Once upon a time, my favorite thing on warm summery evenings was sitting around with a cold, sweating Pacifico (or five) and a good book. I wouldn’t move from my chair unless a bathroom break or a particularly dedicated mosquito drove me from it, and I’d sometimes lean back and just look up at the sky, filled with quiet movements and sounds.

Life is different in about a million ways now. Gone are the lazy, sodden days of buzzed inertia and meandering contemplation, replaced by frenzied noise and activity and DO and GO and TRY.

3573548500_5fbe898fa7

3572742493_ed775ca3af

3572742349_ed9018345d

3572742691_81de8706c5

I’ll take it, though. Abso-fuckin-lutely.

3573548314_0a751fb1fa

Comments

53 Responses to “Picking up speed”

  1. Stephene on May 28th, 2009 8:19 am

    After living in Australia for 5 years, I’ve forgotten what the colour green looks like. Love the pics… love the colours of Spring!

  2. Denise on May 28th, 2009 8:20 am

    I LOVE the shot of Dylan. Also, you have crazily defined arms! :) (I mean that in a good way, of course – working out is obviously working!)

  3. JennB on May 28th, 2009 8:21 am

    When do you attempt the fence jump? Were you jumping down from the gardens? (also – Pandora was playing an excellent tune to these photos – “All These Things That I’ve Done” by the Killers…. yay!)

  4. samantha jo campen on May 28th, 2009 8:23 am

    Wheeeeeee!!!

  5. sundry on May 28th, 2009 8:23 am

    JennB: HA! OMG, did you think I jumped OVER THE FENCE? That’s so awesome I’m not even going to dispute it. Yes, I jumped all the way over the fence, like the TOTAL FUCKING STUD I AM!

    (No, I can’t lie. Was jumping down from raised garden area.)

  6. beach on May 28th, 2009 8:23 am

    you rock!

  7. Amy M. on May 28th, 2009 8:23 am

    Wow – your family can jump! Are you guys doing handstands or cartwheels?

  8. Jessica on May 28th, 2009 8:29 am

    Looked like you were taking fence jumping lessons from JB until you said you were just jumping down from the garden!

  9. Mimi All Me on May 28th, 2009 8:37 am

    Your yard looks fantastic. You all are a jumpy family, aren’t you? Love it!

  10. Hillary on May 28th, 2009 8:38 am

    Your yard is gorgeous. Living in Florida, I miss real grass. I am desperate to walk barefoot through your lawn.

    Also, the cartwheels are impressive.

  11. Maria on May 28th, 2009 8:46 am

    The look on Dylan’s face is priceless…pure joy. So cute! And the cartwheels are impressive. It almost makes want to try one. Sort of.

  12. Michele on May 28th, 2009 8:50 am

    Your dress is adorable!

  13. Angella on May 28th, 2009 8:59 am

    I’m kind of loving that dress you are wearing.

    Dylan expression is awesome. Complete and utter joy.

  14. Corey on May 28th, 2009 9:01 am

    I thought for sure we’d get to see JB leaping over something crazy. Like a car.

  15. shriek house on May 28th, 2009 9:04 am

    Ok, wait, I can’t tell if Dylan’s expression is pure joy or sheer terror. Either way, I think it says: WHOAHmygodI’mupintheAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRR

  16. Kate on May 28th, 2009 9:14 am

    Awesome fun! And in a dress, no less! I’m impressed.

    And apparently rhyming this morning…

  17. Katie on May 28th, 2009 9:31 am

    OMG! I envy your multi-level yard! What fun! And I absolutely LOVE your dress! Family fun with boys is the greatest!

  18. Courtney on May 28th, 2009 9:35 am

    Yay!!! Spring/ Summer in the Pacific Northwest!

  19. Kristen on May 28th, 2009 9:36 am

    How can everyone be talking about your yard, when all I can see is your shoulders. Holy shit, lady, those are fantastic!
    I mean, your yard is nice… but damn!

  20. Anais on May 28th, 2009 9:42 am

    What fun pictures! I wish my backyard had such lovely green grass. Then maybe I’d feel like cartwheeling, too.

    And dude, I seriously thought you have jumped over the fence, too.

    Let’s say you did, in spirit.

    Dylan and Riley are adorable!

  21. Casey on May 28th, 2009 10:22 am

    As a writer, you really should try NOT to censor yourself.

    Prude.

