12 for 2012 - Solitude is...

Some photography friends of mine have started a 12 for 2012 photography project with me. Each month we will be posting photos that follow a theme. We will also be practicing different techniques. This month's technique is "Embrace the grain."  I typically slow down my shutter speed before raising my ISO when shooting in low light. I've found that this isn't a very good habit. I end up with too many blurred photos. Raising the ISO does produce more grain in a photo, but if used in the right way it can add an artistic feel to the photo. 

Solitude is... 

Reading was one of the first things that came to my mind when I heard the theme for January. Reading is something I love, but I just don't get enough time to do. I often find Makiah sitting off on her own looking at a book. I love that at 3, she will slow down and take time to do this.

These photos were taken next to a window, but I still needed more light. Rather than using my flash, I raised my ISO to 1600. My shutter speed was 1/200 of a second and my aperture was set at f/2.8.

I am excited to have a photo challenge each month. It will be fun to do a personal project and document some of the fun things I do with my family.

All things Evan

I threw Evan's Birthday party together at the last second. I will admit that I really didn't want to do a party (I am such a poor sport, I know). But he was expecting it. And since I never told him there wouldn't be a party... he just thought that was how it was supposed to be. So I did it for him (and he deserved it :)). I made it simple and we ended up loving how it turned out. The kids all watched Cars 2 while they sat in box cars they decorated (drive in movie :)). For dessert we had popcorn and donuts. I didn't have to bake, decorate or anything really. That is how a party should be :) Dallas also took a half day off work, so he could be there (really so he could help me). Also, we did it at the church which was another bonus. I didn't have to clean my house before or after the party. 

The best part of the day for me was seeing how excited Evan was for every little thing. He was practically giggling the whole day. I am so glad we did this for him.

This is his "Daphne smile." That's what he called it at least.

One of Evan's gifts from us was pretty exciting. We gave it to him a week early... he is now going to preschool! He is really happy about it and loves to go to school. It didn't take me long after having Daphne to realize that I needed him in school more than he actually needed to be in school.... if that makes any sense at all. He is happy at home, and he learns so much. He is so curious and learns things on his own. But it came down to the fact that I couldn't give him the attention he needed. Evan now counts down the days until his next preschool day and gets so excited to go each time. He loves having a set routine and something to look forward to. I LOVE preschool (and wish soooo much that I could send Makiah as well... one day...)

Something I want to remember about Evan is how observant he is. He notices so many things and learns from them. He is good at telling time, he knows the days of the week and the months of the year. He knows how to count down the days when he is waiting for something fun to happen (like birthdays, preschool days etc...), He loves to do math problems and without realizing it he does math all the time. He was watching the clock in the car the other day and counting down the minutes until we arrived where we were going. He is always doing things like that and it catches me off guard sometimes.

Evan went to the doctor last week. He hated getting shots :( poor guy. He is 44 inches tall and 37 lbs. He is a skinny boy :) We have been working so hard this past week to get him to eat better, and it is starting to work. No more snacks, unless it is fruits/veggies that I send with him to preschool. He gets rewarded with the healthy foods he likes (cheese, yogurt, etc) rather than junk food, when he (actually) eats his meals. The fact that this was the doctor's idea has helped it work and Evan is doing very well. I just have to remind him that "the doctor said you need to eat your veggies" and he doesn't get as upset about missing out on snacks. 

On Sunday Evan gave the opening prayer in Primary. It was pretty cute. We talked with him about things he could say before hand, and on the way to church I asked him to tell me a few things that he might pray about. "It is a surprise, mom." He told me :) He went up all by himself to pray and only needed help once from the primary president. After he was finished he said "Yes!" as he ran back to his seat.... whose kid is this anyway?? Haha, it was so cute, and he was proud of himself. A year ago there was nothing we could do to get him to speak in primary. He is not shy anymore.

Evan is such a good kid. I am lucky to have him :) He helps sooo much. He is a good friend to Makiah and helps a lot with the baby. I am always so impressed with how willing he is to share with his sister. He cares so much for others.

Acceptance

I am not going to lie. Being a mom of three has been a hard adjustment. You know when you hear yourself thinking "Everything will be okay when things get back to normal..." And then you stop yourself and think "What is normal anyway? And when will things ever be normal?" Yeah. I think that everyday. So now I am trying to accept my life the way it is, instead of thinking the above, that everything will just get back to "normal" sooner or later.

So I am now learning to accept a few things, like....


My house will never be perfectly clean (I love having a clean house) and when it is "clean" it won't last long (unless 5 minutes is long).

Laundry will never be done. And I'll probably be doing a load at least once a day... from here on out. And folding laundry? forget about that one. That is what my bedroom floor is for, right?

Dinner, most likely, will not be on the table by the time Dallas walks in the door. And most nights leftovers, cereal or sandwiches is the way to go.

The translation for "meal time" is "sit and feed baby time" (I'll get around to eating... later) and "try to calm Makiah down time" (for some reason this has become her time to cry about everything).

Leaving the house, just going anywhere, takes time. And lots of it. Waking up early doesn't always do the trick (I find myself getting things ready the night before I have to go somewhere).

Shopping requires an extra hour of time, just in case... (potty breaks, time to feed the baby, calm a crying child... the list goes on).

I don't have quite as much time for personal hobbies (like photography :( And I can't even remember the book I last read).

