I told you...

AAAAAA! See!? I TOLD you she hated the beach on days #2 and #3. This picture makes me laugh so much.

I have SOOOO many fun beach pictures - mostly of Mallory - that I'm dying to get to but alas, I have a real life to start up again. Maybe this weekend, stay tuned.

Oregon Part One

Just being in Hollister makes you feel attractive. That is my deep thought after shopping tonight.

Again, it's been an amazing family trip and I love kicking back, relaxing, eating someone else's food, and shopping when we get bored. I've still got 1.6 days to go, but have taken a lot of fun photos so I thought I'd get installment #1 in place. Note - no photoshop here, don't judge too harshly...

We spent 3 days in a 1970's beach house (um, it hadn't been updated since 1970 either) and it was GREAT fun to do what we do best - nothing. NO joke, we sat in that front room gazing at the ocean and watching tv or reading books during 65% of our waking hours. We didn't eat out ever and made great use of that little kitchen (thanks to marvelous planning by mom!). We made a little outlet shopping trip on our road trip in and out, but otherwise stuck close to home. (Thanks to those outlets for Adrie's 2009 winter wardrobe :) A nice, quiet and relaxing family time. After watching She's the Man (teen girl movie) one night, Dad made us watch The Jackal the next (think 1988 Bruce Willis bad guy vs. Richard Gere good guy. I've never seen Richard Gere so attractive.).

The first beach day was warm and Adrie had fun - so long as she didn't have to touch the freezing water. The next two days she was a pill on the beach - crying a lot and begging "I'll hold you, I'll hold you" which always melts my heart. She is in LOVE with her Grandpa and always wants to know where he is. "Papa? Papa?" She also follows Kino around saying "Keeeenoh, Keeenoh?" She loves to yell out "Teh-nahl! Teh-nahl!" (Kendall) and look for "Ma-oh-ee" (Mallory). She is fascinated by the fact the dog doesn't leave her side during dinner and laughs great rolling belly laughs when he falls for her teasing with food. We love being here!

For Your Entertainment

I added a playlist in the sidebar - this is what I've been listening to basically non stop (minus Sundays) for weeks. You must start it - no annoyingness for you. It's my goal to keep it updated with my latest loves. Let me know if you fall in love with a song (or artist) from it. I'd love to bond over music!

Should I be flattered by the eleven year-old boy with goggles who followed me around in the pool yesterday? I'm not kidding, he was voyeuring. I was so uncomfortable that I left. Where was his parent!? Kids these days.

Adrie does too many things to document. But some of my new favorites:

• Obsession with wolves. Thanks in part to her stuffed wolf from Yellowstone - thanks guys!


• Umbrellas. But she says the word SO funny most of you wouldn't understand her.


• "Hear it? Do you hear it?" and the word "Sound."


• "Scared. Scared." This is how she describes Lagoon. And Ursula from Little Mermaid.


• Arguing with me, with reason! At the ward breakfast I could not keep her away from the gas stoves, saying "Hot! We don't touch those." Even slapping her hand didn't deter her, and then she started saying "It's cold! It's cold mom!" I didn't know what to say. Oh help.
• Playing 'Ring-around-the-Rosies' and falling down.
• Pointing out Temples. Every picture of a temple she sees - even the odd-looking ones.

Lastly, we tried (again) a baby shoot with those babies Madilyn and Adrie. Thanks to Grandma for matching outfits! Stay tuned for some more, probably on my business blog, but not for a week or so (after my vacation next week!) I leave you with some of the funniest:

See the rock in Adrie's mouth above!?

(click to make it larger)

How to Love Music

Rachel was sweet and gave me a new cd - Priscilla Ahn. I'm not yet burnt out on Ingrid and Sarah Bareilles, but nevertheless it was a treat to get someone new. She's like a cross between Colbie Cailait and Norah Jones (*note for Natalie - NOT "hate-your-dad" girl music).

So here are the steps I go through when learning to love new music:

Put cd (or ipod playlist) on in car. Listen to it - and only it - for many days, even weeks in a row.

First listen-through: "Hmm. These songs all sound the same."

Second listen-through: "This isn't as good as ____ (last obsession). But I'll listen out of obligation to ____ (whoever gave it to me)"

Third listen-through: "Well, maybe #3 and #10 are okay songs."

Fourth listen-through: "I really do like #10. And #2 and #7 are soulful."

(catch self singing song #2 even thought I don't know the words at work ALL DAY.)

Fifth listen-through: Play song #2 on repeat a couple of times to learn the words .

Sixth listen-through: "#6 is getting on my nerves. And how 'come I never noticed #12 before? It's so deep, and really applies to my life."

(text Rachel about my new favorite song, what's hers, la la la and connect over this new music.)

Seventh, Eighth, and on and on: "I love so many of these songs! What was I thinking? It's beautiful. Man, I love music. I wish I could only explain how much. Maybe I'll write a blog."

(From henceforth and hereafter, crave listening to this new artist just as much as my others.)

Some people are passionate about great works of art in the form of paintings and history. Others love architecture, dance, drama... Call me simple but I love Music as art. It is my poetry, my muse, my cathartic release. Not in an obsessive way - I'm far from someone who walks around with ipod headphones dangling (in fact I don't even use headphones, EVER) but it is my place of enjoyment and escape.

