I should probably save this post for a date closer to Valentines day, but I wanted to share this sweet song that Amy shared with me, and I'm missing Jared. He's in Seattle for the weekend. Maybe you all are already familiar with it. If not, it's a sweet treat especially if your expecting or know someone who is. The song is Colbie Caillats' "Capri". I get a little vaklempt every time I hear it. Sniff sniff. Hear are some of our other favorite sweet songs of the year -old and new. Mazzy Star "Fade Into You"; Ingrid Michaelson "The Way I am";Linkin Park "Shadow of the Day";Dashboard Confessional "Stolen" The Postal Service "Such Great Heights". Wish I knew how to share music files... Have a great weekend!
-Mel
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Back on Track
Well this week is a far cry from the last. I'm feeling like priorities are back in place and I'm in a process of regrouping. I decided that this Spring just does not have room for third semester Spanish. I dropped the class this weekend before the instructor replied to my email about schedule conflicts. His email was very nice and he offered to be really accommodating-but I had already dropped the class. Not sure how I feel about my impulse decision, but it sure has been nice having a clean house, and all the laundry done. This morning my walking partner and I had a run in with a creepy guy hanging out on our path. At first I thought maybe he was a high school student, then I realized it was to early for high school students to be waiting for the bus. (5:45am) Not to mention he was way to bold to be a kid. I didn't feel frightened at all. I had been so preoccupied with our conversation that our passing him and his comment about scaring us didn't even phase me. That's a problem. In retrospect it all freaks me out a bit. I've gotten comfortable and let my guard down. Sometimes I feel like my approach to life can get that way. Complacency in comfort. So... how do you enjoy the sailing when it's smooth and still be on guard for the storm ahead? I suppose by making sure our sails are in good repair and we have spares for those that will get tattered. Time to get better prepared.
Hannah's wish for the day- That Bailey would have a dog friend.
-Mel
Hannah's wish for the day- That Bailey would have a dog friend.
-Mel
Friday, January 18, 2008
Rough Weeks and Wisdom
Well this week hasn't gone very well. Our Altima is in the shop this week again- motor mounts, thermometer, water pump. $$$$$$$$$$$$$There goes our summer vacation fund... Tuesday, I twisted my neck showing Hannah how to "properly" do a somersault. Nice. Wed. must have been so bad I blocked it from memory. Which brings me to Thursday.
Thursday, I was determined to not let lack of car slow me down. We can walk everywhere we need to go I confidently assured Jared when he told me he wouldn't be able to get home before 6:00pm. So at 3:30 we gear up to walk to Hannah's piano lesson just a couple miles away. Hannah rode her bike, Noah road his scooter, Bailey and I walked. We arrive just four minutes past the hour, so far so great.
Noah and I walk down to a park not to far away while Hannah was at her lesson, the wind picked up a little and I began to feel the temperature drop. Good thing we're keeping active otherwise we might really begin to get cold, I thought. Bailey spotted a Chihuahua and did his Bailey Beagle thing which consists of pulling the leash and howl barking. I wish I could describe the sound better- it's quite the spectacle. "All right time to go", I call to Noah. He took his last three turns on the slide then caught up to me on the path. Bailey was happy, Noah was happy I was happy. Cars are so overrated, I thought, we would have missed all this fun at the park and exercise had we driven.
We pick up Hannah and begin out trek home. By now the temperature has dropped about ten degrees and Noah and Hannah begin turning on one another. Soon Noah runs Bailey and I off the sidewalk and has to walk his scooter and apologize. He starts crying, he's tired, he's hungry, he's cold... He apologizes and begins to ride his scooter, this time much slower-not out of obedience but out of sheer exhaustion. We were a sight I'm sure crossing the intersection. By the time we got three quarters the way home Noah was full on crying, Hannah was complaining that her legs were rubbed raw and my hand that was holding Baileys leash was beginning to cramp. We finally made it home about 5:30.
