Friday, July 29, 2011

Happy Weekend!


I'm so happy it's the weekend! 
We're hoping for rain. Lots and lots of rain! 

While hoping for rain we need to get Groom attire,
see Harry Potter (and get tissue),
figure out desserts for the wedding, 
finish cleaning up this outta control yard, 
and hopefully take a day trip up to the cabin to spend time with cousins.

Now, can someone tell Owyn that kitchen utensils are not necessary during the rain dance unless you're wanting it to rain spaghetti and meatballs? 

My Big Fat Cake Pop Failure


I attempted to make cake pops and it totally put my perfection to the test. 
I wanted to make them for Owyn's B-Day and I ran out of time. 

Then, I decided to make them for my friend's daughter's birthday. 
I was so excited! I was thinking, oh yeah, these will be the hit of the party! 
And then... after I dipped them in that sweet goodness, I tried to pick one up... 
And the stick pulled right out! 

What a devastation. Coming to a party with no pops when I told everyone I was bringing them. 
But then I remembered. While I was making the pop mix the night before with my cute little short  friend she said "a teaspoon a milk?? That doesn't seem like enough! I'm just gonna poor some in".

And then I let out a sigh of relief. Phew, my perfection still stands. Its that darn extra milk!

(Yes, this is sarcasm. I don't think I'm perfect. But close!)

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Friends

Last weekend we not only celebrated Owyns birthday,
but we also celebrated our friends daughters 1st birthday.
I love being with friends, especially when we get all the kiddos togetha!  

Happy Birthday sweet Addison. We miss you here in AZ. 


somewhere along the way Owyn lost his suit?

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Two Years of Parenting- From a Fathers Point of View (AKA David)

Although it was two whole years ago, it still seems like only yesterday. The memory remains flash-burned in my mind, vivid now as it was at the moment… Chelsea and I were at the hospital waiting anxiously for our lives to be thrust into some unknown strange new universe… parenting.

And what a universe it is! It’s all very memorable and it passes in what seems like an instant. It’s an incredible adventure and the zenith of the human condition. It’s the reason why we’re all here. It’s a lesson in character and a test of your faith and your abilities. But most of all, it’s wonderful. Every day brings us a new reason to laugh and smile with our son. And many days bring us new tests and trials to overcome, or (hopefully not) be overcome by. Our latest is in the adventures of language and communication. Yay!

The manifestation of linguistics into our son’s skill set has been both a blessing and a big pain in the butt. It’s very rewarding as a parent to see your child smiling, excited about learning and communicating their ideas to others. It’s a blessing to experience the unfolding of a young mind and to watch it grow exponentially with each passing day, and to know that as a parent, you have a direct first-hand impact on the character and values that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. However, with communication also comes rebellion. And tantrums. And much frustration for parent and child alike. It’s during these tribulations that it is most important not to react in a knee-jerk sort of fashion, as I and many other parents can so easily find themselves doing, but to realize that these moments will be gone as quickly as they have come.

When I reflect on the past two years of being a parent I recall most fondly the good times, and the tougher times as a vapor. I remember how foolishly frustrated I became with my family when I didn’t know what to do, when I reacted on selfish instinct before reacting in love and patience. I still have these problems every day where I end up kicking myself over reacting stupidly to something that really doesn’t matter so much at all… and although it’s something that I only have myself to blame for in the end, I can’t help but hazard the thought that our overindulgent media-driven culture has reinforced in our masses self-centered thinking and behavior in no small part at the macro level.

Western culture has become very preoccupied with things that are fleeting and of little significance… but while entertainment is usually harmless on the surface, it can be a great tool in distracting our minds and switching off our souls. As fast-paced as our hyper-ADHD society has become, it is all too apparent that in order to stay human it is paramount to set aside some time for actual human interaction, especially with our families and other loved ones. This seems to be an attractive and romantic idea to flirt with in our minds, especially if you’re a marketing executive creating commercials for cleaning chemicals, but how much are we truly giving back to our fellow man and putting it into practice? Lest your average Target commercial would have you believe, most of us have become quite selfish, which is very tragic and worthy of prayer.

