:: i want a cat cuddle ::

One of my favourite memories growing up were the litters of kittens that our cat Smokey would have. Linda & I would spend hours playing with them, cuddling them, dressing them up & generally annoying the heck out of them. I can even recall some of the names of these kittens that we are holding, well only one actually - Linda has Daisy in her right hand. She might be able to help with the other names.

It seems like these days its not overly common for families to have litters of kittens (or puppies) for that matter. Must be the council/rspca push for desexing. I am very sad by Linda's decision to take away our beautiful (all be it stupid) Lulu's chance to fulfill her pure bred destiny in having a litter of cute white kitties. Linda said that she almost went crazy with Lulu's inappropriate behaviour when she was on heat. Sad Lin... very sad. 

So I have been scouring the neighbourhood for some unsuspecting cats with which to fulfill my need for some cat cuddles. I must be rubbing off on Jamin because he pronounced the other day in a very sad whingy voice, "I really want a cat cuddle right now!". I understand Jamin, I really do... 

:: some icicles too ::

We had another foot of snow last night which has left our surroundings looking even more unrecognisable. Who would have thought this much snow could balance on top of an outdoor table & chairs?

There are also some very cool looking icicles hanging from our gutters (eaves is what the Americans call them BTW).

From the deck off our bedroom. 

We decided to leave the car out last night after driving through a lot of snow in the afternoon. It all melts into the garage and goes everywhere making a mess. We are starting to understand why so many people here leave their cars out at night, which we previously thought was crazy. So we learnt something else about leaving the car out... don't park it under the gutters. They will drip & cause your car to grow some icicles of its own. Danny had some work to do this morning before he could go into the city for a meeting. He said its a good early morning workout!

The bins look like they are going to a winter dress up party.

We are all feeling a bit better today so we might make it out for an afternoon play in the snow. Hooray!

:: its snowing. ::

It's a lazy Sunday afternoon here in Utah. We have had steady snow since the early hours of this morning & it has covered our house in a layer of white. It's a bit different to what our yard looked like in the middle of summer but still beautiful in a different way. I have to confess that despite the beauty I am still dreaming of the Australian summer that is half a world & a very painful plane flight away. Bring on February & Oma helping us with the flight home. 

Some of our trees didn't finish loosing their leaves which leaves us wondering how they are going to fare with the heavy snowfall. Hopefully we don't lose any limbs on us or the house.

We are still feeling the effects of the cold that hit us a few days ago so can't get out in the snow to go sledding. I think we are in for a bit of a stir-crazy afternoon. Hopefully we can find something warm & active for the boys to keep us sane. 

:: knitting update ::

So the knitting has been going well. The two realists in my life, Danny & Linda, are encouraged by the progress thus far, but are not yet willing to place any bets in my favor of completing the project. The weather is proving to be a motivating factor as today in Salt Lake City it's -6'c outside. 

Our little family is feeling just a bit miserable at the moment. We seem to be battling every virus that comes our way. Must be the new country & some different germs to what we are used to. There is lots of fresh white snow on the ground but going out to play is not really an option till we are feeling a bit better. 

My boys keep on wanting help with my knitting but end up removing the needles from the scarf or pulling out a lot more wool than I need. Ah well. We are all exciting that Mummy is making something. It has been a while, not including the Big Red Car & other kids projects that take up our days.

Anyone got any tips for knitting with toddlers help?

{thanksgiving)

Merilee did an beautiful job on the table decorations. She even had a Christmas ornament craft for the boys to do. What a Mum & what a friend!

We just got home from a amazing Thanksgiving meal with our good friends Merilee & Boston, their Grandma & friend Steve. It was a lovely dinner depite Boston & Jamin cutting laps around the table. The had a bit of trouble understanding why we wanted them to eat dinner at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. I can understand that confusion...

At the kids table. A nice idea but they were lacking a little self control to stay in their seats.

I had grand plans of making a pumpkin Pie from scratch but in coming down with a bad cold in the last few days I resorted to pumpkin puree in a can & a pre made pie case. It still tasted good - sweet but good. Merilee also made her family favourite dish of yams (sweet potatoes) with melted marshmellows on top. It was quite sweet but also yummy. Somehow we managed to score the leftover turkey so we will be snacking on that for the next few days.

I like thanksgiving. It's an American holiday that I might just bring home with us.

{not just a mama}

Days before kids - our engagement photo - 2004

This morning Danny & I dropped the boys off at Ginger's house & headed over to a friends house to go snowboarding up the mountain. Unfortunately there was a blizzard (a little underwhelming actually) last night & it was still snowing up Big Cottonwood Canyon. The road up the canyon is pretty treacherous in the snow & ice so we opted to give todays skiing a miss & try for Sunday instead. 

