tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79893399203082081032024-02-18T21:39:11.482-07:00l i f e i n s p i r e dOlyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16884159733464095905noreply@blogger.comBlogger187125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989339920308208103.post-76918623207268462912012-09-06T16:32:00.000-06:002012-09-06T16:59:56.010-06:00Change is in the airI love how busy-in-a-good-way this past month has been for us. So much to do, to see, to soak in... As soon as temperatures drop just a few degrees, and I can sense the sun shining just a little different, the instinct of enjoying warm days and good weather kicks in, and I can't help but want to spend more time outside, pack as much living into these days as possible. <br />
<font size="1"><i>(photos were taken either with iPhone or my manual-focus-only D200. I'm loving unintentional blur of some photos, and find myself doing it on purpose occasionally)</i></font><br />
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<i>Inspiration from friend's garden...</i><br />
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<i>Labor Day weekend. Sheepdog competition. We had a blast...</i><br />
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<i>Visiting family at the farm. Moody skies. Smell of hay...</i><br />
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<i>After a looooong break, knitting again, gifts (this one is for my mom) and such...</i><br />
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<i>Hiking again. This time we reached the lake! But on a different hike, <a href="http://www.outdoor.com/activities/backpacking/utah-brighton-lakes-trail/">Twin Lakes Reservoir</a>...</i><br />
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<i>Drawn to simple comfort foods at the first hint of autumn. It really is in the air...</i><br />
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Olyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16884159733464095905noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989339920308208103.post-57024243550706275532012-09-04T19:31:00.002-06:002012-09-04T19:31:59.690-06:00Hiking in the rain<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/7931268706/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8300/7931268706_268487c905_z.jpg" width="640" height="428" alt="Untitled"></a><br />
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We did it again, braved beautiful rocky <a href="http://www.summitpost.org/mill-b-south-lake-blanche/408237">Mill B South trail</a>, in the rain. Almost every time we hit this particular trail, it rains on us. I can't complain, I love rain. And rain on this hike is quite a treat, the colors of leaves get so brilliant.<br />
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Kids weren't too thrilled with rain at first (I guess bringing rain jackets would've helped), but after a while they perked up and took off. Ivy was quite a hiker too, wanted to do it on her own terms, no hand holding, climbing on every rock (did I mention that the trail was *rocky*?), touching them with her 'hiking' stick, and yelling 'a bug! a bug!' every time she saw an ant. Needless to say, we didn't get to reach Lake Blanche as we hoped to, but we had good time nonetheless. We will most certainly get back on that trail again, and some day, hopefully in not-so-distant future, we'll reach the elusive lake.<br />
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Olyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16884159733464095905noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989339920308208103.post-52137691829349125562012-08-30T15:59:00.000-06:002012-09-04T16:04:32.361-06:00Family vacation [success]<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/7931263048/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8453/7931263048_c1aa6f2f7e_z.jpg" width="640" height="428" alt="Untitled"></a><br />
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Our long anticipated (and feared) family vacation came and went, and I am happy to say that we are left with many wonderful memories this time (last year's vacation was quite a disaster that I tried to suppress in my memory for months after we got home, maybe it's time to look at some pictures I took back then). Unintentionally, our 'theme' turned out to be all about visiting beaches, and it ended up being just right for everyone. Refreshing and calming for Mark and I, fun (i.e. wet) for the kids. We brought swim suits for them, but every time we went to visit a beach, we though it was too chilly to wear them. And yet, in the end, at least half of the kids would end up being completely soaked, purple lipped, shivering, yet looking forward to repeat the experience again. So we just made sure that we always had a set of towels and dry clothes for all the children, and accepted the fact that our car would be full of sand for the duration of our trip.<br />
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This was our third trip to North West, and even last year, when we encountered so much stress and trouble during our vacation, I still carried with me the lasting impression of the beauty that we witnessed in the NW. I love going back there, and hope that some day we will live close enough to that area that our traveling will only take a couple of hours instead of a couple of days. Until then, I'm going to hold tight to my memories of all the wonderful adventures we had together as a family.<br />
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Olyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16884159733464095905noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989339920308208103.post-75321534786306790042012-08-28T06:48:00.001-06:002012-08-28T06:53:10.138-06:00Having funAugust has been busy for us, in a good way, just as it should be. I'd love to write in greater detail about our wonderful vacation and other experiences we had together as a family, but I'll save it for another night, the draft for that post was getting too long and I knew it deserved a place of its own. <br />
