Summertime In All It's Glory and A Little Background Music

What do you think about when you remember your childhood summers? 

For me it's camping, water fights, lake days, fireworks, flip-flops, living in my bathing suit, riding bikes, playing outside until I was forced to come in, park days, dinner outside, and laying on my back making shapes out of the clouds. 

I love that we are giving our kids the same memories. Summer has such a special place in my heart!

And a fun song, just because...


B.o.B - So Good

Powered by mp3skull.com

HUSBAND + DATE + ULTA = BAD IDEA

Going to Ulta with your husband is never a good idea. 

They just don't understand. 

They just don't get it.

"$19.99 for hairspray? Can't you find something cheaper?"

"No. I need this one."

I'm typically the "buy it and don't tell," type. But we live far away from stores big city folk take for granted. So on this particular night the opportunity became available for me to pick up some much needed essentials. One problem, I was on a date with my love. 

Ulta is right next door to a bike store. I thought, perfect, he can keep himself occupied with lots of things with wheels and he won't be lurking behind me as I look at all the awesome new products I just might need! 

I was in the hairspray isle and I heard it. "Linsey." What?! How could he be done that quickly? I thought I at least had twenty minutes. My basket isn't even that full yet. "Hi, babe, what happened, I thought you were checking out the bike store?" 

"Yup, I pretty much saw what they had to offer." 

"Oh."

Great, now I found myself shopping for overpriced hair essentials with my bald (by choice) husband. 

I was still good though, he was looking around and wasn't paying attention to the prices below the products... yet. I was doing my best to just move it along and not really bring up conversation about the task that was at hand. "So what was your favorite bike over there? What were you thinking for dinner? You look really handsome tonight!" I would of rather been self-absorbed with all the glorious concoctions in front of me and daydream of how they are going to make me look gorgeous, but now my priority in my present situation had changed. Distract the husband was on the forefront of my mind. 

Then I felt something change. His patience started to get the best of him. I'm sure his growling stomach wasn't helping the situation. He started to notice his surroundings in greater detail. I was seeing him start to stare at price tags. Oh goodness! Then I heard him from the next isle over, "What!? $64.99 for a curling iron?"

I stayed quiet. I didn't point out that, in fact, it wasn't a curling iron, and it actually was top of the line.  I held back the need to correct him for the sake of keeping my secret, a secret.  I also made sure the rest of my treasures where covering up that same curling iron waver he had noticed, so it wasn't obvious that it was in my basket.

Now he was curious. Now he wanted to know what I was buying. And now I knew it was time to go. 

What was I going to do with him at checkout?

He's too involved, he's too curious, I made a big mistake in taking as long as I did and letting his patience get the best of him. Now the cat was out of the bag. 

He had huge smirk on his face and he wasn't going to leave my side without seeing exactly what I was buying and how much I was spending. When he heard the total, he just laughed. He quietly turned around all dramatic like and let out the biggest noiseless laugh I have ever seen. 

"What is in that stuff that you would pay $33 for jar of it, whale tusks?"

I then unveiled to him the reality of the situation. "I've been doing this for years honey, I've just never taken you along."

"You can never get mad at me again for buying books."

"Deal."

Selfless Love: A Husband Guest Post

My husbands ability to paint with words always amazes me. When I read this it felt like he had displayed my heart in that moment. Marriage is amazing in that even though we are individuals we are often going through the same things, especially when it comes to spiritual matters. At least that's the case for us.  I had to share, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 


Selfeless Love


It is so refreshing to hear someone put life's responsibility in God's hands. Some live this way, in a sense of wonder covered by the miraculous care of God's grace. Every day is a new adventure and life is about the journey in the minds of people who live by a vibrant and real faith. I write this because there is a couple of people that I consider close to my heart and they exemplify this mindset with ease.

Today was the first day my In-laws, Carrie and Tom, spent in Colorado. We had a great time running errands together. Carrie spoke words of truth on Godly dependence that rolled off her tongue like the instructions for making a PB and J sandwich. Tom shared simple prayers with tangible answers that solidified foundations of faith shaken by years of a heart deferred. How small I feel; how good it feels! Hearing the perspective on life from people who truly enjoy every day is a real gift for any listener, regardless of perspective. I hope, deep within my heart, that I can hold the same perspective. This appetite for spiritual substance is a conquering force that I have missed for many years.

