The Crazy Crowfoots

terms of endearment...

2012-01-31T10:23:00.038-07:00

or something like it.

i'm pretty sure makayah has found mimzy's nickname to be overused and worn out....why else would she be calling out,

"feta cheese! feta cheese! come back here, feta cheese!"

and when cuddling on the couch with her little sister, makayah will cup her hands over mimzy's chubby cheeks and say, "oh pita chip, you are so cute!"

on other occasions, mainly when playing beauty shoppe, makayah will call out her next customer, "adora! it's your turn. time to put your makeup on, adora. adora, you look beautiful!"

but when makayah is fed up with little sister shenanigans and just can't take it anymore, she'll yell out, "stop pushing me, you little hobbit! give that back, you little hobbit! don't break my dolls, you little hobbit!"

i suppose, one nickname just isn't enough for a little sister.

****

today i am grateful for:

*carpools. :)

*the warm weather. it was 40 degrees this afternoon, apparently warm enough to throw off one's shoes, sit and splash in the melted ice puddles, and enjoy the sunshine.

*easy roast chicken dinner with mashed red potatoes and hidden cauliflower.

what crowfoot babies do...

2012-01-30T10:11:00.003-07:00

little mims.

she is 16 months today.

she likes to go on lunch dates with daddy.

little mims is very independent. she likes to feed herself and does not want help when trying to drink from a cup and straw.

she loves mommy's homemade hummus. and mostly, she likes to lick it off of chips. simply hummus, yum!

little mims has learned how to go up and down the stairs without any assistance at all. sometimes, this can give mommy a heart attack.

she likes to build things. she loves dolls, playing dress up, beauty shop, and "vroooming" the toy cars around the house. with an older brother and sister, she is pretty well-rounded when it comes to playthings.

side note: i often have hair elastics on my wrist just in case i need one. mims decided she needed one around her wrist too, just in case.

mimzy has learned how to throw her own diaper away, and she is excited to do it! i think it helps that we all give her a round of applause after slamming the top down. the only downside to this is, once or twice i found a sippy cup inside the trash can.

mims loves to brush her teeth, without any help, although help is still required and given.

she loves to mimic her big sister. she is such a cute little shadow.

she's actually pretty good at brushing her toofers.

she usually begins to whine whenever we try to take her toothbrush away.

little mims also thinks she knows how to use the phone, and likes to help daddy with games.

mims has learned how to fold her arms for prayer. she's a great example. :) a few other tidbits about our growing mimzy: her favorite words are mommy, daddy, uh-oh, and other babble we can't yet decipher. however, she loves to shake her head "no" to most everything we ask her. she loves to dance and will swipe the iphones, and somehow has learned to turn on the jukebox and start bouncing along. she never forgets to wave "nah-nite" to the family as she is getting ready for bedtime. and she absolutely loves sitting on the couch reading her dinosaur board books, and will beg anyone nearby to read her the stories.

miss makayah.

she is so grown up, and i can't stop looking her. she is so perfectly adorable.

she loves going on lunch dates with daddy, too.

she loves taking time to smell the flowers. i envy those eyelashes of hers.

i love this face.

she loves ballet.

and she has become very good at it.

makayah is a free spirt.

she has become so very witty and smart. she is also a great helper. she is still a firecracker and very stubborn - she is a girl who knows what she wants, and these traits will come in handy for her down the road. it is bittersweet watching her grow up, but it has been so entertaining and so much fun. she amazes me.

isaiah, the older brother.

he is an artist. a fabulously talented one.

we've framed as many as we can. and stuck the others up wherever there is space.

i love how creative he is.

i need to take more pictures of him. however, if i want to get a good one, i have to get the good, bulky camera out, he is just too fast for me and my camera phone. he is such a good kid. for the most part, he is a good listener and helper. he loves school and being with his friends. he is funny and is a great storyteller. he is so very musically eclectic. lately, he's been very interested in "the beatles." sam has been putting the kids to bed for the past weeks and instead of my regular church lullabies, i've overheard his musical lessons on bob dylan, bob marley, and the beatles - just to name a few. isaiah is so interested in fact, that he has been begging to call grandma crowfoot to hear her stories of the beatles when she was a little girl.

so, this post was mostly for the grandparents. just keeping you updated.

****

quotes of the day:

makayah: mo-om! did you know that isaiah has a girlfriend?

isaiah: no i don't.

makayah: yes, you do! and you want to take her on a day-ate...to the end of the rainbow!

isaiah: don't listen to her mom, she's nuts!

****

today i am grateful for:

*the funny things my kids say. i love that they make me laugh.

*lunch dates with daddy.

*ice chips.

ahem, i was mistaken...

2012-01-29T19:57:00.010-07:00

it's not often that i am wrong. okay, maybe i'm more wrong than i think or would like to admit. but the point is, it is sunday evening. the kids are in bed, fast asleep, and the house is relatively clean - no thanks to me.

in spite of his scratchy throat, sam helped the kids clean the house, and then proceeded to make dinner.

contrary to my pessimistic predictions, there will be no pillows or blankets or crumbs sprinkled across the living room floor.

a load of dishes has been washed. the floor swept. and the kids' room cleaned.

sam and i may have very different ways of getting things done, but it's done. i was still in my sickly, stuffy-headed slump and somehow he made things all better and i didn't even have to ask.

i have to admit, i feel a little foolish as i sit here looking around at the tidiness that surrounds me - remembering how i whined and complained how no one helped. and yet, as i lied around hopelessly in a slump...sam pulled me through sunday, and is out at this very moment buying a few grocery items so i don't have to go tomorrow. yes, i am a fool. a very lucky fool, but a fool just the same.

i failed to mention one very important thing i do love about the weekends, the extra pair of hands. sam literally takes the weight off my shoulders, whether it is carrying samiyah around, or lifting the kids off to bed...whatever it is, i am grateful for his help.

you are my hero, sam. thank you for an unexpectedly wonderful end to the weekend.

****

today i am grateful for:

*sam. i couldn't have asked for a better father or husband.

*kids who are well enough to go back to school tomorrow.

*a chance to get back into the swing of things, finally. usually, if things go according to plan, it takes approximately 2 weeks to recover from travel/holiday fun. this time it took 4. i'm looking forward to getting out of this crazy slump.

weekends, love em' or hate em'...

2012-01-28T08:03:00.001-07:00

i have a love/hate relationship with the weekends. during the week, i am struggling as a single parent with school activities and homework to help out with, keeping a strict schedule to keep things flowing smoothly, waking up early to take kids to school and pick them up. all i can think of is how easy and carefree the weekend will be. but, i always forget how crazy the weekend becomes. some things i love about weekends:

fun things to do around town as a family, like: the bookless party at the public library downtown.

the painting wall was a hit with the kids.

my little artists did not want to leave this station. it was just way too much fun.

did i mention that this paint was not washable paint? permanent. yep. too late now. at least they loved it.

isaiah and makayah were relatively paint-stained-free. however, samiyah managed to fall into the wet-paint wall. of course she would. and she had the nerve to just laugh about it all.

quick snack break and then down to the basement for some creepy light-up mummies.

there was also some kind of maze, complete with dragon skeletal remains. isaiah found that sticking shoes into another person's artwork is hilarious. boys.

weekends are also fun because we get to experience new things like free bluegrass concerts, and super simple artwork that inspire my budding artists - 'hey, i can totally draw that!'

we capped off our party visit in the "stuffies" room. i finally got to sit down and relax while the kids rolled around.

mak was such a doll today. thanks for being so chill. whew.

daddy met up with us after his basketball game and we headed over to the overture center for the rotunda kids performance. it was free and it kept my clean house cleaner for a little longer.

mimzy was entranced by the juggling man. she even clapped daddy's face during the really impressive parts.

i was not in the mood to go home and dirty up my clean kitchen. we walked down the street for some gyros and fries. someday mims will realize how dangerous it is to fall asleep when daddy is around.

so there. the reasons why i like the weekends - fun stuff to do as a family. there is nothing better than watching my children laugh and enjoy themselves, and have the chance to talk and laugh with my husband. those sparkling moments make walking through the freezing wind with a stuffy nose, down state street, all worth it.

now, one may look at this collage of our day and think, 'wow! what a perfect saturday afternoon!'

let me just say, it takes a great amount of effort to create this.

i stress out about a number of things. i stress out when the house is not clean and in order. i stress out about being on time. i stress out when things don't go according to the plan inside my head. that's a lot of stressing out, i know. and it's even more disturbing to realize that i am the only one who stresses out about these things.

this morning began nice enough with a waffle and sausage breakfast. we made the plan of cleaning up the house before going out to these fun and fantastic events around town. well, i guess i should clarify - I made the plan to have the house clean before we left. after breakfast, everyone disappeared into the living room to watch movies...while i cleaned. yeah, that stressed me out. i don't do well with these "let our breakfast settle" breaks.

stressing out.

cleaning up.

shouting orders at the kids and husband.

looking at the clock.

stressing out, again.

ugh. i was so ready to throw in the towel, and tell everyone the plans were scratched. i really hate turning good mornings into bad ones. somehow i pushed aside my seething fury about being the only one who cleaned anything up, and decided to be grateful that i didn't have to take care of the kids' baths. i really wanted to keep this bad attitude i had acquired, but, at the same time i really wanted the kids to have a fun day. in the end, the kids won out and i had to water down the flames. i can be an incredibly unselfish person. they should be thankful. ;)

sometimes, the weekend chaos just really stresses me out. i haven't yet figured out how to juggle the weekend fun with the weekend disaster it almost always brings. i cleaned my house this morning. by the end of sunday, there will be pillows and blankets and crumbs sprinkled across my living room floor (yep, no matter how many times i tell my kids to eat at the table). the kitchen sink will be overflowing with dirty dishes. there will be milk and cheerios spilled beneath the kitchen table. and of course, more laundry to wash. i will be too wiped out to do anything about it all, and it will stay this way until monday morning when the kids are at school, when mimzy is napping, and when i am supposed to be having some ME time - i will, instead, be forced to clean this place again because otherwise i will go insane and be terribly unhappy and unsettled. there's nothing i hate more than stepping on sticky floors.

sometimes, i wish i had a wife of my own. someone who could clean up after ME. someone who would make ME breakfast, lunch, and dinner. someone who would wash and fold MY laundry. someone who cares about how clean and tidy this place is as much as i do, and then clean it accordingly. and maybe if i did have a wife of my own, i could finally be a real person with hobbies and interests again.

oh monday, where art thou?

****

today i am grateful for:

*the willpower to let go of my pride. it really did make me happy to see my kids have such a fabulous day.

*homemade hummus.

*free events around town. free is always good.

why "fun fridays" are fun...

2012-01-27T08:01:00.005-07:00

dropping everyone off at school or work... yes, after the crazy rush of it all - when it's break time - that part is fun. :) and today, isaiah had early release. and it was actually fun picking both kids up at the same time. i really do like having them home. they played with mimzy and watched movies while i took one of those crazy, drooling, disorienting naps.

picking daddy up downtown at the courthouse. lots of fun, especially when he brings chocolates from his office to share. :) also, a great excuse for eating downtown. we stopped at ian's pizza to try their famous mac & cheese pizza. pretty tasty. not as tasty as luigi's, BUT, i didn't have to make dinner or do dishes - and that's good enough for me.

we ended this busy day with the native craft night get together. tonight, makayah and i made a corn husk doll while sam helped mac make his drumstick. isaiah and doug ran around being silly boys, sword fighting and chasing after mimzy. good day, good night.

the end.

Sisters

2012-01-26T22:25:00.002-07:00

this is a little sister. she likes to begin her day with a bottle of soy or almond milk.

little sisters also like to draw on their older sister's drawings, you know, just to finish it off.

apparently, when you have a little sister, and she wants what you have, and you don't give it to her right away, a cat fight ensues. they started out the morning in time out. reluctantly, hugs and kisses followed.

another thing i'm learning about sisters: they make up pretty quickly - especially so they can dress up and have tea parties together.

and when they do make up, they like to help each other out...

and in rare, but glorious moments, they like to share things like the abacus.

sisters like to giggle and roll around in the clean laundry. they also find that playing "parachute" with the sheets mommy is folding can be super duper fun.

sisters like to cruise, whether it's in a car or on a scooter. they like to laugh and chase each other while cruising, too.

i've been learning so many things about sisters from watching these two little girls. i grew up with a bunch of boys until my parents finally adopted two girls, and another boy about the time i was entering high school. so, really, i was more like a babysitter/parent-figure to my sisters than a sister.

i'm really grateful these girls have each other to play, fight, giggle, hug, and someday talk with. i always wish i had a sister close to me in age to do these things with. but, lucky for me, my mom was a great substitute. ;) i'm grateful for the sisters i do have, and as they've gotten older, it's been nice to hang out whenever we can. it's challenging now, since we live so far apart, and i'm so busy with my family, and they are so busy with their own lives - but i love them just the same.

i hope these two little girls know just how lucky they are to have each other. sisters are priceless.

