HAPPY GIRL

Why aren't you blogging?

2012-02-20T14:35:00.000-08:00

"Why aren't you blogging?"

I have been asked this question a lot lately.

And how nice to know that I have loyal followers that miss me.

Even if it is a handful of you.

It is nice to be missed.

And in all honesty I have really missed blogging.

I rarely have spare time any more.

BUT I am going to make time.

I MEAN IT!

So here we go.

A little catch up for you of the last few months.

And then maybe we can get this

blog thing really rolling again.

Cheer me on!

Maybe that will help!

HERE WE GO!

Well this was before Christmas.

My friend Cheryl and I after racing each other

to the bottom of the hill.

Facefulls of snow....

Refreshing!

And here is my crazy boy and his friend.

Took off their shirts and went for it.

...Refreshing?

Time for a cocoa break!

Just what we needed to warm up before

the next sledding session.

Me & my snowbunny girls.

Cheryl, Joanna, Kim & me...

Nothing like a tea party to warm you

up on a cold winters day.

My girlies during the break.

JoBugs played in her first doubles tennis tournament.

They won a match and lost a match.

Way to go sweetie!

My sweet Hubs turned the big 40!!

Thanks to my talented friend Wendi for the

tombstone cake.

It was amazing AND delicious.

And thanks to some great friends

who helped us celebrate.

My sweet beautiful Googles turned 8 years old.

In our church that is the age for baptism.

She was smiley and glowed on her special day.

Her cousin, Ty, was also baptized.

He is on her left in the picture.

A great group shot of both sides of the fam that came.

Thank you family!

My sister, my niece and me.

Cooking for New Year's Eve.

So much fun.

I so wish they lived closer!!!

And more recently...

Trev and I got to go to Maui together.

It was WONDERFUL!

He did a lot of this...kiteboarding.

We did a lot of relaxing

and just taking in the beautiful surroundings.

I think I can hear the ocean waves right now...

I have video!
I ziplined for my first time!
SO FUN!
Ok...I did scream.
But it was a happy scream!

And I will leave you with that!
Until next time...

Cute dogs and stuff.

2011-11-11T15:28:00.000-08:00

For some reason, there are a lot of dog pictures in this post.

I think we have cute dogs.

Really cute dogs.

The kids aren't too bad either.

Here is Googles and Jasper.

Check out that tongue.

Here is Monkey C and her tennis partner winning a tournament.

Just a fun fact for ya...

her partner is my tennis partner's daughter.

Pretty cool, huh?

The girls and their pumpkins.

I kind of forgot to buy pumpkins for the whole fam this year...

great mom, huh?

As fate would have it, Monkey A had homework and couldn't carve anyway,

so Trev and I helped the girls.

My boy did his own.

At least we got 3 awesome jack-o-lanterns.

Costumes!

My mom hosted a party this year, so we still got to dress up

and have fun.

Did you know that Trev and I are secretly Trekker nerds?

Yup, it's true.

Rachel's friend Jeff joined us this year too.

(cowgirl, army guy, ninja, army guy, janitor, Star Trek)

More dog pictures.

I could eat them up.

Especially that Jasper boy.

Another fun fact for you...

we call our dogs Cottonball Jones and Jasper Jones.

I am not sure why.

Our last name is not Jones.

This little guy loves sunny patches too.

Just like me!!

See? He belongs.

I told you...lots of dog pictures.

This body pillow case was warm from the dryer.

They stuck him in there, and he didn't want to get out.

Daddy and daughter.

They borrowed the hats from my son and hung out together.

Too cute.

Holidays are coming!

Yay!

I'll end this post with the perfect quote I found.

Remember how I LOVE fall?

Well, I have enjoyed it immensely this year.

I know it is almost over but...

"Delicious autumn!

My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird

I would fly about the earth

seeking the successive autumns."

- George Eliot

Last camp out.

2011-10-19T13:42:00.000-07:00

I think you know we are an outdoorsy family.

We wanted one more camping getaway before it got too cold.

So we packed everybody up and went to Hepner, Oregon for the weekend.

Good campground, beautiful trails and trees, & not too far from home.

And of course we took our quads & bikes.

Good Morning me!

And dogs!

Yes, my camper is wonderful. LOVE it.

Started the day off with a good breakfast!

Oatmeal, raspberries & toast!

Say yummy!

We hit the trails.

Why do I love all the blond hair coming out from my daughters' helmets?

Because they are all cute tomboys?

Don't know why, but I do.

How many times have we posed on these rocks?

Pyramid Rocks.

We all still love to stop here on this trail and climb.

And pose.

And their true natures...

Our turn.

Hee.

Is that a dirt biker totem pole?

Or my son?

The girls on our hike.

It was a beautiful day.

Not too cold, not too hot.

So fun to see the fall colors.

Collecting roasting sticks in the forest.

Had such a great time with Trev and the kids.

My favorite parts were just hanging out with the family,

the hike with the girls, roasting marshmallows with the sticks

the girls carved, and watching Raising Hope together before bed.

Have you seen Raising Hope?

Love it. It's a laugh and a half.

Well, I think that's it for our camping this year.

Good bye lovely camper!

See you next year!

Homecoming, Two Peas & an Apology.

2011-10-04T15:57:00.000-07:00

I think it would make sense to start this post with an apology & an explanation.

I don't know how many people look at my blog.

And although it is nice to have followers,

I blog for four good reasons.

My children. Monkeys A, B, C, & D.

I make books from my blog posts.

They are sort of journal/picture books.

My kids already love to look at them, and read about themselves.

I think it is nice for them to have an inside to my thoughts and feelings.

Maybe they can know their mom a bit better.

That is my explanation.

Now for my apology.

I'm sorry children.

I used to make blogging a priority.

I have fantastic intentions, but as you all know, we are one busy family.

Please forgive me, and know that I am doing my best.

Because this family of ours is so so important, I want to capture all of it in a book for you.

But I also want to live it.

I'm trying to find the balance.

So don't give up on me, I will try to keep the posts coming!

My sweet oldest girl went to Homecoming!

Her first formal dance.

And you can tell because we took tons of pictures.

(Sorry if this is a repeat for those of you who Facebook).

I thought they looked stunning. And excited. :)

Her cousin Chelsea came over and did her hair.

Thanks so much Chels, you did a beautiful job!!

And it was so fun!

Ta-Da!

I'm sorry, but I will just say it.

I couldn't get over how beautiful she looked and how excited I was for her.

And I want you all to know that this girl's inside beauty matches the out.

All moms say that right?

I don't care.

It's true.

I loved being a part of the next picture.

Chels & I were the make-up & hair crew.

Just had to celebrate.

They were both a bit nervous at first.

What do we do with these corsage thingies?

Cute.

How do I pin this thing on?

We all loved that it was Trev who jumped in and helped .

They had a great time!!

Hooray!

And...

remember the Breast Cancer Benefit I do every year with Elece?

It came a little earlier this year, but we made sure we were there!

We love this one!!

"For The Love of The Girls"

Warming up!

A shot of the group.

They gave us pink towels with our team name this year!

We love these!

"Two Peas In A Pod", that is us.

We played against other teams that had great names like...

The Maidenforms,

The TaTa's,

The Double D-faults...

Didn't get a picture with Elece at the end,

but we got to take home these lovely first place flower baskets.

Thanks Lecey Lou, it is ALWAYS fun with you!

And I saved the best picture for last.

A typical morning for my GG.

A bowl of cereal in a sunny patch, reading Calvin & Hobbes.

I love my kiddos.

And my peas.

hee.

Garden Tour 2011

2011-09-06T10:40:00.000-07:00

I always think of September as a new start.

The start of a new school year.

The start of better diet & exercise after an ice cream filled summer.

The start of shorter days when the sun goes down sooner than you think.

The garden starts to lose its perky growth.

And the mornings are crisp, hinting at the new season ahead.

"Autumn...The year's last, loveliest smile." - John Howard Bryant

First days of school...

Freshman boy, & 6th grade girl.

2nd grade Googles.

Upperclassman this year...Junior...yikes.

While Trevor's Aunt was visiting this summer,

she looked out into our backyard from the upper deck.

She commented on how my blog pictures didn't do our yard justice.

So here is a little garden tour.

I still don't think the pictures do it justice, but maybe if you imagine

the birds chirping, the waterfall soothing,

and morning sun warming your skin...it will help.

We have 4 varieties of seedless grapes on the split rails.

Those are the bunches you see right off the patio.

The big island in the middle of the yard I call "The Perennial Garden".

"The Round Garden" is behind it to the left

and "The grass garden" is directly behind it obscured by the tree.

"The Rose Garden" is off to the far right out of the picture.

Our small waterfall off the right side of our patio.

The fading summer blooms surrounding the bird feeder

in The Perennial Garden.

The path & arbor in The Perennial Garden.

Honeysuckle vine, trumpet vine, & climbing roses trail up the arbor.

A different view. The sedum (behind chair) is going strong right now, and

I planted Hot Pokers (in front of chair) this spring...I am loving them.

If you walk under the arbor and out a bit, you come to The Round Garden.

This was my new project this spring.

Might do a little tweaking next year, but all in all I really like it.

I ate lunch out here on the benches quite often with my quail friends.

They like it too.

A few steps off to the right brings you to The Grass Garden.

