Day 5

A west Texas sunset:

 This is what it looked like in the East:

Most evenings, this is what we are blessed to see! These are pictures from my front yard...the pecan trees are across the street, and the pink sky hangs over the field right next to our house.
This particular evening, several guys of the neighborhood were playing a game of HORSE in our driveway, the kids were chasing each other around the yard, and the ladies were chatting about the future block-garage-sale taking place in a few weekends. These are the evening I will miss when we move!
On a side note...the end of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, where Indie and his father ride off into the sunset, was filmed in this area because it is known for such gorgeous sunsets. How amazing is that!

And now for the Oliver picture:

With this setup, he is tall enough this week to "dunk" it! A few weeks ago, he couldn't reach it, but...man he's growing fast! Today while I was photographing him play with his Daddy, I couldn't help but wonder how I got so lucky. An amazing husband, an equally amazing little boy. I don't believe there are words that describe the absolute joy I feel, having this perfect little boy call me "Mama" everyday. ME! I still think, "Oh, that's me!" There is nothing comparable, and I love those two little syllables in his baby voice more than any other word. Ok, I'm done being mushy...I know I am blessed and I try not to take it for granted. I love my guys!

Day 4

I didn't post yesterday, but Nich and I met these little guys while driving around on the way to some delicious lunch after he got several cavities filled, and before he went back to work :)  He's not in pain today, so I think that means he DOESN'T need another root canal - good news! But they had to go really close to the nerve to fill one of them, so that was a bit of a fear until the numbness wore off. I know I need to go to the dentist...it's been, what, 16 years now? Eeek!!! I think I can actually SEE a good 3-4 cavities. They don't hurt...but I might be the one in need of several root canals, blah. I'm debating on going to the dentist Nich saw (and the one our neighbors like and use, and our neighbor who repairs dental equipment says is one of the cleanest, best offices he's been in - that's saying a lot, he's sees it ALL), or the one a friend recommended because, one, he remembers his patients even outside the office, and two, he's good at what he does and there's a dental hygienist there who's really gentle, and three, he's super HOT. According to her...I don't know I haven't seen him, ha ha ha. Our neighbor has not been to his practice, so had no info on the REAL cleanliness behind the scenes...

Anyhoo, here's the bit of beauty for the day:

 He's so FUZZY! Love that! And there was a big sign that said it was ok to pet them, so I, of course, obliged! they were sweethearts, these two miniature horses.




And there were a few regular horses out there too, so in my excitement, I took a few of them too. Here's the lady who came over to greet us:







And the Oliver picture for the day. He enjoys laundry folding days - it's a new toy! I think we'll look back at pictures like this and think, wow, were you REALLY that little?!?! We are so in love with this little guy! His latest attempts at conversation are repeating "dumbadumbadumbadumb." SO CUTE!!

Day 3

 I've seen this old, abandoned building several times, and have always thought it looked pretty...in that worn down and decrepit sort of way  :) . I specifically love the roof and the way the shingles are haphazardly falling off. The golden field (not the same one from yesterday) makes it look so romantic, and the blue sky makes it look very "Little House on the Prairie" -ish. Hmmm, that 's the second time I've mentioned that show. I haven't seen any episodes lately so I'm not sure where that's coming from...maybe Lubbock's ag-culture is finally soaking in! And right as we're about to move! Oh well, if we're in Temple next, it won't be too different. Maybe. I don't know. Do they have much farming out there? Pretty sure they're not big on cattle lots and such. What DO they do out there? Well, besides have Scott & White? I've visited once, and still don't know, ha ha ha!

And here's the Oliver picture for the day. He's laughing at Chester and Daisy running circles around him. With that pole and the two "wild" animals, it reminds me of a horse trainer at the center of a corral, trying to calm two wild stallions...ok, Chester and Daisy are not nearly as graceful, or fast, but they're noisy enough!

Day 2

Today's picture is a tie. I couldn't decide between the field of wild grass or the birds perched above it, so here's both!

Oliver was a trooper hanging out in the car, eating snacks, and singing to Enya as I drove around for inspiration. After running a few errands, we came home and Oliver ran off to play with the neighborhood kids. Here's a picture I snapped of our "little rascals" trying to coordinate a little red wagon.

