Our Little Gang

we had a baby....

2012-01-24T07:41:00.000-08:00

We had our sweet baby girl Vera Josephine on January 8th. She is heaven-the sweetest little baby doll that ever was. The girl eats, sleeps and interacts (as much as a baby can) in wonderful ways that my first two did not. I see it as straight provision from the Lord....I mean I am sleeping at night!!! Truly such a gift from God. I am relishing every moment of this babe-how did I forget how precious the first few weeks with the newest member of your family can be?? Anyhow-I have been busy loving my little gang...but will blog again soon. Now go snuggle with someone!!

why I am having more kids

2012-01-02T19:24:00.000-08:00

Could I love these two doll babies any more?? Soon and very soon I will have another little love to kiss and play with....I cannot wait!!

Christmas Cookies with the Elves:)

2011-12-22T12:52:00.000-08:00

Christmas gives one so many excuses to make delicious treats!! I am never one to pass up on a chance to make a treat-and neither are these two little elves of mine;) Here are a few shots of us making some cookies.

this is the kind of mood they were in the whole time:)

workin the KitcheAid

being insane

my elves:)

frosting with focus

it is hard to frost without your eyes open-just ask him

making clear which one he wanted to eat!

**Isabelle does own clothing besides her Tinkerbelle pjs and her pink ballet dress-however she rarely wants to wear it. The compromise is she can wear those at home but when we go out she wears real clothing....so please excuse her same outfit in every single post. :)**

evenings

2011-12-14T10:34:00.000-08:00

I love when the evenings come. I don't even mind that it gets dark early around here because then it just feels like evenings are luxuriously longer. I love sitting and cuddling, crocheting, sitting by the fire, watching some shows with Nate on Hulu, sipping tea or peppermint hot chocolate. Evenings. I am thankful to God for evenings.

Gingerbread Men and Decorating the Tree

2011-11-28T19:07:00.000-08:00

It is a yearly tradition for me to make gingerbread men with Isabelle. I can remember so clearly her sitting in her bouncy chair when she was just a few months old while we started our now 4 year tradition...we blasted Christmas music and went to town. I love traditions! Here are a few shots of this year's gingerbread men (which Isabelle was not as crazy about as Judah-who knew?)

The day after Thanksgiving we decorated the Christmas tree-it was such a fun morning. Everyone in their jammies, Christmas music blasting, and the kids having free reign to decorate.....really...really what is not to love about this time of year??!!

Win some lose some

2011-11-09T11:54:00.000-08:00

I really enjoy making food-and making it from scratch as much as I am able. Some meals are hits, some are misses. The other night we decided to make ravioli. We love pasta in this house (insanely love) and figured how hard could it be? Well it was hard. We failed. (thick-much too thick pasta) We tried again...and kinda failed again (who knew I HATED Italian parsley so much, and when you hate the filling it is hard to enjoy the rest)....it was slightly better than the first time, but not enough that we were proud of ourselves. Oh well. I still love making food-and sometimes I don't fail. :) Like the time I made PF Chang's Spicy Chicken.....

the masters at work

yes-Judah is always my goofball:)

PF Chang's Spicy Chicken and Rice...so good.

What have you been making lately??

Sonny Acres

2011-10-24T08:34:00.000-07:00

I love traditions....this is one of ours. We go (our little family) to Sonny Acres. I usually buy a white pumpkin-I have a strange obsession with white pumpkins....I LOVE THEM!! But alas, I could not find a single one in the size I wanted. While we are at Sonny Acres we ride the rides, we go to the open petting zoo (best part BY FAR) and we ride the ponies. Here are a few shots of this years trip.

lows to highs

2011-10-14T13:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a low day. Judah cried I think the entire day through. He refused to walk-which come to find out was because he has an injured leg-but at the time just seemed like he was sabotaging my pregnant body by making me carry him everywhere. He also swallowed a nickel. Isabelle whined over every little injustice. I tried to run into Aldi to get a few things for baking during Nate's lunch break-and ended up dropping my box of blueberries (the main thing I had come for) all over the parking lot. It was a low day. Sweet Nate took me out to dinner (sans kiddos) and it started to make everything right again. I prayed a lot....talked to God a lot about how I felt like I was failing and the more I tried to be patience, understanding and kind I was frustrated, annoyed and rude. I told Him I needed all the help He promises to give us when we are falling apart on our own-it was a humbling/hard day. But His mercies are new every morning!! Today has been a gift from the start of it. The weather is crisp and windy ( I adore chilly days and really dislike warm ones...sorry just being truthful), the kids are sweet and listening, my heart is filled with His presence, we have baked muffins and pumpkin chai loaves so the house smells cozy and good. It is a high day. I love having a God who is there on the lows and the highs. Oh, here are a few shots of those crazy little kids I was telling you about-the best is that Isabelle showed up in these glasses with this expression on without anyone telling her it was spot on!! Then of course Judah needed a turn. I LOVE when my children truly make me laugh and today they certainly did!!! Enjoy your weekend.

a spot of tea

2011-10-05T11:08:00.000-07:00

I am finally sitting. I have been running around all over the place since 6:25 this morning. Running around and doing things I love-but even when you love something....when you are 6 months pregnant you are ready to sit down when the time comes. I am enjoying a little cup of tea. Yesterday Nate and I bought a new contraption that steeps loose tea in the perfect way. I love this thing already and suggest it to any tea drinker out there. The cool part is that the tea dispenses from the bottom of the pot when you press it on the cup....cool huh? It is perfect outside and I am sipping my pot of tea. (with children playing wildly behind me..you guessed it DOGS...but I am still happy cause I am sitting and relaxing) Hope you find a moment in your day to have a "spot of tea" time...and just thank God for it all...it helps, I promise.

