast glory, this girl was putting a show on as usual; this time though, Mark had the camera pointed straight on her as it was New Year's morning. As we were hootin' and hollerin' and blowing paper trumpets and clackin' the noise makers, we rung in the New Year about 7 hours after midnight. But that's okay if every day is a party!

This year I will be posting a weekly portrait picture (whomever it might be of) as a part of The 52 Project.

What better way to get motivated and getting myself back into the camera-toting way of life? My camera is small enough, and for the last few months, I've been carrying only half a supply of diapers, as last November Mont was officially and completely potty trained. It only took a few days before he was wearing big boy pants to bed.. I ran a risk without a matress cover but he kept proving to be a big boy! Even still.. no accidents, but we still put a special sheet on his bed. Just in case! I'm so proud of what my two accomplished in 2012, both big and small; pretty sure it was all a big deal to me.

Here is the button I'll be adding to the side of my blog to remind myself that every week I have a portrait to upload here. Might not be all that great of one, but a portrait nevertheless. ha! Join me and see what we can all come up with. I think it will be SO FUN.