7 Days - Day 1

Today is another overcast, chilly day so rare in Lubbock. The Leo in me is reminded why I wasn't a huge fan of living in Holland, as I wait for weather.com's promise of a sunny day in the 70's later in the week. I know so many people who love the gray skies and the way the filtered sunlight plays on the world's colors, but I am not one of those people. I slow down on these days - my mood, my energy, my motivation. So, I have decided to take on a fun challenge, of sorts. I am no photographer, but I have decided to challenge myself to find and record beauty in my life over the next seven days...I've heard of 100 day challenges, and even 365 day challenges, but I'm starting with 7. That, I know, even I can commit to! I am a little worried about where to find it since I believe this is such a difficult task in February...before plants begin waking up from their winter hibernations and animals allow themselves to be seen. So, here I am on this lazy morning with the most precious, raspberry-yogurt-stained, book-reading, cuddly little boy on my lap..."Jack's Big Music Show" humming in the background...wondering what we'll get into today. Looking out of the back door, calling for Chester and Daisy to come back in, I saw what I think I will count as my first sighting for my first day.

Although these are treetops against the clouds, something about the photograph reminds me of a quiet, calm beach. Maybe that's what drew me to it!



And I know there are people who check this blog mostly to see pictures of Oliver...so here's one of my favorites from our traditional Beer-homemade-Christmas-pizza dinner from December 25. This is his first time eating pizza, and Nich's pizza at that. He LOVED it, can you tell from that giant smile?

The latest dish

We love dark wood. Chocolatey, rich, heavy, wooden furniture. Our bed, dresser, tables, china cabinet, crib, ceiling beams, kitchen cabinets...everything in shades of dark expresso. Even our picture frames. We like the feeling of old, comfortable, and familiar, and it seems to be a trend in everything we own...even down to our shoes.

I've noticed I've been thinking a lot, maybe too much, on life and how my outlook on it is changing. My last few posts are examples of the randomness my mind has been conjuring up lately. It may be because we're about to move and start a new chapter in our lives, or we're getting pregnant soon (another chapter to add to the new chapter), or as delve deeper into my 30's, fears of midlife are approaching, or I am so far away from my family, or I'm really, I mean really, noticing my shrinking family with all but one grandparent passed away, and I miss my Granny so much lately. Whatever it is, I have this urge to cleanse, change, and lighten everything.

My mother once told me she always knew I was having an emotional issue as a child when I would come down the stairs in a crazy outfit - the crazier the getup, the more something was bothering me. I do that now with haircuts and jewelry (not the expensive kind) and re-decorating. The artist in me somehow can't put these things on watercolor paper like I should; I do it all very physically. And loudly. I smile as I say this because I know my husband is going to think of about 25 times he's seen this as he reads this post.

So here I am wanting to redecorate. Not just with different accent pillows, throws, and the random plant or rearrangement of miscellaneous decor. I mean redo everything. I want to create new paintings to hang (I should, these are about 11 years old and fading rapidly), change the carpeting, change the wall colors, everything. Not that we have the budget to do any of this...and I suppose it's good we're moving so I can start with a new canvas...but unlike our last move to here, we won't have a pretty savings to use to help fix up our next house. Which leads me to...

We came across a Dillard's gift card Nich received several Christmases ago (this card has been lost and found all over Texas, and it is currently FOUND and in my purse) and since no one knew how much was on the card anymore, we  went to the store and found it was for a GOOD amount of money. It's been burning a hole in our pockets, and we're trying to decide whether practicality should win over playful. It's is ultimately Nich's decision...but I can dream :)

Here's what I want: new dishes.


I would describe our dishes as "rustic." Clearly made of heavy clay and glazed in earth tones. They are square with rounded corners, and make even the most elegant and prissy meals look hearty and homey. At least, we think so. They are casual, dark, and familiar, like our heavy wooden furniture. BUT They're also getting chipped and many have become the casualties of a hard tile floor.





We found a gorgeous set of dishes at Dillard's that we both actually agree on (Nich's initiative I might add, which I love!) They too are rustic, but that is all they share with our current set. They are white, clean, round, and far more decorative. But, they LOOK old. They could have belonged to my great grandmother, or Mrs. Ingles (from Little House on the Prairie. I never wanted to be Laura, I always wished to be Mrs. Ingles...but that's a whole nother story). The decorative motifs are delicate, raised, and look worn. Familiar I suppose.

Aren't they beautiful? And they have a whole line of serving dishes and gorgeous cake stands! LOVE these!

I have never been one to gravitate toward dishes with loud patterns or band of color around the edges. I also want each piece to look different. This line has the octagonal option, and the salad plates are amazing with 4 different motifs and shapes.

