FAMILY

November 19, 2014

Our Homemade Ball Pit

We caught that nasty stomach bug a couple weeks back + were cooped up at home for a few days in a row. It led to some pretty depressing thoughts on how we’re completely doomed this winter. #stircrazytimestwenty Utah probs, I guess. Riggins was down for a nap, Jonah was watching Daniel Tiger on his ipad in the living room + I was pretty desperate for something fun to do with the kids. Something that definitely didn’t require much effort on my end. Remember these plastic balls from Riggin’s first birthday party?! You might already have some lying around, but if not, I’d suggest snagging a bag for the cold winter ahead. They have been saving my sanity lately. Just keep them boxed up until you actually use them. Otherwise they will most likely become your worst enemy during cleanup time. I got bag of balls down from the garage shelf + made a towering pile on top of my bed, shutting the door behind me. The boys had no idea.

A trick that I’ve learned in raising + entertaining our two very active toddlers is the surprise factor. Our boys are easily pleased, but their attention span isn’t the greatest. This is where my surprise theory comes in. I can’t let them in on what I’ve got planned for the day because if they see me setting it up (art project, snack time, movie fort, picnic, ball pit, etc) the excitement pretty much wears off before it’s even ready to go. If you master the set up/planning without them seeing, your activity is that much more thrilling for all of you. Depending on what we’re doing, it helps me to wake up a few minutes earlier + plan things out the night before. Both little gestures that make all the difference on how productive we are during the day. This has helped to keep my kids stay engaged for longer periods of time + I’m telling you, the way their eyes light up on a day like that make any hassle beforehand totally worth it.

When we opened the door later that afternoon to our DIY ball pit, Jonah ran in circles screaming you’re the best mom everrrrr + Riggins, well, he just stared at us like we were crazy. Haaa! He warmed right up in no time. They jumped, flipped, played hot tomato, sorted the colors, jumped some more AND even helped shoot the balls into the bag when we were done. Chalking this day up as a success on my mom chart.

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Holidays

November 13, 2014

A Christmas gift for yo’self + yo mama

It’s really no big secret that I love to take pictures. I don’t print out half as many pictures as I’d like to now days. I have gotten better about printing our professionally taken family pictures, so the walls in our home are covered. But the every day pictures that I love to snap, which mean so much to me, often live their life inside of my cellphone, locked in my SD card, or stuck right inside my heart. I find myself wishing that wasn’t the case all too often.

Somewhere between crisp modern home style with absolutely nothing on white painted walls + bright happy kids paintings covering every dent + wall ding in our home, I find myself obsessed with taking pictures of my feet. Ha! To be honest, some of the feet pictures I have taken are my very favorites. The boys feet, my feet, strangers feet, you name it – I LOVE FEET! Give me bright pattern on tile or freshly fallen snow + some colorful flats + I am a happy camper. Crop the faces + let the feet tell the story. I have a photo-book with only “feet pictures” on our book shelf. Buuuut, what you might not know about me, is that the obsession is deeper than just pretty textures + colors. These are milestone moments that I treasure with my whole heart. They symbolize family vacations, made up holidays, hard times, happy days, weddings, special friendships, unforgettable GNO’s + sister times with lots of tears not pictured. The night before we became parents, dating before we had kids, birthday parties + many more moments that tug at my deepest heart strings. As silly + repetitive as they might look, the feelings that make up those pictures are what I treasure. They are priceless reminders of times in my past that make me who I am today. Our feet pictures are more than just pictures to me.

With that confession out on the table, when I found Pickture That! (a customizable bracelet company that lets you choose your pictures to into a memory bracelet) I knew that feet pictures are what I wanted on my wrist. I love the simplicity, their mission + I love how easy they make it to create a custom bracelet. I literally designed mine in 5 minutes. Maybe less. I think it’s so neat that they support several nonprofit organizations by giving back $1 of every bracelet made to their causes. Good people just out changing the world. I’ve always been a “more the merrier” jewelry wearer on my arms. BUT, the only catch is that I can handle infinite amounts on my left wrist, but claustrophobia engulfs me the minute I put something on my right wrist. Little lopsided, but it works for me. The Summer Love is the bracelet I went with because it’s a little slimmer. It stacks really well with the Alex & Ani bangles + Arvo watch that I wear every single day.