****

today i am grateful for:

*a safe drive downtown to pick daddy up from school.

*the energy i finally had to cook up this spaghetti squash as samiyah's baby food for the next couple meals. thanks, cherisse for the inspiration. ;)

*tissue. i'm still sniffling but i'm hoping i'm all better tomorrow.

feeling pretty great, better anyway.

2012-01-25T19:10:00.000-07:00

today was considerably better than yesterday.

it might've been the wonderful lunch with friends that put me in a great mood.

in fact, samiyah was so excited about the possibility of going out, she ran to the front door and tried to put her own shoes on.

we felt great enough to go grocery shopping. good thing, our fridge was looking pretty bare.

we felt great enough to record the year's growth spurts. isaiah grew a whopping 3 inches since last year. makayah also grew about 3 inches since last year. and mimzy, took the cake with 5.5 inches!

as you can tell, mims was pretty happy with her spurting.

and she definitely wanted to make sure daddy marked her progress correctly.

i felt great enough to make homemade red lentil soup with whole wheat cornbread muffins. it really was a perfect meal for a cold and wintery day.

daddy felt great enough to let mimzy self feed. i wasn't so sure about that one. in the end, her lentils and carrots and celery ended up on the floor. at least she felt great about being independent for a bit.

isaiah felt great enough to eat dinner without his shirt. honestly, i don't know why he didn't want to wear a shirt. he's a boy. and this boy, for some reason or other, just likes to go shirtless every once in a while. i think he just wanted to show off his muscles. ;)

it's nice to have the kids feeling better.

****

quotes of the day:

*on the way home from our lunch date and grocery shopping, makayah asked, "mom, were there cars in Jesus' time?"

nope.

"well, what about target?"

nope.

"no cars?! no targets?! well, why didn't he just invent them?"

i have no idea.

*sam came home from work starving, asking what we were having for dinner. lentil soup.

he asked, rather incredulously, "lentil soup?! didn't you go grocery shopping today?"

i'm not exactly sure what was meant by that. but i had to laugh, just the same. sam isn't the biggest fan of lentil soup. but after dinner, he did exclaim how "far" my lentil soup has come. thanks, sam. ;)

****

today i am grateful for:

*lunch with friends. after being cooped up for the past week, it was nice to feel like a grown-up, having grown-up conversations, using grown-up words.

*how much my parents enjoy my blog and how funny and entertaining they find it. :)

*errands that have forced me out despite this frigidness. it's nice to break up the day with something, especially when the kids are bored and still recuperating. i'm hoping mak is well enough to go back to preschool on friday. i hope, i hope, i hope.

and so it begins...

2012-01-25T07:36:00.000-07:00

the first days of sam's very last semester of law school. hallelujah.

he is taking three classes as well as attending his judicial internship three days out of the week.

here is the view from the courthouse.

here is the lunch menu offered him at the courthouse.

here is the bus that brings daddy back home.

we are so proud of daddy and all the important things he has lined up to do this semester. he had a great start in being matched perfectly with his judge. who knew costco, coke zero, and mini vans would serve as a great jumping off point of shared interests?

i can't say that i'm completely thrilled about taking on the gigantic and enormous responsibility of parenting, for the most part, on my own, again. tuesdays are looking to be very challenging already with sam coming in at 9pm. but, i am thrilled he does come home. and am i ever relieved it's the last semester.

day something or other of sick babies...

2012-01-24T20:58:00.001-07:00

this morning we woke up to a crying mims. she didn't calm down until after her steamed shower. poor little baby.

sam took the girls to the doctor today after we dropped isaiah off at school.

makayah, performing the same lung test that isaiah had to undergo.

mimzy, nervously awaiting her turn.

daddy was just hoping that the doctors would hurry it up before the girls tore apart the room - or in mimzy's case, ate all the furniture.

tally of diagnoses for this week:

isaiah - onset of pneumonia.

makayah - bronchitis.

samiyah - double ear infection.

whoa! what happened?!

up until this holiday season, i can't remember the last time i had to take the kids into the doctor to fix anything (other than the regular well-child visits). i do remember they had pretty bad colds 6 weeks after samiyah was born. that was a long time ago, sickness-wise. i suppose lucky streaks have to end sometime. i'm sure the combination of traveling, travel-eating, and their inconsistent schedules wreaked havoc on their poor immune systems over the holidays...not to mention their great talent at spreading germs to one another like carrier monkeys.

sigh. at least we know what is wrong, and can now fix it.

and now, for some kiddie quotes...

*at bedtime tonight, just after hugging and kissing isaiah goodnight, he asked me, "mom, is my cheek bleeding?"

no, why?

"because, dad scratched me with his whiskers when he kissed me."

*the past few nights, makayah has been delirious with nightmares. last night she dreamed that a dinosaur was attacking her boat. she tossed and turned in her sleep, yelling out, "get samiyah! save samiyah!"

****

today i am grateful for:

*insurance. we have some really great insurance with the school - thank goodness.

*medicated kids...on the road to full recovery - soon, i hope.

*the nap i had while sam was gone. i was so worn out, i really needed a proper rest.

Blah

2012-01-23T22:50:00.005-07:00

if i had the luxury of locking myself in my bedroom all day long, i would have.

sick kids = no fun.

by the end of the day i couldn't take it anymore. the kids had been put to bed early, and i was desperate for some kind of control in my life - anything. so, as emotionally and physically exhausted as i was after caring for two sick little girls, i scrubbed the house down. it was the second time within 5 days that i deep cleaned the house. i quite literally scrubbed my fingertips raw. i think it took me about an hour to get the entire house in tip top shape. even the laundry was folded and put away.

believe me, i was incredibly tempted to throw in the towel, leave the house a disaster, and lie in my bed crunching on ice chips while wasting the rest of the evening away playing sudoku.

the clean and disinfected house was much more rewarding. and i felt zero guilt eating my pistachio ice cream and chocolates while laughing at the craziness of "crazy, stupid, love."

i guess the ENTIRE day wasn't a complete disaster. at least i get to wake up to a tidy place.

today i am grateful for:

*samiyah, who, in spite of being sick, still manages to make me laugh. as i was getting ready to take isaiah to school this morning, she grabbed a toque and placed it on her head - thinking she was coming along.

she looked way too cute.

*for the fun time makayah had at ballet despite all the trouble it was to get her there, care for my miserable, coughing mimzy, and then lug everybody back home.

*for my handsome boy. i'm so glad he's on the mend and not sick anymore. it would have been an even bigger nightmare to manage THREE sick kids at one time.

i love his bashful smile.

*finally, i am grateful for pistachio ice cream and ferrero roche chocolates. it wasn't a good day to have my patience tested, and i'm just glad i managed to survive this day without too much damage.

the fun can't last forever...

2012-01-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

the girls are both sick with colds and fevers, still. we didn't get to go to church today.

the day was a bust and spent mostly on the couch, cuddling my grumpy babes.

funny how fast the house can go from being sparkling clean, to a disaster area.

in the midst of chaos, coughing, and hot temps, there were some highlights to the day - surprisingly.

isaiah, with the help of his daddy, made this pirate ship out of legos. he, at least felt good enough to do something. and this particular something he had been waiting to do since christmas. he's so proud of it. he did a great job - go, isaiah! :)

the girls seemed to feel much better after their nightly bath, but only until they woke up an hour after they had fallen asleep - with more fevers, stuffy noses, and coughing. i guess i should feel lucky that it's only that and not pukey stuff. it could be worse.

****
today i am grateful for:

*isaiah, who is feeling much better. i'm so glad that i don't have 3 sick kids to take care of.

*the relatively decent sleep (considering feverish girls) i had on the couch. mak slept in my comfy bed.

*movies and sudoku. sometimes, it's just one of those days.

sledding, seafood, and a really good movie.

2012-01-21T07:21:00.004-07:00

today is the last day of my birthday week. to kick off the last day, i kicked out the family so i could deep clean the house.

they all bundled up and enjoyed the snow and fresh air.

this was mimzy's basic position the entire time. she's not big into sledding.

she squawked every now and then, but, i heard that was the most "excitement" about the entire ordeal that she could muster.

she was much happier post-sledding.

even if she didn't like being bundled and forced to go out in the snow - i think she was super adorable in her snowsuit. makayah was there, too. somehow, i think amidst the whining about how cold it was and all the sledding crashes, she didn't get a picture. isaiah loved it. girls, not so much.

that evening we went to "the admiralty," just off of lake mendota.

it's nice to have an elegant dinner once in a while.

the night ended with ryan gosling in this movie:

although we came home to two coughing girls with fevers (seems the kids have been swapping germs), the clean house, the chocolate lava cake, and ryan gosling more than made up this absolutely perfect ending to my birthday week.

****

today i am grateful for:

*the empty house. it's so much easier to deep clean when everyone is out.

*saffron. i've always wanted to eat or cook a dish with saffron in it. my seafood rice risotto was delicious.

*our wonderful babysitter, who had this story to relay to us:

"Mak tells me that she can spell "REI" and proceeds to inaudibly spell out "L-E-P" then Z looks over and says "No silly, you spell it R-E-I"

happy birthday to me.

2012-01-20T08:51:00.000-07:00

it was a good day to wake up happy and full of energy.

first up, birthday yoga.

after the morning rush of feeding, medicating, and dropping kids off to school, sam took me to a little surprise lunch at one of my favorite places. everything was so very yummy!

mimsy had a great time taste-testing too, but when daddy wouldn't give her any more bread pudding, it broke her little heart.

makayah made this today in preschool. it is a scroll with a picture of her holding samiyah. i thought it was sweet.

after lunch, we headed over to the mall to do a little strolling. it had been snowing hard all morning long, but we didn't want to go home.

instead, we thought it would be much more clever of us to let the girls run around and tire themselves out.

they had fun...

while we got to sit back, relax, and eat chocolate covered strawberries. i can assure you, the chocolaterie was warned before we even bought anything. thanks sam, for that pregnant woman alert. ;)

our plan worked, and mims was all tuckered out.

we picked up isaiah after school and he felt and looked much better.

we made another stop at the library, yep, even in all this snow.

i'm glad we had to be out and about, and mostly, that sam was driving through it all. i'm not sure how great and awesome this birthday would've turned out with kids cooped up inside all day long.

plus, the library always has such fun things to play with.

and since we were already in the area, it made sense to walk down the snowy sidewalk to our favorite pizza place for dinner. birthdays aren't for washing dishes.

all in all, it was a perfect day. lots of yummy food, lots of giggles, lots of fun. i didn't have to referee any fights, or clean up spilled cheerios. and at the end of the evening, i came back with my birthday treat (yes, i had multiple), put in a movie and cuddled with my family on the couch.

thank you isaiah, makayah, samiyah, and daddy for a wonderful birthday day. if only all days could be this fun and easy. ;)

****

today i am grateful for:

*another year full of memories. and another year to begin making more.

*good food. i love food.

*a chill day with no squabbling, sickness, or cleaning up after anyone - i'm sure that all begins again tomorrow. ;)

the past 30 years...

2012-01-20T07:13:00.001-07:00

as i drive downtown madison, usually in order to pick up my dear law student, i see the herds of undergrads crossing streets, hurrying their way back home or to class. i remember those days. and then, i remember when i was 12, how utterly slow life was going - was i EVER going to be 16, so grown-up and sophisticated? i remember, clearly, in fact, walking my fresh-out-of-high-school self to first year english, science, and ballet classes on the BYU campus. and that seriously feels like only a couple years ago, not ten. what the, what?!

ugh, and then birthdays became the dreaded days of getting older, saggier, wrinklier, creakier...
so, i thought i'd write down all the things i've done for the past 30 years, in celebration of all i've been able to accomplish, do, experience, enjoy, etc. (mostly to make myself feel better about it). because really, it is truly a blessing to have another year with my family and friends.

here are some of the highlights of the past 30 years:

1. i hate to brag, but i was student of the month - quite often, actually - in elementary school. ;)

2. embarrassingly, on the flip side, i've egged cars with the neighborhood kids during our neighborhood summer campouts...and was chased by the police. a bunch of us hid and we didn't get caught. i know, that was bad. but at least now, i can scratch "get chased by the police" off my bucket list.

3. i sang the national anthem at basketball events, rodeos, navajo code talker honor ceremonies, etc. i loved the thrill of performing...even if i did choke and lose my voice the very first time.

4. i tried out for my high school basketball team. i was horrible at it, so horrible that even my "teammates" would yell out, "NO!" when i went to shoot the ball. i made that shot, btw, ha!

