Photography by Lara

28/366

2012-01-28T15:56:00.002-07:00

January 28, 2012

The problem with winter sports is that - follow me closely here - they generally take place in winter.

~Dave Barry

Heikinpäivä today. That's a Finnish mid-winter festival, I think. Perhaps my Finnish friends can help me out. All I know is that I live in the heart of Finnish-America, and we celebrate it complete with wife-carrying contests, parades, Tori (market), a Polar Bear plunge (brrrr!), reindeer, sleds, and lots of snow.

Bria had to play her violin as part of the festivities, or I may not have bothered going. But I'm glad I did, because we had a lot of fun, despite the BLIZZARD and the COLD. In this picture, the girls are using a Finnish sled contraption, the name of which I do not know, where one lucky person gets to sit in the sled, and the other, not-so-lucky people get to run around in circles pushing the sled around. Fun times!

27/366

2012-01-27T15:23:00.004-07:00

January 27, 2012

We build too many walls and not enough bridges.

~Isaac Newton

It was a lovely day, so Sophia and I went down to the canal after her violin lesson, mainly so I could get a more interesting picture for my Project 366 today.

I love the bridge. It is one of my favorite things about where I live. I admit that I don't pay as much attention to it in the winter, but the frozen canal beneath it has a certain charm of its own. Especially when the sun is shining.

26/366

2012-01-26T19:19:00.005-07:00

January 26, 2012

The days are such a repetition of each 
other that they sometimes seem very long, but when one pauses and looks 
back one starts at the accumulation of departed time, and deplores the 
swiftness of the seasons.

~Robert Grant

Ah, Thursdays.

They kill me. The longest day of the week. Especially when they begin by taking my husband to the airport at 4:30 in the morning. And then include teaching for 7 hours, rushing home to get the girls off the bus and heading out to three more hours of violin lessons, piano lessons and math tutoring (or torturing, if you prefer).

And so, Taco Bell is not only quick and easy, it's practically a necessity.

Next Thursday I'll see about that crock pot I have....

25/366

2012-01-25T20:38:00.004-07:00

January 25, 2012 Little darling, it's been a long, cold, lonely winter. Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here. Here comes the sun, and I say, It's all right.
~The Beatles

Today, the sun came out. For me, it was a gift direct from God with a note attached that said, "The winter will end, and it's all right."

It's been a hard week for me. I have S.A.D., and even with my Vitamin D and my happy light, January is tough. And as far north as I live, it's harder here than it was in Utah. Interestingly, in Arizona, I suffered from S.A.D. during the summer. Because you can't really go outside in the summer and being caged indoors really exacerbates the whole thing.

But enough about that. The sun came out today! And even though I only left the house in my slippers to catch a quick photo of the beautiful blue sky, it was still pretty cold. Sun with teeth, as the Romanians say. So I scurried back into the cave for a bit more hibernation...just next to the window so I could bask in the light like a cat.

24/366

2012-01-24T18:42:00.000-07:00

January 24, 2012

Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that. 

~Martin Luther King

Ah yes. I said I was sick of photographing snow. But here it is. Snow.

I snapped this photo at around 9:45 this morning when Joel and the girls left the house to walk to the bus stop. While yesterday should have been a snow day (it really is ridiculous that it wasn't), we at least got a two hour delayed start today.

A little more sleep for mom and dad, a little more time to get ready and play around for the girls, and best of all: a walk to the bus in the daylight.

Sophia even asked me when she got home today why it was so light on the bus ride to school. Why wasn't it dark? (She did have some trouble with the whole late start concept.)

Though we are deep in the gloom of January, the days WILL get longer and for now we will take what light we can get.

And snow. Though I'm sure we'll get plenty more of that.

23/366

2012-01-23T19:35:00.001-07:00

January 23, 2012

Anybody who has curly hair knows you don't want it to be brushed out because it becomes a never-ending tangle.

~Judy Davis

I thought about taking pictures of all the SNOW we got today. But I'm kind of sick of the snow. Okay, I'm REALLY sick of it.

Anyway. No snow. Dolls today.

A word of advice: Don't buy American Girl dolls with curly hair if you can at all help it. This is Lainie, Sophia's doll, and her hair is always an absolute wreck. Chloe's doll also has curly, messy, tangled, hair. Bria's doll, however, has perfectly straight hair that rarely gets tangled.

