sneaky

here's a little treat for janae - some sneaky little photos i took of her darling daughter nicolette. one thing's for certain, janae sure makes cute girls. one of my favorites of the bunch is this blurry one. obviously my depth of field was way off, but it's so telling of her fun personality that i couldn't bare to delete it. it's no wonder that ethan loves her so much.we're so grateful for good friends in our lives.

we love you janae and nicolette!

tuesday night goodness

tuesdays are one of my favorite days of the week.

can you guess why?

american idol night baby!

this is a BIG deal at my house. the kids and i all love to follow this show, we really get into it. probably a little too much. we can never wait until the tivo has recorded it, we always have to watch it live, because we are addicts and can't wait for our fix.

maybe because there's always some really great ones that we love to cheer for, and there's always someone good to really hate that loves to stick around.

and simon almost always says what i'm thinking.

last year was my favorite season so far, because i LOVE cookie baby. he's my favorite idol winner so far, pure awesomeness.

this year, we are cheering for matt, danny, chris, allison and anoop.

and we definitely don't like adam, he can sing, but he is definitely not the whole AI package. that whole "ring of fire" week made me squirm, gross man. and when he hits those high note/scream things with his tongue hanging out, yuck-o. he should stick to the stage. and since we are seasoned idol watchers now, i think i'm definitely qualified to offer that as my professional opinion. and how did matt end up in the bottom two last week? it's definitely time to start voting.

we LOVE american idol!

are you an AI addict too?

who is your favorite idol?

who are you loving this year?

who do you love to hate?

acting responsibly. which is so inconvenient some times

tonight after the teenagers and cranky toddler were finally in bed, and my hard working husband working away at his computer on something or other, i found myself trying to decide how to spend the rest of my night. my to-do list is long, but i narrowed it down to three choices:

a: clean my office that has reached an unpresidented level of chaotic.

b: edit photos that have been sitting in my inbox forever.

or

c: drool over robert pattinson because today i folded like a house of cards and bought the twilight dvd.

ya, i know, i'm weak ok? i resisted all last week when it first came out. but today i was at costco and it wasn't a bad price and it was an ok movie, not great but, well, just LOOK at him.do i even need to explain why i wanted to sit and watch this overly cheesy, turn-your-brain-off movie, alone in my living room? one look at those gorgeous eyes and that crazy hair that just screams, "run your fingers through me please!" and i'm thinking that an explaination is no longer necessary.

however, i did the responsible thing and cleaned my office. i know! i must not be as weak as i thought. cleaning the office didn't really have the same sexual tension as watching the movie would have, but it was very satisfying to get things put away and have some elbow room on my desk again. i think i made the right choice. my husband who shares my office space but manages to keep his half very neat and tidy, agrees. i am looking forward to spending some time with edward though. soon.

"A" is for Allie

after two terms of getting a 3.9 (which totally made her mad), she finally, got the big number she has been working so hard for. the best part is that she did it all by herself. no poking or prodding from me or rich, it's something SHE wants for herself. i love that about her.

you go four-point-ooooooh girl!

hill-billery or desperation?

so ethan's famous lightning mcqueen shoes have really seen a lot of love. driven many a mile and are really starting to lose their "new car" smell. one has lost a tire, and the strap on the same one was starting to break in the back. it's a real problem because ethan won't wear any other shoes and i haven't been able to find new ones for him in his size. so today while running errands, the poor strap finally popped and broke all the way. luckily, it happened in the duct tape isle at target. ya, that's right, i said duct tape. and if you're afraid right now and saying to yourself, "no, no, don't do it!" i'm here to say, "yup i did do it, and it worked." i found RED duct tape and fixed those plastic shoes. yes i did. so now they're good as new. sort of. not really. but they work.don't judge a desperate mom.

slow progress *edit!*

i finished painting the cupboards last weekend and spent all week reorganizing where i want things to go. i was never very happy with where anything was before so i decided to take my time and give everything a better home. i still don't have the doors or drawer fronts painted, all that work will happen out in the garage so it's safe to move all the cupboard contents back in. i have to say that it's so pleasing to me to see my cupboard full of my pretty fiestware dishes, i may consider never getting the doors done! just kidding, they'll get done, but in the mean time, i'm not minding so much.

