Blowing the Dust off the Blog

Wow. I didn't even know my blog still existed. To see this space bring back many memories and it fills my heart with joy. This space was so dear to me. A space where I documented memories, thoughts, pictures, and all the crazy that life threw our way.

A lot, and I mean A LOT, has happened since I sat down to write in this space. We moved our family of 4 to Portland, Oregon in 2016. Where we would grow closer and stronger as a family unit of our own. We learned to trust God more than ever. We grew more confident in our abilities to establish morals, rules, and traditions. Fast forward to October 2016 and Sam was given the opportunity to interview for a promotion in Austin, Texas. Trust me, my first thought was "we literally just made the biggest move of our life and you want us to do it all over again?" But I heard a whisper in the back of my mind saying "be supportive" and I knew that was God telling me to let go of control. He interviewed. He got the job. And we made another HUGE move in January 2017. To Austin, Texas.

Now let me tell you. This transition wasn't as easy as the move to Portland. (I may have left a small piece of my heart in the Pacific Northwest). Our family of 4 lived in a 750 square foot tiny house (Texas style, because you know everything is bigger in Texas) for the first 8 months while we built a home. It was a time to really learn to appreciate everything around us including each other. We spent a lot of time together (practically on top of each other) laughing, and sometimes getting frustrated with one another because, ya know, personal space. I hauled our laundry to a laundry mat once a week. We had no fence for the dog to roam freely. And our neighbors liked to play music every Friday night until wee-hours. But we are grateful we got to experience all of that. It made me realize that stuff is just stuff, and that our relationships are what really matter.

We moved into our new home August of 2017. And let me tell you, we all still do a happy dance that we are in our home. This is our first home purchase and it is so fun to have a house that we can truly make our own. It has been a crazy ride for sure. 

I decided at the beginning of this year that I would quit my job and be a home maker until God shows me what He wants me to pursue. I am looking forward to 2018 and finding a passion once again. Whether it be in home design, party planning... or who knows God might throw me a curve ball and send me in a totally different direction. But, I am planning to use this space a lot more and start getting my creative juices flowing once again. Even if no one but me ever reads this blog I will be satisfied that I have an outlet.

happy tuesday!

ahh. tuesday morning. sitting. drinking my coffee. no interruptions. i can't even remember the last time i sat in silence.
the kids are off at school. i got an unexpected day off {yup, no work at all}. and i am sitting in silence drinking my cup of coffee with york peppermint creamer. yum. did i tell you it is quiet? ;)
what should i do? catch up on housework? maybe craft? or just sit, be lazy, & look at pretty stuff on pinterest?
do you see the beauty in this people!? i can do whatever i want in the short 3 hours i have :)

I think i'll catch up on a few household chores, and then i'll see what kind of craft i want to start.
the weather is gloomy and cold.
perfect day to have off.
perfect day to be inside.
perfect day to maybe make a second pot of coffee.
perfect day to light candles and smell the house up so yummy {currently burning french vanilla}.
perfect. perfect. perfect.
 
hope all you out there have a fantastic tuesday!
thank you for listening to me brag that i am sitting. in silence. ahh.

yarn, lion, playdoh, & the games

well, tomorrow is friday!

{picture me doing the happy dance!}

i had a great week though.

nothing fancy

my sister-in-law bought these colors for me to make pretty things with, so far i've only managed bows for her but she will get more :) aren't those colors just to die for?

abby has picked to watch the lion king countless times. 

why is it every time i watch this movie a lump grows in my throat?

and abby is starting to get emotional as well when that poor baby lion looses his daddy :(

but all in all worth that lump in my throat, because it is such a great movie.

and play-doh. 

lots of play-doh playing. 

{along with drawing}

such a simple thing that keeps them occupied what seems like forever.

occupied enough for me to sneak in some reading time.

ah! this series! is amazing!

friends have been recommending i read this forever and i finally decided to listen.

and now that i have my new kindle fire, it was easy as 1, 2, 3.

already half way done with the third and can't wait for march to see it come to life on the big screen.

