Grand Prismatic Spring

After two trips to the airport, I am happy to report that our vacation was fantastic. Here's just a little taste of one of my favorite sights- the Grand Prismatic Spring at Yellowstone National Park.

I asked my dad to take a photo of me and after standing there with the camera in his hands I wasn't sure he actually took anything. So this is what we got. I think it turned out pretty well, considering I was standing there for 3 minutes not moving.

My contemplative husband: 

Not pictured: our trip to the local creek where we jumped off the bridge, Ole Faithful,  my parent's lovely retirement ceremony, family games and sitting around the fire. It was really a wonderful trip and in this case, I don't think words or photos will do it justice!

sidewalk chalk

Middle school girls and hormones. Enough said, ammiright?? Sometimes it seems to be a daily struggle to get them to act their age and stop pretending to be 18. Sometimes they just need to relax and be kids. So we bought some sidewalk chalk.

 

Do you play THE GAME?! If you do, then you just lost.

We escalated to Frozen quotes pretty quickly:

I actually got him to sit for this photo! Squeal!

I love hanging out with our girls and being kids together.

today is a holiday

while the rest of the world celebrates st. patty's day, i'm celebrating my adorable nephew's birthday! he's a bundle of pure joy and i'm sad we don't get to spend the day together, so i crammed, jam-packed-to-the-brim an envelope of goodies.

like these crayons i made:

which are to be kept in here {an old tazo tea can}:

and these fun recipe cards:

plus a handmade card and paper bunting:

and a little craft kit, zoo stickers, toy story sticker pack, coloring book, mini bottles of bubbles and easter window clings:

all topped off with origami luck stars and candy!

 whew!

i spent like a week putting it all together, and i loved every second of it! my big sister said he had a great time opening it and sent me this as proof:

added bonus: he's wearing the yo gabba gabba hat i made him for valentine's day that sis says he tries to sleep in. 

could he be any cuter??

our little get-away

so maybe most people don't consider visiting family a "get-away" but our trip to my big sister's house in new-mexico-but-almost-colorado was just that.

we got to spend some quality time with her and my brother-in-law, but my little nephew is always the highlight {sorry big sis, he's just a whole lot cuter than anyone else i know}

and these two together? hilarious. {and extra adorable}

we're already planning on visiting during spring break. even if we have to hitchhike there and back!

wichita weekend

i had such a good weekend in wichita. i haven't seen my dad's family since i was in high school {which was a surprising long time ago} we played countless games of 'sets and sequences'- the card game everyone has been playing since before i was born {also a surprisingly long time ago}

me and grandma:

we had a big family dinner on sunday afternoon {with aunts and grandparents and cousins and cousins-in-law and all their kids...}  but i was just way too busy catching up and enjoying being together to snap any more photos. we barely got these in before we rolled out of town.

dad, cousin tommy, me, aunt sheree

can you tell we had a good time?

hubby had to stay home and work {aka grade papers} but we're hoping to make it down there again before we move. there's nothing like a weekend away with family and food!

my flowery weekend

what did you do for memorial day?

me? i went to visit my parents in omaha {for the last time before they move to chicago} and while the weekend was mostly filled with family time, movies, and just sitting around, we did make a trip out to lauritzen gardens. and it was gorgeous!

peek-a-boo toes!

me, mom and grandma grandma {as i always call her}

and when we took grandma back to her home, there were little ducks running around. they live in the pond right outside.

how cute are they?!

i hope you all had a weekend as beautiful as mine :)

violin fingers

this past weekend i went to omaha to visit my family and play a gig with my sister- dinner music for my mom's women's retreat {the last one she planned before she moves to chicago in june}

 {and yeah, sister and i decided to match and wear black and yellow. cause we're awesome and never too old to be matchy-matchy}

i know it looks like we're just making goofy faces, but we're really that {some might say overly} dramatic. 

but whatever, we have fun.

