p e r s o n a l l y

the year is...

2011-09-08T12:51:00.000-07:00

2011. my people have spread out across the land taking shelter in the remaining mountains. most of our mountains were destroyed when the gontha came to mine our planet for coal......

we need to cast a horse voice

2010-11-28T21:02:00.000-08:00

myra's song two or so posts down borrows a quote or two from the score of the hit movie, spirit.

the casting intern: "what about matt damon?"

his mama's son

2010-11-07T09:26:00.000-08:00

i came into the room one day where diana and shiloh were. she was singing him a song. and he started singing back. just long high notes. i was only slightly embarrassed that he wasn't harmonizing and mostly grateful that we've been blessed with such great, healthy children. and if we are ever blessed with poor health i'll learn to be grateful for that too.

shiloooooooha

2010-09-16T22:53:00.000-07:00

and behold.

last chance before the tonsilectomy

2010-09-15T13:55:00.000-07:00

myra is going to have a tonsilectomy and there's a small, small chancer her voice will be slightly changed. so get a listen while you can.

if you know your kid movies you might recognize one of her main influences - especially toward the end.

here's to myra not snoring anymore!

it's a point of what???

2010-09-13T21:59:00.001-07:00

so how come you didn't leave a comment telling us what your super powers are?

it's a point of pride...but really, it shouldn't be.

2010-09-09T21:24:00.000-07:00

diana sat in mrs. williamson's 4th grade class studying the palms of her hands. no one else knew what was about to happen. but as soon as jennifer finished her report, the whole class would know...

they would know what only diana had known for the past three days. those hands. those thin, small hands --which would have begun to look like raccoon paws to anyone else, if they had stared at them all morning. but diana didn't care what they looked like.

"...and my dad said i could bring it home with me." {pause}
"is that all, jennifer?"
"yeah."
"thank you jennifer!"

then there was silence. not a lot, but more than diana could take.

she was the first to clap. and she clapped and clapped and clapped until she was the last one clapping. she would have stopped sooner but she wasn't convinced everyone had noticed her amazing ability to clap louder than a grown-up. she settled into her chair, thrilled that another presentation was about to start.
_______________________________________

come on!!!!! you know what i'm talking about. we all have them. those secret, pet talents that we don't talk about -- well, unless something vaguely related comes up in conversation. then you're all too eager to share your amazing ability to blow saliva bubbles or spot wildlife from the freeway.

as a kid you're unashamed. perfectly proud of what you can do. then in the between years you have a couple awkward experiences and you become a little more reserved about your super powers (granted for some, those between years come a little late). then, as an adult you realize although it's still uncool to brag about yourself, some people find clever ways of showcasing their watermelon-cutting skills at the party without seeming too self-promoting.

and that's when it hits you...like a big st. bernard covered in mud, running through your whole house (and of course the dog is dragging a dog house with the leash around its neck, which indiscriminately destroys everything - not unlike superman through the hull of an oceanliner). and also, the dog runs right by you at the end of the scene and the dog house hits you full-on, but it doesn't destroy you it just makes you pop up into the air like a warm piece of toast.

so did it hit you?

yes, that's when it hits you...you will NEVER get a good chance to use your pet talent. you will never win $250 and a trip to vermont on where in the world is carmen sandiego? even though you memorized all those national geographic board game questions. and you will never record claps for the beatles or the shins. no one will walk into the lecture hall and yell, "is anyone a doctor? or better yet, can anyone blow saliva bubbles?!!!!!" and well, i guess you already knew cutting watermelon wouldn't save gotham city.

and so you begin to find ways to share your talents. until you're syndrome from the incredibles.
_____________________________________________

okay, enough about me...for now. what are your super powers?

it's a fisher cat

2010-07-10T15:20:00.001-07:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisher_%28animal%29

how's this for an update?

2010-07-02T23:28:00.000-07:00

and sometimes you see one of these in the northern u.s. or maybe canadia. any guesses?

hey you guys. while you're thinking about that... i looked over at diana's mac and she was on blosgpot . com. ha ha ha har ha h a ah ah ahaha aha ahaha ha. oh blosgpot!
seriously, who sits down at their computer thinking, "[sigh] hmm... time for another days work. what typos can i capitalize on today? what websites can i create to show 1 in 1,000,000 people who will accidentally type my new url into their browser? and then since most people will just type in the correct address right away.....what website will get 1/100ths of a person to actually click on something on my highly suspicious site? hmmm? wait, how about borderz . com in case somebody thinks that bookstore spells its name with a z? yes, that'll do it. [long pause. opens a pepsi can] wow, i love my job."
i mean seriously, who sits down at their computer and thinks all that? weirdo.

shiloh tanoa palmer

2010-06-16T09:47:00.000-07:00

we just got home from the hospital. it's my birthday (martin) and i'm thrilled we can spend it this way. diana is doing really well and true to form, is going to have a ridiculously fast recovery.

both our moms got to be there with us. it was really nice. paia just barely missed the delivery but she was there for the first moments. she helped us with his samoan name which is an expression of our faith and gratitude as well as a reminder to all our loved ones. we hope every time our loved ones see him or think of his middle name, they'll remember the significance of his middle name and be motivated to do what may be hardest for them, but will bring so much relief and peace.

all our family in the area have been very helpful and supportive. candy took some pics for all ye to see.

he's pretty mild. we finally got some visible moore genes. in natural light you can see how much blonde hair he has. his eyebrows and eyelashes are blonde. i was super blonde when i was born too; so we'll see (-martin).

the girls are so excited!!!! they love him already. they want to hold him all the time.

in the picture where myra and wren are sitting in a chair by each other, myra looked at wren's sandals and said, "ohhh, look at his cute little feeet!"

our physicians marlin christianson and dr. slater were awesome!!! all the christiansons are like family to us and they are family by marriage. marlin let me "deliver" shiloh. after two natural births diana chose the epidural just for the experience. and she did so well.

and we had some great great nurses at uvrmc. shoutout to mae christensen (whom we got to see). even though they had twice the number of births, they were all so cheerful and nice. thanks to everyone.

hugs.

birds, beaks, bones

2010-05-03T16:35:00.001-07:00

hi everyone. my album is done and ready. thanks to everyone who helped! brandon moore, adam and darcie sanders, dave shumway, emily melander, and my diana. i don't think i have, but if i've momentarily spaced someone, thanks!!! so, i gave away a few cds because i just like to give things to people when i can. but now i've got to ask for a ten dollar donation to cover manufacture and mailing. just email me your address at martinpalmer(at)gmail. i hope you like the album; i hope it makes you smile and maybe even in a few places you might laugh. and sometimes you might feel so happy you text me, asking how you can pay me an extra ten dollars.
hugs.

five o clock shadow

2010-03-04T15:46:00.000-08:00

wren was sitting on my lap yesterday. she turned around to face me and felt my jaw. she seemed interested, a little surprised. and said, "you a porcupine."

2 years of wren

2010-01-31T19:48:00.001-08:00

wren is almost 2 years old. myra just turned 4 this past week. some more snapshots from Christmastime.

adam and darcie and kjell

2010-01-24T18:44:00.000-08:00

my sister darcie asked me to take these to hang in their new baby noelle's room.

pretend

2010-01-14T21:45:00.000-08:00

i'm sure in the halls of homage to fathers there are volumes and volumes of a similar sentiment. it's something about his strength. and it's metaphoric as much as it is literal. the good dad is constant, a pillar, and he's strong.
well, myra must not know about those halls and the homage she should be writing. i'm pretty sure of this because she regularly reaches up to grab my arm and swing from it, saying, "dad, pretend you're strong."
who told myra i wasn't strong? or is it that after 26 swings from my arm, i crush her sense of security, with "okay, no more swinging; i'm tired."

what a weakling.

this one's for you gg

2010-01-08T19:12:00.000-08:00

gg has requested some pics of her grandkids. here they are. just some snapshots during the Christmas season.

and merry Christmas

2010-01-04T19:12:00.000-08:00

t-shirts. a few of my family members got handmade t-shirts from us this year. no, they didn't all say yanphoto.com. yes, some were better than others. yes, i took this picture with photobooth.

you want a handmade t-shirt. if you have a request please mail along with $10 shipping and handling fees and your t-shirt will be mailed to you. don't forget to include your size and any color preferences. (insert lavar burton's face right here, just because).
or if you want to make your own. get a shirt. buy some 'fabric paint' at a craft store. get some freezer paper from the same aisle as aluminum foil. cut your stencil out of the freezer paper. iron the freezer paper on to your shirt. paint inside the stencil.

stop telling me about t-shirts, hey whatever happened to your album? just got a text from dave tonight. and it's almost ready for the manufacturer. woo hoo. please join diana, jessica, dave and me in a toast at 5 pm central time.

well, how's the business these days? i officially made the shooting team. read all about it here if you wish.

aloha.

i decided

2009-12-19T21:22:00.000-08:00

i decided that this blog is facebook. and i'll be updating my status here from time to time. also, this blog is definitely twitter and so if i may... just finished the last song of the album--now it's off to dave for mastering.

band name?

