right now + reminder

I'm appreciating very much the relationship I have with my boy.

I'm listening to the puppies (Lola and her friend Junebug) play out back.

I'm organizing photos.

I'm loving this summer.

I'm looking for a good movie to see. Any suggestions? Is been forever since I've seen a good movie.

I'm craving Indian food.

I'm feeling like there's change on the horizon. Not sure what it is, but I'm confident it has something to do with the SHIFTING I've been calling in this year.

I'm drinking a ton of water to try to curb my sugar addiction (yep I'm addicted). Some days it works, some days it doesn't. Today it's working!

I'm planning time to spend in my studio. Yes!

I'm writing thank you notes.

I'm trusting God.

I'm looking forward to spending the day with my camera. Consider this a reminder -- tomorrow is the 12th!!

I'm navigating through some of my personal roadblocks. I'm beginning to really look at my fears in the face and make an ACTION (being the operative word) plan to overcome them. 

I'm waiting for Adam to get home. We have a date tonight.

I'm happy.

right now

I'm listening to The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton.

I'm trying to learn how to get the results I want with my Polaroid.



I'm roaming around my yard with my 100mm macro appreciating spring.

I'm eating an otter*pop, feel like a kid again.

I'm thinking about my friends and how I can help.

I'm watching the puppy run circles in the yard.

I'm caught up with project life -- love this weekly project.

I'm preparing watermelon for our canyon cookout tonight.

I'm mending a few of Megan dresses.

I'm expecting the girls home any minute.

I'm wishing this cold sore on my lip would hurry up and heal already.

I'm loving the overwhelming fragrance of the blossoms.

I'm getting back to running in the early a.m.

I'm eating a carrot.

I'm debating weather to start of vegetable garden -- our pesky ground squirrels are making me think twice.

I'm using the last of my amazon gift cards.

I'm loving this day.

right now I'm...

Thinking about all the stuff on my todo list that I've push off to tomorrow. I'm not going to lie, it's big. It's been a seriously fabulous holiday vacation.
Reading the Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie and really enjoying it.

Wondering when all the snow will come??

Missing, already, the holiday season that brought with it many lazy days together.

Challenging myself to make better food choices in 2012 -- meaning reduce my sugar intake drastically. I know this is the key to helping me with my low energy problem.

Feeling nothing but happy.

Deciding whether I'm up for another race this year.

Setting a goal to journal everyday, yet again. So far so good.

Helping Tess with her science project. She is determining which solution makes the best bubbles.

Learning Spanish or at least attempting to. ¿Cómo estás?

Rewatching Felicity. I think Megan is my favorite character.

Loving the snuggles with my girls, especially with their oh so soft handmade blankets (my mom made them).

Making ??? There will be something on this by the end of the week. I've really missed my projects.

Listening to how I can give to those around me.

Enjoying this quiet night and this last bit of chocolate.

Grateful for a new year, a fresh start, and endless possibilities.

right now

1. I'm tired. I know I'm always tired, but this time I'm especially tired. For the past week or so I've fallen to sleep like a baby, but almost like clockwork I'm up at 2am. It's torture. If at some point I stop making sense you'll know why.

2. I've been concerned about this lump I found on my neck a couple weeks ago. I was confident it was an enlarged lymph node, but then that led me to wonder...why is it enlarged. I finally got into the doctor hoping it would ease my mind...it didn't. He ended up doing some blood work because I talked about being tired for far too long. So I'm waiting for test results to come back this afternoon.

3. I watched my friend's three kids have a melt down yesterday at different times during our outing. I felt so bad for her, trying to help where I could, but knowing this was her battle (they would not listen to me). I'm glad I was there to help get them all to the car safely...I don't think she could have done it alone or I should say I don't know how she could have. When we parted ways I got in my car and thanked my girls for not acting that way. Of course Megan chimed in, "do we get a treat". Must everything be rewarded?

4. Last few days I've been feeling a disconnect with Adam. I can't explain it really, I guess it's just one of our ebbing moments. This morning though, he came and got me off the computer at 5am-ish and brought me back to bed. We talked for a while about nothing at all. He told me to change my 'tude (a word he hates so hearing him say it made me laugh) and that's all it took. We're flowing again. Wow that doesn't sound very good, but you know what I mean.



