vintage ginger peaches

WICKED!

2012-02-17T19:19:00.000-08:00

"Who can say that I've been changed for the better? But-- because I knew you, I have been changed for good."

Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd...

I'm going to Wicked again!

In Portland, March 23rd.

It's top secret though, so don't tell any girlies who will turn 7 in the month of March (ie: my T and Kate's B) because it is their dream to see Wicked and we want it to be a surprise!

We're putting together a group to go so that we can get a big group sale! It's going to be SO MUCH FUN. And nothing closer or anywhere near us has been announced through Aug. 2013 (that's forever away), soooo it's now or never!

Let me know if you need any more info!

And if you're hesitating, Fiyero says that you should chill and go for it:

the trouble with schools is
they always try to teach the wrong
lesson
believe me, i've been kicked out
of enough of them to know
they want you to become less callow
less shallow
but i say: "why invite stress in?"
stop studying strife
and learn to life "the unexamined life"

Dancing through life
skimming the surface
gliding where turf is smooth
life's more painless
for the brainless
why think too hard?
when it's so soothing
dancing through life
no need to tough it
when you can sluff it off as i do
nothing matters
but knowing nothing matters
it's just life
so keep dancing through...

dancing through life
swaying and sweeping
and always keeping cool
life is fraughtless
when you're thoughtless
those who don't try
never look foolish
dancing through life
mindless and careless
make sure your where less
trouble is rife
woes are fleeting
blows are glancing
when you're dancing
through life...

On Hold

2012-02-17T11:19:00.000-08:00

I've devoted this morning to calling all the places I keep putting off calling and being ON HOLD.

It kinda stinks!

Blogging while holding!

I got to keep an apothecary jar from Mal's wedding :) Still deciding what to do with it!

My boys are playing REALLY good right now. I love that sound of their nearly incoherent conversation! This is R on crack, oops, I mean TV!

Well, I CAN move stuff from the washer to the dryer while on hold... wish me luck!

The Back Hall

2012-02-15T09:33:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking lately, "is any part of my house DONE"?

I think: yes. The living room? Done. Although, we may need a new couch in coming years because we have 5 kids, I like what's going on in there.

Done!

Another place?

The back hall. I think it's done!

I'm happy with the white board, the chalk board, the cork board... you get the picture :)

We recently added some artwork...

The kids colored these pictures and I turned them into medallions (is that what you call them?):

And mounted some on canvas:

This space is changeable: the quotes change, the artwork may change, but it's form and function stays the same.

So, I think I'm done!

Next stop? My bathroom. I plan to do big things with as little money as possible. Sound like a plan?

Just a cute bit:

My little 6 year old T fought tooth & nail for that bouquet. She wanted it SO BAD. And she got it.

What a pill!

Another thing:

I made these jars in October and they have become a miracle in our home. Way less mess, way more fun. We also used jars like these to deliver Christmas cookies this year with a festive tag added. I thought the kids might break the living daylights out of them: not so! Pleasant surprise. This was a pinterest inspired idea and I actually FINISHED IT!

Happy Wednesday! I'm going to go shake my booty to Dance Central 2. Why do I love this one more than #1? Because you can make your own (clean) playlist! And just dance! Time to shed some winter poundage!

Lights Out Love Songs, KLSY

2012-02-14T11:28:00.000-08:00

I used to be a love song JUNKIE when I was growing up. "Lights out love songs" on KLSY... I was ready for that. Blank cassette. Push "record" and "play" at the same time.

I miss mix tapes.

So, last night I was helping the Milk Man load up his iTouch, having a great time... laughing at some of the songs we choose... I mean, why do we like what we like?

We both admit to loving "Damn, Wish I Was Your Lover" by Sophie B Hawkins.

Probably not one I want the kids singing around the house, but it's irresistible!

Some of the songs that really get me are the ones that broke my little teenage heart. I was a silly girl. But aren't we all? Didn't all of us pin our hopes on someone (or multiple someones, depending on the year) just to have them dashed?

If you want to feel some teenage girl angst, fire up Lisa Loeb. "How" is pretty fabulous, but "Stay"...

"I only hear what I want to..." !!! (By the way, she can BRING IT live.)

For the teenage girl in love with a jerk, Jan Arden feels your pain.

