We went to Yellowstone and did stuff ...

This year marked the beginning of a new tradition ... It was the first Pea Reunion.  All the living things in the following photograph are Pea's (I say "things" because I'm including the dog).  For the first reunion, held in early June, we went to Yellowstone - the cabin in which we stayed is not in Yellowstone - it's in Island Park ... So here we are in Island Park:

At Yellowstone, we saw all the usual sights and took all the usual pictures.  I have pictures of the sights, but for this post, I'll focus on people ... If you look closely at the reflection in my shades, you can see the bit of earth that is Old Faithful.  Old Faithful is just as faithful - I have photographic evidence!

Little Miss and I were excited to see it erupt, can't you tell?

Mr. Pea wasn't there.  Every morning, before proceeding with our hiking and sight seeing, we dropped him off by a body of water and he did what he loves best, after me, baseball and track and field, of course.  He went fly fishing.  After four years of enduring a trout fishing drought, it was time he replenish his store ... I don't think he's seen any part of Yellowstone other than the rivers ... 

As per tradition, we took a face shot. We were in a rush, so we didn't do as well as usual.  We were excited!  He was excited to meet some fish and I was excited to meet some vistas.  Ha!

The kids were eager to spend several days with their cousins and Grandma.  I love this picture because of the background; the rest of our family is walking behind the skipping group ...

If you're wondering what I did most of the time, here is the answer:  I took pictures.  I'd forgotten how breathtakingly beautiful and majestic Yellowstone is.  Here I am at Mammoth Hot Springs with my face behind the lens - practicing one of my loves, after Mr. Pea, my children, fresh fruit and rock climbing, of course ...

I learned a lot over those four days.  I learned about nature.  I learned what to do if I saw an American Bison or Elk.  I was reminded how beautiful Heavenly Father's creations are.  I remembered how graceful a sport fly fishing is ...

Most memorable of all was what I learned about the other three Mrs. Pea's: I learned that I am SO excited to spend eternity getting to know them because our differences add such spice and fun to my life.  We married into a great family, didn't we, girls?

So here's to Yellowstone and other stuff!  The "stuff" is what makes my life so great!  

I'm sure Old Faithful can rise for that!  ;)

4 of 12,000

Last Saturday, we joined thousands of people in the Race for the Cure.

We basked in the energy of the event and as we participated, we thought of our friends and family who have been affected by breast cancer.  Next year we'll put together a bigger team because the energy is contagious and must be passed on!  'Til next year!

Crazy Times

I have been without internet for awhile.  An experience which I don't recommend to those who, like me, are used to spending time on the world wide web.  For now, I get to come to Mr. Pea's office to search, blog and stalk (yup, I used to lurk on other people's blogs and other forms of social media; before the advent of social media, such activity was frowned upon.  Maybe it still is?  If so, please disregard the preceding).  

So, in one grammatically incorrect run-on sentence, here's what's happened since January 27th ... 

We changed our hang out from Kansas to Utah; B started at another school; Mr. Pea opened an Immigration Law Practice; B became an official member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; we said goodbye as a sister entered the world of full time missionary service; B changed teachers at his new school; and we successfully stuffed our belongings in 2/3 of the space we used to occupy without our home looking like an episode of hoarders (that's success!!). 

Typed out, the events taking place over the past month and a half don't seem like a lot.  But our haggard faces and our bank account prove otherwise.  

Goodbye for now.

Our Kairos Moments

Fact:  It's been awhile.  1 month, exactly.  We've been busy and my priorities have shifted.  I recently read a blogpost that inspired me to carpe a couple kairos' a day.  So, that's what I've decided to do.  Here are some of the supreme moments we've experienced in the past month.

Taking a picture in front of where our family began.  

Chastely ;) kissing on the dance floor at our brother's wedding reception.

Dancing with our 2nd favorite dance partners.

Spending time with BFFE's (Best Friends Forever and Eternity).  These boys are so great!.

Finding a new place to walk, watch cardinals, pretend to "Sing in the Rain", search for fossils and learn about Kansas City/the Missouri River.

Eating a favorite treat in the warmth of the January sun.

Quietly celebrating a 4th birthday with purple, pink and white balloons, purple sparkly finger nails, little Disney Princess' and a purple cake with pink and purple icing.

Going up to Winter Quarters with good friends one last time before our move.

