Pause VI

It has been awhile! Like over a year-awhile, yikes.

Today I have been busy updating this blog and my photography blog (check out the icon on the right) and my house is proof. It's amazing what two kids can do to a house in a day.

This is Scout. He is almost 5 months old.
Puppies. Are. Hard.
Something about house training a puppy while potty training a toddler.

We did not think that one through....

Since keeping him outside during the day we've all gotten along much better. He has more space to roam, and I have one less thing to manage in the home. Now onto figuring out what the arrangement will be once it gets too cold to have him outside during the day. Any tips?   

PAUSE V

Today I paused and grabbed a photo of Evelyn on the couch. I want to remember how extra smiley she is when she first wakes up and how calm she stays when Weston is yelling normal conversation at the top of his lungs (sorry downstairs neighbors).  

PAUSE IV

We are just coming out of the winter months here in Rexburg and our whole family is itching to get outside. This last winter we spent A LOT of time inside. Something about being huge pregnant and getting a toddler bundled up to waddle around the front yard in 15 degree weather just didn't seem SUPER fun. But guess what, that cute baby was born and the snow has melted! I hope we can fill our Spring days with more walks to the park, playing in the backyard and chalking on the sidewalk.

PAUSE III

Thank you to whoever invented play dough. It is one of the few things that will hold the attention of my toddler. And we all know how valuable that is. When we play with play dough Wes asks/demands that I make him a "man-may" (aka, a snowman) a thousand times, just so he can take it apart and smash it. I'll happily make man mays in exchange for 15 minutes of (general) stillness at the table.

PAUSE II

Odds are this photo means nothing to you, but it reminds me of how lucky I am. One sandwich for our growing todddler who is eating ALL THE TIME. One sandwich for Chris, who gets to come home for lunch most days because his work is less than a mile away from home. And one sandwich for me. It also reminds me of how much I prefer simplicity in my day. Can you beat the easiness of a PB&J?

New Series: PAUSE

My sister has inspired me to pick up my camera again. So here I am. My day is heavily influenced by my toddler and baby so I thought I would let this series reflect that. I've titled the series "PAUSE" because I hope to stop and capture moments that I would normally look over. (Isn't that kind of the point of photography?) I took this first photo earlier today. You would think that I staged it. NOPE. My living room literally looks like I live with an army of toddlers, even though there is only one. It's amazing how little effort it takes for him to do this. Impressive in a way. So many pieces of this photo makes me laugh and cringe. I cut a little hole in that orange balloon A LONG time ago and it's taking forever to deflate but I can't get myself to throw it away because Weston loves the thing. I find colored popsicle sticks everywhere. In the tv stand cabinet, between book pages and in the couch. Evelyn's outfit is on the floor which makes me wonder what she was wearing when I was taking the photo.... Oh and the (not empty) smashed yogurt covered raisin box. That's great.      

"If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly clean surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will - to your surprise - miss them profoundly."

- Thomas S. Monson -

I hope this project will help me appreciate, laugh at and cope with my day to day.

Did you pause today?