Sunday, April 24, 2011

Luft Balloons

When I was pregnant and huge with Larkin, 34 weeks pregnant to be exact, I remember finally finding a car seat that stood up to my scrutiny. As Scot carried the car seat out to the car I jokingly said, "Okay. She can come now. We have a car seat to take her home from the hospital in."
She was born two weeks later.

This week a package came in the mail ... it carried our
Rice-Family-Summer-2011-Special-Addition-Spectacular-Adventure-Shirts!
... and so I not-so-jokingly say, "Okay. Summer can start now. We are ready.
We have our T-shirts. Bring on the sun and the fun!"

(Making silly faces while we model our luft balloons ... it's going to be the best summer yet!)

In other news ... Easter was a BLAST this year! It was so fun to talk with Larkin about spring and Jesus and the Easter Bunny. She loved hunting for eggs. She loved eating the candy. She loved everything about Easter except the pink headband I REALLY wanted her to wear to church. You can't win them all!

I love this time of year. I love when the earth wakes up and stretches it's lazy bones and starts to blossom with life. I love the fluffy white clouds that brush the bright blue sky. I love the warmth and growth that the spring brings.
It is appropriate to celebrate the life of our Savior as the earth begins to buzz and churn with new life!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Day on the Quad

Sunshine, toys, friends, grass, bubbles ...
How can you go wrong?

Today was "Day on the Quad" at Larkin's school. It is national week of the young child, and this event is the schools way of getting the kids front and center ...
The school is literally moved to the quad by the library. Art center, blocks center, reading corner, sensory tables ... you name it, they move it. It takes a TON of work from teachers, parents, and volunteers, but it was so much fun!
Larkin loved playing and exploring outside!

(putting a baby to bed is Larkin's favorite thing to do right now!)


(Doing a little grocery shopping ... she said she was shopping for treats :)


(Playing the drums)


(Dot markers and finger painting. With a toddler it's always finger painting :)

What a wonderful way to spend the morning!
Larkin is the love of my life.
I love how she gulps up life like she just can't get enough of it all!

Saturday, April 9, 2011

lARKIN 101


fAMILY tIME iS mY fAVORITE tIME!

lARKIN 101
bUSY = hAPPY
rUNNING, gALLOPING, hOPPING = tHE oNLY wAY tO gET aROUND!
oUTSIDE = sMILES


sLIDES = wAY mORE iNTERESTING tHAN lIONS, tIGERS, bEARS, oR bIRDS
mUSIC = dANCING, eVEN iN pUBLIC

Larkin loves to move in a heard!
She is happiest when she and mom and dad can explore the world together!
Which means ...
tODAY = hAPPINESS

Friday, April 1, 2011

Is It Really April Already?

How can it be the 1st of April already?
I feel like time is slipping away from me!

I have a confession to make ... brace yourself ....
I have absolutely no self control. No will power. No discipline.
Whatever you want to call it, I completely lack
It.
The It that keeps you on the treadmill even though your body is screaming at you. When my body even grumbles quietly at me I think to myself, "Good try self. Way to try. But you're right, this is uncomfortable, so we will stop and go back to being lazy."
The It that helps you eat an apple instead of a cookie. I want the cookie, and since I have no It, I usually eat the cookie, and if I'm being honest I never stop at just one cookie.
The It that keeps you studying, even though it is gorgeous outside and all you want to do it go sit in the sun and read a trashy novel. I choose the sunburn and the trashy novel every time.
The It that tells you that TV is not a must in your daily schedule, and there are better ways to spend your time ... you guessed it- I am a major TV head. I knew I had a problem when I wanted to Tivo a show about middle-aged men having mid life crises ... how does that even sound like entertainment?

Because I lack It I usually fall short of my goals. I usually loose myself in trashy novels and reality shows and cookies until I don't even recognize myself any more.
But do you know what I wish? I wish I lived in a little house with a big yard. I wish I wore flip flops all year long and only wore makeup on Sundays. I wish I could fit into my skinny jeans but wore skirts because they made me feel pretty. I wish I never ate out ever. I wish I grew my own vegetables and had chickens that my kids could chase around. I wish I could curl up in a sunny spot on my bed and read classics and poetry. I wish I shopped at farmer's markets all year long and drank water instead of soda pop. I wish I curled up with my daughter for naps. I wish I drove to the beach on a whim and skipped school to go pick strawberries. I wish I sang something beautiful every day.
I wish my life was simple.
My mom used to say that when she was younger she wished she could have been a pioneer. I always thought that was crazy. Who would want to give birth in the wilderness and hike in a petticoat? Not it!
But I find myself fantasizing about my own kind of crazy time-altering life-altering switcheroo. I wish I could have lived in the 1950s and lived a simple life full of family and and free from technology. Of course life in the 1950s was far from perfect, but I long for that simplicity.

... so I am trying something new. I want to try simplifying my life and see what is left after I take away all the noise and clutter and distraction. I want to see what kind of peace and joy I can find when I am able to focus on my relationships with my family, my relationship with God, and my relationship with myself.

It is time to find my It.