Welcoming Summer At My House

(Swimming lessons take place at a nearby lake. It's basically AWESOME.)

Good morning! We have been thick in the throws of official summer break since Monday up in here. (In New England, summer doesn't start until like ACTUAL summer starts, which is really weird, and makes it feel like summer is NEVER EVER going to come. But now, the schools are out, the library summer reading program starts today and swimming lessons started on Monday. SUMMER! SUMMER! (What day is it? Is it Wednesday?)
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(Most of my pictures are of Miriam because she doesn't run away from me.)

Anyway, we've matched our summer "break" with the schools here which just makes it easier to keep track of things. Poor POOR Henry declared, "Why do we have to do school in the summer? No one else does?"

(Ezra does not care for swimming lessons. He LOVES playing in the water. But please do not insult his intelligence by trying to TEACH him to SWIM.)



(Swimming lessons makes one hungry.)


I'm mean. I replied, "Because if you don't your brains will rot and drip out your ears."

Spencer was skeptical, "Really, Mom?"




(Swimming lessons!!)


(The brook across our street is basically our second most-favorite place so far.)


So to combat brain-rottage, and general entropy, we've started a STAR CHART complete with prizes (I've become my mother, this is, in this case, a good thing). And it is keeping our summer somewhat organized and myself comfortable in the knowledge that at the very least, I can say that I'm TRYING to raise human beings who are not complete hooligans. WIN WIN.



(STAR CHART!)


 (The brook! So much to try and eat!)

SUMMER! It's SO MUCH FUN!


(He was having a great time, I promise.)


(See? Giant sticks. Great time.)


(Yum, rocks!)

Update From the Tiny Farm on the Hill

Well. Things are moving right along.

School is continuing to be a challenge as the weather is turning warmer. I knew it would be this way. But we have to keep on it. It's not easy convincing those little boys to sit still long enough to get it done. We'll keep at it.

Our little micro farm is growing. The seeds are starting to poke their way heavenward (minus the few that Ezra accidentally knocked onto the porch. Oops. Maybe they'll grow there anyway.

The trees we planted don't seem dead yet. That is hopeful.

The chickens are fat.

The dog is lazy, except for this evening when we were chasing chickens and he decided he wanted to participate. We can NOT have that. No sir. I'm pretty sure he would have killed a chicken if he'd caught one, not necessarily on purpose, but still. But he was stopped and sent in the house. But it was some drama! Oh my!

We're in serious talks trying to actually add MORE creatures to our little place here on the hill. Maybe we are crazy. Maybe. But dreams are coming true, and that is what we are here for. There is so much delight in the few "farm" chores we have. The boys don't seem to tire of them. So we're counting our blessings, embracing the little corner of the world we've worked so hard for. It's wonderful.


($10 prize if you can guess what is all over my shirt!)

Miriam was plagued with a high fever for three days, and so we headed to urgent care on Mother's day. Now, we are squirting antibiotics down her throat twice a day. Thank you ear infection! She's much improved. Not that she was acting sick in the slightest, minus the 103 degree fever, because she wasn't. She was behaving as bright and sunny as ever. Dork-butt.

So, yes. There is the update.

A House of Dreams

I stumbled into a dream the other night.

It was just a regular old Friday night.

And then. The house. Not too big, not too small. Old, so old it was historic. Impeccably cared for. In perfect, beautiful brick condition.

The pastures. Green and buzzing in the early evening.

The horses. Whinnying as we approached.

The yard. Shaded and fragrant.

From September 2011

The pond. Rippling and clear.

The creek. Bubbling and rushing.

I was suddenly staring my dream future in the face.

From September 2011

 "This is my dream house!" I texted my husband.

"Tell them we'll take it!" he texted back.

"It's not for sale." I mournfully texted back.

I know that I am living my dream now. I have everything I need, and practically everything I want.

But as I wandered the grounds of this perfectly cared-for farm, I desperately wished it was mine.

I wished to feed the horses a carrot or two, say good-night to the ducks and wander over to the fire pit and find my family all there roasting marshmallows.

Then when it was much too late, we'd climb sleepily up the hill and retire into our warm comfy beds, safe under the roof of dreams.

Dreams.

But instead, I cleaned up from our party, cooled and wetted the coals from our fire, made sure the actual farm owners knew we were heading out, and stared longingly, one last time.

Someday.

Someday my farm will come.