**edit - many of you have wondered about the inside of the cupboards. i actually did not paint the inside of the cupboards because they have a laminate surface (for easy clean up) and so painting them would be really difficult and unpractical. and...i promise to post a bigger photo of the whole kitchen later. when it's cleaner. which might really be, never.

teenagerhood

teenagers never change. and neither to their forms of entertainment. which is why i've decided to lock my kids in their rooms until they're twenty five. maybe thirty. okay, twenty.

i guess after this mess, (pictured is only one tree of many actually decorated), i think we are officially a family with teenagers. no more denial here.

pink or blue?

hi, my name is wende and i am a blog neglector.

it's for a good reason. i have some big news and needless to say, it's made me a little preoccupied.

it started out as just an idea, something rich and i were just talking about. at first, he wasn't really on board. but, the more we talked, the more fun it sounded and the more excited i started to get. then we, (really me more than him), decided that a change could be good for us, in fact, it could be down right refreshing. but then i started to become obsessed with the details, how long would we have to wait? can we afford it - it's alwasy more expensive than you think it's going to be? do i really have it in me to pull this off? we decided that we don't really have all the answers, but we do have some experience, so we think that this will be a welcome change. even though the road to getting there will be rough. and so it began...i decided to paint my kitchen cabinets. i know, i'm crazy. it's been a mammoth project that has completely taken over my life. so far, i've cleaned out all the cupboards, taken down the doors and drawers, sanded, taped and primed - and that's just the cupboards! the doors and drawers are all stacked in the garage and will have to wait until another day. i can't believe how much work this has been, WAY more labor intensive that i anticipated. this weekend i pretty much did nothing else and was so happy to get the priming done that i did a little happy dance all over the house. and now you know why i am a blog neglector.

and just incase you're wondering about the pink and blue? the blue is really grey, and those cupboards are going to be black, and the pink cupboards are going to be a deep brick red. tinting the primer really helps a job along. the funny part of all of this, is that spencer thought these were the colors i had chosen and confessed to rich that he didn't really care for them. infact, he asked rich, "why did you let mom choose the paint color, the cupboards look awful."

so what do you think, am i crazy?

have you ever painted your cupboards?

would you like a blue and pink kitchen?

harvesting the organs

rich spent a little bit of our tax return on himself and bought fancy new computer. i'm so glad he did, the man rarely does stuff like this for himself, he definitely deserves it. i walked into the office the other day to this scene, rich busy at something he referes to as "harvesting the organs". besides how gross that termonology is, i'm pretty sure it's just nerd speak for "saving all the good stuff". i'm not exactly sure what he does with pieces once their harvested, but the process itself is kind of entertaining to me. i mean, just incase i was unclear as to whether or not i married a nerd (i wasn't), this photograph certainly puts to rest any doubts. how many people do you know with a nerd score high enough to harvest organs from a computer?

100 list revisited

i have been thinking all year that i need to do another 100 things list. it was so much fun the first time trying to think of 100 things, that since then, things that i could add to the list keep popping into my brain. the list ended up being sort of introspective and revealing and a great way to journal i think. i love to read other's 100 list, i always learn lots of new stuff about them and enjoy seeing how much we have in common. i decided that i would try to add to my 100 list slow throughout the year so i don't forget anything that pops into my brain. so here goes.

