If Only

You know when you are a kid and you get new shoes, and your certain that they will most definitely make you run faster?

I just spent $150 on new running shoes and I have to tell you, I have some pretty high hopes for these babies.

Tears on Her Pocket Folder

I just got back from taking Q and L to the first day of school. I was really looking forward to getting back into the school schedule, but I am already missing my big kids.

Three days ago, L was in tears because she just couldn't wait to start first grade. "I can't wait!" she howled repeatedly. Last night, I reminded her that school was starting the next morning. She began to sob, "I'm not ready for first grade! I want to just go back to kindergarten!" I realize this emotional range is not completely abnormal, I'm just having a hard time keeping up!

This morning she seemed totally fine, until we got out of the car at the school parking lot. I told them to pose for a picture and L asked me to wait until she wiped her tears away. She was trying so hard to keep it together, poor dear. We made it into the building and classroom holding hands tightly. Once we were in the classroom, the tears really let loose. The really funny thing is that she didn't even hesitate last year - first day of kindergarten was a piece o' cake!

We walked around, checking out ways in which the room was the same as last year's and ways in which it was even better. I then told her it was time for me to leave.

"Be brave, okay?" says me.

"Okay." says brave, little L.

Q requested that he walk to his classroom all by himself. Fourth grade is a time for sophistication, I suppose.

Sundays

One thing I love about Sundays is that we have time to hang out and do stuff we wouldn't usually do. I've never thought, "Gee, I don't have time to run errands today because we have to do our chalk drawings." Sundays are so nice :)

STRESSSSSS

I just discovered this picture - I guess Q took it with my iPhone. It makes me laugh because this was an incredibly stressful day for me. I was pretty much near tears at this moment. I was at the bank (if you didn't notice) waiting to talk to someone - no, that is BEG someone to take back the almost $400.00 in overdraft fees that we were hit with due to a BIG, silly error on my part (an error I have no recollection of - total mommy brain moment).

Three bank branches later, some tears and incredible patience on my poor children's part (the tears were mine, by the way) I was able to get half the fees reversed. I'm SO happy that Q captured this very humbling experience... ha, ha, ha.

Light As Air

This picture is from the set taken by my good friend/fabulous photographer. I cropped this image from one with all three kiddos. This is how I always want to remember L - she's amazing.

Check Out Our Mugs

My lovely, talented friend took some family pictures for us a couple of weeks ago and she just posted some of them on her blog. Check out our pictures (and her many other beautiful works) here.

Lately...

Jade Hummingbird Dancers

A couple of weekends ago, we took my parents and niece & nephew to see some Aztec dancers perform at the Petroglyph National Monument. The tradional clothing was beautiful and the dances were really interesting.


The head dresses were really incredible. A couple of them were around four feet high!


You can't tell from the picture, but this guy in black had crazy-looking skulls all over his clothing.

This guy put each foot into the fire, then each inner thigh?? (as above) then his chest. I'm sure there was a very good reason for it, but I didn't get why...

Q, L and cousin M with one of the dancers.

Budding Life

In our history of home ownership (we are currently on house number four), R and I have probably planted six or seven dozen plants and around twenty trees. We've had a few loses; bushes that whither and brown almost immediately or maybe last a season, then just never show much promise afterward. We've also had some very gratifying opportunities to take a suffering plant and make is happy again. We once transferred a tree growing too close to the fence. It seemed to die pretty quickly, but just as we had resigned ourselves to failure it starting budding green! That was sweet.

During our backyard redo, we took five rose bushes and transferred them to a new spot. One in particular looked doomed. We gave it some serious water and crossed our fingers. Sure enough, we started to see some lovely green soon and (perhaps as a way to say, "Thanks for not letting me die.") now there are beautiful roses blooming! That's sweet.

(This is a lovely pink oleander bush that we planted, too. I LOVE it!)

Backyard - Before and After

Everybody loves a good 'before and after' right? Well, here's our latest and greatest home improvement; R was inspired by the potential within our backyard, so he took his vision and made it real. After many, many, many hours of smashing concrete with a sledgehammer, carrying big and bigger rocks from one spot to the next, planting trees and bushes, laying down drippers for the plants and hauling countless numbers of wheelbarrows full of rock up the steps... oh, and assembling patio furniture - we're done!! We are now soooo ready to sit and relax.

A Really Great Thing About New Mexico...

is that there are often rainbows that stretch across the sky!

Father's Day (and a Little Reminder From Mother's Day)

Happy Father's Day to R - and all those fatherly people in my life! I have many, you know. I am really blessed to have a father, a step-father, a father-in-law, the memories of a wonderful grandfather and great-Grandfather, and the father of my beautiful children (all I'm missing is an adoptive father and a Godfather... then I'd have it all!). While I love and appreciate each father in my life, I'm most thankful today and everyday for my husband. R is the kind of dad any kid would wish for. It makes my heart FULL to know my children are loved, taught, adored, disciplined, teased and understood by their dad.

I neglected to post the pictures we took on Mother's Day before. My request on Mother's Day was to have everyone help me make strawberry jam. It was a lot of fun and we are still enjoying the fruits of our labor!

I should also add that I have the best Mom ever. Love you, Mom. I'm also so thankful for all the incredible examples of mothers that I have the benefit of knowing and learning from. There are way too many to ever list!

Some Random Pics

This fancy, little fungus in currently growing in our backyard. I think it looks crazy cool!

L came out of the house yesterday wearing this outfit. She told us that her inspiration for this particular look was "a mom from Arizona". Makes sense.

Q has earned his Wolf badge (as well as several arrow badges) and because he is also nine years old, he advances to the Bear Den. Way to go, Q!

View from our campsite at Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah.

Q, D and L with their cousin K - she's so cool; we love her!

One of many mood swings D experienced on the trip.

I shouldn't have doubted him; here at the ends of the earth.

It was very windy while we were setting up tents - it was a group effort just to keep the tent from blowing away!

Kiddos plus cousins, M & M.

Much like Dorothy followed the yellow brick road, we followed the cairns along the many trails.

R's sister, K and family (minus two other lovely daughters who couldn't make the trip).

R's sister, B and family.

All the cousins at the entrance of Arches NP in Utah.

L - The Three Gossips in the background.

Q and R at Delicate Arch.