Photography by Julia

Lately Julia has shown quite a talent for picture taking, so we are thinking of helping her open her own studio. Here is just a sneak peek of her impressive portfolio...if you are interested in making an appointment for a photography session with her, please contact me immediately as space is limited.

Happy Half-Birthday to Me!

That's right, folks, today's the day I turn 354 months old. (Sounds like a lot, huh? I am sure you are duly impressed. In human time that's 29 1/2 years.) You may not think a half birthday is a big deal, but since these are the last 6 months before I turn 20-10, I think I shoould live it up a little bit. Today we celebrated by going to see Toy Story 1 & 2 in 3-D. Tomorrow I am going to write myself a song, and on Wednesday I was thinking about climbing Mt. Everest.

Honestly the thought of turning 30 isn't terribly disconcerting. The weirdest part about it is that I still don't quite feel like a grown-up, even though as a youngster, I was pretty convinced that I'd feel totally ancient by now. Truth be told, though, I still don't feel like I really know anything. Maybe by the time 6 more months roll around, I will have figured more out about life.

I'll be sure to share all my pearls of wisdom at the surprise party that you guys throw for me in April.

Conference Weekend

Ah, General Conference...that blessed time twice a year when we listen to much-needed counsel from the leaders of the Church from the comfort of our own homes (preferably while eating cinnamon rolls and wearing our favorite pajamas.) I feel like I got a lot out of Conference this time around, specifically in the form of resolving to seek for better things in my life and to stretch myself to do more and be better in my every-day endeavors.

Conference is a trade-off of sorts. While it provides a kind of spiritual cleansing for the individual, I admit that it ironically simultaneously serves as a mini-disaster for the house. Since it requires 4 hours of adult attention to a television broadcast both Saturday and Sunday, munchkins tend to get away with much more than they otherwise might under normal circumstances. So while our spirits were refreshed, sensory experiences and adventure-mongering for the little ones were had in abundance, leaving our once-clean home looking like this:

That's okay, though, because I've come to realize that this is what Conference is all about: ignoring the children for hours at a time in an effort to become better parents...and that's okay.

Hired Help

So every now and then, when I fill the washing machine with too many clothes, I hire this cute little girl from the local village to help stomp the laundry down and make more room. She does such an amazing job, I keep calling her back!

So Long, Sucka--I Mean, Summer!

We moved to Phoenix in December. The weather was beautiful.

I will admit that shortly after we arrived, I found myself wondering what all the complaining about Phoenix's hot weather was about. Admittedly, we moved here in during the best season of the year. Even as the months went on, though, and things started warming up, I couldn't help but think that people were exaggerating about how hot the summers are here. March went by, then April...sure it was getting warmer, but nothing unbearable. The evenings were still cool, and weather in the 90s is definitely not the worst thing that can happen in the world.

May came and it got even warmer. Then June, then July.

Then I became a believer.

The summers here really are that hot. And it's a 24/7 hot, too, with no breaks, no cool nights, no refreshing wind. Just a stagnant, oppressive, constant heat that keeps your A/C running all the live-long day, and sends sweat trickling down your back just from walking across the room to plug in the vacuum.

6 months of summer, that is our sentence.

I must interject that I absolutely prefer heat to cold, and I really do love living here, despite the lengthy summers. Still, though...

I don't mind at all being the first to say a friendly adieu to swim diapers, bathing suits, sunscreen, sandwiches for dinner, ridiculous electric bills, yellow grass, shorts, swim lessons, and a 125 degree garage.

Hello again to cool nights, nice breezes, evenings outside, open windows, pumpkin-scented candles, baking, soup for dinner, driving with the windows down, closed-toe shoes, and yes, even...pants.

Here is the part of the year where friends and family are jealous of where we live.

So, as "fall" slowly descends here in the Valley, I am smiling...and just a tiny bit smug.