just the four of us

summertime

2011-09-12T07:35:00.000-07:00

hi! this is me writing from off the face of the earth where i apparently fell two months ago. um...i don't have any excuses, just some pictures to show and maybe some witty banter to go along. enjoy my last few months of summer. i know i did!

way back in july...it really does seem like forever ago that that month took place, i went to church girls camp with these crazy ladies:

...and apparently made some new best friends in the process. we had an amazing time and i apparently discovered that my mouth is the size of a grapefruit when i want it to be. good times.

these are just a hint of the stellar girls that were in our group. so fun. so unified. a truly positive experience.

this is my nephew, zach, helping sofi with her life jacket that came off and back on roughly 7 times while we were at the lake. there's just something i love about the ruffles and the marshmallow all over her face. gotta love her.

this is not my best look, but i just had to capture (and share) the one snuggle i've had with my daughter this year. okay, i exaggerate. there have been maybe two just like this one. seriously though, don't you just want to die?

this flower lasted for a combined period of about 10 seconds.

this brings a whole new meaning to bed head...wow.

luke and his buddy harry enjoyed many shirtless days at the lake/river/park when it rained. i don't how these boys are still single.

just a couple of the many faces of sofi.

andy with sofi and our little friend addison at the beach. who needs the gym?

yes, that is a swimsuit on her head worn as a turban. what can i say? the girl's got her own style.

lake + regular diaper = this award winning photo.
(thanks karen. i couldn't have done it without you)

he's obviously portraying the many monster type animals we explored at the aquarium. oh and luke was there too. i know, i know...i'm way too funny, right?

um...are there words?

last but not least, luke's first day of his last year of preschool. he was so proud of his little piece of art. i was just in awe of how big that little hand is getting.

so, there you have it: a summer in sutton pictures. i kinda slacked on the photographing for a little while there, but i'll definitely make a pointed effort (that's a real phrase right?) to document the fall that is impending on us...it is my favorite time of year after all.

some photos to wet the whistle...

2011-07-02T21:51:00.000-07:00

i know its been quite some time...i know you know that too, so why did i state the obvious? lets just call it filling up space, shall we? great.

i might want to be in my bed at the moment, so i'm just going to take a few minutes and put up some photos that just can't not be shared...you're gonna be grateful you stopped by. i promise.

first up, a couple before and afters of my dear second born:

a couple weeks ago, she went from this (which was her first french braid...not done by me, but who's counting)

to this...i just can't let go of that darn bob.

and then from this...

to this. poor little lady acquired a lazy eye. i'm not going to blame that on overstimulation due to a certain apple device at all. we'll just leave that to the professionals. she's now lovingly known as our "princess pirate." we've discovered that with little girls, all you have to do is put the word princess in front of something and all of a sudden its wearable and/or awesome/attractive. unfortunately, when the princess bribery runs its course, we have to drop medicine in her eye that dilates her good pupil to the size of a quarter, thus causing our sweet little angel to look like she belongs alongside the bearded lady. someday we'll look back and laugh...well, maybe she won't so much...

we've seen this a great deal lately. terrible fours anyone? he's actually really super fun...which also means he can be a touch moody on occasion. good times

as for these three gems...something about a thousand words?

i was alive in may, i swear!

2011-05-27T20:51:00.000-07:00

for those of you that are still upright and haven't fainted at the sheer sight of a new posting by yours truly...hold on to your seats because this might be a long one. it might also be very short if i faint due to the sheer enormity of the task at hand. anyway, blah blah blah....here are some pictures that just might document the entire month of may. wow, i really need to get some motivation...

the proverbial decorating of the eggs. thank goodness for this messy yet oh so lovely tradition of making something beautiful out of something so ordinary. isn't that just so special?? i am just learning all about the real art of photo taking, but it was uber-fun to watch the kids have so much fun and try to capture it on film or a digital memory card as it were.

not sure if the headless one of sofi is creative and artistic or just creepy...we'll go with cute, shall we?

trent and his (not so) little dudes came over for luke's first egg hunt outside thanks to the sun deciding to actually shine on easter eve. good times...

not sure...i just thought this one of sofi was nothing short of hilarious.

we've been working on creative ways to get luke to actually learn to write his whole name and not stop after the u...it actually worked and smelled pretty good too :)

my uncle passed away a couple weeks ago and andy and i were able to make the trip down for the funeral. it was really awe-inspiring to see firsthand, the 21 gun salute and the reverent folding of the flag. he was a great man and i'm proud to have known him and his sweet, lovely wife.

some of my favorite people in the world...cousin sandi, uncle glen and cousin sydney. love you guys!

luke and andy's mom, rebecca on mother's day. thank goodness for that woman and her joyful chocolates.

luke (and sofi, who wouldn't be left out...messy face and all) and his cousin adam, showing off their super watches

dozer days!!! oh the awesomeness that is tiny people getting to operate heavy machinery...

{she might've been a little sleepy...}

planting his first tomato...that now may or may not be the cat's first choice to do her business. it was fun while it lasted

what is the first thing to do when the sun comes out? why, buy 52 washable sidewalk chalk crayons of course!!

april's almost over? really...?

2011-04-22T14:45:00.000-07:00

i've been told that its been awhile sine i've tickled the old ivory keys...not the piano kind, the ones that look ivory thanks to apple and its many innovations. aka the blog. anyway, it has been awhile and for that very reason, i'm giving you all (yes, all 3 of you) a treat by bringing you on a trip down memory lane. can't wait? on the edge of your seats? alright, lets get this show on the road...

who needs to walk? you have to take advantage of what little sun we get somehow :)

luke might love trains more than me. the proof of this statement lies in the fact that we went to the train station so i could head up to seattle for a hugely anticipated girls weekend and he was more sad at the fact that he wasn't getting on the train than that i was leaving for the weekend.

sofi's future husband...aka my wonderful friend val's beautiful son, harrison

are there words?

kickin it with mom and pops. it was so much fun to take pictures of a little dude again. now, if only i could actually edit them so they looked cool. someday

luke's first bike. he had so much fun until the chain came off. don't worry, we fixed it...i wish i could say the same for that darn bell. it had an unfortunate accident...

of course she couldn't be left out of the helmet distribution. thanks grandpa

we love her...snot and all

playin at the park during our trip to bend, or. it was a little chilly, but do kids even feel the weather?

luke was pretty excited about the "green" fire truck at the museum. oh to be so easily amused.

i might be addicted to the instagram app on my phone.

my lovely friend, heidi and her little one. there was no coaxing a smile out of that one.

i know the quality on this one isn't ideal, but that face is priceless

the pool at the resort. yes, that last picture is capturing luke "taking a rest" and sofi escaping to the big pool wearing nothing but a swim diaper thanks to the fact that i couldn't find her suit buried in her suitcase....whole other story.

i usually don't go for ruffles, but i have to admit that she might be the cutest thing ever in this picture. awesome expression included

luke and his little friend, jonah playing at the bend spring festival. yes kids! throw a giant ball at each other! they were pretty much in heaven

can you really not love this?

there was a bike obstacle course. the training wheels were their own obstacle, but he pulled it out thanks to some help from dad and a helmet that is just a tad on the small side

nature walk...

2011-03-22T13:18:00.000-07:00

there was a slight window of time yesterday where the sun decided to make an appearance, so we hijacked the kids and went to the trail to "find pine cones and sticks." the result...a heapful of good times and plenty of pine cones and sticks of course. there was also some impromptu puddle jumping (sans boots...sigh) and mud.

awesome.

we happened upon a couple friends training for their first boston marathon. i snapped a picture of them and luke said, "where are those girls going?" and proceeded to chase them down...well, attempt to anyway. yes, he is wearing a sweet, sweet gray sweatsuit. not on purpose.

this girl won't keep a pair of gloves on to save her life, or her hands...so a jacket that is two sizes too big would have to do. the joys of "compromising" with a toddler.

mombo in all her glory :)

this picture makes me feel like a real photographer for a minute. bless that beautfiul slr

a day in iphone pics...

2011-03-15T21:40:00.000-07:00

a friend or neighbor in the blogging world, if you will, does "a week in iphone pics" every (wouldn't you know it) week. i thought i'd put a little spin on it and document just one day from last week. in all actuality, it was just a coincidence that these are iphone pics. it was all i had at the time, and they turned out pretty cute...all the more reason to share them here with you. it was a brisk, sunny (gasp!) day in portland, or so we decided to pack the kids up in the ride and head south. andy needed to purchase some new duds and i have been salivating over the fact 1) there is an h and m downtown and 2) there are kids clothes in said h and m...thus, i had to take the opportunity even though there were two less than excited children along for the ride. the two little ones actually did really good...this is due, in part, to the fact that all they wanted to do was ride the train (the max, portland's version of the light rail). so we, like any intellectual parent would do, used it as bribery and voila! well-mannered children :)

here are just a few snapshots of the anticipation and joy that is waiting for and sitting in a "train" for all of one stop. gotta love kids.

side note-these little dudes really made me stop and appreciate my life. if there is this much happiness in waiting for a free train, what is there to complain about? answer: the five pounds i need to lose by next month...doh!

snow and a day at the dentist

2011-03-03T22:29:00.000-08:00

not all at once people...that would be far too much excitement for one day. i really wanted to blog something and i just happened to have some photos on hand so here they are. i know the dentist ones aren't really the most awe-inspiring...they are mostly for my documenting needs. luke did such a fabulous job. he didn't complain or cry. he just sat there like those amazing four year olds i only read about in books. then he came home and turned back into luke. eh, what do you do?

doing what he likes to call "making roads and footprints." does it really get any better?

before and after tasting his very first snowflake

you know you wish you could pose like this...and wear gloves that are three sizes too big

it was pirate dress up day at the dentist office. so i forced...i mean gently prodded my costume-phobic children into bandanas and this was the cute, cute results. these pictures were taken by each other by the way. yes, you may comment that my children are photog prodigies...even with a mere iphone.

the three real loves of my life...

2011-02-20T12:20:00.000-08:00

chocolate, sleeping, and the food network...i mean my kids and my main squeeze of course (enter sheepish grin here).

i really did have high hopes of being here at least a couple days ago, to make this a "weekly" blog. i guess, every 10 days is a step in the right direction, though. as we all know, february is the month of love, and any footlong at subway for five dollars...but something you might not know is that it is also the month that the ~~pain~~ i mean true JOY of my life came into this world...in other words, sofi was born. we celebrated this wondrous occasion in true tara style, or in other words...by not doing a whole lot :) we had some family over, bought some make your own sandwich fix-ins (winco, i heart you, really i do) and opened some presents. oh, and the boys watched the super bowl. good times? i think so.

the "spread"

yes, the sign does say happy 1st birthday. it just wouldn't be one of my kids' parties unless everything just wasn't quite right :)

her version of blowing out the candle was hilarious. as you can see, my brother is giving her some much needed assistance.

i had no idea that this singing teapot would be the amazing hit that it was. lets just say we never stop hearing, "tea, tea, tea for two...would you like to pour." oh, and do we ever.

it took some time to explain to the little guy that the hearts go side by side, not directly on top of each other. we're just going to call it artistic license and leave it at that. better self esteem that way.

i had to capture this on film (or on digital sim card...that just doesn't have the right ring to it does it), even though the iphone was the only thing handy. i just love that andy jumped in and sous chefed for luke's preschool cookies. sigh

i found this little gem on a friend's phone and just had to share it. this is the little dude about sofi's age. i don't even remember that little tie, but i love, love it. his cheeks aren't so bad either

and last but not certainly not least, that is me in the zoo bathroom taking a picture of my jubilation at acquiring a real camera. plus, i really do love that hat.

2010...

2011-02-09T16:49:00.000-08:00

or as i like to call it, "a year in iphone pics." yes, you all were there to see the awesome quality of my photos, hear me whine about not being loved, and make promises that mostly didn't come true...hooray for a new year, right?? yeah, i agree. lets abandon the tara of the past along with her dreadful (don't get me wrong, i'm grateful i have one) iphone pictures and welcome in a new and improved me, complete with one of these:

not just a picture of one...a real one, even! i know!

yay for real cameras and pictures that actually look the people that are in them :) as you can see, i'm beyond excited about this new turn in events...so much so that i've been blogging and uploading pictures day and night. yeah, not so much. a total self-makeover does take time you know, and i've only got so much of that, what with all my hobbies and all. or, i've just been working up the courage to jump back on here and compare myself to all of you crafty, photographer, super women/people (that's for you adam, if you still read this ever). i know i shouldn't and i really try, i promise, unfortunately its an occupational hazard of being myself so i'm working with it.

anyway, as for recapping--i don't really have any christmas pictures at the moment. i'll need to ask the mother figure to supply me with some, but since we headed south to the motherland to visit andy's family i've been playing around with stella (aka the coolest camera i've ever owned) and i'm stoked at the fact that this little number can even make me look like i know what i'm doing. here are some highlights:

on the way down to utah. i think this might just be the inaugural picture. dang, that camera makes luke look cute...

a "vignette" if you will, of the many moods of the little dude

a couple of the cutest neices ever. maggie and abby

hangin out at grandma's house with aunt sarah

sing it with me now. "snow, snow, snow..." i thought about you each time it fell, bing. all five times

the joys of a hotel pool and a camera with an automatic setting

there are no words

now, if i could just figure out photoshop...yes, i am about 5 years late on that one, but hopefully it won't take me another 5.

a little taste of christmas...