2009-12-17T07:58:00.000-08:00

i'm watching a music video. diana says to me: "you should play under the name playcold or martin chris. better yet, hotplay."

puppies

2009-12-11T20:08:00.000-08:00

does anyone else find themselves putting water in a dish on the floor for their daughters (who call themselves puppies) to drink?

simple portraits

2009-11-09T21:07:00.000-08:00

this is a martin post.
a while back, i wanted to create the simplest of portraits of my family. that were free of distraction, beautiful, and maybe did a little storytelling.

there's something very endearing about an engaging, simple portrait of someone you love.

one day some of the family were available. they might be strangers to most of you -- but maybe their realness will remind you of people you love.

diana donna-kaye palmer

2009-10-26T19:53:00.000-07:00

6 years ago diana and i met at her birthday. i surprised her by taking her to the room where we met and gave her a photo album of our 6 years. she didn't think it was anything special. that's the problem with always being so romantic--she's never impressed. just kidding. and now a tribute:
one of the things i admire most about diana is how unselfish she is. as a husband i appreciate that so much--if i do things right i can get my way every time. just kidding. she's very unselfish and meek in the way she responds to people being mean. and it's not for lack of being quick or witty.
one thing most of us probably don't know about diana is how unsatisfied she is with mediocrity. she's always talking to me about being a better mother, a better photographer.....
also about photography, there were plenty of times when she could've given up and now she's been recognized by some of the most successful and established kid/family photogs for being outstanding and genuinely talented, and she's made dozens of clients very happy. as i've worked to become yan photography's 2nd shooter, i've learned how disciplined and dedicated she has been to do what she has in a year and a half. she's still a dreamer, but she can back it up with some results. i mean she got me to marry her didn't she? unlike me who decided i could build a pool table in the shed with plywood and tennis balls. no one be ashamed, please. but enough about diana, i mean me.
also diana is very disciplined. she has a lot of style and she could spend even a modest amount to satisfy part of that style, but in 6 years she's spent very little. she is not self-indulgent. she's made her own clothes out of saved apple skins and toothbrush bristles.
there's a lot more i could say. i hope it's obvious to people who know us that i love her a lot. and she makes it very easy to love her.

some help with lyrics

2009-10-12T18:27:00.000-07:00

she realized she didn't want to sit down by me after all.

maybe "show me, show me, dad" and "no sit down!"

good luck with the lyrics. sincerely, the management

2009-10-12T18:20:00.000-07:00

you requested it. and here it is.

myra in open d.

a parade

2009-10-11T09:40:00.000-07:00

one of myra's favorite activities.

seasons

2009-09-20T21:26:00.000-07:00

the song stuck in my head right now is so wonder years: "for everything, turn, turn, turn, there is a season, turn turn turn...." whoever thought of putting that bit of scripture to tune, was brilliant, or inspired. there are many seasons of life, an endless number, than makes the idea of 4 seem so rudimentary. some of my life's season's, good and bad, have come and are now closed. sometimes it is hard to accept that some of those wonderful, blessed seasons are over---but its better to realize the importance of living well within the present season. this season of life is about being a better mom. about placing value on time spent with the girls and my husband. about learning how to love them in the ways that they need--- the ways that will benefit them and turn them into better people. its about figuring out what business means. what a house of order is. it is a season to discover what it means to balance, and hopfully that discovery will serve us in years to come that will undoubtedly bring more challenges to juggle. sadly, as much as i want it to be, it is not a season to acquaint myself with yoga. there is just not the time. and i will have to tell emily i won't be able to attend the tuesday, thursday class with her. but i know that season will come and i'm planning for it.

i'm not embarrassed by you, i just feel your pain.

2009-09-06T13:19:00.000-07:00

recently my mind has been flooded with embarrassing moments of my past. but as i sit down to write a few of them, i can't do it. i'm just too embarrassed. i guess i've been thinking about it because myra has started her legacy of social awkwardness and although i'm not embarrassed by her, i can't help but feel her pain.

but please, back to my glory days...

one

there is a period of time in most people's childhood (notice how i'm trying to make my abnormal childhood seem normal) when their sense of humor begins to develop.

and for some of us more awkward children, that sense of humor sprouts up all gnarled and too ugly to write a motivational story about. and then to everyone's relief, it is squelched, dried-up. it withers and dies. thankfully, the painful "jokes" stop coming.

but in the meantime a whole slew of painful memories can be created. and what's more is they are first experienced in real time!

i must have been about 7 or 8 years old when it happened. that fateful afternoon when my loving, but unsuspecting parents sent me off to a friend's birthday party. everyone was having so much fun, bantering with witty little quips and the occasional political joke. such sophisticates. said friend's mother brought out some little confetti packets shaped like champagne bottles--i believe they came out on a silver platter and the room fell silent.

they were those things where you pull the string and like alcoholic foam out of a bottle, confetti shot into the air.

a little (7 year-old, maybe 6 or 2 year-old) voice broke the silence, "oh great, now my mom is going to think i've been drinking."

the silence continued, even after that gut-busting, almost manipulatively funny joke. to my horror, i realized the voice was mine. and it wasn't a funny voice. it was the nerdy kid's voice. to more of my horror, what i said didn't make sense and worse, wasn't funny.

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. but at least i learned what wasn't funny.

two

then there was the time in high school when i was 'breaking' in a circle (come on, nobody else ever danced the circle) and for the grand finale did a front flip, but pretty much landed on my back. then i did it again.

what?!!! you tried it again?!!

well, i had done flips all the time. i know because i distinctly remember spending my lunches practicing that stuff on the front lawn of the school. well, when i wasn't playing hacky sack.

oh man. but at least i can dance now.

let's spare us all the pain and make that number three and be done with it

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

but then i think, how could a sense of humor ever develop if i didn't say all those things, so awkward they caused the people i loved physical pain? and why would i want to live a conservative life where nobody got the wind knocked out of them in front of all their most-respected peers?

________________

the other day we took myra and wren to see pixar's "up." myra was laughing and laughing and well, she was the only one. other people laughed at certain parts, but myra laughed when no one else did. it was really distracting for other people, but at least she'll be unique.

well, both?

2009-08-26T10:35:00.000-07:00

myra's favorite song.

the kid car

2009-08-09T17:27:00.000-07:00

i am not going to be one of those parents who drives around a messy mini van where trash and toys compete for floor space.

that's what i would think. i'm embarrassed to admit it, but i would get out of those kid-ruled cars thinking i would not be like those parents. so judgmental. but so committed to cleanliness.

then why am i feverishly picking up wrappers and withered fries before my friends can notice? they're getting out of their trucks and they're about to walk over here. i'm glad i have this compartment where i can stuff everything that isn't trash. wow, i'm glad i'm cleaning this thing up. this reminds me of the time we left town and came home to that awful stench--only to find some rotting apples and plums, with little teeth marks on them, under the couch. kids can be so messy.

i have got to do a better job of... "thanks for letting us ride with you." brian said.

brian and jacob had driven enormous load trucks here on there way to a job in seattle. they stopped here in boise to pick me up and after 8 hours on the road they were ready for a lunch break. the trucks were much too big to zip over to panda express for something to eat. so, it made sense that they wanted to ride in my daughters'---i mean my car. the car with my name on its title.

"uh, sorry guys it's a little messy." i laughed nervously. i'm sure they didn't need me to tell them my two daughters could be so messy sometimes. they didn't need me to explain it's so hard to find time to clean it. they didn't need...

"it's alright," brian said. "i've got 7 kids. the only difference is with 7 kids the mess is all homemade food -- that's what you can afford."

great. he had noticed i'm also a lousy parent because i occasionally feed my children trash. occasionally.... 'another supper from a sack, ninety-nine cent heart attack.' what? tim mcgraw? get out of my head. i will purge you like this trash around my feet. and i'll clean up after my messy children more often. actually, when i get back to boise things are going to change. the girls aren't going to mess up the car anymore.

hours upon hours later, i shifted in my seat high above a passing mini van. i had been a little nervous about taking over at the wheel for jacob. but driving the massive truck was surprisingly a lot like driving the mini van. i looked around for something to help keep me awake. i moved some rancid sunflower seeds out of the way, looked at my empty soda cup, and scooted away the crumpled mcdonald's bag at my feet.

adam and darcie

2009-08-09T16:26:00.000-07:00

i want to plug one of my favorite things.

my darcie and adam have (as some of you know) released their second album. it's only 3 weeks old and it can be yours. honestly i was surprised when they told me how cheap it was. (available for 7.99 at villageten.com). i'll sacrifice a combo meal for the album. --ever notice how with old wealthy people everything is equivalent to a sandwich. 5 bucks equals a sandwich. and so does 7 through 10. --- anyway, i think adam and darcie mostly just want to share their music.

anyway, when i first got a sneak-peek-listen a couple months ago i was jealous. the second time however i was jealous. and the third time i was simply moved. i'm such an analytical listener that i'm also a little critical. but i just listened and for me there was genuinely magic in music again. i started writing this unauthorized review:

immediately arresting and un-arming, pop-duo adam and darcie's new album "california trail" deserves a listening free of distractions. although interesting and unpredictable, the songs are simultaneously very singable and seemingly uncomplicated. trademark vocal harmonies come back strong, at times as expansive as the feeling of the west which the album engenders. unique instrumentation including accordion, bells, and ukulele tastefully flavors the album, but sincere, direct songwriting anchors it the same way it did on "the valley where i'm from". listeners should not be surprised if they find california trail an enduring favorite--a trail they're happy to take again and again.

i hope you can click the album into your life. all my love, people.

i made a lei

2009-08-07T14:40:00.000-07:00

today i made a lei and missed hawaii some too. happy wedding shawn and mary!

i made a pie

2009-07-29T21:07:00.000-07:00

sometimes i'm a stay at home dad--when diana is out on a wedding or some other long photo shoot. it's during those times that i try to be especially domestic. then diana comes home and while she's very impressed, i act like everything is normal.

i might do the girls' hair.

or bake a pie (albeit a chicken pot pie).

and to complete my field trip into the mind of the modern american house wife, i sometimes post recipes on my blog.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast

halves - cubed

1 cup sliced carrots

1 cup frozen green peas

1/2 cup sliced celery

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

1 3/4 cups chicken broth

2/3 cup milk

2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)

In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.

In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

so what is it you do?

2009-07-22T16:31:00.000-07:00

wedding receptions are so much more fun when you're an adult and married. you know how when you're a kid they're torturous--well, recently i was beginning to feel pretty happy about weddings. all the love in the air. the sense of renewal in your own relationship. young people in love. so much youthful happiness -- until people start pulling out the grown-up conversation.

"so, martin, what is it you do?" when you're at the reception and you find yourself standing next to the successful middle-aged man with a $60 shirt on, know this: he will ask you this question. "so, what is it you do?"

it wouldn't be a painful question if the world respected audio guys. "well, i'm working for an audio firm here in the valley." or maybe, "oh, i'm just finishing up a sound residency with an audio clinic nearby." if i could say that then sixty-dollar shirt would reminisce, "oh really, you know i dabbled in audio when i was in college. i just wish i had been smart enough to stick with it." and he would ramble on about how he wasn't as successful as a sound guy but oh, he had his glory days.

"well, sound isn't for everyone." i'd look down my nose at him. just kidding, i'd try to console him, make him feel good about being a c.e.o.

in the next scene the wedding d.j. passes out and i land the plane safely.

the really sore point in all of this grown-up conversation is that i can't even say i am a sound guy. i'm an aspiring sound guy. in a world where sound guys are highly respected, i'm the guy who holds his coffee.

"so, martin, what is it you do?" all foregoing lies and musings aside, to this question i am instead forced to answer, "well, i'm a student, sixty dollar shirt."

"excuse me? sixty what?" he asks.

