this is my favorite weekend

September has been such perfect weather. I wish I could say I was outside enjoying it every day before the cold comes. When the twins are happy to play at home I use that time to clean and organize and de-junk the house. They have been very good friends these days so we haven't been outside as much. Which is better, a clean house and missing out on the sun shiny bike rides or having a messy house and staring at the blue sky with the wind in our hair?

I'm so happy it's a lazy Friday. The kids are all playing with cousins and friends and I'm here with Sarah and my sweet niece Penelope. We are playing house. I'm the mom and they are my babies. Recently Gwenyth  and Sarah keep saying they wish they were real life babies again because they used to be so cute. I don't know where they get the idea that they used to be cute. I keep trying to tell them they are just as wonderful now as they were when they were babies. Just for fun though we play house and pretend they are babies again. I swaddle their big 4 year old bodies, they talk baby talk, I talk baby talk back to them. We even went to All A Dollar and bought bottles and binkies and bibs and baby  powder and baby lotion. I think I like playing house as much as they do.

This weekend is one of the best all year. I'm so happy it's here. I'm going to make a pot roast with mashed potatoes and gravy and homemade bread (in the bread maker). I am going to have my journal open ready to write down the messages that are just for my heart. I went to the temple this morning so I could get my head and heart ready to receive. It was wonderful. I read 2 chapters in Corinthians while I was there and I felt like they were speaking right to me.

  

Can you believe this temple is 10 min from my house. The leaves are changing, they are not quite that brilliant yet, but soon.

Happy General Conference weekend. 

family photos and giving up on the guitar (for now)

If I had time I would blog every day but I don't feel like I can rationalize ignoring my housework even more than I already do. How did my mother keep our house so nice? 

We got our family pictures done. They turned out fun. We have always done nature settings such as this one in November of 2009.

 but this year my Aunt LeeAnn told me about a cool teal blue building she saw in Salt Lake that would be a fun back drop. I was in the mood to do something different so that's what we did. I decided what I wanted to wear,  an orange-ish, coral-ish, flowy shirt I got from Down East. I 'm sure you have the same shirt. 

When ever I buy clothes from Down East I see lots and lots of other ladies in them. I had a teal blue blanket my Grandma made. I laid it on my bedroom floor and then I rummaged through the closets of my kids and laid all 7 outfits out on the blanket to try and picture what we would look like. I hoped it would work. We got to the actual building and  it only took us about an hour to get all the pictures taken. I also had her take pictures of me for my Demo CD. I felt pretentious and awkward posing alone and looking off into the distance like I was so cool. Nate and I tried to get some spontaneous pictures of us two. You know, like we were lovers in love flirting and laughing.  We were just nerdy and awkward instead. AnnaKate is really the only one who loves to pose for pictures and is good at it. She has been since she was tiny.  

she is 3 in these photos

 When the twins were babies my Aunt came to our house to take the pictures because I knew it would give me a nervous breakdown to try to get all my kids and my nursing babies someplace on time and looking nice. 

I'm feeling proud of myself for getting the pictures done. Now if I can just quickly order the ones I want and get them on the walls. That's a whole nother huge expensive job. 

 Here is a sneak peak of our pictures we just barely did last Friday. This was a spontaneous moment, us all looking at Sarah. I don't even remember what was happening and didn't know LeeAnn was taking a picture. Sarah is so funny. LeeAnn emailed me the photos so I don't have the quality ones to post yet. 

Perhaps you're wondering how my guitar lessons are going? 

Well I'll tell you. A couple of weeks ago I was practicing like 10 time a day.

 I have a little room off my kitchen that is the music room. I have my great  grandmother Edith Jordan's piano and my great great grandfather John Wesley Zornes'  guitar and my little ukulele and my pawn shop guitar. While a pot is coming to a boil or I'm waiting on the kids to go brush their teeth and make thier beds I run in there and practice. 

I sit in the same chair in the same position hunched and curled around my guitar trying with all my heart to get better. 

My back got sore.

 I neglected my yoga routine and was hiking instead.

 My back got more sore.