The pictures above are the ones I put on my summer love bracelet: Jon + Jonah walking to lunch the first day he was in his new office downtown. The first of many lunch memories together + getting home an hour earlier every night. | poppies at the temple because they remind me of my mom | Jonah’s yellow happy feet moccasins he got just before his 3rd birthday. They are already too small | Rigg’s tiniest piggs the day we brought him home from the hospital | fallen blossoms to remind me not to take my role as a mother for granted. especially on tough days. | lastly, a green grass picture to remind me of home in the city. i know we won’t always live in our home that we do now, but we sure have made a bundle of memories as a family of 4 in the city

When my sister saw my bracelet for the first time, she suggested we get one for our Mom for Christmas. We are totally going to. Can you imagine her face when she opens it up to pictures of her precious grandkids? She’s gonna flip. I betchu a nickle we all cry. Ha! Christmas is COMINGGGGG, can you believe it? My favorite time of the year! Feel free to use the code TPP14 for 20% off your order if you decide you want to wear your memories or gift them to someone special!

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November 11, 2014

LEMONADE

now, the sours. because I think they are important to document + just as fun to look back on.

SOURS: stomach flu | LAAATE nights with our programers | rotten pumpkins on the deck | halloween costume drama | riggy’s fat lip from falling on the stairs | remade halloween cookies that we burnt | late nights with design team | broken shellac top coat ALL over the floor #crunchycarpet | crayon jar putting a hole in the wall when it fell off the shelf with a little help from riggins | speaking in sacrament | Jonah + Rigg wanting the same toy 80% of the time | jonah temper tantrum during sacrament meeting when Jon + I were both on the stand | missing reading time because we didn’t feel well | washing bed sheets 893,816,097 times a day | the kids escaping out the back door when we each thought someone else was watching them | too many jazz games, too little time 😉 | time out strategy | linkden for dummies

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Holidays

November 3, 2014

GIVING WITH THANKS: THE CHALLENGE

family photo taken by SAMANTHA KELLY

November is such a special special month. It’s placed at the perfect time in the year to lead up to our December Holidays. I believe that the truest form of happiness is reached when we are serving others. When we are comfortable enough with ourself to reach out to someone who needs love. Although I believe it’s important to find ways to serve + to recognize our blessings throughout the entire year, a month full of celebrating these blessings is right here at hand. I am excited to share this November Challenge with you with hope that a ripple of goodness will find its way to your life. That you will feel the peace that comes inside your soul while serving others + together, teaching our children to do the same. A simple hello can go a long way on a hard day, it really doesn’t take much. I have put my heart together with some of the most talented, kind, heartwarming creative friends that I know + helped come up with this give with thanks challenge. I am normally on the other side of the fence, not really the crafty kind, but the one that lives for a good download to use in my home. So, for me to offer this to you guys means everything to me. Head over to The Small Seed to download your kit. HERE IS THE LINK! It includes instructions, a few yummy recipes, hand-drawn prints like the one I posted above, the giving tree + the leaves to track your service for each week in November. Last night we presented the ideas to they boys + when Jonah put his first leaf up on the tree I cried. Magic. Magic. Magic in doing good to others. I was overwhelmed at his excitement to give, his ideas for service + memories of times where I had helped him tie his shoes, but mostly just in love with his pure little heart.