"oh nothing. just audio stuff...."

sometimes as an aspiring sound guy, you sit in a truck for hours and watch equipment for nearly minimum wage.

the truth is, diana and i are thrilled about our creative paths and i am not feeling embarrassed about it at all. in all sincerity and perhaps some cheesiness, we've found a happiness we desperately missed somewhere inside our creative selves. we have many of you to thank for your encouragement and positivity and examples (special shout out to dars and ad) i hope all of you can find that fulfillment--whatever it is for you. it may well be as a lawyer or doctor or c.e.o. (all of which i really do respect). and someday when you wear your $60 shirt to somebody's wedding you can find yourself next to the other "sixty" and be happy he asks, "so what is it you do?"

like her mama

2009-07-22T11:07:00.000-07:00

one of myra's pictures with the point and shoot camera.

yan fans.

2009-07-12T21:06:00.000-07:00

so this lady:

as many of you know has a growing reputation in the world of photography. on this forum for pro photographers her peers have started to call themselves "yan fans" because they think she's amazing. i'm so proud of her, of course, but at the same time i'm flaming mad. nobody ever called themselves "marty fans" or "the marty party" or "marky mark and the marty-is-rad-ers."

"and i've been the good guy. i've been the good guy." -- the prodigal son's brother

pretty soon you might see yan stickers on the back of people's cars instead of those hawaiian flower stickers. come on, some of you have them don't you? the hawaiian stickers, i mean. and sometimes when you're really honest with yourself you wonder if you should have a hawaii sticker on your car -- because you're not hawaiian, but you went there on vacation. trust me, i know it's hard.

so does the dave matthews band fan i saw the other day with "dmbfmly" for a license plate and 3 different dave matthews band stickers on his car. i just hope he never realizes that some people think it means dumb family. that would be sad. then he would have to buy another s.u.v. so he could get another license plate that said brnkdladzz.

"i'm sorry sir, that's two letters too long." the lady behind the counter said.

he was sweating nervously while his 2 year old cried for chocolate milk. he had to make a quick decision. he was sure all thirteen people behind him were whispering "bare naked ladies????" to each other. there was no time to think.

"um, okay, let's just make it say 'hwyestkr.'" there. he had done it.

so anyway i just want to thank all the people who have been so supportive of us on the photography road. and especially supportive of diana. we like you.

people who only blog about their kids because they don't have a life are pathetic

2009-07-07T20:44:00.000-07:00

5 things in the near, not too distant future

a. we're moving to provo (whatup nor tah!) where i (the martin) will take a few recording classes

and 2. hopefully i'm going to work for a week and a half of the august month hanging sheet rock in the seattle temple.

3. hovercraft will replace cars.

and...we're back

2009-05-31T21:55:00.000-07:00

this is a martin post. remember when you thought our blog went private and you were not privatized? well dear friend, welcome back to the world of personally. we just made the blog inaccessible for a while to evade some evil people.
here's some footage of wren. wren gets really excited about this mates of state song, "now." who knew mates of state was so kid friendly? that's a question; answer it. no answer? that's fine. the answer is myra. myra loves this song. she loved it before wren and when wren and all the younger kids found out that the song was cool myra thought to herself, "i knew about that song a long time ago."

well, she gets distracted by her mom in this little clip, but notice her stareballness at the end where she starts to sing the chorus "now, now, now, now, now."
and now goodbye, see you in cyberspace.

so sue me

2009-04-20T21:05:00.001-07:00

hey guys, got nothing for you here, but i could sure use your comments over on the 'ol photography blog:

yanphoto.com/blog

please?

i knew i could count on you.

just needed a change

2009-03-31T22:41:00.000-07:00

but i've got no motivation to blog.

none.

so i give you brandon. he's my brother, and he was really cool and friendly while we were in provo all last week.

he was also quite the diva when it came to having his photo taken.

instead of emailing him more pictures like he's been bugging me about doing, i'm posting this one, which he already has for all to see.

love you monkey.

party's over

2009-03-16T21:50:00.000-07:00

and technically has been for a long time. i just didn't have the guts to say so until now.

ask yourself, what has been almost every woman(excluding heidi klum)'s lament at some point or another? go ahead, search your soul.

done? okay. well, its "i'm gaining weight."

i just want to complain about it okay? i know its kind of annoying. but believe me, its annoying me too! there are other t h i n g s of a more serious nature i could complain about. but weight seems more LIGHT-hearted (oh come on, that was hilarious), if you know what i mean.

anyway, i'm thankful for my body. i'm glad it works. i'm glad i can run, and bend, and rotate in various ways. but i'm not thankful that i need new pants. or that the nice woman from the ward i grew up in who i ran into at panda express (ironic) the other night poked my stomach, and asked in a "knowing" tone, "what is thiiii-iiiisss?"

oh no, she thinks i'm pregnant. act cool, don't embarrass the nice lady, i thought this shirt was baggy enough, isn't this shirt baggy enough?

(laughing, no chuckling really, perhaps even chortling, if you will) "oh, that's just left over from baby number two! she's right over there-" (excellent change of subject if I do say so myself).

At this point I wish I was pregnant. That would explain a few things, and allow me to rationalize plenty more.

I guess that even though I'm still nursing my one year old baby, she's not drinking away the calories like she used to. and that is why the party, you know the I can eat whatever and not gain weight because i'm nursing SHEBANG, must end.

____________________________

2009-03-14T20:12:00.001-07:00

so did you all know i have a new photography blog? i think i mentioned it a time or million. but if you didn't know, its yanphoto.com/blog. check it out dude! but you missed your chance to vote in the contest, i'm sorry, dry your eyes ....

and really, i need a favor....stutter, stutter....avoiding eye contact......basically I NEED you to post a link to my website: yanphoto.com, on your sidebars if at all possible. you see, i'm trying to make it so that when you search for a photographer in boise, my website pops up on PAGE ONE, instead of page 17, where I'm currently "chillin." evidently, there's all these fancy things one has to do to make it so, and linking is among the more trivial things. ie, its something i actually UNDERSTAND how to do. sort of.

but hey, i'm not all "gimme, gimme." if you scratch my back i'll scratch yours. leave a comment of something i can do for YOU and i'd be happy to oblige, as long as it doesn't involve html akdkfj8837373*_)<<<<<<>>>>..._87%dkc//ahwww..., etc.

thanks! (i hope)

hip hoppy happy jaloppy

2009-03-11T15:28:00.001-07:00

laurel.

is.

older.

and we're all going to be happy

about it, okay?

i for one am RELIEVED she was ever born, and lived long enough to become my friend our sophomore year in college. if you don't know laurel, you don't know that she is one of the most gentle human beings in existence. you don't know she's got exceptional rhythm (the girl can dance), or that she, much to my dismay, adores cats. you don't know she writes things that are honest and that feel like dreams sometimes. that she hails from not only the golden state, but the goldest part of it, or that her heart is big enough to squeeze you, me, the children of south american and european countries, into, with lots of crimson room to spare. laurel is passionate, and good, sensitive and idealistic. and i love her. happy birthday pit.

*i recently just transferred all my pictures of you to the external hard drive, but lets see what i can come up with...

don't we all blog on sundays?

2009-03-08T21:15:00.000-07:00

happy to report that right now that big wad of anxiety that's been my stuck in my chest similar to a tickle in my throat isn't stuck there, and i don't know where it is.

but i know its MIA status has to do with the nice time we had this evening with ari and kevin over the soup recipe we stole from them, but don't make right.

this weekend was slow and nice and its rocked me back and forth into a peaceful feeling, which i appreciate since tomorrow is monday and the start of something new.

on friday we babysat elle-belle. more like sat on her parent's plush couch while she slept and they ate out. by the time ari and kev got home, it seemed so late to us old timers (9:30 ha), that we spent the night on their air mattress. no one slept well, but the morning was pleasant, maybe especially for me since I got to sleep in. when i woke up i ate the last three, yes three, don't judge, waffles, and ari was wearing some velvety red robe that was such "livin large" material, I still can't get over it.

on saturday we recovered from friday's bad night of sleep, and then in the evening celebrated my niece, Jayden's birthday at my parents house. we got to see kurt and becca, who i've really missed lately since their trips to boise have seemed less frequent. and my dad and kurt played sorry (the boardgame), which i think they may have finished, which is really pretty amazing since i don't think i've ever seen my dad play a boardgame in his life.

that will bring us back to do, do, do, do, do, ra, mi------sorry, sunday. who doesn't get excited about changing the time around? its like all of the sudden everyone in the world simultaneously lightened up and decided, sure, you can move your clocks ahead an hour so that you see more sunlight, why not? who made time king anyway? we're in charge! i love it! but i'm more tired.

wrennie totally walked the length of our apartment 20 times in a row today. its really funny because she can get going pretty fast, but the only reason she's going fast is because she has to keep up with her own momentum to keep from falling. kind of like when you're running down a hill and your legs get ahead of you. and after ari and kev left tonight we went on a blustery evening walk, and myra ran like the WHOLE time. i was thinking, "she's really getting a work out, this is a jogging route i would choose for myself, and she's totally booking it."

and all of this folks, in case you're wondering, is the recipe for happiness.

mixing business with pleasure

2009-03-03T20:49:00.000-08:00

some of you may have noticed that i haven't posted in two weeks. and when i say may have, i mean that melissa p. certainly did. (thanks). and that is because for the last two weeks my mantra has been:

survive.

first of all, me and big events don't get along so well. i'm kind of like the annoying girl who wants to be big event's friend, but the effortlessly cool big event chews me up and spits me out time and time again. big event numero uno was wrennie's big birthday bash. and before i go any further, let me assure you, such an event deserves a post in and of itself, but since i don't have any pictures (long story), i'll give you darcie's blog address, and direct you there for now (which might end up being funny because she's got one of those real fancy private blogs, but who knows, maybe you've been invited: adamanddarcie.blogspot.com.

so the week before the luau i was sort of an unshowered, sleep deprived wreck using every trick i could think of to get as many people to enjoy my mother in law's awesome cooking plus wrennie's life, as possible. success!

and the week after that i continued my, "what's so important about being clean anyway?" campaign, as i prepared a yan photography booth for the Kid's Fair (That's it, that's all its called, Kid's fair, kind of non descript if you ask me). in case i hooked any of you earlier with my detail about how moi-self and big events will never be bff, its basically because i'm a terrible planner, and have horrible organizational skillz. i wish it wasn't so, but, mweh. so having two big events for two weekends in a row pretty much sucked my life out of me like those scary things in Harry Potter, and those other scary things in Lord of the Rings.

