Writing, ramblings, and some stuff in the works!

So, December.

It's almost over, and I can't even remember most of the month. How did this happen?? From the 15th on, it's all kind of a wrapping paper- sugar cookie- Santa sighting- three hour wal mart line- jingle bell singing blur. But a good blur! A super fun, family-filled, sugary, good blur.

And so, people of the internet, I have so much catching up to do. Hopefully before the new year hits! Bah. Don't hate.

But for now. Some exciting news!!

Right after I graduated in April, I found out that a piece I submitted to BYU-Idaho's art and literary journal was accepted for publication. I was thrilled! I just received a hard copy of the journal in the mail, and it was like Christmas! (actually, it was. Like, Christmas Eve, to be more specific.)

^^My poem, "It's Life"^^

It is so fulfilling to see my words in something other than my ripped up spiral notebook. And to know that my stuff is getting out there. It makes me want to bust a move to Ke$ha all night, you guys. I mean that's how happy I am about it.

And on that same vein! (The writing one...not the Ke$ha one.) Remember the art/ poetry collaboration I told you about, back here? Well, the project is still in action! We are continuing to work together and are so excited about our newest venture...A BOOK.

Guys, a book! Like a book that you buy and hold in your hands and look at and flip through. I can't WAIT! Lauren is an extremely talented artist, and I am so honored to be working alongside her for this awesome venture.

Jeffrey Barken, the editor who is behind this exciting collaborative effort, has been a huge inspiration with his recently published book, This Year in Jerusalem. I have a copy of my own, and I suggest you get one too. It's a series of short stories that will completely suck you in, and make you want to get on the next flight to Israel. (As if I needed something else to propel my desire to travel. Ha!)

And so. Hopefully I'll get cracking on some updated blog posts. And get caught up with laundry. And cleaning. And writing. And life. 

But in the mean time! You should read This Year in Jerusalem. (Find it here!)

And I will post more updations (?) (I don't even.) on the progress of my writing, hopefully soon!! 

Peace and blessin's.

Keeneland.

So, Kentucky has my heart. One million times over. I know I know...I'm always raving about Kentucky, and you're probably like "Okay. Enough! I can't handle this cheesefest anymore" but you guys, I can't stop!! I am in luuuurrrve with this place.

Last weekend we went out to Keeneland to see some of the last horse races of the season (until May). They did races pretty much all moth, and of course we waited til the last possible second to get out and see one. But yo! We made it! And it was a blast.

It's such a unique environment at a horse race. You can't really explain it until you've been there, but alas. I will try. So, imagine lots of rich people smoking cigars, hoards of people wandering aimlessly with giant beer cups, tons of crowds, and you betcha, lots of gambling.

Yep. Basically Vegas. Imagine Vegas.

Then throw in some horses, and you've got yourself some good, clean fun!
(Er...minus the good and clean, for some people. But okay.)

Random side note: Boston gets stopped every five feet now, because he's always wearing Boston garb. (And the Sox are in the world series.) People are always like,
"Yeah! You know who to cheer for!" "Go Sox!" "You've got your team right, kid!"

And Boston just grins. He has no clue what they're saying, so I'm sure he's just thinking, "Yeah! I'm the shiz!"

Obligatory selfie. Because YOLO.

Right before a race starts, this little man in a sweet old-school ensemble comes out onto the track, and sounds the trumpet alarm. For real. Did anyone else think that this only happened in movies??

Well folks, this is real life. And a real little trumpet man. So awesome and also, so weird.

Sometimes I look at Boston and I just about melt from his cuteness. Seriously, I just can't even. Where did this tiny human come from?? And how is he mine?????

(I know where he came from, you guys. Trust me. I KNOW. A mother will never forget that process called labor. Even if she wanted to. Woof. Okay, tangent over. Now back to the cuteness!)

Mesmerized by racing horsies.

When Boston saw these miniature jockey men, I'm fairly sure he thought they were all his new buddies. He would point excitedly at one and ask "Mom! Was dis name??" and then at another, "Was dis one name??"