2011-01-01T20:51:00.000-08:00

i'm coming...i promise...it is the time to for new beginnings after all. i really need to update more often and i plan to, just getting myself organized is easier said than done. anyway, in the meantime--here is a little peek into our pre-christmas festivities:

making a gingerbread train...seriously, does it get any better? answer: not to a boy that thinks that thomas the train is the coolest thing since santa claus...or a girl that thinks that candy is the fifth food group.

acting out the nativity on christmas eve. sofi just might the cutest angel to ever bring good tidings of great joy.

giving the big guy a break from his sleigh duties while picking out the tree in the lovely northwest rain.

um...adorable much? sofi and her cousin, kyle kickin it after a choir concert.

once again, sorry for the awesome iphone quality pictures. someday i will get the camera of my dreams, someday.

october wasn't that long ago...

2010-12-13T13:04:00.000-08:00

hey there! long time no see my friend. i know that is mostly, or i guess really, all my fault, but who wants to waste time pointing fingers when we can move on to more fun things like halloween updates? yes, halloween. i'm slowly, but surely making my way through my vast assortment of iphone pictures to bring you up to date on our "goings on" if you will. you have to remember that these are shot with my iphone (some at night even) so the quality is not quite where it should be (nowhere near, but some of us are awaiting that elusive camera to be under the christmas tree...one can dream). anywho, here's the kiddos in their last minute get-ups. i couldn't figure out what to do forever and sofi was pretty adamant about not wearing anything that i tried to force on her person. hence, everybody went to the church halloween party as your local home depot handymen...er...people. thanks to a certain father of mine, andy was supplied with a genuine, bonafide apron and kids have been to their share of home depot kids workshop days so they were covered as well. add a few collared shirts and a winning smile and you've got a costume that i'm sure could at least come in with an honorable mention in a contest.

no, my daughter is not possessed, that's just the flash on the phone. at least there is a flash though, right?
glass half full people.

luke, showing off his skills with a flashlight. he originally had a hammer, but that lasted until the
first sucker took its place.

showing off his "real" skills when helping dad fix a cabinet door. i'm not sure what that face is saying. i'm guessing something along the lines of "mom, you're totally rad."

yeah, this one is just really cute.you know that's right.

stay tuned for thanksgiving and (drum roll please) christmas and all its trappings in the sutton home. are you on the edge of your seats? i know i am.

alright already...

2010-11-26T18:29:00.000-08:00

i know, i know...you've all been anxiously anticipating an update from yours truly and i've just been dangling you all by a tiny, tiny thread...or i've just been totally lazy and useless when its come to the computer and anything to do with uploading pictures and coming up with witty, semi-important things to say. goodness, does the saga ever end. will she write, won't she write?? i promise i will...right now, in fact...aren't you lucky? and you didn't think your day could get any better. without further ado, or unnecessary rambling by me--

luke's birthday:

the birthday boy after his ragin preschool party.

told you it was ragin

the aforementioned reason why i might be crazy. this was a moment of weakness and will most likely be featured in a craigslist article near you. we actually need to cut back, so we're going with the much slower/sane peddle bike for christmas. it was fun while it lasted though...maybe in a few years buddy

the proverbial "before" picture of the cupcakes that joined ranks and became a candy corn cake. thanks gray girls

"the cake."
it tasted like pumpkin, cream cheese, and heaven. you know that's right.

apparently, i don't have any photo footage of the pumpkin decorating, present opening, or cupcake eating...but we did get a lovely shot of grandpa braving the weather and taking the train ride hungry kiddos on a ride around the plantation. we were supposed to go to a pumpkin patch for the festivities, but the northwest sky decided to open up (after weeks of sunshine mind you) and rain all over our happiness. we managed to have a good time though thanks to grandpa, a huge umbrella, and kids who just love a ride...whether it be on a train or a riding lawn mower

moving on...our "surprise" trip to indiana/michigan

aah...sweet slumber. it took awhile, but the sweet intoxication of sleep finally won him over. not for long, however. ps yes, that is totally drool

i know you love the quality of this photo...and all of them for that matter. my iphone is my all purpose camera at the moment (and most likely many moments to come). this was the first pumpkin patch of the season. there were several riding toys and luke chose the one closest to his heart...the tractor. like grandfather like grandson.

sofi, not to be outdone, found a tractor of her own to match her cowboy boots.

need i say more...?

he finally got his first train ride of the season.

they took a break from fighting over the swing long enough to look like they actually love each other.

how to train your dragon...'nuf said

pumpkin ice cream at bruster's in bloomington, in.

did i mention that i put pumpkin in the most food possible this time of year? luke enjoying the aftermath of the pumpkin cookies. you can never have too much pumpkin

thanks to the sacrifice made by our good buddies the fishers, luke was able to be entertained during the 6 hour drive to uncle tyler's and mom and dad's sanity was salvaged as well.

enjoying the largest christmas store known to man in the bavarian town of frankenmuth, michigan. was 3 football fields of pure christmas awesome you ask? oh yes, it was awesome.

luke and his cute cousin kate

first bike excursion...luke didn't come in for 3 hours. hence, another reason why he's finding one under the christmas tree. anything to keep that kid's attention.

to be continued...

i know i say that and i've been know to not follow through. this time, however, i will. i think i just might've awoken the blogger in me. it feels good to write again. i hope you all had a fabulous thanksgiving. i'll let you know all about ours in the near future.

i might be crazy...

2010-10-09T13:00:00.000-07:00

party at the patch

2010-10-04T14:42:00.000-07:00

so, this is me delivering on my promise to show you the awesome time the girls in my church had at the corn maze last week. just remember that all i have is an iphone and a desire to be a better photographer instead of the real thing. bear with me, people. we can't all be ansel adams...yet.

the "fearless leaders..." we gotta have fun too, right?

the whole gang in the proverbial serious and goofy poses

makena, annie, and chelsea

definitely couldn't leave the haystack without an action shot. thank you, savannah and chelsea

enjoying the fruits of our labors so to speak. caramel corn and good ol h2o. plus, sariah makes a great model.

there you have it...good times had by all. thanks to all the girls and jenny and monique--for making this such a fab time (i thought i'd channel my english heritage for a second). go fall!!

3rd week in a row...somebody stop me!

2010-10-02T01:41:00.000-07:00

well, thanks to sofi and her teeth that just refuse to surface...and luke who was apparently up at 1 am eating black licorice...oh boy....i am penning my fabulous finds friday installment in the wee (very wee) hours of saturday morning. apparently, someone much bigger and more important than me, decided i really needed to share this with you (which is really not too shabby because i've been asleep since around 9 pm thanks to a roaring headache caused by none other than hot yoga...we won't go there today).

today's lovely, lovely little masterpiece comes to us by way of wal-mart. aah, wally world, i equally love and hate you. love you for your sometimes crazily low prices, hate you because you're, well, wal-mart and all the ghettoness that entails. still, somehow i go back and find little treasures like this:

meet the gold bug pop-up booster chair aka the most amazing portable piece of baby equipment you could possibly own. okay, maybe i shouldn't go that far, but seriously folks, this little darling has been a savior in many ways. family reunion--so many cousins, the 15 month old is too excited to sit and eat and you're too hungry to force her...enter this little beauty and voila! baby is strapped down and feeding...what? herself? amazing!! i know, a little dramatic, but it is late and i am still suffering from a minor ache just over my right eye...joy.

in short, if you have a toddler, are about to have a toddler or just want to stock up on necessary items you will need in the future, go out and buy one. if you have moral issues with wal-mart, which we all do, some of us just choose to ignore them on occasion, am i right? uh-huh...order it online. in my searching for a photo, i discovered there are some other brands with the same product. i can't speak for their total awesomeness, but that's what reviews are for. thank you moms who actually take the time to fill those out. i'm not usually one of those if you didn't catch that hint.

anyway, enjoy and by the way, did i mention its fall?? woo hoo! welcome changing leaves, crisper weather, sweaters, luke's birthday, warm caramel apple cider (you little devil, you) and every wonderful, glorious thing you can make with a pumpkin. oh, rapture.

surprise!

2010-09-29T21:07:00.000-07:00

this arrived in the mail today...

not so much the baby as the sweet, sweet costume.

the awesome part of the story, though, is that this was the only one left in the united states of america. the sad part of the story is that its too big, so she can't look this fall on your face cute until next year...but, dang...that is one cute costume.

meet the fam...

2010-09-28T20:20:00.000-07:00

be careful though. what follows are some seriously cute pictures of some seriously cute people. don't scroll down if you have a tendency to pass out at the sight of pure awesomeness.

don't say i didn't warn ya...

thank you katie for needing guinea pigs! yes, that is the only time any of you will ever have permission to call me a pig.

a look back

2010-09-28T16:26:00.000-07:00

so, somehow i missed the entire weekend...and monday. oops, maybe i really wasn't cut out for this blogging everyday business. it has been fun though and i can't believe the month is almost over. tomorrow, i'll be going to a giant corn maze with the youth group from my church, so expect some fun photos of that. can i get any cooler? seriously people. while your anxiously anticipating that colossus of fun, i thought i'd ring in the season with a little reminiscing from halloween past. oh man, those are some cute kids.

fabulous finds friday 2.0

2010-09-24T20:32:00.000-07:00

hey, surprise! i'm actually here for the second week in a row. i guess i really do have some secrets (that might not be so secret, but still awesome nonetheless) to share. this week's installment is all about food, the eating out aspect of it, and the awesomeness that is having your children be involved while you do.

unfortunately, today's deal is only accessible by those of you that live in the vancouver/portland region of our great united states. without further ado...

yes, that does say BREWING CO. at the bottom of the restaurant title, but that isn't all it is. in fact, it is probably the most kid friendly eating establishment in the northern hemisphere...okay, i won't go that far. it is, however, the best place to take kids in this area. if you'd like to know the specific locations, go ahead and comment and i'll let you know!

the specifics: awesome food, and get this--awesome kid play area! oh yeah, you heard me right. while you're sitting with your man, or woman, or friends, or yourself with a good book and a hot chocolate...your kids are playing in a (semi) supervised area and are completely out of your hair! i only say semi because you can see them, but you don't have to pay too much attention because they're having way too much fun to bother doing anything harmful to themselves or others :) so, you actually get to eat an entire meal without forcing a toddler into their chair, forcing food into their mouth or forcing yourself to not get up and leave because you're so annoyed with the fact that your food is cold and all you've done is wish you were somewhere else.

in conclusion-this place is awesome and to top it all off, they have a great happy hour. the menu is pretty extensive and there is nothing on it over 4 bucks. plus, it goes until 6:00...cha ching!

so go out, enjoy, and make sure and call me to tag along because, that's right, its awesome!!

in other news, apparently my son's preschool has a blog and i found this little treasure on there this afternoon. love this little dude. don't be surprised if he discovers the ancient city of atlantis someday. pretty sure that is what he is so concentrated on in this photo...

here comes the sun...

2010-09-21T20:41:00.000-07:00

doot n doo doo.

is everybody singing yet?? i know i was this afternoon when the sun came out and the air was a "balmy" 70ish degrees. it was beautiful, and absolute perfect weather for this:

and this:

and lots of this:

and definitely some of this:

this is the face of...

2010-09-18T19:26:00.000-07:00

the future? no

the military? no

this is the face of "lack of motivation..."

yes folks. that is, what i like to call, lunch for dinner. i know most of you probably indulge in ye olde breakfast for dinner every once in awhile. waffles, bacon, eggs, hash browns, probably some fruit and milk. pretty nutritious and, dare i say, delightful. lunch, however...is it nutritious? yes...i did include all the food groups and that is wheat bread in case you're wondering. is it creative? not in the least. no thought process or yummy ingredients went into our family meal this evening. no, just plain old, "we've pulled out every puzzle, cut and glued paper for the sake of 'doing a craft,' sung every disney song in our repetoire and flew around like airplanes for longer than i care to admit. tonight's dinner was solely the product of me not wanting to do anything that involved a stove or more than 3 ingredients. sorry luke and sofi. i hope that one day you can forgive me and my lack of imagination. look on the bright side, maybe tomorrow we'll have dino nuggets!

collective sigh...

in other news--why did i go to a washington school? it makes it really tough to be a "coug forever!" as they say. at least my husband is an honorary ute, so at least there's some hope there.

fabulous finds friday...

2010-09-17T19:32:00.000-07:00

i know super cheesy, but this is an experiment and, as with all experiments, the beginning is a little rocky and the title is bound to change. anyway, as i was washing the dishes today, i put away several sippy cups and decided that there are a few precious nuggets of information that i have that i would like to share with the general public...or at least, the choice few that read this blog. i know there are millions of blogs out there that literally specialize on everything i will share here, but at least it will give me something to write and maybe something that will be useful to you or someone you know.

as with all goals of mine, i'm not promising anything. i can't pinky swear with all of you (or, any of you really) that i will be here every friday with an idea or item that will save your day or your child if you happen to find yourself at the end of your proverbial rope, but i will try and trying is half the battle...or was that knowing? whatever...anywho, on to my first installment...

if you are a mother of toddlers, or older kids who tend to spill...or, lets be honest, if you are constantly tipping over your water cup like i do and you don't currently own at least 3 of these, go out and purchase them now! if you can't leave now, make a note, take a picture...do whatever you have to do, to add them to your shopping list:

tummy tickers. otherwise known as the nirvana of sippy cups

i usually buy them at walmart, but i'm pretty sure they are available at winco and most likely, fred meyer and super target. i know for a fact that they are not at safeway, but who shops there when you're looking for deals anyway? they come with juice already in them, so if you have food stamps or coupons...that's right, they're free!

moms, run out and buy these. they really, seriously, honest to goodness, do not spill. every single other cup says they don't and make huge promises like they're the last cup you'll ever buy. don't believe them. believe ME! these are awesome. my sister in law told me about them and ever since that day, i've never gone back to anything else. plus, they have really fun lids, so your kids love them and so will you. i promise, i pinky promise even. don't ever leave home or stay home without them.

here is said sippy cup in action. well, sort of. the real action is happening with the oatmeal, but you get the point.

t minus 5 weeks...