Gah!

The Milk Man and I like to joke that "our song" is "Faint" by Linkin Park. I could listen to this song all day.

But I think it's really "Easy Silence" by the Dixie Chicks.

Isn't having someone that keeps the world at bay for you the BEST?!?!

Possibly the best, SOLID, love song?
"To Be With You" Mr. Big

I really love songs with complete and utter heartbreak though and I was stunned last night when the Milk Man told me he had never really listened to the lyrics of "Hurt" by Johnny Cash. It utterly heartbreaking. It ran through my mind all last night to the point it made me a little crazy!

Another one that is along the same lines? The Dixie Chics, again, "Top of the World".

But this day is not about sadness and heartbreak? OR IS IT? Hmm?

Let's leave things with one of the best love song singer... Whitney!

There are so many that I love, I could choose another 100. Maybe next Valentine's Day?

What do you guys LOVE?

Not Over It

2012-02-13T15:56:00.000-08:00

I can't get over:

1. How beautiful the weather has been lately. I love you Washington, I love you, I love you! Who knew you could have a wedding like this in February?

You just can't plan these things.

And it's intoxicating outside today as well.

2. OMGsh. I am NOT OVER Downton Abbey's latest episode.

Oh, cousin Matthew!

Why must your heart be so broken? For the love of Pete, you two...

work it out!

And isn't she just the cutest?

I admit to being an absolute sucker for "ships passing in the night" and "the one that got away" narratives.

*sigh*

Get back to work, Courtney!

Oh, PS, Downton Abbey is on pbs.org (season 2), Netflix & Hulu (season 1). Catch up!

A Couple More...

2012-02-12T21:13:00.000-08:00

Just a few more images... then I'll start working on some more!

Aren't our cousins the cutest? I just love these girls!

And these girls!

S looks so grown up to me here... holding her baby cousin B :) I can't believe I'm old enough to have a 12 year old. I still feel young. I know, people say things like that all the time, but it's really a weird feeling!

Fun fact: Mallory is closer in age to my S than she is to me! They are more like sisters sometimes then me & Mal are :) Mal and I are 14 years apart. Mal & S are 7 years apart. Crazy!

Baby Peach Gets Married!

2012-02-09T14:23:00.000-08:00

Mallory & Aaron's wedding... just a few peeks! I know my mom is wetting herself waiting, so I thought I might just post a few!

Our cousin K was the maid of honor. She is the very best!

I enjoyed the Cam & Wesley show :)

Look at that plug fly!

I really enjoy jolly babies :)

*clapping* Look how cute they are!

I love pictures of people taking pictures. Love it!

If you want to have a friend who screams at happy & exciting moments, K is the girl for you!

There are so much more! But, I think the bride should see them first, don't you? Yeah, I agree. But that doesn't mean I can't show some of the lovely guests!

Aunt J & A...

Cousins T, L, & J as well as Andy & Holly!

H & K... getting a blonde girls shot :)

Wait! A! We blondies have to stick together, we are the minority in this fam :) K & I had fun talking about blonde-girl-problems, which are very similar to first-world-problems... like pink skin, barely-there eyebrows, & white legs :)

"'Must rupture the moon crust!' she's thinking."

Ice Skate Love

2012-02-08T13:31:00.000-08:00

I don't know about you, but after Christmas, I feel like my decor takes a nose-dive. It's just so boring and sad!

But this year, I've discovered something: ice skates. Here's the deal with ice-skates:

1. they are cheap (the white ones were $10, then brown were $4 at local thrift shops).

2. they are happy! No really-- doesn't the idea of skating make you happy?

3. they are cold weather things... seasonably appropriate!

They reminded me of this DTV Romancin' special from the 80s. omg. I loved this so much!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O1kLkSQPcE
Sorry about the link, but this video can't embed. You've gotta go watch it though! I love the hearts at 3:05 :)

Now, I may just be singing like Whitney Houston all day :)

Snowcation 2012

2012-02-06T19:42:00.000-08:00

Way back in January, we had an unexpected week off school!

The kids went outside to play...

... all except L who wasn't keen on the snow and stayed inside to help me film Mal's wedding video!

