My Garden

One of my favorite things about spring and summer are flowers. Something about their beauty can bring light to any day.

My Backyard

Front Yard Under Tree

Front Yard by Door

**Feel free to make suggestions on what I can improve on.

Good and Bad Days

Do you ever have moments as a Mom that make you so angry or frustrated? After it passes you look back at the situation and find it comical enough that a camera was needed to capture the moment that you'll never get back. This is what happened to me...

A couple weeks ago we were at Memory Groove (a Utah park downtown) riding bikes and visiting with a friend. All the kids had to go potty, of course. The bathrooms were still locked for the season. (Never could understand why they don't open them at the beginning of March. Isn't that when people usually come out of inside hibernation?) I took them up in the trees and had them pee in nature. When you gotta go you gotta go.;) The next week while at home Cozy and Everett were playing in the backyard. Everett came inside and proceeded to tell me he had poo on his shoe. I almost brushed him off thinking it was mud or something. Then I had a second thought and decided to check his pants in which it was smeared on his underwear from no wiping. I soon realized it was all over the picnic table and grass. I hope I'm not the only Mom who would freak out. We had a good talk and cleaned everything up. That was the end of that... we moved on... almost.

The very next day Cozy and Everett were playing next door with their friend. My neighbors across the street came over to give me some plants. I followed him and his son to the backyard where I wanted him to put the plants. As we turned the corner (this is where a camera was needed) there they were. All three kids lined up by the fence with their pants down. Aah! Freaking out again and embarrassed that my neighbor and his eight year old son witnessed this. Obviously, my lesson the other day did not stick. They were continuing to use the backyard as a toilet. The challenge for me is teaching my kids when it's okay to go potty outside and that only includes pee-pee.

Bad new first....now for the good.

There is a handful of Mother's in my neighborhood and together we rotate houses in attempt to accomplish a preschool where they can learn the basics; their names, letter, colors, and numbers. When I picked Cozy up from preschool this week her teacher was excited to show me the above picture. She had written her name all by herself with no help! What a proud Mommy I am. They have been tracing their names all year and can see that it has taught her something.

Hmm the good moments. Soak them in.

Really? The Toliet?

 I am not sure why Everett finds the toilet so amusing but this is what I think goes threw his head. It also drives me insane! I think I lost a bra down there this week.

"WOW! flushing the toilet is so interesting. I wonder how it works?"

 

"Hmmm, to figure this out, I need to get a closer look."

"Oh Yes! That was so fun. I bet Mom doesn't know how many things I have flushed down the toilet."

I Am My Own Person!

Today's process of getting dressed:

• Cozy picks out the purple tank top. (That's all she wanted to wear)
• Mom tries to convince her to put a dress with sleeves over top.
• We ended up with a no-sleeve dress.
• Mom tries to convince her to put leg warmers on. (baby legs)
• Cozy has a melt down about the color and how high they should sit on her leg. 
• We end up with all colors of the baby legs on the floor and nothing on her legs.
• Mom comes back after 10 minutes and convinces her to put the purple ones on.
• Finished getting dressed half hour later. . .which doesn't include a hair due.
• Don't worry Cozy has a solution. . . her summer hat.
• Mom now has to take a picture.

We usually have some sort of disagreement when it's time to get dressed in the morning. On this paticular day the disagreement wasn't resolving itself. With no clean pants and a two year old that is emotional stubborn and independent, this is the outfit we came up with. Yes, it's the middles of January and thank goodness I wasn't planning on going anywhere that day. 

My Joy in Preparing a Thanksgiving Feast

Here I am hosting and preparing an American Thanksgiving dinner! If it's not odd that a Canadian is the reason all the O'Neal's (Americans) are getting together, to celebrate this holiday, then you will find it odd that my excitement and complete joy is making the center piece on the table.

 
Aaaawwwww. . . take a deep breath and enjoy! I love it!!! This is so relaxing to me. I used an old glass dish, bought some popori to fill it with. Then I took two small white bowls to hold the candle. (Two to give it height.) I arranged the popori around the candle to my liking. Then placed it on top of these two adorable leaf place mats (I bought) and WA LA! Life is good when you have something beautiful to look at.

Autumn

crisp air-leaves fall-colors change-cool breeze

 

These picture are taken from my kitchen window and bedroom window. It is just perfect to sit here with a hot drink and day dream while I stare at Autumn's beautiful colors just outside my window. 

Took a Turn for the Worst

We had been looking forward to vacation for a long time. Sean-Paul and I decided we would get up early on Saturday morning (4:00am) for a good start on our way to California. Here are the serious of events:

1. 4:30am van overheats. Put antifreeze in the van. Continue on.
2. 5:30am van starts shaking. Stop and check air in tires. Continue on.
3. 5:45am van is still shaking. Getting worse. Pull over to search for a tire shop.
4. 7:00am arrive at Big O Tires in Spanish Fork.
5. Verdict is bubbled tires.
6. 7:30am and $700.00 later, off to California with brand new tires.
7. 9:00am van looses power up a hill, overheats, and we coast off to the nearest exit.
8. 10:00am towed back to Fillmore, UT.
9. Verdict is van has a blown head gasket.
10. Verdict is to leave van and take a rental car back home to get our Elantra.
11. 12:00pm changed our verdict and took the rental car on vacation. 

We left on our vacation with plenty of money and a happy family on the way to California:

We came back from a great vacation! But. . .with $4000.00 towards a new motor in our van and $700.00 for new tires. Our van was towed back to Spanish Fork to be fixed while we were on vacation and wasn't ready yet. When we returned back to Utah the rental car needed to be back in Filmore so this is how we get home?

This is what Big O Tires gave us to drive. Awesome, Yes, but great customer service.