We made dinner, Jared came home and mentioned he would like to play basketball at the Stake building tonight. I have some errands to run too, so no problem, we'll drop Jared off at the Stake, run to the book store and Costco, Jared can get a ride home and we should still be able to get the kids in bed by 8:00pm. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
Actually, the kids and I had a great time at Borders getting distracted by all the pretty books. Noah spotted one about Chicago and begged me to read it to them. How could I resist. We finally made our way to Costco which wasn't very busy, but the three check out lines they had opened were really long. Hannah and Noah amused themselves by dreaming up the advantages of sharing a room with one another. Bunk beds, a solar system room with a ceiling that was midnight blue with glow stars shining down. They actually talked about this for about 45 minutes until realizing they would have to part with the bedrooms they already have. They came to the conclusion that they should just cut through the wall between the two rooms and make a window they could talk through. Now you have to understand that they live in one anothers rooms already and very seldom play without the other. They're so cute.
We arrived home at 8:30, Jared unloaded the car while I helped motivate the kids to get to bed. Soon they were asleep and Jared and I settled into our Thursday night TV time with ER.
This morning I woke up at 5:00 in a little bit of a mood. I hadn't slept mush the night before and my arm felt like it was on fire. My walk only helped my mood temporarily. I came home at 6:30 and to say the least my mood rubbed off on the rest of the family. I began to panic about upcoming events, pioneer trek, girls camp, ward activities, meetings, school, extracurricular activities, vacation plans, and the displacement of funds. It's fairly common for me to feel this way around this time of month- unfortunately that knowledge does little in the way of comfort. I begin piling and piling and piling. Until I'm ready to wipe the calendar clean for the next six months and anything that is not absolutely necessary must go. That's where Jared the voice of reason steps in. Ah Jared, the soothing voice of assurance and reason.
I feel like a putz complaining in the least. I just finished the book Lehi in the Wilderness. Yikes. The pictures of the desolate Arabian desert really help put things in perspective. At least it should.
How do we avoid being pampered pansies in this age? All I know is that the tendons in my arm are swollen, my neck is twisted, did I mention I somehow cut my toe open this morning and I'm ready for a new week. One where I'm stronger, and have our car back.
Love, Mel
Thursday, I was determined to not let lack of car slow me down. We can walk everywhere we need to go I confidently assured Jared when he told me he wouldn't be able to get home before 6:00pm. So at 3:30 we gear up to walk to Hannah's piano lesson just a couple miles away. Hannah rode her bike, Noah road his scooter, Bailey and I walked. We arrive just four minutes past the hour, so far so great.
Noah and I walk down to a park not to far away while Hannah was at her lesson, the wind picked up a little and I began to feel the temperature drop. Good thing we're keeping active otherwise we might really begin to get cold, I thought. Bailey spotted a Chihuahua and did his Bailey Beagle thing which consists of pulling the leash and howl barking. I wish I could describe the sound better- it's quite the spectacle. "All right time to go", I call to Noah. He took his last three turns on the slide then caught up to me on the path. Bailey was happy, Noah was happy I was happy. Cars are so overrated, I thought, we would have missed all this fun at the park and exercise had we driven.
We pick up Hannah and begin out trek home. By now the temperature has dropped about ten degrees and Noah and Hannah begin turning on one another. Soon Noah runs Bailey and I off the sidewalk and has to walk his scooter and apologize. He starts crying, he's tired, he's hungry, he's cold... He apologizes and begins to ride his scooter, this time much slower-not out of obedience but out of sheer exhaustion. We were a sight I'm sure crossing the intersection. By the time we got three quarters the way home Noah was full on crying, Hannah was complaining that her legs were rubbed raw and my hand that was holding Baileys leash was beginning to cramp. We finally made it home about 5:30.
