Weekend in Boise

We went to Boise this last weekend to spend a few days with my parents. The boys, like always, had fun running wild around grandma's. Mr. Keller and I went out for our anniversary a couple of times. We went to the temple, shopping and to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. We met up at Aunt Jackie's for my grandpa's birthday party. 

Saturday, we did gingerbread houses and visited and Saturday afternoon, we did some more shopping, went to Carinos and to the movies. 

Sunday, Morgy wasn't feeling very well, so he stayed home from church with grandma. We loaded up the car when we got home and went to Kricket and Michael's house for a nice lunch. The boys are always SO spoiled. They had so much fun playing with the big bag of toys Kricket and Michael gave them for Christmas. The lunch was so yummy and we had a fun time visiting. 

Here are some photos from this weekend (and a few from this week):   

Nine years with this one. I can't believe how quickly time has gone!

Visiting Kricket

Wrapping presents

 Anniversary pizza, sparking cider by candlelight, except for that lasted about twenty seconds and then Danny blew them out. The romance is real!

Sweet little card I had Morgan draw for Mr. Keller. Hearts and then he drew us both getting ready to kiss! 

Danny and his little lion baby einstein toy he wants SO bad from Santa. We saw it at Walmart last week and he is totally smitten! He's been carrying around this paper, even sleeping with it. He keeps looking at it and saying, 'He's soooooo cuuuute!'

Christmas is going to be so fun!

Pit stop in the fields of Jerome!

A trip to the dollar store to pick out presents for each other!

And some photos with grandma and papa!

 This child, you guys.

Our afternoon and Kricket and Michael's beautiful home!

Michael trapped some squirrels earlier that day. The boys LOVED watching them in their cages.

Gorgeous table setting!

Weekend.

Kricket came this weekend to spend a few days with us. She watched the boys while I went to yard sales Friday morning and Saturday, Mr. Keller took the boys adventuring in Franklin County while we spent the day in solitude. The house was so sunny and quiet. It was a lovely day. We went talked, cried a little, went shopping, cleaned and rearranged a few things for summertime. I love her.

Church was the normal rodeo it always is. Danny, at one point or another, always throws something in Sacrament meeting. This week it was a bag of marshmallows that bounced all over the pew. Last week it was a set of car keys that almost hit the lady in front of us in the back of the head. I don't take him to nursery, so he and I usually find our way home after Sacrament, or halfway through Sunday school. Mr. Keller feels like a widow sometimes at church, which makes me feel bad. Maybe eventually another arrangement will be made with the nursery leaders, but for now it is what it is.

My new Canon arrived in the mail on Friday and as silly as it sounds, I was so relieved. I had decided to be brave and try out the Nikon D series, but after a few days, I knew it wasn't the camera for me. Thankfully, Costco is as good as gold with returns and a few days later, I had a Canon back in my hands once again. And it felt like home.

Happy Monday, my dears.


-------------------
From the weekend....

[from kricket]

[my new love]

[shopping]

[mantel]

[kitchen]

[these bad boys were finally installed in our basement family room! I'm in looooove.]

[sunday morning undies time]

[my boys all in a pile]

Oh, I'm still here.

It Tuesday, my dears, and I think I've been away from you for a week. I've been tired. I think my week in Boise (with two kids, sans husband) sucked the life right out of me. And having Mr. Keller gone hunting through the weekend may have almost sent me over the edge. I even attempted taking both to church by myself, which, sure as hell will be the last time I ever do that. At least for a while. 

Kricket came to stay with us on Thursday so we wouldn't have to be alone while Jar was gone. It was so nice to have her here and Morgan loved it too. He bossed her around telling her what to do and when to do it, and it was the cutest thing to hear him say 'Kricket! Kricket!' over and over again. We shopped, lounged around and stayed up way too late. (I've been paying for it ever since!)

Yesterday afternoon, after laundry and dishes and whatever else, I collapsed on the couch and didn't move much at all until we went to bed. I watched the new Jane Eyre and couldn't believe how beautiful it was. So beautiful, in fact, I watched again last night. Twice in the same day, and even though I'm not the movie buying type, I will be buying it for my own this evening. There was some depth about it I must have been craving. The thing about motherhood is honestly, who has time to read? Or write, for that matter. But if I don't write a little, I go crazy. So reading most definitely goes by the wayside. But the Bronte sisters, my goodness. I will need a time-out soon, so I can dust off my copies of Jane and Wuthering Heights. Old friends of mine, they are. And I need to wrap my arms around their pages soon.

As for my children, I swear they've grown. I blink and they grow. And they get sillier and louder by the day. Jared thanked me the other day for helping them become who they are supposed to be. I think that's a motherhood responsibility that never does end, and I'm so glad to be the one doing it. I'm so glad to be a mom. To be the maker of tradition and the creator of a home.

Here's to Tuesday. Carry on, my dears. Carry on. 

PS - Did Kricket and I paint the door midnight blue while Mr. Keller was gone?

Oh yes we did. 

Glitter, pillows and Kricket.

A few weekends ago, Kricket came a visitin'. She brought yogurt-covered almonds, glitter, and a wooden train for the Mr. We bought matching pillows from TJ's and black feather trees for halloween. Saturday evening, we did our annual glitter pumpkins, which I look forward to every every year! We love our Kricket! (And Michael, too!)

Sunday evening, we took her up to our beloved City Creek.

Morgan's our little hiker in training and boy, does he set a good pace!

(My) Town.



And last, but not least, a baby moose

(her mama is directly behind her, although you really can't tell in this picture).