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To sum it up, we had a blast. <br />
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Seeing and exploring beautiful North West...<br />
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spending lots and lots of time by the ocean...<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/7827180438/" title="Beach hut construction workers. by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8443/7827180438_c47b13f74d_o.jpg" width="610" height="610" alt="Beach hut construction workers."></a><br />
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and in general, having good time as a family...<br />
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And as summer is nearing its end, it's also hard to imagine that the <a href="http://whitebirdbluesky.blogspot.com/2012/03/surprise-surprise.html">Sling Diaries Project</a> is almost over, with participants writing their last posts this month. Make sure to check many other <a href="http://pinterest.com/sakurabloompins/the-sling-diaries-fun/">inspiring entries</a> made by wonderful bloggers over the past 6 months. It's been a wonderful, memorable, <a href="http://whitebirdbluesky.blogspot.com/search/label/sling%20diaries">fun ride</a>! <br />
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Olyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16884159733464095905noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989339920308208103.post-42921127560280719882012-07-30T08:34:00.000-06:002012-08-28T06:49:34.979-06:00{sling diaries} History<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/7676192044/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8423/7676192044_9193401194_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="Untitled"></a><br />
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Lately, more than ever, I've been feeling the need to reconnect with my own heritage, as well as preserve it for our children and generations to come. I was young when Mark and I got married (and now I'm so old!), and I spent a long time trying to adapt and get used to a new culture after moving to the US. Now, years later, after finally getting myself rooted in this no-longer-new life, I'm beginning to realize that I've been quite out of touch with my original roots, with the rich culture I was raised in. And I miss it now, more and more each day. I long to go back home and visit places that I took for granted in my youth, places where life stood still, where some of 'endangered' 100-years-old traditions and ways of life were still the norm. I don't know when we'll be able to go back there as a whole family. But until then, we will continue sharing stories, memories, art and any knowledge that will help our children develop a connection to the history that they are tied to. <br />
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Last week we celebrated Pioneer Day here in Utah, and it seemed like a perfect opportunity to remind our children some of the history, both local and personal. We attended local celebrations, made simple family tree charts which encouraged us to pull out some old photos (Mark's really good at things like that), visited <a href="http://www.thisistheplace.org/index.shtml#.UBaOUnDqtFQ">This Is the Place Heritage Park</a>, watched Native American dances. Our children may not understand the significance of such activities at this age, but I hope that as they grow and as we continue to make efforts to stay in touch with our past, they will build respect for those who came before them and made their life possible in one way or the other.<br />
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<i>(she nose planted just minutes before this picture)</i><br />
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p.s. Don't know what I'd do without having my phone to take pictures with. Meanwhile I'm trying to get a hang of another D200 that I got for free because it doesn't autofocus, but still works pretty well for some shots on manual focus. It's a challenge, but I'll admit, it's kind of fun, and I'm rediscovering my love for unintentional blur.<br />
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Olyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16884159733464095905noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989339920308208103.post-36280434471667528892012-07-10T06:56:00.000-06:002012-08-28T06:49:46.980-06:00{sling diaries} Communication<a href="http://distilleryimage0.s3.amazonaws.com/f1b33b969dfd11e180d51231380fcd7e_7.jpg"><img border="0" height="318" width="318" src="http://distilleryimage0.s3.amazonaws.com/f1b33b969dfd11e180d51231380fcd7e_7.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://distilleryimage0.s3.amazonaws.com/3195da52a3b711e180c9123138016265_7.jpg"><img border="0" height="318" width="318" src="http://distilleryimage0.s3.amazonaws.com/3195da52a3b711e180c9123138016265_7.jpg" /></a><br />
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My baby girl is growing up. Less baby, more girl. Of course, in my eyes she is still a small being that needs plenty of love and closeness. And most of time she really does, but on her own terms. She wants me to be with her when she can't sleep at night, she holds on to me when she thinks I'm going somewhere without her, she calls for me when she is upset, or bored, or tired, or... you name it. Yet, I can tell that in her eyes she sees herself as big as her two years of life allow her to. And when life doesn't sit still, neither does she. <br />
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These days she would rather run as fast as her little legs can carry her, doing face plants and nose dives from time to time. Her knees can prove that. But sit still? Let someone else carry her when she can be in the middle of all the action? No, thank you. She says that loud and clear. I don't call it being 'uncooperative', I call it communication.<br />
