A public apology

A public apology goes out to my very loving wife and the Chasing butterflies readers...It grieves me to tell you that my wife will not be able to blog tonight. Although I'm sure it has been a busy day filled with wonderful stories.

While my wife was making a beautiful crimson blanket for baby boy I thought to help by stretching out the crochet stitches that looked too tight. All started well in my endeavor to lend a service, well, that was until we heard a noise sounding a lot like me just ripping the freshly stitched blanky in half...

I'm sorry honey and thankfully you love me.

Love,
Husband

For husband

I carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

By E. E Cummings

Life Lately

Thankful Tuesday

I wish every day was Thankful Tuesday. Much of the day was spent with me pondering on all that is good in our lives. And all that I'm thankful for:

1) Goodness me! I was about to write ice cream. I mean really? Alright,  let's try that again:

1) Dancing with baby boy - this baby right here is such a happy little kid. He loves to dance and for that reason we spent some time in the kitchen listening to the radio and swaying the day away.
2) Robdawg's new work schedule - yay yay yay! My husband has a new work schedule which allows us to have more time to hang out. A couple extra YAYs for that!
3) Good friends - we have some pretty darn good friends, the kind that will be there for a lifetime. A blessing indeed.

I'm sure there's more to be thankful about but it's late so these will have to do for tonight.

Amagwinya and parties

I've got to get this out real quick, there's a lot to write. A lot. In 6th grade I used to think that 'a lot' was one word until one morning my friend Maryse told me that her sister (her older sister in a higher grade) taught her differently. Thank goodness I'm teachable otherwise I'd be walking around thinking a lot was alot.

I missed posting on Friday because I opted for a change of pace and also there was a Relief Society lesson to plan - no, this is not my new calling, I was a last minute stand in and therefore aimed to prepare hard because "if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear". It went pretty well. Let it be known that I just love Relief Society. It's inspiring to be in a room filled with women who's focus is on service. A shout out to all those hardworking Relief Society sisters throughout the world! According to Wikipedia, there's 6 million of us living in over 170 different countries, wowzer.

Alright so the three musketeers aka mommy, daddy and baby boy, have new dwellings. It's the same house but we're now renting the top floor. Loving It! The wood flooring is perfection and the attic aesthetics are an interior designer's dream (not that I'd know what interior designers dream of). But this space is truly the perfect canvas in home decor. All that's needed is a few updates in paint and furniture. I guess I'm into projects now as this will be my first time doing manual labor - read painting a wall. It seems people do their own painting around here. So let's say goodbye to job creation. How on earth will the economy survive without suburban house painters? A real tragedy indeed.

Oh and a week ago we had ourselves a good'ol time celebrating baby boy's 1st birthday. I didn't take any decent pictures as I was sort of lost in the fun. And nothing went as planned which means the day was as beautiful as can be. We spent time with friends, there were DIY decorations, a cake, amagwinya and presents. It seems there's a tradition in the Schamel household as I've noticed that for all important events we serve amagwinya: our wedding reception (which was in the evening), baby boy's blessing (a morning affair) and now his birthday party (an afternoon celebration). How funny is that? My favorite childhood food just fits in all of our important gatherings. Now back to the party, we know he'll never remember any of it- duh, we're not delusional here - but, we, the parents, will remember. And this being the first of hopefully many more babies, husband and I wanted to do our best to make it special. Because we love that darn baby so much!

Since mentioning amagwinya I thought to add the recipe below in case anyone is interested and for that future important event in our lives when I'll need to remember it, yet again. It'll save my ma having to text it to me as she had to during the first few weeks after I got married. She has always made amagwinya for us and as some of you will one day discover, with marriage comes that unfortunate realisation that the designated cook is...you. Unless you're my mother in law and have bagged yourself an executive chef. Although I can without a doubt declare that no one and I mean no human being on this planet can hook up a mean grilled cheese sandwich like my rock star of a husband. Boom! A honey pie he is!

Now, how about that recipe...

