olives disgust him… and a bunch of other fun facts about michael

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He loves to take the craziest pictures of himself. Seriously, this is what happens when I leave him with the camera for .02 seconds. (Even when I’m taking the photo, he still makes an insanely goofy face…)

He’s disgusted by olives. Someone served him a Greek salad while he was on his church mission (which meant that he had to eat it to be polite) that had tons of olives with olive dressing. He doesn’t even like to look at them now.

He’s not a runner, but it’s not by choice. His legs start to hurt so easily because he did too much running in a short period of time when training for high school wrestling and injured himself…

…which is why he’s a cyclist. He’s completed a 65-mile and a 100-mile “Tour de Cure” and I’m so proud of him._MG_4418He has this amazing ability to care for others. I’ve never seen anyone understand people and their needs the same way Michael does. He can discern what’s in a person’s heart, and then he perfectly consoles them, even when there are extreme emotions involved.

He’s a software developer, which means he spends a lot of time on the computer… but he has created some amazing websites and apps! He is so fortunate to love his work as much as he does.

He doesn’t do anything halfway. When Michael commits to something (whether it’s a project or even our marriage), he gives it his full effort and whole heart.

He’s the best daddy in the whole world. At least, that’s what Birdy and I would say. And we’re the only two who get a vote on that, so it’s definitely true.

_MG_7122Love you, Buddy! 🙂

Linking up with Becky today!

five on friday

Happy Friday! Here are five awesome tidbits from life lately:

ONE.
Kaya’s smile is so contagious. We’re a couple of grinning fools together and I love it. She was so happy just because I tucked her into the car seat with her blanket.

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TWO.
Juni has had a rough week and had to spend Wednesday night at the vet due to bladder stones and a urinary tract infection. Poor baby. Luckily, they were able to get the stone out without surgery. It was 4 mm in diameter- HUGE for a tiny guinea pig! We’re all happy she’s home now.IMG_20131009_201408

THREE.
I went “treasure hunting” (or thrifting, as normal people call it) this week, and found a few great deals- a Banana Republic skirt (with the tags on, original price marked as $88!) for $3.75, and this busy ball popper toy for Kaya for $3.95. It still needs batteries but she gets SO excited just looking at it!51fEtdpCuwLFOUR.
I have pumpkin everything on my brain right now. Lelia and I have made pumpkin bread AND pumpkin cookies in the past two weeks. Mmmm. I bought five cans of the stuff this week so I’m looking to create even more ooey gooey deliciousness soon._MG_9900

FIVE.
This little girl is suddenly doing all sorts of big-kid things. She colors, says a few words, and even started drinking some whole milk this week. It warms my heart to see her learning and growing so much (although I do wish time would slow down just a little)!_MG_9896

Linking up with Natasha, April, Christina, and Darci today!

never have i ever…

I’m linking up with Amanda today for something fun! Remember that “Never have I ever…” game you might have played back in the day? It used to be so easy for me to win when I was younger because I had no super-amazing experiences like I do now. (Like exploring Europe and getting married and changing dirty diapers)… Anyway, here we go!

Never Have I Ever…

-Eaten a hamburger.
I’ve tried… one bite makes me feel sick. This renders me Un-American according to some people.

-Taken a photography class.
Photography is my biggest hobby. I do shoots when the opportunity arises and have been asked if it’s what I studied in school. Nope. I’m completely self-taught!

-Run more than 8.5 miles.
I wanted to train for a half-marathon a couple years back, but then I was pregnant. And then I had a newborn and little sleep. Maybe in the future?

-Been to a college football game.
This is a tragedy considering that I’m a Hokie… and Hokies pretty much eat, sleep, and breathe football. I’m just not that into sports.

-Drank alcohol or smoked.
This one’s against our church’s code of health, but even before I became a member, I just never had interest in it.

-Broken a bone.
I’m pretty clumsy at times… but luckily, I haven’t been klutzy enough to break anything or go to the ER. Here’s to hoping it stays that way!

