Note to self

http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/2013/08/back-to-school-feast-2013-14.html
This is a link to one of my favorite bloggers ever! She does this amazing back to school celebration every single year-the note to self is that I should do this! In two years when Eli starts school someone call and remind me!!!!

running and cute pictures of my boys

I wanted to post this with an amazing shoot of me running looking all tough but , really that will never happen. But the great news is my awesome friend and running partner Rylee and I ran 5 miles this morning! We can totally do this! We have been running in the mornings (5:30 AM) and have done the evenings a few times, I am so glad I have a running friend! Thanks Rylee!!! We will rock that 1/2 Marathon in September!
In other news- possibly more exciting to almost all of you friends and family, Kayden is talking a bunch more and we are soooo proud of him! Eli is really learning his numbers, and both the boys have decided in recent weeks that they love spinach- as a salad in smoothies (I have bee tricking them with that for a LONG time) and in food (like pasta). Awesome!
We had a play date this week and the kids had so much fun playing and swimming with their friend... I am writing about this but realized i took 0 pictures, that's right zero, none... I feel like every blog post needs a picture so here are a few cute ones.
The first three pictures are from when we played in our kiddie pool in the back yard and the last two are from when we played int he "kiddie pool" at the Nobles house (its really a blow up raft they fill with water- best pool idea ever!)

Mitchell comes home today

To Mitchell,

I am so glad you are coming home today. Please drive safely. I cant wait to get a big hug and give you a big kiss! I love you. We all missed you.

Lets talk all night long. 

Your Melinda girl.

PS. The kids and I will make you a special dinner.

In case you could not guess, Mitchell was gone all weekend at a Wedding in Washington. We where all a bit jealous . He comes home today.

I painted the boys room..,finally

I finally painted the boys room! The walls where really terrible from the last movers, not only where they ugly mauve but they had holes all over, the room had been an office and they had put shelves in. Floor to ceiling in some places and when they moved they just ripped them out of the walls. Yikes!
Well I patched the walls and sanded and painted and I cannot believe how much fresher the room feels, I don't know why I waited to do it until now. (well I DO know why, it was $$$).
Here are the after pictures, to see the paint color before click here or go to my "home tour" page.

Last weekend Eli and Grandma (West) Built this little plane together, Eli Loves it!!!

All the same colorful fun things the kids and I made from vintage book pages

I made this really quick by taking some skewers and tying  them together with thread, i already had the animal cutouts, I just spray painted them white and tied everything together, i also used some hot glue just to be on the safe side.

I added some family pictures to this 

A felt wreath in every color i had :)

The view from the bedroom door
It seems so much nicer now that i cant see holes in all the walls!

water, and more water, at 3 AM

Somewhere around 2:40 AM , I heard some noise in the bathroom and rolled over, as it turns out there was quite a lot going on in the bathroom. I call him Mr. Hill, was working hard.
Eli (now 3 1/2) had turned on the water in the sink and could not turn it off. No problem right? The drain was clogged.
Yup
Around 3 inches of water was pooling in places and at least an inch of water was  all over the bathroom floor.
Needless to say we were up quite a while getting everything dried out, then we went downstairs to dry out and take care of the light fixtures in the kitchen that were now dripping water.
We got it all taken care of. But I admit to ignoring my 5:30 alarm telling me to go running.
It is a good thing we had lots of fans on hand.
:)

PS- Mitchell man, is awesome, he very firmly talked to Eli but he did not yell and shout and "freak out". He just talked to him as he cleaned up the mess encouraging Eli to help fix it, then he went to bed and woke up early to head to work.
I am SO happy he is MY man! I love you Mitchell we will really miss you this weekend , be safe!

Fun Table rock Pictures!!!

The exciting short "hike" to the top my boys first "from the top of a mountain" view. It was a fun first!

Yey! We got to the top!! (actually we where singing Jesus-Wants me for a sunbeam!)

so this is embarrassing, my sisters screen brightness was so off when i was editing pictures , when i saw this picture on my computer i realized how much i over did the contrast it-oh the shame-don't worry i will fix it next time I'm over there. His adorable cuteness is still shining through!

this strange life

life is almost strange sometimes, I still am "me", but sometimes I have a moment where I stop in the middle of my messy kitchen and tune out the hyper-active boys and think.... "I am just going through the motions". Its sad I mean who wants to feel like they are living mostly in auto pilot. I feel in that moment compelled by some deep desire to switch mindsets, to throw wide the door, to bask in the energy of my two boys. But the moment passes as , before a resolution is formed, some minute thing snaps me out of my revere and I am once again set to some kind of auto pilot feeling lost in a sea of stresses and burdens that have no end in sight.
Its both humbling and oft times depressing.
I know that circumstances that are difficult can become blessings,  great strengths, or opportunities, at least learning experiences. But I have times where I feel like an overtired child thinking things like: "Lord I don't want to be better, or stronger, or handle my trials well, I just want my trials taken away" Eventually I come around and humble myself, but ohh in those times when I feel like I don't want to deal with it anymore, I really don't want to deal with it anymore. On those days I often feel like when I pray for comfort or relief I get just a little bit, but its enough for that hour.The need to pray often keeps me from going into auto pilot and helps me really notice the important things going on right now (like how kayden calls everything he wants a snack, "nack na".