Amagwinya

1 litre of white bread flour
1 10g packet of active dry yeast
2 teaspoons (10ml) of salt
2 tablespoonspoons (30ml) of sugar
350ml of warm water
4 tablespoons (60ml) of cooking oil for the mixture
Cooking oil for deep frying

Mix all the dry ingredients with a hand or fork until well blended.
Add the 60ml of oil to the warm water and stir.
Add the oil/water mixture to the flour mixture and stir to make a thick dough.
Sprinkle some four on a clean board and knead the dough thoroughly with your hands – about 10 minutes.
It should be elastic, smooth and not sticky.
Put the dough in a large oiled plastic bowl in a warm place to rise to twice its size (I wrap it with blankets) – about 45 minutes.
45mins later - Turn it onto the floured board again. Knock the air out and knead the dough again.
Divide the dough into balls, roll them between your hands and then flatten, placing them on a floured board to rise again.
They will double in size in about 15 minutes, and then they are ready to be fried.Heat the frying oil in a deep pot until a piece of the dough dropped in sizzles straight away and floats to the surface.
Fry about 3 or 4 dough balls at a time – don’t overcrowd the pot.
With a slotted spoon, move them around until they are golden on all sides, then lift them onto a sheet of paper towel to drain.Repeat until all the balls are cooked – then add the filling of your choice, and enjoy!
(Recipe courtesy of www.dogtail.co.za)

And for the birthday party pictures:

Jelly-Jello

Under pressure! I've made a promise to Robert that by the time he gets home I'll be done with the phone. I blog using our shared phone.

And the cursor just keeps blinking at me.

First I was going to write about book club, then I thought of mentioning my crochet lessons and since there's no progress there, I started writing about our library visit on Monday. Deleted that and went back to book club. While writing I started thinking about the dessert that was served. It was my 2nd time eating a pumpkin type of dessert and the 1st time enjoying it. Sooo we'll replace the 1st memory with this one. Well I wish I could remember what that darn dessert was called. It was good. Fluffy. Sweet. Not the I-cant-handle-another-bite sweet. A good comfortable may-this-never-end sweet. I should learn how to make it. Oh I'd enjoy it every other night. - oh oh oh gotta go, husband is home.

And in case you were wondering, my dessert making skills are currently limited to the no fail jelly! (Americans, read jello)

Truth

It's embarrassing to admit to yourself, let alone admitting to another person, that you are not perfect. Even though I know this is a public space, I sometimes, well, oftentimes, use it as an online diary of sort. What wonderful narcissistic tendencies. Welcome to the digital age of selfies and over share. And in case you haven't heard, the word 'selfie' has been declared 2013 word of the year by the good people whose job it is to decide that kind of stuff for the English Oxford Dictionary. Ok back to not being perfect. While living with my mom I became incredibly disciplined in scripture study. There was a system and I followed it every day. This served me well and helped grow my testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Well, for the last few days I've seen myself slipping from that routine. And with it my light started to dim - note the tone from the Monday post. If anything, my imperfect ways have shown me the truth. And that truth being that true happiness can only be found in following the commandments with exactness. Bold? Yes. And it is such truth that brings me peace and allows me to choose to be happy every day, no matter the circumstances.

As always there's a source that triggered the above thoughts. And today I turn the mic over to President Dieter F Uchdorf. My husband will have you know that President Uchdorf is an honorary member of our lives. Some in the blogosphere refer to him as the handsome apostle or the silver fox, whatever you choose to call him, know that he is the second councilor in the first presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. And his words have healed me more than once.

Here are some of those words:

"None of us will be on earth very long. We have a number of precious years which, in the eternal perspective, barely amount to the blink of an eye.

And then we depart. Our spirits “are taken home to that God who gave [us] life.” We lay our bodies down and leave behind the things of this world as we move to the next realm of our existence.
When we are young, it seems that we will live forever. We think there is a limitless supply of sunrises waiting just beyond the horizon, and the future looks to us like an unbroken road stretching endlessly before us.

However, the older we get, the more we tend to look back and marvel at how short that road really is. We wonder how the years could have passed so quickly. And we begin to think about the choices we made and the things we have done. In the process, we remember many sweet moments that give warmth to our souls and joy to our hearts. But we also remember the regrets—the things we wish we could go back and change.