So if any of you want to try experiencing it as I do... try my recipe listed above. If you want a recommendation of where to start, of course I'm overflowing with opinions. Thanks for listening!

Proud Moment

I fixed my off-balance, drive-me-crazy-by-clicking-off-and-on-at-random-times-all-night ceiling fan all by myself last night.

Just thought you'd like to know I'm not totally incompetent as the handyman of my house.

The Things I Learn

Yesterday I took a girl to the Skate Park in Orem as a reward for good behavior. See? Sometimes my job is lots of fun.

Having never been to the skate park, it was an interesting experience. The population consisted of:

15 Males

14 Big Gulps

13 longer-than average hairdos

12 empty Big Gulps (litter)

11 times this teeny blonde tried to grind a rail - and got too scared to jump up (I don't blame him)

10 skateboards

9 nice-looking boys that probably pass the sacrament on Sundays

8 shirted males

7 shirtless males

6 tattoos on Old Man (see #1)

5-year old son of the Old Man kept saying 'Daddy! Daddy!' and getting ignored

4 cell phones sitting alone, in plain open sight, begging to be stolen
4 times Old Man biffed it

3 scooters
3 bikes
3 ipods sitting next to afore-mentioned cell phones

2 females (me, and my client)

1 old man - well, at 32 you stick out like a sore thumb. The next closest age was 14.
1 camera - some kid taping his friend doing tricks

0 helmets or protective gear
0 mothers
0 responsible adults

Someday my kids will want to hang out in 'cool' places like this and I decided maybe it's not the haven of filth and debauchery I pictured it. And that I have to lighten up. But they'll still get their chores done first . But perhaps only in daylight hours.

The Half Breed

I've decided there are two types of blogs - (1) History/Journal blogs, and (2) Witty, Random-Thoughs/Happenings blogs that are delightfully entertaining.


My blog is a mutt.

I am the only adult in my household during those evening hours when most people update their spouse/roommate/significant other on those random thoughts that give our lives true personality. Therefore, world wide web, you get my brain dumps. And Adrie updates. Thanks for listening.

• I can't stop thinking about the Nikon D300 and how badly I want it. Thank you Amazon Reviews for leaving me drooling. So I started a little ING account to set aside photography income, determined that I will pay cash from genuine business if/when I purchase. Mmm hmm. Why do I need another camera, you ask? High ISO settings with little noise. Layman's terms? You can take pictures in the dark (almost) and still get great color, sharp images, and none of those rainbow-spot-fuzzy things called 'noise.' It's another great way to rely on technology instead of my mad skillzzz.

• My SI joint hurts again. Bad. Just because I slept on my back the other night. Boo.

• Lagoon! Adrie cried to get on the rides, then cried to get off. She may be a brave explorer and never once look back to see where I am, but when it comes to things that move on their own with no explanation, she's terrified. But rather than bore you with paragraphs of text re: one fun day, here are the highlights:

Sunscreen in baby's eyes * Seasick on the Merry Go-Round (me) * Puff the Magic Dragon, Airplanes, Boats, the Train Ride and growling at the bear * Re-Entry (the big, tall, drop) - 3 times with Rachel & Talia. I love that ride * Babies sleeping to "Little Mermaid" together on the bed in the motor home * the $2.50 Diet Coke 'shots' * Fried Chicken Dinner * Babies on Tidal Wave = Not Smart * Headaches from Wicked & Colossus (I'm getting old I guess) * The awesome exit directly from the park to our Campground * Laguna Beach kid's pool by myself with Adrie * Late night talks with Rachel & Mary *

Thank you G&G for a great, fun day!

Sunday

I am resisting (1) eating (difficult with my beastly appetite) and (2) napping (I have the most beautiful bed.) It's a tough road.

SO I'll catch you up on life.

Last night we got to welcome Ryan home from Sydney, Australia. I have never gotten to greet a missionary at the airport before, so it was a fun experience. Adrie had never met her Uncle Ryan so she was a little uninterested, but we made her hold the sign anyway.
I have the most perfect life. Seriously, I have loved every minute of this long, slow weekend. I have devoted myself to house projects and gotten lots of organizing and decorating done. Adrie's room is the only 100% finished room in the house so here are pictures.

Adrie is darling as ever, keeping herself entertained and learning new things every single second. So, what 'update' blog would be complete without a list of the latest for posterity?

• Naming colors everywhere. She knows all the rainbow plus black, brown, and white.
• However, she always, always answers "Red" first when you say "What color is that?"
• "What happened?" and "See it?" and "Wook!"
• It's getting downright embarassing to have her pointing out "Grandpa" everywhere we go - to every male over age 35. She still "shhh's" every baby we see.
• Every little flying this is a "Buh-fly".
• Every sound she can't see is an "Ai-plane".
• She sings with me! She knows the key words to "You are my Sunshine" and "Under the Sea" and does her best to keep up.
• She sings at the top of her lungs in church, nonsense words of course, but the BEST was marching her feet on the bench during "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and laughing great belly laughs at all the people who were looking at her :)
• She devours chili and beans of any sort.
• She loves climbing stairs, even more than the playground.
• Let's not forget every time she sees a star or hears the word "star" she puts her hands up high above her head and sings something that sounds like "up above the world so high..."
•