Printers

I have so much to share! But the printer was having issues with printing my pictures correctly, so I have had to wait to make a few posts. Please don't be overwhelmed by the data I am about to present......

By the way, thanks to Daniel who helped me figure out how to "My Blog List" which tells me when fellow bloggers have updated their blog. It makes keeping track of everyone's updates a breeze!

Playing at the Gardens

Tonight we went to the Gardens as a family after dinner. There are two gardens: one for children and one that is 55 acres of different varieties of flowers and landscaping (I will post some of Michael's pictures of the scenery later). In the Children's Garden is a large Noah's Ark sculpture made of brass that is also a fountain. The animals shoot water randomly and it provides a place for the children to play just after entering the Children's Garden.



You can tell from this picture that we went late in the day. Benjamin is trying to warm up and is sleepy at the same time. He is laying at the edge of the wading pool around the ark on the warm cement.

Here Benjamin is ferociously splashing through the wading pool. He also had to run off to the water spickets that were shooting out of the sidewalk, and then back to the wading pool.

We hadn't planned on Bekah getting wet, that is why she isn't in her swimsuit. But, when she saw the water and brother splashing she couldn't get in the water fast enough. She loves her baths and our swimming pool, and can splash just as much as her brother. Oh, the water in the corner of this picture is from a llama 'spitting at us.'

As you can see, Bekah is a really good splasher and just walking in the water wasn't good enough. She had to get soaking wet and feel the total effect of the wading pool surrounding her. I forgot to post a picture of her the first time the llama spit at her after she sat down. She looks very concerned, but after the initial shock she just giggled every time water spouted out of the ark near where she was at. It was a good thing we had an extra set of clothes for Benjamin because Bekah ended up borrowing them.

This picture is in the large gardens. They have lots of hills throughout the garden and on this hill I am trying to teach Benjamin how to roll down the hill. The incline was so good that I had a hard time stopping myself once I started rolling and that made Benjamin laugh. He understood the idea, but couldn't quite control his body to roll straight down the hill. His rolling was more across the top of the hill. So after a few tries we got up and chased each other up and down the hill while Dad took pictures of the vegetation.

Working with Dad

Bekah loves having Dad home so much more now. Everyone time we walk through his "office" she wants to sit with Dad at the computer and help him work. Okay, so mostly she wants to play with the computer and listen to Pandora's radio on Dad's headphones, but she loves having his attention during the day instead of first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

A Page from Serene's Book

It's 4:30 a.m. and I can't sleep. Like my friend, Serene, I have decided to spend some time on the computer to help me unwind a bit in what feels like a futile attempt to get some sleep. This one is more of a journal entry than anything else, so if you don't like that kind of thing you may not wish to continue reading. :)

So much has been going on lately that it feels like the world is spinning too fast for me to keep up. It is overwhelming to be a wife, mother, housekeeper, maintain our yard and garden, develop and maintain a social life, and still find time for yourself. I can understand why some people pay so much to have other people do some of those things for them, it feels like too much for one person to handle. I love my job, I just get a little overwhelmed when things get busy or one thing takes so much of my time and attention that I have to set aside some other things that only pile up for want of doing. Other times, I want to go back to work and let someone else take care of my overwhelming responsibilities.

I think I am a perfectionist when it comes to having my house and my life in order. I want everything to be neatly organized and put away all of the time. Being human, life just isn't that way and it frustrates me more than I can say. Why can't we be perfect right now?!? Wait, this life is meant for us to gain experience and understanding. How are we to learn and grow if we don't seek after, and gain experience in this life? How are we to provide the opportunity for others in the worlds we will create if we don't understand the experience ourselves? When I take the time to sit down and think logically (identify and replace my illogical thought patterns) I realize that each day is an opportunity to learn and grow. And, boy!, do I need to grow sometimes.

