Pinterest

Dear Friends,
     I'm addicted.  To a little corner of the web called, Pinterest.

It's a place where I can keep all the great DIY ideas together that I'm never going to take the time to do.  

A place to drool over all the outfits I'll never have the money to buy.  

A place to dream about a home that will most likely remain just that, a dream. 

 A place to feel like a slacker mom and get lots of crafty ideas from clever moms.

Sounds a bit depressing, right?  I love it though.  Try it, you might like it too.  Click HERE to be invited.
Love, Meshan

My Dream Home

May 19, 2011

Dear Love,
    Before I remind you of the home you promised to buy me I want to tell you about the previous dream homes that led up to it.

DREAM HOME #1- Albuquerque, NM
Discovered:  While visiting the home of my mom's best friend.  Britt and I took mock senior pictures there.  I can not disclose at this time how many mock senior pictures I've taken nor with how many different friends.  It's shameful how (un)cool I am.
Likes: Spanish style, adobe fireplace, open ceilings, exposed rafters, five bedrooms, adobe walls
Dislikes:  Downtown ABQ, enough said.
* When senior pics. found insert here*

DREAM HOME #2- Suburb of Boston

Discovered:  While on Intense Community Service helping to rebuild a church.  Kristin, Serena and Cassie were my roommates.  The house was four stories, but we had only seen two so while our host family was away we ascended the staircase and snooped around to see the rest of the house.  Naughty.

Likes:  wood floors, stained glass windows, lighting, amazing staircase, cool rugs, large windows, arbor, I heart the East and BOSTON!

Dislikes: Husband has no desire to live East of NM.

DREAM HOME #3- a little town in Sweden
Discovered:  While in UWP.  This was my first host family outside the US.  While I was staying there Trey told me he joined the Army and we made plans to wed.
Likes:  close to the sea, attic room, my first experience with in-floor heat, open space, lots of windows, hard wood floors
Dislikes:  Sweden is a bit far

DREAM HOME #4- Outside Durango, CO.
Discovered:  While at the wedding reception of my mom's marriage to Bob.
Likes: straw bail home, brick floors, off the grid, solar panels, courtyard, lots of land, adobe walls, radiant heat
Dislikes: I'm much more inclined to warm weather.

DREAM HOME #5- Diamond Valley, UT.
Discovered:  While on a visit to see Danika.  The house belongs to her sister, who is also my sister-in-law's mother.  Got it?
Likes:  Every. Single. Thing.
Dislikes:  Not for sale.  If it were it would be out of my price range.

DREAM HOME #6: Farmington, NM
Discovered:  While visiting the in-laws.  They now own this home.
Likes:  There's so much to love and so much to be done to that big beautiful structure that I often think about it.  Often as in, every time I post a picture to Pinterest I have this home in my mind as I do so.  I've already decorated the entire thing in my dreams.  Is that normal?  I don't think that's normal.
Dislikes:  It's not for sale and I don't even know where we'll end up.  Could be Timbuktu.

DREAM HOME #7:  Henderson, NV
Discovered:  The fifth and most current dream house is the one my love took me to on a date the other night.  You said you were taking me somewhere that was going to blow my mind.  First of all, I love that you know me so well.  You could have just taken me to a movie (which would have been fine), but instead you took me to an amazing open house followed by a most delicious dinner.  Second, I love that you told me to bring my camera because you knew I would want pictures.



Likes:
Indoor/Outdoor living, so... wonderful... inspiring... and refreshing.






Are you kidding me?!!  An outdoor shower?!  The indoor one was 20x more fancy, but I'd take this one anyday.

Outdoor bed,  oh my.

I've died and gone to hot tub heaven.



Want a burger?  Just have a seat at the pool's bar and my husband will grill you one right up.



Relaxation/meditation room?  Yes, please.



How did you know I wanted a pallet style bed?!



Love this view from the Master Bedroom instead of looking at a TV.

