Oh these boys.

 

Words with Friends is the only game I have on my iPad, so when the boys get ahold of it, the only thing that entertains them is the photobooth app. These are the pictures I found today.

Also from today, Jack and I were running up the stairs and Jack was winning. He looked back and said "Is that all you've got"?

It made me laugh.

I am so grateful for Jackson and Thomas; they are awesome boys. It has just been the last little while that both of them are in a place where they need me a lot less. It has made life so much better, and it is easier for me to find joy in motherhood. A LOT easier. I know there are people who gush about motherhood and how awesome it is from the very first moment, but it has not been like that for me. But it is becoming that way, slow and steady.

I am grateful to be a mom, and ALL of the lessons I am learning. I know I am a better person because I am a mother. But I am not going to lie, it is the hardest thing I have ever done. I think that I thought being a perfect mom would be a lot easier. Imagine my surprise when it has not been easy at all. One of the lessons in life, I guess. ;)

 

Another week is about to begin. I hope wherever you are, it is a fantastic week.

 

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What I love.

Being a little fish in a little pond.

 When you live in a place that is small, it makes it easier to find out about unique experiences.  Tonight I had an opportunity to go with some friends to The Sri Lanka Design Festival.  It was so much fun; there was the fashion show and a craft exhibition.

The fashion show was first, and we had front row seats.  I was thrilled.  I have never been to a fashion show, but I have seen pictures of New York Fashion week, and have always wanted to go.  Mind you, this was not New York, and it was not fashion week, but it was so much fun!

It is another reason that I love living overseas.

The dress code was refined casual.  I love dress codes.

  

Some of my favorites from the night.

The ladies. 

What I love.

Jack's school.

Last week, Jack's school put on a production called "Ye-Ha".  It was a fun play that involved the ENTIRE school.  The school is not too big, (Jack's class has 12 or 13 students) but nonetheless, there were over 200 kids that participated.  Each child was given a costume, and each child participated in some way.  It was fantastic, and both Ben and I thought it was one of the best school productions we have ever seen.

Jack in costume.

Jack with his stage make-up.

Then today, the kindergarten classes invited the parents to come see all the work they have done in the last few weeks.  Each child presented to their parents, and then the parents circulated to see all of the other children's work. 

It was so much fun to see Jack and his classmates, and all the hard work they put into their assignments.

This, is a hand axe.  It was used to kill animals in the past, although some of the students said it was for writing.  I think Jack preferred the hunting part.

(It is a rock connected to a stick with string.)

All of his work laid out so I could see it.

Jack's school is great, and the best part is he loves it. 

What I Love.

Date night. Or day as it happens to be for us.

We regularly go on dates. We try to do it at least once a week. We usually get lunch, and a sweet treat. Sometimes if we are feeling particularly adventurous, we go to a movie.

I usually try to dress up, as it makes it more special.

What I wore for our date.

 

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What I love.

At the end of the day, or in this case, week.  I have Ben, Jack and Thomas.

This week was quite busy.  It was full of things to check off a list, dates and times to keep track of, projects to finish and events to attend.  

I actually really liked this week; it was nice to have so much to do.  It is also really nice to know that if nothing went as planned, and nothing worked out this week, I would still have an amazing family behind me.  It is an enormous strength to me, and for that I am grateful.

I love the guys in my life.

Pictures of the boys in their costumes. 

 Thomas decided right before we left for the Embassy Halloween party that he did not want to be in costume, so he went in his normal clothes and firefighter rain boots.  

Thomas surprised both Ben and I when he could not get enough of the haunted house (which was pretty scary).  He would sneak up to the back door, get a glimpse, run away, and repeat.  He did this the entire time the haunted house was going.  When all of the characters cleared out, he went in, and refused to come out.  There was a coffin that he was dying to play in.  (Aren't I clever?)  Thomas and Ben can have that scary stuff.  Jack and I will stay at the bounce house and leave the scary stuff to others.  It was a great party!  We had a great time.

What I love.

The Marine Ball.

Getting dressed up.

Spending an evening with friends.