My therapist told me that I need to understand that right now my life is a series of messes and that is okay. It is the stage of life I am in and it will not last forever. This idea has changed my perspective on life. We are taught that this life is a test. I don't know about you, but I get bad test anxiety when I think about everything that I need to learn and remember for a big test and that makes this life very challenging at times. Now, I view this life as a series of messes. Messes create challenges that can be worked through and overcome, and if the same mess happens again you just work through it all over again and are better prepared for it because you have done it before. I can deal with messes so much easier than tests. Yes, messes overwhelm me on a daily basis, but messes I am more apt to attack with every part of my being and work through as efficiently as possible. Tests feel like a judgement on how I am doing in life. Messes are more appealing to me because even though they never quite go away, they are only a problem to solve that will help me develop skills and attributes that will help me learn more and become a better person. How's your mess today?

I really wish I were sleeping right now. My thoughts are starting to slow down instead of tumbling around in my mind constantly. I'm down to highway speed from a freeway speed (and, yes, I was going the speed limit beforehand). It feels nice to have some time for conscious thought that is uninterrupted by my daily concerns even though it is those concerns are what is rolling around inside of my head. I have some uninterrupted personal time though I will probably regret the lack of sleep tomorrow. I can think clearly and take time to write some things down instead of scrambling from one thing to the next. At times I feel like I have to get everything done at once, and while that idea is absurd and something I am working on to release myself from I find it hard to look at one slice of pizza so to speak instead of the whole pan. Making lists helps with this because it helps me focus on what I can truly accomplish in a given amount of time instead of feeling like I need to accomplish everything at once.

I hope that when you read this you can see all of the positive things I am learning and accomplishing instead of hearing only my depressed undertones. I really love my life and my role as mother and wife. Mostly, I am tired and it is the middle of the very early morning and you get to read my ramblings. Life is good!

The Gardener

I have discovered that I really enjoy gardening. I like to be outside and work with my hands. Now ask me that in the middle of July and I might tell you something different. I wish the weather could be mild and warm (not hot!) all of the time so we could be outside more. The garden is really flourishing. I even found some vegetable among the weeds yesterday. Almost everything we planted is growing (I'm not sure if the watermelon or pumpkins are still underground.) which is amazing to me because I wasn't sure that anything was going to grow. Michael took these pictures (no, I didn't pose for the camera) even though I told him that I don't like him to take pictures of me when I am all yucky.

I have also discovered that there are a large variety of spiders and other bugs living in our garden. It is a good thing I am not afraid of bugs because I have killed a number of spiders on myself and watched a variety of other things scramble for cover as I pull up their homes in the form of weeds. I'm glad most of them have made their homes in our garden rather than our cellar. I can handle bugs outside better than inside.



This is the lettuce, which had the least weeds around the base of it. Must be the lack of sunshine because they get watered as much as everything else. We have been eating a lot of salad and I am finding new things to do with spinach (add to meatloaf, chopped up really small; add to lasagna cheese layer; chicken salad on a bed of spinach and lettuce).

I have also learned a lot about what to plant, how to place things efficiently, and how much to plant. Sometimes the textbooks and seed packets don't know everything about how to plant things best (imagine!). Oh well, it is all an experiment anyway.

Thank you, Michael, for the different perspective pictures. They are much more exciting than my general, aerial overview.

Bekah is Carly's Cousin

Carly (March 2008)

Bekah (June 2008)

Michael's brother moved out of state last summer, so we haven't seen him or his family since then. Thank goodness for blogging. We have been able to watch the children as they learn and grow. I stole this picture from Amme's blog of Carly on her birthday. Bekah looks a lot like her cousin Carly and I had to post this picture so that everyone could see how much the look alike. They have the same adorable, squinty smile. Aren't they cute?

Umbrellas & Sunshine

It is hot outside! So hot that we got the pool out again today and took Bekah out to play with brother in her little Nemo swimsuit.

She absolutely loved the pool! Which shouldn't be a surprise because she loves to splash in the bath.