Years of struggle seasoned with an absence of God's presence that was almost tangible; it was like a numb Hell. Feeling like someone isn't there anymore is a complicated feeling to illustrate. Love can grow into complacency but I speak of my hollow, shallow love. How is a selfish love refined? By an unconditional force stepping aside and waiting for the selfish, self-righteous, prideful fool to die from exhaustion. Can you put loneliness, frustration, apathy, despair, and regret into a blender? What kind of cocktail is the result of this bitter concoction? What kind of person goes bottoms up with a drink akin the last request of a condemned man? I do, did, and died drinking that cup. Those feelings vanished with death convulsions yielding a peace and surrender that could only come by trekking through the Valley of the Shadow of Death.

What does a traveler find as he spreads the last branches stained with bitterness and guile at the exit of a Godless death march? He sees the expectant eyes of dear people who have traveled that path before, waiting for him on the other side. He sees the scars from a hard road and under their welcoming smile he can still see the pains of their journey. With arms spread wide those seasoned travelers reach out to the returning prodigal without judgment; just love. The accompanying embrace breaks open flood gates from heaven and something happens.

Jesus appears. Tears flow… Regrets begin to float on those tears to a river of forgiveness. More tears now… Brokenness, failure, fear all floating away. Who knew such small drops could wash away such devastating sins? Those embracing arms belong to someone that loves me with a selfless love, an eternal love. Those eyes were clouded with blood as he bore my guilt and shame. Those eyes spoke "It's okay, I still love you." Love waited me out and won.

Where do I go from here?

To walk with a limp. A reminder that I can’t do it on my own. The cross proves He will handle my needs. Even if it means to Hell and back. Wow, rest in that truth!

Tonight, as I write this, I don't know what tomorrow will bring. There are things written on my calendar; we'll see how that works out. The two people sleeping downstairs help me see Christ more clearly; they ask for daily bread. They live life and enjoy the journey. I want that too.

I want life to be an adventure without regret. Over the past months I have learned things that have attached themselves to my soul forever. I have looked failure in the face and seen purpose waiting in the backdrop.  I'm done begging for a cache of bread. Instead, I will wait for He who loves me and start trusting Him again for the first time. He said he would take care of us. And if I fail believing that, He also says:

"It's okay, I still love you."

The Hilltop Lodge at The Denver Home Show

The Hilltop Lodge made it's debut at the Denver Home Show this weekend! We had a great turn-out and a wonderful response from the crowd! Everyone wanted to see what all the commotion was about surrounding this adorable portable abode. There was often a line that formed with those waiting to step inside the little house and experience the custom built home away from home!

Thank you to all who helped make this possible, we couldn't have done it without you! 

And here is a little word from the man himself. This is a little blurb Erik wrote for the news, I loved it and wanted to share. 

My family and I moved to Colorado chasing dreams of prosperity and stability only to find the economy crash on them. We were going to be that family of six enjoying the weekends and working towards a secure retirement but fate had other plans.

After losing my job as an elevator constructor we decided to go back to our roots. Live simply and do what we love. I have built and designed portable structures since 1998 for fun, first learning basic church retreat cabins and then branching out by embracing other applications like portable coffee houses and small living spaces. Over the years, I have refined the amenities and sought to embrace all of the needs a person has for living in a scaled down portable, energy-efficient package. Some of the greatest days of my life have been spent building these simple cabins for people who value the same family togetherness while escaping the monotony of their everyday life. Since making the decision to return to our first love, incredible members of our community have reached out with open arms to help us succeed. In many ways, this story is about how we can all help each other live out our dreams.

Mixing skill, experience, and passion for what I call neo-conservationism, fuels my design concepts. My core beliefs are centered around using resources to their fullest. Having four kids and living in Colorado can give a person an intense passion for preserving the incredible beauty that we all share. By not erecting permanent structures throughout Colorado and the rest of the US, we can use only the space we need for the time we need it. It’s becoming so important these days to leave less of an imprint for our future generations. This way we can enjoy what beauty our nation has to offer without depleting it long term.

By no means am I alone in this mindset. People are seeking to simplify their living experience in droves. Awareness is being awakened at a grassroots level and the idea of living simply is gaining traction among the masses. From people concerned about their carbon footprint to ex-homeowners seeking a low-cost housing alternative, many are taking the leap and living in smaller, simpler structures.

