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

...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

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

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

true love

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...

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

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!

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...

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

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

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...

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

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...

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

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

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

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...

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...

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

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

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

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