 Then WHAM! Muscle spasms and my back went out! Oh the pain. I was in bed for a couple of days.

 I have since been reminded of the need my back has for yoga and that I must sit up straight when practicing. Are you wondering if I sound any better on the guitar these days? For the most part I think

 "I cut my pretty finger nails off for this?!!!" 

But to be fair I have learned the pick pattern Danny does for my song Reprimand. It took me 2 weeks to get it down. I've improved my song The News with a couple of different pick patterns. Danny tried to teach me 2 Jack Johnson songs. I still haven't learned them.(it's not because I don't love Jack Johnson , I do. I'm so happy for his wife to be married to such a sweet heart......hunky sweet heart)  He has tried to teach me so many Jack Johnson songs. I start to learn it, then I get bored and I think it's really hard. Then I re-arrange the Jack Johnson chords (the easy chords that is) and write my own song. Happens every time. Danny recommended a guitar method book. I went and bought it. I opened it up and was instantly bored and frustrated. Really frustrated. Singing and songwriting I can take with me and do anywhere.

 I do vocal exercises in the shower. 

I write lyrics while doing the laundry or the dishes. The guitar requires me sitting down and having my hands occupied. This is really tough to do when you have a house to run and kids to care for. Maybe I'm just making excuses but I think the kids are going to have to be older for me to really spend some quality time on the guitar. Right now I really need to get my kids photo albums organized. I need to go hunt for bugs with the twins. I need to cheer for Luke at his soccer games and listen to Emmaline tell me about her life. I need to open my heart up to my AnnaKate and just love her. The guitar will have to wait. 

pears, demo's and mean chicken's, all for free :)

My mornings are busy. Em wakes up early for Junior High. This morning she was about to lose it because she couldn't find an assignment. I told her to take deep breaths and look in her trapper keeper one more time. She found it. Crisis averted. AnnaKate woke up complaining. This morning she was complaining about her eye hurting. It was blood shot and watery. Then I saw a little black speck, she got it out. She went to school, but only after I told her I'd check her out to see the Doctor to make sure she didn't have pink eye too. Luke got up and did what he needed to do and did what he was told and only got annoyed when I made him wait a minute so we could say morning prayers.

 When Gwenyth wakes up there is only one thing on her mind. "Mommy, can you do my hair?" "Mommy, 2 braids and a bun" "Mommy, can you do my hair!!! It's not beautiful!" 

Sarah woke up and walked out the door. She is independent and imaginative and wanders off a lot. Lucky for me she only wandered onto the drive way to draw this adorable picture with Golly as her audience. 

Her people have long eye lashes. :)

Sarah, my camera and my photography skills can't capture your beauty and sweetness. 

I gave my demo to my Aunt Janeal and to my Sister Melissa. They both really loved it. I could tell they were being sincere and really liked it. I can tell when people are just being polite and saying they like it. That's fine, I have my own particular taste in music and I love certain artists more than others. I get that. Anyway I could tell they enjoyed it. 

I haven't listened to my demo in a while, hearing them tell me how great it is made me want to listen to it. When I first heard the songs recorded I loved them and felt good about them. Over the past month or so now I just hear my flaws. I mess up the guitar here. My voice sounds strained there. The harmony is boring and repetitive over here. 

I listened to it again today to see if it sounds better to my ear than it has in the past month. 

I've decided that I like it. It's good. I like it. I need to get them printed. Or burned or whatever you do. 

If you'd like a free demo email me. I will send you one. Even if you live in China or the United Kingdom or Malaysia. Where ever you are. 

Also, if you live by me and you like pears, feel free to come get some. I have 2 trees that are loaded. They are yummy. 

The last thing I need to make you aware of is that my chickens think they own the back yard. I haven't clipped there wings this year so they fly the coop every morning. They walk around the yard eating grass and bugs. They take dust baths and sun baths.  They poop where ever they please. They run to the back door when I open it.  They are always hoping for scraps. That one in the front is getting real bossy with me. She pecked at my pants yesterday, she puffs her feathers up and runs at me with an evil glint in her piercing orange eyes. She better watch it or I'll send her to live somewhere else. 