Growing up, I watched my mother live her life serving everyone around her. Still to this day, she is the most selfless example of service that I know. I don’t remember her necessarily talking to us about it, but I distinctly remember times being the last to leave from clean up + helping make meals for friends who had just welcomed a new bundle, had a family member pass away, or just to simply be kind. She baked treats, she delivered cards, she taught through her example my entire life. She loved me + served me in my hard teenage years. She knew deep down that there will always be enough time to do what we need if we take time to serve others. Here I am now, a mother to two busy boys + can barely keep my eyes open when I’m reading Jonah his book at night. Let alone make dinner for more than just my own family. To me, service is more than making things for people. It’s in our thoughts + deep inside our soul to spread good. I have experienced the pure joy from having someone step in to help me when I needed it most + least expected it. The heartache is deep + the joy is so real in this life! As I’ve really tried to hone in on living a more simple life, I have found more time to give with thanks. I find myself appreciating the way that my mom accomplishes everything that she does on a daily basis. I know that it is because she dedicates the majority of her time + energy into serving others. I want to be like her + I pray that my children will grow up with in a home where service in in our every day. I am looking forward to watching our giving tree bloom through little acts of service this month + hope that you will be able to experience similar joy in your home.

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November 3, 2014

How we learned to balance life in October

October has been one productive month at our house. We have been GETTING THANGS D-O-N-E + it just feels good. We listened to this book together at the beginning of the month + it has really helped my crazy mom-brain to balance the 897 things I put on my plate at a time. I discovered how much time I was wasting running around during the day with my head cut off trying to cater to everyone + everything. But also worrying about all that I had to get done. Did you know that’s a total time eater? So annoying!! Although I always have intentions of conquering my todo list, most of the time when I get home after errands, I find that I forgot the only thing I really needed from the grocery store. Drives me BONKERS. Such is life though, right? We sat down together, set some realistic goals AND realistic game plans + I can feel the change in my every day. Looking back it has made all the difference.

I have learned that life is pretty simple, if we want it to be. I was planning to keep my car cleaner, write in my journal at night, blog more frequently + buy some big matching bins to organize our holiday decorations a little better. My car was cleaner on the inside + not because I was a NO FOOD IN THE CAR BECAUSE MOM said so, frustrated Mom, but because we hung the shop-vac on the wall + left it plugged in so vacuuming was simp simp easy to access a couple times a week. Like, duh. Why didn’t I do this forever ago? Riggins broke off my license plate holder + my back windshield wipers snapped at the car wash, so that was kind of a bust, but the inside was still more clean. BABYSTEPS.

We also got our family pictures back from SAMI JO + I am excited to show them to you!!

I wrote a handful of updates in my journal each week, didn’t blog quite as much as I had scheduled, but I made some major headway on my new website + feel really good about it. We painted a lot of water color pictures, played store, carved pumpkins that didn’t last until halloween, took double digit trips to logan + enjoyed Halloween together as a family. I’ve never been a huge halloween lover, but I completely enjoyed it this year. Kids are magic. I’m looking forward to November, Thanksgiving + teaching the kids about what service means to me.

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October 31, 2014

LEMONADE

now, the sours. because I think they are important to document + just as fun to look back on.

SOURS: leaving grandma’s house | 4 wheeler plans that didn’t work out | ikea | dead car battery after church | actually the dead car battery every time i go to leave because the boys know how to find the keys AND turn on the headlights | never having my card in my wallet when we’re at the cash register #crazymomprobs | rotten pumpkins that didn’t make it to halloween| the forecast that says it’s supposed to get cold soon | my texting skills | muddy feet in the tub right after i cleaned it | carwash that snapped my rear wipers | jonah: the seatbelt escapee | rigga’s high pitch screeeeeech when he wants something he can’t reach | still debating which kitchen hardware is best | boys sliding books off of bookshelf | waiting another week for our tv shows | VSCO pics not transferring to new phone | blog posts deleting

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October 22, 2014

A canyon stroll

—–A few of my favorite things as of late—–

– the mountains – stroller races – crunchy leaves – monkey wars – this song on repeat – vanilla flavored tootsie rolls – black everything – blonde hair (how ironic) – fresh sheets from the dryer – costco apples – journaling –

