Back to School {2012} and Back to Blogging

Oh goodness.  I don’t even know where to begin.  I feel like I am relearning a foreign language sitting here at my computer putting my thoughts into words right now. 

How do I do this again??? 

I’m sure it will come back to me.  Kind of like riding a bike again, I guess.  I hope so!

All of my family, friends, blog readers and myself will be very glad to get past the Easter post that has been sitting here for the past 5 months.  MOVING ON ALREADY!  Sheesh…

I don’t feel like being very wordy right now and spilling my guts and all of the feelings I have been sorting through for awhile now, but I will say that I desperately needed a break and now I desperately need the therapy that comes along with blogging.  There is something special and refreshing about working on a post and then pushing the publish button.  It makes ME feel alive again and that is what I have missed.  I have missed celebrating my life with others.  Taking pictures, putting words to them and documenting my family’s life story makes me feel like my life is real.  I have proof of this wonderful life and all of the many things we do each day.  Sometimes it doesn’t feel so wonderful.  It feels a little overwhelming actually, but sharing my life with others helps me search more diligently for the good in each and every day.  The good from the great big milestones to the little quiet moments in a day that could easily get overlooked if I wasn’t paying attention.  I want to appreciate all of the blessings I have! 

OK.  So maybe I will back up for a minute after all and make this just slightly wordy.  I am in my own little therapy session right now.  My blogging therapy.  :)  Here we go…

Life can get so busy and I have to make decisions on how I spend my time every day.  Each Spring I struggle with keeping up on everything.  It is my family’s busiest time of year.  Last May I made the hard decision to put the computer behind me.  COMPLETELY BEHIND ME.  I was starting to resent all of the time I spent on the computer and how it seemed like everything had to be done through the computer.  I needed to focus on the voice inside my own head and not pay attention to the voices of others from all over the entire world.  Sometimes in the Internet-world things are at our fingertips too easily.   I felt good about the decision.  I knew I needed to get back to the basics of my life.  I wanted the undivided time with my family and to completely live in the moment with them.  I truly enjoyed our time together and always putting them first – no matter what. 

But then (there is always a but) I realized how much time had passed and all of the things I let go.  I honestly couldn’t remember why I loved my hobbies before.  I was fully aware of how much time they took and how I was always busy doing something, but I couldn’t remember the why’s.  Why were they important to me?  Why did I do the things I did?  I sat on that thought for a long time, waiting for an answer to come.  I knew something was missing, something that completed me. That sounds funny and slightly dramatic because really my faith, family and friends complete me and I have those things, but there was a piece of me that was empty.  I realized  the ache that I couldn’t push away (and trust me,  I tried really hard to push that feeling away) was my hobbies.  They made ME … ME.  They made me as a person, interesting and an individual.  I have something to offer others when I am an individual.  I also realized that my well was completely dry.  For the first time in my life I fully understood the importance of having water in my well.  I needed to give water to others and I needed water reserves for myself so I could get through the periods of drought. 

The light bulb went on.  Ohhhhh…so that’s what they mean by that.  I get it!  Lesson learned.  We as mothers need to provide for ourselves.  For our individual selves.  We are worth it!  Our families and others around us will benefit.  I know this is true.  Life is a game of balance and I need to remember to continually put myself back in the game. 

Anyway, I felt slightly overwhelmed wondering where to start with this blog of mine but then I realized it really didn’t matter.  I just needed to get the first post done.  After a long break from anything the first is always the hardest but it gets easier and the juices start flowing again.  So here it is…

Back to School {2012}  This is a special request from Nana Moes.  Thank you for not giving up on me!  I love you.  This is a great way to stay in touch and I will not forget that. :) 

The kids started the school year towards the end of August.  They just finished up their 6th week of school.  6 weeks already?! 

Drew is in First Grade. 

He is still the same ol’ Drew – loveable, cuddly, sweet and sensitive with the role of “annoying little brother” perfected at times.  His big brother is still his #1 idle and best friend.  He has become quit the reader and is doing great with Math.  He has discovered a new sport – Soccer.  This is his first season playing soccer.  He enjoys every minute and is so much fun to watch on the field.  He keeps telling me he loves soccer more than baseball.  I tell him he is breaking my heart and I just can’t part with those cute little bum hugging baseball pants. He thinks that is hilarious and laughs like crazy!