    :)

  22. Cid on May 28th, 2009 10:38 am

    Awesome photos, I miss being able to throw my boys into the air, soon they might be able to toss me!

  23. Korinna on May 28th, 2009 10:51 am

    Holy hell. You’re like the Flying Wolendas over there in Washington.

    You get extra points for doing the tumbling in a dress. Nice move.

  24. Anne on May 28th, 2009 11:02 am

    Dude, I want your arms. What exercise tape do I need to do 10,000 times to get those?

    Anyway, the jumpy active pictures are great. Makes the pulled muscles worth it, yes?

  25. Eric's Mommy on May 28th, 2009 11:15 am

    That put a smile on my face!

  26. Joy on May 28th, 2009 11:16 am

    All I can hear now is that song, “I believe I can fly!!”

  27. Belle on May 28th, 2009 11:28 am

    Two back operations and 25 years ago, I was turning cartwheels in my yard, too. Sigh.
    I miss that.

    Nothing like a good jump/turn to make the day complete! You all look very happy!

  28. Felicia on May 28th, 2009 12:25 pm

    I also think that dress is fabulous! As someone with big bewbies too, wherever did you find it???

  29. Suzy on May 28th, 2009 12:31 pm

    yeah, I saw that pic of you jumping and I thought you were just jumping straight up from the ground, like in the “Oh what a feeling” Toyota commercial. I was very impressed with how high you could jump. And jealous. But now I feel better knowing you were just jumping DOWN.

    And I echo everyone’s sentiments on the dress and the arms!! Do tell where you got the dress, and how you got the arms.

    The boys are gorgeous! What a beautiful family!

  30. lisa-marie on May 28th, 2009 12:35 pm

    Wow, your lawn is so beautiful! It’s so green and thick! It must feel wonderful on bare feet. I’m so jealous!

  31. Sundry on May 28th, 2009 12:35 pm

    I found that dress at Goodwill (I LOVE GOODWILL), it’s Esprit. Which: whoah, Esprit still makes clothes? (Remember those giant bags everyone had in 7th grade?)

    Arms courtesy of Jillian Bitchass Michaels. : ) Also, fat toddler.

  32. Tony on May 28th, 2009 12:44 pm

    Of course their lawn is beautiful. The whole Seattle metropolitan area has it’s own sprinkler system.

    To install: Buy a house in the Seattle area. That’s it, you’re all done.

  33. Jenn on May 28th, 2009 12:52 pm

    I love, love, love, this series of photos. Awesome and fun.

  34. Cookie on May 28th, 2009 1:06 pm

    Awesome pictures. You guys look like you’re having so much fun.

    And your yard looks beautiful.

    Jillian rocks, doesn’t she? I just started doing her No More Trouble Zones video. I did it on Tuesday, and my legs are still sore!

  35. aimee on May 28th, 2009 1:35 pm

    Awesome awesome pics!!

  36. Leslie on May 28th, 2009 2:32 pm

    Fuck your yard – I want your arms!

  37. Suzanne on May 28th, 2009 7:30 pm

    Amazing pictures!! What fun memories your children will have. You must share what you put your camera setting to in order to capture those mid air shots so perfectly!

  38. Janssen on May 28th, 2009 8:45 pm

    The color of that grass just BLOWS MY MIND. Unbelievable.

  39. Pete on May 28th, 2009 9:12 pm

    That is a really nice lawn.

  40. no plot on May 29th, 2009 5:11 am

    I am envious of your garden, but not quite enough to go out in my own and actually try to improve it or anything. Maybe sometime when you’re not doing anything…

  41. robin on May 29th, 2009 5:29 am

    Wow. I’m totally used to see photos of JB leaping over random things and doing all his neat little tricks. And now you? That’s so freaking great.

    The last time I did a cartwheel I thought I’d broken my hoo-ha. But I did it, so there is that!

    Great pics. You guys looks soooo fun!

  42. Sarah0 on May 29th, 2009 7:31 am

    Screw the grass, look at your arms! Holy crap! I am sooo jealous and want me a set of guns like those!

  43. Sharla on May 29th, 2009 8:35 am

    Haha, the censored picture makes me laugh, but even if it wasn’t censored, I’m pretty sure people would still be staring and talking about your freaking arms and shoulders! Holy hell, those are some bad-ass arms! No lie, sometimes I think about you for inspiration when I’m working out. You are just THAT awesome.

