Category Archives: church

five favorites (08/03)

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What better way is there to kick off a Monday than with some fun things we’ve been up to lately? I still find so much gratitude when I write these posts, so even if they’re only for myself, they are definitely worth the time.

ONE. We introduced the girls to tie dye! They have been looking forward to it all summer long, and I was just waiting for shirts to go on sale so we could use the kit I already had. Everyone chose a different design, and we helped put the dye on. Daddy did his shirt last, so there wasn’t much dye left. We let the girls go crazy with the remaining dye and make his shirt however they wanted. It turned out pretty cool!

Eve was not into taking this picture at all. It kind of cracks me up. Real life, you guys. Always my little monkey.We all matched for our family walk. These little moments are so precious. TWO. Kaya, Kaelyn, and Nella decided that they wanted to make playdough one afternoon. All I did was print the recipe, and they executed it all on their own! It’s amazing to see how much they have grown to be able to do.
This kept them busy for hours… and kept me sweeping up playdough for days. Haha.Sensory play is the best!
THREE. After the girls finished their virtual race series a couple months ago, we let them choose if they wanted the commemorative medal or a race t-shirt. They all chose medals, but it took quite a while to get them in the mail. They finally came at the end of last week, and it was like a mini-Christmas. I loved their giant smiles as they ran around wearing them. They definitely earned these! This is one of the most genuine Nella smiles I’ve captured.FOUR. Our church Primary put on a “drive-through ice cream” activity last week. It was so simple, but it meant so much to the girls to get out and do something special. The pandemic has still changed things for them, and they miss going out as a family. I was okay with this since it was outdoors and low-attendance. We are definitely out of practice with leaving the house, though- we completely forgot the diaper bag and wipes to clean everyone up afterward. Thankfully, we were able to borrow some (especially since Eve was completely covered in popsicle juice just moments after I took this picture)!FIVE. Family movie nights are the best. I think the girls’ favorite part is the popcorn, but I love snuggling up with freshly-bathed babies in soft pajamas. There’s nothing better.
They’ve recently discovered the Sophia the First TV series, so we borrowed the movie from the library to get the whole backstory. They loved it.
HAPPY MONDAY!

five on friday (01/24)

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We’ve had a lot going on the past couple of weeks, and to be honest, I haven’t felt much like writing here. I thought doing a “Five on Friday” might help me get back into gear. I have two memory cards full of DSLR photos to go through, but for now, I’m just going to share some quick and easy pictures from my phone.

ONE. We battled the stomach flu! By the time it went through all the kids, it was a whole week of sickness. It’s just awful seeing your babies feel so horrible, not to mention the amount of extra laundry and clean-up required. We made it through, and here’s to hoping we don’t see another stomach bug for a long time to come.TWO. Kaya has always loved Eve, but lately, they’ve really been playing together a lot more. Eve will jump into her arms, give giant hugs, and apparently, even enjoy a ride on her back. The older girls sometimes say, “I miss when Eve was a little baby”, but they really have been having a blast with her now that she’s a little bigger. THREE. Michael has been amazing in his recent calling as counselor to the Bishop, but he’s still adjusting to a new schedule. Meetings at 6:30 am mean that he is completely wiped out by 1 pm. He’s not a napper, but he has taken a few here lately. FOUR. What’s better on a cold, wintery day than a warm, snuggly puppy? Scout has really been my pal these past few weeks. She also turned 3 years old on January 9th (we have yet to get her a birthday gift)! FIVE. This little sweetie always keeps us smiling. She gets so excited over everything, even eating cereal! She’s such a good reminder of how even the simplest things can bring so much joy. HAPPY FRIDAY!

five favorites (10/08)

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It’s not a Friday (or even the weekend, for that matter), but I’ve been really wanting to write one of these for a few days. I’m still figuring out how to balance all the things I need to do with all the creative things I want to do, but this little bit of sharing and organizing of my pictures is so good for my soul.

ONE. I don’t know what took me so long, but I finally got some watercolor paints for the girls, and we are loving them. We’ve used tempera and acrylic paints before, but the watercolors are so much cleaner and easier as far as set-up goes. Bonus points for incorporating them into our science activity! Painting the solar system!

TWO. It’s only taken me a thousand years of doing laundry, but I think we’ve finally figured out a system that works for us as far as keeping up with it! We’ve really limited how many items of clothing each person is allowed to have, and we do at least one load each day. In the morning, I take all the clean items and sort them by person. Kaya and Kaelyn are responsible for folding and putting away their own clothes, and I do everything else (Nella sometimes puts hers away after it’s been folded). It’s become a habit now, so no one really gripes about doing it. It’s been such a huge relief to not be behind! Plus, the girls get to pretend the empty baskets are boats (and they look adorable all squished in there, although I can’t believe they can all fit, really)!

