IT'S ABOUT TIME.....

...I KNOW I KNOW I KNOW...

I haven't been on here in so long. I am not sure what happened. I just know I have missed doing it and yet at the same time feel so overwhelmed in life. Don't we all? It just took a FrEe day without 27,492 items on the agenda to actually sit down and decide that I needed to update this. I need it-and know that as the family historian my family needs it too. They really don't care what is on this blog and have probably never gone to read it but they will when I get it published in a book form and will be forever grateful to their dear old mom when it is done. So it is the start of a new school year and feels ever so refreshing-don't ya think? I think it is time to organize, clean up and out, and get back into old habits. That is, of course, as long as they are good ones. So here goes. AND I'm going to add photos too. You won't believe how many photos are sitting in a folder on my desktop just waiting and asking to be added to this blog. That's right-they want out and in full view so they mean something. 

We've had so much going on in our lives this summer and it just about literally flew by. It always seems that summer is meant to be a relaxing, casual event in ones life and somehow that concept passed The Garcia Gang right by. Not complaining, just noting and realizing what happens when you don't deliberately plan to do nothing and let everyday be simple and plain....the days go by, weeks go by and before you know it a new season is upon you. All too well. Love it!!!

TULIPS

My very favorite time of the year has to be the SpRinG. I can not stand it when the tulips are in full bloom. I just about have heart failure because I don't want to concentrate on anything but them. I have to drive anywhere in UT that has them and I absolutely love having pictures of the kids in them. I have planted sooooo many in the front yard and love to watch them all pop out of the ground and show their faces come the spring. So, needless to say, Emily and Ashleigh, had no choice but to appease their mother and go down to Thanksgiving Point and take some photos. We ended up taking two of the neighbor girls who are Emily's sidekicks: Natalee Goeken and Cami Mendoza with us and got some cute photos of them as well. I messed around with a few of the photos in photoshop and iphoto and did some adjusting. Not too much-I don't have the patience to do a lot anymore; but had fun tweaking a few. So enjoy!

Love the vivid colors in tulips-such a variety.
this is my new desktop photo.... simplicity...

These girls of mine-they are such sweet, innocent girls-love that look.


So, the farm that is behind the tulips and businesses are meant for the small children to muddle through and touch and run after. They wanted to go see because I had "forced" them to do a photo shoot for so long-can you tell the difference between the look on Ash's face from the first photo to the second one? I love it-it started to come over to her while we were standing there and wanted to eat her hair. She about jumped out of her skin and this photo was taken just prior to that incident happening. All too much fun. That in and of itself was worth the trip for me.

Here are the three girls that are totally and completely inseparable....and I'm not kidding-they are really that way about 10 hours a day and if I were to let them it would be a 24/7 thing. Good thing we have doors that lock in our house. Not really, we love them and are grateful that Emmy Lou has fabulous friends to play with. The one on the left is Natalee and then Cami in the middle and Emily on the right.
They didn't last too long looking over the wall, in fear for their lives....silly girls-they were really terrified of these sweet animals.

EMILY: 

10 things I love about you...

1. your smile is so contagious

2. your attitude about life-wow!

3. never ending kisses and loves for me

4. can always count on you to make good choices

5. will follow through and obey to the end

6. you enjoy life more than an other human I know

7. kind and giving heart

8. always a snuggler-blankie and all!

9. adaptable

10. true to yourself-most importantly!!!!

ASHLEIGH

10 things I love about you...

1. wise beyond your years

2. intelligent

3. logical decision making skills

4. excellent driver

5. friend to all

6. sense of humor

7. musician-wow!

8. enjoys life w/ friends

9. loves Christ:knows it with a surety

10. family gal

To all of you who are moms---

the moment i looked at my daughter for the first time i doubled in my desires to be a good, strong, faithful woman. motherhood has made me feel everything more deeply: love, joy, happiness; but also pain, worry, and fear. and as hard and tiring as that sounds (and it is both hard and tiring), that fullness of emotion is what I love about motherhood. i will take the worry and work if with it comes love that makes you want to burst, happiness that makes you float, and a desire to nurture that sends you on the errand of angels. being a mother fills me with purpose.

i tried to save this cupcake till tonight when i could enjoy it in the bath with a book and some tea, but the temptation proved too great. as i took that glorious bite, i got to thinking about the place this perfect little cupcake must have come from. then i got to thinking, wouldn't it be the best job in the whole world to own a really sweet and pretty bakery? that made oversize cupcakes and little tarts and cheesecakes and breads? that had the most fabulous party cake designer around and sold little girls aprons and mixes and handmade goodies all along the walls?