{note: I seriously wasn't sure if i was going to enjoy reading on the kindle. there is just something about a book. but i have to admit... i love it! i love having all my books in one spot, at all times. and with the fire i am keeping track of my spending, my calendar (cozi is the app, i highly recommend it), music, pictures... all on one little thing of technology}

we've been keeping busy with homework

but have also been squeezing in playing with our Christmas loot.

twister, uno roboto, pictionary, bike riding...

the days seem to be getting better and better this year so far!

back to the routine

school started again today after a long needed christmas vacation.
getting back into a routine is easy for me... i thrive on routines!
but the kiddos... well that is another story.
homework was a battle this afternoon, as was after school chores, but hey, they got done and now they have a little down time until abby has dance and mommy has a little peace and quiet before the next item on the to do list.
i'm not sure if i am a "normal" parent in the area of sending my kids back to school, i miss 'em when they are away from me. i miss not seeing their every action or hearing every funny comment. i miss those random cuddle hours and hugs at any moment of the day. i loathe sending my kids back to school when i have been spoiled with all of those highlights that parenthood comes along with.
but, i gotta do it. not just for them but for me too. it's healthy to miss people. it gives you more appreciation for who they are and what they bring to the table.
it made my heart smile when i picked them up from school today and they had stories of recess and learning. their little bodies running up to me to give me a great big hug. those are some of the best hugs. although i miss 'em i am happy to get back into the routine that school brings.
so, so long christmas vacation, you are officially o-v-e-r.


blogging may not be as frequent over the next few weeks 
i'll have to figure out a good time slot that works well with our routine ;)
i won't be far though!
i'll still be reading all of your lovely stories during my night time reading ritual

handmade

this Christmas i am making a lot of the gifts that we are giving.
with our tight budget this year it seems the practical thing to do.
and i am realizing, it's so much more fun to make each gift, and the satisfaction of knowing that each gift was made with love <3.
head over to calikatrina if you want some inspiration to hand make some of your gifts too!
her shortcut crochet series is awesome!! even i can do it ;)

 {cozies for candle jars and coffee mugs}

head over to calikatrina if you want some inspiration to hand make some of your gifts too!
her shortcut crochet series is awesome!! even i can do it ;)

to crochet or not to crochet?

a few weeks ago my bff taught me some basics on crocheting

video tutorials, learning to read patterns, different hook sizes, different yarn sizes

it's been complicated for me

BUT i have been persistent and not given up

after all practice makes perfect, well ok, sort of in my case

but i have finished 2 pairs of leg warmers, probably the easiest thing i have tried

{the granny squares and flowers are almost there just a few more sessions of practice and tutorials}

 

don't know if i'll ever be as awesome as her and her

but as a little hobby on the side it works out perfect for me

sweet tooth

i have a major sweet tooth...

like so major...

if sweets were good for you i'd be the healthiest person around...

really i would

 this s'mores cupcake from Frosted was soooo yummy...

and yes, it was my breakfast on the way to vegas :)

 and my after lunch snack that day...

a birthday cake pop from starbucks

perfect while reading a funny book by her.

 and the next day...

a stop at The Cupcakery in vegas...

we stopped at the one in the Monte Carlo

oh em gee!

amazing cupcakes!

 and really cute decor.

isn't it pretty?

i ordered Kir Royal

a moist raspberry cake topped with a champagne frosting

{and of course gorgeous glitter}

and these hawaiian cuties were made by yours truly...

a pineapple cake with buttercream frosting...

yummo!!!

magazines

i love to read.

i hae recently put down the books

moved onto magazines for the time being.

my mind has been to busy to get lost in a great story.

that's why magazines are so perfect.

little of this

little of that

ideas & inspiration.

have you seen the march 2011 catalog for free people.

to die for! stealing ideas for summer beach outfits.

another mag that i pull inspiration from... glamour.

and yes, one of my fav magazines is family fun and this month featured...

the. cutest. cupcake. ideas. 

so fun.

thoughts & more thoughts

last tuesday i called my mom to ask a quick question... went straight to voicemail... "oh well, i'll try again later..." i thought. not 2 minutes later she called me back in a frantic panic... she had fallen and broke her ankle. (i don't want to be all bitter and negative) but this is the last thing in the world that needed to happen. seriously. my poor mommy.