The tangible and intangible benefits are great. Portability saves the end-user large amounts of money in building permits and fees. The size of these tiny houses brings operating costs down to pennies. Repair and maintenance are miniscule compared to even the smallest traditional home. The user can also feel

great about the smaller imprint they leave for future generations. The Hilltop Lodge uses 1/10^th of the electricity a typical home uses and is capable of being completely powered by a small 2000 watt inverter generator while remaining lit and warmed on the coldest of days. This is all achieved through our innovative construction and portability techniques.

In response to the poor economy, my family has decided to take a different route than most. We want to leave a positive impact for our children's children through innovation and social change in regards to how we utilize our resources.

Looking back on the effect of the economy with respect of our young family, I find myself being more thankful than embittered. I was losing touch with my family while working my "regular" job. Since then I have made lasting friendships worth more to me than any security a "regular" job could bring. I also get the satisfaction of doing something great for the planet and our future generations. It turns out, shaking things up brought me back to what is truly important; doing what I love for whom I love. To me, that has become the American Dream.

-- 

AspenContineo

Erik Wilt

720.523.3203

 WWW.AspenContineo.com

Feeding the Fire With a Mixed Tape

A story doesn't just happen; a story unfolds. The choices we make along the way determine our path, and even then we only see what's right in front of us. The companions we choose to accompany us on our journey is what makes our story. They are there to keep us moving when we don't want to take one more step. They are there to encourage us when we fall and then offer a hand to help us up. They distract us with wonderful moments of happiness when our focus becomes tainted and gloomy. I would never want to walk this life alone and I am so blessed that I don't have to. I have been given a beautiful gift and I will always cherish it. Thank you God for my loving husband, my best friend, my companion in life.

Is it an easy journey? Heck no!

Mariage is tough. I can't tell you why two first-born, stubborn-headed, crazy-freaks work, but somehow we do. I don't have a magical answer, a big revelation, a go-to method of how marriage is supposed to be, but I do know our story and what works for us. We know how to laugh together and we know how to cry together. We know how to fight and we know how to make things right. We can be silly and we can be serious. We talk. We make-time for each other and we take-time away from each other. We are honest. We fail and we are okay with that...when it comes to realizing our humanity. We fail and we don't settle for it...we strive to be better. We take time to show our love in the small things. A kiss, an affirmation, a selfless act of kindess when you don't feel like it, an "I'm sorry."

It's always a good idea to make a mixed tape cd for your wife who is waiting in the car pissed at you. The CD goes in, the smile creeps up and before you know it she is allowing you to use your charm once again. You have taken her out of her mood long enough to say "I'm sorry."

It's the small moments, the day-to-day affirmations that keep us confident in love. For the fire to stay alive, you have to feed it.

I don't know what lies ahead for us, but I do know that hand-in-hand the journey will be great. The end of our story is a mystery and I think that's what makes it so beautiful!

I love you babe, here's to the next twelve years! I love you and thank you for my mixed tape cd!

Task Lists: I Give In

I have been a stay-at-home mom for the past seven years. I have had a very lenient schedule, a must with little kids; everyday is a surprise. I am a very scheduled person, always have been, but when you are home with four little ones your day-to-day life is very unpredictable. I had a routine in place, but always knew that nothing was set in stone. I had no deadlines, so-to-speak. It was my way of coping. All of that has changed. Going from a home-minded routine to a working-minded routine has really taken some adjustment.


I have talked the last two weeks about the changes going on in our household. My work-load, my attitude, and my stress-level. I have been extremely stressed. When life takes an unexpected turn sometimes it catches you off guard. Sometimes changes are necessary even when you think you're getting by.


I would say that I'm a very organized person in many ways, but having Erik home has made me realize he totally has me beat. I have been mocking him for about a month about his task-lists, calendars, and daily schedules. I would walk by as he was typing it up with a chip on my shoulder, "what a geek!"


I was just fine without a minute-by-minute schedule. I didn't want something telling me what to do...I wanted freedom. But, I wasn't feeling very free, quite the opposite. I found myself a complete wreck.


The other night after a big rant, I decided to cave. Cave to the thought of being a slave to a schedule. Cave to the idea that I was jealous of Erik. He was calm and at peace with life and I was a flippin' mess!


I used to be an "agenda-type" person. I was the little girl that laid her outfits out a week in advance with socks and matching hair bows. For some reason over the years I got away from those habits; I guess I thought it would simplify my life.


