highlights

The highlights of our trip to DFW:

For the kids, the highlight was their first swim of the year.
In the fabulous La Quinta pool, no less.

For me, the highlight was all the lovely real estate. Lots of pretty houses!

Grateful Sunday

This week, I'm grateful for:

• our highly successful weekend trip. We just got back tonight, more on that later.
• my dad, who's getting better, slowly but surely. He had a bad week.
• my husband, for being so awesome and totally rocking dental school and his subsequent specialty training. I'm so proud of him and SO excited that we are about to really get our life started, thanks to him and 12 years of majorly hard work. Also on the grateful list, Neal was released from his church calling today (EQPres). After almost three years of that, we're both ready for a change.
  
• my friend, Emily, for giving us so much info on her area of Texas. It's been so valuable. What a great friend!
• happy children during our road trip. Well, Miles wasn't so happy, but I'm still grateful for him. Especially because tonight, he said "please" for the first time ever ("Beez", more like.), while asking for more orange juice.
• the fact that our house was spared during a weekend thunderstorm. This house, not far from ours, wasn't so lucky. (Lightning strike!)

boycott over

We made a return trip to our favorite Mexican restaurant the other night. We (I) had started a little boycott after a friend of mine had an up close and personal experience there with several dozen roachie friends last year. Trouble is, we love Mexican food as much as we love each other. The other trouble is, they have this awesome sand/play area for the kids to play in while we wait for a table.

So, we swallowed our pride and went back. We sat outside (hopefully out of certain bugs' territory), and no, I don't want to talk about the kitchen. Cuz you know why?

The tortillas rock my world. That's why.

He's five today!

Here are some of my favorite pictures of Parker from years gone by. From a chubby, squishy marshmallow baby to our handsome, grown up boy.

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008.

happy birthday parker!

Grateful Sunday

This week, I'm grateful for:

• Parker Day, which was on Friday. A wonderful day to celebrate my parents' first date and all the successful ones after that.
• My Parker's day; he turns five tomorrow.
  
• eleven o'clock church. It's perfect, isn't it?
• midnight thunderstorms and sunny mornings.
• rotisserie chickens. They make my life easier. This is yummy.
  
• the 48-hour car wash rainy day guarantee.
• yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting. What? I've already had three today?
  

yard sale

I spent 2 hours in the dark and 4 hours in the sun with my friend, Stephani, this morning.

Grand total for yard sale crapola: $157.85

Woohoo!

A Little Off the Top, or, A Sad Day for Mama

Miles had a real big-kid haircut today: his first one. His hair was pretty uneven, and as much as I hated to admit it, it really needed to be trimmed up.

Tangent: The first thing Neal said to me after they took Miles from my womb was, "his mouth is HUGE!" Not exactly what I wanted to hear his Daddy say upon first seeing my baby, but, compared to his not-even-six-pound body, his mouth was pretty big. He proved again today just how big he can make it. He was not happy about the lap strap in the yellow taxi chair OR the crazy blue cape around his neck.

But soon he settled down and sat very still for the lady while she trimmed. She finished quickly, telling him the whole time how handsome he was.

I have to concur. I love this little guy so much. Since he is most likely my last baby, I positively treasure the moments I have with him while he's still so little. It's hard not to grieve a bit, though. I read this quote in my book last night and it fit so well with how a woman can feel as she watches her last baby grow up. Mary is talking about her little boy, Henry. He's about 4 or 5:

"No mother in the world could have seen [his golden curls] cut without tears, he was my baby, and the last thing I wanted was for him to leave behind his curls and his baby plumpness, the last thing I wanted was to see any change in the way he held out his arms to be picked up, the unsteady rushing of his fat little legs. . . . [But] when I saw the boy he was, and the young man that he might become, I did not grieve any more for the baby he had been."

Except I think that fictional Mary Boleyn is stronger than I will be. I know I'll miss my baby when he's not a baby anymore.

Fivers

Natalie did this fun Fives meme a while back. I pared it down a little bit and here it is!

5 images (not photos from family albums) I love and why:

I love Audrey Hepburn, have for many years, and this picture is just so pretty.

This one just makes me laugh. These girls are so cute, and I accidentally did this once in Tokyo.

This picture is so calm and serene, and life with babies is so often that way. Just mom & baby & quiet. I love those days.

I just really love the elegance of this room. That painting is to die for.

I love the simplicity of this small bedroom. It has all the essentials and beautiful light.

5 years ago I was ...
living in a condo in Houston. Audrey was 2, and I was about 37 weeks pregnant. I was having lots of contractions and doing my best to keep Parker from being born. Neal was in his third year of dental school, which was a lot better than the second year. I was busy chatting with my old lady neighbors and having friends over for lunch. Summer was almost upon us and I was still driving my Saab.

