Thursday, March 10, 2011

Picture Overload & Venting Some Frustrations

Just a few things I missed about Idaho when we lived in Yakima...

Now, there is snow on the ground, and it is fairly cold, but do you see the SUN SHINING? Yes, Idaho has bright, sunny winter days. It makes you much more likely to bundle up and brave the outdoors because of that tempting Vitamin D. In Yakima it was gray for several months in the winter. I swear I went several weeks without even seeing the sun. (Now this isn't a year round thing there, just in the winter. And don't get me wrong. We loved Yakima and miss many things about it. The early onset of springtime for starters...)


I also missed this stuff. Yes, I do like a white Christmas. Preferably deep and fluffy.



Our porch. Yay. Oh, how I missed you snow. But now I am ready for SPRING!



Why you should not fall asleep with an ink stamp on your hand.


My grumpy little guy...



This girl is like Miss America. She loves to wave.



Isn't she beautiful? I think so.



This girl is going to have a MAJOR gap between her two front teeth. The dentist said that the gums between them are pretty thick and may have to be clipped later in life if they don't allow her teeth to move in. Poor girl. But for now I think they are so sweet.



Sledding in the house.



By the way, Amity has been walking/running for quite some time now. She really took off around Christmas and has been going non-stop ever since. Just thought I'd update.



Like sister, like brother.



Some of Russell's new passions:
-"cooking" with my ingredients in the kitchen (note photo above)
-ninja turtles (he will be having a TMNT themed birthday party this month)
-making rockets with every peice of tupperware that I have...EVERY...DAY...
-listening to books on tape
-sounding out simple words (The other day he sounded out "press" on his seatbelt, and then yelled up to me that his seat belt said "press". He is a smart little 3 year old.)
-"grocery shopping" or basically, emptying out grandma's pantry cupboards into a laundry baket
-wrestling with his sister...and the Ward family saga continues with the next generation...
-surprising his mother with the precocious things that he says


This girl has a few passions in life too:
-the dishwasher
-the refridgerator
-the bathroom drawers
-the garage
-the coat closet


My beautiful cousins and I at the Ward Family Christmas party.


My sweet grandma.


Opening presents at Grandma Moulton's house.



Instant pro.

K-This isn't even all.


Spoiled kids. Mostly by grandparents.

Okay. VENTING PART 1:
I did a terrible job taking pictures at Christmastime. None of the tree. None of Christmas morning. None of the Ward fam at the cabin in Island Park...NONE. Partly because I forget. Partly because I'm being lazy. But also because taking too many pictures makes me feel like I'm missing out on the experience. Do you know what I mean. Like I am a bystander observing and documenting but not really a part of it.
Does anyone else feel this way?
Now, I shouldn't let this become an excuse not to take pictures. Pictures are important, and add so much to the home and to nostalgia later on in life. I need to find a balance.
I really envy those families whose homes are filled with beautiful pictures of their loved ones. It makes their house seem so much more intimate and homey. It brings a sort of happy spirit, and you get to know the family through the pictures. I love it.
Just something I need to work on...


I told you that the girl loves to wave.



Catching a football from daddy.



And throwing it back.




My knight in shining armor. I knew I'd find a use for that cardboard!




Charming, isn't he?



She turned 1 in January. See what I mean, though? I didn't even get a picture of the cake before she smashed it.


Just chillin' after inhaling a lot of cake.


With cousin, Ellie.



Again, she loves dishwashers and she loves to wave.






When I put gel in her hair, it curls pretty well. She has a little flippy curl in the back. I'm crossing my fingers that she will get some curls from Travis, but I don't know. My straight hair is so dominant...we'll have to see...



Can you tell who our favorite team in the whole wide world is? Go Cougs!


We recently met up with some of our best friends from BYU. We stayed in a hotel in Lehi and went to the dino museum and to a BYU basket ball game where we got to see Jimmer the Great!
Travis wants to name our next man-child Jimmer...hmmm...it is kind of cute.


Yet another failed attempt at picture taking. I did not get one shot of Paul and Melinda, our friends.

Our main man, Cosmo.

Okay. I have hit the JACKPOT at DI lately. Some wealthy family is dropping off all of their old clothes, and I am picking them up. All of these items where 1-3 dollars. All of the pants are Old Navy, Gap, Children's Place, Osh Kosh...that is a brand new boys swimming suit that still had the tag on it. Those black Addidas Sambas in the back...like $50 shoes. A lot of the pants are lined for cold Idaho weaher. Man, I am so excited!






Here are some crafts I've been working on. I got the ideas from the Idea Room.
Cute blog.
Venting Frustrations #2:
Mental Clutter. I have so much mental clutter I can't handle it anymore. I blame my mother wholely and entirely. I know that I got it from her. (Love you, Mom!) I start so many projects that I either don't finish or take me FOREVER to finish. I read about 10 books at the same time. I put things off. (Although I'm not nearly as bad as I used to be.) I start cleaning one room, and then I see something in the next room that I didn't finish, so I go in and look at that. Then and hour later I remember that I was cleaning the kitchen, so I go back. But while I'm there, I notice the bills sitting on the bar, so I start to pay them...It goes on and on. At the end of the day I have a to-do list where everything is half done but not finished, so I can't cross it off!!!! (Okay, now, not everyday. I do get things done once in a while, but far too often.)
Does anyone else out there suffer from this condition?
I've been reading a lot of things about productivity lately, and I really believe now that most of the time multi-tasking is bad. It is more efficient to put all of the focus that you can into ONE project at a time, check it off your list, get it out of your mind, and move on. Otherwise you just have too much mental clutter, you do a half-way job, and you don't reap the rewards for your work as quickly. Also, when you try to spend time with family and check e-mail at the same time, I really don't think your family gets as much from your company, am I right?
I am resolving to be more focused during my days and direct my energy to one task at a time as often as possible!!!