2010-09-16T22:15:00.000-07:00

7 down, 6 to go (miles, that is)

running...again

Oh boy

its somebody's birthday, i wonder who...

2010-09-15T21:41:00.000-07:00

first of all, a big FAT thanks to everyone who thought of me yesterday. it really lifted my spirits and, even though i feel like i've come a long way as far as insecurities are concerned...you know, i don't NEED recognition, but i so appreciated every single fb note/text/phone call...yay for turning 31!!

second of all, thank you sweet, sweet husband for this:

and this:

i really brought out the jealous streak in all who crossed my path yesterday (as you can see from sofi's expression of longing. don't worry, she got her share...she makes sure of it).

yep, you heard (or saw rather) right, i've been made an official member of the "in crowd." i, along with justin long am officially...a mac.

i guess being a member of the 30 crowd is nothing to shake a stick at.

Aftermath

2010-09-12T20:51:00.000-07:00

as i sit here mulling over what i should write for today's installment, which actually sort of counts for the past couple days, i found this draft, which actually really isn't a draft because it only had a title...anyway, i realized that i never really discussed hood to coast and all its glory/misery.

for those of you have never heard of it or are wondering what is it really like to run for 30+ hours on about 3 hours of sleep with quads that burn with the heat of a thousand suns...i'm here to tell you. the experience as a whole, was really awesome. i know i sound like one of those crazy people you see on tv that are like, "i love the pain!!" but, seriously, it was incredibly empowering to be with a team and accomplish such a great task that most of us have never even dreamed possible before boarding the 15 seat van and heading up to the top of mount hood. yes, we started this crazy train at the top of mount hood and slowly (but surely) made our way out west to the pacific ocean by way of hwy 30 and some other hardly ever traversed, narrow back roads. my first leg was all down hill for about 5 1/2 miles. i was pretty nervous about it because i had never run that far straight down before. i worried about my toes and my quads, but other than just being a tad monotonous, it was good and i made better time that i ever had in my almost 31 years. one down, two to go...

the next five hours or so was filled with cheering and honking and eating power bars. then, we met up with the other van (which was actually a suburban with the other half our team in it) and handed off the magic blue bracelet. they had basically been hanging out waiting for us to get there, so now it was our turn to hang out and wait for them to finish their legs. one of the members of our team was able to acquire a hotel room near downtown portland so we headed there, cleaned up, and got ready to take off again...what? run again? are you serioius...you're asking...yes, i'm totally serious. it came time to run another almost 6 miles. i waited for the first leg to finish and then grabbed the blue bracelet and took off again. that leg was great. i went a little faster than i probably should have and, as it turns out, tied my shoes a little too tight so as to crunch my nerves and tendons together into a ball of extreme pain that wouldn't subside until the end of last week...hence the aftermath title.

anywho, that run felt good and it was now close to the middle of the night. we finished our legs and headed out to a random field to hunker down for the night...or two hours. we woke up and headed to the meetup place. at this point, my body is telling me in the most gentle way it can muster that there is no way in hades that it is going to run another 5 1/2 + miles. no way, i tell you. maybe 3ish, but not more than 5. i knew it was going to take a miracle and all i wanted was to switch with the girl ahead of me, but i didn't think it was possible, so i didn't even ask. second fatal mistake. note to self-next time, just ask. sheesh. anyway, i get on the road and take off feeling alright...for about 3 miles. my feet were done, my legs were done, my mental state, done. it was one of the only times in my life that i seriously considered that i was just going to sit on the side of the road and be...well...done. i honestly didn't know how i was suppposed to be able to finish, but i had to. i mean, it was pitch black outside, i was in the middle of nowhere and everybody and their sister was passing me like i was standing still (which, lets be honest i basically was). i went really slow, i had to stop and walk several times and i felt completely defeated.

i struggled when i got back to the van. i felt like a failure. it was really difficult for the pride level to know that i was one of the actual "runners" and i finished the slowest out of everyone. i learned some valuable lessons.

1. for goodness sake, do not tie your shoes too tight...what are you, dumb??
2. ask lindsay to switch legs. she's great...she'll totally do it! duh
3.it doesn't matter how fast you finish, it matters that you do. i know that sounds cliche, but i learned that its really, actually, totally true.

now that you've been to you know where and back with me, i hope you're still there :) i want you to know that after all the heartache. after all the actual ache. crossing the finish line with the whole team together was one of the most incredible feelings i've ever experienced. watching mark small climb the steepest hill i've ever driven a car up for more than 3 miles was breathtaking. coming together from so many walks (or jogs) of life, to accomplish a common goal was awe-inspiring.

i don't regret it.

i'll do it again...not so much in a heartbeat, but definitly in a year or two.

the team at the triumphal end. aah...good times

ps the feet pain? toms shoes saved my life...well, at least my feet.

Insert picture here...

2010-09-09T22:55:00.000-07:00

Imagine, if you will, an extremely charming version of my firstborn standing by the the door of his brand new preschool on his very first day.

You'd better have a fabulous imagination because that's the only picture you're going to get. As it turns out, one needs to transfer one's photos from their broken iPhone to one's home computer before taking it in to get fixed because they will return home with a bright, shiny, new iPhone that does not come standard with said pictures.

Yeah, I was "the one" in this scenario that didn't realize I was going to be given a new phone (which is awesome) but i hadn't downloaded my photos or music (not awesome).

Moral of the story: buy a real camera and use it. Often. The end.

when harry met sofi...

2010-09-07T13:55:00.000-07:00

so, yeah...i suppose you all know by now that i've missed a couple days. i've decided i could look at it as a complete and utter failure and quit or i can just pretend that those days don't count because i was "out of town" and move on like i'm still awesome.

i'm going to go with-still awesome...

for labor day weekend, we took a hiatus (from luke...i mean, home) and headed up north to visit our old buddies, the payettes. in order to celebrate the "gorgeous" northwest weather...yeah, it was overcast and rainy...we decided to Ride the Ducks. for those of you that have never partook in this glorious pastime, i'll fill you in on what it entails. apparently there are 16 amphibious vehicles--basically boats with wheels--left over from world war 2 and they are now used to transport tourists and locals alike around the emerald city for an hour and a half to the tune of such classics as we will rock you and hammer time.

it was really fun and quite the experience to be riding along the freeway and then sail off into the sunset on the lake. we rounded out our evening by hitting up root beer xxx for a burger and root beer the size of my torso. good times were definitely had by all.

gettin ready to board. as you can see, we're all really "feelin" the experience.

harry and sofi respectively...the celing was done exceptionally well, he just couldn't take his eyes off it

the view of lake union from the boat, i mean car, i mean...

harry's makeshift turban/blanket hat. lets just say we weren't as prepared as should have been. nothin like a little creativity to spice things up a bit!

sorry andy...

2010-09-04T16:23:00.000-07:00

i think i've found my TRUE soulmate...

i'll go in to how these totally "saved" my feet at a later date...but for now, go ahead, bask in their awesomeness with me.

before and...well...after

2010-09-02T22:04:00.000-07:00

my daughter is adorable, as everyone so obviously knows, but something was happening, that, if left unchecked would have led to nowhere good...that something was a mullet. since she is a girl, however, and since pigtails really are the next best thing to fabulous, i let it go much longer than my normally good reason allowed.

finally, i held my breath, took the m&m's out of the cupboard (to keep her busy during the hair removal and to act as chocolate therapy for my nerves), and watched as sofi's flowing locks turned into nothing short of a bob (pun intended).

without further ado...

do you see why i had to do what i had to do? yes, that is an official rat's nest. poor baby.

lets all say it together...aaahhh

man, do i love this girl and her sweet little haley mills haircut.

ready, set, blog-a-thon

2010-09-01T21:56:00.000-07:00

could i sound any cheesier? that was for all those chandler bing fans out there. yeah, you know who you are. so, this is all amy nielson's fault. i read her blog and now i will attempt to write something (hopefully semi-meaningful) in this blog everyday until i pass out on october 1st from sheer finger exhaustion. i know this really does seem crazy since my updating has been less then consistent, but who knows, maybe i'll surprise us all...that's right, us.

i'm not promising a novel everyday, in fact, some days will be a picture with maybe a caption...if you're lucky. i'm hoping i'll kill two birds wtih one stone...why do we say that anyway? its so gruesome to be talking about killing birds. what are we gonna do next, knock a baby off a tree limb?

anyway, some days will be witty banter, while other days will be pictures that will show my newfound skills that will be acquired thanks to clark college. so, i guess its see you tomorrow? oh boy, what have i done?

the ramblings of a 30 year old slacker

2010-08-11T20:21:00.000-07:00

so, i've gotten into the bad habit of not cooking, not running, not writing in my blog...or my book, all of which does not make for a very motivated person in general. since my children really shouldn't (or, let's be honest, really can't) live on cereal for dinner, hood to coast is looming around the corner, and my millions of dollars are just waiting for me to swim around in them once i'm published, something must be done. i'd like to think i can blame it all on my husband and his giving me 24 hour unalduterated access to the food network, but unfortunately, i know its really laziness and the fact that the more i put off things, the longer it takes to get the desire and the inspiration back. i've made some half-hearted goals here and there, and whined and complained about the fact that everyone else is better than me and more creative, therefore more in control of their life...yadi yadi yada...i'm finally doing something about it. don't get too excited. i'm not winning any pulizter prizes anytime soon, i'm just going to take a couple classes at clark college in order to maybe get the juices flowing again.

after much deliberation, andy has given in and agreed to put some of our hard-earned tax return toward a nice camera. one that will actually run on a battery that you plug into a wall instead of double a's, and will have more functions than merely automatic flash or not. with that camera that will soon be in my possession, i will take awesome pictures and finally be able to document the lives of my little children who really won't be little forever no matter how much i try and convince myself.

along with the photography class, i will be taking a creative writing class. i've decided that i need a jumping off point as well as a deadline since my own voice telling myself to be done by a certain time doesn't seem to be working. i'm excited. i know i can't logically completely change because of this, but i'm hoping i can at least get aimed in the right direction and actually start heading toward that direction instead of stopping at the churro stand and hanging out for far, far too long.

thanks for reading, there are more pictures from disneyland as promised, but i forgot that they were taken with the ancient medium of film and therefore must be scanned in order to show anyone via the world wide web. that will happen sometime in the near future. i know you're all dying to see the numerous photos of luke's thumb and winnie the pooh from the parade thanks to luke stealing the camera and learning how to wind it. doh! where did my toddler that was content pretending to take pictures go? i'll tell ya where, he turned into a giant preschooler, who only wants to take all the pictures instead of be in them.

speaking of pictures, i do have some random ones that you can look at and just pretend that you actually read the previous monologue. enjoy.

this montage, if you will, is a small glimpse into the summer thus far: a trip to the ft. lewis splash pad, swimming, hanging out with the animals at the zoo (and a ride on the train, of course), mcdonald's in the rain, the purchase of a mom-mobile, and a jaunt to seattle to run in the half marathon and stop at my good buddy val's baby shower (which was seriously the cutest thing i've ever seen, full stop)

vacay and all things fireworks/disney/and messy, messy cars

2010-07-17T15:00:00.000-07:00

there are so many pictures coming you won't even be able to believe it, especially because you're reading my blog. one problem though...i don't have them yet. they are currently resting comfortably in a disposable camera that we bought when we couldn't figure out which bag the real camera was in. i have a few to tease you with in the meantime, however, so break out the popcorn and sit back and relax...well, don't get too relaxed, there really are only a few for the moment (insert nervous laugh/half smile here)...

the annual harker/married names of the female children fireworks extravaganza and when i say extravaganza i mean 3 hours of homemade mayhem thanks to a few trips to montana. it was so fun to actually be able to be among the people in the photos that i usually just see from afar. thanks harkers and ps if any of you fancy pants photographer cousins of mine have any pictures that actually have my son in them, please be so kind as to send them my way. thanks a million!

it took awhile to actually get one of those little beauties (sparklers) into luke's hand, but once i did, he was hooked...or he was too busy riding his bike with the only kid that he wasn't related to.

auntie kathleen. my dad's little sister and apparently my kissing post. love ya lady!

pizza with my bestest cousin (on the other side), sydney and her awesome girls.

i know what you're thinking...who's that really cute one in the middle? samantha and elly, you are adorable for sure!

more to come folks...be sure to check back next at the same bat time and same bat channel, oh wait, that's something totally different.

saturday

2010-06-29T18:47:00.000-07:00

can you find me? i was there among the 20 something thousand crazies that ran from tukwila to seattle on saturday morning...by choice. i know, there are perfectly good cars and buses, what were we thinking?

ps you won't find me in this picture. these are the people that have circa 2 % body fat that finished the 26.2 miles before i even finished half of that. go person whose name i can't pronounce from kenya...woo hoo!!

oh goodness...

