here's to the lasts

so, i was in the library picking up my latest "quick read," when a children's book caught my eye. this, of course, wasn't the first time this has happened, since i am easily distracted/amused...and also because i am always conducting research for my future children's book endeavor. anyway, i don't remember the title, i just remember that it was written by a mother who mentioned that we, as parents, are wrapped up in celebrating our kids' firsts, that we often miss their lasts. she recognized this as her last child was growing into toddlerhood amidst the tantrums and the throwing unwanted items onto the floor, etc...she decided that she couldn't remember the last time she had seen him crawl, or the last time he asked for his binky or asked to be held. so, she turned her book into a prayer of sorts, asking God to help her recognize the last time her child fell asleep in her arms or asked for a kiss in public, or begged for one more hug. it was a sweet book and really made me think of the shortness of life. how we often rush through the day, praying for bedtime, or through the week, anticipating friday night (not necessarily because we're supposed to go on a date or something...what is that again?)
anyway, i was pondering this tonight as i watched luke's eyes droop more and more as i rocked him in the same chair that i once nursed him in night after night. i put him to bed at the normal time and then proceeded to hear him scream for about 20 minutes. i decided to go in and see if something was wrong, only to have him snuggle up against me as i held him in the rocking chair. my thoughts went to the lasts book. how many more times would i have the opportunity to rock him to sleep? how much longer will he fit in my lap just perfectly that his feet don't drag on the seat? take it from me all you tired mothers out there. stop and love your kids a little more. cherish the moments when they're precious, rather than the moments that they make you want to rip your hair out. life is pretty dang short after all.

word to your mother...or you, at least

i just wanted to give a little shout-out, if you will, (i wonder where that phrase came from by the way...its not like i'm gonna wait for you to give me permission or something...anyway) to all those kind, little souls who are generous enough to leave a little comment on your way out of my humble blog. its nice to have a little reassurance that even though friends are scarce here in the lone and dreary world, you do still exist out there in cyberspace. in all seriousness, i really do appreciate the gesture and yes, even if you don't say anything, i'm still glad you drop by. thanks and consider yourselves pretty darn special :)

my little double-fister/exhibitionist

i know tha title says "double-fister/exhibitionist" and then all that follows are pictures of my son exhibiting his tendancies to remove his clothes if given the opportunity (aka something loose enough to get out of). the double-fisting will follow soon. luke rather enjoys not just one, but two sippy cups, preferably with different beverages in each. its pretty hilarious.

good question

in response to a question posed by someone who most likely has more fun than any blonde possibly could, we really don't have more fun...yes, the cat's out of the bag. marilyn and madonna are both full of it. i'm pretty sure that all lindsey lohan does is have fun and she looked really nasty when she was blonde. so there you go, its all a ruse. have at it, brunettes and redheads alike, get out there and have the fun that every blonde has forced you to think that you can't have because they have it all. you can do it

