oops.

do you know what kinda makes me
feel like a crappy mom?

when i {accidentally} chop off the very tip of
chloe's thumb with the nail clippers.

but,
a trip to target & $1.69 worth of pet shop band-aids
was enough to restore her faith in me.

whew.

monday

i was {trying} to blog a short post everyday in june.
*just for fun.

but i missed a couple days over the weekend.

*'cause who else woulda administered a million doses of pain killers/antibiotics & worried non-stop about my upcoming relief society lesson...if i was busy blogging?

aw, well.

in other news:
my house is relatively messy &
i've spent the day {so far} scrapbooking randomly,
playing with a recovering livy &
hangin' with a ragamuffin chloe *who is wearing nothing more than a ponytail & undies.

i've cut open 2 otter pops,
read 3 stories,
changed 4 diapers,
& cried to sufjan steven's version of "come thou fount".

the only thing that could
make this day better
is carbs.

baby daddy

baby liv's been really sick this week.
[c'mon universe! we've had our share this year!]

she can found in pjs or her diaper {depending on how high her fever is}
& cuddling me, or myron- pretty much 24/7.

*i walked into the above scene the other day.
[libs feedin' her daddy one of her baby bottles]

{melted. my. heart.}

a reunion

this is our first & only family pet...mr. miyagi.

our best friends graciously took him in for
a year or so while we were transitioning...

and now he's back. ♥

chloe's in love just like she was back then.

best book i've ever read

my cute sister recently {well...yesterday} inspired me
to join her in re-reading the book of mormon this summer.

i've been haphazardly skipping around in my studies recently,
and i thought it'd be fun {and beneficial}
to read it cover to cover-straight through-style, again.

my friend deneigh had this {adorable} chart linked on her blog awhile back,
so i printed 'er up & i'm ready to start consecutive reading!

i love the book of mormon.
i've taken this challenge, and i know that it is true.

it answers questions & provides endless uplift & strength.
it *often* speaks peace to my troubled thoughts & brings clarity to any angie-storm.

bottom line: it brings me happiness.

and:
my desire is to share it.

NOT in a holier-than-thou way.

*just in a this-book-changed-my-life-and-i-love-you,
so-i'm-inviting-you-to-read-it-with-me kinda way.

if you haven't read it, or don't have one-
{and are interested}
totally email me: angieinpink@gmail.com

i'll send ya one! free of charge....with all my favorite scrips marked.
[in pink, of course!]

we could read along together,
with our cute charts & sincere hearts. ♥

anyway

i've been trying to learn/memorize this quote {1 phrase at a time}
the past couple days...

'cause-truth be told- a lot of times people don't always act how i want them to.

*and i, in turn, [choose] to become {really} cranky about it.
[my sweet, patient myron will testify]

this little diddy by one of my personal faves {mother teresa}
inspires me to just give folks the benefit of the doubt.

*it's like plato said,
"be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."

that's so, so true.

{just so darn hard to recall when
someone is unintentionally/intentionally
pushing your buttons, ya know?}

even if i'm not blatantly mean/rude/unkind,
it still feels crummy inside to have ill thoughts about someone else.
*wouldn't you agree?

i know i'm not the best at practicing
what mother teresa is suggesting here...

but the good news is:
everyday i can start over. {fresh slate style}
and learn, line-upon-line, how to
love anyway.


***

"People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating and building, others could destroy overnight.
Create and build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough.
Give the world the best you have anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway."

--Mother Teresa

a creation

every christmas/birthday,
myron *trys* to talk me into just giving the girls
cardboard boxes {instead of toys}.

he claims that they'd find more
imagination and fun within a cardboard box,
than any commercial
my little pony, little people, or barbie latest&greatest could offer them.

well, after a stock-up trip to costco this weekend...
cardboard boxes a-plenty,
and 5+ hours constructing & creating/playing in this mini chloe-house...

i think i might believe him.

no words

there isn't much i can say
to adequately express
how much this guy means
to all three of his ladies.

happy father's day to our
choicest blessing!

daddy's gift

we busted out the black sticker letter collection...
stocked up on candy bars from circle k...
and whipped up a special surprise for dad.
*thanks for the idea barbie!

chloe presented it to myron after/during his nap yesterday,

"happy father's day daddy! will you share your candy!!?"

got milk?

when myron & i first got married
i would buy a 1/2 gallon of milk
and it would go bad before we had
a chance to use it.

*because we mutually agree that milk is super nasty.

but our girls?
completely, 100% obsessed.

like,
break the bank...11pm trips to fry's...
the world's gonna end if we are out, obsessed.

i'll never understand.

words to live by:

"the only way to get through life
is to laugh your way through it.

you either have to laugh or cry.

i prefer to laugh. crying gives me a headache."

*marjorie pay hinckley

cupcakes for my cupcakes

chloe lovey loves loves to bake.
hmmmm....wonder why???

*she has a mom who believes in licking the beaters, that's why.

post-dinner, pre-bed...
we whipped up some chocolate on chocolate goodness.

chlo' was thrilled to sport her new apron from kelli {tube top style}
and use the new measuring cups she gifted her too!
*kelli's the sweetest to my chloe!

i wasn't really planning on liv joining in the fun,
but when i left the room for a sec,
chlo' took it upon herself to scoop a big helping of yummy
onto a wooden spoon & invited little livs to lick away.
*needless to say: she obliged.

they smell delectable.

so, we are sending the remaining off to work with daddy
so they will stop tempting me.

the dixon sleep gene

around 9pm {2.5 hours after bedtime} last night,
i moseyed on into the kitchen to find this:



chloe, dead asleep...on the floor.

and i thought what i think every night when
chloe participates in bizarre sleeping behavior:
uh-oh, she got the dixon sleep gene.

the dixon sleep gene {DSG} is a very dominant one.
lovingly passed down to us from mark & claudia both.
*most of my siblings are carriers.
{see this post for more details.}

i definitely got the DSG, in it's most potent form.

i talk in my sleep.
i walk in my sleep.
i laugh in my sleep.
i call people on the phone in my sleep.
i take hilarious notes in my sleep.
i randomly freak out in my sleep.
i've even checked the mail in my sleep.

i dream CRAZY, vivid dreams.
i can sleep an-y-where. anywhere.

