Cuz girl you're amaaazing...just the way you are...

Kason's cover of "Just the way you are" by Bruno Mars :)

Idiosynchrasies

Every once in a while I stop and think about my daily routine. I notice the things that I do to make my life easier, or just because it's how I've always done it. I often watch my friends as they do their daily routine and notice that every one has their own idiosynchrasies. I'm really pretty laid back when it comes to the rules of household running. I don't cut my flour with a knife when measuring out a cup, I don't use a cutting board all the time and I deffinatly don't iron my sheets. I do have a few little tricks I've found actually helpful to me :)

Here's some of mine...

* When I do laundry, I put the cup that the detergent goes in, into the washer to wash with the clothes. The cup comes out clean with no soap residue.

* When I mop, I have to wear socks.

*In order to get anything done, I always have to have music blarring. It might be cleaning the house, making dinner or playing play-doh with Kason, music is always on.

*I keep a laundry hamper in the bathroom. This is where most of the dirty clothes come from anyway!

* I wash all my jeans inside out and air dry them.

* When cleaning, I have to do one room at a time, usally starting with the kitchen. If I try to do it all at once I get distracted and it never happens :)

These are just some of mine, What are yours?

Point and Shoot "Snow Blast 2011"

It always cracks me up how whenever it snows here, it gets a name. "Snow Blast 2011" "Winter Storm 2010" You'd think we were into snow up to our armpits, but it's amazing what coverage a couple inches can get! Either way, I love a snow day with my little guy. I decided I was going to try out my point and shoot camera today and get some shots of how we survived "Snow Blast 2011". I am teaching a class on Sat. at the Tacoma LDS church building on basic photography and how to get some good shots out of your point and shoot camera. Wish me luck! I thought I should practice what I preach. We had a great day of bundling up, having "races" in the snow, making a snowman, snowball fight, coming inside for hot chocolate, making paper snowflakes, pigs {turkey} in a blanket for lunch etc. Here's a few shots of the day!

FYI: The class is at the LDS Exhibition of the arts. This saturday. 12th and Pearl building. It is all free, there is a photography workshop and a painting workshop. There will also be displays from local artists. The photography workshop will run twice from 1-2 and 3-4. See you there!

workshop day 1

This past weekend I was lucky enough to get to go to Me Ra Koh's photography confidence workshop. Wow, what an inspiring, fun and empowering weekend for me.

On day one we went over some of the basics of shooting in manual or M mode on our SLR cameras. After lunch they brought in several volunteer moms/babies for us to pracitce on. Oh my goodness, were they good sports. Just imagine....bringing yourself and your baby to a hotel lobby and meeting 6 other families like you. After a couple minutes 25 women walk out with cameras. We were then split off into groups so there were about 3 photographers to a model. We walk up and introduce ourselves and then just start shooting away. One photographer tells you to look up, the other to look down etc. Our mom/baby/big sister were AWESOME! They were completely kind, forgiving and cool,calm and collected. Here are some of my best shots from day one.

Our new place (this is for you, Andrea)

We have been in our fun new place for a few months now and I am finally getting some photos up! I think I'm finally motivated because my cool, interior designer,cousin came to visit and wanted to see my house. She never got a chance, so this is for you Andrea...any any other curious readers out there (all two of you).

 I could not have been luckier to find this house! I searched for weeks, went and saw places and was about ready to resort to apartment living when one morning this beauty popped up on craigslist. I called and went and saw it that very day. I was about ready to kiss the floors when I walked in (they were brand new, and compared to the cat pee/stained carpets I was used to seeing in places in my price range, I felt like I was in heaven). I turned in my application that day and hear back a few days later, it was ours! YA! It really has been perfect for us.

 This house was built in the 1920's but has been completly remodled inside. They kept the original hardwoods, door, hardware and windows though! LOVE IT! So my style!

 The kitchen is all new and has a laundry room to the left of this picture.

 The bathroom is one of my favorite rooms, CLAW FOOT TUB and then new toilet/vanity!

 I love the door knobs!!

1920's door!

All in all, we love our new place. It has so much storage, fits our needs perfectly and is just so fun to decorate!

Christmas!

This year Christmas really did have a deeper meaning to me. I knew going into it that it would be a little different than the usual, and that it may even be a little bittersweet. I did get a chance to really think about what the savior's birth means in my life, literally. I, for one, never really understood the depth of gratitude I owe to him. I have appreciated this season more so than most years because of this reason.

Kason was thrilled Christmas morning to see all the presents, it was so fun!

Thanks to Santa, the golf bag will be retiring from it's part-time job as guitar

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!

Thank you for...

We are church going people, if you couldn't tell already :) I have been trying to teach Kason to say his own prayers for a while now, and he is getting pretty good at it. Lately, he has wisened up and realized if he makes his bedtime prayers extra long then that means he gets to stay up just a little bit later. I swear, I'm in trouble! Anyway, I'll start him off with the usual opening lines and then he'll take off into ALL the things he's thankful for. Last night it went something like this...

Thank you for scooter

Thank you for tractor

Thank you for mommy

Thank you for daddy

thank you mama's car

thank you car seat

thank you backpack

thank you Jericho, Jaxton,Chad, Megan, Joee, Rushy, Allie (a few cousins/aunt/uncle)

thank you Joseph

thank you Mary

thank you baby Jesus

thank you.. (I finally cut in and wrapped it up at this point)

Every night it's something different, and really does amaze me at how much he pays attention.

He's a great reminder to me of ALL the things we have to be thankful for:)