After a cup of tea & a cat fix for me (oh how I miss my Jettie!) we headed home & I launched into a cleaning frenzy that lasted a few hours. As I cleaned I pondered the feeling of freedom I feel on these days without the boys. It's almost as if I can go back to being me for just a few hours instead of the all consuming mind, body & spirit takeover that being a mother brings. I'm not sure that Father's completely understand the role that Mother's play. From that first moment of pregnancy, your body is taken over by a child that grows through all the nourishment & sustenance that you can provide. As your body grows & changes, so does the feeling that it is your own. Then comes the life altering act of labour where you emerge the other side changed, a different person & a different family. The foggy days that follow are a mix of mersmerising love for this new child & a body filled with aches & pains as it tries to adapt to a different role - that of keeping a baby alive through the milk that it creates within itself. What a wonder & what an overwhelming responsibility. Add to this a couple of other kids who have their own physical, spiritual & emotional needs its no wonder that I sometimes wonder where the old me has gone. 

So on a day like today, I am going to embrace & revel in my quiet, clean house & have a friendly visit with myself. Funnily enough I am looking forward to seeing my boys, the children of my heart, in just a few hours. 

What a creator we have...

:: a new big red car ::

For the last month or so Jamin has been asking to make a new Big Red Car just like the one below that we made for him in Australia. It came complete with a mobile phone & ignition keys & sadly we had to leave it behind in our big move. 

So this week I finally remembered to buy some red paint, found a box & off we started on our Big Red Car making afternoon. 

Top is cut out & we are starting to paint. Kael is eating his paint brush. He then proceeded to tip the water cup he was using to paint with all over the floor. 1 year olds are so much fun...

Colouring in the wheels. 

Kael having a test drive while Jamin plays on our new (2nd hand) slide. 

The finished product complete with colouring in pictures glued on & a steering wheel. I do plan to add headlights soon. 

This morning I read this article in a book that I have called Heart Focused Parenting by Belinda Letchford. 

"My encouragement to you is to start listening to your children, find out the desires of their heart and do one thing a day that their hearts ask for. Make this a habit. Things like time, hugs, play time with you, fun time with the family, a listening ear, to be allowed near you, to touch you, messy time, making stuff, crazy time, rough & tumble time, implusive activties" p. 14.

This is a good reminder that despite being a big effort, listening to my kids & fulfilling their desires for creative quality time is important & worthwhile. Investing into their hearts is something that will pay off in relationship with them many years down the track. 

:: some pinnacles, snow & sledding ::

We started off our last weekend with Sam by heading out to the Strawberry Pinnacles. They are some amazing sedimentary rock formations that run alongside the Strawberry River. We had two previous attempts of driving here in the summer but both were abandoned because of the kids. This time they did really well & we managed to make a day of it, even surviving driving through a snow storm. 

Driving alongside the Strawberry River.

It was very chilly, maybe 1 degree, but the boys needed a break from the car. So after rugging up we had a run around. 

Sam even climbed up to one of the pinnacles. Can you see his silhouette between the rocks?

The day was so overcast  it was hard to get a good shot.

Jamin in Daddy's beanie & new winter coat. $5 at the Op Shop!

Me & my two boys.

A couple of games of tag warmed us up & got rid of some energy.

The rocks hang out over the road. Pretty amazing.

Another lunch at a little American diner. It was actually really good except for the part where I asked for the ketchup. What the? Where did that come from?

We got home around dinner time & a few hours later a snowstorm hit which dumped a good foot of snow. That planned the rest of our weekend for us...

Sam was like a little boy on Christmas morning. 

The snow plough coming up our street. 

The next morning Danny & Jamin went out to shovel the driveway & play in the snow. There were boys from up the street riding their disks in the snow down the side of the road.

In the afternoon we went out to a nearby park sledding. It was so much fun although I did learn the number 1 sledding lesson... get out of the way! I got totally cleaned up by Merrilee & Boston as they came down the hill. I was too busy trying to get to Kael who was also in the way & forgot about myself. Ooops.... but probably a good lesson to learn early on.

Kael & Jamin absolutely loved it! Kael would laugh at the bottom of the hill then sign for more. We will definitely be investing in sleds!

We just said goodbye to Sam at the airport which was a bit sad. He is onto bigger & brighter traveling experiences in Chicago. Back to the nomadic bachelors lifestyle which seems to suit him well... although he will make a very good family man when the time comes!

< cooking adventures with Sam >

Sam has been the ultimate guest for the last few weeks - babysitting, cleaning, changing nappies, entertaining the boys... I have to say that I have been quite surprised & just a little impressed. He is going to make some girl very happy one day!

So imagine my delight when he decided to go one step further in the favourite guest stakes & start cooking for us! He spent the afternoon pouring over my Thermomix cookbook & decided to make his favourite dinner from home in Australia - Porcupine Meatballs. He called his Mum for some advice & then cranked up the tunes for an afternoon of cooking. 

Making tomato sauce from scratch in the Thermomix.

It was heavenly!

Simmering the meatballs on the stove. 

Sammy is now a Thermomix convert & says that he is definately going to purchase one when he goes home to Australia & settles down in his own house. I'll definately be going over for dinner if that happens!

Sammy looking pretty pleased with himself.

