Celebrating Jodi

 

This weekend we gathered to celebrate Jodi's bridal shower. I'll say it again. I cannot believe my little niece sister is getting married in a month! I was just 13 when Jodi was born and she was instantly my little sisters. We fought like sister, played like sister and trust in each other like sisters. She's a great kid and I'm so very blessed to have her in my life. Congtrats Jodi and Larry

 

I'm also the fun aunt that calls her missing niece and tells her "you have 10 minutes to get ready and I'm going to pick you up". Autumn loves me!

These are all the sisters and sister-in-laws from my dads side of the family.

Claudia (Gene), Louie (Marty), Judy (Farrell), Mom (Dad), Reva (Brent), Pat (Blair)

I do have another aunt on this side that lives in Colorado. Maybe I'll Photoshop her in!

 

Since my dad died, I've tried to have our family pictures taken whenever we are actually all together. I like to see how we've changed from  time to time.

In this photo it's plain to see that I have put on a little bit of weight.

Mother of the bride and Grandmother of the bride.

 

The Bride!

And of course me and my sissy.  

Road Trippin' with a 4 year old

We decided to take a little trip up north to visit Perk for the weekend. Anna opted to stay home so she could attend her friends birthday party. I don't recall my parents giving me that option when I was 6!

 

"Mom I need to spend as much time with friends as possible since I won't see them anymore"

Arrow. Heart. Guilt.

 

Abby was a ham on the drive up. Actually I think she really loved (and needed) the one-on-one time with me and Perk.

 

I heard many variations of this song in 4 hours:

Old Donald had a farm: E.I.LO.LO.LO

The farmer chases the horse

The farmer chases the

The farmer

The farmer chases the horse

E.I.E.LYE.LO

 

 

What kind of lab would she be if she didn't stick her head out the window?

 

Since it was dark when we arrived at the new house, we only got to see the inside of the house at first. CAN YOU BELIEVE THE SIZE OF THIS BASEMENT?

 

This was our view first thing in the morning.

Abby is in horse heaven!

This one liked me.

We opted to check out the happening local scene on a crazy Friday night in a small town.
Let's just say not much was happening.

We did find a GREAT restaurant that if you ever happen to be passing through Driggs, Idaho, you must stop and dine. It's called Tony's Italian and it was probably the best Italian I've had in a super long time! Goodbye Olive Garden, Hello Tony's!

 Abby opted to sleep through dinner. The entire dinner.

 

 Chris and I hadn't seen each other in a week. He opted to watch basketball while at dinner.

Love that man!

On Saturday we drove around Jackson, checking out Teton Park. Let's just say that Jackson in mid-spring is a lot like Driggs on a Friday night. Not much is happening. We did get to see a mama Moose and her baby laying it the field right off the road. Although it would have been more exciting had they charged the car and tried to eat us, but hey...

I've decided this should be our annual family Christmas card.

Don't knock it.

You might just get one!

I'm not sure who was the bigger grumpier bear this day!

 

Abby, Bear and I drove home early Sunday morning to find that someone named Wind had tried to take off with our trampoline.

At least Wind didn't touch the dog poop can!

Rules

25 Rules for Mothers of Daughters

1. Paint her nails. Then let her scratch it off and dirty them up. Teach her to care about her appearance, and then quickly remind her that living and having fun is most important.

2. Let her put on your makeup, even if it means bright-red-smudged lips and streaked-blue eyes. Let her experiment in her attempts to be like you…then let her be herself.

3. Let her be wild. She may want to stay home and read books on the couch, or she may want to hop on the back of a motorcycle-gasp. She may be a homebody or a traveler. She may fall in love with the wrong boy, or meet Mr. right at age 5. Try to remember that you were her age once. Everyone makes mistakes, let her make her own.

4. Be present. Be there for her at her Kindergarten performances, her dance recitals, her soccer games…her everyday-little-moments. When she looks through the crowds of people, she will be looking for your smile and pride. Show it to her as often as possible.

5. Encourage her to try on your shoes and play dress-up. If she would rather wear her brother’s superman cape with high heals, allow it. If she wants to wear a tutu or dinosaur costume to the grocery store, why stop her? She needs to decide who she is and be confident in her decision.

6. Teach her to be independent. Show her by example that woman can be strong. Find and follow your own passions. Search for outlets of expression and enjoyment for yourself- not just your husband or children. Define yourself by your own attributes, not by what others expect you to be. Know who you are as a person, and help your daughter find out who she is.
 
7. Pick flowers with her. Put them in her hair. There is nothing more beautiful than a girl and a flower.

8. Let her get messy. Get messy with her, no matter how much it makes you cringe inside. Splash in the puddles, throw snowballs, make mud pies, finger paint the walls: just let it happen. The most wonderful of memories are often the messy ones.

9. Give her good role models- you being one of them. Introduce her to successful woman- friends, co-workers, doctors, astronauts, or authors. Read to her about influential woman- Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, Marie Curie. Read her the words of inspirational woman- Jane Austen, Sylvia Plath, Emily Dickinson. She should know that anything is possible.

10. Show her affection. Daughters will mimic the compassion of their mother. “I love yous” and Eskimo kisses go a long way.

11. Hold her hand. Whether she is 3 years-old in the parking lot or sixteen years old in the mall, hold on to her always- this will teach her to be confident in herself and proud of her family.

12. Believe in her. It is the moments that she does not believe in herself that she will need you to believe enough for both of you. Whether it is a spelling test in the first grade, a big game or recital, a first date, or the first day of college…remind her of the independent and capable woman you have taught her to be.

13. Tell her how beautiful she is. Whether it is her first day of Kindergarten, immediately after a soccer game where she is grass-stained and sweaty, or her wedding day. She needs your reminders. She needs your pride. She needs your reassurance. She is only human.

