I've fallen off the wagon.

Don't judge.

Harshly.

Today with my phone.

 A pretty spectacular day.

Even if not one construction guy came to our house today.

Oh, they are so close to being done.

So very close.

Oh, it would be so great

if we didn't have to have a slumber party every night.

For over a month.

So very great.

Love that it's Friday!

It's hard to find the perfect place for a Valentine's Day Origami Ball. 

I thought right above where I sleep was perfect.

Addie was there so I had to take her picture.

Look at yesterdays post for information about the Origami Ball I made.

I really love it.

It just may not be very practical.

But if we only displayed or loved practical things

what's the fun in that!

That's why they called it Christmas Origami.

You have a ready made holder for such loveliness.

I'm still ok with a Valentine's Day Origami Ball

(well, I could give it to Jeff).

Here's what I loved this week

(other than that Origami Ball):

The first picture I just can't get over.

All kinds of happy.

Even tho it's called Granny squares they seem all kinds of cool.

This is so true and all kinds of right.

Super groovy kind of guy.

Is that weird that he fascinates me so.
 A barber and archivist (not activist).
Handle bar mustache.
He will fascinate you too.

Love LOVE those walls.

Want to make these. 

Love this bedroom makeover.

This baby just makes you smile.

Just try not to smile.

Just try.

All kinds of cute

(thought I was done with that all kinds of silly didn't you).

Finished Project #4. Christmas Origami.

 Yes. You read that correctly. 

I have been wanting to make that beautiful ball of recycled paper

ever since I saw it in December

(which was only last month).

I finally got around to it.

I was thinking it could be a Valentine's Day Origami Ball.

 This is absolutely beautiful but it takes FOR. EV. ER.

I'm not sure the exact minutes but I'd guess close to 4 hours over all.

I am now faster at making the sections, however.

So, if I ever make another it will go by faster.

I didn't spend any money

(which makes me happy)

but I will have to buy new glue sticks soon.

Here are the amazing directions.

Look at her beautiful nails.

I got the free magazine

at the ever delicious, dream worthy, Pizzeria 712.

The paper is not the shiny kind in most magazines.

It's a great, beautiful and also dream worthy magazine.

I thought it'd be perfect for some kind of recycled project.

 I think it's beautiful but now, where do I put it?

Linked to Somewhat Simple.

More Snow.

It snowed and snowed on Monday.

We didn't let it get us down.

No.

We laughed as we threw our head back

and said to ourselves that it wasn't going to hold us back.

We drove with abandon down that slick and snowy hill

(not really....he drove slowly and luckily we have all wheel drive).

We pressed on, we did, to the place that's called a mall.

We decided right there on the very spot 

that we, all four of us, would go to the cinema

and enjoy a technicolor marvel 

to rival the monochromatic scenery that is called a snowstorm.

And so we did.

'Aint She Sweet

New Recipe #4. Sesame Stir Fry.

 Sunday night dinner we had most everyone over.

I also made Fried Rice (yummy)
and some chicken thing from Sams Club 

(that wasn't so good).
The Sesame Stir Fry turned out well.
Lots of vegtables.
Yummy with a kick.

 I said, "Cheese". Silly kids.

I said, "Be happy like a Party!".  Really silly kids.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Thank you for being a great Dad, a great example and a great man.

New Recipe #3. Easy Chicken Enchiladas.

Wow. Not the best pictures.

Saturday night and all.

Not my best moment.

I actually made lasagna (among other things too)

this week but I make it frequently so that doesn't count.

I've made chicken enchiladas before but these are different.

What was really great is that Jeff helped me make this dish.

Jeff said that he really liked these and they were really tasty.

Davis didn't say much and ate it anyway.

Sheyla said there were too many onions for her taste but ate it anyway.

Next time I wont have as many onions and I will chop them finer.

I think it's a keeper!

Yeah for me!

Little Miss Sunshine is 15 Months Old.

We got to babysit last night.

She was SOOOO much fun!

Really really really!

She makes me so happy!

Even when I was thinking about how happy she makes me

my heart burst and it brought tears to my eyes.

