snapshots of life

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The 10th Annual Day in the Life Post 2022

5.03.2022

Who knew back in 2009 when I started this 'ol blog that it would become a family journal of sorts that I would still be using today thirteen years later? This blog means so much to me. I have many of the years printed into hard covered books. The other day, Jed and Levi were lamenting that I don't love them as much as I love their little brothers. I busted out the books and proved to them that they were each my whole world at the same ages as Conrad and Ezra are now. They lit up with big grins, reading through what I wrote about them and seeing their pictures. That is why I blog. Or at least one reason. My memory gets hazy. This blog brings me so much joy to see pictures and read passages that bring back precious memories I otherwise would have forgotten. And so I am determined to keep blogging, keep journaling, keep putting my thoughts and experiences to virtual paper. It helps me process my feelings and is a safe place to store those things that are most precious to me.

Anyway, enough sentimental blabbering. Welcome to the 10th annual day in the life post! I chose Thursday April 21st this year instead of waiting til May. A cold and rainy day just felt more authentic to document. This winter has felt long and never ending. Spring just keeps teases us only to disappear! I wanted to remind myself of the beauty and the fun that really does exist right under my nose.

2.01.2022

About a week into the new year, I realized I'd taken a photo nearly every day. The thought of doing a 365 project (shooting a picture every day in 2022) crossed my mind, but that just felt like I was setting myself up for failure. So instead, I committed to shooting everyday through the month of January! It was harder than I thought, but it kept my mind occupied through one of the coldest winters we've had in quite a while. Of course, I wasn't perfect at it. I may have skipped a day or two. And other days, I couldn't possibly narrow it down to just one photo! So here is my little photo project, all summed up into one post.

Rainy day play. Also, see Thomas the Train, there? A certain child ran him through my hair the other day and I had to cut it to get the train out!

3.10.2021

^^Ezra got through his nasty stomach bug with a lot of warm baths!^^

The stomach bug hit our family. It took down Ezra first. He threw up four nights straight! Poor baby. I slept (well, more like napped through the night) on a mattress in his room just so I could help him out. Then Jed came down with the bug on Monday. I picked him up from school and he slept on the couch for the majority of the afternoon. Finally, Levi threw up in the car on the way home from swim team. He said he felt fine... up until the moment he suddenly didn't. Fortunately, he threw up in a bag. Good boy! I was so relieved to find out that I didn't have to clean out the back of my car. So far, the rest of us have been lucky enough to avoid it. I'm crossing my fingers it stays that way. The even better news is that Jed and Levi are bulletproof. They bounced back quickly and are back in school.

Anyway, Monday was a day where I felt inspired to get out my camera a bunch. I love how much variety I can get just in a day -- even if it was a very imperfect, slightly derailed and messy day.

3.05.2021

2.26.2021

^^Moobs = Man + Boobs^^

8.04.2020

^^Hammock hangs in the backyard at bedtime.^^

What's been happening around here...

AT HOME:

Overall, we're having fun and doing well!

As a mother, I feel like I'm beginning to get my feet back under me... just in time to start a strange school year. 😜 Adding a fourth child has been simply just that: adding one more -- except it's harder to feed myself actual meals, but that's just the new baby stage. The chaos isn't any worse than it was. And we'd still be dealing the same problems/meltdowns with or without a baby, so bring on the snuggles!

4.30.2020

We are on week 7 of "quarantine" with plans to begin our gradual trek back to normalcy in phases beginning this weekend. Hip, hip, hooray! However, I have a feeling it's going to be a long time until life is truly normal again.

I can rattle off two positive personal outcomes from staying at home.

1. Conrad is officially poop trained now! He's such a stubborn turd. (Pun intended.) It only took him a solid year after being pee trained THROUGH THE NIGHT to accomplish the task. Believe me when I say I tried absolutely every tactic out there. I now keep a stash of potty treats in the pantry and eagerly give it out in handfuls.

2. I make the bed everyday. And since I make the bed everyday, I figured I'd better attach another habit to it: my morning prayer. I've never been able to make that a consistent habit... until now. It's amazing what impact a little prayer (and honestly a moment to meditate or reflect) has had on my life as a mother.

In other news, however, it feels like the outside world is preparing to rip itself apart. The economy is in ruin, the food supply chain has been severely disrupted, free speech through media outlets is being censored, and people are verbally and/or physically attacking each other in the name of social distancing. A political power struggle (remember, it's a presidential election year) seems to be running the world these days. It's very concerning.

3.29.2020

^^Chasing rainbows first thing in the morning.^^

It has been two fulls weeks since the kids' school was cancelled and we've been practicing "social distancing." Last Wednesday, the governor of Idaho officially mandated a 21 Day Stay at Home order, closing down all non-essential businesses and asking residents to self isolate in order to slow the spread of Covid-19.