5. for a very short period of time, i lived in connecticut during my senior year of high school and ivanka trump just so happened to be having lunch the same time as my friends and i, in the same school "cafeteria." i'm sure there's a word for a more posh place of school lunch eating, but i don't know it.

6. went canoeing in the adirondack mountains in upstate new york. wow.

7. played the role of laertes in a high school production of "hamlet." now i can say i've been an actress at one point in my life. ;)

8. went deep sea fishing for halibut in the pacific ocean just off the coast of alaska. the halibut i caught was relatively small - only 90 pounds, but still considered a great catch.

9. went on a dog sled ride with my brother and dad while in alaska (and tried a bit of reindeer sausage stew and had my first taste of buffalo burgers).

10. i've camped out in the middle of winter with my trusty camping companions - aaron, troy, and kim. yeah, we were extreme like that. ;)

11. i've danced the night away, coming home at 3am in the morning with some of my most dearest friends. i suggest doing this at least throughout your first year of college, when you can sleep the days away.

12. i've held the title of "miss indian BYU." kind of by accident, really. it hadn't even crossed my mind to try out. but i did, and i'm glad.

13. i fell crazy in love.

14. i graduated from BYU with a degree in early childhood education. now, that was a long-time goal of mine since, well, forever.

15. concerts i've been to: enrique inglesias, sugar ray, melissa ethridge, train, shaggy, def leopard, kanye west, rhianna, N.E.R.D., lupe fiasco, no doubt, black-eyed peas. i'm sure there are more that i can't remember. oh the stories to tell!

16. tried out for american idol. obviously, i didn't make the cut. BUT, i did get to see ryan seacrest.

17. i lived in a bomb shelter (bunker) in geneva, switzerland. and took nightly runs with my hunny through the edges of france. the most amazing time, ever.

18. had fondue in the mountains of la gruyere, switzerland.

19. rode a train through the gorgeous vineyards to chateau de chillon (a very authentic swiss castle) in lausanne, switzerland.

20. celebrated my two year wedding anniversary in paris, france and kissed my sweetie beneath the sparkling lights of the eiffel tower.

21. walked through the rain in rome.

22. swatted on the booty by an old man in zurich (while admiring the matterhorn mountain peak). yep, that's always been on my bucket list.

23. went on a cruise to the caribbean. relaxed on the shores of jamaica. held sea turtles while visiting the cayman islands. sang karaoke in a crowd of strangers on the cruise ship. and had my first taste of es cargo. i don't know if i spelled it right, but i do know, one snail was enough. ;)

24. ran my first marathon in san francisco. just a little helpful hint. if you are itching to do a marathon for the first time, the steep and slick hills of san fran may not be the best option. however, with all of the course's challenges, i still loved it and would do it again.

25. started my own photography business. well, it's more like a partnership since sam is included in there. ;)

26. skied down the mountain tops of lake louise in alberta canada. and by no surprise, stretchered and carried off the ski slope by one of the handsome ski patrol guys. ha.ha.ha.

27. ran the tough mudder race and FINISHED. very intense, but so much fun when you run with a team. i was a muddy mess, and the shower and meal we had afterwards was the best i've ever had.

28. saw jerry seinfeld, live. hilarious.

29. went on the church history tour through missouri. i've always wanted to do that.

30. had 3 kids and one on the way. perhaps the most amazing (and most challenging) thing i decided to do...be a mother.

whew. there. 30 years wasn't so bad after all. okay, i'm ready to take on number 31. :D but before anything, i better get going on that laundry pile...

frigid.

2012-01-19T08:30:00.000-07:00

i've never liked the word. and at -3 (it feels like -40), it is most definitely frigid.

isaiah stayed home to rest today. basically it was just a camping-out-on-the-couch sort of day, for all of us. and this is mostly why:

you know those nights when you feel so good about yourself because you are in bed by 10:30pm and you think you're going to get the best rest of your life?

but really, it's just some sad trick because suddenly you are backed up into a small squirming body who decided to sneak into your bed during the night. then, the other kid - the sick kid, has another fever and needs some liquids and cough drops. and all through the bumpy night of trying to fall back asleep, it's impossible. and then, thankfully, the fading into strange dreams, only to be awoken by a little mimzy squawking to be let out - because, after all, it is 6:30am and time to get up.

needless to say, not much was accomplished except for the made from scratch mac and cheese w/ roasted tomatoes - oh my gosh, i can't believe how fantastic that turned out. i had no idea mac and cheese could rattle my taste buds that way.

it was a big hit with mimzy. not a drop on the floor.

as part of our lazy day, mimzy thought she'd entertain isaiah - just to lighten things up.

she thinks she's such a riot when she sports her star glasses. we think so, too.

and little miss artsy makayah left out her markers. looks like someone found the blue marker and tried to eat it.

isaiah started to feel better by the end of the day. i had him do his reading homework and he read his assigned books to samiyah while i cooked dinner.

daddy took mak to her sports class. doesn't it look so very cold outside?

just one of those lazy days that throw off my entire schedule because i really didn't feel like doing laundry today, but still have to. cuddling, reading books, and watching movies is so much more fun than housework.

****
today i am grateful for:

*sam, who took makayah to her sports lead-up class. she needed to get out and run around. :) today was floor hockey day. she loved it and couldn't stop chattering on about it. poor isaiah was sad he missed out.

*dancing babies. can she be more adorable? goodness.

*cat naps.

poor isaiah

2012-01-18T08:44:00.000-07:00

the majority of our morning was spent at the doctor's office. luckily, we love our doctor. she is fabulous.

she caught the early stages of an infection in his lungs. prescribed the medicine. and now isaiah is on his way to feeling better...soon.

for now, we'll let him rest.

today was one of those days when i was glad makayah had preschool to attend, and afterwards, capable of keeping herself occupied as i cared for isaiah.

mims also kept herself occupied. she is such a busy body and constantly reminds me of the little ewok, wicket, who rummages around everyone's bags and items.

going through isaiah's book bag.

caught, red-handed!

thanks, mims, for keeping yourself occupied.

****

today i am grateful for:

*isaiah's nurse and doctor. i am really going to miss them if we have to move.

*the drive-thru pharmacy lane at walgreens.

*isaiah's medicine. so glad we took him to the doctor.

public posts, coming to an end

2012-01-16T17:31:00.001-07:00

lately, there have been frightening news stories of this and that, and i think it's time to go back to having a private blog again. as fun as it is to see the many different people from so many different places coming to visit the blog, i don't have any way of knowing whether they are friends, family, or complete strangers. better safe than sorry.

so, if you'd like to continue to keep reading up - please, leave your email address on the comment section (it will not be posted - and sent directly to my email only) and i will gladly add you to the "approved" and very elite list of viewers. ;)

i know it's such a hassle, boo to all the craziness going on in the world.

negotiations over donuts

2012-01-16T12:04:00.003-07:00

a fun little tidbit this week...it just so happens to be my birthday week. ;)

and since we are so eager to celebrate every single thing we possibly can, naturally, after we found out that my glucose test results came back in tip top condition (with the only exception of finding out my iron is low), we headed over to greenbush bakery. we'd heard many great things of the place.

it was MLK day, there was no school, and we had actually planned to go to amish country after my o.b. appointment, but those plans were scratched for lack of time - and suddenly, for me, lack of energy. the dtap vaccine and all that blood they drew must've started taking effect.

we drove aimlessly around, trying to figure out what we should do. and that's when we realized we were driving down the street greenbush bakery was located on. donuts? why not?

isaiah was so excited, we were granted a show of his donut dance.

now, earlier this morning was a little rough for makayah. she had a hard time following directions and talking politely. this resulted in a day-long grounding....which meant, no donuts.

she was pretty torn up about it. and then this happened:

mak: dad, how 'bout if i'm good for an hour i can have a donut?

dad: are you trying to negotiate your way out of this?

mak: well, how bout i start listening and then i can have one?

dad: ok, here's the deal. no donuts. maybe that will teach you a lesson about not talking back and following directions.

mak: no deal. i don't like that deal. i have a new "gotiation."

dad: well, what do you suggest? how are you going to learn your lesson if i give you donuts? here's the deal, if mom doesn't eat all the donuts, then the soonest you can have half a donut - IF you've been good - is tomorrow.

mak: no deal. how about this one, you guys save me a donut and if i've listened i can have one whole donut when we get home.

dad: hmmm, i like it, but i don't love it. here's the deal, you prove to me that you will be nice, no fighting, no talking back, and do everything we ask you to do the first time, and if there are any donuts left - the soonest you can have one is after dinner tonight.

mak: hmm, i like it but i don't love it. how about this -

dad: nope. you've got to learn when to quit while you're ahead. if you keep up your negotiations, i'm withdrawing everything from the table.

mak: okay, dad. i like it.

maybe "crowfoot & crowfoot" will be a father/daughter business? ;)

***

today i am grateful for:

*donuts. i can't remember the last time i had a donut. and these donuts were especially yummy.

*normal test results. i'd hate to have to drink that nasty orange junk again.

*our van! we have our van back and it is wonderful!

*and one more thing. this little mims who finds any way she can to try to make us laugh...this time it's walking into the room with a towel over her head. silly mims.

the wee little one

2012-01-16T11:59:00.000-07:00

today was the dreaded glucose test appointment. nasty orange soda junk? blech. needles, too? blech. the upside to all this yuckiness is that there is an actual baby growing inside my tummy. after three children, this still blows my mind.

last night isaiah asked, "mom, did you know i was going to be a boy before the doctor told you?"

yes. and yes, i knew i'd be having a girl soon after him. i had dreamt of the two when i was in college. i didn't have another dream about any more babies until after makayah was born. this particular dream was about a baby boy. i was sitting on a bench near the reflection pool on temple square with isaiah. there were shooting lights coming from the pool and one of the lights landed upon my lap. it was a baby boy. i looked down and saw the tops of my boys' heads cuddled in my lap - they both were sporting some pretty cool mohawks. maybe that's how i knew it was a baby boy. in any case, i was filled with such a warm fuzzy feeling seeing these two brothers together. one, older and protective, the other small and vulnerable.

makayah was only a year when i found out i was pregnant again. a surprise. at 9 weeks i miscarried. i didn't have my fourth dream until makayah was two. this last time, i dreamed of a baby girl. i was in what looked like a backyard/parking lot. this baby girl had a mess full of curly, black hair and a bright smile. her eyes were happy and brilliant, like black glass and reflected whatever colors were around.

so, naturally, when i did get pregnant again - this time when makayah was three - i was almost positive it would be a boy. the pregnancy was a little confusing because it felt so much like when i was pregnant with makayah. we all were pretty shocked when we found out the results - another girl! of course, we were still thrilled, just really surprised.

this time around, i knew it was a boy. but when anyone would ask, i'd shrug my shoulders and say i had no idea. interestingly enough, i haven't had any dreams since my dream of samiyah. the backyard/parking lot btw, ended up to be the backyard/parking lot we now occupy. ;)

which brings me back to the doctor's appointment and the most recent topic at hand...

sam and i have been going back and forth on whether or not this baby would be our last. on one hand,

i'd love to see a massive brood of beautiful black eyed, black haired, cookie cutter, blackfoot/oneida/mohawk/navajo babies. the world could use more entertainingly wild and spunky crowfoots. ;)

on the other hand, i am only human. mortal. and despite my own efforts, without super powers. even if i hadn't had three previous c-sections, things can go wrong. unexpected things happen all the time. and with four children, i feel better about not taking that risk.

when i think about it, it sounds really crazy. most ladies at 30 are just starting their families or at least thinking about it...not getting their tubes tied. crazy...30? i still can't believe THAT.

anyhow, i also feel very strongly about my calling in life. i know i need to be helping children in less fortunate situations and i just can't be doing that if i'm constantly a pregnant mess. raising children is hard work, time-consuming, and very involved in every way possible. four kids? yes, i definitely feel confident enough to be a good, happy, and involved mother - and still be able to help kids in need within my community.

i'm not gonna lie, even after all the discussion, praying, and planning out, this decision is still quite daunting. i've talked with my close mother friends who are done with having kids. i had asked questions like, "how do you know?" and "how do you feel about it?" let me just say, i am beyond blessed to have mother friends in my situation or have already passed that stage, who are wiser and more experienced. one of my dear friends said she felt a little sad, but relieved more than anything else.

i can absolutely relate to that. what makes me a little sad (just a little), is knowing that i won't be washing any more teensy tiny clothes. i won't be buying any more cute little booties. i have at least one more year of cuddling a little bitty, sweet smelling baby.