then i thought, the only better job in the world would be to have a yarn and fabric store with every delicious yarn and gorgeous fabric, both new and vintage imaginable in wonderful colors and big comfortable couches where you sat and knit or hand sewed and tought people to knit or hand sew all day. oh i just don't know which one i'd like more! but then i considered that another really really good job would be to organize and design happy spaces for people in their homes. to teach people how to get rid of clutter and live with inspiring things around them. and design beautiful rooms and cozy beds. or maybe a photographer, wouldn't that be exciting! but even all the creative careers in the world surely can't match the intoxicating thrill of running a corporation, i mused. that would truly be a one in a million life- fast paced, lots to do each day, in charge of so many important things. oh but it would be fun, i dreamed, to be like a personal shopper. who got to pick out all the clothes and shoes and stuff she loved for someone to wear. shopping all the time! what fun! then again, teachers get to mold a whole new generation- that is amazingly rewarding work- so much sacrifice, so much fruit. that would be a saint's job.

"WAIT!" i thought, "i've got it!" the ultimate most wonderful job that takes the cake! being a mom, who can make her home inspiring, clean, and inviting...who can fill it with fragrant smells of cupcakes and bread baking and throw fabulous parties.. who can sit on a comfy couch and knit when the days duties are done...who can take pictures of her family and life any time she'd like, who can learn anything at all that she'd like to do...who is responsible for clothing and fashioning her little family...who runs her little company with hard work, saving, and all the wisdom of the best corporations- in charge of molding the most important things and people in her whole world. why, yes THAT would be the most perfect, the most fulfilling, the most rewarding job (with the most fruit). and would you look at that? i have it. (taken from a wonderul mom out there.)

OH MY - IT'S WICKED OUT THERE--

I just love this Broadway Musical....we saw it a few years ago in LA and just couldn't get enough. They did a fabulous job and it was actually partial cast from the original in NYC. We went with a group of moms and daughters from Ashleigh's girl scout troop. They were gs's for 6 years together and then we have kept in touch with each other by planning getaways together each year. I love it-we still do them too...back to:We went to see this play yesterday and it was just as fabulous as it was the first time-it was on a much smaller stage; but it was all the same BREATH TAKING. I am always in awe with the whole story line. That is why I go and take it all in and someone brilliant is writing these story lines. The effects were fabulous, the voices of each one of the actors was amazing and it all just got me. We were lucky enough to see it with Julie Stevens and her family-dear friends from Las Vegas who moved up to Park City about the same time as us. I loved seeing Polly as well-her mom. Then I invited my good friend Angie Arbon and her parents. We all went out to eat at the and ooh la la-that was delish too. I haven't eaten that much in ages. I usually don't splurge and really try to control my food intake-but this was a different occasion. I think my mind was still taking in that play and it wanted more and more....I just know it was worth it and for the rest of this week my walks might have to turn into runs and my food intake might have to be cut in half. Oh well! I feel so "lucky" getting to see all these broadway plays. We have seen 4 of them in the last few years. A girl has got to see some-it's just right-so girls go and see a play-broadway musical that is-I'll go with you-just need the invite.....soooo very worth it. Ashleigh and Emily thoroughly enjoyed it this time-I know Emily had a much better time this go round. She really GOT the whole plot and as I watched her take it in I could totally tell she loved it. When the witch accidently cast a wrong spell on a munchkin and he just so happened to turn into a tin man she laughed and then proceeded to lean over whisper to me, "Mom, I think that has to be the tin man in The Wizard of Oz. Yes, Em you are right! It is!!" All too cute.

These are all the girls: Catarina (didn't knowher), 

Carly and Natalie Stevens, Ashleigh and Emily. 

Angie and I.

Isn't this crazy....I think it's a TAX joke!!!

This was just taken a few hours ago...what is going on! I can't believe we just got about two inches of snow. I know it is still April-but we were all ready for Spring!

Enough of the snow stuff.

NO MORE!

We already switched out the winter clothes in our drawers and closets over spring break for the summer clothes.

I had to go and get the winter coats from the storage in the garage........

I am sooooo ready for Spring and the tulips that have tried to bloom to come out.

Anyone else need a roommate for a few weeks? while it warms up???

We are so ready to come.