Sam is the sweetest one. She crouches down and waits to be picked up. 

She lays pretty green eggs.

Well, I hope you are having a nice day. If you want a demo email me. If you want pears come over. If you want a mean chicken come get her. 

I even put some lip gloss on for you in these next ones.

If you're ever bored, take pictures of yourself. It's funny and you might discover your eyebrows don't match......

Love Kristen

Email me at     thekristencarol@gmail.com

things that make me smile

Here are a few things that have been making me smile recently

First day of school pictures

AnnaKate with neighbors who are also best friends. 

How do you like AnnaKate's fancy little dress? She really loves black and white.

She has so many outfits that are black and white.

Luke with neighbor best friends. 

Emmaline with her cousin! I would have loved to have a cousin start 7th grade with me. 

Aren't they darling!

If you are looking to move, you should move into my neighborhood. 

You'll be surrounded by the truest of true friends and so will your kids.

I've mentioned how dearly I love my new washer and dryer.

Well, my kids love them too. The washer has a glass top. I had to snap a picture of 4 out of 5 of my kids watching our clothes get clean. Even my oldest Emmaline is mesmerized.

 I admit I watch sometimes too. Plus I love sniffing down the sent of the soap. 

Tonight I threw in a huge load and to my utter horror when I opened up the lid there were little slimy jelly particles. I know you mothers out there know that can only mean one thing.

A pull-up got thrown in with the dirty clothes!!!

Oh dread. 

I laid my hands on that washer and started blessing it and prayed for it not to be ruined. 

I still don't know. I started the wash cycle over so we shall see. It seems to be OK. 

Bless you my washer! You can make it through! You must, I didn't buy the warranty! Would this even be covered on the warranty? 

4 huge buck in my backyard. 

They were slurping up the fallen apricots. 

They were so pretty. 

The way Sarah Likes to organize things. I mean really, look at those crayons.

All my girls have loved bugs and animals. The twins are very into snails and grasshoppers. They spend hours catching them, making houses for them with leaves and flowers. It is so cute. 

Except when they set them loose in the house. 

Snails are pretty cute. 

Grasshoppers give me the heebidejeebs but they hold those jumpy unpredictable things with love in their eyes.

Luke's missing teeth. His lisp is very endearing. 

He is trying his darndest to say his r's. I think I'm going to have to get him into speech therapy.

 Sad.

 I don't want him to learn to talk right.  

Emmaline's face

Her face is so beautiful to me. 

Clearly I don't want to be a bragger. I didn't magically formulate the DNA combination that is her beautiful face. That just happened somehow within my womb.  I can't take credit and so I think I'm not bragging when I say she is so pretty.

The fact that she is usually smiling and kind makes her face that much more lovely.

I love you my sweet girl.

OK one more.

Sarah made this one Sunday morning.

Maybe I'm the only one that thinks these pictures are precious because I'm their mother.

That's fine. This is my blog so, you know, I'm going to do what I want.

The last thing I will mention that has been keeping a smile on my face is

The Weepies

I'm serious. Click this link. 

I can't get enough of the Weepies. They make me smile, laugh, think and yes, weep. 

Their lyrics are whimsical, pure, sweet, simple yet genius. 

I love the story of how they met and fell in love. 

She is Deb and he is Steve. 

Dear Deb, I hope you love your voice as much as I do. 

When I listen to you sing I sing along and without realizing it I make my voice sound as much like yours as I can. I start to say my r's like you. I love the way you say your r's. It's not that I don't like the sound of my own voice, I do. 

Love Kristen

Well, I hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I loved making it. 

I hope I have time to blog again soon.

I've had lots on my mind and lots has happened.  I know I must get busy writing in my journal about what has transpired the past week. I can't let these things get lost and forgotten. 

I'm just in awe of God and how he makes things all work together. How does he do it?

Things that look like a coincidence or even a mistake and then as things unfold I see God's hand in it. 

How can he have time to care about these little details in my life. They might be small to others but are a big deal to me. They are a big deal to him too. 

He is so good to me at times I hardly can believe he would love me so much. 

