Monday, February 28, 2011

Day 26

a photo of something that makes me sad...

I'm stymied with this one.

This is the best I could come up with. It doesn't make me sad, but at the time when I found out that Micah was going to come on this camping trip I was bummed (he was kind of a fifth wheel). So I guess that counts.

Jimi, Chad, me peaking out from my cave

Well, actually this picture gives me butterflies because Jimi is so cute, and we were at the threshold of being bf gf. I pretty much ignored today's question.

This is at Toroweap in the Grand Canyon. We didn't know then how much the GC would be intertwined in our future, did we?

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Day 25

a photo of something that makes me happy...


Robbie(whom you can barely see, and he was days away from going on a mish), Nettie, Emily, Brandon, Jimi, Me, Kim, Aaron
I'm pretty sure I already answered this question on day 14, but whatever...there are lots of things that make me happy.

Sitting around and talking with my family makes me happy.  

This picture is of the first time Jimi visited Fallon. All he wanted was a simple understanding of my roots. Instead he was immersed with so much Sorensen, I don't know if he ever caught his breath. He came during a huge (HUGE!) Sorensen reunion, and caught a genealogical glimpse of what he was marrying. This included piano sing alongs at the church, a "dance like Elaine Benice" competition, and sitting across from Aunt Erma while she talked with her mouth full (should have brought our umbrellas).

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Day 24

my favorite book...



I have already done a post of my top five favorite books here. But since then, here are some more good ones I've read:

Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Survival story. He cuts off his own arm!
Follow the River - Another amazing survival story. I think about it whenever I feel sorry for myself.
The Book Thief  - Holocaust story. Beautiful.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Great writing. I was surprised how much I loved this book. I didn't want it to end.
Born to Run - Interesting read on man's legacy as runners. Also a study on those crazy barefooted runners in Mexico.
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - A family lives one year completely on what they grow and store from their own land. Fascinating.
The Good Earth - Another book that surprised me. I couldn't stop reading.
A Thousand Splendid Suns - Only read this if you have someone you love nearby to hug.
Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens never lets me down.

I am currently reading Escape - the one about the polygamist woman who escaped Colorado City. It is blowing my mind. I had no idea things were so corrupt and abusive there. One time in college Jimi, me and some friends went to the Grand Canyon, and stopped there and played sepa outside a restaurant. I can't believe what was going on right under our noses (see: Jeffs, Warren).

Chad, me, Micah, Jimi

I dug up this picture of us in Colorado City. I can't image what the people of the town thought. (I know what I thought of Jimi: nice.)
More to come about this trip on day 26...

post edit: jimi informs me this isn't actually in colorado city, just near it...

Friday, February 25, 2011

Day 23

something I could never get sick of doing...




Sleeping through the night.

Thank you, my sleepy children.

(ps see on the right "my google reader blog"? that's a public blog with links to my private blog for those of you who love google reader as much as i do)

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Day 22

my celebrity crush...


I suppose that would be Ewan Mcgregor.
Because he reminds me of Jimi, mostly.

He's one of our favorite actors. When I found out Jimi liked Moulin Rouge, I knew he was the man for me.
We considered naming Evan "Ewan" for a few minutes too, but I think we decided we aren't Scottish enough.

Here is our boy name master list.
Crossed out are definite nos,
circled are probablys,
left alone were neither yes nor no.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Day 21

my pet peeves...


When I open something with a seal on it, like yogurt or baby food, and it spits on me. It puts me in a bad mood to start off the feeding.

Along those lines, why do they make cereal bags so glued shut? When I finally do pry it open, the bag rips down the side. Then for the entirety of that box, you have an uneven pouring of cereal. And why aren't all the back of cereal boxes as entertaining as Cap'n Crunch?



I guess I could just say Piper is my pet peeve, but more specifically when she barks the second you let her outside, or when she barks and wakes up napping babies, or when we are getting ready to go outside, she goes into this other dimension of euphoria and is crazy with excitement. She is oblivious to any baby that might be sitting on the floor, and steps on/whaps the poor child.

In Relief Society, when the lesson has gone long, and the kids are banging down the doors to get to their moms. They have cut down a tree, fashioned it into a barging device, "you take that side, we have this side!" and are using it to knock the door down. But that's not what bothers me. What bothers me is that we still strike up the piano and sing a closing song. The children are banging the door down, enough already!

When Nickleback comes on the radio.

When I drop my fork while eating.

This is more of a complaint than a pet peeve. In Star Wars 3 when Padme gives birth to twins, then "doesn't have the will to live" because her boyfriend turned darkside? George Lucas does not have a grasp on the psychology of women. That's fine if he wanted her character to die, but don't blame it on "loosing the will to live". When a woman gives birth, those babies trump most other troubles in your life. Especially the first 24 hours that they are born. Call it a "baby high" or whatever, you are obsessed with nurturing that new little life.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Day 20

a bad habit of mine...


My kids watch too much tv.
I am not against tv. It is very necessary. They learn from it. Avery dances and sings along.
But I don't like that it's on all the time as filler. A lot of times we aren't even watching it, but it's on.
I wish I had the guts to leave it off more often.


I don't always do Avery's hair. We in this household like the natural look, but the line between "natural" and "homeless orphan" is often blurred.

Last one. Sometimes after being in a social situation, I think about the dumb things I said and worry that I offended someone. Then I can't stop thinking about it.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Day 19

a picture of me last year and how I've changed since then...


