well hello there, little blog

posts are few and far between this year, but i still love this little space on the www, that i can share life's happenings. and these posts get emailed to my cute grandma in utah, who coincidentally is one of my favorite people ever. hi GRANDMA! ♥

one thing super fun & out of the ordinary, was a recent trip to the land of lands - disney!
we went along with myron's mom's side.
it was full of happy & such a relaxing, rejuvenating trip for me....so grateful to those generous souls who made it happen.
'cause who can be in a bad mood at disneyland?
not i.

this little picture has my heart.
i believe these little girls chose me for a mom & i chose them before we came here to earth.
we are teaching each other.
it's a rough road sometimes.
but i humbly thank the lord for it...it's a blessed one.
♥

things have a way of working out

today was a wonderful day.
ordinary, but wonderful.

celebrating a small victory &
getting to spend time with my beautiful mama.
{she always fills my cup}

my wise mother is such a support to me. 
she'll encourage me, "things have a way of working out."

they do.
i need to believe it, even when things get hard...

truly i probably wouldn't have survived september thus far hadn't it been for my workhorse husband, our families & my hilarious friends who make me laugh on the daily. {and maybe that's being a little bit dramatic....but my dramatics might be part of the problem, okay?}

i'll consider this post my note to self for next time i have a tough time:
yo angie, things have a way of working out.

...and new tv starts this week, so there's that. ;)
{raise the roof}
♥

reconnect

Let's just have a moment of silence for how cute this picture is.
Oh, I miss those days.
I miss my babies.

Chloe's ringlets have softened into long wavy locks. She will be 8 this spring! How is that even possible?

Liv's now learning songs & letters...and her adorable jibberish baby language is but a distant memory.
...but not too distant...I can still kinda hear it. It was was my fave. 

I am working on being more present with them.
...striving to appreciate the NOW & not being so concerned & preoccupied about what once was, or {especially} what might happen tomorrow.

It's devastatingly hard for me sometimes - to not worry,
but I'm grateful for the challenge.
I get off track, I have bad days among the good ones...
but this picture reminded me that time passes, time heals, time brings growth,
growth brings beauty.

Today is a gift.  ♥

peace out summer

nothing like the beginning of a new school year to get y'all up & reminiscing about how fleeting the moments are. "the days are long, but the years are short." yeps. true statement. we had a wonderful summer. of course it had it's moments where i wanted to get the heck outta dodge & move to the north pole & threaten to pull all my hair out if i ever heard the phrase "i'm bored" again...but, despite the wicked heat and random whining, it was a couple months filled with good memories & sunsplashing & family reunions & much needed r&r. <<<that being said>>> very grateful to be back in a routine. my kids like structure & i'm happier when they're happier.

 the chlomister started 2nd grade, people! can't believe it! liv is in preschool this year too!

if you're wonderin' about chloe's mystery black eye, good question.

 it was livy, in the master bedroom, with a package of goggles.  

it was a semi-accident & a very sad day. ):

chloe says she's half-panda now though, so she's cool with it. 

<hehe>

oh, motherhood. 

i repeat. "the days are long, but the years are short."

so grateful for it all.

 

"Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers."

 

 i've been in love with this art ever since i saw it. pretty much obsessed with everything i've seen of caitlin connolly's, for that matter. so beautiful. my heart resonates with this particular painting tonight. 

haven't shared here for a while. usually brain-dumping on the blog is cathartic to me, but i haven't had the words. 

feeling peaceful tonight & wanted to remember.

i've been gently reminded by the spirit today, my ever-increasing need to humble myself before the lord. 

i know that all will be well & just as it should be - 

as i exercise faith in him & his timing.

rejoice, o my heart

myron & i just celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary last weekend.
that is legit crazy, people.
time certainly appears to fly, when you're mostly having fun! :) 
we had a wonderful, relaxing weekend away to celebrate & it was straight-up amazing.
i am grateful for a marriage relationship that affords me peace & contentment.
i can attest to the work & commitment that brought us here. 

because of this milestone, i've been reflecting on our years together.
the things we've been through.
the pets, the babies, the joys, the trials, the homes, the jobs, the moves, the friendships, the gains, the losses,  the lessons.
LOTS of wonderful, ever-flowing, challenging, beautiful water under our little bridge since 2003.

life.
it ain't perfect.
i'm the first to freely admit it.
there are certainly near-perfect feelings and moments,
but mostly my life thus-far has been a big, fat learning experience. :)
i'm grateful for god-given tender mercies, {such as myron himself}, that i know to be sheer grace, powerfully blessing me in the mist of such learning expiriences.
myron truly is my rock, who i know to not give up on me.

i am continually challenged in both body and spirit daily.
i am challenged to seek sunshine when my brain feels foggy with threat of a storm.
i am challenged to seek forgiveness when my heart feels wronged by another.
i am challenged to seek gratitude in the face of envy.   
i am challenged to seek wisdom when the answer i want isn't coming.
i am challenged to be faithful when i struggle with fearful thoughts.
i am challenged to seek light when darkness and conflict in the world seems too close to home.

sometimes i fail, sometimes i succeed.
and the trick for me, has been learning to be comfortable with the process.
joy in the journey. 

in my adult life,
{which happens to be as long as i've been married}
i have become familiar enough with myself to know what brings me true joy.
my family, my friends & my faith in god.

i have strangely felt joy in my darkest moments, because those are the times i have felt vulnerable and teachable.
i believe that things that i currently consider personal flaws and weaknesses, will someday become my strengths through the healing power of christ's atonement.
i have seen the hand of the lord in my life - a powerful conviction that i cannot deny. 

when i am feeling challenged by this earthly experience,
i often refer to the psalm of nephi in the book of mormon {2nd nephi 4}...
it resonates with my heart so much. i particularly love, verse28:
"awake, my soul! no longer droop in sin. rejoice, o my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul."

as i learn & grow - eb & flow - try & fail - give & take, "droop" & "awake" through life,
i hope to adequately express acknowledgement that every good thing in my life has come from a god who knows me better than i know myself.
heavenly father certainly showed that to me when he gave me myron.
myron was the man for the job.
someone who has proved to be able to appreciate and share, and be patient with my personal journey.

and love me deeply,
even though i share too many personal feelings on the internet.
amen. ♥

documenting :: april 14-20

my sweet fam before church. ♥ myron was a saint and took them by himself so i could rest up some more. girls are wearing their beautiful new dresses from grandpa ron & kathy. :)

chloe was celebrated, yet again @ nama's on sunday. she recieved so many thoughtful, generous gifts.♥

this week was an emotional one. marathon bombs in boston. bad news all over. my heart was heavy. these flowers from ryan and nichole & other kind recovery-related deeds, texts and deliveries from family & friends helped me get through, but it was a hard one for sure.

flowers of my favorite hue, from my friend kaylene.

always love when this smile comes off the bus. :)

itching to do a few things around the house to make it more homey. first attempt. i like. :)

chloe loses her 7th tooth!!!

out with the old, in with the new.....time to plant my favorite!! zinnias!! :)

went with emily/one of my favorite girls ever to the postal service concert! seriously so good!!!
i loved it!!!

the girls' bed, full of big-eye stuffed animals. they are seriously obsessed. 

we had chloe's friend birthday party pretty belated, due to my surgery....but we did it! :)

happy colors/prepping for the party.

c is for chloe. :)

happy painters decorating their letters, dressed in garbage bags. :)

the finished product! i hope the girls had fun! i know chloe did. :)

and lastly, my funny husband, being funny.