alma mater

i'm a true blue cougar.
there are some things on which this girl will never turn her back.
i love that our girls have blue (BYU cougs) and red (MD terrapins!!!) in their veins...
but
since, we are in coug country these days, i don't mind brainwashing them just a little bit...
i love to take them to "momma's school" and
they love to eat in the cougar eat (food court).
i especially love when h decides to wear a princess cowgirl hat when we go:

"Popi! there's no whipped cream there!

A few weeks ago Emmeline was watching me shave, all the while asking questions. So, of course, I explained all about how a warm lather opens the pours makes for an easier and more pleasant shave. How, shaving cream is important because it helps in the process by moisturizing the skin and allowing the razor to glide more smoothly across the skin and thus avoiding cutting one's self.

As 4 year olds do, she must have summarily tucked this vital information away. This became obvious when, the following week, I was again shaving with my little "on-looker" at my side. I made one swipe with the razor and returned for a second swipe across the now "shaving creamless" skin when I heard a high-pitched warning--"Papi! There's no whipped cream there!".

At this point, there was nothing left but to engage in a more in-depth explanation :)

"please excuse the mess,

the children are making memories" (anonymous from pinterest.com)

one of the hardest things for me as a homemaker/momma is the constant state of mess.
the moment i finish cleaning the bathroom, there is some sort of an accident or spill on its floor.
the moment i finish cleaning the kitchen, someone tracks in mud, goat poop, or hay and dumps dirty dishes in the sink.
the moment i finish the laundry, it's time to get into pj's and put our day's clothing in the hamper.

this quote gives me a little hope that someday, this perpetual pile of laundry will be forgotten,

and what will remain are the memories the children made.

The way we roll

Winter has finally come and gifted us a little snow that has stuck. It seems delayed and discombobulating.

In preparation of the winter season, we purchased an annual family pass to Thanksgiving Point. It was pretty expensive, and it took a while to cull the finances to do it, but it is exactly what we need. At least once a week, we go there. Sometimes we meet friends, sometimes we take visitors, sometimes we meet up with mr. j who works within the Thanksgiving Point real estate expanse, but mostly we spend some quality three musketeer wheeler girl time together. It's quiet during the day during the week and we never tire of the farm, nor the dinosaur museum, (and being completely honest) nor from the complimentary ice cream cones for the girls. :)

readying selves for tractor ride

pony rides

assessing the goats....e seems unimpressed, while h is more enthusiastic

Pictures! Finally ;)

So much propaganda of late, right?
Back to an easy breezy post with a picture of e


kaity and craig threw their annual gingerbread house decorating party and we were lucky enough to be invited a second year! secretly, but now www publicly, i hope they continue this tradition for the rest of our lives. i love being together as a family decorating and creating.
read all the deets here.
mr j, seriously outdid himself this year and blew our socks and, subsequently, trousers off with his two-story japanese inspired abode.
i am learning to never doubt this man.

we had a very quiet and peaceful Christmas.

our new year was pretty rockin' though.
so stay tuned...

worked up

re: the supposed kardashian and mattel hookup to produce limited edition barbies...
I am more upset that Barbies exist in general, than the fact that individuals chosen to team up with Mattel might not be good role models. Barbies are just the beginning of a lie our society complicity sells in terms of how females are supposed to look.
The rumor claims the dolls will recreate the girls' measurements as well as their fashion/look. Which measurements? The photoshop'd ones? The "me at my best weight" ones? The "me during the holiday eating free for fall" ones?
Kardashians and Barbies already exist in the same category for me. My daughters (4 and 2 yrs old) will not be exposed to either in our home as minors.
Check out www.beautyredefined.com and www.missrepresentation.com for groups of people that are working on addressing this issue.
mother of two,
A

another annoucement

sheesh! right?
stop it with all the announcing already.
mr. j and i have been working like beavers to get this going.
and we just cannot help sharing!
we have already secured and begun work on two very substantial ebook contracts. it's rewarding work and the perk of "having" to read has quickly revealed its solace for my soul.

we feel like a powerful team, working together in total unison to accomplish goals we set together.
i am tremendously humbled by the goodness in our lives right now.