I call it this only because it has many different grass plants.

It is a more naturalized rock garden and does not have colorful blooms.

Just grasses, trees, lavender and some whirling butterfly plants.

This is where the killdeer always lay their eggs.

I'm thinking of planting a few black-eyed susans in here next year though.

The Grass Garden.

And this crazy thing is all from seeds.

I love zinnias. Just for kicks, I will call this my Zinnia Garden.

So I planted MINIATURE ones with some supposedly

taller nasturtiums and 4 o'clocks.

Well...these zinnias went CRAZY and are almost as tall as me.

They ARE beautiful though, aren't they? Sigh...

The Rose Garden is along the fence.

I also have one in the front yard. Sorry, no close-ups this time.

A view of the grapes.

These are so so sweet.

A view to the left from the upper deck.

And then out to the right.

And that will complete our Garden Tour 2011.

Lots of work?

Some...but I feel joy every time my hand touches dirt & flower.

And just looking ahead, I think these pumpkin ideas

from Women's Day magazine are simply stupendous!

FUN, right?

Some Stats.

2011-08-24T17:52:00.000-07:00

USTA Sectionals came and went.

I had such a great time in Portland with my team.

We made it all the way to the final...

but lost.

I was a little surprised at how disappointed I felt.

Probably because I could taste the win right around the corner.

If we had won, we would have gone to

Tuscon, AZ for Nationals.

But as always I learned a lot.

And I promise you...I had the time of my life.

I can't believe how much fun I had playing each match.

In the past, I have had major issues with nerves.

I guess it gets easier the more seasoned you get.

And I can honestly tell you...

EACH match was a blast to play.

And my partner is just so fun to play with.

And the whole team was fun to hang with.

And Lululemon was fun to shop at.

And my coach was the best supporter.

And my friends made me laugh till my eyes teared.

And I am gullible because I believe everything Janelle says.

And I found I love flatbread pizza enormously.

And tennis rocks for so many reasons.

I love it.

I'm going to leave you with some stats, my stats.

And I will mention that Elece & I were undefeated.

I am proud of that accomplishment.

I hope that's okay.

To be proud I mean.

Here goes...

Womens 3.5 Doubles
April 2011

Districts

Shelli & Elece def. Audrey & Laurie........6-3,6-0

Shelli & Elece def. Osalilsa & Jeralyn........6-0, 6-1

Shelli & Elece def. Karla & Jennifer...........6-4, 6-0

Shelli & Elece def. Mary & Laura.............6-4, 7-6

May 2011

Districts Championship/SubFlight

Shelli & Elece def. Cyd & Rebecca.........6-4,6-1

Shelli & Elece def. Andi & Tricia..............6-4, 6-1

Shelli & Elece def. Tina & Mary..............6-4,6-1

Districts Championship Final

Shelli & Elece def. Estelle & Jill................6-1,6-1

August 2011

Sectionals

Shelli & Elece def. Wendy & Christine............6-0,6-4

Shelli & Elece def. Michelle & Christine..........6-0,6-3

Sectionals Championship Final

Shelli & Elece def. Launi & Eloise..................6-1,6-3

There you go, Larson posterity.

Those stats are for you.

Thanks Team Knox.

And thanks Lecey Lou.

I will remember these as some of the
best days of my life.

Of that there is no doubt.

Here's to 2012.

A new team.

New goals.

And new fun.

COME ON!

In my head.

2011-08-07T12:11:00.000-07:00

Just a few thoughts in my head...

I have no pictures to share with you!

Our camera broke, and all the pictures from summer were on it.

Big fat bummer.

Next week my team goes to Portland for Sectionals.

Time to see how we measure up.

I've had a blast getting lots of practice in.

Go Team! Go!

It was nice waking up to a clean house this morning.

We even organized kitchen cabinets yesterday.

I love that.

I'm taking the girls to get Pedicures tomorrow.

A daughter day always makes me happy.

I have the bestest hubby ever.

He's good to me.

I think he likes me a lot.

It's nice to be liked.

I made blueberry muffins from scratch this morning.

My kids thanked me over and over.

YUMMY.

Are there really only 3 weeks left before school starts?

Didn't summer JUST start?

I'm willing to cram what we can into these last few weeks.

And I will use a different camera.

I love Sundays.

Church, a good dinner, and time with my family.

Maybe a walk too.

I better go fill the bird feeder.

It's been empty for a few weeks now.

I want fat, happy, chirpy birds.

I'm off to enjoy my day.

Happy Sunday!

Best day.

2011-06-22T17:40:00.000-07:00

Do you remember this scene from

the Disney movie, Tangled?

"Best.

Day.

EVER!"

Guess what?!

I got to have a day that made me feel like that!

We had a team practice out at my coach's house.

He has a beautiful yard on the river

with a grass court and a clay court.

Guess what we did?!

I know I'm making you guess a lot today, but...

Okay...here it is...

We stripped off our shoes and socks and...

PLAYED TENNIS BAREFOOT ON THE GRASS!

I'm not kidding.

I felt like a giddy child.

Tennis.

Barefoot.

Grass.

Sunshine.

I love ALL those things.

I couldn't stop smiling.

It was so fun.

See?

We are barefoot on a tennis court next to the river.

Beautiful, don't you agree?

Fun too, right?

Here is a shot of the clay court.

The grass court is down the hill.

See the red skirt in the tiny picture?

That's me.

Smiling in the sunshine.

Grass between my toes.

Ahhhhh.

This is only half our team, but only some of us could make it.

Coach grilled and we all brought sides to eat.

I'll just say it again.

So fun.

My girls are loving summer sun as well.

Loving the sprinkler under the tramp trick.

Jasper loved the sprinkler as well.

Oh you good sweet lovey dog, you.

Lots of giggling going on.

This is how we like to beat the heat around here.

And we like to end it with S'mores.

Or an ice cream sundae like Googs did.

She is not a S'more lover.

Trev and the girls decided to camp out

after the fire died down and their

tummies were full of sweet stuff.

See?

Told ya!

Best.

Day.

Ever.

This girl.

2011-06-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

This is the story of a girl.

This girl loves flowers.

Almost all kinds.

They truly make her heart smile.

This girl can't seem to stop gardening.

It is in her blood.

And so she starts new projects.

She decided to make a formal garden towards the back of her yard.

And now she has two gorgeous river birch trees in the center,

and two benches on either side with which to sit and enjoy them.

She is still trying to figure out what to plant in the remainder of that garden.

But she is excited to figure it out and make it beautiful!

This girl also loves to beautify her home.

She loves sunny warm colors.

Recently she had her walls painted, and oh how she loves them!!

From the entry way you can see her cheerful yellow.

She loves yellow.

It is like the sunshine!!

And in her bedroom she finally found the perfect color.

Rainwashed.

Even this girls hubby loves it.

But this girls favorite color is in her office/piano room.

She loves how it turned out and sometimes just

stands in the doorway looking at it.

Sighing.

And smiling.

It calms, and warms her soul.

She likes a warm soul.

She found this fun little picture at Target,

and knew it would be perfect on her desk.

And it is.

This girl knows that some might think this yellow

too bright.

But she loves how it glows, and pops against the white.

Her aprons are happy against this color as well.

Happy aprons.

This girl collects something else that makes her smile.

Aqua pottery.

Oh, this color gets her too.

She found some scrapbook paper that she really liked,

and lined the back wall of the cabinet with it.

She liked the way it turned out, and it wasn't hard or expensive.

Cheap and easy...this girl loves that.

She finds that it is getting harder to find Aqua pottery,

but at least she has some cherished pieces.

And she loves that it all started with the shell bowl given to her for her wedding,

by her sweet mother.

This girl is lucky.

She has some amazing friends.

She enjoys every second she gets to spend with them.

They gave her the best birthday gifts, all having to do with

gardening, chocolate and birds.

She loves that they know her so well.

She loves her friends not pictured too,

the ones who stopped by unexpectedly

to drop a gift by, and all those who

wished her well with cards or a Facebook shout out.

She is overjoyed by her friendships, and knows she is blessed.

This girl just turned 39.

She isn't sure what to think of that.

She knows she can't eat as many cupcakes as she would like.

And she hates that she has had to deal with adult acne!

But at last she found something that helped her,

and wants to share with anyone who might need it, that this stuff really works!

She is thankful for Clinique!

And her friendies.

And cupcakes.

This girl loves to play tennis.

She is passionate about it.

She wants to improve all the time, so she takes lessons and is on a USTA team.

Her team worked so hard all year to prepare for competition.

They all played so well, and got 1st place!

Now they get to practice some more and head to Portland for Sectionals in August.

She thinks they have a chance, and she is so excited for the challenge!

She wants to play her best.

This team has some of the greatest people she knows on it.

Every single one of them is awesome.

And not just at tennis.

This girl loves to play doubles with all these girls.

And she loves going to lunch with them on Fridays.

And she loves to get their advice on everything from tennis to family.

She loves going shopping with them.

They make her laugh, and smile and feel good.

She adores these girls.

After the tournaments were over,

this girl and her family got to take a mini vacation.

They went to Silverwood Theme park.

Her four kids and husband could not wait to get on the rides.

She was curious to know if she would still love the dangerous ones

like she did when she was a teen-ager.

This girls youngest daughter loves Garfield and Odie.

