friday favorites

It’s Friday again? This week seems to have flown by!

Here are some of my favorite recent moments:

We’ve been going on a lot of walks. The weather has cooled off, so much so that it nearly feels like fall here. Hopefully the winter won’t be unbearably freezing since it’s already this chilly outside.Processed with VSCOcam with se2 preset

We’ve spent a lot of time playing with this little princess, who suddenly seems so much more aware and alert.
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Could we have adopted a sweeter dog? Jax loves to kiss the baby (although I kind of think he just likes how she tastes…), but I’m not sure Kaelyn enjoys it very much.
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I made these lemon cupcakes this week (with this lemon buttercream) and they were amazing! There’s a bakery in Charlottesville, Virginia that sells a lemon drop cupcake that’s rumored to put women into labor. My friend Brittany was overdue with her baby girl, so I figured that was a good enough reason to bake! For the first time ever, I zested and juiced the lemons myself, and I think it really made a difference in how fresh they tasted (compared to when I’ve used lemon extract in the past). They didn’t put Brittany into labor, but they were still a wonderful treat.
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Kaelyn was a bit cranky while I was baking, so she had her first ride in the Ergo! After she settled in, she went right to sleep.Processed with VSCOcam with se2 preset

Kaya [sometimes] loves to have her picture taken now. She’ll even hold a pose…
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If you can’t tell, she really really really loves muffins.07292014collage1

She also loves having Kitty do everything Kaelyn does. She was super excited when we swaddled him!07242014collage1

Happy weekend!
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because we’re happy

No doubt about it, the thing I’m the happiest about today is that Kaelyn slept for 3.5 hours straight last night- her longest stretch yet! It’s crazy how just a few uninterrupted hours can feel so amazing!

I’m also loving these peaceful moments cuddling my newest sweetheart…
07192014collage1… and her very tiny (very long!) toes πŸ™‚
Processed with VSCOcam with hb1 presetMichael was overjoyed when Kaya and I sent him this picture while he was at work! The writing on the sidewalk is true.. she couldn’t be more of a daddy’s girl!Processed with VSCOcam with hb1 presetKaya’s been ecstatic (although she certainly doesn’t look like it in this picture) about all the time we’ve spent playing outside and on the playground!Processed with VSCOcam with c1 presetJax is glad to have found a new cuddle buddy:
_MG_3253And Kaelyn is just happy to be here:

And just because it’s fun…

Happy Monday! πŸ™‚

lately

Before we left for the beach, we tried to get as much time outside as we could before some crazy thunderstorms were about to hit. We played on the slide and visited Daddy for lunch!
05092014collage1 We went shopping and found some great treasures- 4 shirts, 2 dresses, a dress and a shirt for Kaya, two stuffed animals, this fishing game (I had it when I was a kid), and 9 kids’ books for $38. That is hard to beat!Processed with VSCOcam with a5 presetJax still tries to give us those cute puppy-dog eyes to get what he wants. Too bad it doesn’t work!IMG_20140510_115052

Kaya was sooo excited for our trip to the beach:

And she was so exhausted after our trip that she was fighting sleep on the way home from church on Sunday. She wanted to close her eyes and I kept waking her up, so she just kept making this incredibly funny face instead!Processed with VSCOcam with a5 presetHappy Tuesday! πŸ™‚

hop hop hop

At mealtime lately, Kaya has been saying “hop, hop, hop!” as her food gets closer and closer to her mouth. It’s adorable, andΒ since we just celebrated Easter, I can’t think of a better title for this post!

If any food could really hop, it’d be these donut bunnies! This is how we started off our Sunday morning πŸ™‚
Processed with VSCOcam with m5 presetKaya was unsure about it at first, but she was overly excited when she realized that her breakfast was a bunny:_MG_207504202014kayacollage1The Easter Bunny made a stop at our house, and I think he spoiled Kaya just a little!_MG_2089(The Reese’s are to share with Daddy, of course…)_MG_209104202014kayacollage3_MG_2096She loved her puzzle and had to point out every chicken to Daddy._MG_2097Ponies…_MG_2118Her very favorite was this little wind-up bunny. It hops like crazy and she LOVES it._MG_2112She’ll give him a kiss, but is too afraid to pick him up. Jax was a little too interested (as you can see) and has already tried to eat it.04202014kayacollage2We had a great day at church. Michael gave a talk and I taught a lesson, which helped us both focus on the true meaning of Easter. I am so thankful for Christ and His resurrection, because this way I can keep my little family forever.

Jeff and Lelia came over and we all had pulled pork, potatoes, and salad as our holiday meal. Yum! I didn’t take any pictures, but we had a fun (and delicious) time! πŸ™‚

five on friday: bronchitis, beads, and nutella

ONE. I’m finally sitting down, happily exhausted, to write this. I had such a productive day, and it feels amazing to be so accomplished! I ran, went to my church institute class, did some grocery shopping, cleaned the kitchen, scrubbed the bathrooms, mopped, vacuumed (I even did the baseboards and furniture… hello nesting!), folded laundry, and had a photoshoot. Phew!

TWO. Speaking of photoshoots… Our dear friends are in town this weekend and asked me to take some pictures of their boys. How handsome are they? I also just loved watching siblings interact, since they are about the same distance in age that Kaya and Peanut will be!_MG_1790

THREE. Poor Michael has been feeling sick on and off since Wednesday, so he finally went to the doctor this morning. He has bronchitis! Seeing him just bumming out on the couch, coughing up a lung, breaks my heart. Kaya had shots this week, so she’s been a great cuddle buddy for him.

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FOUR.Β My dog is stylin’ (Mardi Gras beads courtesy of Kaya).

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FIVE. Nutella!!!_MG_1720

Happy weekend!!!

