Snippets// What Fall Looks Like

Pomegranate season has arrived, and it feels so good!

New family members. Meet Bagel/Piper, a doxen mix who is so sweet, cuddly, and a 4 month old baby. She found the much coveted spot on the couch by all the dogs. Snuggle deep little one! A better photo of her is sure to come.

New fall wardrobe. It's full of comfy warm knits, fox patterns and prints, and lots of orange and red!

Fall veggies are just around the corner, but we've been doing our best to use up the last up the summer produce with yummy salads.

Nature strolls up Stokes to check out the changing leaves. We fished this little guy out of the river and Violet was FASCINATED by him, sure hope he was okay after getting his beautiful wings wet.

I'm not a white girl in tribal leggings, wearing Uggs lined up at Starbucks waiting for a pumpkin spice latte, but I do dig pumpkin. Pumpkin french toast and it was delicious.



Naps and naps and naps. I could snuggle in bed with this babe all day long, but alas there are dinners to make, dishes to wash, and deeds that need doing.

With the few sunny days we have left we are water painting outside in the backyard. This is one of Violet's favorite activities. Cristian and I may have a little artist in our hands.

Puddles, and splashing, and running about. Our backyard is awesome!

We tried egg carton goggles one time before, but they didn't last long. We went for toilet roll binoculars this time (thank Pinterest), and we've been on so many adventures. Here she is telling me how she can see a kangaroo driving a train.

Gorgeous.

Fall manicure, hope all you ladies get one also.

Welcome autumn!

From The Mouth Of My Babe

"Don't love me mom"- when she doesn't get her way.
"Look mom! Boobs!"- while stuffing tennis balls down her shirt.
"Mom I need to pick a wedgie!"- as she adjusts her underwear.

Everyday she says things that are just absolutely hilarious. I need to do a better job of writing these things down because it would be so sad to forget.

I qualify

I can't sleep. I've been up for the last several hours just tossing and turning going over in my mind a conversation I recently had with a good friend. Life. It's about choices. It's also about making the most of the bad choices when they happen. I feel like I can't talk about my life for fear of seeming hypocritical or a non-authority. Which is so silly. How can I be a non-authority when it comes to real life? I'm here, on earth. I have a mind and a body. I have my 26 years of experiences that encompass a whole array of good life and bad life. I qualify.

I feel like shouting that to the world sometimes.
No okay!? I am not perfect. Everyone knows that. Everyone can see that. The mistakes I've made can't be tossed into a fire and burned up for no one to see. They can't be deleted from my phone, or tossed under my bed away from curious eyes. Some can't be solved and forgiven with just an "I'm sorry" or diminished and forgotten simply by cutting someone out of my life. Even without voicing it out loud it is there, in front of the whole world to see, because of my choices. I get that. BUT I QUALIFY.

Sometimes I feel like people think I don't understand the gospel, or the happiness that comes from living it, because of my life.
Because of who I am, because I am the same person I was before but wiser. Better. More determined.
And I get that it's really no one's business because it's between me and the Lord.
And I love that. If there was ever something to bring peace to my heart and mind, it is that simple but powerful truth. He....understands without reserve, my heart. 

But I've been sad.
I've been sad these last several hours, trying to understand why someone else wouldn't want to share their happiness with me ESPECIALLY because of something which involves the gospel. But despite how hurt I felt by this, one thing kept coming back to me.. and it's simply that I qualify.

And as much as I want to be understood about this, I can't force it.
So I'll sit in the background and be happy for you even though you think I don't or can't understand.
Because I qualify as much as the next person.

Real Talk

Oil splatters all over the floor from cooking eggs and bacon for a quick late night dinner.
And standing at the sink, scraping and scraping at the pan trying to get the burnt bits off.
This is the American Dream right here.

Snippets// Keeping Up

I think Violet's unearthing her inner daredevil. She's been such a watchful and delicate little girl in the past (when it comes to falling or tripping over herself), but now she's in full two year old form, and I am barely keeping up with her. Here she is mid-spring in between couches. Pretty sure she bombed her face into the arm of the chair multiple times, although it hardly phased her-which is significant enough to note.