This Odie came bounding toward her with arms outstretched

and engulfed her with his big soft arms.

She giggled with pleasure.

This girl is married to a man who likes action. And she has found

that her oldest children tend to follow in his footsteps.

After going on her first upside down, backwards spinning ride,

this girl discovered the truth.

She is not that teen-aged daredevil she once was.

And she has made peace with it.

But she laughed and was amazed as these 3 went on the craziest, scariest

rides out there.

The Tilt-A-Whirl.

Just enough action for this girl. She rode it 3 times and found

that her youngest daughters enjoyed it just as much.

In fact her youngest wanted to go alone,

and rejoiced in calling herself brave.

This girl is also a Garfield fan and has been since

she first discovered him and perfected drawing him on her

Pee-Chees in grade school.

So this 39 year old girl was not embarrassed to want a picture with him.

She wonders, how can anyone not love Garfield?

After returning home from Silverwood,

this girl decided to eat lunch on her back porch.

The weather had been so cool, but it was finally a beautiful, warm sunny day.

As she finished her lunch, her breath caught as she saw the birds.

This girl loves quail. They are her favorite.

She thinks maybe it is that connection to family that they share.

Quails mate for life. They watch over and tend to their little families.

How many times has she stopped her car to let them pass?

And there they were.

A couple.

Washing in her birdbath.

Basically, it made her day.

She loves it when things like that make her day.

Remember that youngest daughter?

Well, this girl is discovering how sensitive and sweet this little one is.

She reminds her of herself.

This girl remembers as a younger girl crying when her sister or brother got in trouble.

This girl remembers crying when one of them got hurt.

This girl cannot read the news because the wickedness hurts her soul and she cries.

She doesn't like to cry.

She thinks it might be because it is against her very nature to be wicked.

She does not understand it in any way.

And she does not like it when people hurt.

For any reason.

This young daughter recently got out of bed,

coming to this girl and her husband.

Sobbing.

She could not go to sleep.

She was conflicted inside and it was causing her much pain.

This girl heard her sweet daughter tell the story through much sobbing

about how she had been playing with a roly poly earier that day.

She had dropped it.

And was sure she had killed it.

It didn't move.

She felt so bad and so guilty, because as she explained through her sobs,

she is an animal lover. And she killed an animal.

As this girl listened and comforted, she thought.

here is one sensitive sweet girl.

Then again this youngest daughter approached her, a few days later.

She asked this girl why there was a pile of new kitchen supplies laying there on the floor.

This girl explained to her children that a family had lost everything they owned in

a fire that took their house. And it also killed their 16 year old daughter.

We were going to help them.

The young daughter looked at this girl and was speechless.

She left the room.

10 minutes later, her daughter returned with red eyes and shaking sobs.

This girl took her into her arms and again comforted her.

She knew instantly that this daughter was thinking of her own 16 year old sister.

Without words, this girl knew her daughter's heart.

So tender.

So innocent.

So sweet.

The story of this girl goes on and on.

She wonders and looks forward to what each day brings.

Will it be joyful?

Sad?

Filled with teaching moments?

Or carnival rides?

Whatever it brings, she counts herself lucky to be blessed by

flowers, happy colors, friends, cupcakes, tennis, family.

It's all good.

I blog. Sometimes.

2011-05-13T23:27:00.000-07:00

Seriously, I do wonder how people have time to read a book.
To clean the house.
To...BLOG!!!

My life is a whirlwind.
A blowing, swirling, crazy dust devil!

And so I play catch up.
Here are just a few of the things we have been doing.

Same birthday, same bash!
That's homemade mud pie & homemade strawberry cake.
Did I just type cake? mmmmmmm...

Surprise Sweet 16 for my girl!
Uncle Mike scared the heck out of her. Hilarious.

The rest of them surprised her in a more gentle manner.
She was smiley!

Made her wear a Sweet 16 crown.

Collected some heartfelt thoughts from lots of family,
and made her a scrapbook.
My special gift for my special girl.

Page 1.
And don't get any ideas that I'm crafty.
Seriously.

Each page had a note from a family member
and some pictures to go with it.

It turned out pretty good for a non-scrapbooker.
All you real scrapbookers, don't make fun please.

Her favorite chocolate chip cake.
No frosting.
My kids dislike frosting.
I know... what?
I promise...I know how to make good frosting.

Cousins. Ha.

Easter.
Yeah, I know that was a while ago.
I told you...we are catching up!

What a clown.

Our first campout & ATVing of the year.
Little break by the lake.

Skoogs taking a rest.

My oldest 2.
Son on the left, daughter on the right.

My other kid.
My hubs.

Roughing it in the camper.
Mastermind rocks.

Jasper & I getting ready for bed.

I've also been busy with tennis lately.
Our USTA team tournaments are in full swing.
We made it through the first round, and the
second one is coming up shortly.
I'm happy to report my arm is working again.
Since it's been a very "tennisy" time...my sidebar is full of tennis stuff.
Hey, it's on my mind.

AND I have spent the last week in the garden.
Just about done with all the clean-up.
Got a very late start this year, but it's looking bright and cheerful!
Did you know I love flowers?
Sheesh, of course you did.

Check back, okay?
I promise I still blog.
Sometimes.

ALOHA!

2011-04-13T21:48:00.000-07:00

Spring break was amazing!

We all went to Maui for the week.

It was one of the best vacations we have had,

and we all needed it badly.

Some of us more than others.

The kids were so good and appreciative.

The weather was beautiful.

The water was amazing.

But do you know what the best part was?

Spending each day together as a family.
I mean...we are so spread out during the week at home.
So many activities, school, work...you know how it goes.

We got to reconnect, and relax together.

I relearned how sweet & affectionate my oldest daughter is.

I relearned how hilarious and easy going my son can be.

I relearned how adventurous and brave my middle girl is.

And I relearned how friendly and willing my youngest is.

We all noticed how big and spread out our home is when we returned.

And for some reason, it made us a little sad.

We really enjoyed our time in that little condo.

But like I said, it was one of the best vacations ever.

We took lots of pictures so...

I hope you enjoy the slideshow!!!

(I might watch it more than once).

...Oh yeah, and for anyone wondering from the picts...
The tattoos are temps.
Just little 2 week souvenirs.
Hee.

Free slideshow design created with Smilebox

Superwoman Blogger.

2011-03-31T09:22:00.000-07:00

HAPPY SPRING!

"Learn to be what you are, and learn to resign with a good grace all that you are not."

- Henry Frederic Amiel

Are you wondering about my New Year's resolution to be a better blogger?

Hmmmmm. I for one am disappointed.

I had envisioned posting weekly.

And each post would be thought provoking and uplifting.

Filled with stories, experiences, ideas and pictures.

But...I believe I have fallen a bit short!

My excuse?
I can think of a few.

I am so busy.

I don't always have thought provoking, uplifting things to share.

I haven't picked up the camera very often.

There are so many out there that do it better than me.

Blah blah blah...

I'm making peace with the fact that I am not superwoman.

Or superwoman blogger.

I do what I can do, and that is all I can do.
Not to say that I am giving up!
Hopefully I will find a good blogging flow again.

Meanwhile, I have laundry to do, tears to wipe, dinners to cook, errands to run and tennis to play.

snuggling with a sweet sickie

And if you want to hear all about those things...

make sure to check back.

I will blog about it just as often as I am able...

Thought provoking or not.

Star Struck at Indian Wells

2011-03-22T11:21:00.000-07:00

This free collage made with Smilebox

We are back from our get-away!

WOW!

It really WAS just what the doctor ordered, and I feel much happier now!

If you are a tennis fan, you will probably enjoy the above collage.

These are some of the tennis "stars" we got to see up close and personal,

taken with our little camera!

If you are NOT a tennis fan, you can just skip the collage

and maybe just enjoy the photos below.

We were in Indian Wells (or Palm Springs) California.

BEAUTIFUL and HOT!

(kind of like Federer...did I just type that?)

We got to watch the first week of the BNP Paribas Open.

And I admit, I was starstruck. Seeing all those tennis greats was just so amazing.

We went with our awesome friends who also happen to be our neighbors
(we are so lucky).

Me, Trev, Justin & Joanna getting ready to watch Dulko & Pennetta play doubles.

On the practice court behind us is Maria Sharapova.

And yes, she is loud. We could hear her scream from a few courts down.

Oh. My. Heart. Be. Still...

This was my first glimpse of my fave, Roger Federer.

Just hanging out on the practice courts.

Waiting for me to wave.

And faint.

He's just as heavenly in person.

And wait till you see his legs...

And sitting right behind us in Stadium One were his darling twin girls.

Kind of fun to just look up, and Oh...There they are!

And then Gwen Stefani walked out. She is beautiful.

She & her hubby are good friends with the Federers.

Just a little tidbit for ya.

Hot & sweaty, but enjoying every single minute.

We survived the heat with lemon ices.

Thank heavens for those!

Hi John!

John Isner was right there on the practice courts.

All 6 feet 9 inches of him.

Trev waiting to get John's autograph.

Sam Querry is sitting to the left of him.

Trev is the best dad...He carried that ball everywhere and waited here and there

to get it signed for our Skoogles.

She was thrilled!!!

Jo & me.

I think we were watching Roanic here.

And...here they are.

I like his legs.

What can I say?

Sigh.

