valentine pixy arrows!

 2013 valentine's complete! yippee!!!

the monster and the boot.

our girl was in the annual monster concert at usu on saturday! i'm so proud of her, and so is her daddy. many moons ago it was him on this very stage, performing in this very concert. awesome!

... and now on to the boot. this is fun. my foot started hurting saturday, and by sunday i couldn't walk. the dr. thinks it's a stress fracture. i do have a bone out of place, but he is not certain if that is a old or new injury.  he will check again after a week in the boot. lovely. doesn't he know what a routine oriented person i am? running with this thing on is, needless to say, impossible. but i did manage the elliptical this morning. i do not have a good relationship with that thing. i hate it in fact. but it will have to do.

so, luckily, i had plenty of projects going to keep me sane. i started sourdough starter a week ago, and have been experimenting with it's possibilities. so far the sourdough pancakes are a hit. the bread was a rock, but i'll keep trying.

 i finished this "bonnet" for charlie. it's amazing how quickly you can knit something up when all you can do is sit. i enjoyed it really. i don't let myself do that very often, but i think that needs to change.

 i borrowed my mother-in-law's dehydrator and have been drying apples and banana chips. YUM! *need to get my own asap*
now i will finish designing lizzy's valentine's. i promised her i would have everything printed and ready to assemble when she gets home... i know what she'll be doing all night long!

making.

 everyday while charlie naps i make him fresh squeezed orange juice. and a nutritious lunch. this dairy allergy throws quite a wrench into our diet, but it has forced me to study and learn more about nutrition and how to make every meal count. trying to decide what to feed him can be consuming at times. thankfully, he likes a variety of foods, but that can be challenging too. restricting dairy from my diet has helped me know what he needs. i figure what my body feels it needs, his does too. i hope this allergy goes away sooner than later.

i love making charlie clothes from mr. w's hand-me-downs. i think it's the sweetest ever. what's not to love about a little boy in daddy's repurposed clothes?! 

desperation...

his eyes say it all. poor max. happy baby.

more white love, and hearts

we are still painting this house. with every wall that gets painted, i love it more!  *still painting a wall a day, or whatever can be done during nap time* white is beautiful. it feels so good. everything looks beautiful next to it. did i mention i love it??!

hearts are popping up around here. lizzy and i made the garland for the fireplace last year. {tutorial found here} we will hang more hearts in the windows this afternoon. *i must wait for my little helper* what would i do without holidays?... thanks mom for always making them special and being a keeper of tradition. i hope i can do the same for my children.

smiles.

*riding the escalator with grandpa*

we had a wonderful time celebrating my birthday in slc. we shopped, and bought, and were all exhausted the following day. 

it was so nice to visit with dad during his layover. he brought gifts for the children, which melted my heart a little. for lizzy, a glass flower necklace he bought her in oregon and "samples" from his hotel. an "i love you" flap book for charlie, and conversation hearts for all of us. we ate at a&w, dad and lizzy's favorite place. we missed seeing grandma this time.

 i love this girl. even when she's smirking at me...

35.

today i celebrate my thirty-fifth birthday as a happy woman! really and truly, i feel blessed. as i have anticipated this birthday, i've been thinking about my life. the choices i've made, and the consequences (good or bad) that have followed. overall i feel proud. i still have a to-do list that i will get to one day. but for now, this is why i feel happy and proud of my life:

* i married the right person. how thankful i am at this stage in my life that i got that RIGHT. my Mr. is mine! he is so kind, gentle by nature, and the most incredible father. he is an amazing husband, provider, pianist, student, and teacher. and the list goes on and on... i cannot imagine my life without him. he is my life.

* i am a mother. i love my beautiful children. they have always been my children. they make us complete. they fill me with life and laughter. i have learned more from them than they will ever learn from me.

* my home. nothing is more satisfying than making our home happy. i love the feeling in our home. everyday i look forward to the evening when we are all home together. home is where life's lessons are taught, love is fostered, and where every person is safe.

* i am healthy. after battling itp and infertility, i am so thankful for my healthy body and mind. i am proud of myself for literally wearing out my treadmill. seriously! i don't think my body feels 35. (at least from what i hear other people complain about)

* i have good, loving relationships with my family. too often i take this for granted. i am so thankful for a father i can look up to, a mother i can always talk to, sisters to do the same, and brothers that are always good for a laugh.

*real friends. true friends. that i can completely be myself around. that accept me for who i am. friends that i know are not coincidental. 

*my talents. there, i said it. (why is that difficult to say?) my hobbies, gifts, talents, whatever you want to label them, make me happy! i love to create anything. absolutely anything. sewing, knitting, cooking, decorating, it doesn't matter the avenue, but no day feels complete until i have made something. i love to look back on my day and see something beautiful i created. 

i could keep going, but nap time is ticking away and i need to delete some of the 16,000 photos on this computer. 

making my birthday (carrot) cake! how sweet are they?! blessed.

i am thankful this is what my house looks like everyday. it is better than incredible.
i am blessed. i am happy. it's going to be a great day.

it just keeps coming...

the snow just keeps coming this year. i'll admit, my arms are tired from all the shoveling. and so is my back. but it is SO beautiful! i'm sure lizzy is disappointed, they canceled her field trip to the state capitol today. :(

i was hoping to wear leggings and stay home all day. not happening. i realized i had appointments this morning, and need to renew my driver's license this afternoon. oh well, maybe tomorrow...?

...and i can't post without including a picture of one of my children. charlie says "hello!"

sunday.

 it's a blizzard outside this afternoon. we're loving 9-12 church this year. now we've settled in for a cozy evening. while i prepared next week's lesson, lizzy prepared our fhe lesson for tomorrow. i can't wait! i love it when she teaches us. children really are the best teachers.

charlie and daddy are the sweetest to watch playing together. i would have never guessed this little man would be in our lives. how blessed i feel to be the mother of these two beautiful children. and the wife to this lovely man.

this morning...

 a little baby mozart. he *loves* baby mozart, just like sister did.

and of course, squeak and run with max's toy to get him to chase him! this dog makes for countless hours of entertainment for charlie. i'm not complaining :)