I'll be honest. It's been a long two weeks. This is quite the sudden adjustment! A worldwide pandemic was totally not on my radar for 2020. We've had some really good days here at home as a family and a few others where I've just fallen apart.

Those hard days have happened for two reasons:
1. This exhausted pregnant mama needs more sleep to keep up with three energetic boys!
2. I was still mentally kicking against this new reality.

My concerns in my last post still stand... along with a few others. Wow, the physical, emotional, and economic effects are far reaching! It can feel very heavy.

But overall, however, I think I am finally settling in to this new reality with hope that restrictions will begin to lift in the next few weeks. I am truly fortunate in this pandemic situation. I am thankful for a community that is working to keep people safe and protect our health system. I am grateful Bron is still working and bringing home an income. (Those cows still need to be milked and food brought to the masses!) I am extremely fortunate to live in a nice warm home with a full pantry and a big yard. Best of all, I am surrounded by the people whom I love more than anything. We have our health and each other. What more really matters?

I sincerely do wonder what I will learn from all this time in isolation glued to just my family and home. What will I learn about myself? What will I learn I need to change? What will I learn about motherhood and my boys? I'm hoping I come through the next few weeks a little wiser and not bald because I've pulled all my hair out just trying to meet the needs of three very energetic and extroverted boys. Haha.

For the record, I feel just as busy with the kids all home as I did when they were in school. The really nice advantage is that I've dropped my role as taxi driver. There is no longer any pressure to make sure dinner is ready promptly at 5pm so that the boys can make it to swim team at 6pm. And my house is staying cleaner because there's more time to clean it and the boys help!

I feel much more relaxed. I might even be a better mom now that time isn't an issue! I can focus on my child's immediate need instead of preparing for the next thing.

Just an observation...

1.17.2020

A giant THANK YOU to all of you out there who trusted me to take your photos this last year. I was able to invest that money into a brand new mirrorless camera and I am over the moon excited in its capabilities! This is one of my first "test shots" straight out of the box.

My trusty Canon 6D is now five years old and the focus seems to be soft with all of my lenses. I have loved that camera and taken it everywhere with me. In fact, I'm kind of sentimentally attached. It hasn't been abused, but it has definitely been a work horse. I've been eyeing some new cameras for months though -- researching and drooling over their specs online -- but I just couldn't bring myself to make a decision or pull the trigger... until the Canon EOS R went on sale the last week of December. I made the plunge and am so happy I did! This camera was definitely the right choice for me. I cannot wait to see the pictures I can create with it this year.

I'll be honest though. The new autofocus capabilities are overwhelming. I feel like I'm learning how to use a camera all over again! But it's exciting because my pictures are tack sharp and I know that eventually handling this camera will feel like second nature... just as my old trusty 6D did. So here's a few pictures from my learning curve.

12.21.2019

^^Just happy to play in a big box.^^

9.24.2019

Welcome Fall! I can't tell you how excited I am about wearing sweaters and watching the leaves change colors. It's here!!! Conrad and I have been going on weekly Friday morning dates to play and just be outdoors. I love having a little buddy around who genuinely likes to explore with me. Conrad is so cute and so much fun. Plus, he might even enjoy the Taco Wagon more than me! I am so grateful we have three more years together before he heads off to school.

A few things that happened this month:

:: The kids performed in their Primary Program at church last Sunday! I've been the primary music leader all year and I am so glad that the program is over. Haha. We sang 13 songs! I am so proud of the primary children; they knew every word and sang their little hearts out... especially Levi who sang with a lot of enthusiasm! That kid has so much personality. My mom even came out to visit to see the program first hand. The boys were sooo excited to have Grandma and Grandpa Kelley there to see them! I admit, it was fun for me too.

:: I served on a jury last week. It was my first time being able to serve on a jury. There was just six of us and I found it really kind of interesting. It was a he said - she said kind of a case about a young man eluding a police officer. When we went back to deliberate at the end of the day, I thought there was no way we had enough evidence to find the kid guilty. But then we began discussing things through logically and proving all the points the judge sent with us. (One observation: education and life experience make a difference when thinking logically! A young person without an education can be a bit difficult to work with on a jury.) In the end, we found the young man guilty of eluding a police officer. I don't know what his sentence was, but I do hope the judge wasn't too harsh. The defendant was just a scared mouthy kid, after all! But the facts spoke for themselves; we couldn't let emotion get in the way. Did he commit the crime or did he not commit the crime? I suppose a good judge fills in for the emotion and can show some mercy when appropriate. It was a misdemeanor anyway; it won't stay on his permanent record.