I was trying to become more career-focused while still maintaining my non-scheduled, fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants family life; it was swallowing me whole. I had so many things to accomplish in one day; the thought of it became so overwhelming that I wouldn't get much done at all. Without a plan you fail, and I was failing miserably. The time I did have with my family I was grumpy. I didn't think I had the freedom to enjoy time with them having all of those tasks hanging over my head. I didn't have a schedule and so I wasn't allowing myself the much needed family time, house-cleaning time, and work-out time. I would rush through those things and "squeeze them in" but wouldn't enjoy them. With everything else I thought I should be doing I couldn't enjoy my most precious treasure, my family.


I feel free now. I'm a complete believer in my husband's geeky schedule, haha! I am now a saleswoman for the whole task-list thing. It just goes to show that you should never judge anything before you give it a chance. Most likely if someone is enjoying their day-to-day life, it might be because of a great strategy. It really works and you might want to give it a try.


The very first thing we did was sit down and make a mission statement. Initially, I was rolling my eyes at the whole idea (I have major attitude if you haven't noticed), but honestly it's really cool...and really easy. You can also get a great task sheet that incorporates the roles you operate in, the goals you have and the values you cherish. It really can help focus you on what is truly important in your life. I highly recommend you check it out. Here is the link, it's free.


http://www.franklincovey.com/msb/

I compiled an ongoing list of "to-do's" on my desktop. When something comes to mind it goes on that list. If it's on the list, it doesn't stress me out. Everything from cleaning the kids bed sheets to confirming a shoot with a client. I use my calendar and my task list to create my daily agenda. It's so fun crossing things off that list!

I know it sounds uncool, but seriously, it's awesome. So much stress has been lifted and I'm smiling again. I feel like I can do this. I can be and do all these things, but do them in a healthy, fun, fulfilling way. Of course there is always a need for flexibility in life; things happen. So if something doesn't get done then it just gets carried over to the next day... no biggie!

Ah... organization feels so good!

Selfishness: A Lonely Place

I was confronted this week with a person I hadn't seen in awhile. I was confronted with a different side of myself that I didn't like. It scared me and made me stop and think...stop and cry. Sometimes life has a way of hitting me square between the eyes, giving me a much needed wake-up call.


I'm typically the person that likes to look at my glass as being half-full. A person that always "finds the penny in the pile of poo," as my mom would say. But I wasn't that person at all. A Negative Nellie, a Debbie Downer, a Moody Margaret (I just made that last one up in case you hadn't noticed) would better describe me.


All that negativity put me in a state of depression. Little things the kids would do instantly set me off. Erik would just look at me and I would loose it. I was finding myself angry all the time. At what? Nothing.


I have a God that cares about me. I have an incredible family that loves me. I am surrounded by the most amazing people in my life. I live in a gorgeous place and I am constantly confronted with blessing. But if I am not willing to recognize those blessings then my world becomes very dark.


I was blinded by circumstances; not willing to see the love around me and living in a state of complete selfishness. It's a nasty place...dark, scary, lonely.


I know that God takes us down into the valley so we can appreciate the mountain top and so for that I am thankful. I am also thankful for a husband who is so willing to stick by me through everything life brings; the good, the bad and the in-between.


It was Sunday morning and we were sitting at our computers. I was in my office and he was on the couch. We had already had a discussion at length about everything, but he knew I needed some space. So he sent me an email and then watched me cry at my desk.


Honey,

I love you very much. I know you are a wonderful mommy and you deserve to hear it. Not to mention, you're a wonderful spouse, friend, lover, buddy, sweetie-girl. I wish you could see how everyone else sees you. That's the main reason I want to write this to you. We tease each other a lot and I think the reality of who you are gets lost in the playing. I want to take a step back and thank God for everything you are to me.

You are a passionate love. You brighten up the room with your smile and when you come home to me I feel like the house becomes a home. You are the hardest worker I know and you inspire me to be a better person. You care for other people so much that sometimes it challenges me but caring is always the right thing to do. I love to relax with you in the cool breeze on the deck when we have coffee and laugh. I love to drive to town with you on a date and not feel like listening to music because I would rather listen to you. I like to look at you when you are not paying attention and daydream of your beauty. I like to watch you come out of the bedroom when you wake up late and stretch your eyes to wake up. I love to listen to you become excited about your photo-shoots and rave about your camera equipment. I like reading your blogs because I get to giggle at your quirky personality without embarrassing you. I love your quirkiness because it's like the dessert of my life. I like watching the tables turn in our lives because it shows me how similar we are. I think the best things about our kids are the ways they are most like you. There are so many ways I wish I could be more like you. Know that you are loved deeply and forever. Thanks for doing me the honor of being my wife and loving me back even when it is hard to do.