It's been a fun month.  It'll be exciting to see what the next 30 days bring!

Peaceful Slumber on Christmas Night

The children were tucked all snug in their beds,

While visions of Christmas ran through their heads,

I in a Dodger shirt and my Mister in Royals,

Happ'ly reviewed the result of our toils,

We're grateful for Santa and especially Christ,

for those things we have which we cannot price,

So thank you to those who have lent us their might,

Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight!

We love it here:

That is all.

The View

Our room has a magnificent view ... 

Two tired children lying peacefully in bed ...

and White Christmas on TV:

Though I love the movie "White Christmas", my focus isn't so much on the TV; my favorite view is the way my Mister's head looks as it rests against me.

Perfect moments come and go; I'm glad I have a way to record them and make them last a little longer.  Goodnight!

Our Thanksgiving and Birthday of Awesomeness

If I had to choose one word to describe our long weekend, it would be:  RELAXING.

This is what happens when we don't shut one of the van doors all the way:  The battery dies and we create another memorable beginning to our Thanksgiving.

After a delicious feast at the Haddock's (of which this post is in want of pictures), the kids were able to run around and shoot a potato gun.  I stayed inside to chat and play games.

We went home with one extra kid and spent the next day putting up Christmas decorations and cutting out snowflakes.  Cutting out snowflakes is one of my new favorite Christmas-y things.

Hours later, Little Miss put up the star:

And the four of us added the little details.
Our ornament collection grows each year and it's fun to talk about the memories brought on by each one.

A few RELAXING days later, it was my turn to celebrate my Birthday.  I blew out my 30 candles (and for the first time, I forgot to make a wish before doing so; which is a bummer because I only used one breath to accomplish the task.  Maybe there's a post birthday-candle-blowing-out clause that says, if I forget, I can have a wish anyway ... Maybe, instead of using the word "forget" the phrase: "concentrating so hard at keeping children out of reach of fire" ... would be used instead.)

Angel food cake, fresh whipped cream and raspberries were the chosen birthday cake-y items.

After cake, came presents.

This year, I got the perfect gifts ... 

If you need me, I can be found wrapped in my cozy blanket.  I may not pay much attention to you because the book I'm reading is so good. 

The end.

6 Facts and a few other things

Fact:  job hunting is emotionally taxing.

Fact:  I'd rather not think about it, but I do.  ALL.  THE.  TIME.

Fact:  some day's are easier than others.

Fact:  we have a loving and supportive extended family.

Fact:  we have good friends.

Fact:  helping others helps me realize that things could be much worse.  (For a family I know, things ARE much worse.)

The End.

Okay, so it's not "the end" (unfortunately).

I've had a difficult time putting what I'm feeling and what's going on into words.  I can't find the words to satisfactorily describe my emotions.  I think if I tried, I'd use so many words that my ideas wouldn't present themselves clearly ...

It's easier to write and think about other things, so I do.

Things like how much fun it is to dance to favorite songs with Little Miss, B getting 100% on a math test and cuddling with my Mr. on the couch; things like this fantastic family picture taken at a family reunion in Minnesota.  When I think about things like that, I smile.  Then I remember what I need to remember in one word.  One PERFECT word.

That word is:  HOPE.

Since August 6th ...

We've been a little busy ... Our basement flooded; we purged a lot of stuff - including all our packing supplies; the Mrs. attended a funeral; the Mr. applied for jobs; Lolo flew in from California; we drove up to Minnesota; we attended a family reunion; we met the newest member of our family; went to a few favorite stores; shopped in a giant mall; played at a theme park;the Mr. applied for jobs;  the Mr. and Mrs. played softball - the Mrs. played in borrowed shoes; we saw an amazing storm; B started second grade and soccer; the Mr. applied for jobs; Little Miss signed up for ballet; B lost another tooth - he exercised forgiveness when the tooth fairy forgot to visit (she came the next night); the Mr. applied for jobs; the Mr. got a job; we celebrated 10 years of marriage in Denver; the kids spent 4 days with friends; the Mrs. uploaded 381 pictures; and the Mr. PASSED the bar ... It's been a productive month.  We feel so blessed.

It's time to amp up our productivity because, unfortunately, a house can't pack itself.  Denver, here we come!

