We Seek After
These Things
Recently returned from serving the people of Honduras for 3 years

Monday, June 29, 2009

My Photographic Essay

"I think the best pictures are often on the edges of any situation, I don't find photographing the situation nearly as interesting as photographing the edges."

~William Albert Allard,

The Photographic Essay


"There are no photos - like family photos!"

and that's just me - the mom




I have a few new events that I've blogged lately, including Karianne and Greg's engagement photos.

It's a journey that has been sooooo much fun!

Yes! Finally, their invitations are on their way to the printer.

Photobucket





Saturday, June 27, 2009

The Hurrier I go . . .

Whew!

No time for blogging this week. Totally "the hurrier I go, the behinder I get" :)

Just thought I'd share a few things . . .

You can look here for something kinda special.
(Greg - absolutely no peaking - THIS means you!)

And . . .

I'm just dying to pick up a good book! But I'm not sure where to start . . .

Photobucket


What's on your reading list this summer?



Monday, June 22, 2009

This Morning in My World . . .

Welcome to My World today . . .








YUCKY!



Or - at least part of it . . .

Sigh . . . back to painting . . .



And you know that diet thing? - down five pounds!!

Stop by Mormon Mommy Blogs Today


Great giveaway starts today over at

Some really fun things like:

Photo package from Animation Photography

Custom Blog Makeover from - Scap-E-Blog

Zoobie Pet from Good For the Kids

An Easy View Desktop from The Original Scrapbox

and more!


Love This!

Do you enjoy this talented young muscian?




Are you a fan of Coldplay?




What do you think about Jon Schmidt?





If you are a fan of all three - well then . . .

this will really blow your mind!






Wednesday, June 17, 2009

All in a Days Work . . .

Just a glimpse of what we did today!





Flowers . . . Fingers . . . Feet

That's all she's letting me share, the rest is a surprise . . .


I ♥ Faces Printer Giveaway -

I seldom jump on the giveaway bandwagon. But there are a few from time to time I can't pass up. This is one of those!

I Faces is giving away a SWEET printer!

It's the Kodak ESP9 All-in-One Printer.

This thing will do it all
Print
Scan
Fax
Copy

and it is freakin' good looking! I would love to have this addition to my office.




so head on over to I Faces and check out the giveaway.
They are a wonderful photography site - one of my absolute favorites!

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

South Beach Diet Anyone . . .

I knew that I was overindulging just a bit the last few months, but I didn't feel like I was being all THAT bad, the occasional chocolate chip cookie and occasional cup of my favorite ice cream were turning into diet staples.

Mostly it's just being lazy on my part. It would take me 5 minutes to put together a healthy breakfast instead of grabbing that leftover chocolate frosted cupcake with sprinkles from the birthday party last week.

When I was working at night I told myself I deserved chocolate. I had to have chocolate. It was just easier to grab a candy bar from a vending machine than to pack some healthy snack that took 5 minutes of advanced preparation.

But the scale doesn't lie - and it's creeping up. This week I finally hit that magic motiving weight where one gets on the scale and decides right then and there - it's time for a change.

So now - these are my favorite new friends.



South Beach Diet has always been the diet that has worked best for me in the past. A couple years ago I made up my own modifications since I am also an advocate of Weight Watchers - and I combine the two. I eat South Beach foods and follow the phases as outlined, but I keep track of the Weight Watchers points to be sure that I don't over eat.

So I suppose you could call it the
South Weight Watchers Beach
plan - ha!

I'm only a few days into it and already feeling new and improved. I think all that sugar slows me down ultimately. I'll let you know how I'm doing.

And I have some great recipes to share!




For instance: this is on the menu - Looks yummy . . .


(Seared jumbo scallops, cauliflower puree and grilled asparagus)
South Beach Recipes - from Kalyn's Kitchen

Monday, June 15, 2009

Those Utah Mountains

Photobucket

Ah! There's nothing like a day in the Utah mountains.

This weekend the family gathered at the family cabin. It was officially "cabin workday" where everyone comes together on the same day and gets all those projects done that are

hard work,
really no fun at all,
but when everyone pitches in as my Grandma used to say,

"many hands make light work"

And so it was. The day was beautiful, the sun shone brightly in the morning, and the summer foliage was absolutely green and stunning.