5 months ago I was ...
enjoying lovely cooler weather. It was about that time in November when things start cooling off down here in the tropics. Neal and I were celebrating our ninth year of marriage with not only a dinner date, but an overnight stay away from home. I was also getting a Thanksgiving menu together with some friends.

5 hours ago I was ...
trying to decide if Audrey and Parker should go to school. They both have nasty sore throats and swollen tonsils. But Parker had a field trip and Audrey's about to repeat first grade if she misses any more school. They both went. Yogurt and pudding for lunch. Don't judge me.

5 minutes ago I was ...
posting something on A Room Somewhere.

5 things on my 'to do' list today:
1. Call the sprinkler guy
2. Start pricing my garage sale goods
3. Get new ink for the printer (the one errand I forgot to run this morning in the midst of my other six errands)
4. Drive to the horse ranch for riding lessons, get dinner right afterwards (fast food), and meet Neal at the school for open house by 7:00
5. Take a shower and dry my hair

5 recent pieces of mail I've received:
1. a beautiful print (and a few extras) from Sarah Jane Studios, a thank-you for the publicity I gave her shop a few months ago
2. a skirt I ordered from Downeast basics, in red
3. a cute little notebook from Natalie, and a thank-you note for a congratulatory gift I sent her
4. a postcard invite to Tyler's art show
5. Cape Cod & Grand Cayman sand from Andie

5 things I would do if I became a billionaire:
1. pay off student debt
2. buy Neal a new car or two
3. buy my parents' house in California so my mom wouldn't stress about it anymore
4. travel the world for several months (with a nanny of some sort)
5. start a really nice practice for Neal. He'd only have to work 1 day a week, and it would be just for fun.

5 of my bad habits:
1. tailgating
2. staying up too late
3. back seat driving
4. shopping
5. cleaning my ears

5 good memories:
1. family trips we took when I was a child
2. any time I've spent at my grandma's house, no matter my age
3. laughing fits with Stephanie when we shared a room as girls
4. fun times my freshman year at BYU
5. the first time I met/went on a date/kissed Neal

5 places I've lived:
1. Villa Park, California
2. Provo, Utah
3. Houston, Texas
4. Los Angeles, California
5. London, England (if you count one college term as "living")

5 songs I love:
1. Grace Kelly by Mika
2. Lay Lady Lay by Magnet
3. Bleecker Street by Simon & Garfunkel
4. You've Got to Hide Your Love Away by The Beatles
5. I Will by The Beatles

5 jobs I've had:
1. office assistant for my dad
2. waitress
3. Nordstrom sales girl
4. editorial assistant at my Church's headquarters
5. piano teacher

5 things in my virtual shopping bags:
1. these shoes, which I came across blogging today
2. this t-shirt, or something else from this shop
3. a print of this photograph
4. one of these prints
5. this dress from J. Crew

5 books I love to death:
1. The Emily of New Moon series by LM Montgomery
2. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
3. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
4. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
5. A Portrait of a Lady by Henry James

5 things that are out of place around my house:
1. my computer, which is now on the floor since I'm selling my computer table
2. the Spiderman Mr. Potato Head pieces, all over the family room floor
3. a case-less pillow by the laundry room door. I can't remember which bed it goes to.
4. two vacuums near the kitchen table
5. my wedding rings, which are on the desk in my room instead of on my finger. I have a rash.

5 things I love to eat:
1. cupcakes
2. a good deli sandwich with everything on it
3. ice cream
4. chips & Neal's mango salsa
5. edamame

5 destinations I'm dying to see:
1. Italy, all of it
2. the Maldives
3. Prince Edward Island
4. Quebec
5. the South of France

5 scents I love:
1. plumeria flowers, preferably on a tree in Hawaii
2. clean babies, but also
3. post-nap, a little bit sweaty Miles
4. my own clean, wet hair
5. freshly laundered sheets

5 people (who are not blood relations or in-laws) who have had a positive impact on my life:
1. Mr. Barrett, my high school English and Latin teacher. He helped me learn to love words.
2. Certain friends of mine who go on despite unimaginable challenges
3. Natalie. It's fun to have a best friend.
4. My boss when I worked for my church in SLC. He made me confident in my editing skills.
5. Melinda M*, my young women's president while I was a teen. She was fun, faithful and loving. I appreciated every minute she spent with us girls.


you try!

Sold?

It looks like we may have sold our house! If everything goes smoothly, we'll be closing in about 30 days. Now, I've heard too many real estate horror stories (mostly from my parents), and I don't want to put the cart before the horse, so we're not saying it's SOLD until we actually sign the papers. But it looks like we'll be out of our house by the end of June! I'll tell you more about where we'll be going in a later post. Ahem.