A nurse who cares for the terminally ill says that she has often asked a simple question of her patients as they prepared to depart this life.
“Do you have any regrets?” she would ask.
Being so close to that final day of mortality often gives clarity to thought and provides insight and perspective. So when these people were asked about their regrets, they opened their hearts. They reflected about what they would change if only they could turn back the clock.

As I considered what they had said, it struck me how the foundational principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ can affect our life’s direction for good, if only we will apply them.

There is nothing mysterious about the principles of the gospel. We have studied them in the scriptures, we have discussed them in Sunday School, and we have heard them from the pulpit many times. These divine principles and values are straightforward and clear; they are beautiful, profound, and powerful; and they can definitely help us to avoid future regrets.

Perhaps the most universal regret dying patients expressed was that they wished they had spent more time with the people they love.
Men in particular sang this universal lament: they “deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the [daily] treadmill of … work.” Many had lost out on choice memories that come from spending time with family and friends. They missed developing a deep connection with those who meant the most to them.
Isn’t it true that we often get so busy? And, sad to say, we even wear our busyness as a badge of honor, as though being busy, by itself, was an accomplishment or sign of a superior life.
Is it?

I think of our Lord and Exemplar, Jesus Christ, and His short life among the people of Galilee and Jerusalem. I have tried to imagine Him bustling between meetings or multitasking to get a list of urgent things accomplished.
I can’t see it.

Instead I see the compassionate and caring Son of God purposefully living each day. When He interacted with those around Him, they felt important and loved. He knew the infinite value of the people He met. He blessed them, ministered to them. He lifted them up, healed them. He gave them the precious gift of His time.
In our day it is easy to merely pretend to spend time with others. With the click of a mouse, we can “connect” with thousands of “friends” without ever having to face a single one of them. Technology can be a wonderful thing, and it is very useful when we cannot be near our loved ones. My wife and I live far away from precious family members; we know how that is. However, I believe that we are not headed in the right direction, individually and as a society, when we connect with family or friends mostly by reposting humorous pictures, forwarding trivial things, or linking our loved ones to sites on the Internet. I suppose there is a place for this kind of activity, but how much time are we willing to spend on it? If we fail to give our best personal self and undivided time to those who are truly important to us, one day we will regret it.

Let us resolve to cherish those we love by spending meaningful time with them, doing things together, and cultivating treasured memories."

This is only a section of his talk. You can read further on lds.org and it's titled Of Regrets and Resolutions. You'll also be able to find many more wonderful talks by other apostles. This particular one spoke to my heart today. And I hope yours too.

Thankful Tuesday

This day is as good as any to round up some things which I'm thankful for:

1) ice cream! - nothing makes my taste buds happier

2) kind people - I've been a recipient of LOTS of kindness lately! 

3) imagination - sometimes the world looks better upside down,  just ask baby boy

4) football - because it makes Robdawg real happy

5) technology - makes it easier to communicate with my family

And that's it for Thankful Tuesday! 

Ps: baby boy is chilling on grandpa Schamel's foot.

Sometimes, we stumble

I just told a friend about how I feel as if Heavenly Father is preparing me for something. There's been enough testy situations to realize that a lesson is to be learned. And whenever I feel like I get it something else pulls the rug right from underneath my feet. The landing is never soft but it does allow for a moment of reflection. Yes I'm a sensitive soul. That means that I have to fight to keep my space pure. Clean from negativity. This is not easy. And I don't always achieve the desired results. But life isn't always easy. Yet it is oh so good.

By remembering the privilege it is to wake up and be allowed to yet again 'give it a shot' we can gain perspective. Somebody yesterday mentioned that kids can throw tantrums as if it's the end of the world because they don't yet have perspective. The same can be said for a young wife and mother in her twenties.

We give children opportunities to grow. Allowing them to make mistakes so they can learn. We are sensitive to their needs to explore and discover. Sometimes we hold their hands as they learn to walk. And other times we watch as they stumble. Not because we don't love them. It is because we love them that we say "go on, you can do it". We know that not every floor can be padded and sometimes the landing will be hard. But sooner or later they learn to walk. And after that they'll be running.

