Memorial Day

She really did have fun, I promise.

Weather Report

So apparently I am slightly obsessed with my new hair. It's been a week tomorrow, but I am still marveling at my newfound freedom and weightlessness, wondering what ever possessed me to grow my hair, and what on earth (besides money) kept me from cutting it sooner! So forgive me for posting again about my hair, but I was pleasantly surprised today when I let it air-dry for the first time. This could be a sweet deal, especially with the summer heat on it's way to keep me from wanting to heat style, battling the imminent humidity, and ease for once the baby comes. Sweet. I love washing me hair now. So short. Love it.
And here is video of one more reason to move to North Carolina, besides the fact that Charlotte was just named the #1 city in the country to live in! (See article)



Correction: It is hail, not sleet. Still pretty cool.

Bella's Party

Okay, I feel like I can finally post about Bella's party, having a few days buffer behind the er, incident. I guess it went well. It was stressful, chaotic and messy, but from other's accounts, it was still a success. Here is a group of friends eating picnic-style. Immediately afterwards I couldn't tell if it was worth it, and thought it might have been a total failure, but I think that was just the perspective of a frenzied mother who doesn't deal well with stress, chaos, or lots of kids- all of which there was a lot of.
It was a bug theme, since at least half of her friends are boys. Here she is embarking on the bug hunt I set up with plastic bugs I ordered from Oriental Trading Company. She looks so long and lean to me in this picture! New clothes and shoes courtesy of grandma, of course.
Here she is proudly showing her found bugs to grandpa. Isn't our back yard green? Not really landscaped, a lot of work to do, and the yard is about 75% weeds, but is sure is green.
3 of Bella's cute friends, Sophie, Naomi, and Sebastian.
Linda, me and mom. New maternity shirt also courtesy of mom. Here is a more accurate representation of my current fat/pregnant state.
Probably her favorite new toy, the cutest play stroller that Linda gave her. It is an inside-only toy, and she pushes it constantly.
Here are some of the supplies before being set put for the party. In the foreground you can see the bug catcher favors I personalized and gave to her guests. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of them.
I made super-cute (if I do say so myself) flower straws so they could sip their 'nectar' like bees. So easy with some scrap paper and a couple of punches.
The kids ate ants on a log, hotdogs (worms) and fresh fruit with dip. For the adults we added black bean, corn, and avocado salad, Sheepherder's bread, cheeses, and fruit and dip. Mom (grandma) was the main preparer of food.
These are the bug cupcakes we made from a Martha Stewart idea. They turned out pretty cute, albeit nothing like Martha's examples, of course. (If anyone is ever interested in making these- make sure you freeze the cupcakes before you cut the tops for the wings and again before you frost them!) Michelle and I tried making these about 8 years ago, and they were a hideous and humorous complete and utter failure.
My cute friend Molly volunteered to be my photographer for the party, and I was delightfully surprised when I saw this posed picture on my camera. So cute!
Timm forcing Bella to try on one of the cute belts that Linda got Bella.
Later that night, Bella giving her 'aren't I pretty?' face as she 'tries on' one of the many dresses that grandma brought.
More to post on Bella's actual birthday (yesterday). Let's just say that she had fun, she got to have all her friends over, so I guess it was a 'success', but I won't enter lightly into that obligation again.

Next Day 'Do.

For the record: i DO have a fat face, as I have a fat everything right now. I am just highly skilled at creating illusions with my lighting, positioning and angles. But thanks anyway.

Warning: Graphic Images

That is, if hair grosses you out like it does me. I don't even know what possessed me to grow my hair out in the first place. There are several key factors, all against long hair: my constant over-heated temperature. My wavy, thick hair + laziness + overheating, equaling a refusal to blow dry it, especially in hot and humid conditions. The fact that hair grosses me out and I cannot stand to find it anywhere, even if it is my own. Still, I have been growing it since Bella was born, exactly 3 years next Tuesday. The result was this:
You can't quite tell how long it is here, but is was at least half-way down my back. A good marker was my bra in the back. That's where it reached. I snapped this photo as soon as I took it from the towel, after I combed out massive amounts of it, right before I put it up in a messy up-do for the day. I wore it up-every single day for at least the past year. The longer it got, the less likely I was to ever wear it down.
This is the amount that I comb out every morning. I am not sadistic enough to take a picture of what collects in the shower drain during one shower. It was really quite alarming the clumps that came out. Alarming and disgusting. I HATED it. Every part of this long hair. I don't even usually like long hair on other people, but at least now I can say I tried it.
It all ended today. (Chorus of angels all sporting pixies, bobs, and other short do's.) Somehow I resisted cutting it myself until my sweet grandma sent me some cash and I called a girl who used to be in my ward who came to my house.
So here we go. It's pretty much what I had it mind, so even though I'm not thrilled about showing this chubby pregnant face, it's much more flattering than before. And the weight that's gone is divine! I love running my fingers through it. I feel liberated.
She didn't use any product today, so I am anxious to try my own hand at it and see what I can do.
Ah, sweet relief- just in time for summer!