to make you laugh

2011-10-02T18:49:00.000-07:00

trust me...I laughed when Judah came up with this getup on....seriously how awesome is it??

dogs

2011-09-23T09:27:00.000-07:00

My children have been OBSESSED with dogs as of late. I mean insanely obsessed!! We have so many stuffed dogs around our house it sometimes is hilarious. Isabelle will tuck them in at night and they are the first things she grabs in the morning-like even before she really is conscious. But, on a lovely note...the kids have been playing so well together. I love love love it. I just sit back and watch them entertain one another and play for hours at a time. There is fighting to be sure-but man or man is there love!

this was their Pirate Ship-so I was told

love

5 months

toenails

2011-09-15T18:24:00.000-07:00

I have been on Nate for about 2 weeks to cut his big toe's toenail. It is not insanely long (do not be too grossed out) but long enough that it bothers me. Daily. He has since cut it-but before he had done so Isabelle was drawing a picture of daddy. I asked her what the long lines were coming from his feet, she replied, "his toenails". I died laughing and quickly found Nate to recount the story. He was equally amused.....and ended up cutting his nails recently after:) Below is the said picture by the beautiful and talented miss Belle.

Vacation....at last!

2011-09-12T11:41:00.000-07:00

We finally went on vacation this past week and it was heavenly!! We stayed up at my uncle's house right on Glen Lake in Glen Arbor, Michigan. His little cottage backs right up to the water and he graciously let us use his many boats, fishing equipment and jet skis. It was my dream vacation-water, boats, fishing, family, and amazing food. My mom and dad (and sister ruth for two days only:( ) came too-which only added to the greatness!! Here are just a few shots from the trip. The only slight downer was that being 5 months pregnant I could not participate in some of the activities (ie: water skiing and tubing) but I certainly survived;)

Isabelle did not enjoy tubing

can you guess if he did??

my little love boy

my daring little Belle going out in the water

busy throwing every single rock he found into the lake

buds

jumping on the water trampoline with the little ones

fishing...and pregnant:)

riding the "nay-nay"

one of our many coloring sessions

sweetness

big girl

exploring

my man and babes

me and the littles

she loved going fishing!!

snuggles on the boat ride back home

I love vacation....but I love my home even more and am glad to be back:)

what up

2011-08-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

this is what has been up lately:

pretend swimming indoors

horse rides

learning to write

that sums up what we have been doing.....vacation is coming and we cannot wait!!!

Homemade Pasta and Fresh Tomatoes:)

2011-08-19T09:32:00.000-07:00

We broke out our pasta maker the other night-and let me just tell you that will soon be a regular practice here. Homemade pasta is so good-just so different in all the right ways!! It is quite the mess-but the kids have so much fun with it I might just have to bite the bullet and be ready to clean a great deal. Also, my sweet little garden is giving up tomatoes:) lots and lots of tomatoes. I snapped a few pictures of my recent picks-huge, red, delicious!! Today's lunch will be tomatoes roasted soft with oil, garlic, salt and pepper and tossed all over pasta-one of my personal favorites! Yum!! PS: why did no one tell me you have to use a cage thing for tomatoes or they grow insanely all over??!! Live and learn I guess.

horse rider

2011-08-08T09:01:00.000-07:00

Isabelle has been obsessed with horses (mainly riding them) for quite some time. The below picture is one of her favorite games-luckily Judah joins in with her on this game. She sits on "Rody" as Judah leads her around by a yoga mat strap....sometimes he gets a turn too. Oh, have I mentioned that Isabelle has a style sense I just envy sometimes? Look at how she showed up to the door when I was out watering my garden?? Too adorable that little one!

Roses....

2011-08-05T10:08:00.000-07:00

Today at lunch a dozen long stemmed roses were delivered to my door. The note read.."love nate". That man is the biggest blessing I have on this earth-spoiled daily by his love, his humor, his godliness, his service, his generosity and his companionship. I love him.....and man are those lovely roses!!

rice crispies, popcorn and a movie night

2011-08-02T20:58:00.000-07:00

The little beans helped me whip up a batch of rice crispies....and then we decided we needed something salty for our movie night. I just loved watching their sweet faces as we popped the corn-too cute. And dang...I forgot how good homemade popcorn can be!!

licking the spoons-this would be before we had even started making the treats

sweetest little boy in the land

and girl....my girl!!

who knows where he gets his goofball self from?? at least he is always cracking himself up!

while nibbling on the treats we begin the popcorn (in jammies now)

he has spotted it coming out...

focused

the end results-quickly consumed after this shot!!
**for those who are observant....yes Isabelle has gotten a haircut....we made the treats the day before the movie night with popcorn, but enjoyed them that same night-just to clarify:)**

The Fair

2011-08-01T19:05:00.000-07:00

I love the fair-I can recall so clearly going to it every year with the Sandberg family and having the time of my life!! It is a blast to revisit places of your childhood with your children....and this year we got to do that with the fair. Sweet Nate took the day off work and we had quite the time. We did choose the perfect day flipped between rain and sweltering heat....but besides that fun little bit it was nice. Pictures below:)

this was clearly the first thing we did-note Isabelle's expression and contrast it to the last photo and you will feel the flow of the day

watching the pig races

Judah never looked away the entire time....nor smiled

pony rides-of course!!

sweetest little rider ever

she adored every moment

honest

he just rode that pony.....so seriously

Isabelle wanted to ride this thing ever since she saw it on one of the ads for the fair-we gave in and rode it and she literally smiled the entire ride....love that girl!

then came the "we are done here" phase....she modeled it perfectly:)