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There are no photos of a content baby snuggled in a sling this time, and it's not for the lack of trying. So here's an honest glimpse at this stage in babywearing, when your baby lets you know with all her being that she is capable of moving herself from place to place, that being carried while her older 3 siblings are running and skipping can seem like a torture. She knows that running on her own two feet allows her to control how fast she gets to discover the world around her. I'm ok with it right now. Because I know it will pass, it usually does. And before I know it, she will be 4 years old, still enjoying being held close and carried in a sling...<br />
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p.s. Just as I made peace with Ivy being set on not getting in the sling before this post, she decided to tell me yet again that everything has to be done on her terms. This time holding my grocery bag and wallet to go buy 'bananas!' seemed to be a perfectly reasonable offer in exchange for riding in the sling. But only until we got inside the store, because there are little carts that are just her size. Who would want to miss that?<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/7519822262/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8010/7519822262_bd82a5f6f1_z.jpg" width="310" height="" alt="Untitled"></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/7520140054/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8013/7520140054_834647eaf7_o.jpg" width="318" height="" alt=""></a>Olyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16884159733464095905noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989339920308208103.post-59974687898154940942012-06-20T16:12:00.000-06:002012-07-06T16:20:35.735-06:00Girls camp<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/7446419202/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8027/7446419202_26ea902013_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="Untitled"></a><br />
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I recently got back from girls' camp. I'm not even going to try and recount all the wonderful experiences I had there, such task would require too much uninterrupted time. But I will write down a few random thoughts:<br />
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:: being gone for days for the first time in Ivy's life was... interesting. She didn't wean, and she got really clingy. When she sees me by the mirror getting ready, or putting my shoes on, she gets a bit hysterical. Poor girl...<br />
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:: backpacking night was wonderful. Hike was beautiful, and food from the fire pit was especially good. Bringing my own piece of wild salmon was worth it. My body was not happy with all the beef I was having that week at the camp...<br />
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:: bringing home my lifeless camera *body* was depressing, but at that point I was just happy to be home and with my family again (because I did miss them). It's still dead with no signs of life and who knows when I'll get to replace it. Could be next year. A tip to myself - don't flood my tent next time and don't set the camera down into 1" deep puddle of water. <br />
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:: realizing just how terrified I am of heights all of the sudden was not fun. And no talking to myself could convince me otherwise. I used to be a natural tree climber, up until I started having kids and felt like I needed to keep myself alive for their sake. Hopefully one day I can slowly get myself to the point where I can be comfortable with climbing up to my own height.<br />
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Well, my time is up, kids are making sure to let me know that they can't live without me about every 30 seconds... <br />
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<a href="http://distilleryimage5.s3.amazonaws.com/7a8d2de0b80d11e1aebc1231381b647a_7.jpg"><img border="0" height="318" width="318" src="http://distilleryimage5.s3.amazonaws.com/7a8d2de0b80d11e1aebc1231381b647a_7.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://distilleryimage0.s3.amazonaws.com/441c3e58b70f11e180c9123138016265_7.jpg"><img border="0" height="318" width="318" src="http://distilleryimage0.s3.amazonaws.com/441c3e58b70f11e180c9123138016265_7.jpg" /></a><br />Olyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16884159733464095905noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989339920308208103.post-6872663584486988902012-06-04T17:31:00.000-06:002012-06-04T20:54:27.976-06:00Celebrating {part 1}<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/7293882692/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7223/7293882692_fc05b5b532_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="Untitled"></a><br />
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She is two now. For the first time since becoming parents we have a 2 year old and no new babies in sight, so we can fully appreciate and notice this age. She is a handful, always wanting to do everything herself, and I mean EVERYTHING. She is quite independent, that one. Which often results in tears. Either our tears of joy and frustration, or hers, because she can't manage to do her own carseat buckles, and we are not willing to wait for another 10 minutes in a hot car. She's also our earliest child to potty learn. Comes with being independent, I guess. Oh, and having 3 older siblings definitely shows. She can stand up for herself and knows how to get what she wants. She loves books, just like her sisters and brother, and often brings the same 10-book stack to you whenever you try to sit down on the couch and relax. She is fun, charming, bossy, rough, bunny-loving 2 year old now. And Joy is her middle name. <br />