  44. Sarah @ BecomingSarah.com on May 29th, 2009 8:50 am

    The flying kid photos are awesome, but I think it’s the little censorship bar that really makes the post.

  45. trope on May 29th, 2009 11:13 am

    You are now officially on my list of Top Ten People I’d Like to Be. The arms, the yard, the photography, the GO and DO and TRY, the adorable family… why do we have to choose just one? You, madam, are becoming my Mommy Icon.

    (And did we mention the book? Whoo, book!)

  46. Amy on May 29th, 2009 12:23 pm

    GO, FLY, WHOO HOO! I’m guessing you will never need a trampoline. (and yes, I am jealous of the beautiful green lawn….ours is more of an olive drab….but hey, we have a lawn…I’m good!

  47. Melissa D. on May 30th, 2009 6:43 am

    Love it. You guys rock.

  48. Dimmka on May 30th, 2009 1:15 pm

    Захватывающе. Зачет! и ниипет!

  49. Merrily on May 30th, 2009 6:14 pm

    Who is Dimmka? and what did she say?

  50. Sierra on May 30th, 2009 8:19 pm

    wow. I did my first cartwheel in a decade last week in an effort to prove to my five-year-old that she does not know everything about gymnastics (or about her mom).

    your photos are, as I’m sure you know, amazing. I love the way the bodies *pop* from those brights landscapes.

  51. Lesley on May 30th, 2009 8:58 pm

    Jillian has a couple of new workout videos that look killer:
    - Banish Fat Boost Metabolism Workout
    - No More Trouble Zones Workout in Tutorial

    I’ve got these on order. They’re getting high marks on Amazon, Youtube and Collage Video.

  52. Anonymous on May 31st, 2009 1:14 pm

    As my marathon-runner friend tells me every time I turn in an embarrassingly slow 5k time: “Hey, you’re out there, girl. And that’s all that matters.”

  53. B on May 31st, 2009 4:27 pm

    Does your husband do CrossFit by any chance?

Leave a Reply




  • Loving, Lately

      space lotion JR Watkins Vanilla is my new favorite body lotion. Love the smell, love the way it feels, love the awesome label design. space bbad I may have mentioned it once or twice, but Breaking Bad is the best thing that has ever happened to television EVER. You should watch it right now. space side_b Bob Book Series Riley has honestly learned to read as a result of these little box sets. Cannot recommend enough. space side_c This applesauce bread from Allrecipes is superfast, supereasy, and the kids love it (I leave out the spices).
Error 404 - Not found <body bgcolor="White" text="Black"> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" height="100%" border="0"> <tr> <td align="center" valign="middle"> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tr> <td rowspan="5" valign="top"><img src="/spicons/notfound.jpg" width=163 height=177 alt="" border="0"></td> <td colspan="4"><img src="/spicons/mrblue.gif" width="500" height=2 alt="" border="0"></td> <td><img src="/spicons/undercover.gif" width=1 height=2 alt="" border="0"></td> </tr><tr> <td rowspan="4" valign="bottom"><img src="/spicons/ecke.gif" width=14 height=43 alt="" border="0"></td> <td valign="middle" align="center" rowspan="2"> <table cellspacing="1" cellpadding="0" width=470 border="0"> <tr> <td><font face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="5" color="Red"><b>Error 404 - Not found</b></font><br><img src="/spicons/undercover.gif" width=14 height=5 alt="" border="0"><br></td> </tr><tr> <td><font face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2" color="Black">The document you requested is not found.</font><br><br></td> </tr> </table> </td> <td rowspan="2" width=2 align=right><img src="/spicons/mrblue.gif" width=2 height=146 alt="" border="0"></td> <td><img src="/spicons/undercover.gif" width=1 height=132 alt="" border="0"></td> </tr><tr> <td><img src="/spicons/undercover.gif" width=1 height=14 alt="" border="0"></td> </tr><tr> <td colspan="2"><img src="/spicons/mrblue.gif" width=486 height=2 alt="" border="0"></td> <td><img src="/spicons/undercover.gif" width=1 height=2 alt="" border="0"></td> </tr><tr> <td colspan="2"><img src="/spicons/undercover.gif" width=486 height=27 alt="" border="0"></td> <td><img src="/spicons/undercover.gif" width=1 height=27 alt="" border="0"></td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </body>