Attention

The other night, I lay in bed wide awake.  For some reason, I was smiling.  It was late and I just lay there with a goofy smile on my face.  The days events slid through my memory and seeing them in my minds eye brought on the smile ...

That morning, the children and I went to see a man yo-yo.  No big deal, right?  Perhaps.  Consider the fact that this man is one of the best yo-yo-ers in the world and the show becomes much more interesting than reading it as an event on paper (or, in this case, blog).  After the show, we wandered over to the library.  We picked up a few books and reserved a copy of the X-Men cartoon.  (The old school one.  A favorite of mine which B-Man hasn't seen.  The excitement of introducing him to one of my favorites makes me a bit giddy.  Not very, just a bit.)

While at the library, I received a text message from the Mr.  He was home, wondering if we were going to be home to have lunch together ... We couldn't miss that.  He's so busy right now that lunch sounded like a perfect opportunity to see him.  Again, I was giddy.  Only this time, my giddiness was much more pronounced.   He made sandwiches and they were ready to eat when we walked through the front door.  I love that man of mine.

As soon as lunch was over, the children and I headed over to the pool.  The Mr. wished he could join us, but the BAR exam is a pressing matter, one that can't be ignored, so we parted ways ... The night before, the children and I were invited to meet up with a few friends.  The pool was fun.  Little Miss kept asking me to play with her and I happily obliged.  I have four new favorite words:  "Come with me, Mamma!"  She said it often and hearing those words made my heart melt.  We spent most of our time in the kiddie pool area and B-Man spent most of the time with his friends in the larger pool or going down the big slides.  At one point, Little Miss and I headed into the larger pool.  I held her hand while she walked.  Eventually, I held her as we stepped into deeper water.  It isn't UN-common for swimmers to bump into walkers, so I didn't really pay much attention as a swimmer swam right into my stomach.  It was with astonishment that I realized it was B.  He could swim!  He'd taken lessons, but I still hadn't seen him really SWIM.  For me, that was welcome relief.  He could swim!  A first!  I'm still astonished.

We spent 3 hours at the pool.  It was with reluctance that we left the pool and our friends, but we had to because our day wasn't over.

We went home for a quick dinner.  B-Man donned his baseball uniform and the three of us (Little Miss, B and I) said goodnight to the Mr.  We parted ways because it was Wednesday and on Wednesday's, my Mr. has scouts.

B's baseball game was fun.  We won, but that doesn't matter.  What mattered was that B hit a double.  That didn't really matter as much as this:  B hit the ball!  At practice, B has hit the ball, but never in a game.  There was energy in the air as the parents, siblings, friends, coaches and teammates cheered for B.  It felt good.  On the way home, I asked B what his first thought was after hitting the ball.  His answer:  "That you owed me a dollar."  (Yeah, we're THOSE parents.  There are times when we resort to bribery.  The bribe was created months before this night.  I had nearly forgotten.  Apparently, B had not.  Never underestimate a child's memory.)

That night, after reading scriptures, family prayer and hugs, I asked B what the difference was.  Why was he able to hit the ball that night and not the other nights?  His answer was simple:  "I was paying attention."

Hours later, as I lay in bed, occasionally glancing at the sleeping man beside me, then finally rolling over to snuggle close to him, I asked myself a similar question.  Why was I in bed smiling? ...

My answer was simple:  I was paying attention.

It's amazing what I remember when I'm paying attention.  Happy moments don't go unnoticed ...

Magic

The fireflies have arrived.  They hover over the grassy areas and light up sporadically.  Whenever I think about them, I think of faeries.  Could they be the reason faeries were invented?  Maybe.  Whether or not fireflies helped create fairy lore, the fireflies bioluminescence seems almost magical.

Tonight, after dinner.  (Our dinner consisted of a choice between a PB&J, generic Captain Crunch and air popped popcorn.  Ah-mazing, I know.  Oh yeah, we also ate it while watching a hallmark-esque movie.  We don't usually do that, but hey ... it was S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night!)   I'm digressing, back to the story ... 

After dinner, we decided to go hunting for fireflies.  We found them, right behind our house ... 

B is a pro firefly catcher.  The lighting was so dim, that I couldn't capture just how cool it was to peek in-between his fingers and see the magical bugs.  He would hold them between the palm of his hands and show them to anyone who wanted to see.  Once, he caught two at one time and waved them around ... 

