Ladies & Gentleman, Boys & Girls-MY WIFE

It is now 12:18 am, the house is quiet.  I got home at 11 pm tonight from clinic, I was there for a special meeting so Kara flew solo again tonight.  It seems to be that when it looks like things will slow down for us we just find the next gear and that just so happens to be Overdrive right now.  So I wanted to take this quiet, early morning moment to write a tribute of sorts to my amazing wife.  

I look back at all the crazy ideas I would come home with and how it would be an investment of time and money but it would benefit us in the long run.  Kara would sit and listen, smiling and nodding her head in a reassuring manner that would always boost my ego because my wife agrees with me and I feel like the man of the house providing for my family with fun new adventures of how to make money while in school.  How does she do it... how does she makes me feel like a million bucks with one glance and a smile (a special Kara smile) across the room.  She has a gift and I am convinced that Heavenly Father gave her that gift just for me!  Back to my crazy ideas... the one I remember most is when my best friend/ my Brother from another mother, Adam and I were going to build a duplex so that we could live in one side and rent the other side to make money!  We had big plans to start with one and expand our housing empire from there.  This was not just a one conversation thing... Adam would come over at night and we would pour over duplex house plans and decide how we could improve the floor plans, after all we were smarter then the original draftsman!  We were tearing down walls and moving bathrooms from one side of the house to the other and all the while Kara is smiling at us trying to figure out how to let us down easily and explain that this endeavor is never going to happen.  She let us boys play for a few weeks before she gently pulled the plug on our fantasy and illuminated the reality.  She has got the gift because I walked away feeling like I was the one pulling the plug on the project.  How does she do that?  Now mind you that was one of many crazy ideas so she did have practice!  I just love that girl. 

She always is asking me if I am laughing at her... "Are you laughing at me?"  The truth is SHE JUST MAKES ME SMILE all the time! 

The point I am trying to make here is that with all that I have subjected her too over the years she always comes out on top of the mountain that is placed in front of her.  I quit my job and had to come home to my pregnant wife and let her know I just quit my job, oh yeah that involved Adam too (brothers stick together).  Truth be told neither of us wanted to go home in the middle of the day and tell our young wives we were jobless!  Again Kara with her gift of courage, love and a swift kick in my pants I had a job a week later!  I remember thinking when we first met that she was spunky enough to keep me inline and I have found she has plenty of spunk to go around and even more love and tenderness, her two secret ingredients  that get me every time.

I could ramble on about my angel of a wife all night but I want to close with a statement that is special to us and out kids... Kara I love you to the Moon and Back!  You never cease to amaze me and my love for you tunnels deeper in my soul each day.  

Kara and I have a private blog called "Love Notes" where we can write this sappy stuff but for now my sappyness runneth over so you all can see what I can see!  

No wheels and new walls

Recently I have had a desire to plan my future home out: paint colors, decorating style, furniture. (I am wistfully imagining the home I will one day own that does not have wheels under it. Maybe it is a fruitless endeavor because I know all too well that taste and likes change, but oh well. It has become a new hobby for me whether I use my own ideas or not.) I LOVE my home now but I will be ready for a change when we move. I have found a few website (Thanks Megan and cjane) that have amazing ideas. On day I stumbled upon a post at freshnestdesign.com that had this picture in it. Can I just say I love everything about it. LOVE the paint color, the funky chair, the wall decal, and the wood of the shelf. Love it all. SO I did a little research to find out what the paint color is. Tiffany and Co. has a signature color of blue called Tiffany Blue. The designer of this room tried to find a paint color as close to that as she could. Chant and I laughed because he has always joked that I have expensive taste. I guess that holds true even for paint!

Commit to Memory

Today was one of those days I hope I will always remember. It was very nearly perfect. It started off by taking the girls to preschool. While they were there for two hours, Porter and I went to chat with some friends. We talked books, clothes, Scentsy smells, and make-up. All while the children were happily playing together (for the most part.) Can't get better than that!

