The A to Z Kepsel family

Growing Too Fast

2012-02-10T09:34:00.000-08:00

This little fella is not wasting any time becoming more and more adorable every day. He is also decidedly too similar in looks to his father at this age. I'll have to get some of those up so you can agree with the comparison. Chubby little smiley things with eyebrows.

We've also decided that Rivers hair is no longer brown, but goldenrod. I think half the appeal of having more kids is to see what the new ones "appearance profile" will be. So far two blue eyed, light colored hair and skin boys. You are welcome husband :)

Tray Volcanoes

2012-02-09T08:17:00.001-08:00

Science Day

Tray Volcanoes. No science project has ever been easier or more entertaining to a 3 year old. Just poor (we used a whole box) of Baking Soda on a cookie tray, put vinegar in cups and add a few drops of food coloring to each. Now hand your kid a dropper and let 'em start the fun!

Our tray was a goopy mess of grossness at the end, so we took a spoon and swirled the goo around watching all the colors appear through the mess. It was fun and easy to clean up too.
Lelands at that perfect age for school. It's a little frustrating (mostly for me) but he is soaking it all up. Lala brought over a Preschool book for us to start using for school time and Leland took to it immediately. Successful school days are always nice. :)

Another Festive Decoration

2012-02-08T11:23:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd try my hand at another heart garland. I put the hearts together first then used a needle and thread to string them together. I bit more fragile then the other chain but a bit more cute as well. :)

A Sunday Visit

2012-02-07T20:12:00.000-08:00

We had such a nice visit with some friends on Sunday. Maybe you recognize this guy? Maybe not... He cut he dreads off, this is our old basement dweller John! Lookin' good man. :)

We've been looking forward to seeing this guy for over a year, Mr. Dave Wooley!! Home for a month from Korea. He played so hard with Leland he was napping long before he left. Bless him.

It was SO nice to see those boys get together. I was also happy to have some -other- people for Zach to talk to. Lesson learned: ALL boys love toy cars. Thank you guys for coming over and playing!

Simple-Saturday Studs

2012-02-04T17:53:00.000-08:00

We had a nice Saturday. My boys are studs.

Cinnamon Butter

2012-01-31T20:07:00.001-08:00

*Warning! this recipe is delicious, not healthy and if thats a problem for you, just go back to scanning Pinterest instead of reading further.*

Cinnamon Butter!

2 sticks butter (room temp)

1 cup powder sugar

1 cup honey

2 tsp. cinnamon

Whip together

Now go make some rolls or scones or toast and spread.

ENJOY!

William Rivers Showing Off Some Skills

2012-01-31T09:06:00.000-08:00

Little Rivers is trying desperately to join the fun around here.

He's a little rolling machine.

I'm a bit scared as to what this means for the future. He's kicking around like crawling is his only desire right now and I remember the trouble I was in when Leland started crawling. Guess it's time to start baby proofing.

Valentine Squid

2012-01-30T16:46:00.000-08:00

My husband called it a Valentine Squid, but it's more of a wind chime that shouldn't go outside and doesn't make sounds... It looks pretty cute hanging up though. Hope Emmy likes it.

A Super-Axe-Hacker

2012-01-26T19:11:00.000-08:00

Leland has been especially fond of The Lorax lately. We read it several times a day and at bedtime, for good measure. He decided to build the Super-axe-hacker with his blocks. Thats the picture of it on the far left in the book. His blocks served as the medium. The three upside down L's are the axes, to clarify.

He was very excited. His brain IS very exciting. Watching him learn is becoming one of my favorite things. I counted this as a school project since he got the idea from a book and used the illustration as a guide. Just another way to "color a picture" really, a much geekier way. :)

I love this kid a lot. He's my major source of frustration and creativity. Oh the places he will go. :)

Not Much But Not Nothin'

2012-01-23T08:56:00.000-08:00

I'm working on Valentines Day/Birthday party decorations for little Emmy. (Jayne did me a solid by giving Leland the coolest cake ever for his birthday last year and she's not feeling well so I'm trying to repay the favor..)

Here is a heart garland all it takes is some construction paper strips and staples. Ta-Da! It's really quite cute. I'll post more decorations as they get finished. I'm having a bunch of fun with them. :)

OH, Chalk paint.. remember? This is one of the fun ways I used the paint. I took a wooden puzzle holding box and painted the top. Instant slate for Leland to draw on. Now, I can take the puzzles out and put other stuff in (like chalk) when the time comes. I'll have more chalk paint projects to share soon as well.
Also, I have a goal. To finish a x-stitch stocking by the end of February. It's coming along and with luck I'll be sharing it with you on time. :)

Adventures In 3 Month Olds

2012-01-18T07:43:00.000-08:00

William Rivers turned 3 months old yesterday. We love this little brother. He does like to be held though and when you put him down you get the image below for about 5 minutes. If you can stick it out without picking him up he will start looking around and finding something else to do. He has discovered his hands and when he focus's on things he can grab them and bring them to his mouth. Watching development is fun, it really is.

He is also staying up longer and taking fewer naps. He stayed up for an amazing 5 hours yesterday afternoon. By the time it hit 8 o'clock he didn't need to be bribed to go to bed.

Amazingly I woke up first last night, at 5 am. He had slept 9 hours straight!! (my breasts were solid rocks, which is what woke me) I went in his room and woke him up to eat, 20 minutes later and he was asleep again. I don't know if this is a one night thing or not, but I sure did enjoy the extra Z's. AAANNNDDD thats about the most exciting thing thats happened around here lately. I know I know we're an adventurous group. :)

Stay Tuned For Adventures In.....

2012-01-16T08:10:00.000-08:00

Chalk Paint!

Pinterest is a devilish sort of website that has magically transformed my internet use from not-often to more-often. It has inspired me to buy chalk paint, now I'm constantly looking for a use for it, I'll let you know what I come up with soon.

25 Rules For Mothers With Sons

2012-01-08T10:42:00.001-08:00

The older Leland gets the more I look for help on the basics of raising him. My son is sweet, imaginitive and willful. I want my sons to become amazing men. I came across a blog that listed 25 rules for raising boys and fell in love with the list. Here is the post:

http://studerteam.blogspot.com/2011/11/25-rules-for-mothers-of-sons.html?m=1

I'll highlight a few here.

I loved this one, Leland and I have been working through emotions lately and it made sense to find it at the top of the list.

1. Teach him the words for how he feels.

Your son will scream out of frustration and hide out of embarrassment. He'll cry from fear and bite out of excitement. Let his body move by the emotion, but also explain to him what the emotion is and the appropriate response to that emotion for future reference. Point out other people who are feeling the same thing and compare how they are showing that emotion. Talk him through your emotions so that someday when he is grown, he will know the difference between angry and embarrassed; between disappointment and grief.

6. Make sure he has examples of good men who are powerful because of their brains, their determination, and their integrity.
The examples of men with big muscles and a uniform (like Batman and LaMarr Woodley) will surround your son from birth. But make sure he also knows about men who kick a$s because of their brains (Albert Einstein), and their pen (Mark Twain), and their words (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.), and their determination (Team Hoyt), and their ideas (The Wright Brothers), and their integrity (Officer Frank Shankwitz), and fearlessness (Neil Armstrong), and their ability to keep their mouths closed when everyone else is screaming (Jackie Robinson).

7. Make sure he has examples of women who are beautiful because of their brains, their determination, and their integrity
The examples of traditionally beautiful women (like Daphne Blake, Princess Jasmine, and Britney Spears) will surround your son from birth. But make sure he knows about women who are beautiful from the inside out because of their brains (Madame Marie Curie), and their pen (Harper Lee), and their words (Eleanor Roosevelt), and their determination (Anne Sullivan), and their ideas (Oprah Winfrey), and their integrity (Miep Gies), and fearlessness (Ameila Earhart), and their ability to open their mouths and take a stand when everyone else is silent (Aung San Suu Kyi).

8. Be an example of a beautiful woman with brains, determination, and integrity.
You already are all of those things. If you ever fear that you are somehow incapable of doing anything - remember this: If you have done any of the following: a) grew life b) impossibly and inconceivably got it out of your body c) taken care of a newborn d) made a pain go away with a kiss e) taught someone to read f) taught a toddler to eat with a utensil g) cleaned up diarrhea without gagging h) loved a child enough to be willing to give your life for them (regardless if they are your own) or i) found a way to be strong when that child is suffering...you are a superhero. do not doubt yourself for one second. Seriously.

15. Let him lose
Losing sucks. Everybody isn't always a winner. Even if you want to say, "You're a winner because you tried," don't. He doesn't feel like a winner, he feels sad and crappy and disappointed. And that's a good thing, because sometimes life also sucks, no matter how hard (as moms) we try to make it not suck for our kids. This practice will do him good later when he loses again (and again, and again, and again, and again.....) Instead make sure he understands that - sometimes you win - sometimes you lose. But that doesn't mean you ever give up.

20. Let his dad teach him how to do things
...without interrupting about how to do it the 'right way.' If you let his dad show and teach and discover with your son while he is growing up, some day down the road (after a short period of your son believing his dad knows nothing), he will come to the realization that his dad knows everything. You will always be his mother, but in his grown-up man heart and mind, his dad will know the answers. And this will be how, when your son is too busy with life to call and chat with his mom, you will stay connected to what is happening in his life. Because he will call his dad for answers, and his dad will secretly come and ask you.

24. Kiss him
Any mother of sons will tell you that little boys are so loving and sweet. They can be harsh and wild and destructive during most of the day. But there are these moments when they are so kind and sensitive and tender. So much so that it can cause you to look around at the inward, reserved grown men in your life and think, 'what happens in between that made you lose that?' Let's try to stop the cycle by kissing them when they're loving and kissing them even more when they're wild. Kissing them when they're 2 months and kissing them when they're 16 years old. You're the mom - you can go ahead and kiss him no matter how big he gets - and make sure he knows it. p.s. (this one is just as important for dad's too).

25. Be home base
You are home to him. When he learns to walk, he will wobble a few feet away from you and then come back, then wobble away a little farther and then come back. When he tries something new, he will look for your proud smile. When he learns to read, he will repeat the same book to you twenty times in a row, because you're the only one who will listen that many times. When he plays his sport, he will search for your face in the stands. When he is sick, he will call you. When he really messes up, he will call you. When he is grown and strong and tough and big and he feels like crying, he will come to you; because a man can cry in front of his mother without feeling self-conscious. Even when he grows up and has a new woman in his life and gets a new home, you are still his mother; home base, the ever constant, like the sun. Know that in your heart and everything else will fall into place.

I hope you go and read the whole list, there was (obviously) a lot I left out. Life is an adventure and i'm lucky to have my boys to show me the magical things I would have otherwise missed.

Squeely and Squeaky

2012-01-05T14:36:00.001-08:00

First I need to throw out a Thank You to my mom for finishing up some ornaments for me this year. I only got 8 out of 12 done but I'm not heartbroken over this. The final tally for projects was 4 stockings, 10 samplers, and 8 ornaments. Pretty dang good for a years work. Next year 4 stockings will be the only goal I think... we'll see. :)

Now to the main post. I can't get enough out of watching my boys together. Leland is a wonderful older brother *big sigh of relief* and William Rivers can't get enough of him. Don't even try to get that babies attention if his brother is around.

This is Mr. Squeely. He has discovered the love for high pitched noises. My tolerance is wavering.

This is Mr. Squeaky. He squeaks and babbles all day at us. I think he might talk a bit sooner then his brother did, and from the longing in his eyes he'll be up and after that brother of his soon enough.

We spend most of these beautiful Spring *ahem* I mean Winter days hanging out together. Actually, all of our days are spent together and it's pretty awesome. Thanks to Squeely and Squeaky I smile quite a bit lately. :)

Williams Stocking

2011-12-31T18:16:00.000-08:00

With this precious little man in mind...

I made this. Mom helped. :)

Ho Ho Ho

2011-12-27T10:18:00.000-08:00

Santa came again this year. We seem to be on his list. My parents hosted the event and it was lovely. Food, family and friends are a classic combination.