Love,

Beebs

Reel Big Fish and Vanilla Ice All in One Night

We love our date night in's...we really do. Especially when that is all we have the time, money, and energy for. But, when we get the chance to escape, you couldn't see two people more thrilled to leave...together...kidless!

A little history — Reel Big Fish has been the background music accompanying many of our memories. Ska was introduced to me by Erik and I have been smitten ever since. It might have a little to with the fact that I was falling in love while the heart-pumping music was playing from the cd player as we rode around in the 85' gray Honda hatchback. It was probably his tactic all along. Play music that's going to get her heart racing and get the girl to instantly fall in love with you. 

Hmmm...oh well, if it worked, it worked! I love the guy and I love the music!

Skank- a steady-paced dance performed to reggae music, characterized by rhythmically bending forward, raising the knees, and extending the hands palms-downward.  

If you think you can't dance, then just start listening to ska and pick-up skanking. Anyone can dance... well, skank at least. 

So, we heard Reel Big Fish was coming to Denver and it was a no-brainer. We had to go. We booked a babysitter a few months in advance and purchased our tickets. 

It is so great to go on a date that doesn't consist of dinner and a movie. Don't get me wrong, I love dinner and a movie, but it's so nice to mix it up once an awhile. 

So, here we are in a topless Jeep on a beautiful night. The wind is in our hair, well mine, and the music is blasting. What are we listening to? You would think ska by the nature of this post. Nope. I am all of a sudden being serenaded by my guy who is singing to every word of Vanilla Ice's song, "Ice, Ice Baby". Sounds sexy doesn't it? 

Listening to ska on the way to a ska concert is not a requirement. Apparently. I will have to agree with you though, I can't say many other people attending the Reel Big Fish concert would have Vanilla Ice playing from their speakers on the way there. But, it's all good!

Here's to concert date nights and keeping the memory alive! Yo Vanilla! Kick it one time Boyee!!

The Cocktail

A blog post from my better half in honor of Father's Day!

My kids are great sleepers. We don’t have to deal with the fear of smothering one of them in our bed because they just don’t attempt to climb in with us. If there is a bad dream they’ll just sleep on the couch upstairs. Sometimes we won’t even know they’re on the couch until we stumble out of bed to make coffee in the morning. There is a balance to everything and in this case, good sleepers turn into early risers!

We’ve tried to keep the kids in their beds until seven. That used to be the rule but as they have grown older we started to realize our sleep-math was a little outdated. Seven to seven is twelve hours of sleep; roughly equivalent to what I have slept after working 30+ hours straight. The amount of time we expected our children to sleep started to resemble new age torture techniques, not healthy rest. So we stopped demanding so much and we’re still not sure if that was the right move.

I’ve woke up to the sound of breaking dishes, screams of joy and pain, the scary sound of water splashing and the slam of the front door (where could the kids have to go at 6 a.m. on a Saturday). The way we wake up to the kids is always the same but a little bit different (figure that one out!) every morning. It’s like the surprise I feel when I pick up the mail; maybe some cool stuff but always nullified by the bills. Needless to say, waking up at the Wilt home is never dull.

On Saturday I woke up to a familiar sound coming from the pantry. Usually I come out to find Matthew elbows deep in a box of cereal with a considerable amount of it on the floor. This time I was relieved to find my oldest opening a can of pineapple for the rest of the brood. What a proud dad I was; my oldest stepping up to take care of her siblings so mom and dad could sleep in! I gave her a thumbs-up and stumbled back to bed.

Something went terribly wrong as I slept for the next fifteen minutes. When I came out of the room I saw the kitchen and could feel my blood pumping hot up my neck. How could anyone do what these kids did in fifteen minutes time? I didn’t know we had so many dishes until the children removed nearly all of them from the cabinets. I could imagine each kid putting their breakfast on a plate only to decide that the plate they chose was unacceptable. The only remedy is to try a new clean one! The same story with the cups they use for drinking. If the cup didn’t hold the right amount or have the correct artwork on the side, just grab another one!

Like a pot coming to a boil, I slowly began to flip out. I was raising my voice and slamming the plastic cups in the sink. Toys were flying into bins with the force of a trash compactor. A part of me was a little impressed that the kids could accomplish so much in a short time but they were moving in the wrong direction. Then I saw the margarita glass.

