resolutions and family photos

Are you surprised to see another post from me two days in a row? Or does anyone ever read this blog anymore? I am leaning toward the latter. In case anyone is still reading, I will share my New Year's resolutions with you. I will preface them with this quote: As we reflect on the value of resolving to do better, let us determine to discipline ourselves to carefully select the resolutions we make, to consider the purpose for making them, and finally to make commitments for keeping them and not letting any obstacle stop us. Let us remind ourselves at the beginning of each day that we can keep a resolution just for that day. - N. Eldon Tanner (I specifically like that he points out to carefully select the goals we make and consider the purpose for making them. I am all about being minimal with my goals this year, therefore only selecting a few goals that I really want to commit to.) 01. Blog more often (hence blog posts two days in a row). 02. Read from the Book of Mormon daily with Wendel. 03. Write in my personal journal at least once a week. 04. Work on Oliver's book regularly. 05. Use my scripture journal with my personal scripture study at least one time each week. 06. Work out 3x / week.  That's it. Most of my goals are focusing on family history this year. It is too important to let it keep slipping.

One thing I really wanted to do before leaving Seattle was get family pictures taken with the Seattle skyline behind us. I mentioned this here before but the most frustrating thing about having a hobby in photography is capturing other people's family but not being able to capture our own. Luckily my friend Julie was willing to take our photos for us and actually rearranged her whole schedule to make it happen. Things were a bit chaotic - we were in the middle of packing for our move, I was finishing up my practicum, Wendel had a lot of work projects on his plate with deadlines that needed attention...but we went for it anyway. Of course we forgot the diaper bag in our rush to get there, including Oliver's shoes, so we had to stop at the mall on our way and buy new shoes for him. It's always something in our busy lives! Oliver was so happy all the way up to Gasworks Park but when we got there he completely fell apart. He would not smile and was fussy and difficult. So it goes. Nonetheless, Julie was able to get some good shots. She was probably wondering why she volunteered to do this for us but she was patient and we are so grateful for her willingness to capture our little family. Here are some of my favorites (edited by me).

I love this one.

And this one.

Oliver is 20 months old in these pictures.

And here is one of Julie and Me. 

 

i didn't know

It's funny how you have expectations and plans for you life but then things don't turn out the way you expected at all. It's like that quote, "Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans." One thing that has completely surprised me lately is how much I love the work I'm doing at my practicum. Before I started, I didn't know I would like it and was giving myself pep talks to get through it. I didn't know that I would fall completely in love with it and feel incredibly sad as it is coming to an end. So sad that I have to give myself pep talks to convince myself that leaving the families I've been working with, leaving my mentor and my supervisor whom I have grown to love, leaving a part of myself I always knew was there but hadn't yet fully realized, is okay. I guess I should have known that I would love these families that are struggling to make good choices and reunify because when you serve others and think about them and do all that you can to help them, you love them. You just do.

I didn't know that I would be able to advance my practicum by going full time rather than part time (definitely an exception to the rule). That means I will be done on November 7th! It has flown by. At first, I saw a lot of sadness and it was emotionally exhausting. I still see some of that, but my focus has shifted from how that sadness affects me to what I can to help. It really feels like this is a good fit for me. I can hardly stand to think about leaving.

Speaking of not wanting to leave, we are moving to Arizona at the end of the year (possibly as soon as the end of next month). I thought I would like Washington when we moved here but I didn't know how immediately it would feel like home to us and how I would not want to ever leave. People complain about the rain, lack of sun, chilly weather...I will take it all for the beauty, the green trees, the fresh smell, the ideal photo shoot cloud coverage and beautiful locations, the four seasons but still with a fairly mild winter, the amazing people we have met. Don't get me wrong, Arizona is great and we really liked it when we lived there. We went to high school in Arizona. We met in Arizona. We have family and friends in Arizona. It's warm and there is a pool in our neighborhood and our winter will be spent in 70 degree weather. But to me, it's no longer home.