then japan... i can't watch the news about it. my stomach turns with the thought of that happening. all those people going about their day to day business, and then bam, mother nature has a way of waking the world up. to be aware, to know that we, as human beings, don't always have control. my thoughts and prayers are with everyone in the world affected by this natural disaster. poor japan.

but then the weekend comes and the presence of my hubby home, hanging with my 3 favorite people in the world, i realize that it's all i'll ever need. as long as i have these 3 people in my life, i can get through anything.
we went hiking for the second weekend in a row. such a great family activity. we love it. the kids love it. and we are together. searching for frogs and salamanders. discovering secret waterfalls. almost falling in streams. being the clean fresh air. love.
i have started spring cleaning... we have way to much stuff. just stuff. and yes we may be those people that have a garage sale every weekend to get rid of most of it... not kidding. :)
the talk of our big change has continued... i want to clear up that this is so positive, so good for us, but at the same time a little scary.

sammy turns 7 on saturday. seven. the thought of my baby turning 5 last month put me over the edge, but my first born, turning 7... oh boy. i have tears just typing this. time goes by way to fast and all i want to do is freeze time. "abracadabra" oh well, it was worth a try. ha!
he is such a special little man. that heart he has, oh it makes me melt. the way he gets excited for his sissy. the way he walks when hanging out with his daddy. the way his laugh sounds exactly how it did and he gets the same face when he was a baby, when something is really, really funny. the way he gets tired and insists on nestling his face in my neck and squeezing me tight. i could go on and on and on about this little dude. he really is someone special. i am so blessed to have him as a son. he is the best.

so this week will probably be emotional for me. my mom. japan. and my baby boy turning 7. 3 totally different topics, but ones that make me bow my head and talk to God, ones that make me feel so fortunate to have my family... safe.

now my rambling is done :)
if you made it this far please say a prayer for my mom, for japan, and for me not to lose it when sammy blows out the candles.

have a great week!

back to the grind of the week,
how i am wishing everyday could be saturday and sunday.
my hubby home, kids outside running around, movie/campout nights...
i can dream right?

we had a lovely sunday.
house cleaned up, grocery shopping done... all as a family.
i don't think we have done that since... it's been to long!
we enjoyed the scenic route while running our errands...
look how low the snow level is on the mountain!
to bad we didn't wake up to any... oh well, that's the beauty of living in socal... it's not that far away to experience BUT i'll never have to shovel snow out of my driveway :)

life is going faster...
i'm making an outline of my goals (month to month)
heck, maybe i'll even post 'em on the dear ol' blog... you'll motivate me right!? :)
i think it will help me all around, less stress too!

we even stopped to watch some baby goats pounce around.
so precious, the kids (mine not the goats') laughed at these other "kids" playing, eating, and pooping.
(yes pooping is comical around here)

another great view of the blue skies, green after the rain, and even clouds that don't want to leave this view!

all in all, great day.

i love my family.

i love my state.

cupcakes make me smile :)

when it comes to cupcakes, it's all cute!

and i have been quite the collector of cupcake anything!

most of it has been gifted to me (if you see a cupcake gift from you... thanks!)

there is just something about these little treats that makes my every day seem more fun

and the bright colors inspire me to play more, in every area of my life :)

 from charms...

 to key rings...

to teapots...

 to timers...

 to tealight candle holders...

 and even in my car! 

more charms & a cupcake minnie topper

and one of my many mottos...

print found here

i'll be rambling

 yes i'm in a rambling kind of mood.

whew! this weekend has been jammed packed with birthdays and parties!
friday, saturday, sunday, and today...