It is comforting to know that I have a Father in Heaven who is telling me "go on, you can do it". Even when I feel like I'm disappointing Him, He is there. Reminding me of second chances. The promise of a new day. The promise of better choices.

To be Free

I have to admit that this week hasn't been quite as breezy as I had planned. I won't bore you with the laundry details but know that we finally got through the mountains of clothing and while a little peak sits next to me ready for folding, the last summit is still on the washing line. Notice the no mentioning of ironing because wrinkles are totally in right now. Right? Well besides that I've been burying my head in a few things in the name of self improvement. School, writing, growing the blog, some cooking and other general I've-been-meaning-to-do-this-for-a-while kinda stuff. This year has been a follow your heart do what feels right and complete a task kind of year. And boy does it feel good to follow through.

As a mother to this gorgeous baby boy I feel it important to walk my talk so that he learns by example. He's been imitating our actions and echoing our words and if one thing will have you check yourself it's carrying a little mirror on your hip. Check.

All this came to mind while I was caught up in my own world busy with birthday party preparations while holding baby boy. I worked in silence as him and I are often comfortable with our quiet moments. All of a sudden I felt this tiny hand turning my chin to his wide grinned face. He looked at me as if to say "mama look at me". I was overwhelmed by my emotions. Both in love and embarrassed. Embarrassed that I had zoned out long enough for him to reach out. And in love with this growing maricle teaching me more than I could  ever know on my own. So I smiled back and embraced the hugs and kisses while basking in the love that he has for his mama.

I don't want to forget these moments. While I still look forward to all that's to come. I hope that as he grows I too will grow to be more comfortable in my own skin. To be kinder to myself in order to avail the emotional space that allows us to be present and free.

free

adjective

synonyms: unimpeded, unobstructed,unrestricted, unhampered,clear, open, unblocked"the free flow of water"

Life lately

1) night night time

2) up to no good in the kitchen 

3) peekAboo daddy

4) who are we?

5) spot the baby...

Ma

My breathing has been rather shallow today and so has my outlook on life. Sometimes I struggle with being so far away from my family. And when that happens I find fault in everything and everyone (very childish I know). The great thing about folks who've known you your whole life is that there is no need for niceties or pretense. You don't have to explain who you are.

I guess deep down inside I'm still a waspish teenager who's learning the proper way of behaving around adults. Such hard work. I don't always get it right as my mouth has a habit of releasing my thoughts. And this is often not a bright thing to do. Goodness I need to grow up.

And I know that when my mother reads this she'll write and tell me to relax, to take a deep breath and to be present in my new life. I miss you ma. I miss Zintle and Sbu. I miss our candid conversations. I miss speaking till you fall asleep. I miss the attention you give us. I never knew that I'd one day crave my mother's attention. I hope I never took you for granted. You're a wonderful mother and I'm proud of how you raised us. You did good and are doing so well with Zintle too. She's so blessed to have every day with you. Thank you for putting up with my moods. I know it must not have been easy for you. Thank you for never giving up on me. And for telling me to return to church. If it wasn't for your prayers life wouldn't be as it is. You are beautiful. You really are the greatest mother in all the world. I want you to know that every day I work hard to make you proud. Sometimes I achieve this and other times not but even still I know that you'll conitinue to love me. I love you. Mama you are love. Please know that your prayers will be answered. Because you continue to be an answer to many prayers. Baby boy just woke up. He loves you too. And don't worry I'm not crying. Well, I wasn't until now.

Rock Stars

The weekend was fantastic! It proved to me that when you do good unto others, you're opening up an opportunity for the same to one day be done unto you. My eyes are burning, I'm far too tired to recount the details. But I wanted to put some words down so one day I'll look back and say "hey, that weekend was fantastic".

And I finally finished reading "These is my words". I had mixed feelings towards the end. I love the book but it was sad to no longer be experiencing America in the 1880s. And as a black woman you'd think I'd be glad. Bad joke? Well, let's swiftly move along. I miss Sarah Agnes Prine. For 5 days there she became my best girl friend. She taught me to work hard, to recognize the good in others, to endure life's trials with dignity and hope, to say when you need help, she taught me the importance of self defense (for yourself and your family) to always seek knowledge and that life goes on. I love books.

