sPrInG BrEaK 2010

This year we went to Las Vegas (again). We always seem to end up in Vegas for spring break because it is warm and close. I have some doubts about the wisdom of mixing children and Las Vegas. We tried really hard to stay away from all things "seedy" and we did a pretty good job but still...there were a few ewww moments. I am also questioning the wisdom of traveling with a two year old. We stayed in a timeshare hotel with a kitchenette so we didn't have to take mr-can't-stay-at-the-table-for-more-than-two-minutes to restaurants. But even with all my planning he was still difficult. I would like to just mention to the people who design museums/aquariums that making us exit through the gift shop is cruel and a recipe for DISASTER! Holy temper tantrum batman.

Here are a few highlights:
THe Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay

The new bridge being built over Hoover Dam

Hoover Dam

The Cheesecake Factory

Greek Statues (for all the Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief fans)

Man made waterfalls

indoor enchanted forests

The Ballagio Fountains at night

sweet anticipation

Last week I did something I haven't done in a long time. I took two rolls of film to the store to be developed. It took a week to get them back, can you believe it - in a digital age a week to see pictures is forever. To add to the suspense, I had no idea what was on one of the rolls. The other roll was from an under water camera Jason got for his birthday two years ago. I know! As I was waiting to get the pictures back I felt the stirrings of something I haven't felt in a long time. ANTICIPATION. I think it was the reason I used to love to take pictures- you didn't know what would turn out. Do you remember taking two or three of the same shot because you couldn't tell if someone was smiling or not, and double prints, I can't tell you how many doubles I have sitting in a box in the basement. So I got the pictures back and they were Easter Pictures. Jason's Easter pictures from when he was two years old. (How did that make it through the move? I packed an undeveloped roll of film...really!)

Another sweet anticipation that I miss is getting letters. Real letters in the mail. I love e-mail and I see the benefits of texting but nothing beats a a cute card, or that little unexpected surprise in the mail box, or when you write to someone and you start waiting to hear back from them and even though you know it is too soon, you start watching the mailbox anyway. It is good to have something, some little thing to look forward to.

words of wisdom!!!!

Black-outs and freeze-outs

One night last week we were watching TV, dinner was in the oven, Kayla was practicing the piano and then, there was darkness. Complete and utter darkness. The power was out. Boy do I take electricity for granted. I learned a few things that night.

1. you should keep matches WITH the candles.
2. we watch a lot of TV.
3. two year olds do not understand why they cannot watch TV
4. dinner by candlelight is fun.
5. there are a whole lot of things you cannot do when you don't have power.
6. washing dishes in the dark is not effective.
7. the novelty of doing things by flashlight gets old fast.
8. it is nice to go to bed early
9. it is not nice when the power comes back on around midnight and all the lights and TV turn on too.

Then there was the COLDNESS. Boy oh boy, do I take having a warm house for granted. On Monday night, our house was really cold. I kept checking the doors and windows to see if one of the kids had opened them. Sometime, in the middle of the night, we figured out that the furnace wasn't working. By morning, the house was 57 degrees, not freezing, I know but way to cold. This is what I learned from not having heat:
1. I don't like to be cold
2. furnaces are expensive
3. tax returns come in handy

So if I have learned anything from this it is that I am grateful for all the modern conveniences and I am so grateful that I am not a pioneer woman and I have a few things I need to do to get prepared for a "real" emergency.

Freedom, sweet sweet freedom!

Organizing, sorting, inventorying, cleaning, purging. (I think I will call this the great purge of 2010.) I am getting so tired of sorting through things. I spent a whole day going through things and throwing things away and taking things to DI...and you couldn't see any difference. What a frustrating goal. I was starting to get discouraged but then I took a stack of magazines to be recycled and I felt...lighter. A tiny weight was lifted and I felt free- I am free from the shouldsthose magazines represented: I should make that recipe, I should do that craft with my kids, I should make my room look like that. I think I will get rid of the books that I "should" read, and the crafts that I "should" do. I am not anywhere close to where I want to be but I feel the warm breeze of sweet sweet freedom blowing my way.

I think one of the beautiful things about getting older is that you start to realize that you already know what you need to do. You don't need self help books or seminars, or magazines. You need to get rid of all that stuff and just live the life you want.

waiting for spring!

It has to come soon. I've waited so long. Please come spring. I need to feel the warm sun and I need to be able to go for long walks again. I need to see green again and I need to open my windows and let the fresh breeze blow through my house.

And I need to have lunch in the back yard and take the kids to the park and I need to pick some flowers and put them in a little vase on the table. I need to get my hands dirty and buy some seeds and prune the roses.

Fun in the Kitchen

Pizza Night

I let the kids make their own Mini Pizzas for dinner Aaron made the cutest little pizza, ate half the Canadian Bacon, and put a mountain of cheese on his little piece of dough.

Yum!

All food should be this happy (this one is Jason's)

My Sister, Lani and Kayla in their matching Aprons, making cupcakes from scratch.

Jason's Popcorn shirt