However, Mom was absolutely ROASTING sitting on the grass with only her feet in the pool. My sweet husband went inside and got our large umbrella for me so I could block the sun. It was almost comfortable under the umbrella because it blocked so much of the sun's direct heat.

I am going to have to remember my umbrella when we are outside more often! It definitely took the heat out of the day.

Bekah wants to be like Brother

Bekah and Benjamin are going through a competition stage. If one has it the other one wants it, and vise versa. Bekah wants to be big like brother and brother wants the attetntion bekah gets because she is still a baby.

Bekah had to try on brother's 'knight in shining armor' hat.

Here, brother, you put it on.

Oh wait! I changed my mind.

There, it looks great on you too.

Benjamin Playing

On Sunday morning, Benjamin lined all of his animals up in the window and played school with them. He even opened the blinds by himself so that there was room for them to sit.

Benjamin is making a "block train." 'Take a picture of me, Mommy!' Once all of the blocks are lined up he has a "train track."

This picture was 'Benjamin, look at the camera and smile.'

Roses Blooming

It must be June! The people who own our rental home planted a lot of roses around the side of the house and we get to enjoy them no that the snow is gone. (I can't say warm weather because it keeps changing.) My husband brings me roses on occassion and they live for about a week inside. I love the smell of fresh roses!

Scrapbooking & Blogging

For the last several years I have been trying to get into scrapbooking. I have hundreds of pictures and lots of cute ideas. I just don't find the time to sit down, get out all of the materials (or go buy the materials), and layout pictures for a few hours each day. Thus, blogging has become my scrapbook. (My apologies to any scrapbookers that this this may offend!) As soon as I have a page full of posts I print it off and put my posts in a binder. Then, when I have a page full of new posts I print it off again.

My theory is that I have the dates, pictures, and thoughts about what is going on in our life right now instead of trying to remember what is going on months or years from now. It also inspires me to regularly update the blog and take lots of pictures about what we are doing.

Eventually, I will go back and layout the pages and pictures nicely on a single page for each post. But, right now I am just grateful to have a written record with pictures for our family history. It is also nice to keep track of what we have shared with other people online.

Blogging has also helped me a lot with my depression. I have realized how many friends I DO have and that I have exciting things going on in my life, too. I found that one part of my depression was comparing myself to others, and because I wasn't keeping a visual record of what was going on in our lives I couldn't see all of the good things that are happening. It has also given me an outlet to keep up with other friends and family who are far away. (Thank you to everyone who shares their thoughts and comments.) I have come to realize that I am truly blessed. I have not conquered my depression yet, but I am making miles of progress now that I am getting some professional help.

Blogging has also become a type of journal for me as well. I update it regularly and look for things that I can share with others. It is great to actually share some of my joys with others right now instead of writing it down in hopes that it will someday be shared with posterity. This is also another reason that I print off my postings regularly, so that I can have a physical copy of what I am sharing now.

Thank you to all of you fellow bloggers for sharing this experience with me. It is a wonderful thing!

Missionaries & Baptisms

Yesterday we went to Michael's cousin's baptism. It has been a while since I have been to a baptism without the missionaries. My brother is serving in the mission just north of us and since Michael's uncle lives right on the border of the mission (I don't know if he is in my brother's mission or the mission we live in) the thought occurred to me that my brother could have been there as a missionary. It was a very emotional poignant thought since I haven't seen my brother since last August and we are less than 30 minutes away from each other even with his last 3 or 4 transfers. I am so proud of him for dedicating two years of his life to serving the Lord when it is a very challenging thing to do. I realized how much I miss his bright and fun personality and look forward to seeing him again in 15 months or so. Maybe we will even get to go pick him up from his mission (LOL).

I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church of God. I know that God lives and the Jesus Christ is his son. I know that my Heavenly Father knows and loves me as an individual. I am grateful for baptisms that remind me of the power and simpleness of the Gospel. May all of you be so blessed to have the presence and power of God in your lives.