We have to take lots of pictures and it can get silly. My friend Lacy took my camera for a spin, the picture below is her best shot (this makes me feel a lot better about my pictures). This picture is also a prime example of Zach getting too much camera time.

Skipping ahead to Christmas morning (I forgot my camera Christmas Eve so I'll have to wait for some Kepsel blogging of the event to steal pictures from.)

Leland and his stocking. I had to force the kid to find any interest in the tree or his Santa gift (a guitar) he was way too busy with the stuff he had already recieved. It took all day to get him to open all his presents.

Santa gift and our stockings. Williams will be sewn together soon and I'll get to share it with you! My mom did a great job with these and we love them. Mine especially. :)
I caved and got the boys matching-ish pajamas. They looked really cute. We had a great Christmas. We did miss the snow though.

Ornaments

2011-12-22T11:58:00.000-08:00

I'll admit my priorities this season have been with my boys and not with my stitching. So my mother has been taking care of the responsibility for me, mostly. I got these three done and a fourth mostly done. I thought they were rather cute. I mean who can resist a leprauchan-elf or somber santa on scooter? Not me. I was especially happy with the 'stain glass' Joy ornament. Or so I thought.

It does say Joy, right? I thought it was obvious until Zach asked me what it said and started laughing.
Why would I make an ornament that said "Hoe" I was stumped. I had no idea what he was talking about. Then I looked at the ornament. It will never say Joy again.

The Boys

2011-12-20T20:20:00.000-08:00

Have I mentioned that we're not doing much around here. We mainly hang out at the house, for good reason I assure you. Thankfully, my boys are great. I love seeing Lelands imagination grow everyday. Just this morning he looked at me and recited this tid bit of nursery rhyme love: "Little Betty Blue lost her shoe and didn't know what to do, she'll buy another to match the other and then she'll walk in two." This one has a knack for memorization.
What he doesn't have is patience for my camera. I got lucky for the first few years of his life, now he does whatever he can not to smile. Below is his scary face. I know your just shaking in your boots at such ferociousness (is that a word?). How could a boy who can recite such cute nursery rhymes look like such a beast? It simply doesn't make sense. *chuckle*
You know what doesn't surprise me, the face below. It's his 'mean' face. He has his fathers ability to pull this face and many more serious faces at the drop of a dime. Laughing giggling- "Leland make an angry face"... Immediately I get this. Hopefully he'll go back to smiling for me.
Then we come to his brother. Isn't it weird how quickly babies grow. William Rivers is now 2 months old. Which pretty much means I'm starting to condition him to sleep through the night and that he is getting a little more tummy time. He is also following voices with his head and eyes. He loves his brother and looks at him whenever he can hear him, which is a lot. Leland likes him too and tries to include him in all his shenanigans.
Check out those blue bell eyes. I had to give the boys something, i'm glad it was my ocean like blues. hehe. Really though, both my boys have eyes that I can (and do) stare into all day.
It's a wonder how much you can love these little people without even trying. Having kids is like taking all the wonder in the world and holding it close to your heart. It makes you feel warm and excited. As my grandma would say, "Your mothers love is the only love you don't have to work for, it is complete and unequaled." I love my boys completely and I'm happy to be spending my days with them.

Zachs Been Workin on the 4Runner, All The Midday Long

2011-12-19T09:08:00.001-08:00

Our trusty 4Runners. Or at least MY trusty 4Runner (green) and Zachs... Fun 4Runner (white).

This Post is about the Fun 4Runner

Maybe you know what an engine looks like, maybe you don't. If yours looks like the one pictured below you should see a mechanic as soon as possible.

Note:Diet Coke is recommended for use on engines, not for consumption.

Look! All the missing parts from the picture above, I found them laying nicely on the table next to the 4Runner. But what are they doing there you ask? Thats a good question, one that couldn't be answered UNTIL this very organized mess was made.

Locate the 'Green Slime'. Thats not supposed to be in there. Green slime is only supposed to appear in the radiator (checking that statement with Zach to make sure it's true.. ) ... and the block, or wherever the engine needs cooling. Not in the cylinder. Problem 1- bad gasket.

But wait, is that all the issues? I mean this thing is supercharged and has 180,000 miles on it. Lets keep exploring to find out. DunDUn DUN dun duuuunnnn.. A cracked head. Wonderful. :( Maybe we should look at both heads just in case.. Wait what is that Zach sees? Another crack! In the same place on the opposite head? really? Thats weird! and unfortunate. Looks like our second vehicle will be out of commission for a while.

On better news... Our boys are adorable and don't need any fixing (as long as they are regularly maintained).

I have to throw a few thank you's out into the world. George, Caleb, multiple Toyota Forums and especially Bill for use of...

The Loaner

Without them, Zach would have no where and no one to help with this *frustrating* project. :)

Ornaments: The Conclusion

2011-12-16T08:10:00.000-08:00

This post is kinda short, so here's a complimentary picture of Little Rivers, who was fast asleep while Leland and I painted ornaments. You're welcome. :)

Leland was very excited about painting. I don't think I've ever let him handle paints before (i know i know, my poor depraved child). He was very patient while I got everything ready and by the time I asked him what color he wanted first he quickly said, "a pink tree with blue." So we began.

I wanted to paint and help clean brushes so I didn't get a lot of pictures. We had fun though. Laughing about the gingerbread man being a zombie (thats why he has green) and how the pink tree looks like a watermelon. He also came up with the neat orange under purple tree that looks so cool. Mine? oh, mine is the boring green one. Yep, thats why it's more fun to do this stuff with kids. :)

The handprints turned out mixed. I'll admit Lelands looks just how I wanted it too. Williams I tried to do before it was dry and it turned out ugly. Both of these have huge cracks through them as well. I think I'll find my modeling clay (somewhere in Kt's garage, bless her heart) and do the handprints again.
We're totally going to try to do this again. I had fun feeling like I know how to craft a little. Staying home is a blessing.

Ornaments

2011-12-15T08:26:00.001-08:00

Zach has been workin on his truck so we are down to one car. Leland and I have been home (going crazy) finding things to do together. I came across a recipe for ornament salt dough on Pinterest and decided we would give it a try.

• 1 box baking soda (about 2 cups)
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 11/2 cups water
• Sauce pan
• Bowl
• Spoon
• Plastic wrap

This is about 7 minutes of stirring all the ingredients together. You stir the milk like concoction until it is too hard to stir. Easy enough.

I set my hot product on some wax paper to cool so I could start washing the saucepan I used. Pet peeve of mine. I set my anxious 3 year old in front of a coloring book with some markers to chill him out and I started searching for some cookie cutters. (Thanks to Lala for the cookie cutters and the coloring book.. )

When the dough cooled I kneaded it til it was smooth and set it in front of my son. I specifically wanted to get both Leland and William Rivers handprints. I saw some cute handprint Santa ornaments on Pinterest I wanted to make. Go figure, i'm addicted.

We didn't use all the dough and we didn't make as many ornaments as I'd hoped but Leland enjoyed playing with the dough and I was excited to have their handprints. Now they dry and we paint!

*Note: Jayne warned me about this dough drying cracked and it did! I'm not sure if they'll be sturdy enough to hang on the tree. I'll keep you in the loop though. :)

Tomato Tortellini Soup- Super Easy!

2011-12-12T20:42:00.000-08:00

I snagged this from Enjoy The Ride's blog. My husband loves tomato soup and I've been looking for new recipes lately. So this was put into my grocery list the moment I saw it. We halved the recipe (well, everything but the sun dried tomatoes and the cheese). It turned out great. I think we'll keep it in the mix!

(I should have wiped the bowl before taking this picture... I have no need for such a fancy camera if I can't even clean my bowl.. sheesh.)

Tomato Tortellini Soup- serves 10

1 package (9 ounces) refrigerated cheese tortellini
2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) reduced-sodium condensed tomato soup, undiluted
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups 2% milk
2 cups half-and-half cream
1/2 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Additional shredded Parmesan cheese, optional

DIRECTIONS

Cook tortellini according to package directions.
Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, combine the soup, broth, milk, cream, tomatoes and seasonings. Heat through, stirring frequently. Drain tortellini; carefully add to soup. Stir in cheese. Sprinkle each serving with additional cheese if desired. Yield: 10 servings (2-1/2 quarts).

My Brave Little Man

2011-12-11T07:52:00.000-08:00

Leland went to the dentist recently and we found out that his front left tooth wasn't just discolored but dead. *bummed* This dead tooth was causing some issues and he was developing a nasty black spot between his two front teeth.

The Pediatric Dentist was going to try to patch up the front teeth, maybe cap it depending on how things looked once he got inside Lelands mouth while he was under anesthesia.

I'm glad taking your small children to the dentist is no longer the horror story it was back when I was a kid. Leland was completely under while he got things worked out. The Denstist even gave him this adorable super soft frog to hold onto as a buddy during the procedure.

Long story short the front tooth had absessed and had to be taken out. Thankfully it's a baby tooth and in 3-4 years he'll have another one and not have to live with a fake one his whole life.

Leland left the dentist office a little confused about what had happened but was super excited to share the experience with his brother. Even if William Rivers didn't care too much.

Leland now has a new smile. One that, yes, looks a little goofy. I implore you though, do not tease him or tell him he looks funny I don't want the kid to be too concious of his smile. Poor thing. Hopefully we can prevent these things in the future but as the dentist said.. "boys will be boys."
Check out those cheeks, it's been a few days and he's still swollen.

At 1:30 This Morning

2011-12-05T08:57:00.001-08:00

The Moon was really bright.

Your Smile Is The Greatest Gift Of All

2011-12-05T08:39:00.000-08:00

I love Lelands smile. It curves up at the ends just like his dads, I hope all our kids have his smile. With the presence of his smile our littlest man has hit his first milestone. Getting him to smile on command is still a bit tricky. I had Zach grab the camera and we gave it our best yesterday. Leland really does love his brother. It's awesome. Oh, and as you can see, William kept his blue eyes. :)

HA! It took a while but we got one. From what we can tell, it's going to be just like his brothers and his dads. Yay! There's nothing much more beautiful then watching your baby learn to smile.

Leland wanted to share this. It's the tree I put up next to his room. My plan was to make felt ornaments but he wanted snowflakes. Request granted. This is a fun way to (try to) keep kids away from the real tree (ha).

The Beautiful Moments of At-Home Life

2011-12-02T08:27:00.000-08:00

Have you noticed how big my first little man is getting? Goodness, it's happening right under my nose, the picture below proves it.

Speaking of the picture above.. I was so excited to get a picture I could use on a book for Leland. "The Emperors New Clothes" would be a fun book to put Leland in (have you seen those online.. I have one and it's fun, thank you Kt.) When I told Zach my idea he asked if I was confused. It went like this:

Me: "No, It's a kids book."

Zach: "I think your talking about the Disney movie and it's Emperors New Groove."

Me: "Are you kidding me, you don't know the story of the Emperors New Clothes?"

Silence.

Me: *explains the story*

Zach: "Never heard of it."

WHAT!? I think thats crazy. Anyway...

To get my son dressed I promised Christmas tree decorating.

It didn't keep him out of trouble though.

As my big kid gets bigger, I have this little one to adore. He looks so much like Leland at this age it's crazy. Everything but the chin and hair, oh, and his eyes are a darker blue. Everything else is identical. I wish I could share some pictures but they are long lost.

There wasn't really a point to this post. I just wanted to take some time and share my home with you for a moment. My mug says "stitch happy".. hehe. In much more focused posts I will be sharing new Christmas ornaments and Christmas tree decorating. Stay Tuned!

A $5 Project- Candy Cane Heart Wreath

2011-11-28T16:18:00.000-08:00

The first step to getting better is to admit your addiction. My name is Amanda and I'm addicted to Pinterest. It's pretty much a "look at all this stuff" website. It's amazing. There is a millions of DIY (do it yourself) project ideas on the site and I decided to try one of the $5 or less Christmas projects that I pinned to my Crafts board.