Eating.

Dancing.

What more could you want?

Since Ben first started this job, I have dreamed about going to the Marine Ball with him.  We didn't have Marines in Tijuana, so since we moved here, I have been anxiously awaiting for this.  Let me tell you, I was not disappointed.

I was so excited to wear my new dress, which was stunning, if I do say so myself.  

The entire Embassy community and guests were dressed to impress, and they certainly did. 

There is only one thing I will change next year- I really want someone else to do my hair...doing my own was a dramatic event, that I don't want to repeat.

The dress.  Which I found in a beautiful store in Snohomish, Washington.  

(Thank you, Dana!) 

The back view.

What you can't see are my red shoes.  My ensemble was very patriotic.

The traditional Marine birthday cake, and our Marines.  

What would the Marine Ball be without the Marines?

Ben did a lovely job arranging his food.

Ben showing off his moves.

Oh yeah.

We're making sweaty sexy. :)

The last picture of the night.  

We definitely looked better before the dancing, and before 1:00 in the morning, but it was a blast. 

I can't wait until next year.

What I Love: Special Edition.

I love missionaries.

I was a missionary.  Ben was a missionary.  A lot of people I love were missionaries.  

Today we watched General Conference (which is LDS speak for the twice a year conference when the entire church comes to together to listen to Prophets and Apostles).  It happened last weekend, but here in Sri Lanka, we watched it this weekend.  

In General Conference, it was announced that the missionary age has changed for both the young men and the young women.  It is now 18 for young men (formally 19) and 19 for young women (formally 21).  

It is very exciting.  

Two of my younger sisters, Paige and Taylor are now preparing to go on missions.  I am so excited for them.  

Going on a mission was one of the best thing that ever happened to me.

I was told that the peace sign in countries besides the US of A can be bad manners, so I apologize.  To me, it is something my mom has always done, and it makes me smile.

This is the day I came home after 18 months on a mission.

This is a picture of some of the missionaries I worked with on my mission in Rochester, New York.  This was in the Sacred Grove.  I am in the front row with the red shoes.

Ashley, we look so young.  :)

My brothers - Michael and Allen, when Allen came home from his mission- he went to Missouri.

My sister, Jodie also served a mission in Ventura, California- I wish I had a picture.

This talk from General Conference tells a little bit about what missionaries teach, if you are interested.  A really great read.

A little note to those who are not LDS (Mormon).  Missionaries are usually really far from their homes and their mothers, and so if you see them, offer them a drink or something.  I bet it will make their day a lot better.  They are usually pretty awesome people.

What I love.

I love helping at Jack's school.

Today the school had UN day, and I was able to help out. I brought a treat, Coco Krispie rice crispy treats, and helped at the USA/Canada table.

It was a fun day! My favorite part of the day was when Jack saw me, he ran to me, and hung out until he had to go back to class. What a cute boy.

There are two things I love about helping out. First, Jack loves when I come to school, and it makes me smile that he likes me there. Second, I am getting to know the teachers, and parents at the school.

I was even recruited for the PTA, so I will have more opportunities to help out more.

 

My treats are the ones on the white platter. I even made little flags to go on them. It is a shame they were the least popular of the treats. Only a little awkward.

But mostly I love this guy right here.

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What I Love.

Brooches.

I love brooches.

They are are all over the place this season, and I am super excited about it.

The good thing is, to find a good one, you don't have to spend a lot of money. I bought the two flowers from a thrift store. The scenery one I have had since my days in Moscow. The round one I bought a few months ago on etsy.com (less than $15.00). I don't know where the pink one came from...

Brooches have been around forever, so a thrift or consignment store is a perfect place to find them, or your mom's jewelry box. I wish I had a thrift store close.  Or my mom.

Brooch it up. Wear more than one. Go crazy, wear three.

Make your collar sparkle.

Once a week, I am going to write more about the things I love. It can be anything. Books, clothes, food, my kids, anything. It is a way to see what I am most passionate about, what I would want to do if I ever decide I want a career.





Do you want to join me? What do you love?

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