She played and played, ate dinner with us,

had fun with Aunt Sheyla,

tried to get Uncle Davis's attention

and played and played some more.

She fought hard to go to sleep 

(even though she was so very tired)

so we had her on the bed in between the two of us

(so she wouldn't fall off the bed).

We both would talk softly to her

and we would listen to her and smile.

We would put her blanket on her

and rub her back.

She would lay down and then sit up, move around 

and talk or be silly

and then put her head back down again.

Over and over again until she finally fell asleep.

Me, Jeff

(and the two dogs,

oh, how they love her too)

and little Miss Rian.

Jeff then gently lifted her with her blanket

and carried her to her little bed, set up in the room.

I gently covered her with the blanket and we all left the room.

Priceless.

I just read one of the most amazing blog post about Motherhood here.
(I found it here at this sweet sweet blog)
This sweet moment with Jeff and Rian,
I knew in the moment,
was one of the best kairos moments
and that's why I wanted to document it,
to freeze time, to better remember or to capture it for all time.
I am one of those annoying but well meaning older women
(I naturally and frequently say the wrong things to most everyone),
so maybe I will say this, from now on,
"Carry On, Warrior!"

Finished Project #3. Second Painted Panel.

 They are both done!

 I was having a hard time coming up with an idea for the second panel

so I asked my dear husband to name three of his favorite songs.

I wanted and needed some inspiration.

He named 

1. Free Will by Rush (interesting)

2. I would give anything I own by Bread (so sweet)

3. America by Imagine Dragons (love them).

I was so pleased with the results of my word art for 

my room here and here

that I thought this could work on a smaller scale for this panel.

 I easily had to eliminate the second two songs because 

1. the song by Bread is so personal

2. the wonderful song by Imagine Dragons is about 911.

When I looked up the song by Rush one of the verses stood out to me,

I didn't know if it would work so I cut and taped poster board to the same size as the panel

and used the stencil for the words and it fit perfectly.

The song is pretty deep and the more I thought about it

the more excited I became to make my new word art.
I was excited for the meaning of it and for the conversations it would bring.

Zero dollars spent!

This is the verse I chose:

Each of us

A cell of awareness

Imperfect and incomplete.

Genetic blends

With uncertain ends 

On a fortune hunt that's far too fleet.

The chorus is this:

You can choose a ready guide in some celestial voice.

If you choose not to decide,

you still have made a choice.

You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that can kill;

I will choose a path that's clear

I will choose Free Will.
This  is what it means to me:

We are imperfect humans.

 Life is short.

You have the freedom to choose your path.

LOVE it!

Ironic that imperfect turned out so imperfectly.

I'm so ok with it!

Good Morning Sunshine!

 We got back Monday evening and was greeted by nearly a foot of snow.

The light wasn't very good so I didn't take pictures.

But in the morning I was raring to go but the sun wasn't.

That's what we get for living so close to the mountains.

 It was so very cold.

My fingers were so very cold.

But I was enchanted by how beautiful everything was.

 I took one picture before this and accidentally erased it.

I liked it so much I took another.

 And another and another and another.

I stood there for minutes and minutes 

and watched the sun rays glow above the mountain.

 I could tell that the sun would be peaking over the mountain soon.

 I would go inside and do a little cleaning or painting.

 Then, I would go back outside and snap a picture

and watch the clouds blow on the mountain top.

I was getting so excited to see the sun peak over the mountain.

Ta Da!

More of Zions National Park.

 I couldn't get over how few people were there.
We came down from the cold and cacophony of a house
and escaped to a pleasant and beautiful part of Utah.
Our youngest, Davis, was hanging out with his cousin
(while we went to Zions)
so it was just Sheyla along for the ride.
Jeff's parents came too and we enjoyed the company and the scenery.

 Almost the same smirk as the next guy.

Before I saw that awesome tree (from this morning's post), 

I saw these giant creatures.

I was almost as excited to take their picture as I was of the shoe tree.

Almost.

On the return trip I took the pictures of the tree then the ostriches.

This guy obliged.