Swimming int the Front Yard

We bought the kids a swimming pool a couple of weeks ago, but the weather has been so cold and sporatic that we haven't had a chance to use it yet. However, yesterday was great swimming weather and we finally got the pool for Benjamin. He loved it! He went fishing, washed his rocks, and splashed mom. When he got too cold he would run to the sidewalk and lay down on the warm concrete to warm up. It was so fun to have him stay in one place and be so entertained.

Dinosaur Museum

This week my sister-in-law and her daughters came down to see us and go to the dinosaur museum. Benjamin was so excited to have his cousing Kenzie go with him to the dinosaur museum (that he loves!) that we had a hard time getting him to slow down. One of the best things about the museum is that it has something for all ages. For Bekah, there are toys, puppets and stories. For Benjamin, there are a ton of hands on and interactive exhibits that stretch the imagination. For the adults (a.k.a. parent :D), there are tons of facts about dinosaurs and other ancient life creatures. We had so much fun exploring and sharing the dinosaur museum with our cousins. Thanks so much for coming!

This is the erosion table. Building dams, arranging trees, and arranging and burying dinosaurs to create future fossils.

Bekah's favorite exhibit: Toys & Puppets

No that is not Jaws, but they did have sharks that big!

This is my favorite picture. One of the exhibits has pictures squares (I'm holding this one in my hand) that the visitors are suppose to transfer to a bigger picture to create a collage of pictures that create one big picture. Benjamin drew the big picture (on the wall) all by himself using the smaller square. I was amazed that he was able to process the picture and transfer it to the bigger picture so accurately. He is only 3!

Digging for dinosaurs. What did you discover today?

Dinosaur Museum

Dressing up like dinosaurs.

Checking out the Palentologist Tools

Building a Dinosaur. Will we make a T-rex or a Triceratops?

Bekah wasn't sure about riding with McKayla instead of Mom

Benjamin and Bekah were trying to find the dinosaurs that matched to holes

Picnic at the Park

On Saturday we took the children out for a picnic at the park. It was so much fun! We ate peanut butter sandwiches with apples and carrots and then played on the playground. Benjamin loves it when we do things as a family especially when we are outside. I sure hope that the summer thaws out a little so we can enjoy more time outside before it gets too hot. The other nice thing was that I made a simple lunch instead of an elaborate picnic like I usually do and that made the preparations minimal and the experience more enjoyable. I love picnics and being outside in good weather. We had so much fun!

Bathroom Window Cover

A friend of mine just moved into a brand new house that doesn't have window covers. Now I don't know why the builders didn't put frosted windows in the bathroom, but they didn't! So when we went to visit we got to talking about window coverings and I mentioned that we had the same problem in the bathroom of the house we are renting. She said that to put blinds in the bathroom windows it would cost about $200 or so. I told her that I put a bathroom cover in our window for less than $5. Thus, I am making this interesting post.

This is a picture of our bathroom window. The building you see is our detached garage. I love having light in the bathroom, but this window is in the shower and is just below my shoulder meaning it is an absolute must to have a curtain in order to maintain our privacy.

Here is the window with a curtain. Fabulous! You can't see outside and the neighbors can't see in. What I did was go to the dollar store (yes, I am way cheap) and bought a shower curtain. I figured that a shower curtain would be the best kind of curtain because it would not become mildewy as easily as some other fabrics, especially where the window is inside the shower stall. I cut the curtain out of the end of the shower curtain so that it was about 3 inches longer and 1.5 inches wider than the window. I turned down the top about 0.75 inches and hemmed it.

Then I used the rubber-footed rod that was in the window when we moved in (you can find these at any department store by the other curtain rods for less than $4) to hang the curtain on. And, Eureka! a bathroom curtain that doesn't have to be washed regularly that only cost $5 and about 2 hours of my time.