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(our last minute unofficial birthday celebration at the park. Ivy is a total puppy-hog)<br />
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<object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640" height="480" data="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=109786" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000"> <param name="flashvars" value="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=6d5af6c29a&photo_id=7154488831"></param><param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=109786"></param><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=109786" bgcolor="#000000" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=6d5af6c29a&photo_id=7154488831" height="480" width="640"></embed></object><br />Olyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16884159733464095905noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989339920308208103.post-66868759798073391262012-05-25T03:21:00.000-06:002012-05-25T03:35:51.572-06:00Not your typical Mother's Day postMother's Day... Sorry to go all bah-humbug on it, but for some reason I just don't get all that excited about this holiday. I much prefer Women's Day (March 8th) that I grew up celebrating. Mother's Day makes me feel the sadness of all the women who are not mothers but would love to be. I know at church people try their best to phrase things in the way that would help everyone feel included. But what about the rest of the day? Or the weeks before when you see the reminders of the upcoming celebration of mothers everywhere? Don't get me wrong, I think motherhood deserves celebrating, just not by the calendar, not publicly and not commercially. And then there's that enticing hope (maybe it's just me?) that the day should be nearly perfect (or at least much better than any other day day), with children magically transforming overnight into well-behaved offsprings. Well, don't know about others, but the day feels just like any other day to me, complete with fighting, whining, refusing to help, etc. So raising my expectations about the day being special and magical only makes things harder. As depressing as it may sound, it makes my life easier when I remember to lower my expectations and brace myself for the usual roller-coaster ride. <br />
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To add to my un-excitement about this holiday, during the first couple of weeks in May I came across a few articles published just in time to heat things up for Mother's Day. Both were geared towards raising a debate over who is better and what kind of mothering is right. And I couldn't help but think, why is everything supposed to be a competiotion? Why does it have to be about who is the smartest, the most loving, the most experienced, etc.? Why can't we just do our best without looking down on those who are not like us? After all, aren't we all unique individuals with unique sets of experiences that shape our lives and influence our choices? I know media is partly to blame for pitting women against each other, making moms (and women in general) argue about which parenting/life style will do most good in our society. Throw in a variety of other issues, mostly aimed at women, and it seems like we are all about competing these days. People get so stuck on proving their point, that they don't stop to think that most of us do our best based on our knowledge, intuition, past experiences and present circumstances. And guess what? It's a learning process for ALL of us. I doubt there is a single person out there who never wished they could go back in time and do certain things differently. That doesn't make us incapable or incompetent. Quite the opposite, it shows that we've learned something and are not afraid to admit that learning comes with mistakes. So why not just accept that we do our best, then shake hands, live and let live? <br />
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There, I've said my peace. Now off to the fun part. Our Mother's Day evening was spent with friends, enjoying delicious food and a beautiful walk. Also, it may not sound that enjoyable to us, adults, but kids had a blast playing a cold stream, even if it meant wearing wet clothes for the rest of our walk. They couldn't stop talking about what a fun experience it was for them. I guess we should go there more often!<br />
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<br />Olyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16884159733464095905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989339920308208103.post-38433863050072927162012-05-21T05:27:00.001-06:002012-07-07T06:57:11.756-06:00{sling diaries} ExplorationWe did our share of exploring the world around us this weekend:<br />
<a href="http://livingtraditionsfestival.com/">Living Traditions Festival</a><br />
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Watching solar eclipse at the <a href="http://www.utah.com/mormon/ensign_peak.htm">Ensign Peak</a> <br />
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<br />Olyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16884159733464095905noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989339920308208103.post-23759025627886526592012-05-06T22:45:00.000-06:002012-05-06T22:45:39.468-06:00Saturday afternoon pops<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/7151219373/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8168/7151219373_7ab918d1f6_z.jpg" width="640" height="428" alt="Untitled"></a><br />