101. i don't really like ketch up.
102. i won't do a "structured" diet because i'm afraid of yo-yo dieting forever.
103. i once "drank" a pan of macaroni and cheese - true story.
104. i am crazy about felt food, i know i don't have a ton of use for it, but it makes me giddy.
105. i very much dislike the two deep lines that have formed in between my eyebrows.
106. i am not an eyebrow plucker and i'm ok with this. i just never learned how and now that i'm older, i just think it's cruel and unusual punishment.
107. when my kids were little, i used to stir a can of tuna and a can of peas into their mac & cheese. they didn't know for a long time that it wasn't called "mac & cheese & tuna & peas".
108. mounds candy bars might be my favorite treat, at least as far as candy goes. i love dark chocolate and i love coconut so they are a perfect treat.
109. i don't think i could wear a bathing suit if lands end didn't make them.
110. i like the managability of length of my hair now, but miss how feminine my long long hair made me feel.
111. my organization projects always seem to make things worse before they make them better.
112. i think i may have permenant brain and inner nostral damage from all of my spray painting projects. i really need to buy a mask!
113. having babies has killed my bladder.
114. i am becoming accutely aware of how much time taylor has left before he graduates high school.
115. i signed up for a national geographic subscription today! i loved reading NG when i was younger and hope my kids will love it too.

spencer has eyes!

spencer has the most lovely green eyes. for a long time now you haven't really been able to see them because his long hair hangs in front of them. this photo doesn't really do it justice because i told him to "move your bangs out of your face" right before i snapped it. i use this phrase at least ten times during any given day. at least, i used to. that all changed this morning after a 10am hair cut appointment.although i never really cared too much about spencer's long hair - mostly because i can totally relate to the feelings of wanting to be a little bit cool and a little rebelious, but also because i knew it was just hair, easily altered and he would get sick of it and cut it eventually, which he did. and, to be honest, i just don't really see what the big deal is, i mean, it's just hair. it's not like a tatoo or anything, but hey, that's just me.

however, it wasn't until after his hair cut that i realized how much i've missed being able to see his beautiful green eyes. i have to say, it's really a nice change. of course, the whole event had to be very dramatic, just like spencer. he can't wait to go to church tomorrow, and school on tuesday to see people's reactions. funny kid.is that a dead animal on the floor?

eye candy

just a lovely photo i found on elsie's blog tonight. this sweet heart all made out of flowers makes me happy on so many different levels. i need to just make one for myself. i know just where i would hang the finished project. will you keep your eyes peeled for vintage flowers for me? this kind of thing could take a lifetime to make. i'm the kind of girl who would want every single flower to have some kind of story. maybe i'll have to FOCUS on getting it made and enjoying it as a whole grouping. i don't know why everything i do has to be over done. oh i love this photograph.

igloo life

our water tank malfunctioned - long story - and so the bottom line is that we are living with no heat and no hot water. it was ok for the first two days because our new water tank should be coming any minute. now, we are to the end of day FIVE thinking that tomorrow was the blessed day when the heat would be returned. but that would be in a world where things go smoothly, and our journey with this lipstick house has been anything but. so of course we found out today that the wrong water tank had been ordered and we will be freezing until monday - saturday if we're lucky, so monday. luckily, we have a large collection of space heaters and kristy saved us with a couple of awesome dish heaters so our house is liveable. i had to laugh the other day when i noticed ethan having some down time watching little einstein in front of the heater. in the mean time, send us your warm thoughts!

c'mon, make my day

i seem to be sort of lacking the comments lately, so when i saw this little tag game on laura's blog, i thought it would be fun...