Here are some pictures from our yan photo booth:

and speaking of yan photo,

PUH-LEAAAASE update your sidebar links (if you didn't have one already, make one! maybe?) to:

yanphoto.com/blog

can't decide if i should be posting biz stuff on the ol personal bloggity blog. but since these things are really not at all, ever, even close to being mutually exclusive, i figure, do it.

if you're in the area, i'm serious

2009-02-16T23:38:00.001-08:00

so, i guess you know where i'll be this saturday. who could say no to that face?

arianne and normandie

2009-02-13T21:56:00.003-08:00

but who is who?

well, arianne, is my sister, if that helps. but i don't call her that, unless i'm mad at her. and she doesn't call me diana ever either. if she does, i know i've done something really wrong. or she says it all serious like, and we just laugh. ari, i hope this makes you excited for the real maternity session we have planned. and if it doesn't, suck it up and pretend.

to emily wherever i may find her

2009-02-12T10:03:00.001-08:00

coy emily, mopey craig

with this old friend, all my words usually come. they rise in my heart in a rush, and burst out wherever they find an opening.

but right now they're stuck. they're all there, under the surface, tangling with each other, like a large crowd in a small place, where each person is struggling to make it a little ways ahead.

emily herself is full of words, some of the most beautiful i've ever read. she's a poet, a musician, an artist, a good listener, a comedian, nature lover, crazy dancer, and very tall, which i feel is an advantage.

and today is her birthday.

i'm amused by the fact that anyone who became my friend after high school is a little bit infatuated with emily. i think i've done a fantastic job of playing up her eccentricities and talents in their eyes, and every one is always curious about her wherebouts, or the latest update in her story. i think they can sense how much a part of me she is.

anyway, i'm feeling very melodramatic, so you have to forgive me. i just wanted to say i love you to the friend that's changed me more than any other. happy birthday emily. ceeeeeelebrate good times, come on.

hahaha

lazy

2009-02-10T10:09:00.000-08:00

lazy: me

kitchen: dirty

cookies: in the oven

myra (still sick): movie

wren: nap

computer: beneath my fingers

shower: ha!

me: lazy

how do you guys keep your motivation up? really, tell me.

i have a fan

2009-02-10T08:35:00.000-08:00

hi joanna.

i know you're reading this. i can practically see your pretty 18 year-old face illuminated by the faint bluish glow of your computer screen. And unlike Rivers Cuomo who hid like a frightened woodland creature when I rightfully stalked him outside of his hotel room, I acknowledge my fans.

see, i like you. because you like me. and you like my husband's song. maybe he's your rivers cuomo. some may say this is a shallow, and self-centered basis for a relationship. but i think its a nice start.

however, joanna, you're going to have to start pulling your weight around here. this aint no free ride. i'll be expecting some comments out of you from now on (not really).

and if you're wondering who ratted you out, well i wont tell you. but will you keep an eye on my brother brandon for me? he needs someone to keep him in line when i'm not around to be his conscience.

thanks jo. can i call you jo? my family calls me anna. and somehow that connects us.

you understand right?

2009-02-08T18:43:00.000-08:00

i hope that some place some where, like over the rainbow, or maybe beneath the big blue sky, someone is having a REALLLLLLLLLY FANTASTICCCCC (my teeth are clenched) day. and that when they're all done with it, its MY turn.

because right now i'm swinging like a rabid monkey at the end of my rope, (which is actually more like a thread, and i'm swinging back and forth because i'm looking for my marbles).

sick kids. sick daughter numero one. sick daughter numero two. and just so the girls aren't the ones having all the fun, super sick and shaky husband.

for one week.

seas of snot. a little throw up. triple digit fevers. right now i'm listening to wrennie, struggling to breath as she whimpers in her sleep.

but it could be worse. i could have my own snot to add to the green ocean. but i don't. i'm fit as a fiddle. minus the major migraine that came on last night, thankfully after the girls were asleep. and even though myra spent a half hour blowing her hot breath on me, and drooling on my arm as she drifted off to sleep tonight, i remain optimistic.

i will not get this thing.

so, mr. virus, thanks for coming to stay. i hope you found the bodies of those i treasure most suitable hosts, and i'm sorry that its now time for you to DIE. by sorry about it being time NOW, i only mean i wish it could have been sooner.

daniel johnston, you're not alone after all.

2009-02-06T02:52:00.000-08:00

so nana and papa palmer came to visit recently for myra's third birthday.
sorry about the crackling; it's your computer. i wish i could insert an absurd amount of emoticons right here.
myra wrote a song for her birthday called, "we know what we could be, we're just a family or simply the letter a." notice how she gets the chord changes. she amazes us.
a true freestyler to rival her uncle clint who came out of the fresh prince of bel air era but without as much recognition.
also, my apologies to danielle and other purists who will be bothered that the left part of the piano is high because i haven't turned my program off of mirror setting.
and lastly, myra has never heard of daniel johnston.

my favorite...

2009-01-30T15:24:00.000-08:00

has become a term of endearment in our home. martin, myra and wren are all my favorites. i usually tell them this when they are especially sweet and lovable. above is my favorite (albeit pixellated) wrennie lulu.

ten minute workout by wren. in other news, the blue hippo. and in alternative news, the consumer culture experiment. and lastly, the song release.

2009-01-25T16:59:00.001-08:00

the blue hippo

about a month or so ago, we told palmyra her birthday was coming up. she seemed delighted because a birthday meant a blue hippo party (in myra's mind it did). and trying to consult that same mind we couldn't find out where the idea came from.
but we knew what we had to do. we had to find a blue hippo, even if it meant making one with our own bare hands and non-bare hearts.
the day of the blue hippo party came as we knew it would. the party children gathered around for what was to be a "hippo hunt." it would be the kind of hunt where children attacked a hippo with their hands, forks, and teeth. similarly, these same children would attack a mexican, cardboard-and-newspaper-fish stuffed with american chocolate (which is universally considered better than american cheese).

10 minute workout by wren
i want you all to see what kind of things wren yells at us as she scoots and crawls and cruises around the house. send your home videos of yourself doing the wren workout to win an alaskan cruise (metaphorically speaking)...... (in other words i'm lying).

the consumer culture experiment and other band names that didn't make it past the garage.

we're not going to buy anything for a week. i've surrendered my methods of payment to the bank of the ziploc bag. except for something in case of emergency. anyone else want to try it with us?

the song release

diana and i are slowly building a set list of songs. the first is on yanphoto.com. it's called birds, beaks, and bones. diana's lyrics. martin's music. some back up vocals from diana. if you'd like me to email you the mp3, just let me know. shalom in your home.

kind of squiggly in here

2009-01-21T22:05:00.001-08:00

i know, but have you ever tried to type squiggly before?

anyway, i know i should be sleeping when i toy with the idea of putting this blog permanently to rest. it seems i can't keep up with the demand of my many fans (*chelsey, i'm still considering your tag). and i honestly feel guilty. the longer i don't post, the harder it becomes, and i feel genuine GUILT. what's wrong with me?

i've been sick, okay? what do i have? oh you know, some weird thing going around. yeah...you MIGHT call it a syndrome, not really a legitimate sickness, no....oh the symptoms? well, um, i just don't want to go to bed, and i don't want to do anything productive either. should pass soon...

but here's something to look at:

http://flickr.com/photos/33128998@N06/sets/72157610838809534/

a photography portfolio i've been working on for a while. no disclaimers, no disclaimers, somebody hold me back! no disclaimers...

the wild things and where they are: a martin post

2009-01-04T20:43:00.000-08:00

now lest anyone forget their friends the cullens and s. m., i have a confession to make about those wild things. my confession is not that i read all the books and that i have a y chromosome. it's actually that i didn't read all of them. i skipped all the kissing parts. how many times are we going to hear about edward's jaw? and by the way, how many times is bella going to bite her lip? do people really bite their lips. i mean seriously. the only time i really bite my lip is when i'm trying not to bust up laughing during my conflict management class.

now, lest anyone think i'm a downer personified, some more positive thoughts about wild things:

a couple months ago i was playing with myra and she said she was going to read me a book.

her fluffy little hands wrapped around the cover and she began reading. i was excited. i love it when she makes up stories.
she recited the first couple pages as she remembered hearing them. i'm still smiling.
then she reads the 3rd and the 4th verbatim. she kept going. at this point i'm just thrilled, with my mouth open and actually stunned. i was trying to figure out what kind of prodigy we were sent? she was so expressive. she hunched up her shoulders and wiggled her fingers when she read about "terrible claws." i hope tonight's program will inspire you to be a little more wild while (unlike max) still obeying your mother.

and now a sampling of where the wild things are by maurice sendak. read by palmyra palmer.

these days i regard martin as my mourning companion

2009-01-01T20:52:00.000-08:00

i just KNOW that's what we'll turn into someday. two sad old people. sad because they miss their kids. old because that's what happens.

lately myra is doing so many cute things that i'm already hyperventelating about what i know is coming: the time when this stage passes and i'll want it back SO BAD, the pain will be a physical sensation in my chest, right about where my heart is.

i keep coming to the same conclusion. i need to take more advantage of this time. i NEED to spend more good, quality, or is it koala-ty (why did that just come to me in the midst of this dramatic post, and why does it strike me as super funny right now?) with my girls. before they're over me.

so, how do you do it? how do YOU, out there, play with your kids? what do you do during the day so that you don't end that day afraid you didn't make the most of it or teach your child something worth while? accepting all answers...

p.s. wrennie is no less adorable than her older twin. she makes a fish face pucker every time we say "kiss," imitates most animal sounds, and has basically taken her first step. sheesh, i have to stop thinking about how much this will all hurt when its over, so that i can actually enjoy it while its happening.

are the holidays still going?