Here is how it turned out.

You need 20 candy canes, ribbon, scissors and a hot glue gun. Thats it.

First glue two candy canes together back to back. Use ribbon or whatever you have (I didn't use ribbon) and tie them together. I glued down the ties as well.

Half done. Do NOT start gluing heart shapes together until all the doubles are made and dry.

Notice how not everything matches up, thats why you wait to glue the final piece. It will need some readjusting.

Final project hung up and lookin' good. I added a few things to hide the imprefections. But love how it looks. The best part is that I can throw it away at the end of the season 'cause it wasn't expensive or hard to make. Perfect craft when you have little ones around. :)

A Beautiful Night

2011-11-20T09:34:00.000-08:00

It seems that apartment living isn't the worst thing we've ever done. Our balcony has an amazing view of Timpanogos and the surrounding mountain ranges. We REALLY like our view!

Photos complament of the husband taken with his Panasonic LX5.

Ramblin Man

2011-11-17T09:22:00.001-08:00

Leland is my rambler. He has an engraved bracelet to prove it (dang I forgot to put that on him..). He's also turning out to be, though a slightly jealous one, a GREAT big brother. He is fascinated by Rivers and tries his hardest to be a big helper to me through out the day. My love for him and who he is and who he is becoming is growing daily. But I can't hoard him away forever.

Leland has left me for greener pastures this weekend. He's off to Zions to play with his cousins and his Lala and Papa. I know that he will have a lot of fun and I will miss him like crazy, but a kids gotta get out of the house sometimes. So thanks in advance to those brave souls who are watching my little Rambler this weekend. Hopefully it's not the last time you ever invite him along. :)

They Call Me Sad Eyes

2011-11-16T10:46:00.000-08:00

Maybe you've noticed Loki in a few of my pictures, yes? No? Well, he's been in a few quite similar to the one below. Standing guard over Little Rivers. Lets just say, he's taken a liking to him. (much to my frustration, considering the dog doesn't like me very much at all.. whatyado?)

He is a good dog. Most the time. We're slowly learning (after 2 years) how hard it is to have a dog. Not only are they mans best friend, i'm pretty sure they are man's biggest annoyance. :) I say that with love.

We've Been Home Being Boring

2011-11-14T08:35:00.000-08:00

It's cold outside and it's supposed to be snowing. Which means we've been spending our weekends indoors looking outside waiting for the inevitable. So far all we've gotten is some extra napping and a real dislike for faulty weathermen.

We are getting quite a bit of reading done. Which means I've been spending money on books online. .

And see, extra napping!

We like to watch this one sleep the most, it's better then watching him cry. :)
We're trying to decide if we are going to believe that it's supposed to snow next weekend.

Oh Boys

2011-11-08T17:38:00.001-08:00

I've tried and tried and tried to type some narration for these pictures. I'm failing miserably. My head is mushy. So... I'm sure you can take it from here.

Brene Brown: The power of vulnerability | Video on TED.com

2011-11-07T15:58:00.000-08:00

Brene Brown: The power of vulnerability | Video on TED.com

I love this talk. I hope you click the link and listen to it, it is well worth your time!

Skills

2011-11-02T13:54:00.001-07:00

My son has never shown much interest in singing songs. Maybe that has to do with the options I have given him in the past. He is showing new sides of himself all the time now that his little brother is around. It helped to have my mom here, she is her wards Primary Choruster (?) after all. Thanks mom for helping my little/big guy with a new skill!

Ghouls and Ghosts

2011-11-01T13:15:00.000-07:00

Alright, I'll admit I have not been on top of things lately. I feel as though my brain has turned to mush. I'm a big sticky glob. Aside from that it was Halloween yesterday and I was too worried about getting Leland, Rivers, and Loki down to the car in less then half an hour and all together to really get any good pictures of costumes. So here's one from earlier in the day.

Here's one Caleb took of Leland and Jonah whilst the kids begged for candy from strangers. Hehe, Halloweens great.

While Leland did the fun stuff, I sat on Kt's porch rocking my Great Pumpkin and trying to convince kids I wasn't going to scare them and to come get some candy. I wasn't very convincing and Kt didn't get many visitors.
Thats about it. I did successfully get everyone back upstairs as well and Zach surprised me by coming home a bit early with cake doughnuts and cider. Which is HIS tradition for Halloween ever since i've known him. Which I love. Hope everyone had a spooktacular evening! And a special thanks to C. and J. for taking my little ghoul along with them!

P.S.

Barbra, the shot at my header was the best moon I've captured. It's not spooky in the least but I loved the shape. :)

Just a Little Glimpse Into How Things Are Going

2011-10-26T13:08:00.001-07:00

Well, by the way, they are going well. :)

We're "Pro" Around Here

2011-10-22T09:45:00.001-07:00

Alright, so 'we' are not particularly 'pro' BUT we do know a few people who know a few people who qualify. (Qualification for being pro now-a-days pretty much means you have your own website and on occasion get paid for doing something.) I'm pretty stoked that one of these said people needed a teeny tiny model and I happen to have a teeny tiny boy at the moment.

Now I really would love to add a link to Tess Abbotts website so ya'll can call her and use her skills for some pics but I'm not privy to said information and there wasn't a link to it on her family blog. .. So, I'll get that info to you as soon as possible. :) Here's a few of the pictures she got of my little man while she was here the other day. She was fantastic with William. He didn't cry for me once, I blame this on her gentle touch and not so much my son who doesn't like to be bothered while napping.

Apparently, she got a lot of these yawning shots. I think babies are the only people who look cute yawning.

I laughed at this one, his mouth gets really tight when you bother him too much, it's his 'defiant' look.

My son has not had good luck in the skin department this first week of life so I was impressed with this shot the most. He looks so soft and clear.

To the Dicksons who read this blog, check out the butt chin. It's the first thing my dad mentioned after seeing him. :)
A smile, and what may be a glimpse at this little mans possible dimples... who knows. I mean you can never really tell with babies.
When all is said and done Tess is super awesome and we love her shots of William!

Thank you Tess!

Introducing- William Rivers Kepsel

2011-10-20T11:38:00.001-07:00

William Rivers Kepsel

October 17th, 2011

7 pounds 5 ounces

20 inches

Spends less time then you would think doing this...

We love him. And I'm looking forward to telling you all about him soon enough. For now, enjoy what you can find on Kt's blog. :)

The Harvest

2011-10-11T09:03:00.000-07:00

Wish Us Luck

2011-10-10T14:43:00.001-07:00

"There's Time enough, but none to spare."

Charles W. Chesnutt

One Week: 7 days.

Seems like a fairly normal enough thing. How often do you say, 'it's a week away' and feel like you have all the time in the world? How easily is that changed when you are waiting.. 'it's a week away' which might as well be eternity. Then change it to days; seven days is less then ten (you have more fingers then days in a week).

The only amount of time that feels as sneaky as the week is the year.

One Year: 365 days.

A year in the eyes of a child waiting for the next Christmas to come is a VERY long time. In less then a year you can become pregnant and have a child (life changing). You get to experience EVERY Holiday,but you might move 2 or 3 times.. You can leave your home and come back to the same world you left behind. A year is the longest/shortest period of time I can imagine.

Today my family is experiencing the short and long of a week. Baby Kepsel will be with us next monday, the 17th. And we are also experiencing a decision that affects us for the next year. We are moving, and even though a house was in the works (offer approved and all) we changed our mind and will be signing a year lease at an apartment. We don't know what life will bring this next year we don't know how we're going to get through this next week, but we are doing it together and we know that everyone out there is supporting us and sending their love and we thank you.

Look forward to some baby pictures and maybe if I'm not too busy pulling my hair out I'll post about our move. Which yes, we are going to try to do before next Monday. :)

Q: Best Day Ever?

2011-10-05T14:49:00.001-07:00

A: Oct. 3rd.

It's strange to me how fast time goes by.

I've now been married to this man longer then I dated him.

We were smiling above cause we were happy, I'm still smiling.

Marriage is hard. We all need to remember that marriage isn't a promise to always be "in love" with your spouse, but a promise of commitment to one another. A commitment of faith in each other, respect, and forgiveness that if honored will always return Love back in a much deeper form then it was originally given.

I love my husband and through each new event in our life together I try to reflect on how much we grow together. I could not have picked a more honest and caring man to spend my life with.

Thank you Zach, for everything you do every day. Through your actions I feel the love you give to me and I hope you know how much I love you in return.

It's October!!! :)

2011-10-01T18:29:00.000-07:00

It's October! I've been waiting patiently for the official Halloween season to begin before blogging about a few childrens books I've come across for Leland. We love all things Halloween-y at my house from spiders to witches and having a few fun books around makes the season that much more special.

Halloween Night is read to the tune of T'was the Night Before Christmas and the illustrations are really well done.

"The ghost in the parlor played softly off key, as a bevy of banshees served moldy green tea."

Sorry for the glare on the pages. This book is one of those books that Leland has taken to memorizing; I read a sentence and then he tells me the next one for most of the book.

This is right after the witch invites the kids in for the party. They run away screaming. :)

I was a little worried about this book being a bit creepy but it's done in such a whimsical way that it ended up not being as scary as this host of characters can be. His favorite characters are the green goblins (see header). We read this book daily.

This next book is far less spooky and has some awesome illustration, it's done in watercolor. An art form that I never had the patience for but I love! Little Goblins Ten is not just about goblins, it covers much more then that.
Lelands favorites being the "bony father skeleton and his little skellies eight". They rattle by the graveyard gate. hehe.
Zachs favorite is the "old mother Zombie and her little zombies three." They stare all together near the gnarled oak tree. I know, purple zombies. :)
My favorite characters are the "old mother Witch and her little witches six." Thy crowed and they cackled in the hovel made of sticks. I pretty much just like to cackle and reading their page lets me release that.
The book goes from One monster to ten goblins, as you can see in this last picture. The story rhymes and the pictures are just awesome. It only mentions Halloween on the last page but that was enough Halloween for me to qualify it for the holiday book season. Love this book.

As a last note, I haven't gone and picked this book up yet BUT it is on my list. Goodnight Goon is a parody to Goodnight Moon. So you know it's gonna be good. I highly suggest a trip to your nearest book store for some seasonal books to enjoy!

Happiness Is...

2011-09-24T18:23:00.000-07:00

Just all of it really.

Just a Few (4) Book Reviews

2011-09-22T13:29:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that my most recent stitching project is coming along at a crawling sort of pace. It's for the new lil boy about to enter this family and since he isn't named yet I've not stressed about finishing his Christmas stocking. So I've been reading. A lot.

Lets start with this one. Short stories are probably my favorite form of writing. There is something very intriguing about a powerful story told in few words. Words are so clumsy. Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day has quite a variety of stories but most of them are very powerful. Ben Loory talks a lot about 'fitting in' whether through love or your environment. What I liked the most was that none of the stories were grotesque, there was no bad language. It was just an odd variety of easily read nice feeling stories. If you like that sort of thing, check it out. :)

Son of a Witch is the sequel to Wicked. This is not the first time I have read this book. It was a filler for me for the end of this month. I love Gregory Maguires work, Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister being my favorite from his arsenal and I'm awaiting the last of the Wicked series in anticipation. If you haven't read Wicked, don't bother with this one. If you had a bit of reluctance towards this sequel because of some of the graphic nature of Wicked just now that it doesn't have any love scenes, or death or brothels. It's pretty tame.

This next one was the book we read for my book club this month. I heard an interview with the Author on NPR and was intrigued about the book. It's a true story of two men with the same name, that are the same age that grew up in the same neighborhoods. The author is a Rhodes Scholar and accomplished in life, the other Wes Moore that the book is about is spending life in prison for murder. The book chronicles different times in the boys life where they both made decisions that they feel helped place them in the life they are in now. It's pretty interesting. I think it should be required reading for boys in high school.

