Norah's Light

Norah was born on a rainy day in March. She didn't arrive without complications. It took just about all I had to bring her into the world. Brad knew his first would be a daughter and she looked just like him.
Norah is now 4 years old. She is curious, bright, busy and loving. She dances, sings, draws brilliant pictures and has the most vivid imagination.Norah is never at a loss for words. She loves all things pretty and always stops to smell the roses, dahlias and daisies, even though the latter 2 don't smell like anything.Norah's favorite things to say are "I love Jesus, Mommy", "You made me sad"and "I'm going to marry Daddy". The definition of 'Norah' is light. Since March of 2003 our family and home have been filled with brilliant, out of this world, light. There is absolutely no hiding it under a bushel. I love you Norah.

Thanksgiving Indeed

The phone rang rather early yesterday morning. My neighbor and friend wanted to know if we would join her at Thanksgiving point's Discovery Garden. We used to be frequent visitors to the gardens when we were new to Traverse Mountain.
Recently, however, I have hesitated to take my children to frolic in the shallow waters of Noah's Ark. For one, it is much more crowded then it was 3 years ago. 2nd, I have more children then I used to and sometimes find it difficult to keep them all in sight.Last, with every visit to the water of the Ark came grave consequences. My children, like most unknowing young tots, drink the water. Soon after swallowing Noah's water, everything they ingested would pass through them at the speed of light.Yesterday morning I decided to end my boycott of the Discovery Gardens and join my friends. My children were in need of some fun and I was in serious need of adult female conversation, especially if it involved Brooke and Belinda. So on went the swimsuits and off we went. The sun was hot, the water cool and the conversation delightful. Even Abram patiently endured the sun and light housewife chatter.So thank you Thanksgiving Point for the opportunity to be grateful.

Dear Daddy

Dear Daddy, this post is for you. Father's day is oh so short so let us count the ways we love you on Tuesday the 12th.We love your big hands and strong arms. We love your soft lips and kind smile.
We love your dancing and your drums. We love your songs and your guitar. We love the water you put in our pool. We love the elevator at your office. We love the candy there too.
We love your wit and your humor. We love your stories and your hugs.
We love your trail mix, the nuts and the chocolate ba ba's. We love your wrestling, yoga and gymnastics.
We love your protection from spiders, monsters and witches. We love taking a ride to look at castles. Most of all, we love hearing the garage door open in the evening signaling your arrival because we just love to be with you.

Sensing Summer

This morning I stood on the doorstep of a northward facing home. There was a comfortable coolness on that step, the flowers nestled against the foundation were bathed with dew and the fragrance of the shade produced a droopy relaxation in my shoulders and eyelids. I see, feel, hear, touch and taste summer.The long chartreuse grass behind my home rustles day and night creating a wave of pale gold against the blue river of irrigation water flowing north. The woolly thyme creeping up my walkway is soft to my fingertips and toes. It fills our front yard with a fruity sweet perfume. The clicking of ceiling fans keeps the rhythm of our days and evenings. Rain and over zealous plant waterers produce the cool scent of wet concrete. As our children shed their clothing at bath time the story of the day's adventures unfold on their tanned bodies.The aroma of cedar floats into my kitchen as the fence gets sprinkled. The blue fringed daisy, although lavender, has shown her pretty yellow face and spread her velvety soft petals at my door step.Talk of Lady Bugs, their appetites, spots, wings, whether they bite, becomes morning, noon and dinner conversation.Bare feet become the fashionable choice for the 4 and under crowd around here, the evidence is often left on our dark floors.The Black Knight Butterfly Bush sings her siren song to both the Monarch and the moth.
Our palette prefers the light and fresh over the heavy and hearty. The days are longer and the nights are shorter and I am grateful for them being filled with the sweet smell, touch, sound, sight and taste of love.

Our celebrity look-alikes

Anyway, I'm loving that Brad looks like Ralph Nader and Travis Barker. For sure Lulu looks like Xzibit. I, of coarse, look just like Scarlet Johansen and Halle Berry. Why is it that Norah looks like Asian girls?

A Rainy day in June

When I was a child in Minnesota I loved rainy summer days. I would put my bathing suit on and run around the neighborhood dancing, splashing and feeling alive. As a grown woman living in Utah, I live for rainy summer days, they are few and far between, and a stimulating break from the dry heat. Unfortunately, today was chilly and I should probably spare my neighbors the sight of me running up and down the street half naked. The girls and I were on the lookout for something productive to do in this unaccommodating weather. Usually we water the plants, play in the sandbox or go on a walk. There was no need to water any plants this afternoon. The sandbox was soaked and the walk would leave poor Abram drenched and angry in his stroller. We decided rather than being productive, we would spend the time being silly and carefree. We tried out our new camera's delayed timer, danced to Otis Redding and practiced cart wheels in our basement. I would show you some pictures of the dancing and cart wheels but blogger refuses to upload them, bummer. These will have to do.

Second Chances

Some family that was in town for the wedding took a fly fishing trip this past week. Lucky for me they stopped by my parents home to visit Sunday.
So... guess what, I got some pictures and was able to steal a few precious moments of chatting. No more blues. This simple yet cherished visit just happens to coincide with some principles and thoughts I've been trying to process and incorporate into my life these past 6 months. Ok, so maybe they are elementary principles but it seems to me that we just keep learning the same stuff until we have it down.
I've been trying to shed the layers of past hurts, criticisms, unforgivingness, insecurities, self-absorption and hardheartedness. As a mother I've had to do a fair amount of soul searching to understand how I can become a better mother to my children. There are so many things I've held onto that have, at times, kept me from being free with love and ultimately unable to be truly happy. I've come to realize recently that the only way to be crazy happy is to be completely free with love, affection, compliments and withhold nothing. I believe by helping others feel as good about themselves as possible we feel best about ourselves. I believe criticism is destructive and prohibits one from seeing the good and beauty in another. I don't think I'll ever regret showing or telling someone how wonderful or lovely they are but I know I've regretted too many times when I haven't. I want my children's days to be sunny and my home to be warm. I set the tone for this by the choices I make minute by minute.Everyday is an opportunity for rebirth, I don't want to hold back, I want to be, as Victor Hugo says, "endlessly, foolishly merciful".
So here's to second chances, open hearts and evolution. Here's to true freedom, happiness, blessings and forgiveness. Here is also to family, weddings and groundhog day. And apparently, to ice cream bars. Party on Peter.