short and sweet

Posted on January 14, 2014 by tara

The weeks go by so quickly… and the weekends seem to pass by even faster! I only wish we had more time to rest and enjoy time with family and friends.

This weekend was filled with TONS of baking- these muffins (with some health-conscious modifications), this bread, and these cookies!

Jax got busted for eating crayons… again. He does have a pretty cute “I’m sorry” face, though 🙂

I was asked to take some newborn pictures of a friend’s sweet new baby boy. It’s so easy to forget how tiny and helpless they are before they turn into laughing-dancing-climbing-on-everything toddlers.On Sunday morning, I received a suprise text from my dad-in-law.

“What’s for dinner?”

They live five hours away, so it’s not like they randomly come over and eat our food. They were coming to visit! We ended up having delicious Chinese fake-out and playing games at Jeff and Lelia’s place. It was a short, but sweet visit. I love spending time with family.

_MG_0959

(and yeah, that’s Jax trying to wrestle Dad, because that’s pretty much what went on the whole time they were here)!

five on friday: lollipops and arctic temperatures

Posted on January 10, 2014 by tara

ONE. Kaya had her first lollipop ever this week. Cotton candy flavor is a big hit! (Also, I had no idea how messy a lollipop could be. She definitely should’ve worn a bib for this…)

TWO. I can’t even believe that this was our weather from Monday night into Tuesday morning. I know that some northern states had it way worse than this… but still! We survived (and obviously I missed a run because I was not going outside in it)! I’m grateful that we had power and hot water, because I know that some people across town did not. One of the pipes at our church actually burst and flooded half the building.

THREE. Does it get any cuter than babies in winter hats? Kaya was such a trooper this week and was well-behaved for a meeting I had that lasted almost three hours. I just won’t tell you how many cheese crackers she ate.

FOUR. This dog… I love him to bits. But Jax, here’s a newsflash: crayons are NOT food.

FIVE. I love her happy morning smiles.

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

goodbye, scrappy

Posted on January 9, 2014 by tara

Today, Michael’s childhood dog had to be put to sleep.Scrappy was almost 14 years old (which is such a long life for such a big dog)! The whole family loved him so much, especially all the boys. They always counted him as their fourth “brother”.

I don’t have a whole lot to write, other than that he was a good boy. And to a dog, that is the very best thing you can say.

I’m sorry we couldn’t be there to say goodbye, Scrappy, but I thought of you all day long. I’m so glad we got to see you just a couple weeks ago at Christmastime.We’ll miss your excited, wagging tail next time we come home to visit, but we will see you again someday.

We love you, Scrappadoodledoo.

goals for january

Posted on January 7, 2014 by tara

We had a wonderful, relaxing month of December, so I’m ready to get back on the goal bandwagon for 2014!

For January…

1. Book of Mormon 365. This year Michael and I are reading The Book of Mormon every day, with the hopes of finishing by the end of 2014. This awesome Instagram account divides up the reading for you every day (and come on, if you have time to check Instagram and see it on there, you should have time to read your scriptures)! It’s been really fun so far and I know that by the end of the year it will feel great to have accomplished reading it as a family.

2. Make some felt food for Kaya’s play kitchen… or get started on a quiet book. I really just need some kind of project to do! Kaya could definitely use something to look at during church, or some play food that she can put in the oven… so I’m thinking a play pizza or muffins might be the answer!

3. Get rid of things we aren’t using. Whether this means recycling, donating, or trashing stuff… it needs to be done. The decluttering bug has bitten me hard with the start of the new year. I have a bag of clothes and a box of books to donate, and a small collection of light bulbs and batteries that need to be recycled.

4. Get some space-saver bags for all of Kaya’s outgrown clothes. There is just not enough room in her closet for everything to be loosely packed, and it’s driving me crazy. I need to just get it all packed together!

5. Make homemade bread. This has been on my list to do for a while. I want to see if I can do it, if it tastes good, and if it’s worth it. I don’t know if I’ll make our own bread forever… but I want to be able to say I tried it.

Happy January!

And today we have a special birthday message for Kaya’s most loyal follower…

five on friday: a lifetime supply of hot fudge

Posted on January 3, 2014 by tara

ONE. We had a blast on New Year’s Eve (with a bunch of our crazy pals, of course)! Quite a few people were still out of town- we definitely missed them! Bryan and Miriam were visiting from Georgia, so it was great to catch up with them and just goof around ~~(and eat a whole ton of chips and salsa)~~.

TWO. We might be guilty of making ice cream sundaes three nights in a row this week…

THREE. I whipped up some homemade hot fudge for the sundaes… a whole quart of it. Lesson learned: always read the recipe yield! I’m pretty sure we’ll still be eating this batch of fudge when we’re wrinkled and gray, sitting in rocking chairs on the front porch ~~yelling at the neighborhood kids to get off our lawn~~.

FOUR. Michael’s holiday vacation is over, so he went back to work yesterday. I’m grateful we were able to enjoy so much time together. It feels a little lonely without him home, but it’s been good to try and get Kaya back into her regular schedule. I wish the Christmas season never had to end… but I guess we can just start counting down to my birthday and Valentine’s Day now!

FIVE. Kaya is so beyond crazy and fun. I am loving this age. She makes me laugh so much!

Happy weekend, friends!
Linking up with Natasha, April, Christina, and Darci today!

our first christmas morning at home

Posted on January 2, 2014 by tara

We knew we wanted to spend Christmas day at home, just the three of us. I was a little nervous that we’d be bored, it wouldn’t “feel like” Christmas, or my holiday dinner would turn out awful.

As it turned out, this was the best Christmas yet- and it had nothing to do with the gifts or the food.

I definitely teared up on Christmas Eve, wrapping gifts and lovingly placing them under the tree, on the very same tree skirt that my parents used when I was little.

Our tree was somewhat bare this year (with a toddler and a puppy, I just didn’t want to undergo the hassle of trying to keep ornaments on it), but its glow was perfectly magical.
Kaya came into the living room on Christmas morning and couldn’t stop staring at the tree. She happily squealed when ripping the paper off her gifts. Her big surprise was a play kitchen! She immediately answered the phone… Kaya gave her daddy a remote-control helicopter just like Grandpa’s!

I think she likes it even more than Michael does… as evidenced by this kiss!Jax had a whole stocking full of treats. We gave him a big ole bone that he ate in probably under two minutes!
We had a simple, festive breakfast (m&ms for noses and buttons, mini chocolate chips for eyes and a smile)!
Powdery lips 🙂 I made pot roast in the crock pot, mashed potatoes, broccoli, and my mom-in-law’s famous rolls. Photo-bomber.

I was so worried about ruining our Christmas dinner, so I was surprised when everything tasted amazing. It might have been the most delicious meal ever, actually. (Kaya used her broccoli to eat her potatoes…)

It was the perfect Christmas. So much food, so much fun, and so much love.

hello 2014

Posted on January 1, 2014 by tara

Happy New Year everyone! I know I said 2012 was the best year of my life, but 2013 was full of even more amazing, wonderful moments. Each year seems to be better than the last, and for that, I am so grateful.

I watched my daughter grow from a tiny, squishy baby…

… into a smart and talented toddler! _MG_0729

I’m certain there wasn’t a day that went by this year that she didn’t make me smile.

I hope I’m a little better than I was a year ago. I found myself through motherhood, and I know that if I continue to try my best, I will only continue learning valuable lessons. In 2013, I tried harder to be the wife, mom, and friend I should be.

I feel so incredibly blessed to be where I am right now.

Happy 2014! 🙂

Michael and Tara

It's Us!

Monthly Archives: January 2014