I wanted to post links to a few blogs that I have come across lately that I really have enjoyed reading. I feel like I learn something new every time I read them- and it gives me a lot to think about. I encourage you to visit them.
#1: www.faithgreaterthanpain.wordpress.com
This is a blog by an older gentleman who is a widower, and has decided to re-enact his ancestor's journey across the plains. He pulls a handcart, wears period clothes, and eats the same kinds of things they ate while journeying. It's really interesting to read about his travels and the people he meets in these little towns that offer him kindnesses along his way. Definitely worth reading- but make sure you start from the beginning of his journey- I skipped to the earliest entry and started reading from there. I believe he is set to enter the Salt Lake Valley sometime next month.
#2: http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com
This is the story of a woman who survived a horrible plane crash- about a year ago. She actually had been a very active and well-known blogger before the crash, but I've only read it since she had the accident. She is very open and tells about her feelings as she has gone through this terrible ordeal. It always makes me feel like my life has nothing in the world worth complaining about after reading this blog.
#3: www.soymademegay.com
I still don't really understand the title of this blog- but it was really awesome to read. The author is a returned missionary, temple worthy member of the Church, but is also gay. He talks about the struggles of accepting himself and what he feels and reconciling that with his firm testimony and desires to live the Gospel. He also talks about a lot of stereotypes and prejudices people (even/especially members of the Church) have about gay people, and how different the truth can be. I felt like a lot of things I think and feel about gay people were challenged, and prejudices I didn't know I had revealed to me. It really gave me a lot to think about and opened my eyes to really treating people more fairly and kindly.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
The End of Summer
Well we've had a wonderful last few weeks- and very busy also! I'll attempt to get everything updated before naptime/Mommy's quiet time is over... always tricky with 80 million things calling my name...
We've been so busy that I've shamefully neglected my blogging-dom- which also means if you wrote something important on your blog in the past month or so, I probably haven't read it, with a few exceptions. Apologies. Here is a picture of the sunset here in Rexburg to make up for it.
We blew over to Wyoming for a day or two to visit my sister and play with Jonesy(my Uncle Maury)'s stuff! I got to ride an ATV for the first time! And my sister took me on a horse ride through the mountains and taught me the difference between galloping, trotting, and loping. it was SO fun! I also went white-water rafting for the first time. HOLY COW. I'd do it again in a heart beat! My wonderful cousin Gina watched Audrey for us while we all went down the river- and it was so much fun. I wanted to do it again immediately. HA! Love it! Here are a few pictures of Audrey while in Wyoming.
We took a trip down to SLC/Provo to pick up a shipment of Thomas' shoes that were coming in, and we got to see our good friends McKenzi, Jonny and Morgan Harrop! They are expecting little James to join them any day now- we are so excited for them! Audrey and Morgan had fun getting to know each other and pick on each other- probably more picking happened than anything else- just like sisters! I will see if blogger and my insanely slow internet will let me put a few cute pictures of them up here.
We also got to see our good friends Brian, Tay and Sean! They were nice enough to let us stay with them on our way back down and we had so much fun. Audrey and Sean got along really well- she seems to get along with boys better than girls for the most part. I'm hoping it's just a phase... But they were really cute together also and I will post a few pictures of them also. Dang, Sean is just a super cute kid!
They had fun playing with each other!
Thomas is still working at AllState, and things are going very well for him there indeed. MissionShoe continues to grow, and Thomas is very happy to have his inventory re-stocked but is already contemplating the need to order another 150 pairs so he doesn't run out of sizes like last month... what an exciting problem! He is expanding his inventory also to include a boot-cut that many people have expressed interest in, and he also has brought in a few trial pairs of sister shoes, so if you'd like to be part of test-driving a pair please let us know. They aren't necessarily the prettiest/cutest shoes, but I wear a pair and I LOVE how comfortable they are. SO AMAZING.
We also frequent the rock gym, usually once or twice a week since Thomas volunteers there and Audrey loves running around the gymnastics equipment and chewing on bits of tape that she peels off the walls. I did my first bouldering route last Saturday- it was easier/less scary than I thought it would be. (Bouldering means you don't go as high on the wall and you don't use a rope.) I also have yet to conquer the "shelf" route. I wasn't feeling totally up to par on Saturday so I didn't risk another attempt... but I will get it. Just you wait.
Audrey is 11 months old... and her birthday is fast approaching. This fills me with glee and excitement and shock. How can she already be a year old! she is just getting too big too fast. She is starting to eat more and more table foods and she's loving all of them- except whole peas and grapes. She hates the skins of things, like peas and beans and grapes- and she loves beans (even lima beans) but she won't eat peas unless they are pureed so the skins aren't present. She won't eat grapes but we've recently gotten her to eat raisins. She loves carrots, and LOVES LOVES LOVES whole green beans. She really didn't like them when I mashed them for her, but she LOVES eating them whole. She hates formula in a sippy cup. I've really been trying to transition here in that department but she stopped taking a sippy cup for a week because I offered her formula in it one too many times. She finally started drinking juice or water from the sippy again, but she loves a bottle. She also will not take a bottle in her high chair. I have to be holding her or she cries and screams and won't take it. *sigh* But she is a very good baby. Her two little teeth are getting bigger and bigger, but no other teeth yet. She hasn't been feeling well lately, but we aren't sure if she is teething or if she really did sick. All her symptoms point to either one... guess it's pretty much the same thing anyway. She is getting more and more comfortable standing on her own and walking on her own- she can take several steps on her own between people or couches. She is very proud of herself for walking. She loves her Daddy so much- she points to our family picture on the wall and she says "Dah...DAH!" She is always happy to see him, but she needs something or if something is wrong, all we hear is "MAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMA". She loves to sing and to laugh and to bang on pots and pans with her drumsticks. She loves the bathroom (though it's forbidden) and kitchen things of any kind. When she sees something she wants, she gets excited and pants/laughs as she crawls as fast as she can towards it. She loves being outside and eating grass, dirt, sticks, etc. She is starting to learn how to share but mostly just likes other people sharing with her. What a cute baby.
