Marika's Sr Portriats

I finally got around to editing Marika's portriats. I am quite pleased with how they turned out. Most of these are just fun for me. But also the ones for family and friends. Let me know what you think.

Hee hee- 60s wondernus

All Hail the Glorys of Summer

Summer is finally here.

Wading pools.

(and bare bums)

Homemade popsicles.

Mornings by the river.

We have already started to indulge in the joys of this season.

Many more months to come of the sunshine soaked, lazy, slow days of summer.

Alma Licking Good

My dear friend Andrea frequently waxes rhapsodic about licking chocolate and whipped cream off her tall glass of water Tim (TMI you say- not really because it is about Andrea and not me- uhm sorry Andrea but I don't think I said anything you wouldn't or haven't on your own blog). And frankly- ick I do not get all the licking food stuffs off others- really icky- right up there with foot massages. That was until Becky asked me to make her homemade ketchup during her low iodine diet. I would bath in homemade ketchup, I would marry it, I would not only lick it off Alma but I would lick it off of a strange unbathed homeless man- maybe even off his feet. Okay nothing is that good. If you want the recipe ask Becky I forgot to bring it home. I found a couple of others online but they were a little different. Most of them called for canned stewed tomatoes but I did Becky's with fresh because of her iodine problems. Here is some pics of the process (I kept forgetting to take pics of some steps- So I already fail my first attempted tutorial). Our mother mocked me all day for taking pictures of ketchup for my "little blog thing". No surprise she doesn't even read to see pics of the grand kids. But I digress. I did change the recipe and used balsamic vinegar instead of cider (because Becky didn't have any cider vinegar in her house- but liked it so much I will continue to do it this way I think). Gourmet magazine had an article about the perfect hot dog with all the condiments made from scratch- and I think I liked my recipe better- fresher simpler more pure. I know I know you are saying what kind a lunatic makes homemade ketchup- but try it- it is so divine and far and above the insipid store version- you will be a convert. I will never really be able to get behind the whole make your own bread insanity but I am totally on board for the make your own ketchup insanity.

Here are the tomatoes- boiling for a couple of minutes before I peel them.

Why blogger Why???? is it so difficult to keep things oriented correctly?

Chopped tomatoes, seasoning set to simmer of 3-4 hours.

Here it is after it was blended and refrigerated for a couple of hours- it said to refrigerate over night but a few hours was plenty. I can not use the words needed to let you know how truly divine this was.

Not a great picture- but this is a great kid.

This weekend was the last of our time with Brian before he left on his mission. (I will write more about him later). So lots of good byes and hugs and tears. Sunday while we were eating I explained to Coen that we were going to Brian's house for on last hug after lunch. He then said "I two now so I go to Canada with Brian. I two and be a big missionary friend with Brian." I told him that he would have to leave his mommy to go with Brian and Coen burst in to wailing sobs, with tears running down his face. Crying over and over " I no leave my mommy." He then calmed down and said "Okay mommy you can go to Canada with Brian and me." When we told Brian this story he got a little teary (it may have just been residual tears from saying good-bye to Emily) and said that he didn't want to leave his mommy either.

I just love these two guys.

Last night hung out with Kate and Emily- tonight games with Anna, Marika, and TJ (of which I won every one). This morning I went down to Land Park in Sacramento and did a 5k which was great- friends from work and church joined me and the same group is going to get together to do another in July. Anyways add in a little swimming and bar-b-que and it has been a pretty great weekend.

So these little prehistoric creatures are living in our bathroom:

Never fear they are just visiting- we have not lifted our no pets policy in our house. These are Wendell's families little chicks- sadly past the cute chick stage and in the ugly creepy bird stage.

Coen is very worried about the little chicks. I keep finding him in the bathroom saying "Don't worry little chicks your mommy is coming soon. Don't worry your mommy loves you and will come and get you." He also asks me regularly where their mom is and when is she coming to get her babies. This is very sweet. When the little chicks stand on their feeders to look over the edge of their box Coen says "look mom they are trying to find their mommy."

This was a great day- we went to downtown to watch the book parade for the K-3rd graders. Joseph and Annie and Geneva participated. Across the street from us was a couple of sixth grade classes and between his cousins, Aunt Anna and their friends he knew half of the kids- so he got lots of hugs. And this year he realized it was for big kids and didn't join Joseph for the second half of the parade like he did last year. Marika joined us as well. Today was her senior picnic.

This is Annie as Fancy Nancy- no surprise she and 50 other little girls were Fancy Nancy. A distant second in popularity was some sort of fairy thing.

Joseph's class did the boring thing where the class all dressed up to fit with some book the teacher picked. I like it better when the kids pick their favorite book to dress up as.