This next book has taken a special place in my heart. Olive Kitteridge is a real person. The stories in this book are real stories. It's written in 13 short stories, Olive is in all of them, but they don't tie together. It's about life. Some of my favorite things about the book were how powerfully the author wrote about such simple things especially Love. For example, one of the characters in the book states that "all of my sons were my favorite child." This book focuses largely on the emotions of people in their "older" years. .. Meaning most the stories are about people who are above the age of 45. I know that sounds weird, but the perspective is wonderful.

This book should not be read lightly because it has such an important message. The way we love, the effort it takes to remember to love, what it is to be loved or forgotten in love. It's really quite unique. Please read this. Really.

Oh, and I love you. :)

I Love My Garden. It's That Simple.

2011-09-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

Maybe you've had enough of gourds. I can't blame you.. I mean, I think you're crazy, but I understand my wonder comes from watching them grow. We added a few more to the bench and for good reason.

The garden was looking a bit overgrown. So I took my shears and cut out everything from the right side to the tallest point of the garden in the picture, and then stopped.

This is when I discovered the tomato plants that were thriving and producing the nicest looking little yellow and bright orange fruits. I started eating.

These ones are of the yellow variety when ripe, they don't make it inside. I was happy to see that we have LOTS of these.

These yellow ones didn't get any bigger then the palm of my hand and ended up a bright bright orange. Probably the sweetest tomato I have ever had. I hope we get more of these before the first frost.

Not pictured are the huge heirlooms that are also growing. I love that something edible has come out of the garden in my front yard. Blame that love on me being 8 months pregnant if you want to.

This garden has also taught Zach and I an important lesson. We need to grow things together. There's something bonding about the experience of gardening with someone. You learn a lot about a person. For instance, my husband has a deep seeded hatred for goat heads and spent half his time making sure the darn things were no where near our sidewalk or garden. He was thorough and we enjoy our barefeet time immensely. Thank You Husband! Anyway, I love my garden and everything I've taken away from it. Produce and Peace seem to go hand in hand.

Enough Said

2011-09-14T13:05:00.000-07:00

Dear Mark & Spencer,

I understand you're both males so I'm not holding this against you, but maybe next time you can try to include the size or care instructions on the label. Not that I didn't appreciate the advice. Thank you.

The tag simply states "Keep Away From Fire".

Grease Monkeys

2011-09-10T17:12:00.000-07:00

I forgot I had taken this picture with my camera before my camera died that day. It's my favorite so I thought I'd sneak it in. :)

Yep, that's grease. Grease from under a car.

I shouldn't expect anything else really, not with this guy around showing Leland the ropes. The ropes being proper maintenance on your super charger this Friday.

Leland and any other guy (or hippie) in the vicinity gets plenty of talking to about vehicle maintenance. Did I mention the "lawn ornament" is no longer parked permanently in front of the house. Thanks Zach. :)

I assume pictures like these are how the term "grease monkey" got coined. I have one, or two already and with any luck i'm working on another one. Having handy guys around is, well, handy. :)

Backpack Leash Anyone?

2011-09-08T14:02:00.000-07:00

You know how you see those moms with their kids and the kids attached to a backpack leash.. Anyone?

I always told myself that I would never ever be caught dead using one of those. My child would not be a child that would need such a contraption. Then I had a kid, who quite frankly, wanders aimlessly whenever given the chance. He's been like this since the time he's learned to walk.

We've never caved and gotten one of those leashes, but I understand the desire for one. Or the desire for a kid who cares where his mom is. Either way we've never really encountered a situation where no one knew where he was. Until the other day. Leland has now met Police Officers and I have been officially looked at with the disdain only a childless man can give a woman after babysitting her lost son for a while. Oh that look, never again will someone look at me that way and not get a little talking to, or a slap in the face.

Needless to say, we had to acknowledge the situation for what it was. We brainstormed for a solution in case something like this happened again, and here it is. The RoadI.D. Pretty cool huh? It's a little engraved plate on one of those silicon bands (Leland chose the green) for contacting Z or I if Leland is found without us. He wears it on his ankle but it can be used as a bracelet as well. It can come with a scanning code for ambulances if you have medical issues. Lelands simply states 'Fearless Rambler' for obvious reasons. Best part is that it cost less then $20 after shipping. Problem isn't solved, but are they ever? I do have a bit more peace of mind though.

Lovely Loll At Last

2011-09-07T17:47:00.001-07:00

Camp Loll is a boyscout camp and our last destination on our road trip. It holds a lot of fond memories for pretty much my entire (Kepsel) family. Including me, I did get engaged there.

We knew we were taking a risk going out to this remote camp spot, the predators (mosquitos) are numerous. We also knew that we had been surviving on PB&J and cold cereal for a while and that we forgot to bring any cooking appliances with us. Hm, we got out of the car anyway.

Sorry, hold on, quick glimpse of the drive in.. super wish I had had my camera in hand.. From out of nowhere during our drive, the cutest little black bear cub came running full blast out of the bushes towards us. He quickly turned and ran right back in the forest after noticing that we were moving a bit faster then he thought. Zach and I both just stared for a second, thankfully, no mama bear came running after him. It was by far the cutest bear encounter ever.

Back to getting out of the car, we did, and realized what we were in for. Oh, the mosquito bites. But we're brave, we wanted to be here, so we took off towards the lake with Leland.

This is when I stopped taking photos. The boys took this beautiful route down to the lake while I walked the other way, down the 'safer' path. I fell, scraped up my knee and palms. My camera hit the ground, and I soon realized just how tired I really was of being on vacation. My crocodile tears didn't persuade Zach that it was time to leave quite yet though and while I licked my wounds the boys headed off to the Camp Fire Bowl and Water front. When they got back I pulled myself together enough for some more walking around. Which was a good thing.

It is a right of passage to A.) Lose a knife at scout camp and B.) Find a knife at scout camp.

My son, while we patrolled the 'open for emergencies' cabin found this... Thats right, a Bear Grillz edition Gerber knife. He tells it like this..
Leland: Mosquitos were catching up with Dad and me when we were running through the bushes.

Me: No Leland about your knife.

Leland: I found it in the bedroom in the bushes and it is my first one. Dads going to save my first knife for me.

He sure did like Loll though and is very excited for his 1st knife. Which he can have when he goes to his first year of scout camp.. :)

Anyway, we worked our way into the big lodge and called around to make sure we could stay the night inside. Honestly though, it was a lost cause from the beginning, the camping not staying in the lodge, I wanted to go home. Despite not being able to get to a bed until midnight that night we got back into the car and drove away from one of the most beautiful serene places I ever have the chance to go to. I owe my husband pretty big for that one. Thus ending our road trip.

Ah.

Then We Were Off .. Again..

2011-09-06T12:02:00.000-07:00

When I say "we were off" I meant off our rockers. Our vacation was getting a little long and all the driving was taking it's toll on Zach but our spirits were up (thanks KOA) so we took off into the Yellowstone section of our trip. Yellowstone is beautiful, really, you just have to go into the park knowing that you might not see any animals. Don't worry though, there's plenty of 'hot spots' to stop at. I know, clever.

Zach and I didn't really notice many children Lelands age at the park. None, really. Apparently, three isn't really the demographic around these parts. I'm glad we took him, even if people were a bit annoyed at our slow pace that took up the whole boardwalk.

These are "big brown cows" if you ask Leland and we drove by them twice, just for him. Bison are about the only animal you can guarantee to see when you go to Yellowstone. Bison and squirrel.

Zach really wanted to stop at Lower Falls instead of Old Faithful. I'm not one to argue with such things so off we went. He really wanted to take a picture with Leland that was identical to one he has with his sister, but the hike over to that view of the falls is SUPER long for a 3 year old and 7 month pregnant lady. He settled for this one instead.
Yellowstone was everything it always is and we were glad we got to spend some time there. The only other animal we saw was an Elk, but really, we're from Utah so we didn't stop to stare. Up next is a little (literally) Camp Loll love and the coolest experience Z and I had the whole trip. Crazy. Stay tuned for the last stop on our way home!

Lelands Favorite Stop

2011-09-03T17:17:00.000-07:00

Pacific City was Great, but the KOA in Bozeman, Montana was SO needed. After a horrible night in (gross) Spokane we drove through the exceptionally beautiful panhandle of Idaho and the magnificent beauty of Montana, where I saw a big brown bear bathing in the river bed (so cool).

I will plan all future road trips in accordance with KOA stop possibilities. No joke.

If you looked at the above picture you'd have noticed the smile on Lelands face, and below the same big smile still on his face.

This could have been the culprit. This KOA had a serious water park. Leland was in heaven.

Odd how we couldn't get this kid near the Ocean but the look on Z's face below is his "I just saved you from drowning, why are you laughing?" face.

After several attempts at swimming that resulted in Zach saving this little mans life he was still smiling. Swim lessons next year while he still thinks it's fun to drown.

There's something special about a kid that is so happy he can't stop smiling. My kid had spent two days on the road making it from Pacific City, Oregon to Bozeman, Montana and deserved this pool time with his dad. Biggest regret of the trip is that we didn't stay another night here. Like I said, next road trip is KOA stops only. :)

Daddies Are Crazy

2011-09-02T12:38:00.000-07:00

The Oregon Coast isn't known for it's warm sunny beaches with hordes of scantily clad woman and hunk-a-licious surfers, thats probably why it's so nice for family vacations. It is known for it's wind, and it's super cold water but who says that needs to stop you from getting into that salty vastness? Not me. Now, most people might opt for a full body water suit, what are those things called? (long pause) Ugh, I'm pregnant. (think think think) Wet suits! Some people wear them. When they're in cold water. (sigh) .. oh boy.

Moving on. Caleb and Jayne did rent a pair of wet suits and enjoyed every minute of their time boogey (?) boarding. After said suits were returned Zach got this crazy idea to go boogey boarding as well. It DID look like a lot of fun. So Caleb braved the brisk breeze one more time just for his brother. Thats Love, if you ask me. They look cold don't they? OH, they are.

But our heroes bravely approach their challenge while people walk by gawking and shaking their heads in disbelief.
Jayne has a better vantage point for pictures, guess it helps to walk down the beach instead of staying up at the beach house like some girlies...

Waves crashing around them our beloved husbands trudge out to try to catch the perfect wave. Numbness has not quite set in but is well on it's way.

Here it comes the 'big one'! Alright, not really the 'big one' but a good one none the less. I stopped taking pictures before the surfers showed up and Zach almost plowed into them but maybe Jayne got lucky, we'll wait patiently to find out. All I know is that Zach loved braving the cold with his brother and would do it again any day. Not to say he would turn down the wet suit if it's offered the next time. :)

Bonding AT the Beach, Just Not ON the Beach

2011-08-31T08:13:00.000-07:00

This was Lelands first 'real' time at the beach, we don't count the time when he was 6 months old. We didn't really think that the actual Ocean would pose a problem on this adventure. Leland was fully aware we were going, but apparently not aware of what actually took place there. Tide can be scary, especially to a 3 year old.

Needless to say, we spent a lot of time IN the beach house instead of on the beach. Which was fine, Leland spent his time playing with his cousins (unless they were on the beach), then life was how it normally is and he would play with me or alone (I don't think he minds this).

Anyway, I love watching the two boys play. Being the same age and practically the same size makes them an adorable pair. See what I mean?

They discovered the joy of being little while playing with the blow up mattress in the basement. I may or may not have stuck the mattress on top of that chair for them...

They were pretty happy.

Yeah, that's Jonah underneath a laughing happy Leland, and guess what? Jonah was laughing and happy too!

The plot got a bit thicker when Zach arrived. Big, strong dads are more fun then moms with cameras. Zach let the boys roll down the mattress on top of him for a while, then he started throwing the two boys up on to it to roll down and then things got really exciting..

"Hold on tight boys!" Little boys need good daddies and uncles to play with! Who else is strong enough to bounce the air mattress? I'm happy to report that Zach got a nap after this and the fun didn't stop on account of crying. Success!! :)

And Leland did go outside a few times. Too bad he wouldn't let me get a nice picture of it..
Up next, "What in the world are those two dads thinking? Brrr".