Jake is in Fourth Grade.

Jake is still our boy full of knowledge and facts.  He enjoys reading advanced books of all kinds and remembers everything. He gives me a play by play of his day the second he walks through the door.  He loves to talk and share everything!  He has the best sense of humor and can take a joke like no other.  His laugh is the best!   He is passionate about football and gathers a group of neighborhood friends together every single day to play football in our side yard.  I hope he remembers these days!

Kaylee is in Sixth Grade.

This is a mile stone year for Kaylee.  It is her first year of Jr. High. Yikes!  She has grown up so much.  Almost over night it feels like.  She is having a very positive experience so far and I am so proud of her for all the things she is doing and accomplishing.   She is taking all Pre-AP classes which means a lot more homework.  She is also enrolled in the off-campus P.E. program with our swim team, which is great because instead of taking P.E. at school, she gets to take one more elective, but it also means she has to attend swim practice everyday after school.  She moved up a level at swim this year so she is spending 1 hour and 30 min to 1 hour and 45 min a day at swim practice.  This girl was exhausted during the first couple weeks of school!  I thought maybe we would need to switch something around because I wasn’t sure how she was going to do it all.  We had a nice long chat about time-management and being able to push through hard things and feel proud about yourself at the end of it.  A couple weeks ago it all fell into place for her and clicked.  She was like a new girl!  This also is a milestone year for her because she is getting braces.  She is in the process of it right now and will probably have them on in the next month or so.  She thought the spacers were going to kill her.  I am dreading what the actual braces are going to be like. :(

Here is Kaylee and one of her BFF’s, Victoria, on the first day of school.  No more walking them in ever again.  Curb side check only!  I was pleasantly surprised they paused long enough for us to snap a few pictures.  This friendship is extra special because her mom and I had the same friendship growing up.  It is so fun for Sara and I to live the dream of raising our children together and watch them form strong friendships.  We have benefited so much from living by one another.  I only wish it could be forever! 

Ady’s 3rd birthday is right around the corner so she will get highlighted soon enough!

Thank you for coming back to read my blog and to support my family in all that we do.  It feels good to be back!

Life’s Journey {what has helped me}

I mentioned a while back that I was having a hard time with life.  There are two things that changed everything for me.  I know that there were many little daily things that needed to change and things I needed to view differently, but two distinct things changed my view on day to day life dramatically.  I will share those two things in just a sec. 

I believe that technology can be a blessing in our lives just as much as it can be an invader and time stealer from ourselves and those around us.  A couple of weeks ago I learned what a huge blessing it can be if I use technology and my time the right way.  Because I was doing this, I was blessed by stumbling across two articles that I needed to read.  I know that I didn’t actually “stumble” across them at all.  They were there for me to find at that particular time. 

The first one is from Brooke Snow.  She writes an amazing blog about Photography and life in general. I always learn something from her.  Every week she posts about things she has found on the internet that have helped her or she has found uplifting or interesting.  I look forward to these posts from her.  She titles it “Best of…my weekly discoveries.”  Don’t click on these links yet, but this particular Best of led me to this amazing article about our to-do lists and time-management.

I want to get the background set up for you.  This article changes the focus of our to - do lists from the list itself to the actual how and why we do things.  Something that I really needed to learn.  The part that made me stop and really contemplate this perspective was when he said we are creating our Legacy with our daily to-do’s.  Now go back up and click.

Wow!

Legacy has always seemed like such a big word.  It is full of so much meaning!   To use it in a day to day context really made me think.  What he says is so true.  What do you think?

The second one is from a new blog I found.  Cajun Joie de Vivre.  Amy Bayliss is a Christian blogger who writes about so many different topics, including recipes and organizing and crafty projects, which is how I happened to “stumble” across her.  I was organizing a few things on my Pinterest boards.  I was sorting through my For the Blog board, printing some free printables, one of which was from her.  One thing led me to the next on her blog and I found myself hooked reading so many wonderful things that I needed to read.   This is the article that was meant for me.  She sorted out everything that was all jumbled up in my head and put it into words.  She made sense of everything for me.  The concept she writes about are things I already have been taught and know to be true, but I needed to read her words.  I’m not even going to try to explain what she says because she does so perfectly.  Her article is lengthy, but it really was life changing for me so if you feel like you don’t know what you are doing anymore, your days aren’t making any sense and you are pedaling your wheels and getting no where, read her post. 

