BY SOME MIRACLE

FINALS ARE THIS week and I, formerly in anticipation for a carefree night of study, dropped Shelby off with Josh to come home and get as much done as I possibly could in one night. Unable to predict my dis-ease, I have found it harder to focus without knowing that Shelby is peacefully asleep in the next room squeezing tight her Milhouse in pale pink 70's style bird print pajamas, breathing sweetly and softly. Every night before I tuck myself into bed I peek into her room to see her innocence at rest, almost unable to shut the door and turn away from her direction I find myself with perpetual night time butterfly's remembering in that ritualistic moment that by some miracle I am Mother to a Daughter.

OUR VERY SPECIAL bed time poem dedicated from me to her..

A Child's Thought of God

They say that God lives very high!
But if you look above the pines
You cannot see our God. And why?

And if you dig down in the mines
You never see Him in the gold,
Though from him all that's glory
shines.

God is so good, He wears a fold
Of heaven and earth across His
face-

Like secrets kept, for love untold.

But still I feel that His embrace
Slides down by thrills, through all
things made,
Through sight and sound of every
place:

As if my tender mother laid
On my shut lids, her kisses'
pressure,

Half-waking me at night and said,
"who kissed you through the dark,
dear guesser?"

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

INTELLIGENT DETACHMENT

I HAVE BEEN reading 'Eat, Pray, Love' lately and I just cant send enough thank yous out into the universe to Elizabeth Gilbert for publishing her book the year of my divorce. She is brilliant but skips over the use of $1,000,000 words (you know the kind of book that makes you keep a dictionary next to you). As impressive as that is, it is just trying to hard sometimes. This book is insanely entertaining, honest and rather insightful.

On page 173 is a passage that leaped off of the page and slapped me in the face. Leaving behind so many people, things, and places this year, and only keeping around a select few without feeling an ounce of loss or grief for (not all) those tossed relationships. I could understand my own feelings for the need to incorporate this practice into my life, but trying to explain those feelings to others was impossible for me...until now.

"Still, I can see where cultivating a measure of intelligent detachment in your life can be a valuable instrument of peace." "I got to thinking about how much time I spend in my life crashing around like a great gasping fish, either squirming away from some uncomfortable distress or flopping hungrily toward ever more pleasure. And I wonder whether it might serve me (and those who are burdened with the task of loving me) if I could learn to stay still and endure a bit more without always getting dragged along on the potholed road of circumstance."

Now it seems so easy to explain...it is when the need for Peace trumps all.

NAME {?} {!} {.}

WEDNESDAY EVENING I took Shelby down to PetSmart to pick out a fish. She liked the orange goldfish but I liked the bubble free maintenance of a beta, so I convinced her that the bright red beta was SOOOOOO cool! She discussed the matter with Milhouse then collectively they agreed.


After we got home I asked Shelby what she would like to name her new fish(promising myself to accept whatever she would like, I prayed to avoid such names as Nemo and Bubbles) she simply replied..."Name". Granted it was more of a.."name?" emphasis on the question mark or, "name!, because Mom I just repeat everything you say".

Personally, I love it! Shelby has her first fish and his name is....Name!

HONKY TONK BADONKADONK

4TH OF JULY in Prescott!

Dave...mounted!



Sarah, the snails advocate!

TOYOTA!


I realize how unoriginal this is but you cant visit Prescott without photographing the court house.

Just a couple of all American boys.


Fireworks at Embry-Riddle, Bens Alma Matre.

Anthony . Brandon . Me . Ben . Emily . Dave . Daisy


The tightest wranglers in the west! Dance ready Brandon and Ben.

PARADE

Kinda sad..


26TH ANNUAL BOOT RACE

The planets most annoying announcers! We get it - Ariat boots rock, your obsessed with beer and women are complete idiots! Gentlemen..."there's your sign"!

Ben came in second! We are so proud!


Lunch at The Palace, this is the ceiling.

"THE" IPOD / POLITICS / TOILETTE PAPER CREEK / TARP SURFING / CAR CIRCLES / 2 STEPPING...CAN YOU CALL IT THAT? / MAN MULLET, WOMAN? MULLET / VERY GRACEFUL DOGS-A.K.A. DEER / PUNCH THE DOGMAN FOR $50 / SSSHHHH, QUIET! HAVE A PIECE OF CAKE.