the relief? my diaper changing and buying days are numbered! i will be throwing out (well, more like giving away) ALL maternity clothes. i will never have to wear them again. i'll never have to endure a needle in my back, or recover from another birth. i won't have to ride the loops of emotional pregnancy roller coasters. i can just feel normal. i still remember the first day of the last time i felt truly back to normal - it was just after i had weened makayah from nursing. mak is 5 years old. it's been a while. ;)

there are so many things i am excited about, and the things that i am a little sad about, well, it gives me all the more reason to love and cherish those precious moments.

speaking of precious moments...

let me tell you a bit about this baby boy.

he is the wiggliest baby i've ever had. whenever we talk to him, he'll quickly reply with a kick or punch. he loves getting attention. when it's time to take his heart rate, he swims away from the nurse's contraptions - which isn't very far, and they can eventually catch him long enough to get a number. he wiggles in the morning, he wiggles after i eat, when it's time for me to go to bed, and all in between. i am honestly thrilled for the possibility of a very active and rambunctious baby boy. and if this pattern we have continues, he'll be the boy version of makayah, just like samiyah has thus far proven to be the girl version of isaiah. i love it.

my doctor measured, and said i was measuring farther along. she also predicted a large baby. even with running a mile a week, at 26 weeks, i am exactly the same size i was when i delivered samiyah - who was my smallest at 7.12 lbs. yeah, i think it's safe to say this baby boy is going to be bigger. and i am just fine with that.

the process of recuperation

2012-01-15T15:22:00.000-07:00

visiting far away family and friends - fun. traveling to and fro - exhausting. recuperating from an excess of holiday treats, late night game playing, and grandparental spoilage - nightmarish.

we walked into a sparkling clean home, only to destroy it minutes later with bags upon bags of unloaded clothes, toiletries, and christmas loot. although we did laundry before we left madison, before we left arizona, we ended up with mounds of waiting laundry. that doesn't add up, and i don't know how that is possible, but it is.

of course, with our living room hijacked by the unpacked luggage, the rest of the house quickly became a disheveled mess.

we got back sunday night, and had to jump right back into the normal routine of things by monday morning. isaiah woke up bright and early for school. and that afternoon, makayah's first day of intermediate ballet lessons began. it's her third year of "lessons."

the proper way to perform an arabesque.

makayah doing her own version of an arabesque.

next up, a trip to costco for a week's (or two) worth of food was in order. we were in mad need of detoxing our holiday treat -filled bodies. travel eating for an extended amount of time is not recommended.

our first dinner back home: fresh spinach, blueberries, strawberries, avocado, and grilled salmon. it felt unbelievably good to eat fresh, homemade food.

mimzy was a great helper throughout the week. i wish she was as good at cleaning up as she is at making messes.

and since this was our week of recuperating, the kids were lucky that they even had two baths these past 5 days. and thankfully, mimzy didn't scream this time around. she actually enjoyed her bath and wanted to stay and play. thank you, bath toys.

sam took the kids out to the school playground for some much needed outdoor play, while i caught up on a ton of work. along with unpacking, we had also fallen behind in our photography business with the holiday break taking us away from our main editing station at home.

it was such a gorgeous and sunshiney day! we just had to take advantage of it.

mimzy thoroughly enjoyed herself...

as well as the taste of the metal playthings.

when they had had enough of the playground, they came back to pick me up. we dropped off our overdue library books at the library and stopped for ice cream at the neighboring ice cream shoppe.

it's been 7 days since we arrived home. the living room has been cleared out. there are still empty bags to be taken down to our storage room in the basement, the laundry has been clean - and almost all folded, isaiah and mak's snack days have both been cleared out of the way for the rest of the month, bedtimes, are back to 7:30pm, ballet and sports classes have been attended, church lesson for this week has been planned and taught, photos have been edited and delivered, meals have been healthy and filled with fresh veggies. for the most part, the house is back in working order.

there are still lots of things on my to-do list:

mimzy's nap times are still such a mess, mommy and daddy bedtimes are still askew, and we have lots to catch up on concerning isaiah and daddy's homework assignments.

at least it all seems more manageable now that the luggage has cleared the living room floor.

here are some kiddie quotes i just have to add before my foggy head forgets them:

as we were out and about running errands, the kids were playing some sort of game. isaiah shouted out, "makayah, you're cheating!" makayah waved her hand and retorted, "cheating is fiiiiiine."

after a long and busy day of running more errands (recuperating somehow requires this), we all plopped down in front of the t.v. for some mindless entertainment...the miss america pageant just happened to be on. they were announcing each contestant and isaiah said, "she's pretty. but WHAT is she wearing?!" (just for your info, she had a loud and busy shirt with only one sleeve, yeah, what the what?) ;)

just last night, isaiah and makayah were playing battleship together. isaiah gave his coordinates for attack, "D7."

makayah smiled and said, "nope, this ship is SAILING!"

"makayah! there is no sailing in battleship!"

****

today i am grateful for:

*keeping my sanity through this crazy process of recovery. we're almost back to our normal routine of things.

*the huge help sam has been. he doesn't have school until the 22nd, or something like that. so, he's been here to run errands, take the kids out, and do the dishes. thank you, sam.

*our van we get back today. it got a scratch on the side, shortly after we came home and sam immediately sent it to the shop to be fixed. we've had a dinky rental car for the past few days and although it has that new car smell - we all really, really miss our roomy van with heated side mirrors, power side doors, and all weather tires.

*paper plates. they are a lifesaver when trying to catch up on post-travel life.

church cleaning...

2012-01-14T08:34:00.002-07:00

well, actually, it's more like mommy and daddy clean while the kids play.

and dance around with tambourines.

and run away from us, playing hide and go seek.

our little naked mims. she is so cute and chubby!

she thinks she's absolutely hilarious when she is running around the house with nothing but a diaper on. she is.

that was our day. the end.

we love us some fun friday fun!

2012-01-13T08:33:00.000-07:00

i think one of the best things we've ever done is implement fun fridays into our household. scheduled fun to look forward to is one of the best things to get us through the school week.

we began with some laid back fun of crawling into tight spaces...

and painting pretty pictures.

makayah loves rainbows. so do i. they are my favorite.

before we got out the pizza and movie, we did a little tidying up. and as soon as i began folding the sheets, a little mimzy decided it was just too much fun to pass up.

pretty soon, the sheet folding turned into sheet parachuting. lots of giggles.

we love fun fridays.

and the snow finally came...

2012-01-12T08:06:00.000-07:00

it's mid january, just about, and we finally awoke to a flurry of snow. the kids were ecstatic. they've been waiting and waiting for snow to come.

they just dove right in!

it was samiyah's first time in her hand-me-down winter suit from isaiah.

she enjoyed being outside, even if it was cold and windy.

makayah tried to sneak up on daddy and start a snowball fight.

snowflakes are tasty...

and fun to have on your nose and eyelashes.

hmm, not too sure about these big, bulky gloves...

smiling despite the frigid air.

her favorite thing to do, snow angels.

thrilled to be playing outside, can you tell?

but seriously, he is. ;)

on his way to his friend's house to invite her out to play...and a little tag-a-long trying to keep up.

for the most part...plopping on the snow.

contemplating...

round one goes to daddy.

round two: daddy wins again.

round three, mak pulls through.

after half an hour, mims was ready to come back inside,

mmm,

and eat the snow off her boots.

i probably should've stopped her. but, for a moment i felt like one of those wild, outdoor photojournalists who just let the wild be wild. and i did.

i think this blizzard calls for some hot cocoa!

bye, bye, arizona

2012-01-08T12:18:00.021-07:00

this morning we woke up to snow. of course it would snow. and if we weren't scheduled to drive to abq and fly back to madison today, i wouldn't have minded. thanks, snow for coming just a tad too late.

we'll miss you umpa. thank you for all the fun.

little mims had to have her turn to say goodbye to her umpa, too.

thanks uncle bubba. mimzy will miss her baby carrier, dearly.

she was so spoiled by her "bubba." now, she won't have anyone to carry her around all day like the queen of sheba.

not the whole fam, but those who were left. bye nana, we'll miss your hugs and kisses!

we arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare. i think we've learned our lesson. it's so much nicer getting to the airport an hour and a half early.

one of the rewards of coming early: bumping into celebrities. sam surprisingly noticed the director of smoke signals and went up, chit chatted a bit, and took a quick pic. he's a nice guy.

now, playing the waiting game with coloring books, crayons, and cheerios.

daddy didn't think the cheerios were good enough, though. sigh.

everything went as smoothly as it could flying with three kids. no major incidents, but the flight was still sooooooo very long and exhausting with a little one who would rather walk and run about instead of being cooped up in a tiny airplane row. i'm just so glad we are back. it was nice to walk into our clean apartment and envelope myself beneath my clean, soft sheets. king-sized bed, oh how i've missed you!

one more day of holiday fun...

2012-01-07T12:01:00.001-07:00

it's always wonderful to start off the day with lots of loves.

mimzy's tippy toes. her last day of getting into nana's cupboards.

the girls spent the morning watering nana's plants - but mostly just playing in the puddles that were made.

personally, i think it was a brilliant excuse to get wet in the warm winter sun.

mimzy was an excellent shadow to her older sister. i loved watching these two play together, so much, in fact, that i didn't mind too much that i had to change their clothes after they soaked 'em.

we were lucky enough to meet up with our good friends and have a play date before flying out tomorrow.

we stayed and played for so long, it was hard for us to leave the fun.

but, the fun didn't end there. umpa and nana took us out for pizza and a movie to cap off our holiday.

the 30 minute drive to town. sometimes, i really miss this drive.

sam captured the flaming sunset. i miss this, too.

i used to come to this place as a little kid. isaiah was begging for more stories. so, while we were waiting i told him another one. i remember coming with aaron, and we were always so excited to come to town - it was such a treat! we'd come to big cheese, play the games, admire the flashing lights, and toys behind the glass cases - the ones we never had enough tickets for. one night in particular, we arrived, i got out of the car with one dress shoe and one tennis shoe on. my parents, most especially my dad, was completely embarrassed. i replied, "it's ok, dad. I'M not embarrassed." now we know where makayah gets her eccentric style from.

mimzy loved the flashing lights, too.

she was too little for most games, but she still got to press buttons and such.

playing with daddy.

we watched "tin, tin." and while we were waiting, we bumped into our good friends.

sam was flipping through facebook and saw their status and location. yeah, funny stuff.

thank you, nana and umpa. we had such a lovely night. we will miss you for sure.

good night 2011. good morning 2012.

2012-01-06T13:02:00.002-07:00

as i look back upon 2011, i am happy. great and lasting memories were made. birthdays, anniversaries, and weddings were celebrated. families were increased, babies born, babies first steps. the days were filled with hugs, kisses, and "i love you's."

i am excited for this new year and all it has to offer. i am not naive enough to believe it will be without it's trials, hardships, tears, and desperation at times - but i am prepared to gather my strength, and allow myself to look upon these upcoming challenges with optimism.

my new year's resolutions?

simply to be a more loving and happy person.

i will work on putting my family first, above the frivolous and meaningless things i've currently allowed myself to waste my time upon.

i will work on improving my relationships, whether acquaintance or long time friend or family member.

i will work on being more patient and flexible, not allowing a little blip to become a great big volcano. just breathe.

i will continue to take lots and lots of pictures of my family to record the happy times.

i will continue to blog frequently, simply because my children love the stories and photos.

i will give out more hugs and kisses to my babies, read more bedtime stories, sing more bedtime songs, take more walks to the park.

cuddle more, smile more, laugh more, love more.

more adventures, more trips. it's beginning to sound like this year will be the year of "more."

i will take care of myself. more rest, more nutrient-rich foods, more exercise, more outings with friends, more date nights with my hunny.

this year is going to be a big one with lots of unknowns. a new baby on the way, sam's graduation, a new job (crossing our fingers), and a new place to call home. i hope i have the stamina to take it all in stride and grace.

****

today i am grateful for:

*the wonderful time we've had so far in arizona. i love that my children have two sets of loving grandparents.

*the warm sunshiney day. although it hasn't felt like christmas (anywhere, for that matter), it gives my children and i a chance at exploring and running around my parent's acreage.

*mimzy's ear infection medicine. she is feeling loads better and back to her fun-loving self.

