five on friday (05/01)

Posted on May 1, 2020 by tara

It’s still Friday, and I felt like putting a post together for the first time in a while! What better way to start May?

We’ve been making the most of being at home, and we’ve come up with some simple, fun things to do as a family. The little things are always the most memorable, anyway.

ONE. We’ve had some beautiful weather intermittently over the past month or so. It felt more like summer at the end of March than it does now, and somehow, we even had small amounts of snow between then and now. Anyway, we made the most of the warmest days and had a couple of “picnic” lunches on the deck. The girls thought it was the most fun thing ever to move their little table outside.CHEESE! We also enjoyed the first strawberries of the season, which always seem to taste the sweetest.

TWO. Kaya, Kaelyn, Nella and I have been participating in our local running store’s virtual race series. They created the races especially for this time of social distancing, and it’s definitely been a bright spot in our weeks. The girls love to go running with me, and I can tell how accomplished they feel when they’ve finished.Nella busted her lip on the pavement during the first run when we were almost home. She was a champ and still smiled for a picture afterward.I love that Michael snuck this one of us all heading out to run together. That little hand hold!

Going for a run means you get freezie pops afterward!THREE. We had a dinosaur come visit our yard… He went all around the neighborhood being silly, and all three of the older girls loved it so much.Eve was slightly wary, and the T-rex might have almost eaten her! (Don’t worry, it was just Daddy in the suit!)FOUR. Lately, Kaya, Kaelyn, and Nella have been obsessed with the Polly Pockets I had as a little girl. They ask to play with them just about every day while Eve is napping, and seeing them enjoy these play sets is something so special to me. These were some of my very favorite toys, and I definitely spent hours and hours playing with them when I was young, too. I’m grateful my parents saved them and that they stayed in such great condition. FIVE. This little troublemaker gets into everything in a split second. She’s definitely my wildest at this age. She came downstairs one day with her face all colored pink with lipstick, and it was just too funny and adorable. Good thing she’s so cute! It’s impossible to stay grumpy at this face.Happy Friday!!!

christmas day (2019)

Posted on April 22, 2020 by tara

Am I the only one who wishes it was still the holiday season? With a worldwide pandemic going on, I miss the peace and joy that Christmas brings. I’m once again feeling grateful that I’m only just catching up on these posts now, because reliving these moments with my family is the best gift.

So, on Christmas Eve, Mommy and Daddy were up very late when Santa finally decided to deliver some gifts.I thought this might be the year the girls would figure out that they could try to get us up early on Christmas morning, but to my surprise, everyone slept in until 8:15! Kaya did wake Daddy up in the middle of the night at some point to ask how many hours she had left to wait, though. Seeing these faces and hearing their squeals of excitement is one of the best moments for me.Matching jammies courtesy of Grandma Debbie.Let the opening begin!Kaya is definitely the most openly excited about everything, and she “ooos” and “awwws” her whole way through the gift-opening process. I love her enthusiasm and how she just overflows with joy at the smallest of things. Pomsies for everyone! We’re still singing their “meow meow” song just about every day.
I had to put this one in here because it’s just too funny. Kaya made Nella a “Calico Critters car” out of a cardboard box, but when Nella opened it, all she saw was… a plain box. She was so confused and disappointed because this was the first thing she had opened. Her face was priceless, though.Calico Critters chipmunk family for Kaelyn!The Maple Cat family for Kaya!Water WOW and Color Wonder books!Hei Hei is Nellie’s favorite.Along with Elmo! This was Nella’s favorite gift- Daniel Tiger family figurines!Magic Treehouse books for Kaya!Some new clothes for everyone. Nella was very serious here.Games to share.Eve was giving Daddy high fives. Cutest. thing. ever.Play-doh noodle maker! Nella’s big gift was this Calico Critters set!Kaelyn’s was this camper for her Critters! She now drives them on adventures all over the house. The face you make when you can’t believe you got the biggest thing on your list!Kaya loves her treehouse.Kaya also made a “Minnie Mouse Look and Find” book for Kaelyn, which was so sweet. She made a heart picture for Daddy and a cute “I love you Mommy” note for me. Eve got her own My Little Pony!And a Pomsie, too. Daddy got his Star Wars game!Michael snapped this one without me knowing… whew. The opening aftermath! At first glance, all I saw was the huge mess… but I can see now how much fun we were all having, too.Scout was there, too! We love our puppy.I made some homemade reindeer donuts for breakfast.This is happiness right here. Everyone was a fan.We spent the day playing with everything. The family games were especially fun. Eve really loved coloring.It was an absolutely gorgeous day, so while Nella and Eve took naps, Michael got the last gift (and biggest surprise) ready. Kaelyn had been asking for a new bike for ages, but she’d still just been riding the tiny tricycle we have. He put her new bike (and Kaya’s) up in the front yard. When she walked out and saw it, she was ecstatic!
She saw the basket on the front and immediately ran inside to get her Dalmatian to ride in it. Kaya was happy, too, because we told her we had ordered a basket for her bike, and it was due to come in the mail any day.Practicing with the pedals and brakes takes some time!One very happy kid.
We wrapped up a perfect day with the best turkey I’ve ever made. Kaya and Kaelyn even tried mashed potatoes and gravy for the first time and loved it! These smiling faces are the very best gift I could ever have. Creating the holiday “magic” isn’t easy, but for them, it is worth it.We sang “Happy Birthday” to Jesus and had some chocolate cake. It’s such a simple tradition, but it always touches my heart in a special way.