Sorry I have been away for a bit-but I have been pretending I am on vacation:)

biscuits for my little beans

2011-07-11T12:46:00.000-07:00

If you know me at all you know that I just love to bake and cook with my children. I can distinctively recall my mom setting a little chair up for me to watch and help her make food when I was little. I loved it. I love having them discover food with me and get their hands in it. I love that they know what certainly things are (like garlic or basil) and I love their company. I don't do it every single time I make something because I do think there are times when I just need to plow through a meal rather than take the time children demand. But I will say it makes me smile that whenever I go to cook they quickly grab their chairs and start dragging them into the kitchen. What are things you love to do with your little ones....or that you loved doing with your parents/grandparents?

cutting the biscuits

eating-of course!! dipping it in butter with honey...yum.

just getting started...he really turned out to be the biscuit lover of the bunch...just like his daddy:)

4th of July

2011-07-05T11:10:00.000-07:00

Sleepy Heads

2011-07-01T13:27:00.000-07:00

I love when I stumble upon my boys like this:)

I love them.

whoops

2011-06-22T12:20:00.000-07:00

Things have been wild busy-in a lovely sense of the word. But then when it finally came time to post things I felt like I needed some big huge news to share with the world to be able to make a post....and not having anything I could think of I froze. But today-I am going for it-here are some shots of our recent days.

my sweet little boy turned 2!!

he is my little boy love

him mixing his cake of choice-yellow cake with green frosting

enjoying the beaters

loving his cake

Nate's mom and sister (and family) all came out for visit

Isabelle riding a horse....she is pretty good at it! Check out that smirk:)

cousin love (judah, isabelle, lydia, blaine, baby clark)

more cousin love (simeon, lily, nate, isabelle, charlotte)

making fresh lemonade with my littlest one

getting into painting--who knows--he's got techniques you haven't seen

my sweet girl...doing one of her favorite things in the world

So that is an update on our lives.....now if I can just stay above water:) Happy Summer!!

"I love" Mondays

2011-05-16T11:35:00.000-07:00

our beautiful tree bloomed and rained down the most delightful petals

we threw them in the air and danced around in them.....sheer joy

little hands gathering the beauties

i love this tree (and girl)

tell no one

2011-05-05T13:29:00.000-07:00

We had a delicious breakfast this last Sunday...cause why not?? I often forget that I can make yummy breakfast things for every day-not just brunches I am attending. Duh!!

mr sweetness getting ready to drink his oj

pretty excited about breakfast

We also have been getting ready for mother's day around here-and Isabelle is busy painting bird houses...as was Judah but I clearly could not take a picture of that since I am sure he would have painted his shirt had I not been sitting there watching:) Tell no one-these are surprise gifts!!:)

painting away

"I love" Mondays

2011-05-02T07:52:00.000-07:00

we planted a garden...and this was one of my sassy little helpers:)

watching the royal wedding on youtube....with the little beans of course

sibling love

at its finest....or silliest!

Cake Making

2011-04-28T12:03:00.000-07:00

The past two days we have had a cooking frenzy. Carla rolls, salsa, cake, cupcakes, frosting, cut up fruit, pizza dough...it was pretty intense. I love days when I am really in the mood to cook/bake and we just spend most of the day in the kitchen. My little babes love it too.....which makes it all the sweeter. Here are a few shots of the baking. Enjoy!

the cake's bottom layer...that was a delicious failure:)

mister serious face...being pouty about something

baker extraordinaire isabelle

beaters from the frosting-yum

cheers to happy baking!!

"I love" Mondays

2011-04-25T10:53:00.000-07:00

I love introducing my kiddos to Peeps.....and thinking...will they HATE them as much as me? Not thinking so just yet.....

Little Helper

2011-04-21T22:27:00.000-07:00

I was making cornbread on Tuesday and had this little helper.

Now you know why I love cooking with my little loves!!

Eggs....simple and stunning

2011-04-19T12:34:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed how insanely beautiful and visually appealing that eggs are? The shell....white but with lovely texture...that slight bumpy surface all evenly spread. I had never really thought much about eggs-until this lovely Tuesday morning when we decided to dye a few. The color suddenly brought to life just how amazing the eggs really were.....I could not stop staring at them. I love them. I have tried placing them in bowls to make a fun little vignette...but I just keep pulling them out and placing them back in the egg carton for it is then that I can see their whole shape and beauty. Weird yes. I know. But I am so happy that we dyed eggs today-because now my eyes get to feast on these beauties for a whole week at least!!

the lovely white eggs and cups of possibility

happily letting our eggs soak

mr smiley himself ready to dye eggs

pretty proud of her beauties

such fun colors

he might have cracked one after this picture

the eggs

they are so lovely!

"I love" Mondays

2011-04-18T11:27:00.000-07:00

I love Mondays-since this weekend was so full (in a delicous wonderful way) it is so nice to have just laid back Mondays-and today is just that!!

"I love" Mondays

2011-04-11T09:30:00.000-07:00

This week and weekend were such a gift!!
Saturday morning we
got chocolate crossiants at Suzettes and nibbled them away
walked around front campus and chased squirrels with the little ones
walked to the library and got some fun things to enjoy
browsed through the Wheaton College art building
ate at Potbelly's for lunch-so yummy
played in the backyard
filled my new desk with lovelies and rearranged the basement
It was relaxing and beautiful and full of my little family and creating!! Here are some things I am loving this Monday-

my new (used) desk for creating that Nate got me...I ADORE IT!!!!

a beautiful little nest Isabelle, Judah and I found on our walk

dried flowers we found on the walk-God's beauty never ceases to stun me!

my loves playing at the window

Hope your Monday is lovely!!

art

2011-04-06T11:50:00.000-07:00

The art I have been creating lately.....I have about 5 more (literally) of these little/big canvases that I am working on. I am addicted to encaustic painting-the great moment of applying the wax and seeing as your painting/collage takes on a whole new feel. What a delight!!