*a new year, filled with new and exciting possibilities. it's strange how the motivation overflows at the start of a new year. in any case, it's great to feel motivated.

the utah visit

2012-01-04T08:37:00.002-07:00

i didn't take nearly as many pictures as i would have liked. we were simply too busy having fun.

mimzy's favorite part of visiting the provo house was pixie, by far. she'd erupt into giggles anytime she pet her. unfortunately, she was also fairly captivated by the kitty food. what is it about pet food? is kitty chow really all that more palatable than squash mixed with bananas?

pixie was such a good sport, and was very gentle and tolerant of the kids and their incessant cuddles.

we lucked out and also met up with grandma and grandpa crowfoot during our new year's visit. it's not quite a visit with grandma without fun crafting shindigs. we stopped at the craft store, after finishing the latest project of bingo cards, to begin our next project. makayah couldn't help herself and danced in and out of aisles, draped with fancy crafting supplies. this girl is utterly fantastic.

i made hair bows for the girlies.

auntie mars supplied the sparklers to assist in ringing in the new year!

the new year's eve party held at uncle troy's place. games, food, family and friends - the perfect way to ring in the new year.

the new year crash. after days of very late nights, it's going to be a challenge getting the kids back on the regular routine of 7:30 bedtimes.

in all the business of traveling and an overdose of fun, i had completely lost track of time, and had no idea church was the next morning. we attended sacrament meeting, caught up with our dear friends, and then went shopping for some needed items. if i had known it was saturday the day before, i'd have planned better. oh well.

daddy couldn't resist giving mimzy a try of some tempura oreos - obviously some sort of necessity. i didnt' have a bite, so i couldn't say whether or not it was tasty. but by the look of contentment of her face, i'd say she was pretty satisfied.

for sam, also a necessity. i think we need to have a talk about needs and wants sometime soon. ;)

our days and nights were filled with captivating conversations, mounds of jokes and laughter, card games, board games, hugs and kisses from grandma and grandpa, late night movies, and there was no way we were leaving without an order of sweet pork salad and tres leches from cafe rio.

we also tried to fit in as many visits with our dear friends from utah valley. it was so wonderful to catch up with them. i love being able to pick back up from where we left off, like time just stood still. the only evidence of time were the sprouted children, running, chasing, laughing, playing - like best friends should even after moving across the country.

sadly, time went by way too fast, and grandpa and grandma had to drive back up to canada. but we were so glad we were able to coordinate a visit with them over the holidays, even if it was short.

here, one of our game nights. a board game consisting of weird and embarrassing stunts.

i took a little break from it to have some snuggle time with my sweet nephew. babies are heavenly.

more games and silliness. uncle red had "accidentally-on-purpose" hit isaiah with an arrow. well, the actual part of making isaiah tear up was the accident part, i think. so, uncle red, being a good sport about things, allowed isaiah to fire back. there he is in position.

one of our favorite games to play: nines/golf. great game. doesn't require too much thinking, allows for jokes and conversation, and it was fun for the brothers to get the best of each other (to put it lightly).

after an eventful four - extended to five days, it was time to drive back to arizona. it's always so difficult leaving. we hugged our goodbyes, and took some photos.

brothers and sisters:

aunties and uncles:

i wish i would've remembered to take more photos, especially of when grandma and grandpa were here. but it's so hard to remember, when everyone is too busy running around having fun. at least we have the memories. :)

like i said earlier, we were planning on staying for only 4 days. our stay became extended when the sickness hit. now, i'm still puzzled by a few things - mainly the origins of it all.

1. everyone who got sick was at the new year's eve party.

2. the sickness didn't hit until monday afternoon beginning with makayah - followed quickly by isaiah and uncle nathan. immediately after them, were myha, darrell, katrina, baby enyeto, sam, grandpa and grandma, and finally redmond. (all attended the party).

3. the only ones who didn't get sick in the family were myself, samiyah, and auntie beth - who did not eat anything at the party. actually, mimzy was fed some food, but seeing as she always spits it out, never made it to her system.

4. marshelda and katrina's sister who were also around did not get sick. (did not attend the NYE party).

5. two other friends who attended the party but did not eat anything there did not get sick as well.

6. family in arizona did not get sick

there's the debate whether it was a stomach bug or food poisoning. the stomach bug doesn't quite add up for several reasons. but if it was, the bug most likely came from canada or someone at the new years eve party. food poisoning doesn't make sense only because it took so long to hit. but, it isn't completely out of the question. potlucks can be quite sketchy, especially when left out so long. i wanted sam to make some calls to see if anyone else had gotten sick. it's like some morbid math problem. i don't know why i'm so curious about how it all started, but i'd like to know whether it's a good idea to be kissing my husband after something like this. but after all the exposure i've encountered, i suppose it doesn't really matter at this point. luckily it wasn't messy. and luckily, the kids only threw up once. 2011 remains to be a puke free year. 2012, not so. here's to hoping this was the worst of it. ;)

our drive home was long and fitted with many stops for this and that. the most important reason, to make little mims happy. she really wanted to be in the driver's seat.

the games on the phones proved invaluable. thank goodness for kid-friendly apps and movies.

they slept most of the way, which was also wonderful.

the roads home.

we sure do miss this drive.

it's safe to say we are all so done with fast food. it's so hard to find good food on the road. the toys and crowns didn't hurt, though.

we made it in around midnight. despite being sick, for the last few days, we had so much fun and the quick trip was so very worth it.

****

today i am grateful for:

*our wonderful friends and family we were able to catch up with on our trip.

*sam, who took care of the sick kids, just in case it was a bug. he's amazing.

*the sickness to skip over samiyah and i. puking is the absolute worst. and with mimzy just getting over her ear infection, well, the poor girl didn't need anything else to deal with.

canyons and monuments

2011-12-30T11:43:00.008-07:00

after an adventurous time in window rock, we decided to head up to utah valley for the new year's celebrations. we left early in order to take the scenic route.

it was uncle nathan and auntie myha's first visit to canyon de chelly.

it was a gorgeous, sun-shiney day.

the canyon always takes my breath away.

next stop: monument valley.

again, breathtaking.

we had a nice break walking around, taking pictures, and getting great deals on jewelry.

we loved having uncle nathan and auntie myha with us!

makayah had asked why there weren't any indians living in the hogans...

the sunset was amazing.

i love being able to share this beautiful part of the reservation with my babies.

little man, here, is 6 months in the making.

again...our good photos with our gigantor camera will have to be uploaded when we get back to madison. so, these iphotos will have to do for now.

****

today i am grateful for:

*our road-tripping buddies. we had some great laughs and conversation.

*the beauty that surrounds me and the opportunity to share with my family.

*a safe drive to utah.

a true navajo feast

2011-12-29T06:57:00.002-07:00

some of the best times in my childhood were spent with extended family - aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents - and whenever we'd all gather together, we'd have amazing feasting parties! i remember running around with my cousins, playing hide and go seek out in hilltops, or playing "house" on the red rock plateaus, gathering sage brush and juniper berries for our "stews," as one of us swept the dirt or rock floors - all while waiting for the aunts and uncles to finish preparing the real food.

as the cousins grew up and moved away, the aunts and uncles grew older and became grandparents themselves, the grandmother's too old to keep their cattle and provide for family feasts, the gatherings dwindled until they completely faded away.

so yesterday morning, when my grandmother, aunts, and some cousins came to visit, things just fell into place. instead of a quick passing through hello, suddenly there were party feasting plans - and for those who don't know - a traditional navajo feasting party almost always consists of mutton. but with grandma's sheep sold, the dilemma was where to get one? - along with who's going to get it?

my dad made some calls, found a few places to buy a sheep for $100 or less. and somehow, the two non-navajo blackfoot men were sent off to run the errand of finding the perfect sheep.

the aunts quickly began the work of making frybread and tortillas - and knowing my qualifications and limited talent in this area, i cleverly stayed out of the way. besides, it is always a well-known fact that, the aunts and mothers always make the best frybread - unless it's grandma's bread.

we all snitched, waiting eagerly for sam and uncle nathan to get back with the sheep. there were pictures being sent back, "is this a good one?" aunt julie would give her thumbs up or thumbs down - "his teeth are too old, it's too lean!" and finally, they were on their way home.

sam, once again, helped my aunts with the butchering. his spunk and capable hands amaze me. he is not afraid to jump into anything. there were words of gratitude said for the sheep and it's sacrifice...and then the more light-hearted task of preparing the meat. my aunts teased sam and he teased back.

grandma sat from the chair as she shouted out orders or criticism - "you're going too slow! you should've been done by now, the meat is drying out! yadilla! you're cutting it wrong, don't get the meat dirty!"

isaiah was also a very good help in fetching this and that.

everyone was howling with laughter. there was no way out of cracking up. at one point nathan got in to help the others lift the sheep carcass onto the tree branch.

(uncle nathan and auntie myha)

of course, things got a little messy, and once the meat was hung, sam yelled out, "where's the hand sanitizer?" my aunts wasted no time in getting after his cheeky self and replied, "somebody push him in the chaa' (that's navajo for, poop) and THEN we'll give him some hand sanitizer!"

after an entire afternoon of butchering, preparing, and grilling outside - the mutton was finally ready to eat.

we had such a house full of people that we had to spread ourselves throughout the entire first floor of my parent's house.

two of the many little cousins, running around the house playing together....samiyah and her cousin, nizhoni.

and just like with anything else we do - eating was not complete without teasing and fits of laughter to compliment the feast. one of the aunts had yelled out, "where's sam? why is he so quiet?" another had yelled out to the other rooms, "sam! get back in here and make us laugh!" absolutely nothing can compare to the sound of indian women laughing - it is the best thing ever and thoroughly contagious. and if anyone can make them shriek with giggles, it's sam.

we stuffed ourselves silly with mutton stew, grilled ribs, ach'ii', frybread, tortillas, and all the other tender and sweet parts of the meat. my pregnant belly was happily satisfied.

since it was makayah's birthday, i had also made a cake for everyone to enjoy, after we sang happy birthday to makayah, of course.

when everyone had finished eating and helped clean up, said good-byes, and gave out hugs, makayah asked when she could have her sheep eyeball. yes, she did. earlier in the day, makayah and isaiah - who had never had a sheep's eyeball - were fighting over them. mak argued, "it's MY birthday, so I get to have the eyeball!" lucky for them, there were two eyeballs.

as soon as she bit down, she immediately spit it out, yelling, "i don't like it!" and ran out of the kitchen as fast as she could...

only to come back around the corner, seconds later, to witness isaiah's first time eating a sheep's eyeball.

surprisingly, he liked it. well, maybe unsurprisingly. after all, he is a boy.

now, i know most of you who are reading this are quite unfamiliar with navajo ways of life and will most likely be turning your nose up, grossing out, thinking, "how in the world?" but as long as i can remember, my grandmothers have owned herds of sheep. they know and can tell each one apart. there is great love and respect for the animals they raise. nothing is wasted. in fact, the hide was going to be cleaned and tanned and given to makayah for her birthday gift - which she is incredibly excited about.

so, before you gross out too much, remember where and how your hamburger meat, your bratwursts, or your roasted chicken came to land upon your plate. in most instances, these animals were raised in diseased environments, treated with cruelty and disrespect in horrible slaughter houses without so much as a, "thank you very much."

i for one, am grateful for this particular sheep's sacrifice to bring together family, create a sense of team work, love, and rejoicing on a special day. it is a sacred and noble purpose to play this part in one's life.

these are pictures from earlier in the morning...before we knew what the day would bring. ;)

we finished up our game of monopoly, started the night before. isaiah was kicking our booties.

it was baby enyeto's first time meeting the navajo side of his family (he is my nephew, my younger brother's son). we did take pictures of him with his great aunts, but those are on the nicer, bigger cameras which we just can't download right now.

my two brothers. uncle darrell and uncle bubba with little mims. she wasn't feeling too hot (we found out a day later she was actually suffering from an ear infection, poor girl.). so, she had reason to be a grouch.

isaiah with his cousin, enyeto.

makayah was begging and begging to hold him, too. but she had to wait (rather impatiently, i might add) for her turn after the aunts and umpa got their fair share of cuddles.

he grew so much since we last saw him! he's four months in these photos.

today i am grateful for:

*uncle nathan and auntie myha's willingness to help and their appreciation for my culture. they are amazing people who open their arms wide for all the world has to offer them.

*the opportunity my children have to have such rich experiences that allow them to learn more of their heritage and who they are. it is important to have roots.

*family and happiness.

double header

2011-12-28T23:30:00.003-07:00

recently, i've been writing a very great many posts. i've tried to keep up with all the memory keeping since isaiah was born. and lately, maybe because of this particular season, i've been writing almost every day.

i used to keep a notebook i started back in college, written to my future children. i wanted to keep a journal of sorts, and i wanted it to be something i wasn't going to be embarrassed about - and actually want my children to read (i still have my middle school and high school journals that i'm going to have to do something about before people get their hands on them).

basically, i write this blog for my children. i write and post photos, and publish this blog for them to gush over, because they really love looking through the past years, and someday soon, they'll be able to actually read it all.