I couldn't resist photos of the wild WILD birds, who emptied the bird feeders as fast as we could fill them up. Hummingbirds who buzzed around our heads, the orange grosbeaks were everywhere and so beautiful.

We unanimously decided that we have got to sloooowwww dowwwwnnn just a bit and make time for a return visit soon.

Ahhhh! There's nothing like a day in the Utah mountains.



Friday, June 12, 2009

This Month is Such a Special One . . .

This month is such a special one,
it's birthday time for you . . .


We'd really like to celebrate
this happy day with you!


So zippity ay and heigh dee ho
there's something we can do . . .


We'll sing a song that we all know
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!


That's me, singing my favorite birthday song to a couple of the favorite men in my life.

Today is Norm's birthday, he's one past the big one today. I know sometimes he wondered if he'd ever last this long. Thankfully for me, I finally think he's outgrown the motorcycle riding, the skydiving and the holding your breath under water in a bucket game.

(a very old photo I dug up from 1977 when Norm used to jump out of airplanes with his best friend Scott)

Tuesday - it was the birthday of my first born. An experience that never fails to fill a parent with wonder, somehow just one notch above the wonderment of each proceeding childbirth experience. Dustin and Cami celebrated all by their lonesomes in Raleigh North Carolina. I don't know if they missed us (I understand they made homemade ice cream!) but we celebrated and we certainly missed them. I love that Cami blogged about it! (Happy Birthday - Dustin) Now if I can just figure out this webcam thing and the skype thing . . .

(Another birthday, a very long time ago . . . like 25 years ago)

And so . . . best wishes for these two special men in my life.

Happy Birthday to you!
And may you accomplish all your greatest desires for this upcoming new year.


Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Chocolate and Fire Hydrants

Sometimes life can be like a box of chocolates . . .




That would NOT be this week.


Instead, it's more like trying to get a drink out of one of these . . .




I'm not complainin' by the way, just stating a fact. Too much of the BEST things can still be overwhelming.

So I had a little moment where I let things get out of control. Okay, so it was a big moment. Okay, so I ranted and raved and let my family see my truly insane side for more moments than I really care to admit.

I'm so grateful for children and a husband who listen so patiently to a momentarily insane mom. So grateful for children and family and a husband who don't get truly insane in return, but instead just listen to me vent for way toooo long.

Thanks guys - a little chocolate and a good magazine (and a little sleep) and I feel much better.





Thursday, June 4, 2009

And the World Goes Around and Around



Hmmmm . . . thinking . . . . don't know if I can begin to even blog this one . . .




I got online today to figure out how to make an apron. My daughter is leaving for trek (I'll have to detail that later for those who don't really get the trek thing) next week and she
needs an apron.



I took a little detour to stop by and visit the Momshell today (she had a bad day a couple back) and was reading a comment on her post from Victoria about how she thought I'd drop anything and get in my car if one of her kids here in Utah needed something (and I would Victoria!)




Which got me thinking that a blogger I read recently was from Ohio. Dang, who was that blogger that was from Ohio? Because now, I have a daughter that is moving to Ohio. Karianne and Greg are moving to Columbus after they get married in August. (It will be my newest fun place to visit I'm sure!)




Then I remembered, I think it was Kristy, from Momedy. That lovely blogger who wrote all the deliciously wonderful and nice stuff about me on her "Fabulous Follower Friday" blog. So I moved on over Kristy's way to see if I was right, and see if she truly is in Ohio . . . and she is . . . in Ohio . . . (and isn't Kristy gorgeous!)





Where I got distracted by reading all of her other "Fabulous Follower Friday" posts (because who can pass up a recommendation to read a really great blog?) and found this wonderful information for making an apron from Laurel at "Ducks in a Row". Thank you Lauren, so glad you made that lovely apron:)



Oh! That's right! I have got to make an apron!



Like I said - it just keeps going around.


(okay, okay - I'm coming back around to return all the photos I borrowed . . . )


Wednesday, June 3, 2009

And Then it Rained and Rained . . .