2008-12-29T22:03:00.000-08:00

i'm perplexed. what just happened? what's happening now? i can't get a handle on reality, and i don't know how to explain it.

every year it seems like i'm making a transition into something. this time it was from the previous year's semi depressing christmas as a young and poor married couple with one child who don't know diddly about christmas, plus one on the way (as they like to say) to 2008's semi special christmas as a young and possibly more poor married couple with two kids, the eldest of whom understood enough at least to remind me every day that "santa is coming to give me lots of candy," and on days when she got in trouble a lot, "he's going to be so mad at you, mama."

so it happened, and yes, it had a little bit of that magic most of us remember from childhood. and yes, martin and i referred to santa at times as if he were a real person who spent a few minutes in our living room christmas eve, even though it makes us feel like liars and at times we question if we want to promote that tradition (nothing personal, we just wonder, and every time i refer to old saint nick, i just feel off, like its not quiiiiiiiite right). one thing is certain, i REALLY want to make next year more like one of those christmas's you always hear about in church talks on sunday, where the whole shebang is more about warm fuzzy giving (the distinction being to those who actually need it) than receiving.

and now christmas is over. but its stilll december. and that's what leaves me feeling disoriented. i'm ready to pack up the christmas i never fully unpacked in the first place. yet, here we are not quiiiiiiiiiiiiite into the new year. martin's back at work, and we're back to our regularly scheduled programming. then i remember new year's eve is coming, and i must prepare myself for a relapse into holiday cheer. not that i'm complaining.

i just don't know when or how to celebrate exactly. and that my friends is one of those fantastic one-liners that one feels could possibly sum up one's entire awkward existence. one. one. one one one one one.

merry christmas, darling (burst of laughter)

2008-12-25T19:00:00.001-08:00

moore family christmas party. almost all of us. represent! everyone complains about having to take these pictures because no one likes feeling 1/2 inch tall. that's me and marty there, middle, left. our kids are distributed throughout.

at least our christmas tree, while not tall, or real, was bigger than baby wren.

myra's turn for low light magic.

thanks aunty jill and uncle clint for
the baby leg fashion!

easy to love

2008-12-22T21:59:00.000-08:00

perfectly reasonable explanation

2008-12-07T19:49:00.000-08:00

you see, first it was the shame of in no way shape or form remaining committed to my "no sweets until thanksgiving" pledge. (1 week treat free, to my credit).

and i can't remember if this actually came first or second, but remember the list of memory sharing i have yet to repay people (never trust a diana)?

then it was the embarrassment of the hair cut that didn't cut it (couldn't resist).

finally, came editing, editing and more editing until i couldn't even really BREATHE.

days and weeks kept passing, and this blog became a distant boat sailing away from me toward the cyber horizon. i could hardly make out its once happy shape. and to call it back to shore seemed too difficult a task (are you feeling it?).

yet, there the guilt was, always in the back of my mind. faint voices like stephanielovesthomas, makingmyway and oh-dani-girl, summoning me.

well guys here i am. just me. none of the tasks i was supposed to accomplish. just a sheepish, loveable (i hope) wife and mother of two aka prime-time blog reading material.

and martin says i need to post a picture. but its hard to take anyone wearing a mouth guard too seriously.

so in the space between (yes, i like me a little dave matthews now and again, what of it?):

we've been to provo, martin's been trying to spread a little cheer with BSU's holiday help program. myra's reached another level of smartness still within the category of too sassy for her own good ("Mama, why you so grumpy about?"), wren can now do that pat ittttttt section of patty cake, the boise zoo got a new giraffe, and i decided on a new price list for my photography services, which is sure to slow business drastically. i'm looking forward to this, as its only fair to myself, and with it comes at least a month long break i realized recently that i don't have a link to my photography on here. talk about poor self promotion, for shame. so to see my recents: dianapalmerphotography.blogspot.com.

and here are some snapshots of the girls who keep martin and i up at night. in the one of myra, i was asking her who she like best, mommy or daddy? don't ask me why, it just tumbled out of my lips. her response, with NO time for deliberation, was DADDY. when i asked why, she told me all about how mommy is Meeeeaaaaaan (click). the other one is of the child i've not yet had to discipline and who still loves me.

okay okay, my conscious is telling me i have to write how much i love myra, how sweet and affectionate she's been lately, that she's my best little buddy, and that the sight of her sleeping makes me cry in awe.

in the meantime

2008-11-23T17:39:00.001-08:00

...this will have to do. i'm going to put my little fighter to bed.

look who came to visit

2008-11-16T20:54:00.001-08:00

on our way home today

2008-11-10T20:25:00.001-08:00

a game

2008-11-09T16:34:00.000-08:00

let's just try this out

2008-11-06T18:13:00.000-08:00

i suffer from nostalgia attacks all too often.

Do you remember when?

Here are the rules.

1. As a comment on my blog, leave a memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you know me a little or a lot, anything you remember! If we're only blogging friends or if you're a blog hopper who happens upon my blog regularly...leave me a comment. There must be reason you keep stopping by! Say something! If you don't have a blog or don't know how to sign in, sign up for an account! You won't regret it!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog (if you have one) and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty fun to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll be sure to write one about you... either on your blog, in my comment box, or I will email you back!

it saves time

2008-11-04T00:14:00.000-08:00

"...to vote early." --a liar

"it takes 2 and a half hours to vote even if you vote early." --martin palmer

a martin and diana post

they also told us it would save time if you wore a white shirt. ...and were a middle aged man.

myra and wren were really good about it though. a little tip for all of you going to the voting booth today, take lunch or dinner, it helps the time go by a lot faster. well, at least 20 minutes of that time.

oh, just kidding about the complaining, we're happy to do our civic duty and exercise our right to vote, but when you do your research on what is said to be a 40 minute line and then it is almost 4 times that long you have to use bribes for your 2 and a half year old.

myra during a game of i spy: i little spy with my little eye, someone being good so she can get hot chocolate. you know who it is? it's myra.

oh, there's a fine line between a bribe and a reward. and i believe in reward systems.

irrelevant video: myra is into cover songs. let's just say she takes a lot of liberties.

marry poppins is(was) my homie

2008-11-03T22:32:00.000-08:00

how so? come on. think about it....okay, i'll tell you. spoon full of sugar?!!! ring a bell?!!!! those of you who've spent at least 24 hours with me should know that i consume sickening amounts of "treats." on any given day it all starts about 9a.m., sometimes earlier.

i can't help it if it helps the medicine go down. any task i do, whether it be late night editing, morning cleaning, diaper changing, just kidding, that's disgusting, martin's going to be so grossed out that i wrote that, the point is, everything is a little bit easier if i have a handful or 10 of m&m's to munch on (note: m&m's are best consumed with butter saturated, salt coated popcorn...come on, you know you want to try it).

furthermore, those of you who've spent a little more time than 24 hours with me, also know that sometimes i resort to extreme measures to correct stuff. so until thanksgiving, no treats. i don't mean no sugar, oh heavens no, that would be near impossible. i'm talking just stay away from the hard stuff like cookies, cake, cinnamon rolls, symphony bars, basically the junk that fit into the dessert category.

and i'm writing this post because i want to know who's with me? i'm only going until thanksgiving at which point i hope to incorporate treats back into my life in a healthier (as in not five a day) way. yes, i know i've done this a bunch before, its really nothing new or novel, but i think it would be kind of fun if i could recruit some of you to join me. don't be shy...

jerk at heart

2008-11-03T22:27:00.001-08:00

forgive me?

i would go ahead and not post any kind of thank you after so many dear people sent me love and birthday well wishes wouldn't i?

sometimes i feel guilty for feeling so loved, for being surrounded by such good people, for having more than one other person who thinks that two+ seconds of their time would be well spent saying/writing something nice to me.

if i was good with keyboards, i'd configure one of those bouquets that are completely made up of like greater and less than signs to show my gratitude.

but this is all i got:

!LOVE!

thanks everyone.

various sundry items

2008-11-02T18:06:00.000-08:00

so my birthday right?

fantastico, but old news. martin and i shopped til we dropped. can anyone else say that they love to shop with their husband? hope so. we hit three thrift stores and saved the mall for last. i piled items on martin until i couldn't see his face, referred to him with derogatory terms, like "you there,take this away" just like in the movies it was great. just kidding. partly just kidding.

word to the wise though---you shouldn't treat getting a hair cut like shopping for clothes. once the new do is on, its onnnnn, and there's no taking it off. i'll post a picture, but i'm not happy about it. and it was an accident. the details aren't important. just know that i went in for a trim and came out a victim. i'm hoping to work a little katie holmes/posh spice magic on it in the near future.

which brings us to halloween 2008. the eerie night i backed my car right into a mailbox and shattered our rear window. "the window popped!" myra shouted at me. oh dang...and then "you broke my car." yes i did. but a nice man fixed it the very next day, and insurance covered everything (good thing as it would have cost about $400, supposedly).

in other halloween news wrennie was a little bird and myra was an egg. we made the costume's with fabric and glue and cardboard and some batting. let's just say i'm not one of those perfectionist mom's who will do their kid's school projects for them so that they look awesome and better than all the other kids (and actually, martin did most of the construction). you'll see. the pictures of wren aren't on the computer yet, but i can reveal myra. we made her wear a mask with feathers on it and it was creepy in an off broadway sort of way. myra got to march in amity elementary's halloween parade holding her cousin, McKenzie's hand. i sent her off to walk the halls without me, and then thought, "wait what have i done? bring my child back to me." 10 minutes of mom anxt later, myra came back mostly whole. only her shoe was missing. she was really quiet the whole time (i thought she'd be bouncing off the walls) i couldn't get her to crack a smile (get it, crack?) and when i finally got her to tell me what was wrong she just said, "where's the candy?" i don't blame her. we've been prepping her for the halloween mecca of sugar for quite some time. she took it pretty well once we explained the candy was going to make an appearance later that night.

also, wren's been playing shows with a local jazz quartet.

2 lean years

2008-10-24T13:47:00.000-07:00

the past two birthdays have been disastrous.
now she's 26. now meaning tomorrow.

recently i saw her act with surprising Christlike-ness to a less than kind person. when people are unduly mad at her or otherwise undeserving, she is so gracious (and sincere about it!.) i have to muster that kind of kindness.

i heard about this woman who ran through her pregnancy and then ran a marathon 6 months after delivery. kind of metaphoric for diana's life in a way.

one of these days she'll believe she's always attractive.
i hope she knows how uncommonly good she is. loyal to God and in love with her family. i hope she feels as good as she is. i love you diana; we all do. happy birthday yan.

why do you think they call it PUMP! kin?