So perfectly two-year-old'ish and cute of him.

You guys. The grounds at Keeneland are In-SAAAANE-ly beautiful. Off the hizzy (??). Especially right now. The fall leaves, the perfect archways and grass... bah. I was dying. I'm fairly sure I was creeping out strangers left and right by snapping a hundred pictures, but I didn't care one bit.

Uh, lady, why you taking pictures of me?

Not you, random balding dude. Just the freaking amazing grounds.

They brought some horses out for the kids to pet, and Boston about lost it. He was so excited. He was freezing and starving and had snot dripping down his face by this point, but he didn't care one bit. He lit up like a light when he got to pet that horse.

So priceless.

Now's about where you say, So, you even took pictures of the parking lot?? You're kind of a psycho.

I know, I know.
I just couldn't help it!!! I mean, just look.

He's a heart-melter. This one.

And whallah. 

Keeneland.

Another thing crossed off my 25 before 25 list!

And also, reason 974 why I think I might need to stay here for ever and ever, amen.

Fire trucks and other early morning weirdness.

Let's talk about weird awakenings in my life. I'm not talking spiritual, like "I see the light!" awakenings, here. I'm talking legitimate weird wake-up calls that bolt you out of bed, that scare the living daylights out of you.

And so, the list.

Number one: Going into labor.
With both kids, I was jolted out of bed by gigantic rippling pain waves, akin to, I don't know. Death? It's a weird thing. To be peacefully drifting through dreamland one second, and then WA-BAM! Wake up woman!!  A baby is one the waaaaay. What a trip.

Number two: An earthquake.
When I was little, my mom used to say to me, "Kelsey, you sleep like a rock. Not even an earthquake could shake you awake!" Well guess what Mom. Boom! Here you go. When I was going to Snow College, I was sound asleep in my bed (I won't tell you what time it was...cough...noon...cough. I was young and livin' it up in Ephraim!), when suddenly. KA-BLAM! (I'm getting a little crazy with the sound effects today. Hey, it's fun to be a five year old boy sometimes. You know?) I literally felt an earthquake that jolted me out of bed. Who even knew earthquakes happened in central Utah? I mean. Was that a wake up call or what.

Number three: A police officer pounding on your door at 4:00 in the a.m. Which, hey! Happened to us today. I was half awake, but mostly asleep, nursing Cam in bed. In a state of groggy delirium. And suddenly, I hear a loud knocking on our door downstairs.

"JORD! The door!" I whisper-yell. (You know the kind.)

"Bah! What?? What time is it? Where am I??" Jord whisper-yells back, jumping out of bed in a dazed frenzy.

"It's four! And someone's pounding on our door! Go get it!!" I say, you know, bravely. Sacrificing my husband to the mercy of whoever/ whatever is at our door at 4 am, while I hide safely in our bed.

So Jord throws on a combo of my sweatpants backwards, some mis-matched socks, and tries not to fall down the stairs in his half-asleep state. He opened the door just as the cop starts pounding on it for a second time, and he sees two cop cars, three EMT's, and two full-blown fire trucks in our parking lot. What.

And so. Apparently, someone called 911. From our house. From our LAND LINE. Which is, you know, impossible, because who even has land lines any more?? Not us. So we are baffled. And a little bit delirious due to lack of sleep today. And probably, so is the fire brigade that showed up at our house in the dark morning.

So don't mind me, while I sip my second diet dr. pepper at 9:30 a.m. Sometimes you just gotta.

Life is so weird.

I feel the same way, Camden. Also, note how skinny he is in this picture. It was taken a couple months ago...which accounts for the lack of rollage on his arms and legs.

Also. On a completely unrelated side note, I've been trying to bust out things on my 25 before 25 list. 
And especially, this one:

15. Submit at least five poems for publication.

So I've been writing a ton, and submitting submitting submitting! And you guys! I just won a poetry contest, and my poem is published in an online magazine.

Whoop whoop. You can see it here, if you're into that sorta thing.