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My friend <a href="http://www.progressivepioneer.com/progressive-pioneer/">Amy</a> invited us over to taste/test some of the popsicles she made from new recipes. Kids couldn't be more thrilled. Rocket-shaped popsicles on a sunny afternoon, who wouldn't want that? I picked out green smoothie/chia one (or frog eggs, as Amy called it), but wouldn't have minded to have one of each (esp. balsamic vinegar one, such unexpected combination with pretty remarkable flavor). Anya ended up with blueberry popsicle. <i>Blueberry. Popsicle.</i> Yep, she looked like she needed to be hosed off outside before letting her into the house. Amy's porch will bear witness of our popsicle-tasting event for quite some time...Olyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16884159733464095905noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989339920308208103.post-15753283563201733792012-04-30T06:22:00.000-06:002012-05-01T13:27:43.118-06:00life{style}Ever since we were newlyweds, we enjoyed <a href="http://whitebirdbluesky.blogspot.com/search/label/hiking">hiking</a>. Adding each new child into the mix added new challenges, but we kept doing it, hiking with babies, toddlers, babies and toddlers and me pregnant. It became the *thing* we do as a family, go on hikes. It became part of our lifestyle, if you wish. It certainly takes work, and there are always all kinds of obstacles to keep us home. But we know once we get out on the trail, none of that will matter, kids will forget all of their complains (as long as we keep a good supply of water and snacks, and bring our carriers to let the youngest ones take turns riding in them), and we won't notice how those 2-3 hours on the trail will go by. <br />
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So there we were, hiking the Delicate Arch trail...<br />
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On Friday we decided to take off and go visit Arches National Park. Last time we went there, it was almost exactly 5 years ago. Things were so different back then. For once, we had only 2 kids to chase after, one of them wasn't even walking yet. We decided we'd waited long enough and it was time to pay those red rocks another visit. To make the story short (because I do need to get some sleep tonight, and because I have too many photos anyway, so another post will be coming shortly), the trip was quite unforgettable, including the scenic, albeit not visible in the dark, detour on our way back (because 4 hour drive wasn't long enough for adventurous folks like us!).<br />
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We made a half-way stop at the Dinosaur Museum. Apparently, aside from all the cool dinosaur bones, it has pretty fun stuffed puppet dinosaurs that even adults can't resist. Also, we found out that no matter how impressive those dinosaur bones are, our kids are more interested in the living things, like alligators and turtles.<br />
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The weather was perfect down at the Arches. Breezy 70s, bright blue sky and lovely sunshine. And we were pleasantly surprised to find out that it was National Parks week so the admission to the park was free. We didn't tell the kids where we were headed until we were all in the car and leaving Salt Lake City. Those guys... You tell them about something exciting coming up in a week, or a few days, or even a few hours and they will be dying of boredom until the event actually happens, because all of the sudden everything else looses its appeal and becomes un-fun. Their brain tunes everything around them out, and all they can see, think and breathe is the *event* that they have to wait for. So yeah, we didn't tell them, which saved us a lot of whining and meltdowns :) We also decided early on, that since they weren't involved in the decision making, and it was Mark's and mine idea in which kids had no say, we'd go out of our way to be patient and understanding with them during the trip. This resolution came in handy a few occasions, like when we entered the Arches National Park and Elijah realized that it wasn't going to be a park with a playground, so he spend some time complaining that he didn't want to go see the 'big old boring rocks'. Once the initial disappointment wore off for him, he enjoyed hiking and exploring as much as anyone else did. Now when he sees the photos of those 'boring' rocks, he exclaims with excitement 'look, mama, it's the Balanced Rock! I loved being there!'<br />
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We have our quiet moments around here. They don't last, and quickly turn into distant memories. But when they happen, those moments make the time stand still, and for a short while I can inhale life around me...Olyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16884159733464095905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989339920308208103.post-49133858148126164552012-04-23T03:50:00.000-06:002012-04-23T04:05:01.525-06:00In a nutshell<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/7105559237/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8162/7105559237_5011cb4a9f_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt="Untitled"></a><br />
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We've been busy here...<br />
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Easter x 2<br />
another birthday<br />
solo-ish parenting for a few days<br />
flu<br />
dusting of my sewing machine... <br />
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That pretty much sums up my last couple of weeks.<br />