Until next year (247 days to go!)!

teerlink family christmas party (2019)

Posted on April 13, 2020 by tara

We always love going to the annual Teerlink Christmas party. It’s fun to see Michael’s extended family, eat delicious food (which means waaay too much mac and cheese for me), and remember our Savior at this special time of year.

This was the smallest group we’ve had at any of the family parties I’ve been to, so we missed a lot of people. We still had enough people to put on the play!I thought Kaya might be too tall to fit in the lamb costume this year, so we were both very happy to see she still did! I loved having three little lambies and a shepherd in the play.
Lelia was an angel this year (perfect role for my sister, if you ask me), and we had a plastic baby doll for the first time in a while! There’s no way Eve would have cooperated, haha.

I love singing the songs and feeling the Spirit. I always think about the previous generations who put on this exact play and wore these same costumes, and somehow, that legacy always touches my heart. There have been so many amazing people who have come before us.

Kaya had the very special job of helping Great Grandpa Teerlink hand out his cards. She did a great job.

Grandma Gina brought a special gift for the girls- handmade baby doll beds! These have gotten so much use over the past few months.

I always love to sit with Grandpa and hear some of his stories. He has made me feel so included in the family.

And some more pictures with Grandpa T, just because!

We love these days as a family and these Christmas memories.

gingerbread house (2019)

Posted on April 9, 2020 by tara

I took what I think was my biggest break from blogging yet, but honestly, it was refreshing to not think about it for a while. With mandated quarantine going on right now due to COVID-19, I’m actually happy to revisit Christmastime through my photos as I spend a little time catching up.

So, right before Christmas, I surprised the girls with a gingerbread house kit. Eve didn’t get to help this time, since we knew her “helping” would be a bit destructive, so we made it while she was napping.Decorating is serious business.It’s also serious fun.Kaya, Kaelyn, and Nella came up with their own design and pattern for the house.They divided up the workload evenly, and all I had to do was put the icing where they wanted it.Michael snuck this one of me. I love finding these candid shots later on.Their houses have become more and more elaborate over the years. It’s been really fun to see the designs evolve.Can it be Christmas again? I just love the sweet, cozy warmth of gingerbread and the tree lights.

christmas cookies & delivery (2019)

Posted on February 20, 2020 by tara

It’s never too late to reminisce about Christmas cookies, right? This is definitely one of my favorite things to do with the girls, and these couple of pictures of us all working on cutting out cookies together are some of my very favorites. It really is worth taking the time to set up the tripod so I can get into a few photos every once in a while.Eve didn’t actually help, because she was really busy trying to eat the gingerbread dough. Maybe next year!Kaya and Kaelyn wanted to try rolling some of the cookies out themselves.. They did really well! They’ve almost put me out of a job at this point! After cutting, baking, and cooling, we decorated! Once again, Eve ate all the sprinkles and candies.Someone else was eating sprinkles, too… Just look at that green beard she has going on! Nella did actually decorate a few, though.Could they have been any more excited? No. The correct answer is most definitely not! I’m not sure who made which of these… but these were some of my favorite designs. I know that Kaya did the rainbow bear on the left, and Michael made the pretty little tree up top.I made a few other treats so we could deliver plates to friends! (white chip chocolate cookies; chocolate chip cookies)

We put on our Santa hats and headed out to surprise people. We only did 14 plates, which is fewer than some years, but I felt like it was enough. I love seeing how excited the girls are to take turns delivering the plates. I think this is one way they truly feel the Christmas spirit of giving.

christmas at grandma debbie’s (2019)

Posted on February 19, 2020 by tara

I’m still catching up on the Christmas posts, and I’m hoping to be done here in the next week or so. I used to feel like I had to blog every single memorable thing we did… but now, I’m really just trying to highlight the big stuff so the girls will have it when they’re older.