We watched the kids from my window:

I love his baby shoulders and fluffy hair :)

R would hardly come inside to warm up!

The week off school sure threw things off for the kids though! It's been crazy busy since that crazy slow week!

Whirlwind

2012-02-06T14:42:00.000-08:00

It was
SO
NICE
to sleep in my own bed last night! I slept like a dead monster :)

I'm going to have a butt-load of things to share (Kate, you need to post that butt-load vid on here) very soon, but for now, here's a quick update:

1. We had a PERFECT wedding weekend! It was amazing. Mal & Aaron could not have chosen a more perfect day. I could keep gushing, but I'll just make you wait until the pictures are done.

2. I'm inexplicably cool on pinterest?

3. I love it when I get to hang out with so many awesome people in one day! It's my favorite! But I always leave wishing that I could have talked to everyone for longer :(

4. I found some amazing items today that are going to complete the look of my stalled out bathroom re-design, which I hope will help me get done faster. Especially since some of the items are blocking the Milk Man's garage space.

5. I'm over Valentines Day already and I haven't even started putting them together yet. But, they'll be cute :) Need an idea? I'm not going to use this one and I thought it was great:

You could make some real quick stickers. Bam, done! And I like this better than candy. Maybe next year?

6. I came across two images on pinterest that I had "liked" and they were right next to each other and I thought they perfected described me & my sister's style:
Kate:

Me:

We have similar tastes, but we execute it differently. I just love that.

And guess who we decided is the best house-guest? Aunt Joleen. She "ooos" and "ahhs" over all the right stuff. Don't you just love people like that? They are the best.

PS, this post is also calling on Kate to post more of her home :)

7. I tried this:

And yes, it was too good to be true. I got a few things to work, kind of. And then the tops would get stuck in the on position but only squirt clear liquid? It was crazy. I really hope they work the bugs out of this product because wow, it could be really cool! But not quite there yet.

8. I want a unicorn head for my wall.

9. Vitamin D. It's like inspiration in a bottle. New-found energy... fabulous! Maybe actually seeing the sun has done me some good this week as well?

10. I hear we're getting a Forever 21? I want H&M. I'm just saying.

So Odd

2012-02-01T11:07:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I like to read the reasons people come to my blog through google. Here are some of the searches:

girl nursery
baby blessing dresses gathers
baby girl blessing dresses
boy nursery colors
girls nursery
lds baby blessing dresses (it all makes sense to this point)
walmart wallpaper for apartments (?!?!)
modern baby girl nursery (I get that)
white base boards (okay)
why is johnathan hillstrand bothers

Wait, what?

If that last one actually made sense (I'm just not really sure if that's a question), I'm sure I could answer it. You know, because I'm the authority on all things Hillstrand.

*hangs her head in shame and admits there's some truth in that*

I admit to thinking about the guys from Deadliest Catch and how they're up there... right now! Working and filming to bring me some shows!

Until then, I am overly enjoying:

Because my tastes are utterly predictable. Wouldn't you say?

So what do this:

and this:

have in common?

DRAMA. Good drama. I love it.

Don't Count on Photography to Pay the Bills

2012-01-31T13:05:00.000-08:00

I hate writing a post with such a title, but enough "kids" tell me on a regular basis that they want to "get into photography", that I would feel like a chump if I wasn't completely honest.

Not that I've ever been dishonest... I have ALWAYS told interested parties to go to school and get ANOTHER degree. Not one in photography. I feel like this counsel often falls on deaf ears. I don't care how good you are, a photography degree is not going to be enough in life. There are only a handful of photographers that are making enough to live on. Even Annie Leibovitz declared bankruptcy in 2011. I mean seriously, are you more famous that her? I won't even argue if you're better or not, she's not that astounding, really-- but she already has a name and she can't make it work?

Then you've got your portrait photographers... they do weddings, etc. There's probably about 1 per state that is doing really well, the rest are struggling to make ends meet. THIS IS THE TRUTH. Please don't ignore it. The reason this comes to mind is because recently, I saw a rather desperate attempt to get business from a local photographer. The basic gist of the promotion was "it's not just a hobby for us, we do it all day long", which was funny because I can name a LOT of local photographers who don't do it all day long and are a great deal more talented (I mean, I guess if you like wedding day crotch-shots or over-processed, alien eyes on babies?).

