currently (march 2019)

It’ll be spring before this month ends, and I can already feel the energy and excitement that comes with longer and warmer days! I still have some things to go back and document on here (like our entire trip to Spain), but now that I finished the Christmas posts, I’m feeling relieved and free to write more spontaneous posts like these.

Currently, I’m…

Swooning… over these sweet baby girls all squished together in one photo. I randomly made this for fun one morning, and I LOVE seeing them all at the same age! It’s fun to see them all together and imagine if they were quadruplets… but let’s be real, I’m glad I’ve been able to enjoy each of them one at a time!Eating… GUACAMOLE! Okay, well, I’m not eating it right now, but over the past few months, I’ve become a guac monster. I don’t usually crave salty stuff, but I think I can attribute it to all the extra training miles I’ve put in in the past couple of months.

Listening to… The Moana soundtrack multiple times a week (I’m still very obsessed with this movie)! Also, my baby might be almost 8 months old, but I’m still really into birth stories. The Birth Hour is my favorite, and I really think that listening to it constantly before I had Eve helped me get through her birth unmedicated. In my wildest dreams, I’d be able to become a birth worker and help other women feel that same sense of empowerment; I’m just not really sure what kind of role would suit my personality.

Organizing… our office and creating a playroom for the girls! We’ve moved the toys around to just about every room of the house ever since we moved here to figure out what works best, and nothing has really seemed ideal. So, we decided to turn our formal dining room (which was pretty much empty and unused) into their playroom. I think having a central location for toys will be a big help with keeping things neat.

So far, we’ve moved some shelves around and added an area rug. Scout seems to think the rug is a giant dog bed!Finishing… our last weeks of first grade! I can’t believe we’re almost through another year. We have fewer than 15 lessons left in each of our books, and our standardized testing already came in the mail. We’re so close! We’ll start some of the second grade books (for Kaya) and continue with the kindergarten books (for Kaelyn) until May, and then I’m looking forward to some easy summer days.

Shopping… for a new sleep sack for Eve. This adorable princess still isn’t sleeping well at all, and we’re kind of desperate. We’re going to try these and hope they’re magic!

Happy Tuesday!

currently (august 2018)

It’s been really quiet on here! We’ve been busy with our sweet little Eve (and, you know, our other three kids), and feeling a little sleep-deprived, so blogging just hasn’t been at the top of my to-do list. I thought I’d get on just for a quick update today!

Currently, I’m…

Planning… Our homeschool year! I’ve scheduled out the majority of our upcoming academic year, and I’m feeling really excited about first grade. I get to introduce the girls to History and Biology, and I’m looking forward to learning right alongside them! Taking a break over the summer really has me feeling refreshed.

Walking… With my littlest buddy every day! While I’m waiting to hopefully be cleared for running again, Evie and I have been taking advantage of the cooler mornings and heading out for some alone time.

Shopping… For a new running/GPS watch. After 3.5 years, my watch no longer works due to an internal hardware problem. After all the miles I’ve put on it, I’m honestly a little sad to say goodbye to it! I’ve been really indecisive about choosing a new one, but I’m thinking I’ll most likely go with a Garmin.

Snuggling… This sweet sweet baby as much as I can. I feel like I’m behind on a lot of things (including this blog), but I know all too well how fast she’s going to grow up. Can’t I stop time, just for a little while?

Reading… Birth by Tina Cassidy. After having Eve, I was curious about the history of labor and delivery over time, and this has been an interesting overview. It sparked my curiosity about how my own grandparents were born, and after asking my Dad, I found out that both of his parents were born at home. It’s amazing how much has changed, even just over the past century.

Planning… Kaya’s 6th birthday! She wants a unicorn party, so I’ve been reading and watching tutorials with the hope that I’ll be able to pull off an awesome cake like this one. I’ve never used ganache before, so I might even try that (how to ganache a cake)!

currently (april 2018)

I haven’t done one of these “currently” posts in almost two years! I thought it’d be an easy and fun way to write something, because although I really love posting on here, it’s just been really hard with how nauseous I’ve been these past couple of weeks.