We keep a few margarita glasses in the top of our dish cabinets. We put them at the top for a reason. There are actually four little reasons with climbing curiosities. We put the glasses so high that Linsey can’t even reach them. So you can imagine my concern when I saw one of these on our counter. I knew the culprit immediately. I could see the fear in Abigail’s eyes when I glared at her. She was loudly ordered to her room to await further punishment. Out of compassion for the little ones my wife comes out of our room and tries to calm me down. As the cloud of anger dissipates I look closer at the margarita glass.

It turns out that the creative bug bit Abby that morning. There was some minced pineapple in the bottom of the glass looking a little like some of that lint you find in the bottom corner of your jeans. The glass was filled with tap water and you could tell it had been sitting out for a while by the little air bubbles on the inner surface of the glass (maybe I slept more than fifteen minutes). On the rim of the glass was a sliced, canned peach pressed gently to add that appeal every cocktail needs. To top it all off, she added a new twist to a cocktail I had never thought of, a leaf of cilantro atop the peach. Fantastico! I was contemplating Abby’s future as a bartender/drink inventor when I saw the note.

The drink was a special treat for her sleepy parents to enjoy along with their coffee. What a gesture! As I called her up to explain she showed me the can with the picture of what she was trying to create. She got as close as any seven-year-old could get with the ingredients on hand. I couldn’t believe the heart of this little kid! This drink was better than any aftershave an offspring could wrap up for Father’s Day. She did admit it had a horrible smell but I still loved everything about it. I have no shame admitting that I didn’t take one sip of the concoction (it could’ve made me sick!) but this event will be close to my heart forever.

That is what it means to be a father sometimes. You have to be the enforcer and give the kids a healthy example of authority so when they’re in the real world they’ll understand how it all works. But there is also the side of compassion and love that every kid needs to see in Dad. I was fortunate to have both in my dad and I just hope my kids can say the same.

I know every dad has stories like this and we should take time on Father’s Day to remember them. Cheers, to a happy Father’s Day! Remember, you don’t have to drink it!

The Silent Laugh That Went Awry

We sit together with our hands intertwined like a newlywed couple. We are kidless. As long as their nursery number doesn't show up on the screen. Comfortable. Happy. We take a deep breath as we relax and listen.

I soon begin to realize my attention span is not as mature as I thought. In fact it's closely resembling that of my four year old. I shift my weight a few times. I uncross and then cross my legs again. I flip through the scriptures in a student-of-the-Bible type fashion. 

I then did something I knew in my heart I shouldn't have done. I failed to heed the red flags that were being raised in my heart. I didn't listen. I looked to my left. 

I looked into the eyes of the handsome man sitting next to me whose hand I was holding. He had that look in his eye. The look that told me that he to was feeling the need to do a few jumping jacks. It was a very ornery look. I knew this look well. Trying to be a good girl I quickly looked away. Continuing down this path was a dangerous one.

I sat still and avoided the urge to look again at that mischievous face wanting to cause trouble and provoke me. I fought it for a few minutes, but the temptation was to strong and I looked again.  This time he spoke. I can't remember exactly what he said, but apparently it was funny. So funny, that it caused me to demonstrate my over-exaggerated silent laugh. 

I felt a big sense of accomplishment that I had overcome my juvenile impulse in a very quiet adult-like manner. I took what he had to dish out and reacted with minimal damage. 

I refocused myself back to the message. I forced myself to only look straight ahead or down at my Bible. 

I was confident that our little moment of childish banter had passed. I only glanced over to confirm that this was the case.

I was way off. This time he did what he knew would, with-out a doubt,  send me over the edge. 

He mocked me. 

It was there all along. Hiding. The giddiness had never really left, it had just been smoldering. He patiently waited for the perfect opportunity.

I didn't even know what I had done was worthy of mocking. But he did. And it was. 



He whispered in my ear, "this is what you look like when you do your silent laugh." I watched him close his eyes, throw his head back so that it touched the back of the pew, open his mouth as wide as it would go as if he were catching flies, and not make a sound.

That was it. He nailed it. He accomplished his mission. He knew the exact string to pull. 

For some reason, in a setting where you are told to be composed, quiet and focused, a very simple poke at ones character becomes a gut-busting witticism. 