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

five on friday: pizza, paint, and kisses

ONE. My dog obviously failed “Cuddling 101.”Processed with VSCOcam with c1 presetTWO. We got pizza last weekend… and Kaya thought that all the sausage was for her (especially the pieces that were on Michael’s plate)!IMG_20140228_200717

THREE. Lately, she wants to eat all her meals on my lap (and since I still miss our cuddle time from nursing, I don’t mind at all. She also seems to eat a lot more food if I sit with her and help her take bites). She loved theseΒ pumpkin muffins!
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FOUR. Sometimes I feel like a “sub-par” mom because I don’t plan a lot of crafts or structured activities for Kaya to do. Well, this week, we painted, and it lasted all of maybe three minutes. She got paint on herself and cried in the first millisecond that we started, so maybe I don’t feel so guilty about not planning these sorts of things for her. I don’t think she’s quite at the age where she can enjoy it yet._MG_1507FIVE. There are no words to describe how adorable this is. Watch it, it’s worth it!


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

five on friday: colds, cuddles, and cookie dough

ONE. We’ve all been sick with colds this week. It’s not the most fun thing, but I can’t really complain, because that just meant I got a whole lot of extra snuggles.Processed with VSCOcam with t1 presetWe’re almost back to our normal selves, just a little congested and sleepy.Processed with VSCOcam with c1 preset

TWO. Lately, Kaya wears her jammies Tarzan-style! She can wiggle one arm out of the neck hole and then gets stuck. I really can’t imagine that this is a comfortable way to sleep…_MG_1478 THREE. These two together… I love how he looks out for her, plays with her, and tolerates all her antics. I love how she’s started giving him hugs and bringing him his blanket. (also note Kaya’s mess pile of favorite things surrounding her…)IMG_20140226_111702

FOUR. She got this balloon for Valentine’s Day from our friends, Bianca and Aaliyah, and if you can’t tell, she’s crazy over it. She has liked it even more now that it’s lost some helium- she can hug it and grab it a lot easier this way!kaya02242014grid1

FIVE. I love this smile… and she loves sweets, just like her mama. She gets so excited to lick the cookie dough off the beater when I’m finished mixing._MG_1405Happy Friday! πŸ™‚

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

sunshine & fun times

The snow finally melted, and we had a few days of sunshine! Michael’s parents made the trip up here a few days later than they had originally planned, but that’s just fine- it’s never too late for grandma cuddles…_MG_1391 (or puppy wrestling cuddles, if you’re Dad and Jax…)1392701115454 We enjoyed some Red Robin for the first time in a long time (and Kaya loved trying on my sunglasses while we were waiting for everyone to meet up)! Kaya ate some fries, but as soon as I dipped one in ketchup, she didn’t want any more. What kid doesn’t like ketchup?!Processed with VSCOcam with c1 preset Our weekend was warm, so Brittany and I planned a little cookout for Saturday afternoon. Why not grill out in February? I think Kaya was just excited to get out of the house (and sit next to Jax in the car)!02222014kayagrid Our friends, Katherine and Mia πŸ™‚_MG_1437We even went on a family walk on Sunday!
_MG_1440It felt so good to have a break from the single-digit and teen temperatures. Thankfully, we don’t have too much longer until spring!

five on friday: snow days and teething

Happy Friday!

ONE. Our furnace went out this week. Again! It has been working overtime with these insanely frigid temperatures, so I’m not too surprised (although it does seem like something is always breaking around here). Our maintenance guy came first thing in the morning, and we were warm again before too long.

We did have a surprise 3 inches of snow the night before though, so this pretty much sums up our Wednesday:

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TWO. Kaya has been teething (times four) this week. Teething rings actually come in handy now, since she finally knows how to use them. Is this not the saddest face you ever did see? She breaks my heart!_MG_1214 THREE. When I walked into our bedroom and saw this, I cracked up. Apparently, Jax must look bored, so Kaya brought him a bunch of toys and snacks (and my wallet, just in case he wanted to do some online shopping, you know…)! He just kept sleeping._MG_1210FOUR. I love the crazy faces she makes when she “reads” to us. She’s been climbing up into her rocking chair lately, and seeing her sit there with a book just melts my heart._MG_1201

FIVE. I know this song is kind of old news… but I’ve listened to it probably five times a day every day this week. I’ve been doing Google surveys for a few weeks, which gives you money to use on apps or music. I’m finally getting so close to getting this album! πŸ™‚

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

five on friday: ice, ice cream, baby

ONE. Obviously, our most exciting part of the week was announcing our pregnancy! We got a whole lot of love, both in real life and on social media. I’m feeling so blessed and excited to be able to share this special time with everyone.

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TWO. I feel like I’ve been talking about the weather a lot on here lately, so forgive me… but how can I not, when I have a sheet of ice on the INSIDE of my sliding glass door? It’s become a game for me to keep opening the weather app to see if I can capture a screenshot with the lowest temperature (clearly, there must not be much to do here in the winter in the mountains…)

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THREE. This is actually from last week… but it’s just too adorable to not post. We had a date to Dairy Queen, and after a few bites of sweet sugary goodness, Kaya performed the craziest little dance.

I love our family date nights.IMG_20140113_192833

FOUR. The weather may be dismal, but on the bright side, we’ve enjoyed cuddling up with blankets and Jax! Sometimes, he rests his head gently over my tummy, right where the baby is. I love it. I could not have asked for a sweeter dog.IMG_20140122_114245 FIVE. I’m also in love with this picture Michael quickly took of us on Monday. I’m trying really hard to get into pictures, because I know that one day our kids will look back and want to see them. These are precious moments πŸ™‚_MG_1085

Happy weekend! πŸ™‚

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