Water, Imagination, Warm Fuzzies

1) Water.
As I strive to drink down my 96+ oz of water daily, I think of those in Haiti and their lack of clean drinkable water, among other things. (and my friend, who's words are now constantly ringing in my head, when i think of her visit to Haiti and the terrible living conditions.  Her heart is breaking from the terrible news in Haiti, where she and her family adopted their son from and wonder if those they know are alive or dead) as i wash my family's laundry, clean our dishes, and bathe my children.  I feel privledged to be in a place where our basic needs are, quite often, taken for granted. 

2) Imagination.
While sitting back minding my own business, I overhear a converation Sam is having with himself between two blanket bears (one is white and actually belongs to Rianne.  The other a blue bear rattle blanket.  I intend to stow both away when he grows tired of them).  Turns out, that 1) the three year old has got quite the imagination, and, 2) by the sounds of it, we've got to do a little less of the demanding and a little bit more of the nice talking. 

3) Warm Fuzzies.
Tonight, while warming up some cheesey garlic bread in the oven, the smell brought in lots of warm, fuzzy feel-goods.  If only I could bottle those feel-goods and open them up on my rainy days.

quiet, back to what feels right, and music

It's been a *LONG* time since i've done a 3 Beautiful Things post.  I think it's about time, don't you?

1) The Quiet of the House. 
The family went to church while i stayed home and sluffed took some time for myself.  I know the quiet will be gone here in a few hours but I am enjoying it in the here and now and using it to center my thoughts.

2) Back To What Feels Right. 
I've finished up my school term way ahead of schedule so i have decided to take the rest of what's left of the term and focus on what makes me happy.  I've picked back up my glue, pictures, and scissors, made a big mess of my craft room and started to enjoy what pulled me to scrapbooking in the first place.  I'm letting my creativity flow and it feels good.

3) Music.
Feeling the beat of a good song ring through my bones.  Letting it take over my thoughts and suck me in.  I've forgotten how much i love music and how lost i feel without it.

finially some progress, Saterday morning, and sit-down together family meals

* GREAT progress on the basement! We got one bedroom completely ready for sheetrock (one more bedroom, the bathroom, and the family room to go). All plumbing and wiring ready in the basement for a washer AND a dryer. Everything completely framed, finially. And all wiring run... i think.

* having all three kids snuggle up with us in bed Saterday morning... after a GREAT night sleep.

* getting the kitchen table cleaned off so we can finially have sit-down together family meals. I've forgotten how much i love to just sit at the table and talk after dinner, even if the dinner isn't so pleasing to everyone.

just lying around, newly pierced, little dancing queen

* a lazy day laying on the living room floor browsing the web and watching Saturday afternoon TV.

* a great girly date with Rianne to get her ears pierced. Seeing her newly pierced ears in the hand mirror immediately took away the tears. Watching her proudly exclaim to everyone, everywhere we went that she just got her ears pierced.

* watching Rianne dance last night at the football game during half-time. A whole 3 minute dance knowing she was freezing her tail off and still seeig that big smile on her face. She's a natural and i love seeing her show it off.

September layouts & more

not too shabby. I finished quite a few layouts and cards. About 30 in all. I wish i could have done more but time just gets away from me.

3BT:

* feeling the tension and excitement coming off the field last night at Daylon's soccer game. It was so raw and heavy. It's not everyday you feel something like that

* just sitting back and relaxing with no interruptions... even if only for a few minutes.

* the wind in my hair. the wind makes such a terrible mess outside but i love feeling it rush through my hair... so refreshing.

understanding, garden goodness & lazyness.

finially understanding why Sam is the way he is at night and only at nights (and Daylon on his bad nights). If it weren't for Shallon telling me about Tucker's night terrors, i'd be totally lost and still freaking out.

cheap easy dinners from the garden. Tomato sandwiches, speghetti squash, cucumber salad, corn. All those great meals taken straight from the garden. Makes me want to do even better next year.

lazy friday nights. Nothing on TV and everyone home. It almost never happens. Nothing to do, nowhere to go, and no expectations. Tonight? updating our quarter collection that we've been dying to do for almost a year now!

knowing that it's cold enough in the mornings to turn on the furnace. The smell (burned dust perhaps?) of using the furnace for the first time after a long summer just screams out fall... i absolutely love it.