Opening a "studio" doesn't make you better, in fact, I think it makes you kind of dumber (take a look at the economy and where photography is trending... it's not trending indoor & old school). Because if you have to resort to cheap shots to get people in your door... yikes! That's just really sad. Some of the people I really enjoy and consider friends in this community are fellow "small business" photographers. They're cool people.

But, here's the dose of honesty: no one is making bank off this. You might look at a photographer's prices and think "I could get cheaper at the mall or with my friend who is 'really into photography'" but:

a. you get what you pay for.

b. seriously. You get what you pay for. There's a reason a person only charges $50 for a session.

c. you want to hire someone with a brain. If a photographer is undercharging they simply haven't done the math or they undervalue their time so much that they would be better off getting a job at McDonald's. There are many who have put themselves out there that aren't ready (their pictures aren't worth paying a dime for, you really could call _____ with the "good" camera and get results just as bad) and overcharge for their work. There are very few who are actually good and undervalue their work. But there are a few out there.

It seems that photographers that are worth their weight actually charge something! Imagine getting compensated for your hard work!

But even so, I'm just saying, these people don't usually count on photography to pay the bills. Because they are smart. They have to know more than one craft. And they realize that people in our society don't put much money on good photography anymore. They don't really care if it's crap. That's just the way it's going-- I'm not seeing a stop in that trend anytime soon.

SO, my advice is learn something MORE. Learn to design clothes and photograph your work, learn to design websites and enhance them with your photography... do you see what I mean? Be a jack of all trades and try to master more than one :) People like to hire talented artists, not one-trick-ponies. If you want to be considered talented, you have to have more than one talent!

I do what I do because I enjoy it. It's not because I'm making bank. It helps pay for the habit. But I just really like being able to take whatever picture I imagine of my own kids and that's all I want from this. I have had some really fun perks along the way too and that's great! I like having fun! I've also gotten to expand into different areas that happened naturally because of my interest in good design. This makes me happy!

Notice my words though:
happy
fun

I did not say:
rich

or even:
pay the bills

Just being clear! Monetarily, I am more successful teaching piano lessons. Think about it, after an initial investment of a piano (1/4 the cost of a camera) and of course, my parents paying for my lessons for 10 years, after that: it costs me nothing to teach. That's the way to run a business! :)

The reason you won't read this all over the place is because more photographers feel like part of their "image" has to be success. I don't disagree with this, necessarily. I think that if you want people to see you as a success, you need to look "always busy" or "desirable"... it's all part of the game.

A game I really don't play though. And I don't even really like talking to rat-race photographers who are more interested in what I am doing then what they themselves are doing. It's weird. I like working with people who like my stuff and have fun ideas. I don't really care to compete with anyone else for business. As far as I am concerned, the photography pie is not finite: there are not a limited amount of slices to be fought over. I think the pie can get bigger and bigger if we educate people on what GOOD PHOTOGRAPHY is worth in their life. If we can't do that, then we'll damage everyone. Because everyone deserves to have nice, in-focus, no blur or weird white-balance, images of their loved ones on their walls. It's a simple pleasure. But like chocolate, it's not free :)

Now, back to work!

sigh

2012-01-28T10:56:00.000-08:00

Anyone up for an angry rant?

I'm going to restrain myself from saying the entirety of what's on my mind.

But has this ever happened to you: have you worked your butt off for someone spent hours & personal money on something fabulous for them... only to be unappreciated and then systematically disrespected for your efforts?

It totally sucks, doesn't it? And the thing that sucks more is that you can't teach common courtesy and even if you try to be kind, but firm, they'll probably be calling you a B behind your back. And even though promises on one end have completely not been kept for no good reason besides sloth & poor decision making skills, you're still the one who ends up feeling bad about it all. And you kind of doubt the person taking advantage of you feels bad at all.

Sometimes, that delete button calls my name!

ANYWAY. Deep breaths. You HAVE to let it go.

I have had more good experiences in business than bad.

Something fabulous happened last night and I want to tell you about it:

(This is just a random happy picture! I love my family! We're going to take a break and play there with the kids today!)

