Home again, home again, jiggety jig.

My sister told me that abandoning writing was not an improvement as I promised last time. So in my defense, I didn't abandon it! We've been busy!
First, there was Thanksgiving and our "Tour de Family." We spent a day in Park City, a day in Orem, and a day in Payson, and still did not see all of our immediate family. We came home for one short day (Sunday) to give talks in our new ward and then we were off again. We've spent the last week watching a DIFFERENT family of kids (again from our old ward) while their parents were in China. Going from one to a total of five children has its challenges, but the kids were generally very good and very helpful.
So, that being said, we are finally home again and I promise pictures of our house will be forthcoming. We bought some couches yesterday for a steal... so now people can sit down when they come to visit. How nice.

Blogs

Tonight we've been watching our old neighbor's kids.  We love them, and I seriously miss living in their backyard and coming over anytime, day or night.  But back to the thought at hand.  King Drake is currently in the living room, being a good babysitter, and is playing board games with a 12 year old, a 10 year old, and a... 6? 7? year old.  I am being the bad babysitter and have been sitting at their computer (not to worry, its in the same room, I'm not completely shameless) reading various blogs.  It wouldn't be so bad if I hadn't been reading for almost an hour.  The only conclusion I've come to after this last hour is... I can't blog.  I once thought of myself as a decent writer.  In fact, going back to some of my old school papers, I consider myself brilliant.  (I never was very humble.)  But now I realize, those fantastic papers took thought, EDITING, and time.  And now, I don't even know what those three words mean.  Sure, I still THINK about posts, but not deeply.  I just write the quickest thoughts down and hurry on with my life.  And yet... am I really that busy?  Not really.  StoneMason keeps me on my toes, sure, but so much that I've given up thinking... now I just sound pathetic.  Now before you wonder what the real purpose of this post is (and if I even BRIEFLY thought about this one), I have set a new goal for myself.  Actually, I've set two.  1.  I will take time to think deeply about things again- and not just posts.  I will stop and think about my little boy, about my life, about things going on around me, instead of just giving them a passing glance and then moving on.     On a sidenote:  This was also brought on as I read a relative's blog.  I heard that they recently separated and was shocked, I had no idea anything was wrong, and by reading and looking at pictures no one would have known.  And I thought to myself, is my life as distant as their news was to me?  Am I really aware of my own life, or do I let things sneak up or slip by unnoticed.  I don't want to wake up surprised one day finding my life has moved on without any conscious thought.  Ok, enough.  If that didn't make sense, don't worry about it.  Goal two:  I will keep a better record (blogging or journaling) of my family.  Since I've never been a great journaler (with the exception of about two years during college) I can AT LEAST keep a brief, historical record (with pictures too!).  That is the least I can do for my children.  I have been feeling guilty that I haven't dutifully kept a daily journal for me, or for Mason, but I'm going to stop beating myself up over it.  I'll do my best in my journal and in his, those can be my "small plates" with significant meaning and memories.  This blog is now my "large plates" with new and improved deeper thinking... but mostly a record for my children.  I'm taking a leaf out of another old neighbor's book and am considering making a book out of the blog each year as the family "scrapbook."  Because lets be honest, it would look better than my normal scrapbooking.  

So, here it goes.  Here's for better blogging.  Perhaps none of you will be inspired by our brief recordings like I am by some of yours, but it will improve, and it will mean something to me.  And hopefully, to someone else.

Helpful

Update

Life's been a little crazy lately. StoneMason just cut tooth number five, and is in the processing of cutting two more. Joy. He's also mastered pulling up on EVERYTHING. His favorite is to pull up on the piano bench, stretch his fingers WAY up high, and hit the keys on the piano. It usually results in him hitting his chin on the piano bench on the way down as he topples from his precarious, unbalanced position. He might knock out those teeth as fast as he gets them in. Poor guy. His other favorite is to crawl up stairs. Unfortunately he hasn't figured out down yet. We have just a few steps to get into our living room, and he's constatnly trying to go down them head first. It's pretty entertaining to watch, and he gets mad if we try to turn him around to teach him to go backwards. Maybe someday he'll get it... or maybe we'll buy him a helmet.
We're pretty much unpacked, except a few boxes that I've just hid in a room- out of sight, out of mind. Pictures will get put up eventually- for now, just covering a few of the major nails will suffice. For those out of state, it is a balmy 50+ degrees everyday and the grass still has some green in it. Maybe we'll have a green Christmas. I certainly hope not.

We're in!

Yeah!
We made it... a few bumps on the way, but we are official homeowners and everything seems to have turned out for the best. Well, the bank is probably more of the official homeowner, but still.
Now, for unpacking...
I'll post pictures... when I find my camera... and if we get the internet set up this week... (I'm posting from my mom's.)

New Names

In case we confuse a few...
We've renamed ourselves. Courtesy of our neighbor, our son is now "the Little Stone Mason." We might just call him Mason. It sounds kind of like the little engine that could.
His name is due to the fact that EVERYTHING he grabs is immediately pounded up and down, up and down.
Husband here is King Drake. Ask his friends.
I am the Barefoot Queen- but since I never talk in the 3rd person, that doesn't really matter. Drake never posts anyhow...

4 teeth

No wonder hes been cranky.

Chopin, Beehoven,....Elder....

StoneMason is starting early. We have a competition going with Beethoven.
He even has artistic looking hands. My grandmother and piano teachers would all be so proud.
Classic "Deer in the Headlights"
He seems to be enjoying himself.
And he even lets Dad play duets with him.

See what I mean?

At least the binki made it to his mouth...

House anyone?

I know...
Lets buy this one!

We're supposed to close on Halloween. We'll be official home owners and

officially back in debt (but only for 30 years).