Pacific City In 3 Pictures

2011-08-29T15:11:00.000-07:00

Can I just say, that I love Oregon. I do. It's possibly my favorite place to be. Like others I know, my skin looks great there, my hands are not swollen and clamy, I breathe better and I know a lot of good people in Oregon. Kind of win-win. Don't get me wrong, I love Utah too, I just don't miss the heat/snow or the traffic when I'm gone. I was lucky enough to spend a week here:

(Super duper thanks to the Grandparents that made this possible!)

I liked this house on the beach a little too much, mainly because of this. No Thru Traffic. Private and perfect with the beach right out the back door.

Note: Most the days here were foggy and slightly cold, which I love. Occasionally though, the pretty bluebird sky was over head and much welcome.

I really can't imagine a better place for a family to spend some time together. It was so quiet and peaceful. No music, no t.v., no movies just the ocean, the chatter and the (mostly) happy kids. :)
Zachs parents are smart, they knew we would be hooked to family vacations after this, and we are. Completely and happily hooked. More to come from the coast and the few stops we had before coming home.

A Few Wrap-Up's Before the Hiatus

2011-08-17T19:13:00.000-07:00

In preparation for our coastal vacation I thought I'd update a bit on things that are going on. When I get back I hope to be showing you family fun coast photos, then moving prep, baby prep and baby, so there will be no time for these later.

This photo, though a nice representation of a quite afternoon at my house, is supposed to be showing off the piece of furniture I was refinishing. See it in the background? Don't look at this picture large please. It didn't get completed before it was brought inside and now I'm just too pregnant to pick it up again.. next year. What did get done though, I love. (should have straightened this picture, yikes)

Hello my beautiful front yard, how are you today? I'm hoping you survive being left with sitters while I'm away. *fingers crossed* Hippies aren't known for being very reliable.

You have no idea how much we LOVE our front yard. It brings us joy in ways that are explained only through words like.. clarity, serenity, nurturing. (I can't believe i'm moving to an apartment, alright, breathe, it's going to be ok.)
See this gourd? Yeah, that one on top of my tomato wire gates, he is one of 3 growing up here. Tomatoes need shade right? Did I mention this all makes me (otherwise known as Zanda) very happy? It does. I even counted our harvest, so far we are looking at 35 gourds. Get excited!

Alright, I've had a mommy moment. Jayne, you're going to love this. Meet Skipito. He's Lelands cat. Yep, Leland has grown so fond of this little cat that he had me tell it goodnight.

He loves his Skipito. Loves him differently then all the rest of his stuffed animals. I'm not sure if this is going to be one of those "special" stuffed animals that his cousins have but I've never had to say goodnight to a stuffed toy before, not at my childs request that is.

I'm glad he's found 'someone' to say I Love You to while curling up into his sheets. It makes me melt a little. Kind of special really, little kids that is. Little kids are special. :)
Anyway, thats the jest of things in our world. I'm fat and happy. Lelands getting older and cuter. My dog is being Shmegel more then Gollum and my husband helped me fold the laundry today. Now I'm off to a hair appointment in the morning, followed by lunch with an old friend. Then packing and leaving for Pacific City. *sigh* Can't really ask for more. :)

Oh, The Zoo

2011-08-15T15:37:00.000-07:00

Leland: I was sitting on that elephant when it sprayed water. It was funny. Silly elephant.

Me: The zoo is a fun place, but this year it has been extra special..

Leland: It (the dinosaur below) sprays water on us.

Me: The Zoo has Dinosaurs!! It's taken Leland a visit or two to warm up to these easily accessed dino's but it's now one of his favorite things to go and see.

Leland: Pits are square. Dinosaurs will be stuck in pits and they won't move so you can touch their teeth, cause they're statues.

Me: This is the small T-Rex that you can sit on. This is the first visit Lelands been brave enough to touch this dino.

Leland: This one says "RAWR".

Me: We sit and watch this dino for at least 15 minutes. It's our water and snack attraction. He's well worth watching, he moves up and down and brings his face right close to people height and makes great sounds. :) pretty darn cool if you ask me!

Leland: That snake was following me, he was not a rattle snake.

Me: Don't worry there is still animals at the zoo as well. Leland still enjoys seeing the snakes the most out of the whole Zoo's worth of living creatures.

There are a bunch more dino's all over the park and it kind of makes up for half the park being closed while they build the new structures. If you haven't made it over there I recommend it.

My 50mm

2011-08-08T11:24:00.001-07:00

This is me, taken at my own arms length with my new lens. I'm trying to figure out how to adjust the darn thing just perfect and then not move.

Loki is a bit of an easier target but won't smile at me to save my life. He is pretty cute though.

The Hibiscus flowers are finally blooming. I've been working on taking Macro shots with the 50mm, but I think I prefer my stock lens. One day, I'll get a Macro. One day.

I do love the Boca with the 50mm though.

Leland is by far my favorite subject. I'm testing out everything I can with him so when our next one shows up (soon enough Mandie, soon enough) I'll know how to get some good stuff right off the bat. :)

When I talk about Macro shots it comes from this exact situation. I would like to take a picture thats the size of a dime the first time, instead of cropping the picture later. Mostly because I never really know if it's turning out as crisp as I'd like when I have to do it the other way. Take this bee for example. This is the shot I got.

This is the shot I wanted. I had to crop it down and was thankful that at least one of them came out. And we are talking about a week or more worth of shots of bees that didn't turn out just for this one. And it was dark out. Maybe I should just be happy that I'm learning. :)

I do love my 50mm for people though. People, being my least practiced subject, are actually turning out nice. I like the sharp focus on features that my 50mm is giving me.

These last two are just for fun, I've been taking shots at night and then turning them black and white because I like the contrast more then day time shots. These roses reminded me of something I would have drawn with a pencil when I was younger. It's funny to be taking pictures in the same style. (I always worked in graphite, so the black and white one takes my immediate fancy.)

Honestly, I have to thank my husband for this new lens. Guess he thought it was time for me to start using my camera like DSLR's are meant to be used. Thanks husband. :)

We Went On a Company Camp Trip and All I Came Back With Was 3 Nondescript Photos

2011-08-07T10:21:00.000-07:00

Seriously, I only took these three photos the whole weekend. I just wasn't even thinking about my camera. The camp out ended up being pretty fun, for having to spend time with co-workers and Bosses.. :) They were really prepared and the kids were well entertained and the food was in abundance, what more could you ask for? Things have really changed in the 7 ish years Zach has worked for this company and the ground breaking for the new production facility was a huge step for the people who make my little families life style possible. We've all been through quite a bit together, and you could feel the Pride just bouncing around between certain individuals while the little ceremony was held. Life is pretty exciting. :)

Anyway, on to the vague-ish photos. This was Saturday morning, it was cold and most everyone was still sleeping.

These photos really help you get the feeling of company pride and why we were all there very well don't they? *hardy har har*

I wish I could just pause the world for a moment.

2011-08-04T08:57:00.000-07:00

There are some things I know I can't understand until they are my reality. Meeting my husband and living our life together shows me the true meaning of 'being in love'. Having my son has taught me what it is to be a 'mom'. I'm now realizing that even though my second little boy isn't here yet he is teaching me the meaning of 'family'.

I can feel change pushing me forward on my path to this new reality. A path that is a bit more mine but a lot less about me. I'm nervous for the responsibility. I'm nervous to lose the little boy I have right now as he grows and figures out how to share me with his brother. I'm excited to see the growth in my husband as he teaches his boys in the years to come. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I am the loving mother of a family and it's kind of like living in a whirlwind.

"The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance."
Alan Watts

What Goes Around, Comes Around. or One Good Turn Deserves Another

2011-07-30T10:51:00.001-07:00

Remember Utah? He was the first dog Zach ever brought home for me, he was kind of a Christmas present back in '09 before the year in Green River. He was the cutest puppy in the whole world! and when Zach and I ended up in a hotel for several months my (heaven sent) BIL took Utah for his very own. Which was a big deal, he was a handful and needed lots of attention. Levi stepped in and gave Utah the best home he could have had.

Now Levi has taken an opportunity to chase one of his dreams and we have Utah back. He's a much bigger dog then he was when we first had him but is very well trained (thanks to Levi) and is welcome to be a part of our family as long as Levi needs us to take him. We're excited at the chance to repay his kindness. Utah is a Kepsel Family dog and we hope he's as happy with us as he was with Levi.

A Few For Now, A Bunch More Later

2011-07-28T15:06:00.000-07:00

There were a few gourds that needed to be trimmed a bit early due to some stem splitting. Leland was very excited about this. The yellow one below is his favorite, he carries it all around the house. Unfortunately, it won't dry correctly because of this and we wont get to turn it into anything. Let the kid have his gourd. There will be plenty more.

This gourd is called a Hardshell Warty, fun huh? We are pretty excited to have a few more of these growing on the same vine.

This one is turning a bright orange while it's drying. I wonder if we may have picked it too soon. But I think it will still turn out for a porch decoration.
Anyway, depending on how many gourds we have and how well they dry I would really like to make it a fun activity for those who want to try to make birdhouses or baby rattles or, you know, whatever you can come up with. We'll see what the harvest brings in and go from there. If you haven't seen 'gourd art' google it, people do some really neat things. :)

This Just In

2011-07-27T19:38:00.000-07:00

My little boy might be the toughest kid around. Seriously, how many kids his age can get stung by a bee and not even freak out a little, just a little. All I got was, "mom, there was a bee on me." If I hadn't have gone over to look, just in case, I would never have known he was stung. Kid is a champ. He even went in the bathroom and started washing off the area by himself while I grabbed the No-Sting stuff (he thinks all things get better when washed in cold water..). Anyway, the look on his face below is pretty much how he felt about the whole situation. My reaction was to call my MIL to make sure I knew what to look for in case of allergic reaction, oh and his dad just for moral support. Mom=nervous wreck, 3 yr. old=Superman. The end.

Black and White, It's the New Color

2011-07-23T08:17:00.000-07:00

We got our first Sunflower! Saving up for a Macro lens just for these sort of occasions.

Alright, I'll admit, my husband can be quite stoic at times. But he doesn't always look angry. Just detached from emotion. He's still pretty handsome.

Secretly though, my husband is THIS guy. Recognize that smile? Calvin taught him everything he knows about getting his picture taken.

And then there's this kid. Man oh man does my heart melt for him. I think I'm in for some trouble if our next little guy is even half as handsome, which of course he will be.

Speaking of handsome guys, this is my dad. He IS smiling. I love this photo of him. I made the whole thing black and white so I could crop it into a head shot for my mom. I guess it's no longer a surprise. So I might as well show it to ya...

The head shot turned out rather nicely, minus the Leland eyeball in the corner. One day I'll have a real photoshop program. Editing in my camera is nice, but doesn't do it all.

I liked this one better in color. :)

Just When You Think It's Safe To Bring The Kid

2011-07-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

In light of the summer months Leland and I have been hitting up the town. Today I got to go on an adventure with my son and an old friend from High School. I think everyone has at least one friend or knows someone who doesn't particularly like kids, my old friend is this type. Mostly because they are dirty, the kids that is, and unpredictable and this person might just be one of those 'snobby' type.. Alright, maybe snob isn't the best word.. hm... pretentious? intellectual? germ-a-phobe? I don't know.. hm. Well, you get the point. You still like this friend. This person does some really neat things, has wonderful conversation with you, is a good person but doesn't do the kid thing. I tried to make breakfast plans knowing it would be easier to leave Leland behind but to no avail. There I was at LunaBerry (you can google that) with Pistachio Frozen Yogurt and sliced almonds half eaten in anxiousness when my old friend walks in. We do not hug, he doesn't touch people, he sits down and starts talking to me about 'everything' that is exciting and wonderful in his life. I don't mind, this get together was made so I could buy tickets to his next performance with The Salt Lake Choral Artists next Tuesday (I highly recommend googling them and buying tickets to any of their shows!!!). This friend is a talented person who is involved with a very talented group, one that he is Super proud of. Needless to say, an hour goes by.

