Adventures in Motherhood , or Disjointed Rambling

Sorry for neglecting my blog! I've been busy over at my other blog, because of Book Blogger Appreciation Week. But, that's over now. So it's time for a bit of catch up. And pictures.


First off, there's a picture of Ryker blowing out his candles, because I just realized that I never put that up. (Pttthhhhbbbt!)And then a little bit of mommy-bragging: Anicka is desperately trying to learn how to read and write. She has started asking me how to spell things, so that she can write 'stories'. This picture is actually sideways, but I'm too lazy to put it into photoshop and flip it, so, you know, just tilt your head to the right. I'm not sure if anyone but me can make out the letters, but it says "Hmert(heart), rimg(ring), married". How cute is that? I'm not sure what's up with all of the 'm's, but we'll work on that.


The kids are obsessed with blanket forts. They make one nearly every day. And it almost always results in one or both of them collapsing in a fit of hysterics because 'Ryker is messing it uuuup!'

Speaking of Ryker, THIS is why I have to bathe him after every meal:


And THIS is why we had to spend the weekend shampooing our carpets:


On my way to bed a few nights ago, I stopped to check in on the kids, as I always do. The first thing I noticed was an empty bed, a sight that can stop a mother's heart.
After a split second of sheer panic, I noticed a knee sticking up out of what I had mistaken for a pile of discarded stuffed animals. But, in fact, it was a cleverly disguised fortress:

I guess the floor was more comfortable.


And, lastly, after five years of marriage, I finally turned something pink in the wash! Nothing spectacular, like a dress shirt, but only a sad little dishtowel and a pair of old socks. Better luck next time!

Now back to our regularly scheduled program...

We spent the labor Day weekend up in Kolob, at a cabin with Shane and Dusty. It was one of the best vacations I've ever had. There was no stress, no worries, nothing to trouble us during our four days in one of the most beautiful places on earth.

We spent the days playing shuffleboard, ping pong and pool.





Adam and I were introduced to 'around the world' or 'round robin' ping pong, which is one of the funnest games I have ever played! Unfortunately, we were having too much fun to remember to take pictures of the game.

The kids were so well-behaved the entire time (except for one nearly-sleepless night with Mr. Ryker) and they both had a blast.

We even got some good exercise in, chopping wood. The boys tried to get the chainsaw running, to no avail.

So, we chopped it up the old fashioned way. My back is still a bit sore from swinging that axe!
It looks like Dusty enjoyed it, though...
We decided to take advantage of the beautiful scenery and tried to get some nice pictures of our little family.


Anicka wasn't very interested in cooperating, though. She was too busy dancing around in her underwear, like a heathen. A really cute, wild haired, tiny little heathen.

For some reason, she now refuses to smile normally in pictures. Ah, well. One of these days we'll get a good family portrait taken. Anyway. I wasn't exaggerating about this being one of the most beautiful places on earth. Check out this amazing scenery. This was the view from the deck of the cabin:

I started a painting of that scene while we were there, but wasn't able to finish it. I will post a picture of the finished painting here, if I ever do get a chance to complete it. Here are a few more of my favorite pictures from our weekend. Some of these were taken by me, and some were taken by Adam.

*sigh* I warn you, this post is going to be a tad bit rambley. (brambly?) Feel free to comment if you have an opposing view, as well. I want to know what people are thinking.

I am not, generally, a very politically active person. I have never been involved with, or even interested in, politics. But these days I just can't help but feel involved. It seems to me that there are some very strange things going on in our country, and I cannot justify my apathy any longer.
For example:
-When you have a tax-payer-funded federal agency that is enlisting artists to 'push the president's agenda', is that not called propaganda? I did not believe this sort of thing was possible in the USA.
- If the president speaks to school-aged children and then teachers create a lesson plan to help him push his agenda, is that not called indoctrination? Now, I obviously don't know exactly what Obama is going to say to these kids. I don't think that there is anything inherently wrong with a president speaking to the children, as long as there is no political agenda attached. Tell them to work hard, and to stay in school. Tell them that they can be whatever they want to be when they grow up. That's it. Stay away from everything else. If it's not okay to push a specific religious view in school, then neither is it okay to push a specific political view, because the two are inextricably linked in many minds.
- When an ad featuring celebrities who 'pledge to be a servant to Barack Obama' is shown in schools, it worries me a little. When did people gain this mindset that we were supposed to serve the president? Wrong. It just sounds wrong.
-When I find out that one of Obama's advisers wrote a book about sterilization and population control, it worries me.
-When starving, struggling people are deemed less important than endangered fish, it worries me.
-When a congresswoman praises communist leaders, it worries me. Actually, it makes me angry.

Those of you who are acquainted with my family know that my mother is one of the most patriotic people you will ever meet. She was born in Cuba, and lived for 16 years without many of the freedoms that we take for granted here. I have never met anyone who was more 'proud to be an American'. But that sentiment no longer seems to be politically correct. For some reason, it's not okay to say that you think America is the greatest country on earth, that it is the land of the free, the land of opportunity. No, to say such a thing shows arrogance and narrow-mindedness.. Do Spaniards not feel that Spain is the very best place to live? Do Italians never boast that their homeland is the most beautiful, or the most interesting? If they do, I don't fault them for it. And if they don't, why not? Shouldn't it be a good thing to have pride in your country? I read a comment somewhere today saying that the world should come first, America should be second, and the individual should be last. I don't understand it. It seems backwards to me.

I don't know. Am I wrong? I don't even know if this post makes sense. I'm tired and I'm frustrated, and I can't seem to wrap my head completely around a lot of these ideas. Am I being one of those 'sensationalist right-wing nut jobs'? I don't think that Obama is the AntiChrist. But I do think that he has the potential to be very dangerous, and I think that Americans need to start paying very close attention to what is going on in the government. Because, if we don't, we could very easily have some of our most precious freedoms voted away. Is it really so difficult to believe?