Category Archives: blog every day

blog every day in may | day 10: on my heart

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I’ve had a countdown widget on my phone’s home screen for a few months now.

Today it reads, “53 days until my baby is born“.

It’s obviously just an estimate, but seeing that reminder each day just gives me a little dose of reality.

We are SO CLOSE to having two kids. Two little girls who need their mama and daddy for everything.

I can’t even explain how grateful I am for both of them.

Our Peanut gets stronger and stronger by the day, making her presence even more known. Her wiggles and kicks are the last things I’m aware of before I fall asleep at night, and they’re what I first recognize when I wake up in the morning.

Soon enough, those kicks will be replaced by cries for milk and diaper changes.

I am already so smitten by this new little girl. Between her and Kaya, my heart might actually explode from being so full.

_MG_5022(Kaya, 3 days old)

I just hope I can be the best mama to the two of them. I’ve wondered and worried a little about how I’ll balance a newborn needing to nurse with a toddler who can seem more like a little monkey at times.

I’ve realized that I want to give both girls 100 percent of my best efforts, but I can’t help asking myself how it’ll be possible (100% divided by 2 is 50%… and that isn’t really what I’m going for). I want them both to have all the things they need and some of what they want. And I hope that my attention isn’t so divided that either of them feels left out.

I know it’s going to take some time to figure out a new routine and way of life. This new baby is only going to add to our lives, even if it might be a little difficult at times, especially in the beginning. We’ll figure it out and do better than we ever thought we could.

blog every day in may | day 9: a favorite meal

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My dad-in-law and I are mac-‘n-cheese-aholics (I’m pretty sure that’s the whole reason we go to Cracker Barrel. The chicken is good, but the mac is ahhh-maz-ing. Anyway…)

I really like making things from scratch, so I’m always trying new mac ‘n cheese recipes at home. We made this one this week, and it actually turned out deliciously creamy! Even Kaya loved it 🙂

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Linking up with Erin!

blog every day in may | day 6: my favorite pinterest board

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If you know me, you also know I have a pretty big sweet tooth. However, it goes a little further than that- I LOVE decorating cakes and creating cute little fondant flowers and animals to top them with. So, naturally, I love anything on Pinterest that’ll help me learn a new decorating technique or inspire me to create something of my own.
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I thought it’d be helpful to share some of my favorite cake-related pins. These recipes have never let me down!



Tara Irwin’s pin on Pinterest.



Linking up with Erin!

blog every day in may | day 4: react to the word “simplify”

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As wives and mothers, I think it’s so easy to overwhelm ourselves with responsibilities. The house should be spotless; runny noses and dirty faces should be immediately wiped clean; dinners should be nutritious but still thrifty; we should look for ways to serve others, and we should somehow still have time to be crafty and create amazing things.

A lot of those things might be trivial, but in the midst of everyday life, they sometimes seem crucial. It can be so easy to feel weighed down by everything we think we need to do in a day’s work, and that’s why I love the quote below. As long as we are doing what really matters, we’re succeeding. Simplifying my to-do list to the truly essential aspects of caring for my family really gives me better perspective and a greater sense of accomplishment.

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Read the whole talk here.

Linking up with Erin!

blog every day in may | day 3: my best piece of blogging advice

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blogeverydaymaybutton3I’m not an “expert” at blogging (is there even such a thing, anyway?), but I have definitely learned a lot about it in the past five years.

I’ve heard the same comment a few times from several friends (interested in starting their own blogs) so I figured I’d base my post on it:

“I’m just not sure how to get started!”

Of course, there’s all the technical stuff- will you use Blogspot or WordPress? How do you make a design, buttons, and graphics? But my friends are usually referring to how they aren’t sure how to get started writing.

Finding your voice on the internet is hard. I have to admit, I feel like I’m still searching for mine sometimes, but I’ve come a looong way since I first started blogging. Look back at some of my old posts. My writing style and voice have definitely evolved over time!

So here it is: my number one piece of advice for starting a blog and finding your voice is to just write, and be sure you know why you’re writing.

And, very importantly… be yourself! My main reason for blogging is to create something that my children can look at one day and see how our family has grown. I want them to have a glimpse of what our every-day life looked like. I want them to realize how much their mama has always loved them. I want them to know what was most important to me at a certain season of our lives.

Blogging has been a great way to “meet” new friends and even learn more about myself, but overall, I try to stay true to my original purpose.

Find your purpose, be yourself, and just write. In time, you’ll find your voice.

Linking up with Erin!

blog every day in may | day 2: one of my goals

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Ever since March, one of my goals has been to read the Book of Mormon in 90 days. It’s a goal that our Young Women’s Presidency challenged the youth to accept, and I knew I definitely should do it alongside them.

It’s no small feat, and I’ve never really been a master of the scriptures. Sometimes it’s hard for me to understand the language, but by having a set goal, I’m learning to just do my best to understand and move on through the stories.

I have to be honest, I’ve fallen a little bit behind. I felt discouraged and almost wanted to quit… but Michael helped me see that giving up wasn’t going to get me anywhere. It’s better to read slowly than not read at all!

Here’s to hoping I’m finished by the end of the month 🙂

Linking up with Erin!

blog every day in may | day 1: ten things i love about myself

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One of my goals for May is to participate in a “blog every day” challenge. I’m pretty excited about the topics, and I think it’ll help me learn to be a little less apprehensive about pressing “publish” after I write a post. So, here we go!
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I don’t like to talk about myself too much, but I think it is good to recognize our strengths and appreciate our talents. The ten things I love about myself are…

1. I’m really really good at baking. I might be known for my sweet tooth, but all our friends know they can count on yummy treats when I’m in charge of dessert.
2. My body’s strength. I run five days a week and I’ve grown two babies with this body! I’m so grateful for it and I’m proud of all the hard work I do to keep it strong and healthy.
3. I have a special connection with animals. I’ve had a special bond with animals ever since I was small. I love that I can understand them in a way that a lot of people can’t.
4. I have a testimony that Christ lives and loves us. I would not be the person I am (or even be working toward who I want to become) if I didn’t have a testimony of our Savior.
5. I am fulfilled through motherhood. I never knew how much I could love my babies or what I’d be willing to do for them. They have completely changed my view of the world and are helping me to become better every day.
6. I’m consistent. I write in my personal journal and read my scriptures every day. I’m also good at keeping up with my workout schedule.
7. I’m good at making people laugh. I’m quiet until you get to know me, but then get ready… corny, goofy jokes will be coming your way.
8. I’m good at photography. Photographs mean so much to me and I’m glad I have some great ones to look back on.
9. My eyes and the way my hair curls. I got my eyes from my mom (although hers have gone from brown to more green in recent years) and I think my crazy curls go well with my personality.
10. I’m good at standing up for what’s right and doing those things. When there’s conviction in my heart, I’m pretty good about taking what I feel is the right course of action, even if it’s something hard or something that will bring criticism from others.