berries, 9 year olds, and hair cuts

Just some thoughts today.

*I have a new favorite thing to do. Picking berries. Since living in Oregon we've picked strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries. They taste better than any I've ever bought from the store and they are so stinking cheap to pick (We go to a local u-pick farm. To call it a farm doesn't do it justice. more like vineyard. It is beautiful!)

When we move (to wherever, whenever..) I will really miss berry picking. I don't think it gets any better than this!

This weekend was blueberry pickin time. I love just letting Talmage free while he scampers down the rows and eats his little heart out.

We made blueberry waffles this morning with our bounty. They were DELICIOUS. 

Then this afternoon, we were sitting in our living room and Jonathan steps ouside the sliding door for a minute. He comes back with a handful of plump blackberries- which he picked across the street. Amazing!

* Church. Church is good. I mean really good. Since being called to the Primary I have loved being at church so much more. That might sound bad... but I didn't know anyone in Relief Society and was having a hard time with it. The kids in our class are so welcoming and hilarious and sweet in their own way...I always feel like I am right where I belong. Jonathan makes a great Primary teacher, too. It's funny to watch him crack jokes with the kids and get annoyed with them. I get annoyed, too....today especially. Kids are great, but they are also smartie-pants. Sometimes I can't even stand it, so I take a moment to breathe, and then put up with it for a little while longer.

I have met the best women in Primary. They are all seriously my best friends in the ward.They are so full of life and humor and optimism. They kidnapped me once to take me berry-picking (which I couldn't have been happier about) and we had such a grand time chasing our children around, some of us wearing babies and wishing we had five more hands.

My visiting teaching companion is amazing, too. She has 2 beautiful children who love Talmage & Charlotte and she is always there to talk to me, prodding me on to speak about the things I'd rather avoid saying. She's kind of like my counselor in a way. The woman even sent me a postcard from her vacation last week and I was thrilled! I love her and I hope we can always keep in touch.

On the topic of church, here are the kiddos all dressed up this morning. They always match a little, I can't help it :)

and Charlotte finally fits into the jumperoo. Wahoo! I love that thing. It's the best invention ever.

*"I can do hard things."

I recently discovered this amazing blog and read every single post because it is just that good. This one in particular got to me.

I think that everyone has their own level of what is hard for them. For me, its anything NEW. I hate change. I hate the thought of moving again. But I CAN DO HARD THINGS. That small yet empowering reassurance is all I need. 

But sometimes, doing hard things on a smaller level makes me feel even more empowered. Like, for instance, cutting hair.

I cut my own hair a few times when I was a teenager and it never turned out that great. I never figured I would be cutting my son's and husband's hair someday. But I learned, and I did it! It was hard, and terrifying. And I didn't completely screw it up. So yay for me!

Talmage's short hair- cut with clippers.

Jonathan's faux-hawk hair- cut with scissors.

I'm trying to learn new and hard things as often as I can. I also made my first baby girl dress, which was frustrating and time-consuming (however simple it looks). But in the end, I was so happy with myself!

I hope everyone tries something new this week, however hard it may be, and loves themselves all the more for trying. Even if it turns out awful (like my first 2 versions of ^this^ dress)-- who cares? We learn by trial and error.

Happy Sunday!