That's a funny question to ask a girl who just celebrated her baby's first birthday. I've changed a lot.
30 pounds lighter
short hair
no hormonal anxiety, just the regular kind
sleep until the sun comes up
all done breast feeding

Evan is my first experience with bottle feeding (Avery went strait to a sippy), and I think it is adorable. How he lays there and holds the bottle with his feet in the air. It's just cute.

This is the first time in three years I have my body all to myself. I am not supplying nourishment for any other being besides myself.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Day 18

somewhere I've been...


For one Christmas instead of giving gifts we all spent our money going to Mazatlan Mexico.
(This was during my pregnancy gone miscarriage. I thought I caused the miscarriage by traveling. Dr. Juarez thought that was funny.)


A dusty little boy came and asked if I wanted to buy some chicklets. After spurning the poor beggar, I realized that sell might be the means of providing for his sick mother and sister (thus went the story line in my head). So Jimi and I went looking for him, but never found him. I hope his mother and sister are ok.

Also, there was a wedding procession at this church. That was kind of cool to gawk at.

We went on a boat out to a little island and snorkeled.   

Grandpa Cook has since passed away, so I love the memories of this trip with him.

I remember him sitting on the wall of his balcony and saying hi from our balcony next door. I was nervous with the height, but it didn't seem to bother him.
 He and grandma left food out for the pigeons, so you can imagine many birds took an especial interest in that balcony.

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Day 17

something that means a lot to me...

mothering

baby Avery

baby Evan

Friday, February 18, 2011

Day 16

what is in my purse...


It's just the usual crappola in my purse. I'm not Amanda Weedman. (ha ha)

But lets talk about the purse itself.
I love it.
Jimi gave it to me for our first Christmas together. So me and that purse have been going strong for eight wonderful years. Perfect size, great pockets. Viva my purse.

Can you believe I posted that picture of me? My whole family was at Bryce Canyon and for some reason I didn't take a shower while we were there. Like four days or something. I was too depressed because Jimi had to stay home. I just moped around the hoo doos the whole time.


Here is another picture of me and my purse except this time I'm cute. We were feeding the birds at Hogel Zoo.
Emily, Jamie, and Jimi are around here somewhere...

Oh here they are.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Day 15

something I crave a lot...



I crave hanging out with Jimi.

The last time he had a day off was February 1st. Plus he leaves the house at 6ish and gets home at 5ish. How is this legal? Heck, I don't know. But he is the only captain for the only airplane here.

Sure I am thankful to have a job, and that we get to stay in Henderson, and that he gets to be home every night blah blah blah. But we miss hanging out with him anyway.

As soon as a) we aren't sick and b) there are two empty seats, we are going to go hang out with him at work.



Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Day 14

a photo of something that makes me happy...



when my kids play independently...
and don't whine for me to entertain them...

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Day 13

something I don't leave the house without...




these two of course

we are off to mail my dream bike to some lucky chump

Monday, February 14, 2011

Day 12

a show I am currently addicted to...



An Idiot Abroad.
Science Channel.
Saturday 10pm est.

All I want to do is tell everyone about this show. Ricky Gervais sends his friend around the world to see the seven wonders, but it is different than your usual "gee whiz" travel show. Karl Pilkington is a lovable loser and runs hilarious commentary about the cultures and countries he sees.

This kind of show is my cup of tea. I love minimal action, maximum observational dialogue. Then mix it in with some good ol' British pessimism...what a great show.


(this picture reminds me of when I'm pregnant. I'm NOT pregnant, just enjoyings some horizontal time)

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Day 11

a photograph of the town I live in...


I love where we live. I'm skeptical that there really were blizzards and stuff all over the country. We've had nothing but 60-70 degree weather here. 

There is my house (slash neighborhood) right next to this awesome trail.
I love Nevada mountains. Sometimes they are blue, sometimes they are brown.

I love creosote. Did you know they smell like rain? (they really do...i'm not trying to be poetic about it) And did you know they have a poison in their roots (or something like that) so that nothing can grow within a certain radius of them? That way they don't have to share water.

This trail is such a treasure. It makes a 35 mile loop down near Lake Mead. I've done the whole loop once on my bike. It was harddddd.

Plus this trail meets up with some world class mountain biking (Bootleg Canyon).

This is all BLM land, so theoretically it will never be filled with houses.

Here is the view from the trail.
I love that you can see from one mountain to the next.

Henderson has the greatest parks. This is the one we go to every day, a hop skip from our house.

In the summer when it is unbearably hot, most of the parks have splash pads. It is so fun especially with all our little friends.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Day 10

a photo and description of what's in my makeup bag...

Well, I don't own a makeup bag. I have like three things that consist of makeup,  but my age is telling me perhaps I need to invest more attention in that area. I just hope my zits never go away. I love them so much.
But I recently started using Cetaphil cleanser and moisturizer, and I love it. Also, I just got one of the best haircuts ever. Tiffany!


honk choo. wake me up when this post is over.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Happy Birthday Evan!

Remember last year when this little buggy came into the world? All screechy and little.
I recognize my Evan in that puffy face.

And an hour after he was born I finally got to hold him and talk to him, and see for sure his name was Evan.

We had a Jack and the Beanstalk birthday party. Mostly you have to use your imagination. Like the licorice monstrosity on the cake? That's the beanstalk, and Jack is above the clouds.

And the white balloons were clouds.

And we were up in the clouds hanging out with birds.



A pre-party nap...

He seemed surprised and confused by the attention when we sang to him.

I love how they start out cautious, like this is some kind of joke or something.


But it's no joke. Cake is tasty.

I also love that for both of my kids' first birthdays, Jamie is sitting on the floor, pregnant, opening presents.


birthday bath...




I love my peanutbutterEvan sandwich.