15 years ago, today, my best friend died. my brother aaron and i were only one year apart. we did everything together. we had the same group of friends. we went to elementary, middle school, and high school together. we'd go camping, hiking, fishing, four-wheeling...just, everything. he used to save a seat for me on the bus ride home, and we'd race down the dirt road back home after school. he was the class clown and, it seemed, his constant goal to make me laugh. he did a really great job at making so many people happy, come to think of it.

for the 12 years that i was the lone girl in the family, i didn't mind not having a sister, because i had him. we'd ride bikes together, play tricks on our babysitters, sing cheesy songs from movies we knew. we had a great time, and made some wonderful memories.

of course it tore me apart when i lost him. i know someday i will see him again, but it doesn't lessen the pain of not having him here now. i still wonder how things would be if he were alive. what would he look like? what kind of fun mischief would he be teaching my kids? how many nieces or nephews would i have? what would we be laughing about right now? i'm certain he and sam would be best friends, too.

time seemed to slip my grip without any warning. i didn't know how limited my time with my brother, actually was. i didn't know i should've taken more pictures. i didn't know i should've crammed in more memories. i didn't know i should've stopped him before he went out the door to give him a hug good-bye and tell him i love him and i'll miss him like crazy. i didn't know how precious time was or how easily life slips away from us. it's always someone else, you know? until it's happening to you.

15 years ago, today, something tragically sad happened. something that filled my life with unimaginable pain, sorrow, and despair. and then 5 years ago, by some amazing miracle, my second child was due during christmas time. since i was planning to have a scheduled c-section, we scheduled her birth for the 28th.

this day is not just a day of remembering sorrow and pain. it is no longer a day filled with despair and loss. by the tender mercies of the lord, this day has also become a day to celebrate a new life coming into this world. makayah starley - a brilliant little light to shine away the darkness of sad feelings.

today we bought a sheep. we bought this sheep to kill and eat for a feast - a celebratory feast of two beautiful lives. my crazy and funny aunts and cousins came to fill our house with shrieks of laughter and joke telling...and to butcher and prepare the meat. it was a wild ride getting the food prepared. there were people everywhere i turned. everyone helped out. our stomachs were about to burst from the incredible food and the incessant laughing. it was humbling to feel our families' love on this special day. they gave of their time, energy, and love, and i was thankful beyond words.

i write this blog for my children. i want them to remember the fun times we had as a family. i want them to have the pictures, the stories, the memories all laid out for them. i don't take time for granted the way i used to. i know life is fragile, time is flitting, and somehow i need to make the most of it, to try to carve all these special moments into stone so they are not forgotten - because sometimes, as well as i knew aaron, and as close as we were, i feel like it was all a dream. i am afraid i will forget his face, his voice, that i might not recognize him.

i write this blog so my children will know i cherished every moment with them - that i tried my very best to be a loving mother, that they are the most important parts of my life.

so, as hard and challenging as i feel some days might be - i try to find the positive. i remind myself that things could be worse, and be grateful that they aren't. i remind myself that my children won't always fit in my lap, that someday they won't need my cuddles - and for this reason i need to cherish every second i have with them and make happy and meaningful times they will remember and look back on with fondness.

****

today i am grateful for:

*my children who bring great joy into my life.

*my husband who helped butcher the sheep, and his captivating personality that kept everyone entertained.

*my brother, and best friend, aaron - who is now my guardian angel. it's nice to know there is someone always watching out for me.

for my pookie bear

2011-12-28T19:26:00.008-07:00

one night (you were only three years old), you were sneaking out into the hallway when you should've been in bed. although i thought it was quite amusing, holding back a smile and a giggle, i chased you back to your bed. as i looked into your guilty face, shockingly, i saw my own. suddenly i was transported back into time, but in this instance i stood in my mother's place. it was the strangest feeling looking into your three year old face and having a glimpse of how my mother saw me so very long ago.

makayah, you are my shining star. you are stubborn, feisty, independent, and oh so sweet - all at the same time. because of all the same characteristics we share, you know exactly how to drive me crazy. but i just can't help loving you like crazy, too. there is no mistaking you are my daughter. my mother once said, i'm sure at some point of frustration, "some day you will have a daughter just like you." i thought, with a smirk, "if i were to be so lucky!" and i am.

you fill my life with laughter like no one else can. you are quick witted and charming - traits that could've only come from your daddy.

i have loved watching you grow from a sweet and easy baby to a beautifully talented firecracker of a girlie. these ferociously fabulous qualities of yours will serve you well in your not-so-boring-fun-filled-and-adventurous life you have ahead of you.

i adore the way you care for your older brother. the way you eagerly stand up for him in any situation, melts my heart.

you are so willing to help out with your younger sister, brushing her hair, and trying to dress her - even when she puts up a fuss. you are sweet and kind, and hold the feelings of others in high importance.

daddy and i delight in the morning cuddles with you, and look forward to each hug and kiss you give.

remember how special you are, and how much you are loved. never forget that you are a daughter of God capable of great and wonderful things. watch out world, here comes makayah!

****

today i am grateful for:

*YOU, my sweet and precious daughter. happy birthday. i love you forever.

keeping busy

2011-12-27T19:59:00.001-07:00

my parents have been busy with work during our visit here. we've managed to keep ourselves fairly occupied and entertained while waiting for them to have some free time.

sam, of course, has not allowed the vacation to overshadow or overtake any basketball time.

four-wheeling is always a treat at umpa and nana's house.

as long as there is food around, mims is a happy camper.

today i am grateful for:

*pedialyte. mimzy has had a bit of a cold and i didn't want her drinking any milk or getting dehydrated.

*the nice weather to go four-wheeling.

*this busy little guy in my tummy. he is constantly moving around and it is always such a relief. the girls never moved this much. it makes me smile to think how active this little boy is going to be. just like a brown/crowfoot boy should.

back in the day...

2011-12-26T10:34:00.001-07:00

i was born in oklahoma. my dad was finishing up grad school there. when he was done, four months after i was born, we moved back to the navajo reservation in arizona. basically, i've lived my entire childhood in window rock, arizona. it's home, and always will be.

today we went on a car ride to show the kids around again. this time, they bombarded me with questions. whenever we passed a particular spot of memory, i would tell them a story about the time i went bike riding with my dad and brothers and we killed a rattlesnake. or how during the summers my brothers and i along with the neighborhood kids would walk down to "the mission" and play baseball or catch salamanders in the creek. i didn't realize how much they'd actually like the stories...and i didn't realize how much i had underestimated my own memory. this place is filled with them. some day i will have to write down everything i remember.

we took the kids to the town's namesake and monument. i remember many hiking field trips in elementary school, walking to the window rock and having picnics with classmates. it's nice that some things don't change, like big, massive red rocks with holes in them.

it was actually a really nice and warm day. most of the snow has melted and the kids ran free throughout the park without their coats.

i'm pretty sure this is mimzy's first time here.

isaiah's been here many times, but he loves coming back.

so does makayah.

the first time shot of all three of the kids here.

while the kids went off hiking with daddy, i followed mimzy around on the safer sidewalks.

she was ecstatic to be outdoors, romping here and there. she is such a little explorer.

we forgot to bring the tripod, so, everyone had individual shots. the best we could do.

i love that my children will have so many memories of their own in window rock.

after a day of romping around town, we had our cousins over for games. unfortunately, mims just couldn't hang and conked out before her future roomie/best friend came over to play. it was so much fun playing, and if we hadn't realized before just how much we've missed being close to family, we definitely remember now.

today i am grateful for:

*the beautiful opportunity i've had to grow up here. i am so lucky to have the rich memories i do, and to be able to share them with my children.

*my extended family who came to play games with us. we laughed into the night, just like a proper night should end.

*melatonin, i've been having a hard time with this one hour time change.

happy christmas

2011-12-25T10:08:00.001-07:00

santa didn't come this morning. the kids were fairly distraught until they learned that santa wasn't coming until after church. i did sneak in a little comment about how they shouldn't have fought yesterday. anyway, santa didn't want the focus to be on presents, and instead, wanted us to remember the real reason for christmas - which isn't about finding christmas gifts under the tree - but about celebrating the humbling gift of the birth of Christ.

the talks at church were very uplifting and a beautiful reminder of looking outside ourselves (and the toy stores), to become more Christ-like in our own lives, giving and serving our fellowmen.

when we arrived back home after church, the kids found santa had left his bags of goodies for the good little boys and girls.

sam was surprised to find a book written about him. ;)

the best gift was being with family.

as far back as i can remember, i've always been right by my mom's side helping her with pie making or in charge of pie making for the christmas dinner.

i was in charge again. i also made most of the side dishes so my mom could relax.

mims thought the dinner was absolutely fabulous and did her little happy jig.

i hope you all had a happy christmas, too.

****

today i am grateful for:

*the christmas messages at church that helped bring my focus back to important things.

*the kindness and love my family offers me.

*the delicious christmas feast.

christmas eve festivities

2011-12-24T09:33:00.001-07:00

mims decided the best way to begin the christmas eve celebrations was to practice her climbing skills.

stairs are too much fun to pass up.

she was pretty good at it.

she took a little break to hang out with her umpa.

she even helped him tweeze his whiskers. she's not a big fan of scruff. ;)

daddy got an early christmas present. hunting is on the agenda next fall.

all isaiah wanted to do was play baseball with umpa. umpa said he's getting pretty good.

isaiah and mak were busy making secret gifts for everyone.

christmas crossword puzzles also kept the little monkeys busy. i figured, i'd count this as part of isaiah's literacy homework for school.

the best part of christmas eve is making christmas cookies for santa.

they were so incredibly yummy! i bet santa was delighted.

today i am grateful for:

*christmas goodies from friends and family.

*time spent making things with my children.

*a warm fire in the fireplace.

back on the rez

2011-12-23T23:28:00.003-07:00

the snow was too tempting to pass up. first up on the first day of visiting nana and umpa's house:

hide and go seek in the snow with auntie renee.

mimzy didn't exactly hide, she was just happy to be outside.

she loves exploring.

and i love those bundled up cheeks.

makayah loved eating the icicles.

isaiah loves sporting his green bay packers gear, even when having to count during a game of hide and go seek.

and my dad couldn't resist taking us out to his favorite chinese food joint.

the last time we came here, mimzy was around 7 months old and she tried to nurse the buddha.

mimzy wasn't too crazy about the chinese food, but she loved the fruits and pudding.

*****

today i am grateful for:

*rocko the elf. he hitched a ride and followed us all the way to arizona so he could keep an eye on isaiah and makayah...and mims. he's been a great help in motivating the kids.

*roast mutton sandwiches for lunch. so very good.

isaiah was helping little mims along the deserted flea market sidewalk.

*snow.

*christmas tree pine smell. i love that my parents bought a real christmas tree. it smells like all my childhood christmases.

*and christmas lights. they make us happy. i think the snowman is their favorite.

Up in the air

2011-12-21T15:42:00.007-07:00

we made double sure to wake up on time, and get to the airport with an hour and a half to spare. we ate breakfast, checked in, and settled into the waiting seats.

this is one of samiyah's favorite things to do. and one of her favorite books to "read."

if you don't know my children, be forewarned - if you decide to say, "hello," be ready for hours of conversation. sam and i laughed to ourselves as makayah and isaiah bombarded the poor and unsuspecting stranger with "why" questions. they are anything but shy, and will find out everything about you - your name, why you decided to buy a blue water bottle instead of a purple one, and then make you guess their own names - while giving you all the wrong clues just because they think it's funny to trick people. we laughed because we were so glad it wasn't us, and with her taking the heat, sam and i could relax and talk to each other - uninterrupted. thanks, stranger.

the first flight was uneventful and very short...about an hour at the most. samiyah decided this was the flight to take her nap on.

the view.

on the second leg of our trip, everyone was wide awake. they did a pretty good job for the most part as long as they had their snacks.

isaiah sat by his lonesome in the row in front of us. he is a pro flyer. he's flown internationally and overseas, this kid knows what he's doing. so, a flight from wisconsin to abq...piece of cake! i love his little set up here.

he was way too quiet and well-behaved, so i had to bug him a few times to make sure he okay. ;)

the two hour flight wasn't too bad, but it was still pretty tiring.

it was an incredible relief to get off the plane. i was becoming a little too claustrophobic. i think i prefer the freedom of driving the long distances and being able to stop and get out whenever needed.

after the disappointment of missing our flight yesterday - the kids were in tears saying, "you said we'd get to see nana and umpa today!" - they were finally reunited.

it feels good to be back.

today i am grateful for:

*the kind lady who talked to our kids for quite a lengthy amount of time while we waited for our plane.

*sam, who changed mimzy on the plane - twice.

*hugs and kisses from nana and umpa. :)

It could be worse...