After naps the kids woke up in a good mood :) When I got Porter out of his crib he started yelling, "Bwinwee, Ainswee." The three of them played so well together. It made my heart happy to hear three little giggles coming from the back room. A while later I took the computer to my room so I could listen to music while I folded laundry. Porter came in with his cars and pushed them back and forth on the floor. Brinn and Ainsley asked if they could help fold the socks. We all sang to our hearts' content. Then Miley Cyrus "Party in the USA" came on. Porter dropped his car and he was on his feet bustin' a move. Let me tell you, that little man can dance! His hips were swaying and his head was bobbin'. It really was a party in our little corner of the USA.

Daddy came home for a 2 hour visit before heading back to clinic. We took full advantage and went to the park. We kicked soccer balls around for a while, took a walk to see the fountain, then played at the playground. It was so fun!

Now Daddy is gone again but I hear two little voices coming from the back room singing "A long time ago in a beautiful place, children gathered round Jesus" and a little boy is standing next to me pushing cars back and forth in slow motion. Nothing big, but to me a day worth remembering.


A few days ago I read a survey that a girl had written to gather information for her thesis. It was about bloggers. One of the questions was "Are you a mommy blogger." I try to throw in other things and funny stories about me, but I guess in the end, yes I am a mommy blogger. Although I do have other interests and things I do that make me happy and help me remember that I am an individual, I am a mother and wife first. SO my friends, that is what you get from me...stories about my children. Because in the end, my family is what makes me most happy. And days like today remind me of that. (Yes Mom, I am choosing to omit the one portion of the day that makes me remember why I have hobbies to keep me sane. You know what I am talking about ;)

Drivers Education

I do not like to drive. The list of reasons is a long one.
1.) When I was little my mom would tell me to shut my eyes and go to sleep and when I woke up we would be at our destination. So every time I got in the car I fell asleep. No matter how long or short the drive. (Well, I guess I could make it across town, but any further than that and I was pushing it.) The problem with this is that the habit stuck. Even when I was the driver. My senior year of high school. I fell asleep at the wheel and rolled my parents' car 3 times. I am still nervous about doing it again.
2.) I get dry eyes when I am staring at the road.
3.) Night vision is not so good.
4.) I grew up in a small town. No stop lights. Going off to Rexburg for school was a scary thing for me. Driving in the "Big City." Little did I know.

We have lived in Missouri for a little over 3 years now. I missed out on doing a lot of fun things with friends because I was too afraid to drive. I declined going on their big adventures. This year I told myself that I wasn't going to let that fear hold me back any longer.

I am pleased to announce that I have made several "daring" trips in the past few weeks. While my mom was here we successfully drove to Hobby Lobby and back home not once but twice. Last week I drove to an area that I was unfamiliar with to go to a park with my friend Emily. And let me tell you, it was a fabulous day. And today I drove even further to an area that I was even more unfamiliar with to go to Purina Farms. And we had a blast! All of these things I would not have done before.

I am so glad I stopped letting my fear get in the way of me doing the things I want to do. I almost feel I can take on State Street and Bangerter Highway. Almost. Give me 9 more months and I will be ready ;)

Current Obsessions

Lately I have had a few obsessions. First, and as always, I am obsessed with my kids. They are so fun. The weather has been nice on and off lately and when we have had a chance to be outside, we take it.











Porter LOVES to be outside. He would stay outside all day if he could.








































Another obsession would be reading. I have been reading so much I have been getting migraines and major shoulder cramping due to sitting in the rocking chair. We found this chair and ottoman on Craig's List. My amazing husband covered them with new fabric this weekend. We ran out of fabric so we have to go back and get enough to finish the cushion. Thank goodness for 40% off coupons! I am thrilled with how they turned out. My hubby is so good to me! My book suggestions would include the following: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Both excellent reads. Both take place during WWII but are two very different stories with very different styles of writing. And of course I am forever in fantasy mode with 3 books on the shelf waiting for me to devour them. My book obsession has only been worsened due to the fact that our library is now reopened and I have quick access to the wonderful world of books.


In other news, New Moon came out on video Saturday and Chant was at Wal-Mart at 6:00 a.m. to purchase our copy to add to my Twilight library. We watched it last night and now I am counting down the 99 days left until Eclipse hits theaters. June 30th at 12:01 a.m. you will find me in the nearest theater with all the other Twihard junkies.

I was also able to watch Bandslam this weekend. (TV much?) I was pleasantly surprise. I was expecting something along the lines of High School Musical. This was nothing like that. The music is amazing! I bought "Someone to Fall Back On" on I-Tunes Saturday night and have already listened to it like 10 times. Amazing song! I was impressed with the whole thing and am already wishing I hadn't sent it back to Netflix without watching it for a second time.

