The amazing thing that's happened thousands of times before

It's 7:35 a.m.

I just got home from driving Emma to school. It was 38º F—so warm given that's an overnight low in February. It rained much of yesterday, so the wide swaths of pasture are mostly snow-free, though we still have deeper patches in sheltered places around our homes and buildings. And the western mountains were all aglow with sunlight! Within another week or two the sun will be shining on the valley while I'm taking her to school, and I'll need to wear my shades.

Spring is coming! I'm so ready.

Since this whole school-outside-the-home thing is new to me, I've had a great appreciation this year for watching the seasons turn, watching the days get shorter and then longer again, watching the temperatures dip and now climb. I know it happens every year, but that doesn't make it any less fun to watch. :)

----------------
Now playing: The Beatles - Here Comes the Sun
via FoxyTunes

It's so satisfying, once the project's finally done.

My niece Lissa mentioned that since I joined Facebook I've been pretty silent around here. But it wasn't Facebook's fault. (There are days I don't even visit FB, honest!) It was a combination of FIL death and funeral, our schedule going nutso because Blaine (trying to deal with FIL's estate) is almost never home, and a spruce-up-the-living-room project I undertook. That was the fun part. :) And I have pictures! I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I give you: the new and improved living room and piano room, in befores and afters! Click any picture to go to the stream.









And here are a lot of others I'm not going to bother finding befores for, you can just gander at the afters.



I haven't done much with decorating. I'm an all-or-nothing sort I suppose, and if I don't have the money to do everything I want to do, I don't do anything. So this was just a big, bouncy ball of fun for me, to do all of this at once. I'm all :DDD about my extended living room now.

On being a mother:

I should feel bad about how true this is. Instead, I laugh at my own motherness. :)

MUST...EAT...BURGER...

Burger fans in Northern Utah have reason to celebrate.

Draper City announced today that the owners of In-N-Out Burger have submitted plans to build a restaurant
In-N-Out Burger Coming to Draper

OMgosh. I had no idea I'd have such a crisis of vegetarianism at the mere mention of an In-N-Out being built in my state. :-/

The daily grind in pictures

I've been inspired by one friend's Project 365 pictures. I may not be snapping photos every day (and then again, I might!) but I'm taking them a lot more often thanks to a camera that's always handy and some inspiration. So here are some random photos from my life this week.

Pictures I snapped of the sunrise one recent morning after I'd dropped Emma off at school. Looking south:

West:

North:

East:


Ethan (who was supposed to get dressed, make his bed, and clean his room) playing far away from his room in pajamas.


Kids playing Slap Jack, even Macklin:



Pillow fight in living room, broken picture, stern lecture from mom. "Who needs to get their butt kicked?"


Parents out with friends for the evening, Christian the babysitter asked Macklin where he wanted to sleep. Macklin just pulled up a piece of floor, lay down, and said, "Night, Tristian!"


This morning's bread. I bake 3-6 loaves of wheat bread every day.


----------------
Now playing: Sia - Breathe Me
via FoxyTunes