*and it takes at least 30 minutes for me to be legitly alive post-wake up.

myron thinks it's all oh-so entertaining.
{example: towards the end of this post}

and even though i'm often teased by him
about my dreamland shenanigans:
i feel pretty lucky.

the DSG, while a curse at times,
really is a tremendous blessing.

the DSG means restful sleep &
hilarious stories for generations to come.

speaking of which:
is it bedtime yet?

just an observation....

*by the looks of most of my projects-
i think my favorite combination
is ribbon, buttons, bling & flowers.

yummy.

sunday hilariousness

myron: "hey chlo', what's that?"

chloe: "the golden plates."

myron: "oh! what does it say?"

chloe: "dear lamen and lemuel, stop being mean. love, nephi."

a few things i never thought i'd say

i eat scrambled eggs for breakfast every morning.

i owned a hyper shih tzu named mr. miyagi for five years.

i like jimmy better than conan.

i’ve lived in 4 different homes in 7 years of marriage.

i passed kidney stones during my week-long cancun honeymoon.

i live for my 2 tablespoons of chunky peanut butter everyday.

i know very little about what my future holds

& i’m {finally} at peace with that.

i thoroughly enjoy weeding the garden.

i lost my retainer in rhode island.

i take pictures of bell peppers because i think they're cute.

i drove on the freeway 4 times in one day.

i know the names of all the presidents.

i think arizona is a beautiful, amazing, very convenient state.

i carry a concealed weapons permit with my name on it.

i am happy and content to be me...crazies, flaws and all.

ni hao

chloe's been planning a trip to china for about 2 years now.

she talks about her china-bound plans daily.

"to see the baby pandas!"
"i'm going to climb the bamboo & eat with those stick things!"

well,
today she packed her bags.

contents:
hello kitty mirror, baby chinchilla pet shop,
"where do kisses come from" golden book,
a few ponies, and a teddy bear.

she came in the kitchen with her strawberry shortcake backpack strapped on,
& with all the excitement a 4 year old can muster,
announced:

"k, i packed my backpack for the airport, brushed my teeth, and ate munch (lunch)....now i'm all ready to go to china!!!"

i then had the parental duty to inform her that
china is very far away &
that we'd hafta save our pennies for many moons to go there...

i basically crushed her hopes & dreams.

she cried.
for a long while.
large, disappointed, china-loving tears.

***

i hope that one day
chloe gets to explore china.

and i dream that she gets to climb bamboo, eat with chopsticks & even meet her friend kia-lan.

...but in the meantime,
i told her we'd hit up wetzel pretzel at the mall for family date night.

she was thoroughly satisfied.

a recommendation

with my toes soaking in the baby pool this morning,
i finished this book.
{for the second time}

my sister gifted it to me several months ago.

SUCH a worthwhile read.
so insightful & inspiring.

loved it the first time,
and picked it up again for round two
because i'm really wanting to learn how to
better implement it's teachings in my life.
{*harder than it sounds.}

it's really got me thinking about how i treat people,
the way i view myself & others, and my intentions in relationships.

it opened my eyes to my pride {my natural man}
and how destructive it can be.

it's inspired me to start listening more keenly
to that little voice inside of me {the spirit}
that always suggests kindness, goodness, and peaceful behavior.

and though this book is not churchy at all:

it reminded me that the only sure way to overcome
my bad feelings & personal inner battles
is by & through the atonement of jesus christ.

***

i'd highly recommend this book.
but, reading rainbow style-
"you can't take my word for it!"

ants on a log

4 weeks ago today...
i said goodbye to
my soda habit &
excessive junk food habit.

and i said hello to
cooking at home,
working out,
and healthy snacks.
*such as,
this favorite:
ants on a log.

it's a whole new life.
and i feel empowered and happy.

need a painter??

one year & one week ago,
my mother in law married mike.

he's a great guy
&
also a great painter.

he has 30 years experience in interior/exterior residential painting.

if you need your house painted....
whether it be a room or the whole house,
give him a call.

mike fretz
480-818-7198

it's gettin' hot in herrrrrrrrrrrr

the zinnias are wilting one by one.

srp's time-of-day utility program is in full swing.

seat belt burns.

dixon sweat genes alive and kickin'.

afternoon jogs are rescheduled for the wee hours of the morn or
it's cardio max w/ bob harper indoors.

livy wears only a onesie to bed.

angie wishes there were onesies in her size.

madatory H20 breaks randomly throughout the day.

daily swim lessons planned for july.

socks & shoes put away til winter.

hourly sunblock application.

...

it's worth it.
i love arizona.

liv's new obsession

baby pools are so my style

all in the convenience of the backyard:

livy devours her string cheese & cantaloupe
in her highchair on the porch while chloe gets a head start.

splashing & laughing.

tub toys & the hose for entertainment.

relaxing on a lawn chair with my toes dipped in
as i keep an eye on my babies.

worn out kids for quiet time.

100% delightful.