i don't have many pictures to share... did i ever tell you the story of how i lost my brand new camera, yes the most awesome point and shoot camera that my loving husband got for me for Christmas, well i did, i lost it on new years, never to be seen again. I have been trying to save money to go out and buy a new one, but something always comes up right?
anyways, enough of my complaining about my irresponsibility of losing a $400 camera... :/


friday we celebrated a friend's birthday at the local family fun center in town (go mulligans!)
saturday we celebrated another friend's birthday with a jumpy jump, pinata, and presents (and dodging the southern california "storm")
sunday sam went snowboarding in big bear to celebrate his little bro turning 26... wait he's 26 already! when sam and i met he was a senior in high school... now i feel kind of old.
and that same night i took my mom and her crew of kiddos to dinner to take my now 12 year old little brother for a birthday treat, along with a sleepover hosted my yours truly.
and tonight we are celebrating the 26 year old's birthday with a dinner over at the in-laws.
whew....
seriously it feels as if birthdays never stop this month :)
i'm not complaining, meals cooked and birthday cake, my kitchen has stayed spotless for a few nights ;)

i cleaned and cleaned this weekend and got the laundry all done.
feels so good to have that out of the way for the week...
because i'll be a busy mama this week as well.

now as wizard of oz plays in the background (we represent the lollipop kids...) i have a feeling of peace and joy that i can play games, read, and craft with my kids during our short breaks this week, instead of doing laundry and cleaning. makes me have a big huge cheesy smile on my face :D see it?

makes me feel like screaming this!

cute print found here

everything is going to be o.k.
yes, everything will be o.k., right?
sometimes i want to be 16 again with the only responsibility i had were homework and paying for my own gas. but, i know that is not how it is, and i wouldn't change my family for even a day of that feeling. ok maybe like an hour ;) totally kidding, you knew that tho ;) 
all the stress has to be worth something right? climbing a ladder, that seems to be leading to no where, is sometimes exhausting. 
But at night when my children are fast asleep and I go in and see them in dreamland, nothing, nothing will get in my way of making sure that they are well taken care of and nothing will ever stop me from telling them to always dream big.
but how can i just tell them?
i need to show them.
and that is exactly my focus right now.
bills, housework... i can't be thinking of that all the time... (and a lot of the time it's practically written on my forehead every time i look in the mirror).

i'm not much of a religious person, but faithful... yes. i believe in a higher power, i believe that there is a greater good. i needed some strength, and i went looking. and found this:

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

 for some reason it inspired me. inspired me to really pay attention to what i am doing on a day to day basis. it has helped my heart.

found here

yes life is "grape"

we have all been hit with the flu... yucky, ucky flu.
but life is still gooood...
i'd rather us all be hit with it at once then to be passing it back and forth for the next couple months.
(and i'd rather be sick before our baby turns 5)
i have been enjoying cuddling, reading, doing make-overs, catching up on homework & laundry...
and catching up on reading.

loving the first book of this series

http://www.mortalinstruments.com/book-bones.php

this month is bi-zee.
lots to do equals lots to enjoy :)
we have a total of 7 birthdays, in the next 2 weeks
i'll give 'em some honorable mention ;)
Hani and Gretchen: 2/10
Abby: 2/13
Jasmyn (abby's friend): 2/18
Nathan (sammy's friend): 2/19
Nick: 2/20
Natey: 2/21

and my older brother also celebrates a bday this month: 2/27

yay for birthdays!!!

on a side note:
sam and i are thinking about a big change... BIG i tell ya!
we are young. we are strong. and are kids are the best!
no matter what our decision we will make it as a family.
(it is still just an idea, a thought so we have lots of time to sit on it)

the weather outside is frightful...

it's been raining for days...
and as a southern california resident, it's kind of depressing not seeing the sun for almost 5 days!
i'm just not used to it ;)
but i will say the weather has been perfect for baking... and i've done a lot of baking the last couple days.
i will say that i am glad it's christmas time... my house is cozy and warm, and smells of fresh baked gingerbread cupcakes and evergreen tree.
too bad i can't give all of you a cupcake via the computer :)

i love our home during christmas...cozy...warm...inviting...love.
i wish i could be a crazy christmas lady and have my house decorated all year like this BUT i do have a husband that might be opposed... haha!

 the cozy village with tiny people

 nightmare before christmas tree

(a family favorite movie... and yes i rock this tree october through december)

sleigh bells ring... are you listening...

 our fridge gets some love too

 display of screaming santa pictures

 santa watches while they brush their teeth :)

and the reason for the season...