I think whenever you put your heart and soul into something, you leave a piece of yourself behind when you leave. I felt that way about my mission. I feel that way now. School has been my life since we moved to Washington (let's be honest - since we got married, but really all-consuming since we moved to Washington). I studied hard and jumped through hoops and our marriage was strengthened as we worked through the hard stuff together. Wendel edited every last paper in both my BASW and MSW programs, helped me jump through those hoops, was right by my side through every part of my application process for graduate school, and even drove down to my final presentation in my final gradate class to sit in the back and listen (which was a huge surprise to me). We've done the hard things together, which has stretched us and brought us closer. This makes it all the more difficult to leave. I didn't know school would have such positive effects on our marriage.

I kind of want to curl up in a ball and cry (if I wasn't so busy, I probably would). I am taking courage from Katie, who reminds me that "I can do hard things." Life keeps surprising me, so maybe I will fall in love with Arizona again and I will find a job there that I love and our ward will be amazing and I will meet awesome people and I won't be able to imagine not living there. Right?

catching up: krystell's visit

I have been meaning to post about this since June but somehow it never happened (along with many other posts). It is a Sunday evening and W is taking a nap, the house is quiet, and it's the perfect time for a catch-up post like this one.

Back in June, my friend Krystell came to visit from Utah. Krystell was my roommate at Rick's College (back when it was Rick's college) in 2000. The last time I saw her before this visit was at my mission farewell in September of 2001 - eight years ago! We have kept in touch through letters while she was on her mission, email, facebook and each others blogs through all of that time. She had been wanting to come and see the Pacific Northwest for quite some time, so she finally did it. It was really fun having her here. It was perfect timing, too - I had just graduated but hadn't started working yet and was only volunteering a couple of days a week, so I had a free schedule (man, that was nice!).


After I picked her up from the airport, we went to Dash Point Beach and had a picnic (well, it was mostly just pita bread and hummus but it was good).

(Back when I didn't have a big belly)

Krystell really wanted to see a lighthouse so we ventured up the road a bit to where we saw one in the distance. It was kind of a pathetic lighthouse, though.

(Krystell didn't want to be in many pictures so there are lots of me)

The next day we hung out in downtown Seattle. We hit Pike's Place, had lunch at Beecher's Handmade Cheese (yum) and then went to the library for a tour and then she met up with another friend of hers for the rest of the day.

(Cheese is being made behind us)

I have been to Pike's place several times (everyone wants to check it out when they come to visit and I don't blame them) but I enjoy it every time.

That night we went to a Mariner's game.

The next day we took a ferry out to Bainbridge Island, where we looked at fun shops, had lunch at a cute little place called The Harbour House, and then had ice-cream at Mora's (thanks to my friends, Dean and Becky, who sent me a gift card there as a graduation gift. Their ice-cream is divine).

Our view while we had lunch.

Our view on the ferry on the way back to Seattle.

Overall, Krystell's visit was really fun. I'm so glad she came!

alki beach

We had heard how cool Alki Beach was but never made it out there until recently. A couple of weeks ago, I picked W up after work and we went exploring. We took a few pictures while we still had some light and then ate dinner at Salty's. It has such a gorgeous view of the Seattle skyline.






Our camera remote came in handy for these shots.

Salty's is really good and it was fun to eat by the water. The atmosphere was perfect. I had Lavendar Honey Caramelized Wild Salmon Salad, which had Strawberry Vinaigrette, fresh local berries, chevre cheese, and honey cornbread croutons. It was delicious (and yes, that is a real flower on top of my salmon). W had Halibut with a garlic mashed potato crust around it.


Then we took some night shots. It was mostly W taking the shots and me shivering beside him. He got some good ones. Here are two of my favorites.








I think this picture of the Space Needle looks cool in black and white too.




















































Ron and Britney (W's sister) came to visit last weekend so we took them there as well. They also enjoy taking pictures, so we set up our tripods and snapped away.




Alright, I know what you're thinking. Enough with the cheesy kissing pictures.

In conclusion, we LOVE Seattle. I think Arizona will always feel like home in a way to us, but strangely it does here as well. We're happy and feel grateful to be here.