bare minerals

Thanks to Jenni and Lindsey for introducing me to my new favorite makeup... And Doug for funding it in the form of a gift card...

I love it!

Sophie's rock star jeans

fun facts about Preston

this picture tells a lot about Preston...

#1-- he loves the too big for him orange flip flops daddy brought back from Brazil... he wears them all the time!

#2-- he loves to play in the water... in the shower (he just discovered the joys of showering, now no one can shower solo), the sink, in the sprinkler, in the hose

#3--he loves that little backpack... I mean I guess both his siblings have a backpack, so he doesn't want to be left out... we were walking out of the library last week, we got to the car, he looked down, and said... "gosh, backpack." he'd left his backpack in the library. I hadn't noticed, but he remembered! He usually wants a sandwich in it too.

#4-- he loves that buzz underwear... and it has to be backwards, I mean really, what fun is it if he can't see buzz for himself?

#5-- look at that smile... he loves to smile and laugh... he has such a cheerful disposition

rubber band shooter

Preston's newly discovered talent... He's a pro! he almost always hits his target... beware!

another tooth down

working man

Preston was our only child to willingly and cheerfully help with Saturday afternoon projects.

stilts

Porter has wanted stilts for months, ever since he saw them at the specialty toy store, On the Park. Unfortunately, he has been unable to save up the necessary $40 to purchase them, the ice cream man brings too many instant gratification temptations. Luckily for Porter, mom had the yard saleing bug on Saturday... Porter hoped to find his stilts, and he wasn't disappointed, he came home, only out $5. Figuring out those stilts sure are keeping him busy!

soccer

dance lessons

Sophia initiated dance lessons. She was the instructor, Brady, the willing student. Both wore big smiles. Sophia showed Brady where to place his hands, and how to float across the floor. They practiced for a good half an hour, but when Brady's mom appeared, he suddenly became very bashful about his new found dancing skills.

The Redemption of Sarah Cain

I found the movie "Saving Sarah Cain" in my mom's movie collection this summer. I enjoyed it so much I looked up the book it was based on, "The Redemption of Sarah Cain."

The plot unfolds with a successful and very busy woman, Sarah, finding out that her Amish sister has passed away, leaving her the legal guardian of her five Amish children. There's a clash of cultures, and a determination of priorities as Sarah works out the situation. The book is labeled Christian Fiction, so there's more of an emphasis on her spiritual journey in the book than in the movie. The story made me think about faith and culture and choices.

The book also made me want to be Amish. Seriously, those people live a simple, uncluttered life. I doubt I could embrace all that accompanies the Amish lifestyle, but their attitude towards material possession is so refreshing. One part of the book talks about their desire to clear out more things from their already sparse garage, otherwise they'd spend their whole lives clearing up and cleaning around their things... hmmmm

raindrops keep fallin on my head

it's raining... again...

Sophie decided to make the best of it...

She had a play date with herself... in the rain...

inspirationi

"Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom in life consists in the elimination of non-essentials."-Lin Yutang

weapons of war

Doug is such a good dad! He had a great idea for FHE. We read the story about burying weapons in the Book of Mormon.

Then we wrote down all the words that we've heard our kids say on occasion, but don't want them to say... things like... idiot, stupid, dumb...etc. We compared those words to weapons, and talked about how they hurt the spirit in our home.

Then we went out into the back yard, dug a hole, and buried the words.

The lesson made an impression, especially with Sophia. If one of us slips and says one of those words, she will gasp and say, "Hey, we buried that word!"

The Arboretum

This is one of my favorite places... but I guess we always go when Doug's at work, this was his first visit... He also held the camera, thus the reason I am actually in a few pictures, and he is in none of them... It's such a beautiful place... while our kids usually enjoy it there, they were having a hard time enjoying it to it's fullest with their complaints of heat and exhaustion... I thought we wouldn't have to deal with kids resisting fun family activities until they were high school!

The Chocolate Bar

My new favorite ice cream is located in The Chocolate Bar... Thanks to Tara for the introduction! Doug and I went there last night to finish off a date, long overdue... Mmmmm... It's located in Rice Village... I'm already plotting my return...

In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms

A must read for any stay at home mom who needs a little boost, some encouragement, or a reminder about the important job we're doing.

