Yosemite

Jay and I decided it was time to break the kids (and me) into camping. I didn't want to go completely insane, so we opted for a quick 1 night, 2 day camping trip to Yosemite, instead of a week-long excursion.

Turns out it's just as much work to plan/pack/set-up for one night as it is for 7. Still, it was a good thing we kept the trip short, because I was ultra-stressed with Calvin. Let's just say that toddlers and campfires are not the most relaxing combination in the world. Not to mention I felt his nightly scream-till-I-fall-asleep ritual was slightly disruptive to our camping neighbors. (Jay insists no one was bothered, but I don't believe it.)

Dexter did pretty well, and with the exception of some minor spills on their bikes that turned into the-boy-who-cried-wolf screamfests, the girls did great as well. And we didn't even get attacked by a bear!

Check out the boys. And seriously, how hot do I look in a bike helmet?

I admit I haven't been many places in this wide world, but Yosemite must rank pretty high on the "Most Beautiful Places On Earth" list. It is simply gorgeous. We camped at the base of Glacier Point, and were surrounded by amazing trees and wildlife. The waterfalls were raging, and the views of El Capitan and Half Dome were fantastic. I can't believe Jay climbed that thing. Amazing. I get a panic attack just thinking about it, and yet I'm slightly jealous. Maybe I'll conquer my fear of it one day....

Overall it was a great experience, but I think we'll wait until next year to attempt camping with the little ones again. A little backyard camping will have to suffice for the summer. As long as there are smores, I think we'll all be happy.

Now I'm Second Guessing Myself, Which Is Nuts

When I was in my mid-twenties, I went to fashion design school. That fact may not be apparent by my outfits on most days, but it's a fact nonetheless. At said school, my favorite class was color theory, where we spent Saturday morning painting and walking around Union Square analyzing the department store window dressings. Twas great fun. I felt that I had a knack for putting colors together, but more in an interior design sense than in a fashion sense. (I really stunk at designing clothes.)

But anyway, as I was saying...

I actually didn't stink at pairing colors, and have since prided myself on only ever changing my mind about one paint color I've chosen (back at "the house with the red door," as Natalie and Bea remember it). Well...

Make it two.

I picked out a new paint color for our dining room chairs, and although I really like it with the table color, and I like it with the new wall color, I don't know if I like it all together. There is something not quite right about the room, and I can't put my finger on it. I'm quite flummoxed. Maybe it's the whitewashed sideboard. I don't know. Jay thinks there is too much of one color (even though it's two different shades). Maybe it's the two different shades that are the problem.

Maybe I just need new curtains. (That's the story I'm trying to sell Jay.)

Here is a sneak peek - don't look if you have a moral opposition to painting wood furniture.

I won't show you the whole room since I'm not happy with it and it will likely change. I already drug dragged took the boys to Lowe's this morning and came home with every paint chip they offer. I will conquer this!!

Thank goodness we bought a paint sprayer.

P.S. - I will be seriously impressed if someone can tell me where my post title comes from without looking it up.

Aurora Orange & More

Today was another painting day!

Bea, camouflaged in the tinted primer

The final product ... I give you, Aurora Orange!

I am very happy with it. It is bright and colorful - just what our upstairs hallway needed. We also decided we needed a fun way to bring the blue of the stairwell and the orange of the hallway together. And what could be more fun than polka dots?

We made a few stencils out of cardboard, traced a pattern on the wall, and hand-painted the circles. (By "we" I mean "mostly Jay," although I did some as well.) I love it! Every time I walk up the stairs or sit in my living room, I smile.

Now if only redecorating the rest of the house were that easy and inexpensive!

(P.S. - yes, that is Dexter in a princess dress. I think he's going to be a very well-rounded guy.)

Labor Day Labor

We had a fun Labor Day weekend here in the Fear household, full of family, friends, food, and sunshine. We also did a few small home improvement projects, including weeding the backyard and planting some new flowers in cute, colorful pots we found at Home Depot.

While we were at Home Depot, we also picked up a few cans of paint. We're going for "fun and colorful" with this house, and we decided to start with the smallest space possible: the stairwell. (no wallpaper to take down!) It turned out pretty cute, if I do so myself.