"GIRLS HAVE MUSTACHES TOO YA KNOW"

FRIDAY NIGHT A couple of my friends and I went camping out at Bartlett Lake. I sit down to blog this but cannot begin to know where to start. It was one of those trips that "you just have to be there"...but ill do my best!
SORT OF A last minute invite from a friend of my friends, we left around 7 Friday night and got to Bartlett just in time to watch Jaws projected onto a sheet on the shore with the other groups. After the classic production intended to scare us, we decided to go swimming..go figure. But back it up..this request came from Brandon! Brandon is not what one would necessarily call a camper, in fact he genuinely dislikes it. So with Brandon in rare form Dave and I quickly agreed.


I believe this was the only moment in the last 7 years that I was grateful for the 115 degree weather that had so brilliantly warmed the lake. Followed by a dozen others we got to talking about the last time we went swimming in a lake at night. Since high school! That is way too long. This discussion led to another coveted high school era "activity", Truth or Dare! skipping right over the details we got out an hour or so later, dried off and played some poker before turning in and talking/cracking up until 3 something in the morning. But not before one more solicitation from Brandon offering a bit of his pot pie...8 hour old CHICKEN pot pie. We declined and threatened Brandon with warnings of what a chicken pot pie might do to a person after 8 hours in an Arizona desert.


The next day

TAKING PICTURES THROUGH a floaty raft thing???

FOOTBALL

VOLLEYBALL

CHILLIN IN THE car playing with the camera waiting for Gina to get in. Happily filthy dirty, tired, and ready to go home.

BENBLUBALLS . MANGO STRAWBERRY FRUTISTAS . POT PIE . TRAUMATIC BONDING . DAVE SHARK . PARTY CRASHING . DEBBIE DOWNER . BENS SLEEPING BAG PILLOW . GIRLS HAVE MUSTACHES TOO SAYS THE BANK TELLER . SPF 60 . BLUE SHORTS GUY . BLACK SHIRT GUY . RED SHIRT GUY . MARRY DATE DO . DAVE SAUCE . RED CHIP . STEELY DAN . LETS GO TO CALIFORNIA...I AGREE!

THE UPSIDE OF GHETTOVILLE!

THURSDAY NIGHT I came home from a movie (Ironman) I went to with my friends to find a complete flying ant infestation above my apparently very warm and inviting night stand lamp. Stunned, I stood in disbelief wondering what it was I was supposed to do about the situation. WELL...instead of launching out the door and over to my night owl neighbors whimpering theatrical girly sound effects in an attempt to illuminate my helpless despair, I decided to give the ants a grin and asked if they had any last words!
THE UPSIDE OF ghettoville is this - Poor as dirt, not nice sand or moist potting soil, but dry dusty dirt poor, living 20 paces from a halfway house filled with "gentlemen" always happy to be your audience during constant smoke breaks, single parent (I don't mind this), full-time-student(finally)-full-time-job-kill-me-now, THEN come home to flying ant infestations, ... one can still be happy as a clam grinning at each new challenge and calling it a grand new adventure with the potential for growth; and without trying to step over that social boundary set concerning what we should say out loud about ourselves to others...I am proud of myself! I really like who I am and I am grateful for the spine I grew this year and all that I have done with it.

"ITS POTTY TIME" (says the Elmo toilet)

THE PROCESS HAS begun! Shelby decided she wanted to start sitting on the potty every once in awhile. I was tempted to post the picture of her first "poo poo" in the potty, but decided that the others are exposure enough.

NEW YORK BOUND, my modern day baby enjoys working on her laptop while....well, you know!

NOTICE MILHOUSE IN his 'big girl' panties!

HER REWARD..SHELBY loves stickers.

I LOVE IT! Everyday is worth something so far beyond myself.

CANT HELP IT

I JUST HAVE to post this picture...for obvious reasons.

