Happy Easter

Happy Easter from Aven! She didn't understand the whole egg dying thing, but she did try to eat the eggs with their shells on and she only dropped one on the floor. Happy spring to all (even though it's currently snowing).

Buyer Beware

Our house is officially up for sale. You can see the listing here: http://www.utahrealestate.com/951682. We have had a few showings and are receiving positive feedback from agents so far- good news.

Last weekend Ian and I started searching for our next home. We are looking for something larger with a larger yard and ideally in the same area we are in now. On Saturday our real estate agent took us out and showed us 8 homes that we were interested in. We learned very quickly that you can't judge a house by it's listing. Real estate agents are expert spin doctors. They can make an ugly kitchen appear charming and can construct a "truthful" sentence about the deplorable condition the bathroom is in that leaves you unaware that an outhouse would be preferable to the indoor facilities.

Here are a few red flags that we have picked up on:

• "Needs a little TLC, but great potential" Translation: I hope you have somewhere else to stay while you work day and night to make this house livable.
• "Kitchen updated in the 80's" Translation: The only remodeling worth mentioning happened over 20 years ago.
• "Great as an investment" Translation: This house is one broken pipe from being condemned. Good luck. If you survive the remodel you might be able to break even by re-selling it.
• "Occupy existing structure or build new" Translation: "Structure" can mean so many things, why do you judge?

This is a stressful but fun and meaningful time in our lives. Wish us luck as we sell our house and search for our next dream home.

Morning Hysteria

Attempting to eat breakfast while simultaneously keeping Aven's hands out of my cereal bowl and trying to entertain her.

Some mornings are easier than others. The ones I prefer go like this: I wake up at 5:20, get ready, and eat breakfast all while Aven stays in dreamland. I wake Aven up around 6:15, dress her, and nurse her and then head off to daycare/ work.

Mornings that don't go so smoothly start with Aven waking up wanting to nurse at 5 a.m. and then not going back to sleep (isn't it time to play, Mom?). Everything usually goes okay until Ian leaves for work at 6:10 (forty minutes before I leave). Forty minutes can be a long and difficult journey with a baby who woke up too early and is growing fussier by the minute. She doesn't want to play in her jumper, eat a cookie, or be put on the floor with toys so I am forced to improvise. While I try to get a few bites of breakfast I set her on the table and put on i-tunes visualizer which captivates her for about 2 minutes before she starts complaining again. I put on her favorite song (Viva La Gloria by Green Day) and sing along while I try to get my lunch packed, shoes on, and all the stuff I take with me every day ready to go. And trust me when I say that I get everything ready, that I possibly can, before going to bed each night. It often feels like I am doing some sort of hysterical, ridiculous dance (similar to the one Elaine did on Seinfeld) that I just can't quite get control of.

I understand that millions of people go through something similar every day, but it is definitely not for the faint of heart. I maintain that being a mother is an extreme sport.

Spring

I found this picture that I took at Red Butte Garden last year and I decided that I am ready for spring. Bring on the warm weather and longer days- I think I can handle it.

Big Decision Time

This April will mark the 5th year of owning our home. Back in 2005 we said that we would only be living here 3 years max and then upgrade to something bigger. We kept putting it off of course until suddenly we had another little human living in the house. She's just starting to get more mobile and we know that our little house just isn't going to do us for much longer. With that in mind we met with a Realtor today to discuss what we should do if we plan on selling. It's a big step deciding to sell a house. I've put my blood sweat and even some tears into this house. Making it nice and cozy inside. Part of me dreads the unknown home improvements I'll have to make on a new house. Especially since we really like living in one of the older parts of town. But another part of me looks forward to a new home with a larger yard for Aven and Grace to play in.

The biggest issue right now is that apparently March and April are the best times to list a house and as it's currently March 1st, we need to decide soon if we are going to do it. I really don't like rushing into big decisions. Even if spontaneous decision usually work out for me, it's still scary to do this quickly.

So what do you all think? Should we go for it? Is it a good time to sell? And who want's to help us move if we do? I promise pizza a beer for all. :)

What Can We Do To Make Your Stay More Comfortable?

Today the students at my school filled out an anonymous survey about how they feel about different aspects of the school, their teachers, and their education. It was a multiple choice style survey with a couple questions at the end that had a place to write in an answer.

I enjoyed glancing at their written-in answers to the question:


What do you wish were different about your school?

About half the kids wished for air conditioning. I can't blame them, I wish for it every year too.

