trunk or treat 2015

Posted on November 3, 2015 by tara

Two days before Halloween, our church put on a trunk-or-treat activity. Kaya had chosen her costume over a month prior, and she was so ready to finally wear it! We still had the elephant costume that Kaya wore two years ago, so we went with a zoo theme this year. I’d say we’ve definitely gotten good use out that $3 elephant suit! 😉

Sometimes, I still can’t believe how blessed I am to call these two precious spirits mine.
There might have been bribery involved to get this smile out of Kaya… Tall and kind of quiet… a giraffe costume really was the perfect choice for her. The other cutest little elephant you ever did see. 😉 Surprisingly, Kaelyn actually loved her costume. She’s old enough now to grasp the excitement of what was going on, and she enjoyed choosing her own candy from the bag/bowl when they went around trick-or-treating. We had practiced saying “trick or treat”, but Kaya was still a bit apprehensive when it came time to say it during the activity. With candy as a reward, she eventually got the hang of it. She was begging us to let her eat all her candy immediately afterward. Ha. Add a Daddy Fox and a Mommy Cheetah and we had our own little zoo. There were carnival games inside (run by our awesome Young Women), but Kaya wasn’t too interested in most of them. Both girls did really like the storytime room, though.

You know you’ve had a great party when your elephant passes out in the backseat.

five on friday (10/30)

Posted on October 30, 2015 by tara

ONE. After a couple days of bad weather, we had a short break from the rain. We were anxious to get outside and play, even if the playground was all wet. Meet the newest little “crocodile hunters.” 🙂Never mind that we were poured on during the last 3/4 mile of our walk home.

TWO. We are going strong with our little “homeschool preschool” and Kaya is still loving it. I’m thinking of putting together some blog posts to share some of my favorite resources so far (even just so I can remember what we did 2 years from now… when it’s Kaelyn’s turn)!

And hey, since she doesn’t have to leave the house, she can do it in her jammies. Why not?

THREE. We were invited to a little Halloween-themed book club/play date this morning, and Kaya decorated her own “pumpkin”! She was so enthused about this activity, and she even drew the face on it herself! I am so impressed with her fine motor skills.

FOUR. I got a thank-you card from the youth/seminary students at church for making them cinnamon rolls… and it just made my day. I love these kids. It’s the little things, you guys.

FIVE. Fashion alert: pretend fruit baskets are now acceptable headwear. Just ask Daniel(le) Boone here with her coonskin-cap lookalike.

Happy Friday! 🙂

halloween cookie-decorating party

Posted on October 29, 2015 by tara

On Tuesday morning, we hosted a mini (very mini) Halloween party for the kids. We invited both old and new friends, and kept it super simple. We basically just decorated some sugar cookies and then let the kids all play.

Kaya was truly the happiest little girl as she sat there and decorated cookie after cookie. I think she made more cookies than anyone else did (and actually only ate one… the very first one she made, of course)! I helped her out with the frosting, and she did an excellent job of loading them up with as many m&ms, Resse’s Pieces, marshmallows, chocolate chips, and sprinkles as possible. Would you like some cookie to go with your toppings? (this is my favorite sugar cookie recipe, by the way 😉 )

We played some Halloween music, and Mia and Kaya started dancing. I’ve said it over and over again, but I just love that my baby has a best friend. I put together some super simple goody bags for the older girls- pumpkin bubbles, glowsticks, a kaleidoscope, and some homemade pumpkin play dough. Kaya was so excited to hand them out and even more excited to open hers up. Kaelyn tried her first sugar cookie at lunchtime, after the party. She had woken up around 5:30 am that day, and so sadly, she was cranky and cried for the majority of the cookie-decorating activity.We had a great time with friends, and this little party was a great way to kick off our Halloween festivities! 🙂

trick-or-treating at the mall 2014

Posted on November 4, 2014 by tara

On Halloween day last year, we went trick-or-treating at the mall. It was perfect for a toddler- quick, easy, and weather-proof, so I knew we’d want to do it again this year. Unfortunately, it poured down rain that evening, so everyone in the valley had the same idea. It was super crowded, but I think Kaya still enjoyed herself! She already knew how the whole getting-candy system worked since we had just had our church trunk or treat a few days prior. We met up with my brother Karl! Kaya actually let him carry her around for a while. This little puppy sat in the stroller the entire time… which made it really hard to get a decent picture of her… but these are still too cute to not share! We came home, had a lollipop, and kicked back and relaxed (or Kaelyn did, at least…) “Show me your candy!”Love my little puppies. Love the holidays. Love that we get to do it all together.

