The other day, my son asked me if I was sad the day I realized he was taller than me. I had to answer no. I was excited. He thought that was weird, cuz most moms hate that their kids grow up so fast. I told him that I love watching my kids grow up. I love watching them turn into who they are going to be. I felt the same way when they were babies. I always felt that whatever age they were, was my favorite age. Sorry, I don’t have any pics for this post. I’m sad to say that I’ve been a little lazy in the picture taking arena lately. I may find some tomorrow. This post just popped in my head when I realized I had more to say than was acceptable for a facebook post. Over the next 4-6 months, we are going to go through a lot of changes. I’ll let you all know what they are as they are happening. I’m not even sure what they are yet myself. All I can think of is the line from the Mamas and the Papas, “And nothing’s quite as sure as change”. I’m just so grateful for my family to be able to change with. I have the best husband in the world, the most incredible kids, most supportive parents, and encouraging siblings. I love you all!

Oh yeah, here’s one from Kas’ 13th birthday party.

Today is my daughter’s 9th birthday.  I can’t believe how much she has grown in the past year.  She has not only grown in height, but in strength, modesty, integrity, and all other areas as well.  I feel incredibly blessed to have her in my life.

We took a Mom/Netter date yesterday to celebrate.  All she’s asked for, for the past 6 months, is to get her ears pierced.  I had mine done for my birthday when I was 10, and was planning on making it a tradition.  I wanted her to be old enough to take care of them herself.  She convinced me, however, with her maturity, that her 9th birthday would be good enough.  So off we went to the mall.

We stopped by Subway 1st. Who would’ve thought that her ultimate birthday lunch would be a tuna sub?

Why does she look so grown up?!

I was so impressed with how calm she was.  She had been so excited about this that I thought she might freak out.  This pic is right before she was pierced.

This one is right after.  Can you see the difference?  No?  It’s because there is hardly one!  No tears, no grimace, not even an ouch.

And then she was all smiles.

After the mall we went thrift shopping.  This was one of my favorite past time when I was younger (ok, maybe not this young).  My kids love it too.  She found this cute hat, and now that just tops off the look.  There goes my baby girl.

I’m so proud of you, Antoinette!

When Stephen and I were first married I had an idea that, instead of individual Easter baskets, I wanted to do a family basket.  When Kas came the next year I continued that, hoping it would turn into a tradition.   Somewhere along the way I forgot.  So, when the girls joined our family the idea for a family Easter basket was long forgotten.  I tried never go too overboard, and loved watching them go through their goodies and treats, jelly beans, robins eggs, chocolate bunnies, peeps, and almost always a stuffed animal.  I tried to remember to put in something spiritual, so as not to forget the real reason we celebrated with pastel candy and baby animals.  Then they would each carry their baskets, hoping to fill them, as they hunted delightfully colored eggs.  This year was different.  This year something pushed that old idea back to the front of my brain.  I don’t know if it was the frustration of picking up 1000000000000000000 stuffed animals from the girls room, or the incessant adds we were getting from build-a-bear.  It could have been that Addie’s basket broke and so I gave away Kas’ and Zo’s.  My little Zo was not very happy about this and I assured her that she had nothing to worry about.

I went to the store and saw a few different baskets, pails, and felt containers.  I didn’t really want to buy any of them.  Slowly the thought started to creep up to my head,”Whatever happened to the family Easter basket?”  I pondered this for a while.   I went shopping and picked out candy.  I looked at stuffed animals, but just couldn’t actually buy them.  Again the thought, “family Easter basket” came to my head.  Finally I said it out loud.  I mentioned it to my husband.  He didn’t care either way.  The idea took new hold, a more firm shape.  This would be our first Easter on our own, no extended family around, and I wanted to bond closer together over it.  After all, the holiday is about the Savior.  Through him, we are able to stay together, as families, forever.  We need to be closer.  I mentioned this to my sister.  She nodded and said,”Yeah, I like it”.  Thoughts were now going from firm to concrete.

I have a giant basket we got for our wedding.  It has been used for many different things.  It’s held spare blankets, picnics, co-op dinners, I even have a picture of Kas sitting in it as a baby with all his Easter play things.  A-ha!  My family Easter basket!  I went to the game store and found a few games that sounded fantastic.  (Thank you Carmen for the idea)  What better way to build family togetherness than to turn off the tv and video games and play real games.  Imagine using our own imaginations!  The idea was exhilarating.   Add to that candy, pencils, cutesy Easter eggs and mad libs and I had it.

The night before Easter I told the kids that the Easter bunny was going to bring only one basket for the whole family, not individual ones.  The older kids were kind of surprised, but were ok with it.  Whether they trusted me or just didn’t want to shoot down my idea and hurt my feelings, I don’t know.  Zo, on the other hand, was vocal about her disapproval.  She was sure that meant she was getting the raw end of the deal.  And…. this is why I wanted it in the first place.  I was tired of my kids getting upset if they didn’t get something.  Tired of hearing me, me, me.  I know, all parents go through that.  Most children outgrow it.  I just wanted to make sure mine did.  I’m hoping this will help.

I love the result!  My kids played games all day, and have for this whole past week.  The candy is gone, of course, but I didn’t hear a single,”hey that’s mine!”.  This will definitely be a tradition worth keeping.  I almost can’t wait for next year.

