things of beauty

Over at Bluebird Baby, Erin is doing a 30 days of beauty series. I have been thoroughly enjoying it. Today, she asked to see her reader's idea of beauty. Here is mine......

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best buds

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careful eyes

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daily gifts from my girls

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cute tootsies

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this is the beauty of my life. what is yours?

thrifting

kevin and i snuck away for an hour yesterday to do a little thrifting. we love the thrill of the hunt and the awesome 50s & 60s music our favorite spot plays. at any given time you can hear one of us singing along. i don't know how many times we exclaim "my grandmother had that" or "i grew up with those bowls". it is truly a favorite time for us. these are a few things we spotted. too bad this wasn't blue.
i love this egg dish. it would make my kitchen happy.

my obsession. that blue is gorgeous!!

i do love amber tiara as well.



what is not to love about that blue!?

photography by cameron

cameron's favorite subjects are cars and his brother sawyer. this is a series he did in 2007.

Choose your partners for the Virgina Reel

This month's stake dance was hosted by Silsbee Ward. While taking the boys, we talked about the dance instruction that was going to happen that night. The only word we got was that is was to learn pioneer dancing for 30 minutes. The youth going on the Stake Pioneer Trek would be doing these dances at some point. On our way, we found out that my brother, Nick and his wife, Erin had come to get us to grab some dinner. With not very much arm twisting....the appeal of shaming Jordan and Cameron was too good to pass up....they came to the dance. At about the same time they arrived, Bro. & Sis. Hall did as well. (the awesome) Bro. Hall was the dance instructor. He was teaching the Virgina Reel. Cameron's face sunk as this was revealed! He is not exactly the spotlight kind of guy and with Uncle Nick in the mix, that meant sure humiliation. Something about me ruining his life by inviting Nick might have been mentioned. His dance partner bailed almost as soon as it began. Sweet relief, he had been spared. Not quite! His Aunt Erin happens to be a Virginia Reel super star. What amazing luck for our Cameron. She (with much persuasion from me...."you don't say no to Aunt Erin") taught him the finer points of the dosado and the proper yee haw. She swirled and twirled him. He, in true Cameron form, turned red and repeatedly tried to get out of it. It was classic! I never laughed more in my life. After she finally got too tired, she let him off the hook. He did have to get her punch though. It was a big night for our Erin, she even got to deacon shuffle with Jordan.

Erin has a good time no matter what. She has brought a great deal of joy and fun into our lives. We love our sweet, energetic Aunt Erin!

my peeps

10 right now

:: ironing my guy's crisp white shirts

:: hymns on cd playing in the kitchen

:: method almond wood floor cleaner

:: watching sawyer & cameron play tag.....so sweet that a high school freshman will take time out for his kindergarten brother

:: eureka springs, arkansas

:: my fab new rocking chair on the front porch....thanks kevin

:: movies at home with my peeps

:: homemade pizza

:: saturdays.....it is a special day, the day we get ready for sunday

:: best buds

i love to see the temple

i love to see the temple
i am going there someday
as the primary song goes
as i traveled to and from the the temple that song played in my mind. i can't think of a better way to spend the day.

productive....not so much

things to do when you should be working on your chore list of the day

• blog stalking my faves....here, here, and here. and i can't leave this one out!
• listening to some soothing tunes
• getting lost in a good book
• munching on some cheese and apple
• writing to someone your heart is missing
• do a little window shopping
• ponder
• hold a puppy
• have a sincere conversation with you Father in Heaven

by my own mother's hands

i shamelessly stole this picture from my sister in law's awesome blog. she posted it because nicholas was so stinking cute, i am quite sure. he was by the way. he never met a stranger, always had a smile, and looked like a little man....stinking cute!

i see something more. i can see in my mind's eye an incredibly sweet woman with the same auburn hair working away at the sewing machine on this costume. her swollen arthritic hands sewing through the night so her precious baby could be superman. and superman he was. if memory serves me, he even won first place for this costume at the ward party! i see his cute, slightly shy smile being so proud of the giant S on his chest when his name is called as winner. i can also see a mother beaming for her baby. thinking just how it was worth it for this very moment. she herself was supermom. and my amazing nick is still my superman.