I know it's funny to talk about dishes in this way, but man, I really like these! Just imagining helps calm my desires for drastic redecoration. We'll see what finally comes of the gift card...fun or functional...or FUNctional! Ok, yes, I'm a dork, ha ha ha!

Mall Contemplations

The other evening, in one of the first times we've been able to leave the house as a family since all the ice and Nich's late work schedule, we went to the mall. We were clearly not the only ones in need of an outing...it was absolutely packed! It was almost claustrophobic with so many people out and about. There was such a variety of people, young, old, families, teens, tweens, couples, everything...and everyone was so happy! Oliver picked up on the high spirits and played with the velcro on his shoes for a good hour and a half while sitting in the stroller, people watching, as we moved from store to store.

I have to say I was doing a bit of people watching myself, and one thing that stood out to me more than the people with daring hair, all-black get-ups, slooooow walkers, too short-shorts, and crazy shoes, were two things...the teen moms and the young child-couples in adult-bodies.

When I was in 6th grade, I remember being able to count on one hand the number of girls with more than an A in their cups. It was 3 girls, all of whom were very popular and hung out with older kids. The mall was filled with 12 year old girls with these woman bodies...hips and C's and D's...clinging to their boyfriends who still looked like awkward boys with patches of peach-fuzz masquerading as mustaches. Young teen-love is so sweet to me since I remember those days fondly, but I don't ever remember EVER being as physically involved as these young couples. I had two "boyfriends" in my tween years whom I never even kissed. We barely even spoke...we were an item in name only, and that meant we had someone to dance with at school dances. That was back when just liking someone, or knowing someone liked you, was over-exciting in and of itself.

It was so sad to see these girls and boys in what looked like heavy-duty relationships...and although I don't know what all their relationships entail, I did see several 15 year-old-looking girls pushing around babies and young toddlers in strollers. Now, these could be younger siblings, but what girl goes to the mall with another girlfriend and her baby sister? As in a 6 month old. There was only one young mom I saw with what I assumed was the father, pushing around an 8ish month old. They were all out having a good time, but it really made me, well, just sad for these little girls who have these 12 year old brains in 20 year old bodies.

It makes me think about people who have over-the-top sweet-16 parties and extravagant prom weekends, and all these occasions where thousands of dollars are spent. How do you celebrate better than that for say, a wedding? If you're doing all the cool, expensive things when you don't know what a dollar is really worth, and you always have to top it at the next event, where can you go next besides taking out loans of "monopoly money" for a 5 hour party instead of a place to live?

For these girls who are already having such mature romantic relationships before more life experiences, a developed adult brain, control over their hormones, and the ability to predict realistic outcomes, how are they going to fair in relationships adulthood? There are so many unforeseen issues in sexuality and intimacy that tend to occur when people start physical relationships so young, and I know I have fallen into some of it's pitfalls. Not that I was THAT young, but still, looking back, far too young. It scares me and saddens me of what these girls don't know that they don't know.

That leads me to the man I'm trying to raise: he will no doubt have to deal with his hormones, with puppy-love, and all the choices on how to respectfully and properly handle friendships and relationships with mature looking little girls. Maybe he'll be one of the very few boys who matures faster than the others now that puberty seems to be starting younger and younger. Or will, in his day, all the 12 year old boys have 15 year old bodies? How do I teach Oliver to not fall into this all too common relationship-situation that most people decide "happened on its own"? Oh it worries me and makes me want him to stay a little boy for that much longer!

Snow Day #2

Because there was nothing to do again today, I decided to document the things Oliver and I tend to do on any given day. Here is today in pictures:

 

 

Making homemade play doh...

Cheese picnic with the dogs.

Oliver is singing very robustly here...

Climb on furniture...

Climb on Mamma

Orchestrate dogs playing

"Rainbow Lunch"...We used every color of the rainbow...Oliver's favorites being blue, green, and yellow...at least those are the ones he knows and says

Independent reading

Mamma reading

He might be a lefty!!

  

 

He was really concentrating here, and melted in giggles when it fell off his head.

Dancing

 Mystery boxes...

 First stack them to make a tower...

Supplies to fix the house to sell it!

 A dress-up box.

Confetti box!

I love hanging out with this little guy and seeing the world through his eyes. It promises to be Snow Day #3 tomorrow...maybe it'll be warm enough to actually play in the snow!