And just because I like getting sappy in pretty much every post lately… Never have I ever loved anyone more than I love these two._MG_0052Happy Thursday!

waffles, conference, and a whole bunch of crazy people

As I posted over the weekend, we spent Saturday and Sunday relaxing and watching General Conference. I was also craving chocolate-chip waffles… Luckily, I have a super-awesome husband who tends to want to eat the same things I do, so I put him to work in the kitchen he graciously whipped up these whole-wheat waffles on Sunday morning.
_MG_0013 He kinda messed up the first one (just a little)!_MG_0015 Jax didn’t care what the waffles looked like because they smelled heavenly. Newsflash for my dog: chocolate kills._MG_0021 Much better 🙂_MG_0023 Baby Bird slept through all our clamoring in the kitchen, so she had her waffle (which was actually 1/4 of one) for lunch. That’s the smile of one happy girl!_MG_0038

We took a family picture, which is something we try to do on or around each conference weekend (every six months)._MG_0053In the afternoon, we had friends over to watch the last session. We had a potluck dinner- chicken ‘n dumplings, rice, veggies, and my favorite homemade brownies topped with ice cream for dessert. It doesn’t get any better than that!_MG_0059 I love all these crazy people and I’m so grateful to share these memories with them. (PS- the babies have the best expressions… and Jax looks pretty insane too)._MG_0060

a little birdy birthday | kaya’s first birthday party

I’m finally sharing Kaya’s birthday party from two weeks ago! We kept it pretty simple, but it was still adorable and I love the way it turned out. I really wanted to have a theme that meant something to us, and since Kaya’s nickname is “Baby Bird” (we probably call her “Birdy” 85% of the time, actually), I thought it’d be perfect to incorporate that into the party. I chose a pink and aqua color to go with the little birds and decorated/crafted accordingly._MG_9753 Look at all those presents! She is one very-loved little girl._MG_9772 This was my first fondant cake ever. Not perfect, but I’m actually quite impressed with how well I did. I just won’t tell you that the bottom layer of cake split into three pieces and I had to have help from both my mom and mom-in-law help get the fondant on top… but isn’t that baby bird precious?_MG_9777_MG_9775Chocolate with a chocolate-pudding filling. Mmmmmmm. Too bad Kaya doesn’t really care about cake._MG_9815 09212013photogrid2 I made her onesie myself with applique and fabric paint, inspired by this one.09212013photogrid1 (She didn’t get the horse for her birthday, but it’s one of her favorites and this is too cute to not include!)_MG_9749 Uncle Jeff and Auntie Lelia got her a drum, and she was quick to learn how to use it! She carries the drumsticks all around the house now._MG_9858 _MG_9863 _MG_9882Happy Birthday, Baby Bird. We love you!

general conference

This weekend is our church’s “General Conference”, in which we all gather (most of us around our televisions) to listen to the inspiring and uplifting messages of our prophet and apostles.

Conference buoys up my spirit in a way that nothing else can.

In a world full of sorrow, sin, shortcomings and stumbling blocks, Conference is incredibly reassuring. There are at least 15 million other people out there just like me who want to follow Christ, strengthen their families, and improve the way they live their lives.1277961_10151904766006550_1044973683_o

The best part is that anyone can watch General Conference. You don’t need to be a member of the church. Hey, you don’t even need to get off your couch or out of your pajamas.

Check it out here tomorrow at 12 pm and 4 pm EST.

Happy weekend everybody!

i still miss her

I know most people might skip over this post… because yes, it’s about my guinea pig, Maggie, who passed away five months ago. But honestly… I don’t care if no one else cares. I still miss her. So much. And I feel like I need to write this, at least for myself.

I don’t know how five months of her being gone can feel like the same amount of time as the seven years I got to enjoy her presence. Time can be so cruel.

I loved Maggie so much that one of my greatest fears was waking up one day and finding that she had passed away. One of my favorite things was seeing her happy face and singing “goooood moooorning!” as I went to greet her each day. I was always afraid I wouldn’t get to say goodbye to her before she left me.