blogger's block and the pitfalls thereof

so, just in case you haven't noticed by checking and re-checking if i have posted anything since being back from the ends of the earth...or the internet rather, i'm suffering from a mild case of blogger's block. somehow, there are those of you who manage to keep up several sites while also managing to scrapbook, can, teach your kids sign language, and run a mile in less than 4 minutes. okay, maybe not the last one so much, but my point is that i'm severely lacking in material right now and, therfore, apparently can't even manage one blog entry. not that i don't have anything to work with because there was my trip to see my family and the gray girls, easter, my half marathon "training," my camapaign to convince my husband that we need to relocate (not cities, just place of residence...although a real change of scenery would be nice--anybody have a couple of rooms that need tenants...) wow, i guess i'm really not hurting for things to discuss, i was just fresh out of witty banter to deliver it with. good news for you, by writing this blog, the banter is obviously back and with a vengence! well, its back anyway for a temporary stint. so, on with my point amongst the rambling. apparently i've been "tagged." i have to admit that i had no idea there was such a thing past the age of 10 in my backyard (okay, so i played in college too, who didn't?) but i guess in the "you're not a true blogger until you get tagged world," the game is alive and well among kids and adults alike...well, at least larissa and her devastatingly creative self. so here goes, enjoy or just skip to the bottom and leave a comment making me think you read and thouroghly enjoyed it. i totally mispelled that word. don't tell my high school english teacher.
A- Attached or single: attached in the loosest sense of the word, i mean...very attached
B- Best Friend: i know i'm probably supposed to enter andy's name here, so i guess i will or did as the case may be...as for someone outside my nuclear family-i must admit that i'm not really sure. my mom is probably the only one that has really been the constant bff...is that sad or cool? i think she's pretty cool. good ol mombo
C-Cake or Pie: ooh, usually pie, but i've been having wierd cake cravings every once in awhile lately. i think they have something to do with richelle and siobhan's cake cookie concoctions...wow, how totally clever was that phrase? they are really good though
D- Day of Choice: i'd probably have to go with sundays because andy is home, well scratch that, he's not really home for most of the day depending on meetings and home teaching, but we do manage to get a good cheesy mormon flick and a nap in. plus, there is usually meat to be had for dinner :)
E- Essential Items: lets see, scrapbook stuff, quilting materials, dance outfits, oh wait, that is definitly someone else's list. i'd have to say-rebecca's toffee, sewing machine (this is recent, but oh so enjoyable), and a nice run outside. can't beat it
F- Favorite Color: red and the infamous pink-give me any shade, i love it and i'm not ashamed to say it
G- Gummi Bears or Worms: definitly bears...is there even a comparison?
H- Hometown: i guess it would have to be camas, wa, but i like to think it was someplace a lot cooler, like korea or germany (where i lived a total of 3 years or so during years that i can't even really remember)
I- Indulgence(s): baby gap and children's place...it really is a sickness i think
J- January or July: summer is for the birds. ha ha--whoo! i'm awesome. january is okay but it means that christmas is over. i'll take september
K-Kids: uno-you all know him as luke because, well, that's his name, duh
L-Life is incomplete without: i could go serious and say the gospel and my family, but to go with my gut, i have to say project runway :)
M- Marriage Date: if you're really my friends, you should know this. i'll give you three choices:
a. may 15, 2003
b. october 21, 2005
c. yesterday
N- Number of Siblings: 2 older brothers, one younger sister
O- Oranges or Apples: you can't make me choose! just kidding, i'll have one of each please
P- Phobias or Fears: i'm not a big fan of risky things because of my proness to accidents
Q- Quote(s): "what e'er thou art, act well thy part"
R- Reason To Smile: the prospect of moving! the family, andy's business being a success, and having everything i need is a bonus too :)
S- Season: spring and fall=sweater weather, gotta layer, the less skin the better
T- Tag Six: if you're on my list, consider yourself tagged
U- Unknown Fact About Me: i'm a closet scrapbooker...yeah, not really--
V- Veggies or Fruit: i'm running out of witty comments, i know you didn't think it could happen did you. fruit, i guess
W- Worst Habit: tv-it does too good of a job of sucking me in
X- X-Rays or Ultrasounds: really? what kind of a question is this?
Y- Your Favorite Food: didn't i already answer this, wow its all blurring together
Z: Zodiac: virgo

so that was really long. hope you're all still concious. thanks for playiing. i'll try to keep you posted more often...total pun intended

good stuff...

yet again i am back from the vortex of dial-up internet. aah, high speed, how i love thee. anyway, luke and i went back to camas for a little family bonding time and got sucked into the world of glacier moving slow internet. along with that, of course, comes the lack of posting in the last two weeks. hopefully i still have some faithful readers out there that haven't given up on me. i'm here, i promise. as for a topic for this post, i don't really have one, so maybe i'm just stating that i'm not gone. i will return with photos and all kinds of good stuff. what good stuff you ask? you'll just have to check back and find out.