And so. You never know. Put yourself out there, friends!
Your goals can take you places if you'll give them a shot.
(So cliche. But I don't really care. Lack of sleep, maybe?)

Anyways. TTYL.

Nonsense ramblings regarding the changing seasons.

[Boston, my explorer. Fall 2013, KY]

You guys. Fall is coming! I am so stinking excited-- I can't even stand it. I swear I turn into a hound dog when this season starts rolling in. I walk outside, perch my nose up, take a big whiff of the crunchy leaves and fallish air...and my spidey senses start tingling. They do. I love this time of year!!

Not to mention the pounds of pumpkin treats. Drool.

So, segue.

I have been working on my 25 before 25 list, and can I please just say how much fun I am having?? There's just something about pushing yourself (and your brain) to expand-- to grow and stretch and dust off the ol' cobwebs. You know? It's exhilarating to try new things and make goals, and what? Maybe even accomplish them!? It's kind of a novel concept for me.

Embarrassing, but wow is it true.

Please tell me I'm not the only one who makes a thousand goals every new year, and gives up by day two. Like "Meh, I'll start running tomorrow. Meh, I'll stop biting my nails tomorrow. Meh....[you get the idea.]" And then tomorrow turns in to next New Year's, and whoops. Still not running. Still biting my nails. Etc, etc......and so.

Boo.

So guys, the fact that I'm working on my list...and crossing items off....and LOVING it....well, it's a Christmas miracle, I'd say! If you haven't already made a list of things you want to do before your next birthday, well, you should. Even if your birthday is next week. Because hey! A whole week to go and try new things! And experience life! What could be better? (maybe a cake. but okay.)

And now for an awkward conclusion: Sometimes I start writing a blog post with absolutely no blooming idea where it's going to end up. Now's where you say, "I get the feeling this was one of those posts." And whallah! You're right. And also! I forgot to say that our bathroom flooded today. A bit of excitement for our morning. So, there's that.

Now I'm off to eat five pumpkin bars. Muah!

25 before 25.

So. You've probably all heard of the "25 before 25" or "30 before 30" (and etc. etc.) lists that have been popping up on blogs everywhere. I saw the list that Lauren completed here, and it completely inspired me to create a list of my own a few months ago. 

I often get stuck in a rut of sorts, you know what I mean. And I just want to make sure that I continue to push myself and grow and learn, especially now that I am out of school. Because guess what? President Hinckley hit it right on the head when he said:

Boom. and with that, I give you my list. Enjoy! 

25 before 25

1. Go to the Kentucky derby.

2. Do a mini- stylized photo-shoot with my kiddos.

3. Read 20 books.

4. Make a blanket to donate.

5. Go on an overnight “getaway” with Jord.

6. Bake a loaf of bread. (this is so scary to me. Bake? Bread? Whaaaat?)

7. Make a book for Camden of photos of his first month of life.

8. Color or cut my hair.

9. Wear heels to church for a month.

10. Create a piece of art for my home.

11. Do a family outing with three disposable cameras- one for each of us, and put the pictures into a    photo album.

12. Read the book of Mormon all the way through again.

13. Complete the 52 lists project. (http://www.moorea-seal.com/p/52-lists.html)

14. Do a "school" project or craft with Boston every week day when possible.

15. Submit at least five poems for publication.

16. Take an aerobics class.

17. Organize a food or school supplies drive for the local homeless shelter.

18. Quit biting my fingernails.

19. Bake a pie from scratch.

20. Watch 10 old(er) movies with Jord that I have never seen before.

21. Make homemade noodles. (I have always wanted to do this!)

22. Choreograph a dance. (Even if it is just a solo that will never be watched.)

23. Re-memorize the articles of faith.

24. Explore Montana.

25. Invite the missionaries over for dinner as often as possible.

[Brugge, Belgium. Fall 2012]

Hey! You know what would be cool? If you guys created lists too! And then posted a link to them in the comments. Do it. Can't wait to see them!!