Here's where I'm gonna ask if anyone knows what it's like to sit in one spot for an hour with a three yr. old listening to someone else talk?* Oh boy, did things start getting interesting. It starts with Leland touching a piece of fruit on my friends plate, this blueberry was discarded into a napkin immediately. Unfortunately, Leland noticed. The game of 'I'm gonna touch your food' commenced. He then ran circles around tables and chairs. Then on to throwing spoons and doing somersaults across the long booth seat. When that had to stop because of costumers Leland noticed he had some smoothie left and started to "drink it". He 'plays' chipmunk when he can get away with it. I was getting a little flustered. My little boy was getting out of hand. I hadn't seen this friend in 6 years and was really trying to pay attention to him. He was being nice about my unruly child but I could see the look of "get him under control" written across his brows. I decided to take action against the chipmunk game. I got down to Lelands eye level and told him to swallow immediately, followed by being ignored and chuckled at by my lil' boy. Being clever, I reached over and plugged his nose. Haha you'll have to swallow now!

Have you ever had a million thoughts go through your head in a millisecond? When Leland spewed smoothie all over my face after I plugged his nose I had one of those moments. Leland and I covered in smoothie, my friend sitting across from us with what I imagine nothing but disgust and horror written all over his face and in my head I'm trying to figure out what to do next. This should be the most embarrassing moment in my life. First impressions mean a lot, impressions of the first time someone sees you as a mom is kind of the same thing. Do I punish my kid? Do I run in horror? Do I start apologizing? I look at Leland, and he smiles at me and we both start laughing hysterically. I couldn't help it, there was smoothie everywhere! My plan had so completely back fired on me there was nothing to do but throw the towel in and take the situation for what it was. And it was funny.

To my relief, the sound of my friend laughing just as hard as the two of us comes sailing over to me. When we finally got it all together he said something that caught me off guard. Something I don't think I'll ever forget. "I'm glad you're not an angry parent.", it was the nicest thing anyone has said to me in the longest time. I've never really been thought of as 'patient' and I work very hard on controlling my fuse. This situation was just the right amount of ridiculous and perfect that it reminded me why I try so hard to control my anger. Life is silly and I just don't think there's enough time to waste on being angry when kids grow up so fast. When I got Leland alone I remembered to Thank him for being three. He'll never be a better age for spitting smoothie on me and I think it's going to be one of my favorite outings to remember.

*After reading this sentence a few times it hit me that I was describing church. My child wouldn't make it.

Neighborhood Shots

2011-07-17T12:21:00.000-07:00

We love our front yard. It's kind of silly.

Alright, these pictures have no real rhyme or reason.

I was SO sad this turned out fuzzy. Check your settings Mandie, check your settings.

I think this shot is super cool. You can disagree but keep it to yourself. :)

Look at the fierce concentration in this lil' boys face. He had a goal.

This time it was his hands that I thought interesting. Smearing is an art, and needs practicing.

I was a little bummed when on our walk that evening we came across a bunch of these beauties but had already lost my light. I don't think the dark lighting is horrible but I think I will go back during the earlier hours of the twilight and see what I can get.

School Days and Projects

2011-07-13T08:31:00.000-07:00

I've been able to add to more samplers to my pile. They need their buttons. Below is October (howl, which I have a hard time seeing..) and November (Give), I really like Novembers.

And to just lump a few things together here, this little guy stopped and rested in our backyard the other night. Leland and I were out watering the plants when we spotted him. He is a Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus) . Quite common in gardens and parks in our region and was as big as my hand. Leland loved sitting and watching him on that leaf and I was lucky enough to get a picture. It made for a fun conversation about butterflies and caterpillars and everything in between.

Making The City A More Tolerable Place

2011-07-11T09:25:00.000-07:00

It's been established that I want to grow things. I wasn't raised doing such, it's completely new to me. I have no idea what I'm doing, I can't even get a bulb to grow, Zach says I plant them upside down (I plant half of them one way and the other half the other way and still no luck). But this year, oh boy, this year I'm actually seeing some results from my hard work.

My secret? Don't plant anything on purpose. Thats right, I did not plant a single seed. I threw a packet of gourds in the compost soil that we used in the front yard. I had also weeded out a sunflower patch in the neighbors yard and miraculously some of those seeds also took when the soil was moved. On an even more bizarre note, we have tomato plants from last years tomatoes. (see picture above in wire nets). All i've done, really, is the weeding. I cleared these beds leaving and weeding out different gourd plants and other select things.

We have 3 sunflowers, 4 or 5 tomatoes (in the front, 2 more in back) and a dozen gourds.

I've been proud none the less. We have people stop on walks and talk to us about our garden it's nice. We are kind of sad to say that we aren't terribly sure what things are. Like this guy below. Gourd right? As of this mornings inspection it's turning yellow.

We also have these, gourds.. right? He's warty and I love him.

These guys are our biggest. I think they might actually be butternut squash. But I really don't know, I'm new to this remember. Anyway, they are getting bigger all the time.

Everything is starting to grow something. Which is exciting.

On top of the front yard I did plant some flowers this year. My aunt in Oregon sent me some 'established' day lilies from her garden. I was worried they wouldn't like the Utah weather but after some love and care I have these beauties in the backyard. The only draw back is that I can't leave them where I planted them, so they are up for grabs this fall. Anyone want some Lilies?

I'm a sun worshiper, and a lover of water. Growing things has a certain satisfaction that is hard to describe.

Christmas Spoiler #3: Claire's Stocking

2011-07-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

HAHA! That's right! Finished! This stocking went really fast compared to the last two and it's definitely not lacking in the "super cute" category because of it.

You can't really see it, but there is white half stitches between all the holly in the header and foot. Quite a bit of fun detail gets left out in my pictures. Including the hour+ of french knots on her nightgown.

But here is an up close shot of the teddy bear. Which is one of my favorite parts of this picture.

Super loved doing this stocking. Now I'm back to the samplers while I debate trying to get one of Caleb and Jaynes done or to do one for baby. Decisions decisions.

It All Started When Zach Would Get Us Into The Biggest Pickle We've Ever Been In...

2011-07-05T08:10:00.000-07:00

Don't you love summer? I definitely love summer. We've been using our BBQ'r the last several nights and it's been a small amount of heaven. As we all know, yesterday was Independence Day! The absolute perfect day for barbecuing and .. baseball.

It started out easy enough, Zach pitching, Leland hitting. The backyard seemed to have plenty of space and there was much happiness.

We took a short break after a while.. ahem..

And then the real trouble began. Leland started by showing Zach how to hold the bat.

With the bat in proper position, Leland pitched the ball..

And Zach slammed that thing into the neighbors backyard. Leland was more then ready to climb the fences to go get it but we chose to walk around the block and ask instead. If The Sandlot has taught us anything it's that it's easier just to ask.

It ended up being the best thing that could have happened last night. On our way back up our road we met the couple on the end house. They have a 10month old son named Finley and they invited us over for fireworks. In short, a block party commenced. It was reminiscent of the old days, kids running all over the road, fireworks, adult couples sitting on curbs. Perfect! Better then an over crowded park any day.

Happy (late) 4th of July everybody. :)

July!

2011-07-01T09:53:00.000-07:00

Whether you have reasons to be excited....

FIREWORKS!

Reasons to be sad....

Landon died a year ago on the 9th of this month. We miss him.

Or be angry....

Is it still rainy and cold, it is isn't it? rrrrr.

We wish you a good month anyway.

We're thinking of all of you during this festive summer month!

Lookin' Good

2011-06-29T09:48:00.000-07:00

I've been working on this now for 5 months, I think after another 4 it will be done enough to start sharing more with others. For now, he's all mine.

*Note: I'm wearing the coolest shirt ever, thanks to those that help make that possible. :)

**Side Note: I manage to get even the bottom of my baby bump dirty, not just the top. I'm talented, I know.

***Super Side Note: I've only gained 9 pnds in those 5 months. If we can keep that up, I'd be ecstatic!

Loki is a singleton again. Falcor had to leave our family due to some bad behavior. Loki doesn't seem to mind and demanded a new summer look to go with his new single status. I obliged and took him to get a haircut. He is a handsome little thing.

Speaking of handsome, this little kid has it naturally and he better thank his lucky stars 'cause I'm the one cutting his hair. Neither of us had the patience for letting me actually cut it this time so it got buzzed. It's summer let the kid have a hassle free head. Hats and sunscreen will be his best friend from here till Fall.
Zach is missing, I know. He's lookin' good too but has a camera thing I have to over come to get a good picture of him. I'm currently working on trying to replace that mean looking black and white portrait that his family thinks 'looks just like him'. Stay tuned. :)

One Pot Pasta- A New Staple Food

2011-06-28T19:42:00.000-07:00

This Pasta is out of Pampered Chefs 2011 Quick Vegetarian Main Dishes cook book. It was absolutely superb right off the stove and into a bowl. Wasn't so great after sitting out for an hour or so... It too was eaten to the point of no leftovers at our BBQ. It really only took 20 minutes and will become a staple pasta dish at my house. Enjoy!

*You can substitute the sun-dried tomatoes with halved cherry tomatoes if you'd like.

It would have been worth twice the effort but thankfully didn't need it. Yummy!

Rosemary Scented Citrus Knots.. mmmmmm!

2011-06-27T18:57:00.000-07:00

We had a BBQ yesterday with a bunch of friends and neighbors. We killed some of the chickens from the coop that weren't producing eggs and made shish-ka-bobs for everyone, it was a big hit. You can thank me later for sparing you the pictures of the slaughter. :)

I made these. I even doubled the batch. They were all gone by the end of the festivities. They were perfect for a hot day, light, lemony, and not too big. Perfect summer cookie!

I got the recipe from Pampered Chef's 2011 Dessert Recipe book.

I'm also a super cheater and took pictures of the recipe straight from the book instead of typing. You do what you gotta do sometimes. :)

*Note: my cookies looked less like "I's" and more like cancer awareness ribbons.

Notice the few ingredients? I had to buy a Rosemary plant, but thats about it.

Stay tuned, tomorrow I'm posting the amazing vegetarian pasta I also cooked up for the event.

In Honor of the Solstice, We Will Praise the Earth!

2011-06-22T17:17:00.000-07:00

Well, we'll praise our small patch of it atleast. Our pumpkin/gourd/ sunflower patch is coming right along, it's the patch behind the basil, lavender and sage and before the green lawn ornament known as 'that hippie downstairs broken truck'. We spend a lot of time taking care of this front lawn, everything is overgrown and I spent quite a bit of time waiting for things to either grow or prove to me they were dead so I could rip them out. Despite all the work, I love the fresh herbs.

These pictures are all of the blossoms and not the plants. And they are all different blossoms ON different plants... catch that?

I'm pretty sure the one below is our only 'actual' pumpkin' the rest are gourds.

When it's all said and done I have 12 plants 4 that are blossoming already and one that has round leaves instead of pointy ones that I think might be a squash.. It's kind of a potluck, which is fun. There are also sunflowers that are getting really tall. I love watching things grow. :)

oh, and I promise to have better pictures in the future. I'm not really thinking well these days. I believe it's being explained like this:

Anybody who asks' "Hows your wife?"

Zach "She's hormonal."

and Yes, hormonal is a good excuse for bad photos, promise.

Pretty Awesome Project or Oh Goodness, What WAS I Thinking?

2011-06-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

While Leland sits happily with the running hose under the shade of the Hibiscus plants...

I'm standing in the sun sanding a $20 piece of thrift store furniture that I've been carrying around for three years now. It's a really pretty piece that will look awesome just about anywhere. That is AFTER it's stripped of the million layers of paint and dark stain that covers it.

We started with the drawers, they weren't painted and sanded down very quickly.

