Attempting Family Pictures

It's been over 10 years since we've done family pictures! Several years ago, when all of Ben's family was in town, we took some pictures, but they were with the big group, and we didn't get a chance to take individual family pictures because Riley was sick and not happy.

It's hard to get three kids to look at the camera at the same time without making crazy faces or closing their eyes or putting their hands near their face!

Since the weather was so nice on Saturday I figured I had better take advantage of it and get out and get some photos. My niece, Kira, took all of these pictures and I took them home and did some editing. Be advised, I'm still learning.

I really like this picture by the big tree. I love Melanie's smirk. I do not love

Riley's crazy face or Carter's attempt at pantomime. (Again, this is not

a hyperlink! I must be pressing some button that is a shortcut. Hopefully

I can either figure out what I'm doing or how to undo what I did!)

This one is definitely in my choices for our family picture. Although Riley isn't smiling, he's not

making too crazy of a face either. Carter is smiling so cute, but he's not looking at the camera.

I love the black-and-white. And I love Riley grabbing his shoe. Just a smidge of personality coming through. There is light on Ben's face and Riley's face, but I think I could look past that.

Here's another one where I'd like to mash Carter! It's so cute...except who knows

what caught Carter's attention?! It's kind of creepy, because I usually can't see

how much Melanie looks like me. But in this picture I really can. Poor kid.

This one isn't my favorite because of the lighting, but most of us are making nice faces. And

everyone is looking at the same spot...mostly.

This one turned out really cute. They really are sneaky sometimes so I thought it was fitting. Especially Riley. His game every morning is to wake up and not make any noise. Then he tries to sneak up on me like a ninja. It's great. I'd like this one on the wall as a 5x7.

I really like this one as well. I wish the kids were more in focus and my hair didn't look so stringy. But I think the reflection in the granite it cool.

Love this one. It will definitely go up on the wall as a 5x7.

This one we're all looking at the camera and smiling...or at least making appropriate faces. Carter looks like he's holding something heavy. Hmmm...maybe it's his brick of a brother?

This was fun and I think it turned out cute. Of course, I wish

everyone was looking in the same direction. I wanted to post one where we

are all turned around, but no way am I posting it. My rear end next to Melanie's tiny one?

I. Don't. Think. So.

This is probably my favorite picture. I love the light and the colors. I love the berries on the vines. I love how my hair looks. I love Riley's face and Carter's giggle and Melanie's "get-over-it" face.

There you go. Please help me out and tell me which one you would choose for a family picture!

Random Fun With My Camera

I've been playing around with my camera again. It's fun to see what it can do, even though I'm still learning and I know I'm still not even remotely close to using all the tools. But I'm learning, and that's important, right?

I loved the way this leaf was lit up by the sun. It was like

the leaf was a little touch of gold.

I really hate being in pictures, and my face proves it in this

one. I much prefer sticking out my tongue to smiling.

Looks like someone else does as well.

It's been fun to try and bring one thing into focus while

the rest of the background is blurred. I'm still learning

how to best accomplish this. I love seeing the color

yellow so vibrant in nature.

This is Jasper, a.k.a. "The Moose." I used the green intensifier

and I love how it made his eyes and the grass stand out.

Melanie was the one who actually took this picture, and she took

it through the screen on my parents' window, which I thought

was a neat effect.

This is my "button." Actually, she's my niece, but I call

her my button. She's small and round, so button makes sense.

I adore her because she's, well, adorable. I meant to crop this one

as I don't really want Ben's ear in the photo (no offense to Ben's ear).

I think Melanie also took this one.

I really love this photo. My kids actually get along this well

most of the time, so it seemed natural to put them all on

the bench. I then used a light sepia and softened the picture.

This picture is so my daughter. I've seen that sassy eyebrow

on many occasions. I love her spunky side, especially when

she and I gang up on Ben and drive him crazy! (I don't know why

in the world this one is underlined, but I could not get it to go away!

This is not a hyperlink!)

I love this picture! It helps that Melanie is photogenic

and not camera shy. I just lightly softened this picture.

So there you have it. Random fun with my camera. I hope you enjoyed!

A Short Update on My Busy Life

I really hate that I haven't been posting on my blog like I used to. I don't know why I haven't. My first guess would be that I've been too busy, but I don't really think that's it. Sometimes I think it's because I don't think I have anything exciting or meaningful to share. But I don't think that's it either because I love reading friends' blogs who simply update what their lives are like.

In an effort to combat this lack-of-postingness, I am posting. Clever, huh?

Admittedly, life has been really busy. I started school again this semester, which I really love. I'm taking four classes: Educational Decision Making, Principles of Learning & Teaching, Trigonometry, and Math for Elementary Education Teachers I.