My living room is now a playroom (well, it always has been. But now that baby is sleeping in the kids room, the living room is the playroom).

Date nights are now Netflix and ice cream nights (we are used to this one, though). Coupled with late night feedings for the baby.

Blogging and emailing will be done with a sleeping baby in my arms.

When I finally do find time to get something done, it will be interrupted.


I know that this won't last forever.  But for now, it's life. And do you know what? I like it (I keep reminding myself). Bring on the challenge. Being a mom is tough, but it's what I do and it makes me happy. I feel lucky to be a mom. Especially of these three amazing kids.

Life around here

It has been a nice break from life these past few weeks. Dallas got a week of work off and it was wonderful having him home. I never got sick of having him around, he was a great help and I loved having his company all day. Now I feel like I am being slow to get back into the swing of things. This next week I hope to get back into a routine. I am starting to love winter for one main reason: It's cold, and I get to spend most days relaxing inside :) But really, I need to get back into some kind of routine! I guess that is what new years resolutions are for... maybe I should actually make some resolutions....

I have slowed down on blogging up until today (mostly because I haven't had internet...)  I also slowed down on photography, up until this past week. Every time I look at Daphne all I can think is how different she is, and how fast she'll change. I need to take photos of her more often. 

Evan got this one for me. 

I posted two other posts below... if you want to take a look :)

2 months??

Sometimes I look at Daphne and I want to cry. She. Has. Changed. So. Much. I know, every mom says this and complains about this. But really. I don't like it... but I do at the same time. Complicated. I miss her newborn-ness, but at the same time I can't wait till her first laugh, when she rolls over, sits up, crawls, walks, talks etc....

At 2 months Daphne is 11 lbs 13 oz and 24 inches long.

She smiles, coos and likes to look at toys. She loves "talking" to us and eats up any attention she can get. 

She is an excellent sleeper and is now sleeping about 8-9 hours at night. She drinks her last bottle of the day around 9-11 and wakes up to eat around 6-8. I LOVE it! 

She is still quiet, mellow and content. Such a wonderful little one to have around. 

Sometimes she prefers mom at night and both mom and dad would rather it be the other way around. We will work on that one.

This past month she even had her first hair cut... meaning, mom got sick of her baby mullet and the funny long hair on top of her head. She was completely bald around the middle, so II cut it so it could grow in evenly. Now she looks completely bald, but she isn't, she has a little hair coming in :)

I still think she looks like Evan, but we get a lot of comments saying that she looks like Makiah.

She is getting big!

This is the cute look I get from her when she "talks" to me... 

Christmas 2011

We had a fun Christmas here at home. We spent time with each other and friends and had a great time. I think my favorite part of the holidays is the food :) Seriously, we had a lot of yummy food this year. I am already excited for next Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years :) 

The kids are getting older and they understand more about the birth of Christ and the real reason for the season. It was fun to learn with them throughout the month. They loved talking about the nativity and learning more about their savior. They also LOVED singing Christmas songs and listening to Christmas music (another favorite part of Christmas for me). 

This year the kids shopped for each other.  It was fun for them to pick out a gift for each other and focus more on serving rather than getting. They were excited for the other to open the gift they bought one another (though Makiah needs to learn how to keep a secret!). 

A calendar is what Evan wanted for Christmas, and he told me this the night before. Lucky for him I had already made him one :) He LOVES it. Silly boy. I actually overheard him telling Makiah the other day that he wants a 2013 calendar for his birthday :)

Makiah "didn't get what she wanted." Though she got a lot of things that she LOVES. Apparently when she asks for something specific, she expects it. But she is on her way to learning that we don't always get exactly what we ask for. She is definitely grateful for what she has though :) She had a fun Christmas!

All About Us.

Evan

Evan is a thinker, a doer. He likes to get things done, and do it right. He is smart and is constantly learning new things on his own. He has a strong will and is stubborn at times. He has quite the sense of humor and likes to make people laugh. He loves playing with babies. He loves being around people and prefers not to be alone.  

Makiah

Makiah is creative. She does things her own way and doesn't care what others think about her. She can be extreme and very dramatic. She is either really happy, really sad, or really mad.... not usually in-between :) She learns things on her own time table, and isn't rushed. She loves being around others, but also enjoys being alone at times. She has a great imagination and loves to pretend.

Daphne

Daphne is quiet, content, and super sweet. Although she is still a small baby, she has her own little personality and is quite different from her brother and sister. She is happy when she wakes up, and always gives us big smiles. She loves watching her big brother and sister. She has such a calm temperament and is a wonderful little one to have around.

Dallas

Dallas is interested in languages. He love learning about other countries and wants to travel. He plays the piano, mostly by ear. He has made some beautiful arrangements on his own and we love listening to him play. He is a dedicated father and is a hard worker. He is a clinical programmer analyst and loves his job.

Jessica

I am the voice of this blog :) Now you can put a face with the name... I am usually the one behind the camera taking the pictures. So, most likely, you see a lot of my family and less of me! I am a hobby photographer who loves to catch each moment with my camera. I am a stay at home mom... and I am very grateful for that! I am definitely a home body, so that just works out perfectly. I love a good volleyball game and enjoy most sports. I miss all the hiking and camping that I used to do in Utah before we moved here to Indiana.

And here we are all together, slightly on the crazy side...