the good, the bad, and the oh so addictive computer games

okay, okay, enough with the self-deprication...is that a word? i thought it sounded good. anyway, it has come to my attention that i spend a little too much blogging time saying something mean about myself. i once had a friend tell me that everytime i say something mean to myself i have to come up with 4 good qualities, so i'll give it a try right now:

1 well, i'm blonde and everyone knows we have more fun, right? we totally do, by the way :)

2 i just beat a computer game that took me from new york fashion week to paris, wait...is that a good thing or a bad one?

3 i can be pretty witty if i really try...i do like to make people smile. i guess that comes easy enough

4 i somehow attracted a pretty awesome guy and now we've got the coolest little dude on the planet that drives me crazy, but also makes me laugh that awesome laughter that comes from your toes and makes a cloud-covered day turn out pretty shiny.

okay, there you go-i knew people hung out with me for more than just my money...or was it my looks...

short list-long story

yeah, so apparently i'm "add a video" illiterate. i'm gonna keep it up though just to keep up the suspense and leave you all wondering what it could be...insert evil villan laugh here...okay, on to today's subject. i've come to the sad and devastating conclusion that everyone else knows a lot more people than i do. or, even sadder, they are liked by more people. what i'm trying to say is that my list of "pals" in the margin of my page is considerably smaller than all the other blogs out there. do i suck? i know what you're going to say...oh tara, people like you, you're great blah blah blah...yeah, prove it! you know, i really can probably blame myself because, speaking of sucking...i do when it comes to keeping in touch. yeah, you know who you are--namely everyone who reads this most likely. i'm sorry...again...i guess i can just hope that someday i'll be really funny so people that don't even know me will stop by. probably not, but a girl can dream, right? the truth is, the people that are on my list, be it short or not, are wonderful and have definitly given me a laugh when i needed to cry and helped me cry when i felt like i was supposed to be laughing. thanks dudes. hey, and if you know anyone i could add to my list just to make me feel like i know people, that would be cool too.

testing 1...2...3...

so i tried to add a video a while back and it didn't work out so well, so here is attempt numero dos. that's number two for those of you who don't understand spanish. no need to thank me. okay, here goes. more complete post coming soon.

pass the helmet please

so apparently i'm a skiier. well, i don't know if i would call what i do "skiing" just yet. it all started in october when we ventured out to the fairgrounds during the annual ski swap. andy and i had decided that this is my year, mostly because i'm sick of sitting at home while he has all the fun for hours on end. speaking of, i'm going to digress a little bit here...what is it with men's activities? is it a law that they have to take a minimum of 4 hours? golf-5 hours, skiing-7 or 8 hours, snowmobiling, 4-wheeling, hunting...need i go on? a woman can go out to lunch for maybe an hour and a half and who is texting or calling every 5 minutes to see where she is? yeah, the "man of the house." ridiculous what we have to put up with. anyway, back to me overcoming the odds and joining the 4 hour plus activity crowd. i'm pretty sure i deserve a medal or at least a cherry cordial for that. so i got myself all outfitted with all-mountain skis (which are pretty sweet by the way), pants, jacket, boots, gloves, even a helmet or should i say especially a helmet. those of you that know me, should not be surprised by that. so, the last month or so i've been "hitting the slopes" as they say. i figure use of the jargin gets me halfway there. i've had a couple lessons from 18 year old boys and i must admit that i have the pizza down pat. that's when you point your skis together like all the tiny kids that get awesome by the time they're 5. i "ride" the bunny hill like a champ and i've moved on to the ever-challenging blue square hill...where there are still kids that barely come up to my waist forging down the hill like it was their backyard. all in all its been a pretty fun ride. i've actually gotten to the point where i can make it down the hill without wanting to stop, cry, and walk the rest of the way down. it feels good to actually get past the point of pure frustration...which is where i still am with golf and about every other sport on the planet. that's okay though, i just figure that i'll go on to become one of those helicopter parents that lives their lives through their children. or i'll just keep doin what i do and just force my kids to get proficient at at least one thing before they get to be 28 and snow-plowing. i guess only time will tell.

