See ya, 2015

So long, 2015. Let's be honest, you were a doozy. Nevertheless, we had some good times too. The Word Of The Year was "DO," and do we did. Here's a little review of the ups and downs of 2015:




The very first day of the year, my brother's roof literally came crashing down from burst water pipes in his ceiling. He and his family stayed at our house for a month or so while his apartment was fixed. We all learned a lot about living with other people, and we enjoyed the company. Plus, I got to cook my first pheasant, compliments of my brother's hunting prowess.

I got to try out my snowshoes, and did some hiking, more hiking, more snowshoeing, and even more hiking!

Taking a leap and turning in a piece of artwork for the LDS International Art Competition was scary! I hadn't focused that hard on a finished piece of artwork in a long time, but it came together with a steady schedule and purpose. That was a lot of work, but I learned a lot about my art process along the way.

I had been really interested in beekeeping and took a class about it. I loved it! Bees are so amazing and I feel like we are kindred spirits. Oh tiny sisters, I love you! Unfortunately, we can't have bees in our current house, so it will need to wait until we have a different home.

I got back into rock climbing! It had been years since I last enjoyed it, but with a trusty friend to show me the ropes again, I took it up again and had some of my best lunch breaks!

For my birthday, we took a trip to Zion National Park with friends and went on some wicked cool hikes. We got to do some light bouldering and also visited the Valley of Fire, which will forever hold a special place in my heart. We stopped by a crazy cool ghost town and of course an old cemetery. We played games and talked without any children interrupting. Yes, it's a thing!

Not too soon after that, Kirk got laid off due to the dip in the oil market. Well, poop. While it was a major bummer, we looked for the silver lining and decided to move forward as a single income family with a stay-at-home parent. What a lucky kid we have! We had to make some major adjustments. It was a palette cleanser and turned out to be the catalyst for many life introspections and realignments in our lifestyle and the direction in which we want our family to go. All good things, but a painful route.

With a clear and free schedule, we were able to attend a wedding in San Diego last minute. The sunshine was just what we needed, the little kid got to go to the beach for the first time, and we got to see family that we hadn't seen in forever. Cousins, guys.

I got up the guts to submit my first piece of art to the Springville Museum of Art's Spring Salon. It was so much work too, but I am proud of the final product and loved the way the piece turned out.

Also, I got up the courage to get my own website up and running. There are a lot of moving parts and every time I would change something, I would discover 10 more things that I needed to do. Gah! So. Much. Work. But also, it's a labor of love that I'm super proud of! And, I got some business cards made, which helped me feel a lot more official. Being a business owner has been so rewarding and I can't believe I waited so long to get started. Once I got through all the worrying in my brain and got things done, it finally came together. I finally found my purpose and style, which was a major win!

I had my first art booth at the Beehive Bazaar last spring! For some reason, it was a super scary step for me to take but I was blown away by all the support from friends and family and was humbled that people liked my art enough to buy it. Thank you, friends! And, I got more comments on my booth than anything else. Kirk made it for me to display my wares. Isn't it amazing?

Our family took part in a fun run.

We were in charge of a large family reunion, and it was full of crazy fun times and crazy fun people. We hiked along a petroglyph ridge, visited our old stomping grounds in Nevada, spent time splashing in the pool, and swapped stories. We also got to spend some time with our little family visiting Zion again, and tricked our daughter into hiking with us there.

Pepper took some swim classes and turned into a little fish and may have proposed to her instructor.

I did some hiking, more hiking, even more hiking, and solo hiking.

Then, there was that one time I had a baby. He arrived a couple hours after one of my favorite woodsy hikes. He just needed a little encouragement but he came with a smile and a sense of humor. We took a couple weeks off of our regular lives while we adjusted and got to learn how we would be as a family of four. We spent those weeks exploring the wilderness, exploring more, and exploring even more.

We planted and cared for and harvested a garden and flower beds this year. We also got some unexpected blessings from our labors and dried, juiced, and froze some of the best food.

Again, we participated in the Beehive Bazaar. Kirk's booth construction was all the rage again, and I added more pieces to the booth. I loved making all the art!

We got to cheer Kirk on in his half marathon through the beautiful fall foliage. He practiced diligently and did a great job!

I submitted my first-ever art piece to the Springville Art Museum's Religious and Spiritual exhibit. Again, it was a ton of work but I love the way the piece turned out. (The post will be up soon!) Plus, I was able to see a vast difference between this piece and my first submission from earlier in the year. Progress, guys!