How is it that as Western-world dwellers, we are somehow entitled to the rest of the world playing in to our agenda? I know my hands are red. Most people’s are. We have cast ourselves the leading role in the silly films of our own glorious lives… but sometimes the perfect movie with the happy ending in our head doesn’t quite match what we see on the screen… and when our precious egos are touched inside their cage, it can make us a tad uncomfortable. But who are we? Are we really so valuable among other men? By what authority do we crown ourselves the kings and queens of our own little worlds? Why do we send our food back to the kitchen when entire nations are starving… why do we get angry in traffic when other populations have a maximum life expectancy of 30 years or less… the poorest among us live better than some kings in the world… and even the poorest among our poorest have at least one TV set, cable and high-speed internet to boot. But sadly, these are the greatest “problems” that our fallible society can come up with. Oscar Wilde painted it beautifully even back in 1891’s “A Picture of Dorian Gray” when he penned the superlative cynic as “knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing”… but I digress.

In the process of becoming humbled, one surely has to butt heads with the egos of other kings and lose. I have found that our children are not only the most selfish little things, but are the greatest teachers and thinkers among us. They are unknowingly and ironically what transform us into strong, loving adults. They are the tiny revealers of our tempers and our true character. They show us who we really are, and sometimes that scares us. Sometimes that pleases us. It should please a parent to know that they are doing the very best that they can, as it should humble them to know that a huge lot in raising a child is also at the mercy of luck and chance. It is our job to do the best with these as we can. Our children’s accomplishments are a great source of their parent’s happiness, but should not induce boastful pride in my opinion. It is a dangerous, destructive and really annoying thing that parents often do, to engage in wanton braggadocio over their child’s most minute accomplishments and fret over so-called “milestones” not being met at exactly the “right times” as outlined by mysmartbabyiswaybetterthanyourstupidbaby.com (of course I’m being facetious) or whatever unaccredited child development website you happen to frequent.

One of the greatest things you can do for your child is to patiently let them learn and develop at their own healthy pace, asking them many questions and letting them discover the wonders of their world with your help – not with the hindrance of your clout. One would be a fool to do otherwise. I have many personal faults, but I’m not about to let forceful parenting be one of them. I have no race to win. I have nothing to prove to the Mr. and Mrs. Dr. Phil’s of the world. Some parents tragically force their kids into every possible direction they can in efforts to inflate their own self esteem and deflate others’, AKA elevation of me via depression of you. In living vicariously through your child, you not only alienate yourself from them, but you risk denying them their own healthy childhood, personal development and passionate endeavors. More than once has this created paternal contempt later in life. I’m not saying that a no rules approach is the healthy alternative by any means, the former is just something to think about. I always tell myself that there are no wrong ways to raise a child, but there are plenty of wrong ways. In short, the most successful parent has a happy child. The end. And keep in mind all of you parents of future astronauts, all-star quarterbacks and cancer-curers out there… Albert Einstein didn’t speak in multi-word phrases until after he was four years old – just food for thought. But feel free to track me down, put your finger in my face and say “I told you so” when your child has observed and demystified the quark-confinement and Higgs-boson, ended world hunger and has a few Super Bowl trophies on their mantle. I’ll be more than happy to eat my words. Or maybe I’ll just say “you got lucky”.

Sorry, sometimes I just have to vent. I usually get carried away. Owyn was not watching, I promise. But always, we should carry with us the knowledge that our children are always watching, listening and processing their environment even when it appears to us that they are not. In that respect, it would behoove us to constantly hold dear what is truly important in our lives, and to constantly reflect on what we have been blessed with. I recently made a list for myself to put things in perspective – it doesn’t always work, but it’s better than nothing:

Appreciate always.
Give thanks always.
Treasure every breath.
Pray without ceasing.
Chelsea and I are on same team.
Repeat First Corinthians 13 in your head if you are feeling frustrated. (Here is an interesting exercise: Replace the word “love” with your name in verses 4-8 and see how pleased you are with the results… but don’t be too disappointed… I mean, nobody’s perfect, right? Then replace it with Jesus’ name. It’s kind of corny, but I think it’s cool, and it definitely works.)