"I love" Mondays

2011-04-04T13:03:00.000-07:00

I love Mondays....

I love nate teaching isabelle to love peanuts as much as him

i love when she dances

i love every face he makes

never bored

2011-03-31T11:59:00.000-07:00

isn't it amazing that kids never really get bored when they are little?? probably because things like this amuse them to no end!

hope you are having as much fun today as a little boy rolling on a beach ball:)

Coloring, Cookies, Artichokes

2011-03-29T13:22:00.000-07:00

Our day consisted of coloring,

cookies,

I love that Judah felt the need to show me his tummy while eating a cookie....little boy!

and stuffed artichokes.....

You?

"I love" Mondays

2011-03-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

What I am loving...

the way the light comes in the basement windows

when judah gets into my fabric to "make a banky for melmo"

my little crafty nooks

the chaos of creating

unreal cookies!

a bowl of cheerful limes

the view

Beaters

2011-03-25T08:37:00.000-07:00

(sidenote: Isabelle is obsessed with about three of the dresses she has-and that is all she ever wants to wear-so when you think "this must be from the other day because she is wearing the same dress" you are incorrect....she just loves to wear the same dresses again and again and again:))

So the other day we were making brownies and I realized my children had never licked the beaters before!! Can you believe it...NEVER LICKED THE BEATERS!!! Shame on me as a mother. But don't worry-we made up for lost time.

just starting out

making sure I could see it

deciding where the first lick should be

the joy of beater licking captured!!

so happy

judah in his diaper

"cheers"

goofball

judah is up for cheers but isabelle has moved on

the brownies after we baked them


judah climbing back to his chair-declaring he is ready to make more:)

"I love" Mondays

2011-03-21T08:33:00.000-07:00

I love Mondays....

Tracy Porter's videos....they give me constant inspiration!!

this quote...that I try to live by cause why not?

these cases...I love them

little ones painting and declaring themselves artists:)

judah in his diaper....so much love

Latest Projects

2011-03-18T19:13:00.000-07:00

I love when inspiration hits you so hard you fall to your knees creating. I have been there lately-so much of my world is inspiring me....here are my lastest things. PLEASE share your latest creations...I adore a world of people creating-no matter what the level of talent. I am not an amazing artist...but I love to create. Share with me dear ones. Please share!

And speaking of sunshine...go out and enjoy it:)

I heart technology

2011-03-17T08:18:00.000-07:00

Sitting here sipping my pipping hot (only way to have it) coffee and checking email, blogs, etc while my kiddos play behind me I just wanted to give technology some love. Thank you for making communication easier with people-mainly the hubs at work, for cooking shows now being just a click away, and blogs to inspire me coming out of every gear (not sure if that is the right term...hey..I didn't say I knew much about technology). These pictures seemed to document oh so well the journey of loving technology, thank you Judah.

sheer joy when you first get it

hoping other people notice your obviously cool gadget

getting a little squirrely about it

trying to figure out how to use the darn thing

"I love" Mondays

2011-03-14T08:39:00.000-07:00

i love how he peeks into the mixer when we are baking together

i love who they are becoming as siblings

i love how this photo captures my little belle


i love that they read like this-they need to know their options

If you want to join me in "I love" Mondays-comment below and let me know your blog-I would love for us to bring a little more love to Monday:)

All it takes is a few cans....

2011-03-13T19:36:00.000-07:00

I love that children can find sheer delight in something as basic as canned goods. I mean hours of fun with something that cost me like one dollar to purchase. I love when I can sit back and watch them just create scenarios that are so complex and brilliant-but at the same time demanding laughter from the onlooker. Bottom line-kids are geniuses. We need more of them in the world-and more of us need to be like them for at least a bit of our day!

Photo Series

2011-03-08T15:55:00.000-08:00

Faces by Belle

who knows

little peeky love

sibs (the bruise is from judah falling on an open drawer)

smiling

no judah is not in pain...he is still "smiling"

kisses

"I love" Mondays

2011-03-07T09:49:00.000-08:00

Two times I have done this now! This is my Monday posting of things I currently am loving:)

my morning americano from our nespresso

basil-more specifically pesto

the artwork nate bought me when I graduated college

judah's room

Isabelle's room

my new make-up storage I got super cheap at goodwill

brunch with my little family

Feather Extensions

2011-03-01T12:47:00.000-08:00

Feather extensions....it just might be as weird as it sounds.

So, I saw this thing online about feather extensions and it greatly interested me. You take feathers and have them placed in your hair (temporarily) to add a fun, different look-almost like highlights. If you know me at all you know that I love fun and different looks-especially when they are not permanent. Then I found out that these extensions can cost upwards from $45.... I decided to do it myself.
The best part...doing it yourself is a piece of cake!! Now.....as my hubby likes to say "She stuck a feather in her cap and called it macaroni" :)

I love it!! (and the other best part...if I decided tomorrow I hate it-I can take it right out no harm done...and if I decide the next day I love them-I can put them right back it as easy as pie)

Your thoughts??

I love

2011-02-28T16:14:00.000-08:00

I am hoping to have every monday a post of things I love.

laughing with judah

Isabelle's artwork-I ADORE it (yes both pictures are done by her)

chubby legs that run and run and run

I will at least meet this goal once-today:)

A-makin A-pizza (said with a strong Italian accent)

2011-02-20T18:57:00.000-08:00

kneading the dough (oh little Judah)

I love this baby girl

mister funny pants himself

the white pizza I wish I had to eat right now!!