I read some books.

Pepper's preschool ended, and she said goodbye to her friends there and hello to a full-time life with a great stay-at-home dad. She started a dance class, though, and fell in love with performing on stage!

My brother got married! In a whirlwind of familial excitement we spent loads of time planning, prepping, doling out unsolicited advice, and participating in general merriment. I took photos of our family with all the new additions before we all went our separate ways and started our own roots.

I got in some delicious autumn hiking, more hiking, and even tried mountain yoga hiking!

We partook in some of our favorite holiday traditions during the fall and Christmas seasons. The last quarter of the year is always one of our favorites! We also started new traditions to make our family life more intentional and to encourage one-on-one time and great family times too.

We cheered Kirk on in another race and got to share in the sugary spoils.

I tried a new thing on Instagram where I posted a different art series every month. I did an alphabet bird series, an autumn leaf watercolor series, and a series of requested wildlife sketches. I love being able to share my art with others!




2015 was indeed a doozy. While we are still trying to figure things out, we are managing to make the best of it and enjoy our precious family time while we can. 2015 was a good lesson in reevaluating constantly, making purposeful decisions, and getting up the courage to do things (because waiting through all the thinking is oftentimes more painful and difficult than actually getting things done!) So, there you have a few of our highlights from last year.

After talking with a friend about how I didn't think 2015 was a really good year, and that I felt I hadn't accomplished much, I was encouraged to write about it. Once I started writing, it opened my eyes to the many positive things we experienced last year, even amid the challenges. It was a great exercise in positivity and looking back I was surprised at what we were able to accomplish during crazy times and despite a definite funk.

So, if you've made it this far, first, you're a dedicated soul (thank you!) and second, I'm passing the advice forward. You don't need to post it publicly, but I encourage you to reflect on your past year if you haven't done so already and write down some of the major events. Looking back on your photos and social media accounts might help you out. So what do you say?

Family Photos

Merry Christmas from our family to yours! We recently took family photos before everyone moves their tiny hineys far across the country never to be seen again. (That, and we have a few awesome new additions to our family.) I ended up being the photographer, but I'm no pro, that's for sure. At least all our bodies are in the same frame:

The best idea by far was to take pictures of all the kids together. I was not meant for such things, and just for funsies, this photo pretty much sums up how it actually went:

I love these crazy people, and I'm glad we got to take these while we could. I hope you are staying safe and happy with the people you love this week.

Baby Bumpkins Newborn Photoshoot

Back a bit, I took some photos of our favorite baby boy:

He's since outgrown everything newborn, which is why these kinds of pictures are important. When he is a strapping 6' 7", I can show him these for proof and tell him stories of when he was nothing more than a blastocyst.

Shiny Happy Flowers Everywhere

Something important to me is having fresh flowers in our home, which means we have lovely blooms planted throughout out yard to pick from all summer long:

I love the bright, happy blooms! My favorites are the roses and dahlias. It's nice to have bright colors adorning our living space, but sometimes the flower picking can get a little out of control. I have a special columbine, too, but you can't usually tell what it is because the gorgeous pink blossoms are systematically plucked and scattered or trailed artistically in random places (like our indoor staircase for some reason). Behold the recently-hacked carnage that I just discovered:

(Darn that kid! I've told her half a dozen times to knock it off!) I was hoping to inspire with an amazing shot of my favorite mountain flower, alas. But, I can say that when the flowers are shown mercy and allowed to flourish, they add a refreshing and delicate touch to our yard. Also, I want that imaginative kid of ours to continue to have permission to spend her childhood happily picking flowers and scattering them about while she sings magical songs to herself, so part of me is hoping that the plucked blooms help the plant grow bushier and healthier in the long run.

Here's hoping, right?

San Diego Temple

We didn't just go to sunny California for the beach, although that was a plus. The whole reason we went there in the first place was to support a cousin, who got married in the San Diego LDS Temple. If you haven't been to that temple, you need to go! The architecture is stunning and the grounds are so peaceful.

We got to be on the grounds for a while, waiting for the ceremony to start, and then waiting for the newlywed couple to come out and greet us. Luckily, the weather was perfect and we got to visit with family we hadn't seen in ages. (So glad we live closer now!) Plus, sunshine. It's an important thing to have on the daily.

Festival of Trees

Kirk and I go on a date at least once a week. We like to do lots of different things, but pretty much just like spending time with each other. Earlier this month, when the Festival of Trees came along, Kirk wanted to go. Sweet!