THREE. Sometimes, being homeschooled means you get to have a special treat during the afternoon when your baby sisters are sleeping. Kaya and Kaelyn earned these cookies after helping with some extra clean-up.

FOUR. We finally made it back to the library (after a long hiatus) to get some books and movies, play in the kids’ area, and do some festive coloring. All the girls were so happy to be there and could have stayed for hours had we had the time. Even little Eve was trying to use crayons! I was also reminded how important small acts of service can be. While we were there, we ran into a friend from church, who offered to help us check out and carry all our books to the car. It’s really not a big thing… but I had been having a bit of an emotional day, and just that little bit of help while I cared for my four girls turned my day around. People are good. I’m trying to be more mindful about how I can help others, even in small ways.FIVE. We really enjoyed our church’s General Conference broadcast this past weekend! We always try to take a group picture on Conference weekend, so here it is, serious and then silly, of course. I really loved this quote: “If you hesitate in this adventure because you doubt your ability, remember that discipleship is not about doing things perfectly, it is about doing things intentionally. It is your choices that show what you truly are, far more than your abilities.” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf). I have a renewed desire to try my best, not worry about doing it all “perfectly”, and try to avoid being distracted from my most important work by things that might be “good”, but aren’t “best”.Happy Tuesday!

five favorites (09/28)

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Happy Saturday! I wanted to post this yesterday, but we were traveling home from Raleigh, so I was a little short on time. It feels like life has been nonstop busy for the last couple of weeks, and I have a lot to catch up on here, but today I just wanted to share a few of the little things that have recently brought us joy.

ONE. Michael was ordained a high priest and set apart as second counselor in the bishopric at our church this past Sunday. I’m so grateful for his willingness to serve, his strong testimony of Jesus Christ, and the love he has for everyone around him. We enjoyed having so many family members visit for this special day. His parents, cousins Nicole and Brian and their boys, and my mom! We enjoyed our time together for sure.There always has to be a crazy picture.These three have taught me so much about selfless service.All the heart eyes for this guy and our sleepy little Nels. I’m so thankful for my best friend.

TWO. We also got to go on a date last weekend! We don’t get many of these, but since our parents were in town, we had the opportunity and took it. We tried to go to a fancy place we had a giftcard for… only to find out that we needed a reservation. We decided that we’d eat outdoors at a local Mexican restaurant instead… only to have it rain! Haha. We went to another Mexican place where we sat indoors.My date was pretty goofy, but I’ll keep him. There were tons of kids there all dressed up and having dinner before going to the homecoming dance. It was a lot of fun to people-watch and reminisce, although it did make me feel a little old!

THREE. This little Eve… she’s always getting into trouble! She’s our newest little marshmallow thief. Nella used to do this all the time when she was younger, so I guess she’s either taught Eve well, or marshmallow-thievery is in the genes. Her little lips and cheeks!!!FOUR. Kaya is always taking boxes I get in the mail and making something out of them. Usually, it’s a house or a boat, but this last time, she made a desk! Notice how it even has a little drawer with a pull handle. She had a shelf inside for storing her pencils and erasers. I love seeing her creativity. It has since collapsed, so it’s gone now, but it was fun while it lasted. FIVE. I’ve been trying to learn some different ways to do the girls’ hair. I’ve never really been great at braiding, so I’ve been practicing French braids on them almost every day now. This one was a “bubble braid”, which was pretty cute. Kaya’s hair is so curly that the end of her braid always curls up underneath! Hopefully, I’ll improve over the next month and be able to do something really cute on them for Karl and Kaitlyn’s wedding.Happy weekend!

five on friday (07/26)

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I’m sneaking this post in just before it turns midnight! We’ve had a whole lot going on here, and as usual, I feel like this post just barely scratches the surface of it all. Here are just a few fun things from lately:

ONE. Michael had the opportunity to go to Scout camp last week as a leader for our church Stake! It was a challenging week without him (and I really really missed running), but he was very much needed and definitely enjoyed getting to know some of the young men better. Plus, look at this view! He was mostly offline the entire time, too, which sounds really peaceful, although we definitely missed talking to him.His selfies in our photo account are always fun to find. This is the most facial hair I’ve ever seen him have!
We totally looked like zombies by the end of the week, but I was so happy to have him home!!!