Tonight I finally got it together enough to re-curl their hair. I was pretty impressed with how well it turned out. I'm sure it will be a tangled mess again in a matter of days, but at least I know how to fix it now.

22/366

2012-01-23T19:27:00.001-07:00

January 22, 2012

A man grows most tired when standing still.

~Chinese Proverb

I took some pictures of the Primary children during church today, including my own. Sophia was quite tired after Sacrament meeting. I thought she might be sick, but I really think she was just exhausted. You can see it in her eyes.

Perhaps from all of the sitting still in church...

21/366

2012-01-23T19:20:00.000-07:00

January 21, 2012 No one ever tells you about raising daughters. You think it’ll be like Little Women, and instead they’re at each others’ throats.
~Lady Cora Grantham, Countess of Grantham

I wasn't feeling so well this weekend (What's a weekend?), and so I spent all of Saturday lying in front of the television watching my new favorite show, Downton Abbey. It's rare for me to find a show that I can completely get into, so this was a nice discovery.

I guess I'm going to have to try some of the other British TV offerings on Netflix, because I am all caught up with this one now! Delightful.

And I wholeheartedly agree with Lady Grantham about the whole raising daughters thing...

20/366

2012-01-20T10:24:00.004-07:00

January 20, 2012

A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.

~Anonymous

Girl Scout cookie sales start today! And I have THREE little girl scouts. This is Sophia's first year selling and she is SO excited. Plus, she made the first sales by asking to call Mamah (who then bought from the other two as well...what's a grandma to do?).

If you want to buy some...let us know. We have lofty goals!

19/366

2012-01-20T10:18:00.004-07:00

January 19, 2012

I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.
~Thomas Jefferson

It was a snow day today. No school. No violin. But Chloe still had piano lessons. I snapped this while she was waiting on the steps outside for me to bring the car out of the garage. She was just staring off into the neighbor's yard...but I don't think that's where she was really looking.

18/366

2012-01-18T10:15:00.000-07:00

January 18, 2012
The world is but a canvas to the imagination.
~Henry David Thoreau

On Wednesdays I watch my friends' children, and she watches mine on Thursdays. It's a lovely way to be able to go to work without worrying too much about childcare. Bria had another early release on Wednesday, and she was excited to make lunch for the littles.

She LOVES to cook, and she also loves to make the eating experience fun. I love watching her imagination work, and this was the result today. Bria's restaurant. I'm not sure what the blanket on the light accomplishes, but I am sure it has something to do with ambiance.

The food was good, too!

17/366

2012-01-17T20:54:00.001-07:00

January 17, 2012

Oh! the snow, the beautiful snow, Filling the sky and earth below, Over the housetops, over the street, Over the heads of the people you meet. Dancing, Flirting, Skimming along.

~J.W. Watson

After our little impromptu photoshoot in the snow, Bria wasn't freezing enough (like I was) to go immediately into the house. The foot of snow on the picnic table beckoned to her, and she felt the need to go dance on top of the table.

People don't see this side of Bria often enough, so I thought I'd share. Even though she'll probably kill me. :)

16/366

2012-01-16T19:43:00.001-07:00

January 16, 2012

Happiness is a thing to be practiced, like the violin.

~John Lubbock

Sophia has almost mastered her Twinkles and is just about ready to move on to Lightly Row. I am amazed at how quickly the process went with her compared to the year or more it took with her older sister. The novelty of practicing every day has finally worn off (she began by wanting to practice every spare moment), but she still likes to play and I am excited to see her progress, though I do question my sanity in putting another child into the Suzuki program when I know exactly what that means for me!

15/366

2012-01-15T19:36:00.000-07:00

January 15, 2012

For women, shoes are the most important. Good shoes take you good places.

~Seo Min Hyun

Sophia got a new pair of red shoes. Need I say more?

14/366

2012-01-14T19:33:00.000-07:00

January 14, 2012

Whose woods these are I think I know.   

His house is in the village though;   

He will not see me stopping here   

To watch his woods fill up with snow.   

~Robert Frost

Today I took girls 2 and 3 sledding with some friends at another friends' house. They have a lot of property out in the country (in the woods), which includes the world's coolest sled run!

13/366

2012-01-13T21:22:00.000-07:00

January 13,2012

Babies are such a nice way to start people. 

~Don Herold 

We do a babysitting co-op with some friends each Friday night. Tonight was our turn to watch all the kiddos while their parents went on much-needed dates without having the extra expense of paying for a sitter.