Reading… In March, I read The Secret Life of Bees (by Sue Monk Kidd), which was great, and then Lauren Graham’s Talking As Fast As I Can. I practically laughed my way all the way through this one, and it felt so good to have an easy, fun read.Now I’m working on All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot, but it’s taking me a little longer to get through it!

Making…This little crochet puppy for Kaelyn! I already made a cat for Kaya, and honestly, I started this puppy back in February, but just kind of lost motivation to work on it. Maybe posting here will give me a little more accountability!

Planning… Our new little princess’ baby blanket. I haven’t started, and I feel like I’m running out of time, but I won’t let myself begin until the aforementioned puppy project is completed. I’m really loving this pattern right now:

Shopping… For picture frames! I ordered some of these from Target, but half of them arrived damaged. Bummer! We are still in the process of rearranging the living room, but I need to start hanging things somewhere, even if it’s on a really small scale.

Counting down… The days until our due date! We have just under 100 days to go, and I’m feeling kind of impatient. It seems like so many people just had babies in the past month, and I’m swooning over all their newborn pictures. If she has cheeks like Nella, watch out, I might never stop kissing her sweet little face.

Finishing up… Our kindergarten curriculum! We have already completed our math and moved on to the first grade books, and we’re only about 20 pages out from being done with our language arts. I can almost taste summer, and I think we are all ready for a little break!

currently (may 2016)

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Reading… The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. I was wait-listed at the library for this book for so long, and it was worth waiting for. It’s been very thought-provoking so far, and even makes me want to start my own Resolutions Chart. I love how the author pushes herself to go out of her comfort zone to attain her goals, but still stays true to being herself.

Watching… Call the Midwife on Netflix. I know I’m late to the game, but this show has me hooked!

Eating… This Santa Fe Crockpot Chicken! We had some friends over for dinner on Monday night, and I wanted to make something easy without having to take a trip to the grocery store. This fit the bill! I ended up using three chicken breasts, so I added a little extra of each spice. This made a ton of food and tastes amazing over rice or even just lettuce. Mmmm.

Planning… Kaelyn’s 2nd birthday party! I finally settled on a theme after wavering between several: rubber ducks! She’s been obsessed with ducks for a few months now, and “quack” was the first animal sound she learned to say, so I think it’s a perfect choice. You can’t go wrong with adorable yellow ducks!rubberduckybirthdayboard

Editing… lots and lots of photos! I’ve had a few recent clients for photo sessions, plus all the pictures I took on our vacation. I’ve been so excited to see my business picking up- I love using my talents for others, and making a little extra money is always a plus. I’m saving up for a macro lens next (probably this one) and getting close to having enough!

Shopping… for so many random house-related items. Everything from new toilet seats to window blinds to choosing paint colors. It’s all so exciting and truthfully, a little overwhelming. Making home decor choices completely intimidates me, but I’m so eager to get started… now we just need to decide what room we want to focus on first! 😉

currently (feb 2016)

Daydreaming… about the beach! It’s always right around this time of year that I just can’t seem to stop thinking about the sand, waves, and salty sea air. Although we’ve had an extremely mild winter here (it’s 42 degrees right now), I still find myself craving that special family time and the slow-paced life near the sea. I booked our (seemingly traditional) family trip last week for this summer, and I am already imagining the joy on my girls’ faces when we get there._MG_7589Reading… The Book Thief. I just started this one, but I usually get really into historical fiction, so I’m hoping it’s a good one. I also snagged a free one-year subscription to Parents magazine and I’m hooked (and admitting that totally makes me feel like an actual, bona fide mom now…)

Watching… Malcolm in the Middle. Yes, again. Michael and I have practically made it our nightly ritual to watch one episode while having dessert after the kids go to bed. It’s so simple, but I look forward to that 20-ish minutes of laughing with my best buddy all day. We watched the series a few years back (either right before or right after Kaya was born), but now that we’re a tiny bit more seasoned as parents, I think the show is even more hilarious than from a kid’s point of view.

