Satisfaction

So. We're going home. Leaving tomorrow, we'll drive and drive and drive some more. I can't wait until we drive past Willits... onto the Avenue of the Giants. I am going to roll down my window, stick out my tongue and TASTE the air that those redwood trees are exhaling, just for me. Thanks, trees.

My parent's house is what we will see first. I'll walk into it and look up the stairs to a paint chipped wall and some 'curtains' on the windows. Oh, the memories. What a beautiful, used, lived in, living, moist, 3-story house. In Eureka.

We will be spending most of the time in Arcata at my Grandparent's house. A virtual 15-acre jungle gym. With trees, a pond, and my Grandma's garden. Hm... the first things that come to mind are red licorice and making up dances to the Spice Girls with my young girlie cousins. All of us have grown up fast, and now I am bringing my own kids.

First I was a kid, then I was 18 and moving out and not sure where home was anymore. Now I know where home is. It's wherever Jake and my girls are. It's wherever I can lay down at night, on a bed, a pile of grass, a hammock, and lay my head on Jake's chest and talk about our girls. And our life. That is the best feeling in the world.

Wedding Reception

Naomi and Bethany came to Utah to visit. We went to Melanie Messerly's reception in Provo last weekend. Gideon's "jammin out" like usual. We've done a million things with the girls, it's been so fun. Wish Rachel was here--- Hannah is married and lives in Farmington. Miriam goes to BYU. I love my sisters!!! Now Grace is one of us.

Beautiful wedding cake.

So. I am sitting on a lovely chair in the back garden of a reception center. I can hear talking and laughing from inside the beautiful hall, and I am taking photos of people here and there, and enjoying myself.

Suddenly my little sister Bethany comes bounding out of the back door of the reception hall and has a very very concerned look on her face. Hm.. I wonder. What could it be? Grace has had an accident in the middle of the room? Grace has spilled juice on the bride's gown? My husband is feeding Ruby a slice of cheesecake?

Oh, no. No, none of those were even close to as bad as the truth really was. Bethany just said, "COME LOOK AT THE CAKE!!!" I thought, oh well Grace probably touched one of the chocolate raspberry cakes that were on the banquet table next to the wedding cake. Well, I posted this picture of Grace's finger marks in the beautiful wedding cake because I just can't quite explain in words how I felt when I saw it. They had to turn the cake around when they were cutting it so they wouldn't see the finger marks in the pictures!!!! This just confirms what I have always known deep down: My children are nuts.

Currently...

Grace's 'toothy' grin and Ruby's belly button...just tiny parts of what I love so much. This last picture is of Ruby and Grace together...Ruby isn't happy but it's not because Grace is in her personal space. Instead, she is mad because a half hour before this picture, I put her hair in pony tails for the first time ever. She was NOT happy about this. Not only was she not happy but even in the car she would shout from the back seat, "MAM". I would look back there and she would jerk her arm up and down while pointing to her pony tail. I have never seen a clearer cue to "TAKE THESE DARN THINGS OUT".

Can't sleep...

20 years ago I . . .
1. was in Second Grade.
2. used to ride a big wheel trike down the street with my sisters and buy penny tootsie rolls at Bonomini's market.
3. thought I was pregnant (I didn't really know how that 'whole thing' happened, so I just kept looking at my stomach thinking, well... it kind of looks like mom's... I was confused.)

10 years ago I . . .
1. worked at Adel's restaurant in Eureka, CA
2. thought I would attend UC Irvine and study English and International Relations.
3. saw my first bear standing on its hind legs a few yards away in the middle of the night in Tuolumne Meadows, CA (dad lit and threw fire crackers at it while Laurel and I were just too scared to move).

5 years ago I . . .
1. quit the job I had worked for in Provo for almost 4 years and moved to Salt Lake.
2. got married in the Oakland, CA temple!!!! Honeymoon to Palm beach, FL, and went to see Les Mis in Las Vegas a week after that.
3. husband almost died on a hike where he got dehydrated climbing Mt. Olympus...we had only been married 3 weeks.

3 years ago I . . .
1. met my wonderful beautiful fabulously intriguing baby Grace (she 'got born' as she puts it now...wish it was that easy).
2. went back to work at Southwest, quit that, worked at Snowbird, quit, worked as a Nanny for six months, then went back to school for two semesters.
3. Still living at the University Apartments.

1 year ago I . . .
1. Almost moved to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. Jake got a job offer there... I was eight months pregnant with Ruby.
2. Decided to move to Mesa, Arizona instead. Ruby was born one week before we flew to Arizona to live.
3. Turned 26.

So far this year I . . .
1. haven't seen my dad ONE STINKIN' TIME!!!!!!
2. have wanted (and been completely ready to) move a thousand different places.
3. have decided a thousand times we were not moving back to Utah :)
4. moved back to Utah :)

Yesterday I . . .
1. Took the girls to Story Time at the Lehi Public Library.
2. Went to Yoga class, on the way home rented "Lost" and we hated it.. too scary.
3. Ate a lot of red licorice during "Lost", which made me unable to sleep last night... which made me take a nap today, which is causing my complete INSOMNIA right now... that's why I'm writing this.

Today . . .
1. I turned 27.
2. Took Ruby and Grace to lunch at Cafe Rio, went out to dinner with Jake and the girls and Lindsey, Kelly and Christian, then went to the park afterward. Watched the last episode of "Lost" and vow never to rent any more seasons...
3. Ended the day with complete satisfaction with my life. My husband, my girls, our lives together.

Tomorrow. . .
1. Grace has a check-up at the doctor.
2. I plan to do the family's laundry, return a video, call our insurance company, mail some stuff, register the car, clean off the patio, develop some film, pick up a few groceries, try NOT watching Dumbo today, vacuum out the car... and... relax... oh, and keep one eye on the girlies.
3. Definitely, definitely, exercise.

In the next year I shall . . .
1. move into our first house!!!!!!!
2. take a family trip to Seattle.
3. go back to school.

copy and paste on your blog or email it, I would love to read everyone else's!

New House

This is our new house (the beginning of it). It's in Lehi, close to Highland. It should be done by August or September. We are so excited!!! I included a picture of our neighborhood, the view from our future front porch. Are we really old enough to own a house?????

A Morning Meal

The girls are eating "Brecky" (breakfast) together. Grace likes to drink out of Ruby's bottles... she digresses so quickly! :)

Grace puts on her swimsuit in the morning and if I let her, would wear it under her clothing wherever we went. But since it is 95 outside lately, I thought she could use some airing out so I don't let her wear it out of the house. Wish all of you could see these girls in action... Sometimes I feel like I am in a Disney movie. With two princesses. There is drama, music, tears, and always peace and happiness at the end (bedtime).

Then there's Ruby. Experiencing the world at Mom's eye level. Things are better there.

Delicious baby Grace

I thought after three years of constant staring there would come a time when I would not look at her so often... but that time has not come and never will. I think I must kiss her 46 times per day. On each facial feature. Attempted hugs: maybe, hm... 60. Moments of impatience and anger at her: let's just say that the kissing is far more frequent.