English Photography

25 more steps

Time is a strange thing for mother's.  Somedays feel like there should be a big S on your chest and a red cape hanging from your back because you have the energy and purpose of a super hero.  Other days feel like it is a crawl to the finish line on hands and knees at the end of the day and your not even sure you accomplished anything.  Lately, for me, it has been a crawl across the finish line truly perplexed and discourage at the mounting tasks that I just can't seem to get finished.  The other day I was feeling defeated while I was doing dishes and cleaning the kitchen that never stays clean.  The thought occurred to me that regardless of how I "feel" like I am doing, I am still accomplishing much. The outside world has no idea if it's a super hero day or a survival day. 

When I was a kid I hated hiking because I was slow and always felt like I wasn't good enough to keep up.  My dad would pace me and say 25 more steps and then you can rest for a minute and then 25 more steps.  Even at age 23 and climbing Utah's highest peak (King's Peak 13, 500feet)  my dad walked beside me saying 25 more steps then rest.  I realize as a mother, that is how I survive some of my day's.  I think, "Just clean up 10 more items and then you can rest for a minute." or "Just retouch one more order and then you can rest."   Sometimes letting go of reaching the top of the peak is the only way to make it 25 more steps because the WHOLE mountain of motherhood can seem insurmountable. 

And then the next morning comes and the super cape comes out and the obstacles seem tiny compared to the superpower that is motherhood.  The confidence returns and you feel like you not only can climb mountains but truly move them. 

Photographs are those moments when mom's can stop and realize it doesn't matter what kind of day we're having or whether we are crawling or flying as long as those little faces know they are loved....  And that is enough. 

This sweatheart came to visit me yesterday and lightened my whole day.  Thanks so much K for braving the snow.  I have to admit that you have THE BEST shoes for this cute baby.  I hope someday she realized just how stylish of mother you are.  My prediction is in 20 years the two of you will find much joy together at the Nordstoms shoe sale bonding as only mother and daughter can do.  These are good days... but those will be too.  Maybe you could find me the perfect shoes to match my super hero cape.

Winter Break 2012

These are not the toes of children playing on the beaches of Mexico as is our usual tradition for winter break.  We opted for, what I will call, the bucket list vacation.  We checked a lot of items off the parental checklist and have returned home completely exhausted. 

Our road trip started off with our first two nights at the Golden Nugget hotel in Vegas.  I was less than thrilled when I first found out our accomodation, but I am happy to eat my words and say it was a fabulous place.  Josh kindly let the boys choose our hotel based on what type of swimming pool they had.  The boys were giddy with excitement to swim with the sharks at the Golden Nugget.  The pool is built around the giant shark tank with the ending of the waterslide shooting through a tube in the shark tank. You can swim right up to the tank and be nose to nose with a black tip reef shark and huge black grouper.  Needless to say the boys were in heaven, even though it was 50 degrees outside the water.

The kids loved the m&m store in Vegas and taking the monorail down the strip.  If you do the Vegas strip with kids I highly recommend going early in the day before the ground is littered with....... stuff.  The Mirage had a pretty great fish tank behind the check in counter.  I also ate lunch with Larry King at the Carnegie deli, he was sitting right behind me.

After Vegas we headed up to LA. We didn't want to be at any major theme park on Presidents Day so we opted to take Sasha to the American Girl store in The Grove in Los Angeles.  For those of you with American Girls I highly suggest a pilgrimage to one of the stores.  Sasha has been dying to get her dolls ears pierced.  She had never been to one of the stores and was absolutely beside herself in the store.  She was a little upset we had to wait 3 hours for her dolls hair appointment... but it was worth it.  This is Sasha on the drive up to the grove..so excited!

I was worried tears would be shed when they informed us that ear piercings happen in the back room "for safety reasons."  The boys had gotten Sasha all excited about the gun that would make the hole and she was momentarily crushed when her doll was taken away.  But we made it through just fine and everyone one had a great laugh at just how over the top the whole experience was at the store. 

Tuesday we headed to the Disney kingdom, it was crowded.....

The highlights for Sasha were meeting the princesses.  Since she didn't quite make the height requirement for the rides the boys wanted to go on we had to split up.  Sasha enthusiastically told me, " Let's do all the girly things we can!"  Apparently girly things means waiting in REALLY long lines for face time with disney royalty. 

The true highlight of Disneyland was Jonas being chosen for Jedi training.  Yes, it really is as awesome as everyone says it is!  I think Jonas floated for several hours after the experience, it was magic!  Here he is fighting Darth Maul.  Sasha was so scared she hide behind Josh the whole time.

The next day we detoxic from the crowds by enjoying one of my favorites, The Aquarium of the Pacific in Longbeach. As close to snorkling as you can get and still stay dry.

 Thursday brought us to Legoland in Carlsbad.  The kids had a wonderful time, I am not sure yet how I personally felt about it.  Josh loved all the lego cities they had built and all the life sized figures.  Gotta have a picture with R2 and Chewy.

I think the Lego driving course was the highlight ride for the kids.  They have a smaller course for Sasha sizes people and I am happy to report she passed the drivers test with flying colors.  Will did perfect staying on the right side of the road and Jonas excelled in looking bothways before proceeding into an intersection.

After that many lines and crowds, Josh and I were itching for a bigger adventure so we decided to add Death Valley to the drive home.  We arrived at the park about sunset so I threw some clothes on Jonas and snapped some portraits since he is in need of a new one.

I have ALWAYS wanted to see the "walking" rocks in Death Valley.  They are officially titled "sailing" rocks and they are one fo the few unsolved mysteries in the world.  It was 27 miles down a washboard road but worth every bump.  What a stunningly unique and beautiful place it was.  The texture of the dried ground was breathtaking! 

These are the sailing rocks which no one knows exactly how they move. No one has ever actually seen them move either.  It would have been a wonderful place to be at sunset but traveling with kids you have to enjoy whatever lighting you get.  It was so awesome to experience one of the last remaining mysteries on earth.  Death Valley is in the middle of no where, but well worth the drive.  It definitely satisfied Josh and I's more adventurous side.  Now only 365 more days to decide where next years trip will take us.

 

A heart felt Valentine's Day

Valentine's day use to be one of the most over rated holidays when I was young.  Now that I am older, I love the idea of sending unconditional love out in to the universe and hopefully making the world a better place.  I have a theory about Valentine's day, if every single person on the planet took one day, or even one hour, to focus on sending loving thought and gifts of gratitude we really could create the change this world so deperately needs.  So all day tomorrow I will be sending out messages of love to the collective universal conscienceness, if any of you are a little low you can reach out and grab my loving wishes.  My feelings about the day changed when I realized this day isn't about how many Valentine's appear in my Valentine's day box but how many gifts of love can I give away. 

My kids spent all afternoon yesterday prepping their cards for the big day.  I can't believe it but I think this was Will's last year of Valentine's.  He is off to middle school next year and I can't image the tradition will continue.  Each year I do my best to incorporate my kids current obsession into their cards.  Sasha had the brilliant idea of Angry Bird Valentine's.  No suprises, Jo went with a fish theme and Will is into model trains.  All of the cards were printed on a 4x5 cards, folded in half and then stapled to a bag of candy.

( This really is Jo's pet fish named Chaos)

Each year I focus on the kids interests because it acts like a little scrap book of the things they loved each year.

I wish each of you the very best day tomorrow and may you find love by giving it.