The Educational Decision Making class is interesting. There are four professors teaching the class and each one teaches a different section/aspect of teaching. The first section was not my favorite. The teacher was nice, but did too much lecturing on what he did with technology, and not enough showing us options for what we could do. However, the second section started this past week and the teacher's style is much more dynamic. It's a good change. And this professor is teaching about what we teach, how we teach, etc., rather than teaching us different technology things. I know I need to embrace the technology that's out there, but I'm going to stomp my foot and say, "I don't want to!" for just a little bit longer.

The Principles of Learning & Teaching is super easy. It's also superfluous. The professor is really nice, but I do feel that most of it is a waste of time. Not that what we're learning in there isn't important, but more that it will be learned through other classes as well.

I never took Trig in high school, so this is all new for me. The professor is a total nut. She tells crazy stories, makes us stand up and move around if we're not responding to her as much as she'd like, and is generally sarcastic. She's also crazy strict on test day. As in taking a student's test away because they had out their cell phone. It was kind of scary. I haven't witnessed that kind of stuff since high school.

My last class is Math for Elementary Ed Teachers. I'm really enjoying it, although it is a bit of a challenge. Mostly because I've been used to doing math one way for so long, that to practice thinking in other ways is difficult. I suppose that's how the students feel when they're first learning. Knowing that I know a little bit how they feel is comforting. The professor is very good. She's open to all kinds of questions and exploring ideas. She also likes for us to teach each other.

All in all, life is busy but good. Now, if I could just kick this cold and get rid of my stiff neck I'd be ready for my all-day practicum at CVMS tomorrow!

Fighting the Last Days of Summer Boredom

Summer is winding down and school is just around the corner. Do you know what that means? Very. Bored. Children. Riley was especially bored today because Carter was at a friend's house and Melanie was babysitting, so Riley was stuck with Mom and Dad.

I've been wanting to get to know my camera a little better, so I bribed Riley with Tootsie Rolls to let me take his picture.

I love these photos, especially where he starts to get a little bored with me and he hides behind the Zelda strategy guide. He's always been so expressive with his face and emotions, and I love how he's still that way. He really is a funny kid.

Riley quickly tired of taking photos inside, and since I'd promised him a ride in the car we headed over to SUU. They have such pretty leaves and tress and a nice area with rocks and a couple of little waterfalls.

I love this picture. It really shows his sweet side.

Riley doesn't like to be called nicknames, with the exception of "cool." Couldn't tell that by this photo, could you?

I had fun messing around with the B&W setting on my camera. I loved his expression here. I'm pretty sure he was dropping rocks or leaves or something in the water.

Same picture, but in color this time. I like both.

These last two are my favorites!

p.s. This was an impromptu photo shoot. His hair wasn't combed, his shirt has paint stains from preschool on it, and those white socks stick out like a sore thumb. But we had fun, and he brought home two handfuls of pine needles - one for himself and one for Carter.

p.p.s. Sorry if the formatting is weird with the small photos.

Update #1: Concerts

Disclaimer: I am a novice photographer. Keep in mind the word "photographer" is used very loosely when it comes to my picture-taking skills.

Last week was a whirlwind of a week. Monday: FHE; Tuesday: Melanie's Orchestra Concert; Wednesday: Melanie's Band Concert; Thursday: Melanie's Jazz Band Concert; Friday: Arts Night at Carter's school; Saturday: Scout Expo; Sunday: Ward Council, Church, Choir Practice, Home Teaching with Ben. Needless to say when I finally climbed into bed on Sunday night I was exhausted.

You get to enjoy my sad attempts at taking pictures. I apologize in advance.

This is Melanie with her amazing friend, Lindsey (Melanie is on the right). They're both in percussion together, and both are two of the four 7th graders who were chosen to play with the orchestra this year. They're really good little percussionists. They just need a little more confidence. Especially my Melanie. She's had fun playing with the orchestra and hearing the difference between an orchestral setting and a band setting, instruments as well as students and the director.

Here is Melanie playing with the band. She's sporting her very serious face. I'm usually terrible and stick out my tongue at her or do something else to make her smile and relax a bit, but I couldn't stick out my tongue because my camera was in the way. There is a myriad of percussion instruments to play, but this year she played a lot of bells and marimba and vibraphone and occasionally she played the snare drum. She really enjoyed band and the band director this year.

She's playing the bass with the jazz band right here, and by "bass" I mean setting the keyboard to sound like a bass. She's got this crazy drive to learn how to play the bass now, which would be awesome, but she's still working on her drumming and just started piano lessons, so the bass playing will have to wait. There are just a handful of percussionists in jazz band, and the students rotate between bass, piano (those who can play), and drumset.

Melanie has really had to come out of her shell to play well on drumset. It's been so rewarding and fun to see her talents develop. She has a lot of musical talent, and I'm so glad she's thankful for that blessing in her life.