Not the most flattering picture of me, but I believe it captures my

immature giddiness in seeing Roger play.

Trev and Julia Georges, a fairly new up-and-coming German tennis player.

She was fun to watch, great mover.

Me with Vania King!

Enjoying watching the Bryan Brothers play

Here is Novak Djokovic on the practice court.

He was a hoot.

He ended up winning the Open for Men's Singles.

And here is Caroline Wozniacki on the practice court.

She is so strong and smiley. What a great combo!

Love her!

She ended up winning the Open for Women's Singles...YES!

Such a relaxing enjoyable time.

We might bring the kids next year!

And the fun doesn't end here,

another amazing vacation is again right around the corner!!

For the whole family this time.

I'll keep ya posted!

Paint chips, arm pain & Roger the great.

2011-03-07T15:26:00.000-08:00

Isn't it funny how at times your most well laid plans can take a back seat

because life steps in and just kind of takes over?

I have been wanting to paint some walls in our home for some time now.

So I started the tedious process of paint chip collecting.

Do you know how many different shades of blue there are?

Or even worse, yellow?

However, it didn't take me long to find the perfect aqua for my office!

It is called Vintage Map, and as soon as I rolled it on, I was in love.

It's the perfect brightness, and just the right mix of green & blue I was looking for.

Okay, that one was easy, and yes it's such a huge sample square because I couldn't stop rolling the paint on!

It will be a lovely accent wall!

So on to the yellow for the kitchen/dining & family room area.

I am looking for a cheerful sunny yellow.

So with colors like squish-squash, popcorn kernal, golden honey,

corn chip, humble gold, and honeysuckle beige, I just knew I would find the right one.

But I am finding that yellows are HARD.

Too much green, too much beige, too gold, too fluorescent. Ack!

SO I am still on the hunt for the perfect yellow.

If you know of any good ones, LET ME KNOW!

I am steering away from the beige like yellow I currently have.

I need it a bit more cheerful, & more of a statement!

The bedroom will be done as well, but I am SO stuck on that one.

I have no pictures to show you, and not much progress with the paint chips.

I think I want blue, but the shade eludes me. Not too dark, not too pale.

Why is it so hard to pick the perfect color? :)

Anyway, I figured I could go ahead and get an estimate for someone to come paint.

Trevor HATES HATES to paint.

Yes, I meant to put two hates in there in all caps.

So he said I could find someone to do it.

He hates it when I do it and he watches me

and feels guilty, and then ends up having to help me.

(He also gets carpel tunnel when he paints, so there is a legit excuse as well).

After the first outrageous estimate, I decided I could do it myself.

But then my body decided I probably should hire someone after all.

During the final match of my last tennis tournament,

my arm rebelled against me.

It decided it could not hold a racket any more, let alone take the impact of a ball hitting it.

I'm happy to say we won the match, but I knew I would need to see a doctor as I walked off the court.

I just started physical therapy.

I really like it, but am definitely sore afterward.

They tell me it should take about 4-6 weeks, so I am hopeful.

Especially since USTA team tournaments start at the end of April.

I'm crossing my fingers!!!

Because yes, I do plan on playing.

I know it sounds silly, but the whole elbow thing really stressed me out.

You know what else stresses me out?

When my kids are stressed out!

Do you remember being a teenager and having to go through all the crap?

Boy crap, friend crap, body image crap, self-esteem crap? ETC...

I don't love using that word so much, but it really is the right word for it, right?

When your teen suffers you suffer.

Yes, she looks happy here.

And that is because she IS happy here.

After many talks, and late nights, we are seeing more of this happy.

Thank goodness, because she sure is beautiful when she is happy.

Inside AND out.

And so the house painting is at a stand-still and the arm aches.

At least my girl IS smiling more.

I do feel a bit emotionally & physically exhausted though.

I can't help but think about our upcoming trip.

Just what the doctor ordered, and it's right around the corner.

Here is a hint.

It's all about THIS...

And if I could just SEE Roger play, I just KNOW

much of that stress will melt away, and I can be a completely happy girl once again.

For me Rog? Please?

Thanks buddy.

See ya there!

Her Dad.

2011-02-20T22:35:00.000-08:00

Something keeps happening to my children.

They keep growing up.

My firstborn is now almost 16 years old.

She is an amazing girl.

She is also a Daddy's Girl.

I noticed this when she was very young, and at first was a little hurt by it.

But when my second born came along 15 months later

I quickly forgave her, because I kind of needed her to be a Daddy's Girl.

It is clear that she is still smitten.

Her Dad is the cat's meow.

And from my perspective, it's almost like he has this magic power with her.

Yes, magic...good magic.

I like this magic power, because he is able to teach her so many things.

I'm talking life lessons.
I can tell her something and she kind of looks at me like she will think about it.

Her Dad tells her the same thing, and it is clear what she should do.

I am not hurt.

I am thankful.

He decided it's about time she learned to ride a bike.

She agreed.

It didn't take her long.

Killed it a few times at first, but...

Then she's off.

She's showing him that she can do it.

Growing up in a world like this,

I am more than happy that she has her Dad.

Yes, I am very happy.

Pandas & Poetry.

2011-02-08T08:20:00.000-08:00

I am rethinking my to-do lists.

Especially after seeing this one that my 7-year old made...

(Click on it to see larger image)

Pandas & poetry...I think that's what's been missing.

Good Noise.

2011-01-31T13:28:00.000-08:00

We like good noise at our house.

Sorry these tiny videos are not great quality.

I used our underwater camera, and didn't know how to take longer shots.

Oh well, hope you enjoy these little morsels anyway!

Rock on!

Cake date.

2011-01-26T09:59:00.000-08:00

We had a girls only cake date!

My friend Wendi is a fabulous cake decorator.

We spent a fun filled night last week learning & laughing.

My mom joined us to make some memories.

Here are the cakes before we turned them

into beauties.

What 7 year old girl doesn't want a purple cake?

Skoogs rolling out the sweet pink fondant.

She's smoothing out those edges.

Grandpma A & Googles working hard on

those fondant flowers!

What a creative bunch of girls!

And what a fun project to share together!

Three finished cakes...

three happy girls.

Thanks so much Wendi!!!!

Motherhood.

2011-01-24T14:33:00.000-08:00

I've decided that being a mom is...complicated.

It can be so confusing at times.

Other times it is perfection and bliss.

Motherhood throws you all kinds of curves.

It is not for the weak.

And still...

I love it.

I adore it.

I wouldn't trade it.

It makes me the happiest.

Winning the battle...in my head.

2011-01-10T14:14:00.000-08:00

The week before a tennis tournament, there are a few things that I do differently.

I eat better.

I stay active, fitting in a few extra practice games.

I try to go to bed at a decent hour.

I carry around a positive, almost kick-butt attitude.

I powwow with my partner about strategy.

I make sure my favorite tennis skirts are washed and ready to go. :)

I was thinking about this yesterday as I finished off a bowl of Rocky Road ice cream,

wallowing in thoughts of self-doubt,

and trying to make myself leave the pity party I had thrown.

It was a pretty lame party, I'm the only one that came.

It was a fun tournament!

My partner was one of my favorite girls!

We kicked some butt more than once.

And then we headed into the match that eventually led me toward the Rocky Road.

It started with our usual giddy, let's go attitude.

After the warm up I was well aware that this would be a tough one.

One girl had power. The other, good hands.

In tennis, good hands is a term for being able to handle the ball well, power or no power.

And that little seed of self-doubt just settled itself right into my brain.

We held our own and were up in the first set 5-2. One more game, and the set was ours.

Only it's not a good thing to think like that.

Don't let up, there is no guarantee you have the next game. Keep fighting.

The set ended 5-7. They got it.

Wait...What?

Okay, no problem. Put that set behind you and get it in the second.

Only, by this time I had made a few stupid mistakes.

AND lost my serve.

Meaning this...my serve is one of my weapons, or maybe I should say WAS.

I couldn't find it.

Excuse me, but could we take a break while I go looking for my serve?

It was here a little while ago, but it just took off without telling me.

I kind of really need that back.

But of course, there was no break to go looking.

And so with my missing serve and some stupid mistakes,

and the seed of self-doubt that had somehow turned into a tree,

we proceeded into the second set.

We fought. We made some amazing points.

But for me, it was different.

Someone else was on the court with us now.

Actually, it was a group of them, and...they were in my head.

And they wouldn't shut up!

They were so loud, and they kept talking over each other.

Saying stuff like this:

Is your toss right?

Why aren't you moving your feet?

Why are you hanging back?

Cover your partner!

Don't take your eyes off that ball!

Are all those people really watching you? You better impress them!

Make a solid volley!

Why did you just feed them a high one?

Do you know how annoying this is?

It's called nerves.

It's called panic.

It's called over thinking.

It's called...dangerous.

And it is a real and annoying part of the game of tennis.

The match ended with a final score of 5-7, 6-7.

A close match.

But it didn't feel close.

For some reason, to me, it felt like a landslide loss.

And I think that is because of the battle in my brain.

Because of what was in my head while on the court.

I lost the mental battle, and it showed in my game.

As I said, the pity party is over.

The Rocky Road was good, don't get me wrong.

But all it did was leave me

feeling fat and defeated.