2008-10-19T09:06:00.000-07:00

we almost skipped out on the pumpkin patch last week. yeah, we'd planned it for family home evning for awhile, but i was feeling lazy and sleepy and it seemed a whole lot of cold trouble to put ourselves through.

martin convinced

me, and the final verdict: totally worth it. unfortunately, one terribly sad thing DID happen. myra found a gourd (pictured), grabbed it and shouted to me, "look mom, a banana pumpkin!" because she's 2 1/2, she lost interest after about 5 seconds and dropped it. then along came a little myra sized boy, let's call him"the culprit," just for fun. The culprit picked up the same gourd. of course myra all of the sudden wanted the banana pumpkin back (they're so territorial at this age), and tried to snatch it from him. Not wanting to LOOK like the kind of mom who let's their kids be bratty to others, I stopped myra and explained that the gourd now belonged to the little boy. naturally, myra was crushed but i think we BOTH got angry when we heard the culprit proclaim to his mama, "look mom, its a banana pumpkin." hmmm, so you saw that my child had the gourd first eh? you steal not only her gourd but her adorable two year old line eh? grrr. myra could somehow sense how low this blow was--she lost it more than usual. her cry cry face is also pictured. luckily the culprit also lost interest after 5 seconds and we got the banana pumpkin back.

p.s. what's with the picture of the camel, you ask? well, i'll tell you, that's the camel who's bit myra grabbed onto and swung from until her dad tore her away (see picture of myra laughing). crazy animal lover.

things i made

2008-10-17T20:27:00.001-07:00

this is obviously a martin post. diana would make it look a lot nicer.

my dad and i made a bathroom stool for myra (and for other kids when they're big enough).

i made a shelf because i love to be able to put things down as soon as i walk in the door and hug my yan and myra. myra usually gets to me first. wren's starting to care too.

myra and i made a lion pumpkin today. she calls me daddy lion. she calls diana mommy lion. wren is nala. myra is baby lion. you can kind of see the mane that goes around his face.

we just got three lions at our zoo. go zoo boise! and this huge mom lion came running up to the glass and looked down at myra. i was not phased because being the paranoidal security officer in the family, i had already assessed all points of safety and they met regulations. i was not pleased with the impolite lioness. how dare you look at myra that way. i thought about david killing a lion with his bare hands.....

in other news, i'm in the seminary preservice program and i'm sub-ing at local seminaries from time to time. i love it!!!! classroom management is always a challenge, but i love that too. there are a lot of very impressive youth in the LDS Church.

i'm the manager of the info desk at bsu. i get tuition free and i love the job. i like working with young people who are flexible and like change and improvement and i love the leadership aspect of my job. leadership has always been really motivating for me. kind of like being on stage motivates people to perform well.

bsu just started a legitimate men's soccer club. the coach is awesome and owns the indoor arena here so that's where we practice. i'm trying to decide if i can make the commitment (only 2 times a week including the game--i should be able to). funny, if you asked me to play on this team 2 years ago i would've hardly even thought about it...exercise is always important but maybe soccer takes too much time from family.

wren fell asleep on her own tonight. i'm training her as a birthday present for the sleepless diana. (25th by the way...)

love and aloha to all my peeps.

the accused

2008-10-14T22:59:00.001-07:00

some people think this baby drinks too much milk

"yay, did someone say milk? i love milk!"

"well, you might have a point, but where's your evidence?"

"oh, i see."

guilty.

all a blur

2008-10-12T18:49:00.000-07:00

i'm really tired,

but you're not interested in hearing about THAT.

quite frankly, i have no idea what you're interested in at all. i wouldn't mind you telling me. that's the secret to entertainment isn't it? knowing what people are interested in.

since right now i lack the creative energy to guess, i mean SERIOUSLY lack it, my head's a grainy buzzing thing, i'll give you the blah blah boring version of what's been going down in boise town la-hately.

i've been taking pictures, then editing into the wee hours of the morn, and most importantly, not showering. martin's been working on the railroad, er, at BSU , going to school, subbing as a seminary teacher (his dream job), and trying to sneak away to soccer, same as ever. myra's been doing at least *one extremely adorable thing a day. AND wrennie can now officially crawl, clap AND melt my heart every other second.

this weekend we hosted ari and kev and elle-bell, who came down for my nephew jalen's baptism, and helped them find there first house. by help, i mean i looked over their shoulders while they signed the "offer" papers, said obnoxious things, and confidently informed their real estate agent that, "ohh. i watch A LOT of HGTV."

and that's about it for this wild party. any questions?

i'm posting wren/parent pics because i think everyone wants to see a liitle more of moi-hot-self and my devlishly handsome husband, am i right? and because they are what i have on my computer.

*today we were in the backyard with cousins playing in the leaves. the cousins ganged up on me and dumped bucket after bucket of orange leaves on my head. myra, loojking very concerned, started frantically brushing the leaves away. "don't dump leaves on my mama!" she yelled. i was touched that she came to my defense. little hero.

and now

2008-10-11T08:47:00.001-07:00

bye bye blondie.

remember when

2008-10-08T10:05:00.000-07:00

i have brothers...and a secret trick

2008-10-08T00:17:00.000-07:00

so, did you guess the trick?

did i mention we're getting ready to crawl around here?

2008-09-29T12:17:00.001-07:00

a politically incorrect tale

2008-09-29T09:06:00.000-07:00

lame pains: when someone says something so lame, it hurts.

this morning's conversation:

me, trying to get a fussy wren dressed: okay wrennie, we can do this the hard way or the easy way.
martin: anna, when did you join the mafia?
me: martin, I AM THE MOMFIA.

there are several things i say that give martin lame pains. i don't have tim to write them all now, but a few choice examples:

BOOMSHAKALAKA!

THAT'S SO WIGGIDY WACK

MMMM, I DON'T THINK THAT'S NECESSARIO.

ahhhhh.....

who wouldn't love to be married to me?

desperate

2008-09-29T09:05:00.001-07:00

i'm considering using febreeze for perfume.

BLOGTHINK

2008-09-28T15:46:00.000-07:00

its a little embarrassing that i think in blog.

how is it possible you say?

how can someone who only updates their blog once a week, even claim to think in blog?

girlfriend, let me tell you SOMEsING...

when you think in blog, you come up with a million blog post possibilities. you want to do them all, you can't decide which one is best, you end up fulfilled that you THOUGHT of so many different blog entries----that along with being overwhelmed by the choices, well, what happens is that you post a big fat nuffin.

but i'm telling you, Blog entries to my mind, are like breaths to my lungs.

not that they're great or anything. oh pleeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaassssssssssseeeeeeeeeeeeeee

don't think that. they're pretty average. i did say breath after all. or i should say, they WERE pretty average. that's right, they were born, lived a good life inside my brain (don't worry i laughed and cried a lot, it was fantastic) and have now died an uncomplicated death of natural causes (FORGOT them).

so moving right along, to some

PICTURES OF WREN.

recently i realized i've really neglected my second daughter in terms of capturing her life on film. not that it would matter really because later on we'll be able to just show her boyfriend's pictures of myra as a baby and claim its wren ("palm tree? what palm tree? i don't see a palm tree).

and i've also needed to practice some technical photography skillz. so here's a few of wren aka little miss, i'm going to crawl any day now. myra's photo shoot will take place at a later date.

public apology

2008-09-18T12:04:00.002-07:00

dear martin,

i'm sorry for the chunky salsa i spilled on the white carpet we placed beneath the computer desk, which i'm not supposed to be eating at anyway.

i'm further sorry for immediately reaching for the only cleaning device i typically surround myself with (baby wipes), and turning a small reddish/orange spot into a bigger reddish orange spot, now slightly resembling a sunset.

you see, all of us make mistakes, its just that some of us don't try as hard not to. and even though i plan on ending this letter with something REALLY sarcastic, i REALLY am sorry.

however,

i am not sorry for birthing the two most beautiful, brilliant female creatures known to mankind, because that was pretty awesome of me. i'm also not sorry for the 5 bites of costco chocolate cake i just ate, for obvious reasons. i am a teensy bit sorry for being so nice to the lady who was unthinkably mean to me last night. you know the one.

please take my apology into consideration when you arrive home this afternoon, find the afore mentioned sunset, and realize that all the chocolate cake is gone.

responsibility is for losers,

your loving wife

oozits and whatsitz galore

2008-09-18T12:04:00.000-07:00

you know how someone says to you, "hey, what have you been up to?"

and you answer, "not much."

because its the simplest thing to do, and that person doesn't really want a specific answer anyway?

well.

Today,

is my Mom's birthday.

i changed a poopy diaper at a busy downtown intersection.

we found out myra has a bladder infection.

my brother is in court.

we ate breakfast at Boise's BEST breakfast restaurant.

dropped martin off at work.

laid on a bed with wrennie for 1/2 hour, laughed together as i dropped a ball on her tummy.

myra fell asleep in the car.

i cried a little.

rushed into random downtown building for myra to use the bathroom.

lost my temper.

received a check for $220.

talked to my sister just before she went "house shopping," for her new home in boise.

its 1:11 pm (hey, make a wish).

what have your todays been like? Come on, knock my socks off.

yes, young diana, dreams really do come true

2008-09-10T21:05:00.000-07:00

(haven't quite figured out how to make it so the colors don't get washed out when i post, thomas, if you're reading this, do you know?)

i just didn't know that living the dream could be so much about struggle, and challenge, and learning. when i "launched" yanphoto.com several months ago, smiles and optimism abounded. since then its been a huge challenge to advertise and get business and make people believe i'm worth spending their hard earned money on....hard to make myself believe i'm worth their hard earned money.

this is partly why the last shoot i did, last night as a matter of fact was so cool. my services were part of a silent auction and all proceeds went to a family in the area who are in need (you can find out more about it at gift.org, if you're interested). definitely worth the money. the family who bid the highest on me, higher than I would have had to actually charge them, turned out to be like normal awesome times three.

instead of sweaty palms slipping on the steering wheel, i felt calm driving to our session, excited about the good karma of the whole event. looking over the photos from last night, i'm realizing that this zen, relaxed, yet still excited feeling, really shows in the product. and i'm beginning to catch a hint that the last few months of experimentation and late nights, and trying to be brave are gel-ing quite nicely into an aesthetic that feels like me. its like wintertime when the fog and frost on your windshield just begins to dissipate, and you can barely see through little patches that are starting to clear, relieved at the clarity.

(but maybe i'm the only one who starts to actually drive with a windshield not yet defrosted).

so here's the parents of the family, kandyss and austin. like i said, they were so super cool, an IDEAL family to work with, up for anything, and with a style all their own. of course, i mostly got pictures of their adorable 3 children, but we took a few minutes to focus on the parents, and these pictures really stood out to me.