*This is part one of a 3 part series to see parts two and three click the links below!
part 2
part 3
I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior, We are God's children and He loves us!
To learn more about what we believe as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints (Mormons) follow this link.

TABLE ROCK

Table rock is place right above Boise, a lot of rich people with fabulous houses live up by table rock, but its also a short and fairly simple hike and we took the kids this weekend. I wanted them to see the view from the top of a mountain (if you can call it that- which actually your really cant its more like a cliff hill edge ,but hey...) I love the reward of a good view after hiking and i wanted my kids to have that big first! We also took a ton of fun pictures but i am going to Photoshop them before I post them on the blog. Unfortunately none of the family pictures turned out because the little mini hiking tripod thing kept wobbling and the camera would lose focus on us and focus on random bits of sage brush instead.
We had a great time talking about future things and what i call "lifestyle goals" which for me are things like this "I want us to be the kind of family that goes hiking all the time" and then we discuss and elaborate on that plan/goal/desire so it can become a routine part of our lives/lifestyle.
We also bought the kids baseball hats-that happened because we are suckers for our kids please faces AND because Eli is doing so well potty training! If this keeps up i don't think i will be buying anymore eli size diapers-oh what a great thing that would be to only have to change one kids diapers instead of two.....
Also a  note on something i found out that is totally awesome and amazing! My aunt who is admittedly always been incredibly cool who is about the same age as my mom (pushing 50) hiked a 50 miler! Yep, i know i was way impressed too-i think i now have a goal to be able to do that at that age because wow.!

the food we eat

This week i was able to go to a restaurant with my parents (as i mentioned in the post about Monday) and my aunt uncle, their son my grandpa and my other cousin.Whew- that was a list. The place was a Mexican food restaurant and my uncle watched a bit and then observed that he was quite surprised to see my 22 month old and 3 year old eating SO much salsa. They are generous with salsa on each chip. It surprised me that it surprised him and then we talked about other foods, he is one of those people who does not like spicy things (totally fine i am one of those people who don't like sea food (gasp)). I mentioned curry asking  if he liked that -because it is a different kind of spicy, he doesn't like any kind of spicy.
It occurred to me later that it might be a bit unusual for the average american Idaho raised children to eat so many spicy foods. (unless that is their culture-for example a Mexican family would eat those foods) we all have family cultures we create which is so much fun!
Basically My husband has cilacs's disease (i know most all of you know that) and we (and our doctors) are watching Eli, kayden has been GF since he was tiny. Since 1/2 of our house eats Gluten free we all do. (i don't want to have to worry about cross contamination etc especially since Eli shows some symptoms anyways) Many types of cuisine-like ,ti food, Chinese food and Mexican (not Texan) food are pretty much GF if you make them from scratch. That is because those foods (not always the american way) use things like corn tortillas,and  rice noodles instead of wheat. So my kids probably don't think of curry and salsa as unusually spicy since they have those things all the time.
It was fun to think about and i thought i would put it here, so if any of you see us at a some kind of gathering with food and wonder why we don't try more things that's why.
Pssst- if anyone wants gluten free recipes or something i have some good ones!

Also i did a first yesterday! I helped my mom can apricot jam.
2 years a go i canned cherry pie filling all by myself and last year i helped with tomatoes, freezer jam and fruit mix but i have not yet helped with jam (not in my adult years). It is so pretty!!!

I just think that is SO pretty!

My handsome Eli Boy!!!

This weekend we have a special little occasion planned-its a secret! I am so excited! We have a first coming up too-and you know how much i like firsts!
Also i made a somewhat minuscule but biggish decision a few weeks a go to live more intentionally. It involves so many little decisions about small day to day things, but one of them was a silly thing, along with cleaning out all my closets and getting rid of so many things in my house that i don't use,  or use but don't  like, i got rid of TONS of kids clothes that i just really don't love the style of and last weekend i spent some money (not too much but some) getting each of my kids some new clothes we all like. It was a silly thing but i am so excited! Also we only buy them clothes like once a year when they outgrow EVERYTHING they own (because we don't have much spending money) so it was time anyways.
PS-You guys have got to try this- slice a yellow summer squash longways thinly use it in sandwiches, i made grilled cheese the other day and put the squash right next to the cheese and everyone in my family loved it-the kids didn't even notice-i used Colby jack cheese but i don't think it would matter what kind! Its was so fun to know i got my kids to eat their veggies without them noticing i felt very stealthy!