Just thought I would pass some very good reads your way and a little bit of my own life lessons.  Maybe it will help you like it helped me. 

Back to School – 2011 (and a little rambling from me)

I have been quiet on this blog lately.  I don’t even know where to begin.  So much has been swarming around in my mind for the last couple of months.  I am trying to figure things out as a mama and all of the different roles I play right now. It’s really never ending.  Once I get it figured out I have to figure it out all over again.  WHY does it have to be like that???  I have been working on finding a good schedule and routine that really works for my busy family.  I have to be honest and say that I have been struggling A LOT lately.  Life is so hard and so, so busy.  Too busy.  It is such a challenge to spread myself so thin all over the place and juggle it all while trying to do my very best at each thing and be there for everybody.  I can’t do it all anymore and I am not going to try.  I am going to prioritize.  I have been doing lots of list making and goal setting and priority changing.  I have been cleaning and organizing EVERYTHING under the moon in hopes to simplify our life…in our home as well as the activities that we are each involved in.  I have so many loves in life and hobbies that I can’t imagine giving up, but I honestly don’t have time for it all.  I feel like life is one big circle with different tasks changing all the time and when I focus on a certain area, other things that are also important, get neglected.  Even though I don’t like that fact, it’s ok, because that’s life.  I am just trying to wrap my head around it and weed out unnecessary things so I can use my time where it matters most.  Each day where I put my time might be different than it was the day before…and something else will get neglected, but that is ok. 

My kids love extra curricular activities and they are successful at them, but this year we needed to switch it up a bit.  Kaylee was in year round swim last year and she had practice every day.  While we didn’t go everyday, it was still a huge commitment and a huge chunk of time.  We re-evaluated and decided to take the fall off.  We will see how things look in January and maybe she will start then.  Last year the boys were both playing fall baseball (while Kaylee was swimming). We had 2 games a week and 2 practices each (at least).   This year the boys decided they wanted to give football a try.  So we found a league where they have practice for one hour on Saturday mornings and the game is right after that.  Now we only have a small commitment on Saturdays.  I am hoping that this will leave us more time for family dinners (or dinner at all) and more patient parenting from us rather than barking orders here and there as we are rushing to the next thing. 

That is just a small part of what has kept life so busy, but we I am trying to simplify ALL areas and keep my family home a little more often.  I know that soon my kids are going to grow up and plan their own schedules and activities and that is ok too, but right now and for this school year, I feel like it is important for us to teach them to slow down a little bit.  I want them to know that we value our time together as a family and that the heart of our family is at HOME.  I feel like now more than ever that is something we have to fight for…for our families and for togetherness.  I also know that I am going to have to be mindful of that every day and that every day I am going to have to make the best decisions on how our time is spent.  We just can’t do it all and it is ok to say no.

Which leads the topic to me.  I have my hands involved in so many things; managing my family and our home (which is HUGE), church callings, blogging, photography, projects, staying connected with friends and family, being involved at school and the list goes on.  We all do.  They are all SUCH good things but when I’m not eating, or sleeping or exercising because I am trying to do ALL of them at the same time, that is a red flag.  Something needs to change. 

BUT, I am not going to give them up.  They are each a part of who I am.  I am, however, going to take the pressure off myself and  do those extra things when  it works.   Journaling has always been important to me and it is something I want to make more time for, but I can’t do it when my family is hungry and I need to go to the grocery store and my kids are complaining that they have no clean clothes to wear and my house is a disaster and Ady is screaming that she wants to go swimming and she has mascara painted all over her face and I am exhausted and blah, blah, blah.  Sometimes it takes a couple of weeks to catch up from that!!!   Which has been the case for me.  I thought for sure once school was back in session life would be smooth.  I would have so much time to do all of these extra things, but that has not been the case.  It has taken me this long just to recover from summer and get organized again.       

This post really wasn’t supposed to be about me at all.  I felt like I needed to keep it real though.  This is my journal and I think down the road my kids need to know that I had a hard time keeping it all together and that being a mom is really hard.  That it is the hardest thing I will probably ever do. 

It is rewarding everyday moments and milestones like this (a new school year) that I want to document for my family.  I want them to know that they are worth the time it took for me to record a memory and some photos…even when my journaling might be sporadic.   