2011-12-20T21:59:00.002-07:00

as i lie awake in my hotel bed, going over all the things we could've done to make our flight, thinking of how we'd be in arizona by now, and then...

i couldn't fall asleep. i was dead tired. but, i don't think anyone could've fallen asleep with the noise above my head. the one time we chose frugality over quality - and i was swiftly reminded why the extra bucks are worth it.

yeah, we missed our flight, and stressed out over what we were to do. but the airport attendant was helpful and got us on a flight the next morning. we had a great time driving around milwaukee in the falling snow, eating a nice meal in a nice restaurant. sam had breathed a sigh of relief and said, "ahh, i'm glad this place is nice and quiet." makayah smiled her sly smile and replied, "not for long! HEY HO! LET'S GO!"

we bought some treats and relaxed in our hotel room watching movies for the rest of the evening. we even let the kids run free and jump on the beds.

they were happy to be out of the car.

and jumping on the beds - which they usually aren't allowed to do.

samiyah didn't jump, but she applauded her older siblings' talents.

it turned out to be pretty okay.

back to the beginning. yes, the missed flight stressed me out. and although we had a fun evening despite the stress, i couldn't help the grumbling going on in my head - focusing on all the things that went wrong...until i heard the blaring fight right above us. everyone in our room was sleeping except for me. there were f-bombs flying left and right. screaming, thumping, and slamming doors. it was really bad. from what i gathered, they were fighting over their children. at one point, the fight moved to our floor just down the hall and when i heard the lady gagging and wailing at the guy to get off of her and let her go, i made a call to the front desk.

i instantly replayed the day over in my head. yeah, we missed our flight. boo-hoo. but there were so many things that went right, too. it could be worse. i'm glad it wasn't.

today i am grateful for:

*a fun time jumping on the beds.

*the airport desk lady who waved a huge portion of fees we should've paid. i'm kinda glad we are arriving in the afternoon now instead of late at night.

*a loving, respectful husband who truly cares for the welfare of his wife and children. i really wish there were more men like him. it saddens me how people treat each other.

makayah's quote of the day:

sam took the wrong turn onto one of milwaukee's freeways and yelled out, "dang it! i didn't want to go this way!" makayah yells out from the back, "well, who's driving, dad?"

last day

2011-12-19T16:33:00.004-07:00

tomorrow afternoon we fly out to arizona to spend Christmas with my parents. well, more accurately, we fly into new mexico, then we drive to my parents' home in arizona. i'm really excited. we haven't spent Christmas with them since isaiah was born. i'm looking forward to making pies and cookies and singing carols, going sledding (they actually had snow before we did, and much more of it). i'm excited to watch old movies with my mom while we are busily sewing and finishing projects. i'm so thrilled, i can even overlook the fact that we have to fly on a plane with a wiggly, walking 15 month old.

it was a day of preparation. it's too bad all my energy and motivation had been spent over the weekend. i did manage to muster up a bit of productivity to tidy up and get these Christmas cards in the mail. i think the post office stop was the one thing, today, that i wasn't looking forward to. luckily, it wasn't so bad.

makayah was smart and brought her coloring book and crayons. she set up shop under one of the packaging tables.

and samiyah was mostly occupied with this lone aqua-marine crayon - which she just couldn't resist taste-testing. i think she found the flavor of aqua-marine to be quite enjoyable, because when she saw i wasn't looking, she bit the top off. it was immediately confiscated.

sometimes i feel like all i ever do is drive all around town, dropping people off, picking people up - only to come home and then tidy everything up over and over again. today was no different. HOWEVER, i was extremely happy to be picking up this guy:

praise the heavens -finals are over!

there was a celebration game of star wars monopoly.

one random thing today, samiyah is absolutely in love with bubbles. as i was blowing bubbles for her to catch, she copied me and began yelling out, "bubbo! bubbo!" it sent me into a fit of giggles - this girl is just way too cute.

today i am grateful for:

*the sense i had to pack the majority of our bags yesterday.

*leftovers, no cooking, no new dishes to wash.

*having my husband back. by the end of the day, he had unwound, de-stressed, and we were laughing at silly movies like our old selves by the end of the day. :)

crowfoot's merry little christmas

2011-12-17T19:57:00.003-07:00

one of my most favorite things are the special little traditions we have as a family.

for christmas, we usually finish up the story of the birth of Christ before anything else unfolds.

among other things, we also have a special christmas breakfast of homemade blueberry oatmeal pancakes with homemade whipped cream. it's quite tasty.

we had borrowed "how the grinch stole Christmas" from the library. we read it today. i thought about how "Christmas" still went on without the presents, without the feast, and the who's all sang their songs and still rejoiced. i really want to do that next year. store bought gifts are absolutely banned from Christmas. i think it has the potential to be a powerful lesson for the kids.

this is our printed out blog book for 2009. it is, by far, the best gift ever. ;)

as sam and i were keeping with tradition, taking our peaceful afternoon naps as the children played and snacked, and watched christmas movies - makayah came into the bedroom. she whispered in my ear, "mom, i think my makeup kit is broken. look, mom. i look like a zombie!"

isaiah and makayah had received joke books in their stockings. remember isaiah's little note? well, santa apparently wanted to grant his little heart's desire. isaiah can read. makayah, not so much.

as we were sitting around the table eating our christmas breakfast, isaiah asked, "makayah, why couldn't the pony sing?"

makayah replied, "um, because it's a pony."

makayah pretended to read her joke book and we were the captive audience of a string of knock-knock jokes that went like this:

makayah: "knock-knock, dad."

dad: "who's there?"

makayah: "why did the baker want to come inside?"

dad: "why-did-the-baker-want-to-come-inside WHO?"

makayah, completely oblivious to daddy's sly remark: "because he wanted to BAKE something!"

the books might be a little broken, too.

it was so hard for sam and i not to laugh about everything BUT the jokes being told. and samiyah, wanting to be part of the family, threw her own head back chuckling, finding the whole thing just as funny as any of us.

today i am grateful for:

*happy faces and giggly children

*afternoon naps

*the opportunity to teach my children the true meaning of christmas.

crowfoot christmas eve-ish.

2011-12-16T18:43:00.002-07:00

this morning was a busy one. sam had his first final exam at 9am. isaiah had to be at school by 8:30am. makayah had to be at school by 9am. and i had a doctor's appt. at 9am. we rushed around dropping people off, kissing goodbyes, and i finally arrived, on time, to my appointment.

the little guy would not sit still long enough for the nurse to get an accurate heart rate. as soon as she'd find the little one, he'd scurry off someplace else. i love how active he is. the doctor came in, chased after him, got his heartbeat, and all is well.

the kids wanted to feel how wiggly he was...

because we are flying out to arizona on tuesday to spend christmas with my family, we decided to have a little mini christmas here at home before we leave. less luggage, and we simply love the little christmas traditions we have as a family, plus - the less luggage, the better. so, today just happened to be our christmas eve.

it worked out quite perfectly since today is also our fun friday. while samiyah and i took our afternoon nap, isaiah and makayah were allowed to play the wii.

around 5pm, we met up with the native arts and crafts group again. the kids were thrilled to be playing and running around with their friends, the vigils.

here's what we learned and made tonight:

i learned how to do a daisy chain beading pattern.

samiyah loved it.

isaiah and daddy made drum sticks. very cool.

makayah was off playing with her friends, so i didn't get to snap a picture of her. but, on our way out, i did get this one of mimzy trying with all her might to sprout 3 more inches to be able to drink the water that was squirting out.

when we got home, we ate our dinner in the living room on our picnic blanket as we watched 'home alone.' sent the kids off to bed, and readied the christmas things.

i had forgotten to sew samiyah's stocking, and stayed up late to finish.

i'm glad we get to celebrate again with my family in arizona.

today i am grateful for:

*native arts and crafts night - i love learning new skills, especially beading patterns

*a wiggly baby. it makes me smile whenever he's moving around.

*time together as a family.

*samiyah learning how to trash her own diaper. :)

finals week, yuck.

2011-12-15T10:27:00.001-07:00

crazy, hormonal pregnant lady + stressed out, sleep-deprived law student = communication disasters.

finding humor & making jokes + late night take out + really great movie at home = mended fences.

i will be so happy when finals are over. i desperately need to establish some kind of telepathic connection between me and my law student so he can read my mind - only at the times i'd like, of course - and so i can figure out what is going on in that head of his. you'd think after all these years we'd be able to read each other's minds and know which buttons to push and which to leave alone. actually, now that i think about it, we have a pretty good idea which buttons are which - i think sometimes we just like pushing the buttons we shouldn't. unfortunately, that's just the mischievous and rebellious part of our nature. at least makayah is honest about it - she has a song she sings that goes, "it's good to be BAD!"

i just have to say one more thing on the matter. whoppers and fries from my sweet and thoughtful law student really does wonders for improved communication and a happy ending to a chaotic misunderstood day.

today i am grateful for:

*our outing to the Y. it's nice to get out of the house (and be able to eat that whopper and fries without too much guilt).

sisters. i love this photo.

*for this image of the crazy squirrel hanging from a bird feeder on our way home. i don't know why, but i thought it was so funny. a good laugh for the day.

*for my little man when he gets out of school. i love our sweet and happy hellos....

along with the help he offers at the very best of times. it's his first time gassing up the car. he was so proud of himself.

*for sweet sibling moments like these. makayah wanted me to read 'the paper bag princess' to her. unfortunately i was busy. isaiah offered to read it to her. i think i'll go cry my eyes out now - happy tears.

*and last but not least, i am very thankful to sam who had stayed up until 7am this morning studying, fed the kids breakfast, and helped isaiah with his homework - before crashing out for the rest of the morning. i got to sleep in until 7. thank you, sam.

relinquish: to surrender/renounce, to give up or desist from...

2011-12-14T10:29:00.005-07:00

i love foggy days - when it concerns the weather. just in the past couple months, i had escaped the fogginess of my first trimester brain. i've been eagerly catching up on all the things i've let slip through.

running, cleaning, organizing, school stuff, creative projects, photo editing, and most importantly my time management calendars.

there seem to be days when i find myself floating through the day, not exactly knowing what i should do, which project to begin, whether or not i should start on the dishes or run the vacuum...and then it's too late, because suddenly, it's time to pick up kids from school, feed and change the baby, fix dinner, and add to the mounting pile of dishes, yet again. and with all the hustle and bustle the evening brings, i have very little energy at the end of the day.

i needed some direction, something giving me a general idea of where i should be going and how i should be spending my time to make the very most of it.

i've made these before, in my not-so-foggy states of mind in the past. i love them.

this is my color-coded weekly schedule. it tells me when we should be having snack time, dramatic play time, art day, family home evening, trips to the museum and library, when it is time to help with homework, etc. etc.

i created this helpful cheat sheet, courtesy of my byu preschool student teaching. this sheet tells me the books i want to focus on for the week; the writing/literacy activities i'd like to incorporate in our current project work - christmas, obviously; and the music, dramatic play, art projects, field trips/play dates we have laid out. it's a more specific version of the above plan so i'm not lost thinking of what to actually make during cooking time with the kids.

it also includes the projects/hobbies i want to complete during the week so i don't allow facebook to consume my every waking (free) moment - because heaven forbid facebook browsing becomes an actual "hobby" of mine.

whenever i do follow these daily plans, i feel incredibly accomplished. i feel invigorated and full of energy. i finally feel on top of things again.

to my great dismay...i had forgotten to accommodate the spontaneous nature of my very unpredictable husband. the catch is, if i had - i'd have to wipe this slate clean.

to illustrate:

this is what today was supposed to be: dropping kids off at school. samiyah's nap time. photo editing. picking kids up from school. mini trip to the museum. homework time. quiet/reading time, clean up time while i make dinner, eat dinner, family board games, bedtime stories and bedtime.

this is what actually happened:

i did manage to get the kids to school and pick them up. so, i should feel fairly productive today, right?

that's basically where my time plan ended. this is the part where the roller-coaster ride begins. you know how you don't know where you're going exactly, when you're going to turn, when you're going to plummet to the ground, and when the ride will actually stop?

sam had been working like a mad man for the past week studying for finals. in fact, he never went to bed last night.

sam needed to drop something off at the law school. i was hesitant about taking him along to pick up isaiah because i knew we'd never make it back without any detours. after his errand to the law school our first turn was a stop at the toy store. *mental note: substitute museum visit with christmas shopping*

after a few dropped displays and the sound of the fire alarm (thanks, makayah), we plummeted our way down the sidewalk to the very dangerously close "luigi's pizzeria." sam said because i had thrown out his left-out-overnight leftover block of blue cheese, that he deserved a good meal tonight. *mental note - substitute chicken burritos and spinach salad for thursday night's dinner*

samiyah is cranky when she is out of routine. she was being quite ornery and was put into seclusion by her merciless father, sam, who had placed her in time-out earlier for squirting her pureed apple/broccoli all over the wall.

okay, so i wasn't terribly disappointed that we weren't eating the chicken burritos i had planned tonight. i was more concerned with curbing the eating-out. but i have to admit, this pizza was brilliant and i enjoyed every bit of the truffle oil splendidness. who knew arugula would compliment the prosciutto so nicely?

the raspberry italian soda. this "plummeting" part of the ride was quite thrilling.

next turn, barnes and noble for hot cocoa and some stocking stuffers. samiyah insisted on holding her own cup, and i'm sure you can all guess how well that turned out. *mental note - sub out family board games with family hot cocoa time.*

before the end of our impromptu roller-coaster ride, we made one last loop to one last shop. they didn't have what we were looking for, and so i called it quits - time to go home. the end of the ride came to a not-so-sudden stop, but at least it slowed. the kids readied for bed, stayed up just a little longer upon daddy's request to watch and laugh at a couple episodes of 'america's funniest videos.' *mental note - help isaiah with homework before he goes to school tomorrow.*

i did, however, get a good start on several projects as soon as the kids went to bed.

i'm not at all complaining about the roller-coaster ride we had today. we had so much fun together and that is just as important as doing homework when it is supposed to be done, or eating the meals i had planned in advance.

in all seriousness, i realize to keep the peace and a good sense of balance between sam's parenting and my own, i need to relinquish complete control of daily activities. so i have to make some substitutions here and there so i don't forget about the wilting spinach in the fridge...so, isaiah's homework time got moved to the next morning, it'll get done, right?

as long as it is finals week and predictability is completely nonexistent, i surrender. i give in. i desist from rigorous and strict adhering to my printed out, color-coded schedules. because right now, sam and what he needs to be doing at the time he needs to be doing it, is more important than my agenda... for now, because at some point the homework does need to be done and the kids do need to have their bath nights.