1. read this post.
2. post on your blog the same game.
3. post a comment.
4. the first 3 receive a surprise lovely thing from me sometime in the near future. except, i guess it won't really be a surprise because you'll know right away whether or not you were one of the first three. so it's really an expected lovely something in the mail. but still, it will be cute i promise.

i LOVE comments! thanks laura. comments make my day. no pressure.

the extended play date - i mean hang out

it is a common thing around this house to see any one or all of phil and lauri's kids playing with ours. in fact, they've sort of just become part of our household after years and years of play dates, school projects, and even vacations. they blend in with every day life, and, we love their family so it's all good. of course, now that they're teenagers, we no longer have "play dates". now we just "hang out". ok, sure. whatever.

so last weekend when six kids came home from school instead of three, we began a long eleven day "hang out" while phil and lauri vacationed with her family. i instantly became the mother to seven darling children instead of four.

to be honest, i wasn't that worried, i mean we're not talking toddlers here, there are no diapers to change and everyone besides ethan can bathe themselves. and let's not forget that i'm already a mom to four so it wasn't like i was trying to reinvent myself for this task. i did my best to prepare. i stocked the fridge and pantry, made a dinner menu with things i thought natalie would actually eat, posted a schedule of everyone's various activities on the fridge and washed every towel in the house. i even braced myself for some drama, especially between the girls. after eleven days of sharing a room and bathroom it was bound to happen right?

but what i wasn't prepared for was how much more effort i would have to put into being the homemaker of this group. just the general up keep of things like housework, meals and schedules. i was genuinely shocked at how much more laundry nine bodies as opposed to six made. and it seemed as though i could never keep the sink empty of dishes. not to mention the amount of homework that needed to be done each night, co-ordinating eight showers and one bath, getting everyone out the door on time for school, double the peanut butter sandwiches for all the home lunches....ok, ya, you get the idea. surprising because none of it was stuff that i wasn't already doing.

over all it was a great experience. did you read that lauri - i said great experience. it made me appreciate myself and all that i do as wife and mother and homemaker for my own family. i think because i was able to see it in hyper drive mode. when our kids are born we gradually build up into all that needs to be done, one kid at a time so we don't realize the difference that one or two or three bodies makes. dang it, i do a ton around here, even though a lot of days there seems to be little evidence of that. and it was a chance to provide service to phil and lauri who we love.

and one more thing. for all that i wasn't prepared for, the thing that i expected, drama, was the one thing i didn't need to worry about. everyone got along nicely, even on day eleven when the tension was a little tight and nerves were a little worn. all the kids made big efforts to work things out and i'm so proud of all of them. and grateful. and now that phil and lauri are home, i'm taking a big deep breath. and i'm hoping natalie doesn't have too many horror stories of all the dinners i made her eat. i'm tellin' ya'll, motherhood is not for wimps.

staying focused

it's only 6:39 in the morning and i've already been sucked into the blogosphere. today i'm staying focused on the tasks at hand, so many tasks at hand, by staying away from the computer. no blogging (after this) and no email. not even a quick phone number search from dex. at least until my "to-do" list is under control, then i guess it would fine. FOCUS wende, FOCUS!

another one of my favorite people

it's been so fun to have TWO birthdays to celebrate in our little thursday group - happy birthday to my sweet friend janae! we celebrated at the cheesecake factory last night - janae's fave.with cupcake wrapped gifts, yummy food and fabulous cheesecake for dessert, it was a great night! at one point an older lady walked by her table on her way out, she had been sitting at a table near us. she leaned over and said, "you ladies are having way too much over here". luckily she was smiling and i thought, and she was right! hopefully everyone around us felt the same way?! so happy birthday to janae, and of course, here's a list of ten things i love about her! (ps i have purposely not looked at any of the other thursday girl blogs because i didn't want to be influenced by their lists! sorry if we end up with duplicates!)

1. she is a great mother to FIVE darling GIRLS! and two of them, maybe three, are alpha females and still manages to keep her head on her shoulders! amazing!

2. the girl can cook - i mean, we are spoiled rotten every time it's her turn to be in charge of thursday lunch. we steal her recipes and try to make them our own but nothing is as good as when she cooks it! 3. she can cook an entire meal from scatch and only take up three feet of counter space AND have it done in two hours. i admire this because it takes me all day and my kitchen is a disaster once i'm done!

