It's Good to be a Warrior

I sat with a friend today through a court procedure. She needed a "strong person" to be her moral support, to hold her hand, and to share some of my bravery. I'm glad that I could be this person for her, and I'm honored that she reached out to me, specifically, to be this strong person.

 

I have waged many battles and wars to be the person I am today.
 

It's good to be a warrior.

 

*sigh*

There never really is a dull moment with kids, is there?

 

{rhetorical}

 

So last night, I was powering through a workout when Carter came in and said "hey, Kendall needs you upstairs." I told him, as I always do mid-workout, that I would deal with them when I'm done. He said "no really, she needs your help."

 

Oh.

 

Great.

 

So I head upstairs to the kids' bathroom, and this is what greets me:

 

 

She's crying, but that wasn't the first thing I noticed.

WHAT

is

that

in

your

HAIR????

 

"It's slime from the treasure box at school."

 

{THANKYOUVERYMUCHSCHOOL}

 

"Ok, but I don't understand why it's in your hair."

 

shrug

 

"Why did you put it in your hair?"

 

shrug

 

"What were you trying to do?"

 

shrug

 

"Seriously Kendall, why would you think putting slime in your hair is a good idea?"

 

shrug

 

shrug

 

ALLLLL the shrugs

 

Ultimately she told me she was trying to make headphones.

 

Out of slime.

 

In her hair.

 

Because THAT makes sense!

 

Cue a phone call to my mom, Kendall's father, and a couple of Google searches.

 

The winner:  coconut oil

 

It was a tedious process, during which time Kendall says "mom, my legs are tired from standing." I paused and glared at her. Frankly my child, I don't really care about your legs right now because my fingers are cramping up from slowing combing out SLIME FROM YOUR HAIR.

 

 

Good thing I love her.

A Trip to the Cabin

Since the cabin is listed for sale, we figured we would take one last trip up there as a family. Despite most of us being sicker than dogs, it was a great trip with roaring fires, lots of belly laughs, a few competitive games, and some good sledding.

{2017} A Year in Review

This year started out virtually the same as the last couple:  sledding! It has been a fun tradition to roll out of bed bright and early New Year's Day (this proves to be a little harder for some than others), and head up into the snowy mountains for a day of family sledding.

The very next day, we got married! It's been a year of hard work, but what marriage isn't? As we stand on the eve of celebrating our first anniversary, I am hopeful for an even better second year.

We spent a lot of time this year with some good friends - whether it was tubing, relaxing in McCall, BBQing, helping with moves, or just chilling with drinks on the patio. Good times!

We didn't do a ton on the house this year, which will definitely be rectified this coming year. I have a feeling the theme will be beaches and home remodel continued. And that's perfectly fine with me! I'm ready to dig back into the remodel world with my parents (did you guys hear that? ;) ). 

We had the best time showing my kids Disneyland for the first time. It was definitely a fantastic trip!

We also spent a large amount of time at the baseball fields this year. It was a bittersweet baseball season overall, and I think we are all ready to move on from it and embrace a whole new season this spring. 

This little one graduated from kindergarten: 

We did LOTS of this over the summer:

And lots of this, too:

We also added a new member to our family, and I have to say, he's a great dog and a great fit for our family. So glad we found ya, Banks!

My photography business was, again, just what I needed it to be. I kept the pace slow due to family activities, and I feel I may be at the end of my rope when it comes to mainstream stuff (families, weddings). Life is just too busy anymore, and I would much rather spend that time with my family than making an extra buck here and there. The BSU photography was definitely fun, and I'm glad I got Carter to a game this year. He definitely had the time of his life!

We spent a huge amount of time outdoors this year, whether it was walks along the greenbelt, day trips to the mountains, or camping trips. We are definitely a get-out-of-the-house family, and I'm sure glad the kiddos love it too.

We got out to see the amazing air show, which was a blast for the kids.

Carter found himself part of an incredible basketball team, with a coach who really needs to coach every single kid out there. Coming off of a terrible summer league baseball coach, this was just the person Carter needed to revitalize his passion and confidence for sports. 

We really had a good holiday season with our friends and family. I couldn't have asked for a better way to end out the year.

We embarked on a rollercoaster custody battle with Matt's ex, and definitely came out of that victorious for our family. 

We closed out the year with a family trip up to the cabin for some relaxation and sledding fun. It was a really fun trip, despite most of us being sick as hell. We persevered and had a great time together.

I have lots of goals for 2018. Some I will share, some I will work on in silence. Travel is on the list, and there's a beach out there with my name all over it. Home projects are back on the table in full force. And a phrase I find myself saying to people in my life is going to be my motto for 2018:

WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER.