Month: February 2010

I often refer to the place we live as Brown Town.  Beauty is around us, but is often elusive, and I have to be on the lookout to find it.  When we first moved here, I set a goal to find something beautiful daily, it almost became a game for me.  I find that I still do this at least once a week.  There is always beauty to be found coming down the hill into Dayton especially in the the fall and the spring. The big cottonwoods frame the shore of the river.  Charm can be found hiking around the ruins of the old mill, and in the old buildings in old town Dayton.  We love to walk down to the river from our home and stop at the little pond and try to catch frogs.  Today we took a walk after church down to the river.  It was such a wonderful day that we wandered a little further than normal, and found a waterfall (kind of) and a beach.  I was so pleasantly surprised, after living here for 9 years, we found something new.  I’m looking forward many picnics there this spring.  I love the little surprises life gives.

Waterfall (kind of)

Feeding Daddy a rock sandwich

Daddy and his girls, nice Aubrey! She did something crazy in every picture, little goose.

A decent one of Aubrey

Aubrey collected shells on the beach and came home with dozens of them in her pocket

Hallie loved being outside, I couldn’t resist taking some pictures of her

Cookies are made, and Valentines ready.  I made the easiest Valentines for the kids this year.  I took a picture of the kids holding a fist, added a little wording on the cards, 1 hour print at Costco, insert sucker, and out the door.

Life is good.  There are so many places I have to be, so many things that need to be done… yet things can be changed forever  in seconds.  I have been following this heart breaking story (here) .  A reminder to me how precious life is, how diligent I need to be as a parent, and how important it is to tell the people you love what they mean to you.

This has been a CrAzY week.  Tanner had two basketball games, scouts, there was activity days for Emma and the spelling bee at the end of the week and two piano lessons.  I feel tired and worn out trying to keep up with it all, but at the same time so happy that we have so many fun things to do.

The spelling bee was a nail biter.  Emma did so great, but at the last word CHOKED big time.  Poor kid, I tried to get her to hold it together, I didn’t think she’d want all of the pictures in the paper to be of her with tears in her eyes.  She did shed a few but for the most part held it together.  She took second place, and did so well.  I have no doubts that next year she will take 1st place.  She has this goal to make it to the national spelling bee in Washington D.C. and had she won she would have been one step closer… Oh well, it was, overall a positive experience.

A few pictures from our busy week.

Waiting for the Bee to begin

Emma with the her GT teacher and the two other students sent to the Bee from her school.

Grandma O’Barr sent Alyssa this little dress up skirt that she made with some left over material.  Alyssa, of course, loves it.  She asked me if she could wear it to Disney Land to show Sleeping Beauty.