14. Love her father. Teach her to love a good man, like him. One who lets her be herself…she is after all wonderful.

15. Make forts with boxes and blankets. Help her to find magic in the ordinary, to imagine, to create and to believe in fairy tales. Someday she will make her 5 by 5 dorm-room her home with magic touches and inspiration. And she will fall in love with a boy and believe him to be Prince Charming.

16. Read to her. Read her Dr. Seuss and Eric Carle. But also remember the power of Sylvia Plath and Robert Frost. Show her the beauty of words on a page and let her see you enjoy them. Words can be simply written and simply spoken, yet can harvest so much meaning. Help her to find their meaning.

17. Teach her how to love- with passion and kisses. Love her passionately. Love her father passionately and her siblings passionately. Express your love. Show her how to love with no restraint. Let her get her heart broken and try again. Let her cry, and gush, giggle and scream. She will love like you love or hate like you hate. So, choose love for both you and her.

18. Encourage her to dance and sing. Dance and sing with her- even if it sounds or looks horrible. Let her wiggle to nursery rhymes. Let her dance on her daddy's feet and spin in your arms. Then later, let her blast noise and headbang in her bedroom with her door shut if she wants. Or karaoke to Tom Petty in the living room if she would rather. Introduce her to the classics- like The Beatles- and listen to her latest favorite- like Taylor Swift. Share the magic of music together, it will bring you closer- or at least create a soundtrack to your life together.

19. Share secrets together. Communicate. Talk. Talk about anything. Let her tell you about boys, friends, school. Listen. Ask questions. Share dreams, hopes, concerns. She is not only your daughter, you are not only her mother. Be her friend too.

20. Teach her manners. Because sometimes you have to be her mother, not just her friend. The world is a happier place when made up of polite words and smiles.

21. Teach her when to stand-up and when to walk away. Whether she has classmates who tease her because of her glasses, or a boyfriend who tells her she is too fat - let her know she does not have to listen. Make sure she knows how to demand respect - she is worthy of it. It does not mean she has to fight back with fists or words, because sometimes you say more with silence. Also make sure she knows which battles are worth fighting. Remind her that some people can be mean and nasty because of jealousy, or other personal reasons. Help her to understand when to shut her mouth and walk-away. Teach her to be the better person.

22. Let her choose who she loves. Even when you see through the charming boy she thinks he is, let her love him without your disapproving words; she will anyway. When he breaks her heart, be there for her with words of support rather than I told-you-so. Let her mess up again and again until she finds the one. And when she finds the one, tell her.

23. Mother her. Being a mother - to her - is undoubtedly one of your greatest accomplishments. Share with her the joys of motherhood, so one day she will want to be a mother too. Remind her over and over again with words and kisses that no one will ever love her like you love her. No one can replace or replicate a mother's love for their children.

24. Comfort her. Because sometimes you just need your mommy. When she is sick, rub her back, make her soup and cover her in blankets - no matter how old she is. Someday, if she is giving birth to her own child, push her hair out of her face, encourage her, and tell her how beautiful she is. These are the moments she will remember you for. And someday when her husband rubs her back in attempt to comfort her...she may just whisper, "I need my mommy."

25. Be home. When she is sick with a cold or broken heart, she will come to you; welcome her. When she is engaged or pregnant, she will run to you to share her news; embrace her. When she is lost or confused, she will search for you; find her. When she needs advice on boys, schools, friends or an outfit; tell her. She is your daughter and will always need a safe harbor - where she can turn a key to see comforting eyes and a familiar smile; be home.

A new blog to follow

If you are ever in need of heart warming stories, I encourage you to read the blog With Heart. It's written by Jen Stagg, who is a reporter with KSL news. Most recently she posted about the birth of her daughter Ruby. Amazing story of just how strong the human spirit is if you believe enough.

http://withheart.com/category/thoughts/

Enjoy!

OH THE LIFE

It will be hard to be happy here. Hard to relax and enjoy the scenery. Hard to live a nice, quiet, relaxing life here.

 

Here are a couple of pictures of the outside of our new home.

Good thing it comes with a riding lawn mower!

 

For Rent

Well we put the house up for rent this weekend! It's really weird to see a FOR RENT sign in the front yard. It's just another thing that makes Jackson feel more real. Like THIS is really happening!

We should be receiving the lease agreement for our Victor house this week. Still not 100% sure if the current renters will be out before the end of the month so we're not sure if Chris will be using the RV for a week before moving in. I'm hoping they are out so we don't have to drive it all the way up and then back down. It's not the cheapest thing to fill up! :)

So here's hoping the house rents quickly and it can be one less thing I need to worry about!

We're moving to JACKSON!

Okay so officially it's Victor, ID...but we're moving to be near Jackson.

Chris received a promotion that is moving our family to his dream area. THE MOUNTAINS! Fishing, hiking, hunting, animals and fresh air!! Yep all the things living in the mountains brings.

He will be moving up at the end of April and I am waiting until the end of June to go so Anna can finish 1st grade and also my niece is getting married in June. On top of that my sister Steph is supposed to moving to Memphis in June (her husband also received a promotion that is moving her family). But her dates aren't 100% in stone yet.

We found a great home to rent, TWICE as big as the one we have now.  I've already extended the invite to several people to come up and visit us since we'll have a house big enough to hold them!

This is a big change for our family. I'm quitting a job I love to be a stay at home mom. Chris said our new neighbors have young kids, and I know Anna won't have any problems making new friends, but I really like the friends she has now. Great kids that I think I'll miss just as much as she will.

This opportunity is great for Chris because it could potentially lead him to his goal/dream position with his company. He's worked damn hard to get where he is, and he's so super excited about this new opportunity. He is proof that if you have enough determination and work hard enough, dreams do come true!!