Table for Eight

Jay and Lauryn in a snow cave in Provo Canyon. I've mentioned this before, but 2015 was such a long year for us that I've been really searching and listening for ways to SLOW DOWN. At first what I thought I really needed was to SIMPLIFY my life ( or take up drinking--LOL ), but for some reason the idea of SLOWING DOWN is really what is striking a chord with me. And so as Janae would say, "My Great Brain Project" this year is to learn everything I can about how to slow down. (Psst: For those of you who haven't heard about the Great Brain Project: Janae's kids have an annual project at their elementary school where they pick a topic--any topic--and learn all they can about it. It may be a favorite insect, a country, a profession . . . ANYTHING! It's really cool. So cool, that Janae started doing them herself. My favorite Janae Great Brain Project was a quest to learn about gelato--and then find "the best one" in town. Co...

This year Dave found the "Baby Jesus" in our King's Cake. Every year, around Mardi Gras, we buy a King's Cake from our local grocery store. We don't understand much of the history behind it, but we know it has something to do with lent and Mardi Gras, and the Three Kings, and Jesus' birth. Legend has it that you hid the baby Jesus in the sweet roll cake and whoever finds it in their piece has good luck . . . and buys next year's cake! This year Dave found our Baby Jesus. It was pretty hilarious. A pic of the whole King's cake. And now, for some of the other things that crack me up this week: Jr. has been saving a lot of his pizza-making money. This was one of his first big purchases: a console that fits on his phone so he can play games using the console. Teenager-move, right? (Don't worry, he has a long term savings that he isn't allowed to touch, so these purchases are in the "okay" area for him.) ...

This month's calendar (made by Dave). January really did feel like a long month, so we were SO happy to have the month of February up on the chalkboard! I especially like it because Dave is the one that chalked the board this month It makes me smile every time I see it. In other news . . . Zu and Lu continue to make life fun(ny). Zu and Lu out for ice cream after visiting the Provo City Center Temple Open House. Zu and the Most Beloved Dog on Planet E: Harriet.

1. Our favorite toddler and Amelia Pond, the guinea pig. McK came over for a visit and ended up helping us bathe "piggie," as she calls him. (PS: Papaya did McK's hair. Her dad asked for corn rows.) 2. McK's brand new baby brother, Baby J. (Bam got him to smile and Lu snapped the photo.) 3. Bam holding Baby J. 4. Lu with Baby J. 5. Papaya holding baby Obi Wan. (The World's Most Spoiled Cat.) 6. THIS. Enough said. 7. Oh, and soup. We've had sick kiddos AND a pretty cold December /January, so I have been making a lot of soups (this one is potato, leek, and carrot). Psst: Yes, I think it is hilarious that I photograph the food. I have no idea why, but I like it.

Zu has started making smoothies for the family. I think it's a trip that she makes them so special. In all my years of making the kids smoothies, I have never made them look so special. I love these. (And Zu took the pic, too--adding the background heart.)   Do you ever have one of those weeks where the stress level seems extraordinary?   Well, last week was our week for that.   I want to explain the specifics and yet part of me is so beat from it all, I don't want to rehash it. (Though I do think it's probably valuable to journal about it, so in the future I will remember "we can do hard things.")   Anyway, my point!   We had a surgery and ER visits. We had a mono diagnosis for one kiddo and radical colds for the others (minus Jr--he's holding strong). Dave had a business trip to Oregon (while sick). We tended our favorite toddler in the middle of the night--while her mom had her second baby. Oh! AND we had job in...

So after reading The Minimalists' book this weekend (Dave the whole thing; me, parts), we made the decision to try to get rid of some of the inessential and clutter-y things in our home.  And after swapping ideas with our BFFs Janae and Jeff we decided to have a competition to see which couple can get rid of something inessential each day for 30 days.  Only there's a catch--we are going to give away one item on Day 1 and two items on Day 2 . . . and so on, and so on.  Our Finish Date is February 14th.  The winning couple takes the other couple out to dinner.  Unless we both succeed, and then we just go out to dinner! Sounds easy, right? Until you realize it is 465 items! Yup. 465 ITEMS! Dave created a chart so we can mark off as we go, and we decided to also photograph the items so we can get a real sense that we accomplished part of our goal.  How are we deciding what to part with? Here are some of our ideas: --no kids' items--so long as they will store th...

Jonah and the Whale I really appreciate the book suggestions people sent related to my last post (intention vs. impulse). I'm excited to check them out. Thank you so much for taking the time to share! This week we were able to go to the Living Planet Aquarium with the whole gang. It was a lot of fun, and kind of a trip--to use a 1970s word. The longer you stare at some of those fish and snakes, the more you think "This is a trippy world. All these CRAZY different creatures." PS: Thanks to Heather for letting us take McK, our favorite 2 year old. Papaya, McK, and Bam. They have been to the aquarium together before. Jr., Lu, and Zu at the penguin exhibit. Papaya and McK. Whole Meehan gang (plus Laur, Jay's GF and McK) Shark Tank Papaya and McK. With BIG fish. Dave made it in this shot--yay! He's the one who got us there! (At the sea otter exhibit) Trying to hold a penguin through the glass. ...

I was listening to a podcast last night (one of my new favorite ways to learn/think) called The Minimalist. You may have heard of the two authors/speakers/podcasters? They are two lifelong friends who had made it really big in the corporate world only to find in their 30s that they really weren't really happy . You know, the kind of happy that is long-lasting . How did they change that? How did they find more long-lasting happiness? (PS: they have.) Little by little they started getting rid of things (literally) and circumstances in their lives that weren't essential: The big home. The big television. The "toys" that didn't get used regularly. Extras that brought financial burdens. And on and on and on. Eventually they left their corporate jobs as well. And while I don't get the impression they are Buddhist monks, they are living lives with intention, trying to avoid the non-essential, and then sharing those experiences with ot...