We made it to the top of the canyon riiight before the sun went down. How lucky are we to have this amazing canyon pretty much right in our back yard? WITH MONKEYBARS?! #forgetaboutit One day we will build a cabin in the mountains, recruit all our family + carry on with life like normal. Wouldn’t that be the good life? Not a trouble in the world, I just know it. 😉

One thing I love about our family esthetic right now is how everything turns into a game. In some form or another you’ll hear “Let’s see who can hold on the longest. Who can get back to the car the fastest. Let’s race mom. Who can guess how many red fruit snacks are in this pack, etc” Jon was born with this playful trait, but to see it developing in Jonah+ Riggs just makes me smile. I could watch them together all the day long.

This drive up the canyon was our first real adventure with our Orbit stroller. We’ve had our Bugaboo Donkey since Riggins was born + I really have loved it. We just felt like heading back to a single stroller was the best call for our family. Jonah is getting older + more independent which also means he isn’t all for being harnessed down in a seat too often. The kick-board attachment is going to be our best friend (especially since J can drop into a bowl on his skateboard already!! What!? I can’t even do that.) I’ve become accustomed to packing the car with bikes, bags, costumes, snacks, the kitchen sink + every baseball bat we own every time we leave the house. Proudly adding professional packer to my motherhood credentials because there isn’t normally any room to spare in the trunk. B-b-BUT, not with the Orbit. The way that it folds up so nicely (AND easily) has really been a hi-light for me because it never has to leave the trunk. Not even for a costco trip. Booooooyaaaa grandma! Jon was sold on the cupholder, Riggins was sold on the fruit snack compartment, Jonah the kickboard + myself, the one handed folding effort + the sleek design. We love being part of the Orbit fam!

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October 14, 2014

A big announcement

I am going to be an aunt again + I AM OVER THE MOOOOOON.

Ky has always been favorited by the kiddos since as long as I can remember.

Not a doubt in my mind that she will be the best mother this world has ever seen.

Love you sis. So so much. Is it February yet?

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October 8, 2014

A Sunday in Midway

When Grammy told us they were moving to Heber we were pretty bummed. We took for granted all of the dropping by when we were in the neighborhood + meeting for dinner on a whim. We were so not ready to let them move away from us + were convinced moving was not a good idea. Then they moved + we went for our first real visit. We took back our feelings + fell for Midway in a bad way! IT IS STUNNING up there!! Too beautiful for words. It’s like a world away from the world. Although we miss them like crazy, we love going to play. Plus Parley’s canyon in the fall is everything wonderful! Grammy is the best cook + the best sword fighter with J. We love making our own glow in the dark golf balls + trash talking our way through king of the green for bomb-diggety prizes made by Grammy. Although we are bummed it’s such a drive to visit, we are always glad when we go. We’re spending Christmas up there this year + we can’t even wait! 310 days until Christmas!!!! Somebody pinch me.

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October 7, 2014

Learning to love the rain

I have never really been a big rain person. I mean, I do enjoy red rain boots, I love Seattle + I’ve always been a sucker for a kissy rainy movie scene, but when it comes down to literally choosing rain outside or dry inside: inside ALWAYS trumps. A fireplace, a good book, a cute movie + some fuzzy snuggles with the boys? Sign me up. Why would I ever go outside? HA! Soggy socks, or boots, or hair, or muddy car mats, or the way it leaves me with goosebumps for hours after it’s all dried up. Why would I do that to myself? I know I sound ridiculous.