Carter's elementary school has a school fundraiser at the end of each year. Each grade performs a couple of stereotypical cute songs. I can't remember what Carter's class sang because I was so enthralled watching him interact with his really good friend (good friend is wearing the glasses, and Carter is on the right of him). They were absolute GOOFBALLS singing with their class, but really cute at the same time. They're like two peas in a pod, those boys. Scary. ;)

There are more pictures and more stories about the rest of the week, but I didn't want to cram it all into one post. So you'll just have to settle down and be patient for the rest of the updates!

The Wrong Trousers!

This morning was a little crazy around our house. Thankfully we remembered the time change last night, but our stake conference was this weekend, so Ben was gone for the Priesthood session this morning and stayed to save seats.

The kids were really good to get ready by themselves, Carter in particular. He even got his tie on, under his collar, and his collar straightened out. Usually this boy requires multiple reminders to stay on task, but this morning he was awesome!

After I got ready this morning I got Riley ready. A couple of weeks ago he slid on his knees across the cultural hall, which is a bad thing to do at our building because the cultural hall is carpeted. Of course, it tore a huge hole in the knee, and I had to buy him a new pair of pants. When I went to the store that week to buy them, they were out of size 5 pants, so I had to get him a size 6. Last week when Ben helped Riley get dressed, he had to roll up the pants because they were a little big. I did the same thing with his pants when I got Riley ready this morning.

Right before we left the house, I noticed Carter hadn't successfully tucked his shirt in. I helped him tuck it in and noticed his pants were a little snug. This is unusual for my stick-child; seriously, that boy has hardly any body fat! I just figured he was finally hitting a growth spurt.

We parked on the street for stake conference and on the way in, Riley's pants came unrolled. I rolled them back up and continued herding in my little crew.

It wasn't until we were leaving stake conference I noticed how short Carter's pants were. They weren't that short last week. Probably because last week he was wearing his own pants instead of Riley's! Explains a lot of the trouble with pants this morning.

This is what happens when SuperDistractedBoy gets himself dressed!

Marriage and Parenthood

This morning I was reading a friend's blog. She was talking about all the reasons she enjoys being single, and how being single shouldn't be filled with constant complaints about not being married. I agree, and feel that marriage and parenthood should incorporate the same idea. We shouldn't fill our married life with complaints about our spouses and children.



So, using her fun post as a guide, I decided to share with you some of the reasons I enjoy being married and a parent. In no particular order:



#1. I have a close support system, not just in proximity but emotionally as well. Whether I'm happy or sad or tired or sick or just plain worn out, I have someone to cover for me.



#2. With all the different personalities at my house, I'm provided with opportunities to learn how to work with those personalities. That helps me wherever I go.



#3. My friend mentioned she can eat whatever she wants for breakfast, lunch, and dinner without worrying about another person's dietary restrictions or taste preferences. I can do likewise, but if I did, I'd probably end up making something else for the pickier eaters at my house. So I learn to compromise. Sometimes I make what I like and they don't, and they have to eat it anyway. And sometimes they get to choose. And sometimes I make something we all like! Those days are good days!



#4. I have learned that locking both the bedroom door and the bathroom door will ensure some privacy.



#5. Because I'm the one who cleans the bathrooms I have taught the boys to be very clean in the bathroom. I'm sure their future wives will appreciate that.



#6. Not a day goes by where I don't hear "I love you, Mom."



#7. Not a day goes by where I don't hear "I love you, Miss."



#8. Not a day goes by where I tell them "I love you, Mel, I love you, Carter, I love you, Riley, I love you, Ben."



#9. My life is filled with all sizes of hugs. Big bear hugs, gentle side hugs, quick hugs, and hugs around my hips that are usually accompanied by kisses on my cheek.



#10. There is no lack of humor at my house. I have a quick-witted and spunky 12-year-old, who has more common sense than a lot of adults I know, an 8-year-old who can beat me at most video games, and a 5-year-old who is the king of one-liners. For example, the other day he was asked how he would feel if we got rid of some media that was making his older brother uncomfortable because of the animated blood. Riley responded with a shrug of his shoulders and said, "Life is life."



#11. Knowing that a day like today, with the wonderful wet snow, would bring Riley to throw a snowball at me.



#12. We all love Avatar: The Last Airbender cartoon series. I love having Avatar marathons with our whole family.



#13. Ben's treat-making abilities. If I weren't married, I'd still be making the cookies, and although mine aren't bad, Ben's are...addictive. Seriously.



#14. Working on my Personal Progress with Melanie. It has already brought blessings to my life and to my relationship with Melanie.



#15. Having Carter build crazy weapons with his Legos, and then explaining to me the intricacies of how they operate.



#16. Riley telling me he'll give me "thinking hugs and kisses" every time I drop him off somewhere.



#17. Having a human radiator to stick my cold feet on when I get into bed.