trunk or treat 2014

Posted on November 3, 2014 by tara

Tuesday night was our church Halloween party! I was so excited to finally reveal our costumes and take Kaya trick-or-treating, especially since she could actually understand what was going on this year.

We decided to dress up as… (drumroll please)… 101 Dalmatians! Cruella, Jasper, and just two of the 99 Dalmatian puppies! 🙂 Our costumes were a conglomeration of my own handiwork, a few things we already owned, and a couple items bought on the cheap (aka eBay)!
We loaded up our trunk with a lot of stuffed “stolen” puppies. I stayed to pass out candy with Kaelyn while Michael took Kaya from car to car to fill up her bucket.
My little helper came back to sit with me after she’d been to most of the cars and it started to get dark.Jeff and Lelia had some awesome Hunger Games costumes!
Of course, we two awesomely-clad ladies had to have a picture together (and yes, this is the best Cruella face I could make… dahling!) There were carnival games inside after trick-or-treating, but Kaya wasn’t too into them. There were a lot of people and she was hungry and tired so we didn’t push her to do much. They did have an awesome photo booth on stage and we loved getting a great picture of the four of us!

By the end of the night, Kaya was pretty pleased with her candy stash, and Kaelyn was ready for bed (and still not a fan of her costume)!
We came home exhausted but so grateful we get to share these days with our little ones. Happy Halloween!!!

holidays are even better as a mom

Posted on October 29, 2014 by tara

When I was little, we’d walk for what seemed to be miles on Halloween night, eager to collect as much candy as we possibly could. We’d always make at least two trips, and sometimes even a third (very late, very cold) final outing with just my dad.

We exhausted ourselves all in the name of good fun. Every piece of candy was hard-earned and worth it.

Now, as a mom to one crazy toddler and a tiny baby, it’s safe to say that holidays feel even more exhausting… but they are so much more fun!

This month, I’ve spent hours dreaming up costumes, sewing, and wiggling little arms and legs into them about a hundred times before their completion. The excitement I felt about trick or treating with my munchkins could have rivaled a child’s anxious anticipation of Santa’s visit on Christmas Eve.

As a kid, tiring myself out was worth all the candy I could get… and it’s more than worth it now, too, and not because I get candy (although it’s a good thing Kaya can’t count how many pieces she started out with…), but because I love seeing their joy and excitement.

Last night was our church Trunk or Treat, and we all came home completely exhausted. Kaya had a bucket full of candy, and I had a heart full of gratitude for being able to share these days with my sweet little family.

Holidays are even better as a mom.

pumpkin picking in the arctic

Posted on October 22, 2014 by tara

On Saturday morning, we headed out for our annual visit to the pumpkin patch. We had arranged to go with friends and were really looking forward to having a great time!

Admittedly, we were completely unprepared for the weather. Earlier that same morning, I had gone running in shorts and a t-shirt! The pumpkin patch is in a neighboring county, so naturally, we didn’t expect to encounter high winds and a huge drop in temperature. Kaya really could have used a hat, mittens, and a warmer coat. Mom fail.

She did get to enjoy seeing all the farm animals before it got too cold, though! And she tried to milk a wooden cow… … and Michael slingshot a pumpkin across a pond!
We did take a short hayride to the field to pick out a pumpkin. (cold weather had Michael making some funny faces)Our cold little girl gave me one big smile right before we left, so at least I have one good photo to remember our trip this year!
Kaelyn didn’t make it into any pictures, because luckily, she was wrapped up (warmly) in the Ergo carrier and slept nearly the entire time!

five on friday! (10/17)

Posted on October 17, 2014 by tara

I’m finally sitting down and writing this at 9:30 pm on a Friday…better late than never! (And yes, we’re old married folk by now who are actually home nearly every Friday night, snuggling babies to sleep, doing dishes, and finishing up laundry… already in our pajamas. My how things have changed in just a few short years. But I’ll tell you what… I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else!)