The kids were so excited for the first day of school.  I can’t believe how grown up they look in this picture.  I also can’t believe that I have a fifth grader, third grader and kindergartner!  

It has been really fun to have all 3 of them at the same school.  This is the only year I am going to be able to enjoy that.   Next year Kaylee will be in intermediate school and probably too old for me to even snap photos like these.  She was so ready to get to her class by the time we had dropped Jake and Drew off.  I was lucky to get these photos.  You can tell in the last one that she is so wishing I wasn’t there. hahaha… 

I just love her.  I was more sad to see her go to 5th grade than I was to see Drew go to Kindergarten.  That was unexpected for me.  Kindergarten is such a milestone and I was prepared for tears to come for Drew, but I was not for Kaylee.  When I came home I was most sad about leaving her behind. 

Jake cracked me up because he was so eager to get to his class and get started.  He knew exactly where his desk was, sat down and started working.  Jake is such a good student and REALLY loves learning. 

He has the same 3rd grade teacher as Kaylee did.  That has been the story each year for him.  We are really excited about that.  Mrs. Juneau received the teacher of the year award in our school district when Kaylee was her student.  She is awesome and so much fun! 

Oh Drew!  My sweet little Kindergartner.  He was excited about his big day, but definitely more nervous and not sure what to expect.  I can tell by look on his face.  He looks a little more reserved, which is so unlike him. 

He decided at the last minute to ride the bus home with the big kids instead of having me pick him up.  After I dropped Kaylee and Jake off I had to go to the office to get him a wrist band for the bus.  I was glad because I was able to come back and spend a little more time in his class room.  I snapped a few more photos and watched him say the Pledge of Allegiance.  It brings back so many memories! 

I hope my kids have a fun and memorable year at school.  I know they will.  I also hope that I can manage our home and schedules better this year and not lose my mind.  A girl can dream…

P.S. To read about my latest photography adventure go here.

ME…A New Me (kindof)

Have you ever felt the need to reinvent yourself?  Just start from scratch?  Not that you would be completely different than you are right now,  maybe just tweaked a little here and there.  Softened around the edges.

I have. 

Maybe you feel like you got lost somewhere along the way and you are wondering WHY you do the things you do each and every day. 

I have had those feelings.

I am sure you noticed my blogging absence lately.  I have been doing a lot of  reinventing.  A lot of quiet time trying to get to the bottom of things.  Things like how I spend my time each day. Why I insist on rushing around all day long.  The things that are keeping me busy… are they important…to me, to my family, to Heavenly Father?  What REALLY makes ME happy?  What makes me tick?  Do you ask yourself those kind of questions? 

I try not to honestly.  Sometimes they can be scary to come clean about.  But sometimes it’s just necessary. 

After I really gave myself time to think about it, I realized I was too busy to be truly happy.  The kind of happy that you feel deep down.  Not just surface happy.  I was surface happy, but I was also exhausted all the time and sleep deprived, like most moms.  And honestly, I was sick of feeling that way!  I needed to slow down.  But how?  As I thought about this… what needed to change, why my life feels so out of control, what is a better way for me to manage my day, I kept thinking about how life was before we moved to Texas, when we used to live in Utah.  For some reason those days felt simpler to me.  I didn’t feel like I was getting pulled in every direction possible.  I remember barely checking my e-mail.  I was hardly ever on the computer.  How would that be now, when your computer and your cell phone is the main source of communication?  Technology has come a long way and can be a blessing in our lives, but was I using it wisely?

What I was craving were quiet afternoons while kids were napping or having quiet time themselves so I could sit and read a book.  Going to bed at a decent time so I could wake up feeling refreshed because, guess what? I didn’t stay up until 1:30 in the morning finishing up projects, lists, posts, cleaning and whatever else I thought was more important than sleep. I decided it was time for me to make new priorities and take the simpler route.   No more excessive time on the computer. I started going to bed early and getting up early, exercising, reading (I read the Hunger Games Series…AWESOME! ) I started being more dedicated to spiritual things like reading my scriptures and saying my prayers regularly.  I was able to cook more often and stay on top of my chores.  I was enjoying this new laid back pace where I didn’t give myself deadlines and squeeze in a million extra things. 