5. I've noticed my girls are needing me less and less. When they get home from school they're all about hard core playing together, which makes the pop-ins a little less frequent than before. It does make the times when they seek me out more meaningful. I'll end up smothering them with kisses or tickling them til they can't stand it. It also makes me realize how important eating dinner together and our bedtime rituals are.

6. Currently, my girls are waiting for their cousins to come for the day (watching my nieces because it's my SIL birthday today, Happy Birthday Amy!) while getting ready to put on a puppet show for me.

7. I'm going through a music phase. I just can't seem to get enough of what music can and will do to ones mood. I found Elephant in the Room by Richard Walters, thanks to sytycd and google Wednesday night, and it helped kick it off.

8. I know someone who was just diagnosed with terminal cancer and given 3-5 years to live. I couldn't help but wonder if I was given that news what I would do differently today to make those years the best and most meaningful. I've started compiling a list of things I would do or focus on because there's no time like the present to start living better. It's fondly called 'things to do before 2012' (a play on Mayan culture if you will). What I found is I'm not so far off. What I mean is there aren't many things I would have hoped to experience (i.e. I don't need to go on big vacations), but I have a lot of personal work to do to become the woman I want to be and have a fulfilling life.

right now

I am enjoying a lazy Saturday morning.

I am listening to the delicious sound of thunder & rain.

I am ready to get back into normal life after a two week vacation with my sister.

I am deciding whether or not to accept an offer on my house.

I am thinking about what the near future holds for us.

I am grateful for Adam's patience.

I am feeling blessed.

I am laughing at Megan's comment that she is "precious".

I am going through my kids clothes and deciding what needs to be saved/past down or giving away.

I am searching for a piano teacher for Tess.

I am reading, still reading, Angle of Repose...I haven't accomplish much reading this summer.

I am looking forward to a night out with friends.

I am sad to see the summer light begin to fade.

I am trying to celebrate the everyday.

in the last few minutes...

I feel tired and a little overwhelmed and I don't know why.

I just found clothes in the drier from yesterday that I apparently never started because they're soaking wet.

I wish I had accomplished more today.



My patience is getting as thin as this bark because Megan keeps whining to me about what's for dinner, wanting a snack instead of dinner, and putting her clean clothes away.

Bambi and Mom just visited us in our backyard. It's a bit unnerving to look out and see a large animal staring back at you.

I just ate a conversation heart that said "yes dear". Why can't Megan say that?

My computer chair has disappeared so I'm posting this on my knees.

I've been noticing the sun lingering longer in the evenings & am so looking forward to more light in each day.

I should has started dinner. I guess it's time to go.

right now

I'm reading The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher and enjoying it so much I don't want it to end.

I'm working on getting my etsy site together. It's something I've been meaning to do for a long time now and a goal of mine this year. More to come when I get back from Vegas.

I'm listening to Mr. Brightside by The Killers.

My bed is still unmade and it looks so inviting.

I'm happy Megan is back to her normal healthy self.

I took this photo by request for Tess



I'm thinking about ways I can implement my word for the year, GIVE.

I'm not wearing jeans...unprecedented.

I'm eating a Dove chocolate bar.

I'm sickened by the pollution in the air. It's so bad Bella told me at school they're not allowing the kids to go outdoors to play during recess.

I'm thankful Adam is working on the science project with Bella.

I just finished putting together a little something for the girls at activity days tomorrow.

I need to get in the car to pick up my girls from school....so I'm off.

Have a great day.

right now

I finished my 48th book since my reading renaissance last summer. Quite an accomplishment for me.

I have 3 hours Monday-Friday to myself.

I'm feeling giddy about my new dryer that's cutting my laundry time in half (my eleven year old dryer finally died on Friday).

I want to be an artist and sell my prints.

I'm running 6 minutes and walking 1. I'll get to the half marathon yet...small steps bring about great things.



I believe anything is possible.

I'm watching Megan spin herself sick on my chair.

I seek to capture life through photography.

I savor every moment I get to spend with Adam.

I've decided to stop napping on Sunday. If I nap I don't sleep that night and if I don't sleep my Monday's are useless.

I'm continuing to find balance with all the things I want to do, should do, and need to do.

