Goals, not resolutions

This year I'm calling my plans for this new year goals, not resolutions. Resolutions never last (at least for me), but I have some success in reaching goals. So, that's it. This year's goals are: keep the blog current, read the Book of Mormon daily (personally and with the family), do some sort of physical exercise each weekday, write 500 words a day (personal or academic), and take at least one photo a day. I want to remember these wonderful, crazy, whirlwind days!

So today's photo...

Sweet little girl hands with freshly painted nails. Swoon!

I wonder what else I'll see this year? What are you hoping to accomplish in 2012?

Much Love, J

One year later...

Yikes! A whole year since I've updated this blog?! It doesn't seem possible. 2011 literally flew by! We moved "to town" last December (thus the name change) and have thrown ourselves into life here in Tuscaloosa. The kids started the new/old year at a new school and have thrived. I spent the year teaching Freshmen, bless them, studying, reading, and writing my brains out. K spent his days driving back and forth to work in Birmingham, watching Alabama football, and generally being the most awesome hubs and daddy around! In short, it was a fantastic year of busy-ness and blessings. The Country-turned-City Vaughns are doing alright and looking forward to 2012. The silliness, happiness, and craziness will continue (the yuckiness, tears, and heartaches will too) and maybe this space won't be so neglected this year. 

Much Love, 
J

Field Trips, the Fall Edition

Holdyn took a field trip two weeks ago to the state capital in Montgomery. Since that's K's home turf he and I went, too. We had a nice time touring the state capitol, state house and state archives. Holdyn used my phone and took nearly 100 photos (mostly of nothing). Every once in a while I'd snatch it back to take a snap here and there.

One of mine -- a class photo RES 4th grade

Another of mine -- Holdyn and his buds

One of his -- soldier with gun

Another of his -- a pretty girl

And another of his -- large canon-type gun

As you can see, Holdyn is all boy. Most of his pictures are of guns, soldiers, and girls. Does anything else matter? Seriously though, he loves his Alabama History class and was enthralled for the majority of the trip. He asked all kinds of questions during the tour of the legislative floors of the state building; including, whether or not past legislators could spit hard enough to "ding" the spitoons and why modern legislators didn't use a hologram for days they had to be absent during session.
I'd love to get inside his head for an hour!

Evie and Kallie didn't get a class field trip this semester, so I took them on a girls' day. Mom, Aunt Elizabeth, and cousin Roma came along, too. We went to the mall for a little shopping, lunch, and a carousel ride. Fun!!

Two cuties getting ready to shop, shop, shop!

Sweet Roma decked out as a snow bunny sans snow, of course.

As things get ever hectic and stressful it is my hope that you and your loved ones will take time to remember the birth of Christ, the true reason for this season of celebration. Don't let our fast-paced, commercially driven lifestyles ruin the peace and comfort Christ brings to us all. The best gift love!

Much Love,

J

I'm Baaaack!

Did you miss me? I certainly missed you! I've made it through my first semester as a PhD student/nerd at UA. It was touch and go there for a while, but I did it and I'm so happy!
I'd like to apologize for being out of this space for so long. Believe me, I just couldn't fit one more thing into my life or my brain. So blogging had to fall by the wayside for awhile.
The thing I feel the worst about is not posting our silly, daily life stories. This is our family journal and I regret that there are three whole months missing now. However, now that I reflect those three months held a lot of stress, stomach viruses, strep-throat, and dirty laundry. Not a pretty picture! But seriously, writing in this space helps me look for good moments throughout the day.
There have been lots of those to go with the not-so-good. Dinner with friends, visits with family, wrestling in the living room floor, giggles, gap-toothed smiles, the list is soooo long!

Four-wheel riding with Daddy!

Scaring up fun on Halloween!

And falling asleep exhausted from too much fun!

So, forgive me, my friends, for letting this space go dark for a while. But, please know you have not left my thoughts and prayers. Maybe we can catch up a little over the holidays?!