ONE. For weeks now, I’ve been brainstorming family-themed Halloween costumes, and I think I’ve changed my mind more times than a mom might change her newborn baby’s diaper (okay, not really, because we all know that’s about every five minutes)… but I’ve finally made a decision and started working on the costumes! I’ve had to measure the girls to be sure everything is the right size, so Kaya caught on pretty quickly and had a whole lot of fun “measuring” her baby doll, too.

TWO. This little cutie took her first-ever nap in the crib this week! It’s only happened once (mostly because we’ve been busy out of the house and I haven’t tried again), but I’m so excited she’s starting to fall into some sort of nap schedule. Good naps = happy babies!THREE. I was curious to see if I could create my own pumpkin muffin recipe, and this week, I decided to go for it. They turned out soft, with just the right amount of spices and chocolate chips! Hopefully I’ll be sharing the recipe soon, but I first need to make it again to be sure they’re consistently delicious!FOUR. Everyone says how photogenic my babies are, and I definitely won’t disagree… but here’s a little reality for you- sometimes they’re less than thrilled to have their pictures taken! (but how adorable is that little baby yawn?)Most of the time, though, I think I have a little baby model on my hands. FIVE. After a stormy week, the weather was absolutely perfect today. Kaya is old enough now to take short walks without the stroller, and I love seeing her explore every tiny thing she finds. Today, she just had to bring her Halloween bucket with her (with Kitty inside, of course). I’m soaking up these days because I know it won’t be long before we’ll be barricaded in by snow and ice. Sidenote: when did my first baby get so very tall?!Happy weekend!!!

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

friday favorites (10/10)

Posted on October 10, 2014 by tara

Happy Friday! As usual, here are some of the best moments from our crazy little family this week! 🙂

This sweet girl will always make my favorites list. Of course! How could she not, with that gummy smile and her bright eyes? All of a sudden, her cheeks seem a lot chubbier and her tummy pokes out (which makes it even more tempting to tickle her)!It’s been cooling off and feeling a little more like fall, and cuddling up with my baby and taking a nap has happened a couple times this week. I’ll snuggle this sweet face to sleep any day.

Katherine hosted our play date this week, and she turned it into a Halloween cookie-decorating party for the kids! We had so much fun and actually made way less of a mess than I expected we would with little hands in frosting and sprinkles!
I did the frosting, and then Kaya put all the candies and marshmallows on by herself! I have to say, I’m impressed. I was also amazed that she didn’t eat any of the decorations while we were doing it!
Speaking of eating, I made fajitas for the first time ever this week and they were so easy and amazing! Here’s the recipe if you want to try it (and believe me, you do).It wouldn’t be a true Friday Favorites post without my dog doing something goofy… so here’s all 31 pounds of him, squished into a Build-a-Bear toy bed. There is nothing he won’t try to snuggle with!

Happy weekend!

halloween party 2013!

Posted on November 27, 2013 by tara

Halloween was pretty much an eternity ago (we are actually starting our Thanksgiving celebrations TODAY… oops), but I just couldn’t skip over posting the party that Lelia and I worked so hard on.

It was November 2nd, with tons of food, fun friends, and great costumes. We had a million ideas and it was hard to pick just a few, but you can see all of them on our Pinterest board here.

We made these super-adorable bat invitations…

Our main entree was “mummy pizza“!
We made this amazing green punch and Amanda brought a barfing pumpkin!There were homemade cupcakes (of course)! We had a bunch of awesome design ideas for cupcakes… but when it came down to it, I just wanted to keep it as simple and stress-free as possible. So here’s what we came up with:
Ghost luminaries for decoration (the babies liked playing with these… don’t worry, there were fake votives inside)! Egg-carton bats hung from the ceiling… How cute are these Waldos? Seriously. I’m so thankful for all these amazing people. We see a lot of friends come and go in our town, but I’m thankful for the memories we get to make while they’re here.Straight crazy.
That’s how we roll.