and what was supposed to be 1 hour of dinner music, turned into 2 {which was fine with me, because little sister and i don't get many opportunities to play to together anymore and we had plenty of music} and if you've never seen a violinists fingers after 2 straight hours of playing {and a 20 minute warm-up} let me show you:

can you see all the little black lines? it looks really weird, but it doesn't last long. it had already mostly worn off 20 minutes later, when i took the photo. the little indentations from the strings are already totally gone.

it somehow feels oddly satisfying- like i've been playing super hard {which i guess, technically, i was}

advice from my mom

today i'm guest posting over at auburn street. sarah has started an "advice from my mom" series that i'm so excited to be a part of! {cause i just love my momma}

so if you want to read advice from my mom {and sarah's too} then head over and check it out.

and if you want to contribute your own mom's advice, email sarah at helloauburnst@gmail.com

mom love!

today is a special day.

it's my mom's birthday!

{yep, she's gorgeous}

besides my hubby, she knows me better than anyone else on the planet. she is my life-long mentor and role-model. when i was a little girl, i thought that if i grew up to be half as smart as her then i'd be doing alright.

even though she's always been one of my best friends, it's really cool to see how our relationship has changed as i've gotten older. like we choose to be friends now, not just a we're-mother-and-daughter-so-we-have-to-like-it sort of thing.

and if you think i'm crafty- you should see her!

happy birthday, mom!

born on april fools

it's my birthday! yay!

and being born on april fools means i always hear two things:

 1) did you ever think your birthday is just one big april fools day joke?

2) it totally suits you.

{i have no idea why}:

what can i say? it runs in the family!

me, dad, mom, little sis

{costumes made by mom}

sister love & bragging rights

despite the fact that she was in major pain, and at the emergency room until 4am the morning before. my sister was awesome at her masterclass with yo-yo ma!

it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and very thrilling. 

seriously, it was like having an acting class and meeting meryl streep. {that's actually a very poor comparison, but i can't think of anything comparable to playing for the best cellist in the world. or ever}

two other students played as well, but joy went first {because she started on stage, since her leg is in a cast and had to hop up the stairs}

and in my not-so-humble {but very biased} opinion, she was the best player, the most entertaining, and had the longest lesson. she got lots of compliments from people in the audience, and yo-yo was definitely impressed. {he used the word "incredible"!! eek!}

sadly, we weren't allowed to take photos or record anything during the masterclass {these are shots of her warming up before anyone came in} but she got some photos taken with him afterwards that i'm hoping they will email her soon. {he also took a photo with me since i wheeled her around and carried her cello for her. he's so nice!}

i can't even begin to tell you how amazing yo-yo ma was.

no. words.

and in case you would like to know, she played: 

Pampeana for Cello & Piano Opus 21 by Alberto Ginastera

it's a really wonderful and fun piece. give it a listen:

also, she had ankle surgery today, but everything went great and she'll be going home tomorrow. i'm just so proud of my little sis! {thanks for letting me brag} {and thanks for all the well wishes!}

card for sister

my sister broke her ankle {surgery scheduled for monday}, had a birthday, and is playing for yo yo ma, all in one week.

{what a week!}

so i made her a get well slash happy birthday slash good luck card.

and yes, you heard right, she's playing for yo yo ma! today! i am beyond thrilled and excited and very proud of my little sis. needless to say, i'll be posting some photos and other braggy things after the master class is over. 

send her some good cello {and get well} vibs, won't you?

 

going home {and coming back}

i love going home. {by which i mean visiting my parents.} we always have a wonderful time- sleeping in, playing games, watching the national geographic channel.

it's great to catch up with mom, browse my sister's enourmous dvd collection and raid her closet, and gather around the dinner table for some good food.  all things you can't do over the phone. 

but as much as i love going home for the weekend, i love coming back just as much. there's nothing quite like coming back to your own apartment, your own little family, unpacking, showering in your own shower before settling in for the night and saying- "all right week, i'm ready for you to begin."

i hope all your weekends were as wonderful as mine <3

photo here

my photo christmas cards

if i were sending out photo christmas cards, these would be it:

