more

grandma's bed

Look who is all grown up? Little Amelia Young. Grandma's bedroom is always a party when it is freezing outside and we don't have anything else to do. Besides eating leftovers, which we had probably already done at this point. It obviously turned into a photoshoot, without anyone on board but the photographer. I know they get so sick of my camera but they will thank me one day... some day? Until then I will push forward and hide behind my lens for as long as possible!

I ain't gonna paint no more!

  

While at grandma's house over Christmas break June became fascinated/obsessed with a great book called, "I ain't gonna paint no more." Although grammatically a disappointment, the book is adorable and the kids love it! Pan ahead 2 weeks and we are back at home in our normal swing of things. I set June up with some paint (my first mistake) and went in the other room to clean. She was quiet but I didn't let more than 7 minute go by without checking on her. I came around the corner of the kitchen to find this...

 

So up we headed to the bath to rinse off the girl who ain't gonna paint no more!! I used to be able to leave William alone with paint for a lot longer than 7 min. I guess June marches to her own drum, especially when an idea is planted in her head!! When she saw herself in the mirror she couldn't stop cracking up!

 

 

Air.

So, there have been some inquiries into my health from the lack of blogging. I figure that is the signal that I should probably update. The truth is... the title of this blog, Between Naps, no longer applies to my life. That dreamy 2 hours in the middle of the day all to myself is no longer. Between tantrums... or between the June show... that would make so much more sense. As of September, which happens to so conveniently correspond with my drop off the map, June decided to pass on her nap. The more appropriate word would be abandoned her nap but I will use the verb pass to make it sound less dramatic. I never realized how much this would affect me until it did just that. William napped until he was almost 4 years old. Needless to say, gone are the days of trying to compare William with June. Gone are also the days of me eating my lunch and writing about our lives, while my precocious 3 year old dreams in the other room. Gone, gone, gone. So now I find myself with a reoccurring role on The June Show. This might sound good but it is no Brad Pitt on "Friends" let me tell you! The pay stinks, the ratings are 1 but the main character is hysterical. She's up and down and hard to emotionally keep up with... but the 18% of the time that I am her best friend might just be worth it. I can't say this turn of events will equate to much blogging, but rest assured we are alive... even if barely.

us, trying to take family pictures... but really we are just filming a scene for The June Show.

legit.

What a wild summer it has been! William might not have been happy about practicing singing and dancing every week, but he made a lot of new friends. Legit was just that... legit. Now, this might have been me living out my high school show choir glory days... but where is the harm in that!? The kids had so much fun and I'm so glad William did it. Here are some pictures from his performance.

 

pretty legit!

larry.

This is Uncle Larry.

He is a legend in his own right. From Alabama to Oregon this man has effected a lot of lives with his cowboy good looks and genteel composure. He loves Louis L'amour and peas and cornbread. He took me on a horse ride up a canyon once and we took a nap under a grove of trees next to a little stream and ate Vienna sausages together. He pulled me back from a very dark place a long time ago and never judged me or left my side. He is funny and stubborn and kind all at the same time. He and his equally amazing wife Gale drove all the way out from Utah to go to my wedding and I still think about what a sacrifice that was for them. He once told me if he could just "ride fence" for a living it would be his perfect role in life. I then asked, "what the heck does it mean to ride fence?" He explained it's when you ride a long a stretch of fence and fix any holes along the way.  It makes sense because he likes to be productive and get things done and he has always taught me to keep movin' forward. I love you Uncle Larry and Aunt Gale. Your family has had a bigger effect on me than you realize! =)

We had a good ole' time out a Larry's Goshen ranch and Gale cooked up some southern food that I won't forget. We had pulled pork, fruit salad, baked beans and the best fudge brownies I've ever tasted! The woman is a comfort food queen. The kids had a blast playing with the kittens in the barn and Wendy and Larry even had a horse race. The man that baptized my mother even came for the reunion and it was so good to see my mom laughing and talking with her family. Her southern drawl started to kick in about 24 hours before we even got there. Seeing Audra, Wayne, Laurie, Tanya, and Angela was like it always is... comfortable and fun. Their children were beautiful and happy as could be exploring Uncle Larry's little piece of heaven in Goshen, Ut.

Larry and Gale

 

 

 

My mom and her brother Tommy.

The horse race. It was closer than it looks in this picture!

 

 

 

 

   

  

Reeves Family Reunion