I'm never going to turn down that offer! I love going to gather inspiration for decor, color schemes, and art projects. Plus, the festival is for an excellent purpose and is spiritually inspiring to me. It is a great way to get into the holiday spirit. Christmas! Woo-hoo! So, we made it a date:

 

I don't know if you know that a barn owl is my favorite of all the birds. Well, it is, so now you know. And if I had a spirit animal, it would be a barn owl. So, I found I was immediately drawn to the owls that were pretty prevalent in the decor. Behold, the wreath that took my breath away:

Guys. Check out this giant cookie cutter! See the lady standing behind it? That should give you an idea of how big this beast is. That cutter would make the hugest cookie ever! I need one.

Also, my current favorite color scheme (it changes all the time) is still making an appearance this year: teals in a variety of shades, along with browns and golds. So pretty! I could eat it right up!

I used this awesome date with Kirk to test-drive the camera on my new phone. I'm not going to lie, it's so nice having a decent camera with me everywhere I go, and I like the automatic photo filters I can play around with in mere seconds.

 

So, everyone has their own reasons for going to the Festival of Trees. Some people go for the sweet rolls (one sniff of the air could put you in a diabetic coma), or to support people performing at the event. Some people go to support a good cause or to pay tribute to a lost loved one. (Take note, Kirk: if I happen to die before you, I would appreciate a tactful and classy tribute in my honor in the form of a Festival of Trees display. You know what I like...or at least, what I don't like.) And I go for the eye candy and because I love glitter with all my heart.

What's your reason?

 

Lung Shan Temple

So, the best place of all in Taiwan has to be the Lung Shan Temple in Taipei. It is the largest and oldest Daoist temple in Taiwan, so I hear, and it is gorgeous! Prepare to have your mind blown:

This is an active temple that is frequented by thousands (only a guess) of worshipers each day, and they let people who aren't Daoist in, which was lucky for me. Although, if I'm being honest, it was a little uncomfortable to wander around someone else's holy place. However, I tried to be considerate, and I'm grateful for the experience. Well, I got a crash course in Daoism, and I'd love to share, because I found many similarities between Daoism and the Christianity (Mormonism) that I practice.

Daoism has many god(desse)s, focused on different aspects of life: health, education, the Mother of God, pregnancy/ childbirth, marriage, business, and 3 main gods that make up something along the lines of a trinity. If a worshiper has a specific area in her or his life that needs prayers, a prayer can be offered up to the god(dess) that has jurisdiction over that specific request. It reminded me of Christian saints, in a way.

Items, such as food or gifts, can be placed out on tables in the main courtyard to receive blessings, much like how we pray before meals, or how things (and people) receive blessings directed at them.

People can place their names inside the vestibule of a specific god(dess), and thereby also receive blessings each time a worshiper prays to that divine being. In our temples, we also write down names of specific people to receive blessings from the people worshiping.

A service includes a large group prayer/ chant/ song, which I was told increased the power of the prayers. We also believe that praying or fasting together as a group for the same purpose makes a prayer more powerful.

In gratitude for answered prayers, worshipers bring gifts (like gorgeous flower arrangements) and address them to the deity who answered those prayers. We don't give literal gifts for answered prayers, but we do give our hearts as a gift and many people worship with the purpose of thanksgiving instead of asking for something.

There are also some other interesting religious practices, but I'd like to stick with similarities. I totally got goosebumps while I was there, and I could feel such a strong spiritual presence that was made entirely of love. So good. I wish I could have sat there for hours.

I know that there are incredible differences among cultures, but I always love it when I find common ground with people. This was one of those moments for me. 

Have you ever had an experience like that? I'm sure we'd all love to hear, so please share!

Great Family Beginnings

The St. George temple holds a special place in my heart. It is the place my parents were married, my grandparents were married and my great-grandparents were married. It's a sacred place full of historical and personal significance, so we made a stop on our family trip to pay tribute to great family beginnings:

It was gorgeous there! The weather couldn't have been more perfect, the landscaping was breathtaking, and we learned tons at the visitor's center about the construction and history of the building. Kirk even ran into an Australian acquaintance while we were there. Small world, etc.

We also managed to shatter the sacred silence with a 2-year-old tantrum (or three). Not the special tribute I imagined, but there you have it, if I'm being honest.

What places remind you of great family beginnings? I'd love to hear!