TWO. Nella and her baby dolls… If she’s not playing “Mommy and Baby” with the Calico Critters, she’s taking care of a baby doll. Actually, she is pretty good at pretending anything is a mommy or a baby, even her fork and spoon at meals or her sippy cup. I’m really hoping this little lady grows up to have a bunch of kids because it’s so deeply ingrained in her nature to care for them. Of course, she’s kind of a goober, too.THREE. We’ve had some fun at the library with the summer reading program! We went to a hilarious puppet show one week, and another week, we saw a balloon show. The girls each got to pick a fun balloon to take home at the end. We had butterfly wings, a flower, and just a crazy spiral balloon.The individual beads on Kaya and Kaelyn’s necklaces were earned for each book they read independently. I am so proud of these big kids!FOUR. We went to a different playground than we usually do, and the girls had an extra fun time trying out all the different equipment. This one reminded them of the balance scale we’ve used for math.We didn’t even realize there was another whole section to this park with a giant wooden castle, which actually reminded me a lot of a playground I used to go to when I was young. They had a blast over here playing with our friends!Bianca and I tried to contain the babies in here, but Eve still ended up eating dirt and crawling everywhere she wanted to go.FIVE. May your weekend be as happy as a one-year-old with bubbles…She absolutely cracks me up. And her little face just melts my heart every time.Happy Friday!!!

five on friday (06/07)

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Happy Friday!!! I’ve just managed to squeeze this post in before the day is through!

ONE. We had our church “carnival night” a couple of weeks ago, and the girls had the best time ever. I loved seeing their happy faces the whole evening. Who wouldn’t be excited about snow cones, popcorn, and a water relay race?Treats galore!Kaya and Kaelyn helped color the sign for the snow cone stand before it started. They are such great helpers!TWO. We’ve been attempting to work out in the yard a little more now that the weather’s been nice. I showed these girls how to pull weeds, and to my surprise, they thought it was so much fun. I’m hoping this is an activity they’ll love for a long time to come!Apparently, pulling weeds can turn you into a monster!At least this monster has a very cute smile.We also started some seeds in containers! I know we’re a little late for this season-wise, but we started the lima beans indoors as part of our plant unit for school. Since I knew I had some leftover seeds from when we attempted to grow a real garden two years ago, we figured we’d plant them and see what happens. From left to right: cucumber, two beans, and two tomatoes. They are growing just a little and I have hope for these tiny plants.Kaya loves her beans and takes care of them diligently every day.As does Kaelyn!THREE. Baby Eve had a big milestone this week…  her first-ever pony tail!!! It’s the tiniest thing ever, but it just made my heart so happy all day long.Those eyes!To take pictures, I have to distract her with random objects, like my lens cap. FOUR. Kaya and Kaelyn are still working hard at swim lessons, and this week, I finally got them some goggles that actually work properly. They have been wearing these around nonstop and playing “swim lesson” all day long!Nella borrows them sometimes and gets in on it, too!FIVE. Freyja and Claire were having some skin problems a couple months ago, but after a vet visit and a few rounds of meds, they are looking (and feeling) like their old amazing selves! We’ve been really enjoying seeing them so happy. Nella loves to prepare veggies for them. She also calls them the “Whee Whees!” since they make a “wheek wheek” sound when they’re hungry. Carrots for everyone!I can’t believe these piggies are almost 4 years old already!

Happy weekend!

general conference weekend (april 2019)

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Conference weekend already feels like it was forever ago! We were surprised on Friday afternoon when Grandpa Skip and Grandma Gina came up for a visit! The girls were just so excited.

They took us out to Red Robin for dinner, which is a favorite for all of us. This is one place where Kaya, Kaelyn, and Nella actually eat their dinner, so it’s a win! They also really look forward to getting a balloon to take home at the end.Eve tried French fries for the first time ever and LOVED them! She was also dancing along with all the N*Sync and Backstreet Boys songs the restaurant was playing.There was also some Sweet Frog involved… these girls are living the life when Grandma and Grandpa are here!I woke up early on Saturday morning to get my final 13-mile training run in before my second half marathon of 2019. My friend Brook came and paced me on her bike. It was so fun to have a buddy along with me (those long runs can get a little monotonous sometimes), and I was really happy with my pace.I came home, Michael cooked me some scrambled eggs, and then everyone except Eve and me headed out to Home Depot for the Kids’ Workshop! They put together these little birdhouses and did an excellent job. This was Nella’s first time doing one of these crafts, and she loved it (of course, she had a lot of help). The girls came home and wanted to paint their birdhouses while listening to General Conference. It was an easy way to keep them quietly busy!

Notice the purple paint next to Nella’s eyebrow!

I love these happy people.

This is what happens when they try to be serious. It just doesn’t seem right!There we go. The perfect amount of silliness:As always, listening to the Conference talks was uplifting and encouraging. One of my favorites (among many) was from Sharon Eubank, who said, “Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said: ‘It is not intended that we run faster than we have strength. … But [in spite of] that, I know … many of you run [very,] very fast and that [the] energy and emotional supply sometimes registers close to empty.’ When expectations overwhelm us, we can step back and ask Heavenly Father what to let go of. Part of our life experience is learning what not to do. But even so, sometimes life can be exhausting. Jesus assures us, ‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.'”.

