A Zumba sort of Zen

Have I mentioned that Miss Yaya and I have been listening to a lot of latin music lately? The obsession started when we saw Rio, and has morphed into a Zumba Pandora station that is on constant play around here. The rhythms are so fun and upbeat, it's almost impossible not to get some spicy hip action going on.
I guess Riley thought the Zen Frog needed to get in on the Latin vibe. This is how I found him today.

Sunday night brain scramble

*Wow. Where did June go? Seriously...wasn't Memorial Day weekend last week?

*Wanna see what Riley and I cooked up for breakfast this morning?
They were her idea and so yummy. Try not to be jealous. Come on over, and we'll make it for you, too.

*I'm finding that going through the process of selling my condo is by far one of the most uncomfortable things I've ever had to do. I do not like having people I don't know in my space. I do not like keeping all my personal stuff packed away, so people can imagine themselves in an impersonal, neutral condo. I do not like getting calls and texts from a realtor every day (Don't get me wrong, my agent is great. I just don't like thinking about this stuff all the time.) I don't mind keeping it "show ready" (i thought I would) but let's just say I hope this process is done and over very, VERY soon.

*I need some new workout music. Badly. If you have any suggestions, send them my way.

*I've noticed that my summer reading list consists of much lighter topics than any other time of the year. It must be that "summer-beach-reading" mode has been permanently burned into my DNA because I am plowing through mystery novels, re-reading old favorites, and enjoying new light, easy reads. I have simply put aside the idea that I am going to get to anything of substance any time soon. Again, all summer book reading suggestions are welcome.

*I booked the flights for an October trip to Disneyland/SeaWorld for me and my girl. We will be meeting my sister and her husband and the twinners there, and I am so excited (didn't ever expect to say that about a trip to Disneyland, but whatever.) Telling Riley this early may have been a mistake. She is already planning her princess outfits.

*Speaking of my sister and her men, they will all arrive at my place on Wednesday (insert shouts of delight here!) It's my grandfather's 80th birthday party this weekend, so they are traveling in for that and will stick around for the holiday weekend. We will all head to Idaho to later this week celebrate his birthday, the birthday's of two of my nieces, and the fourth of July. I can't wait for a weekend of family, parties, parades and my favorite kiddos ever!

*As if that is not enough, two of my best friends will be in town over the next few weeks, as well. Hannah is coming in on the Eighth, and Cameron and her Jersey brood arrive late tonight. I can't wait to catch up with these ladies and see their families.

*Did I mention I'm getting a new nephew sometime in the next couple of weeks? I cannot wait to meet him. Maybe he'll make his debut while we are up there (here's hoping!)

*July is going to fly by as fast as June did, but I'm not complaining. There is a lot of good stuff happening around here.

What's on your mind tonight? What good things are happening in your world?

Found at the Farmer's Market

Summer in Salt Lake City means the Saturday Farmer's Market. I love to check out the beautiful art, produce and flowers on display. What I don't love, however, is the hoards of people everywhere so I don't make it a weekly tradition. Last Saturday was my first trip of the year, so I decided to take my camera along for the walk.
(pssst....I'm learning to edit photos in Photoshop. This is the first batch I've worked on in this program. It's very much a work in process, but it's always fun to learn a new skill.)

Summer Solstice Wishes

Riley in her favorite "Gypsy" outfit

Riley and I were driving home from swimming lessons today, when the topic of wishes came up. I had told her that today was the first day of Summer, that it was called the Summer Solstice and that I had always heard that it was the best day of the year to make wishes. She asked me what I wished for, more than anything else.

I told her that I wished that she'd always know how loved she was, that she'd always be full of imagination and brightness and creativity, that her life would be one she would be excited about and proud to live. I wished that her determination and stubbornness would be great strengths for her, and allow her to get what she really wanted out of her life. I continued on, saying I wished that I'd be able to teach her by my example to be kind and generous to others, to be loving and open to everyone, and be strong and steadfast in her values and beliefs. I wished that she'd know how important honesty and integrity were, and understand that people and relationships are always more valuable than money or objects. I wished that she'd desire a good education, and someday that she'd have the opportunity to make her mark on this world in whatever way was right for her. Finally, I told her that I wished that I'd always be the best mother I could be for her and that while I wish and hope that our family will grow to include others, that we'll be a happy and loving family always, regardless.

I was blinking back tears when I finished my little diatribe on my wishes, a bit overcome with how strongly I felt about all of these wishes and overwhelmed with the love I felt for her and the gratitude I felt for our lives right in that moment.

I asked her what she wished for most of all, and her blue eyes met my brown eyes in the rear-view mirror. She looked a little baffled about my lengthy answer to what she clearly thought was a simple question.

"Um....I just wish for GummyBears...but yours is good too."

Well....ok then.


