Me and My Shadow

My little Elsie loves to be my shadow throughout each day. Not in that "get-out-of-my-face-and-off-my-back" kind of way, but just sweetly following me through the house with her funny little commentary.

She is still such an itty-bitty little thing --- a whopping 22 pounds, on a good day --- and loves to talk, talk, talk. She loves her Daddy with a tenacity that just shows how smart she is. - Having Daddy be your favorite person is about as useful as calling every older woman "Damma" (Grandma). When Nels is gone, even to work, she wanders the house saying over and over, "I miss my daddy."

She loves the "tlampline" and tomatoes and sticking things in her ears. She's very good about cleaning up and going to sleep. She doesn't think having a baby brudda or tis-ers (sister) sounds like a good idea.

Obviously she had been watching closely as I went down the hall wiping down doors and walls earlier in the day. LOL!

Mean Mom

So I just can't help myself. Nels is watching MMA and I'm going to post some more.

Last Monday was not only Hazel's first day of school,

(isn't she crazy adorable!?)

but also our SEVENTH anniversary! :) Hooray us! We decided to spend the day exploring some of the beautiful sights surrounding us, including Mesa Falls and Island Park.

As we rushed through the Upper Falls (because I was sure that I was going to get a ticket for not paying the $5 fee) we stopped at the drinking fountain.

I couldn't help myself. and I laugh SO HARD every time I watch it.

My sweet girls.

I don't know why Nels and I didn't manage to get a picture together on this little anniversary outing, but it's true. :( Oh well, my angel girls more than make up for it!

We had a great time fulfilling Lilie's only wish of the day - to throw rocks in the lake - and looking for camp spots for next year's Chick Reunion.

After finishing up with the water, we headed to Angler's Lodge for a "romantic" dinner by the river - complete with what Lilie was certain were dolphins in Henry's Fork. :)

It was a good day.

Spring Chick

So remember when I wrote . . . well, you probably don't, because I've written practically nothing for months . . . but when I wrote about how when I can't seem to write much of anything if I can't write everything? Yeah well, I'm tired of reading everyone's posts and only having dumb silence from my end. I like my blog. It's been neglected.

So . . .

Nels and I have exciting news! We are expecting our fourth little baby in March! We're excited to open our hearts and home to a new little Chick.

I figure it's time that I told everyone -- because apparently Hazel already is. Also, this may not be breaking news to most of my family anyway, as we aren't prone to keeping exciting secrets. ;)

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In other news, this week I am looking forward to spending some sunny days in the warm pools of Arizona.

Nels and I FINALLY completed the majority of a project that has been waiting a year to be completed. The main body of our yard is now 98% covered with soft sod. -- Goodbye, dirt (read: rock-hard-clay) clods being piled up and smashed by my back door, later to be watered and turned into the most irresistible, gooey goop any Hazel or Lilie could get their little hands on.

Hazel started school last Monday and is LOVING it!

Lilie recently cut her toe open. Narrowly missing the chance for her second set of stitches by having a trained nurse (Grandma) close at hand to make homemade butterfly bandages and calm her skeptical mommy.

Elsie loves our new trampoline. She asks daily to go jump on our tlamline. :) She loves puzzles, helping mommy clean, and pretty much following me around. She has also recently developed an overactive possessiveness that makes me happy that this new baby didn't decide to come 7 months earlier. :)

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That's all for now. I promise, once I get back, to start updating all that's been happening for the past several months! :)

Also, for those of you who haven't yet seen Lilie's "Bee Movie", I thought you might enjoy this. :)

Daddy's Poor Head

I love my life.

Nels has to work late tonight. We took him some dinner - late - and didn't get back home until about 9:30. Elsie, all the way home, was asking for her "blanklie" and her bed.

When we got home I put her pajamas on her and she asked me to rock her with Mimi (her baby doll). As we were rocking, she was jabbering about a few different things. I remembered that we hadn't prayed and asked her if she wanted to. She did and gave a very sweet little prayer. Afterward, she continued jabbering, but I was trying to get her to be still - as her eyes kept doing their slow blinks. Suddenly I realized that she was telling me about her day. She was telling me about "Jumpline an' Lilie an' Rin' a' Rosie." Giggling the whole time. She was talking about Lilie playing Ring Around the Rosie with her on the trampoline this afternoon. Ah! So sweet. I love that adorable kid.

She then started telling me about all the things going to sleep. "Dodoos (doggies) and trees and Lilie." And said, "Yep, but not Daddy. Daddy's at work. Sad Daddy. We love him." To which she responded, "Yeah. Daddy bonk a head." LOL. She so great! I love my quiet time rocking that girl! She is so fun and I love her little voice.

