Little Chauvinist

Funny. We were talking at the dinner table the other night, and Braden said something like "I'm strong." I agreed with him. Then after thinking for awhile, he stated that he was strong like Daddy and that Daddy was really strong. Then he looked at me and pronounced that Jade isn't strong, she's weak (at which point he reminded me that weak is the opposite of strong). Also, he told me that I'm weak too because I'm a girl too like Jade. I told him that not all girls are weak and many girls are quite strong. He didn't buy it. He simply said, "no, Mommy." Apparently without even realizing it, I'm raising a little chauvinist.

The Perspective of a little Child

I am a mother of a two year old and a three year old, so I often wonder what the world is like for little kids. How do they view things, and how is their perspective different from my own? The answer is, "I don't really know". I'm way to old to remember my thoughts and feelings from that age, here are some of the things I've been wondering about. When Braden looks at a persons face, what does he notice? My guess would be eyes, and here is the evidence: When Braden draws a person, he draws a large circle for a head, two sticks or a block of color coming from the bottom of the circle for legs, and then two HUGE circles inside the head for eyes. These "eyes" that he draws seriously take up the entire width of the head (if they don't hang over a little). Vertically, they take up about 3/4 of the face, and often the first "eye" he draws is bigger than the other (the second having to fit in the remaining space on the face). That is his basic person. The mouth and nose are secondary and he often doesn't draw them at all. The other evidence I have to suspect that he notices eyes over other facial features follows: I made some play dough for the kids and Braden was playing with it. He made a ball and then flattened it with my rolling pin. Then he held it up to his face and said, "Look, Mommy! This circle got so big! It's as big as my eye!" It was about 2.5 inches across... pretty consistent with his drawings. So, does he really think eyes are gigantic, or does the size simply reflect his skill level with drawing and play doughing?
The other thing I've been thinking about started when I was doing some leg lifts on the floor. I was looking around the room as I did them in an attempt to distract myself from the pain, when I noticed something. My counter bar is hidious from underneath... exposed unfinished wood, screws, over-spray from painting the wall, etc. Then my eyes moved to my beloved stools... same thing. They looked unfinished under there. The same is true with the dining room table and computer desk. Then I got to thinking about the height of my kids. When they walk around the apartment, it must look so different for them. As I see tasteful pieces of furniture that pull the room together, they see a bunch of unfinished pieces and exposed lumber and screws. It just never occured to me before, and I actually thought that if I ever made furniture, I would make it interesting from underneath too. I wonder if we notice the change as we grow tall enough that we can't see underneath everything as we walk by? It's an interesting thought. Sometimes I think it would be cool to, for a short time, have the perspective of a little child.

A Great Missionary

Well, I've been thinking about several topics that I'd like to blog about. However, I hate combining several unrelated topics into one blog, so I think I'll just start with the most over due and go from there in the coming days. This post is going to be about my little brother-in-law, Cameron. I don't think I've really ever written about him before, but I probably should have. He was a very good friend to me during all the hard times this spring and I discovered through spending more time with my in-laws that he is really a delightful person... a listening ear, and someone who manages to make me laugh about the little stresses in life. Anyway, he reported to the Missionary Training Center in Provo, UT on the 13th. After he completes his training there, he will be serving a mission in Thailand and other bordering countries. I'm so excited for him to be able to make this commitment and serve the Lord in this way. I will really miss him while he's gone, but I wouldn't want him to be doing anything else. He'll be a great missionary.

Kara and Cameron (taken right before he left)

Perfect Fit for Us!

I've been receiving various threats from not posting pictures of our "new" apartment. Frankly, there is still a lot to do to it, so that is where my hesitation lies. I have bigger plans than I have resources. But, in an effort to protect myself and my family, I have decided to post my apartment "stage one" pictures. I'm done decorating for awhile in my bedroom and the common areas of the house, so that is what I'll post. The kids room still has some unfinished projects, so there will have to be pictures of that later.
In all, I think the front room is fun, but turned out a little more cartoonish than I hoped it would. I'm hoping someday for more sophisticated art on the walls to balance off the funky curtains and rugs, but I had a small budget and had to work mostly with what I had, so it'll work for now. I also still need to fill the house with pictures of people we love.
In the bedroom, I wanted it to look casual but more grown up than the front room. I already had the modern bedspread, and a lot of classic art and knick knacks. Therefore, I had to mix it up and try to make it meld. I used a modern table runner I found for a "headboard" to anchor the bed. The end tables are really beat up, but I kind of liked it that way. So instead of re-painting, I just covered the tops with placemats that matched the table runner. That covered up the worst spots. I also showcased the awesome clock my mom made for us a couple years ago since it didn't really work in the family room. My guitar is displayed to pay tribute to my amazing talents (cough... ha ha ha... OK, I couldn't say that without laughing).

The kitchen didn't have a lot of decorating opportunities. However, I did have to be creative with space planning. There are not a ton of cabinets, and no pantry, so I tried to set up my dishes in a somewhat decorative way on the counters without compromising my work space. I'm happy with the result and the simplicity that came from getting rid of a few things I wasn't using and making a little space go a long way. The dining room is sparsely decorated, but I did get a great deal on these super rad bar stools which I absolutely love. Unfortunately for the kids, they are white and sometimes (as much as I hate to admit it), I am a little over-protective of my stools. They are just for adults.
So, thats the apartment. We're really liking it here. It's a quiet community but it also has a fun young vibe due to the pilot school that houses their students here and the nearby medical college. So far it's been a perfect fit for us!