*Whether they are deep and complex, or simple and sweet, may all your Summer Solstice wishes come true*

Happy Friday! (A gratitude list)

Today, I am grateful for:

**the glorious weather we've had all week. this time of year reminds me of why I love Utah!
**finding a new babysitter. Riley loves her (and her sweet 9 month old) and she has given this mama some much needed respite.
**the fun time, great life skills, and energy burn that Riley's swimming lessons have turned out to be. 4 days a week for a month is a lot for me to commit to, but I really want her to learn to swim well and to be safe and skilled in the water. it seems we are well on our way.
**how (relatively) easy it has been to keep my house in "show" condition, now that it's on the market. I thought this would be much more difficult, but Riley is really pitching in and it's becoming routine.
**the beautiful display of roses in the Avenues during June. it's truly my favorite time of year in my neighborhood.
**You know those moments of uncontrollable laughter, the ones where your stomach hurts and your face aches from smiling so much? I've stumbled upon several of these lately, and it's amazing how much they do to keep me balanced. (thanks, G, for catching this one on camera - I know i look goofy but it was such a purely joyful, funny moment that I love the photo,anyway.)
**friends who listen when I just need to talk things out, to hear my own voice make sense of my world.
**a whole weekend stretching out ahead of me with no major obligations or commitments. My plans include sleeping as much as I want to, riding my bike, reading, long walks and a hike in there somewhere. Sounds grand, no?

June 12of12

01. Riley was up the night before with a fever and body aches, so she spent the majority of the morning in bed with my iPad. No church for us today.
02. I put the finishing touches on all the new paint in my condo.
03. It was a lazy day for Harley, too.
04. I can tell it's summer when the Santa Cruz peach lemonade hits the shelves. I love this stuff.
05. Caught up on laundry - took me all day.
06. Riley took her baby doll on a walk - with Harley's leash and collar.
07. I met with my realtor to sign the final paperwork to list my condo.
08. My daughter is a goofball.
09. Riley felt well enough to have a dance party, for which she wore her snow boots.
10. All the bags I pack in the evening to be ready for the next day - my gym bag, riley's swim bag, my lunch bag, and my laptop bag.
11. silly self-portraits
12. you can't tell very well in this photo, but I went to bed at 8:55. Unheard of around here, but very nice.

Operation UK: Finished!

working on a ceiling patch (photo by my mom)

After almost six months of working on my kitchen, I am happy (and relieved) to report that I put the final touches on this project yesterday. Over the course of this undertaking, walls were knocked down, cabinets were refinished and re-hung, ceilings and walls were patched and textured and painted. As this moved along, it prompted a bit of freshening throughout the rest of my house. I painted the main bathroom a soft, lilting blue and my hallway, entryway and living room a dreamy, gentle gray called day spa (I mean, really….who doesn’t want to live in a day spa?) I’ve been living in chaos for quite some time, with half-finished walls and cabinets missing here and there, but now that it’s all done and pulled together, the end result is really lovely - serene, inviting and calm.

One part of this process that surprised me is how much physical and mental work actually went into this makeover, and how empowering it is to know that, for the most part, I did it myself. I spent hours sanding and smoothing and refinishing. I wired the new lighting fixtures. I learned how to patch holes in sheet-rock. I now know how to mix joint compound. I can tape and texture a wall. I primed and prepped and painted. Me. I did it. By myself. In my limited spare time. Often with a three year old little girl as my “helper”. I’m pretty damn proud of myself and how this project turned out.

The process of working on my condo helped me to recognize a pattern in my life. I like order and organization. A lot. I need it just to keep on top of things in my busy, sometimes chaotic life. But occasionally (ok, often) this need for order and organization makes me reluctant to make the kind of changes that will bring me closer to where I want to be, because I know that usually these changes will result in a mandatory period of messiness that just has to be lived through and dealt with. It’s part of the process. Over the past six months, my house has very often been a disaster, but with time and patience and steady effort, the disaster found it’s way back to order and the clarity and serenity that were waiting to be uncovered.

I can see how my life has often echoed this pattern: chaos occurs, tears have been shed, patience has been applied, work has been done, and eventually, peace has been restored. My house is currently on the peace end of that spectrum, but there are other parts of my life that are messy- we all have those messy parts, right? Working on this big home project helped me to learn to embrace the mess, to respect it as part of the process of digging out and moving onwards and upwards. It's a work in progress, but I’m trying not to let the fear of disorder and disarray discourage me from moving through the mess to arrive what I really want.

Now that this whole project is done, the paintbrushes are put away and the floors are swept, I’ve decided that it’s time to move on from this place that I’ve lived in and loved for nine years. It’s time for more space for Riley and for me and it’s time to embrace the mess that comes with shutting down this chapter of my life and starting a new one. Even though I love how it turned out, and even though I put my blood and sweat into this little project, it’s finally time for me to find a new home for Riley and me. I listed my condo on the MLS this morning and I’m hoping to move in the next few months - I really think the new kitchen look will help it move quickly for a decent price.

I took what was a little bit messy and in need of some elbow grease, and I made it beautiful and functional. I made a lot of messes, created a bunch of chaos, and I put all the pieces in place. I've learned a lot through this process - both about home maintenance and myself, and I'm so grateful for the experience. Still, it's time to let go and move on to bigger and better spaces. It's time.

After view. See the "before" photos here.