Violet has cut 2 of her 2 year old molars, and we hardly noticed. One day I was brushing her teeth and BAM there they were. Best teether in the world according to some, and I'm pretty pleased with that. I'm not sure what "top-knot" here is observing , but apparently it required some serious attention. And check out those tan lines!



Violet goes back and forth between really liking bugs, and being terrified of them. She went through a phase were ants, bees, and spiders were a thing of nightmares. And let's face it, spiders will always be on that list -at least for me. I really don't want Violet to inherit my fears just because they're my fears though...if that makes sense. She'll figure out plenty of her own fears as she grows up but I really don't want animals in any form to be apart of that. So we've been working really hard on being positive when certain bugs and insects fly or crawl our way and ...guess what? I think it's working! She was a little worried about this manti, but with some positive energy surrounding observing him she was actually in tears when he flew away unexpectedly because she wanted to "feed im a snack" (leaf).

 I'm not sure if I would call these 2 hooligans friends, but they sure had some adventures together the day I tended this dude. 

One of the calmer moments of that day, until a fight ensued and someone tried to push someone off of the piano stool. Things like that are bound to happen though right? :)

That time I took a rare moment for myself to straighten my mane and came out to Violet "making a bed mom!". I couldn't even get mad at her though, because she started running around the house with this thing flying behind her like some kind of cape. What can I say, she's certainly my superhero, despite the bits of paper towel I continually find floating around the place....3 days later...

Debating about whether or not she should run through the sprinklers. She decided against it, but the girl does love her water. Soak it up baby doll because the days of swimming in the outdoor blow up pool or skipping through the sprinklers are surely coming to and end with autumn fast approaching.





I had to get creative with date night this week. So I opened "Chelsea's Café" and served Cristian sweet and sour chicken, with a salad, and a cool lemon slushi for dinner. We then played a couple games of pool at the bowling alley-I lost both games by hitting in the 8ball, then checked out some new shops in the valley ending the night with a brownie from Kneaders. So thankful for my parents, and sisters who are so willing to watch Violet so we can have some alone time. It was wonderful!

We made these candles a few weeks ago and used them the other night! They were and are so pretty, and extra special because Cristian and I made them together. They also smelled delicious so...if you have bunch of sea shells you don't  know what to do with-look up seashell candles on  Pinterest.

We try and send Daddy a morning selfie daily. Granted we sometimes are not very good at this and Violet is never to thrilled (hoping to change that), but I don't care. These are the photos I cherish most. No filters, no make up just super real.



Taisyn helping Violet enjoy and take interest in bugs a little bit more, especially rolly polly's and box elder bugs! I think she even held a few rolly polly's by the end of the day.

Sooooo many green beans! She spent a lot of the time out in the garden feeding the dogs bits of beans. She really likes picking and eating blackberries, and recently has discovered she enjoys cherry tomatoes. This is HUGE. I love tomatoes but both Cristian and Violet have not been their biggest fans. However..she  ate a bowl of cherry tomatoes the other day while watching me chop veggies to bake for dinner. I feel like I won a point or something. Mom:1 Violet:1 Cristian:0. What these numbers mean I really don't know, but I'm winning.

More garden stuff. (Seriously my dad is amazing at this gardening stuff) As long as we're outside, this child is happy. I guess this means I need to check her winter gear to see what fits and what needs upgrades. I predict many hours spent outside discovering snowflakes, icicles, and hopefully (since she wasn't into it last year),  sledding. I might even try to take her snow shoeing and drag Cristian along if I can manage! ;)

 

Things here are wonderful. We just had our carpets replaced which was SO needed, and I spent the day scrubbing hard water off all our windows with my little helper.Tomorrow we tackle the Venetian blinds (such a pain to clean), and I'm hoping to get someone out here to clean the air ducts and maybe...just maybe we can get someone to come and sweep the chimney. I really want to use the fireplace this year! Other than that I think we're all looking forward to some bonfires in the backyard, cider, stews and soups simmering all day long, sweater weather, and the subtle hints of holidays coming up.

 

Love to you and yours!