Never Let it Drop

2008-09-07T19:53:00.000-07:00

Anyone else remember that intensely emotional moment during the late 90's hit, She's All that, starring Freddie Prince Jr. (swoon) and Rachel Leigh Cook (and I thought she was going somewhere)?

Pity.

That's what this week has been about. We've been runnin (oh, yeah, look at that 'g' bein dropped) a marathon since the marathon, I tell you. Monday was moving day, slow, slow, slooooooowwww moving day. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were, "Martin why aren't you at home to help me, oh yeah its because you're trying to get an education and earn a living..." unpack on my own while managing two little girls wondering what happened to their grandma days. Thursday night was drive all night to Utah to photograph an AWESOME wedding, therefore Friday was picture taking day. Friday night was drive all night back to Boise so Martin could coach his 11 year olds in soccer, and Saturday was its about darned time to fill up our empty refridgerator with groceries day, (and hit up Art in the park before bed, because come on, even though we can't stay awake on our feet, this only happens once a year).

The only casualty in this rapidly unwravelling string of events was our van which while sitting in, no one should inhale through their nose OR try to move their feet around more than two millimeters.

Now, as has been the case many times in my life, I'm just so so so so so glad Sunday is a day of rest.

Oh, and Wrennie sure is cute.

somebody, call an ambulance

2008-08-31T19:44:00.000-07:00

and tell them we accidentally ran the pocatello marathon.

ow.

ow ow ow ow.

OW.

who knew we would be so sore? if only someone was here to help us so we didn't have to pick up our children. or move ALL of our belongings into a new set of four walls tomorrow.

to state the obvious, we did it.

and now, the top ten highlights and top ten lowlights:

highlight #10. both of us finished in the top ten of both our age groups, HOO-rahh! but, uh, there were only 200 runners TOTAL, so that's not exactly super impressive (diana). wow, that's really impressive (martin).

lowlight # -10. there was totally a faux finish line! it was a banner for the freaking zoo, and it was about 1/3 mile before the actual finish line! mind games! you see it from a distance, this huge white high flying, yet stationary ribbon, and you think, "yes, thank you, thank you...." and all these people on the sidelines are shouting, "you're almost there!" then they tell you the real finish line is around the corner.

9. gu. a runner's supplement that comes in a handheld aluminum packet that you squirt into your mouth. easy to digest and so convenient when you don't have time to stop and eat something that actually requires chewing.

martin: i think they should've given an award for the most goos eaten at one aid station. "hmm, strawberry? bless you. orange? okay. vanilla? this is really good."

-9. when diana had to rip a gu packet out of one volunteer's hand.

volunteer, goos in both hands: "CHOCOLATE!"

i reach for her left hand.

volunteer: "no, this is espresso."

diana, through clenched teeth, pulling hard to break her iron grip: that's okayyyyyyy---(give it to me)."

8. around mile 22, after breaking through the wall,

martin: " i seriously feel so good right now. it must be a runner's high or something."

diana: i think its actually the vicodin you took a few miles ago. *martin got this prescription for a foot injury and carried it in a little baggie inside his hat.

-8. around mile 20 martin's legs start to seize up in cramps. so being mindful of his stomach, he employs a conservative strategy of eating bananas like a japanese hotdog eating contestant. vicodin doesn't hurt either.

7. our families taking care of our kids and cheering us on and giving us flowers and dowsing us with water. wrennie was with diana's parents. she went without nursing for 5 hours and didn't even cry. myra was along the course with martin's parents. they gave us water along the way and tried to get a bitter myra to give us high fives.

-7. myra gave us both high fives...in the face. this was the first time we saw her and tried to pick her up (around mile 14). she said to martin's mom, "they're running away from me."

6. matching t-shirts we made to advertise yanphoto.com. vote for me.

-6. no one noticed.

5. the course followed a pretty country road starting in the mountains. we saw this runner with a disposable camera. presumably, he registered for the marathon, but he was acting more like a japanese tourist at disney land, complete with a fanny pack, hat, collared shirt jk about the collared shirt. but he was walking A LOT of the time to snap his pictures.

-5. the picture taking guy totally passed us in the last few miles! how did he do it? we thought we lost him at mile 13!

4. there were massages at the end of the race!

-4. there were BAKED POTATOES s at the end of the race!

3. we crossed the finish line pushing myra in her stroller! she and wren were supposed to be at the finish line, but they were split up between the grandparents. we passed martin's mom when we were about 1/2 mile away from the finish and decided to take the stroller (holding myra) from her so myra could feel like she was part of the action.

-3. we felt guilty because all of the bystanders who saw us with the stroller clapped and cheered and said things like, "oh that is REALLY impressive," thinking we had pushed myra the entire time.

2. we made it in pocatello's newspaper for the above publicity stunt. you can read it here: http://www.idahostatejournal.com/articles/2008/08/31/news/breaking/3.txt

-2. the guy who interviewed us didn't listen to a thing we said!

1. we ran the marathon in 4 hours 25 minutes! that's about 10 min 8 sec miles. sure, that's 25 minutes longer than we wanted, but we'll take it! the first half was mostly downhill, and the first 13 miles were all 9 minutes, 2 of them were actually 8! But the second half of the marathon was a different story. we were running like 12 minute miles at our low points (we hit "the wall" at different times) and between the two of us we took like 6 bathroom breaks!

-1. see title of post.

thanks everyone for prayers and support and making this dream possible. diana teared up when she crossed the finish line, overwhelmed by it all.

oh crap.

2008-08-28T08:39:00.000-07:00

this is the closest thing we have to a family picture. taken while camping, a day or more of no washing up. i believe it was right after martin returned from his mountain climb. i leave it with you now, so you can fondly remember martin and i in case we don't return whole from our marathon this weekend.

i'm really not sure how we're going to pull it off, but i'll tell you this, i'm not stopping unless i lose both my legs. we started our training with a competitive edge and goal of finishing under 4 hours. we were pretty consistent for most of our training, but things started to fall apart in the last month and a half, and now i don't know where we stand. i just want to finish.

i do know that this is something i've wanted to do for years, and I can't believe its two days away. i'm pretty lucky that i get to run my first marathon with my favorite person by my side (did you catch that martin BY MY SIDE, no scooting out ahead). but i'd appreciate some prayers, and maybe light a candle or two between the hours of 6-11 am this Saturday.

behind the scenes

2008-08-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

last night i didn't AT ALL mind filling the nurturer role, while i sent martin to hunt and gather, mostly gather. let me clarify, last night when myra peed all over our bed at 1am.

for those of you who don't know, our children sleep with us. both of them. both of them with both of us.... lets see here, 2+2=4 people. 1 bed /4 people= ridiculous, even if two of them are mini sized.

i played the "if i move the girls will wake up," card, and sent martin out to round up a diaper and other necessary stuff. in my defense wrennie was nursing, which she can be found doing most of the night.

moral of the story:

even though myra appears to be potty trained during waking hours, nightime is a different story. also, i wrote about this so i could indirectly brag that myra is mostly potty trained plus i wanted to vent about how the way i sleep most nights is with wrennie attached to my you know what's on my front side, and myra's warmer than normal body flattened just as close as wrennie's to my backside.think mommy sandwhich. the continual sleep deprivation that is the result of this arrangement convinces me that it wasn't selfish at all to send martin out into the night to do the dirty work, even though he could barely see because he can't fully open his eyes for like an entire half hour after he wakes up. lastly (almost), i wanted to say how sweet it was when martin got back into bed and stretched his feet out to find mine, even though i sent him into the overly air conditioned void at 1am.

lastly (for reals this time), we're in the middle of a move and blogging activity has slowed accordingly. i'm excited to reveal our new place soon but don't get your hopes up because its a cheap apartment.

growth

2008-08-19T20:33:00.001-07:00

see, twins

when i hold myra, she fits me. she smushes her more kid-like than baby-ish torso against mine, her head (on the larger end of the spectrum thanks to her daddy), fits into the space between my head and shoulders like its been cut from that part of me. her legs dangle and her toes brush just above my knees. she's more comfortable than a pillow. and when i hold her every part of me relaxes, except the tension necessary to hold her up.

this in itself is poignant.

but the part that really kills me, is that holding her has ALWAYS felt like that. she has always fit into some hollow, negative space my body creates with such heartbreaking PRECISION. she fit when she was less than 8lbs. she fits now that she's more than 20lbs.

i'll bet you 5 to 1...

2008-08-17T21:54:00.000-07:00

guest posting by martin palmer

every year for the past two years, the moore family has gone to the sawtooth mountains for a reunion. it is literally a blast so to speak.

the moore brothers were sitting around the campsite talking when someone said, "i wonder how long it would take to get to the top of that mountain." an old withered hand extended a claw and pointed upwards to crufer's ridge.

"about an hour," i guessed.

"no way. you've got to be high on crocodiles." (not an exact quote. everything else is.)

murmurs of disbelief clammored against eachother. each one wanting to prove how impossible my guess was. i began to feel my credibility as a guesser of hiking times slip away like a tomato from an overflowing sandwich.

"no, really. i think it would take an hour." if i was ever going to be a hike-guesser, i had to say something.

then it happened. kurt with the mustachio (as he calls it) pulled out a hatchet and put it to the hairs on the back of the neck of my credibility and said, "i'll bet you 5 to 1 you can't make it up there in an hour." zoom in on frodo's intense eyes and then jump to gandalf's quivering lips of incredulity.

the moore brothers are quick, whitty, and excellent trash talkers. should i back down now? roll over like wilbur the dog and allow the pack to guess hiking times without me? all i could say was, "i could really use 100 dollars." after a couple hours of studying the face of the mountain i went back to kurt. he took back his original offer (no one shook on anything) but said 2 to 1. i said 60 to 30.

i put my hand up between the sun and the horizon to estimate how much sunlight i had. about 2 hours. i quickly threw some just-in-case items into my pack. kurt already had a stopwatch ready. we agreed i would stand near a broken-off tree when i reached the top.

as i shook his hand everything seemed to slow down while my mind sped up. as if the handshake weren't official enough, kurt said (as he often does) "it's on like donkey kong." silence drowned the campsite. birds fell out of trees. myra stopped moving for a split second and that same person with the withered hand said, "donkey kong. yes, it is on. isn't it?"

my shirt was soaked after 20 minutes. the mountain side was a field of broken shale and i seemed to slip with most steps.

