Stop, Look, and Listen...

Can you hear it? Can you feel it?

Can you smell it?

It's getting closer.

The first official day of donning a coat with a long-sleeved shirt underneath. I'm not quite sure if I'm ready. Autumn is a lot more work than Summer.

Ready or not, here she comes.

Reading is Fundamental...

Thank you, RIF, for allowing me to steal your organization's name. I walked into my bedroom and paused. I looked at my nightstand, then Ben's. I laughed out loud. If we were judged by our nightstands, I'd say we look pretty ambitious (if we were to make a pile of all the books that actually get read before they're returned, I think the pile would be cut in half). This is one example of why I have way too many overdue fines. However, I did join the adult summer reading program at the library for the sole purpose of "no library fines for a year." It has saved my bacon several times already. So, I'll let you know when we get all of our books read...and you can consider us two of your highly ambitious friends.

Bottled Beauties...

A Canning Girl at Heart

I used to think of canning jars

As a chore my mother did.

The time and toil, heat and sweat,

Looked irksome to a kid.

It seemed to me old fashioned,

Preserving all day through.

Couldn't we run to Albertson's

And buy a can or two?

The table has turned, to my chagrin,

On this sweet, vintage art.

With bottles, syrups, lids, and rings,

I wonder where to start.

Is this really me? I ask.

Have I succombed at last?

What is this pull to be like Mom,

And others from my past?

If I were trying to save time,

This road, I wouldn't choose.

It's like a kitchen marathon--

To sprint would mean I'd lose.

There's depth to this, I couldn't see;

My youthful eyes were blind.

It's wisdom, laughs, togetherness,

And total peace of mind.

But, if we're speaking honestly,

I've something to impart:

I still don't feel like I've become

A canning girl at heart.

Admittedly, there is something extremely satisfying about seeing all those bottles lined up perfectly..."pretty little maids all in a row." However, this food preservation stuff is more my husband's urging. He gets us going. I think it's nostalgic for him...memories with his own mother. I can totally appreciate that. I'm hoping that one day I will come to love the process. Right now, I'm loving the result. It gets sweeter every year--I hope it continues. I love the idea of it all...like I said, it's a sweet, vintage art. It is to me--it looks so cute and happy and wholesome and old fashioned--it really is nostalgic. I don't want to let all those things get lost in the fast-paced present. It's one of those "connecting with your people" moments. So, don't be fooled when you see those bottles on my shelf. I'm more a "letter of the law" canner, rather than a "spirit of the law" gal. Baby steps, right?

Bums and Peaches...

"Hey, Mommy, this peach looks like a bum!"

Yes, yes, it does Lincoln.
A+ for creative thinking.

11 Random Things...

Eat your heart out, Kathy...

1. I've always had a secret wish to live in Savannah, GA. I love the idea of the South: history, food, friends, and family, sunrooms, southern belles and drawls, Paula Deen, smiles and waves, backwoods hillbillies, "Yes, Ma'am" and "Yes, Sir," fireflies, country music, hot and humid summer nights, beautiful landscapes, and I love that some down south call the Civil War, the battle of northern aggression:).

2. I've come pretty darn close, but have yet to find the PERFECT pair of jeans.

3. I'm a complete and total sucker for a really great love story (any recommendations?). And I don't mean explicit sex scenes, etc. I said, "great love story," classic, timeless, so much more than what goes on in the bedroom, or the...or the....

4. I dream of being a writer. Someday, someday. I figure I'm still "becoming," and hopefully my season will come.

5. When alone in the car I crank up the country music and sing...shamelessly. Seriously, people, sometimes I really think I AM Taylor Swift (I'm not implying that I really sound like her...I just really feel it, if you know what I mean). No other type of music does it for me...it's just country music.

6. This morning, I watched Ben saunter down the hallway into the kitchen. I thought to myself, "Whoa, he totally looks great from behind...who needs love stories in books when I've got my own manly man right in front of me?" Granted, I still need love stories, but I realized that I'm living my own, too. After 10 years of marriage, I'm stoked that I can still say that...and mean it. I'm sure I have just completely embarassed my husband.

