I Tried.

Next time, I'll be taking pictures of my kids far away from a playground. They were trying with all their might to cooperate for me, but that slide and swing set were all too enticing.
I'll take what 60 seconds I can get.

*Visitors* A Trip to the Zoo

Jake (Alex's brother) and Kellie called us up and told us they were coming to spend the weekend with us! We couldn't believe it! They live pretty far away and Kellie is due with her baby boy next month. Not the most convenient to come see us. 

And even though our time together was short, we had an absolute blast with them. We love any time we can get with family. AND they were the first, outside of our parents, to come visit us! We felt pretty special that they wanted to come out to the desert and see us. Quite different from the lush Yosemite landscape where they are from. :)

Lucy adores her cousin Reesa. They are so much alike! 

Maybe it's because they are both baby #1 in their families. 

Seeing Reesa is getting a glimpse of Lucy is four years :)

These next two pictures were taken by Lucy - 

Those little ice cream cones for legs! I can't get enough!

Thanks again for coming guys! Anytime you feel like driving for 11+ hours, come back our way! ;)

Family Home Evening Board

I'm a copier. A really good copier. Give me a picture of something and I can replicate it pretty good.
I grew up loving to take pictures from magazines and books and redrawing them. I specifically remember showing my dad a picture that I had drawn, and as he lay there on the couch studying it, he simply said "That's great Shauna. Now try to draw that without looking at anything." The challenge nearly paralyzed me. There was no way I could do that! My mind simply just couldn't conjure up such an image and duplicate it onto paper.

With that being said, it's not like I don't have bouts of creative inspiration from time to time! For the last who knows how long, I've been wanting a Family Home Evening (FHE) board. For those who don't know, FHE is held one night a week - usually Monday nights - where everyone gathers together for a lesson/song/activity/treat/prayer etc. Each family member is assigned something and we work together, even if it's just for 15 minutes, to have an evening focusing on each other and to create unity. My mother was always so diligent each week when we were young to teach us life and gospel lessons. I will be forever grateful to her for such an example.

anyways...
I came up with this design for an FHE board. And I'm quite pleased. Had I had a Cricut, I'm sure it would have come out cuter/cleaner. But I still love it!

The whole idea came about because of an excerpt from the Family Proclamation, which is the quote I have in the picture frame. There are nine principles mentioned to help strengthen marriages and families. I want to raise my kids knowing those principles and focus on one each week. For almost any topic out there, you could fit it under one of these principles. 

The little 2x3 pieces of wood are removable with Velcro and can be placed under the Topic section on the main board.

The FHE boards that I have seen before are great, but this one has a little more flexibility. You can add or remove assignments based on how many family members there are. 

And what I love most is that there are sections of "What we learned" and "To work on" so that throughout the week we can be reminded of what we talked about. 

Lucy is great at helping me draw those out. :)

Here's what it looks like for our family. Annie will be assigned the "treat" for now. 

Though those chubby legs are a treat in and of themselves ;)

For those who are curious - 

*Main wood board - 18.5x21 (Got it cut at Lowes)

Everything else is from Michaels - 

*Picture frame - 11x14
*Cork board - comes in a 16x16 four pack, I cut them down to 6x7.5
*Wooden rectangles - 2x3
*Wooden letters, wooden hearts, mini wooden frame
*Clothes pins
*Velcro

The Hungry Caterpillar

 Lucy has a hot pink bath towel with floppy green antennas on the hood and butterfly wings embroidered on the back. After every bath, I wrap her up tight so her wings encircle her little body. I gather up her fresh clean clothes and sit on the floor, waiting to help her dress. Every time, almost without fail, Lucy says "Mom, look! I'm a caterpillar!" then she spins in a circle about three times then opens up her wings to reveal her transformation. "Oh butterfly Lucy! You're the most beautiful butterfly ever!" She bats her eyelashes at me and we continue on with the day.

The imagination, the innocence, the fascination with all things big and little... I am once again a part of childhood as a twenty-six year old. And it is a magical thing. When I would have once quickly overlooked the little caterpillar inching along in our backyard, I now stop and watch. I study the creature and discover the beauty. I wonder about his simple existence here on earth. I wonder what beautiful wings this quiet little guy will sprout. I wonder how many faces he'll bring a smile to as he flutters on by. And I get to wonder and watch along side my children. We squeal together as his little legs tickle our hands. We hunt for a new home for our small friend. We think of names for him. We simple enjoy this little moment together.

Thank you Mr. Caterpillar for already creating three smiles and a lasting memory.

Mortenson Family Photoshoot

I love this family! They can make any desert landscape look beautiful. I was excited when Collette asked me to take their family pictures to help announce the gender of baby #4. I can't take credit for the cute box idea...that was all her! So happy for them and their soon to be baby girl!