Eat Pray Love

I am reading this book right now. I am almost done; it has taken me awhile just because I haven't had much free time. I have had the book for well over a year and it just sat there. Anyways, my point for telling you all of this is that I really believe things happen for a reason and I really believe that this book has changed my life. If I had read this book a year ago, it wouldn't have impacted me the same way if I had read it today. Not to give much away, but the premise is that our lead character in the book goes through a divorce and is searching for answers about herself and life. To find those answers she eats her way through Italy and then joins an ashram in India and then lastly spends several months in Bali learning from a Hindi medicine man.

I have had moments in my life when I think spirits have been in my presence or I have felt something divine occurring and I hadn't really embraced it. Well, about a month ago I was going to the San Antonio airport for a work trip. My cab was dropping me off and on the sidewalk I saw a couple embrace and the woman just started bawling and I was trying to imagine why? Had they been apart? Were they reconciling? Then all of a sudden a little girl ran up and the man hugged her very deeply. Then the couple and the little girl held each others hands and lowered their heads and prayed and both the man and woman were crying. It was a touching moment and it felt like there was a reason I should be watching it. Like, maybe I should be more grateful for the people in my lives? Or maybe I should stop and pray or meditate more often myself?

Anyways, then I got on the plane and could't really sleep and so I started reading "Eat Pray Love". I was reading the part where she is in the ashram and it finally all hits her what life is about. All of a sudden major chills come over me and I get goose bumps and the sun shines onto me through the small plane window. It is the strangest thing, but I start crying (sorry lady sitting next to me, I am not a a crazy person). It all seemed very out of my control. And these were the words that I were reading in the book:

"And this is what it roared: YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW STRONG MY LOVE IS!!!!!!!!

The chattering, negative thoughts in my mind scattered in the wind of this statement, like birds and jackrabbits and antelopes--they hightailed it out of there, terrified. Silence followed. An intense, vibrating, awed silence. The lion in the giant savannah of my heart surveyed his newly guiet kingdom with satisfaction. He licked his great chops once, closed his yellow eyes and went back to sleep.

And then, in that regal silence, finally ---I began to mediate on (and with) God."

Anyways, I have been trying to embrace a life without judgement. It has been hard the past few months, but I can really see a difference in how I feel. I am a much happier person. I have my life and the people in and I will work to care for and nurture those relationships. Things have not been perfect and I am not going to dwell on the negative anymore. It is bad for the body and soul to hang onto those negative thoughts and feelings. Embrace the good in life, the happiness, and the fun times. Life is really good.

PS...Elizabeth Gilbert, the writer of EAT PRAY LOVE, gives an excellent talk on TED.

Kendall and Maeve dancing and Mason and Cecelia dancing. It was a beautiful moment.

Before and After

Rose Hill April 26, 2009

Rose Hill June 3, 2009

April 26,2009

June 3, 2009

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A MONTH MAKES!

Caught in the Act

It may not be entirely clear what is going on here, but if you look really closely you will see 4-5 bottles of bubbles up on that shelf. They are there for a reason. Mason, the lookout man...did a poor job.

And one cute one for good measure

Mason feeding the baby goldfish. Ohhhh fer cute........

The Goings On of the Fam

Mason graduated to his big-boy bed!

Kendall relaxing in her new lawn chair. Thanks Damma. Mother's Day with the Damma and the kids.

Waiting for the bacon to be cooked.

Kendall pretending it was raining....

Date Night

Last night Josh and I went to dinner at one our favorite "high-end" Mexican food places--Masa and as always, it was delish. If you are listening....I LOVE YOUR GREEN SALSA! Can you send me your recipe? Then we went to see the Grand Canyon Adventure film at the Omni Theatre. If you get the chance...it is so beautiful....please go. Okay, I cried. I am sure all the other people in the audience thought I was a total freak, but who cares. When you look at something so beautiful and majestic and to think I got to grow up in Arizona...well it makes me feel a tad bit special. I miss Arizona immensely but I know that each path I have taken in my life has been for a reason. Sometimes I wonder why I left Arizona (especially when I am missing the fam and friends) but then I think I would never have met Josh or have my two amazing kids. It is hard to pose those types of questions to yourself. Either way though, the movie reminded me that I should make even more of an effort to conserve. Oh and if anyone is interested, I have added a hike down Havasupai and a Colorado river trip... to my list of things to do before I die.