I've developed a very strange approach to choosing what to read as I often feel that when we're in tune with who we are, we'll be guided to reading what we need when we need it. Turning points in my life are remembered according to which book I was reading. As I said earlier, I'm exhausted, but someday I may go into the details of those turning points. But now it's time for bed.

Oh and by the way, I met the author of "The Help" yesterday, another favorite read. Long story short: woke up from an afternoon nap, heard about her being at the library down the road, hurried, she was walking out with some guy with long hair, I called out "Kathryn" (as if we knew one another) she stopped and the result is this 'selfie' aka a self taken shot, the awesome mom in law was there too. It was a lovely moment with an awkward conversation because I was too excited to be sober minded. Because to me, great authors are rock stars.

Lovely Moments

Yesterday morning I made a surprise breakfast with candles and background music for baby and husband. It certainly was a surprise for R as I dragged him out of bed urging him to Hurry! He's not very good at waking up real quick so he stumbled with his cute bed hair moaning "what's going on". He later told me that he thought he'd turn the corner to see baby boy walking up and down the kitchen...not so (baby has been chilling on the walking, I guess the Halloween steps were a teaser). R got even more confused as I started singing happy birthday. And throughout the song he saw it necessary to point out that it was not his birthday - I have to insert an LOL here because the confusion on his face was priceless. Don't worry, I'm not losing it, he's been making me watch these odd YouTube videos of socially awkward moments so my imagination has been a little overactive lately and possibly misguided. Anyway, that was fun, the confusion as well as the breakfast (which was slightly scorched but still eatable).

After last night's 16mins post as if aware of my timed plans, baby boy woke up with an ear piercing scream the second I pressed publish. The crying continued for much of the night (and day) accompanied by a stuffy nose. I guess we're playing ping pong with the cold. There were suspicions of some baby teeth and lo and behold more are indeed coming! They are coming! This I discovered as he tried to shout his way back into the bathtub after the nightly bathing session. He's so strong. Or maybe I'm weak? Nope that's not it, this baby is Hercules for sure. Getting out of the bath is a struggle but not worse than trying to clothe him. Baby boy does not like clothing. And in this cold I unfortunately cannot let him roam around free. Although it would save me a ton of laundry...

For only 3 people we certainly have a lot of laundry. Really. It's never ending. In my worst nightmare I see dirty clothes and socks calling my name as I hide under the table trying to finish my book - which I haven't read since yesterday. Unlike a tv show, books can wait, although nowadays tv seems to be able to wait too. And can we please say thank you to the creators of that DVR technology. Because of them I'm now hooked on X Factor. I managed to catch another episode yesterday (yesterday yesterday...seems I'm living in the past today). Right, X Factor rocks because Simon Cowell is me in the male form. Yes I said it! The straight talking, don't care what you think, take it or leave it, this is for your own good, ruthless talent finder, tv watching commentator me. Grrr! And this is why I prefer to watch television in perfect privacy. Besides all that wonderful get-too- involved-with-the-tv/alter ego rant, I treasured my tv viewing moment because it brought me back to finding joy in the little moments. I remember many and I mean Many years ago, when I was little. I used to fantasize about our family one day having a big ol'colour tv with a remote control. In the fantasy the little me would come home from school, throw the school bag in the corner, grab the remote and with a soft plomp I'd plunge onto the couch. The grown me did just that. Minus the school bag. And as I assumed a comfy position, a sigh escaped from a deep breath of gratitude. Outwardly smiling at the internal peace of a moment realized. Because life is but a moment in experiences.  - I don't quite know what that means but it sure sounds cool hha:)

Sarah Agnes Prine

Alright I have exactly 15mins to write a post. What's the rush you ask? The story began yesterday while browsing through the book collection in the corridor I found what is now known as one of my Favorite Books of All Time! The story then eased into the wee hours of the morning as I sat in bed reading till 4am. There were tears, knee slapping laughter and bursts of excitement which had me trying to explain to Robdawg my growing love for this wonderful book. All I could manage was "oh honey this book is out of this world, honey please let me read just this line to you, honey do you want to hear this paragraph, oh my goodness I can't believe that just happened, ok honey I promise I'll go to sleep right after this page, -10 pgs later - oh my goodness honey this is so funny you have to hear it. The wonderful book is called These Is My Words. And no, that's not a grammatical error on my part. The author is Nancy E. Turner. If I was writing a review I'd include that after reading you'll be prompted to record your life for future generations.