So, I was working on Mallory and Aaron's wedding video (and those two, as well as my family, always make me feel appreciated for my effort, by the way) last night and EVERYTHING kept going wrong. I really want it to turn out good, but program crashes, huge files, TONS of files... well, it all turns into the perfect storm for things to go bad. And I really needed to make some headway on that project. The wedding is next weekend, so... yeah, it's important.

And I really felt like I want to do a great job with this-- not for me, but for the people I love. So, I felt justified in praying for help. I have a hard time praying for things that are just for me. But this wasn't.

And you know what?

It worked.

I made tons of progress that is carrying me through the morning.

Sometimes I forget to remember all the little things that I believe but I know God answers prayers.

Oh snap, it looks like I just found a solution to that little problem above, wouldn't you say? Man, I hate being humbled.

Bit by Bit/ Beat by Beat/ Part by Part/ Sheet by Sheet/ Chart By Chart/ Track by track by bit by reel by stack by stock by stick by steel...

2012-01-27T22:02:00.000-08:00

Editing video makes a lady slowly lose her mind, here's what helps me feel not so alone in the world! And I corrected the lyrics myself. While my video is mixing down. Well, 2 minutes of it is mixing down. *sigh* (By the way Barbra is an amazing artist. Wow.)

PUTTING IT TOGETHER
Barbra Streisand
(from The Broadway Album)

Barbra:Look, I've spent a lot of time working on this --
Voice 1:Look, no one's gonna buy it -- no one.
Voice 2:No one in Middle America, anyway. That's for sure.
Voice 3:He's right!
Voice 1:Sweetheart, it's just not commercial!
Barbra:What is commercial?
Voice 2:It's not what's selling nowadays.
Voice 1:I mean - personally, I love it, but --
B (sung):Be nice, girl!
Voice 3:Nobody's into this kind of material.
B (sung):You have to pay a price, girl!
Voice 2:This album needs a hit single we can push.
B (sung):They like to give advice, girl!
Voice 1:The whole idea's too risky.
B (sung):Don't think about it twice, girl!
Voice 2:The audience won't understand this kind of thing!
B (sung):It's time to get to work!
Barbra:I disagree! Why don't you wait until you hear it?
Voice 3:This is like your old stuff!
B (sung):Art isn't easy.
Voice 3:You've got to appeal to the kids.
B (sung):Even when you're hot.
Voice 2:Why would you want to make an album like this anyway?
B (sung):Advancing art is easy.
Voice 1:I think we ought to talk seriously about this.
B (sung):Financing it is not!
Voice 2:Why take chances?
B (sung):A vision's just a vision if it's only in your head!
Voice 1:Nobody respects your artistic integrity more than I do, but -
B (sung):If no one gets to hear it, it's as good as dead!
Voice 2:You have to think about you career!
B (sung):It has to come to life!

B (sung):
Bit by bit / Putting it together
Piece by piece / Only way to make a work of art
Every moment makes a contribution
Every little detail plays a part
Having just the vision's no solution
Everything depends on execution

Putting it together / That's what counts!
Ounce by ounce / Putting in together
Small amounts / Having it can make a work of art
First of all you need a good foundation
Otherwise it's risky from the start
Takes a little cocktail conversation
But without the proper preparation
Having just the vision's no solution
Everything depends on execution

The art of making art
Is putting it together / Bit by bit

Voice 2:Do we really need all these musicians?

Link by link / Making the connections Yes we do!
Drink by drink / Taking every comment as it comes
Learning how to play the politician
Like you play piano, bass and drums
Otherwise you'll find your composition
Isn't gonna get much exhibition

Art isn't easy
Every minor detail / Is a major decision
Have to keep things in scale
Have to hold to your vision

Voice 1:Why don't we talk about this over dinner, darling?

What's a little cocktail conversation
If it gets the funds for your foundation
Every time I start to feel defensive --
I remember vinyl is expensive!

Voice 3:Would you agree to do an interview?
Barbra:Maybe one!

Dot by dot / Building up the image
Shot by shot / Keeping at a distance doesn't pay
Soon as you remember your objective
Keeping all your privacy away
A little bit of hype can be effective
As long as you can keep it in perspective
Even when you get some recognition
Everything you do you still audition

Art isn't easy
Overnight you're a trend / You're the right combination
Then the trend's at an end
You're suddenly last year's sensation!

