Blog, iphone, Month In A Minute, Videos

February Recap


I feel like 2017 is playing a joke on us. Since the beginning of the year (actually, it started a few days prior) we have passed different sicknesses back and forth through our family. I think we have MAYBE had one full week without someone getting sick. The kids and I usually have pretty tough immune systems–and really, I haven’t been sick much–but Don and the kids have been getting sick on repeat. Don is just getting over one week of fevers and flu symptoms and now Kingston and Clementine have fevers. Someone send me pizza and ice cream, please! I have a feeling the next few weeks will be tough.

But let’s focus on February! Because February gave us beautiful spring-like weather that made me so happy inside.

 

Watching the 5 big kids line up on the couch for popcorn and a movie is one of my favorite sights. We have always tried to majorly limit screen time but Don’s evening shifts have been feeling very long. So sometimes I throw on a movie to get me through the evenings by myself. One of these days life won’t seem so overwhelming but for now, it doesn’t hurt to throw in some screen time to give me some sanity.

I love all these little faces. Clem lights up when someone pays attention to her.

Sometimes the kids tolerate group shots. How long do you think they’ll let me do them? (especially with all the hugs and kisses? haha)

My favorite thing about these pictures is that it looks more like spring than winter. Winter is my least favorite so I’m glad we’re almost through with it.

We went to Forest Park and the Graffiti Wall last week on a super nice day. We picked up a sub sandwich and ate in front of the Grand Basin and let the kids run around. It was something we all needed so very badly.

Kingston put his underwear on his head and asked me to take a picture (and send it to his uncle haha) so I feel like it’s fair game to post on the internet, right?

Instagram has a weekend hashtag project every weekend with a new theme. I usually like to join in if I can put together a photo with minimal effort. This past weekend, the theme was “colorful.” The picture of the kids lined up in rainbow colors is now one of my favorite pictures!//And Clem has a new BFF (Willow the deer) that I will be sharing about soon! It’s so sweet to watch her hug and kiss her doll.

And we are still keeping up with our Month in a Minute projects! It’s a really fun project that I would encourage others to try. Even the moments that seem mundane become really fun to go back and watch.


Happy March and happy (almost) spring!!!!!!!

March 1, 2017
Blog, holidays, kids, Videos, Vlog

Valentine’s Cupcakes


Target has already stocked their dollar spot with spring decorations and St. Patrick’s Day and Easter decor and I’m sitting here typing up a blog post about Valentine’s Day. But since they still had Valentine’s Day stuff on clearance in the back of the store, I’m going to say that it’s not too late to post this blog post. And don’t you dare try to judge me for using Target’s marketing timeline to my justify my blogging timeline. Don’t. you. dare. (Also, I posted a new vlog at the end of the post!!)

Before we had kids, Valentine’s Day was never super exciting to me. I was never one of those that totally opposed the holiday but I also never really did much to celebrate it. Once the kids started getting old enough to understand holidays a little better, I fell in love (pun absolutely intended) with Valentine’s Day. Now we are all about the hearts, red, pink, and love love love leading up to the big day. We usually like to make sugar cookies but since we just did some for Christmas (and the fact that Liam and I don’t even care for them) we decided to do cupcakes this time around.

Not just any cupcakes–cupcakes from an Aldi cake mix. Because, hey, I have 6 kids and sometimes that’s what you get. Plus I thought it would be fun for Liam to read the directions to everyone and they could make them by themselves (with a little help from their mom—sung to the tune of the Beatles’ song.)

When I wasn’t holding Clem, I was videoing on the GoPro so I didn’t really get many pictures. But I’m sure you really don’t care to see 30 pictures of the kids gathered around the Kitchenaid. And no boxed cupcakes would complete without store bought icing! I totally prefer homemade but this was wayyyy easier.

Desmond woke up from his nap just in time for the cupcakes to be iced. We put him on a chair and he immediately grabbed an uniced cupcake and tried to take a giant bite out of the paper. He quickly found the right way to eat and devoured it in minutes. They weren’t the fanciest cupcakes in the world. But the kids had a ton of fun making (and eating) them and that’s really all that matters.

And Clem just watched with that sweet face of hers. I just can’t get over those cheeks and that face.


and a few Valentine’s related iphone shots…

And look at this sweet watercolor portrait of Clem by Painted Truth Co. on instagram. She has an etsy shop and does custom portraits. She just happened to find Clem’s pictures through instagram and painted a couple. They are so so adorable!

This picture was way harder than I expected without Don at home. I had to fix Evangeline’s hair, hope she didn’t move, then I had to fix my own hair with the boys holding my phone over my head to see myself. Then I had Kai (6 years old) take the picture all while I was suffering one of the top 3 worst headaches (migraines?) I have ever had in my life (after we took the picture I couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore because it got so bad.) Oh what I do for a picture sometimes haha.

So blurry, but so cute! And look! They are all smiling….at the same time!! It’s a Valentine’s miracle.

We went out to get donuts for Valentine’s breakfast.

And I made the most delicious cookie cake for dessert that night. This picture is so blurry but they wanted a picture with the cookie cake so I obliged. Also, anyone want the most amazing recipe in the world for cookie cake? It far surpasses store bought–like, I can’t even eat store bought because the quality is just that much worse. If a few people are interested, I will put together a post to share the recipe.

I hope you had a happy Valentine’s Day, however you celebrate it!

Make sure to check out the video of the kids making the cupcakes!



February 21, 2017