Here is what I will take from this match:

1. Treat every week like a pre-tournament week...good food, good sleep, good attitude, etc.

2. Put in some extra time to get my serve back.

3. Mental toughness is just as important or more so than physical strength.

4. Know how to shut off those stupid voices when they start chattering.

5. Know my weaknesses and keep them in check.

6. Play to win!! Don't play to keep from losing!! There IS a difference.

7. Keep playing. Keep it fun. Ugly tennis can still be fun tennis.

8. Don't go for the Rocky Road after a loss. You'll regret it later.

9. And lastly, don't invite anyone to your pity party...

just move on, and get ready for the next battle, I mean match.

A bit about us.

2011-01-03T20:47:00.000-08:00

Did you know...

...that I absolutely adore aprons?

And that baking sugar cookies with my cuties is a favorite tradition?

...that these two share a birthday the day after Christmas?

And that this was the 1st year she ever had breakfast in bed?

...that this one is the lead singer & guitar player in a garage band?

And that he recently wrote his first song?

...that we have the best neighbors in the world?

Thank you for Christmas breakfast Joanna.

Our taste buds will never be the same.

...that this one frequently asks me for a little brother?

...please?

No can do sweetie poo.

...that one of my nicknames for this man is "Mr. Phone"?

And that the blondie on the right wants to be a fashion designer?

...that even though this child can be a puzzle to me,

I am constantly intrigued & amazed by her?

...that I hate being cold?

Warm hats, mittens, hot cocoa, fireplaces...ALL friends.

...that I wouldn't trade this guy for anything?

He is still the sweet in my lemonade.

...and that I am going to try to be a better blogger in 2011?

Happy New Year!

From, a happy girl.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-23T15:49:00.000-08:00

Just feel like sharing some photos with you.

These make me smile.

Hope you smile too!

Jasper.

Is there anything cooler than a beautiful female drummer?

She rocks.

He thinks he's a real boy.

I don't know why.

Kinnect!

Hold me?

It's kinda irresistible.

Oh that face.

Sunrise.

I got a good laugh when I found these on my camera.

The little girls obviously got a hold of it.

Creative, romantic girls?

Merriest Christmas blog friends!

Hope your holidays are fun, bright and full of smiles.

My Jasper.

2010-12-15T12:58:00.000-08:00

Guess what?!!!

I got an early Christmas present.

It is EXACTLY what I wanted.

You must meet Jasper.

Oh, Jasper, you sweet sweet boy.

Just look at that little lovey face.

Now some of you are sighing and saying to yourselves,

"Oh Shelli. Didn't you try this once before?

What happened to poor Pepper, she didn't last long. . . "

Well, I did love Pepper.

But Pepper was given to us because nobody would buy her,

and though she was cute and fun, she was HYPER

and didn't train as well as I had hoped. She also jumped all over

poor Cotton, and he wasn't too happy about it.

And she had a LOUD bark that none of us could control.

You will be happy (as I am) to know that she is in the loving household

of one of Trevor's patients, and they adore her.

Okay, onto JASPER.

I asked for Jasper.

Actually, this is what I said to my sweet darling husband.

"I know what I want for Christmas. A sweet little Yorkie that will love ME

and will curl up right next to me when I am resting.

Oh, but it would have to be house trained too."

And I said all this in a dreamy, wishful way, not even intending for him

to take me seriously.

I should have known better.

Trevor is a sucker for a sweet dog.

Or two.

You already know this guy.

Cotton is our wonder dog.

Everyone who knows him wants him, it is true.

The only problem I have with Cotton is this:

He plays favorites...and I am not one of them.

Trevor, yes. Firstborn daughter, yes.

Everyone else?

Picture Cotton shrugging.

I don't know how Trev managed it, but Jasper is what I asked for.

He is sweet. So sweet that I keep wondering

when he is going to do something mischievous.

He loves ME! How did that happen? I don't know!

He follows me everywhere, puts his paws up for me to hold him,

and when I walk in the room, he lifts his head and watches me!

Now I know how Trevor feels with Cotton.

It's kinda nice to be adored. Smiley face.

He is also trained.

This is huge.

He is 5 years old actually, a year older than Cotton.

His previous owner used him for breeding, and they were done with him.

How they could not want him as a pet baffles me, but I guess that is the business of it.

We are the lucky ones now.

Love you Jasper!

Christmas cozy.

2010-12-02T09:51:00.000-08:00

This year we had snow BEFORE Thanksgiving!

The frosty trees are breathtaking.

I am in awe of them.

And it makes the house feel even more Christmas cozy inside!

Don't you love that word . . . cozy.

I do.

Cozy. . .

Thought I'd give you a tiny tour.

This is my home at Christmas time. At least some of it.

Welcome.
Trev made that bed with his own two hands.
It was his wedding gift to me 17 yrs ago.
I refuse to buy a new one.

I love this old hutch.

I imagine it was in some farm kitchen long ago,

made lovingly by a farmer for his wife.

I don't know, I just imagine it.

Just a chair in the entry.

Decorating the sideboard.

I always find it hard to decorate this piece in the entry.

Maybe because I think it is so pretty without anything on it.

My entry bench, an old church pew.

I love old wood, yes I do.

Dine!

Did you spot Cotton?

He blends so well with the sofa.

I told you it was just a tiny tour.

Thanks for coming along.

Hope you are enjoying your own cozy home!

Especially if you have breathtaking frosty trees.

Daddy Daughter Dance.

2010-11-21T15:18:00.000-08:00

Daddy Daughter Dance.

This weekend the girls got to go with their Dad

to a dance held at the highschool.

Masquerade theme, music, lights, treats, & dancing.

The girls were so excited all day, they couldn't wait!

Trev was looking forward to it too.

I got to hear all about it afterward, as they showed me their

glow sticks, masks, and dance moves.

So fun, and probably something they will always remember!

You, Trev are a rad dad.

Aren't those girls lucky?

Jump start.

2010-11-15T13:48:00.000-08:00

So I got a little jump on the holiday spirit this year.

I didn't want to miss it.

We put the lights on the house this weekend.

We are usually the very last ones in our neighborhood to get them up

BUT this year I told Trev. . .

let's do it while it is still warm, and EVERYONE can help!

So, they are up!

AMAZING! WONDERFUL!

All the kids helped.

And he only complained a little.

Usually he complains a lot...he hates being cold up on an icy roof.

I mean . . . Santa does it every year.

I doubt HE complains.

AND so my blog reflects the Christmas Spirit

that is starting to fill my soul.

Early as it may be.

Now you can start checking back with a mug of hot cocoa in your hands.

Yes, I am still looking forward to the Thanksgiving feast.

But it's coming up pretty quick,

and with the lights up, I can enjoy doing other things.

Like... decorations and the tree!

It is definitely "the most wonderful time of the year"!

Enjoy!

Pie People.

2010-11-07T17:35:00.000-08:00

Some people are pie people.

You know who you are.

I've told you before, I am a CAKE person.

Cake. The word itself makes my tummy rumble.

Oh...cake...

BUT, tis the season for pie, right?

For a self-proclaimed cake person, I admit I can make a mean pie.

Trevor and Monkey A love my apple.

Mom loves my lemon meringue.

The little girls want my crustless pumpkin.

My sister enjoys my apple custard.

My strawberry rhubarb custard rocks.

I myself thoroughly enjoyed the chocolate pecan I made last Thanksgiving.

You pie people are lucky,

this is your month!

Are you already licking your lips in anticipation?
It's just a few weeks away!
What kind are you going to dive into first?
What kind of pie makes YOUR tummy rumble?

Boo! Part 1.

2010-11-01T11:00:00.000-07:00

Boo!

Part 1.

It's that time of year again.

Time for the Annual Family Halloween Bash.

Cozy yourself up. . .

here we go!

Sent these babies in the mail.

Thanks Martha.

Your hostess for the evening.

The lovely vampire...me.

The girls...and Ez.

Pirate, witch, Eskimo, sorceress, Spanish dancer, and airplane.

Mikey showing Skoogs his handcuffs.

This guy shows up on my wall every year.

We can't have a party without him.

Everyone loves him.

My oldest monkeys.

They are going to love me, but can't remember the names of their characters.

My bro Craig, his wife Carrie & their cuties.

Curious George, The Man in the Yellow hat, The mad scientist,

the sorceress & a storm trooper? I know storm trooper is wrong. oops.

Trev's bro Jeff, his wife Kelli & their cuties.

Bumblebee, and a nervous naturalist.

My bro Mike, his wife Jenn, and their cuties.

A policeman, witch, 70's Private Eye, black cat, pirate girl, and M&M.

My parents.

Fandango!

Okay...BRILLIANT.

Our bro in law, Josh.

Do I need to explain this?

Our sis in law Kelli & Trev's mom with baby Ashlyn.

Indian.

Trev's Dad & sister Kiersten.

Gangster & Pippy Longstockings!

The host & hostess...us!

Skoogs made a pin the eye on the monster game.

Then she was in charge of it.

It was a hit! Nice job girl!

Some of the yummy fun food.

And the winners are...

3rd place - me, the vampire!

2nd place - Carrie the mad scientist!

1st place - Mom & Dad A...they swept it again this year,

only this time with their fabulous Fandango costumes!

Don't forget to take one from the licorice rope curtain before you leave!

Party favors for the kiddos!