All they ever want is repetition
All they really like is what they know
You gotta keep a link with your tradition
Got to learn to trust your intuition
While you reestablish your position
So that you can be on exhibi-
Spoken:So that your work can be on exhibition!!!

Be new, girl!
They tell you till they're blue, girl!
You're new, or else you're through, girl!
And even if it's true, girl,
You do what you can do!

Bit by bit / Putting it together
Piece by piece / Working on the vision night and day
All it takes is time and perseverance
And a little luck along the way
Putting in a personal appearance
Gathering supporters and adherents

Voice 1:Well, she's an original!
Voice 3:WAS!

Noting every song but in addition
Harmonizing each negotiation
Balancing the part that's all musicians
With the part that's strictly presentation
Balancing the money with the mission
Till you have the perfect orchestration
Even if you do have the suspicion
That it's taking all your concentration

The art of making art
Is putting it together / Bit by bit
Beat by beat / Part by part
Sheet by sheet / Chart by chart
Track by track by bit by reel by stack by stock by stick by steel
by shpiel... and the-e-e-en, Is the state of the art!

The Milk Man Scores Again

2012-01-27T15:24:00.000-08:00

Look what he made me, sweet prince that he is :)

I needed more room for books. And that wall used to have a little shelf on it. The rest of the wall was wasted. So, we turned it into wall to wall floor to ceiling, gaining more than double the storage space.

I still haven't perfected my "look" yet. But I'm having fun re-arranging things and experimenting with my new lovelies.

Yes, here's a pinterest idea actually reaching fruition:

Ideally, the books would line to the edge of the shelf, but guess who is against that idea?

Baby L.

He just can't keep his mitts off the books!

So in part, I need to wait for the novelty to die down before any real organization takes place...

Look what else was hiding on my shelf?

Those are 4 different cards all layered to make one FABULOUS invite. I love it (if I do say so myself).

"You're so self-promotional! And everybody loves that!" -- SNL

And Sometimes I Lose Feeling in My Fingers

2012-01-23T20:04:00.000-08:00

At church, I work with the kids 3-11. I teach them to SING and praise God! It's so fun. But sometimes, I also get to design bulletin boards and it makes me very happy. Here's this year's:

CTR stands for "choose the right"... it is all about encouraging children to make good decisions in their lives. A good message for all children, no matter the faith or creed... wouldn't you say? I think everyone should be encouraged to make thoughtful decisions... how would that effect the world if all kids were taught that?

I designed it on photshop and bought giant sequins here.

I attached them with tiny straight pins (the kind you use for sewing)... *ouch: my fingers*. But I wanted them to have some movement and since I stuck them at an angle, they can still move slightly without falling off.

I'm going to add pictures of the kids as the year goes on.

It was fun for me. Now you know my dirty little secret obsession: BULLETIN BOARDS.

From My Phone

2012-01-17T13:41:00.000-08:00

This is a SUPER random post! Can you tell we're snowed in?

I just think the pictures I save on my phone are funny. I tried to rotate, but they refused, enjoy anyway! My siblings and I like to send each other random pictures at very random times. It's fun!

Mal at her new, fancy job:

The lady from Parks & Rec (treat yourself):

My uncle:

A sign near my house:

L eating a pickle for the first time:

My wild kids waiting for me in Home Depot (with Mal in the car):

Some cookies my friends L made for her daughter A's "Soul Surfer" party (funny story: T calls it soulsifer... like, in her mind, it rhymes with lucifer...eek!).

Me & Mal after our scary date night to the haunted house:

The snow here was dumping hardcore about 2 minutes ago, now it's all sunshine and rainbows. We have a lot of snow. Maybe I should get out there with a ruler?

You Can Do Anything!

2012-01-17T10:17:00.000-08:00

This is really funny. Funny because it's true! And yes, I can laugh at myself because I am overflowing with self-esteem for no apparent reason :)

I hadn't thought of calligraphy mixed with Irish dance...

10+ years from now...

2012-01-16T22:39:00.000-08:00

...maybe I'll have to be thinking more along these lines for REAL.

But for now, I was happy just to pretend with the girls! S had a "Say Yes to the Dress" party for her 12th birthday!

