Project 52

As if I didn't have enough on my plate for the next little while, I signed myself up to do MCP Action's Project 52. For those of you who don't know, a project 52 basically 52 photos in 52 weeks. Easy? Sure! I can find the time to take one measly picture a week. Right?

Wrong. I got myself off to a great start by signing up late and missing the first week. Second week was better... I got a good picture going, but then I forgot when the deadline was and didn't submit it. But I did make week 3 and 4. Progress.

So, here are weeks 3 and 4:

Week 3/52

Theme: Shades of Grey

Week 4/52

Theme: Soothing Repetition

Week 3 is actually the door and barrel of my washing machine. You can tell that it gets tons of use from the condensation build up. I was also pleased because I didn't have to convert it to black and white. There were a LOT of black and white images that week.

Week 4 is a bracelet that Evan bought me a few years ago. The soothing repetition comes from the fact that every time I wear it I find myself absentmindedly spinning it bead by bead. Rosary style. Without the Catholic devotion.

My purpose in doing this project was to make sure that I find time to use my camera creatively. Pictures of my kids are great, and I love taking them, but I have a lot of them. I need to learn how to bring in some variety. And maybe it will force me to finally utilize more of my camera's capabilities. (Ha! I always say that...)



In other news, we are surviving school. Holy writing and research. That's all I'm gonna say.

Oh yeah. And on Monday I will have officially been on this earth for a quater of a century. Joy. I think I skipped some years... I would like to be 22 again. Kthnks.

Knock, Knock

The kids had far too much fun over breakfast this morning. Evan walked in on them playing their version of 'Knock, Knock', which went something like this:

O: Quack, quack.
A: Who's there?
O: STRAWBERRY!

And then they both would roar with laughter. Evan came in an relayed all of this to me, bent double from laughing so hard, and in the background I could hear kid giggles in 5 second intervals.

I'll take what they're having.

New Christmas Carol

According to Ollie:

Angels we have heard on high

Sweetly singing aeroplanes

And the mountains in reply

Echoing their joyous trains

I think it goes along nicely with the version of "I am a Child of God" that we taught them, which includes the line "with parents kind of weird". And the version of "Book of Mormon Stories", where the fathers of the Lamanites were "given the land if they went right to sleep". (It's a great song for bedtime.)

Primary is going to be awesome.

This Morning

Me: Come here, Ollie. Let's brush your hair.
Ollie: OK. Are we going to church?
Me: No. Church is not the only occasion when I brush your hair, Ollie. You do know that, right?

Beautiful (Out of Stock) Print

I have been in love with this print by Seb Lester ever since it came available about two weeks ago. Sadly, it sold out before I could get it. Or maybe that is a good thing, because we certainly don't have $106.55 to spend on paper, even if it is amazingly gorgeous paper. The print was made in a limited edition of 100, and there is another print in royal blue, that I think is still gorgeous, but less striking than the midnight blue. The royal blue is still available if you happen to fall in love with it, again in a limited edition of 100.

I could go on and on about the art historical implications of the quote, and it's beauty, but I won't bore you. The tiny stars, though, that make it were what won me over. Fabulous.

My heart aches.

Time flies when you're having... fun?

Quick(ish) update:

We are still alive.

I have been back at school since May. Full-time.

I will be mostly done with my degree by the time Evan graduates. I will have completed all my major credits.

I wish I had been as dedicated to my school-work last time around as this time.

Evan is still in school and will graduate in April. Full-time. Plus work.

Did I mention Evan is The Man and taking 22 credits this semester?

And next.

And we are both doing capstone classes next semester, too. Crazy? Why, yes.

We got a dog. Her name is Lulu. She is a 3 year old Greater Swiss Mountain Dog. With a puppy brain.

The kids love the dog.

Oliver turned two.

Evan turned 26.

Alena turned 16.

Oliver joined the circus.

We saw Aunty Hayley in CA in August.

The kids got 'bikes'. And love them.

Potty training is complete. (The grand finale was last night as Oliver wandered into my room and proudly announced, "Mummy, I did poops!" at which point I had visions of poop trails on my carpet. But actually it was in the toilet. Alhamdulillah.)

We went camping. Twice.

We went hiking. A lot.

And saw four moose.

We beached.

And parked.

Yes, that is our dog jumping up onto the slide. And, yes, she loves going down them, too.

And I ran a 5k in this:

Then overnight it went from this:

To this:

Ah, well. C'est la vie.

On with finals!

Metamorphosis

Daddy: What are you learning about?

Lena: Metamorphosis!

Daddy: Metamorphosis? Cool! What's metamorphosis?

Lena: Metamorphosis is when a butterfly turns into a butterfly!

Ah, Lena... So close!