merry christmas! my bad

as i was pondering walking into the bedroom to find my workout clothes, (yes, that was a shamless plug to make you all think that i exercise on a regular basis) i noticed the screensaver on my computer. it was flashing pictures from temple square in salt lake city, ut during christmastime. it was my first time to see the lights. andy was kind enough to show me around even though that the was the destination of many a cheap date back in his single days...i thought about inserting the word "player" in there, but come on....we all know andy is not a player--ha ha. sorry, the thought is pretty hilarious, am i right? anyway, here are some pictures from christmas...and so soon too, right? man, am i pathetic. that's okay, though. knowing is half the battle, right? could i possibly say the word right anymore? especially since no one out there in cyberspace is going to answer me anytime soon. wow...anyway, here's the pics...already :)

yay...i'm fancy!

now i'm not trying to toot my horn or anything...who says that? i'm just stoked because i actually made this thing look semi-cool. thanks to my good buddy, camille, i now have entered the not traditional blog background club. i know it doesn't really exist, but humor me would ya? anyway, i'm excited, you're excited, luke's excited...does life get any better than this?

happy birthday luke!

so technically, well not even technically...these are just really late and there is no excuse. they are, however, finally here and well worth the wait i'm sure. i like to think that even though i'm a shameless procrastinator, i'm not a never-finisher. sometimes it just takes several months...or years. anyway, this time it was only 5 months overdue and if i look at that number and say, well it wasn't 5 years, that right there is a success story. yay me!

a preview of things to come

so i realized that i haven't mentioned the tiny little holiday that happens at the end of december and involves a tree and some random family members...christmas!! anyway, i've got the pictures and they will posted soon. here's a small glimpse

life's too short to be an 80's music genius

for some reason, i became profoundly aware of the fact that i haven't written a worthwhile blog in quite some time. by worthwhile, i mean one that had some humor and some actual substance to it. i'm sorry to all of you out there that i have failed in my lack of being creative. i think i'm creatively challenged. i really do. one of my friends (a rather "long-distance" friend...you know who you are ahem rachel) wrote a blog about the fact that somehow projects that we have the greatest intentions of finishing or hobbies that we really want to become dynamos at...just don't get accomplished. mind you, there are those of you out there (larissa and rachel even though somehow you don't think so)who are able to pull out a scrapbook and fill it with cuteness and creative juices in like 8 seconds...or is that how long you can stay on a bull? anyway, how you all do it, i have no idea. i'm pretty sure i've mentioned before how i'm pretty sure i just wasn't born with the gene or i'm just not motivated. dangit, its probably the latter...maybe i just don't have enough ocd to really accomplish something fabulous without getting add and focusing on something else. that's got to be it. i just have add. not really of course, just a lot of excuses. i am making the effort to make strides, however. i got a sewing machine for christmas--thank you mom--i don't know the first thing about it, but i got one. all of my pictures are on the computer just waiting patiently to become a digital scrapbook...could i be anymore lame? i can't even do a digital scrapbook, let alone a fabulous real one...wow. anyway, i just want to let you all know that because you have told me at one time or another that you love me just the way i are (had to slip in a little timbland in there for some reason), its your fault that i suck at everything. hello?? where was the encouragement or the actual pushing to force me into a talent that i could show off to people at church functions? thanks a lot. okay, okay, so i'm kidding of course. i thought i could get away with it for a second there. someday i'll find a hobbie that's worthy of me. maybe i'll invent something like best commercial jingle singer or 80's music genius. ya think? probably not, right? mostly because there are still people that can even kick my trash at those things. oh well, i guess i'll just have to stick to playing with my kid and laughing hysterically when he sticks marshmallow in his hair. life's much too short.