Afrojack - Ten Feet Tall (Lyric Video) ft. Wrabel

We figured out our song, at least for this year.
Love you babe.

Snippets// The Last 2 Weeks

 

 

I thought this post would be easy to write, but the truth is I am at a loss of words*. I've watched these two gorgeous sweethearts become friends over the last few weeks and I've been so impressed with how patient they've been with each other and with myself. 2 year olds man, we could all take a lesson. I was very nervous about taking on this nanny job. I worried my parenting style may not work with any child besides Violet. It's active, and out there, usually involves, books, art, sand, dirt, bugs, day trips, and lots and lots of fresh air. It does not involve TV, computers, cellphones, or anything else electronic (we do have music time here and there where I'll use the radio, or Super Simple Songs on YouTube). It works for me, but I know it doesn't work or perhaps is not practical for everyone.  I worried about figuring out nap times. Violet's naptime (if she takes a nap) is later in the afternoon while Riley's was around 1-2pm. A lot of what we eat is homemade, or plucked from out of my parents garden, which also isn't going to work for everyone's kids. Violet has been potty trained for quite awhile now and this little one isn't. I worried about Violet regressing a bit which I realize is totally ridiculous. But I was SCARED to say the least and, for a moment, upset Cristian volunteered me for this.

Oh how grateful I am he did! It has been a challenge, but an absolutely wonderful one. And I've been grateful to have Cristian's help (when he CAN help) and confidence in me as a fallback when I've felt lost as to what activities to do with the girls, how to approach the power struggles Violet has had since not being the only little one in need of her mama's attention, or how to understand the way Riley communicates, because it is so different from Vi. I have learned so much. Here's the top 9 of a much longer list:

1. I can do hard things. I am more capable then I generally give myself credit for.
2. When Violet (and in this case also Riley) is/are acting in unlovable ways, it means she/they need more love and attention from me. I'm going to throw out there this is probably the case for any child.
3. When it doubt, get them out...side.
4. When it comes to coloring, don't let one child have the coloring book, and tear out a page for the other.  Tear out 2 pages and hide the rest of the coloring book.
5. It's okay to discipline another person's child if what they're doing poses threats to themselves or your own child. I was worried about this one. I have my own disciplinary ways for when Violet tries to breach boundaries inside and outside out home. We have rules at our house, and there are different rules at both her grandparents house. I thought it would be confusing for Violet, and while I do have to remind her here and there of what is okay and what's not in these different places, she's learning valuable lessons about what is appropriate in different environments and that, to me, is pretty priceless. Realizing this made it easier for me to keep the rules in our house the same.
6. Let em' go and get dirty. They can always take a bath.
7. You don't have to break up or intervene in every struggle, fight, or disagreement. 2 year olds can figure those things out if given the chance.
8. I don't know everything about caring for children, but I'm willing to ask and take advice from those whose opinions I find valuable, namely my mom, and there's no shame in doing that. I'm new to this, I'm still learning, and that's okay. ( Thanks mom!)
9. If you run out of ideas, PINTEREST.

We rode around on public transportation, went up Stokes Nature Center, fed the ducks, picked dandelions, played at almost every park in the valley, made flubber, read stories, puddle jumped, blew 1,000 bubbles and spent hours coloring with chalk in the backyard. We picked fruits and veggies from the garden, helped out at the Humane Society and played with the kitties at PetsMart. They got sandy in the sandpit, and observed box elder bugs, ants, bumblebees, and more. They colored, painted, and ran down grassy hills. We painted nails, ran around the mall play place, made a blanket fort, and attempted hide and seek. They helped me feed the fish and clean up toys at the end of the day.

They also fought over toys and for attention, and over who got to lay on the turned over garbage can (and ended up falling asleep mid-fight ON the garbage can), got bumps and scrapes from tripping or falling from running around, chalked up my laptop, stained their clothes with blackberry juice, cried when they didn't get their way, tore pages out of some books, got into the ashy fireplace and tracked it throughout our dining room and kitchen, and peed their pants (yes, even with a diaper on).

It's been wild, challenging, insighful and so much fun

*And maybe I wasn't so much at a loss of words as I thought ;)