We made dinner, Jared came home and mentioned he would like to play basketball at the Stake building tonight. I have some errands to run too, so no problem, we'll drop Jared off at the Stake, run to the book store and Costco, Jared can get a ride home and we should still be able to get the kids in bed by 8:00pm. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
Actually, the kids and I had a great time at Borders getting distracted by all the pretty books. Noah spotted one about Chicago and begged me to read it to them. How could I resist. We finally made our way to Costco which wasn't very busy, but the three check out lines they had opened were really long. Hannah and Noah amused themselves by dreaming up the advantages of sharing a room with one another. Bunk beds, a solar system room with a ceiling that was midnight blue with glow stars shining down. They actually talked about this for about 45 minutes until realizing they would have to part with the bedrooms they already have. They came to the conclusion that they should just cut through the wall between the two rooms and make a window they could talk through. Now you have to understand that they live in one anothers rooms already and very seldom play without the other. They're so cute.
We arrived home at 8:30, Jared unloaded the car while I helped motivate the kids to get to bed. Soon they were asleep and Jared and I settled into our Thursday night TV time with ER.
This morning I woke up at 5:00 in a little bit of a mood. I hadn't slept mush the night before and my arm felt like it was on fire. My walk only helped my mood temporarily. I came home at 6:30 and to say the least my mood rubbed off on the rest of the family. I began to panic about upcoming events, pioneer trek, girls camp, ward activities, meetings, school, extracurricular activities, vacation plans, and the displacement of funds. It's fairly common for me to feel this way around this time of month- unfortunately that knowledge does little in the way of comfort. I begin piling and piling and piling. Until I'm ready to wipe the calendar clean for the next six months and anything that is not absolutely necessary must go. That's where Jared the voice of reason steps in. Ah Jared, the soothing voice of assurance and reason.
I feel like a putz complaining in the least. I just finished the book Lehi in the Wilderness. Yikes. The pictures of the desolate Arabian desert really help put things in perspective. At least it should.
How do we avoid being pampered pansies in this age? All I know is that the tendons in my arm are swollen, my neck is twisted, did I mention I somehow cut my toe open this morning and I'm ready for a new week. One where I'm stronger, and have our car back.
Love, Mel
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Tucson Snow
One of the reasons I love Tucson is Mt. Lemmon. Besides giving us a snowy playground in the winter, and relief from the summers heat Mt. Lemmon holds many special memories for both Jared and I. Growing up we both have years of memories on that mountain. Our first date was on Mt. Lemmon, and the second time he asked me to marry him was on Mt. Lemmon,(but the first time I knew his proposal was serious). It has been so fun sharing our mountain with our children, helping them to begin building their own memories of a place we love.
This past Saturday we went sledding off the Mount Bigelow trail. Sean and his family joined us and we had a blast. Noah loves the snow. Friday I surprised them with a sled. Noah
though it was a surf board at first, and I explained it was a sled which extracted the same amount of enthusiasm from him. Saturday we 
headed up the mountain after picking up Sean, Amy and Zane. Our chances for seeing snow seemed pretty slim as the valley temp the past week had been in the 70's. As we climbed in elevation still no snow. We passed windy point and climbed further in elevation. To my relief we began to see clumps of melting snow. There was hope.
though it was a surf board at first, and I explained it was a sled which extracted the same amount of enthusiasm from him. Saturday we 
headed up the mountain after picking up Sean, Amy and Zane. Our chances for seeing snow seemed pretty slim as the valley temp the past week had been in the 70's. As we climbed in elevation still no snow. We passed windy point and climbed further in elevation. To my relief we began to see clumps of melting snow. There was hope.By the time we reached Mt. Bigelow the ground was covered. We found our favorite sledding spot and no sooner had we settled the hot cocoa into safe harbor Noah had grabbed the sled and was ready to go. He took off down the hill with a scream that sent us all doubling over in hysterics. By the time he reached the bottom his screams of horror had turned into unstoppable laughter as he trekked up the hill ready to go again. We had FUN! 