I love cooking with my kids-I love how they surprise me with how good they are at doing things in the kitchen. I love that they run to get a chair the moment they think I might be making something. I love that they love the process of cooking/baking as much as their mama does. Here are a few shots of the White Chicken Pizza we made this week.....it was to DIE for!!

Tea...it heals you

2011-02-18T11:16:00.000-08:00

Sickness has been going around in our house (Judah was just diagnosed with a double ear infection today poor little guy!!) and we have found something that actually truly keeps sickness at bay. Tea. South African Rooibos to be precise....mine with a little honey added. Nate use to drink this stuff religiously and we marveled at how he was not getting sick. For whatever reason, he had stopped drinking it daily....and he got sick. The other night we had a revelation that indeed he had stopped drinking the tea...he started and (I KID YOU NOT) he was better in two days!! What in the world??!! Tea my friends. Tea.

Tea is not only extremely comforting-it is just plain fun. Possibly because I love pretend-and when drinking tea from a teacup you can so easily pretend you are English....or fancy pancy...or something fun. Here are a few shots of my little clan enjoying our tea before Nate got home-here's to fingers crossed that it heals the rest of us (well that and the medication Judah is now taking;))

our tea of choice

Judah "smiling"

Belle smiling

bottoms up

sipping our tea

I Heart Valentine's Day

2011-02-15T07:20:00.000-08:00

I adore Valentine's Day!! I think I always have-and NO I have not had a boyfriend for every single one of my lifetime(and HOLY MOLY I still enjoyed it....shock indeed!!!).

Which leads me to my next soapbox-I mean point. Why do people hate this holiday SO much??? I mean, the way I see it, we have a day to show people in our lives that we LOVE them!! How great is that? I don't care if it is commercialized(what is not these days)-so just don't spend money-just love on people!!

Anyway-I love this holiday and I love doing fun little lovey dovey things all day long with my kids, my husband, whoever wants love. Hope yours was beautiful too...and if you are one of those people that hate Valentine's Day....I am sorry. I think you miss out.

heart sugar cookies of course

teaching Isabelle how to frost-she was pretty good

V-Day card from G&G Clark

my little Valentine with some of her gifts

love her

Isabelle took this picture-not too shabby huh?

Happy Valentine's Day-We love because He first loved us!!

The kids

2011-02-11T12:45:00.000-08:00

They make me laugh...just check out this sequence of events I captured while they were mixing up some pancake batter.

giddy...totally amused with one another

they were pretty amused with the fact that they can shut their eyes to make funny faces

now for my favorite....who even knows??

All that to say-I love them and their sweet little faces!!! (I have no idea where they get it from;))

We got a goldfish...kinda

2011-02-08T15:30:00.000-08:00

Isabelle has been wanting a goldfish so badly....so finally I caved and took her to a pet store to select her fish. However, the Betta fish were much more appealing ( shelf life is usually longer than one day with them) and the sweet little bluish purple one caught my eye. So Isabelle selected one sweet little guy and home we took it. She is crazy in love!! Seriously she sat talking to it and about it for an hour straight. The next morning all she wanted to do was go see "Nemo" as she named it (original I know). It is really fun and sweet to see her so excited about a little fish. Here are a few photos of right after we got it home.

Snow

2011-02-07T10:52:00.000-08:00

So I am sure you all now we had a huge snowstorm.....which (due to a wind tunnel) formed about four feet deep drifts in our backyard!! I was pumped...I dressed the kids (sweating to death while I did it) and went outside. Fail, fail, fail. Judah felt this way about the snow (below picture) and only was happy if being held. However, holding a child, in a snowsuit, in thigh deep snow is very tiring!! Oh well...we tried.

not thrilled

happy little bundle

making Valentines inside

giving me one "winning" smile

Mr Judah made the mess you see behind him...typical. Why do I ever pick things up??

I love winter.

Forts...the theme this week

2011-01-25T15:31:00.000-08:00

we have made a number of forts this week-Isabelle calls them kitty houses (not sure why)...here are just two I have captured on camera within the last few days

Truth be told, I think Nate likes the forts more than anyone....and that kinda makes me love him even more:)

These People Make Me Happy!!

2011-01-23T22:23:00.000-08:00

what they do when I say smile-personalities in a nutshell...I adore them!!

my love.

Bottoms Up

2011-01-18T09:01:00.000-08:00

Loved this moment in my night.

Hope you are enjoying moments in your life right now.

Some of my favorite memories...

2011-01-14T18:20:00.000-08:00

When I was little I can clearly recall my mother letting me use a little makeup pallet of hers. I would sit at the sink-right next to her and play with "my makeup" while she would put on hers. It was and always will be one of my favorite times with my mom. Today I had a sudden urge to have that same moment...but this time as the mother not the child. I got out a little pallet for Belle and mirror and watched as her face lit up! Then I sat and soaked in her having fun with "her makeup". No, I don't think little kids should wear makeup out and about-like adult women do. Yes, I do think little girls should be able to play and dress up and have fun. Here a few snaps I took of the fun moment.

Hope you let yourself delight in something today!!

smile moment

2011-01-13T20:04:00.001-08:00

Isabelle is walking her fake dog on wheels. I asked her what his name is.....she replied "Sneaky Coconut." I love that girl!

so far today....

