Hand Over the Legos

I will give you a few moments to breathe in this whole scenario.

Yes. It is just what it looks like. A huge bowl covered with life-size silver hands, all scrambling to play with a mountain of colorful Legos inside. I can explain.
You know how your kids get older and the toys of their youth fade away over the years? And usually you're happy about it because there are certain toys - such as Legos - that when hidden in a diaper or stepped on in the dark can create a certain amount of unwelcome drama? Not to mention trauma?
Well, it never ceases to amaze me, how after many years of those types of toys being absent, you begin to miss them again. Perhaps you long for your children to be young again. Perhaps those toys bring back good memories. Perhaps you yourself miss playing with them. Perhaps you've lost what's left of your mind.
Whatever the reason, I thought it would be fun to have a gazillion Legos right smack in the middle of my coffee table, so anyone and everyone could have a fun time playing with them. Whether it's game night, or Davy is here with a bunch of friends, or just a quiet evening, I guess you can't go wrong with Legos. They're a classic after all. And after I saw this handy bowl, I just knew it was perfect!

Everyone will just be dying to play ;)

Hmmm..........

Hey - how did this get on here? ;)

Crusty Old Windows

Hmmm... now what do you suppose I would be doing with 3 crusty, old windows? I have had these windows for years. They've quietly waited in the garage, outside in the dirt, and are currently loitering on the side of the house. For all the potential they have, I'm afraid I haven't been very kind to them. But their time is coming...
Very chippy, as you can see. Quite a bit of that paint is going to have to go... I think it's actually begging to be gone... but I'm going to keep as much as possible. All 3 windows still have their glass panes, though 1 pane has a crack.
Three different windows... three different possibilities. What could my deviously creative mind possibly be cooking up? Oh don't worry. Just eat your Ruffles and drink your diet Coke and stay tuned. I've got these covered :)

Memorial Day 2009

My girlfriend Wendy sent this to me in an e-mail recently. For those of you who aren't familiar with Baxter Black, he's what many refer to as a modern day cowboy poet, and a famous one at that. In constant high demand, he entrances audiences of all ages with his wit and wisdom. Over many years he's become somewhat of a national treasure. Please listen to his short message. I'm not sure it's possible to ever properly thank all those who have served so that we may have the blessings we enjoy in the greatest country on earth. But it's always worth trying, and something we must never stop reflecting upon nor take for granted.

Have a lovely Memorial Day!

Davy & Val - Senior Prom 2009

warning: if you can't stand people slathering their blogs with endless photos of their children, then make haste and click on a much more significant link (ie; global warming, war, general mayhem, how Kris won American Idol when Adam should have, etc). Consider yourself warned.

May 23 was Davy's senior prom. LOOK AT THIS GORGEOUS COUPLE!!! I mean, seriously, are they not absolutely beautiful or what! The festivities were held at Universal Studios, and to be honest, they aren't even home yet - not by a longshot! We are all anxious to know how it was and hear all about their adventures - what everyone was wearing, who they hung out with the most, breakfast afterwards, who's house they end up at, etc.

Here are Davy & Val with their awesome friends Emily Fromm and Liam Moore. We *heart* them :) Davy and Emily actually grew up together all through elementary school so they've known each other forever. Cute, huh :)

Are they the cat's meow or what!

Never Too Late

I just received my Mother's Day poem from Daniel in Ethiopia. Hey, any mother will agree that these two old adages really are true: better late than never, and it's the thought that counts. Especially when it's something this precious :)

happy belated mothers day! i love you!

here is your poem:

so strange the way our heartstrings play
at times they brave so pure a faith
at times they break and fear to pray
but break or brave, the subtle tune
feels like one you always knew
and teaches in the way it soothes

her heartstrings whisper gentle tones
when love collides with fear and stone
when ice winds blow into her home
but ice or stone, the storm will spend
and she will hear the tune again
her heartstrings blessed and made to mend

love you mom!

Wild Child joins the Guideposts Blog Network :)

More Guideposts LOVE peeps! As most of you know, I am a huge fan of Guideposts Magazine - that small yet mighty monthly gem, packed full of inspirational stories that continually restore my faith in mankind. I have posted about them here before. Oh yeah.

