Dancing in September

This September has been an adjustment to say the least! I feel as if these four weeks have been a blur of travel, car pools, school, hospital visits (my MIL had major neck surgery), grocery shopping, soccer, and making dinner.
Repeat.
To break it up I've added in a glass or two of wine, dance parties with my girls, and maybe a pinch of painting. OK a lot of painting; more on that later.
I make for Arizona tonight for a girl's trip that I planned about 6 months back. Before I could foresee the busyness of my current life. I am not packed, there's no laundry done, and I look like fright night BUT despite this I couldn't be more excited to see my friends and some sun. I'll post pictures and stories upon my return, but to tide you over since I've been a poor blogger as of late; here are some random pictures I've taken throughout this week:

Fight Gone Bad

This was a crossfit event Ty and I participated in this past Saturday, most of the time I don't post anything about crossfit, but this was hard and frankly I want recognition for it...
;)
In most of the pictures taken of Ty at crossfit, he looks determined and... scary. I on the other hand, almost always look either scared or...in pain. Which I would have to say are both the absolute truth. Here's to two pictures where I don't look either and Ty still looks...shall we say: prepared. And sort of scary...

Feeling...

Humbled and thankful for God's gift of children tonight...

It's Time...

Ok, we REALLY need to get a dog now. At Henry's birthday party on Sat; Pearson literally pretended to BE a dog for about 20 minutes. She asked me to throw the ball, ran to get it, put it IN her mouth and brought it back.
And yes, there were witnesses to this...

And some more cuteness...

Some more...

H's party was OR Ducks themed; Ty wore a Huskie's shirt in protest.
P.s: Can you get OVER Henry's hair? To die...

Let There Be Light

My second attempt at lamps...

I like these more; they don't match and are a cool grey gloss. I got each of them for under three dollars at Goodwill. I love that place! One person's junk is another's treasure.

Mr. Mom

This summer and fall has been the season of Mr. Mom in our family. For some reason August and September was booked with trips, weddings, memorials, you name it. So Ty has been doing a STELLAR job with the girls by himself. I have come home to a decently clean house (notice I didn't state CLEAN for a fact) and daddy's girls who are more than well taken care of. My mom has wanted to nominate him for dad of the year for taking them to the botanical gardens, which DID produce my favorite pictures we have of Pearson. They REALLY capture the nature of who she is. Ty, here's just a little shout out to you because you are officially awesome...

Hot Mess Part 2

I posted about how TERRIBLE pea's hair looked in October of 2009. After looking at it again; I am shamed. Pea, Momi is sorry she should have cut your hair way sooner! Pearson was my firstborn and I was less than clear about what to do with her baby hair. How long do we let it grow? I don't want people to think she's a boy...Where do we even it out? Etc.
Consequently I let the questioning continue until it became an absolute hot mess: a severe mullet with even bangs. Mistake. I've since learned it's the best policy to grow out a toddler's bangs because you just have to keep cutting them every three weeks without fail. And you can't cut a toddler's bangs without also slicing your finger because they can NOT sit still long enough. Once I saw Babe H heading in this direction it was time for:
(drum roll, please)

Her first haircut! My girlfriend Charissa came to our house and treated us to her expertise. Harper did surprisingly well. In fact, she sat perfectly still and seemed to thoroughly enjoy herself. A girl like her mama in more ways than one. While Charissa was here she also cut Pea's locks and shaved two lines into my head. I'm channeling the Bosworth in hopes of a Seahawks win on Sunday...

Nuture.

I just returned home from a trip to Michigan where we celebrated the life of my Grandma Bev. It was a quick trip, but that being said much was packed into my short two days there including a celebration dinner for my Dad who's birthday is today.
Happy Birthday, Dad! He generally doesn't like to celebrate it on Sept. 11. So on Friday he was presented with his favorite; a German chocolate cake and some less than decent, but heartfelt singing.
Grandma Bev's memorial was the following day at Bryon Center Bible Church; the same church my Grandpa Jerry started in the early 1960's.

I imagine much of it looks and feels the same as it did then and I can tell you that many original members showed up to pay tribute to her. I felt fully present at the memorial, which I wanted to make a point of doing. There was a portion of time where people could get up and say what they remembered about her and I wrote down what everybody said:
-Her Own Person.
-Independent.
-Sassy.
-Opinionated.
-Confident.
-Guide.
-An Entertainer.
I loved each maybe more than I can describe, because I think in some manner I'm trying to develop these exact aspects in myself (I might have already mastered sass). The others I've been coaching along as I learn more about myself and more about this life each of us is meant for. Note that no one said anything about being nurturing, which I think was interesting. It's certainly not a word I'd use for her, but would about my own mom. Not every mother has this naturally, which brings me to my second realization of the day. Many know this, but Grandma Bev was adopted and never met her biological parents, but through research my mom has done we know their names and some facts about them. I don't mean to use this as a political platform or stand on my rickety soap box and preach. It may break under the weight, but I was struck by the thought that a probably terrified teen mom made a harder decision than I may ever have to make and chose a better life for her baby. Because she did that, my life has been shaped and has every one's whom she touched. That's wonderfully powerful. Here is Grandma Bev at 17...don't we all want to be remembered as always young and beautiful?