Craft/ Laundry room with a TV.  I don't even watch TV anymore, but I might start back up.



Enough Solar Panels to be off the grid!!



Come, sit by the fire in my outdoor living room and watch my flat screen TV.



Or maybe you prefer this outdoor room with a waterfall and flat screen TV.



No?  Okay, let's just go to the Media Room.  Seriously?  Why so many televisions?!  There was one in nearly every room!

I loved all the courtyards, water features and xeriscaping.

Farewell!  I'll never see you again my 3.5 million dollar dream!

Dislikes:  the price, too many TV's, not enough color, a little too contemporary 

Disclaimer:  If someone wanted to give me this house I would take it in a heartbeat.

Love, Me

Oh Happy Day!

Dear Love,

     Thank you for a fabulous weekend!!  It all started Friday night with a date.  A date that was loooong overdue.  We have lots of stay-at-home dates, but I can't even remember the last time we went out on a date.

My sweetie knows me very well.  You took me to a place you knew I would go gaga over.  You said I would be blown away and you were right.  It's a place I will reveal on another day so that it can have it's proper time in the spotlight.

After the secret location you took me to a most delicious restaurant called Firefly*.  Bacon wrapped Dates, Chicken and Chorizo stuffed Mushrooms, Ceviche,  Filet Mignon Sliders, Ahi Tuna and Mango skewers...yep...we had them all.  And for dessert?  Chocolate Tres Leche cake, Caramel Flan, Lemon-berry tart and Passion fruit cheesecake.  I LOVE delicious food and it tastes even better when I'm with my Love on a date.  I had a virgin Raspberry Mojito to drink and it was quite possibly the best drink I've ever had in my life.  The waiter said it tastes even better when it has rum.  I believe him.

Saturday was full of soccer games, soccer games and more soccer games.  I'm finally starting to enjoy being a soccer mom.  It's a good thing since 6 months out of the year are consumed with it.

Sunday was Mother's Day and it was grand.  For breakfast I had pizza, a Crispy Creme donut, and Limeade.  That strikes me as funny, but I loved it.

After breakfast I opened my Mother's Day mega gift from you.  Yay, towels!  Our old ones were absolutely horrible and now we have luxurious five star resort WHITE ones.

                       

It was very nice having you home this morning and not at church meetings so that you could help me get everyone ready.  You bathed all the kids and even blow dried the girls hair for me.  What a guy.

As I was getting myself ready for church I was thinking about my mom and how we always used to match on Mother's Day.  I find it to be very cheesy, yet endearing.  Without purposefully buying matching outfits I realized the girls and I already had some that would work and the boys could even semi-match with us.  Score!  I  got everyone ready and with just minutes to spare before we headed out the door  I corralled everyone for a group photo.  I did a quick pass over to make sure we were all presentable when I noticed a big ol' spot on Jonas' shirt from breakfast.  ARGH!  These are the resulting shots you so beautifully captured:

You were already outside with the three youngest and started to take pictures without Jonas and I (hmm, not quite centered).  When you noticed we weren't joining you, you came inside and decided to capture the action of me yelling at our son because I had repeatedly told him to be careful and not get dirty before church.

With no time left for pictures we went to church.  When we got home I was happily bombarded with homemade gifts and goodies from the children.  

You made a yummy dinner and then we relaxed for the evening.  Thanks for such a lovely weekend.

xoxo, Me

Diamond Valley

March 31, 2010

Dearest Children,

A few days ago we met up with our dear friends, the Gunns (Danika, Abe, Lia, Hazel & Olive) in Diamond Valley, UT.  We spent our time hiking, picnicking, watching movies, reading books, jumping on the trampoline, trying to catch fish in the pond, and relaxing. I think I may have found my dream home. 