52 minutes later i stood on crufer's ridge and looked out over a beautiful, truly majestic mountain valley.

i put my white shirt up on a broken branch and waved it in the air. i occasionally yelled "hu-i" and clapped my hands to let bears and cougars know i was ready to be eaten. 7 minutes later, i finally heard kurt yell, "martin!!!!" he sounded happy for me.

now they've gone too far

2008-08-14T15:41:00.000-07:00

why are those annoying word verifications i have to decode every time i want to comment on someone's blog trying to make q's look like g's, and f's look like j's? i thought they had a purpose before, but now they're just toying with me...

darcie, why?

2008-08-14T15:04:00.000-07:00

i've recently learned that signing yourself up to be a blogger means submitting to the gaming forces in the blogger world. in other words i've been tagged. i'm not sure how i feel about it---in most games, you're generally supposed to avoid being tagged. but I had no chance to cyber dodge, and now i'm IT.

i can't remember exactly what i'm supposed to do, but i think its list six random things about myself. and i think i'm supposed to involve pictures. duh. this IS blog land.

warning: when i think "hmm, six random things," confessions come to mind. see below.

1. i don't always brush my teeth. my rule of thumb? if my mouth doesn't taste bad, i don't worry about it. how does this strategy hold up against bacteria and disease? i don't know, i haven't seen a dentist in years.

2. i know most words to most songs played on most oldies stations. martin's super sicked out when i can sweat AND sing to the oldies with richard simmons. i don't know why, because i'm super proud.

3. i am ambition's/fantasy's captive. Here are some of the things i dream of becoming: motivational speaker, college professor, author, oprah's successor, NPR correspondent, photographer, artist, performing musician, actress, journalist, peace corp member.....i don't have to stop. chances of happening? slim to none! but i am a mom and a wife and i like being those things too (said half out of obligation, and half sincerely).

4. i birthed twins two years apart. impossible you say? see photos sure to appear in my next post.

5. i am the best clapper i know. this is really important at theatrical, musical, and sporting events. i hope to embarrass my children later during all school-related performances.

6. my brother chris has me hooked on semi-crappy, definitely nerdy, but totally captivating fantasy novels.

uhhh, i don't have time right now to find pictures to delight your eyes with. but i'll make up for it in my next post, okay? the bright side is you have something new to look at.

i tag, martin, lindsay, natalie, melissa, suzanne, and, and, and, becca. alright!

horses, sweetness, apples, life.

2008-08-08T01:11:00.000-07:00

oh our myra. she loves animals. i can't figure it out. having little to no interest myself, other than appreciating their beauty, i ask myself how it can be that myra is totally becoming the sort of weirdo who prefers animals to people. yes, i realize all little kids generally are fascinated with creatures of all kinds, but i'm telling you with myra its extreme. sometimes she accidentally says to me, "i love you, wilbur." wilbur is the name of my parents' dog.

so you can imagine what a thrill myra gets out of feeding horses. we've gone a number of times, but these pictures are from this sunday in provo. it was hot, dusty, and lovely, in that order. wrennie mostly struggled to not fall out of my arms while i was maneuvering to take pictures of martin and myra. she'll thank me later for the killer ab muscles she's developing.

well obviously i'm not in it for the comments anymore

2008-08-06T21:53:00.000-07:00

so this is something about me. i write poems. not as often as i think them, and i don't take myself very seriously as I do. but since i write them, and have them, and go back and re read them on my own, changing them a little here, a little there, it makes me want to share them. and they can hopefully serve a purpose beyond just me. comment if you are so moved. but not if you feel sorry for me because i did something so embarrassing as posting my own poetry. shoooooot......

forgive me for not having titles.

Evenings are best-

brief breaks from the burden

of wanting to live

a better life.

Today,

when our children

held hands

across my chest

as they slept

I knew we were right

to suffer as we now do

wanting for comfort

of a warm mother

during sleep.

*********

I knew you were standing

in the place where

you told me.

Above the change

of a peeled orange, lingering

in the mist of its scent.

but I couldn't see you,

not as you promised

I would.

And the bitterness tasted

so dull.

******

That night,

remember how

you scared them

and they flew

black flaps higher

and higher until

you lost the shapes

of their wings

against the sky

our daughter ran beside you

head back, eyes up

until we had regained

the upper edges

of each tree

I need you now

to make them fly

all the dark, clawing things

beaks barely breaking

my small, hollow bones

my hope, our hope.

my life, our life.

soft flesh pierced,

knowing that,

she won't remember.

so you want legs...

2008-08-04T06:31:00.000-07:00

is it true that i can only post 5 pictures at a time? what's the blogging secret code for posting 1 million at a time instead? i know some of you out there can tell me...and don't say a word about my receding hairline.

in north carolina

2008-08-01T07:18:00.001-07:00

did you know?

thanks pioneers and unrelated pictures

2008-07-25T21:33:00.000-07:00

so there we all are in the bedroom at lika's new house. myra's up way past her bedtime AGAIN, and i'm dealing with shaky breaths and murky thoughts of our "we're broke," future. the sky starts exploding. fireworks, loud and CLOSE. the windows rattle a little, our faces glow with each burst. i'm 14 again, and the colors sparking in the sky are magic. for a few minutes the unknown is mysterious in the beautiful, instead of scary way.

my eyes blur with the tears i've meant to cry all day. i'm grateful and sad. i'm hurt and i'm happy. the feelings are all the same. i hope for everything good for all the people i've ever loved. and i have the strangest desire to look at pictures of them all: my sister, my far away friends past and present, my dad the way he was when i was five, holding his hand.

sometimes its like i need reminding of what has been meaninfgul in my life. i think its because i know i don't remember it all--i'm sick at the thought that there are parts of me, strengths and wounds that i can't trace to a source. and i guess that's why i'm writing this down now. to make it more real, real enough so i won't forget.

personally, training is tuff, on up in here

2008-07-20T20:16:00.000-07:00

not to overshadow the look alike contest down below. but i received a couple of well intended insults about my blogging pace. so here we go, one night, two posts, new record. and since we're talking about pace, let me tell you that its not just my blogging pace that's

s l o w.

i also run. presently, i run with my husband, martin. we run together because we like each other. and because we signed up for a marathon in Pocatello on Aug 30th.

that means that we've spent most Saturday mornings of the past few months pushing our bodies past the limits they are supposed to be pushed passed (i don't know if i believe humans should really run 26.2 miles). we do it, we slap high fives (and maybe kiss), then we're practically useless the rest of the day.

yesterday we were scheduled for a 15 miler. not so bad, we've done this before. but on mile 14 our bodies said,

"hey guys, we think this is stupid. you're really being disrespectful of our needs here."

to which our minds responded,

"you know what, we think you're right."

so we started walking.

what does this mean? nothing much. except i'm totally freaked out that a marathon is 11.2 miles longer than 15. but martin says not to worry about it. and also, he was feeling a little sick. yeah, martin, i was feeling a little sick too-----from RUNNING 14 MILES.

nevertheless (i've never said that before), it was still pretty thrilling to be standing almost at utah lake, look way up into provo canyon at the place where we started, which was just a hazy spot towards the horizon, and realize, "holy smokes, i didn't get here by car or bike, or anything else that has wheels."

the end.

or not the end. the picture at the top of the post is of provo canyon which if you count 4 lines up, you will see mentioned.

i'll show you looking feisty on up in here

2008-07-20T08:01:00.001-07:00

well you just wouldn't believe the amount of wealthy age 35+ people listening to feist these days! at least in park city. at least in park city on the evening of july 17, 2008 the woman in the green lawn chair to my right turned to me and said, "i don't even know who feist is, is he any good?"

YES, he is.

of course i had to wear a hat to prevent any mix-ups between feist and myself, you know, the bangs thing. and feist was so considerate, she wore a hat too! although, and i mean this is the kindest of ways, her outfit was kind of stupid. nothing extreme like a swan, but a pretty dull strapless black dress if you ask me, plus a copa cabana-ish hat (feist, if you're reading, i'm so sorry, but it was).

yeah, the well dressed, rich folk, kind of gave us weird looks when they noticed we had an infant with us. but the evening was still mostly awesomeness. martin and i probably haven't done anything semi-hip together in our 4 years of marriage. we fell in love all over again. there was just something about martin carrying a baby against a backdrop of overly tanned, wine sipping feist enthusiasts (okay there were some young hipsters too, and at least a few pregnant nature lovers--who knows i might fit into that category) that magnified his attractiveness. absolutely irresistible.

plus the music was good, duh. i heard all the songs i wanted to. and hopefully i'll be able to figure out how to include a video of my favorite one. we took our camera, only to find out it was dead, dang it, so had to resort to martin's camera phone. and i just plain don't know how to put on pictures from a phone.

so you see,

sometimes bad things happen. and you don't blog about it, because, well, you don't want to be a downer. or a whiner, or a baby, or an altogether negative nelly.

but then.

sometimes good things happen too. sometimes a pair of tickets to see feist in concert in park city at deer valley resort just fall into your lap. free of charge, thanks to your generous sister in law, danielle. thanks lik!

equal representation on up in here

2008-07-15T21:26:00.001-07:00

well i was trying to leave the polls open for as long as possible. as previously admitted, i was totally hoping to get a record high number of comments. and although 11 is a personal best for me, its not quite the 23 i was looking for. plus, too many people voted for not the choice i wanted, and i was sort of holding out for a change in the tide.

however, as it stands:

personally: 5

on up in here: 3

delightfuls (thanks for realizing the potential here, becca): 1

honorable mentions:
palmersonally, abra Kadabra, palmerias

sort of sad to note:
wren's world: 0 (but they still liked your face, wrennie)
the palmers: -1 (me)

the jury is still out on whether to honor the majority or to exercise my executive power. as you can see by my title, i am also considering melissa's suggestion which was sort of in between 'personally' and 'on up in here.' she did say please.

now, at the risk of writing a way too long blog entry that no one will likely finish (i mean, that's the beauty of blogs, short blurbs, right? but the word blurb was already coined so they went with blog. trust me on this)

you should know that i've up and left boise, idaho due to a series of unfortunate, unforeseeable and unblogable events. me and the crew are now in provo at martin's parents house. we'll be back in b-town in the beginning of august.

as for equal representation...as far as pictures go, we've covered myra, wrennie, and myself. but what about a certain male component and counterpart? or in other words, a cetain marty pants?

he's the one in the picture saying, "don't make me pop my collar."