Before:

After: Don't they look awesome? :)

Z. was nice enough to buy the most environmentally friendly paint remover he could find to help me get the paint off the top. No amount of sanding would have worked, it was THICK. He also insisted on using said paint remover because I'm pregnant, he's kind of a Champion of Safety. :) We used the entire bottle just on the top.

And after several days of continual sanding, which is my job, we got down to the wood! It was absolute joy!

The front wasn't as heavily painted so the sanding is taking a little less time. It's not even close to being finished, but I'm so excited to get it all stripped and clear coated and set in a proper place in the house. :) I'm feeling happy and accomplished, which is awesome.

To My Husband

2011-06-18T15:54:00.000-07:00

I went out of my mind

and then came to my senses

by meeting a magpie who mixed up his tenses

who muddled distenctions of nouns and the verbs

and insisted that logic is bad for the birds-

with a poo we cluck

and a chip chip chip

the grammar and meaning don't matter a bit-

the stars in their courses have no destinations-

the train of events will arrive at no stations-

the inmost and ultimate self of us all

is dancing on nothing and having a ball-

so with chat for chit and pat for tit-

this will be that

and that will be it.

The Sense of Nonsense

Alan Watts

For all the things you will teach them

For all the things you do

I could never Thank you enough.

You are the best father your sons could ever have.

I love you.

One Day There Will Be A Subject Again, Not Today

2011-06-17T09:59:00.000-07:00

Enjoy the photos! :)

Keeping My Nesting Habits at Bay

2011-06-10T07:43:00.000-07:00

I don't remember feeling this antsy to put together a baby room when I was pregnant the first time. I'm definitely wanting to do some nesting but our circumstances don't allow for much; we are moving the same month I'm due.. bleh. So for now I'm keeping my hands busy with the front pumpkin garden, Leland, and stitching. I would be working on the next stocking but sat in deliberation for too long over whose gets done next. Claire won because I found the perfect stocking. Caleb and Jayne might have to wait another year for theirs but I'm sure they'll understand. :)

Anyway, more small samplers: July (Flag) and August (Sail). I loved the colors for July's, and Augusts' was a fun way to get excited for my own beach trip to Oregon.

Christmas Spoiler #2: Jonahs Stocking

2011-06-07T14:34:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the dark picture. It's also crooked. I'll tell you the truth, I was just so happy to be done with this stocking I didn't even care what the pictures looked like. It looks awesome in real life though! I was really torn with this stocking. I wanted to stitch it on a smaller aida cloth than Emmy's but knew that it would be smaller because of it, and it is, by about 3". I know that doesn't sound bad, but get all the stockings hanging and filled and Jonah will notice his is smaller. I was going to do a number of things to change this but Zach came up with the ultimate idea and I'm going to justify it the same way he did.

"Caleb always had the weirdest stocking in our family, so Jonah can carry that on in his. :)" he said this very lovingly and as much as I want to spoil the surprise of this great idea, I'm not gonna. It's that cool. Anyway, I'm gonna go eat some Ice cream with my little boy to bask in the light of this stocking being done. AAAHHHHH. :)

Just a Few Moments in Time

2011-06-05T14:12:00.000-07:00

I think our moments are special. They fall in the category of 'everyday normal' but I think we have a certain finesse about us that adds to the over all effect. :)

This is where I find Zach most mornings.

It's also where Leland has started to hang out.

Our blackberry bushes are starting to show some signs of fruiting, if thats a word. They won't produce much because they are only 2 feet tall but the fact that they want to produce is encouraging.

I'm also tending some Pumpkin plants. I'll only keep 2 or 3 but I'm waiting to see which ones flower first to weed out too many more.

Our Sage bush in the front yard is beautiful, and is covered in wonderful bees! This series of pictures reminded me of vinyl records- gritty. Which appeals to my senses.

Have you seen Leland lately? he's getting big. I love this kid.

It's A Boy!

2011-06-01T08:06:00.000-07:00

I gave it away with the title, it is a boy. We're pretty excited. The picture below is our new little man with his hand in front of his face.

These are his little feet. He had his ankles crossed most the time which he's learned from me. ;)

This is the proof of gender photo. Our ultra-sound tech was fun and she printed off 8 pictures some of them 3D(which is weird). We are excited to be able to start planning a little bit better for the arrival of this little guy. Ultra-sounds are fun. :)

Some Fun In between Projects!

2011-05-31T14:56:00.001-07:00

I know, I know, I'm never going to finish stockings doing side projects. Just know that dear little Jonahs stocking is being lined at the moment so it's very close. I just wanted to add some variety into my x-stitching so I threw in these little guys. They are tiny, I can cover them up with my hand. So they didn't take long. There is 12 all together, one for each month of the year. The two I have done are December and June. I'm not sure if they'll be pillows or if I'll get a frame for them but I'll blog about their finishing touches including the buttons that go on them when the time comes. :)

(Not quite what you were expecting to see on the blog today huh? HAHA. I do know what the baby is and you'll just have to wait for tomorrow for the results.)

A Really Nice Weekend

2011-05-24T15:18:00.000-07:00

We spent some time down in Price this last weekend with Z's parents. Lala and Papa were pretty excited for some Leland time and he was over joyed to spend some time with them too. Which was perfect for me and Z, cause we got to spend some alone time together! While Lala and Papa were showing Leland around the Dinosaur Museum, Park, and Wave Pool I got to explore a little of Joe's Valley with my husband. :)

Zach is really in his 'element' in situations like this. He enjoys and is comfortable navigating terrain and climbing up gigantic rocks. I was just trying to keep an eye on the dogs and my camera as well as my footing, I'm a little unstable. Trees like this one below are my favorite things in nature. They add a macabre sensation to all the beautiful things surrounding them.

Their shadows are even spooky.

I don't think Zach even noticed the tree.

Notice he's wearing my camera bag. Camera bags are like purses in the sense that when you have one thats too big it is often unwelcome. I'm sure there's bags for just camera lenses and not the whole dang camera, I would like one of those.

It was a really good day. I enjoy this mans company more than anyone else's in the whole world. Thanks K. & B. for the great weekend!

One Small Step for Mankind...

2011-05-19T18:04:00.000-07:00

One Giant Leap for Leland! I caved and spent some money at Ikea, one of the things I bought was the ever popular easel. I've convinced myself over the years that we don't have the room for big toy items because of our ever changing address. No longer, from here on out I'm just going to do as I please, thank you very much. hehe. ;) Alright, not really but I did need something for Leland that would help him with this ABC thing. The chalkboard was just the right fit. We didn't really start at the beginning, but I was going for simple and whats more simple then "t"?

He caught on pretty quickly.

Doesn't he look proud of himself? We've also been working on "L" and "I". It's been a fun new toy that is working out quite nicely for a little schooling. :)

Across The Street

2011-05-14T06:45:00.000-07:00

Salt Lake has it's perks, at least in my neighborhood. Everyone who has a lawn seems to care about it. I'm not saying it's immaculate, far from it, but even some of the scruffiest yards have beautiful flowers that the home owners have planted on purpose for the enjoyment of them. I know, because I prowl around their homes taking pictures and through the weeks I've met all of them.

My neighbor across the street is the owner and cheif of Q magazine. He rents rooms in his home to foreign exchange college students and has a very nice dog named Vixen. He doesn't do lawn maintenance, he hires someone, but no ones come around for the job so his house (the nicest one on the street) is a bit shabby. I still found myself over there taking pictures like a wild woman and can't wait for what I discovered. It's home to the honeysuckle I've used as a header and what I thought was a side yard of long over grown weeds... I was wrong.

First there's these white beauties.They aren't a Tulip more like a rose but don't grow on a bush. As much as I like flowers I'm not very good with names.

but these were what I went over there for. Poppies. I do know a little about these. If they are a small ground flower don't plant them unless you'll keep a close eye on them. They are a weed and will kill everything including grass. These poppies are not the same. They grow tall, about 18 inches, they still spread like a weed, just keep an eye on them and clean out the beds they are in like you would Iris'. They like partially shady areas and make great 'cut' flowers for arrangements. And my neighbor is about to have 100 of them. He's lived in his house for 20 years and they are his favorite thing.

He also has Iris' and much to his dismay they already bloomed. I told him he can enjoy mine in about a month.

He also has these, my last header flower. We have them in our backyard but I've noticed they are growing everywhere. I asked my neighbor if my suspicions were correct and they are indeed a weed, or to be kind a 'wildflower'. He loves them though and allows them go wherever they want. He warned me to enjoy them though, they only bloom once a year and then die.

Hey, Leland. I love you.

I'm glad you think I'm funny. :)

These are poppies not yet bloomed. I thought they were pretty (up close).

These poppies look like paper flowers. I love them. I think they might have a future with me. (I wish this picture was brighter..)

Calf Creek

2011-05-11T06:58:00.001-07:00

So, how far South have you been? I guess thats unfair. Lots of people go South in Utah especially this time of year, it's East and West from there that gets exciting. Our state parks are just too wonderful not to visit. We headed out to Capital Reef, but it was full-up. So Caleb took us to a small wonderful spot (a little farther then we thought we would be headed) called Calf Creek. It's close to Escalante and holds just 13 camp spots and one 6 mile hike to a waterfall. It was perfect really. Worth the drive through the mountains where there was still snow. But you eventually get to this road and you start feeling queezy in different ways and you know your headed in the right direction. :)

The views from this road are stunning.
The red rock is always welcoming. I've loved it since I lived in St.George for a summer. It holds warmth and comfort. The kids found a special spot up on a hill near Caleb and Jaynes tent site. It was a shady paradise that had red soft sand perfect for tractors.
These boys are beautiful. Both of them have the most stunning eyes. Just as a sidetrack. I didn't really take a lot of photos, and since this short blog is all you get you might as well look at the kids. :)

Then there's this little angel. She is quite the easy going baby. She was happy just being part of everything but it takes her a minute to warm up to you.
There was a terrific river area that we played in, the hike was riddled with cactus and red rock arches. I didn't have my camera. We took both the dogs and Leland and It was enough to take care of already. But these last two photos sum up the over all feel of the trip. Next camping trip I'll be more prepared and my camera will feel more comfortable in my hands. Now get out there and do some adventuring of your own!

Just Some Miscellaneous Moments

2011-05-05T07:06:00.000-07:00

The random things around here are extensive. I take a lot of photos that never make it on here, but I wanted to share some random ones before we go camping this weekend.

Even after a week, Leland still LOVES taking care of the chickens! He gives them orders and tells them what to do and chases them with sticks. Perfect. He also counts them over and over and over again. Often making it to 15 before starting over again.

This is Ruthie. She's the only hen with black tail feathers. She produces most our eggs and is the literal "black sheep" of the clan. The other four white-tailed hens all hang out together while Ruthie is left to her mean self, most the time. She also digs the biggest holes in our yard.
The 4 white tailed hens are too small to eat and we can't figure out which one isn't producing eggs. So we still have 5 lovely hens pecking and picking at all our weeds and little bugs, and whatever else they get their beaks on to eat. I appreciate the weeding efforts greatly. I like the chickens.
They got a chance to weed out my second flower bed the other day and had so many food possibilities they didn't seem to notice Leland petting them. Which was awesome. Occasionally, he likes it when they forget him and he gets to touch them. :)
See that look in my big boys eyes? Thats the look of mischief that he gets when he's Super Leland. Super Leland is the mostly-naked hero my son turns into when he gets away with taking his clothes off and finds his cape. I've taken to hiding his cape. I'm tired of getting him dressed over and over and over and over agian. ... This is a stage right?
Yeah, those are little bird feet impressions in snow. Cute huh? The Robins are abundant around here. :)
Enjoy the photos, camping trip coming right up after the weekend!

A Special Surprise For Leland

2011-04-29T09:45:00.001-07:00

Our basement dweller, John, decided it would be a good idea to bring home some chickens. We're big egg eaters around here, so we're pretty excited to help him out for share in the bounty. I'm excited to learn how to have a chicken coop!