7. I've been asked at random if I had to choose between living in the mountains or by the beach, which would I choose. Well, I thought forever that I was a "live in the mountains" kind of person. However, as my little self has evolved, I think I'm a "live by the ocean" kind of person. I don't mean hot, southern CA/FL-ish beaches. I'm leaning more towards OR/WA or Northeastern beaches.

8. I haven't really dwelled on the idea that I was vain, but, since moving into this house 6 months ago and not having a full-length mirror anymore, my life has changed. Looking back, I used to totally scrutinize myself every morning...choosing what to wear, shoes, etc. Can you imagine all the wasted time spent on stuff like that? I changed clothes more than once during the day (not every day, but often). Now, I don't have one, and I can't even stand on the toilet seat in my master bath and get a good full length view. It has been so healthy for me to pick an outfit and wear it. I'm easier on myself, too, because I can't beat myself up if I don't look how I think I should look, especially because my lower half is where my insecurities dwell:). Wow, this kind of sounds like true confessions.

9. I think thumb-sucking in small children (thinking of my little Annie Grace) is about the cutest thing I've ever seen and heard. I know, wretched parent that I am...I can't bear to break her of it. Please no responses about the harmful consequences of childhood thumb-sucking.

10. I think I have a slight OCD when it comes to floors. I love to vacuum, swiffer, scrub, etc. I love the process and the results.

11. I love people. I love to make people feel good, happy, important, worthwhile, etc.

Wow, feels good to get those things off my chest. I think I might be a size A now:).

Hiking the butt...I mean, Butte.

Saturday was too beautiful to ONLY do housework. Our jobs done, we headed out. The Buttes are just west of us, miles away really. I was surprised to learn that it was once (probably thousands of years ago) a volcano. Cool. Due to our spontaneity, we picked the worst time to hike...afternoon sun, clear skies= HOT. William claimed he was dying, I was hoping for a little tan on any exposed skin, not to mention burning hundreds of calories, Brigham wanted to see if the volcano still had lava in it, Lincoln wanted to live in every little cave along the way, Annie was just happy to be there, and Ben wanted to get to the top (such a dad...it's all about getting there, right?). We did it! I was so proud of the kids for their determination.

William and I had a great talk about our hike as a metaphor for our lives (while everyone waited for us to catch up...frequently). Whenever I hike, I always think about that. In fact, as we were hiking, a little sign said "TRAIL" with an arrow. When I first read it, I saw "TRIAL" with an arrow. I laughed at my mistake. But so true about life. On our road back to Heavenly Father, trials are necessary. We're stretched, at times to our limits, only to find out that there's a little more elasticity than we thought. Once we reach the top, the view is, without a doubt, worth all the sweat and struggle. We felt that way. The valley below was gorgeous with all the farmland, the winding Snake River, the temple...everything was worth it, except for my freaking out that the kids were too close to the edge and might tumble to their deaths (probably an exaggeration, but any precipice makes me nervous when my kids are involved.)

All in all, it was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon, not to mention the invite from Mom and Dad for dinner and a movie later that day. "Up" is such a cute movie.

Can you see it coming?

Our neighbor's cat is a semi-adopted memeber of our family. I looked outside today and noticed the kids gently pushing her in our baby swing. I stood at my window "ahhh-ing" my little heart out at the cuteness thereof. However, little boys are only gentle for so long. Seriously. I about died when I watched as their gentle pushes turned into a heaving under-dog...or shall we say, under-cat? I thought the cat was a goner, for sure. I watched that cat slightly panic. Miraculously, she timed her jump just right and landed on all fours. She pretty much sailed from about 6 feet off the ground. My mind went back to the nursery lesson, "I can be Kind to Animals."

Hmm....maybe we were gone that week.

Photo Journal: past month (long...)

These past few weeks have been jam-packed with family, family, family. You better believe that we played, played, played. We had adventures, tears, shopping, hours of talking, good food, games, sand dune accident, miracles, week-long hospital stays...soul-filling, good times. I love my family fiercely. I developed stronger and deeper relationships with my peeps. And to think, I get them forever. I wish I had room for all the stories.

Lucky?

Blessed.

Peek-a-boo, I see you...