Thanks again all who came,

and we missed those of you who couldn't make it this year!

I love Halloween.

AND

Scroll down so you don't miss the post after this:

"Boo! Part 2."

Boo! Part 2.

2010-11-01T10:22:00.000-07:00

Boo!

Part 2

Welcome.

"Ahhh . . . you didn't tell me you were gonna kill it!" - Linus

Making a masterpiece.

She got a little out of control this year...

Trev's work.

Carved.

Chatting on the porch.

Arriving for an enjoyable Halloween evening with friends.

Halloween dinner at Jared & Wendi's.

Wicked good.

On to trick-or-treating... ha ha!

The boys ready to scare innocent trick-or-treaters.

The loot!

Ah, the sorting and trading of the candy. A tradition.

When we returned home, we found that we had been. . .

PUMPKIN'D!

Hope your Halloween was spooky good too!

Got your back.

2010-10-25T14:09:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to share a special day with you.

It's mostly through pictures, but I have a few thoughts I'm going to throw out there too.

I have good friends.

Many times I stand back and wonder how?

I know why I love them so much, but I'm not sure why they love me back?

Maybe it doesn't matter.

Maybe just the fact that they do, and that they accept me even knowing all my faults is enough.

What a gift to have others who will make you laugh till it hurts.

Or to cry with when it hurts even more.

What a blessing to know someone has got your back.

No matter what.

I am blessed.

This day was lovely.

Can I share a few of my favorite things?

*Watching Valoree. She was a shining star. A smiling, glowing beautiful star.

*Helping Val get her dress on, and helping each other primp. What fun!

*Spending time side by side with my dear girlfriends. ALL DAY!

*The limo ride with everyone in a friendly excited mood.

*Braving the cold & wind to take professional photos at the park

*Trying to pretend we weren't windblown and chilled while getting ready for the ceremony.

*Calming Val's nerves as we waited together to walk the aisle.

*Elise's prayer with just the 4 of us holding hands and wishing Val peace & joy.

My heart was warmed.

*Walking up the aisle with Ryan. We had fun, and he helped me not trip!

*Watching Val & Chris exchange vows.

*Elise's awesome toast to the happy couple. I promise...you rocked it!

*And lastly...eating CAKE!!!

And thank you Val for asking me to be a bridesmaid.

It was an honor and a joy.

First shot of the day.

What joy filled that room as we readied ourselves and Valoree for her big day.

The limo ride on the way to the park for photographs.

Oh, and to know Janelle is to know she is a joyful cut-up.

Val and Chris looked like this ALL day!

Just as they should. It was beautiful.

Here are some of the bridal party.

What a FUN, great group of people.

And sorry you weren't in many shots Imelda,

I'm not sure where you disappeared to!

Oh yeah. They looked like THIS most of the day too.

Do you think Heavenly Father blesses your lives with certain people?

I do.

Here are a couple of cute blessings.

Trev and Skoogles congratulating the Mr. and Mrs.

Okay, you can't disagree... Val is GLOWING.

Brought a tear to my eye more than once.

Working the reception.

In all honesty, here is a picture of 3 starving bridesmaids waiting for CAKE!

Here we are again with our beloved Coach.

Can you tell we love Rob?

I think it's okay to say he is another blessing.

We are lucky not only to be taught by him, but to know him.

And it's true that even at a wedding, we might talk tennis.

And even act like we are playing it.

It's okay. Val & Chris met on the tennis court...

they would approve.

I just have to say it.

This was a special day. It was just. . . sweet.

A strong spirit of love and sweetness.

The girls were in awe of the bride.

Skoogs was already planning her wedding.

Right down to what cake she would serve.

Loved it.

Rocking the dresses & shoes.

You don't have to be a twenty something to rock it.

Right?

Can you say tired feet?

Winding down.

Just a sweet little dance.

And there they go.

Walking through the bubbles on their way out.

Congratulations Valoree and Chris.

Happy day.

Unwrapped.

2010-10-18T22:24:00.000-07:00

“When you walk with gratitude, you do not walk with arrogance and conceit and egotism, you walk with a spirit of thanksgiving that is becoming to you and will bless your lives."

--Gordon B. Hinckley

"To express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven."

--Thomas S. Monson

"Often we feel grateful and intend to express our thanks but forget to do so or just don’t get around to it. Someone has said that “feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”

--Thomas S. Monson

Dear sweet Trevor,

I have a wrapped present for you.

It's been sitting here for a while.

Why do I let it sit?

I'm so sorry. I want you to have it . . .

Thank you.

I am so grateful for you.

You are the sweetest man,

The best husband,

An amazing father.

You work so hard for all of us.

You make me laugh like no other.

I am lucky, you are so affectionate.

Thank you for all your "i miss u" texts.

I love them.

You promise adventure.

You smell heavenly.

When you hug me, I am instantly warm.

Thank you for holding my hand.

For always telling me how sexy I am.

For always looking me in the eye

before asking if I really do know how much you love me.

I do know.

And I'm not as good as you are at saying it,

But I love you.

You are the greatest blessing in my life.

And I would be ungrateful

if I didn't let you know.

Two Peas.

2010-10-12T09:03:00.000-07:00

I love October for many reasons.

One of my favorites is this tennis tournament.

"For the Love of The Girls"

Breast Cancer Benefit.

Elece and I try to play together in it every year and it is SO fun!

Here is our 2010 team. Elece thought of a great name for us.

"Two Peas In A Pod".

This team name has more than one meaning.

Think Elece and I...Think of the cause of the tournament. Maybe you'll get it.

We are always goofy before we play. Good energy!

Trev came to watch a little. Sporting Al's pink hat for the cause.

Most people take a gel pack or something for energy. Not "Two Peas In A Pod".

We go for it with good old fashioned whipped cream.

Bring it.

Oh, and cupcakes.

Tiny little clip of a tiny little point.

Action shot.

And we won first place!

Way to go Peas!

Milestones.

2010-10-08T13:17:00.000-07:00

Last time I went to my stylist, she tried something new.

It's called 'Ombre.

You leave the roots, and handpaint the rest to keep it lighter.

Like Drew...

I do not look like Drew in any way, but it's always fun to try something different, right?

So as these roots of mine have grown out longer than I've seen them for a while,

I made a new discovery!

I have hit a milestone in my 38 years of life.

My ponytail makes it hard to see.

SO, I made it easier for you.

I plucked these babies right out the top of my old 'Ombre head.

They stood out, bright and shiny.

Silver hair.

NOT gray, folks...silver.

Yes you are now folks, because silver haired people might just say folks.

I'm torn.

While it's a bit of a reality check, I find myself smiling.

My dad has the most beautiful silver white hair.

And so does his mother.

Do I get to have it too?

I must confess I have always hoped to.

Good thing it doesn't happen all at once.

What a shocker that would be.

But if a silvery white head is in my future...

Then bring on the purple shampoo...

because I will still be one happy girl.

The last picks.

2010-10-04T08:38:00.000-07:00

Just harvested pumpkins!

We grew some beauties!

Cutting the last vines of the season.

Tasty fall treat.

Dog kisses.

The sunset out our front door.

G. Hummingbird.

2010-09-20T14:49:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl, my grandparents lived in New York.

I grew up in Washington state.

Every few years we would pile into the red VW bus and make the trip.

What brave parents I had, driving 4 noisy kids across the country.

But it was always worth the crazy drive.

From the time I was little, I can remember my Grandpa slipping me money.

While my siblings all got a five dollar bill, my Grandpa would sneak me a twenty.

I'm not sure what he liked about me, but it's safe to say I was his favorite.

I know my siblings were aware, but to their credit, they never got mad at me for it.

Grandpa served in World War II.

Whatever he saw and did there took its toll, and we always knew him to be a bit "crazy".

And yet, he wasn't.

He was also gentle, sweet, loving and hilarious.

He could make you laugh till you cried.

One day as we were all sitting around chatting outside,

we were interrupted by the hum of wings.

Hummingbirds! Taking little sips of red liquid from the feeder.

We rarely saw hummingbirds back in Washington, so it was a real treat.

That is the day "crazy" Grandpa turned into "Grandpa Hummingbird".

Because he got us kids giggling as he flapped his wings, and pretended to sip red liquid from the feeder.

As I grew older, Grandpa would call me often from New York.

Each time he called, the conversation went something like this...

"Is this Shelli? Well, hello Shelli, this is a boy from down the street. I think you

are so beautiful, I really want to go out with you. Will you go out with me?

Maybe we could go rollerskating. Would you like to go rollerskating with me?"

And each time I would laugh and tell him I would love to rollerskate with him.

Then he would laugh and tell me it was really Grandpa Hummingbird.

As if I didn't know.

When I was 19, and away at college, my mom called to let me know

that Grandpa had passed away.

I was sure I hadn't heard her right, but I can still remember that punch in the gut.

I quietly went outside, sat against my roommate's old car tire, and balled my eyes out.

Did you know my Grandpa loved flowers?

He loved to garden.

The whole time I knew him, I was never interested in flowers.

Funny that it is one of my passions now.

Many years after he was gone, my mom gave me 2 wrinkled

packets of flower seeds and a note that she had tucked away from my Grandpa.

They are Zinnia seeds. One of my favorites.

And in his handwriting is my name written on each packet.

The note says, "Dear Debby (my mom), Just came back from the nursery.