Guideposts recently added a new Blog Network to their website, and I was just contacted and informed that wild child has been listed as part of their network. How cool is that! How seriously cool! I am thrilled and honored, to say the least. The very least :)

If you follow THIS LINK, it takes you to the Guideposts Blog Network: Network Directory. Scroll down and you will see all the categories in the center. You will see wild child listed under Personal Change. So there I am! Hang out and browse a while. You will find many excellent blogs there, and you will find endless amazing articles as well. There is something for everyone. The ones involving animals are always among my favorites - so touching :)
I'm also stealing (wait - let's call that copying and pasting) some opportunities for you to give Guideposts a try for yourself. We can all use inspiration - especially these days! Every time I'm sinking, Guideposts lifts me back up. I don't know what I'd do without it. Check it out! Twitter too!

tweet!

Yusuf - welcome back Cat Stevens

What a comfort to hear this voice again after so many years.

Much of my growing up was spent listening to the melodious, heartfelt songs of Cat Stevens. Many of his songs shaped my life. And throughout my life, not a week has gone by when I haven't listened to his Greatest Hits album. Really. His song "Morning Has Broken" remains one of my three all-time favorite songs to this very day. I suspect it always will. So when he left the music scene at the height of his popularity, converted to Islam and virtually disappeared, I was still young and did not understand his reasons - and I was devastated.

I had heard things about Cat Stevens now and again - renamed Yusuf Islam and called simply, Yusuf - but had given up the thought of ever hearing his beloved voice. So imagine my delight when he resurfaced recently - finally here in the U.S. with his characteristic musical persona still intact. Bringing with him a lovely new CD - "Roadsinger" - blending his delightful insight with that comforting voice only he can own. Take a moment and check it out on iTunes - it's worth it.

Welcome back my friend. Many years have passed. I have missed you very much.

Calendar Girl

So do tell - what is your all-time favorite personal calendar in the universe? I know, I know - it's no where near the end of the year, so why are we talking about calendars now? Well, right about now is when you are deciding that you either *love* the calendar you chose to use for 2009, or you'd like to rip it into tiny pieces and make paper pulp out of it. If you're like me and depend on calendars as much as I do, then you have specific requirements you can be, shall we say, quite passionate about.

For years now I have made my own calendar. As simple as my specific requirements are, I have never found them in a mass produced calendar. So out of necessity I started making my own. They are not adorable or mod or whimsical or whatever the newest buzzword is. But so many people ask me about my calendars, here's the scoop:

This is what it looks like plain. I choose new paper every year, and I just copy & paste whatever font I like from the computer onto my white master. I keep all months & days fill-in. I use the upper half for day to day appointments, and the lower half for my "to-do" list and important information (messages, phone numbers, etc). I usually include some type of little inspirational message to myself as well. I always make sure to have more than 52 pages because not only will I make a few mistakes along the way, I will probably want to start at least a few weeks into January of the following year. I can do all this myself at a place like Kinko's, and then they will bind it for me while I wait (use a piece of sturdy cardboard for backing).

The most important thing to notice here are just a few differences regarding what you usually see in store-bought calendars. First off, I must see the entire week at a glance. Secondly, my week has to start on a Monday - more on that later! And third, I have to have enough room for a substantial "to-do" list area. I tend to write a LOT of things down!

Here is a really typical week of what my days are like, and what my "to-do" list is like - and just like your list, I'm sure it varies constantly. Every year I transfer birthdays, anniversaries, etc. onto my calendar, and I make good use of the back side as well, using it for such things as projects I want to start, ideas I may have, Christmas lists, etc. (my kids have still never figured that one out after all these years.....)

Here is what a typical "to-do" list would look like. And make no mistake - I am one of those people who gets a huge rush from crossing off things from my list. Go figure. It keeps me out of trouble, so what can I say. Well, usually.
Okay, my calendar week MUST start on a Monday and end on a Sunday. That's just how my brain works. I can't explain it. I just go with it. And that's how I need to see it when I'm working with my calendar. To have the week start on a Sunday is just something I can't wrap my brain around. Monday is the first day of the week, and the weekend is at the end of the week. Right? RIGHT!?!?!

Just a few more examples of some of the calendars I've made over the years.