I had an unfortunate run-in with a little bird on the way to preschool yesterday. It's a little morbid, I know, but I can't believe the birdie was still there, intact, and looking at me, dead, but still, looking at me. forgive me little bird. Doesn't the Bible say that a sparrow doesn't fall, save God knows it...or something like that?

You know you live in the country when...

Your neighbor's dog brings you a chicken...

instead of a newspaper.

(Obviously, I'm still adjusting.)

Crisis and Self Discipline (or lack thereof...)

I'd had it!

I was spiraling down, down, down. You know, the feeling like you're just barely making it, getting through in survival mode. Living a reactive life instead of being proactive. Waiting for things to happen instead of making them happen. That's how I felt physically, spiritually, emotionally...basically, my whole-self. I was suffering from a severe case of lacking self-discipline. My main issue: pushing myself to the point of exhaustion, because I would NOT allow myself the rest I desperately needed all because of reading, reading, reading. I'm one of those need-nine-hours-of-sleep people. As a result, everything else was effected. Too tired to run, too tired to study my scriptures, really study, too tired to take care of my family well, to nurture my marriage, to pray meaningfully and consistently, and the list goes on...

I am a prideful person. I don't want help. I want to think I'm strong enough, self-disciplined enough to change my behavior when I make poor choices. I was wrong. This time, it took someone else. As much as I fought it, I needed someone else to get me out of my rut.

I have a friend. We go to church together. She's the type you look at and are instantly intimidated by because her prescence is felt. Do you know what I mean? She is a strong women, beautiful, tempered because she's been through "the fire," so to speak. Also, she's a paramedic. Tough. Seriously. Anyway, she asked me one day if I wanted to start running with her. Politely, I said I'd think about it. What I was really thinking was yeah right, you'd run me into the ground. I would have no pride left over. I would slow you down. You'd think I'm weak, a wuss, etc. etc. Basically, I was afraid of her. Afraid. She was a threat. I loved her...but, she was a threat, nonetheless. I was hoping that my not getting back to her would just let the idea float away...

I wasn't that lucky.

She caught me at the library. It's so funny to admit that I'd hoped she wouldn't see me, because I didn't want to be cornered, I didn't want to commit, I didn't want to DIE (that's how I felt). Well, she found me. She asked. I confessed. I honestly told her how afraid I was of her, of her ultimate, strong woman-ness. I told her that in all of my years since having kids, I REFUSED to get up early to run. My sleep was too precious to sacrifice for early morning excercise. I told myself I was a night-exerciser, a day-exerciser, but never before the sun came up, never. I told her I hated exercising with other people. I go solo. I told her I was afraid she'd think I was weak...I told her everything. She smiled, even laughed at me. I felt this huge relief that I actually told her everything I was feeling. She's one of those people who demand honesty because she's so real, so candid. I finally said yes. I did. I told her it might kill me, but I would get up at the crack of dawn to run with her. AHHHH. That's all I was thinking after she left. I just gave away all of my freedom.

Well, here's my testimonial. Heber J. Grant once said, "That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do; not that the nature of the thing itself is changed, but that our power to do is increased." I did it. I set my alarm for 5:10am. I don't think I've ever purposely woken that early since early-morning seminary, back in the high school days. It was hard. Hard. But, I did it. I've been doing it, for three weeks now. I missed a day and felt horrible, sluggish. I needed to run, I needed that early morning boost, I needed my pre-dawn visit with my friend. My life has done a 180. I'm back. The "me" I'm supposed to be is back because my friend didn't give up on me. Because she was patient, listened to me whine, and kept going. Everything else I was struggling with took care of itself, all because she helped me discipline myself. I want to be that "someone" for someone else one day.

p.s. Running up the bleachers at our college stadium is not fun. Not at all. Can you believe she talked me into that? If you could see me doing it, you would laugh...and I'd be okay with that.

"They're Heeeeerrrrrreeee..."

We are so excited that our cousins have come for a visit! Based on the picture below, I'm not sure how cousin Patrick feels about it:). Great picture, huh? We love any visitors, to be sure, and are so grateful for our kids to have some quality time with their cousins.

More fun to come...

The fam in a more sedate form...

Love you, Guys!