I'm a minute over the 15mins mark. I have more reading to do tonight, hopefully I'll be done by the weekend. Please get yourself a copy and revert back, I'm dying to have detailed conversations about everything to do with Sarah Agnes Prine.

Ps: this is the 50th post - HOORAH!

Anonymity

So I spoke on etiquette. And that is all I have to say about it. Kidding. It went alright really. As good as it could considering the nasal congestion. I must say though, this whole not being in the public eye thing is sure different. A good different. In a strange sort of life experiment kind of way. Ok let me explain. When you're uh "known" you live in a world of applause. Even when you don't think about it, eyes are there somewhere in your peripheral with an opinion of who you are. And when you're uh "normal" there are no eyes, no applause, you are who you are, no preconceived notions, just you, right now. And that's pretty wild! Incredibly freeing. Yet still strange. Mark Shuttleworth once told me that one of the craziest things he experienced after returning from out of space was learning to walk again. And that's kind of what I feel like sometimes. Like I'm learning to walk again. And maybe that's why I treasure simple seemingly insignificant moments. Because they do matter. And because this life of anonymity is such a sacred pleasure. With that said I sure as heck do miss those VIP concert seats;)

Glowing skin

"Cough, congestion, sneeze...please pass me a tissue...brrrrr!!!arghhh...I have a headache" - my theme song for the day.

So instead of avoiding the mirror (which is advisable when you've got a cold/flu) I've taken to investigating some at home beauty remedies that can revive the skin. I'm preparing for tomorrow evening when I'll have to stand in front of a small group of teenagers and speak on Etiquette (yes, etiquette). And in order to walk my talk I see it necessary to look the part. So here it is, my full proof skin reviver:

PLAIN YOGURT as a facial mask

After using your daily cleanser just dab 1 or 2 spoons of plain yogurt on your tired face. Wait 10-15mins before rinsing off with cool water and voilà. Hello soft luxurious skin. To gain some longterm benefits such as combating discoloration, add this to your night regime 3 times a week.

Don't you just love it when beauty tips actually work!?

Ps: you might want to avoid your baby or toddler while you have a mask on. Baby boy nearly had a mini heart attack once he saw me with the above mentioned beauty mask. It was bad. He cried so hard my husband had to take him away until my face was clear.

Here's to enduring the flu with glowing skin!

A perfect autumn

A not so perfect Monday. Included baby boy bumping his chin resulting in a bloody mouth. As a mother, nothing freaks me out like seeing my baby bleed. It wasn't anything serious but blood just makes everything appear worse than it is. And to add to that, my body hasn't been fully functional or rather let me say my vocal chords haven't been performing well. The sore throat has persisted and my voice is now reminiscent of a pubescent teenage boy. What I hate more than the uncomfortable feeling of being sick is being sick and having chores pile up. And luckily after nearly two years of marriage, Robdawg is well aware of this. So we tag teamed and managed to restore things to order. I may or may not have mentioned that we're currently living with my in laws which makes for a busy household. Because my mother in law is a serial list maker (a gift we share), there's a list on the refrigerator which maps out each person's responsibilities. True story. And part of my responsibilities during the week is to have the kitchen squeaky clean in time for grandpa Schamel to create magic for dinner. And that's because, like me, he has an undiagnosed phobia against cooking in a messy kitchen. Today I barely managed to get that simple job done, including laundry and dealing with the by product of an upset tummy. TMI? Oh well.

Congratulations, you've made it through my Monday blues in one piece. Barely. And thankfully from here onwards things begin to lighten up!