The full moon..... and watching it come up over the mountains. I tried and tried to get a good picture of it and it just didn't work out no matter how hard i tried. It was such a beautiful sight... i just wish i could have shared it with everyone!

strength and passion and standing up for what's right. Seeing DarRell finally take action instead of backing away from confurtation (sp?). I knew it was in there somewhere in him. Makes me fall in love with him all over again.

Daylon's leaf collection. It has made DarRell so incredibly happy to be back doing a bit of botany. He's missed it so much more than he thought it would. If it weren't for him bringing in our income, I'd suggest he do it for a living. He's so much happier doing something he loves than something that... well, he doesn't love as much.

The smell of clean. I only got around to getting the armour cleaned off in our room, but it feels so much better. And the smell of almond wood cleanser/conditioner... ahhhhhhh... it sure does beat the smell of dust. Well... i guess most anything smells better than dust.

watching Rianne's hair in the wind as she runs. I love hearing all the comments about how long and beautiful her hair is. I can only live vicariously through her cause heaven knows that hair like hers will never sport my head. Somewhere in the mix of me and DarRell, there seems to be some great hair genes in there... so glad it was our daughter who got them!

{quiet} just the silence and me. I guess i wasn't cut out to having all the children that we (expecially DarRell) wish i could have had. I truely would have died a early death of something stress related.

Just the pure excitement of the thought of us getting another washer and dryer... DOWNSTAIRS! No more having to lug stuff upstairs and then downstairs and then upstairs and then.... you get the picture. I can already feel myself getting giddy about it all!

rain. It's cold outside but i love the rain... expecially the smell. Now all i need is a cozy corner to read and watch the rain coming down.

those few fleeting moments when everyone is gone and the baby is asleep. They don't last more than a minute or two before the phone rings, someone rings the doorbell, whatever... but those few minutes are pure bliss.

seeing Grandpa with his grandchildren. He's really got a soft spot for all of them regardless of what anyone says.

cucumbers and tomatoes on toast with a little bit of salt and pepper. Turns out it hit the spot just perfectly. Tomarrow... grilled cheese and tomatoes.

the wonderful stories Rianne tells me when I'm doing her hair in the mornings. Today it was about moving to Salt Lake with Ali. When i asked her why she didn't want to live here with us she said that it was because we were going to be grandparents. I told her that she or her brothers had to have kids before we were grandparents. Then she told me she knew who she was going to marry. She told me Cooper (all the kids love Cooper, even the boys). Cause he's SO cute and he told her that he was going to marry her so she was going to marry him. But she wasn't going to have kids because she didn't want to yell at them ("it's not very nice to yell at your kids, so I'm not going to have any"). That part totally broke my heart because i do tend to raise my voice a bit too much. Leave it to the innocent children to put your life back into perspective.

Dancing to Sam's mobile music with him. Just dancing around the room and not caring how silly i look.

The weather in the evenings when it's too cool for a short sleeved shirt but too warm for a sweater. Hoodie weather for sure, i love it.

The Last Kiss * Although most people who know me would be absolutely shocked (and maybe appalled?) that i loved this movie. It totally diverts from my outward appearances/beliefs that i watched this movie... and heaven forbid it, actually love this movie. You know, the try to do right Mormon girl who's only lived in Utah her whole life (BTW - i really hate being classified as that. Anyone outside of Utah finds out I'm a "Utah Mormon" and automatically I'm one of those polygamist sister wives that have 27 children. COME ON! Really! All i am is a girl who really only wants to find herself. I just so happened to grow up with a LDS mother with LDS beleifs and a father who said never to bring it home. Granted, i didn't grow up in a typical Mormon home, but the basic values were there and that was how i was raised). But you know what, i totally get it. I totally got that movie. I completely felt it. I loved it so much. OK - i could have really done without the girl on girl action in the beginning though (do guys really like that? BARF!). It's got a GREAT moral to the story (minus the girl-on-girl) and in so many ways i can relate to it. Who wants a life where there are no more surprises? In all reality, that in itself is pretty scary.

Stars * i gazed out my door last night at about 2:30am after getting up with Sam. I was in complete awe over how beautiful it was out there. Not a cloud in the sky and all i could see was the bright stars. I could get lost in a night like that. Too bad i was completely wiped out, physically and emotionally, to stay up and take it all in.

Sam Smiles * his smile truely lights up a room. Even in the darkest, saddest times you can't help but to smile back at him. And even better, he smiles ALL the time.