While I was at work the boys went to the DePews (Amanda Ivie for those of you from here). This was very exciting as they have 24 chickens and 3 pigs and a strawberry patch. The whole way home I got to hear about Kyra's farm. It took a lot of bribing to get him to leave.

Earlier this week I also took some pictures of the Preeces- again- with better results this time. The above picture is of two people who will remain nameless to protect the innocent- and no they are not dating- really- don't let all the hand holding and kissing fool you. Do you think I will be doing engagement photos in a couple of years?

Oh the Humanity!!!!!

I have a newly sharpened pencil with a generous pink healthy eraser.

I have a DVR full of mystery shows.

And no sudoku book.

What am I supposed to do with my self??????

Where is it?

I have searched the house and it is no where to be found.

I mourn.

I guess I will have to find some knitting to do.

Travel Time

We are having a great time in Tulare with B-ho's family. Happy Birthday Nick.
The cousins are loving each other- Coen is getting big enough to really play with Luke and my co-diva Charlotte loves my new traveling companions even more than I do. She is my little daughter given mistakenly to Becky. Yesterday in the middle of full blown melt down her mom pulled out a new pair of silver shoes and like a switch had been flipped the house was all smiles and cheer. I react like that too. Today while Becky is at the cancer center getting a shot and Luke is at little gym Charlie, Coen and I are chilling in the backyard-- oh Becky's glorious backyard. The endless lawn, the endless toys, the shade. Almost makes you want to live in Tulare- oh wait the stifling heat ruins that. Here are some pics.

A Sneak Peak of Preece Family Portriats

Here is my favorite so far. I love it. Aren't Laura's eyes amazing? I am pleased so far- hopfully they will like them too.

We still need another photo shoot this next week before Brian leaves to try and get a good one of the family all together. Any suggestions with working with groups?

Quick Little Update

Yeah Kathy made a comment!!!!!!!!!! Kathy is my ex-step-sister-in-law which is just fun to write. She is a fabulous woman- smart, sassy, and unapologetically just herself. I love her to bits- many of our favorite books on Coen and Beckett's shelf are from her (or ones she got for Becky's kids that I liked so much I had to order them for our house). Every night after his bath Coen runs around the house in his puppy towel, barking, and begging to be petted- all thanks to Kathy. Even though the monkey towel Beckett got for his birthday is being eyed with a great deal of envy. So in short I love Kathy and am thrilled she commented and even more thrilled that as usual she said the nicest things. She is one of those people that if she loves you you always leave every encounter with her feeling ten feet taller. Oh and she married Ben my most amazing step-brother and so that alone shows what a woman of refinement and great taste she is.


Some little notes about the monkeys this week-

Coen must be getting for a big growth surge- because he is eating nonstop (and all healthy snacks- I always know he is really hungry if he will eat whole wheat crackers and carrot sticks) and talking a ton but very little is understandable- typical of him when he is pushing his verbal boundaries . I will be amazed with all his new words in a couple of weeks. We are also working on our French vocabulary on this great website and I think his accent may be better than mine!

Beckett- I caught him crawling and then going onto a stand in the middle of the room but as soon as he saw me -back down on his knees. I think he stands a lot more when it is just him and Coen. If I try to get him to walk holding onto my hands or the baby push thing he arches his back and screams bloody murder. Just charming. He got a tooth on the top this last week and has decided biting things in little tiny bits is hilarious. He is so happy now I can almost forgive him for the first 9 months of his life. Almost. He loves crawling outside as well- even when this results in bloody knees and toes.

Here is my fabulous mom moment. I was cleaning out the boys closet and listening to my favorite Cake CD. When I realized that it was on the song with a lot of profanity. A lot. You know the one I am talking about if you are a Cake fan. So I go running out into the living room to skip the song ( I usually have thought ahead and get there before it is really going- because who needs to here that many F words in a couple of minutes). When I get out to the living room I notice that Coen has opened the back door. It is frigidly cold and raining so I go running out side and there is Beckett laying in the stream/mud puddle in the back yard rubbing mud all over his head and laughing his head off. And amazingly those pajamas just washed up great. So if you are ever feeling like a bad mom- just think about this story. It will cheer you right up. Profanity, possible drowning and hypothermia all made possible by a huge amount of benign neglect. I can tell you this would never happen at Becky's house. But on the bright side the closet is spic and span and the old clothes are all packed up for cousins/garage. You gotta give your self props where you can. A child's near death is a reasonable cost for a clean closet. Right? RIGHT?

I have got to scoot because I am supposed to be working on Laura's family portraits. I will post them for you when we get done. All I can say is uhm-Brian you are the worst model ever. And of the HUNDREDS of pictures I took he looks retarded in all but 2. 2 people. I may photoshop his one decent face onto all the other pictures. It must be genetic because Rick is running a close second in the worst model ever contest.