2011-01-13T11:54:00.000-08:00

so far today i
1. made breakfast for two kids (who barely ate any of it)
2. washed my face and did a funny side pony tail
3. got kids dressed-changed judah's diaper
4. read a pile of books
5. did the laundry
6. went shopping at gymboree and bath and body works-with both kids alone:) brave-YES
7. had lunch with nate in the car with the kids (subway sandwiches)
8. made lunch for kiddos
9. put judah down for nap
10. folded clothing and put it away
11. removed tags and put away new clothing
12. made tea-and sat and drank it while blogging:)

outfit number two of the day-she told me she was going to dance class in her room-which she did do

a few of Judah's favorite books (lions and bears are his favorites...and dogs!!)

outfit #3....she is busy playing shop here


thought you might want to see what I wore shopping (clearly I was not planning on shopping today-but it was too much work to look normal...what can you do?) **note also the crazy side pony tail (told you)

What I REALLY Need

2011-01-10T12:50:00.000-08:00

What I really need is Jesus. His word-washing over me-making everything new and beautiful in His time. I need His strength, His patience, His love.....I need Him filling up all of me that lacks so much. I pray that as this new year starts you are filling yourselves up with what you REALLY need! I have been letting myself get too dry and it was so refreshing to drink deeply and richly of Him today. So good.

Dance Class

2011-01-08T20:44:00.000-08:00

Isabelle attended her first dance class today-she was shy and quiet....that is till they busted out the butterfly wings and she then became the dancing queen!! (no joke) Later I asked Isabelle if we could take a picture to document her first time going to dance class....pictures below.

this would be the pose of choice...seeing that she did it twice when I asked her to smile-identically twice yes (and yes that is the cupcake from Clancy's house...she still is carrying it everywhere)


she had cute black pants on earlier-but man is she rocking those nude ones.....look at that dancer arm!

The first time I went to ballet class-I peed my pants (no it was not a common practice for me-if you want the real long story ask me sometime in person) and never went back to it or my tap class. Too bad...I know I would have been the next shirley temple!!

Playdate Success

2011-01-07T12:51:00.000-08:00

Isabelle setting up her cupcake and special card we had just made...princess with her name on it...typical

Isabelle went to her first playdate that I did not stay at today. Now, she goes to church nursery and hangs out with other kiddos quite often....but this was her first big girl, invited by phone to another girl's house. So cute! She did great and shockingly enough "did not talk the whole time" as the mother said. Hilarious. If you know Isabelle in the comfort of her home the girl is constantly talking (yes even now in the background shouting something about birthday cake). I love that she gets all quite...what a goof. Anyhow-when she left they let her bring home a fun little cupcake toy (she promised she would return it later) and a box of little conversation hearts! Such fun. Pictures below documenting my big girls day out-had I thought of it (and not been embarrassed at being "that mom" I would have snapped a few of her and her friend Clancy (adorable name...yes!) )


My little Belle with her beloved cupcake from Clancy

just so you can clearly see that she has a great deal of her mommy in her-already making faces for the camera...this is what she did when I said to smile:)

Adoption

2011-01-06T08:13:00.000-08:00

I have so many people in my life that either have adopted or are in the process of adoption. I love seeing the beauty of the way God hand picks and forms a family that He knew would exist since the beginning of time.....I love it. My darling friend Kelly is raising money for their upcoming adoption and I wanted to give you all the option of helping her/her family out with this beautiful journey. She is selling ADORABLE t-shirts and coffee (hello yes coffee) on her blog. Make sure and check it out from the link below..........

http://dkblomgren.blogspot.com/2010/12/t-shirts-t-shirts-t-shirts.html

Feel free to spread the word to others you know that might want something like this themselves:)

On another note-have I mentioned I adore winter?? I DO!!!

New Obsession!!

2011-01-05T12:18:00.000-08:00

Tea....I adore it. South African Rooibos with honey. OH MY!!!

adorable mug from anthro-on sale now!!

A New Year and my favorite laundry!

2011-01-03T22:05:00.000-08:00

I know some people delete these pictures upon sight....I post them on my blog...cheers to starting the new year off cross-eyed!

Happy New Year!!! 2011....what it shall bring we do not know....but I am glad I am starting the year with my sweet little family!!

me and my love

the best laundry ever

I just love that Isabelle out of the blue gave a thumbs up! Love those babes!

nate might be in the process of shutting his eyes-but the kiddos were just so darn cute i had to

Rest

2010-12-28T21:28:00.000-08:00

After such a busy holiday season (which is still going on-and is wonderful!!) sometimes we just need a little rest. My kids certainly get that-they requested that I made them beds to lay on downstairs.....I completely understand.

snuggly loves

i want to kiss his cheeks all day long

and lay and chat about life with this little gem

These are a few of my favorite things....

2010-12-23T11:21:00.000-08:00

making Christmas cookies

just looking at them makes me happy

watching White Christmas with the kids-and Isabelle having to dance with daddy just like the girl in the movie (check out the screen)

the first big snow

little bundles of love

Isabelle's hilarious shovel

my love with his new snow thrower

that face

the "smiles"

sibling love.

Merry Christmas...I hope your day is filled with a few of your favorite things!!

Seriously??

2010-12-17T08:30:00.000-08:00

So I was happily sitting at my computer....checking email, facebook, etc when I realized I had not seen Isabelle for a few minutes. And yes, a few minutes without seeing Isabelle is cause for alarm since that sweet girl lives attached to me:) Now Judah was asleep so I knew she was not playing with him....so I crept upstairs (hoping to catch her doing something mischievous) and this is what I found.....sweetest little sleepy girl ever!!!

I love this day because...

2010-12-13T11:10:00.000-08:00

warm soup and grilled cheese

homemade latte with whipped cream and no bake cookies.....perfection

a bowl of ornaments

dance party to Christmas music with my peanuts

Sometimes my mornings look like this.....

