365.4: WEEK 3

It's been a busy week. Twirling around at the store in a favorite dress. Playing soccer with a new friend at the park. Parent Teacher Conferences. Doing backbends. Celebrating the birthday buddies. Checking out the trail map. Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon (2:03:25).

January 13th - January 19th

HAPPY PLACE

If you haven't realized by now, I LOVE Disneyland. I can't even explain where or why this obsession began within the last couple of years, but I'm hooked. That place is magical. We splurged a little for this visit and stayed at a hotel literally across the street from the parks. I will never do it differently with children; both days we took a 2 hour break in the afternoon to rest and refresh before facing the evening crowds. We rode all of the rides, ate a lot of delicious food, and saw ZERO princess (definitely singing praises on that last one). Favorite rides for the entire family: Thunder Mountain, Space Mountain, Grizzly Rapids, and Radiator Springs Racers. While there were still tears over some of the rides, there were many more squeals of delight and bouts of laughter on this Disney adventure. The kids liked a number of rides at Disney California Adventure, but Disneyland is still the clear winner for our family. The most amazing part of our trip? I only snapped a couple of pictures each day (for my Project 365) and kept the camera in the locker for a large majority of our time in the parks. I wanted to BE with my family on this adventure.

365.4: WEEK 2

This week felt shorter than most, but maybe that's because we spent a bulk of it on vacation. Playing with drones. Picking out a birthday treat. Helping pack for vacation. Walking up to the gates at Disneyland. Enjoying treats of choice at Disney California Adventure. Eating at In N Out on the way home from California. 2nd counselor in the deacons' quorum.

January 6th - January 12th

SNOW WHAT?

After last year's experience, I vowed that I was taking a year off from any snowy adventures. I just didn't think my anxiety could handle the stress of it - even if nothing went wrong. I ran the idea past my kids and they were all okay with skipping a snow trip this winter, too. But on the last day of winter break, I did a 180. I decided to attempt it. I knew that if I had a destination in mind and someone there with me, I'd be okay. So I reached out to the Merkley family in Happy Jack - the same couple that was there to help rescue us during our botched experience last year - and away we went. I did surprisingly well, even when the snowy patches gave way to feet-deep snow on the top of the Rim. It wasn't until I was trying to back into the Merkleys' icy driveway in Happy Jack that anxiety hit. My tires started to spin and slip on the ice as the car jolted sideways on the road. NOPE. I never wish to experience that sensation again, thank you. I parked the car in the safety of the road instead. We bundled up and hit the slopes for a few hours before enjoying a picnic lunch inside. After eating and visiting with the Merkley for a bit, we headed home. Safe and sound.

365.4: WEEK 1

Here we are. Another Project 365. Actually, 366 thanks to Leap Day. This will be my fourth time documenting a year in our lives - capturing the ups, the downs, the exciting, and the mundane. As with 2018, I hope to portray a realistic look at life with anxiety. Also, with only one little home while the kids are at school, you can expect to see quite a bit of my mini muse. Finally, this will be another year of black and whites, similar to 2016. I have other priorities right now, so the last thing I want to do is stress about skin tones. Other posts will remain in color, but 365 will be black and white.
So to kick off the New Year: Fireworks at 12:01AM on New Year’s. Neighborhood bonfire with friends. Snow play in Happy Jack, Arizona. Stretching before a 20 mile run. Learning how to pass the sacrament.

January 1st - January 5th