The girls tried on many of my old prom dresses, old choir gowns, and others that we have accumulated over the years and said "yes" to one!

We had "wedding cake" for desert (I know some people would excel at this portion of the party, but cake making just isn't something I can focus on, my efforts are laughable)!

Then they made dresses out of paper, etc. There was one model and one designer for each team. I'd show you more, but... they are other people's kids, so I balk at showing too many pictures on my blog!

But I LOVE this one of S:

Here's the rack:

One of the finished products:

The girls were REALLY creative! We did not have a time limit, so they got to design to their heart's content!

It's all in the details :)

It was a fun way to ring in the big 12!

Recent Major Awards!

2012-01-16T21:15:00.000-08:00

Photo of the week at lds.org!
http://lds.org/service/volunteer-and-contribute/create/photos/photo-of-the-week?lang=eng
Which is kinda no big deal, but then again, I am a member of a world-wide church with over 14,000,000 members, so it is kinda cool too.

At any rate, it was fun for me & my family & friends :)

Storybrooke

2012-01-11T20:43:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot about being a mom lately and I know it must not just be me; a friend posted this on fb today:

‎"There is no one perfect way to be a good mother... Each mother has different challenges, different skills and abilities, and certainly different children... What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else." Elder M. Russell Ballard

I agree! That is a great way of putting it! And thank goodness, if there was one perfect way, we'd all be in trouble, wouldn't we?

The last day before the kids had to go to school. I was feeling bad because we were all pretty sick on and off during vacation, so didn't do much. SO, since S wanted to go to Steveston, BC, we headed out!

The boy slept to and from:

We're big fans of the show "Once Upon a Time"...

so, when I found out that the "town parts" are filmed nearby, we had to go see!

We actually learned a lot more about Mr. Gold's story this week, so this was timely...

Steveston (Storybrook, Maine on the show) is such a cute little town! I could see why the picked it.

Also, filmed around this town was "Charlie St. Cloud".
We totally walked down this street. I'm sure Zac is sorry that he missed me.

Also, for my silly friends parts of Twilight were filmed here too. I know. Crap yourselves!

We really liked legal jaywalking:

And we found a super cool park. The kids made me promise we'd come here in the summer (there was a spray park too).

Even though it was cold, they were happy.

I love it:

Even when it's cold!

I just really like exploring.

The State of Mom-hood

2012-01-08T20:26:00.000-08:00

I feel like a good mom. Sure, I'm not perfect. I can think of a million things I can do better.

I was just talking to my friend, R, about how hard being a mom is though. It's a huge sacrifice. I've been having a hard time finding balance sometimes. And after talking to a few friends, I know I'm not alone in this.

And I'm also aware that in blogland, sometime it can be easy to only post the good-- and why not? I want to focus on the good. It's the best part of being a mom! And it's WORTH IT.

I was also talking to my friend, K, about how sometimes I feel like I'm surrounded by cheese. What is on TV and the internet is just not reality. It's either super cheesy or super slutty. And I'm talking about everything from BYUTV to network TV-- where's the reality? I feel like the person I am and the people my friends are is just not represented anywhere (except maybe on lds.org). It's frustrating! You know, now that I think about it, my friends and I are far too busy trying to be good moms to be on a TV show. Maybe that's the problem?

My friend, R, sent me this link though, and it totally summed up how I've been feeling and made me tear up a little because, hooray! I'm not alone!

Read it here.

Is it bad that I'll look back in the rear-view mirror and part of me will think "I'm glad it's over"?

And just to prove that my soul is not through struggling with this question: last night I dreamt I had another baby (just to be clear, this is not happening). I just went to the hospital, gave birth, came home and told S, "can you call dad really quick? I forgot to tell him I was having a baby" and the Milk Man came home, unfazed and said, "look what we have here!". Disclaimer: my dreams are insane.

Anyway, the kids are now in bed and the hubby and I are going to enjoy some alone time watching Terra Nova! I hope you guys don't think I'm crazy now.

The Last Half of 2011

2012-01-05T22:35:00.000-08:00

I'm so tired. But I'm waiting up for the Milk Man :) So, why not blog?

July:

We went on vacation to California... also, we looked at houses.