2010-06-21T21:24:00.000-07:00

so...i did it...i broke the cardinal rule. i was already feeling crummy/bummed due to a heavy mixture of rain, a child waking up at 4 am, a possibility of it being that time of the month...who knows. anyway, the logical part of me says, "don't do it...just check your email and then go back to your book and read until sleep so mercifully sweeps you away into dreamland. don't even start typing blogger into the search bar." yeah, i guess the totally insane and sadistic part of me said "shove it" and went there anyway. oh goodness, has it really been THAT long since i posted something...and has everyone else been THATawesome at updating and posting cute pictues and fancy crafty thingys? oh goodness again...and maybe a little bit of yikes.

one thing i can say is that i have at least been a little busy. i know, right? me, busy? i actually have though. i've begun working for my mom here at the in-home office which has made mommy mornings a little more difficult, but still doable and dare i say, a little fun? maybe, we'll go with it for now. i've also been training for my second half marathon. no, no, no need for applause...okay, if you must...i topped off the training aspect of it with a brisk 10 miler on saturday...and by brisk i mean semi-long and maybe a little painful. the race is this saturday in seattle and i just scored a new pair of these to go along with my newfound running legs. who knew those were hiding under there...

apparently my shoes were something crazy like 2 sizes too small..."oh, is that all?" who does that? the answer is me i guess. crazy. so that numbness wasn't normal after all. awesome. anywho, point being that i have been filling my life with some actual cool stuff. i have missed writing though. i've just been in what i like to call an uncreative phase. i may be alone in this, but sometimes i literally won't pick up a book or type on a keyboard for months at a time because i just can't get inspired. its a bad habit i need to break, though, because i'm always happier when i'm reading and writing and i'm pretty sure i read somewhere that its better to be happier than..."in a "phase."

in other news, my children have been growing, quite rapidly as it turns out, so i've been trying to make a conscious effort to document it. armed with only my iphone (camera's broken and new camera fund made its way into a mini van...sad but true), i've captured these precious gems. enjoy, and thanks again for being a pal. i know i haven't said it to you all personally, but i feel it and i'm grateful.

the zoo, the park, mcdonald's in the rain...all in a day's work

sofi loves her some honda odyssey...who could blame her?

milestone

2010-06-03T15:25:00.000-07:00

I won't go into details...but just suffice it to say that about a month and a half ago, luke FINALLY received one of these:

and one of these:

and maybe one of these:

feel free to sing his praises. i know i am, along with the men that so dutifully take care of our garbage recollection once a week (namely my husband and those other guys)...yay luke!!

i just thought i'd throw this picture in for good measure. yes, that is sofi's first haircut and yes, she is absolutely thrilled about it.

moments of the day

2010-05-15T20:34:00.000-07:00

so i'm not sure if this is going to be a weekly occurence, but i couldn't let the sun go down until i shared these "precious moments." seriously, sofi was totally stuck like that and instead of sympathy and saving the poor, wimpering soul, i ran for my camera and snapped this little gem. sure love these little dudes.

mother's day

2010-05-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

regrettably, i had to stay home with the littlest sprout on mother's day due to fever and all around crankiness (sofi was sick too) so i wasn't able to attend church as they celebrated the madre. i guess luke didn't think that singing to the rest of the moms was kosher, so he cried instead. sofi and i were treated with a much needed nap and downtime until luke came home and handed me this:

yeah, i'm still tearing up. i know its cliche and i know you all know already, but isn't it really moments like this that magically make you forget their long, long...long road to potty training, the toys spread all over the floor right after you clean it, the food you have to practically force down them, yadi yadi yada...

needless to say, it made my day. heck, it made my entire 3 1/2 years that the boy's been alive and living under my same roof. i love that kid even though he doesn't quite understand how much. i know i haven't made much of myself as far as the world is concerned, but i'm really starting to realize how much more his world matters. a belated happy mom's day to all you lovely mothers out there. you're beautiful, wonderful, and even though your concerts may not be selling out to millions, its the late night impromptu singing of twinkle, twinkle little star and itsy bitsy spider that really make a life worthwhile.

yes, i still am channeling dr. phil apparently. happy mom's day ladies.

to make a long story even longer...

2010-05-01T10:52:00.000-07:00

so consider me riddled, yes riddled with guilt. i decided to make an april resolution to blog/write in my manuscript every week.

enter my good buddy failure.

sheesh. so, instead of throwing myself a giant pity party (which are good if you need an excuse to have cake) i'm deciding to make an end of april/almost may resolution. i need to take more pictures/videos of my little dudes because, well, they won't be this little for very long...

side story--the other day i was driving home from a preschool open house and upon recollection of what transpired while talking with the teacher, i began to sob...well, maybe not sob, but there were some definite tears. i realized that besides a few trips, i have not been without luke from sun up (sometimes even earlier) to sun down (sometimes even later). i knew, of course, that i want him to go....that it is the best thing for both of our sanity and overall good nature, but preschool? really? luckily, i have another slightly smaller version of him to keep me company when i think that i can drop everything and do whatever i want...aka move to italy for four months just to eat a lot of carbs and learn italian--oh wait, that was the chick that's being played by julia roberts in eat, pray, love...sheesh. maybe i'll just eat the carbs and call it good...

anywho, i need to document our lives better minus the whining and the incessant need for recognition.

another side stlory/apology--sorry for my previous outburst. i honestly don't want to make any of you feel obligated to praise me religously. you should practice your religion religously, however...the angst really sprang from insecurities with myself and the fact that i'm pretty nervous about actually buckling down and writing a book. i was looking for immediate gratification which, i know now, was way too immediate. so sorry again and really, thanks for reading anyway. just read, enjoy, comment if you want (or have the time between feeding children or yourself and sleeping or working of course), but don't feel like suicide will invade my thoughts if you don't.

thank you

as for previously promised pictures...wow, did not do that sweet alliteration on purpose...they are currently on my camera which is, you guessed it, broken. just call me the woman who is not meant to photograph. its sad really. i finally remembered to bring it along, which was a feat in itself, when previously mentioned smaller version of luke grabbed it and proceeded to introduce it to the ground in a not so gentle manner. sigh...the pictures are safe on the sd card luckily, but blah blah blah they're not in my hot little hand at this moment. so, wait again in anticipation and i will be back shortly...hopefully...soon.

ps i tried to add a little video for viewing pleasure here at the end, but the little icon is mia. does anyone know how to upload a video these days? yes, consider me the neanderthal of blogging.

hi

2010-04-09T13:56:00.000-07:00

i'm done whining...just thought you all should know...and i have pictures coming.

thank you :)

this is me blushing

2010-03-31T17:08:00.000-07:00

so, i was a dork and took my post about my book off the blog in a moment of what i thought was self-enlightenment...or something else that doesn't make any sense.

its back.

thanks to all those who have left me sweet messages.

i'm sorry i'm sensitive.

apparently, i was a little quick to judge everyone. looking back now, it was just a bad monday, full of rain, poop, and bickering. my bad.

can we just pretend i'm still cool and that i don't overreact when my hormones take over the small, but present logical side of me?

i mean, can you really say no to this face?

or this one

or even this one

discouraged:

2010-03-31T06:22:00.000-07:00

to deprive of courage, hope, or confidence; dishearten; dispirit.

mama said there'd be days like this, right? ha! now you're all singing the song in your heads. my work here is done. kidding...anyway, the last couple of days have not been on my list of top 5 "i'm so glad i woke up this morning" days. the rain isn't exactly awesome, but a few other factore have contributed as well. lets just say that i have a tiny flair for the dramatic and when i decided to let you all in on the slow but steady writing process that i've immersed myself in, i imagined an overwhelming response of adulation and encouragement. comment after comment of atta-boys and way to go's etc...i waited...and waited. my sweet husband let me know that maybe everyone is just busy and the post was a little long after all yadi yadi yada. yeah, in my current state, lets just say i didn't really take his word for it.

i became discouraged. enter my longtime friend: self-doubt. which, of course, in turn, led me to question my ability as a mother, as a wife, as a writer. i've struggled and questioned and possibly cried, but now, as i sit here in the wee hours of the morning (thanks to a nightmare brought on by a missing train...not mine...this time) i can really reflect on how truly blessed i am and recognize that its not outside praise that i need. i may want it, but i can't expect things outside of my control to go my way. so, in a nutshell--for now, i'm going to keep things a little simpler. i'll try and be witty (its a stretch i know), and put up pictures of my little dudes, and not expect you all to be my guinea pigs. kapiche? no, i'm not itallian, but it always sounded good when uncle jesse said it on full house.

when did dr. phil inhabit my body? enough with the pity party. thanks for reading. it really does make me happy...and happiness beats discouragement anyday.

ps thank you heidi and adam for what you DID say. it meant a lot and didn't go unnoticed. i'm not a complete prima donna :) gracias

your first glimpse

2010-03-27T16:52:00.000-07:00

once again...its been too long since i've allowed you all a peek into the nuttiness that is the life of tara sutton. i decided that its time to share a little of what will someday hopefully be a deseret book bestseller. yes, i'm starting in the mormon world because, to be completely honest, the new york times bestseller list is a bit daunting...and when i say a bit, i mean the scariest thing i could possibly imagine. someday, tara, someday. that might be what i tell myself on a daily, maybe hourly basis. anyway, this is the beginning of the book that will chronicle the life and times of sister thomas, onetime missionary to the spaniards. i hope you enjoy it and if you don't, keep it to yourself because i can't take negative criticism. i'm joking. please tell me what you think and if any of you happen to be a publisher in disguise, let me know what my first advance will be! without further ado...

If wishes were fishes, we’d all have a fry. That is apparently something that my grandma on my mother’s side used to say while she was still among the living. To this day, none of us are really sure what it means. What fish? Who are all these people and is it really our collective desire to fry up hundreds of pounds of fish together? The truth is that it really has nothing to do with fish. It really has to do with the fact that if everything we wanted came as easily as fish apparently did back in the day, none of us would be left with a care in the world.

All human beings do have desires. We all have wishes that we hope either would or would have come true at some point in our lives. My desire was to become a missionary, but not just any missionary. I was going to be the first missionary in the history of missionarydom, to not waste even a single moment of the Lord’s time while I figured out what I was doing. I found out pretty quickly that my desire, albeit righteous, was not the most practical, nor was it humanly possible.

We’re all put on this earth for a reason. We’ve known that since primary. The Lord put us here at a certain time with a certain mission. We all have a certain amount of years to learn as much as we can and do as much as we can for others, while striving to share the wonderful gift we all know as the gospel. I discovered, a little late, that a mission is a mini-lifetime. The main difference being that the amount of time allotted is not a mystery. Newborn babies do not have the ability, or the desire, to crawl let alone run marathon in record speed. I discovered that the same goes for a “greenie” or a new missionary. Just like the Lord does not expect a brand new baby to be able to give a speech or translate ancient texts, He does not expect a new sister or elder to baptize a hundred people, while fully understanding the rules and co-mingling perfectly with another human being 24/7.

well, there you go. i hope i won't regret posting that since i just remembered that it will appear on facebook to be seen by all the millions of people that wait breathlessly for my status updates to appear.

ps i went with mombo and the kids to visit one of my favorite people who happened to spawn one on my, and luke's, now favorite little person this week and we did this:

for those of you that know larissa and, of course, for you larissa. this was a recipe she posted on her blog. hers was a little prettier...and again, when i say a little prettier i mean that hers could have been published in marha stewart living, but it was tasty and yes, we both had seconds and possibly thirds.

camille-you rule. sawyer-you will marry my daughter someday. love you guys

the good, the bad, and the...really girly?

2010-03-09T10:46:00.000-08:00

good news: after years of convincing, (not by me, no...by his desire for a better golf game) my husband actually got online and signed up for a gym membership all by himself

better news: we've actually gone almost every day

bad news: i caught him doing several pull ups to the tune of mariah carey's dreamlover...

they grow up so fast

2010-02-23T07:15:00.000-08:00

this fine morning around 6:35 (the time has no significance, i just thought you should all know how early my kids like to be awake at my expense) sofi was blissfully polishing off her first yogurt of the day when the cat walked in. this, of course, is an everyday occurence and nothing to shake a stick at, (what does that mean anyway?) but it seemed to have illicited an unprecedented response from the little lady. something that sounded a lot like kitty...and along with uh-oh, mama, and what grandpa firmly believes to be his name, her vocabulary is rounded out. aka she's a genius. just thought you might all want to know, so that one day, when she receives the nobel prize, you won't be surprised. you're welcome in advance.

do they really go from THIS to THIS in a matter of a year? ps those are stickers that happen to adorn her hair and body. luke so lovingly decorated her after receiving them in sunbeams. oh, the love.

its that time of year...