Chloe absolutely loves babies, and wants to hold them all the time. She was pretty proud of herself for being able to STAND UP and hold baby J, now that she isn't quite such a floppy newborn anymore! I can't get over the happiness this brings to my little girl. She's going to be such a great little mommy someday.

12/366

2012-01-12T19:20:00.000-07:00

January 12, 2012

Work is the refuge of people who have nothing better to do.

~Oscar Wilde

And, it would seem that The Maestro rarely has anything better to do.

Kidding. I totally forgot about my Project 365 today, so I snapped a quick (and blurry) photo of The Maestro working on the presentation he will be giving at a conducting conference this month. He's been working hard to make it perfect. And I'm sure it will be.

11/366

2012-01-11T19:15:00.000-07:00

January 11, 2012

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

~Charles Dickens

Book club tonight. A Tale of Two Cities. My Kindle died while reading, and I had to wait for a new one, and in the meanwhile unsuccessfully tried to read on my phone. I should have gone to the library, but I just never found time. Consequently, by book club, I was only 70% of the way through, having just received my new Kindle the day before.

But, I loved what I read, and can't wait to finish!

10/366

2012-01-10T19:24:00.000-07:00

January 10, 2012

We start to realize that there are anodynes in life that help us through the day. I don't care if it's a walk in the park, a look out the window, a good bubble bath - whatever. Even a meal you like, or a friend you want to call. That helps us solve all this stuff in our head.

~Al Pacino

This picture speaks for itself. Who doesn't love a good bubble bath? Sophia certainly does!

9/366

2012-01-09T18:55:00.002-07:00

January 9, 2012

Life is a combination of magic and pasta.  

~ Fellini

My husband cooks more than I do. It's pretty wonderful. He also cooks better than I do, even when it's just spaghetti. Like tonight.

8/366

2012-01-08T19:52:00.000-07:00

January 8, 2012

In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.

~Mortimer J. Adler

Bria and I love to come home from church and climb in my bed together and read. I've been reading A Tale of Two Cities on my phone because my beloved Kindle broke the other day and we have book club discussion in just a few days. I must say, reading on my phone is annoying, but at least I had a camera with me while I was lying in bed and thought about Project 365.

Bria is reading the My Sister the Vampire series by Sienna Mercer right now. She really likes them--she got the entire set for Christmas and this was #4 out of 6.

7/366

2012-01-07T14:25:00.003-07:00

January 7, 2012

Thank you, Mario!  But our princess is in another castle.

Toad

Ah, Super Mario Brothers. The addiction du jour at our house. Sophia especially wants to play it all. the. time. Chloe really likes it, too, and Bria has fun with it, but would still rather read (that's my girl).

Today after all the chores were done, they got to play. I must say, it is a good way to get them working, because they worked harder and faster today than they do most Saturdays. Chloe went on a play date, and the other two have been up there playing ever since.

With just a little bit of bickering.

6/366

2012-01-06T19:49:00.000-07:00

January 6, 2012

We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.

~George Bernard Shaw

Sophia and her best friend Elizabeth had a playdate today. I love watching those two play together...so imaginative in their Barbie and American Girl world. And they have so much fun! I took this picture just before we got in the car to take Elizabeth home and get Sophia to her violin lesson...trying to remember to get a picture in is still difficult, but so far, so good.

5/366

2012-01-05T20:56:00.005-07:00

January 5, 2012<

Expect more, pay less!

~Target

Yeah, I don't have a Target in my town. So, when I go to the closest town that does (2 hours away), I get a little excited. And spend a little too much. But hey! Today I got out of there for less than $100.00. Okay, so it was only two dollars less, but still!

Also, I forgot my big camera. We went down there for Bria to get her braces on, but we left at 6:30 in the morning, so the iPhone saved the day again. Edited with pixlromatic, a free app.

4/366

2012-01-04T17:22:00.003-07:00

January 4, 2012

Don't walk in front of me, I may not follow; Don't walk behind me, I may 
  not lead; Walk beside me, and just be my friend. 

Albert Camus

Chloe and her best friend Eva after getting off the bus together this afternoon. I love how papers are spilling out of Chloe's backpack and how she is not wearing any of her snow stuff and instead carrying it all in her arms. I love that I caught the other neighborhood bus crossing through just as we were walking down the hill. I love how these two girls love each other so much.