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<i>p.s. these shirts traveled a great distance to get here just in time for Easter #2.</i>Olyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16884159733464095905noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989339920308208103.post-24063183420438803622012-04-11T15:41:00.003-06:002012-04-11T16:20:26.143-06:00Light<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6920931578/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5341/6920931578_bdf1de9226_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt="Untitled"></a><br /><br />Ever since we moved into this house over a year ago, I fell in love with the show of light that happens in our living room during the golden hour. Because of how the light hits our house, it creates the most interesting and intricate patterns on our walls, and the room gets filled with golden glow. It's hard to tell from the pictures, but those light patterns are actually in rainbow colors. How amazing is that? <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6920931468/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5470/6920931468_89fa1d476f_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt="Untitled"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/7067010879/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7101/7067010879_663f54533b_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt="Untitled"></a> <br /><span style="font-style:italic;font-size:8pt">(I know our windows could use good washing, but March and April are pretty windy months here, so window washing will have to wait)</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/7069002233/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5235/7069002233_6be50bd7a8_z.jpg" width="636" height="317" alt="Untitled"></a>Olyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16884159733464095905noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989339920308208103.post-47079218860166150302012-04-09T05:22:00.008-06:002012-08-28T06:52:04.192-06:00Full of love<span style="font-style:italic;">{<a href="http://whitebirdbluesky.blogspot.com/2012/03/surprise-surprise.html">Sling Diaries</a>: LOVE}</span><br />
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April is a busy month around here, as we celebrate 3 birthdays that are each one week apart. Anya's birthday fell on Easter this year. We decided to celebrate it by doing the things we love to do, enjoying each other's company (small fights don't count), visiting Mark's parents, savoring our time outside and eating the cake I spent all night baking. It made me happy to see the girls opening their presents with so much excitement (yes, all the girls got their present from grandparents on the same day, to cut down on traveling back and forth). And it made me even happier to see all the kids appreciate and enjoy our late evening walk around the farm. I could tell they were trying to soak in the freedom they all of the sudden had, running wildly (since their mom didn't have to freak out about them getting too close to the street :), exploring gopher holes and just being out in the open, with the view so much different than the city where they live in. Oh, how much I love those walks and hikes outside, away from the busy traffic and dirty air. <br />
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We always bring a carrier or two when we take kids on hikes, so grabbing a sling on the way out was more of a habit for me. Ivy, being her busy almost-2-year-old-and-want-to-run-everywhere self preferred to take a few nose dives and face plants into the dirt, rather than ride in the sling. Anya ended up being the one who wanted a ride, feeling perfectly content with me carrying her all the way back (lucky me I grabbed a very toddler friendly sling). I didn't mind, she's 4 now and there may not be many more of such moments of closeness brought by babywearing left for us. I'm going to enjoy them whenever I can, as long as I can...<br />
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P.S. speaking of her birthday, I watched her birth video again (link on the left). Can't help it, still cry when I see her amazing entrance into the world. She did such a great job of cooperating with me on that day :)Olyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16884159733464095905noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989339920308208103.post-83869193762205885392012-04-02T08:46:00.000-06:002012-04-09T09:18:44.099-06:00Family portraits, the fun way!<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/7060847167/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5119/7060847167_9f943e424e_o.jpg" width="638" height="956" alt="Untitled"></a><br /><br />I'm absolutely in love with these portraits of our family. We haven't had a frame-worthy photo of us taken in years, and I never get around printing the photos I take (pathetic, I know). So to have something so fun and unique painted just for our family feels like Christmas, Mother's Day and birthday all rolled in together. The details in these portraits are amazing, every stroke looks like a piece of art in its own. I love that I can stop by the portraits several times throughout the day, and discover some unique way that a curl or a pair of lips was painted in. Clayton is a truly talented artist with such a distinctive and fun style. He has a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClaytonThompsonIllustration">Facebook page here</a>, and his wife Amy, who's also a dear friend of mine, wrote <a href="http://www.progressivepioneer.com/progressive-pioneer/2012/03/family-portrait.html#more">more about these portraits</a>. Her blog is worth spending a few hours (ok, days) browsing ;)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/7060846705/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7074/7060846705_0a4a6f8392_b.jpg" width="640" height="956" alt="Untitled"></a>Olyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16884159733464095905noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989339920308208103.post-24083131532735524632012-03-19T07:11:00.000-06:002012-04-09T08:05:20.157-06:00Surprise surprise!Not *that* kids of surprise :)<br /><br />When I first heard the mention of the <a href="http://marvelouskiddo.blogspot.com/2012/03/sling-diaries.html">Sling Diaries project</a>, I had no idea what it was going to be like, and didn't even keep my hopes up that I would be one of the participants. To say I was surprised, honored and excited to get an email saying I'd be part of this project is an understatement. Wearing my babies has been one of my favorite things about parenting, so there's no need to twist my arm to make me write about babywearing and how it works for us in our daily life. <br /><br />Take a look at the <a href="http://marvelouskiddo.blogspot.com/2012/03/sling-diaries.html">official introduction</a> to the Sling Diaries project, and make sure to check out other participants' blogs. I can't wait to see lots and lots of photos of sweet babies and toddlers being carried in slings by their mamas!Olyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16884159733464095905noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989339920308208103.post-42781544935144330512012-03-16T04:13:00.000-06:002012-04-30T06:20:13.433-06:00Farm editionIt just doesn't get old, that's all I can say. <br />