We'll see what happens when I paint the upstairs hallway "aurora orange." :)

The Details

So despite what Jeremy thinks, it's true. We bought a house! It has been a whirlwind week, let me tell you.

Before I get into how it all went down, I suppose I should start by saying how much we love where we live, but we've come to realize that buying a home with room for us all, in a neighborhood we like, with decent schools, just wasn't going to happen. Maybe I was hoping for too much, but what can I say? We already bought a house in a scary neighborhood with the worst schools in SJ, and I'm not interested in going down that road again. I've seen enough naked tasering to last me a lifetime, thank-you-very-much.

Over the past few months, we weighed all our options as we decided where in California we would settle. (I know, I know, we're not really known for our ability to stay settled....) After many discussions and pro/con lists, we decided on the greater Sacramento area as our future home. Of course, I told Jay I wouldn't move for another year under any circumstances. 

I'm pretty sure he took that as a challenge.

Somehow he got me to agree to taking a little scouting trip two Saturdays ago. We had already spent quite a bit of time in the area due to friends/family/the Academy, but there were a few specific areas we wanted to check out more closely. So off we went, and we had a great time. We went to a few open houses, and one house in particular caught our eye. After we got home, we couldn't stop thinking about that house. In typical Fear Family style, we decided we would make an offer. 

Before we made the offer, however, we decided to take one more trip to look at the house again and check out a few more places, just to be sure. We left the oldest kids with some good friends and were back in Sacramento Tuesday night. I am so glad we made the second trip, because we changed our minds about House #1 (for various reasons), and fell in love with this one:

It's easy to see why, right? 

The house was a foreclosure, though, so we didn't really expect anything. (I've heard they're pretty tough to deal with.) Our realtor called them the next day, which happened to be the day they were taking the offers to the bank. They already had four. We made an offer anyway, and.... they accepted! Needless to say, we were very excited. 

Barring any craziness in the escrow process, or a pest report that shows the house is being held up by termites, we will close in mid-July and move about a week after. 

I am very excited and happy, and know it is the right move for my family, but there is definitely some sadness, too. I will miss our family, friends, ward/stake, neighborhood, and school very much. I feel sad for my girls, too. But because I know all too well what it's like to move as a child, I've come to the conclusion that it's better to do it now than wait another year when we all are even more attached. And luckily, we'll just be about 2 hours away. 

The house details:

In Cameron Park (east of Sacramento), in the foothills

The house is in a court, with views of a small lake and the Cameron Park "airport"

4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, and a big bonus room loft

Not much backyard, but that's because there's a pool!

Built in 1992 with many, many early '90's gold fixtures - my favorite ;)

Cameron Park is a town of about 15,000, and has 3 wards

20 minutes away from the Sacramento temple! 

See?! You all need to move there with me. I know a good realtor you can use. :)

Oh, and for those who are wondering about Jay's job, he is putting in for a transfer. There are about 5 offices within commuting distance of the house, so hopefully he'll be able to get one of those offices during the next transfer round. Being certified bilingual pushes him up the list, so we're hopeful. In the meantime, he'll stay in SJ during the week (he rotates between 3 days on & 4 days on each week.)

A First For Me

My sister, Jennifer, and I attended a Tea Party protest yesterday. I have never attended a protest of any kind before, and it was a great experience! It was a peaceful, bipartisan event, and the support was amazing. There were about 1,500 people there, not to mention all the supportive horn-honking and thumbs-up from the cars driving by. Sometimes, it's just nice to know you're not the only one feeling the way you are feeling. 

I don't normally go into politics on my blog, and I have no plans to go into anything in depth, but I wanted to share this with you because, well, it *is* the year of  trying new things, and this certainly counts!

Me & My Sis. 

We're Right-Wing Extremists, doncha know. 

And that's a wrap!

Well, the play is done and it was a success! Thank you to everyone who supported me and the other members of the Stake. We had a blast. I feel especially grateful to have gone through this experience with my friend Joyce. She made even the most frustrating of rehearsals fun. (And, she was a very funny grasshopper!)

Now I need another new thing to try! (Don't worry, I have a few ideas....)

