busy

why is it that new year's has to be so close to christmas? i can't help it, but want to close all the books at new year's start the next year off with a cleared computer, backed up photos, books made, etc. but at the same time, want to try my hand at christmas crafts, decorate the house, bake lots of delicious sweets, send out christmas cards, and read the book of luke, while hitting up the slopes for the sweet ski season. and then to top off my ambitions our wedding anniversary accompanies christmas (the month of). so in the middle of closing books/getting organized, trying to create memorable traditions for my baby, buying and wrapping christmas gifts, i am also trying to be romantic, and make our anniversary extra special. while attempting to be a thoughtful daughter and do something sweet for my parents since both of their birthday also accompany christmas (yes: anniversary, dad's  birthday, christmas, mom's birthday, and new year's all fall within three weeks of each other). and this year, ben is super busy with work, so i am also trying to help him out by writing thank you cards, stamping them and sending them out (it takes so much more time, then one might think). plus doing all those mommy/wife things, that easily consume my day like: cleaning, laundry,shopping, making baby food, walking canberra, cooking, and right now: attempting to baby proof, and  hoping i stay at least one step ahead of rivers. i don't know. i think i need to begin planning for december in january (of the next year). because right now i feel so so, so so busy. some times i find myself feeling slightly overwhelmed. so blogging and journaling are going on the back burner. i will try and post every once and awhile. but please internet friends (and great great great grandchildren, who are online reading these randomly strange posts 200 years from now) please forgive my disappearance for the next month or two. but amidst all the happenings, i still think this is the most wonderful time of year! hands down. i love love love christmas time! (so i guess if i begin preparing for it in january i can live christmas all year long :). 

the last week in review:

the smile, that without fail, always manages to melt my heart!

we've spent a lot of time outside. the weather has been incredible! 65 degrees! cannot complain about that! of course i get antsy for the snow. i love snow. but regardless, winter always seems to last a little too long, so the longer 65 degrees hangs around, the longer i will enjoy winter! :) 

curious boy! (we got a whale tub, because he likes to sit up and move around, the seat was not doing it for him, and the big tub. . . well, way to scary for me to do it by myself, rivers is so wiggly!  . . . but, ben thinks the whale tub was a waste of money, i like it especially with the toy whale that came with it - for free, because it poses as shower. . . obviously rivers likes it as well). 

psycho wind storm = tree on house. right now two men are outside with a huge truck trying to remove the debris and they won't stop yelling at each other, guess it's not the easiest job. times like this i am grateful that we rent, because ben is so busy with work, i would have to be out there removing the tree from the rooftop (because we are so extremely cheap, we would refuse to pay someone else to do it).
anyways, i just went out to see what's going on. lots of cutting. i am such a tree hugger. i don't know if it's because i'm from the desert and trees are scarce or if it's because of the beauty they add to the earth, or if it's because it's a life that needs to be cared for, either way, i've only seen this tree for four months, and it breaks my heart to see it go. now they are cutting trees around our house. even the tree with my bird feeder hanging from it. i loved watching the squirrel hang upside down in attempt to eat food from the feeder. now it's gone. i don't know, i can't help but not like these guys. those trees were just fine, how they are. what's with people who get joy from cutting trees?! hope the squirrels are okay, and find a new home in the area. 

door handle. yea, i told you our house was strange. we put our bed against what was once the front door. rivers loves it, because he can eat the handle in the morning, while trying to get me out of bed (yes i disinfected it, come on, i sleep with my face next to it all night long! and no, been sleeping here now for four months and have yet to hit my head on it. . . knock on wood! :)  and i love it because we do live on the corner of ghetto so with one door blocked by a bed, it makes me feel that much safer when ben is out of town.  post script: virtual tour in the works, i have the pictures, just got to post them . . . sorry it's taken so long tammy and melissa! post post script: yes, rivers is in fact wearing buckeye pj's. lately i've been missing ohio. maybe it's the fact that my old bishops wife just had a cute baby boy, maybe it's the fall, or maybe it was the primary program this past sunday and i miss seeing the cute chen kids, maybe it's the massively large, transient ward we live in that only leaves me feeling lost. probably everything combined. i hate moving, because i'm destined to miss things. wish i could bring my ward to colorado, then things might be close to perfect. anyways, with all that said rivers is sporting as my little buckeye. :) 

 

solid food = stinky poop. looking for the motivations to continue cloth diapering.

family pictures! (thank you tripods and self timers, and benjamin:) rivers and i love strings on hats. . . so much more fun!