viva mexico...how's that for cheesy?

well, here it is...the moment you've all been waiting for--or not, i'm sure its really just me that is celebrating because i actually posted the pictures from the big trip. ps no i'm not pregnant, just disregard the large picture of me in front of the boat in the polka-dot shirt. unfortunately, i suffer from unphotogenicness every once in awhile...sad, but true. enjoy

here we go again

so, i'm totally sorry for dangling the idea of me coming back with pictures way back on dec 20th and then not following through. i could say i've been busy, but i guess what i've really been is absent. we were in utah for a week and a half and instead of blogging, i was going out to eat to all the places i have to go in salt lake before returning to washington state and olive garden. i was also shamefully addicted to the strawberry shortcake game my niece got for christmas for the nintendo ds (i beat it in a week by the way...that really probably shouldn't have been shared). one thing i will admit with at least some diginity is that i was pretty busy chasing luke around because he is officially walking on two legs all over the place. holy cow that kid is fast! dang, whoever decided that kids should be so independent so soon did not ask me first. i definitly would have kept the reins on the mobility a little longer. anyway, after utah we set sail on a cruise ship down to acapulco, mexico. i know what you're thinking...sweet, i can't wait to see those pictures. don't come running back to your computer screen too quickly. not only do i suck at keeping in touch or writing a simple daily blog, but i also suck at remembering to take pictures when the opportunities arise. there are a few and they will hopefully be posted here shortly. i will make no promises, however, since on top of everything else, i don't want to be known as a liar as well :) so instead of promising to be back soon, i'll just say i "hope" to see you all soon. that works, right? here we go! the long awaited pictures and just because i know you've been waiting oh so patiently...i threw in video as well. nobody tell andy that luke's favorite christmas present was the pink stroller that his GIRL cousin received. good times :)

we're still alive

hello--so its been awhile. i'm currently in utah to have christmas with andy's family. i don't really have anything to say, but i felt like i needed to post something so you would know we're still alive and kickin here in good ol spo-compton. i'll be back really soon with pictures. good times...for all of you of course :)

almost a disaster

so i set out to post a blog entitled "technical difficulties, part II" because the last time i downloaded the pictures from my camera onto the computer, they disappeared for what i thought was forever. my first thought was, where is one of those genius computer analyst/hacker people from 24 when you need 'em? it really is almost scary what they can do, but i really could've used their help so luke wouldn't know me as the person that lost a chapter from his childhood. how sad would that be? my second thought....well, i decided to stop thinking about it because it was just too sad. anyway, today i put the newest pictures on the computer and a little box showed up and said it was going to import all of my pictures...and lo and behold, the lost sheep were found! by lost sheep i, of course, mean the pictures that were gone forever. they're not gone! i guess i didn't need a hacker person after all. maybe i'm a technical genius after all. or windows vista is just really smart. we'll go with option 1 for fun and my own ego boost. long story short (or even longer as the case may be), all is well with the world, or at least the last month of luke's little life is safe and sound on my computer's hard drive. its a christmas miracle :)

happy december

wow, i can't believe its already december again. luke is over a year old, andy's almost done with school, and we still live in the ghetto...i mean...oops, did i say that out loud? its really not that horrible. its only semi-ghetto now. we actually cleaned up the place yesterday and actually organized the pantry so that more than my 6 qt crock pot fits in there. who'd a thought?
i got my first very own poinsettia from a girl in the ward who's trying to go to australlia with her choir. why the heck am i helping to send someone else to austraillia? when is my trip to austraillia? am i asking enough questions? sorry about that. i actually wanted to announce that thanks to a friend, i figured out that luke's first birthday pictures have been saved. they will be coming soon, so you all much anxiously wait in anticipation...or just check back soon and you'll see the cake baby :) happy december everyone! yay