2010-02-22T19:52:00.001-08:00

need i say more?

sigh

2010-02-20T11:46:00.000-08:00

so, i guess when i said i was coming and that i was going to write once a week--i really meant that i wouldn't write until 3 weeks later. apparently blogger has even changed their format in my absence. oh goodness, one of these days i will be held accountable to myself somehow. as of right now, though, i'm completely overwhelmed with teething, crying, snot, potty training and the endlessless thereof, the ever-pressing question of where i will be in 6 months, why i can't seem to write anything unless its 4 in the morning when i really don't feel like being anywhere but a bed...etc...

are you sure you wanted to know what i've been up to?

in reality, my situation is no where near as bad as those in say, haiti, but i guess that's the main reason that i haven't updated in a while. i've been bummed and worried and traveling to exotic places like grants pass, or and nampa, id--all things that i didn't qualify as big news. i haven't wanted to complain in light of all the yuckiness that is going on elsewhere in the world. i really am blessed and i am aware of my blessings...i've just been lost inside my own pity party. why do we throw those for ourselves anyway? who wants a pity party? the truth is, i don't and i don't want to invite any of you either. there, that's my excuse for being absent--told in a long, really drawn out, frustrating sort of way.

in other and much happier news...sofi turned 1! and i actually did document it. which reminds me of another reason i'm having trouble being consistent. i'm annoyed with my lack of photography skills. i'm planning on taking a class this summer, but for now i feel like my pictures look dumb so i don't take many...yes, it is as juvenile as it sounds. i'll give myself a good talking to later i promise. in the meantime. here's a glance into the festivities of a girl that loves food more than life and isn't afraid to ruin a perfectly good cake. gotta love her.

i'm having technical difficulties with the video of her in the actual devouring stage, but i'll figure it out and trust me, its worth the wait. thanks for listening and i'll be back sooner than later. i mean, the sun is out in the middle of february and this happens on a nightly basis. what is there to sulk about? answer: potty training.

dangit!

i'm coming

2010-01-26T11:35:00.000-08:00

i just wanted to let you all know that i started writing a blog that was swirling around in my head as i was up with sofi from 3-5 am this morning, but when i read it back, i sounded like a big whiner...so i'm coming up with something else. also, my (late) new year's resolution is to write at least once a week, both in this blog and in my book that just might surface within the next 5 years. i have started it and for those of you that loyally check up on me, you might just get a glimpse of it every once in awhile. we'll see how brave i'm feeling at the time. if it happens to be at 3:30 in the morning, i'm usually pretty brave, or maybe just sleep-deprived. the point is there is more to come. i know i've said this before, but this time i mean it. i know i stepped right out of a b-movie action flick with that last line, but what can you do? be patient...it is a virtue after all.

here's a little parting gift to whet your appetite:

gotta love a litte blackmail.

ps the "other" baby is this trifecta is my friend camille's baby, sawyer. i love how sofi's arm is just resting on his shoulder like they've been hangin out

twas the night before insanity

2010-01-03T16:15:00.001-08:00

she may look cute, but don't let that precious face fool you...she was the closest thing to evil that i've ever experienced in my life last night. let me just fill you in on the specifics:

6:30 pm-went to bed like a champ

7:00 pm-woke up when luke entered the room

7:30-could be heard making unhappy noises through the door, but reluctantly gave in to slumber

10:00-screaming like her life depended on it. dad succombed to the temptation, brought her in to get some grub and returned her to sleeping bliss...or not

11:00-decided that screaming was better than sleeping again and was taken permanently out of luke's room so as not to force him into her world of awakeness.

1:30-apparently she's only just begun...woke up screaming yet again and mom tried to let her "self-soothe" for about 20 minutes. yeah, there was no soothing happening...self or not. she just kept screaming until finally falling asleep on mom's chest downstairs.

3:30-are you kidding me?? after waking up the whole house, the little tike was given a blessing and sleep ensued, right? well, for a couple more hours anyway.

7:00 am-is it morning? the sun's not up and i feel like a mac truck mistook my head for the freeway...

9:00 am-yeah, so church didn't happen and the sof-meister and i got some much needed (so much needed shut-eye) until luke's return that brought with it a rousing rendition of "jesus wants me for a sunbeam."

oh, what a night...

feliz navidad...or natal depending on if you're spanish or portuguese

2009-12-25T15:56:00.000-08:00

...are any of you spanish or portuguese? you get the idea. well, this is definitly my favorite time of year and i needed to commemorate it sometime. what better day, than the big day itself? merry christmas to all you wonderful loyal listeners (readers) out there. thanks for dropping by every once in a while. it truly does make me feel special. i hope you have a wonderful christmas and an even more fabulous new year. feel free to keep checkin in on us. you just might be the first to know when my book is done, when andy's business has made its first million, and when luke has succeeded in collecting the percy train from the vast (extremely vast, you have no idea) world of thomas and friends.

merry christmas!!

...from the house of the photogenic, yet camera shy sutton children and their parents

some memorable moments from the sutton/thomas family christmas:

party rewind

2009-12-19T19:41:00.000-08:00

so its been a couple months since the little dude turned the ripe old age of 3, but my computer was on a hiatus from picture uploading until now...so, (drum roll) here they are. its like you're right there in the middle of the pumpkin patch, isn't it?

ps that's siobahn, posing like a supermodel by the cake that spawned from her glorious imagination.

halloween revisited

2009-12-03T15:40:00.000-08:00

if pictures are worth a thousand words...well, i'll just let these do the talking.

true love

2009-11-22T11:09:00.000-08:00

if you were to look up the words true love in the dictionary, you would find this picture there:

yes, that is me making sure that luke doesn't lunge himself at the moving tractor that is slogging its way through the mud and guck that made up our trip to the pumpkin patch. you can't tell, but its also raining like nobody's business. hence, the makeshift umbrella that is protecting the kindly farmer from the torrential downpour. luckily, by the time we made it out to the patch itself, the rain had subsided and i captured this little beauty of the little dude himself:

and more of the highlights:

ps i have to admit that in all my ranting and raving about the second installment of the "twilight saga," i neglected to say that even though the movie wasn't exactly oscar worthy, the night out with my friends and family was absolutely worth it. victoria (my sister-in-law who made the whole thing happen a day ahead of schedule) really outdid herself making sure that everyone had a great time. thank you, victoria and i'm so glad that you are happily married to edward...i'm sure trent already knows so i won't bother threatening to tell him :)

happy thanksgiving everyone!!

eat lots of food and take lots of naps...two of very favorite things

sorry victoria...

2009-11-20T16:11:00.000-08:00

warning: if you are a die-hard edward/twilight fan, don't hate me

new moon

i went. i saw. i laughed...and not because robert pattinson was spot on with his comedic timing. no, the movie just really wasn't great. the acting and the long, i'm looking into your eyes in a way that is supposed to be yearning and longing and painful and smoldery, but turned out something like-i'm really hungry. now, you must know that i wasn't really expecting a whole lot in the first place, but it really still managed to disappoint somehow. sorry to all you twilighters or new mooners or whatever you call yourselves. if you loved it or will love it, kudos to you.

in all fairness, i do have to commend taylor and his angsty in a good way, playful version of the wolf that would be bella's number one if he could. he really stole the show (that could've been given away for free if you ask me). he acted well. he really understood his part and he didn't look so bad either. in fact, he looked downright like i wish he was 10 years older. dang.

well done taylor. rob and kristin-eat something. whoever you are that plays jasper-yeesh...and dakota-i'm sorry they dressed you up like a five year old. you did a stellar job, though. all things considered. good luck with the next one! ahem...you're gonna need it...

retraction

2009-11-05T22:10:00.000-08:00

so, i actually was not saying that i dislike charlie brown. i'm a pretty big fan, in fact. although i will admit, in all honesty, that it is one of those things that i could swear was exponetially more awesome when i was younger. i think it might just come down to the principle of when a charlie brown special is on, there is a holiday looming just around the corner...that, and i played a very female version of snoopy in a high school play...anyway, i was actually just saying (in a very cryptic way apparently) that i was frustrated. i need to put pictures on the internet, both for your viewing pleasure and my own sanity. there have been some rather annoying stumbling blocks in my path, however. first, the camera has been m.i.a and by m.i.a, i mean in andy's truck...which has been anywhere from salem to sedrow woolley for the past two months. second, my computer apparently has the swine flu because it won't allow me to upload or even look at any of my pictures. third, i have a 3 year old who thinks that my attention is necessary at all times, except for when thomas the tank engine is on, then it really doesn't matter if anyone else is in the room--until the show ends of course, then someone really needs to be there to take part in the dance party that is "down by the docks."

frustration #2-my parents' house has yet to sell despite me really, really wishing that it would. anyone in the market for 5 acres? yeah, me neither...unfortunately.

frustration #3-i've come to the realization that i've spent far too much of my husband's hard earned money on baby carriers that i don't end up appreciating like i hoped i would. i bought a ridiculously expensive maya sling and hated it...i'm not a sling wearer. i found out the hard way. they hurt. i also bought a not quite so ridiculously expensive, used baby bjorn. i thought it would be awesome. not so awesome. an ergo would be awesome. ever since i had my first child, i wanted a carrier that could be worn on the front and the back. did i listen to myself way back when? i guess we all know the answer because here i sit with no ergo and two carriers that i wish i could sell, but i should really just give away because that's the right thing to do and maybe the only thing that will allow me to redeem myself after all this whining...

4th and final frustration-bones came back tonight after giving up their television time to the yankees...that, in itself, is awesome. what is not awesome is that its looking more and more like angela and hodgins are really not going to get back together. does this frustration make me sound petty and far too interested in a scripted romance? if so, i apologize. they were just so great together. it made me happy. right now, not so happy...hence--aarrgghh!

there you have it. my life is basically over or, in reality, i really have nothing of actual substance to complain about. i have a wonderful family. sofi is probably the happiest, loveliest, wonderfulest little gift from God there could ever possibly be. luke is starting to put more and more hilarious sentences together and andy works really hard to provide for us all. life doesn't get much better...i just wish i could find a way to show you all-aka remove my camera from its mobile home and figure out how to cure my computer of its illness. until then, enjoy the pictures in your mind that are formed by my oh so illustrative words...or just enjoy another blog that is written by someone who is good at posting pictures. i'll understand :)

aarrggh!

2009-10-30T22:16:00.001-07:00

i just spent 60 blissful minutes watching linus wait patiently for the great pumpkin. charlie brown just happened to say exactly what i'm feeling...

by the way...

2009-10-28T23:22:00.001-07:00

i'm canvassing my computers for pictures and my brain for ideas...give me a break people! creative genius takes time you know. meanwhile, the computer screen just keeps staring back at me with its blank, icy stare. mocking me with each new post that someone else puts up while i sit and listen to the musical stylings of super why. the joys of precious motherhood.

unibra

2009-10-27T16:46:00.001-07:00

i had to document that this was the word i just had to type in order to comment on someone's blog post. i mean seriously. wow.

have a little faith in me

2009-10-15T11:36:00.000-07:00

i'm not gonna lie, my favorite movie for a long time was look who's talking now with kirstie alley and john travolta and yes, a couple of talking dogs. it made me happy because it is set during christmastime and for some crazy reason, i memorized and watched it circa 1000 times a year for a while there. i still love it, but i'll admit that i've abandoned it for such blockbusters as thomas and friends (thanks to you heidi) and curious george. the reason i'm telling you all this little tidbit of somewhat embarrasing information is because i was reminded of not only my long lost favorite happy movie, but also of my all-time favorite song last night while watching something entirely different.
everytime someone has asked me what my favorite song is, i've always gone with something from the synthesizer-infused 80's...usually if you leave from pretty in pink. as i sat in the theater at the close of love happens, however, i was reminded of the fact that, even though i haven't realized it, this song actually spins my world:

in an age where songs are full of references to booty calls and cell phones and are comprised of lyrics including, "right now, he's probably slow dancing with a bleach blonde tramp and she's probably getting frisky..." and, "super fresh, now watch me jock, jockin on them haterz man," this song is literally a breath of fresh air. not only are the lyrics beautiful, but they actually mean something. i love the selflessness of the song and the fact that its about lifting someone else and living for them, which is a nice change from the me-focus generation that i have found myself living among...amongst...you get the idea. its a great song that makes me want to be great.

no, your eyes don't deceive you...

2009-10-08T17:16:00.000-07:00

those really are pictures you see. somehow, luke turned 3 today and we've had a party with a cake that made it to the table completely intact. i'm really not sure how it happened. in fact, if someone could let me know how he miraculously turned from a sleeping, gurgling, toe-sucking tiny baby to the cars-obsessed giant he is today, i'd greatly appreciate it. its amazing how much faster time really does fly as you get older. it seems like just yesterday that i walked in to find him eating a whole package of graham crackers (see picture on the right side of your screen), or when he learned how to walk by pushing a hot pink stroller around my sister-in law's house. he really is pretty darn cool and even though potty training officially sucks and he sometimes (often) makes me question why i bore him in the first place...i love the little boy/big brother that he has become. happy birthday little buddy. here's to you and your love of string cheese and flashlights. you really do make life a little more colorful...you and nbc (their new slogan for those of you non tv-watchers).

"un"planned parenthood

2009-10-02T15:50:00.001-07:00

i keep putting off writing something because i really don't have any pictures and the guilt just seems to throw my mind into something else. since october has reared its oh so beautiful head, however, i've decided that i need to see its name written at the top of a post. i've promised myself and many of you, i'm sure, that i would never discuss potty training or anything of its nature in this blog, but for the sake of this entry, we need to just skim the surface.

last saturday, i decided it was time to buckle down and get that kid out of diapers. so, i woke up, took off his pants (left mine on) and began the every 5 minute trip to the bathroom, follwed by the token skittle routine. things were going pretty smoothly until about 10 minutes after i began. lets just say, i'm pretty sure i didn't get my necessary 8 hours of sleep (who does anyway?), i was cranky for who knows what other reason, and luke just wasn't really into going the distance. its all pretty much a fuzzy blur now, but i'm pretty sure i began to be frustrated, he began to scream, there were several trips to timeout, several more fits of screaming and crying by both parties, an explosion of baby powder in the kids' room...all culminating in one almost 3 year old being placed ever so lovingly (while fuming under the surface) in his unmade bed (due to the aforementioned explosion of baby powder) and a blotchy, red-eyed, shell of a mother exiting the room and narrowly avoiding abandoning the family thanks to the food network and a previously stashed reese's peant butter cup. after the two of us had a nice, healthy break from each other and the water closet, luke and i enjoyed an evening of corn dogs, surf's up (shia lebouf just has a way about him even in penguin form), blackberry picking (him eating, me picking), and brainwashing...we both needed to remember each other the next day in a different light....which brings me to my title. have you ever wondered why the program is called "planned parenthood" when the reason why girls go there is because they definitly were not planning on parenthood happening?

i definitly had one of those days where being a parent, good or not, was just not in the cards. we can always have the best intentions, the best "plans," only to get to the end of a 12, or in luke's case, 15 hour day and wonder if your child will ever recover from the disaster you put him through. the truth is, that they will and you will and 30 years down the road, you'll only wish you could have a glimpse of that sweet, little, innocent boy that had once forced you to question your sanity thanks to a day of endless wet lightening mcqueen underoos.

in my next 30 years...

