Bucket List

For some reason, I've been thinking about my so-called "bucket list" lately and what would be on it. One thing for sure is learning to play the cello. I have always had a love for this instrument...it's quality of sound. To me it has such a power of spirituality to it (weird I know, but it does). I just think it would be cool to be like the dude on Air Wolf (circa 1980's show) that would walk out to the end of his dock and sit by the lake in his mountain home surroundings and just play his cello to relax.....I would totally do that.....if I played the cello, and lived in the mountains by a lake....which I don't.....but someday I will, play the cello atleast, and I will sit in my front yard if I have to and play it as the sun sets on my desert suburbia neighborhood.

One giant sandbox

Two weekends ago we went to the Pink Coral Sanddunes for Nola's birthday. It was her idea and we had such a fun time relaxing in the sand, playing, and picnicing. She's a gem of a grandma and mother-in-law

extraordinaire!!!

My new nickname HA HA HA HA HA!

So you think you can dance

One of the greatest passions I have in this life is dancing. As awkward as I am, I can't help but love dance/dancing. I've never excelled at it, but I've had my moments....and I want to be able to do it until I die...and then do it some more. I constantly find myself listening to music (another passion) and choreographing dances to it in my head. And when it comes to dance, there's very little discrimination on my part...I love pretty much all of it. That's why one of my favorite shows is "So you think you can dance" which starts again tonight and I'm so excited to see what talent shows up this time. The two songs I've loved lately for mental choreographing are "Lost" - by Anouk and "Now"- by Dave Carroll ...both of which are just pretty to me....playlist only has Lost though. :) enjoy...it's mellow yellow.

Finding Joy

I've decided that I need to work on finding more joy in being a mom/parent. Some days are better than others, but I do admire those people who can just laugh off the stuff that your kids do to make you crazy.....because it really does more good than bad to do that. Lately my lil' Adam has been told "no" A LOT...which isn't a bad thing, just not fun either and I need to relax on the inside and realize that this is just a stage of life right now that won't last forever and not get so worked up about it. I'm just really grateful to family and friends right now who have helped with the adjustment of a new baby and figuring this all out again...it's made the world of difference and they have helped me to maitain a decent perspective on things....I just want to improve on it. Here's a few good moments though captured. enjoy! yeah...and i stole the song idea from Hopie...who has impecable taste in music (she likes it all :)

BABY EMILY RUTH ALTON

On Tuesday July 28, 2009 a new joy entered our life at 11:03pm. Her name, Emily Ruth Alton. She weighed 8 lbs. 10oz. and measured 19 1/2 inches long. She is simple beautiful and healthy and precious in every way. A great eater and pretty mellow (for now). Everything went very well with the birth. There were some concerns with my placenta bleeding, so we ended up at the hospital to have her instead of the home birth we planned, but it was a good decision and we are grateful to our midwife and doula for their help in making the birth experience everything we wanted in a setting that wasn't planned. The nurses were pretty nice too and Dr. Chalmers was the one to help deliver her...he was pretty cool too with letting us do our thing and just helping as needed. It was a beautiful experience and we are grateful to have her here with us! I will post pictures and more info. later when I have a minute or two....because I've already used up the one that I had today :) Lots of love to everyone for their support and love and well wishes. I feel angels, seen and unseen, helping us out!!!

Trouble is my business and business is good.

That's a saying on one of Adam's shirts....and today it fit. So, here's a little story for y'all. This morning my husband comes home from work and says " a truck I was working on started on fire...so check out my singed leg hairs." Me.....not surprised in the least, but somewhat concerned "so....is the truck okay?" Apparently gas was leaking in it, it started fire somehow, but it was okay and didn't do any damage....how? I don't know, but he said it didn't. Mike had come home to take a shower and clean up to head back to work....so he was getting ready to do that while we talked. In the time that it took for us to have this short conversation and make our way back to the bedroom something else happened.

Me: "man...you really smell like smoke."
Mike: (sniff) "uh, that's not me"
Me: thought in my head as I go back out to the kitchen where Adam and my niece were "....where's Adam?"
As I approach our kitchen, I see Adam, my sweet little boy, standing looking up at our microwave and saying "I cook it!" Sure enough, I look in through the semi-transparent door of the microwave and see a fire. He had put one of his toy cars inside and was cooking it.
Me: "MIKE....FIRE."
Mike then proceeds to run out and help me clear off the top of the microwave, unplug it, and he picks it up and carries it out our back door to put it on the grass......all the while he is buck-naked. Remember, he came home to take a shower. With hands over my face and laughing, I said a mental prayer that my neighbors were safe inside their homes.
Adam: "no no no" shaking finger like he was scolding the place where the microwave used to sit. Me: "uh....you think?"
Good thing God gave us a sense of humor right? Well, just thought you all might enjoy just an inside glimpse to how my life is playing out :) I appreciate my mother in so many more ways these days.