Missing Arizona

Several of you have asked me if I miss Arizona. And while much of what happened out there with The Man's job and selling our house still stings a bit, overall, the answer is yes, I do miss some things about Arizona.

While I was reminiscing about my time there, I came across some photos from one of the first Primary activities that Miss Independent and Little Miss went to on their own.

A dear friend convinced me to leave so the girls could enjoy themselves without me making sure they didn't run off for a swim in the lake (inside joke) and they had a great time.

The activity was at our neighborhood park, which is one of the things I miss most about where we lived. It was just a few blocks from our house and seemed like a little oasis in the desert.

Speaking of the desert - I grew to love it more than I thought I would. It's beautiful this time of year and you can even wear sandals since most of the daily temperatures are in the 70's.

Anyway, looking back, I will always cherish the time I spent there and will miss certain things like: the giant moon, wide open spaces, being closer to Granny and Papa, the roadrunners, Saguaro cacti, dear friends, my YW class, scrapbooking on Friday nights, and a backyard pool. :(

However, looking forward, there are many things I love about being back on the east coast. But that's a list for another day. Today is about remembering.

Binky and Bonzo - Fraternal Twins?

Crista and I have known each other for over twenty years -- and we've been "Binky and Bonzo" for the past 15.

With similar heights and hair color, parents who resemble the other's, a partnership in almost all VA church callings, and a few of the same ex-boyfriends, it's easy to see why we're great friends and often refered to as the other. At least we used to be...sniff!

Bink recently came out to AZ for a visit and we had a great time As you can see from the pix, we still ROCK. Make that, SHE rocks. (Note to self: try make-up and less squinting!)

The visit definitely wasn't long enough, but it's nice to know that despite the distance or time in-between visits, we always pick up right where we left off -- Monkey BFFs!

Love ya, Bink! Please come see us again soon -- my little monkeys miss you too.

Granny's Little Swimmers

When it comes to personal flotation devices, it's not about safety. It's about style!

Granny took my "Little Swimmers" shopping for some new pool toys and this is what they ended up with. From day one, they've been attached at the hip (pun intended).

Thankfully, we finally convinced the girls that "Mommy Ducky" and "Baby Hippo" were more comfortable living outside in the deck box. So far it's worked, but that's only because we visit them daily.

A few days later Cousin Deb sent the girls flippers. Another huge hit with my little fishies who often refer to themselves as "Mermaid" and "Dory."

Who can blame them for loving water out here in the 113 degree heat? As they (courtesy of Little Nemo) say: "Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming."

Sounds good to me!

Change is good

Diving into the world of "blogging" has been fun for me. I've been able to reconnect with some old friends, spend time writing "for fun" and to watch the reaction on my girls' faces when they see themselves on the computer screen. In short, it's been a pleasant addition to my to-do list.

However, it was only a matter of time before the hyper-focused inner me started thinking of ways to change my blog: center this, add that, etc. The list went on and on and sadly, beyond my technical expertise.

Thankfully, I stumbled across Darcy and Graphically Designing. She was able to make sense of my madness and create this beautiful new layout. I LOVE IT!

In the process, I decided that my blog - despite its short existence - needed a new name. "Sugar and Spice: Ingredients for a Happy Life" was cute, but I felt it wasn't capturing what I wanted to say or do with this blog. (Yes, I over-think just about everything.)

Why Roots & Wings?

1. The purpose of my blog is to share moments. The significant moments, and the not-so-significant moments in between.

2. My granny (my mom's mom), who I miss dearly and is often on my mind, had a favorite quote that she referenced throughout her life. I didn't understand it as a teenager, but it sure makes sense as an adult.

"There are two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots, the other, wings." (Hodding Carter)

So true.

3. I like to think that our "roots" are established through the friendships we make, the places we live, and the experiences we go through; and that our "wings" come as a result of those experiences and relationships - ultimately enabling us to fly on our own.

So there you have it -- my over-thinking, brainstorming process in writing. Frightening.

In closing, I'd like to say thanks to Darcy for making my blog dreams a reality. She's talented, witty and very patient. Please check out her site if you're interested in blog tips or makeover services. She's great to work with and delightful to know.

Lastly, thanks to everyone who keeps coming back to check in with us. Truly, it means more than you know.

THE POOL IS OPEN!

It was pretty hot today so I decided to gather the girls and jump into the pool for a relaxing swim. We've been dipping our feet in the water for the past few weeks, but today was official -- swimsuits, towels, going under water, etc.

Although it wasn't as warm as I had hoped, it was still refreshing and my little fishies had a blast. The picture above was taken shortly after we got out. Here's how it went...

I posed a simple question: "Who had fun in the pool today?"

