Wednesday, January 30, 2013

why making people never gets old

so caleb now knows how to clap.

like, if you clap for him, then he'll clap back.

and i swear, it's the *best thing that's ever happened in the history of the world* every time his fat little baby hands clumsily come together and a big, big grin spreads across his face.

it's pure joy.

and that, my friends, is why making people never gets old.

because one day they can't clap and the next (can you believe it?), they can.


Tuesday, January 29, 2013

before i forget

the girls did have some fun at the ski resort this past weekend.

there were about fifteen minutes to kill whilst bryan went to retrieve the car from wherever he ended up stashing it, and the girls had a blast playing up on the snow bank near the parking lot while we waited.




Saturday, January 26, 2013

ski lesson one

which should probably be more accurately labeled "ski lesson zero" because we never actually made it to the part where we got to "ski."

or perhaps an even more fitting title would be the term i so fondly use to describe today's overall experience: "ski hell."

i shan't go into all the details here, but let's just say we kicked off the day spending an unexpected hour and a half looking for a spot in the parking lot.

and because of the lack of parking, the unsinkable, unbreakable, and unmistakable team wheeler had to split up: les boys continuing the fruitless search for a place to park the car, and les girls venturing out on their own like three little ski lambs to the great and terrible ski slaughter.

to get a rough idea of how our day went, picture me (my first time in ski boots) awkwardly carrying *three* pairs of skis while trying to drag summer and afton (also their first time in ski boots) who are crying loudly (cause they totally hate their ski boots) and falling on their faces every so often (again, those wretched boots!) as we try to make our way from the rental place (a special ski hell all its own) to the ski school through the utter chaos of people going hither and thither and every which way on their skis.

it was an epic two hundred yards.

anyhoo, we didn't make it to our lesson even close to on time and were not prepared to wait another two hours for the next available opening, so they refunded all our money, and we returned home seven hours later and seven hours wiser for all that had transpired.

but do you think you can break us that easily, great and terrible ski slaughterers?

*scoff*

not these little lambies. we've shed a few tears, we've got a few bumps, we've got a few bruises, and so what if it's all without having even been on the "skis" yet?

next weekend, the wheeler girls is definitely coming back for more.







it's. so. on.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

like sands through the hourglass

so i have a three year old and a five year old who are way, way in to barbies. after we do chores in the morning, and they're ready to start their play for the day, it's like a mattel pink and purple glitter explosion in their room.

lately, though, i've been wondering if other barbies are as awash in soap opera drama as summer's and afton's barbies seem to be.

just today, for example, the mother of the daughter decided she didn't like her daughter any more and the daughter ran away to marry her father. then the mother wanted to have another baby of her own, so she married the baby's doctor.

and that was just all to get the ball rolling.






 yes, these are the days of our lives.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

c'est chic

you know, i bet these two lovebirds have the most gorgeous kids:


ps - last night, amazon also treated employees to a stellar performance by imagine dragons, with super adorable and such-a-nice-guy (LDS, too?) front man dan reynolds.

seriously one of the best concerts i've attended. vocals spot on, showmanship spot on, a face-melting guitar solo, and a lead singer who drums? sign me up.

all four dudes in the band play no fewer than twelve instruments and are mad, mad talented.

dejected sigh.

they totally blew our karaoke out of the water.

pps - several fans have inquired after the possibility of a video recording featuring bryan's and my "ring of fire" duet. well, yes, a secret recording *does* exist, and maybe -- just maybe -- when we're old and tired and figure we have nothing left to lose, we'll share it.

meanwhile

back at the amazon post-holiday party,


bryan and emily karaoke.


Saturday, January 19, 2013

on this day

technically, this was two days ago.

how we roll:

1 - waking up to naked baby in the bed 
2 - trying to decide if the world is ready for neon gingham
3 - enjoying delicious breakfast
4 - getting in the car
5 - vamping it up with terre de feu
6 - running errands at target
7 - best. bagels. ever. at blazing bagels
8 - summer and her schmear
9 - whole foods

10 - finishing up our errands at redmond town center
11 - treating myself to much deserved milka chocolate
12 - "keep calm, carry on"
13 - more naked babies
14 - daddy comes home!
15 - bearing gifts from a coworker for summer and afton
16 - winding down before bed
17 - a chunk of uberknotty hair summer had to have cut off
18 - finally working on a valentine's project while watching downton abbey

Saturday, January 12, 2013

business trip

daddy and RTB (robot travelling buddy) finally come home today.

any guesses where they've been?



Sunday, January 06, 2013

a sunbeam

january 6, 2013
afton's first day of primary.



and her modeling career:



Wednesday, January 02, 2013

Tuesday, January 01, 2013

happy new year


the wheeler kids rang in the new year with their traditional new year's eve root beer floats:


mission statement, 2013:

"You are good. But it is not enough just to be good. You must be good for something. You must contribute good to the world. The world must be a better place for your presence. And the good that is in you must be spread to others."

President Gordon B. Hinckley in an address given to BYU students in 1996.