Since I have nothing else to do ;) I am also collecting ideas for how I want my home to look. You know, the home that I will have like 10 years from now when we are not poor. Nothing too crazy, just thinking about paint colors for my next mobile home in Utah. Jena, I hope you are not too angry when you come to my future home and find I have stolen all your ideas. Just kidding, I won't steal them all :)

A March Day

Life is precious and it is fragile. I feel immeasurably blessed to be a mother and to have these beautiful children in my life. My heart is full of love for them.

A quick update on the kiddos: I just think this picture is cute.










The girls got their hair cut this weekend. I think they look pretty darn cute. Poor Brinnley though. She told Chant she wanted it to her chin. It is not that short but close. When she looked in the mirror after it was finished, she cried and cried, "I hate my hair." The next day some friends asked if she liked it and she said, "A little bit." Poor dear, her first crying haircut. But I think it is growing on her. NO pun intended :)
























I thought this photo was funny because everyone calls Porter a mini-me of Chant and it's true. They even do the same funny things with their jaw.

Different Yet the Same, and that's Okay

When I was pregnant with Brinnley we lived in Rexburg and I was doing my student teaching in Ashton. That means 5 days a week I had an hour to talk to the baby girl inside me and to wonder what she was going to be like. I often wondered if she would like the same things I like and if her personality would be similar to mine. The answer to those questions is yes and no. I admit that I was excited to share things with Brinnley that were important to me when I was little. I spent hours upon hours playing Barbies and dolls. I loved to play school. And I loved to put on concerts in the living room. For Christmas two years ago I spent days perusing all of the doll shelves in stores within a half hour of our home searching for the perfect Cabbage Patch doll. I have 3 from when I was a little girl and they were well loved. I wanted Brinnley to have one of her own that she could love as much as I loved mine. But when Christmas morning came I found she was less excited about it than I was hoping.

My baby is 5 now. And this is the conclusion I have come to. In our personalities, we are quite a bit different. Brinnley is confident, independent, and brave. I wasn't those things when I was her age. I was more reserved. But in other things we are similar. Brinnley is always concerned about others and always asking if there is anything she can do to help people. I have been told I am like that. Our likes too are similar and also different as well. While Brinnley is not as crazy about dolls and Barbies as I was, there are other things that we share a love for. We both love music. We love to color. We both use our imaginations. But rather than play house like I always did, Brinnley plays prince and princess. Where I was always the girl, Brinnley prefers to play the prince. (I think that preference comes form the fact that she wants to wear the cape and hold the sword. She was thrilled when Barbie and the Three Musketeers came out. Girls wearing capes, riding horses, and wielding swords? Awesome!) I prefer bright and colorful in anything and everything. Brinnley does too except for her stuffed animals. A horse needs to look like a horse. No tie dye please!

As a mother, some of these things took a while for me to embrace. It was hard to see that my daughter didn't love all of the things I did as a little girl. And of course I tried for a while to encourage her toward my preferences (chose the brightly colored stuffed animal!) But I have come to realize that we are individuals and with that comes a difference in preferences. I have learned that as a parent my job is to teach my children truth and love them unconditionally. So when Brinnley prefers playing soccer over dancing ballet, I say great, let's do it. She is making a choice that is fit for her. I hope that as my children grow they will do things that they like and that bring true happiness and joy and they will know that even if I may not like the same things they do, I will support them and encourage them. (So, if Porter chooses to play football, I will be there and I will learn to love it!)

Out of Sorts

This morning my mom hugged me good-bye at 5:20 a.m. I tried to go back to bed after she and Chant left for the airport, but I mostly just laid there. When the kids woke up at 6:30 everyone seemed to be a little edgy and out of sorts. The sky is gray today, a stark contrast to the beautiful sunny day yesterday. Mother nature must have sensed our mood. The kids and I have just been wandering around the house at a loss for what to do. Vacation is over and we are back to the daily grind. I am sure tomorrow will be fine. Today is just an adjustment period, an awkward day trying to get back into our routine. Even though she just left, we miss her already! Thanks for a wonderful visit! We love you Grandma!