weekend discoveries

The Hunk & I hiked the Y

with Mia.

Can you spy the Y?

It was a hard hike.
Meeskii was not a happy hiker.
It was very hot.
We had to ration our water.
And it was steeeeeeeeep.

I was thinking that little boys
probably love hiking the Y.
I got bummed for 1/2 a second.
Wyatt was not with us.
Wyatt will never hike the Y.

And then I thought of him,
happy at home with Auntie KyKy.
And I smiled and was content
with my perfect 'n special boy.
I'm so glad that I am at this place right now.
Earlier in this special journey,
that would have put me in the dumps for weeks.
But now,
I celebrate what makes HIM happy.
It is so much better that way!

We finally made it up there
and it was awesome.
The view, the wind, the 3 of us,
our time together.

And what does one do
afterward?

Chocolate PB ice cream, baby.
And when we get home.....

I was right.
He was so happy & laughing & just excited.
Bugg showed us his skills.

Look how far he scootched in
just a couple of minutes!
He is so cool.

Another discovery..........

A park with these swings!!!!!!!!!!!!

too bad they don't have seatbelts, though.

This is a giant park with the works!
And since Teddy Bear Day is coming up,
we would like to warmly invite you to a
Teddy Bear Picnic
at this very park.
Please email us if you'd like to come,
all you Utah locals!

at 8:41 am

Mia skips off with her friends

to the bus stop at 8:30.
At 8:35 we get ready.
For sunshine.
It creeps, slowly, slooooowly, then.....

laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa (with vibrato)!!!!
It blares in our windows
and seeps through our front room
til everything is full of bright happiness.

I lay out the big round cushion
and cover it with the $5 thrift store blanket
that speaks happiness itself.
Pandora provides some excellent happy tunes.

The sun brings not just light & warmth
to our sweet abode
but peace, too.
PEACE from the morning mayhem.
Dishes & laundry wait for us.
They're so patient.
And we play and dance and lay in the sunshine.

Bugg has a new trick!
He does this arch/scootch thing backwards.
He keeps going til his lil' head hits the hard floor.
And he totally loves it.
I'm so proud of him.

That's a flapjack friday face for you.

Look what else he can do!
I don't think he's ever rolled back to front.
Sunshine inspires and motivates him, too.

Have a bright weekend!

a post to remember when she's 20

Cheers to our sweet first grader!

But first:
the back to school Mama-Mia Date.
At Target, where else?

Dancing in the dressing room is fun.
Especially on a daughter date.

The girl knows she's got it!

To celebrate Back to School,
we had the neighbors over for donuts
in our driveway.
The kids raced to eat theirs off a string.

And some ate from the driveway floor.
That night, Mia got the royal treatment
for School Year's Eve.
Eating dinner on the red plate,
getting a Father's blessing,
a manicure from mama,
and a bubble bath in our jetted tub.

We popped party poppers before she went to bed.
Happy School Year's Eeeeeeve!

So guess who was more nervous that morning?
ME, I'm sure.
I mean, a whole day away?
Woah.
Mia picked out her own clothes
and did her own hair.
Like she does every other day.
I stepped down from that job,
like, 3 years ago.
Too much drama.

at the flagpole

Her first week has been going great.
I have loved all the details she has shared.
The bus ride, eating in the cafeteria,
saying 'hi' to the special boy at school in a wheelchair,
meeting new friends, sharing lunches,
emptying backpacks, and the first day butterflies.

You know what I'm excited for?
COOKIES!
I know you've all missed my cookie posts, hmmmm?
Afterschool bonding happens over cookies & milk.
It is just SO.
We all sat around the kitchen table,
dippin' and munchin',
and listened to Mia say,
"I love school. It is probably the best
thing that has ever happened to me."
I said, "You should write about it in your journal."
She said,
"Mom, I'll remember it even when I'm 20."
Love her.
I wrote it down in her journal.

So now we find ourselves savoring those
hours together even more.

Who recognizes this book?
It is so precious!
About the first day of school.

School days begin for one,
while still another waits.

our back to school brunch 2009

Wyatt is heading into his SENIOR year of preschool.
Yep, the big man on campus.
Read about his first year.
It was a big day for both of us!