In recent weeks Chelsea and I have renewed our faith in Jesus Christ both together and separately. We both realize that as a building with no foundation, a relationship with no foundation will surely crumble swiftly and be swept away by the breeze. There’s nothing like a kick in the butt from the omniscient creator of the universe to humble a person. Which brings me full circle on the importance of reflecting ceaselessly on what truly matters in this life.

Our family has much to be thankful for, and many blessings to count. Not the least of which is our health, the help and support of our wonderful families, and each other. It is vital to reflect daily on the great things we have been blessed with, taking a step back from the tumultuous ephemera that would seek to take our focus away from what is truly important - our family and our partnership together. While the days and years seem to be getting shorter and shorter as time passes, you can bet that I will enjoy the good times while they are here, and try to keep an open heart and mind when times get tough.

-David

Owyn Turns 2!

We celebrated our adorable son's birthday last Thursday. 
Can you believe he's 2?? 
I can't. 

It's strange how so much can happen in such a short amount of time. 
Owyn is so special to me.

We had a small celebration for his birthday on Saturday and we all had such a good time. 

I totally half-assed it, and for you who came you can consider this my apology. 
I worked all week including the night before and the entire day of his party so I didn't have anything prepared. I didn't even get to do the shopping or make a cake! Thank goodness Aunt Whitney made him one.

I was so bad, I didn't even take a single picture. 

I did however get some pictures of him opening his first gift the night before his birthday. It's tradition. 

Monday, July 18, 2011

Seeing Blue

The first color Owyn has learned is blue. 
Now, I keep seeing blue everywhere.


Friday, July 15, 2011

Hodge-podge of Happiness and Happenings

I know it's been a long time since I've posted. There's been a lot going on around here. 
For one, the wedding planning is in full force and I am doing everything on my own. I've been getting pretty stressed out, to say the least. And it's not even the oh my gosh I'm so stressed I'm gonna have a melt down stress, it's the sneak up panic attack kinda stress.

So, in order to update in a true hodgepodge manner, I'm just gonna lay it all down.
Scatter brained and all.
 Here we go..

Our AC went out again this week. That makes #3 this summer. So, naturally, we replaced it.
In the next couple weeks the outside of our house will be under construction. I am super excited!

Here is Dave on our adventure at Home Depot picking up some odds and ends for the house.

I've been able to spend lots of time with my girlies lately and it's been amazing!
I got to see one of my nearest dearest friends who lives in Denver while I was visiting. I can't wait to see her at our wedding! Last weekend I went out with my moms sisters, my own sister and one of my friends for some margaritas, talk about a good time! 

 Here is a picture of me and my aunts!

I am a bridesmaid again! 
I was so honored when my friend told me she wanted me to be in her wedding. I've been waiting for their engagement since before I ever met Dave. Being a bridesmaid = getting to spend lots of time with the bride and other friends in the wedding. "Hey babe, gotta go look for dresses, oh, and we're hittin up happy hour after. I'll call ya if I need a ride home". AND a double bonus, getting to spend time with this precious creature who goes by the name of Addison..
  
Addie loves wedding dress shopping for her aunty!

Owyn is still just being awesome Owyn. 
He's getting ready for his big 2nd birthday! Which is on Thursday!
Today Dave came come with a new guitar (for himself, not Owyn) and Owyn flipped out when he saw the closed case- in a good way. As Dave was opening the case he acted exactly like those "YOUR GOING TO DISNEYLAND" kids on the commercials. It was priceless.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Shakin out the Sills


Sometimes we need to bust out all resources available to get all our toddler's sillies out in order to even come close to relaxation.

But somehow he always out sillies me. 

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Denver Zoo Revisited

 Remember the last time we went to the Denver Zoo? 
Owyn doesn't seem to remember, but I keep reassuring him he was there.