Leland is over joyed with the experience.
On top of learning how to take care of a chicken coop, at the end of the year Johns Uncle (who was the one to give us the chickens) suggest we get a rooster or kill and eat them. I know it sounds mean, but I've never plucked a chicken, I'm excited to get the whole experience. (I obviously don't consider chickens pets, sorry my meat-less friends I will humanly kill them when the time comes).
This morning we got to go out and look for eggs, there was 3! Leland would not give this one up, he carried it around for quite some time. Pretty cool.
This is our chicken coop, it's not much yet, but you just wait till I go to Ikea... ;) (thats a joke by the way).
Feel free to come over and see our new friends.

It Says It All

2011-04-28T19:44:00.000-07:00

What sort of things do you buy yourself for mothers day? :)

Hobbies Are Time Consuming

2011-04-20T13:37:00.000-07:00

I have a few hobbies that fit in quite nicely with my day job. Pictured below are the books I read this month. I have to admit I was disappointed in the book club book, The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating, it was emotionally distant and as my friend put it, would have made for a good blog. 'Lets Panic About Babies' was hilarious, but not a recommendation for most mommies I know, quite a bit of swearing and over all just made fun of any method of parenting. Zach laughed out loud a few times though. hehe. Marilynne Robinson is by far one of my favorite writers, 'Housekeeping' was her first fiction novel and is written most poetically (I do suggest her book 'Gilead' more often, especially to the religious). Virginia Wolfe's 'To The Lighthouse' is a classic and I read it slowly. Its beautiful after the second go :)

All this book reading has thrown my other hobby's schedule out of balance though. Sorry Jonah your stocking is not done and won't be by the end of April. Thankfully, the real deadline is Christmas. phew.

I Know It Sounds Silly

2011-04-19T18:35:00.000-07:00

I'm just gonna come out and say it. I am watching what I eat. I know, i know I'm pregnant. I get to eat whatever I want because there's no better reason. But I'm feeling conscious of this last years weight gain already and know that in order for me to feel good about myself I need to start changing habits. This does not mean I am dieting, by any means, this just means that I'm aware of the fact that I'm eating 6 times a day and that I need to be eating well. My baby will thank me, I'm positive.

I came across the "Eat this, Not that" books in an article on healthy snacking. This was my favorite suggestion. :) And the article was good. I might even find myself looking through the books next time I head to the book store.

5. BEST DRINK
Lowfat chocolate milk (1 cup)
160 calories
2.5 g fat (1.5 g saturated)
25 g sugars
8 g protein

You probably know that dairy products are an ideal source of calcium, but did you know that calcium actually interferes with your body's ability to absorb fat? To enjoy that effect, though, you need the vitamin D, so thankfully dairy producers add it to milk. Regular, non-chocolate milk offers this benefit, but research shows that chocolate milk might have an edge on the white stuff. A study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism showed that participants who drank chocolate milk before mounting stationary bikes were able to ride 49 percent longer than those given a generic carbohydrate-replacement beverage. Keep that in mind next time you're about to head out for an afternoon gym session.

Not That!
Arizona Sports Lemon-Lime (1 bottle)
200 calories
0 g fat
52 g sugars
0 g protein

Best Husband Ever!

2011-04-16T17:17:00.001-07:00

Yesterday my husband was knee deep in plumbing problems. My sink hadn't drained in 6 hours, and we had already poured $50 worth of drain-o down it through the week. So he went into a deep dark corner unplugged the pipe (got sprayed with drain-o and ruined his favorite pair of pants and one awesome shirt) and augered for a few hours. Sink now works, my husband rocks.

Today was no different. My husband, being the motivated kind in good weather, woke up early and started in on the backyard-from-hell. Leland even pitched in throughout the day not even taking breaks to go inside to use the bathroom. I was watching from my spot on the patio nursing my pregnancy and relishing in the manly-ness.
The dogs weren't sure about our exploits, they sat pondering what it all meant. I was the one to inform them that they were no longer allowed to dig massive holes or spread sticks all throughout the yard, this was their response.
At the beginning of the week we had snow. And we had massive piles of sticks in every corner. Oh, and carpet everywhere, and over grown plug grass (which is a weed in my opinion). Look at this picture large, notice the corner of the fences, the rocks in the flower beds, the carpet by my garden is hard to see but it's there and the over all untidy-ness. Yuck, who would want to hang out back there? Not me!
Zach hates getting his picture taken. I love him anyway. :)
Ta-Da, back fence all cleaned up and some Blackberry vines planted!
And check out those beds! They have plexi-glass tops if I want them to, not quite sure what to do with that yet but it's very green house feeling. Also the carpet by my garden and in front of the wood pile are gone, holes are filled in and the rocks are raked into a more level playing field.

Oh, and the plug grass was weeded up from bad sections (which is what I did do) and the yard is mostly dog poop free. AAAHHHH! wonderful! Next up is the big piece of carpet, but we need to go buy rocks to cover the soil underneath. Next weekend, next weekend. :)
And one day we'll have a yard of our own, and oh the money and time we'll spend on it. I'm giddy with anticipation. :)

Adventure With Papa

2011-04-12T19:38:00.001-07:00

It wasn't the biggest hill in the world, but it was made of dirt and had a good drop off on one side. Obviously, it had to be climbed.

Kings.
These two seem to like each other quite a bit, which makes me happy. But I could do without that look on their faces.

Oh Spring, Please Just Stay

2011-04-11T08:09:00.000-07:00

Spring isn't quite here. It seems to be coming and going worse than my hormonal mood swings. The few nice days we have received I've tried to make productive. Planted a peony bush, put a fence around the garden spot that we'll plant tomatoes in, take Leland to the park (Zach was responsible for those last two actually..). That sort of thing. I've also tried to make it around the neighborhood looking for pretty flowers that didn't get the memo that the Groundhog was wrong. Two doors down from us is a very nice couple, whom I haven't met, that have a yard full of flowers. Their tulips are already up and beautiful! They probably think i'm crazy hanging out in their yard taking pictures but they haven't shot at me yet so thats a bonus. :) Across the street is the land of Honeysuckle (header) and Daffodils are still popping up all over the place. I wish I had more to share but these three are pretty good. Enjoy what little Spring has come to us it'll be over and summer before we know it.

"Smile"

2011-04-09T08:11:00.000-07:00

Sometimes my little boy is perfectly adorable. Sitting and reading in his room, he looks up and gives me a handsome smile that melts my heart. Then he notices I have my camera. And the word 'smile' might come out of my mouth.

Which is a big mistake since this is the face that little Mr. Perfectly Adorable gives me when I use that word.
And it's always the same.
He just doesn't know how to smile on command. Any tips?

Rain

2011-04-07T13:12:00.000-07:00

I opened my eyes

And looked up at the rain,

And it dripped in my head

And flowed into my brain,

And all that I hear as I lie in my bed

Is the slishity-slosh of the rain in my head.

I step very softly,

I walk very slow,

I can't do a handstand-

I might overflow,

So pardon the wild crazy thing I just said-

I'm just not the same since there's rain in my head.

by. Shel Silverstein

And The Winner Is...

2011-04-06T12:10:00.000-07:00

My book club voted and the book we will be reading this month is...

Just in case you wanted to read along with us.

Coincidentally, Leland and I came across such a creature in our front yard the other morning. :)

It was headed for the Iris', can't blame it really, even the green leaves are attractive on that particular flower.

We watched it walk towards the Iris bed with a determined certainty that only comes from a creature with a one track mind. No blundering around like the multi-tasking humans that were so captivated by him. I'm now very excited for this book and very careful when walking through my front yard.

Take this Spring to remember what life is all about. Peace, beauty and life. :)

Book Club

2011-03-31T08:44:00.000-07:00

One of my childhood friends got a hold of me a few months ago and asked me if I wanted to be part of her book club. She lives in Florida. We worked it out on Facebook and it's been an easy friendly way to keep reading new things. It's also way easy to be part of a book club that never wants to come to your house. You can just get online and write out some thoughts and post to the wall whenever you want to discuss something. Convenient is definitely the word.

I was asked to pick three selections to choose from for the month of April. I get to choose the topic and books and come up with questions for discussion near the end of the month for the book that was voted on and read. I decided to go with Spring as a topic. Seemed only natural. I found the Nature section at my local book store, where they keep all the Auduban Society books. I wanted to go with a non-fiction. I was lucky to find these 3 gems for the members of the club to choose from. Tell me what one you'd be interested in reading, and hey, if you want read it too.

'American Chestnut: The Life, Death, and Rebirth of A Perfect Tree'

by. Susan Freinkel

Synopsis

In this beautifully written volume, Susan Freinkel ably describes the marriage of science and passion that is being brought to bear to save this majestic American tree from extinction. The people whose ancestors lived among chestnut trees and their places come alive for the reader, as does the appearance and spread of the blight and the heroes who are struggling with it today. The book concludes with a tantalizing vision of chestnuts in the forests again—a thought of making the world right where it has gone wrong."—Peter H. Raven, Director of the Missouri Botanical Garden

'The Sound of A Wild Snail Eating: A True Story'

by. Elisabeth Tova Bailey

Synopsis

In a work that beautifully demonstrates the rewards of closely observing nature, Elisabeth Bailey shares an inspiring and intimate story of her uncommon encounter with a Neohelix albolabris —a common woodland snail.

While an illness keeps her bedridden, Bailey watches a wild snail that has taken up residence on her nightstand. As a result, she discovers the solace and sense of wonder that this mysterious creature brings and comes to a greater under standing of her own confined place in the world.

Intrigued by the snail’s molluscan anatomy, cryptic defenses, clear decision making, hydraulic locomotion, and mysterious courtship activities, Bailey becomes an astute and amused observer, providing a candid and engaging look into the curious life of this underappreciated small animal.

Told with wit and grace, The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating is a remarkable journey of survival and resilience, showing us how a small part of the natural world illuminates our own human existence and provides an appreciation of what it means to be fully alive.

'Epitaph For A Peach: Four Seasons On My Family Farm'

by. David M. Masumoto

Synopsis

A lyrical, sensuous and thoroughly engrossing memoir of one critical year in the life of an organic peach farmer, Epitaph for a Peach is "a delightful narrative . . . with poetic flair and a sense of humor"

Oh The Joy Of Modern Technology

2011-03-29T16:30:00.001-07:00

Despite all the obvious things technology did for me today and every day of my life (aren't we spoiled.. man oh man). I got to see my 10 week old peanut today as well. I asked if I could wait another month or two so we could just find out the sex and not do a million of these but the Doc. was insistent on wanting to know 'exactly' how far along I was. Now that we know we could have just trusted Jayne's smart phone. I'm due on Oct. 24th, a little Scorpio is on it's way.

It does look like a peanut doesn't it? But as my Doc. informed me most peanuts don't have beating hearts or fingernails. I asked her to 'prove it' and then I shut up cause she looked at me like I was crazy. Same look she gave me when I told her Leland isn't vaccinated and hasn't seen a doctor in two and a half years. Oh well, I reserve the right to be a bit lax and funny to make up for all those staunch worry-wart moms.

Ta-Da! Nature in action folks. I'm growing a baby!

A Month Filled With The Wonder Of Life

2011-03-26T09:08:00.000-07:00

What can I say, this month is a special one for us. We all get to celebrate our existence and if you are in the right places you get to see some signs of Spring. We had daffodils and crocus' all over the place here in Salt Lake.

Thats why is seems appropriate that we are also celebrating the news that I'm growing a baby. We are excited and nervous about this new little member of our family. Leland keeps asking us who it's going to be. We keep talking about names (we're completely baffled for boy names). We're getting mentally ready for the challenge of having two even though we know it's not something easily prepared for.

Will it be a boy or girl? Will it be healthy? Will it have Zachs hair this time? What about it's eyes? Will Leland have a hard time adjusting? Why did I get rid of everything from Lelands infantry? Should this be the last one? What can I eat that won't make me throw up? and on and on and on.

I just wanted to put the news out there. As you can tell I'm a bit flustered lately. I'm blaming it solely on being pregnant. Bare with me guys. These next 7 months might be long. Especially if it keeps snowing.