Pictures from left to right: (top) Amy & Joyce as the Ant & the Grasshopper, Sarah, Amy & Joyce as the three quarreling sisters, Amy, Vanessa, Cordon, & Michael as the four "cats,"  (bottom) the opening scene - Amy in the fur coat, Jocelyn & Sarah as the Sun & the Traveller, Ryan & Brit as the Fox & the Crow

Just Keep Trying...

Lest anyone think I've forgotten about my goal for this year, I thought I should post an update on my progress. As I started to think about what new things I have tried, I realized I have been venturing outside of my comfort zone more than I thought. Yeah, me! Here's a rundown of some of the new things I'm trying:

1) Trying to relive my high school days, minus the awkwardness and pimples

You simply must come to the Stake Play - "Don't Count Your Chickens Until They Cry Wolf," and see yours truly dressed in all sorts of crazy get-ups, including an ant and a *cough* jackal costume. We've been having a fun time with our rehearsals, and even though I'm slightly panicky thinking it won't come together in time, I know deep down it will. So come see us! It's a silly musical based on Aesop's fables - perfect for the whole family.  Best of all ... admission is free!

Our performance dates are:

April 9, 10, 11 - 7:30 p.m.

And April 11 - 2 p.m.

All performances are at: 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

1336 Cherry Ave, San Jose

2) Trying to put on a display that doesn't involve a jackal costume

I've been making handmade cards for a little while now, and it's a blast. However, I've never been one that is very comfortable displaying my creations, so when we were asked to do just that for a Relief Society Enrichment Night, I was very apprehensive. I finally decided to do it after watching this clip of President Uchtdorf's talk on creation. It was so uplifting. 

Here's one of the cards I displayed. I'm really into orange right now.

3) Trying to get a discount on Thin Mints

I've agreed to co-lead a Daisy Troop for Beatrice next school year, and have also almost secured a spot in a Brownie troop for Natalie as well. I actually agreed to this without hesitation, which is new for me for sure. I know nothing of Girl Scouts, having never been one myself, but I'm excited for the experience. I hope all three of us enjoy it and I don't feel too overwhelmed (i.e. end up neglecting the boys). I guess we'll see!

So there you have it! Anyone else trying new things they want to share?

Try

One of the wonderful-and-at-the-same-time-frightening things about having children is that inevitably one of them will have a trait that frustrates you because it reminds you so much of yourself. Such is the case with my eldest child and me. She has a tad bit of the perfectionist about her and therefore has a bit (read: huge amount) of anxiety about trying something new unless she is certain she will excel.

For example: A few months ago she and I got in a huge argument before school because I offered to give her a quarter to buy milk at lunch. She had recently lost her water bottle, so I was trying to be nice and let her have some chocolate milk at lunch instead of having to drink out of the water fountain. But she didn't see it that way. She had never bought *just* milk before, and because she didn't know the exact procedure, she freaked out. It led to an argument, and we parted in a huff. Eventually, Jay had to go to the school to bring her the milk money and explain the situation to her teacher, who then had another student show her how to negotiate the milk-only line. Now that she's done it once, buying milk is no problem at all.

I am so similar to this it makes me want to scream.

I used to be much better about trying new things. Or perhaps I'm looking back on my life through rose-colored glasses, I don't know. All I do know is that I get so worked up and nervous about trying new things that it sort of takes the joy out of life. And... I don't like it. So with that in mind I have decided to have a new focus this year, based on the Word of the Year idea I've seen on many blogs lately. And so...

My word of the year is TRY.

As in, try new things and try not to be a wuss about them.

How am I doing on this goal thus far? Well... pretty good, I think. I have tried Greek food with Jay (at a place in Willow Glen called Opa's! - seriously good stuff), and I auditioned for a play my church is putting on. I don't know which experience was scarier for me! Kidding, the audition was scarier, but I am so glad I did it. I loved performing in high school and college, but it has been a very long time since I've attempted anything of that nature. You can imagine how nervous I was. I made a good friend come with me, and I'm glad I did because now we're in the play together! I even have some singing parts - *gulp*. I'm a little nervous about that, but I know it's going to be a fun experience.

So... that's my goal this year. To try new things. Some things are going to be little, some are going to be big, but regardless, I'm going to try to approach them with enthusiasm and courage. The only fear I want in my life is my last name.