But something was still missing.

I was missing. 

ME. 

The person I always knew and the person I  had become.

I had taken away everything I loved to do. The creative side of me anyway.  Which helps define who I am.  Blogging, photography, creating around my house and scrapbooking are all important to me.  That is part of what makes me tick and what makes me happy.  I decided my routine needed to change so that I could squeeze ME back into the equation.  And guess what? It is working!  I still don’t have all the time I would like to have, but a little bit of creative time is so much better than nothing at all.       

I HAVE LEARNED moderation in all things is key.  I personally need a little bit from every category.  Sleep, reading, exercise, creative time, time with family and friends, responsibilities and spiritual growth. 

I HAVE LEARNED that reading the scriptures every day and personal prayer really do help.  Early to bed and early to rise is the smartest thing ever!  These two things go hand in hand.  No wonder I have been taught this from my parents and church leaders since I was little.  Just because I am a grown up doesn’t mean I shouldn’t listen. :)

I HAVE LEARNED not to ignore myself.  Each of us are different and need different things to keep our blood pumping.  Now I know what mine is.  Have you thought about what yours is?

I HAVE LEARNED that I am a better mother and wife when I take time for myself and when my life doesn’t involve having to be responsible all the time.

I HAVE LEARNED that routines are always changing and that is ok. 

I HAVE LEARNED that listening to our inner voice is the way we gain strength and peace. 

So much learned, but so much more TO LEARN.

While I was at it, I decided to reinvent my blog.  Do you like it?  It had gotten lost somewhere along the way too.  I am rededicating myself to my blog…because I want to.  Because journaling about my thoughts and my family and our home make me happy.

Here is a photo for you that makes me happy and want to be a better me.

I have been updating my 365 Blog.  Feel free to check it out!

It’s Time…

It’s time for me to weed out some space on this blog of mine.  It’s time for me to clear my mind and hopefully start blogging better and on a more regular basis.  I’m not making any promises but it’s time for me to start on a clean slate since it’s a  New Year, so that is exactly what I’m going to do.  I love this time of year.  January is probably one of my favorite months. 

In order for me to clear up some space here, I have two new blogs.  I need to spread things out a little bit.  Krysta Moes Photography and These are the Days: Project 365.  This will keep things more organized for me and hopefully motivate me to keep posting. 

So…

If you want to see some heartwarming welcome home photos,

 

A beautiful maternity shoot,

and an adorable newborn named Piper (don’t you love that name?)

Then click here.  This is where I will update all of my photography shoots.  No more mixing them with my family blog. 

If  you have been following me with my Project 365 journey, then you probably think I have given up.  I would if I were you.  I am almost 2 months behind posting these.  I have not given up.  I have been taking photos every.single.day.  I just haven’t been posting them.  These past couple months have been more than a little crazy for me.  But I am trying to get back in the swing of things.  So, if you want to see what we have been up to for the month of November, click here.  You will have to scroll back several pages to get the whole scoop, but it’s all there.  I plan on getting December up soon.  There are other things that need to happen first, but I will get to it soon. :)

It is also time for me to walk by the beat of my own drum.  I am making my own rules.  I am done putting pressure on myself to get a million things done each day and then feeling bad when it doesn’t happen.  Life is too short to spend my days feeling overwhelmed.  I am a list maker.  It keeps me moving forward and clears my mind.  The only problem is…

I don’t know how to stop adding things to the list.  I was at the dentist office the other day, waiting for Kaylee and reading a magazine when I ran across a  great tip. 

Keep your daily list to 3 prioritized things each day.

What was that?  3??? Wow!  That is a HUGE difference compared to mine, which usually has 14 things.  I decided that I was going to do that.  It’s time for me to slow down and enjoy where I am in life and stop getting caught up in all of the To-Do’s.  I think that is going to make the biggest difference for me. 

I am reading the book Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach.  I started it about a week ago.  It has been so good for me.  My mother in law bought if for me for Christmas.  It was one of the best gifts.  In Simple Abundance she recommends making Aspirations for the New Year instead of Resolutions.  That is what I decided to do.  Resolution sounds like such a heavy word.  Aspiration sounds so much lighter and calm.  That’s what I need these days.  Light and calm. 

