Hello Utah Valley October 30, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Church, Photography, Utah , 3commentsHello Utah Valley.
I’m back.
I’ve missed your beautiful mountains.
I’ve missed being near so many LDS temples.
I’ve missed this view in particular from our neighborhood.
However, I don’t know how I’ll be able to continue to photograph at night with temperatures below zero. I can only do so many jumping jacks in the middle of the road while I wait for the extended shutter to release.
My love for night photography might have to take a little break until March.
I’m just sayin’.
Looking for New Club Members October 29, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Friends, Kansas, Princess Hannah, Trips , 4commentsWe now live in Utah.
AGAIN.
I am truly a Gypsy mom/wife/woman. I started this blog when we lived on Saba in the Caribbean. This blog then chronicled our very transient life to Utah, then to Kansas, then to New York, and now back to Utah. In eight months, I’ll be blogging from somewhere else.
I am a master at packing, moving, and de-junking. Not because I want to be a master at those things, I’ve just had a lot of experience picking up my life (which includes two little people, a dog, and a spouse) and transplanting it from spot to spot.
After what seemed like an ETERNITY driving through Nebraska (we drove past Cabela’s worldwide headquarters for all you outdoor fans. They have a GINORMOUS water tower out front, so you can’t miss it.) and Wyoming (which, by the way, has got to be the most barren and freezing cold state in the USA) we arrived in Utah after 18 hours of driving. We drove through Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Wyoming before we hit Salt Lake Valley.
It was a lot of driving through a lot of states.
Fortunately, the trip was very pleasant thanks to our new dual DVD players.
BRILLIANT. (Dallin even watched Barbie movies. He’s such a good little brother.)
I’m not sure how we EVER traveled without them . . . Oh yeah, both kids cried because they were tired and bored.
We miss our friends in Kansas so much. Many friends brought us dinner or had us over for dinner during the last week we were there.
Hannah misses her “too many friends” already. Who is she going to play sidewalk chalk with now?
Who’s going to blow bubbles with her?
ME? GRANDMA? DALLIN?
I don’t know, but she needs someone to fill the friend void for her.
Here are some pictures of Hannah’s “too many friends” (Who all happen to live on my street in Kansas.)
Hannah doesn’t care if you are a boy or a girl, or like 15 years older than she is. If you can play hide n’ seek, tag, sidewalk chalk, blow bubbles, or ride a bike, you will be counted among her “too many friends.”
Basically, if you have a pulse, you’re in the club.
Looking for new club members . . .
What is the “CHANCE-ABILITY?” October 23, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Daily Life, Kansas, My Handsome Husband, Parenthood, Princess Hannah, Trips , 7commentsToday is my last day to pack, organize, re-organize, and putter about. We pick up our moving trucks tomorrow morning. (One truck is going to Utah, one is going to transfer our stuff to storage.)
I still have some minor packing to do.
I’m really burnt out of moving.
To top it off, David is out of town so I’m solo parenting and packing at the moment.
This morning, Hannah woke me up during my comatose sleep state telling me some story and the only part I remember was when she said, “What is the CHANCE-ABILITY?”
Why isn’t that a word? Seriously. CHANCE-ABILITY . . . IT IS SO PERFECT.
What is the CHANCE-ABILITY I could kiss this little face off?
100% chance-ability.
See, that word just slides in so easily.
I’m saying goodbye to the internet for a few days. I’ll be blogging from Utah early next week.
In the meantime, I’m concocting a fun GIVEAWAY!
YES. ME. GIVING SOMETHING COOL AWAY. (Well, I think it’s cool, so be sure to enter when I post it next week!)
There is a 100% CHANCE-ABILITY you’re going to like it!
See you on the other side as we continue our crazy journey!
Need Some Good One-Liners? October 21, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Daily Life, Family, Little Man Dallin, My Handsome Husband, Parenthood, Princess Hannah , 2commentsDo you have kids?
Are you thinking about having kids?
If you don’t have any yet, you really should look into getting a couple of them.