***

today i am grateful for:

*the funny things my kids say:

on the way to school this morning, isaiah said out of nowhere, "i love going to school. rocko can't see me there."

and when we found this broken ornament that samiyah had been constantly chewing on for the past three days, makayah declared, "mimzy! you broke the ornament! *exasperated sigh* now you're DOOMED for the rest of the day!"

*the time out that will save poor mimzy from a life of crime, as stated by sam's fellow law school classmate - that was a good laugh. ;) but seeing my poor mimzy sad in time out wasn't so laughable. i saved her after her age-appropriate one minute in the corner.

*unpredictable, roller-coaster, christmas memories....along with the strength to relinquish control to do so.

the treasures i find...

2011-12-13T23:42:00.002-07:00

treasure 1:

my sweet firecracker of a daughter making christmas cards for the people at the nursing home. :)

she likes to mix things up. one says "merry christmas!" and the other says, "christmas merry!"

art day is a day we look forward to.

treasure 2:

as i was going through my desk and organizing my papers, i found this note written by isaiah. "soon i will tell a funny 'joke.'" i don't even know what to say, except that he is the sweetest and funniest boy ever!

treasure 3:

mims rocking out with her daddy.

she's a slave to the rhythm....just like the rest of us.

today i am grateful for:

*the child watch people at the Y. they are great with my kids.

*power assist doors, especially when holding an armful of baby.

*hand sanitizer.

sweet goodbyes and happy hellos

2011-12-12T15:22:00.006-07:00

despite the disappointment of yesterday, we must've all had a really great rest.

everyone woke up so happy.

the best part of my day, by far, was dropping the kids off at school - not because i didn't want them around all day long - but because the goodbyes are so sweet. i love how isaiah smiled and waved and blew kisses in my direction over and over again until he was swallowed up in the elementary school doors where i could only imagine what went on in his social world of teachers, classmates, and cafeteria shenanigans.

when it was time to drop off makayah, she made a beeline for her classroom door, stopped, and then raced right back to me with her arms wide open, puckering up for a kiss goodbye. i savored that hug and kept it with me until it was time to pick her up again.

samiyah was extra cuddly and extra happy. she walked around in her baggy purple sleeper, squeezing her teddy bear tight around it's neck, and snuggling with whatever and whoever (mostly me) was around.

i like days like this. days like today remind me how much i adore my family. the squabbles, whining, and sheer exhaustion of refereeing it all seems to fade away into nothingness.

today i am grateful for:

*the grandparents gifts that are finally completed! i've got to go rest my eyes now, they are burning out of my head.

*homemade lamb curry. so yummy.

*happy endings.

things fall apart...

2011-12-11T10:58:00.009-07:00

...and are glued back together with really strong sticky frosting.

the plan was to go to green bay this morning so sam and i could attend the green bay packer's football game this afternoon.

yeah, that didn't happen...not like we had previously imagined it.

it's too bad, because i was really looking forward to seeing my man, aaron rogers. i had even made sure to wash isaiah's aaron rogers jersey so i could sport that at the game.

oh well, things fall apart, no game for me. unfortunately, we missed church for nothing.

on the upside, the kids and i do have a gingerbread house to make. and that did a pretty terrific job of making up for the missed up-close-and-personal view of aaron rogers. :) realistically, i'd be seeing just the spotty blur of aaron rogers, sitting in the below freezing temperatures, perhaps picking up a nice case of frost bite in the process. ok, that makes me feel much better.

makayah's advent candle. i had to take a picture of it - there was a close call earlier today and samiyah almost ate the whole thing.

ready, set, go!

mims was our gingerbread construction advisor. but really, she just ate gingerbread cookie crumbs.

placing the roof was tricky...

and they pulled it off quite nicely. they had pre-made gingerbread houses at whole foods, but that's no fun. and although i did plan to bake my own gingerbread house - like we did last year - i was also reminded that as extremely tasty as it turned out, the dimensions were thrown off by whatever happens in the oven as it puffs up in all directions. oh yes, and it cracked way too easily. so, i'm glad we found this cute gingerbread house kit.

we added our own flare and embellishments.

notice the lacey windows and cinnamon logs...cute, right? and i really love that snowman.

the kids were begging for a taste as soon as we completed construction. they settled for a powdered pfefferneuse cookie. at least, i think that's what they were called - the powdery white ones we used for the snowmen. this is isaiah's face immediately after his first bite. it was all ginger and no cookie. a little too strong for them, but perfect for chubby snowmen. they didn't waste any time in spitting it out.

besides gingerbread house construction, we also had an eagerly awaiting pile of clean laundry to fold. i suppose my life can't be glamorous all the time. we watched "the muppets christmas carol" - one of my all time favorite christmas movies - to make the laundry folding and putting away go faster.

as much fun as this day sounds - minus the part about missing my man in action on the football field today - it was a huge effort to maintain order and happiness for the following reasons:

*mimzy is sprouting all four molars all at once. she is sniffly and coughy. she followed me from one end of the room to the other end, all day, crying and whining. when i'd pick her up, she throw herself this way and that, and cry some more, saying, "ow, ow, ow."

*isaiah and makayah were so off and on. they really wanted to play games together, but when they did, the whining and arguing and the, "you're cheating!" would start. i was NOT up to dealing with whining today. there were lots of time outs.

*it was an accident-prone afternoon. i don't know about you, but after the 100th head bump, 73rd slip and trip, and the 4th black eye - okay, it was actually only the 2nd - all i want to do is collapse on the couch, throw my hands in the air, shout out, "watch where you're going/be careful/and that's why i tell you not to do that!" and give up. i'm usually very generous with my kisses - but c'mon, this was just nuts.

end of the day wrestling. and this, kids, is how we get hurt. luckily, no one was. the evening was filled with giggles - which by the end of the day - i couldn't be more grateful for.

i had absolutely no qualms about putting the kids to bed a half hour early. 7pm, thank you for coming.

today i am grateful for:

*fun distractions to make things more cheery.

*christmas movies, they always put me in a better mood.

*a clean house and folded laundry. it's nice i won't have to worry about it tomorrow. :)

The view from saturday

2011-12-10T22:00:00.003-07:00

it was a day for catching up.

sam and i didn't get back from our photo shoot until late. and then of course, we had to unwind before actually falling into bed. it was a fun photo shoot, and it was difficult not to start moving to the rhythm while taking pictures. but that would've been silly, especially with all the heavy camera equipment hanging from my neck.

after catching up on work stuff this morning, i took the girls to get our ingredients for our gingerbread house project.

yes. and yes. these spots are life-savers. they are almost always open.

the new and improved purple car shopping carts. loved them!

we didn't actually have time to make the gingerbread houses, but i'm glad we now have all the stuff to make it. as soon as we got home, we had to get ready for a special photo shoot with santa.

mims really wanted to wear daddy's new boots, and thought she'd be faster than the rest of us by putting two feet into one shoe.

the party was fantastic, the food - oh my goodness. it was heavenly, but i've learned not to expect anything less whenever we go to Tru and Sir's place.

santa was a hit. and somehow i was called up by the big man, as well. i was told to be more patient with sam and his shopping habits along with all the other crazy things he does. i will most likely be getting coal this christmas.

****

today i am grateful for:

*pregnant people parking spots.

*driving around town all morning without any incidents.

*coats. it has yet to snow, but the temperature has dropped to freezing. i don't see the point of everything being so cold without snow.

drum roll please...

2011-12-09T16:37:00.000-07:00

there was no way we could skip finding out the gender of this little tornado.

we are all so anxious to see the baby again, even if it is only on the ultrasound screen.

today i am officially 21 weeks.

wake up daddy and mims from their naps, check.

pick up makayah from school, check.

pick up isaiah from school, check.

appt. @2:45pm, check.

healthy, wiggly baby, check.

we almost didn't get to find out what the gender was, because the baby was either crossing it's legs or had it's hands over the tell-tale parts. and after almost 45 minutes, we found out we are having another....

isaiah was out of his seat, ecstatic, and didn't know what to do but smile and stutter.

we went out to celebrate.

we had meatloaf and mashed potatoes in honor of our fun friday movie that we will be watching tonight - a christmas story. we also forgot mimzy's sippy cup, so she ended up lapping her milk like a little kitty when we weren't trying to teach her how to use a straw.

and of course, we left with their famous hubbard pies.

****
makayah's quote of the day: sam was singing to makayah, "you are my shining star!" and makayah sang back in her wobbally sing song voice, "daddy, you are the favor of my star!" sam replied, "wow, makayah. the favor of your star? that's so special!"

isaiah's quote of the day: "i get a brother! i'm not the only boy!"
****
today i am grateful for:

*a healthy baby from the looks of the ultrasound.

*i'm grateful that my brother-in-law, noble, can get the medical treatment he needed tonight. :( poor, noble. we are praying for you and glad that it's only a broken arm. feel better soon. we love you.

*the chance i get to take out isaiah's old baby clothes and use them again. i'm really excited.

all in one day...i'm beat.

2011-12-08T08:52:00.000-07:00

today...

i woke up at 5:30 and couldn't go back to sleep. i finally gave in, and got out of bed at 6am to do my morning yoga. samiyah and isaiah decided to get out of bed at 6am, too. yoga is tricky when you have to do all the poses with a little mims trying to sit in your lap or crawl underneath your "downward dog" at every chance.

i got to read more of my book for book group tonight while slowly pedaling the stationary bike at the Y while my kids were preoccupied with the play center. exercise was not my main goal - 55 calories in one hour was pretty pathetic. i did however, get through 4 chapters.

makayah kept herself busy while i worked. and mims awoke as the grinch.

sam got to see isaiah do his freeze dance in music class as we waited for the final bell to ring. he's always so fun to watch. makayah decided to perform her own dance freeze dance...

it was library day and on our way back home we were distracted by the bright and inviting "luigi's pizza" sign...and we stopped. i wish i took a picture of the pizza, it was magnificent. italian soda was satisfying, and dessert was divine. i think we're going to be frequenting the place until we've tried almost everything on their menu.

samiyah has decided to freak out at bath time. she hates baths. she hates showers. she hates sticking her feet into the warm bath water. most of all she hates having water in her face as we rinse all the bubbles out of her hair. bath time just got 10 times harder.

bedtime. thank goodness. i drifted off to sleep as isaiah was reading me the last of his books. sorry, isaiah.

book group. i had been looking forward to this and luckily, had saved enough energy to go, thanks to that little catnap. i loved the break and the conversation...and cheesecake, yum.

i am so beat, and so done for the day.

today i am grateful for:

*work. and the chance i get to work from home and still be present for my kids. i'm very lucky i get to do this.

*the temporary burst of energy i had this morning to make blueberry oat pancakes topped with fresh mangos. a nice treat to start the day.

*the bottle of milk that immediately calmed and quieted samiyah's screams and whimpering after her bath.

oh yes, and one more thing.

i'm grateful i finally finished this tree skirt. yay! these appliques are older than my marriage. i finally put them to good use. the kids were pretty ecstatic about it...maybe just a tad too much. they smeared just a piece of the horse, but it's not that noticeable. whew.