I got a sweet (and loud) answer: "ME!"

This is now one of my favorite photos of our bathing beauties. For those who haven't seen them in a while, Sydney's on the left and Claire is on the right.

Soooo cute. -T

Arizona life is getting SWEET!

So I'm just about to change the tv channel last night when an upcoming news story grabs my attention...Krispy Kreme is coming back to The Valley!

It's a long story, but Krispy Kreme Doughnuts was here (in my area of AZ), and then they weren't. To add insult to injury, they were here when Curtis and I were house hunting, and they were gone by the time we got here.

I know it's not good to focus on food -- especially the fattening kind -- but Krispy Kreme has been a tradition in my family for years. As a teenager I sold dozens and dozens of Krispy Kreme doughnuts for a variety of fundraisers, and I swore I'd never eat (or sell) them ever again.

From that point on, I was a Dunkin' Donuts girl.

Years later when I was pregnant with the girls, Krispy Kreme started calling my name. I'm not sure if it was the doughnuts calling, or the 24-hour drive thru calling, but it was Krispy Kreme loud and clear. And it only took one (okay, maybe TWO) chocolate iced glazed doughnut, and possibly a glazed sour cream doughnut to convince me to dump Dunkin' and re-commit to Krispy Kreme. (Side note: it's too bad I don't transition as easily in other things!) Anywhoo...

A trip to Krispy Kreme is a real treat for our family (mainly for me and the girls) and has sadly been missing from our weekend travels. I'm looking forward to continuing the Krispy Kreme tradition with Claire and Sydney, although it may not include the fundraising part; unless it offers a discount on the doughnuts we purchase (grins). I hope they have a punch card -- WOO HOO -- life just keeps getting sweeter!

-T

The Details

If I've heard it once, I've heard it a thousand times..."Tamara, you're all about the details."

It's true. I like details.

Whether it's planning a party, or planning the weekend...I like knowing the details. Perhaps it's because I like making the most of my time, or maybe it's because I function better with some structure. Either way -- I certainly prefer details and organization, but life happens and things get a little out of control at times.

My work requires that I focus hard on the details of writing. My personal life requires that I focus hard on the details of wifehood, motherhood, friendhood, etc. and so on. Sometimes I get tired of the details requiring my attention, but generally speaking, I enjoy keeping my "i's" dotted, "t's" crossed, and all of my writing "typo-free." (Yes, the period does belong inside the quote mark. Please don't get me started...)

Unfortunately, after years of being an over-achiever, I've come to realize I'm not perfect and that some of my "details" have gotten out of control. For the first time in my life I'm not able to keep up with it all (does anyone really keep up with it all?). And while I've always known that some of life's details aren't necessary, I've still had trouble letting them go.

Well...that ends today (fingers crossed).

The quote "life is in the details" still rings true for me, but I've decided it's not the right title for this Blog (that's another story) and that time is passing by too quickly for me to be caught up in the details that are wasteful, worrisome and not worthy of my effort, tears, etc.

Without going into too much detail (pun not-intended), I've had some personal challenges over the past 18-months. I've focused entirely on my relocation (to AZ from VA) and my immediate family because that seemed to be much easier than dealing with the pain of leaving the home I knew and loved for 24-years.

I've ignored e-mails, phone calls and letters from many of you and it wasn't intentional. I just kept sinking further down and focusing only on the things required for survival. Again, in an effort to spare you the details and to avoid sounding dramatic, I'll just say that I'm doing my best to bloom where I'm planted, now.

If you've received an invitation to read this blog it means that you're someone very close to me and someone I've most likely been out of touch with lately. While the above explanation is brief, it's true. I never imagined how much I'd miss my home and the friends I considered family. I thought (being the over-achiever that I am, or was), that I'd make this transition in my life with grace and style. Yeah -- that sooo didn't happen out here.

So, to make a long post short, let me try to summarize my light bulb moment.

Life comes with challenges.
Thankfully, challenges come with blessings
(even if they're not recognized right away).

Or, if you prefer the toddler-friendly version, which links back to the title of this blog:

Life is filled with sugar and spice.
It takes a bunch of ingredients, and lots of trials
(and errors) to make an award-winning recipe.

So if you're interested in seeing what's cooking in this kitchen (a.k.a. life in the Wyatt Household) I hope you'll check out our blog from time to time. It will offer:

- Pictures and details about the family
- Pictures and details about our life and house in AZ
- Pictures and stories about the weird (and sometimes scary) wildlife that comes to visit (last week a rattlesnake dropped by!)
- Updates on Skitterskat
- Anything else I can think of to keep you coming back

It's no episode of LOST (or my old fav, Alias), but I guarantee it will be interesting.

Stay tuned.
Love, T