Too bad Danika’s sister already owns it.  Perfect size (5 bed 3 1/2 bath), perfect location (nestled up to BLM land), perfect backyard (large garden, small orchard, grass area, small pond, fire pit, sunken trampoline), perfect neighbors (a falconer, horse owners, four wheeler-ers, master gardeners, goat raising-chess playing kids), perfect lay out (a mud room, large kitchen, an office, a library, and a large upstairs bonus room) perfect, perfect, perfect.  Oh sorry, where was I? Ah, yes, the letter…

Jonas, you managed to fall into the pond within hours of our arrival (way to make a first impression) and Lia fell in just minutes before we were leaving out the door (way to go out with a splash).  Ha, ha I crack myself up.  All of the kids enjoyed the hike to the white sand dunes the most.  You spent hours climbing up the steep dunes and then running, sliding and often times, tumbling down.  The girls loved pretending the fine white sand was pixie dust, while the rambunctious boys held races to see who could make it down the fastest.  The diversity in the scenery was absolutely amazing.  We began our hike along a trail littered with lava rocks as black as coal.  Soon, the trail stopped and we made our way up the face of a red sandstone mountain.  As we neared the summit of the red sandstone, it suddenly turned white.  There was a small trickling stream that we followed until we came to the white dunes.  It was gorgeous and I loved watching you all play while I basked in the sun and Atticus ate sand.

The purpose of this letter is not to tell you how lovely our trip was, it is to teach a lesson.  Yippee for you!  As we were packing to leave, Danika and I were discussing possibly flying kites or doing one last hike on our way out of town.  After some contemplation, we decided against either one, as it was very windy and overcast outside.  I told her that we would be stopping at the temple on our way out of town and asked if they wanted to join us.  Jonas, my dear, apparently you didn’t like that idea.  You let out a load groan and said, “Ugh, why can’t we do something FUN?  The temple is the most boring place on earth!”  I ignored your comment and we packed the car and said our fond farewells because they declined my invitation.  On our way to the temple I told you how sad I was that you said what you did and the even though the temple may seem boring, it’s one of the most special places on Earth and we should respect it.  You apologized, but I could tell you would still much rather go somewhere to play than be reverent and walk around the temple.  Completely understandable because, after all, you’re only seven.

As soon as we drove up to the temple my heart did a little flutter.  I love the way the St. George temple shimmers in the sun and it always amazes me how they keep it so white.  It’s truly stunning.  We began to walk the temple grounds and you all trekked to the top of the steps that are in front of the temple and I took your picture.  We descended the steps and walked along the path circling the temple, admiring the spring flowers blooming with their luscious scents and colors. 

As we rounded a corner of the temple a large, gnarly tree caught my eye.  At the tip of every knotty branch was a bright bud of green, waiting to burst open.  I stopped and looked at it for a moment and then began a speech that went something along the lines of, “You know, Easter sure is a fun time with Easter eggs, a magic bunny and candy… but that’s not what Easter is really about.  Easter is a celebration of when Jesus was resurrected.  All the new growth in the Springtime reminds us that Jesus conquered death and is alive again.  When you see things blooming like this tree you can think of the real reason for Easter.” 

When I stopped talking Clara looked at me and put her little hand in mine.  “I just heard the Holy Ghost whispering to me”, she said. 

Smiling, I asked, “Oh really, what did he say to you?”  

“Well, when you were talking I just kept hearing, “YES. YES. YES, Clara!” then I knew what you were telling me was true.” 

How sweet is that?!  When we were done walking the temple grounds we walked to the visitors center and quietly sat and looked at the Christus Statue for as long as Atticus would allow.  There was a special exhibit of Greg Olsen’s artwork on display for Easter so we walked around, admiring his pieces and talking about the life of Jesus.  When it was time to go Jonas asked me, “Ah mom, do we have to leave already?”  I was immensely pleased, knowing you had felt the spirit and enjoyed being at the temple.  At least I’m hoping that’s why you wanted to stay and not simply because you were dreading the car ride home.  Either way, at least the temple wasn’t the most boring place on Earth after all.

Love, Mama