Observation VS Judgment

Observation VS Judgment

2.25.2020

I keep coming back to a thought my sister shared with me.  Our happiest time in life is when we are little children.  It's partly because as children we simply observe the world around us without making any judgments.

An apple is red vs. I like apples.  This meal needs salt vs.  Meals are tasteless without salt.

Our thoughts create our reality.  We believe certain things about our identity and our world through our thoughts.  And that is important!  But those same thoughts create our feelings.

Judgmental thoughts can breed feelings of resentment, defensiveness, and inferiority/superiority.  Conversely, observational thoughts tend to create feelings of calm and curiosity.

It makes me wonder: since when do we feel we need to form an opinion about everything?  Cannot some things just be?  Even current events?  Children truly practice mindful living in the moment.  I want to be more like a little child.

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Snowshoe Adventure | A Guide on How to Outfit Your Kids and Teach Them How to Snowshoe

Snowshoe Adventure | A Guide on How to Outfit Your Kids and Teach Them How to Snowshoe

2.21.2020

We took the boys on a short snowshoe adventure over the long weekend!  I admit, the idea was initially met with resistance.  A pair of certain boys did not want to get dressed and would have rather watched tv all afternoon.  Bron and I insisted they come anyway and the afternoon wound up ending in exclamations of, "That was fun!" and "Let's do that again!"

I am always blown away by how much snow there is in the South Hills even though there is none down in the valley where we live.  Driving up there, it's like entering into a whole new magical world!

It's just another gentle reminder to myself that getting outside to burn energy and enjoy some beauty (I mean, look at all that POWDER!) is always worth the effort.

I've gotten quite a few questions about how difficult it is to snowshoe and how I outfit my kids for these adventures.  I'm answering as many of those questions as I can below.  So read on!

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Fourth Baby Bumpdate: 24 Weeks

Fourth Baby Bumpdate: 24 Weeks

2.10.2020

It's another month and time for a pregnancy update!

How far along:  24 weeks, but I'm measuring about 10 days ahead according to my doctor.

Size of Baby Boy:  According to the books and averages, he's over a foot long and weighs about 1.5 pounds.  Woot!  Grow, Baby, grow!

Stretch Marks:  Pretty sure I've gained a couple of new ones.  I popped so fast this time around it was quite disconcerting!

Weight Gain:  Let's not talk about it in too much detail because it's a source of guilt/worry for me.  I mean, what did I do wrong this time around to gain so much so fast?!?  I weigh nearly as much now as I did when I delivered Jed.  Given, I did start out 10 pounds heavier, so hopefully I'll manage to only gain 10-15 pounds more from here on out?  Ugh.  I have the biggest appetite!  But I'm trying to (operative word: "trying") cut down on sugar and move my body more -- which is actually really hard to do in the winter.

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Bron Surprised Me with a Trip to Arizona for My Birthday!

Bron Surprised Me with a Trip to Arizona for My Birthday!

2.07.2020

^^Breakfast at Snooze^^

Bron went above and beyond to celebrate my 35th birthday with one of the most elaborate surprises he's pulled off yet.  The man keeps outdoing himself.  He claims that one day he will fall flat on his face with a particular gift and that I will just have to forgive him.  I'm not sure he's capable of that kind of failure.  Bron is one of the most thoughtful and giving people I know -- on his own terms, of course.  It's one of my favorite qualities about him.

Anyway, my 35th birthday landed on a Friday.  Bron took me out to breakfast at Guppy's Hot Rod in town (with our silly little third wheel, Conrad) for some seriously delicious high calorie food.  He kept hinting at some big surprise.  As Bron headed off to work for the day, he told me to be all showered with makeup on and hair done by 5pm.  Of course I assumed we were going on a date!

Bron walked into our bedroom at quarter til with two very excited giggly boys; Bron had told them the surprise.

"Want a big hint?" Levi asked.  "We're getting a boys' weekend until Monday!"  He fell onto the bed laughing.

I looked at Bron a bit confused.  "What? Where are we going?"

Bron chimed in.  "You're going to Arizona to visit your sister... tonight!  Your plane leaves from Boise at 9:23PM."

I was so surprised I burst into happy tears.  "What? For reals?!"  My sister means the world to me.  To spend the weekend with her in warm sunny weather would truly be a vacation dream come true.

Bron launched into all the details (like how we'd be staying in a hotel in Gilbert paid for with points) and before I knew it, I was kissing him goodbye and hopping into the car with a small suitcase.

It felt so surreal.  It was all such a big surprise that I could hardly wrap my head around it all!  Excited would be an understatement.

Lauren picked me up from the airport in Mesa, AZ.  She had known about this surprise trip for a couple of weeks and had an entire weekend planned of places to eat around the valley.

And so began what will undoubtedly go down as one of my life's most memorable weekends!!!

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Artifact Motherhood | I'm Making This Parenting Stuff Up as I Go Along, But These are Our Current Parenting Goals

Artifact Motherhood | I'm Making This Parenting Stuff Up as I Go Along, But These are Our Current Parenting Goals

2.04.2020

This is Artifact Motherhood; a collaboration of artists from around the world who have come together to share our stories of the joys and struggles of our journey. Through our writings and visual records, we want to create memories that are more than photographs with dates written on the back. These are the artifacts we are leaving behind for our children and for generations to come. Please visit the next artist in our blog circle, Lauren Webster, and continue through all the artists until you get back to me!

^^Two of my favorite faces.  The big boys let me take some headshots of them.  I need to do this more often... because, you know, Mom goggles.  Levi's wound is exactly a week old in these pictures. No more stitches and healing up well!^^

The other day, I sat and calculated what year each of my children will graduate from high school.  This unborn baby will graduate in 2038.  That feels like forever away!  But then I calculated for Jed.  He will graduate in 2028.

*Gulp*

That's just 8 years away!  Those years are going to come and go in a blink.  Jed is already more than halfway grown!  What?  How??  His early childhood has gone so fast!

Of course, these thoughts trigger other ones like, "Am I doing enough?"  "Am I enjoying him enough?"  And cue the mom guilt, am I right?!?

That's when I try to back it up and answer myself honestly.  Yes, I am doing the very best that I can.  Some days I feel like an utter failure, but I am learning and growing right alongside my children.  My love for them is the driving force behind my getting up every morning to try and try again.

As for enjoying him enough?  The honest answer is yes and no.

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