Mother's Day

Today is simple. I have a cold. To a degree, all of us are sick today. I have poison ivy all over my body, including my face. This on top of my regular pregnancy discomforts. I had to stay home from church today for the fourth week in a row due to illnesses in Bella or I. But- today I am thankful for all of the amazing examples of motherhood in my life, all of whom I aspire to be more like. Namely:
my dear grandmother, Charlotte, who has always been one of my best friends and examples.

My mother who continues to care for me like her baby and exemplify Christlike attitudes. My own sister and mother who both inspire me to be better, in every way...

Who also mother my own darling Bella so well.
All of the women in my life who exemplify motherhood and illustrate why it is woman's highest calling and show what a difference a good woman can make. I don't have pictures for all of these women, but they include my personal friends, church leaders, aunts, in-laws, and those I only read about.
I am grateful for my firstborn Lola Jane, who waits for me, inspires me, and doubtless shakes her head at me.

(9 months pregnant with Lola)

My sweetest girl, Isabella Grace, who while in a sometimes frustrating stage of toddler-hood still inspires daily laughter, appreciation, wonder, happiness, and goodness. In daily practice, she makes me understand what motherhood is really about and why we are here to do what we do.
And lastly, my little avocado, who at nearly 17 weeks still resides safely in my womb waiting to make his or her appearance. My little Simon or Fiona. Can't wait to feel those regular, reassuring movements, especially until I see a doctor.
So with the disappointments that invariably come with the 'holiday' of Mother's Day, motherhood being emotionally-charged and fraught with challenges, I choose to be grateful for these women and girls.

Quirky

So Bella's hair was so long and scraggly that I decided it needed to be cut-by me. She has never had a haircut besides her bangs, and her third birthday is in about a week and a half. It's curly, but when you combed it out it was close to her waist- at least all the way down her back. Well, the combination of the curly nature of her hair and my absolute inexperience cutting hair meant that it just kept getting shorter and shorter in my attempt to even things out. Luckily I like the result of her new short 'do. And even more fortunate, she seems to lack any opinion on the matter. (A rarity.)This is my attempt to document what I thought was a really cute haircut and a super-cute star skirt I got her for $4. Have I mentioned how expressive Bella is? I have no idea where she gets it, but she has an array of facial expressions for every and anything.
Here is a small sampling of the gamut she runs. She's got some real winners.
General irritation, I assume.
We see this one a lot lately (above), or the full-blown version (below). I think it expresses frustration, confusion, or exasperation with us. But who really knows.
An aside- she's not actually retarded, as this picture would indicate. No offense to retarded people, seriously. Just trying to set the record straight. I'm being serious. I know it's hard to tell sometimes, especially with the type-written word and all.
Caught off guard whilst being entranced by the tv. As usual.
And finally, there's the skirt, which really doesn't seem like too much now. It is really cute in real life. That's the best I could do.
Crazy girl.

Green Way

Last week some friends and I went down to the green way in our neighborhood for a picnic and a little dirty play. I love this area, and the weather is just perfect lately. It has been like spring here since sometime in February (on and off), and it couldn't be greener! Just down the stree t in our neighborhood we have a small but great little playground, a fantastic pool that opens in 18 days, and extensive trails of green way that link our county together. Here is the view from the first bridge: I love that Bella is an adventurous little girl and not afraid of the wild world around her!
Another beautiful view.
My cute friend Molly and her sweet baby Mia.
From left to right: Bella, Karilee, Ellery, Molly with Mia, Ashley, and Sebastian.
Bella's beautiful bum! SHe doesn't mind a little dirt for a worthy cause.
It was a great time, with at least 3 of the kids ending up in diapers. Bella had to walk home in a straw hat, diaper, and her hello kitty shoes. A great look. I've already staked out a new location just 2 bridges down on the walking trail. Next week we'll explore it again!
Doesn't anyone want to move here??

And I feel it my civic duty to repeat what I just heard on an ad for the news tonight:
"lip gloss and cancer: ultra shine could be ultra dangerous."
beware.