Well, my time is up- Audrey is calling me for her lunch in the other room. Hopefully it won't take me another month to update! ;)
We've been so busy that I've shamefully neglected my blogging-dom- which also means if you wrote something important on your blog in the past month or so, I probably haven't read it, with a few exceptions. Apologies. Here is a picture of the sunset here in Rexburg to make up for it.
We blew over to Wyoming for a day or two to visit my sister and play with Jonesy(my Uncle Maury)'s stuff! I got to ride an ATV for the first time! And my sister took me on a horse ride through the mountains and taught me the difference between galloping, trotting, and loping. it was SO fun! I also went white-water rafting for the first time. HOLY COW. I'd do it again in a heart beat! My wonderful cousin Gina watched Audrey for us while we all went down the river- and it was so much fun. I wanted to do it again immediately. HA! Love it! Here are a few pictures of Audrey while in Wyoming.
We took a trip down to SLC/Provo to pick up a shipment of Thomas' shoes that were coming in, and we got to see our good friends McKenzi, Jonny and Morgan Harrop! They are expecting little James to join them any day now- we are so excited for them! Audrey and Morgan had fun getting to know each other and pick on each other- probably more picking happened than anything else- just like sisters! I will see if blogger and my insanely slow internet will let me put a few cute pictures of them up here.
Morgan yelling at Audrey to stop touching her. :)
Little Duckies playing in the rain!
We also got to see our good friends Brian, Tay and Sean! They were nice enough to let us stay with them on our way back down and we had so much fun. Audrey and Sean got along really well- she seems to get along with boys better than girls for the most part. I'm hoping it's just a phase... But they were really cute together also and I will post a few pictures of them also. Dang, Sean is just a super cute kid!
Audrey loved Sean's toys.
Sean loved playing on our box of food!
They had fun playing with each other!Thomas is still working at AllState, and things are going very well for him there indeed. MissionShoe continues to grow, and Thomas is very happy to have his inventory re-stocked but is already contemplating the need to order another 150 pairs so he doesn't run out of sizes like last month... what an exciting problem! He is expanding his inventory also to include a boot-cut that many people have expressed interest in, and he also has brought in a few trial pairs of sister shoes, so if you'd like to be part of test-driving a pair please let us know. They aren't necessarily the prettiest/cutest shoes, but I wear a pair and I LOVE how comfortable they are. SO AMAZING.
We also frequent the rock gym, usually once or twice a week since Thomas volunteers there and Audrey loves running around the gymnastics equipment and chewing on bits of tape that she peels off the walls. I did my first bouldering route last Saturday- it was easier/less scary than I thought it would be. (Bouldering means you don't go as high on the wall and you don't use a rope.) I also have yet to conquer the "shelf" route. I wasn't feeling totally up to par on Saturday so I didn't risk another attempt... but I will get it. Just you wait.
Audrey is 11 months old... and her birthday is fast approaching. This fills me with glee and excitement and shock. How can she already be a year old! she is just getting too big too fast. She is starting to eat more and more table foods and she's loving all of them- except whole peas and grapes. She hates the skins of things, like peas and beans and grapes- and she loves beans (even lima beans) but she won't eat peas unless they are pureed so the skins aren't present. She won't eat grapes but we've recently gotten her to eat raisins. She loves carrots, and LOVES LOVES LOVES whole green beans. She really didn't like them when I mashed them for her, but she LOVES eating them whole. She hates formula in a sippy cup. I've really been trying to transition here in that department but she stopped taking a sippy cup for a week because I offered her formula in it one too many times. She finally started drinking juice or water from the sippy again, but she loves a bottle. She also will not take a bottle in her high chair. I have to be holding her or she cries and screams and won't take it. *sigh* But she is a very good baby. Her two little teeth are getting bigger and bigger, but no other teeth yet. She hasn't been feeling well lately, but we aren't sure if she is teething or if she really did sick. All her symptoms point to either one... guess it's pretty much the same thing anyway. She is getting more and more comfortable standing on her own and walking on her own- she can take several steps on her own between people or couches. She is very proud of herself for walking. She loves her Daddy so much- she points to our family picture on the wall and she says "Dah...DAH!" She is always happy to see him, but she needs something or if something is wrong, all we hear is "MAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMA". She loves to sing and to laugh and to bang on pots and pans with her drumsticks. She loves the bathroom (though it's forbidden) and kitchen things of any kind. When she sees something she wants, she gets excited and pants/laughs as she crawls as fast as she can towards it. She loves being outside and eating grass, dirt, sticks, etc. She is starting to learn how to share but mostly just likes other people sharing with her. What a cute baby.
Well, my time is up- Audrey is calling me for her lunch in the other room. Hopefully it won't take me another month to update! ;)
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