We were home in Idaho for Christmas this year & decided to take some pictures of our family playing in our tree farm. It was also my intention to use a "suitable" photo as our Christmas card. (Which, if you're wondering where yours is...don't fret...nobody got one!) I don't know how taking family photos works in anyone else's family, but in ours, the minute the camera comes out, someone (it seems to be a different someone every time) decides that family photos are the dumbest idea on the planet...and we commence to fight for the next hour or so until either the photographer (usually me) quits out of frustration or we're all ready to kill each other. This time was no different. But after reviewing the photos from the "shoot", I realized I loved the candid, crazy, imperfect photos every bit as much as the ones that were set up...maybe even more. So I've decided that unless I've got a professional hired, I'm going to just roll with it. And maybe, just maybe, my family won't notice there's a camera in the midst...

Perfect birthday

Alec turned 18 last week. When I asked him what he wanted for his birthday, he smiled that sweet lop-sided smile at me and said, "You know what I want, mom...what I always want. The perfect surf session." So courtesy of Honolua Bay, he got it. 

Happy Birthday, my sweet boy...um, man.

Be mine...

Unless it is

mad

passionate

extraordinary 

LOVE

it is a waste 

of time.

There are too many

mediocre things in 

LIFE.

LOVE

should not be 

one of them.

Happy Valentine's Day

Climbing back on the wagon

Hello. My name is Michelle and I'm here to admit to you that I fell off the wagon...the blogging wagon, that is. It's been almost a year since my last post. What happened? Truth be told...I don't know. I just know that I hit a wall. A big, thick, blank wall. I think it might be called blogger's block. Or maybe it's just called life.

So much has taken place over the last year, I hardly know where to begin. But along with my beautiful, growing family (I'm the mom of two adults now...Senecca's 20 & Alec turned 18 last weekend!!!), I have been working on a number of things over the last year, which I am excited to share with you. And I have a few new ventures that I'm embarking on...more on that later. For now, just know that I'm back. And soooooo happy about it.

I am the bombmom.com

Stockton wrote me a poem for Mother's Day.

It's called The Important Thing.

The Important Thing

The important thing about my mom is she is the bombmom.com

She tawte me alot of stuff.

She helps me thru things that are tough:

She comforts me.

She likes to ride bikes.

She never goes on a strike.

She makes good food.

She's always in a good mood.

The important thing about my mom is she is the bombmom.com

Stockton, 

YOU ARE THE BOMB.

For real.

And I promise I'm gonna keep teaching you lots of things.

Like how to look cool riding a bike with big, fat tires and a wide grandma seat.

And how to cook a mean peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

I'm gonna teach you how to stay in a good mood even when you have three naughty boys who drag sand through your freshly cleaned house and dump their surfboards and towels on the living room floor then sit down on the couch to play xbox in their dripping wet swimsuits.

I'm gonna teach you not to go on strike.

No matter what.

And someday, if you're lucky...

I'm even gonna teach you how to spell.

Because I'm the bombmom.com.

And that's how I roll.

New Year's Resolutions...

I'm usually so good at New Year's Resolutions.

After the beautiful chaos and clutter of Christmas, I'm ready to dejunk, detox, and de-whatever else has been making me crazy over the previous year.

But this year was different.

We had just moved into a 1960's fixer-upper and the to-do list was so overwhelming that the new year came and went with nary a resolution being thought about, much less written down.

Then there was the whirlwind trip to the mainland: visits, Chicks, errands, dr. appointments, etc.

Then back to Maui to make up for being an absentee mom: LOTS of cooking and cleaning, seminary, homeschooling, damage control, more remodeling of said fixer-upper.

Phew...just now catching my breath.

Now, about those resolutions...

I have decided that this is the year of simple.

There are just a few things I want to write down so that I have definitive goals in mind.

 Before the year ends I want to:

1.  Read more books.

2.  Hug my kids more.

3.  Spend time, not money, on things that matter most.

4. Move every day (my body, not my house.)

5.  Treat everyone I meet like they are the most important person in the world.

There.

That's it.

Chicks in the Sticks...it's tiiiiiiime!

Well ladies,

it's that time again...

That's right.

Time for Chicks in the Sticks...

Twenty twelve, baby.

I've promised for a loooooong time that I would share pictures from Chicks. 

And true to form...

two years later,

here you go.

Prepping some gifts for the girls.

 In case you're wondering, the prep is a 

sleep-deprived,

 sugar-induced, 

glorious extravaganza

 of creativity.

Just my cup of tea.

Truth: One cannot be clean and creative at the same time.

 And I choose creativity every time,

hands down.

Notice the front of the stainless steel dishwasher behind me?

See all the fingerprints on it?

Yep.

Creative, not clean.

 (Just keepin' it real.)

Senecca was my muse, designer, and chef that year.

And she rocked all three.

My beautiful girls.

Dinner-time.

Not sure what Mindy was describing here.

Perhaps the size of my thighs after the weekend..? 

Us two Michelles.

When I grow up I want to be Michelle.

She knows everything.

Uh...shoes on the carpet, Eric?

What shoes?

I don't see any shoes.

The girls got me a sweet gift.

Complete with Michelle-o-phane.

And my official Chicks uniform.

In my signature color.

Mmmmhmmmm...these girls know me.

One of the best parts of Chicks is our annual tradition of "My favorite thing." 

We each share our favorite thing that we have fallen in love with over the past year, and if possible, bring one for every chick.

As you can see, Tana has a love-affair with TJ Maxx (and Ross) and she found these great re-usable bags there which she brought for everyone to have. 

I don't know who was the designer for these TJ Maxx bags, but let me tell ya, 

they nailed it.

I'll take two, please.

 Oh my!

I'll take two of those too, please.

(Oh, get your mind out of the gutter, people.

They're just Downey fragrance hangers for your closet...

...or in a pinch, inserts for your bra in case you get cold.)

Either way, they smell

REAL GOOD.

Shalece is our resident hair-stylist extraordinaire.

Shalece, if you're reading this... 

MY HAIR NEEDS YOU!!!

Call me.

We need to talk.

Rebecca and her chocolate.

Yes, Christa, we know...

you love to read.

Deep.

 Holocaust.

 Literature.

Late at night.

Alone in bed.

Yessirree.

And no "Chicks" weekend would be complete without some dancing.

What really made Michelle shine... 

...literally...

was the gold lame' shirt that she breaks out for special occasions.

And believe me, 

this was a special occasion.

Food...

(lots and lots of food...)

pedicures...

warm jammies...

gifts...

projects...

more projects...

good company...

Laughs...

Babies to love on...

Other people doing my dishes...

All made for one divine weekend.

Are you ready to do it again, ladies?