4. janae is definitely pinkalicious and has pinkalicious skills - you should see her cakes and cupcakes, beautiful! 5. ok, i'll choose something besides a cooking one - she loves to go over the top for her girls' birthdays making it a super special day for them, right down to flowers with breakfast.

6. she is so generous and always willing to help.

7. she gets up every morning EARLY to work out even though she is not a morning person. 8. she is sensitive to other's feelings and wants everyone to be happy and goes out of her way to make this happen.

9. she could possibly be ethan's future mother in law (and that would be GREAT with me!) 10. she's a wonderful friend and i LOVE her!

happy happy birthday janae - have a great weekend!

word up!

i've been thinking and thinking about a "word of the year" choice, and of course, with that comes a lot of self reflection, which i guess is the whole point. one thing that keeps coming to mind is how easily overwhelmed i feel with life in general. i end up creating so much unnecessary noise in my life, emotionally, physically, and spiritually because i'm turning my wheels about everything i think i need to change, do, and make happen. i'm very much an "all or nothing" kind of person, and because i can't just do it all i end up sprinting to the freezer for some ice cream therapy! obviously i have some serious work in this area, all the junk in my trunk is just a symptom of this disease. i need to give myself permission to just deal with one thing at a time, remember not to sweat the small stuff and to live in the moment. so my word for this year is FOCUS. with this single word goal, i hope to remember to-

FOCUS on the task at hand, one task at a time.

FOCUS on just enjoying the moment.

FOCUS on filling my own cup before i try to fill everyone else's.

FOCUS on the choice in front of me.

FOCUS on creativity.

FOCUS on my family.

FOCUS on my relationship with my Heavenly Father.

and even though it doesn't have my actual word in the quote, i love how this quote sort of sums up what i'm trying to accomplish...

“When you chase two rabbits, both will escape."

i'm also setting a goal to blog about the different ways i try to keep my FOCUS so i can see my progress. i saw today on 2cleverblog this gorgeous handmade jewelery by pamela susan with the most reasonable prices! i immediately ordered myself a necklace with my word - i love this!

*photo courtesy of mr. goodbar

inspiration everywhere!

i am adoring the new creative blog of my cute friend kristi (pink) and her girlfriend 2cleverblog.com and decided i really needed to share all this goodness! i don't know her girlfriend (think) who does the blog with her, but i'm excited to get to know her through the blog. i am a big fan of kristi's, i really think that she is really is amazing. i have no idea how she accomplishes everything, but i'm glad that she is generous enough to share her ideas! i have been a lame photo taker of the many projects of mine that i have come from her great ideas, but so far, from being a regular reader of 2 clever, and her personal blog, i have: 1. given conference weekend kits to the ladies i visit teach with much raving and compliments. 2. i brought allie's fabulous sixth grade teacher to tears with one of kristi's wonderful 100 books last year. 3. and most recently, i sent some good mail to presidents bush and obama to thank them for their public service. i told you! inspiration everywhere! the most important thing that i've learned isn't really about cute cellophane wrapping or brightly colored ribbon. she has taught me that every day is worth celebrating, whether it be silly or sentimental, find what is good about it and celebrate it! i love this girl! the bottom line, if you haven't visited 2cleverblog - do it now! who knows how she will inspire you!

one of my favorite people

my girlfriend kristy celebrated her 39th birthday this weekend while i was under the weather. we celebrated early with a girlfriend lunch at happy sumo - which could've been MY birthday for how much i love that place! and thanks to my saintly husband for taking a half a day off of work to stay home with the sick toddler so his wife could get out of the house and save her sanity! just like any other time we get together, it was full of smiles, laughter and good times. i would be a lame friend i didn't do a birthday list for her, she ROCKS and here are ten things i love about her!

1. she is super friendly and easy to love 2. she is always willing to help - poor girl got sucked into the gift basket fundraiser TWO years in a row because of me (and her inability to say no to anyone who needs help!) 3. she cooks yummy japanese food for me.