Hope you are having a good day or night and feeling God's love too. 

P.S.

If your not feeling God's love it's not because he doesn't love you. 

He does.

Find a way to him. Figure it out. Do what you need to do to get close to him. 

His love is better than anything else.  

Family Reunion in Hyrum

I had to tell this blog all about our family fun in Hyrum even though it was a while ago ago. 

I mustn't let all these pictures go to waste.

The dad's make sure there is lots of shade for napping and reading and eating and talking.

 This big orange floaty could fit lots of us and was very fun.

Go Sarah :)

burying Sarah in the sand

Doing "swim lessons" with Gwenny

Hannah and Emmaline are growing up. They are the oldest Grand kids. 

Aren't they lovely.

Playing in the mud. What a perfect mud pie Gloria made.

I'm in love with Penelope. She is incredibly cute. 

Nate's youngest sister Carrie. She looks like a cute little kid all curled up asleep.

 She is really a busy mother of 3. 

She didn't really stop moving the whole trip. All her kids are young and close together.

Sarah and Lyla.

 Can you tell Lyla is Penelope's older sister? 

AnnaKate and Afton resting for one minute.

 All 21 cousins  played so hard all day in the sun. 

They'd all stay up late and get up too early because they were having so much fun.

Luke took a nice mud bath.

 Gross. 

We played water Olympics on the front lawn. 

All the Grand kids adore Grammy and Papa. (Sorry for the lack of Papa in this picture)

We had our second talent show this year. Last year was the first year we had one. 

We all love the movie Dan in Real Life and in that movie they have a talent show........ so one of the sister in law's (probably Jill) thought we better have a talent show. That's Jill and Chad dancing to Bright Eyes. Were they singing too?? I can't remember. Isn't Jill so cute and pregnant. 

Lucy is adorable getting into the act.

Chad and Nathan singing  something funny. (Not my Nathan, Carrie's Nathan)

The Older girls taught the little ones a dance. They rehearsed all week! They really take this show seriously. They sang and danced to Price tag. 

Cute cousins all about the same age doing this little dance with clown faces.

 My poor Sarah was off bawling because she wanted a tie dye shirt but we got there the day after all the cousins made tie dye and there weren't enough extras. 

Since I didn't get to sing at Summerfest because I was at my Grandmother's funeral I sang at the talent show.

I haven't ever sung for my husband's side of the family before. A couple of my sister in laws read my blog and have heard my songs on there but that's about it. 

It made me so nervous and uncomfortable. 

My hands were shaky and I could barely play the guitar.

My voice sounded tight. 

AnnaKate knew the words to the songs I sang and she sat right in front of me mouthing the words.

 I just stared at her sweet face as I sang and loved that she new all the words. 

Thank you AnnaKate!

After the kids went to bed I sang a few more songs.

 By this time I wasn't nervous and my fingers and my voice functioned properly. 

One little story about my niece Afton.

 She is off the charts cute. 

She is sweet and mellow and very fun to be around. 

We were floating out on rafts together talking. 

She was talking to me like I was her good friend. I felt honored. 

She told me she wished I was her mom. I asked why?

 (her mom Ali is amazing) she said because I let my kids have so many pets. 

Oh ya of course.

 That is my best quality when it comes to kids thinking I'm a fun mom.

 Her mom is pregnant with her 6th child. 6th child I tell you.

 I am so proud of Ali and jealous of her rock star strong body.  

Then Afton said. "Do you want to watch me soul surf?"

and I said

"Of course!"

Cute Rex sleeping on his dad. 

This isn't even all that we did. The boys went golfing a few times, us girls went to see The Help. We had a big family tennis match one morning . I had to play on the "special" team with Nate in the parking lot. My mother in law is a tennis master and let me be on her team after my practicing with Nate. 

She is so much like Nate. Kind and fun to be with. Nate is so much like her.

 My mother in law can kick all our butts in tennis.......and running.........and a swimsuit competition. 

 We ate and ate and ate. It was fun and adventurous. 

We came home nice and tired. 

There. 

I did it. 

Have a great day. :)