New seeds. I get a big kick looking at seeds. These are for Shelli, NOT for you Debby! HA!"

Now..I get a kick out of that note.

And the fact that he bought Zinnia seeds for me when I was an uninterested teen.

A few years ago my Grandma gave me a leather bound book, and a small jewelry box.

Inside the book are clippings of Grandpa's tennis tournaments he played

as a young man in Buffalo, New York.

And in the jewelry box are several gold charms that he won playing tennis.

I do treasure these.

I love hummingbirds. I always have.

I have been lucky enough to see at least one every year that I have had a garden.

This year, the plants I put in to attract them had matured.

AND I tried a hummingbird feeder.

I love that I saw more hummingbirds this year than any other!

My kids laugh at my excitement when I see one...but they get it.

They never got to meet Grandpa, but they know the stories.

They know why hummingbirds make me happy.
And now so do you.

Lately.

2010-09-13T22:16:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year.

I like how things slow down a little.

Time to enjoy some sweet little things.

Lately I've been enjoying...

Cottage cheese with fruit.

This is one of my new favorite things.

I very much like it with sliced red grapes, sliced bananas

and slivered almonds.

It's like healthy dessert.

Oh so good!

My coach has been working with me for quite a while to try to get my backhand better.

I used to have a two handed...think Nadal.

But it felt so much better to me to use a one handed...think Federer.

So the switch has been a long process.

But I am happy lately because I am starting to feel very comfortable with it.

Maybe soon it could even be a weapon!

Practice! Practice! Practice!

So I thought the birds ate all my grapes this year.

I have four different seedless varieties.

They wiped me out of my favorite green ones.

But throughout the last week, I have discovered

that they did not eat my blush colored ones!

AND they are DELICIOUS!

I just sit on the ground and pick off all the ripe ones,

and pop them into my mouth one by one.

Joy.

I'm not sure why, but sometimes I need soft music.

And that is all I will listen to for a while,

because my soul likes the calm.

So, crazy as it sounds, I have had my radio on the

SYMPHONY station of all things!

I know, I know.

But I have found that I really love Brahms!

And Beethoven.

But especially Brahms.

One of my best friends, Valoree is getting married in October!

(She is the cutie on the far right).

I am thrilled for her!! It is wonderful!

And you know what?

She asked me to be a bridesmaid!

Isn't that exciting?

Elece & Janelle are too!

This is DEFINITELY a sweet little thing.

The pumpkins in my garden are GROWING!

This is the first time I have grown pumpkins,

and I LOVE to see them.
Bright orange and round!

What kinds of sweet little things have you been enjoying lately?

A favorite thing.

2010-09-10T15:13:00.000-07:00

Why I like my ATV

by Shelli

It's bright red.

It goes fast.

It takes me through rocks, mud and sand.

It lets me feel and smell the air.

It's noisy.

It's powerful.

It's even comfy for napping...you heard me...

Oh, and I do like dirt for lunch.

And that is why I like my ATV.

Jam Packed...

2010-09-07T12:27:00.000-07:00

That was our summer.

Crazy, busy fun!

As you know, I didn't blog much.

We were here one day and gone the next.

But now it's time to settle down, clean house, update blogs...

So keeping with tradition, here is a little recap of our summer.

In pictures for your viewing pleasure!

Enjoy!

My "Voluptuous" tea rose. I did not enhance this photo at all, this rose glows!

Love these climbers on my split rail. Ahhh. Enjoyed my flowers this summer.

Made a few 4-wheeling trips. The sand dunes were a new experience, but I think I prefer trail riding in the trees.

When they got bored...

Did some outdoor camping in the backyard. Perfect.

Check out the heart on this apple! It made my day, and that apple tasted extra sweet, I swear!

My girls on our white water rafting trip. Googles was a bit unsure. We came out soaked, but we did it!


In Sun River waiting for our bus to take us to the white water. And that's my hot hubby. I told you...a hotty.

Posers.

Biking the trails in Sun River. It was BEAUTIFUL there. The trails are wonderful!

Seats four!

My reaction to Trev's comment. Don't remember the comment, but he tried for this reaction and got it.

At the park in Sun River. My oldest kept asking..."Where did Dad go?" She didn't see him climb.

Listening to live music while waiting for pizza in Sun River. Googles and I danced to it while the teens tried to look cool and not related. Party poops.

Playing Farkle at Banks Lake with Cheryl and Heather.

Boating on Banks.

My son tearing it up on the stand up.

The kid crew at Banks. A GREAT bunch!

Back to school cookie baking! MMMMM. Made plenty to stick in the freezer.

The teens on their first day of school. What happened to my kiddos?


The youngers on their first day of school. Still kiddos. Sigh.

Hope you all enjoyed your summer!

Now of course it is almost time to enjoy fall.

And you KNOW I will enjoy my fall.
CAN'T WAIT!

Today.

2010-08-25T08:19:00.000-07:00

I am feeling grateful today.

I slept good.

The house is quiet while I sip my smoothie sitting in the sunny patch on my bed.

My hubby kissed me before leaving early this morning.

It's my son's 14th birthday today...how he has grown.

I get to play tennis in an hour. What a blessing this body is.

So what if the birds ate my grapes this year...their chirping makes my spirit joyful.

My home is a summer in-and-out mess, but I love home.

Fall is around the corner, oh fall..what you do to me.

I get to make cookies and weed the garden this weekend. I can't wait.

My oldest is driving. What a milestone. I am proud.

My body is thanking me for eating better things. Thank you for fruit!

Hot shower. As long as I want. Wow.

The blessing of another glorious day ahead.

Yes, I am feeling grateful today.

I recommend the peach turnovers...

2010-08-03T18:13:00.000-07:00

I DISCOVERED A NEW BAKERY IN TOWN!!!!

I'm one happy girl.

Peanut butter and Jelly.

2010-07-13T15:34:00.000-07:00

Sixteen months apart.

Together from the start.

Peanut butter and jelly.

Burgers and fries.

Can't find one without the other.
These two just always go together.

Got sand?

2010-07-06T13:54:00.000-07:00

Just returned from one of the greatest places on earth.

The Beach.

Does anyone not love the beach?

What's not to love?

It's sandy heaven.

I wish I was still there. Sigh...

Don't you?

ps - if you want to see more picts, go here :)

Stuff fluff.

2010-06-28T11:16:00.000-07:00

Shelli, Elece, Coach, Janelle, Val

My summer flex league doubles team.
And our awesome coach.
We stuff fluff.
And he is wise.

I love this sport.

Daddio, Cherries & Heaven on Earth.

2010-06-22T12:20:00.000-07:00

We just returned from our first summer vacation!

That's Googles holding onto me.

I won't mention the rain, hail, wind, dark clouds, and COLD temps.
I won't tell you about how we were there for a whole week
and I only rode my quad on TWO of those days because of icky weather.

Because I am so positive, I will tell you about the TWO wonderful days.
Sunshine, sand dunes, jumping hills, tearing it up...

There's Trev. Nice jump. Notice the Tetons in the back?
Just beautiful.

Wish there had been more days like that one.

My daddio.
My sis just happened to be in town (QUICK trip) so
we got to celebrate Dad together.
Isn't he handome? He's sweet too.
Oh, you have the best Dad?
BUT SO DO I!!

Feels like summer. FINALLY.
Oh my heart...aren't we blessed to have the beauty of flowers?
Thank you Heavenly Father.
From the bottom of my heart and my whole being.

The comfort & beauty of home.
I love home.

If you came to visit me,
you would be greeted by my welcome frog,
lilies and lavender.

Oh this just keeps getting better.
You can bet I pulled over in a heartbeat today when I saw the sign.
CHERRIES.
Fresh off the trees.
Truly, is there anything better?
Probably. But not today.

We are so lucky to live in orchard country!

I'm so loving summer so far.
How about you?

Blogger's Block.

2010-06-06T17:43:00.000-07:00

Oh I've been a bad girl.
I have been avoiding you, blog.
Not on purpose,
life just gets busy you know.

I looked here and there for inspiration.
An exciting and noteworthy blog post.
Writer's block I guess,
I wasn't coming up with much.

But I think that is okay.
I have been enjoying life.
Enjoying SPRING.

You know how I love it,
you've heard it all before.
And maybe I didn't want to bore you
with the same ramblings
about GREEN
about BIRDS
about FLOWERS.
Ah...say no more Shelli,
they've heard it.
They know.

And so...
a few pictures instead.
Here's what I've been up to
while I've been away from the blogging life.
It will have to do for now.

Just know I am really dying to write more about GREEN.
But I won't.

Customize a free slideshow

Quad time.

2010-05-19T09:50:00.000-07:00

There she is, our littlest all ready for the trails.

Gear...check. Bike...check. Muddy trails...check.

My boy is ready and rearing to go.

You got a little something on your face...

I seriously can't think of an activity with friends that is more fun than this.

All the kids on the pyramid rocks.

The bigger kids. They had a blast together.

Check out Monkey C's helmet.

She's ready to go again. That's my girl!

At camp in between trail rides.

The muddy group after the "man" ride. Way to go daughter!!

Muddy and exhausted.

How many marshmallows can YOU stick in your mouth at once?

My Glad Game.

2010-05-12T11:32:00.000-07:00

Pollyana.
Pollyannaish.
Pollyannaism.