If I chose words to describe what I hope will reflect the year 2011 they would be:

Simplicity

Love

Patience

Spirituality

Knowledge

Creativity

Frugal

Memories

Confidence and

Strong

And there are some of my thoughts for a happy, worthwhile 2011!!  I hope yours is off to a great start.

Right Now…

 

 

(Yes, I am cheesy and I took a picture of myself)

1. I am missing the fall weather in Utah.  I get that homesick feeling every September and it lasts through Christmas.  I’m not sad, but for me there is no place like Utah during the fall and through the holidays.

2. I got my hair done a week ago and I cut 3” or more off.  So far I like the change.

3. I hardly ever like photos of me.  I am trying to get over that and take it for what it’s worth.

4. I would love to take a whole day, stay in my pajamas, not do any chores and read. All. Day. Long.

5. I finally have a good routine of going to bed on time and waking up early to exercise.  I love it!  I love feeling refreshed in the morning from a good nights sleep and having quiet time by myself first thing in the morning. 

6. Scrapbooking makes me really, really happy.  I don’t do it nearly enough but I need to even if I don’t think I have enough time.  It’s like my happy medicine.  If I can blog a couple of posts a week than I can get two pages done a week.  No more excuses!  

7. I am hooked on Words With Friends.  Sometimes I have 5 games going at a time.  I love taking a break out of the day and using my brain in a different way.  I usually unwind with this game before I go to bed. 

8.  I am so excited for fall T.V.!!!  I can hardly wait.  Do you want to know what I watch?  Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Brothers and Sisters, Private Practice and Dancing With the Stars (not sure when the last one is coming on)

9. I feel the holidays rolling around and I am excited to make things festive around here.  

10. I feel in awe of my life a little bit each day.  Most of my days are busy and chaotic and I feel like I take 3 steps forward and 5 steps back, but I still get glimpses of magical moments each day that make all the bad so worth it.  Sometimes I am overpowered with the realization that I am living my dreams.  I really am.  I have a husband who has exceeded my expectations and 4 beautiful children.  4 was my number for as long as I can remember and I made it!  I have a beautiful home and I am blessed to stay home with my children.  I can remember being a little girl and dreaming for all of these things to be in my future. Not a day goes by that I am not thankful for my dreams coming true.   

Random Wednesday

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately.  I ran across this quote a week or so ago.  It’s been on mind since.

Hmmmm…

I want to teach that to my children. 

I want them to know that they can do anything they put their minds to.  Even if they aren’t the BEST at something, they will still learn so much about themselves from trying and grow in ways they can’t imagine.

I want them to know that their Dad and I will be behind them, cheering them on in whatever dream they work to aspire.

Then I started thinking about myself.

Hmmmm…

What dreams do I have?  What am I trying to aspire?

I was stumped and felt a little frustrated. 

I have lots of loves/hobbies in my life.  Photography, Blogging, Scrapbooking, Decorating, (to name my faves) but nothing I was really trying to shoot big for. 

The more I thought about it, the more I got confused. 

I kept wondering if there is a path out there that I am  supposed to take that I haven’t thought of yet.

Something that I am supposed to do more of or do more with.

Just yesterday I ran across this quote: 

"God expects you to have enough faith and determination and enough trust in Him to keep moving, keep living, keep rejoicing. In fact, He expects you not simply to face the future (that sounds pretty grim and stoic); He expects you to embrace and shape the future--to love it and rejoice in it and delight in your opportunities.

God is anxiously waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, just as He always has. But He can't if you don't pray, and He can't if you don't dream. In short, He can't if you don't believe."
— Jeffrey R. Holland

Hmmmm…

So I did just that. 

I prayed and pondered for some direction.  Some sort of revelation that I am on the right track. 

Once again I received my answer. 

For me, it’s always the same answer. 

Family, Family, Family.  My time and talents need to be used to bless my family right now.  I have them to bless the lives of my husband and children and others around me. 

That is my big dream right now.  The thing I am trying to aspire.  My family.  My season for other dreams will come later.  And I feel good about that. 

I am thankful for prayers being answered.  Even the ones that seem so obvious.  Even the ones I already know the answer to.

Even when all I need is a little clarity.

********************************************************************************************

And on a totally different note,

Since this is a Random Wednesday post here is a random picture from this morning.

Dear Drew,

This is why mommy tells you not to climb.

I love you,

Mom