Once you have kids, you will never need to go the the movies again to laugh your head off or pick up great one-liners.
Kids come up with great material.
Overheard this week from Hannah: (Most of these one-liners were during a five minute stretch of time)
When I’m a big girl and turn five years old and get a phone (meaning an iphone) I’m going to put it on the nightstand when I go to bed.
I’m not going to eat all my yogurt because you tell me everyday that you don’t want me to get bigger. You just want me to stay little forever. (Our hearts melted when she said this, needless to say, we will watch our words!)
Look! Is that a surf board?! (Hannah said this while pointing out an ironing board to David as they shopped at Walmart. Shows how much we iron around here!)
Dallin better not do that because daddy’s very special! (Hannah commenting on Dallin pinching David’s neck with his little pincer fingers.)
I’m just a little girl, I don’t even know! (This is her excuse for not listening to us)
Hey guys! I’ll be right back . . . I need to go check my email. (She then strolled down the stairs to the desktop to “check” her email. Maybe we should get her an email address?)
Jesus painted me with his finger, and now . . . I have skin!
I’m going to go jump in the shower. (She said this as she marched her three year old self up the stairs)
This handsome little guy also has a few talents of his own.
He gives hugs on demand.
His only prerequisite is that you are his mother. 
Invest in some kids. They’re totally worth it.
Raised in a Mall October 20, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Parenthood, Princess Hannah, Thoughts , 4commentsI haven’t been to a mall in almost a year.
A WHOLE YEAR.
This is pretty unbelievable to my family and even myself considering I spent almost everyday at the mall as a kid, and then I spent almost everyday of the next ten years after I turned 18 at the mall. I have worked in eight different malls in four states and you know what? They’re all the same. The smell the same. They look the same. They sell the same stuff.
Retail management burned me out. Spending at least 40 hours a week for over a decade at the mall did me in. When I retired from retail management (also known as when my husband and I moved out of the country) I was tired.
Tired of shopping. Tired of floorsets. Tired of crazy customers.
I remember wondering about those moms that would come to the mall with a slew of kids a few times a week just for the heck of it.
Why? What the heck?
This week, I discovered why . . .
You see, we’re moving. When the kids are awake, they’re either unpacking my stuff, or rearranging my very disorganized house.
The weather has been cold and rainy, and to wear them out I decided to go to the mall.
I had to look up where the mall was. I just hoped it had a great play place for the kids to expend all their energy.
Well, it had a play place.
And a carousel.
And let me tell you, riding the carousel was just about the greatest thing to happen to Hannah in her three short years. (She’s only pouting in this picture because she’s NOT on the carousel with the other kids having fun.)
Needless to say, the mall was a hit. We’ve gone to the mall almost everyday in the last couple weeks.
I’m turning my own kids into mall rug rats.
I turned out OK being raised in a mall.
I think . . .
Paris’ Favorite Person October 19, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Daily Life, Little Man Dallin, My Former Dog Children , 2commentsDallin is securing his spot as Paris’ favorite person.
It doesn’t take much to persuade this dog. A little hand fed food or snacks falling from your eating space will do it. Give her spit out leftovers and she will forever follow you from room to room, sit on your lap, and generally, be everywhere you are.
Food is the way into Paris’ heart.
That’s one smart boy we have.
100,000 Mile Mark October 16, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Medical School, My Handsome Husband, Trips , 3commentsOur car hit a major milestone.
MAJOR.
Somewhere in Indianapolis, Indiana, our car hit the 100.000 mile mark.
100, 000 miles! We bought this car five years ago brand new with seven miles on it.
We’ve been busy driving all over the USA and back again. Obviously.
After we move from Kansas City to Utah, David and our car will go on another adventure. He will be driving from Utah to North Carolina (with a stop in Wyoming for a residency interview) in three days.
I’m pretty sure that by the time all his clinical rotations and interviews are over our car will have over 200,000 miles on it.
Just a guess.
New York Called. They Want Us Back. October 15, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Medical School, My Handsome Husband, New York , 4commentsRemember how much I LOVED living in upstate New York?
