Looking up...Looking for Hope...

This is a special week. Thanksgiving. There are many things for which I am thankful.

My energetic, sometimes odd, twerking family.
My job.
My home.
Things like that. I am very, very thankful for what I have in life. I am even thankful for many things that I don't have in life. I have it pretty darn good.

This past Sunday during the 11:00 worship hour I looked around the sanctuary at all the thankful people. I saw mothers, fathers, daughters, sons, best friends, sisters, brothers, lawyers, soldiers, business owners, government employees, nurses, ministers, artists, children...I saw hope.

 

I hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving. I hope you all enjoy your turkey and dressing. I hope you see the good in the world. I hope.

A Ball up Top...

At the moment, I am feverishly trying to balance life. I have said yes to more than I should have and am paying for it with sleep deprivation. Life is one big balancing act though. Just ask Layton.

 

Whip It Good...

-I am at a loss. The words are not coming. I have severe bloggers block. Is that even a thing? Maybe I finally ran out of ridiculous things to put out there for the world to see. Maybe I have finally accepted that I am a crap-tastic blogger. Or maybe I just have other things on my mind. Anyway - I am trying to come up with posts. This one will be lame.
                                     

-When I found out that a young man (whose parents I know) is an archaeologist, I asked if he had a bull whip, leather jacket, and fedora. That might not have been the most supportive question I could have asked. I did refrain from asking if I could call him Dr. Jones though. I think Ella would make a good archaeologist. She's inquisitive and will spend hours on a seemingly unimportant task. I would not be a good archaeologist. I would be the person yelling, "just whack one and go!" If you haven't heard the whack one story, you haven't known me for more than 15 minutes.

 

-I am seriously considering going back to school to get another degree. I am not smart enough for all of this ACA stuff. I'm leaning toward public relations. Or porn.

-Ok, not really porn. I was just seeing if you were paying attention.

It's Just not Right...

Happy day, dear Internet friends! I hope you are all well. It occurred to me that some of you don't have an instagram account and are missing out on the hi jinks. Most of my pictures involve Layton because he is with me more than the girls. They are older and have friends that they run around with a lot. Layton still stays pretty close to home. Here are some recent pics from my instagram...

Starting in the upper left and moving clockwise....Layton and I hugging at the farm...Layton challenging a grown man to a dance off at a wedding...Layton dancing during a recent photo session...a breakfast date with my favorite little boy...Ella and Layton reading while waiting on the homecoming parade...

Instagram collage number 2 also has a picture of me in it. This is bizarre. I normally run from cameras.

Again, start in the upper left and move clockwise....my best porch buddies: Shannon, Gigi, and Kim...I gave blood...Hadley, annoyed with the fact that I am making her get her picture made...Ella going full on spazz in Justice....my dear friend Lori and I manning a golf tournament.

So that's what has been going on in places other than my blog. Now back to the usual boring content I post.

 

-Sometimes I wonder what is going on inside the minds of the children in the back of my car. I'm not sure what Layton and his friend were doing, but it was super fun.

-Seriously, why didn't I think of this...

...pure genius. It's a cooler and concealer all in one. 

-I have a friend whose parents are moving to Panama. That sounds like an awesome, good time to me. No really. I'm trying to figure out a way that I can assist with the move. From what I hear, Panama is a nice place. Although...I hear "Central America" and immediately become convinced that I will wind up in the hands of a cocaine cartel and can only be rescued by Will Smith, Tom Cruise, Bruce Willis, or maybe JCVD. I am, in fact, the only person on the planet who would be dumb enough to get nabbed by a cartel while shopping for new curtains. 

-I am also dumb enough to put my innermost thoughts and twisted ideas on the Internet. Maybe I should quit blogging. The lot of you that read this might be better off. I say lot; what I mean is 3. Does three qualify as a lot? I must google that later. 

-Other exciting news - I have mastered the art of meal planning. Don't bother telling me it's not an art. I will go to my grave convinced I have mastered something of great value and difficulty. Take that, Food Network. 

-Well, I suppose I should put this post in the scheduled section now. I have rambled for far too long. Take it easy. Have a good day. Rest well. Feel good about yourselves for you are all far better human beings than I. Much Love, A-Ro

Through Her Eyes...

When we went on a long walk in the woods with Ella, she took over the camera.

 

This is a moment Ella wanted to capture. I often wonder what we look like through her eyes. If I let her use the camera more often, maybe I would figure it out. 

The Not so Calm Moments...

Ella Channing and Layton sat and waited for the homecoming parade. They let me take a few pictures. Hadley was in the parade, so that's why I had my camera out. :)

Layton had to photobomb Ella's moment.



And then he attacked her with a kiss. 

They were actually pretty good for this outing in public. We didn't have a single melt down or DHR call worthy moment. 

The Calm before the Storm...

They look so calm and sweet. They are sweet. This kind of calm doesn't last long though.

 

Thank You!!!

Happy Veteran's Day!!!!! I'd like to give the men and women who serve this country a big ole THANK YOU!!!

Take My Picture with This Tree...

Having a camera within 20 feet of Ella means one thing. "Take my picture. I'm going to model for you."

I tell her how pretty she is and what a good picture I just took.



Oh, no, that is not enough. I have to take one of her with J. 

Ten feet into the woods I have to take one of her with a tree. 

And the same tree but a different pose...

And sitting on this tree...

And in front of this dirt...

 

And in the field of deer salad...

And by the pond...

And pretending to be full of it...

And by this tree stump...

And looking at deer hoof prints in the mud...

She does not get her love of the camera from me. I would rather have a stomach virus than have this many pictures taken of me. 

Walking with Magritte...

Not too long ago J, Ella, and I went for a long walk in the woods. The other 67% of my children chose not to go on an adventure with J and me. I can't ever imagine why. Bwhahahaahahaah.

I took just under 25,015 pictures. Not really but it did seem that way when I was flipping through them later. Ella demanded a photo op every 15 steps. :) Poor middle child, no one gives her enough attention.

One picture stood out for me. She found a gigantic leaf, and I told her to hold it up for me. When I looked back at the pictures, I instantly thought about The Son of Man.

 

When Hadley was itty bitty, my older brother gave her a book. The book was called Dinner at Magritte's. It's an adorable children's book that is about a boy named Pierre who sneaks away to his neighbor's house. The neighbor is Rene Magritte, and his house guest is Salvador Dali. The whole publication is illustrated with bowler hats, melted clocks, flying fish, and other tributes to the artists' works. This book was one that all three of my children had me read to them ad nauseam.
 As I looked at this picture, I couldn't help but wonder if somewhere in her little mind, she thought about Magritte. I asked her to hold it up. She did just that. 

Oh, Bull...

 

There was a mama in the throws of labor when I was walking around with these cows. It was a Moo-ving experience.

I have no shame. Or humor.