Happy Mother's Day

As mother's day is approaching I have been thinking more and more about the women in my life. (Don't thinks this means I was organized enough to get mother's day gifts out on time- it doesn't). All the mothers I have known and loved, past and present have been on my mind and here is a little of what I have been thinking.

I will start with the most obvious, my own mother. A complicated and often painful relationship. A women who shines brighter than any other that I know. How thrilled I was when I was at 10 when I was chatting with some adults and they commented on how I was animated and entertaining just like my mother. I couldn't think of a better compliment. I didn't know anyone more fun to be with than my mom. She was the life of the party, the one everyone gathered around. People just wanted to sit and bask in her glow. This bright flame came along with the deepest darkest lows- painful and abusive times. But when she is on there is nothing quite like it anywhere else. I hope that I have a little of that spark in my life.

The next obvious women are my sisters. With our fractured and some times terrifying childhood we clung to each other. We are more than sisters. When Becky was first diagnosed and the time we found out the cancer had metastasized to the lungs I remember Alma holding me while I cried- he just kept saying "You can't lose Becky she is your and Susie's whole family". And this was so true. We have had to hold onto each other so tight that we have made these messy intertwined bonds that wrap us together in a complicated knobby knot that can never be unraveled. Sister isn't a big enough word. They are my sister/mother/friend/everythings. Three is a difficult number- there is always one part pf the triangle who feels like she is in the shade alone, but it rarely was Becky. She was the one Susie and I competed to be with- the one we both turn to- the one we lean on. She has been by our sides in our darkest moments- she knows all our ugly bits and loves us fiercely- she calls us out when we are wrong and is there all day on the phone for our constant calls. Susie and I really struggled during our teen years. We were both so full of pain and too often took it out on each other. One of the things I am most grateful for in my adult life is the way our relationship has been repaired- grown- strengthened. Now as I travel with her through the joys of a nursing education as she joins this generations long tradition I am so overwhelmed by all she can do. She is a superwoman- you know the one they tell you is a myth -that all women in America love to hate. Well I am related to her. So thank you Becky and Susie- thank you from the depths of my soul that feels as if you a part of me- the very center and core of me.

And to my sister/cousins (Andrea I know you are not a Conley- and I know a Rasmussen is a totally different beast- but whenever I think about this group you are in it. You are an honorary Conley Cousin). There were six of us Conley Cousins at BYU at the same time. These were the cousins we had great memories from summer time visits to the house on the hill- with the epic garden- nights of kick the can- bike trips to the pool and Dairy Queen. The place our parents shipped us the summer they took our home apart. I grew up with cousins in my same ward- just miles away my whole childhood- and yet we are not close. They lack that mysterious quality that you find in a kindred spirit. But the Conley girls had that elusive something in spades. Today we don't talk as often as any one of us would like and the last time we were all together was almost 6 years ago (maybe we can change that this summer?). But those years in college- how grateful I am to have spent them with these women. How proud I am to recite all our achievements- on our homes and our careers. How proud I am to be a part of a group that so fully represents Mormon womenhood and at the same times breaks the cookie cutter stereotype of what that women is. So here is a toast to my fellow feminist, cap gun loving, water opera singing, old movie loving, faithful living cousin/sisters. Here is a toast to those who embrace their geeky side- seek learning and education- who value their minds. And I am so glad they married such great men that I love and consider the best of friends, even if Ben is afraid of me and I gave him a VD on his cheek.

I have two wonderful grandmothers as well. Grandma Conley taught me that you never know what life will bring you- but it won't be what you planned- so you better be ready to change and do more than you ever thought you would. She is the first person who introduced me to Shakespeare (at 8) and taught me to love to play cards. She has softened over time and is a very different women than the director of nursing I remember sitting on our couch Christmas morning in her starched white uniform- ready to go to work so someone with children could stay at home. Her mother was an LVN her grand mother a midwife, and I and Susie carry on that tradition- something she is proud of. How wonderful to have trained in the same hospital even. Her best friend- some one she still can't talk about with out crying in my Grandma Friend. Granny created the safe nest and foundation that every child needs and my mom was incapable of making for us. Her home was a child's wonderland- her love all encompassing- her arms always open. I can still feel her arms around me as we watched the magical sunsets across the endless horizon of the Central Valley. Sitting on the red steps taking in the splendors of the fertile valley floor telling her "Granny I'm having hard times". One of the best memories I have is being in the celestial room of the Oakland Temple and seeing my grandmothers walking towards me holding hands, overfilling with love for one another and me.

