Definitely not from a box

My mom is so uniquely herself and so amazing.....
~Everything was from scratch....birthday cakes, pancakes, waffles, cinnamon rolls.
~I love her long hair.....she is at the age where there is some wierd expectation that once you hit the mid-50s you are supposed to cut your hair.  My mom's hair...is her....so her...if she cut her hair...it would be too wierd.....it is long and thick and the most beautiful milk chocolate color.....please never cut it.
~She always has snacks.  If for some reason you became stuck in the desert and you thought the end was near....you would want my mom with you.  She ALWAYS is well prepared with hidden granola bars and cookies and boxes of raisins.  She also has the YUM drawer in her house in case that dreaded sugar-tooth bites.
~When we were kids we didn't have a TV for a very long time.  And when we got TV we had four channels.  So I remember going to Girl Scout camp when I was around 8 and all these girls were talking about some group called Duran Duran and I pretended to know what they were talking about.  I am sure this lack of television is directly proportionate to the fact that I ended up spending a ton of time outside or at the Flagstaff Public Library.  Therefore, I directly contribute my lack of television watching to my absolute love of books.....I shall even go so far as to say that I probably would have never gone to college or have graduated from college if we had had cable because I probably would have become obsessed with how hot Andy Taylor was.
~My mom was an amazing teacher.  School teacher...and life teacher.   In school, she was strict and as far as I am concerned, that is how all teachers should be(that is probably how parents should be too).  You can be fun and strict...the perfect combo.  She would never put up with the scantily clad girls running around these days(GO put on this xxxl tshirt and cover up!)......to this day her students that see her always remind her of what a great teacher she was.....
~Speaking of preparedness.....she is the ultimate Girl Scout.  She can fish, hunt, hike, camp like nobody's business.  She can garden and grow and create and sew and feed you the most amazing meals.
~She loves us immensely.  She is our best friend, our biggest champion, an infinitely positive person.  While others were stuck inside, she showed us the falls, the mountains, the streams, the ruins, the creeks (we weren't always sooo willing but I can attest that it made a positive impact on our lives.)  She showed us beauty in trees and water and doing more with less.  We are better parents because of her. She gave us trust when other parents didn't (I still can't believe you let me go to Mexico when I was a senior :))  She taught me about peace and Mother Earth and being gentle with her and making sure to have independent thoughts (GDI).  She never let us drink soda, we ate homemade granola and we never got sugared cereal.  By far our greatest moments are sitting for hours in her kitchen and laughing.....she is an amazing mom and grandma.  We have been blessed to be your kids.

I love you Mom....happy madre's day.....peace.    

Just A Reminder Of How Quickly Time Passes You By (or Me By)

Good in your skin

Lauren and Kyle reminded me that my blog had gotten a tad "picture heavy".....so I will try and write for a bit. 

I think there is probably a gene that is present on both the X and Y chromosome.  A gene that is something like hair color, eye color or blood type, or like the tendency to like/hate licorice or to have detached/attached earlobes.....but I digress..... I don't really have a good name for it, but I guess lets just call it the "GOOD IN YOUR SKIN" gene....

What is that you ask?  Well, I think there comes a point in your life and it is different for everyone, where you finally feel comfortable in your skin.  And what I mean is that for most people (I hope)...they finally reach a point where the say "Damnit, I like myself....I am a badass person...(okay, maybe the cussing is unnecessary, but you get the point)"....

I was driving to work, in my 35th year of life and it hit me....I feel really good where things are at in this life. Granted there is that 7 more pounds I want to lose, or the messes in the house...but I finally feel really good about who I am.  I still get occasionally nervous in social settings but overall, I am pretty happy with myself. 

Which brings me to "other people".  Because I swear you can look at a person and talk to a person and you can just tell they aren't too happy with themselves.....but the irony of it is, that they spend a lot of time boasting about all the wonderful things they do/have/accomplish...but there is just something there that gives you the sense that they aren't truly content.  And it is quite wierd when those moments of discontentment shine through.

I can honestly say that if I was taken from this Earth (preferably after the trip to Mexico), that I would have been happy about the life I led.  I was looking at my sister this past weekend and she is such an endlessly positive person, she is definitely good in her skin.

So folks, go out there, search inside and find that place that makes you feel completely content.....it is in there.

Be good.

It is too nice to be inside

What JOY they bring!!

What marketing is all about....

Hippy Music--Edward Sharpe and Magnetic Zeros

Yep,  I am so obsessed with them.  The music reminds me of the old hippy music we listened to as kids.

Can't breath...too busy

.....First off....Lisa (aka Mommy's Nest) won the concert tickets....it was hard there were at least 1000 entries...but she was the only one that wrote anything very interesting....she is good like that.  (um, okay so I fibbed a tad...I only had one entry....but it was a good one entry....)

Here are the kids loving our NEW TV BOX.......it would appear that I could easily ship them and mail them to you....let me know...

New Orleans, Louisiana, March 2010 (all pictures are clickable for more indepth detail)

Bourbon and Canal Street, Necklaces on the wires

Then there was New Orleans...I am pretty sure I gained 10 pounds....dear me....how will I ever finish the Skinny Bridesmaid Diet...(oh and then Josh showed up last night with FOUR danish cringles from Racine, Wisconsin--the home of the danish cringles).....Yes, you heard that right, FOUR......they talk to me through the refrigerator....eat me eat me eat me...you can run later....you don't have piano legs, eat another bite.....


And the swimming birthday....no pictures of the swimming...but I do have pictures of the cupcake extravaganza.....