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P.S. Yes, I'm all grown on these days, with my own phone finally (after years and years of telling myself I don't need one), and even on Instagram. So now I have a problem, trying to figure out when to use my regular camera and when to use iPhone, especially if I happen to carry them both. <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/7056275387/" title="ig1_s by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7213/7056275387_61af4a3947_z.jpg" width="640" height="640" alt="ig1_s"></a>Olyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16884159733464095905noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989339920308208103.post-61245398100920295212012-02-25T18:01:00.003-07:002012-03-15T22:28:29.395-06:00Almost spring<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6839847296/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7045/6839847296_f138f760ec_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt=""></a><br /><br />Even though we had a pretty weak winter, the temperatures rarely went above 55F. Having a 60F day was a real treat and we did our best to take full advantage of it. <a href="http://www.wheelerfarm.com/">Wheeler Farm</a> seemed like the perfect place to go to, and it didn't disappoint. I am getting pretty excited to have some real warm weather soon, hopefully with more outings and adventures for all of us!<br /><div align="center"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6839843948/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7182/6839843948_24f431b413_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt=""></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6985965163/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7052/6985965163_4d170234d2_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt=""></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6985965665/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7049/6985965665_bc59e4fe74_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt=""></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6985965885/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7046/6985965885_980bc0e185_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt=""></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6985966177/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7053/6985966177_8056f81349_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt=""></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6985966317/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7188/6985966317_dc93b55979_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt=""></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6985966631/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7063/6985966631_cb78ed6e44_z.jpg" width="640" height="428" alt=""></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6839845868/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7210/6839845868_bdb29df45e_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt=""></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6839846270/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7189/6839846270_499fb4345b_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt=""></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6839847070/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7198/6839847070_621ea2c07a_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt=""></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6839846488/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7188/6839846488_bf5714c995_z.jpg" width="427" height="640" alt=""></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6839846904/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7188/6839846904_e1c7124b59_z.jpg" width="428" height="640" alt=""></a></div><br />p.s. almost forgot! I finally got to milk a cow, just for a minute. I vaguely remember visiting my aunts and uncles and trying to milk their cows (I was 7-8 maybe?). I remember it being awfully hard for my inexperienced hands. I was a bit nervous this time, but it turned to be pretty simple, pinch and squeeze :) Mark tried it too, kids wouldn't even get near the cow. Yeah, we'll have to work on that one!<br /><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6839869974/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7193/6839869974_1681139fb9.