HER PERSONALITY #2

SHELBY IS CRYING for one reason and one reason only in this picture, and trust me, it is not because she is eating chocolate. In case you couldn't tell...my daughter is a clean freak! She was so upset that she got some chocolate on Milhouse, she was begging me to clean him off; also frustrated that I was laughing at her reasoning for being upset, AND maybe a little because I was taking pictures of her. Shelby always runs and grabs the hand towel off of the oven handle when either she or I spills and makes "a mess". I wish I could take credit for this behavior.

ALL DRESSED UP

MY SWEET BEAUTIFUL girl got all dressed up May 31st for her aunt Noelle's wedding reception. Josh and I could hardly believe how cute she was running around the shin dig. I never could have guessed the capacity I had for adoring someone so much.

MY ENDLESS SEARCH

I HAVE, FOR what feels like my entire lifetime been searching for the perfect combination of scents between laundry detergent and dryer sheet. Now this may seem fairly simple to find, BUT it is not; am I right ladies(and maybe gentlemen..id like to know who)? This preoccupation has driven me half crazy in the laundry isle at the store - standing for hours(according to Shelby) unscrewing lids and smelling until I can smell no longer. Lets break it down! Stores, who has the best selection? Products, so many and do we stay green and go with less "chemically" ones or do we stick with less expensive SUPER awesome smelling ones? After that has been decided which one will be chosen out of a mile long wall of options boasting 'fresh meadow', 'clean rain', 'citrus scentsation', and 'lovely lavender'. Say you find one you like. Now the battle of dryer sheet -vs- fabric softener. I am pretty sure, only pretty sure I am a dryer sheet person. So the same problems arise between stores, products, and scents. Say you once again find one you "think" you like the best. Next is the compatibility; do they smell well together? Who knows, standing there in the store!UHHH! Another obvious component (taking it a step farther) is the body chemistry factor; how does your shirt smell once you have worn it a few hours. Do you contribute to the smell or collide creating the "weird smell"?
Those who have labored this decision, please tell me your combo. I would love to know! I have a feeling Moriah might have some insight, my little sock ironing friend!
So far this is my choice-

SHELBYS DAY

BECAUSE OF A very busy week(maybe even month), I feel like i didn't spend much quality time with Shelby, so to make it up to her(and to pacify my own guilt)I put aside and dubbed today-Shelbys Day! This morning we ran to the store and bought blueberry muffins for breakfast came home and watched cartoons together while eating on my bed.

After that I let her water the plants with her 'turtle' cup(got it for her in Hawaii)full of water, needless to say I was on my hands and knees mopping up the spilt mixture of H2O and potting soil just grateful for my daughter. Next on the list was Blog stalking for a good playlist; Jesica Williams won, she always has great jams goin! Volume on high we danced our booty's and my blueberry muffin off! One last activity before nap time..Shelby toned it down and decided she wanted to draw....on me! It being Shelbys day, I of course obliged but 'drew' the line when she headed for my face. Now that I think about it though, I should have just offered it up as her canvas to see how it would have turned out; my curiosity usually wins out...hasn't always served me well! This is her art on my arm, immediately following the final touches Shelby politely added "Thank you, mama"!

So now it is only noon, I don't know what the rest of the day holds but Shelby will inevitably let me know. A promise of baking "coco" I will probably make good on.

SIMPLE THINGS

I WISH I would have gotten a before shot of this planter in front of my house. It was filled with rocks, trash and even worse....cat poop! Shelby and I took a trip to Lowe's and this is what we came up with..



STRAWBERRIES, SAGE HYBRIDS and CHERRY TOMATOES
I'm not much of a flower planting kind of gal, it makes more sense to me to plant useful things like herbs and vegetables. Pretty ones! What a difference replacing cat poop can make!

DIAMONDBACKS -VS- TIGERS

I WENT TO a Diamondbacks game Friday night with my friend Paul. It was a good game and a great time with him and his friends. Paul and I used to ride the bus to Show Low together during my 6th, 7th, and 8th grade year before I moved to Snowflake. The Diamondbacks won that night 4 to 3, much to Paul's dismay. But the die hard Tigers fan gained his dignity back the next night with a 3 to 2 win - Detroit.

ALOHA, SHELBY!

SWEET LITTLE MISS goin to aunt Noelle's Luau(I know, I know, dang pacifier).

AND EARLIER THAT day.