The Year Before

Here I am! Here it goes. For reals, y'all, I want to document this sweet and shining thing called Life with Lovelies in Idaho. (Should I change the name of the blog?)

So, before I ring in 2012, I need to give 2011 a wee shout-out, like, Hey 2011, I really did appreciate you. Thanks for everything.

Highlights.

January 2011

Mirabel turned one year old.

Great Grammy Leona has the first of many serious tumbles.

February 2011

Valentine cookies. Homemade frosting dyed with berry juice, natch.

March 2011

I attended a Stroller Strides enhanced instructor training in Seattle. John came along for the ride, and we enjoyed a couples' weekend exploring the city, which we really dug. Digged. We liked it.

I turned 34. Apparently not a big deal, since I can't enlarge this picture for the life of me.

April 2011

Sister Eryn came to visit again. John posed with his girls.

Luciya Sunshine celebrated her 4th birthday.

And got to go to the dentist for the first time. On her birthday.

My girlfriend Kelly and I took a weekend roadtrip to Durango, Colorado, which included a magical stop at Arches National Park in Utah.


We named her Muscle.

We adopted 3 chicks: Shybone, Hina, and Pokey. Pokey would later succumb to Mila's insticts on one horribly fateful afternoon (I started a blog post called "A Clucking Nightmare"...).
Hina and Pokey are still big, broad, and beautiful egg-laying family members and pets.

Sir Elton John, I presume.

May 2011

For Mother's Day, Luciya and her preschool classmates gave their moms pedicures.

We spent Labor Day weekend at the cabin with Adam, Danielle, the girls, and Michael and Nancy.

Mirabel has just about had enough of your shenanigans.

Meet the mud pie masta.

June 2011

Ton Ton celebrated the big cuarenta y uno.

Mirabel posed as a fairy.

If you're wondering, all of our sweet family portraits, including these and the one of the girls at the header, are taken by the fabulously talented Lala Harms at Shady Lane Studios. She's been our photographer since we won a shoot for Luciya's first birthday.

The See Jane Run 5K with our Running Club.

July 2011

Boating at Lucky Peak

We had weekly "Crafternoons" with sweet friends.

Christmas (pajamas) in July.

My brother married an awesome chick.


We took a fabulous two-week roadtrip (a family first!) to Southern California. Memories ensued.

August 2011

A spur-of-the-moment afternoon hike outside Idaho City.

The Dirty Dash 10K. Filthy awesomesauce.

September 2011

We spent our fifth Labor Day in a row with dear friends at "The Spread" in Eastern Oregon.

Luciya started her second year of preschool with the delightful Miss Jen.

The Women's Fitness Celebration with the LUNA Moms' Club.

October 2011

John and I spent two nights in Sun Valley for a perfect Fall getaway.

Luciya listened very intensely at a field trip to the fire station.

Team Mirabel raised over $1,000 for the Treasure Valley Down Syndrome Association.


The Barber to Boise 10K, again with the Running Club. 56:20 for me.

Arrrrrr ye surprised we were pirates at a fun Halloween bash? More importantly, arrrre ye surprised John wore eyeliner?

November 2011

"The Sunrise Puppet Theater. Only for cold winter days. With hot chocolate."

Maui. A glorious reunion with Maui. And an introduction for some.

December 2011

Luciya was a saucy Wise Gal for her Christmas program.

Sister Eryn helped us celebrate the season.

We were so excited to watch Luciya experience her first Christmas morning at home, now that she "gets" it. And she didn't disappoint. She was sweet, wide-eyed, slow, and savoring every moment, delighting in the idea that there was another present?? to open.

On New Year's Eve we went for a family walk and attempted a self-portrait.

And now, if possible...


Happy 2012.
Blessed be.

what i have become

I am a friend to inspiring women. I am a wife to a kind, responsible, and adorable husband. I am a daughter to intelligent, loving parents and a sister to a brother who makes me smile. I am a business owner and proud of the opportunities I have every day. I am a reader, a dreamer, a lover of laughter.

But my real existence began four years ago. Now,

I sleep with one ear open.

I cringe at words like "hate."

I delight in knuckle dimples and stinky morning breath.

I am what I was meant to be. A mama.


An Ode to Knuckle Dimples

This minuscule chub
tugging, serene,
accentuated by the essence of Adorable;
dimpled pudgily and softly astonishing
your tiny infant hands

I linger in your dainty caresses
those dimpled knuckles trailing softly across my neck
fingers twirling my hair at the nape.
Your baby hand can disappear in mine still
I rediscover it time and again
and devour it with kisses.

Don't let those fingers stretch away
the wrinkly warm spots
that make me smile.
Don't grow too fast, my baby,
stay
and let me knead you for a while.

hellooooo....

Earth to Mama!

{Luciya had to bring an extra banana for her friend Maryn}

Sheesh.

Luciya is awesome, Mirabel is awesome, life is awesome, I'm in awe of life. Yay!

Here are some pics I took with my phone recently!
{And the blogging award goes to......}

{Actually, Luciya took this one.}

{Ah, a sunny day in Dolores Park, San Francisco.}

{Babaybabybabybabybaby.}

{She tolerates me.}

attitude is everything

"I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances." ~ Martha Washington


This goes out to my grandma Leona, who turns 83 years old tomorrow. Grandma fell in her assisted living bathroom the other day, and lay there for 3 1/2 hours until a maid found her. Nothing is broken. ... Quite unlike the time about 3 years ago when she tumbled from a stool in he kitchen, broke her knee, managed to crawl to her bedroom, and spent the night on the floor until my uncle broke in her door the next morning. ... Or the time about 13 years ago when her car flipped at high speed and crushed much of her sweet little body.

It is by the grace of God and by the adherence to an adage cross-stitched in a frame above her dresser that lovely Leona is serenely with us today. That quote says: "Attitude is Everything."

Someday, I will write an homage to my lovely "Grandma Sweetie," entitled "All I need to Know About Life I Learned from my Grandmother." She has faced true obstacles her entire life, and never, ever fails to dust herself off (sometimes literally) and count the blessings that remain. Every single time.

Grandma is a frail 83, and is now reliant on a walker. We are so happy she is in a home that is close to us. Since she won't pull assistance cords or dial 911 because she "doesn't want to disturb anyone," it's reassuring to know that the odds of finding a large bloody gash in her head, like we did a couple years ago, are relatively slim. She perseveres, shrugs it off, looks on the bright side, puts a shiny red foil heart sticker on your greeting cards, gets excited about Bingo and arts & crafts, wakes up every morning at 5 on the dot, and hugs you with a bone-crushing strength you wouldn't think possible from such a squat, tiny woman.

You are so very loved, Leona. Happy, happy birthday to you.