PROM

Brit had his first prom this past weekend. When you homeschool, things work a little differently, including prom. We are lucky to have a family who is willing to organize and sponsor a homeschool prom each year. We are unlucky that they live in the south end of Utah Valley, therefore it's a long drive. Attendance is open to all homeschoolers aged 14 to 18, and, it's a no date event. Suggested dress is Sunday best to black tie formal with all kinds of restrictions about sleeve and dress length (hey, it's homeschool, we have to at least try to cling to the "Gentlemen Broncos" stereotype!). Another difference at the homeschool prom is that "appropriate lighting and music" are observed, and the kids all have dance cards to fill. This year was a Shakespeare Ball so the first 1/2 hour was spent teaching the kids a few Olde English dances. I was super excited when Brit decided he wanted to go to prom this year. I had it all planned out for the whole family to drive to Mapleton, take a couple of Brit's friends along, chaperone, watch the fun... Brit had other ideas. He wanted to take a date (cuz he's a rebel like that), and he wanted to ride with his friends. Sniff, sniff. Not only was I staying home, he was driving with a bunch of other teenagers all the way to Smalltown, Ut., AT NIGHT!

One of the other moms suggested a progressive dinner before the dance (I'm sure she had my crushed feelings in mind), so we had two couples over for appetizers and salad.



Soon the kids were off to Aura's house for dinner and a few games before leaving for the prom. I forced a couple of pics before they could get out the door...

Brit and Sarah

Don't they look adorable?

Aura and Brandon


Group photo


Aura was a great driver (despite my irrational fears) and brought my little boy back to me. Brit said he had a great time, met some new friends, and even danced...a lot!

LIFE'S A GARDEN...

The past month has been like school for me. I've been learning a lot about health and wellness and I'm tellin' ya, there is such a thing as knowing too much! It's no wonder I had a headache every single day of college! But mostly it's been fun, and good for me. I love to research things. I love to discover a new school of thought, then look at the arguments for and against it. I want to know the whys, the hows, the ins, and the outs.

The thing I may have learned the most about this past month, perhaps, is myself. I think I have been sabotaging my own health all along. Not on purpose, but still, not really giving recovery a fair chance. I have my excuses, and they're actually pretty good ones (as excuses go)! But if I keep saying I want to heal, move on, recover, I can't accept excuses anymore.

Over the years I have kept my own little medical notes/journals to document my Fibromyalgia and other health concerns. They have been invaluable to look back on when I start to wonder what treatment has helped with what ailment, and what supplements or vitamins, or changes in diet/lifestyle improve my conditions. I've been thinking that as I start to really absorb these large amounts of info on nutrition and wellness that I might document it all online. Maybe it could be helpful to more people than just me? At the very least, it would be an excuse to closely track how I'm feeling, and it might keep me motivated to stick with it! If I did decide to make public my daily successes and failings, they would be found here:

www.onewholelife.blogspot.com

IT'S TIME TO CLEAN....SE

Does anyone else get that crazy urge to open all the closets and drawers, empty out everything, dump the junk, and start over this time of year? That is exactly what I plan to do... Except it's not closets and drawers I'll be cleaning out this year, it's colon and pores! I will be forced to learn way more about my bodily functions, oh so much more about my "organs of elimination," than I ever wanted to know. You don't even want to know how much you can learn about a person from their poop! So off I go, on a path of discovery, to clean this little house of skin and cells. I'll take pictures! For the past five days my life has been...

Breakfast


Lunch


And dinner


Believe me, that thick, green sludge IS the EASIER way to eat the 2 lbs. of leafy greens I have to consume each day! Wish me luck.

A DAY AT THE LAKE... BRINGHURST STYLE

The Holidays were fun, and busy, and were filled with lots of things I could blog about, but since I'm an absentee blogger lately, I'll just share activities from last weekend. It was a long weekend so we went to the lake- TWICE! Yes, it's winter. Yes, it's cold outside. Not really the time of year when most families would spend time at the lake. We are not "most families" and taking the road less traveled is fun sometimes. On New Year's Eve day, when Jeff said he wanted to take his boat to the Great Salt Lake for some late season duck hunting, my first thought was that I didn't want the family to be apart on that particular day of the year. My second thought should have been to convince him to take the weekend off from hunting... But it was, instead, to bundle us all up and go with him. I won't bore with the details of finding enough "camo" for everyone, or how ridiculous we all looked, (the pics will speak for themselves)because I'm sure the whole thing was only funny to us. We woke up early, we drove, we launched the duck boat, we huddled together for warmth, we took pictures, we explored. In the end, Jeff said it was his favorite day of hunting all season so I guess our efforts were worth it!