Well . . .
David got an interview for residency in Rochester!
We just might be heading back to Palmyra/Sodus Point/Fairport to live!
I might be a little excited about this particular interview. (I’m also rooting for the residency in North Carolina as well . . .)
We’ll see what happens. The most important thing is that he matches in the 2010 residency match.
I’ll be happy with which ever residency he gets offered. I’m just saying I might be extra happy if he matched in Rochester.
Not My Most Stellar Moment October 14, 2009
Posted by Emily in : My Handsome Husband, Parenthood, Princess Hannah, Thoughts , 4commentsInstead of boring you with all the tedious details of moving (which basically consists of packing box, after box, after box and then watching my kids unpack my boxes. My house is a disastrous mess, and trust me, it’s eating me up inside. I don’t like clutter. I don’t like dirt. I really don’t like disorganization, but such is my life right now. . .) I’m going to share a story about me not being a very good wife or mother.
Yep.
Me.
My house should be deemed “CONDEMNED!” at this exact moment. My floors are covered with stuff, boxes, toys, junk, packing supplies, and things that don’t belong to me. The visible parts of my floor are covered in sticky grime.
Obviously, I should mop.
But why? Seriously?
We’re moving. I’m using the floors to pack my things. There is going to be a lot more activity on these floors before we get down and dirty for our last major cleaning as we walk out the door, so why should I waste the time now?
Honestly.
I’m taking a break from the house rules right now. Want to eat in your bed? Go ahead. Want to drink hot chocolate on the carpet? Be my guest. Would you like to eat your dinner on my furniture? Whatever. I don’t have the time or desire to enforce all the house rules when my home looks like a disaster zone.
This conversation happened between Hannah and me a couple days ago:
ME: Hannah, do you want to drink some hot chocolate?
HANNAH: Me? Hot Chocolate?
ME: Yeah, you can drink it while you watch your show.
HANNAH: Downstairs? In front of my show? In the basement? On the carpet?
ME: Yes honey. Downstairs on the very carpet you sit on to watch “The Polar Express.”
HANNAH: raising her devious little eyebrows and smiling said, “Is is because we don’t have a daddy here right now to tell us NOT to?”
And do you know what I said? Because I could have/should have said a lot of things, but that smart little sass caught me by surprise.
So I said, “That’s right honey. Because we don’t have a daddy here right now to tell us not to.” (I raised my own devious eyebrows to match her expression. I’m that awesome.)
Instead of talking about how wrong this was on so many levels (pitting the parents against each other, inconsistent parenting, teaching my child deception, painting my husband out to be the staunch rule maker, blah, blah, blah) let’s focus on how much packing I was able to accomplish because Hannah got to drink hot chocolate on the carpet, watching her favorite show. (For the record, our carpets are being dry cleaned the day we move.)
But here’s my question: What should I have said? What would you have done?
The Face of a Potty Dancer October 13, 2009
Posted by Emily in : Daily Life, Friends, Kansas, Photography, Princess Hannah , 3commentsThis last weekend my neighbors and I had a garage sale.
IT WAS FREEZING.
We were crazy enough to brave the harsh weather conditions in hopes of selling some of our stuff.
It wasn’t the most successful garage sale we’ve had, but we had a great time drinking hot chocolate and watching our kids (who I swear had no idea it was cold) running around playing together.
Hannah looked so sassy all bundled up in one of the hats I made her, (You can make one too! They are SOOOO easy!) the scarf her grandma made, and her new hot pink boots . . . of course I had to pull out my camera.
Little Miss Hannah Bear was having a heck of a time trying to stay in one spot. I had to ask her REPEATEDLY to HOLD STILL so I could take her picture. (I cropped her face in tightly and she kept dancing in and out of the frame.)
After several requests for her to hold still, I lowered my camera and I saw her doing the potty dance.
In fact, in this very picture above she is saying, “Mommy, it’s really hard to hold still! I really need to go potty!”
There you have it.
End of impromptu photo shoot.