{although none of them are current.}

i've been on a "sorting" thing lately and i was organizing my photos and found these and had to share:

hubby, his grandparents and sister skiing in utah {april 2002}
so beautiful! this really would make a great card

my family, minus big sister and brother {circa early 90's}

and yes, i'm the one with the little smirk, not looking at the camera 
and wearing one of my favorite christmas dresses

merry christmas kitties! {the only current photo of the bunch}

cache and aria

i get to include this cause there's a christmas tree :)

{can you tell that even at a young age i enjoyed being the center of attention?}

i'm wearing a undershirt, and my favorite blankey wrapped around me and belted. 
so chic.

merry sitsmas everyone!

crafty family

over the holidays one of the things my mom, sisters and i did was make necklaces.

it was awesome!

my mom took us to the store, let us pick out our beads ect. and then we went home and made a huge mess! it was the. best.

i love creating together. and this too:
to protect their identity {and pride} the subject will go unnamed 

unfortunately, i only got fotos of mine:

{and it's not even a great one}

my mom is especially good at making jewelry, and she's put some of her smaller pieces on etsy! and at $25 a piece, they make great hand-crafted and high quality gifts. and did i mention that  

all proceeds go to charity?!?{salvation army world services}

go check it out. she would love it!

red kettle campaign

wet money and the sound of the change machine. 

these are two things that always come to mind for me when i think about christmas.

weird, i know.

 i've talked before about my parents' jobs as salvation army officers {here}. which makes me an officer's kid, which comes with all kinds of unusual things. and because of this, my holidays have always been full of kettle counting. you know? all the people in front of stores ringing bells with the big "sharing is caring" signs. i love helping my parents count the money. i don't know why. wet money smells bad, and it's really dirty, but for me, it's just part of the christmas spirit.

i still remember when i was a little kid, living in iowa, falling asleep every night to the sound of the change machine going in the living room. we lived in a small city, so my parents usually counted all alone {every night}, and the change machine only separated the coins then. they still had to roll them and count them. now, they live in a huge{ish} city and count money with lots of other people, and the change machine is much quieter and actually counts the money for them.

and {almost} every time i visit them i still go help count. 

i love it.

hubby hates it.

{cause he's a germaphobe. did i mention how dirty money is?}

so, besides sharing one of my christmas stories with you, i also wanted to share this:

Banner Ad for Red Kettle

my own personal online kettle!

i can't tell you how excited i am to host this on my little blog. i love the kettle campaign and every year i bring out all my change, carry it around with me and put some in every kettle i come by.

it's a wonderful charity, you can donate as little or as much as you want because every little bit helps! truly! the salvation army is a charity with one of the lowest overheads, so what you give actually goes to people in need- not paying for publicity, paying to keep the lights on, or salaries {trust me on that one}

if you're looking for an easy and meaningful way to give back this holiday season, please consider donating!

thanksgiving fotos

there were so many wonderful things about this thanksgiving, but one of the best was finally being able to spend some time with this guy:

my nephew ryan richard

the cutest, smartest 2 1/2 year-old i've ever met!

hubby and josh. two peas in a pod

{josh's proudest moment of the week may have been when he taught ryan the "fist bump explosion"}

at the airport {tear}

ryan and my mom {aka grammy} getting ready for a walk

i made him that orange hat :)

ryan and great-grandma!

she absolutely loved playing with him. it was cute.

that's all for now  {i could look at this little boy all day!}

more to come.

my favorite thanksgiving story

my parents have always been planners. so when i was in 7th or 8th grade they decided it was time to update their wills. in order to do this, they talked to each me and my siblings {2 sisters, 1 brother} about what we would want left to us.

we were all together for thanksgiving that year as well {which doesn't usually happen} and i was talking to my older sister and said , "yeah, i talked to mom and dad about their will, and i told them i wasn't sure what i wanted, but i know i want that lamp"

big sister: "wait, what lamp?"

me: "you know, the one with the dancing lady and the colored glass"

big sis: "no way! i told them i want the lamp!"

then my brother walks in.

brother: "what are you guys talking about?"

