I found this picture on another blog and thought it was amazing so i decided to share it along with this quote:

“Birth is not only about making babies. Birth is about making mothers ~ strong, competent, capable mothers who trust themselves and know their inner strength.”

— Barbara Katz Rothman

"You are as ugly as a pot.

But you still a child of God."

-I think these are the right words, or at least the words I remember...from Queenie in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

My own ben and I watched this movie last week, very touching and interesting... If you have a chance, watch it.

finleys first food!

finley and her first taste of pears...

Ben and I celebrated our 4th Wedding Anniversary this last weekend. Here are a couple of pictures from our night out together


Finley has two teeth and is working on more. She is really starting to grab at things like the remote, my phone, my hair... etc.


last night kaija refused to eat her dinner because she insisted that she already ate her dinner. I could not believe how she convinced herself that because she ate her pretend dinner it was okay and counted as real food... We told her she could not get a "real" treat until she ate her "real" dinner. She just kept insisting, "I already had my dinner! I ate MY food!" This went on for over and hour...Her imagination is just so amazing and I really think she was living in an alternate universe or something...





She has turned a corner and is no longer fighting and having temper tantrums as much. She has been able to play on her own a lot lately and is super imaginative.

Mothers....

Here is my grandma Doris with her four boys (my dad is on the far right...I think) she my aunt Sharon as well so Five Kids under the age of 7 or something crazy like that! She was a wonder mom and so stylish...

I had the most fabulous weekend and wish I had more time to reflect and write an amazing entry here. But this will be fast as I only have a half hour lunch break at work....

Last year, on Mothers Day weekend Ben, Kaija, and I went over to the coast and had a lovely weekend getaway. I think that was one of my first posts on this blog....Finley was about a 10 week old shrimp in my belly...I was incredibly happy and was so appreciative of that time. This year, I felt exactly the same, but now with my little Finley. I just can not get over how much I love our little family. Its so amazing that Ben and I created this!!1 I know other mothers must feel the same way.

It makes me appreciate my mother, her mother... my dads mother, all those mamas and their mamas!!!

Thank you mothers for being such a safe haven of love and giving to generations...!

its nice to have friends who are photographers

most of you have gotten our easter card and if not, im sorry, give me your address and I'll send you one:) My friend Heather (heathersegars.com) has such a talent for photography and has just started her own business, if youre in the Seattle area...

I have not posted in SO long....

Things we have done lately:
Planted a garden with my parents.
I joined a gym....it finally feels okay to take some time to myself and work out...!
Had a student move in from Hong Kong. (its an adjustment... we are taking it one day at a time)
Taken many walks to the park and around the neighborhood with the girls. Kaija is very into picking flowers, sticks, weeds etc. She is actually become quite obsessed with making a beautiful bouquet any time we go anywhere. I am happy she likes nature. We just stroll around the block and explore.
Baby gaze. I could stare at Finley all day (if I had the time). She is so sweet and easy to smile. She has actually started giggling too and that lights up my day!
Ben is Mr. Handyman. He has had many projects lined up which has been good for him. He has started another quarter of school and likes his classes this quarter which helps. Still on the job search but we are positive~God will provide.:)

Im definitely going to need to post more often. I promise.

a poem for the day

my mom sent me this poem. I love her insight on things and i thought I'd share it as it is a reminder of the way we can use hard times to be joyful in what we have, just as so many have in the past.

The Emigrant Irish

Like oil lamps, we put them out the back-

of our houses, of our minds. We had lights

better than, newer than and then

a time came, this time and now

we need them. Their dread, makeshift example:

they would have thrived on our necessities.

What they survived we could not even live.

By their lights now it is time to

imagine how they stood there, what they stood with,

that their possessions may become our power:

Cardboard. Iron. Their hardships parceled in them.

Patience. Fortitude. Long-suffering

in the bruise-colored dusk of the New World.

And all the old songs. And nothing to lose.

Eavan Boland