At a time in life when there is always so much to do, I feel the importance of remembering that we don’t have to do it alone. Christ is there to strengthen us, and we can act as His servants to strengthen those around us.

five favorites (04/08)

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One of these days, I’ll get back to writing these posts on Fridays, but for now, I’m counting writing this at all as a win!

ONE. I maybe should have just titled this “all the silly things Nella does”, because believe me, there are a lot. This girl knows that we think almost anything she does is absolutely adorable (and she’s right)! She can make a “camera” out of blocks and get us to smile!

She can also get her sisters to carry her around in a box (props to Kaya, who was obviously doing the heavy lifting here). Speedy delivery!

TWO. Nella also graduated to sitting at the big table! She loves being treated like a big kid. She also loves that she can escape if we forget to buckle her in!

THREE. Kangaroo Kids will forever be one of my favorite memories with my girls… and it was extra special last week, because Evie got to join in on a tiny bit of fun! She went in the ball pit and had such a good time.Then Kaya completely surprised me by doing a flip all on her own (and then she asked to do it again so I could record it)! I think I need to get her back into gymnastics.

FOUR. Michael was so pumped about being a “waiter” for the Young Men & Young Women’s pre-dance formal dinner last weekend. He was eager to get all dressed up and even practiced his “waiter pose”. I think he was a little embarrassed for me to snap his picture, so he gave me a full 0.005 seconds to take it, but why not?

FIVE. Another month has come and gone (how?!), so I already have another 1 Second Everyday video for March. I just love these! I’m not sure they’ll ever get old.

Happy Monday!

 

extra halloween shenanigans (2018)

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Besides trick-or-treating on Halloween night, the girls were lucky enough to attend two other Halloween activities this year. Michael’s work always puts on an afternoon trick-or-treat in their office, and everyone was so excited about it (they hadn’t even had any candy yet, believe it or not)!What’s better at an office Halloween party than finding Clippy (remember him from Microsoft Word?) as someone’s cubicle decoration? Of course, the girls each wanted to take a picture with him. We loved seeing all the festive decorations around the office.Everyone loved meeting Evie for the first time! Michael always gets compliments on how adorable his girls are.We enjoyed some refreshments after the girls collected as much candy as they could. Nella loved having a very sugary juice box…We also had a church Trunk or Treat activity! We were charged with bringing some cupcakes, so we decided to make monster-themed ones. These girls were so excited to help out! They put all the dry ingredients together, and when it came time to decorate, Kaya asked to try using the piping bag for the very first time. She added some smiles and eyebrows to a few of them and did a really great job! They both put some candy eyeballs on them, too.“Monster faces!”They tasted just as good as they looked! Sadly, it was pouring down rain that evening, so our trunk-or-treat was moved indoors. It wasn’t quite the same (attendance also seemed low), but we had a good time.

We had two separate themes this year: Minnie Mouse with Daisy Duck, and Blue’s Clues. This was the only Halloween activity that Michael and I dressed up for this year!Nella was busy trying to eat every piece of candy as soon as she had possession of it…I love my cuties! (also, isn’t Michael the perfect “Steve”?)Kaelyn was counting on me to be Daisy Duck, and it meant so much to her that we matched. I even dyed my tights orange to look like duck legs, although you can’t see them in any of these pictures. I’m not sure anyone else knew who I was if Kaelyn wasn’t next to me, but I was glad to be able to make her so happy.And Nella was still sneaking candy…The girls love playing the games that the Young Women set up for everyone. “Donut on a string” is always as a favorite!As is the cake walk!And that wraps up our Halloween! 🙂

eve’s blessing day

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Our sweet Eve received her baby blessing at church on September 23rd.

Several members of our extended family came into town, and the love and support we felt from them was immeasurable. At times, the love that comes with family ties seems almost tangible, and as we stood, surrounded by many of the people we love most in this world, that is exactly what we experienced. I know just how much each of my daughters is cherished by our families, as well as our God. There is no shortage of love here, that’s for certain.

As always, I couldn’t narrow down the photos from this special day, so there are a lot. Really though, who can have too many cute baby photos?That little tongue!She just looked so excited here!
Grandma Gina made her dress, headband, and booties. They were so perfect, and I’m grateful for her talents and ability to make these precious gifts for her grandchildren. It was fun for me, too, because I got to choose exactly how I wanted each piece of the dress to look. Evie’s blanket was made by me.
Those slightly-ruffled sleeves on chubby baby arms… melt my heart.Her little profile! Even the back of the dress was beautiful!Someone was very sleepy by the time I finished her photos… I’m so so grateful for all these amazing people.Of course, we had to get silly for one of these group pictures.She has some amazing grandmothers to look to as examples. We had everyone come back to the house for some lunch (homemade sub sandwiches) before they all had to drive several hours home. We had a full house, and so were our hearts. It truly was one of the best Sundays.I love you, Eve!