Utah spring

All right, all right..... no more poking fun at Utah. Actually, I think Utah is beautiful, especially it's mountains. Flying into Salt Lake City is one of my favorite things - and that's coming from someone who hates to fly - because I can't get enough of it's ginormous mountain ranges. And if they are still snow-capped, against a turquoise sky, it's almost too much for me to take. Utah's mountains are so large they're like an optical illusion. Even at night when it's dark, you can still sense their huge blackness looming like a blanket.
Spring and fall are my favorite seasons in Utah, and this spring was beautiful. Unfortunately, my camera was on the wrong setting. Even though I was frustrated as to why my close-ups were not turning out, I was ridiculous enough to chalk it up to my fuzzy eyesight. Consequently, I had to delete something like 80 photos (!@#$%^&*!)
I don't know what kind of flower this is - anyone know? My cousin Shelly loves these but neither one of us know what it is called.
I stood in the middle of this huge tree, surrounded by all these heavy boughs to get this photo - the scent was exquisite :)
Shelly and I drove by this paint horse grazing in it's meadow two days in a row to get this picture. Love, love, love it. I could have sat here all day :)

Poking Fun

Oh, Utah. Utah is with their soda, as Washington is with their coffee. What you see before you, is an average example of a Utah mini-mart, complete with a 20 selection soda fountain - yes, I said TWENTY - and mug offerings in sizes of up to a 100oz. Yes, ONE HUNDRED OUNCES of liquid fizz. Enough caffeine to freak you out about things that haven't even happened.
Here is my cousin Shell, filling up what I love to refer to as her VAT. This is her evening ritual. She is being a very good sport to let me poke fun at her. But that's one of the many reasons I love her.
64oz of insulated diet Coke. Now that's what I'm talkin' 'bout. Have mercy. But I can tell you right now, if I showed up in California with one of these vats, I would be stared down until I had more holes in my head than I already have. And we're big on diet Coke here! I mean BIG! But heaven forbid a Californian be seen with one of these. The very thought.
I snapped this photo of these 3 vats waiting to be refilled before the woman who owned them knew what I was doing. They were sitting on top of the hood of her car while she was renting a DVD. You can tell they've been around the block a few times. People become very attached to their vats. Shudder.

hi from Utah

Hi peeps! Just a quick hello from my cousin's house in Utah! I've been here visiting for a few days and having a wonderful girlfriend time - ahhhhhhhh :)
These tulips were sent to my cousin from one of her girls for Mother's Day. She has five wonderful grown children (!!!) and six precious grandchildren (!!!) with 2 more already on the way (!!!)

So this photo is very fitting and I love it :)

great Mother's Day

What a nice Mother's Day :) First of all, is this the cutest little clay ladybug pot you have ever seen in your entire life or WHAT. My Matthew made it just for me in his art class at school, knowing how much I love ladybugs. The second I saw it, I loved it so much, I wanted to pretend he was still three years old and cradle him in my arms, and kiss his cheeks, and nibble on his neck, and tickle his belly until he laughed his little elf laugh. Oh Matthew, thank you for being so precious.

And speaking of precious things, every year the thing I usually "require" of my family for Mother's Day (I use that term loosely) is that each one of them write me a poem. There are no rules whatsoever, so it can be long, short, serious, witty... whatever. I love them ALL. I keep them in a special folder, and it goes without saying that the poems all my guys have written over the years mean the entire world to me. Here is Davy's poem this year:

If time was a stone that I cast from my hand,

And the ripples were love from the water it hit,

I'd jump in the pond and fish the stone out,

And hold to it's nurture,

In case

Of a drought.

My mother's the energy that dwells within ponds,

And had she not held me I would've drowned,

And if she'd not been so transparently clean,

My stone,

That I cast...

I wouldn't have seen.

Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Oh Davy - thank you, thank you.
Here I am looking like a yenta. I was even having a good hair day, but you can't tell. Davy hates how he's smiling... look how sweet Matthew looks. I just love my boys. We never heard from Daniel in Ethiopia and we miss him halfway around the world. But I had an awesome day and am so grateful to be a mom. I hope all of you had an amazing Mother's Day too.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy, Happy Mother's Day to one and all! When you really think about it, deep inside we are all mothers in one way or another - are we not? Please enjoy God's lovely, lovely flowers - and I wish for you a day every bit as wonderful as you are :)

Time Out

I know, I know - it's been daaaaaays since I've posted anything of real substance! It's been driving me NUTS! I finally decided I need to declare an *official* break so I won't feel like I have an anvil tied around my neck anymore. I have lots of posts in the works, but with the assistance of my genius friend Maria I'm mainly figuring out how to change my photos in order to to make them larger and more professional. Love de photos. I don't know how long it will take to try to wrap my little pointed head around that kind of technical blah blah, so definitely don't hold your breath. But do keep your fingers crossed. In any case, I'll bust on in here to post some lovely flowers and wish you all a happy Mother's Day :)

feeling the love

Still feeling colorful love today peeps :)

Only instead of flowers, we have hand-carved soapstone hearts

The turquoise one is my fave. Are you feeling the love too?

Have an awesome weekend everyone!