2010-12-02T21:06:00.000-08:00

my little babes watching out the basement window at birds-they are buds

my (as of late) early early little riser who is just too cute in those jammies for his own good!!

what is your morning look like??

One of the reasons I am so happy

2010-11-27T21:30:00.000-08:00

Enough said.

What Have I Been Up to Lately??

2010-11-22T08:42:00.000-08:00

Making things for a WONDERFUL handmade holiday....me and my sister started this last year and we just have such a blast with it for these two years! I sold tons of stuff-which is super fun as well. Then after the sale I had a number of custom orders to get started on...now I am finally caught up but need to get more things made for my next two sales!! (just two weeks away) Let me just say that there is something so incredibly fulfilling in the process of creation....I love it so much! Now for some pictures.

Custom orders of baby/toddler hats and a large cowl.

One shot of the Open House

the beautiful leather cuffs (I traded a xl cowl for one of these babies and I LOVE it!)

beautiful hand thrown pottery-I also own one of these lovelies now too:)

another shot of the night

beautiful work by one of my friends Leah

Thanksgiving is coming and boy am I busy-but so so so thankful for all the rich blessings the Lord has poured out. My all of your days be blessed!

Sometime I wish I lived in a tent

2010-11-09T11:07:00.000-08:00

Sometimes with these two little loves....and sometimes all by myself.....cause sometimes imagining silence makes me giddy.

A Peter Pan Halloween

2010-11-03T11:38:00.000-07:00

Wendy, Peter Pan, Captain Hook and Tinkerbell-such a fun night as a little family!!!!

Would you go to him??

My little babes checking themselves out in the mirror-clearly Judah was pleased!

The happiest little Peter Pan-never grow up little one....never.

Take that sucker

2010-10-25T20:08:00.000-07:00

You know when there is something you love so much that you wish you could just make it and have a million? I have that feeling for a few things, one of them being sweet little necklaces with small charms, or pendants...or just plain. I love them. So, I decided to try to make one and I LOVE it. I could make a million-and probably will:)
Here is my "Mind your P's and Q's" one.

love it

Spread it out so you could see what the Q looked like

What are things you have mastered making because you love them that much?

Tea in the afternoon

2010-10-21T12:53:00.000-07:00

Just relaxing over here...drinking tea and drawing. Oh...and watching my kiddos too:)

Cheers to fall!!

Belle is Three!!

2010-10-18T11:11:00.000-07:00

My darling little Isabelle is THREE!! I cannot believe it...what a joy, what a blessing, what a love she has been in our life!

helping to decorate her pink cake

the yummy food

me and my little girl

in front of all her amazing presents

blowing out 3 candles!!

Sonny Acres

2010-10-09T15:35:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Sonny Acres and had a blast in the petting zoo and picking out pumpkins. Personally I love my two little pumpkins the most though:)

my love and the kiddos

i heart white pumpkins

my girl petting the bunny

meet the goat

Isabelle hugged a goat

judah loves the goats!

not so sure in this moment

"watch and learn" the goat said

And he did.

Me and my babes

The End.

Is there a doc in the house??

2010-10-07T19:57:00.000-07:00

Lucky for us there was.....even though the mother of the patient made him rather irritable.....doctors.

We have been sick

2010-10-07T08:53:00.000-07:00

If you have ever had the stomach flu as a family you will know that it is
1. horrid
2. disgusting
3. bonding
4. hilarious
5. boring
6. relaxing
7. clean bug instilling
8. picture lacking
All that to say I do not have many fun pictures to post-but I will do the best I can with what I have. Along with that-Nate-best man in the world and my love!!-surprised me with a Mac the other day since he thought it would suit me better. :)I love it-I named it Bunny (who knows why, beside the hilarious fact that Nate really is not a Mac person in the slightest and thinks it is ridiculous when people get all houty touty about their computers-so he rolls his eyes whenever I dramatically refer to my little "bunny") But-because of this new computer I am having major issues figuring out how things work on here...any insight would be great from those of you who know...but until then bear with me.

my favorite little outfit on him..that he pooped in moments after this

normal sick wear-random and bright colored

two little monkeys staring out the window wishing they could play out there

beautiful flowers from my dear friend Jeanne-something to brighten the day:)

This is what relaxation looks like....

2010-10-04T12:07:00.000-07:00

I came downstairs to find Isabelle like this-

she is amazing!

i heart fall clothing

2010-09-29T10:40:00.000-07:00

i will certainly be posting more of the fall clothing i love...but for today i will show you sweet Isabelle in her fall clothing. this girl is my love....and this outfit suits her to perfection ( in case you are wondering i really like typing in small case letters-especially the letter i...it just looks better....unless of course it is for Isabelle's name, then i like it capitalized...in case you were wondering)

You know who is guilty today???

2010-09-21T12:47:00.001-07:00

HIM

Today we...

2010-09-20T16:10:00.000-07:00

Read some books, acted silly, crocheted an insanely huge hat.....and relaxed.

Happy Monday....and here is to making the pointless things matter!!!

Today was Long

2010-09-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

Today was a long day (and it is not even close to being over yet) but long in a good way!! I knew it was long when I was looking everywhere for Isabelle only to find her like this downstairs....

Hope you can squeeze a nap in if you need it:)

Chicago Mini-Marathon 2010

2010-09-12T15:55:00.000-07:00

we came

we ran 13.1 miles

we conquered (2:05 time)

i love nate for being my best cheer section (he has been there for all three of my minis...he is the amazing one!!)

Pasta Please

2010-09-07T08:31:00.000-07:00

I love pasta...and one of the reasons is the way these little ones look eating it:) Hope your day is lovely!!