Oh yes, it happened. An uncontrollable, spit spraying, snot-out-the-nose kind-of laugh, came spewing out of my mouth. I tried desperately to hold it in, but it only made it that much worse as it was coming out. 

I quickly began to think of bad things. Terrible things. Things that would make me cry. Anything that would suppress the desire to continue to make a fool out of myself either by continuing to laugh uncontrollably, or by running out of the sanctuary like wild hyena. 

Either way, he was in trouble. 

I wouldn't be surprised if we loose our privilege to sit next to each other.  I wouldn't be surprised if one day we are asked to separate. During church.

Maturity is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists, unless laughter can be said to remedy anything.  ~Kurt Vonnegut

Hand Modeling, Date Night & Mega Mind

Date night is a state of mind.

Sure, it's fantastic to hire a babysitter, leave the house and explore the world out there without four needy children in tow. Actually, I think it's a must for all parents! But, if you are like us and have been taking advantage of this wonderful concept of leaving your children with a responsible teenager a little to often, then you know it adds up quick. After the monthly tally of nights out starts to get high and we realize how much we have spent, we don't give up on our time alone, we get creative! We are selfish. Date night out isn't enough. We also like to have a few date night in's.

Like I said, date night is a state of mind!

We are blessed to have a wonderful downstairs area in our house that allows us to say phrases like, "You're driving me crazy, everyone downstairs. Now!" Phrases like that tend to leave my mouth between the hairy hours of 4 and 6. All you parents know of the "hairy hours." Why the heck is everyone in such a horrible mood between the hours of 4 and 6?

"You had a nap, I gave you a snack, you have more toys to play with than you should, and the darn t.v. is on. What is your problem? Snap out of it!"

So after a loud (okay screaming level), "Enough. Get downstairs. I can't take it anymore!" I quickly follow it with a quiet, sweet, soft sing-song voice saying something like, "you will have fun using your imagination! I'll call you up as soon as dinner is ready, love you! " I'm hoping that the later phrase will be the one that sticks in their mind years down the road and not the former freaked out mom yelling in her high-octave voice. The odds are they are bound to remember a few, but best to limit them as much as possible!

Saturday was going great. Beautiful weather, relaxing, enjoyable. We got a late start, which we love. Slept in, had a nice big breakfast and then headed to Denver. We had some errands to run, but more than anything it was nice to get out. It was nice for about three hours. Then the kids were getting antsy, tired, hungry. They began fighting, yelling, hitting, and protesting about being in their seats any longer. After they got over their frustration caused by being shut up in the car for hours on end, they decided it would be a good idea to unite together in song. On the third round of jingle bells, Erik and I looked at each other and said, "date night!"

After that, it was very easy to drown out the noise in the backseat. We were focused on the night that was ahead. We started planning! Elaborate steak dinner that we would prepare together in peace and quiet. Dessert. Movie. Wine. The perfect night in!

We break the news to the kids. We go about it in a very manipulative enthusiastic way. "Guess what kids, you get to have a movie night! We are going to buy you a new movie, you get to have pizza and popcorn and your very own bottle of juice!"

We understand that the years of excitement over this kind of party are soon coming to an end. A bottle of juice will get us the "are you kidding me," look. And we will no longer be able to get off that cheap.

Making water the only drinking option in our house is not only for health purposes. It's so we have a bribe in our pockets at all times. We are very aware of sugar's highly addictive properties and in certain situations it lends itself to some amazing benefits. "Juice, juice, who wants juice? Okay then, but you have to stay in the basement the whole night!"

The popcorn was popped, the movie went on, the rules of the night were implemented and the gate went up!

For those of you that want to judge us right now, you might be in need of a date night!

They have food, shelter, bathroom facilities, entertainment and a fierce guard dog. We have no guilt.

Okay, so we were interrupted a few times during our date, but again it's a state of mind. We quickly tended to the need and then pretended like it never happened.

Just because I don't love to cook doesn't mean I can't. Cooking all a sudden becomes a fun, exciting, joyous adventure instead of daunting task.

Yes, we cooked enough food to feed an army. We were excited. We went a little overboard.

The stuffing for the mushrooms

My favorite way to eat broccoli, roasted!

Extra garlicky

Ceaser salad

Juicy, fatty, amazing steak

One of the things I really dislike is cutting onions. It's just painful. But, I came up with a solution. I keep these babies in my knife drawer.

I know it's geeky

But, it totally works. See, no tears!

Date night is always an option if you get creative!