I feel grateful.

right now

I'm recovering from a root canal I had yesterday. I wasn't in that great a shape yesterday and spent the afternoon lying in bed watching Jane Austen's Book club (it was alright) and reading. I woke up better this morning, which is a blessing because today is a busy Tuesday. I've already been to school and helped in both Bella and Tess' classrooms, now I'm watching a neighbor boy, then violin lessons, and YW on my own (class activity). Phew! So I'm glad I feel better. It just hurts to open my mouth.

I'm listening to the new Sun Kil Moon album called April. It's delightful and I'm always such a huge fan of their cover art.

I'm thinking about conference this past weekend. Several talks stood out to me, Elder Ballard's talk on motherhood (different post), Elder Wirthlin's talk, but the one that hit me the most was by Elder Bednar. I was touched by his call to us to think more about taking action and doing in particular when praying. Don't ask God what we need to know, but what we need to do. I'm ashamed to admit, though I have asked at times specifically how I can help and what I can do for someone or a situation, I've never really thought about praying with the expectation to act. What a great reminder to me of how I can make my prayers more meaningful and how I too have a responsibility to the things I ask.

I'm wanting to cook more. I use to love cooking and trying new things, but since I've had children I sort of lost the love for it. I think it was a combination of no time, or not wanting to find time to do it, and my kids being so picky they never wanted to eat what I made that I lost interest. Funny, nothing has changed, but I feel this urge to try new things and cook food that actually interest me. I guess you could say I'm bored with our meals and often don't want to eat them myself so I don't blame my family for not eating. Also a reason for my change is wanting us to eat more nutritiously. Not that we've eaten bad in the past, but I know we could do better. I'm starting my goal by making bread each week. I know it's going to be a commitment, but it's something I definitely want to be better at doing.

I'm smelling the campfire smell that hasn't left my house, basement, since Sunday. We made a fire Sunday while watching conference and for some reason it left my house with a nasty campfire smell and I've yet to get rid of it. It's now only in the basement, so I thought I could avoid it, but now its on my kids. I haven't a clue how to purge my house of the smell. Any thoughts?

I'm reading my first Jane Austen novel. I know it's shameful to think I've never read one of the greatest love stories ever told, Pride and Prejudice, but I must admit I have been a bit intimidated by the language barrier. I'm not sure if it was the movie I watched yesterday or the fact that I actually own it, but I picked it up and I don't want to put it down. It's as if I've never seen the movie, each character is coming to life for me in a whole new way and there are many scenes I'm unfamiliar with. Oh, how I wish I had all day to lay around and read.

right now

1. I'm sitting in my studio attempting to write some type of post, but am coming up short. Do you ever think after reading several blogs in a row that you have no business blogging? I long for more meaningful things to blog about, not only for others to enjoy, but for me to look back on my words and think I'm glad I recorded that.

2. I'm listening to my children in the other room watching The Incredibles and keep telling myself to get them to bed. It's inevitable that I'll race in there in a rage because they're still awake and yet it's my own fault for just not taking the time to do what needs to be done.

3. I'm at my computer half in my jammies and half in my street clothes. I'm not sure why I didn't go all the way and get completely comfy, but here I sit half and half, a lot like my mood I guess.

4. I'm turning up the volume on my computer to drowned out the noise of my kids to keep the guilty feelings at bay. I'm listening to the Weepies and I finally bought The Killers Album.


5. I'm eating chocolate and keeping telling myself I should stop. It was so nice of my mom to buy me my favorite m&ms (peanut butter), but I'm a bit upset with her as the bag is almost empty and it's been one day. Drat.

6. I'm in this strange what am I doing mood. From about 3:30pm today I haven't wanted to do anything. It was weird, two kids napping, Bella involved with her homework, which left me alone for once and I had no desire to do anything. I haven't felt this way in a long time and it scared me in a way. What will happen when I have ample time on my hands when my kids are at school all day? Will I take for granted my time alone by wasting it away since I know tomorrow will bring with it the same quiet? I hope living will become just as easy when it's more convenient to do. Ha! Perhaps another one of my happy contradictions...is life ever convenient?

7. I just read the quote "Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact." -Henry James.

8. I keep feeling this big zit on my neck that has been there for at least a week. Why won't it go away?

9. I feel like going dancing which I haven't done in years, perhaps loud music and my bedroom will suffice.

10. I'm looking out over the city of tiny lights and wondering what's going on in the lives under it. Dancing. Eating. With loved one. Sleeping. Blogging. Creating. Driving. Homework. Texting.

11. I'm signing off. Good night.