Counting down… until my birthday (8 days) and Valentine’s Day! Having the two so close together makes for a pretty good excuse to bake and have treats all week, right? I’m also really excited about surprising the girls with something small, and hopefully making Valentine’s sugar cookies. Mmm. I made Michael some homemade peanut butter cups last year, but this candy bark is pretty enticing for this year:

Sleeping… on the couch way too much lately. We’ve been going to bed late, and I admit, if I sit down on the couch during naptime, I sometimes pass out… and then my whole afternoon is gone. Basically, if you want to be productive, never sit on the couch. Ever. And now you know what I’m doing instead of blogging most of the time.

Thinking… about what we’re going to do for preschool next year for Kaya. If I want to sign her up for a program, I need to do it soon. I am having such a good time just with our homeschool preschool, and I know Kaya loves it too, so I mostly just want to keep going with it. She does only have one more school year before kindergarten though, so I feel like we really need to make it count, whatever it is we choose.

Right now, my whole Pinterest account is has practically been run over by preschool plans. Haha!

currently…

Feeling… physically so much better this week than last! I had either a stomach bug or food poisoning that brought on the worst abdominal pain I’ve ever experienced in my lifetime. I seriously wondered if one of my organs was about to explode… but all I could worry about was how I was going to feed my baby when I could hardly sit down! We ended up going to the urgent care office covered by our insurance to get checked out. Thankfully, it was nothing serious!

Kaya got to spend the morning with her BFF Mia while we were there! They had a pajama party and Katherine sent me all sorts of adorable pictures and videos of them together. 🙂

Getting ready… to visit with family for Thanksgiving in just two days!!! I seriously don’t even know how the holiday season is already upon us. I’m definitely looking forward to my mom’s home-cooked turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy. Mmmm.

Feeling (the good kind of) busy… with all the amazing family photoshoots I’ve done in the past month! I’ve had about one per week and it’s just the right amount of work to balance with family time. Fall is just so beautiful, and I’m glad I’m able to capture these memories for so many of my dear friends!

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Dreaming… about Christmas morning! I know there’s still an entire month left to wait, and I don’t want to wish away all the festive family time we’re sure to enjoy between now and then… but Kaya’s “big” gift has been ordered and I just keep imagining her excitement!

Planning… my Christmas cookie delivery for this year! And by planning, I really mean that I’ve pinned about a million adorably delicious ideas on Pinterest and haven’t made any decisions yet. It’s one of my favorite traditions for sure!

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Wishing…
you a Happy Thanksgiving! 🙂

blog every day in may | day 19: currently…

blogeverydaymaybutton19Making… a quilt for baby #2! I have all the fabric ironed… the next step is just cutting all of it!
Cooking… cooking is definitely not my forte when I’m pregnant. Nothing really appeals to me. I made these homemade refried beans yesterday though, so we’ll be having the leftovers tonight.
Reading… the Book of Mormon in 90 days! I’m so close to being finished and I’m actually really impressed with myself for coming this far. 
Playing… Hunter Hayes’ new album 🙂
Wishing… that we were still at the beach! Our days there just went by too quickly.
Waiting… for Kaya to wake up from her nap… and 44 more days for Peanut to get here!
Wondering… what Michael has planned for our anniversary. He says he has a family surprise, and I am completely clueless when it comes to guessing. Just a few more days!
Hoping… that our new little girl doesn’t come early. I feel like I still have tons to do before she can make an appearance!
Marveling… that a whole new person is living in my stomach. I think I could be pregnant a million times and still be amazed by the fact that my body made a human.
Needing… to decide exactly what I’m going to do with Kaya’s room. I thought I wanted to get her a toddler bed… but she slept in a regular “big” bed on vacation, so I’m contemplating that instead. I need to figure it out and rearrange sooner than later!
Wearing… a maternity top, denim shorts, and one of Michael’s big Virginia Tech jackets, since I’m out of long sleeves that actually fit. Haha.
Feeling… baby girl kick my hand anytime it barely touches my stomach!