Don't get me wrong; it's not all sunshine and roses, and sometimes I want to pull my hair out and scream. And sometimes I lose my temper. I'm working on that every day. But why not look at the good in our situations, find that silver lining on our clouds?

Dreams

I've always had crazy dreams. Always. I honestly wonder if it's hereditary because my mother has had some really crazy ones. One of which is infamous in our family, but if I told you about it she just might kill me.

Not only are my dreams crazy, but I occasionally wake myself up laughing, crying, or talking. The times I wake myself up laughing are really entertaining, although I usually don't remember what was so darn funny.

Last night I had a weird dream. Not so much weird as annoying, I guess. I dreamed I was heading to play pickleball. I went inside the gym as usual, and the nets were up, but there were unfamiliar people in the gym. I set my bag down on the bleachers and decided to have a look outside to see if anyone was out there. The regular pickleball crew was outside playing, so I went back in to grab my bag, only to find out the gym was full of students. And although the nets were still up, the students were not playing pickleball. They were watching a movie! And I couldn't find my bag I left there, and my bag had my pickleball paddle inside!

Feeling frustrated I decided to go outside and borrow a paddle from some of the kids out there. As I was leaving the gym, a girl who is in the handbell choir with me shows up with her baby (a baby she doesn't yet have, by the way) and asks me to watch her for a little while. I tell her no problem and take the baby, and it's then I remember that Sandy (a pickleball friend/coach) gave me a check and some papers to take downstairs to the basement offices. As far as I know, there are no basement offices in the SUU P.E. building, but in my dream there were. I get downstairs, and no one knows who I need to give the check to. I ask several people, but no one knows because there is no name on the check. I tuck the check and the papers into a manila folder, (who knows where that came from?), and head back upstairs. I bump into the mom of the baby I've been holding, and she takes him. Only at this point the baby looks totally different than before. Before he was older, blonde, with a funny, toothy grin. Now he's younger, with dark, dark hair, and deep blue eyes. She's totally fine with the fact that her baby isn't the same, so I hand him over.

This whole time I've been dying to get outside and play pickleball, so once I pass off the little baby, I dash outside. Looks like I'll have to wait, because now the pickleball nets are gone from the outside courts!

I woke up at this part. I lay there thinking about the dream, and remembered a few weird details. One of the girls I play pickleball with was wearing a bright green shirt with a white shamrock on the front. The other detail is that the nameless check was for $75.00.

Dreams are fascinating. I honestly know that sometimes dreams are visions from heaven. They're meant to help us out, tell us something, comfort us. I just don't think this was one of those dreams. I'm pretty sure I'm just anxious to play pickleball and nervous to go to handbell choir.

But I'm telling you, if those pickeball nets are gone today or there are students watching a movie in the gym, I'm going to have the heebie jeebies.

My Goal...For the Next Few Years

I'm not a big fan of New Year's Resolutions. I've never seriously made any. I might have thought about changing some things, but the thoughts usually came while I was washing my hair. Or vacuuming. Or brushing my teeth.

This year is a little bit different. When Melanie turned 12 last year and entered the Young Women program, it took me for a little stroll down nostalgia lane. For most people, that little journey is usually a pleasant one. But when I think of my time in the Young Women program, I do not remember it with fondness. I HATED being in there. I really did. My family wasn't active in the Church, I was struggling to get there each week, let alone for Mutual activities. I got along better with the boys in the ward than I did with the girls--the product of having three older brothers and no sisters. I also had a horrible relationship with my mom. Seriously, when I think about what I was like to her, and how much fighting and contention there was between us, it makes me shiver. Thank goodness we're all patched up now.

I never did receive my Young Womanhood Recognition award. At the time, I couldn't have cared less about it. But that was then. Now is different. I'm different, and thank goodness for that!

Melanie and I have decided to earn our Young Womanhood Recognition Awards together. It's going to be a lot of work, I know, but it really is something I want to accomplish. Melanie and I are both really excited to do this together. What a fantastic way for both our testimonies to grow and brighten, and for our relationship to do the same.

So yesterday I went to Desert Book and purchased my own Personal Progress booklet. Wow. They're a lot smaller than when I was in Young Women! But the work is the same. Only now, I get to work on these things with my daughter. What a blessing! There is a quote in the booklet I want to share with you. It filled me with hope and the Spirit when I read it.

"Give me a young woman who loves home and family, who reads and ponders the scriptures daily, who has a burning testimony of the Book of Mormon. Give me a young women who faithfully attends her church meetings, who is a seminary graduate, who has earned her Young Womanhood Recognition Award and wears it with pride! Give me a young woman who is virtuous and who has maintained her personal purity, who will not settle for less than a temple marriage, and I will give you a young woman who will perform miracles for the Lord now and throughout eternity." ~President Ezra Taft Benson

What woman wouldn't want that for their daughter? Or themselves?