There were lots of quotables but a few of my favs were:

"Quality moments occur only when there is quantity time for them to spontaneously occur"

"The warmth of a home comes from the attitude of the people in it, not the decor or the perfection of every detail."

"Watch out that you don't get so compulsive that you make being a stay at home mom look like a different form of workaholic."

If you find yourself short tempered and impatient- drop down and play with your kids! (paraphrase) She also suggests taking naps so you'll have more energy to give your husband and your kids.

"Make it a goal to be happy and put effort into that."

The Actor and the Housewife

Such a different premise for a book... but Shannon Hale is full of wit. I laughed out loud through most of the book. If I wasn't laughing, I was crying, I felt a wide range of emotions while reading. I appreciated the main characters zest and zeal for living and loving. But mostly I just enjoyed a good laugh. In the afterword, the author thanks the women whom she overheard in places like the mall, giving her good subject matter for her book, and a reminder that you never know who's listening!

Follow the River

This book has been on my "to-read" list for years. But I had a general idea of some of the difficult things the main character had to endure, and I just wasn't sure I was emotionally ready to experience her journey...

However, after reading a few books in the "Confessions of a Shopaholic" series, I was ready for something a little heartier. [Not that the shopaholics books aren't worth reading, they're just fluff...pure brain candy... btw I saw the movie first... I had such low expectations going into the movie, that I was pleasantly surprised, thus my curiosity was peaked about the books... you get the picture.... I like the movie better, strange, usually the books are better, but they changed the story a lot for the movie, and I liked the changes...]

Back to Follow the River. It's an incredible, true story of grit and determination. It's eye opening and gratitude invoking to read about the struggles people faced back in the 1700's. I pondered for days, what would I have done in her situation? Would I have made the same choices she made? It made me more grateful for my own challenges, and it gave me more respect for our to survive whatever hard things our lives lead us to.

Happy Birthday Sophie!

My little girl is five... How did that happen?

Her birthday was a magical day.

I love this age.

She's been planning her 5th birthday, since the day after her 4th birthday.

She's was so easy to please.

She was so thrilled about every part of her day.

She truly felt like a princess!

lunch at her favorite spot... Wendy's

eating her favorite meal... french fries and a hamburger

a trip to build-a-bear to clothe

Rainbow Water...

aka Crystal Rainbow...

aka Cheetah...

aka my Build-a-Bear... depending on the day

a hair cut

even at five a new hair do makes you feel fabulous!

a little last minute birthday celebration

mean mom made her pare her guest list down from 17 to 7

silly faces~
theme~ fancy nancy
activities~ nail painting, lipstick application, sticker ear rings, spray glitter and color for the hair
treasure hunt, loot bag decorating... all things girly~

the barbie cake
per Sophia's request

all dolled up

opening presents

thanks to all who sent gifts and birthday wishes~

she was so thrilled!

I love my little Sophie!

She is the epitome of sweetness (when she wants to be)

She is quick to apologize

She is quick to forgive

She loves all things artsy... a day doesn't go by without her covering the kitchen table with art supplies and her pictures and creations

She loves all things girly... putting outfits together, accessorizing, adding lip gloss

She can hold her own with her brothers... not a small feat with a brother like Porter

She loves for Mommy to read her books

She loves to eat things that are "healthy for my heart"

Her favorite game to play is Candy Land... and she will play it over and over again... I love to see her face when she gets Queen Frostine

She gives sweet hugs and sweet kisses

She is a such a thoughtful and considerate girl, who watches out for other people's feelings

I'm so grateful she was sent to our family!

Pre-K ... day 1

Hello 2nd grade!

This has been the best start to a school year thus far for out little Porter. He came home from the first day so happy, because his teacher is "totally nice... the nicest teacher in second grade." He's also been riding his bike to and from school every day, all by himself. He loves his independence!

Brazil Pics

We're so glad Doug's home! He arrived home very early in the morning, so he took a taxi home. Porter woke up at 5 am, and woke me up to see if dad was home. He then woke me up every 10 minutes for an hour and a half to update me on the status(still no dad), and to wonder why dad wasn't home yet. The other kids were equally happy to see him. They just waited until a more reasonable hour to arise and greet him.

Doug went to Brazil for two weeks. While he was there for work, he did get to do some site seeing on the weekend. I'll let him come in an annotate them. I did give him author status on this blog, although he usually chooses not to use it...