Last week it rained A LOT. One morning when Rigg was taking his nap, Jonah opened a new tin of Pringles + accidentally spilled them out the other end while I was putting away the vacuum from the goldfish. I won’t list the rest of the moments that used up all of my patience that morning, because to be honest, I don’t even remember all of them. I just distinctly remember the Pringle escapade + know that that was the last straw. Directly to the rain we went. We couldn’t stay inside for one more minute. I was crying, but we opened the garage, looked the rain right in the face + didn’t turn back. No shoes = no soggy anything. Problem solved! We played pass with our tennis racquets, stomped the mud + we took turns running out from the garage to see who could last the longest with their eyes closed. We let go. I LET GO. I sobbed. I laughed. I told Jonah I loved him over + over. He was loving life + not sure what to think all at the same time. I can’t tell you how good this half hour of rain playing was for my soul. I wrote my feelings in Jonah’s journal the minute Jon got home from work, but I wanted to touch about them on here too.

“Are you happy mom?”
“I am happy Jonah! Are you happy?”
“Let me see your smile face.”

I couldn’t have distinguish laughing from crying nor raining from tired-mom deliriousness if I had tried, but I do know one thing for certain, I need my boys just as much or more than they need me. Being a mother is no easy ball game. If I don’t have my focus pointed in the right direction, everything seems much harder than it should be. Why do I hate the rain? Because it inconveniences me + makes me cold. That’s the honest embarassing truth. When I finally opened my eyes (or Jonah snapped the last straw), I realized what the rain hype was all about. I had one of those no picture could ever do justice for the way I felt inside moments this day. It was so special for me. I think that this was as heartwarming as it was for me because I put his needs before my own. Before my clean floor + my new socks. We just went without shoes + problem was solved. 🙂 I’m grateful for the reminder to find joy in the simple things. We can overcome our negative feelings by disconnecting our insecurities from our fears + learning to love things that we don’t naturally love. It is possible. It’s always possible. This is something that my mom taught me my whole life. The rain opened my eyes in a new light + I hope to be able to teach my own children the same thing. I’m also 100% completely convinced that I’m learning more from my boys than they will ever learn from me. xx

Our threads are linked below for those of you who’d like to know!

GING: SHAWL | BLACK DISTRESSED JEANS | BLACK TEE 9 bucks?! | FLATS | HAT I promise you I wear this or my brown one almost every single day.

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October 5, 2014

Weekly Lemonade

S W E E T S: dancing in the rain | conference weekend in midway | family pictures with sami jo | aggie – byu game at grandma’s house #WINNINGTEAM | first pumpkins picked + the way that jonah calls them pun-tins | the sweetest most thoughtful caring messages during a rough patch via instagram | pumpkin stand with grandma webb + watching jonah pay for his very own | play date with the evans | going back to young women’s to watch our camp video, miss those girls so much | boys going to jenson’s football game | girls night with morg + grammy during priesthood session | the crater | cinnamon bread for breakfast at great harvest. i swear the butter is always so much better there | sincere friends | crockpot chicken tacos | an overhaul at sephora of fall friendly make up | snail mail | sitting on the heater vent with a blanket

now, the sours. because I think they are important to document + just as fun to look back on.

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September 30, 2014

Rigg the Rockstar

Riggins had his first (technically second) hair cut last weekend.
Bout time we lowered his ears a little – Things were getting craaazaaay!
If you’ve met Riggs, chances are you’ve met his amazing cowlicks as well. Lucky you! 🙂
A bundle of them spin in a circle at the crown of his head, sticking any hair in it’s way high to the sky.
In all of my hair doing days, I’ve never met a head of hair with so much personality.
Except for Chase T. When I was working at the salon, Chase was one of my very first clients.
I remember the first time he sat down in my chair + my heart sank to my toes.
His hair intimidated the c r a p out of me. COWLICK CITY that I was certainly could not be tamed.
But we found him a new do + we were both stoked on it! Such a thrill.
“Business in the front, party in the back!” he would say as he left every 3 weeks.
He rocked his messy David Beckham mullet look at his law office loud + proud. What a stud.

Side view of his Chase special + guess what — WE LOVE IT.

Rigg you are a ROCKSTAR. We love you + your crazy hairs so much!

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