In 1913 Eleanor H. Porter wrote the best-selling American Classic, Pollyana.
If you remember, Hayley Mills and Disney gave us the visual version.
My sister and I loved this movie when we were kids.

Wikpedia: "The novel's success brought the term "Pollyanna" into the language to describe someone who seems always to be able to find something to be "glad" about no matter what circumstances are."

Though this sounds like a GOOD thing,
to be called a Pollyana doesn't always have a positive connotation.
To call someone a Pollyana can also mean that you are implying
that their optimism is excessive to the point of naïveté or
refusing to accept the facts of an unfortunate situation.

Okay yes, but I love what the author has to say about that...

In an interview Eleanor H. Porter said,
"I have been made to suffer from the Pollyanna books,
I have been placed often in a false light.
People have thought that Pollyanna chirped that she was 'glad at everything.'
I have never believed that we ought to deny discomfort and pain and evil.
I have merely thought that it is far better
to greet the unknown with a smile."

Anyone read my profile statement lately?
"Life isn't perfect, but I prefer to go about my world with a smile on".

PROOF.
I am a Pollyana.

See these 3 little stinkers?
That's me on the left, my bro Mike & sis Kris.
Guess what they called me when I was little?

Pollyanna.
A good thing? Yes, even though I caught on to that little hint of
"goody goody" that goes along with the title.
Sometimes I felt myself being defensive of my optimism.
But it was all good.
See...there it is in the sentence above, I just can't help myself.

Recently I reclaimed the Pollyana nickname
with the help of some of my good friends.
They caught on to me I guess.
As soon as the name escaped their lips, a groan escaped mine.
"Oh no! That is what my siblings teased me about when I was little!"
They tried to assure me it was a GOOD thing.
It was OKAY to be optimistic.

Except for statements like this...
"Shelli, tell me honestly, what do I need to improve in my tennis game?
What did you see that I could have done better?
Oh wait,
you are just going to tell me all the positive stuff,
I need to remember who I am asking..."
HA HA HA!
I have to admit, I find that one pretty funny.

And so I have decided that in honor of my
"Pollyanaishness",
I will start what I hope to be a weekly post in my sidebar.
My thoughts on what brings happiness home.
Maybe some insight on why life is lovely.
The insider's guide to a Pollyanna mind.

Stay with me.
It won't be optimism in excess.
Just bring a glass of milk in case you need help swallowing my sweetness pill.
(Oh, and make sure it's half full.)

Tuesday in Twenty.

2010-05-04T09:35:00.000-07:00

Tuesday in Twenty (words):

Cott's favorite spot.

Hi Grandma!

Apron collection.

Fifteen is delicious.

Mr. Fluffypants cuddles.

My happy desk.

Sitting in a sunshine patch.

Catching Up.

2010-04-28T06:46:00.000-07:00

USTA...United States Tennis Association.
I belong to a USTA team, and each spring the tournaments begin.
If you win the first round, you go on to the second.
If you win the second you go on to the third.
Then you can go on to sectionals, nationals, and so forth.

If you lose, you are just plain out.
And then you start team practices the very next week
so you can TRY TO WIN NEXT YEAR!

Our team has practice this week so we can try to win next year.
We just weren't able to pull through.
The first round was this last weekend.
I had a blast and won a singles match and 2 doubles matches.
I lost one poo poo singles match.
I was pretty excited about the way I played though.

The months leading up to this tournament
are filled with lots of extra practice and team chatter.
And the weekend tourneys are exciting, stressful,
and FULL of anticipation and nerves.
Those feelings mixed with the physical exertion of match after match
make for one tired body and mind when you are done.

I came home after my last match, and looked around my house.
It was clear I needed to play catch up in the house cleaning dept.
Especially the laundry.
There was a huge pile of it on my bed, waiting to be folded.

Obviously, it was time to dive in.
So what did I do?
Without much thought, I dropped onto the bed.
I grabbed a sweatshirt from the pile and put it over my legs.
A towel for my torso and arms,
and a pair of pants would do to cover my feet.
Ahhhh, time to catch up.

...ZZZZZZZZ

Distracted.

2010-04-22T13:46:00.000-07:00

Frightened?
I know I am!

Before April started, I was aware that something in our family was not quite right.
The thought continued to nag at me that SOMETHING needed to change.
I focused on a few things here and there.
But to no avail.

Here was the problem.
Our family unity felt shaken. Felt adrift. Felt...gone.
It felt like we all lived in the same house yet...
where was everybody?

We were not connecting, and you know what?
It felt horrible, WRONG.

After much thought and prayer, here is the answer that came to me.

NO MEDIA MONTH!

When a friend told me about this, an instant feeling of confirmation filled me!
I did not know exactly how this could help us, but I FELT it would.

So for the month of April we decided on a few things:

1. No video games at all.
2. No small hand held electronic games like a DS or Leapster.
3. No computer time besides homework for the kids.
4. Limited adult computer use - no Craig's List and Ebay browsing.
5. No television. Family owned DVD's are allowed if okay'd by mom & dad, watched sparingly.
(no tv includes no watching tennis for mom & dad either!)
6. Daughter's cell phone only given to her when activity, no free reign on texting.
7. ipods are okay (we only download music to them).

So we suggested this to the kids, and surprisingly they were all on board.
The first 3 days were full of this...
"I'm bored". "There's nothing to do".
Whiny, mopey.

But then it was like magic.
MAGIC I tell you!

The spirit of love & peace and family unity made a HUGE comeback.
It feels good.
It feels RIGHT.
Here are a few of the things we didn't even know we were missing:

Family tickle fights
Laughing together
Ping-pong tournaments
Deep, serious conversations
Lighthearted goofy conversations
working out
porch laziness
trampoline time
sit down family dinners
bike riding
joke telling
tennis playing
public library and book reading
cooking together
tea parties
craft time
one on one outings with kids
shoulder rides
dirt bike riding
dog walking
puppet shows
fort making
oh and nights full of this kind of thing...

...pantyhose on the head night
(inspired by a card from my dear friend Karen).

Seriously. Who would have thought that those distractions could have been so...well...
DISTRACTING!
I didn't even realize what was happening to us.
It was sneaky!
We all agree that this is SO MUCH better.
No Media Month will be over at the end of April.
But I promise you...there will be new rules.
There has to be.

Because for OUR family
this is WAY too good a change.

Stepping In.

2010-04-08T13:04:00.000-07:00

Here is my favorite knock-knock joke...

Knock Knock
Who's There?
Control Freak, Now you say Control Freak who...

Love this joke.

I generally am NOT a control freak.
I'd rather watch carefully as someone else runs the show,
ready to lend a hand or step in as needed.

Mothering teens.
This is a whole new world to me.
It is different than mothering babies, toddlers & tweens.

(can't you just see the difference from this picture?)
And sometimes?
Just sometimes I would like the control that comes with mothering a toddler.
Oh, this cute little boy would look so cute with THIS hairstyle.
Do I ask him? No. I just style it. See? It's so cute. Because I styled it.
Oh, we should take these cute little kids out to dinner for a family outing.
Mom & Dad pick their favorite restaurant, because nobody minds.
Oh, that thing is bad for him...I won't let him have it.

See, teens have OPINIONS.
And they want you to know their opinions, because they MATTER.
Sometimes they matter more than your opinions.
And they have FREE CHOICE.
Sometimes I need to remind myself that this is a good thing.

I am learning.
I am rolling with this "new world",
(even though I stumble as I go...a lot).

And I am finding that if I RELAX,
if I have a sense of humor,
and pick my battles,
there is fun to be found.
It's a different fun than the baby, toddler, tween world,
and KNOWING that helps.

It's not BAD Shelli, it's just DIFFERENT!
(yes I totally talk to myself).

I have found that even if they pull away a little?
You don't pull back with them.
You actually STEP IN and...
hug them,
kiss them,
tease them,
help them,
teach them,
discipline them,
remind them.

They thrive on it.
So maybe it's not that much different than mothering a toddler.

Is it?

Extraordinary.

2010-03-31T09:56:00.000-07:00

We climbed Badger Mountain as a family for the first time this year.
I've posted before about this little hiking treasure...back in 2006.

The weather has been nice enough, and we all needed to get out as a family.So we did.
Yes, there were some initial teen groanings,
but by the time we got in the car, we were all in happy hiking sync.

There are many things I like about a family hike.
Conversation. It's quiet, and there are no distractions.
Your kids feel like talking.
And it can be fun to listen.

There was a funny moment when Trev had
just finished taking about 5 pictures in a row.

My oldest asked him why he was taking so many pictures.
We explained to the kids that if you take a lot of pictures,
the chances are better for you to get one really extraordinary one.

Then he joked, "Kind of like you kids.
We had to have four of you in hopes of getting one extraordinary one".
My oldest gave him the teen eye roll, my youngest giggled,
but without missing a beat, our middle daughter piped up,
"I'm pretty sure that's me."

If any of you know this middle daughter...
you might understand why Trev and I just laughed our heads off.
But of course, they all are extraordinary.

What else about a family hike?
Outside and exercise...two things you know I love.
You can see everyone forgetting all the distractions of life.
We are all focusing on our footsteps,
the view,
companionship,
and the path ahead.

A good day.
I like good days.
Especially good family days.