The Two E's

I've been playing with my camera and photoshop lately, using my two E's.

Eli is getting baptized soon, so I wanted to snap some shots of this handsome stud.  He is such a crack up.  I particularly love this photo of him:

And, Miss E...loving the purple and red together. 

Blog Tag

After being tagged TWICE..here it goes...I'll answer both your questions T and A.   So, if you are my friend, and you read this blog, please answer all these great questions.  I would love to get to know you better.  Tag.

Blog Tag

11 random things about yourself:

1.  I have a thing about having clean floors...I love to vacuum.

2. I love to lay on my stomach when I can't sleep.

3.  When my house is clean it usually means that my closets are not.

4. I love Thai food, and basically, all Asian food.

5.  I love it when I really connect heart to heart with people...it's not everyday that you meet someone that really gets you and loves you just the way you are.

6. When I was young all I wanted to be was an astronaut.  I would keep fliers for space camp in my bedroom.  I also wanted to be a ballerina.

7.  I love art.  I love music.  I love finding inspiration in everyday things.

8.  I want to own a beach house.  

9. I want to simplify my life...fewer things, physically and temporally.  As a side note....my husband is so good at doing this.  I just think it is so easy to get caught up in the "worldliness" and leave little time for things of "eternal" value.

10.  I love watching the sunset from my bedroom window.

11. I love going for evening walks.  Mostly with Derek, but sometimes with the kiddos.

11 Questions for me to answer from Amber:

1.What is the one food that you would never give up?  fruit, bread and cheese...three, oops.

2.What is your one achievement that makes you the most proud?

Being a mother.

3.What are the 5 most important things in your life?

family, faith, friends, food and fun

4.What is the funniest thing that has ever happened to you?

One of the funniest--returning a Hollywood video to the post office box instead of the store.

5.Are you a night owl or a morning person?

More recently, a morning person.  I'm almost always awake by 6am.

6.What crazy things do you dream of trying someday?  I want to bike across Italy.  Is that crazy enough?

7.What is the one physical feature that you get complimented on most often? my hair (naturally blonde)

8.What is your weirdest quirk?

I have a spasm in my foot that makes it difficult to get a pedicure.

9.If you were invisible, where would you go?  

I would have to agree with T, LDS First Presidency and Quorum of the Twleve meetings.  And, I'd like to go to the Oval office.

10.What traits in others are you attracted to?  Being willing to show your strengths AND your weaknesses. So, in other words, being real.  I love people who are strong and confident and kind.

11.What is the kindest thing anyone has done for you?

There are so many.  One of the kindest...Derek staying up with me as I wrote college papers...helping me through the stress.

11 Questions for me to Answer from Tamera:

1.  What's the nicest compliment you've ever received?  That I'm real and happy.
2.  What's something you really want to do in your life?  What's stopping you?  Take voice lessons.  Not sure what is stopping me.
3.  Favorite Food?  Asian.
4.  Pet Peeve?  not sure...i have many, just changed my answer here.  
5.  Favorite childhood memory?  HIking/Backpacking all over Utah.
6.  Favorite vacation you've taken?  So hard, there are so many.  Probably my 6 weeks in the British Isles and our trip to Phuket, Thailand. 
7.  Dream vacation?  Mediterranean Cruise...it will happen!  
8.  What's one of your traits you want to change most?  I'm not sure I want to admit it.  But...here it goes...I really don't like feeling envious or jealous. And, I catch myself feeling that way more than I should be.  Praying for a change of heart.
9.  What colors make you happy? red and yellow.  and a nice shade of lavender.
10.  What do you fear most?  Losing a child, or Derek.
11.  Favorite time of year?  Where I live, it is autumn.  
12.  What makes you feel best about yourself? Taking time to be calm  each day and refocus on what really matters.  And, taking time to do something for another person. 

Cub Scouting, at last!

It's no wonder that I would eventually be asked to be a cub scout leader in our church.  Having four boys makes that inevitable.  Here I am at my first pack meeting as a leader, and Eli's first pack meeting too....

We had to come up us as a family (those present) and pledge to support Eli in scouting.
I have to admit that my feelings about scouting have evolved.  I now really like the program, but when Noah started years ago, I wasn't sure about it.  It's a bit overwhelming, sometimes unorganized, confusing, etc.  But now....I've gained a testimony of scouting.  As cheesy as that sounds, it's true...I love scouting!

Observations about scouting:
1. It's chaotic and crazy.
2.  The boys LOVE it.  So fascinating to me.
3.  Some families are scouting over- achievers.
4.  The cub scout cheers are such an interesting component...bacon sizzling, really?
5.  Pack meeting should be kept to an hour (way to go Sister E, our cub master!)
6.  I look good in khaki.

Best part, I get to work with Eli, the deprive middle child.  Maybe this will prevent him from needing counseling later..the quality time.

Soren's Girls

Soren just finished up a year at the EHS preschool....where he carpooled with three darling girls.  A boy at his school calls them "Soren's Girls"  

Driving these kiddos around was pretty funny.  Their conversations were downright hilarious.  I so wish I had written them all down.  Off the top of my head, here are a few of my favorites that I can remember:

*Spontaneous Justin Bieber  songs sung by one unnamed girl.

*Arguments about Soren not attending a B-day party if princesses were going to be there.

*Belting out "Beauty and the Beast" much to Eden's delight.  She adores Soren's girls.

*Did I mention 5 year old arguments? Hilarious.

*Miss J's description of her family attending the rodeo.