Much Love,

J

Some days I wonder...

Some days I wonder what's harder, being a kid or being a mom? This week, I'm definitely choosing mom. Although, I'm having a hard time because of the hard time one of my kids is having. Does any of this make sense? Probably not. It barely makes sense to me! Anyway, I found this video clip about motherhood and through my sobs the words of Jeffery R. Holland brought peace to my soul. I wanted to share it with you; maybe it can help you, too.

Much Love,

--J

Phones

I got an iphone this week.  I know, fancy, right!  Anyway, that's not really what this post is about.  While setting up the phone (does anyone else find the process of choosing ringtones annoying?) the kids came in and wanted to hear the ringtone.  I'd chosen the tone called "old phone," it sounds like...duh...an old phone circa 1950-80 ringing.  So I played the ringtone and all 3 kids laughed and said, "What's that supposed to be?"

WHAT?!

That's when I realized they have never heard a phone with a bell ringer!  I shouldn't be surprised because we've not had a "landline" in all the time they can remember.  But still, it's a shock to the system to be reminded of how much things have changed just within my lifetime.  Both sets of my grandparents had those heavy, black rotary dial phones.  In fact, until I was a teenager my Granny had a "party line."  The old lady who shared the line was ALWAYS on the phone!  Could you imagine that today?  It's not like this is ancient history we're talking about; I'm not THAT old.  (Shut it!  I hear that snorting and snickering!)

My children have never lived without cellphones, video games, satellite TV and the Internet.  They are very savvy, not only technologically so but also environmentally and gastronomically.  They remind ME to turn off lights and not to run the water when I brush my teeth.  They sigh and shake their heads whenever they see people clearing land and cutting down trees.  They question the origin of their hamburgers' beef and want to know if their fruit is organic.  I'm amazed at their sophistication -- I did not teach them a lot of this stuff -- they are just products of their era.

Of course, they are still kids (thankfully).  They ride bikes, play outside, run in the house, and jump on the furniture.  At the same time I marvel at the differences in our childhoods, I smile at the similarities.  It all makes me wonder...what will they live through?  What will their children never live with and without?

Much Love,
- J

PS -- I'm not daft, I know this is not a perfect time we're living in, but I know there is more good than evil.  I would drown in fear if I thought about all the chaos, hate, and danger prowling today.  You can say what you will, but I choose to focus on the positive in the hopes that I can increase the amount of good, beauty, and love in the world.

Big Girls Now

Posting two days in a row?!  Shocking, I know.  But there's been some big time events the past few days and I'd be remiss if I didn't document them.  Last week, on the first day of school, my two sweet baby girls turned SEVEN.  I cannot believe they are seven years old!  We had a little pool party on Saturday complete with pink elephant cupcakes and a giraffe mini-cake.  Evie loves elephants and Kallie is my giraffe girl.  We had a great time with friends and family.  The girls got new bikes and some other great things, but they were most excited about this.....

Yep, my two babies got their ears pierced yesterday.  Now I've got two big girls complete with bejeweled ears.  There were a few tears (from them) and a little doubt (from all of us).  In the end, however, they are happy and I'm excited, too!
As my sisters can attest, this ritual was a big deal in our house growing up.  We had to wait until we were 10 to get earrings, but it meant we were big girls.  And they are big girls - sweet, kind, and helpful.  I love those two!

Evie didn't want me to take her picture just after the piercing.  She asked me to wait, "Until my face isn't so red and puffy from crying."  Seriously.  We are definitely raising a priss here!  Kallie wanted to choose skull studs.  "Ooooo, these are cool!", she said.  I convinced her to pick gold hearts with crystals in the middle.  Hint - She is NOT the priss we are raising.  Holdyn's only comment after the piercings was, "I'm glad I'm not a girl!"  This will not be the last time in his life he thinks that, I'm sure.

It's as crazy here as ever!