2009-09-15T10:58:00.000-07:00

for those of you that listen to the wonder that is country music, you will recognize this title as a plagerized version of a tim mcgraw song. i've once again been racking my brain to figure out something to write and on this, the day following the 30th anniversary of my birth, i decided i needed to reflect on what i've accomplished and who i've become since that fateful blustery german day back in 1979.
as i've stated before, my self-esteem has not always been up to par. i went through several years with the idea that number of "best friends" you have or how many birthday wishes you receive is proof of your worth as a person. even this blog, the one that was meant to merely be a hobby that could give me a small respite from the post-partum depression that took up most of my time after my first was born, turned into an obsession over how many comments i could receive. the more there were, the more people liked me...wah wah wah...anyway, this has all been said before. what i'm trying to say now is that i'm in the middle of turning over a new leaf. this "leaf" isn't turning over as quickly as i'd like or as quickly as you might think a leaf might turn.
the logical side of me is in a constant battle with the emotional, irrational one. the argument goes something like this,

logic: "it doesn't matter what other people think. your family loves you, everyone is healthy.
god created you the way you are for a reason and you have changed peoples' lives for
the better..."
emotion: "(mischevious laughter)...whatever, you suck, and so does all that crap you just said. "

good times, right? not so much, which is why i've decided that its about time for the logical side to win out once and for all. i know far too much about why i'm here and where i'm going to get sidetracked by an overactive case of pms.
another casualty of my previous life has been the serious lack of pictures, both in this blog and in real life. both problems will be remedied in the 30 years that lie in front of me. in fact, i do have some recent photos to post soon, including a little gem that involves me holding a bouquet of roses sent so lovingly by my husband while he was away on my birthday. thanks to all of you for your influence on my life and for reading this, my first attempt at writing.

a sad, sad tale

2009-08-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

so, i've been out of town for what feels like longer than i actually was. i was able to go to the glorious (i needed an adjective) state of michigan to visit my brother and his family for a week. i also went up to seattle for an impromptu visit (and subsequent sleepover) with some friends as well as a quick trip (and subsquent sleepover) down to the oregon coast to visit some other friends. all together, the trips didn't consist of a lot of days, just a lot of driving and surprise overnighters, which meant not a lot of preparation...anyway, its been quite an august, which one would think would include several pictures documenting each and every exciting change of scenery. yeah, so i either didn't have my camera (surprise, surprise) or it was dead (even more surprise). needless to say, the only picture i came away from all my escaping from the reality i live with day after day is this out of focus, fuzzy, picture OF a picture that luke took of himself at chuck e cheese in lansing, michigan. lets all say it together-"ridiculous." moral of the story-when you finally get to do something fun and exciting, make sure and have a charged camera around your neck or somewhere closer than your car, so that everyone else will believe you and you will be able to remember it 20 years down the road.

for those of you that have glanced over at my attempt at a new blog, don't worry, i know there aren't many of you...yes, i am starting over. i've decided i need to wait until i have a real camera that doesn't require two double-a batteries to live and function. to be continued...

inspiration and the panic thereof

2009-08-07T21:53:00.001-07:00

tagline: Do you have what it takes?

i saw the surprisingly hilarious movie, "julie & julia" today and it not so gently forced me to remember/be overwhelmed by the real reason i decided to slip my foot into the overcrowded pool known as the blogging world or "blogosphere" for those who speak internet. its no surprise to those that really know me that i have a few, shall we say, issues...alright, they're downright complexes if i'm being honest (which i am, by the way). my self-esteem is definitly not where it should be as i stand on the cliff overlooking the crevace of my 30's. self-doubt and fear of failure have been my unwelcome companions since i turned 15 and my body decided to go from stick figure to queen latifah over a not so forgettable summer spent in a trailer in my aunt's backyard. too much information? moving on...lets just say, i've always felt like a needed i talent that could be outwardly weighed against other peoples' talents instead of just "being a good friend" as my mom used to tell me in order to make me feel better. it never really worked. i needed to be a volleyball star like the rest of my athletic, taller friends. i needed to be a better singer, like the ones that actually got the leading roles in the musicals that i watched from backstage. i wanted to be a dancer, a gymnast, an actor that actually got to be on stage for more than 5 minutes at a time as a townsperson...blah blah blah...you understand. the point in all this is that i think i've discovered a talent, but i'm too afraid to do anything about it. i think i'm a writer and that's why i started the blog.
after giving birth to luke, i struggled a little bit with the post-partum blues as they are so interestingly called. i was pretty depressed. i didn't leave my house and i didn't spend a lot of my free-time doing much other than sleeping and berating myself for not doing anything with said free-time. i'm not looking for any sympathy here or anything, just giving some backstory. i finally decided that i just was not going to scrapbook. its not me. i'm not organized or really creative...i've come to grips with it. i tried knitting with the little contraption from joanne's that a 3 year old can function. that lasted for a month or so. i had heard of blogging and had already decided that no one would want to read an online journal. why would people care if luke threw up that day or if i actually ran an errand or cooked a meal? then again, writing was the one skill that i knew i had even if it was buried somewhere deep inside, so i went ahead and began with the full intent of not sounding like the lame housewife that i felt like, but more the funny writer that i knew was brimming under the surface. upon returning home from the movie (a couple days ago now) i realized that my blog has started to become exactly what i didn't intend. i've moved from witty daily banter meant to spawn an idea for a book to travel log that is definitly not updated as much as i'd like.
all that being said, i have a new goal, which, in turn scares the heck out of me. i need to move forward, full speed ahead, without letting the outcome overwhelm me before i get there. how is it you eat an elephant again?

by the end of this, my 30th year, wow, that's crazy...i need to have a specific direction for this blog or the beginning of a children's book down on paper. whew, i guess that's it then. i will find out of i really have what it takes without being too scared to even start. good luck to me...i think i'm gonna need it.

a new blog and the beginning of many lukeisms to come

2009-08-04T21:11:00.001-07:00

a new chapter has begun...that's probably a little more profound than it needs to be. lets just say i've started a new blog and the background of it is written in the first entry over there. so, if you want to be in the know with all the cool kids, you'll have to go check it out. i did that on purpose you see. every once in a while i'll do something really smart, or at least semi-thought provoked. anyway, i won't waste this precious, lukeless blog writing time by just informing about the other site. i'll leave you with your very first luke-ism. this happened the other day and if i don't write it down now, i'll forget and that would be unfortunate for all parties involved. aka luke, andy, and myself...

we were making our journey down the stairs in usual toddler slow motion in order to get to church at a reasonable hour/on time, when it seemed that luke needed a little more coaxing. for some strange reason i didn't go with, "there's a treat in the car" or "let's go see your friends." i guess i was inspired simply say, "come on luke, we've got to get to church" because the response i received was, "church??? alright!!" followed by a frantic run to the car and an impatient get me in the carseat or so help me dance. if that wasn't a 5000 mg shot in the arm of you're an awesome parent, i'm not sure what is.

thank you heidi...

2009-07-27T16:34:00.001-07:00

thanks to you, my family is updated to include a sofi and a non-3 month old luke.

you don't have to be a superhero...

2009-07-10T15:01:00.000-07:00

to have an arch nemesis

its time for another post...well, lets be honest, its been time for another post for like three weeks. not just any post, however. this entry is the product of an issue that has been worsening and growing for years now, especially since the birth of my wonderful, yet evil friend-the text. i will be bemoaning the negative effect that technology has had on my life. before cell phones, and facebook, and every channel available to me within the confines of my own home...i already struggled with keeping in touch with the people in my life. by keeping in touch with people, i'm not just talking about those that you met in college and try to send a birthday card to once a year. i'm talking about everyone, including a certain someone that happens to live like two apartments away from me. yes, its true...i haven't seen my friend mary yet and we've lived here for two months. ridiculous.

i've always struggled with telephones. ever since my brother always made me call and order the pizza when we were kids...its been a love/hate relationship ever since...more hate than love. yes, i do love being able to talk people that are far away and it is nice to be able to get a hold of someone close by without having to send a horse and buggy messenger over, but if there is any opportunity to not use the incredible invention that is the telephone, i will use it. enter the text. before this ingenious little piece of technology, i have to admit that i relied heavily on email. i know, i'm sorry, but i am one of those. if there was a way to send an email instead of call (or if there was a time to call that i knew i would be leaving a voicemail...) i would do it. i can say honestly that i never broke up with anyone with the helping hand of cyberspace. that might be because i've only had 3 boyfriends in my life, one of whom i'm married to and one i was dating when email was still only acquired via phone line. anyway, i digress--i am a text fan and the point of this needlessly wordy blog is to apologize to all of you that have been neglected by my lack of phone skills. to you, i am sorry, but i will continue to text you if you will have me...or let me as the case may be :)

ode to sofi

2009-06-25T20:12:00.000-07:00

apparently i haven't posted very many pictures of my second child. you may have heard of her. her name is sofi, she's bald, about 2 feet tall, and probably the best thing that has happened to this planet. i have only myself to blame...well, and my mom, of course, for making me take a trip and neglect my internet duties. anyway, sorry folks, but here she is in all her smiling glory.

just in case you didn't overdose from the overwhelming amount of cuteness in the previous video and you're still sitting upright, here are some more snippets into the short, yet up until this point, undocumented life of sofi lyn

next stop county lockup? and other funny moments

2009-06-15T10:09:00.000-07:00

luke walked into the kitchen this morning and said, "cookie, please." i, of course, being a good, responsible parent said, "not until after lunch buddy." so, he decided to give up and go out on the porch to relax...or not

the other day, we went for a walk and i guess we tuckered sofi right out because i left her in the swing, carrier and all while i put luke to bed. this is what i came back to. don't worry, i put her in her bed after i took advantage of the photo op.

more fun with unconscious babies...

what a good helper...life's too short to stop with just mixing and pouring

omsi, dozer days, the rose festival, and the consequences of family outings during naptime

2009-06-04T08:35:00.000-07:00

it is easily derived from the title that this is going to be a rather longish post. if you need to begin now and take a break for lunch or a snack or a nap...no worries, i've been there, in fact, i'd probably need a couple snacks and maybe a steak. anywho, its kinda funny how one can feel like they haven't done anything and then they write a blog and realize that they've actually been pretty busy. of course, in this instance "one" and "they" refers to me and my apparent full month of may. for the sake of saving time, there won't be a great deal of witty banter, but instead just a load of pure, unadulterated luke and sofi...not so much sofi unfortunately. apparently, it hasn't set in that i'm supposed to take pictures of two kids instead of just the older, screaming, i mean, precious...one :)

omsi...aka a fun-filled day or couple hours, thanks to the toddler attention span or lack thereof...aka good thing there was this exhibit with the effect air has on balls because i couldn't pry the kid away

dozer days...aka a day where little tikes such as luke are invited to climb all over tractors and back hoes and their drivers...aka a meltdown in said back hoe after waiting in a line for 45 minutes to go for a ride...

isn't it interesting how much we force our kids to do something we just "know" they'll like...maybe we should do the easier thing and let them play in the free dirt while eating cheese and sand. what? let them do what they want to do? that's just crazy

rose festival...aka good times on the waterfront...aka luke was tired and hungry so that's why there are only pictures of him on the rides where he was happy and not being threatened of being sold to the gypsies

my awesome picture of sofi...or its kinda far away and barely a profile. um...more to come? yeah, i'll leave it that

aah the quintessential carnival ride. you might want to bookmark this entry as this might be the only picture i've actually posted of myself

clarification

2009-05-22T20:43:00.001-07:00

so, for those of you american idol fans...okay, so all of you--it seems as though i need to clarify something for you. when i wrote that adam winning was a silver lining in my day of crap it was followed by, "oh wait, that sucks too."

i did not want adam aka i wear too much make-up for a man or a woman to win. i was a kris fan from the beginning and if danny couldn't win then i'm glad it was him.

the joy of glee

2009-05-21T15:50:00.000-07:00

i'm currently addicted to this:

my most recent day from hades

2009-05-20T19:46:00.000-07:00

so, its been a day...and not one of those incredible ones where the sun is shining all around and you hear birds chirping while flowers are sprouting up around your ankles.