i find love

in a nest where the hen has laid the egg so carefully
in a laugh with good friends that just dropped by
in a humble prayer
in a wink across the room
in a seat saved in a pew to say i want to be next to you!
in the smile of a sweet stake president that hands you a temple recommend
in a strawberry dipped in chocolate for someone oh so special
in a rocking chair for your sweetheart with anticipated evenings while you grow old together
in a squeeze from a fair haired boy just because
in a halloween costume made by a mother's arthritic hands for the red headed apple of her eye
in a chicken fried by that same mother because it always makes her daughter feel better
in an orchid for a friend missing that mother
in a kiss goodbye before another 12 hour shift
in two brothers dressed in karate gear to "get" their sisters beau
in an uncle that scoops up his young nephew to sit awhile on his lap
in a song sung to cheer up an ailing wife....decked out in leather pants no less
in a most precious man that brings greens, brisket, and anything else he cooks to take care of a friend
in a mother of pups that wraps her legs lovingly around them while they nurse
in friends who appreciate a prayer and go out of their way to tell the giver so
in my very own for this life and the people that fill it

happy valentine's day

book love

anyone who knows me or within in moments of meeting me knows of my freakish book love. it is as if i am linus and books are my blankies. there is ALWAYS a book with me....in my purse, on the side table, in the car, on my night table (several truthfully). kevin just smiles and shakes his head knowing it is an addiction and cannot be cured.

this is my newest obsession. david mc cullough is my favorite history teacher. he is a storyteller, not a text book writer. it is as if i am there with pres. roosevelt. i have only just begun so i will give a better review soon.

puppies puppies everywhere

4 weeks ago we came home from church to find Sage in labor. she was a champ! keeping it all together while cameron, sawyer, and i all watched in amazement. what an education we got! which was perfect for cameron....my one day vet. now all 8 are fabulous. they are the stars of the bonin farm. we can't keep our grubby hands off of them. sawyer is sure it would be better to keep all eight....families should stick together you know.

valumtimes party

yesterday kevin and i had the pleasure of attending sawyer's kindergarten "valumtimes" party. 15 five and six year olds loaded up on sugar and kolaches. 30 little eyes dancing with delight that their buddy wrote their name on a valentine and vowed to be theirs forever...or at least for the remainder of the day. sawyer and i loaded chinese take out boxes with strawberries, fortune cookies, and pink marshmallows that we dipped in chocolate. yummy! he was over the moon excited to hand each friend his humble offering. watching that innocent beautiful love melted my heart. thanks sawyer for inviting us to your valumtimes party!!

.....loving

there goes half of my month of love. stupid computers!! i had better make up for lost time.

right now i am loving.........

::a computer that is working
::a very special trip to the temple
::kindergarten valentine parties (pics to come)
::chocolate dipped strawberries
::a niece/nephew on the way
::david mc collough
::a pretty white rocker for my front porch from my valentine
::new marriages in our family
::teenagers in my house.....so fun!
::letters and valentines

how do i love thee

let me count the ways. it is the month of love. how i love valentine's day. i know most people (men) think of it as a greeting card holiday but i think it is beautiful. nothing is better than a day that everyone is thinking love all together. in honor of this lovey dovey month, i am starting it off counting the ways i love my guy.



01.he makes me laugh...a lot...and all the time



02.he is always up for a good time. even if that good time is taking me to the bookstore and a movie of my choice



03.he works so very hard for us



04.he is quite awesome at spinning on his back and is willing to do it anytime, anywhere



05.he bought me chickens



06.he can build anything



07.he is a reader and became one because i said it would be good for him



08.he is patient with me when teaching me to play golf



09.he is a fun dad....the king of wrestling



10.he is the go to guy for school projects



11.he loves to hold hands and smooch



12.he is the light of my life and i love him to bits!