Table for Eight

I've been thinking this week about how wonky life can get. And I've also been thinking about how funny it is that we don't really photograph the wonky, just the good. Well, for the most part. In some ways that makes our lives LOOK a little out of balance when we review photos and blogs and social media (Particularly other people's lives, right? I mean our own positive posts seem accurate because we know the wonky is there somewhere in the background. But sometimes in looking at other people's captured moments it seems  as if their lives are definitely more awesome-er than ours. Are you picking up what I'm layin' down? ) But in other ways I think focusing on the good is kind of a good thing--because I think it's super important and valuable to focus/emphasize the good over the bad and/or wonky. It doesn't mean the bad or wonky doesn't exist; it just means I believe it's super helpful (for our own sanity, our children, and society)...

Well it's not even 8am and I've already managed to break the diswasher, clog some pipes, and curse for about 20 solid minutes. I'd say today's going to be pretty awesome. And it's really all my own doing. You see, one of my New Year's goals was to meditate each morning for just 5 minutes (don't want to kill myself at the start--LOL) AND be more easy-going with household routines and chores (primarily with the kids' doing theirs). But I'm telling you, that is EASIER SAID THAN DONE (for me).  I have some kind of learned/DNA-backed obsession with people following through on jobs and keeping our household running smoothly. I know emptying trashes or washing dishes isn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but for some reason it's the principle of it for me. I just want our kids to "do their part" to contribute to homelife AND learn life skills that will help them to be self-reliant peeps. But they're teenage a...

We are super excited that it's Christmas Eve and we're about to celebrate the birth of baby Jesus! We are also super excited because we get to have a phone call tomorrow from Elder Meehan--one of two phone calls during the year (Mother's Day is the other one.). It's hard to believe that we haven't heard his voice in months. Months! Wow. As I sit here typing this early morning, all of our kids are sleeping. It's a pretty rare occasion; usually one or two are awake by this time. And since I have a few solo minutes, I thought I would share a few of the thoughts I have about how much Christmas means to me: --I love Christmas because it's a holiday that seems to impact all people for good. The Christmas season brings out the best in all of us. It's the time when we really get to feel what it would be like if we chose love, generosity, and selflessness every day of our lives. I love that. It kinda makes me feel more connected to all people (my own f...

Elder Meehan and other service missionaries in his area. (At dinner with some people from their ward. So kind--they are often provided dinner.)  Reasons I'm Excited For Thanksgiving 1. My family is coming to dinner. (From out of state!) 2. Even though it's our first Thanksgiving without Elder Meehan, he told us he'd been invited to SEVEN different homes for dinner that day. (We love Indiana peeps!) 3. I have a reason to bake a lot of bread--and cook some of my favorite things.  4. Thanksgiving reminds me of some of my most favorite Survivor friends. (It's an interesting phenomenon, but when people "starve" for a period of time, one coping mechanism is to talk about food. A lot. And both times I played Survivor that was the case; I always ended up talking about "Your Ideal Thanksgiving" with the other players. I think Sophie, Whitney and I bonded over some Thanksgiving menus in the South Pacific. And Michael and I definitely talked t...

Bam as Alice In Wonderland. (PS: Thank you Marthe--her church youth group leader--for MAKING this dress!) First of all, I just have to say this: our daughter Bam is hands-down the most peaceful person I know. Just thinking of her calms ME. She finds happiness in every new day. It's incredible. And this photo is a super-amazing reminder/example of that for me. (Plus, I've may have said this before? But I think adopting our children has given me an extra helping of gratitude for their personalities and traits. They are sometimes like Dave and I, but others times so SO different. I'm really grateful for that/this.) Okay now: it's Halloween week and I have 2.8 million things on my To Do List. And while I could write the list here, and give you a serious laugh-attack, I thought I'd just share the 2.8 millionth thing on the list. It pretty much sums up how I'm approaching life right now:  DAWN's TO DO LIST # 2...

Yesterday while we were out shopping for school supplies, we happened upon this this little fella: University of Utah Gnome And with just one quick glance, I knew what I had to do-- message our friends Liz and Whittney and tell them I couldn't wait for fall football season and the rivalry between The University of Utah (Utes) and Brigham Young University (Cougars) to begin. Translation: I told them to watch their backs--because this guy was gonna kick that gnome's can this year. BYU Cougar mask. What is it about athletic rivalry that makes grown women (moms!) TP each others' homes, stick plastic forks in their lawns, and plaster our teams' merchandise ALL OVER one anothers' porches? I have no idea. But I love it. And I have Liz and Whittney to thank for that--because they are the ones who gave our neighborhood the "Spirit Of Prank." I mean I wouldn't admit this to them, but I'm not really that invested in any one spo...

1. Spidey works in Provo. (On our drive up Center Street in Provo ... ran across this superhero.) 2. Provo is the one town where your mom doesn't say, "GET OUTTA THE GUTTER." (This water is released from the local mountain dam, for farms to channel. It's clean and COLD!) (I love this photo because I have one of Elder Meehan doing the same thing as Ray ... only 8 years ago!) 3. Provo has THE BEST bowling alley (at BYU). It's like the set of Happy Days here. Anyway, my point! When I first came to BYU 20+ years ago, Provo seemed so tiny.  But after our day here yesterday, the kids and I decided that Provo is pretty dang awesome. PS: Here's how the rest of the Meehans are getting along ... I was able to exchange emails with Elder Meehan! (He's on a service mission in Indiana, for those of you new to the blog.) Dave made us have a push u...