4th of July week the 1st throught the 8th

The week leading up to the forth was busy because we had family in town staying at my parents and then our house, also we just had a week with doc appointments and the like. I was a great kind of week to accomplish. It was nice because when my aunt visited she gave me a massage and we talked about essential oils and such.They (may aunt and her husband and children) stayed with us a few days and it was so much fun to visit with them. We lived near them in Rexburg so we used to see them often but now that we re over on this side of the sate we don't see each other much.
So Monday and Tuesday Mitch worked and we cleaned our house and did projects, we ran errands went tot the library (we go every week) and renewed our Costco Membership. Wednesday morning my cousin came to visit! She and her husband are in Virginia for his dental school but they came for a few weeks and she was kind enough to set aside a whole morning to visit with me and let her meet her sweet sweet baby! (i get so achy for a little newborn sometimes). Then we spent time with my aunt and her family (mostly at my moms house because she has AC). Thursday again was spent with my aunt and we had lots of fun hanging out at my moms air conditioned house (again).
We also had a family gathering for just my grandpa's kids and down on Thursday night.
Friday of course was the long fabulous reunion for the 4th.
Saturday morning and early afternoon was the reunion, we left there around 2 and put the kids down for a nap when we got home. Then i rushed to take advantage of the silent house and 4th of July sales. I went and bought paint for the living room (i just wanted something more toned down and neutral). We emptied all the furniture out of the room and painted (by we i mean mostly me, my man HATES painting). While i painted mitch man took the kids to the park and to get dinner (he is the greatest!) so when they got back all we had to do was to set off our own fireworks and enjoys a nice evening of movies.
*I emptied the room to paint mostly just because i wanted to clean everything out and then only put back in the things i really loved/ or needed.
Sunday after church was a family get together reunion for the West side of the family. The kids had a blast, there are kids their age.
Monday I cleaned, cleaned, cleaned until we went to Celebration park with the West side of the family to play with the Atl Atl's and to hike around a bit and see the Petrogylphs. I even did a bit of trail running-it was probably like a 1/3 a mile i just ran from point A to B when everyone else drove, but still it was FUN, an really hot). It was a blast and after that my parents took the kids and I out to lunch with everyone which was so nice! After that we had a walk, a delicious tyriaki chicken dinner and FHE. Yesterday we spent the day running errands again, so today the kids are TIRED. Lets hope they take long naps! It was a long but very fun week.
I hope everyone else also had a fun 4th of july weekend!

Mitch and i stayed up late Friday making this, cooking together without kids running around was so romantic (i really said that to him, you can see just how tired i was)

The yummy chicken my HUNKules husband made

The Durrant car i spoke of in my last post!!!!!!!!!!!!

4th of July party hats-they are my moms aren't they great?!

PS*Big exciting news, I have now officially gone a whole week of running at 5:45-6 (we did 5:30 once) and so far i am liking it! My amazing friend Rylee is running with me so we are not running alone at all hours (that's not safe) We are going strong training for the 1/2 marathon in September.

4th of July

We spent the 4th at a family reunion, i noticed many people did that this year, it was a blast!
No Really.
Nothing against other reunions i have been too because they have been great, but wow this reunion was something else. It was (as my brother would say) EPIC.
 I am composing a thank you card to the planning committee for the reunion. They have been planning this for over a year and it showed. They had so many fun things to do, they had name tags (cool [plastic ones with clips) and they where color coated by family (meaning my grandpa was a color great aunt Carolyn was another...) they had food and drinks and so many fun things for all ages. I was so glad we could go. Thank you to those who planned it!!!
The  Boys Favorite activities where:
The 4-wheeler Train ride!!!
The fish derby (and that little set up pond in general they played in there all weekend , although the 2 giant Stergen fish there did scare Kayden).
the marbles and rockets with Grandma
FIREWORKS!
Watermelon
all you can drink soda and lemonade
The giant sandbox
the big swing set, and playhouse and other fun things
They also enjoyed the bouncy house and giant bouncy house water slide (they only did that on day 2)
Trying to catch the chicken.
Mitch and my favorites:
The Zip line over the pond
Archery
The rock climbing wall
Go carts
ribs for dinner
the fish derby
Visiting with everyone
Firework show this was seriously amazing!
Also I liked the sweet old car which we took a picture by that i will have to get from my mom later!
They had several other really cool activities too but these where the ones we did and/or enjoyed the most.
Here are a few pictures

see the big stergen?

the fish derby

Its blurry but i love the shadow effect thing (this is Joseph)!