A (little) Girl Party

2010-09-03T13:48:00.000-07:00

My niece Evelyn had a smashing birthday party-complete with nail painting, hair styling and of course prison guard playing! It all took place at the most adorable little cottage/barn...a few pictures of the weekend.

The Group (minus me, Julie, Ruth)

she loved the toe separators...who knew?

Lily is so beautiful....unreal.

Evelyn-the birthday girl-getting her nails done

The lovely nails-done by Ruth and me:)

The cottage/barn

Good Morning....

I love this picture because this shows exactly how Isabelle was the whole weekend. Always on the outside-but staring with great admiration!!

Exploring.

what have i been doing

2010-08-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

enjoying my bestest love

playing on the beach

cuddling in jammies

building killer forts

watching my little love play with a doll

riding on a boat in Michigan

catching fish

enjoying my love

delighting in the joy a boat ride gives a child

watching two things I love bond

rinsing off sandy little bottoms

riding fake horses

relaxing

Vacation was amazing!!

Lemonade Shake-Up

2010-08-13T11:01:00.000-07:00

You know at the fair when you get those amazing Lemonade Shake-Ups....even though they cost like $4 for a small cup?? Well, I set out on a mission to discover how to make them at home and I think I have it!! So for lunch we enjoyed the said drink, noodly oodly (nate and I gave pasta with cheese that name our first year of marriage and it stuck) and a little bit of canned frosting. Truth be told, the frosting with crackers were eaten while I was making lunch-sorry...it looked good!

My Favorite Sandwich

2010-08-09T18:42:00.000-07:00

I love this....it is always amazing (even after suffering from heat stroke and barfing your guts out-yes I did do that moments before enjoying this....:)). Super simple to make, even simple to eat....shove it all in and enjoy every chew!

Tomatoes-slice thin and simmer over olive oil, salt, and pepper till they literally are falling apart
Goat Cheese-Crumble all over your bread and pepper
Ciabatta-Slice lengthwise and place on baking sheet. Cover with goat cheese and place in oven till warm and toasty.....remove and place melty tomatoes all over and you only have to slice into sandwiches and plate up.

Perfection!! And so easy!!

Saturday Night

2010-08-08T14:26:00.000-07:00

So when asked what I did on my Saturday night I thought it would be better to show you the actual proof. Some of you may not have believed me....but trust me this happened!!

We started out wanting to play a card game of some sort-when my dad started showing Isabelle how to make something out of cards. (It always ended with her crashing down the building) So, once Isabelle was asleep my dad felt the need to build something without someone knocking it down-and that, my friends, is all it took. Suddenly everyone was on the ground building. Yes, my mother, my father, my hubby....I was not. (Someone had to document it!)

Now try to tell me your Saturday night was wilder than mine!

Haircut

2010-08-06T18:42:00.000-07:00

I got my haircut at this place called Amber Waves. The hairstylist was Brit...and she was the kindest hairstylist in the world. Why do most hairstylists think it is their job to insult you about your hair?? Just a question? Anyway-Britt didn't-she was wonderful. Here is the hair...keep in mind I had just fallen asleep on the couch before the shot and the top is a little fuzzy because of it:)

Dinner...on a whim

2010-08-05T17:25:00.000-07:00

We didn't know what we should do for dinner...nothing fast sounded good (hot dogs-no, fast food-no, tacos-no) but I wanted something fast AND delicious. After a quick visit to Trader Joe's all our problems were solved with just a touch of creativity.

Dinner:
Ciabatta Bread
Fresh Mozzerella
Fresh Basil
Chunky Tomato Vodka Sauce

Heat in the oven and serve!! SOOOO GOOD!!

Plus some green beans that Isabelle and I devoured (butter and salt is all it takes for perfection on that veggie)

Then I found the best cookies in the world! I tried the ginger ones and thought I was gonna die. Spicy delight. Then I had the chocolate-I turned to Nate and told him...."We are in trouble" And we are....wonderful, yummy, crunchy trouble!!!

Couch/Jungle Gym

2010-08-05T08:12:00.000-07:00

I thought the kids sounded like they were having fun....so I went upstairs to join them and what did I find??

I love kid's natural inclination to make fun wherever they are-I hope they never lose that gift!! May your day be full of moments of "jumping on a couch" happiness!

Dinner

2010-07-31T16:11:00.000-07:00

Tomato pesto pizza....

Cheers to a beautiful Saturday night in:)

Garage Sale and Freecycle kind of day

2010-07-30T13:19:00.000-07:00

I adore garage sale-ing....I adore it!! And right below is why....look at the amazing amount of clothing (adorable clothing) that I got Isabelle!!! (I also got her about 5 pairs of nice shoes-but I forgot a picture of them)

Then to top of my already hugely successful day-I had posted a "wanted pack n play" on freecycle and not only had someone respond right away....but it is an amazingly NICE one!! FOR FREE!!! I am happy. And this is going to be one great weekend with the start of things like this!!

Judah

2010-07-29T13:11:00.001-07:00

I love this boy....

that's all for today:)

Playing in underwear and t-shirts

2010-07-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

So while doing laundry today the kiddos decided to "dress-up" in some clothing. I love the two items they chose:) and truly, I did not put them up to this at all. Judah thinks he is really really funny when he puts things on his head-and Isabelle just jumped right in as well:) Hope you are having a lovely Tuesday!

Pad Thai

2010-07-27T08:38:00.000-07:00

I am making Pad Thai for the first time today.....I did the prep work first (since Judah only sleeps for some time and I wanted to make sure everything was ready before he poked his sweet little head up again:))

Here are a few shots of the work in progress. What are you favorite things to make? I loved this Pad Thai-it was delicious and one I will be making again for sure!! I love when I find new things to make and like them, it is really fun to build my meal library:)