Dirty Dishwater Blond

When I was a kid, someone told me that I had "dirty dishwater blond hair" and I forever loved that. For years, people would say I had brown or blond hair and I would correct them and say "dirty dishwater blond"---not that being brown or blond was bad...I just kind of liked to think I was different. I was looking at Kendall and Mason tonight and they have the same color. Blond in one light, orange in another and brown in a couple of other spots. I dig it. Wood Tick Torture Method #1. Scientists: Joshua and Rebecca: Location: Kitchen Sink: Method: Fill little dish with 70% rubbing alcohol. Put the wood tick found in Mason's hair in the dish (there goes that good karma I acquired)....and watch what happens. About two minutes in, the tick starts to slowly crawl around the dish. 5 minutes later bug is dead. Good riddance.

Good Life

I ask myself, could I be anymore blessed? And really, I could not (except if I had a super power that allowed me to live in Arizona and in Minnesota. And save all the tragic environmental corruption going on..but that is a whole other blog.) But back to my blessedness...Mother's Day seems like such a weird day. I feel like I should be giving presents to my husband and kids because I can't be believe how lucky I am to be in their lives. I have the most amazing husband...he makes me laugh, we still have thought-provoking discussions, he grills a fabulous steak and he cares so deeply for our kids that I can't even begin to thank him for the love he has given to the kids and myself. Then there are the kids...wow...WAY BETTER THEN I EVER THOUGHT!! Who would have ever believed that I could laugh so much. The poop, the vomit, the boogers, the messy house, the sleepless nights....I would do it a million times over to have had the opportunity for these beautiful beings to be in my life. And beautiful they are....Mason and his long eyelashes and giggles and how EVERY.SINGLE.TRUCK he sees he says "Big truck, vroom vroom...." I will never get sick of it. And then there is Kendall....I love that she is so creative. She claps and sings and twirls and dances and she is dramatic and silly and exuberant. In my mind, they are 100% the definition of beauty. I look at them and my heart gets weak....everyday I pick them up and smell their hair and kiss their cheeks and every night when I walk out of their room I whisper a prayer that they are always safe and happy and live a full life. I have a good life, actually, it is a great life and I am just going to sit here and enjoy it, because that was why I was given it. P.S. I didn't mention my own mom--what was I thinking? Well, she is undeniably one of the most generous people I know in this world. Generous with her love and kind thoughts. She always sends us sweet gifts and she emails me these yummy recipes and little notes about her days and I just appreciate knowing that I have such good genes. I love you Mom....

Sunny Days

Rose Hill

This is Rose Hill, although I don't recall see any roses. However, there are ton of other cool plants, just waiting to pop up. Down there on the left is some rhubarb. This spring we are excited to see what blooms.

Josh and I bought this place about a year ago and sometime in the next year or two, we hope to start building a house out there in the pasture. We hope to have many LEEDS features included in the house. From what we can tell, it is our belief that this is the second highest point in Hennepin County. On Fourth of July, you can see fireworks displays in 20 different directions.

Starting at 12:00--I am going clockwise in these pictures---here is the driveway.

(I had to throw in a picture of the new tractor.)

(And there it is, the peak of Rose Hill in all it's beauty.)

The start of many of the gardens. Yes, the people who owned if before were hippies. Here is the cabin. Old Garage/Shed This is where the pathway between the raspberry bushes start. The back pasture. I like to call this the Secret Garden, it reminds me of the book. Yes, we have a lot of work to do.

San Antonio, Home of the Alamo

Here are some pictures of the Alamo, which I actually just happened upon...I was just walking around and found....check out the big old octupus of a tree in the Alamo courtyard.

I spent the last four days in San Antonio. What a cool town!! We happened to be there for what they call

FIESTA...it is their version of the Mardi Gras. There is this area downtown called the Riverwalk and it is just a really cool tourist attraction. Tons of excellent restaurants and the cool thing was all these youth mariachi bands would each rent river boats and be playing up and down the river. I happen to be a big fan of mariachi music.