A speech was given about legacy; I thought this was powerful for a number of reasons, but mostly because every one's legacy is unique. What they leave behind, what takes shape and grows inside each of us, what lessons we learn from their mistakes. Ultimately, the most important legacy any of us can leave is that of Jesus Christ real and loving in the lives of those we meet.
I'm thankful for the unconventional legacy left behind and hopefully mine will look uniquely like me, but hopefully and mostly like Christ.

The Shins

Last night was Pearson's first soccer practice! She's on a team with Heidi and two other friends. Ty took this picture and said she had a good time. He also said there was heated discussion of what the team name should be; apparently they were just pointing things out they could see and saying it should be the name. I believe The Shin Guards was one suggestion. I personally vote for The Shins; though the band might have something to say about it...
For pictures of the first game go here!

Pre-K(ursed)?

Today was the first day of Pre-K for Pea. She has been so excited for this, but I think that all culminated into over stimulation after being sick this weekend and by and large the morning was a bit rocky.
There were time-outs and a big "uh-oh!" (as Babe H would be saying over and over like a parrot...) by Momi. I accidentally burned Pea's finger while straightening her hair, which then became the top news story to any living soul who was within ear-shot. Also, dear Heidi is still laid up with this bug and Pea wanted, "my best friend OR her sister, my cousin" to come to school with her. Hopefully I'm not creating a theme here with first day of school mornings...
Can't say that's not a possibility, but if it translates into a wonderful year like the last every year it's a small price to pay. I love looking at the pictures of her this time last year; what a little lady we have now. Our little poser chick

Labor(ious) Day

No rest for the weary in this Bell house (nor do I suspect so in the other Bell house up the road). We've all contracted some kind of mutant flu bug which we still aren't quite certain how we received. The general consensus is that Harper discovered it with her grabby hands and it is not the pork we all consumed on Friday evening, which I must say is a relief as I like pork. My tolerable meat list is short.
But, let's back up a bit:
Friday evening we all dinned together in celebration of Takeyasu and family breezing through Seattle on their way to Japan. The kick start to a wonderful weekend. Tak was an exchange student who lived with Casey and Tyler's family off and on for periods of time. He is super great and so are his wife and son, Taiga. Pronounced like Tiger with an "A."
Pea was in heaven. "His REAL name is like a Tiger?"
Tiaga (who is a DOLL) and Pearson got along famously as he did with all the Bell "sisters" as he called them. Here are some shots of the evening including one of the greatest Harper smiles ever captured on film...





Fast forward to Saturday eve where we had good friends and fam over for dinner. It was a pleasant evening until our dear friends J & C were about to leave and I immediately had to excuse myself. The first of MANY. HORRIBLE. EPISODES. to come. For the next 10 hours, it was get up, throw up, lay down, pray for it to be over. Then as I first come down with this we receive word that up the street where a super fun slumber party is supposed to be happening, Pearson has puked all over Kyla's bed. oh no. Poor Andi, poor Heidi, poor Pea! Here is them, as Andi put it, "The calm before the storm..." Well said.

Pea followed in her mama's foot steps (to the latrine) and by 6 am I threw in the towel and called my mom. I felt terrible. BUT I may have felt worse for Tyler who I must say is such a man's man. He stepped up and took care of both of us all night and I am so so thankful for him. Sunday was spent on the mend and THANK YOU mom for coming and allowing us to heal. You are a lifesaver and have such a servant heart.
Hopefully I'll inherit that.
On Monday we awoke to a new world, one where we didn't have to carry a bowl with us everywhere and one where as claimed earlier we intended to take full advantage of the beautiful weather come hell or high water. So along those lines, we headed to Alki. No joke, Pearson rode about 3 or 4 miles on her bike along the boardwalk. It was impressive to say the least. Turned out to be an amazing day, maybe of the most amazing in this Emerald city I've ever seen. And maybe it was so great, because I was with those I love. Here's our morning in pictures (please pardon my ill-fitting sweat shorts; I was deathly ill the day before).

Eye of the Beholder

Pearson is all about the pictures these days. Frankly, this girl has an eye for it. She comes by this naturally; not the taking pictures necessarily, but the aesthetics of it. The angle, design, and colors are what's most important to her.
Tyler, anyone?
She has more ideas of how she wants to pose things or frame them than I do as an adult. She is my four year old photog and here are four of her pictures that are my favorite:

Fortune (5)00

Meet the future faces of Bellmont Cabinet Company...it's an all-girl affair. We did this photo shoot for Papa Steve for his birthday at our manufacturing plant. What else do you get the man who has it all?
Andi got some stellar pictures and the book/canvas created from this session has become an instant classic...see for yourself.