Luckily for me and my purging ways (I love to get rid of "stuff"), I'm involved in a community yard sale this weekend. Just in time for me to do some major closet cleaning and furniture ditching. I'm not a seasoned garage saler, however, and I know that some of you are, so I'm coming to you for help! Since the sale is not at my actual house (it's in a parking lot), I'm not quite sure what the set-up will be like. I have a ton of clothes to sell, mostly adult clothes, and I'm scrambling to figure out how to best display them. I thought of asking the dry cleaners if I could rent a clothing rack for that morning, or maybe I'll string a rope between two trees to hang the clothes from. But there might not be trees. My final idea is to use a shower curtain rod and a couple of chairs or ladders. Bulky and in the way, most likely. I really dread a pile of clothes on a blanket on the ground, simply because I know they won't sell as well, and the unfolded mass will drive me crazy for 4 hours.

Any ideas? Best garage sale tips? Do you think I'll be the only seller who needs a calculator?

Also, I have a bit of stuff to sell. I really want Miles' crib bedding to go to somebody who'll take care of it, so I thought I'd offer it up on my blog before it comes with me to the sale on Saturday. It's from the Chase Nursery Bedding line from Pottery Barn Kids. It's still available at full price on their website, click here to see more and let me know if any of you want it!

Grateful Sunday

This week, I'm grateful for:

• cousins. We had such a blast with the P kids.
• blog friends. Andie, whom I've never met, was so sweet to send me some of her sand collection this week. Packaged up all pretty and just for me, it made my day. Other blog friends are at the ready to help us with questions about new neighborhoods and so much more. Blogs are the best!
• a fun-filled weekend. Camping, packing boxes, girls' night and Audrey's awesome piano recital. Too bad it ended with all three kids being sick.
  

More of my favorite pics from the cousins' visit last week, because surely, you haven't had enough:

On the bridge at the creek near our house.

Waiting in the rental car for the Space Center to open.

Miles loved Uncle Elliott. Sorry, Lincoln. You are the only one he doesn't like. :(

Popcorn during Willy Wonka (the old version). We had 5 kids singing the oompa loompa song for 3 days after this. Made me rethink my brilliant movie choice. :)

Girls' Night

Tonight was the Fathers and Sons campout, put together by our local church unit for all the boys and dads. Neal took Parker, and I can't wait to hear about it in the morning. Last time they went, Parker talked about it for days. Miles was all set to go camping, too, until this afternoon, when he woke up with a fever. So he came out for girls' night with Audrey and me and some of our friends. We hugged all through dinner and headed home for bed, while Audrey (lucky girl) got to go to the movies with the rest of the girls. She stayed out until 11:00 and got to carry her own purse.

Audrey and her friends, Raegan, Callie, Chelsea & Sydney.
I've got to do something about that dog of hers.

The mamas (Kim, Rebecca, Melanie & me). Don't ask me why I look pregnant in this picture.
I am not.

When I was little, I looked forward every year to the night the boys went camping with my Dad. That meant that my mom had booked a night at the Embassy Suites in Costa Mesa for us girls. Popcorn and Shirley Temples were free in the lobby from five to six o'clock, and that was big time fun for me and Stephanie. We'd spend the afternoon at South Coast Plaza, hit Esprit and maybe Nordstrom for some shopping, then spend a lovely night in the hotel down the freeway from our house. Way better than camping. :)

I'm so glad I have Audrey to do girlie things with! She's the best!

the babies

Miles and Sophie are just a couple of months apart. (He's older, she's bigger!) They are doing all the same things and saying all the same words. So many times while Sophie was here, she'd call out, "Mama!" and I'd answer. Vice versa with Miles & Ginger. It was so fun to watch them together. They became known as "the babies."

And I love this picture.

they used the force

Here are some highlights from Parker's early birthday party we held last weekend. We figured that since we'd have cousins in town and the part of the month when his real birthday is will be really busy, we'd hold his party early.

Star Wars was the theme. Those boys ate it up.

Pre-party lunch at Lupe's

Making paper Darth Vader masks

Handsome dude. He's gonna be five!

Fighting with light sabers

The inevitable birthday party tears (saber in the eye)

Wishes

Grateful Sunday

This week, I'm grateful for:

• our guests, Elliott & Ginger and their lovely kids. We all get along so very well, it's nothin' but fun around here!
• the one session of General Conference we got to watch/listen to today. Internet conference with 7 kids around is not easy.
• perfect outside weather. It cooled down just enough. Still warm, but not hot.

More pictures to come!

room for more?

Do you think we could fit both these scrumptious babies in one room for five nights?

I think the Mamas are gonna have to conference.

Sophie and her family are on their way here!

Afternoon Adventure

This is what springtime afternoons are made of around here:

Wildflowers everywhere.

Finding neat sticks.

Pink cheeks. Sweaty curls,











which lead to fun hairdos.

And exploration in the wilds beyond the edge of the neighborhood.
"It was kind of prickly, but really fun."