I think when I checked the weather about three days ago I remember vaguely something about scattered afternoon thundershowers over the next three days. And I did watch those afternoon dark storm clouds move in each day and they were really beautiful. Especially since I was home working in the yard, doing chores inside, or running errands. I mean I could tell that while it never actually rained down on me, somewhere off in the distance, it was raining down on somebody. The perfect kind of afternoon thundershowers . . .

Unless of course it happens to decide to rain down upon you, in the middle of family home evening. When you are at the top of a mountain about 5 miles from home. And everyone is in tennis shoes, t-shirts and shorts, with not a hoodie to be found. And you have the neighbors children with you, while their parents are spending three weeks in China. Of course, we were wearing totally appropriate hiking attire for temperatures in the mid 80's on the outset of the hike. Did anyone think to check, remember or recall the forecast for the TOP of the mountain?


(Here we are all nice and dry at the beginning of the hike - hardly a cloud in the sky)


(Oh no! You can start to see the storm clouds gathering in the background here)

This particular Monday afternoon we thought the perfect FHE activity would be a hike to Horse Tail Falls. A beautiful hike, just about straight up the mountain above Alpine about 1500 feet. We usually do it a couple times each summer and it is so much fun. Well today proved to be no exception. It just became a little bit more of an adventure than usual.

(Greg was the only one who could manage to just JUMP over the creek, the rest of us had to use the old standby log bridge)

It was fun, and it was gorgeous. And we all got an exceptional cardio work out at the same time! We had to forge the rushing creek many times and all had the opportunity to perfect our log walking skills. After about two hours of a straight up vertical climb, we were just approaching the actual water falls where the water rushes down the mountain so loudly you can't hear a thing. But we DID hear the thunder start crashing! It began crashing all around us and soon the rain was pouring down in sheets. We tried to take cover temporarily under some trees and rocks, but soon figured we better high tail it down the mountain before the lightning found us also. The last place you want to be during a lightning storm is the top of a mountain.

(here we are attempting to hide under a tree, somehow thinking the rain would stop if we waited, but it was just getting darker and darker)

Fortunately, we all arrived safe and sound back home, big, sloshy, soggy, muddy freezing cold messes.sometimes you just can't plan this much fun. It turned into an adventure that we won't forget for a long time.


Tuesday, June 2, 2009

This Week in my Garden . . .

Well, actually I kind of hate to admit how far behind I am in the gardening sector of my life at the moment. Every spring my goal is to have the garden all planted in it's completeness by the end of May at the very latest. And here it is now into June already and I'm running a bit behind.

I don't know why really, it could be the wedding plans that seem to consume a good part of my day and my thoughts. It could be my house which is a disaster scene and I somehow think I should vacuum up the dog hair before someone mistakes one of us for the black lab. It also could be the pile of church assignments on top of my desk that I really wanted to have completed and handed out to people last week. Ok, they're done and going out first thing tomorrow - for sure!

Who know's . . .

Probably it has something to do with the height and abundance of the weeds I've let get out of control. I really have to hand it to my kind and ever so sweet hubby who got out there for me and tilled them all under. What would I do without him! Now I can get all those seeds in the ground where they will sprout and grow and become a beautiful part of my life and yard this summer.

It's so easy to let the weeds take over our lives. Just coast along on auto pilot for about a week and watch what happens . . . do you have weeds in your life? Those things that interfere and compete with the good things in life for nutrients and our time.

In my life it's the first week of summer now that the school year is behind us. Our schedule for scripture reading and family prayer has been unusual and scattered at best. I've been on a sugar diet for the last three days, I always have a hard time putting the sugar away after that happens. My usually consistent 4 mile daily walk has been postponed several times this week due to other distractions. Those weeds are getting pretty tall . . .

Wish my good hubby could come along and squash these weeds for me as well, but it's all up to me and tomorrow's another day!

Time to put the sugar away, realign priorities, pull the weeds and get the garden planted.


This is my little visitor who keeps cheering me on. I think everyone needs one of these.


 photo s_03.jpg  photo s_04.jpg  photo s_05.jpg  photo s_06.jpg  photo s_07.jpg  photo s_10.jpg