*Planning play dates in the car (without permission from parents)--sometimes ending in tears.  Kids are so honest and blunt.  It's sort of refreshing.

Am I soaking up every moment?

Yes...since I have one shot at the daughter thing, I love every moment I get to dress her, do her hair, and buy girl toys.  It's true.  Tonight, as the boys are all away, she looks up at me and says, "Mom, you're a girl, and I'm a girl."  Yes, my darling, yes indeed.

There is nothing in the world that I would trade for any of my children.   I'm just in awe with how much I love each of them...it's definitely meant to be.  Having a girl after four boys is almost like having my first child again...seeing how she differs from her brothers.  I love how she refers them as "The Boys" and plays with light sabers and does a karate pose upon request, and then wears a tutu and her favorite color is pink.  I often wonder, "What would it be like to have 4 older brothers, and be the only girl?" I can at least say this, "She is loved!"

Mom's Day 2012

so in love...after 5 kids and 15+ years.

#1 just got out of the shower thus the slick hair.  He wakes himself up every morning to practice his cello.   Very responsible.

#2 not camera shy, tells me every night before bed that I'm a great mom and he loves me.

#3, camera shy and never leaves for school without giving me a kiss and hug!

#4, insisted on bringing his hiking stick into the picture.  he loves being home with me and counts me as one of his best friends (for now). 

#5, mom take a picture of me!! not camera shy, not really shy, as girly as they come. thankfully.

the crazy couple

Motherhood

Today I will be spoiled by my family.  I will take traditional Mother's Day photos with each of my children.  I will hear great talks about motherhood at church, and I will call my own Mother and Mother-in-law to tell them how much I love them.

I'm suppose to be in bed asleep right now, the family is making me breakfast in bed this morning.  But, ever since I started morning yoga a  couple of months ago, I'm awake very early every morning.  So, I'm writing instead.

Soren snuck in and snuggled with me for a minute.  I was asking him about his life. "Who are your best friends?"  Matthew, Haley, Daddy and you (melt my heart).  "What is your favorite color?"  Red with polka dots. Love this boy.

I'm grateful we have laughter in our home.  We don't have a perfect family, but they are really awesome kiddos and I feel very fortunate that I get to mother them.  I'm grateful I made the leap of faith to have 5.  It works for me.  It isn't for everyone, but it's been one of the greatest blessings in my life.  It's chaotic at times.  We have to get two hotel rooms whenever we travel.  We have to buy 7 airline tickets.  I drive a minivan.  My grocery bill is insanely high.  I do a minimum of 10 loads of laundry every week.  I put an order in every month for t-shirts, socks, shorts/pants, underwear, and pokeman cards.  I go through one box of cereal daily.  I find socks all over the house.  I own a leopard gecko, and once I even owned a snake.

I have 5 people who love me unconditionally (ok, 6 with d-man).  I have six people who tell me  daily that they love me.  (I especially love Eden's "I love you so much mommy")  I have six people who make me smile and keep me grounded.  I have six people I get to share my life with.  Five people I get to call my children.  I have 6 people who have my back.  I'm the luckiest.  So blessed.  My cup runneth over.  This alone is enough.

Happy Mother's Day to the women who teach me by their example of womanhood.  You have no idea how grateful I am for each one of you!

xo
K

Yesterday was a terrible, no good, very bad day...

For real.  So glad it ended.  So glad today was better.

I'm generally a pretty easy going, go-with-the-flow lady, but yesterday I was a bit of a mess.  It kind of reminded me about all those picture books I read to my kids about their emotions.  I especially love My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss.  Yesterday, I didn't know what color I was the entire day, as it was changing constantly.  The icing on the cake was when a glass bottle was dropped on my glass cooktop and cracked it.  &#$%&@

I didn't like myself too much yesterday.  Nobody liked me very much yesterday.  I get it.

On a brighter note, here are some random thoughts I've thought today:

1. Even though I try really, really hard not to judge people, I catch myself doing it sometimes.
2.  I love yoga. I LOVE yoga. (although I hurt my shoulder a bit today)
3.  I love Thai Peanut Steak Salad.
4.  Children with cancer bring tears to my eyes.  Right now, I know of two of them. So, I've been tearing up a lot.  My heart aches for them.
5.  Today, I sat down on the couch and watched a show, in the middle of the day, by myself.  I haven't done that in a very, very long time.  It was so nice, and I almost fell asleep.
6.  Sometimes it is hard to remember to breathe.
7.  Little girls in leotards are incredibly cute.
8.  I need to have more gratitude in my life.  Like right now.
9.  I've been incredibly blessed with five pretty awesome, interesting children. And, even more important, a very understanding, patient husband. (i'm not one to brag on my fam on my blog--oops, i just did)
10.  I won't share my last thought, as it might make the reader angry.  So I'll keep it to myself (it's political).

The End.
K

Pioneer Woman and I are friends....

OK, maybe not. But, I'm pretty sure if she actually lived in the same town as me and if she talked to me for even five minutes, we could be very good friends.  Had a great time going to hear her speak and having her sign a cookbook.  Loved the company of good friends (this picture only shows about half of those I went with).  

My assessment:  she's pretty hilarious and down to earth. 

She can sign books and effortlessly look up mid signature to smile at the camera.

Now that is talent.

And, apparently, she is a good cook too:)

Or at least good at taking pictures of food.

I don't follow her blog regularly, but I kind of want to check in more often now.

It's fascinating to me how some people become so successful when they don't even mean to.  She just started a blog and look what happened.

Plus, I really envy the boots.

The end.