Linking up with Erin!

currently…

Counting down in double digits until baby gets here… 99 days! I can’t believe it. I feel like I’ve done nothing to get ready for her yet!

Loving having a little baking buddy! She waits (sometimes not-so-patiently) for me to finish using the mixer so she can lick the beater. She loves taste-testing everything (this chocolate frosting is officially Kaya-approved 🙂 )kayafrostingcollage3202014

Thinking about taking some kind of family trip before Peanut comes. It’s our five-year wedding anniversary this year, so I kind of wanted to do something a little extra special and have one last hurrah as a family of three. We’ve never really taken a “vacation” on our own, so it intimidates me a little bit and I haven’t actually made any concrete plans!

Taking naps every. single. day. It’s ridiculous, but I’ve been feeling so worn out. I remember getting that “first-trimester exhaustion” again during the third trimester with Kaya… but I’m not even that far along yet, so hopefully all my napping will help ward off the extreme fatigue for a while. I’m just grateful that Kaya has been napping so well lately!

Reading the Book of Mormon in 90 days! Our Young Women Presidency challenged the youth to do it, so as secretary, I felt it was important for me to complete, too. We are almost a third of the way through now, and I’m so proud of how well our girls are keeping up with it.

Singing songs from “Frozen” every moment of the day! We’ve been listening to the soundtrack for months now, but we finally watched the movie. It definitely lived up to the hype! I know that in a couple years, I’ll have two little girls pretending to be Elsa and Anna, and that just melts my heart.

i’m ready…

… for our first Christmas day at home as just a family of three. I’ve been dreaming about this day for quite a while and I am so excited to just relax together.

… to see Kaya’s excitement on Christmas morning! She probably still won’t understand exactly what’s happening, but I’m sure she’ll see our joy and emulate it. I can’t wait for her to see her new toys!

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… for Michael to have a couple weeks off of work just to spend with us. He’s always working so hard (both at work and then on side projects at home), so this is a well-deserved break!

… to snuggle, sleep late, and watch Christmas movies!

… to cook my very first Christmas dinner. I’m planning on making my mom’s pot roast, mashed potatoes, and broccoli (all my favorites)! Hopefully it turns out half as good as her cooking!

… to maybe… just maybe… make a few more Christmas cookies. I already baked about a million and a half to give away, but there are a couple more recipes I want to try.

currently…

Counting down the days to Christmas! (35 days, 13 hours and 15 minutes if you’re wondering)… I’m so excited to share Christmas with Kaya this year (she was such a tiny little munchkin last year, so I’m anxious to see her reaction to the Christmas tree, opening presents, and sweet treats 🙂 )!

Trying to catch up on editing photos. I still haven’t gone through all the ones from our family shoot. I’ve been super diligent about shooting every day for my 365 project, but I’m behind on editing those too.

Thinking about gingerbread cookies! This is a big tradition for my family, and in the years since we’ve been married, we’ve tried to keep it up. There is nothing like my mom’s recipe (and all the delicious candies we decorate them with!)_MG_7261

Planning out the rest of the cookies we want to make to keep up with our cookie-delivery tradition. There are always so many great recipe options (I even started a Pinterest board just for Christmas cookies), but I am especially loving anything that has to do with chocolate and peppermint right now.

Missing this little chunk-a-monk. It’s so weird not having pigs (and probably part of the reason I am so behind on editing photos… my computer is in the den, where Maggie and Juni used to always be. It just seems so quiet in here without them)! We used to pick on Juni for being “chunky”, and now it makes me pretty happy to look back at earlier photos of her in good health, because she was definitely a skinny pig in her last days. (And this is random, but did you know that Juni was actually featured on Cute Overload a few years ago?)IMG_8804Wishing you a happy Tuesday!