Someday my boys will run the fields of our own. Our horses will nibble carrots from our hands, and we'll bask in the shade of our ancient trees.

But for now, we huddle tightly together under our roof of reals. How we love our roof. Our trees, our ragtag yard full of a weeds, littered toys and a tiny garden in the back. Our yard that is an amusement park for dragon flies and the neighbor cat who hunts them. And chain link fences for climbing.

From Drop Box

Our tiny house full of corners. Something stacked in every space.

Yes, we are tightly packed.

But right now, what could be better?

Home.

Derek Hacked Morgan's Account for Her Birthday

Yup that is right folks, this year for Morgan's birthday I (Derek) am hacking her blogger account and posting this entry just because I love her.

Now Morgan is not some normal run-of-the-mill person (but you all know that), she is the most amazing person I have ever met. No, really, she is. She denies it but I have been in love with her (or infatuated with her depending on how we are defining the feeling) since the first time I met her. So I must bring you all the way back to 2001, yup just about 1 decade ago.

The Story of Derek Meeting Morgan for the First Time:

The time: the beginning of November in 2001.
The place: the Nelke Theater at BYU
The setting: very dark, the lights were turned out

You see I could barely see anything because I was the Assistant Stage Manager for a play that was taking place in the Margetts Theater that backs right up to the Nelke Theater space. The play was about to start when we turned all the lights out to the Nelke Theater and there were a few people making noises or saying who turned the lights out, or something of that sort. So as the Assistant Stage Manager backstage was my duty so I go to find out who it was and to tell them to be quiet, or shut up, or get the heck out of there, because no one should be back there, after all we were using the Nelke as part of our backstage. So I go into the Nelke Theater and was immediately accosted by some woman who at this point I did not know a name for with a witty tongue and sparky (or sparkly dependent on the point of view) personality. She started to tell me I could not do this turning off the lights thing, yada yada yada... I was the Assistant Stage Manager for the play that was taking place so I said, yes I can and will turn out the lights and they needed to leave, she gave me this attitude that turns me on, yeah I like sass and this woman had tons of it (never mind she was only 18 years old). To this day she sasses me on a regular basis and is she still H-O-T when she does it.

This was my introduction to Morgan's World.

I did not meet this gorgeous woman again until she and I were in the same directing class the next semester. In our first class we were put into groups, but her group had too many guys and not enough gals so they needed to trade a guy for a gal (one of Morgan's best friends), she threw me under the bus and tossed me to the other group without a second thought. Yeah, I thought she was beautiful and wanted to be in her group, but she didn't have a second thought about throwing me away. Yup, I had the Morgan-on-the-mind thing going on and would often catch myself looking over at her during this directing class.

One day I was shooting a film for this class in the Harris Fine Arts Center when I noticed this woman from a small distance who had a really nice body, and as I looked at her from behind, I wondered who this person was (yeah I did notice her body, I was a single guy not really attached to any one). This woman turned around and yup it was this gorgeous woman again, I was ENAMORED.

Then there is the story of our first date (I may have been enamored but she was still too beautiful for me to even talk to) and the struggle for me to get a second one, but those are for a different day.

I have been in love/infatuated with Morgan since the first moment I met her in that dark theater almost 1 decade ago. So on her birthday I wanted the whole world (or at least those who read her blog) to know she is still the most amazing, gorgeous, and witty woman I have ever met and I still catch myself staring at her in wonderment that she is my wife, mother to our four sons (so far), and as of the past couple months boss at our new business. I could never think of any one that would be a better wife, mother, or boss and she does everything so well, I am grateful to know/love her.

So my love Morgan one of your birthday presents from me on your birthday is my hacking your blogger account and posting to your blog. I love you.

January 5th...

Happy January 5th! It's a lovely day today! It's butt-cold outside, and it's Ezra's 1 month birthday!

For the last month, Ezra has spent 95% of his time here:

From January 2011

Seriously, and the other 5%  in the arms of someone who loves him. It's been a VERY VERY good month. He's been laid down, in his bed, for, if I had to guess for, maybe 12 hours of his cute little life...

Have you ever had the privilege of snuggling a newborn baby nearly non-stop for a full month??? I very seriously suggest you give it a whirl sometime. Just borrow one if you don't want to have your own. It is SOUL-CANDY! (I am coining that term...)

