meet the neighbors

 

I came home from the grocery store one Saturday and saw everyone huddled around the front fence. It seemed we had some new neighbors building along our property line.

Don’t you wish you could be a kid again sometimes?

 

rocky mountains

 

Is it hot where you are? I am beginning to feel like maybe Earth is on a collision course with the Sun and no one will tell us about it.  Okay, so maybe that’s an exaggeration, but it is HOT.

So this last week we took a trip up into the mountains and got to cool down for a few days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We stayed at a little ski resort, and went walking, collected rocks, went swimming, and (Natalie’s favorite part) played in the dirt.

The girls brought home about 10 lbs of rocks. Every rock up there seemed to be really special to them. And there were a lot of rocks. I couldn’t really blame them. I was trying to figure out a way I could sneakily fill up the van with the bigger rocks to use in our landscaping.

In the late afternoon it was time for a tired boy to rest. Or just pass out from sheer exhaustion. That’s what vacations are good for. 

what's in a name

Yes, I changed my blog's title again.

I think this is my fourth name so far.

I could just say that I am doing it because I can, but if you would like to know the real reason, read on.

Soon after changing it the last time, I began to dislike it. I still believe I have a good life, but I don't have "the" good life, as everyone has such different circumstances that it would be impossible to make a mold. It was seriously grating on me every time I looked at it with it's self-righteous tone that was far from what I wished it to be.

No one else may have thought about it that way or cared, hopefully that was the case, but I couldn't take it anymore.

AND SO, I have changed it again.

This name came after quite a bit of thought. (the last one did not.) Alas, I do not have a name that would give me anything to work with such as "Winter" or "Weight." I know that this blog title must certainly not be original to my blog, but no one I know personally or read about uses it so I felt free to use it.

I love blogging because it is my outlet for discussing things I think about, the things I do, the things I eat, and the things that make me happy. These things are the "small and simple things" of everyday life.

My sister and her husband are facing the realities of buying a minivan, something I have already dealt with myself.

I saw this video a while back, and thought it might help them feel better about things.

one cool store

On my recent trip to the old homestead I stopped at some of my favorite old stomping grounds like this place where one can get moon pies for a bargain price.

But I also stopped at a store I must have passed hundreds of times in my life, and always wondered about it. It sits on a corner in the middle of nowhere. (Our house was on the outer rim of nowhere.)

The sign said “Antiques” and Mom told me that she had just stopped there and bought a mantle for their new fireplace, and I was intrigued.

I was not prepared for what I found.

I think this place jumped to the top of my list of coolest stores I have ever been in.

Not only was it jammed packed with amazing furniture and interesting pieces, the building itself was like a beautiful wood lodge. I was trying to snap all this photos secretly, so they are not the best.

This is a pie safe circa 1900:

I decided I seriously need that to keep my pies safe.

Every time I thought I had seen everything I would turn another corner and find another row of furniture or find stairs leading up or down. And everything was actually very reasonably priced. I can be thankful I don’t live too close.

I am so sure I could find a place for this pig in my house. I could display him right on top of the fridge in order to keep me out of it.

This old baby jumper probably wouldn’t pass a safety inspection, but it was so cool.

There was just too much to see, and supposedly I was only going to look for a couple of minutes and then go home. Yeah, right.

I’m planning another trip back.

tell me how you really feel

I find notes, drawings, stories, poems, lists, . . . all over the house.

I love them.

I found this list one day of some ideas of fun things we could do from Cali.

1. eat out (i agree)

2. buy toy (hmm.)

3. go temple (also fun)

4. Go to Grandma (Coltons) (I believe she was trying to shoot for something more possible)

5. have B. L. D. Down (had to ask, it means breakfast, lunch, and dinner, downstairs)

6. Watch T.V. all day (no.)

7. every day scriptures at table (good to hear you find this fun)

And there we are hanging out of the van like the Partridge Family.

I love to find Kimi’s because she is doing this all on her own.

Here is a little interpretation:

my age is 5

my friends call me Kimi

my hair color is brown

I heart you

(followed by a great self portrait)

Or there was this picture where Kimi reminded me that “all are a child of God”

This was my Mother’s Day card from Cali where I found out that Cali likes my cooking. (Except for my split pea soup.)

I’m going to keep this one to show Cali when she is a teenager.

She has declared me “the cool mother.”

Then there was this poem:

“I love little boys

More than little toys (me too)

I love paper as much

As water vaper (so true, how could you really pick between those two)

I love our famliy

+ Elle and Ashley

That means I have fun

with EVERYONE! (Yes, you do)”

This though, has to be my favorite note that I have found.

“Dear Mom Here’s a Poem

I love you

Kimi does too.

Ian love your cake

Sometimes it gives

Me a stumichache.”

That’s good to to know.

northern exposure

Me and the kidlets got to take a little trip up to Grandma and Grandpa M.’s house to see the baptism of their cousin, Allison. It was a fun weekend with family, food, and fires (in a firepit, no worries.) It was a perfect quick-gettaway.

After driving for hours the kids were so excited to reach Grandma’s house and this backyard. The lighting was beautiful so I couldn’t help taking a zillion or so pictures. Especially of my littlest.

Natalie was done, so I had to be too.

The best thing about getting together with family is family and we were glad to see so many people. I didn’t get all the pictures I should have, but here is one of our fabulous Tino.

(I made it REALLY BIG for you, Tino, because I knew you would love it.)

And here’s other half of my brain, Elizabeth. We were so happy to be there at the same time as her family.

Ian was trying to give Ryker and Natalie a ride, but gave up.

Ryker, being the gentleman, jumped out to continue pulling Natalie.

It was a little big for him though, and Natalie started looking around for more help.

That meant “drop the camera, Mom.”

It was a wonderful weekend. Thanks again to Grandma and Grandpa!

happy 4th (or 3rd or 5th)

 

It may have been a little confusing to have the 4th of July land on a Sunday this year, but I loved it because it turned into one long party.

These are some of the pictures from our 5th of July celebration at Grandma and Grandpa Colton’s house.

I wasn’t sure how Natalie would like the fireworks, but she cheered and clapped the whole time.

Ian didn’t appreciate the fireworks with “screaming birds” and he ended up practicing his “duck and cover” skills.

And of course we had to do sparklers because there is nothing as fun as putting white hot, burning sticks into our children’s hands and watch them run around like crazy with them.

“C” is for Cali.  That’s good enough for me.

lessons learned

The past few weeks have been a little bit crazy and a lot of fun, and I am just getting a chance to take a breather and blog about it. I'll start by going back to what we did in the end of June.

Cali and Kimi took some swimming lessons and got over some of their fears of water. I couldn’t believe my eyes when their teachers got them to dunk their own heads under water. They did great. This was just what they needed to get them ready for their trip to “Lake Pal.” (More on that in another post.)

Cali also got the training wheels off of her bike for good.

She had become very determined to do it one day, and showed me once more that when she makes up her mind about something, she means it.

Scott fashioned some elbow pads out of socks for her and once she had those she was off.

Now she races around the neighborhood, but without the socks.