big sis and i explain about how we both asked for the same lamp. to which he responds,

"well neither one of you are going to get it because that's the only thing i asked for!"

big sis: "i'm the oldest! i should get it!"

me: "oh yeah, well when did you talk to them, cause i asked for it first!"

brother: "i love it more than either of you, so i should get it!"

meanwhile my little sister has come in, and jumps in on the action:

"what?!? you mean you guys all want that lamp? cause i want it too!"

at this point we're all laughing hysterically, along with my parents.

i have no idea what it is about this lamp that we all love so much, but we really do. i'm sure my parents have had it for almost 40 years, so we all kinda grew up with it.

{marble base, bronze figurine, porceline face, hand blown glass in italy}

my mom's solution is to just break it so none of us can have it.

i wish everyone a wonderful thanksgiving, with lots of new stories to share!

my favorite holiday

for many many years now thanksgiving has been my favorite holiday. i've often thought it was very under-appreciated, but i think that may partially be because, while i love it for all the traditional reasons, i have many of my own too.

{thanksgiving '07, sister.me.hubby}

my parents are salvation army officers {simplified, they are pastors and social workers put together} since the holidays are such a time for giving and charity you can imagine how busy my household gets. well, actually maybe not. i know the holidays are crazy for everyone, but in my house it was the most stressful time of the year {and not something we really looked forward to}. my dad dropped us off at school and came home after we went to bed so it's safe to say we saw him most on sundays when he was behind the pulpit. my parents were organizing volunteers, managing bell ringing, over-seeing christmas adoptions, angel tree gifts, food baskets, christmas parties for staff and volunteers, and much much more.

this is of course on top of traditional holiday extras such as orchestra.choir.chamber concerts and friends' holiday parties.

i lost my family during the holidays, and my sister and i usually lived off pizza rolls and frozen pot pies {which i can't complain about because i thoroughly enjoy}

so for me, thanksgiving is not just about what i'm thankful for, it's really about family. it was our family's last hurrah. our last home made meal for many weeks, or actually our last meal together for weeks. it was the weekend we actually got to enjoy the holiday spirit. the presents were all bought {there was no time for shopping after black friday} we always decorated the day after thanksgiving and if the tree didn't get up by saturday, it didn't make it up at all {and yes, that happened once or twice}. after that, it was just a marathon run to christmas day. yes, in my family we counted down the days until christmas for a very different reason!

so even though my parents' positions have changed and christmas doesn't bring as many stresses and obligations as before, and i've moved out of the house {but still eating pizza rolls and pot pies} thanksgiving will always have a very special place in my heart. it always reminds me that though i have many things to be thankful for, the one that out weights all of the others put together is family! i'm going home tomorrow to be with my parents, brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews and i can't wait!

what makes thanksgiving so special for you?

about a mouse

i had an amazing weekend.

one of those weekends where every moment is good.

hubby and i went to a poetry reading at a local art gallery on friday night, then headed to omaha for some time with my family on saturday. and even though we were only there for 24 hours it was wonderful!

so much laughing my stomach still hurts.

josh was doing homework most of our time there,

but we got to spend some quality time together on the trip there and back.

i love traveling with him because i can call a three hour car-ride "quality time" and he makes it seem so much shorter! i'm so glad that after 2 years of dating and 3 years of marriage we can still talk for hours.

anyway, one of my favorite stories from the weekend involves my dad.

background: my dad loves christmas lights, and takes great pride in his yearly (very classy and beautiful) displays.

he also has a terrible habit of breaking things (such as ribs, ankles, and heads) and falling off ladders.

exhibit a: one year (when i was around 8) he was putting up decorations, fell of the ladder onto the fence post and broke several ribs.

exhibit b: last year he was putting up decorations at the office and fell off the ladder, badly sprained his wrist and was very disoriented for hours.

this year my mom called to tell me that he fell off the ladder. again. and broke something. again.

it was a mouse.

he fell on a mouse and killed it.

only my dad.

i love him :)

(putting up more lights with both feet safely and firmly planted on the ground)