We got to spend a couple of days before Christmas with my side of the family, where we enjoyed my mom’s amazing home cooking, relaxing and watching Gomer Pyle with my Dad, and opening some Christmas gifts!

My mom always does such a great job on her tree.This was Nella’s face through most of opening things. She doesn’t like to show emotion, so she’ll get super serious. Clearly, everyone else was excited about her Elmo ornament.Grandma Debbie always gives the girls matching Christmas jammies! I hope we’ll always be able to find identical sets in all their sizes, because this is quite possibly my favorite part of Christmas. Calico Critters! Kaya and Kaelyn were hoping for these buses for a long time. Koalas for a Nella who blinked.Hatchimals!A Care Bear (who she named “Cherry Bear”) for Nellie.Eve got really into opening gifts this year. She loved her Duplos!Michael received a couple of signed Greg Olsen prints! So beautiful. Ponies! My mom really wanted this “inside out” umbrella. It was pretty cool, actually!And a Chewy gift card for my Dad so he can spoil his favorite Buddy.I’m looking wiped out here, but happy with Fantastic Beasts 2 and some pretty hair clips. My mom knows me well!

32

Posted on February 13, 2020 by tara

I turned 32 this week! We’ve been dancing around and changing the lyrics to Taylor Swift’s “22”, eating too much chocolate cake, and partying with Lelia and Bryce! It’s been a good birthday.

I always get introspective around my birthday, and when I saw this idea from here to share one fun thing for every year of your life, I just had to jump in. I had SO much fun writing this! I spent a whole lot longer doing it than I’d planned, mostly because I went right down memory lane looking at all these photos.

Here we go! One fun thing from each of my years (and writing them all out this way makes it feel like a lot of years!):

0 years. Clearly, I had a pretty good first year of life, being the oldest and only child. Haha. I love this picture of me and my mom on my Dad’s boat.1 year. Apparently, I was really happy when I had spaghetti!2 years. I have one clear memory around this age of visiting my Great Grandma’s home. She passed away when I was nearly two, so my memory is probably just slightly before this age. I wish I could remember more about her.

3 years. We went fishing on my Dad’s little boat a lot when the weather was nice. I had this cute little fishy life jacket, and sometimes my Dad would let me “help” him drive.4 years. I became a big sister! I was in love with Karl from that first moment I saw him.5 years. I went to kindergarten and loved my teacher. We always had graham crackers and honey at snack time, and I refused to try honey the entire year.

6 years. In first grade, we put on a play of “The Three Billy Goats Gruff”. My teacher had a piano in the classroom that she used to play for us regularly, and it really was the best.7 years. Apparently, I lost and grew a bunch of new teeth. And don’t we look adorable in our Easter clothes?8 years. I had a really strict third-grade teacher, and I always finished my work early and asked for jobs I could help with.

9 years. We got our Shar-Pei dog, Barney.

10 years. I was obsessed with Pound Puppies!

11 years. I finally got to be in the same class at school as my childhood best friend, Heather.

12 years. We took a trip to Six Flags Great Adventure with our friends! (I’m in the Pokemon shirt. Haha!)13 years. I got really interested in singing and participated in the school choir as a second soprano.

14 years. We moved from New Jersey to Virginia!

15 years. I took guitar classes in high school.

16 years. We adopted our dog, Sockie!17 years. I got my guinea pig, Maggie, as an early birthday gift. She was my pal for her entire life.18 years. I went to Virginia Tech and became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!

19 years. I showed a sheep for the first time!

20 years. I met Michael! I also studied abroad in Switzerland and traveled all over Europe!

21 years. I married my best friend, moved into our first apartment, and got our guinea pig Juni.

22 years. I found my lifelong friend Lelia… who became my sister when she married Jeff a couple years later!23 years. I graduated from Virginia Tech with a BS in Animal Science and a BA in French.24 years. My world totally changed for the best when I became a mom for the first time (to Kaya)!25 years. I took some cake decorating classes!26 years. We had our sweet baby Kaelyn!27 years. We got Freyja and Claire!28 years. We added Nella to our family and bought our first house!29 years. We adopted Scout!30 years. I brought Eve into the world and traveled to Spain!31 years. I had my best running year yet. I PR’ed the half marathon and won my age group in three races.This little post filled my heart with so much gratitude. There have been hard things, too, of course, but focusing on the good was a really good exercise. I’m so thankful for all of it.

christmas parade (2019)

Posted on February 11, 2020 by tara

Ready for Christmas to come back in full swing? I’m going to be doing some more catching up on here, and I’m excited to get to relive it all through my photos. I tried to keep our holiday season relaxed this year, but there’s still always a lot going on and some stress involved with getting everything done. It’s so fun to take a break afterward and come back to the memories anew.

