Summer Sailed

Summer was a whirlwind of activity. Here is a very brief and unorganized synopsis.

The boy ate and grew.

We played at Cherry Hill.

We went to Yellowstone National Park......

Jackson Hole, Wyoming......

and Island Park, Idaho.

We celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary.

Kiki learned to swim.

We went to the Utah Art Festival

Mac and Walter learned to bike.

We had lots of silly fun outside.

The girls won ribbons at the science fair after hours of experiments.

Mac ate and grew, then ate and grew, then ate some more.

Did I mention all of the silly and MESSY fun?

Spring sprang

Summer is in full swing. It is hot. Remind me why I was complaining about the rain in June? I miss Spring. I love Spring. It is the time of year that offers me the rare chance to live in the moment. I don't miss winter, and I don't plan for the season ahead. I just soak up the sunshine and breathe in the wakening green.
Maybe it was all that living in the moment that prevented me from posting these pictures sooner. But now that it is 100 degrees outside, I have a reason to look back, remember, and savor Spring one more time. It is a magical season.

Sleep

As the mother of a 7 month old baby, I ponder "sleep" often. It is an enigma. My children resist it with all of their might. They insist to me and themselves that they do not need it. They dread sunset's warning that the time for sleep is approaching. They whinge and screech when told they must go to sleep.

I, by comparison, desire sleep with every cell in my body. Every morning I find myself thinking or saying that I did not get enough sleep the night before. Every afternoon, I need a nap, but do not get one. After supper, I watch the clock, waiting impatiently for it to be bedtime. I am relieved when the house is finally quiet and settled, so that I can tiptoe into my bedroom and sink into my pillow.

As the mother of a baby, the topic of sleep comes up often in conversation. Friends want to know if I'm getting any sleep or if the baby is sleeping through the night yet. It is obviously a valuable resource for all parents. Those who are getting enough of it themselves offer encouragement and then silently rejoice that it's you instead of them. Those who are also deprived commiserate and share strategies for attaining more.

Then occasionally, I startle awake at 4 am and realize that the baby slept through his 2 am feeding. How I wish I could go back to sleep on those rare nights rather than waiting and worrying until he does wake. And there is a tendency every night to wonder if THIS will be the night that he sleeps until dawn. Will he achieve the holy grail of milestones this very night? The answer thus far has been no. And secretly, I smile over this. When I snuggle up with him in our rocking chair in the dark to nurse, it is the best part of my day. There are no distractions, no interruptions. Instead of breastfeeding the baby while simultaneously answering phone calls, reading email, helping with math, playing horses, reading stories, or playing Jenga...there are only the two of us. His sweet gulp, sigh...the only sounds. His body heavy with sleep and his sweaty head....my only focus. I can release all of my worries and frustrations as my love for this boy melts my own body, and I sink into this moment.

He'll sleep through the night eventually. For now, I'm content to let "sleep" remain a conundrum.

Walter

Our "new" dog is a mystery. Actually, he is not "new" at all. He belonged to someone else before us. We don't know what his name was and have given him a new name. We don't know how old he is, but the vet says between 4 and 6 years. We don't know how he came to be lost, only that he was picked up by animal control in Bountiful. No one claimed him. We don't know why.

These are the things that we DO know about Walter:
1. He does not chase or bark at the cat. He gets a bit more excited about the ducks, but controls himself perfectly when told to.
2. He does not jump up onto anyone.
3. The only time he barks is when the family is getting in the car and he hasn't been invited to go along.
4. He allows 4 year old girls to dress him up (including socks on all four feet), wipe his nose with a tissue, lift him onto and then push him off of the trampoline, take him on 29 walks a day, comb him with the Barbie comb, and attempt to feed him sand-repeatedly.
5. When he sleeps at night, he must be in physical contact at all times with this same girl. His favorite position is supine, front feet raised in the air. He snores quite loudly.
6. He loves to sort the garbage and will tip over any and all trash receptacles left within reach.
7. He will lick every square inch of Milo's exposed skin when he thinks no one is watching. This affection is lavished solely on the baby, perhaps because he is the only one who tastes good enough to lick.
8. He has very quickly become a member of the family.

For two parents who are not dog lovers, adopting Walter was very risky. When I consider the problems that we might have had, I wonder at our luck. I can't help but think of his previous owners with sadness for their loss, in spite of our gain. I'm too jaded these days to believe in fate, but I hope that our crossed paths feel as serendipitous to Walter as they do to us.

Time...

Last night when I went to bed, I asked myself what I had accomplished that day. Where had the time gone? Laundry was washed, but not folded. Dinner was eaten, but dishes left in the sink. Toys were put away, but the floor not vacuumed. How had I managed to burn up an entire day without completing any of the tasks I began? I felt like a failure.

So today, as I sorted through pictures, I looked for proof that my days aren't a waste of time. And this is what I discovered.

As TIME passes:

Little girls fall in love with dogs. (This is Walter.)




































They win coloring contests, which earn them a dining experience with gigantic and terrifying mascots at restaurants.
















Babies sprout teeth, learn to roll over, sit up, and eat solids. They don't care that these new talents break Mommy's heart and make it burst with pride.

Little girls become big girls who give presentations, watch mesmerized as larvae turn into ladybugs, and practice cartwheels and handstands by the hour.

These beautiful events don't get written down in an appointment book or appear on any "to do" list. They take place in spite of dirty dishes, unfinished laundry, and sticky floors. And sadly, they happen whether they are witnessed or not. My photos reminded me today that I AM watching. I'm not missing any of it (even if it is 1 pm and I haven't showered yet.)

I'll never win a beauty pageant or a Pulitzer prize. I'll never be an ambassador to a foreign country or run an orphanage in a third world country. I'll never receive an award for the hours I spend every day caring for my sweet kiddos, but their smiles and laughter have to mean I'm doing something right.

So, maybe I've accomplished something important after all......

If this chair's a rockin'..........

Future bull ridin' rodeo star....or bronco buster maybe? YEEEEEHAW!