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt=""></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6839880264/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7050/6839880264_996d4fa6f4_z.jpg" width="478" height="640" alt=""></a></div>Olyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16884159733464095905noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989339920308208103.post-26756972945937501342012-02-20T02:19:00.000-07:002012-03-15T22:27:55.357-06:0020/02/12I often end up with photos that don't really need a story or even captions, so here are a few. Not having to think about writing, and just being able to make a quick post sure feels good :)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6699532521/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7153/6699532521_ea2657aeb9_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt=""></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6699531461/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7162/6699531461_4d52f9266b_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt=""></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6757710529/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6757710529_ffe588eb68_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt=""></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6717503189/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6717503189_dfe771904f_z.jpg" width="427" height="640" alt=""></a>Olyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16884159733464095905noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989339920308208103.post-34071621600124975562012-02-15T16:21:00.001-07:002012-03-15T16:39:21.806-06:00Winter?<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6831535317/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6831535317_dbfa489632_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt=""></a><br /><br />We didn't have much of a winter this year. Just a bit of snow here and there (not counting the mountains), barely enough to break out some snow gear a couple of times and build a scrawny snowman once. This little walk happened on a whim, as the sun was going down. We had to go closer to the mountains to find some snow, but in the end everyone was happy to bundle up a bit for this walk and pretend like we were having a real wintery weather that night :)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6831531605/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6831531605_d6ebbd714d_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt=""></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6831533827/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7168/6831533827_7d952e714f_z.jpg" width="640" height="428" alt=""></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6831535701/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7168/6831535701_c710cde5c7_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt=""></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6831539061/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7005/6831539061_14c37e0107_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt=""></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6831540345/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6831540345_5fa6ebb4ab_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt=""></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6831546855/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6831546855_7407114081_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt=""></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6831542005/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6831542005_0051bde11b_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt=""></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6831544493/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7164/6831544493_302a87a856_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt=""></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6831546027/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7006/6831546027_ffc859a087_z.jpg" width="640" height="427" alt=""></a>Olyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16884159733464095905noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7989339920308208103.post-92015491748987261902012-01-25T14:39:00.000-07:002012-03-15T17:18:47.357-06:00Creating<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6839746056/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7043/6839746056_6f52d01c8a_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt=""></a><br /><br />Little ones have been busy lately. Maya really got into origami and has been creating all kinds of creatures every day. We've been swimming in origami, it's literally everywhere. Most of our Christmas tree was covered with origami creations. I don't mind of course, it's fun to see how quickly those guys can figure out different patterns and even advance onto making up their own, like this gondola made by Maya:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6738888943/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7167/6738888943_0329babe78_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt=""></a><br /><br />Elijah loves using all kinds of his own ideas to create somethings new. I do wish I could still have imagination of a child, being able to experiment freely, unafraid of failing or being criticized...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6738888569/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6738888569_6cab5dc58b_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt=""></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;font-size:9pt">his tree with interlockable tree branches. I'll go ahead and call him a smart kid.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6699529085/" title="Untitled by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7006/6699529085_d838d4a22d_z.jpg" width="640" height="426" alt=""></a><br /><br />We have mountains of papers on our desk, kids' drawings, stories and creations that we keep collecting, hoping that one day they will all be asleep before 10 p.m. so we could sort and scan their artwork. We've done one so far... One is a start, right?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_olya/6985859833/" title="Anya's sunflower by happy_olya, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7176/6985859833_37031db64f_z.jpg" width="466" height="640" alt="Anya's sunflower"></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;font-size:9pt">Anya's first drawing was a sunflower, and she still draws them every day.</span>Olyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16884159733464095905noreply@blogger.com1