As per tradition, we went to our town’s Christmas parade! It was quite a cold one this year, and of course, since it was pitch black, the photos aren’t the best, but I love remembering this. All the girls were so incredibly excited to get there and watch!

For the first time ever, we were up near the front of the parade, so the girls ended up with a bunch of candy and even some coloring books.

Some of our favorite floats included:

A giant fish!Mickey and Minnie!Classic cars!A minion!A monarch butterfly!And a poo emoji, of course! Haha.

Watching my family enjoy it is the best of all. Toward the end of the parade, we saw some little kids (who were part of a float) carrying these huge armfuls of stuffed animals down the street. They saw all the kids sitting in our area, and started handing out brand-new unicorns to my girls! This was one of the happiest days of their lives.

Kaya said over and over, “I can’t believe I got a unicorn!” It was a lucky moment for sure.

Santa came by at the end, like he always does!

Everyone went home happy.

five favorites (02/03)

Posted on February 3, 2020 by tara

I didn’t get this done on Friday, but what better way is there to start the week than with a “Five” post? These always put me in a good mood. I love sharing my joy.

ONE. Last week, Michael had a business trip out to Utah! We missed him so much, but we made it through. The girls were all such HUGE helpers the entire time he was gone. They even kept lists so they could show Daddy their good deeds. We took them to Sweet Frog for frozen yogurt as a special treat when Daddy came home.Just being all together is the best ever.Eve was really happy about getting something sweet.We sure missed our Daddy!TWO. In addition to the conference he went to, Michael had a whole lot of fun in Utah. He got to see Kevin and Jack, visit with some of his cousins, and stay the night at our dear friends’ house. To be honest, I’m totally jealous I didn’t get to go and see all of them, too!He was able to visit some temples. This one is Manti!He was also able to do some work in the Provo City Center Temple. We saw this being built about 6.5 years ago. It’s so beautiful! Look at these amazing clouds he flew through on the way home. The fact that humans can fly at all is still so amazing to me. This is breathtaking.THREE. What’s better than a baby fresh out of the bath? Those big blue eyes and cute hooded towel over her head just melt me.Also, these pruney little toes!Tickles from Kaelyn. Kaya loves to help give Nella and Eve their baths lately. She even made a mohawk for Nella! This was too funny and cute.FOUR. Kaelyn might still be in Kindergarten, but she completed her math books back at the beginning of December, and has moved on to her first grade curriculum. Math comes so easily to her, so she’ll just do as many pages as she can in a day. It feels crazy to already be going through this book again, since Kaya did the same one a couple of years ago. How does time go that fast?I’m so proud of these girls and all their hard work.FIVE. Kaya is getting really good at using my camera. She took this in manual mode, using back-button focus. She’s done it a few times now, and I’m really impressed. She keeps filling up her own camera’s memory card, too. I’m sure she’s going to get into photography when she’s older.Happy Monday!

thanksgiving 2019

Posted on January 28, 2020 by tara

We stayed home for this past Thanksgiving. It was only the second time we’ve ever done that, so it always feels a little strange, and I definitely missed my mom’s cooking (no matter how good mine turned out) and hanging out with my aunts and brother. We were also still sick with some kind of upper respiratory mess, so all I really wanted to do was sleep, but I still tried my best to make it a memorable day for my family.

Kaya worked really hard making a homemade garland so she could decorate for us. She comes up with these projects all on her own. I love that she loves contributing to our holidays with her art.We spent the morning watching the Macy’s parade while Michael played football with some guys from church, despite the crazy wind we were having. Kaya and Kaelyn made a bunch of turkey handprints! Waiting for turkey dinner is so exhausting that you have to feign sleep……until it actually leads to real sleep for someone very little.Those lips and cheeks. Ahhh! I did get to nap while the turkey was baking away, only to get it out of the oven and realize I had totally forgotten to put water in the pan for gravy. I panicked, but my mom told me on the phone that I could still add it. It worked, and I think it was actually some of the best gravy I’ve ever made.YUM. I love a turkey with a lot of spices.Michael has been made the official turkey-carver.I told the girls about the tradition of breaking the wishbone, and how whoever gets the bigger piece gets to make a wish. Kaya wanted to do it, but was so grossed out by the thought of touching the bone that she let me stand in for her.Kaelyn won it!Kaya also made these little placemats for all of us to use.We had some delicious dinner, followed by chocolate cake.These two and their faces. Always cracking me up. Kaya was really tired by this point and still disappointed that I didn’t win the wishbone for her.Eve had her first-ever taste of turkey, since she was too little last year. She gobbled it right up! I was amazed by how much she ate. We called our families afterward to end the evening. It was a simple, but sweet day together.

Michael and Tara

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