The last group I am amazed at are my in-laws. I was raised with a close knit family and both sides of my family loved each other. I never really got mother-in-law jokes. I have been blessed to find that in my husband's family as well. I have a mother-in-law who loved me long before Alma realized I was the one he was waiting for. Harvene knew long before we did that we were meant for each other. My sister-in-laws are some of my best friends. The ones I knew in high school live in Texas now- but it is always so exciting when we are reunited. I have such fun with them and look forward to the times I know they are coming home. I so want our children to be good cousins and look forward to the time all this little kids will be the Clove Cousins at BYU together. It is nice to have someone going through the times of early marriage and young motherhood together. And the other sister in laws are wonderful too. Laura is one of my best friends and Kirsten seems to embody all those qualities I wish I had but just never seem to be able to achieve. I am so luck to hear the nightmare stories of in-laws and just not be able to relate at all.

There are so many more women I could write about- my YW leaders, Nancy DeMartini, seminary teachers, Kathy- the Roeder I look the most forward to seeing, the list just goes on and on. Because women are fonts of love, inspiration, strength and blessings in my life. So for Mothers Day- thank you to all the women in my life. Thank you for the way you live, the way you love and the way you laugh.

Somedays I just hate blogger- Any ideas why the one paragraph is a fake link- or how to fix it with out deleting it all and rewriting.

Attention Internet Security

I would like to report one Ferret Fawcett for the crime of cyberbullying. I know from watching Dateline and the Today Show that this is a serious crime that regularly results in death. Please stop this hateful, evil spewing, seducer of innocent young nubile boys. I am sure if she knew how to text she would ply her hate on that front as well.

If you see this woman:

She may also be under this disguise as well:

Report her immediately to the internet safety patrol.

In my defense:

A. I am regrowing all the hair lost from malnourishment during pregnancy- so lots of new hair.

B. It is misty in Salinas.

C. It was the middle of the Big Birthday Bash Weekend and my hair may have just been pulled into a very fast ponytail.

D. This was made up for with the cuteness of my new Boden sweater.

Ferret Fawcett is also wanted for other heinous crimes (mostly involving making me look bad) and can me identified by her black wardrobe and her keen 13 year old boy sense of humour.

As nice as the weekend was I am exhausted. The boys and I spent Sunday and Monday with my mother. She came home with us and spent today here at the house as well. As always time with my mother is a blessing and a curse. She is full of life and loving- but always on the edge and you vacillate between fun and anger so quickly it is hard to keep up. The emotional whirlwind goes the entire time you are with her- she never turns off. Add to this her not subtle at all judgements and her hatred of all in-laws (except Susie's parent in-laws) and her need to try and play my sisters and I against each other and I am always grateful for our time together to end- and then I feel guilty for feeling that way. Today was the worst though- all was going well and then there was some drama over the cake- looking back it was so silly but mom thought I was mad at her when I was really mad at myself. And then she got on her emotional roller coaster- calls to Becky (and one call to me when she thought she was calling Becky to complain about me- which she didn't realize until hurtful things were said) at this point she has not been drinking for a while and is really getting on edge and things just devolved until she left for home before the party started. Apparently smoking pot takes care of the shakes from withdrawal, but not the testiness.

Too honest Becky?- You are always pushing me to be more real. Is this real enough for you. You know that roller coaster- which is so much worse now with my children. At least there weren't any real mean yelling forceful grandma moments this visit.

Birthday Weekend

This was a big weekend for our family- Susie's 30th and Beckett's 1st birthday. And like all big weekends I am physically and emotionally exhausted now that it is over. This was the first weekend in almost eight weeks that Alma and I have both been home- so of course we took off for a whirl wind trip to Salinas. I love being at Susie's home- the green feilds, the rolling hills, deep rich earth. So here are a couple of pictures of Coen with his farmer Uncle Troy. As you can imagine Coen was in heaven.

Tonight we finished our very extended weekend with a party for Beckett. (On his actual birthday I did bring a brownie back to the hotel from Susie's party and we let him eat it all by himself.) Our family here in town joined us for some cake and ice cream. Beckett is getting so big- but he is still my little baby. My cuddely little baby. So here he is coverd in yummies.

No surprise that Beckett didn't even pause long enough to look at the cake but just dove in with both fists (which is how he always eats) and ate steadily until he was cleaned up.

New Traveling Companions

I have two new traveling companions. They are just perfect. They get along well with most outfits, they are comfortable to be around, they make me feel sassy and cool (I need all I can get in my momified life) they joined my life indirectly via my mom (even good came come of evil- Maybe that was a little too harsh?) So here are my new best friends enjoying Ireland with me.

Here they are in my "executive suite" in Cork. For some reason I was roomed all by myself the whole trip in upgraded rooms.

The very swanky hotel in Killarney. I think those light fixtures would be so cool in our master bedroom- with my very mod wallpaper I want.

Walking on a country lane.

Some of the many steps at Ballymore Castle.

What you wanted to see more of Ireland than that? Well I guess here are some of my favorite spots.

So there is a little taste of the trip. Next week I will highlight the trip in more detail. I am finally going back to my normal work schedule now that Dr. B is back from China. But Beckett my never be the same.