It's so weird how that almost happened.

This trip includes some of my favorite images from the entire year, so:

I just love my family. I want to live on an island, with all of them close by.

The we decided to stay here (so much of the story hasn't even been blogged... yet):

August:

Summer finally arrived in the Northwest!

My favorite (technically horrible) picture of the year:

More trips to Port Orchard:

Most of these days were spent saying "can you believe we almost gave this up?"

I know, get over it Courtney!

September:

I was alone... for the first time... all day... every day... with

B O Y S !

And L perfected his walking skills, patenting a little known lead-with-your-belly technique.

Mallory moved to Bellingham sometime in September? I think? We were sad to see her go!

October:

The reason Mal moved. Not because she doesn't love being squished into our house, but to be closer to this nice boy:

Kevin coached S's volleyball team (with some help from Mal!):

S earned a nook (she is SUCH a good girl) and taught Russ angry birds:

And she rocked it at Zombie Dance:

We got our Halloween creativity on:

November:

FLEW.

We were Thankful...

December:

I got to be there and document the birth of a niece!

Spent Christmas Eve with loved ones:

Had a relaxing Christmas Day.

AND

My baby turned 12.

I know, get over it Courtney! I just can't stop thinking about how this is major. I know, it's not that big of a deal, it's just a number-- she didn't change overnight.

Maybe 2012 should be the year I just need to "get over"?

I feel like I'm entering a new phase of life with this new year. I'm excited about it, even though looking at the past year makes me nostalgic.

Great things are ahead!

2011, In Memoriam (first half of the year)

2012-01-05T19:26:00.000-08:00

In memoriam is a Latin phrase that translates directly as 'in memory of', examples of its uses can be found in obituaries and in epitaphs

This is more an exercise for me than it is for you. I really think that looking back at the previous year is healthy. Super good for you. A good way to see where you've been and to get inspired about the future.

January:

Where have my little boys gone?

February:
My hands STILL hurt from making all these gumball necklaces and bracelets. OUCH. (But cute, right?)

One of my favorite things about living here is that we can get visitors... at all sorts of random times and for reasons that I don't even remember. But we make up reasons and we have tons of fun.

March:
T turned 6 and though I have pictures of her invites, I STILL have not developed (digitally) her party pictures!

My patient (in this picture only) baby...

Winter of 2011 was a slow one for me, technically. I took a break from teaching piano 2010-2011 school year and I STILL felt like I could not keep up! I'm so glad I took that break. It was needed.

April:
A close family friend got married. She's just so stinking cute and I was so happy for her!

My kids kept growing and I didn't frame their pictures!

This one got tough to photograph :)

May:

S was in a play (that takes such a huge chunk of time commitment!)

The weather got nice again...

I realized that I had not been taking enough pictures of my kids and especially baby L!

June:

B was baptized, so we had lots of out of town visitors! Including, but not limited to:

T had her first recital:

Mal came to live with us at some point... was that May? April? I don't remember. But here's a picture of Mal (in her fancy cow suit) with J, a dear, sweet neighbor & co-worker:

(flip flops! remember those?)

Also in June: The Milk Man started flying around the country, looking at jobs. Even the kids didn't know, really, where daddy was on these random trips. It was "for work". The most heavily considered jobs were in Pennsylvania (an hour from NY CITY! my dreams, seriously.) and California.

And near the end of June, I started feeling like I was going to suffer from IBS for the rest of my life!

Stay tuned for the last half of the year. Time to go put some smack down on these wild kids!

Bye Bye 2011

2012-01-01T19:13:00.000-08:00

I kind of feel like looking back on 2011, it will feel a little like a to-do list. Yeah, we had some fun, but I got a lot done too. A lot of necessary, upkeep, living-life kind of stuff. After all, you can't just party all the time, right?

I feel like the way I rang in the New Year... by falling asleep reading... was the best possible thing for me. I couldn't be happier.

And I'm ready for 2012 to be more of a FUN year. Wouldn't that be great?

I leave you with a picture from Christmas morning. Already, 2 books down. I can tell this device is going to be a big part of my 2012 :)

And this was the first time the Milk Man has ever splurged and surprised me with something for Christmas. We are normally very thrifty and careful. I feel spoiled and thankful!