no, instead it was one of those child vomiting profusely in her carseat to the point of saturation/not having a spare outfit and you're in seattle so she has to make the trip home in the buff/older child running around winco while trying to keep the other one quiet due to the lack of binky/finally getting to the cash register and realizing you've forgotten your wallet, but you do have a checkbook (which never happens) only to get your last shred of hope dashed because they don't accept checks without a form of id, but you do have a random debit card that you think for a second you could run as credit only to find out that they don't take credit either/arguing with your husband about something totally idiotic that drives to cry your hormones out in the car ride from the store without your groceries that the manager had to store in the "cooler" until you can make the trek back/finally getting baby to sleep because not only one but all four binkies are MIA/while you're writing this incredibly sad yet semi-hard to read sob story, your child proceeds to rub, or smear rather, a confiscated piece of pizza into the carpet that you've worked so hard on keeping the color it came to you in since this has been an issue on more that one occasion in more that one apartment.

younger and older child in bed. head pounding slowing. pizza sauce expunged with 409 because its the only cleaner in said apartment (whole other story). spoke too soon...baby waking up thanks to the back up binky just not hitting the spot. oh well, at least adam's a shoe-in for american idol--oh wait, that totally sucks too. dangit

the early morning blues

2009-05-16T16:50:00.000-07:00

so i had a whole blog written out in my head last night as i laid in my bed wide awake at 3:30 am. i contemplated going out to the front room to make sure i got it written down for posterity, but alas, we didn't have internet until 10:00 and in my early morning stupor, i didn't realize that i could just save it in a word document and post it later. moral of the story is, i can't remember it now. why was i wide awake at 3:30 you ask? no, luke was not up (for the love...), sofi had just got done eating, and i had gone to bed at 9:30. yes, its possible that i'm 90. andy was on his deathbed yet again yesterday, so he had been asleep for circa 6 hours by the time i finally gave in to the migraine that had conquered my once blissful cranium. he woke up and i laid down and squeezed (or squoze for my utah-ese speakers) my eyes shut, willing them to tell the rest of my body to give up too. well, i guess it did because by 3:00 i was apparently done sleeping. don't worry, i managed to convince my brain to stop firing after awhile and woke up at 6:45 when luke did.

ps are there enough time references in this post? maybe i should add another one just so the point definitly gets across. its 4:59 right now and i'm enjoying a rare but, nontheless amazing daddy/son outing. i'm enjoying their outing because they are both out :) not that i don't love the men in my life, but ladies you feel me, right?

stay tuned next week (or sooner if i'm on the ball) for an installment including the ever-awesome, most recent move experience and our trip to dozer day (spoiler--we waited in line for a digger for upwards of 45 minutes and just before luke got to go drive it, he melted down and cried through the whole ride to the point where the big, burly construction man lifted his hands in dismay)...is my life always going to be this predictable???

superman shirt: 15 dollars (its the gap, what do you do?), shorts from target: free (they were a gift from my good buddies, the gray sisters), luke lying on the floor to eat a chunk of beef jerky: priceless.

warning: not your average, witty post...read at your own risk

2009-05-07T05:26:00.000-07:00

i'm feeling a little bit reflective as i've watched the clock move slowly, but surely from 4:00 am to 5:30. my "lovely" son decided to grace me with his presence at that unsightly hour and his little sister didn't wait too long to follow suit. she luckily knows how to go back to sleep while the sun does, but the former seems to think that darkness equals daytime. we're working on that...aka he's back in the crib when we eventually get to the aparment at a time yet to be determined this week.
as i sit here, trying not to eat to pass the time, i ponder on how i'm struggling a little with, well, sleep deprivation, let's be honest...but more heavily on my mind and not so broad shoulders is the outlook of this summer and the business that, for the first time, has a hazy outlook. with the exit of the person that has been with andy pretty much since he forayed into the world of satellite sales and installation 5 years ago, i'm left with a sense of insecurity with a dash of foreboding. i'm not doubting my husband's abilities or the fact that this is where we need to be at this time, but i was really surprised at the nervousness that has creeped into the forefront of my mind. was i wrapped up in a fuzzy security blanket of someone else's experience knowing that we had a united front against the thousands of doors that are so easily closed before they are opened? or is it merely the stress that i can literally see resting not so lightly on my eternal companion's heart and mind?

i know that heavenly father has a plan, but i can't help but to, every once in a while, wonder why the plan that was already in motion had to change. i hope this isn't coming across as my personal version of the apocalypse. we're really doing well with little miracles happening all the time.

i guess change is just sometimes that unwanted backseat driver that accompanies all of us along life's short, rocky journey. its not above sharing its opinion on where we should turn or how fast we should go, making sure to inform us that we were wrong in making certain decisions. being wrong sometimes, however, means that at other times, we're right. either way, we're always moving forward and with each turn in the road, comes a new experience and usually a happiness that we didn't expect or anticipate. i know that bend in the road is approaching and when it does, i'll know why "the plan" veered off its seemingly comfortable course. until then, i appreciate this opportunity i've had to share my thoughts even if they were just brought by my good buddy, sleep deprivation.

i guess you get what you pay for?

2009-04-22T11:32:00.000-07:00

when entering my house (or apartment rather, or my mom's house...whatever), one might think my son is still 3 months old because that is the latest professional picture we have of him and ourselves for that matter. i made the command decision to get some new ones taken upon noticing a deal at my neighborhood wal-mart. i'm sure that tells you where you this post might be going. here's a hint: nowhere good. so, i get the kiddies all dressed up for easter. this originally was just going to be luke's photo shoot to commemerate his 2 years of life. i figured people might want to know that i have another child, though, so the sopester got all gussied up as well. i had made an appointment two days earlier for 10 am, but in true tara fashion i was running a little behind. this was partly because i was trying to leave as late as i possibly could so that luke's hair wouldn't move and the rest of him would stay remotely clean. blah, blah, blah, drive, drive, drive...we get to wally world and their up-scale photography studio at maybe 3 minutes after 10. i was a little surprised to see a pair of ladies sitting in the waiting room. i wondered if that meant there was more than one studio...nope, hmmm maybe they're going to make them wait for me...first mistake, i gave them the benefit of the doubt. no, there was just one studio and no, they were not waiting. they, apparently were walk-ins who got first priority on my appointment time because i was late by 3 measly minutes. now, don't get me wrong, i was willing to own up to my tardiness, but seriously! shouldn't they have some sort of window? people have kids for goodness sake...and we're not all martha stewart (or larissa) who is organized enough to arrive early with mess-free snacks and brain-stimulating activities that keep the mini people occupied without getting wrinkly or, in my son's case, bruised or scraped in some way...hence we've had to wait this long in the first place. luke finally healed from the injuries that kept occupying his face for the past 6 months. these were supposed to be 2 year old pictures if you remember.

anyway, moving on to the um...annoying, yeah, i'll go with annoying woman behind the counter at said picture-taking establishment. she proceeded to tell me that the ladies that were currently sitting in my spot arrived before me (duh) and therefore, they would be going first. (not duh...what?!) that is apparently the policy there at the cheapest place to one-stop shop in america. lets just say i tried to reign in the frustration that filled my entire being at that moment, signed her little paper, and asked how long it would be until i could bring my perfectly coifed children back for their session.

"oh, it'll just be a half-hour."

"awesome...just enough time for luke to look like a homeless child...i mean, we've got some shopping to do so we'll be back."

great. whatever. we left the picture place and headed toward the candy because my son was not going to cooperate without a little sugar. we purchased some bribery (for those of you much more responsible mothers out there...i apologize for this portion of the unfortunate tale). we picked up a few more things and on the way over to the other section of the store, mom looked at her watch and let me know that it had been about 25 minutes, so we changed direction and headed back toward the scene of the original crime so as to assure our place in line. we arrive at the waiting to room to the smell of cigarette smoke and the realization that not only are the ladies not done yet, but they also haven't even sat down to pick out their prints. long story short, the lady that told me we'd be waiting no more than half an hour, took her sweet time going through each and every pink, fluffy easter dress clad/naked picture of the poor, unsuspecting babies that stole our place in line...so...an hour later, we left. now, i pride myself in the fact that i'm not a disgruntled customer. i patiently wait for distracted, unaware servers at restaraunts, i have only sent food back once to the cook based on the fact that it was uncooked chicken, and i buy things that have flaws without forcing the poor cashier into giving me 10% off my purchase. okay, okay, okay lets stop the madness already. this story is way too long and way too lame of a memory to keep it going anymore.

lets just say that walmart is lame, i'm never going back (well, for picture-taking anyway...i'll definitly be there as soon as oreos go on sale) and i decided to try my hand at a little photography on my own. the kids were already dressed and it was just a matter of time before the whole effect would wear off and dirt would take its place so i walked the lukemeister down to the play structure in the backyard and snapped these little beauties. pictures taken, no harm done i suppose.

ps i guess photos for 7.99 are just as non-existent as a free lunch.

feliz dia de easter

2009-04-16T11:13:00.000-07:00

all the kids with their spoils after the egg hunt on easter sunday. as you can see luke is more interested in knowing what could possibly be inside those round things than what i wanted him to do for the camera.

and the suttons first experience letting luke dye eggs himself. he didn't see any need for those ridiculous spoons or dipping apparati. hands seem to serve as much better tools...hence the shirtlessness. i wasn't even going to go there.

i walked in the room later to find this...yes, that's a wine glass full of crystal light. sweet
and here is a shot of the little one because its so darn precious and also because her rash is finally gone so i can stop being vain and let the world see her.

laughing down memory lane

2009-04-14T11:18:00.000-07:00

i was looking through my pictures for the ones documenting the easter festivities and i found this little gem. i'll be back with the holiday pics, but in the meantime...enjoy some 1 year old luke:

ps my other baby has been sleeping through the night which is totally awesome, but luke has been waking up pre 6 am...which is not so awesome. what do you do?

70 degrees and all is well

2009-04-06T17:36:00.000-07:00

its sunny and i'm happy...just thought you should know

the joys of nursing and other luke nonsense

2009-04-02T09:15:00.000-07:00

note to my male readers or those who just don't want to hear a story about breastfeeding: this is not actually about nursing, its just about what happens when one must nurse even though they have a two year old loose in a large house alone.

i need to begin by making you aware that my dear son is obsessed with giving bones to my dad's beloved dog, rocky. okay...it happened on a tuesday. i was sitting on the couch, giving sustenance to my newborn child. i knew luke was in the kitchen and i was getting more and more nervous as he was getting quieter and quieter. every once in a while i could hear, "doggy, bone...doggy, bone..." and the sound of the lid being taken on and off the container that houses said puppy treats. i'm sure you can all see where this ends, and i was fearful of the same so i detached the child, made the sojourn into the kitchen, called out to my mischevious little son and found him coming toward me bone in hand...well half of the bone:

no harm done, right? just a little fiber. well luckily, none of the doggy treat actually made its way down his esophagous. mom put a kabash to that before he had the chance to even think about swallowing. he spit out the half-consumed bone into the garbage and went about on his way enjoying what boys should spend their doing--playing with toys in the bathtub...which just happens to lead me to the next part of my story.

not only is the bathtub luke's play place of choice (full of water or not), it is also the scene of many a mother's pulling hair out, wondering why she had kids in the first place, moment. as i am still aclimatizing myself to knowing how to care for two individuals instead of just one, luke has a tendency to be left in the bathtub for a few moments at a time while i am running around changing diapers and finding binkies. a couple such moments happened today while i was putting the wee one to sleep. i hear the pitter patter of not so little feet wafting down from the upstairs bathroom and adjacent bedroom. i try not to imagine the worse (little did i know what the worse was) as i couldn't get myself away in order to mend the situation. when i finally make it up the stairs, i find that my oldest has made it back to the tub with the toy keyboard...which has now become one of those awesome toys that when played makes the most annoying sound in the world, close to lloyd christmas' rendition in dumb and dumber. that's not all, however. apparently he was lonely because this had also accompanied him into the tub.

for those of you that know, this is luke's version of a "lovey." i don't even want to know what the consequences of that action. yikes

finally, we are currently in the throes of potty training/big boy bed and oh what joy both of those feats have brought into our peaceful abode. i haven't really taken the potty training by the horns quite yet and don't worry, i'm not going to submit you to a play by play, but the following story does involve a certain bodily fluid so if you want to check out, go right ahead. the other day, as i put luke in the tub, he so politely let me know that he need to use the facilities (not in so many words, but you get the idea). so, i pulled him and he officially "went potty" for the first time. i was so excited because i, of course, thought that meant that my child is a genius and all those horror stories i've heard in the past would not be applying to me. fast forward to the end of bathtime. he finishes up and we walk into his room to acquire his outfit of the day when i turn around just in time for him to say potty and proceed to relieve himself on the floor. wow, is it some kind of record to be potty trained for the amount of time it takes to bathe? thanks for bringing me back to earth, luke. you're so aware of all my needs.

ps

2009-03-31T10:29:00.000-07:00

it was so graciously brought to my attention recently that i left a very important couple out of my list of spokanites that made life there bearable and even, yes, fun i suppose.

the payettes...aah the payettes. the reason i didn't add you before you know is because you're not technically in spokane. val, you left me first several months ago AFTER ditching me for school and "work" for a couple months before that. as if those things are more important. it was a low point in my life, i'll admit, but alas, i'm no longer bitter. instead, there is a ginormous black hole in my life where you once resided. we miss you guys a bunch and everytime notre dame or u-dub loses, i mean plays...we think of you and miss you all over again :)

ode to those we left behind...