I've been trying (and failing, super fantastically) this last month to carry a calm, happy, soothing vibe, not just for Mr. Ez, but for the other three monkeys I call my own. Early mornings are especially challenging for me to maintain this, but at the times that I am succeeding, we have had some really lovely family time. 

The saying, "When the momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy" could not be more true. And so, I've smiled, and hugged and yelled, and then tried again. The big boys have painted, played, built, and eaten right along side of me and their tiniest brother all day long, with a very VERY busy daddy thrown into the mix every moment he can manage.

Can I just say it's been WONDERFUL??? The hard days are always hard, but truly this transition from three to four has been mostly easy and extremely smooth, and such a blessing. 

I remember, before Spencer was born, lamenting the whole issue of adding a sibling means less time for the oldest, blah blah blah. How silly of me! Now, four kids in, I am thankful for a gaggle of brothers to talk to each other, play with each other, pound on each other and just love the crap out of each other. Ezra is a seriously lucky kid. Every baby should be so loved. 

I know we'll have days when we think "FOUR? Were we nuts?" but right now, as he snoozes (and is stinky) right here in the wrap, next to my heart, I am SO thankful for four. We didn't it plan him this way, not at all, but good gravy, God knows better than we do what we need, and WHEN we need it. 

Happy One Month, Ezra Lee! We're all so glad you're here!

First Post of THE NEW YEAR!

Wellpers, people, it's 2011.

I rang in the new year by going to bed at 11pm. Cool, yes?

I am excited about 2011 and all that it might hold for me, and for us. One thing's for sure, there will be no baby #5 in 2011.

And forgive me whilst I wax nostalgic for a moment, will you?

Holy smokes, 2010 was the shortest year of my life!

One minute, I'm ringin' in the New Year in good ole Las Vegas. 

The next I'm telling the whole world we're moving to Utah, and by the way, I'm not pregnant, and I do NOT want to be pregnant.

Then, I look at my surroundings and find I'm in Utah, and I'm pregnant.

How did that work? I want to know.

Then we gardened and played and I puked, and summered like it was my job. WAIT! It WAS my job!

We found out Squishy was a boy! FOURTH BOY!

We played and played and played.

Then it was fall.

Then it was Halloween!

Then we MOVED.

All the while I got fatter and fatter.

Then, I blinked and my best Christmas present EVER arrived. (Seriously, the best!)

And then it was Christmas.

And now we've come full circle.

What is UP with that?

Tomorrow Ez will be one month old. How did that happen? I WANT TO KNOW!!!

I love you friends. All of you. Thanks for being around the last year.

(Didja click on ALL those links? Fun, huh?)

Today is my due date!!

And rather than wallow in self-pity about still being pregnant, I thought I'd focus on the positive.

The positive being this little wee man:

Announcing: Ezra Lee 

December 5th, 12:02 pm

7lbs 6 oz

20.5 inches

Born at home 

We're thrilled he's here. He's so sweet and so tiny. Before Ezra, Oliver was my smallest at 8lb 12 oz. Less than 8lbs was literally shocking. Kim (the midwife) weighed him twice to make sure.

His birth was good and different than I had expected. I promise the story soon but right now he is bundled here in my arms and I don't want to type it all one-handed. :) 

Who let the Blog out? Who? Who? Who? Who? Who?

HAHA! I'm so punny. Okay, so I have literally agonized over this silly decision to start BLOGGING! I send out periodic emails to friends and family, so I figured I didn't need a blog. Not to mention how unbelieveably trendy they are.

And yet.

Here I am. Blogging.

I have called our blog The -Ing Family. Why? You ask. Because we are always -ing something. Derek is therapiz-ing, I am doula-ing or directing, we're mommy-ing, daddy-ing, shopp-ing, clean-ing. The boys are running, poop-ing. You get the idea. So, we are the -Ing family.

I plan to keep this going.

We'll just see.

Things in the life of the -Ing family are really really wonderful! We are work-ing (sorry, couldn't help myself) hard and keeping busy. Derek is about done with this semester. (Hallejuah!) It has been a long and difficult few months for him.

Morgan (that's me) is working on her doula business. And things are going very well. I have been very blessed with clients and I am completely in love with what I do.

Henry is 2. He's busy and chatty and opinionated. Sigh. And he has NO interest in potty training.

Spencer is 4 months. He is just a joy. He adores his big brother.

Anyway, I'll keep things updated the very very very best I can.