So Pretty!

Saturday marked an important day in my "grown-up" life. That is right, my friends, I got my first pedicure ever and my first fancy manicure. My nails have never looked so good. My cousin, Fawn is absolutely and amazingly talented and she decided to have a nail party after Rachel's baby shower. It was so fun, and I really love how mine turned out. I'm really getting used to it and plan on buying my own stuff to do this more often. Thank you Fawn for so selflessly making all of us feel so pretty!

Amazing Athletes

Wow. After watching the Olympics with Spencer once again tonight, I HAVE to post about them. Nothing, I mean nothing, gives me greater pride in the people of our country and for mankind all over than the Olympic Games. These amazing individuals get out there and give everything they have to represent their family, themselves, but mostly their country. I feel pure patriotism surging through my veins as I watch each gold medalist watch their country's flag being raised to the sound of their national anthem. No matter where everyone comes from, it seems for a moment in time, that the Olympic Games unites us all as people striving for something better. I especially felt the pride in our country tonight as I watched our men swim the 400 meter medley relay and beat yet another world record, and achieve for Michael Phelps what was previously only imagined. He has now won 8 gold medals this year and 13 total, and he is representing this magnificent country, the United States of America. I am proud of his individual achievement and the hard work, perseverance, and strength it represents. Congratulations, to all of our amazing athletes.

Braden's "Michael Phelps face"

Even More Than Thai Food

Today marks five years that Spencer and I have been married. I want to write something profound and deep and be able to express my tenderest feelings on marriage to this wonderful man. However, given my lack of writing skills paired with the ambiguous nature of the English language, I fear that I will not be able to express through the written or even spoken word my thoughts on this matter. Here is an example: I can say that I love Spencer, but I can also say that I love my sister, pasta, Thai food, or the rain. So does that mean I consider matrimony to be about as good as a nice plate of stuffed raviolis drenched in a delicious white garlic sauce? Of course not. It is much more than that. The word "love" is simply too inexplicit. I will, instead, reminisce a little on the splendid circumstances that brought us together.
Our first introduction was had in a cross walk. This particular cross walk may possibly be the slowest in the entire city (perhaps the world). So, we had time to stand next to each other for awhile, shift our weight several times, and finally make an introduction. That was that. There was no more to that part of the story. I was on my way to my class which was also attended by one of my friends who I was kinda sorta starting to date. So, naturally, my mind was elsewhere.
The next introduction was at a party I had in my condo. Our mutual friend, Jeremy brought him along and I thought he was fun, but didn't really connect with him as I was playing hostess and he was hosting his own card game in the corner.
Then, in late April, something happened that tipped the first domino in the line of events that changed my and Spencer's life forever. Jacob got his mission call. He opened it while I was at work, so I wasn't there to congratulate him and share in his excitement so I met up with him at his wards party instead. There, we shared a table with Jeremy and Spencer. By this time, I was already familiar with Spencer and personally, I was prepared and ready to meet some new men. We fell into conversation easily and next thing I new, I was being invited to go for a night swim with a group of people including Spencer. There were some logistical issues. I had not brought my suit, I lived 15 minutes away, and upon going out to my car (with Spencer and Jeremy) we found the tire to be completely flat. Spencer offered to drive me in his vehicle, and since I was planning on buying a new swim suit anyway, we decided it would be better to shop for a new one then go all the way home. Jeremy came along with us. We shopped at several stores together with no success, but we had fun. Finally we headed back to my house and just got my old suit. By the time we got to the swimming pool, only a few people were there. Jeremy went home because he was heading up to school the next day. So Spencer and I and my friend Samantha talked in the jacuzzi for a long time. I thought Spencer was fun and cute and confident without being cocky. Perfect for my liking. He was also a good guy. At the end of our evening, he took me to my car, filled the tire and said good-bye, but not before getting my phone number and asking if I'd like to hang out sometime. Shortly after I got home, I got a call from him... just making sure I made it home safely and with no tire problems. Ahh... I couldn't get enough of this guy. As it turns out, I didn't have to, because we saw each other every day from that time forth. On the 10th day, we talked about the possibility of marriage and decided to pray about it. The answer I recieved was basically, "Of course". It wasn't emotional, but simply matter-of-fact that I could and should marry Spencer.Is it possible for time to go so fast and still feel like a lifetime? These five years have flown by but have given us so many experiences together. We've had our share of awesome times as well as extreme challenges. For both I'm glad I've been side-by-side with Spencer. This last year has undoubtedly been our hardest time. There have been moments when doubt has crept into my mind and I've wondered if things would have been better another way. It is then I've remembered my feelings from the beginning and the matter-of-fact answer I recieved. The doubts disappears. Our life is far from being worked out and put together perfectly. We have a long way to go in our communication. We could both be better companions for each other. But, in the words of a song that my friends wrote, "together we fight". We fight the message that comes from all around that a marriage can't work, that when hard times come, we're bound to fail. We fight together for the union we have, not with arms but with endurance, trust, faith, and love. I'll fight for that as long as I have to, and in our case, the world will be proven wrong. I love Spencer so much.
Thank you, My Love for five years of growing together. I know we have endless years ahead. I love you even more than Thai food.

Crafty Idea

Check out this cool shirt my mom made for Jade. She just took a basic shirt and sewed a few tastefully placed buttons and VOILA! It's custom, simple and cute. It also pairs very nicely with these adorable clips made by my cousin. She sells these and other great baby stuff at her online store (shameless plug). Anyway, it's fun to be creative and I always appreciate a good crafty idea.