2009-03-26T18:03:00.001-07:00

so its time for another post...especially because, let's be honest, this really has taken the place of my long-neglected journal that i haven't written in since luke was sofi's age...probably shouldn't have admitted that. i'm sure i just tainted the immaculate view you all have of me. sorry about that. the jury will strike the last testimony and continue to believe that tara is practically perfect in every way...or was that mary poppins? anyway, i just wanted take a few minutes and praise all the coolness that are the people of the lovely yet ghetto (being honest, remember) city we all know and love as spokane, wa.

adam and jen-what can i say, i've known you for almost ever and i wouldn't trade you for the world. good luck on your basement. it needs to be done before i come and grace you with my and my screaming childrens' presence. love you guys

camille and brian-okay, so you're technically in pullman, but who's counting? camille, i've known you for even longer than almost forever and you really are one of my favorite people in the whole wide world. i'm so glad we were able to spend time with both of you guys on our little sabaticals to pullman last year. good luck with the baby and make sure we see more of each other...or else! love ya. good luck in kamiah

adam and natalie-we can be grateful for our adorable, sometimes frustrating, toddlers for our friendship. if it wasn't for that fateful day in relief society that we made the decision to use each other to watch said toddlers in order to get a moment of sanity, we might never have gotten to where we are today. thanks to loot and miam (2 year old speak for luke and liam). thanks to adam and naatalie for all the free marriage counseling/late night conversations about certain four-letter words that will remain nameless being that this is a family blog. love you guys. thanks.

the couple, the myth, the legend...the shelby's-there are no words. you guys are pretty darn close to cooler than awesome. the office and guitar hero will never be the same. thanks for the introduction to benedito's and for loving us just for our tv and playstation. we'll take what we can get. hey, love you guys too...why not?ps meredith and ben-you're fun too. don't let anyone tell you different...and for goodness sake, update your blog already!

goodbye spokane. i'd like to say we're gonna miss you, but we're really just going to miss frank's diner, the downtown mall, dick's, and of course, all of our buddies who made the ghetto truly fabulous.

count your many blessings...

2009-03-16T21:24:00.001-07:00

or in this case, your one blessing. that's right, sofi became legal as of march 8th, 2009. she's all blessed and beautiful and i had an excuse to have a large percentage of my family and friends here (i was going to try and sound smart by writing an actual percentage, but then i got confused with how many we are and how many weren't here, so i gave up...moving on...)

andy's parents came up and brought dinner and chocolates with them from sandy, utah. thanks richard and rebecca! i was also so happy to be able to be in the same house as my brothers, a handful of nephews, and so many of our good buddies. thanks to everyone who came and participated in this incredible event...and thanks to sofi for being born at a time that made it so convenient for everyone to be here. you go girl! oh sheesh, did i just say that out loud. sorry to all those who had to read that. i guess i'm a smidge on the exhausted side thanks to said precious girl.

ps i know that picture of her is semi-goofy, but its all i've got. lets just say i'm not ansel adams. in fact, i'm not even a distant relative with my photog skills, but i've made it a goal to improve myself in that area. i mean i'm such a fabulous blogger, i should have the photographical (is that a word?) skills to match, right? okay, on to the rest of the photos that were taken so generously not by me, but by my awesome mom who made sure everyone in attendance was documented.

the whole gang at the church post-blessing. we make that side walk look good

i'm coming

2009-03-12T14:40:00.001-07:00

so, i got a huge cup of water, gave the baby to andy and sat down at the computer all set to let my creative juices loose on a brand-spanking new post for your literary enjoyment. unfortunately, for both of the posting ideas that are reumenating in my brain, i need pictures which are on my camera, which is at the jump and bounce down the street. its closed right now, so i'm at a loss. sorry, but this will have to hold you over for now. i'll be back soon with two exciting reads. later

corn dog without the corn, please

2009-02-25T13:19:00.000-08:00

i was going to title this post "the other white meat...luke's new love affair with bacon and hot dogs." then, i realized that hot dogs aren't pork products after all. i know that i've seen the signs that say all beef franks many times before, but i just haven't been able to shake the notion that hot dogs are sausage and sausage is pork...yeah, not so much i know. anywho, so newborn-affected brain and all--i remembered what i wanted to share with all of you. luke is at that ever-exciting age of wanting to do everything by himself, eating sporaticly at sporatic times, and just today refusing to wear a certain shirt...what's up with that anyway? does he already realize that his mother has no fashion sense? oh, i forgot rotating between finding nemo, aristocats, and cars on a daily (minutely if that's possible) basis. i must admit, though, i am trying to relish this (all be it excruciating) phase because i know within a matter of minutes he's going to be off to school and want nothing to do with his blogging-obsessed mother.

okay, onto the the task at hand...luke loves corn dogs--without the corn. you'd think that at this obnoxious phase, a two-year old would want nothing more than to only injest the absolute worst thing for him aka candy, sugar cereal, and the fried outer crust of a corn dog. not when it comes to this kid. well, the first two options, yes; he would take any form of candy over any form of pork whether it be the bacon or beef variety, but the fried corn goodness, he wants nothing to do with. its actually a pretty funny process he goes through when eating a corn dog. he first waits for it to cool off by blowing on it as only 2 year olds can do...not really blow. then, he takes a tiny bite of the outer shell only to discover that the "meat" as he calls it is waiting patiently on the inside. he stares at the the small hole he's created trying with all his might to rid himself of the fried barrier between him and his anticipated meal without actually having to digest it himself. finally, when i can't take anymore of the staring and frowning, i take the dog from the poor guy and begin tearing off what most people would refer to as the good stuff. could kids be any awesomer? as for the bacon fetish, he'll eat that pretty much any time of day. i like to take credit for that one. that's actually not a good thing, but its just so darn tasty. bacon makes anything better if you ask me...or luke :)

a new title and an old, worthless memory

2009-02-25T13:08:00.000-08:00

so i've been working on coming up with a new title for my ramblings and this is the best i can come up with at the moment. its not perfect, but it was driving me crazy that sofi hadn't been added to the sutton ranks. so, here it is, and if you don't get the meaning...its a play on the song "just the two of us." i know, clever, and you wish you would have thought of it first. maybe next time. don't worry too much.
now, there is something that i wanted to write about and it involved something i really wanted to remember about luke, but apparently newborn brain is worse than pregnancy brain (or is it just sleep deprivation) and i can't remember what that something is. i'm really trying to be better at writing things down so i can actually have something for my progenitors to read. i'm sure luke wouldn't mind knowing what he was like as a pesky toddler as well. i was hoping that by writing down the fact that i don't remember would force me to remember, but its not working thus far. i guess i'll take a little sabbatical and try to make my synapses fire where i need them to.
um...in the meantime, here is a video of the little dude at the jump and bounce...which reminds me of yet another post that will be coming soon. good times. enjoy

on not being alone

2009-02-20T15:17:00.000-08:00

one of the (many, many) reasons i love babies is the company they seem to attract like bees to flowers...yes, that is the best metaphor i could come up with on my newborn sleep regimen. anywho, dad and mombo were able to be here for sofi's first week of life as shown in the pictures below, and i couldn't have been more grateful. my hormones blessed me with my first breakdown while they were still here as i was sitting in front of the sewing machine, so i appreciated that for sure. there is just something so great about parents...even though you're all grown up and having babies of your own, you can still feel like you're being taken care of and you don't have to have it all together (which i most definilty do not by the way).

after that week of blissfully feeling like i had no responsibilites (except for being the life-blood for my new child, of course), the rents went back to reality and so did i...but i didn't have to linger there for long. my good buddies, richelle and siobhan came to visit with several tiny, homemade beanies in tow. well, in all honesty, they really came for a concert, but i can pretend that it was just for me, i mean sofi...yeah, that's what i meant. anyway again, thanks to some buddies, i was actually able to leave the confines of my home and go with the ladies to see little big town at a little venue in downtown spokane. i almost decided to leave my husband and family for jimi, but i came to my senses and stayed, but man is he a beautiful man...i even felt like a normal person for a couple hours.

so, here's a shout out to all the little people that brought joy to my (and sofi's) last couple of weeks or first couple weeks as the case may be...mom and dad, rochie and shiblon and anthony and krystal (the babysitters). here's to the next couple weeks!

ps um...yeah, sorry jen. it has been great to see you too. thanks for coming to the hospital and helping me cry while watching the biggest loser. good times

AAGGH camille, you're absolutely right. you totally drove your pregnant self up to visit me in my time of need. i'm sorry i forgot you in my meager list of people to thank. you really are right up there i promise. it was awesome to see you and to have an excuse to eat at tomato street as well. thanks to you for the blanket, the visit, and the all-around love. you're pretty darn awesome. can't wait to see you and your little bundle! good luck

one day old...and wiser too?

2009-02-13T00:12:00.000-08:00

just a quick note to let you all know that you can check out sofi's first "official" picture by going to holy-family.org and then clicking on "special delivery" and typing in her name. her cheeks are a little red, but i think she's pretty darn pretty :) thanks again to all those that have been so helpful and for all the encouraging comments. they really mean a lot.

enjoy and don't forget to send money...i mean...

totally kidding by the way...i wouldn't mind some sleep though. if you could spare some of course

she's here! who left this little girl with me?

2009-02-06T21:28:00.000-08:00

for those of you that know what that little bottle is used for...my apologies :)
it was 5:54 on a dark and stormy night...well, it was dark, but not really stormy i guess. anyway, sofi lyn decided to make her (ever so uncomfortable) way into the world. the petocin was taking its sweet time prodding her along, but by 5:30, she decided it was time. it only took a couple minutes of pushing and she arrived. i obviously don't have the amount of energy to come up with the proper birthing scenario at this particular time, but i will be back with many a detail in tow. in the meantime, enjoy her beautiful first minutes of life via these photos and thanks for all your prayers and well wishes. she's wonderful and, well so am i...i mean, i'm feeling pretty good. thanks a few minutes old...that good ol' sutton nose

all tuckered out

insert interesting, attention-grabbing title here

2009-01-28T12:01:00.000-08:00

okay, so i really need to post something...its been awhile, but i have no idea what to write. i did find out today that i will be induced next thursday morning (the day before she's due) so as to ensure my mother being here to watch the other little tike during the whole ordeal. i'm pretty stoked. its crazy to be able to know when the big day is. i just watched the bucket list so i keep thinking that its kinda like knowing the day you're going to die, but not really...yeah, that's a little morbid. sorry, like i said, i don't know what to write.
in other news, i did have a baby shower last week which was pretty fun. i kinda persuaded my good buddy, jen to host it for me....ssh, don't tell. we had fun, ate some food (all bad...including the spinach-artichoke dip from costco-yum), and opened several pink packages with more pink stuff inside. i'll admit that all the rosiness around is a little strange, but i'm sure i'll get used to it eventually. luke has been known to sport the once purely feminine color every once in awhile, so we'll get there slowly but surely. anyway, i don't currenlty have any photos of the festivities because someone else took all the pictures, but i will have them soon and, in turn, will share them all with you with some witty commentary i'm sure.
alright, well that about does it for the crazy rambling. sorry you had to go through it, but i was fulfilling my duty as a blogger to keep you all informed of my oh so interesting daily life.

and the winner is...

2009-01-19T07:43:00.000-08:00

sofi lyn. i know it wasn't even one of the options, but it seems to be the right choice (just ask mr. president aka my husband).

la la la lola...or not

2009-01-13T09:12:00.000-08:00

well, thanks to everyone to "weighed in" on my issue. it looks like it might've all been in vain, however, because my husband, who apparently thinks he is the president of the united states, has pretty much vetoed the winning name. he seems to think our baby should be hispanic if she were to be called lola. all of my arguments have fallen on deaf ears i'm afraid. so, back to the drawing board as it were. nora is still in the running, but now i'm wondering if there is an even perfecter...more perfect? name out there that i just haven't been introduced to yet. sigh...what to do? anywho, thanks again and we'll see what happens.

ps does anyone happen to know any songs with hand motions besides the itsy bitsy spider and popcorn popping? i'm pretty sure we sing each of them right around a thousand times a day.

life, love, and bubble gum toothpaste

2009-01-08T12:31:00.000-08:00

i've been trying to hold off posting for awhile so as to allow you all adequate time to weigh in my newest dillema. i do appreciate those of you that did put in your 2, or in some cases, 50 cents, but i'm left a little confused. the majority of comments that came in seemed to favor the name lola, while the poll has had nora in the lead since the beginning. i'm not sure what to make of that, unless you are all deliberately messing with my already befuddled pregnancy brain. if that's the case...sheesh, how rude. if not, its okay. i know you all have your own life changing decisions to be concerned with. i'll figure it out one of these days i suppose. i do like the name stella...
moving on to the task at hand--bubble gum toothpaste. so, andy left town and apparently took the last tube of "grown-up" toothpaste with him. since every news program on the television has posted yet another storm warning, i didn't leave the house yesterday, thus giving me no option but to use the thomas the train bubble gum flavored toothpaste. i remember it being fun when i was a kid. we felt like we were slipping a fast one past the parentals by doing the mandatory act of tooth brushing with something that tasted like candy. nowadays, however, i must admit that it kind of gives me the creeps. mostly because when i'm done brushing, i don't so much feel that clean, just left the dentist's office with the knowledge that my teeth and breath are the freshest they've been in 6 months, feeling. instead, i'm left with this kind of ew, i just chewed on some really stale bazooka before turning in for the night. its a mind trick. the stuff leaves you with the question of did i just brush my teeth or are they going to rot during the night because my mouth tastes like something resembling strawberries? needless to say, i'm heading out after naptime (yes luke's and mine) to commandeer some plaque fighting, minty fresh toothpaste. disaster averted yet again. wow, this stay at home mom stuff can be pretty intense. i'd better go start on that nap.