Here are my favorite answers:

I wish there was less work and I didn't get in trouble as much (The second half of that sounds like a personal problem)

I wish I didn't get lunch detention because I cut in line at lunch (Again with the personal problems . . .)

I wish the people in it were different (I'm sorry we don't live up to your standards)

I wish the food was better- throw it away after a week (Do they think there are leftovers after feeding almost 1,000 people a day?)

How could you not love these kids? Or is the question: how COULD you love these kids?

Back in the Saddle

After a 3 year hiatus from skiing due at first to sore knees and then to pregnancy I decided to give it another go. Ian and I went skiing at Brighton on Valentines Day. We met up with some friends about halfway through the morning and had a blast. The mountain welcomed us with great snow and a beautiful sunny day- it's good to be back.

At the top of Great Western

Ian right before heading down a slope too steep for me- he's way more adventurous (i.e. reckless) than I am.

An absolutely beautiful view of Heber Valley from the top of Snake Creek. I love the low hanging clouds.

Aven Makes a Finnish Friend

L-R: Missy, Addie, Lisa, Lauren, me, Aven

Last night I got the opportunity to go out to dinner with Missy, a friend and former co-worker with whom I shared my first three years of teaching art. We were joined by fellow fine arts friends Lauren and Lisa and by our beautiful babies.

Missy moved to Finland almost 2 years ago so that her husband could attend graduate school and is in town visiting family and friends. We have kept in touch and I often miss sharing the visual arts program at my school with someone so hardworking and dedicated. I don't know that I've ever gelled better with a co-worker.

It was really great to be able to meet her baby, Adelaide, who is about 3 1/2 months younger than Aven and has the cutest chubby cheeks I have ever seen. Since she was born in Finland she gets the benefit of dual citizenship- how cool is that?

Thanks for carving out some time to spend with us Missy! Maybe next time our cute babies will be old enough to play together. Good luck on the 25 hour return trip- you are much braver than I!

Aven's First Art Opening

We recently had the opportunity to attend the opening of Jamie Wyeth's "Seven Deadly Sins" at the Salt Lake Art Center. The Brandywine River Museum describes this series as "a major exhibition of new works inspired by a traditional concept of human transgressions. With characteristic imagination, Wyeth has depicted the Seven Deadly Sins in a series of paintings with raucous, scavenging seabirds as emblems of human failings." I loved the concept and thought the paintings were beautifully done.

This picture of Jamie Wyeth standing amid his exhibition at the Salt Lake Art Center was published in the Deseret News. I read an article about Jamie Wyeth in an art magazine about 10 years ago and was really intrigued by his method of really getting to know his subject and completing many studies before beginning a final work. When he was commissioned to paint a portrait of JFK after his death he watched hundreds of hours of video, interviewed his closest friends and family, and did drawing after drawing of his brothers in order to get to know JFK good enough to be able to paint a portrait he felt represented his subject. After researching Jamie Wyeth I learned about his father, Andrew Wyeth, who was a famous American painter, and his grandfather, N.C. Wyeth, a famous illustrator. I have been a fan of this family of artists ever since.

Aven and I standing in front of "Inferno", the painting that first inspired the "Seven Deadly Sins" series.

Listening to the artist speak. Aven was a great little audience member, even though it was past her bedtime.

It was very cool seeing the artist in person. he had great stories and was very funny.

Visitor's from the far east.

My best friend Trevor and his new wife Dilyafruz (Dee) recently stopped by for a visit, which is kinda a big deal since they live in southern China. Trevor moved there a few years ago to teach English and met Dee, a native of Uzbekistan, while there. They got married just last summer on an island in the south China sea. This is the first time I have met Dee and it was great to finally meet her. She had some trouble getting a travel visa for the states; they thought she was going to try and stay in the country for some reason. They flew over for a month long visit although they only stayed with us in for a couple nights. They are off visiting Trevor's dad in Montana right now and we will see them again for a couple nights before they fly back to China. Last time Trevor was in the states for a visit I didn't take any photos, so I'm glad I remembered to pull out the camera this time.

Trevor and Dee in front of the Temple. Dee really wanted to see Temple square since it's famous and all. Although we did get accosted every time we lingered in one place for too long. I was also told that the end of the world is nigh and I better repent and get back into the church before it was too late, Cara was told she better join so she can save my soul or something like that.

Dee loved our little Aven.

Here's all of us on our front porch dead flowers and snow shovel included at no extra charge. :)