Fast forward to 5.5 months ago. I went out to Utah for a week, and Michael took care of my piggies for me. He would send me pictures and updates. We knew that Maggie was really starting to show her age… and once again, I hoped she wouldn’t pass without me being there to say goodbye. I came home from Utah on May 4th.

On May 6th, I found Maggie flipped over on her back, unable to get up on her own. I knew in my heart that she was suffering, and she looked so tired. She had a tumor that seemed to have grown exponentially in a short time, which I’m guessing was some type of ovarian cancer (but I’m no doctor…). I cried so hard as I realized that there wasn’t really a choice. I didn’t want her to endure pain any longer, especially since I had no idea how long she was struggling on her back that way. What if it happened again?

I knew that Lelia was free that morning, so I called her, and through tears, I asked her to go to the vet with me. I’m so thankful that I had my sister there for comfort. I could not have done it alone.

We had a 12 pm appointment. Waiting was the hardest part. I pet her, held her, and talked to her. I told her I was so sorry, probably about a million times. Honestly, I felt like I didn’t do enough for my pigs after I got pregnant and had Kaya. Sure, she had all the necessities and a big cage to run in. I just hope she felt loved.

The vet examined her and agreed that it was time to say goodbye.

Maggie gave me these little kisses on my finger right up until the sedative kicked in. I took a long time petting her and saying my goodbyes. I told the vet I was ready (as ready as you can be to leave your best furry friend forever), and kissed her head one last time. The vet took her to the back room to put her to sleep (since guinea pigs have small veins, they don’t let the owner be there when they do it).

I’m so grateful I had the chance to say goodbye, even though I never expected to have to choose to have her put to sleep. I can still feel her soft fur under my fingertips, hear her happy “wheeeeeks!”, and see the way she used to shuffle around the cage when she was excited for something (usually veggies!).

Maggie, you might not have meant anything to the world, but you were a HUGE part of mine. I keep a picture of you on my nightstand, and there isn’t a day I don’t remember all the joy you brought to my life.

Thanks again, Magamuffin. See you again someday (and I hope you wobble up to me wheeking and looking for a carrot and a scratch on the head).

I still miss you.

I still love you.

goals for october

Here’s how I did for September:

1. Do ab workouts 3 times per week. I still don’t have a six-pack or anything… but I’m feeling better than ever in my jeans so BOO-YA!

2. Try 3 new recipes. I made crockpot honey-mustard chicken (my own concoction), these rolls, this pumpkin bread, and the vegetarian (and non-alcoholic) version of this taco soup. Even if I’m not making actual tacos, I can’t seem to resist the flavor in some form, apparently. The rolls were okay for a quick fix, but we swooned over the pumpkin bread and taco soup. I suggest making them as soon as you can… like now. Ha._MG_9905

3. Practice working with fondant (and hopefully use it for Kaya’s birthday cake). My cake turned out adorable! I made marshmallow fondant for the first time ever and it was actually a lot easier than I expected. Hopefully I’ll get to do another fondant cake for Karl’s birthday!

4. Take Kaya’s first birthday photos. Seriously… she gets cuter and cuter all the time. Her photos are here if you missed them earlier._MG_9469

5. Make a few decorations for her party and her birthday outfit.

6. Plan our family photos. Um… I’m still not sure when we’re doing these or what we’re wearing. So… fail.

7. Decide on Halloween costumes. I have a few ideas, but I’m still so indecisive. I need to figure it out fast though!

And here are my high hopes for October:

1. Keep doing ab workouts 3 times per week. (I know if I don’t write it down here I’ll slack off… so there it is).

2. Throw a Halloween Party! Lelia and I have all the nitty gritty planned out already, so now we just need to execute all those plans… like getting decorations and delivering invitations, etc.!

3. Make our Halloween costumes.

4. Try 3 more new recipes.

5. Go apple picking/make and can my own applesauce. We use so much applesauce between Kaya eating it and me baking with it, so I think making my own would save a little money.

6. Take family photos.

See you in a month!