Little Miss tried to catch some, but decided to play on the see-saw with the Mr., instead.  B ran all around.  Every so often, he would yell:  "I see one!"  The rest of us would stand back and watch as he sprinted in another direction ... As I watched my family, I wanted time to stop.  I wanted to remember this moment, FOREVER.  There is something about fireflies ... 

Maybe it's because fireflies represent the carefree days of summer.  Maybe it's because I was raised in a place where fireflies were almost legendary.  Whatever it is, the hour we spent outside tonight is one I hope to remember ... 

Right before we decided to end the night, I turned the flash on my camera ... I saw forced smiles ... 

Spiders ... 

And monkeys ... 

Happiness is magical, just like fireflies.

Conversations

Here is a typical dinner conversation.  The Mr. helped me re-construct the following:

B:  "Dad, how did you get that out?"

Me:  "Did you know Daddy has magical powers?"

B:  "No, he doesn't."

Me:  "Yes, he does.  You just haven't seen it the way I've seen it."

Me:  WINKING at the Mr.

Little Miss:  "I tooted."  

(Snickers and eye rolls.)
Me, to Little Miss:  "Please don't do that at the table.  Yucky."
The Mr., to me, whispering:  "Look ..."  Head turn toward Little Miss, who is finger "painting" with ranch dressing.
(Quiet giggles and head shaking shared by my Mr. and me.)

The Mr, to Little Miss:  "Don't paint with your ranch dressing, eat it."

Little Miss:  "I burped."

(Snickers and eye rolls)

B:  "May I please have croutons?"

Me:  Giving "THE LOOK"

B:  "Fine, I'll eat it with salad.  May I have salad with croutons?"

The Mr., to B:  "Leave some croutons for everyone else." 

Little Miss:  "May I please have some leaves?"

Me:  "Yes!!  Thanks for asking so nicely."

Little Miss:  "I burped again."

(Snickers and eye rolls)

Me, to Little Miss:  "You really don't have to let us know about stuff like that.  Just say excuse me."

B:  Obviously "making" a burp.

Me, to B:  "Don't do it."

B, "swallowing" his burp with a disappointed look on his face:  "Fine."

The Mr:  "Eat your dinner."

There was talk about the Bar and daily activities, but who wants to hear about that??  Ha, ha!

..................................................

Here is an excerpt from an article titled:  The Magic of the Family Dinner ... 

... There is something about a shared meal--not some holiday blowout, not once in a while but regularly, reliably--that anchors a family even on nights when the food is fast and the talk cheap and everyone has someplace else they'd rather be. And on those evenings when the mood is right and the family lingers, caught up in an idea or an argument explored in a shared safe place where no one is stupid or shy or ashamed, you get a glimpse of the power of this habit and why social scientists say such communion acts as a kind of vaccine, protecting kids from all manner of harm.

I don't know if  last night's dinner qualifies as a "vaccine," but there was talk of magic. 

I love my family!

Happy Easter

Our morning was rough.  It's all about attitude, right?  Right.

This morning, we were nearly 1/2 an hour late for church.  We're not usually this late.  We are the family who sits in the same pew, up in the front.  Today, that was not the case.  Oh well.

Our entire family was ready for church, all set to leave 15 minutes before the meeting started and arrive with 5 minutes to spare, expect one.  SOMEONE, I'm not saying who, just someone couldn't find their belt and special Easter tie (the tie was purchased on Friday so it couldn't have traveled far).  We prayed and discovered the tie in the kitchen (it was originally placed in the bedroom).  Yup.  DON'T ASK.  It's just better that way.  That same someone was supposed to be dressing, but instead was playing in a fort.  Oh well.

Our attitude needed to change.  So, we gathered everyone together for a prayer and asked Heavenly Father to help us feel the Spirit on this Holy day.  After the prayer, I felt relaxed enough to ask:

"What was going on?"

That SOMEONE:  "I was thinking about fishing."  

REALLY?!

Yup.  I'm still speechless.  All I will say is this:  That SOMEONE is his father's son.  Also, I need to start laying stuff out for everyone, not just the littlest one.  I still don't know what happened to that belt ... 

There's nothing like a little dilemma to bring us to prayer, help us refocus and make us laugh.  Because really, it's not just about attitude, it's also about focus (and a really good sense of humor).  

Happy Easter

Pineview Reservoir 2008