The ultimate compliment came from picky eater Jamin who said that "Sammy's dinner was good". It was also the first thing he talked about when he came out for breakfast in the morning which is a first.

This is him pulling his silly face. 

:: a knitting challenge ::

I have a confession to make...

despite coming from a long line of creative & crafty women I have, as yet, been unable to finish a project that I started. 

It all began in my high school Home Economics days when Mum found no problem with completing our sewing assignments. If I recall correctly, she finished a lovely handmade doll for me & knitted up Linda's Banana in Pyjama's toy, without complaining. Then there was the baby's rug that I had grand dreams of crocheting for my friends first baby. Danny's Mum finished that one for me when I became bored & Jamin ended up being the recipient of its white warm snuggles. 

In my defense I have finished numerous mosaic tables & a few other sewing projects in the last few years so if I really dig down deep to find some motivation I know that I can complete things.

Lately I have been reading blogs by some very crafty ladies, like SouleMama & it's the little things, & have once again been stirred with some desire to attempt knitting again. After some discussion with Mum we decided that knitting a scarf really was my best chance of succeeding as its easy, mindless & I have the added motivation of not actually having one for the impending winter. 

Yesterday I went shopping & stood in the wool (yarn) aisle for about half an hour trying to figure out what pattern to use, needles to buy & type of wool to purchase. It was quite overwhelming (I cannot imagine how bad it would have been had the kids been with me) & at one point I called Mum in Australia for advice but unfortunately she didn't answer her phone. I soldiered forward on my own & ended up falling in love some wool that was not only beautiful but also had a free pattern inside & info about what needles I needed. 

So here goes... I have YouTube for tech support if I need it & if it comes to it... Danny's mum will be here to rescue me in 3 weeks... Let's hope that its finished & around my neck by then!

I will keep you updated on my progress as I go. Anyone want to place bets?

+ dancing at the computer +

Jamin & Kael often rock out to songs on YouTube while standing on the fireplace.

This week Aunty Linda posted a blog about one of her new favourite bands, Passenger & we listened to one of their clips on YouTube. It's a beautiful song & the boys loved dancing to it while watching the film clip.




I think that we are new fans too :)

{Borrowing from the Library...and Life}

Today I thought I would share a post from over at the blog, Rants from Mommyland. Its a very funny blog written by two stay at Mums somewhere in America. It is one of the blogs that I have started reading recently & it really makes me smile. I like knowing that there are other Mums out there that find having kids as challenging & wonderful as I do.

It links in nicely with my blog from few weeks ago about my local library.

Enjoy!

RANTS FROM MOMMYLAND: Borrowing from the Library...and Life: "My middle son Lefty loves the library. When he was a little guy, we'd take his big sister to school and then spend hours in the library. The..."

:: a day to remember ::

Linda took some beautiful photos while we were in Canada for my cousin Kerissa's wedding in September. I just wanted to take some time to remember. 

+ the pie - an american pizza joint +

Today we ventured out into the city to check out a pizza place, The Pie, recommended by a local SLC'ian & it was well worth the drive! Apparently they deliver interstate which speaks very highly of their devotees.

The entrance is down this funky stairwell & you walk into a very cool restaurant that feels like you are underground. 

Jamin spent the time waiting for our 'pie's' to arrive crawling over the bench seats around the perimeter of the restaurant. The graffiti on the walls is pretty cool. 

The famous 'Pie". Sammy & Danny reckon that they are up there with the best pizza's they have ever had. If Kael could talk I think he would put his vote in too. They were pretty amazing tasting & so filling. We couldn't even finish one off. But leftover's are the best part right?

The obligatory beer to go with the pizza. It came in a 'pitcher' - yes we are becoming quite american aren't we?

+ a day out on the bikes +

We took my friend Merrilee's family quad bikes out for a ride about an hours drive out of Salt Lake City in the Utah mountains. It was loads of fun but freezing cold!

It was an eventful day starting out with us all on the bikes. Unfortunately as soon as we started riding Kael basically lost it. He, apparently, does not like riding on the back of a quad bike in the freezing cold. Who would have thought?! So we abandoned that plan pretty quickly & rode back to get the car. Kael & I continued on in warm blissful comfort whilst the rest of the crew (Danny, Sam & Jamin, Merrilee, Boston & Ed) continued on in the winter conditions. 

Sam making the most of the snow. He was a little bored sticking to the dirt road but managed to get off road a little bit. 

Danny took over driving the family wagon (now full of kids who weren't so keen on the cold) & I got on one of the bikes. It was so much fun, although, dare I repeat myself again? FREEZING cold!

We stopped for some lunch in the middle of nowhere and the kids got out & did some roaming. 

Just down from our lunch spot a wild mare appeared amongst a herd of cows to have a drink from their trough. The area is well known for the wild horses that roam the place.

We took a detour on the way back to the trailer & saw some more wild horses. The scenery was amazing!

I am loving my new camera but am happy that it didn't seize up in the weather. My fingers were so freezing from riding that I could hardly work the camera. The trip home in the warm car was blissful!