I have the best job in the world.

Blathering About Change

Well now. It seems to be a time for change in my life.

The need for change has presented itself in many different ways recently. Some I'll share, some I won't.

Such as,

I'm ready for this summer to be over. Can you believe that? I almost can't believe that those words have flown from my fingers, but really, I am. It's been another incredibly busy couple of months with traveling CONSTANTLY. Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of things that need done, but constantly in a state of recovery . . . from the last trip - or whatnot. Just tired.

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The weather the past few days has been perfect for the mood that I've been in. Chilled out. 70s during the day, with that brisk Fall feel. Mmm. I love it. It's energizing to me. I know it won't last long . . . like probably not another day . . . but I love wearing jackets and thin sweaters. I love the change in seasons.

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Hazel will be starting school in just over two weeks. {{sigh}} This is a bit of a trauma for me. I can't believe that she'll be getting so big! That a new chapter of our lives is about to begin. Never to be that same again. As crazy as life can be at times, I love my life. I love my girls being at home with me. Learning from and depending on me --- even though that responsibility is a bit . . . um, large. Ready or not, this is a change that is coming. I'm working on being excited for her.

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Nels was home for an entire weekend without doing a gazillion different projects! It was amazing! We spent an entire Saturday and Sunday together without even leaving Idaho Falls! THAT is a change.

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I have recently started to no longer be in love with my long hair. I've had it long for over three years now, without ever getting tired of the ponytails. Finding them incredibly conducive to the life that I've been living. It's felt sexy and fun and different from the typical "mom hair". I felt pretty.

My hair texture has changed DRASTICALLY over the past 4 years or so. I have curly hair now. Not the gorgeous natural curl that my SIL, Melyni, has, but a strange wavy on top, curly on the sides, and kinky in the back. Long hair has worked well through this transition. I haven't felt tempted every time I need a new trim to chop it off (as has been the case . . . well, throughout the rest of my life).

So. Lately there have been a lot of things going on in my life. Things I can't control. Feeling a new chapter opening up in my life. Life is again at a turning point and I'm ready to turn a page. Time to take control of SOMETHING in my life. Short Hair Rachel is ready to come out again and no longer be Rachel of the Perpetual Ponytail.

Before posting my new 'do, I was going to find a picture from the past few months to show how long my hair was. However, to further illustrate the ponytail point, I can't even find one where my hair is not pulled back. What's the point in long, sexy hair if the only time you wear it down is about once a month!? Okay, so you'll just have to live with the horrible picture that I took on my phone right before leaving to the salon.

Lovely, huh? I know, I know. What can I say? I'm just naturally photogenic . . . as is my camera. (For those of you always wondering how to take me, heavy sarcasm is implied here.)

Another lovely phone picture, of course. Too bad I was too lazy to walk downstairs and get a real camera. Lack of correct products and a working flat iron are going to delay the duplication of this look for a few weeks. - But this is what it looks like straight. I like it!

And curly. Again, too bad that I was too lazy to get the camera out before 10:30 pm, because it looked better before a day of wrestling with kids at church, laying on the bed, jumping on the trampoline, etc. However, I still like it. (Lynsey. I told you that your cut was "inspiring". :)

I LOVE the feeling of a new haircut. - Made all the more fun by a brightened color. :) I love walking past the mirror and still being surprised at how you look. It's addicting enough to grow my hair out, leave it long for so many years that no one remembers (or knows) you with short hair, and then chop 10 inches off over and over and over again. It's fun.

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Wow. This got verbose for just a post about my new haircut! I guess this is for those who are sitting around in front of their computers, trying to remember what you came there for, and secretly trying to avoid the pile of _____ (you insert your own noun here --- ex. laundry, dishes, random papers, children) that seems to multiply overnight. You've checked your email, your facebook, your favorite website, and now you are blog hopping through the web - silently cursing all your friends and family who don't seem to update their blogs more than once a day. :)

However, I can't keep typing forever. Talking on and on - like I'm prone to do when I'm trying to explain myself to Ne . . . someone . . . and they just sit there looking at you without offering any feedback. So you think that you need to further explain yourself when all that you're really doing is boring them to death and not allowing them time to supposedly process any of what you're blathering on about.

Plus, Nels went up to bed over 45 minutes ago. Only recently turning on the fan --- a sure sign that he can't sleep and is begging for someone to come put their freezing cold feet on him.