Also, jury duty wiped me out! The next day I was sooo tired. I'm not used to sitting and paying close attention to detail all day.

:: Bron and I took all three boys to Sushi Ya for an all you can eat sushi dinner. Bron and I looked at each other and laughed, "What have we done?" These boys are developing some expensive pallets! But I am so proud that the boys love to try new foods and often find that they like them. It was so funny to watch Jed and Levi stuff themselves. Jed leaned back in his chair with his hands on his stomach. There was no possible way he could eat another bite. Levi claimed he launched his "emergency stomach". "Don't throw up!" I begged. We pretty much rolled the boys to the truck. An expensive but totally successful and memorable dinner outing. #worthit

8.22.2019

^^Two year old potty humor. He thought he was hilarious! 😂^^

You guys, I take it back. I'm not quite ready for summer to end and school to start after all. It's no secret that summer is hands down my favorite season: the warm sunshine, water play, adventuring, sleeping in, and being together as a family. It just can't be beat! I am going to miss these carefree days and late backyard sunsets like crazy.

The other day I turned on Pandora to jam out while I cleaned my kitchen. The song 'Summer of '69' came on.... "those were the best days of my life." I wondered to myself what the best days of my life might be when I'm old and wrinkly and ready to pass on. I thought of those days when Bron and I were dating and newly married. Those were definitely good ones. And then it occurred to me that these just might be some of the best days of my life. Right now! The last couple of years and perhaps a few more ahead. The kids are at such fun and innocent ages. They're independent enough that they sleep through the night and can grab their own breakfast. The boys love my attention and don't mind hanging out with me. In fact, they think their parents are pretty cool! Bron's career is humming along. We live in a nice home on a beautiful piece of property with some of the best friends God ever created. Life is good and we're pretty darn lucky. Yup. These are the days!

6.28.2019

^^My bare chested boys of summer! Procrastination at its finest. They didn't want to read or practice, so they raided my craft closet. I helped them make the headbands. Then they promptly went off to "war" in the backyard. But first, a picture.^^

June in a Dozen Short Paragraphs (ish)

1. I WON a $100 gift card to Maverick from a drawing! Pretty cool.

2. Levi hit Jed in the head with a two by four. Kid has a temper. No worries, Jed is okay and probably partially deserved it.

3. My hormones are all out of whack again. I know because I have felt abnormally stressed and have a very short temper the week before I start my period. Then I feel relief when it finally starts. (At least I recognize the severe mood swings, right?) It means I am hopping back on birth control, bringing a year and a half stint of trying for a fourth baby to an end. It's really bittersweet, but feels like the right thing? I think. Secondary infertility is the pits. My friend Danielle empathized with me and told me that it's okay to mourn that loss, that dream. Bless her. I could have kissed her and cried; she understands.

Slowly, I think I am learning to trust God and His plan for me, to be content with what I've been given. Three healthy boys are more than enough to fill my motherhood cup!

6.08.2019

We've kicked off the summer strong and hard! I've found myself reaching for my camera often because I just love everything that screams summer and outdoors and childhood. Our skin is sun kissed and we've been going to bed late. I'll let the pictures tell most of the stories. After all, a picture speaks a thousand words, right?

Three Points About Real Life Lately:

1. First, I just want to acknowledge that the struggle is real! There are challenges over here that come in all shapes and sizes. (Our first week of summer together has been... intense, for lack of a better word.) I know it's easy to assume that perhaps we live a life without problems because I seem to post only the highlight reel, but please know that our hard moments -- the ones that make us stretch and grow -- exist every day. Some are pretty darn monotonous too. Motherhood is as physically exhausting as it is mentally exhausting! However, I don't like to dwell on the negative. I'm here to celebrate motherhood and family! I'm here to seek out beauty in the small moments of life that make me feel happy. Please don't ever mistake my optimism for perfection. This blog is a summary of our life, but I omit a significant amount of details/opinions to protect the image and feelings of my loved ones.

No thunderstorm was going to deter us from attending the Young's annual summer kickoff party! It thundered and rained on and off the entire afternoon. But the kids ate popsicles and jumped in the pool anyway. Our friend Shonni brought six wee rescue rabbits to share. I wish we could have brought one home with us. Conrad's outfit killed me. The red boots + Dad's socks + his tiny pants + a bunny = winner of best dressed for the party. Clearly!

After the party, I took Levi to get a baby tooth pulled. Am I the meanest mom ever? Probably. But no worries. He bounced back quick.

5.09.2019

Spring is here!!!

:: Sometimes when I want to shoot just for me, I attach my old and not so reliable 50mm lens with the intent to capture what I can and practice free lensing. It helps me let go of my perfectionism and just shoot from the heart. My boys feel it too because these are the moments when I often capture some of my most favorite photos of them.