Saturday we made plans for an afternoon of snowshoeing in Park City. We invited Mom and Tim to come along as targets for the kids' snowballs. When Park City didn't have enough snow, we kept driving, and eventually decided to give Jordanelle Reservoir a try. The snow was perfect. Fun was had by all.





















Before we knew it, the sun was setting, and it was time to leave. After shedding our gear, we made the drive into Heber for some diesel fuel and dinner at Dairy Keen. Both veggie and hamburgers with yummy fries and shakes (or hot chocolate) were called for after a day like that!

PLEASE, PLEASE, I IMPLORE YOU TO JOIN THIS CAUSE!

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10 THINGS

1. I love your hands

2. I love your endless sense of adventure

3. I love your need to surprise me...still

4. I love that you are strong where I am weak

5. I love your smell

6. I love that you make the little things special

7. I love your hugs

8. I love that you still tell me I'm beautiful

9. I love that you are a great dad

10. I love that you are smart, so smart

These are just 10 things I love about you... I hope you have a great birthday, you deserve it!

Love always,

Me

EVERYTHING IS CHANGING AND I DON'T FEEL THE SAME

The seasons are turning around here...

Family dynamics change when your oldest turns 16. Mostly, I think, because they can drive, and they become so much more independent overnight! When I was pregnant with Brit I felt completely overwhelmed and ill-equiped to be a mom. I just didn't feel ready to take on the very real possibility that I could totally screw up another person's life! At my baby shower I received a card with this poem:

If I had my child to raise all over again,
I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I'd finger-paint more, and point the finger less.
I would do less correcting and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging and less tugging.
~Diane Loomans, from "If I Had My Child To Raise Over Again"

That little poem seemed to have the answers I was looking for at the time, and I decided I didn't want to look back with regrets. After a rocky start, with a colicky newborn, parenting became my favorite thing in this world! I loved bedtime stories and blankies, writing on the walls, and hand written love notes, messy kisses, dirty faces, Legos, kiddie pools, gum in the hair. But kids grow up and bedtime stories are replaced by late night talks about anxieties, or fears, or what secrets the Universe holds. They leave Legos behind in favor of iPods, cell phones, and gym memberships. Kisses and hugs come fewer and farther between. At some point you start to realize that being a mom has become more about teaching your kids how to grow up. It becomes just as important to help them start making their own decisions, help them understand consequences, and to push them just a little toward more independence. That part is so much harder than scrubbing marker off the walls!

So when Brit told me he didn't want to go with us to Arizona this winter, I was hit with a slew of emotions. Pride. Sadness. Admiration. Panic. To name a few. Brit and Kaylee have been taking classes with other homeschoolers this year that he doesn't want to miss out on. He is really involved with a teen group and doesn't want to miss the activities. And since he already does his own laundry, knows how to shop for groceries, can take care of his meals and the animals, and can drive... Why not? Once I caught my breath, I felt like it could work, it would be okay. Kaylee still wanted to go, right? Right? She would never come out and say it, but Kaylee isn't ready to be without her brother and her dad at the same time. And Kaylee really didn't want to miss out on classes, and friends, and...her brother.

Yesterday I made the decision to NOT go to Arizona this winter. Although my son seems to think he can get along just fine without me, and my daughter is willing to suck it up and be my winter buddy, I still feel like being a good mom is my most important concern. And while I do agree that Brit is capable of taking care of himself just fine, I hold to the belief that there are still a few things I can do for him! Don't get me wrong, I have moments of fluttery excitement thinking about "someday" when I can spend entire days gardening, or sewing, or just laying around with a good book. My only concern will be to make it look like I'd gotten anything done by the time Jeff gets home from work. But I'm not ready for "someday" yet.

Now I am off to go shopping, for boots, and gloves, and hats, and scarves... And I can't forget a Snuggie... Or should I go with the Slanket?