Let's start here - While browsing my husband's Facebook page (because his is way more manageable than mine AND we have an open door policy when it comes to social network spaces - more on this later, if ever), I found these gorgeous scenic photographs taken by my sister in law - a lot about the in laws here today. She, Amanda, will quickly tell you that to her photography is just a hobby, but I think she could develop it into a little business. Her family recently moved to Bonanza in Arkansas and they're loving it. These photos make me want to move to the country! And if their autumn (fall) is this gorgeous I can only imagine what spring looks like. I'm so glad she posted these, they did wonders for my spirit.

Speaking of wonderful things, I certainly do hope you are all well and happy and that the weekend was worth remembering. Ours certainly was. Sunday is an especially good day in our week. We attend church in the morning and if the Broncos aren't playing, we manage to fit in an afternoon walk. Oh and by the way, baby was taught by his uncle Andrew to say TOUCHDOWN (this happened a few weeks back but since it's an in law post today, why not add one more tidbit). And now baby's ever increasing vocabulary lists as follows: dada, mama, mother, boo, no, hayi (which is no in Xhosa), thank you, some inaudible sounds, lots of nah nah nah nah nah and sometimes, if we're lucky, he'll say "mess you" when someone sneezes. And forgetting to say bless you after he sneezes is a federal crime. Earlier in our marriage Robdawg used to refuse to say bless you when I sneezed. I took great offense and would tell him so. I grew up in a family of 'bless you' after every sneeze. Even if it's a succession of 3 or 4 - I think after 5 you get disowned. So a 'bless you' was really really important to me. After a while I started developing an "ahem...bless me" followed by a side eye to the husband. And then one day baby boy let out his first little sneeze and who was the first person to reply with an eager "bless you"? Feeling the question mark on his back he promptly replied "he's my son". And I'm your wife! That Robdawg.

I've certainly eased up since then because, you know, marriage is a lot about compromise. Once in a while I do get a "bless you" accompanied by a see-I-do-care-about-you smile. That smile gets me every time.

And I hope these photographs will have you smiling too.

Thriller

After breakfast Robdawg and I decided to get the creative juices flowing by playing random tunes on the piano. Wait it gets better. We took turns guessing the source of inspiration to the sound. I started us off with a short recital of the sound of midnight. And R topped it with a keyed rendition of zebras running from a lion attack. The game went downhill from there - including a more detailed attack of the zebras. And so we stopped. Please note that neither one of us knows how to play the piano.

Baby boy and I then took a nap while daddy ran some errands. This may seem like a pointless piece of info but trust me, it's a very important part of this story. I had a dream. The longest and most annoying dream in the history of dreaming. It starts off with me being at home, but it wasn't here home, it was at my paternal granma's house, but the home looked way bigger than I remember - oh man...I've seriously just forgotten everything else. Wait. Ah shucks. It's all gone. Sigh.

When I finally woke up I could still remember the details of the dream, even the sequence of events. Which never happens! As I only ever remember the random moments. Hmmm...Still blank. Well, if my memory was with me now you'd totally get why I woke up in a not so good mood. That's when the magic of the day took place. As I grumbled to the kitchen with no real intention I picked up some ice cubes and rubbed my face. With assault of cold soothing my skin I made a decision. To take a shower. And - to either carry my negative state and alter everyone else's mood or change my emotions to fit the glorious weather outside. I chose the latter which resulted in the following:

1) an incredibly fun visit to Hobby Lobby (we're preparing for baby boy's birthday party and needed to price some items)
2) caught up on some tv watching (I barely ever watch tv - no scratch that - I never watch tv. So this was kind of interesting, as interesting as X Factor can be)
3) We cooked dinner together accompanied by MJs Thriller (baby boy is quite the dancer! )
4) and later we had a second dinner, sushi! Yum! Made by the great culinary master aka the father in law. Three words: wild, out of this world, perfect. I so meant that to be 3 words.

Well there it is.

A day well spent.

A quiet day

I enjoy spending quiet moments capturing our lives on this space. Sometimes though I just don't feel like writing. And when those moments occur I'm reminded of President Eyring's words of how every night he documents the blessings of the day. Even if it's just a few words. That's motivation enough.

Blessings of the day:

1) Robdawg did my chores for me:) he's a honey:)
2) We went on a lovely family walk (I love those)
3) Took baby boy to the library (he loved it)

That's it for tonight. Blessings.