We had so much fun last night playing outside together on the "bike track" the big boys are obsessed with. Some kids with a four wheeler and dirt bike put in the track on a small piece of "no man's land" a few weeks ago and now Jed and Levi (as well as their friends Caleb and Josh) have claimed it as theirs. They've carried a shovel out there a time or two after school to make improvements. These kids have the life!

3.03.2019

Conrad snuggling with Teddy Bear and his blanket on the couch to watch his favorite show: Curious George! He has now moved on to binge watching Mickey Mouse Club House, which he delightfully calls, "Mickey Mouse House House!" We are officially in new parenting territory now: the tv can be used as a babysitter while I shower or get something done. Yippee!

2.20.2019

^^Big brother playing Conrad's favorite game after school: Peel the Apple. It's a type of tickling game that gets everyone laughing.^^

There are only 28 days in February. It's the shortest month of the year. Why then does it always feel so neverending?

This year, we are living in an ice box: a place where the snow just keeps coming down, it never melts, and the roads are icy. Winter arrived in all its fury this February and is refusing to go away!

Okay. Okay. So it's really pretty. And being "snowed in" makes justifying staying home in my sweat pants and watching too much TV kind of sweetly satisfying. But I, a self-proclaimed sun worshiper, will never truly embrace winter no matter how hard I try. Nope. I'm ready to hop on my bike or hit up the park with my little sidekick! Spring. Where are you?!?

All this cold has spurred on some nasty illness statewide. The actual flu virus swept through our home last week. Jed and Levi had a wrestling tournament in Jerome on February 9th. I'm 98% positive that's where the bug came from.

By the way, the boys wrestled well. Even though they didn't win any trophies, they made us proud. Jed is a scrappy thing with some grit! And Levi just needs some more time on the mats to really figure out the sport. The morning was a good experience for everyone and we celebrated by taking the kids out to lunch.

That evening, while Bron and I were out on a date, we got a phone call from Levi around 8:45pm saying that Jed had thrown up everywhere and that we needed to come home fast. (Poor traumatized babysitter!) We arrived home to find that Jed had indeed thrown up everywhere and was lying on the bathroom floor with a fever. Poor kid. By 10pm, everything was cleaned up and under control again. By 8am the next day, Jed was acting like nothing had happened! He's our chronic puker, after all. (Meaning, when he gets upset or overtired, he throws up!) I wasn't quite sure what to think. And so with church canceled Sunday morning (due to winter roads), I went ahead and let him join the neighborhood kids playing in the fresh snow outside.

1.29.2019

^^Puppy kisses!^^

1. Conrad started potty training! He's doing so well. No kidding. I tried it a few months ago and my efforts failed miserably; he just wasn't ready. But over the last couple of weeks, Conrad has intermittently ripped off his diaper and peed in the toilet all by himself! What?! I took that as a sign that I should probably try again. On day one he had accidents all morning, but by evening had some successes. Woohoo! On the morning of day two (today), he pooped in the toilet. And as any parent knows, that's a big win. I think Conrad might be just as excited and impressed as we are! He's smiling from ear to ear and telling me all about it -- even though I was there. Hehe. We've been loading on the praise and the treats. I am so proud of him. However, potty training has made Conrad a lot more clingy and emotional. I can only imagine. What a huge feat to suddenly learn to control your body like that! So Conrad has been getting lots of extra cuddles today.

10.21.2018

^^October golden hour taking my breath away.^^

^^Home for the last seven years.^^

^^And the middle child strikes again. I grabbed the camera because all three of my boys were reading together, but of course I captured THIS. Haha.^^

It was a weekend of football games, good food, and friends. September 30th, was also the day of the primary program at church. I was a proud beaming mama sitting in the audience watching my boys sing their little hearts out with enthusiasm. Conrad sat next to me on the pew, eating his snack like he was watching the greatest show on earth. It was hilarious. I even got to play my violin along with the kids on a couple of songs. But my personal favorite highlight from the weekend was probably the Saturday morning mountain bike ride date with my true love. It was an adventure! We rode a new trail and found some incredible Fall colors. Totally a highlight reel, but it really doesn't get any better than that.

9.24.2018

With family pictures taking over my life right now, I've been on the lookout for new places to shoot. Well, when I saw these flowers popping up along the side of the road next to the corn field just a mile from our home, I knew I needed to venture out there at golden hour. So one evening, I gathered up my favorite little model and my camera, and we strolled on down there. The rest was all Conrad. He stuffed corn leaves into his overalls. Then he felt itchy, so he undressed himself. After that, he sat near a puddle and threw rocks into it. Lifestyle photography doesn't get more authentic than this. Between the light, the background, and the moments, these are hands-down some of my favorite photos ever.

SLIDER