After awhile a few more families joined us on the mountain and we decided it was time to go. We explored Summerhaven and Ski Valley. We stopped by the Cookie Cabin and ordered a pizza for the trip down the mountain. The pizza was great, they actually offered to customize the slices on the pizza for us. 
Ski Valley was busy with skiers and snowboarders. The cabins built to replace the ones that burned a couple years ago are beautiful. It's nice to see the area doing so well after the fires.
-Mel
Saturday, January 5, 2008
And the award goes to......
The award for first to spot a wild animal in the new year goes to Hannah Green. Jared worked Urgent Care today, and the kids and I were feeling a little cooped up so out we went to enjoy the incredible weather; Noah on his scooter, Hannah on her bike and I followed with Bailey. Our favorite route is the the loop, it's about a mile or so each way and passes over a few bridges and lots of natural desert area. Noah sped along leading the way. Hannah trailed close behind and I fought with Bailey trying to train him to walk by my side. After the first mile I hear Hannah excitedly yell out to Noah- "Noah you just rode pass a Jaguar and didn't even notice!" What did she just say? I thought hurrying my pace. I had just read an article about Jaguars being spotted in the Boboquivery Mountains just 30 miles south of Tucson. She must be playing a trick on Noah in attempt to get him to slow down I assured myself. Hannah had turned around and was peddling toward me with excitement in her her eyes. "Mom I just saw a jaguar, well maybe not a jaguar it looked more like a coyote." She said exasperated. "Hannah, a coyote looks like a dog a jaguar looks like a cat", I reminded her. "Did it look like a cat or a dog?" I asked.
"Yes it's a cat, but not a normal cat", she explained. She showed me the bush next to the sidewalk it had been laying under. I looked into the desert and sure enough a bob cat was sauntering toward another bush. It walked under some brush, turned, sat down and watched us for a moment. "That's a bobcat Hannah". I looked down at Bailey who was completely oblivious, busy trying to pull ahead to get to Noah. Hannah looked up at me smiling nervously and asked, "Mom, bobcats don't want anything to do with us right?" I reassured her that the bobcat was more interested in finding a new napping location further away from the side walk. We reached Noah who was grinning from ear to ear boasting his accomplishment of not only beating us but beating us by a lot of minutes. Hannah told him of the bobcat, thus dashing all joy that had accompanied his great feat. Noah soon got over it and resumed his position ahead of us while Hannah hollered after him, "You should slow down and enjoy the desert, so you don't miss anything!!!!!!!" The rest of the walk was pretty uneventful minus the 95 year old woman in a walker that Bailey had a conniption over. A bobcat he fails to notice. A 95 year old woman in a walker he reacts to as if she posed great threat. Oh Bailey.......
All for now,
Mel
"Yes it's a cat, but not a normal cat", she explained. She showed me the bush next to the sidewalk it had been laying under. I looked into the desert and sure enough a bob cat was sauntering toward another bush. It walked under some brush, turned, sat down and watched us for a moment. "That's a bobcat Hannah". I looked down at Bailey who was completely oblivious, busy trying to pull ahead to get to Noah. Hannah looked up at me smiling nervously and asked, "Mom, bobcats don't want anything to do with us right?" I reassured her that the bobcat was more interested in finding a new napping location further away from the side walk. We reached Noah who was grinning from ear to ear boasting his accomplishment of not only beating us but beating us by a lot of minutes. Hannah told him of the bobcat, thus dashing all joy that had accompanied his great feat. Noah soon got over it and resumed his position ahead of us while Hannah hollered after him, "You should slow down and enjoy the desert, so you don't miss anything!!!!!!!" The rest of the walk was pretty uneventful minus the 95 year old woman in a walker that Bailey had a conniption over. A bobcat he fails to notice. A 95 year old woman in a walker he reacts to as if she posed great threat. Oh Bailey.......
All for now,
Mel
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