rooming with a view...

to the backyard. where Clin spends hours pushing the children on swings, mowing the lawn, planting the garden, pulling weeds, trimming the tree, and barbecuing the barbecue.

light and breezy.

My favorite fixture.

And here is my least favorite. In regards to design.

But it has taught me the calming joy of sleeping beneath a breeze.
Which I love.

kitchen confused.

the kitchen is not bad. i'm really not complaining. because i have a kitchen. but i am a bit confused.

why is the dishwasher so far from the sink? shouldn't it switch places with the drawers? so that water doesn't dripp all over....oh, everything?

and while i'm at it, why are the drawer pulls gold? and the cabinets orange?

below ground.

I do like that there is a whole room for storage downstairs.

And here you also see: the fauly valve responsible for the flooding, the area that was flooded, and the potential for a bathroom...as soon as Clin learns how to build one.

flooding it out.

So our water heater had a faulty valve. And while we were out, it faulted....mostly watering the unfinished portion of the basement. But one corner of our office had a bit 'o' flooding.

And thus began our journey into the self-sufficient handymen that we are.

color.

Paint on the walls is always nice. But when that paint includes color? Nice-er.

spreading out.

Room to hide the toys. Hallelujah.

re-decorating.

While I believe in living well, loving much, and laughing often. I do not believe in advertising it all over my dining room wall.

but i've been so busy living, loving and laughing that it's still on the wall. and probably will be. for a long time.

organized...part 2.

Place for shoes. Serious yeah. AND washer/dryer on the same floor as the bedrooms? heaven.

organized.

I'm not all that excited about this closet. I mean. It's a closet.

But I needed to document it's state. Right now. Everything folded. In its place. This is as close as I come to Martha.

sleeping on the floor.

brown carpet. not only my favorite color, but warm, soft, and hides dirt. really well.

home.

trying to make it our home. and working to understand its temperament. this week i'm throwing out the good and the bad of our new abode.

And I'm at a point were we need to begin brainstorming names.

Because it should have one. like Grey Gardens or Pemberley, or Tara. right?

celebrating those pioneers.

so in Utah, on the 24th, the state celebrates pioneers. i decided to bake me some coffee cake. with blueberries. and then return to bed. and stay in my pajamas all. day. long.

in honor of those pioneers who sacrificed so much. i took it easy.

oh. and learned that when a 2 year old wets on the cooler, make sure to open it and clean the inside too. because you don't want to open it a few hours later and question: is this gatorade? mountain dew?

and clin finally dragged us out. in air conditioning, with ipod. for our own pilgramage.

to eat ice cream.

not mopey. really. just mediocre.

that's cheerful.

clin's response after reading last night's post.

he didn't mean it. cheerful, that is. there was a bit of sarcasm to those italics.

but he didn't get it. there was no personal pity behind the post. or mopey sadness. just truth.

i wasn't searching for compliments. although nice. i'm just trying to come to terms. with my reality. and i'm okay with that.

most of us are mediocre. with aspirations for more.

and maybe, after 32 years, it's good to be. and accept. mediocrity.

mediocre.

that's what I'm learning. from age. from moving. from me.

perhaps i should rename this blog. musings on mediocrity. because i feel like that's what it is. but that's kind of mediocre of me. and I'm sure someone else has taken it. so I'll just give up before i even get to the google.

freedom from responsibility has been nice. is nice. and i'm dragging my feet. i'm good at being mediocre. i'm good at giving up on things because others are better. like taking up the oboe in 8th grade, because i couldn't beat Misha for 1st chair. and then going back to clarinet in 9th because Misha was no longer taking band. and i wasn't really any good at oboe either.

or making and being a friend. i'm not so good on reciprocity. like when i take someone, who is really good at being a friend, to a musical and spend the entire night talking about myself. or forget birthdays. or not really care about birthdays.

and having no real desire to meet people in our ward. so sitting and watching. and running away the second the 3rd hour ends. ready for the reprieve of home.

taking the girls to 7 Peaks, and rocking the sunscreen for the tots, while forgetting something called my back. and am now inhabiting a toasted shell.

and waking the next morning. sleeping through Millie bringing in books, tucking me back into bed, and sleeping in a groggy fog. until Millie screams:

Mom. Ellis just peed on the floor. I heard her pee.

and i turn to look at Ellis standing in a puddle. staring at me. asleep.

potty training also failing to mediocrity.