New Photo Blog

I'm learning! :) Slowly, but surely! I have a long way to go, but I have the skeleton structured. Now I just need to put some fancy clothes on it! Take a look and tell me what you think.... K2 Imaging

Oxygen

Do you ever feel trapped? The air around you heavy? Your mind is lost and unfocused? You find yourself in a one-man pity party.... Everyone has at some point, some more than others. But just when you are at your lowest, you get a smile and a hug with a side of  "I love you" from your kids. A "the house looks nice, honey" from the honey. A call from an old friend,  just to say hi. Comments on your blog or posts on your FB wall.....someone thought of you that day. It makes you smile and you take a deep breath....a fresher, lighter breath. Like fresh oxygen.

A long time ago I was told, in a classroom setting of some kind, about having a personal bucket. Now everyone has a bucket and when you do something nice for someone, you add a little bit of "happy" to their bucket. It's nice to see the smiles on the faces and hear the "thank you. I needed that today"s....it fills your own bucket just a bit. In theory, the more you do for others, or service, as some people refer to it, the more your bucket fills...lifting and helping you carry on about your life in a positive way.

Sadly, there are negative forces that like to tip your bucket over or pokes holes in the bottom so your "happy" leaks out and you become sad and overcome with heavy, trapped, and unfocused feelings...and then the cycle begins again with more encouragement from your family and friends. Isn't that why we're here? Isn't that why we have each other? To patch the holes in the bottom of the bucket and fill it again?

Never think twice about saying something nice, you never know who's bucket may be low.

Encouragement is oxygen to the soul.  Breathe deep and share the love.

This video added some "happy" to my bucket today....I am grateful for what I have.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc4HGQHgeFE

This morning Kortlan snuggled up to me and said "Mom, it's like you're the gun and I'm the gun powder." I asked him what that meant. His reply was "It means you're a part of me."

a little info....

My photoblog isn't quite finished....but for those of you interested, feel free to check out what I've been working on the past few days :)

K2 Imaging PhotoBlog  And feel free to leave a comment if you wish ;)

Easter/Spring Break

What a busy, fun filled week we have had! Saturday we drove up to Pocatello to drop Maggie off for the week. Grandma helped the kids color eggs and then we went to Grandma and Grandpa Jack's before heading back home to pack.

Easter morning the kids found all the eggs and goodies and then we hit the road heading south...looking for warmer weather :)

We crashed the Wynn's Easter dinner (most delicious, Patti! Thanks again) =) and let Dusty beat the tar out of the kids before continuing our travels.

How Kort rides in the car......

How Kendrie rides in the car.....

A pit stop in Beaver found a big chair to fill...

Finally at our hotel, the kids let loose their excitement =)

Monday we drove to Vegas for the day. Not the sunny warm day we were hoping for, but we were indoors most of the time.

Our first stop was to the Bellagio. They have gorgeous floral arrangements every year. The minute you walk in the doors, you are hit with the fresh floral aroma....it was beautiful!

What would a trip to Vegas be without a stop at M&M World?

Gas isn't the only thing going up in price....these tasty little things went from $8 a pound to $13 a pound in the last 2 years....the choice of color makes it all worth it though, right???  = \

Lunch at the Rainforest Cafe

and then over to the Wynn and Encore (more favorites of mine) =)

Tuesday the weather was sunnier, not quite warm, but the pool was heated =D

To St. George for the afternoon and lunch at In & Out...yummy! Jim left from there and the kids and I headed back to Mesquite for the rest of the week.

We stayed at our friend's, the Marchant's, house. Unfortunately, their pool had been drained to fix a leak, but we found other ways to have fun in the water. Wednesday the kids ran through the cold sprinklers and laid on the driveway to get warm. I sat in the chair soaking up as much sun as I could....storing it up to last me until June ; ) Wednesday afternoon, I took some pictures of my friend Tammy's kids and then headed back to Klea's for Darren "World Famous" spaghetti (very tasty, Darren! You should bottle it ; )

Friday, Klea and I got our toes done and then sat out by the empty pool and watched the kids turn the bottom of it into a slip 'n slide....the trick was to get up before you hit the muddy water = ) Then we got cleaned up and I took the Marchant's family pictures downtown and down by the river. The kids stayed up late playing Guitar Hero and talking and giggling.

Saturday I had another family session with the Laub's and then it was pack up and drive to St. George where we met Jim and had a long ride home.....watching the temperature go from 87 to 50 by the time we got to Provo =( It was a very fun week, but we are glad to be home....except for the snow we woke up to this morning.....

Vintage

Two of my most favorite Easter decorations. 

Hand painted by my mother in 1981.

Erasers

One Eraser Making Kit + some extra time on our hands =

I may not be selling Hapari anymore...but they still managed to get me in one on TV again... (because I don't have enough suits yet....I wonder how long the 15 I have will last...hmmmm) :)

Hapari 2010 on Studio 5

Big Old Machines...

So Jim knows this guy....he owns lots of big old machines....from WWII to be precise. A Father/Son outing found them in Western Utah for the day to check them out. (Kendrie and I aren't sure why the girls weren't invited...I would have loved to have been there with my camera....) Anyway, check out these fun pics the boys came home with....