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Ever since the first time I picked up a camera, I’ve been in love.  I don’t mean a little point and shoot.  I mean a really 35mm slr.  In particularly, my dad’s little old Yashika.  I don’t think they are even made anymore.  That little camera taught me to see things in a completely different way and gave me a way of expressing my thoughts and feelings better than I ever could in words.  Hmph… words do not always come to me easily.  I always think of clever things to say 3 hours after they should have been said.  Images are so much more poignant for me.  The message they carry is so powerful.  Because of this, I try very hard to shoot exactly how I feel, or rather how I interpret the feeling of the experience.  It’s much too easy to manipulate emotions with pictures.

After spending some time looking through old pics that I’ve shot, I have come to a realization.  This form of communication was given to me, not to enhance my own life, but to record, forever, the extraordinary people that my children are becoming.  My calling in life is not to be a photographer, but a mother.  I can’t express how much I love my children through mere words.  I hope that someday, as I hone my skill, I can show this through images.

I love reading blogs.  I’ve been sitting here watching my dvr’d American Idol (which I really like this year) and reading people’s blogs.  Thanks to all those who let me have a peak into your lives.  I can’t help it.  I’m a people watcher, even when it’s too late to be watching.

Last week I was watching myself.  That is, I went back and read all my blog entries from last year.  Of course, it made me cry.  I’m such a baby.  I loved reading about my little girl being baptized, and about our adventures in our new home in a new state.  I loved reading about the times when we went back down to AZ to visit family and about birthdays we celebrated.  Why, oh why, did I ever stop blogging?!  It doesn’t make any sense.  I have the time.  I have the inclination.  Unfortunately, I also have a horrible condition called lazinitis.  Yep, guessed it.  I am lazy!  It’s time I fight back against this debilitating disease.

I have lot’s of ideas.  I used to use my blog as a sort of online journal.  I like that, but there are some things that I just don’t feel like sharing with everyone, that I would in a journal.  Sorry, I love you all, but some things are just better left private.

I thought about writing the photo journal of my mission that I’ve always wanted to do.  But, I’m having so much fun reading Jennie’s ( an old mission companion) blog with mission stories that I just can’t write my own.  Actually, she’s just such a fun writer that, I can honestly say, I’m a little intimidated to be doing something so similar to what she is right now.

My kids are always a source of entertainment, so I could write about them.   However, I’m exhausted, so thank heavens they are all in bed now.

Anyway, Stay tuned!  I am going to make an effort to make this blog more exciting.  You won’t want to miss out.

When we moved to California, in February, coming back to the hot Valley of the Sun in JULY and AUGUST was the last thing I would have planned.  I was excited about our new adventure and anxious to share that experience with friends and family as they came to visit us this summer to escape the heat.  Of course, the fates had other plans and we had a great time! Read the rest of this entry »

We had such a fun day on Monday.  We went to LA with Stephen and while he was at work, we went exploring.  Of course, I forgot my camera, but my phone saved the day again, digitally that is. Read the rest of this entry »

I went outside last night, with my husband, to enjoy the cooler night air.  It wasn’t really cool, kind of muggy actually.  But, with the remnants of a passing storm still above us, the gold rays of light shone through the clouds and lit up everything they touched.  It was beautiful.  Sprinkles started to fall lightly on our heads and I was happy.

Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately.  That’s not actually that new.  I always do a lot of thinking.  Somehow that doesn’t always mean I come up with the best answers for my dilemas though.  Weird!

My latest thinking is about home schooling.  I am really considering doing this next year.  I have always wanted to home school.  I wanted to start with Kas in kindergarten, but with 1 and 3 yr old daughters, I didn’t think I had the time or energy.  Now, when I am on the brink of having all my kids in all day school (again), I am thinking about bringing them home all day.  Am I crazy?  This is not a rhetorical question.  Please answer me.  Am I crazy to worry about my kids education when the state I live in is bankrupt and our district is losing millions of dollars of funding next year (again)?  We just got a call last week from the district saying that every Monday in June may be a furlough day.  Am I crazy to want my children to have a well rounded life?  My son is in the 5th grade and in the advanced classes in school.  He is incredibly intelligent and I want him to have the best education, but I also want him to be a happy and healthy, well rounded child.  He spends 6 hrs a day at school and then another 3 hrs doing homework, sometimes less, but just as often more.  That leaves time for dinner and almost nothing else.  Monday night is FHE, Tuesday night is scouts, don’t forget practicing the cello in there. Where’s the time for football, skating, playing?

I have other reasons as well, but it is late.  Don’t tell me that kids don’t get socialization without public school.  That is proven to be wrong already.  The only things stopping me are completely selfish.  One, will I have time to do my own photography business?  No, probably not.  Two, will I be spending most of my time preparing for school things.  Yes, probably so.  Three, and this is just stupid.  I’m scared.  What if the school gives me a hard time when I pull them out?  I know that is a stupid concern, but I am very non-confrontational.  Real fear, what if I’m not up to the task?  On the other hand, there is so much info out there, and I am actually looking at charter schools that are funded by the state, but run online and at home.  Does that completely make my point about a bankrupt state null and void?

I have had several teachers in the last few months tell me that I missed my calling.  I should have been a teacher.  Maybe I should just be a teacher for my own kids….

On that note, I am going to bed.