4. she was my super early morning seat saver partner for the pioneer parade this year. this dreary job has never been so much fun! i hope we started a tradition! 5. she loves ethan and he loves her - she never seems to mind that he is always our tag along wherever we go. 6. she is very crafty even though she thinks she's not! everything she touches turns cute!

7. she is always smiling and has a great sense of humor

8. she is a good listener - when we talk on the phone it's always for a long time - i'm sure i do most of the talking!

9. she is a get 'r done girl - if it needs to be done, she just does it! i admire this so much!

10. she's one of my favorite people on the planet.

happy birthday kristy girl!

i love you!

sick of the sick

friday morning i woke up to find a toddler with a very low fever and was so happy that i started to count my chickens before they were hatched. he has still been really lethargic and only wants to lay on the couch. he's still hacking away with this terrible cough and very drippy nose but at least the fever has gone down - we'll take it. the saddest thing you've ever heard though is his sweet little voice all horse and scratchy.

then about half way through the morning i could feel the first little tingles of a cough in the back of my throat and kept saying to myself, "i will NOT get sick, i am NOT getting sick, i don't have TIME to get sick, uh-uh, no way, absolutely NOT, no sir." then spencer called from school and needed to be picked up because he is was sick. this morning my "stay well mantre" was quashed by my sinus headache which i haven't been able to shake all day. so can i just ask WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON HERE!? we just don't get sick very often and i guess that's a good thing because i'm just not patient enough to deal with it long term like this. i'm officially sick of the sick. bleh.

fresh air

for me, the inauguration was not about politics. it was not about red states or blue states, right wing or left, or even who won and who lost. it was especially not about black or white. for me, this new president means a new beginning, excitement, youthfulness, and a big breath of fresh air. i felt all of these things during president obama's speech, especially the breath of fresh air part.

i thought his speech was fantastic, i appreciated so many so many of the things he said. but i especially glad to hear his remarks about coming together as a nation and the idea that we can pull ourselves out of these hard times with work, sacrifice and service. i believe this whole heartedly and feel like this message has been lost a little bit in this country. i almost jumped up and shouted amen! when he said that it wasn't just the "big wigs" fault that our economy is such a mess. it's also because people weren't willing to make the hard choices - as in not over-extending ourselves with purchases that we can't afford - what a concept! and that it will not be by government alone that things get better. each american is responsible for doing their part, working hard, nurturing the children, improving our schools and serving in our community. - all things that are near and dear to my heart. in other words, he doesn't have a magic wand people, we all have a part to do.

while the election had nothing to do with skin color, at least for me, it was such a tender thing to see and even feel the last of the racial divide in this country finally closing up. to hear him say that even sixty years ago his father wouldn't have been served in a restaurant. i'm so proud of my parents and so many others who taught their kids that people are just people, we all bleed the same. i think they played a big role in closing this divide so quickly.

i'm inspired by the hope that he seems to have been able to inject into this country, and if nothing else, that is a very good thing. and i hope he's right that after we're done here and it's time to hand over the reigns, that we are able to take pride in delivering a safe, free country to our children. that is something, we can all hope for, no matter which way your vote went.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

helpless

there is nothing worse than when your kids are sick. it's just such a helpless feeling, especially for a mom, whose job is to make everyone feel better. poor little ethan has been hit by a nasty cold and cough bug AND the flu bug and is just so miserable. we are going on our sixth day of really high fevers, drippy nose, weepy eyes, no sleep and a limp toddler who just wants to be held around the clock. it's breaking my heart! and i'll be honest, i'm feeling a little stir crazy, i'm sure ethan is too. and i think i could live without ever watching another episode of "little einsteins" again and die a happy woman. the bad news is that our pediatrician said the flu strain this year is about 10-14 days! what the? the good news? it's not the "throwing up" kind of flu, and, we're not in the hospital, so we'll take it and just count ourselves lucky. poor little guy.