The James Family
A smile happens in a flash...but its memory can last a lifetime.
One of my nearest and dearest friends is Lorraine. She and I have been pals since the fifth grade. We ran cross country and track together and spent nearly every waking moment together all through middle school. After eigth grade, her family moved to Kansas but we managed to still stay friends. We vacationed together, visited, emailed, called and somehow- we still see each other quite often. Lorraine and her husband, Paul, were touring the Northwest and stopped by for the day to catch up. It was great seeing them again and of course everytime we get together I feel like a giddy 14 year old again. It rocks. Here are some pics from our day yesterday!
Tatum, Lorraine and Paul at Fort Casey
Fort Casey State Park.
I have been stressed out the past few weeks for no reason. Of course at the time, it feels like I have reasons...but looking back there is no need to get worked up over nothing. So this week I decided that I was going to just not worry so much and try not to sweat the small stuff. Tatum got a craft book from my mom and I made it a goal to do something from the book everyday to spend some one on one time with her.
Our first project was a garden plate. It was fun- Tatum went outside and got some rocks, flowers and grass. It was a bit messy, but Tatum had a great time being creative.
This is a little Donkey hat she made with my Dad in Indiana. She is STILL wearing it.
Playtime with the kids...big smiles!
Brianne- I just realized while I was posting this that I think this is Addie's sweater. You guys must have left it...I will send it your way!
Blackberry season is in full swing. I haven't had as much time to pick them as I did last year, but I've gone out several times with the kids. As you can see, Carson LOVES them!
Have you ever had one of those days? Ok, we all have had them I'm sure. Today was one of them for me. I had traveled with the kids for over 13 hours to get home to Washington yesterday. The kids were ok during the trip, but it was still a long day. So today I woke up and I just felt like nothing was going right. The kids were tired and grumpy in church and I wasn't bringing my A-game for Primary, that's for sure. I was exhausted and I felt like all the kids could tell that I could barely talk straight. Then when we got home it just went from bad to worse. Cranky kids, plus a cranky mom isn't a good mix. I just felt like everything I was doing was somehow wrong and and making it all worse. I don't know about all the other moms out there, but the hardest thing for me to get used to is that no matter what is going on in your life- the kids still need to be fed, changed, clean and happy. They still need attention and they don't understand all of the various things going on in our lives. Every once in a while I wish that I could take a mental health day and stay in bed and just watch old movies and eat popcorn and just think about me. But alas, that will probably never happen. Motherhood is one of those 24 hour a day jobs that gets no sick days, paid vacation or early retirement. I guess that's what makes it the most rewarding, though. We put all that we have emotionally, physicaly even financially into our kids. But despite all of my efforts, there are some days where I wonder if I will ever cut it as a Mom. Like today, I would have guessed no. But luckily tomorrow is a new day and kids are both forgiving and resiliant. If only the dishes, laundry, floors, closets, dust, and bathrooms were too!
Here are a few photos of the kids at my parents' house. They are having a great time swimming, feeding the animals and running around in the garden. More to come...
Early Sunday morning I'm flying back to Indiana with the kids. We're not staying long, just a week. It was kind of a last minute thing. I was just hanging out with Ned a couple of weeks ago and I just decided it was time to go back. Indiana has a lot of memories for me. The hard thing about going to Indiana is this...I lived in West Lafayette from age 10-17. It's where I consider home and most of my old friends are from. I was one of those unlucky kids that had to move my Senior Year in high school. Anyway it's just hard because my parents have moved TWICE now since W/L and they are several hours away. So when I spend the money and take the time to come out to Indiana, I don't get to see my old friends, and my old stomping ground without it being a big ordeal. It also makes me feel bad that Ned and I will be moving around a lot with the Navy and I'm doing the same thing to Tatum and Carson. But moving is good for you and forces you to grow. I always try to live by the phrase..."In every life a little rain must fall...but bloom where you are planted". It's been a work in progress...But such is life. Anyway...hopefully the kids will have a good time swimming and playing with the animals. I, for one, am looking forward to a week off from just the day-to-day routine. So look for pictures to come soon. And hopefully the kids will do well on the plane. Hopefully.
Here are some pictures I took Sunday of the kids. I can't believe how much they are growing!
Tatum is in that phase where she won't smile naturally. But she's still adorable!
Can you tell Carson is thrilled with having to take a picture?
So wouldn't it be my luck... Less than 24 hours after I post the following: "I love being a homemaker. Laundry is fun" and so-on- I open the dryer to discover in absolute horror that a purple crayon had found its way into the laundry. The entire load was splotched as if a purple cow had recently taken refuge among my whites. Yeah, you heard it right...my WHITES! I was furious. Not only was the laundry ruined, but my dryer was encrusted with it everywhere. I was in total despair. I did some research online and decided to first try apple cider vinegar with and entire box of baking soda. No luck. I then went to the store and spent 20 bucks on every last laundry agent I could find. Every site I found said to use Borax in combination with another product and that seemed to help a little bit. I finally resorted to using Rit color remover/dye remover and it seemed to help get about 80% of the color out. So it's still a work in progress. My sweet husband cleaned out the dryer for me when he got home from work today. I wanted to take a picture of it, but didn't get to do it in time. Anyway the moral of the story is simply this: Don't blog about liking something or say that you're satisfied about a household chore. It will come back to haunt you.
When did I become so old? Not that my actual age is that old, but I just feel like a "Mom", you know? It was too long ago that I was in high school. Or even married without kids. But now I'm a mother of two, who like to make jam and pick berries. I feel satisfaction in getting all of the beds made in the house and the laundry folded. I enjoy swapping recipes and sharing secrets of baking that "perfect pie". I like to dust. My purse is forever filled with goldfish cracker crumbs and I always seem to have a juicebox on hand. There are band-aids in my glove compartment, and anti-bacterial solution in every corner of my house. It seems like every other day I'm making a meal for someone or having the missionaries over or babysitting for the relief society. Thank goodness I haven't resorted to "Mom jeans" yet- as that would be a tragedy! But seriously, I had an experience last week where this young mom was talking to me and it dawned on me that she was kind of looking to me for advice on motherhood and marriage. I then realized that I wasn't the young teenage bride anymore. I am deep in the trenches of motherhood and church service. That's how I remember my Mom being and it's kind of scary to me. Am I really ready for all of this? When did I suddenly become the voice of reason for someone else? But for the first time in a long time, I realized that I really like where I'm at and what I'm doing. The things I do everyday are fun for me, and I enjoy them. I love being a mom and a wife. So bring it on, everybody! You never know...I might pick up sewing next!
Or I might not.
My little Princess.
My sweet Tatie-bug.
This is the look of guilt. The "I stole a fruit snack, maybe mom won't notice me chewing on it" face.
Well I finally did it. I highlighted my hair. It's taking a lot of getting used to. But it was a lot of fun getting to done and having an hour of quiet time at the salon. Probably a one time thing, but fun none-the-less.
Tatum, Lorraine and Paul at Fort Casey
Fort Casey State Park.
Tatum with Lorraine at the Ferry.
Deception Pass.