O Holy Night.

park play & soapy snow

the weather had been AMAZING this past week.
crisp. cool. sunny. yummy.
minimum days at school allowed for some long over due park play.

now i sit here drinking hot tea, listening to the rain outside. excited about our upcoming roadtrip to colorado to see my daddy aka papa bill. {imagine the biggest cheesiest smile and that would be my face :D.}


 we have been tracking the weather for our trip to colorado and it looks like we are going to run into some SNOW :) how awesome is that!? the only snow that we have experienced this year was our birthday trip here AND some soapy snow at our local mall (but honestly, what could be better than walking out from a random shopping night with nicole and experiencing "snow.")

 what can be better than snow in southern ca. ;)

one of my purchases from our brand new HUGE forever 21.

messes & smiles

can't seem to escape them.
i will say though i some what enjoy my house looking "lived in"
or should i say i don't let it bother me as much as i have in the past.
it will get picked up & cleaned, no rush.

this past weekend we made a mess.
i loved looking around (yes had to take some pics) to see what a mess we made and it made me think of what a great morning we had.

it made me smile because we were having way to much fun drawing silly characters like this...
(illustrated by sammy)

mmmmmm...great weekend.

why i love halloween

i will admit it.
halloween is my favorite holiday
(yes, it's a holiday in my eyes)
i love going to the pumpkin patches. i love carving pumpkins. i love baking treats. i love dressing up. i love dressing my kids up too. i love trick or treating. i love eating candy. i love the cool crisp weather.
and that's why i love halloween.

happy halloween.

the social network

all i can say say is i highly recommend seeing this movie.

great. entertaining. engages the audience.

a must see!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1285016/

more rambling from yours truly

i don't know what's up with me lately? pictures just haven't been something i've been in the mood to take lately :( i'm trying to keep a log in my brain of all the funny/cute/annoying things sammy and abby have been doing lately...with little success. i need to start writing things down and taking more pictures. time goes by way to fast. (can you believe it's october?). i sometimes wish i was all into scrapbooking, and making picture books all cute and stuff. well, i'm not gonna make an excuse like "i'm way to busy" just because if i really really wanted to do it, i would make the time. my patience is taken up by a 6 and 4 year old :)
so you'll just have to deal with my rambling posts of how cool my family is. (we are. we really are.) i have been soaking up every minute, and when i'm old and gray it would be cool to relive some of these moments. like last night when we were playing a good ol' game of Wii bowling and sammy & abby's cheers for one another filled the room when they got a spare or a strike. or letting them jump on bed just so i can hear them laugh their best belly laughs. or when i video them wrestling each other because i think it's really cute. or when i get corrected by my first grader, on a daily basis because let's face it, he's a genius. or when abby puts her hands on her hips when she is "serious" as she would say.
my kids are angels. seriously. i'm not trying to be biased but my kids are pretty damn cool.
i guess what i'm trying to say through all this nonsense is...expect more rambling...and stories...and cell phone shots. not because "i don't have time" but because that's what i'm into right now :)

enjoy these few shots...and a little tid bit of a story with each one.

our dear mickey. we had him "fixed" last week and he is rocking the "cone of shame" proudly. try explaining to your kids why he needed to have his goods chopped off. i did the best i could without revealing too much. hopefully that birds & bees talk won't happen again until they are older. like 20 would be good ;) i know. i know. it's gonna have to happen way before that but i can wish right? this is how the convo went between my advanced son and I...

"why did he need to get fixed if he wasn't broken?"

"well sammy, we had to have him fixed so he couldn't make babies" (oh no! i thought did i just say that out loud...breathe & think...breathe & think)

"only girls can have babies"

"well it takes a boy and a girl to make a baby" (oh no again! don't ask how, don't ask how)

"ok, that's good because we don't need a lot of puppies when we buy a girl dog huh?"

"nope we don't need a lot of puppies"

i dodged it. by a hair. whew.

has the silly band craze hit your house? well it's in full effect over here. sammy proudly displays them on his bed...i think he has a total of 40 now? he knows exactly how many. to bad he's at school right now or i'd ask him. 

and my cool kids. can you tell abby wasn't into taking the picture? love that she still has her baby round face. sammy lost that round face last year. hoping hers stays a little longer, just because it is so darn adorable. like sammy's hair? thinking he looks pretty handsome huh? he got a haircut just before school pictures. and loves it.