Rumour has it

Love this song!

Happy Friday!

Zoey!

My little bundle of squeals.

Zoey is a joy!

He did it himself

 I have mentioned before that Zackary adores playing with Ty's i-pad.

Yesterday, while I was folding laundry, he found it and set it up with a show for himself and Zoey.

 He knew how to find the show, and how to control the volume.

It's kind of like he was born knowing how to use this thing.

At least he was considerate of his little sister.

She enjoyed the show too :)

Waking up is hard to do

I was trying to make a little video of Zoey rolling around on the floor.

We had just begun when Zackary woke up from his nap and kind of ruined everything.

Oh well....we love him despite.

Mothers

This quote by Abraham Lincoln inspires me to be a better mother.

With Mother's Day coming up next month I am starting to think a lot about this life I live as the mother of 4 children.

I hope I can be an inspiration and help to them. I want them to lead beautiful lives.

A new week

1. We had a great weekend! Saturday night was movie night at our house. We ordered pizza and Max, Mia, and Zack all sat through the film. Sunday we had a dinner party with some friends. I made kebobs and 3 kinds of ice cream!

2. I somehow managed to injure/strain my left wrist/arm. I am living on advil right now and trying not to use the arm very much. The whole not using my arm thing is not going so well. Hopefully the advil will help and the pain will go away soon!

3. After a very warm week last week, and a sunny weekend as well, this morning began with fog and cold! It is the perfect day to stay inside, light the fires, do some baking, and enjoy a little cocoa.

4. I started Zoey on a few solid foods last week. She seems to really enjoy them. She gets really full after a meal of rice cereal and fruit and then goes to bed for several hours. Living the dream :)

5. I finally bought a new bathing suit for this summer. I haven't bought a new bathing suit in 7 years. Hopefully I can make this one last for just as long, because I kind of hate buying bathing suits.

6. Poor Max was kind of a mess this morning. He was tired, didn't want to eat, and still had a fat lip from falling off the trampoline this weekend. He was so bummed that he had to go to school on such a gray and gloomy day. I hope his day gets better soon! I have some surprises planned for the afternoon to help brighten his day if his friends at school don't do the trick.

Happy Monday!

Tech Savvy

 When Ty bought his i-pad, I had no idea how much the kids would be using it.

Zackary can use it to play games and watch his favorite shows. He can find them all by himself. This is always very impressive to me, because I still have no idea how to use the i-pad.

Zackary was watching Dora this afternoon while Zoey and I hung out nearby.

Zoey seemed pretty okay with it.

(and I love that Zoey is still little enough to not be so tech-y as the rest of the crew quite yet!)

Breakfast

This Morning:

1st thing, power shake for Max....tofu, banana, peanut butter, almond milk, and a little nesquick to sweeten the deal. :)

Quick drop off Max at school

Scrambled eggs with ketchup for Mia and Zack. (gross, but they love it)

Last of the peanut butter cup granola for me. (so yum. Must make more soon.)

2nd day of baby food for Zoey. Rice cereal mixed with bananas and peaches. (  I finally got what  I always wanted....an eater!)

The baby's a mess. The kitchen's a mess.

Time to clean it all up so we can start again for lunch in a few hours!

Tidbits

1. Mia is still loving her ballet classes, and Wednesdays in general. My mom comes out on Wednesday mornings and takes her to ballet and then out to lunch after. It's serious girl time! I love hearing about their outings when they come home!

2. Max also loves Wednesdays, but he loves them because the school day is shorter than usual. Max is currently finishing off the last of 6 chocolate chip cookies. I made them using ground almond meal rather than flour. He asked if the cookies had nuts in them and I said no (It was sort of lying.....well really lying) but he is loving the cookies regardless of the hidden almonds!

3. Zackary enjoys a green monster smoothie for breakfast every day. He is our best eater and I love that I can feed him spinach for breakfast. It makes me feel like a good mom :)

4. Ty and I are planning another little beach getaway with the kids. This time we want to take the train to Monterey and check out the bay and the aquarium. ( we just really love visiting those places! )

5. I spent a little time online shopping today. It was awesome and did wonderful things for my mood!

6. I finished season one of Downton Abbey on Netflix. Is that the only season available right now?

7. Halfway to the weekend! Woo-Hoo :)

Squishy and Sleepy

Little Miss Zoey is 5 months old!

It's a lot of work to be 5 months old :)

She is doing so well. She has a very happy spirit. She smiles a lot! She loves people and she loves to watch the world around her.

Zoey is a great joy!

We love our little miss!

Not really but....

Really, today is a much better day, but if it was getting worse I would appreciate a generous offering of chocolate!

I might appreciate a little chocolate anyway.

Tired!

Usually I am a get up and go type of person.

I always have a ton to do and I am always ready to get at it.

Well, not today!

Today I was SO tired!

My eyes felt so heavy. I felt like I was dragging.

Thank goodness for such a beautiful day. The kids and I spent most of the afternoon in the backyard enjoying the weather. I was able to sit and the house avoided turmoil.

I am feeling a bit better now, and I am hoping tomorrow is not so sleepy.

I need some energy boosting ideas!

Anyone???

Yet More Granola

Pinterest has made it possible for me to seek out and find ridiculously many granola recipes.

THIS one for peanut butter cup granola from sally's baking addiction is a new favorite!

(Seriously, I know I say that all the time, but it's really awesome!)

I did make a few changes. I used almond butter instead of peanut butter and used cacao nibs instead of chocolate chips.

I shared some with my brother and sister in law who were in town for a visit and then I finished off the rest by myself. 

Just a typical granola girl from California I guess ;)

The kissy Face

I keep hearing about how silly the "kissy face" is, but it's awfully cute on Zoey!

I will just have to keep her from making this her profile picture on facebook :)

At church

Ty was sitting in the foyer with the little ladies.

I am so happy they have such a wonderful dad!

(Yes, that is chocolate on Mia's bottom lip. Her teacher was passing out cookies!)

Rumor has it

I have been hearing all about Downton Abbey for quite a while now.

It sounded like something I would really enjoy, but I only watch television while I am on my treadmill and have a hard time committing to new shows.

This weekend I finally took the plunge.

I love it! I'm hooked!

I can't wait to work my way through it!

It's Friday!

Let's have cookies for breakfast....again!

I recently tried some larabar like peanut butter cookies from the Chocolate Covered Katie blog and LOVED them. Yesterday I found THIS recipe for a chocolate version of the cookie and I knew I had to give them a try!

I think they are the perfect ending to a long week and the perfect beginning to a busy weekend!

TGIF! Happy weekend :)

This and That

1. Does it feel like Friday to anyone else?

2. Does anyone else have 10,000 things on their to do list and seem to be lacking in motivation?

3. Did anyone else leave their wallet at Michael's crafts store this morning???

4. I was lucky and realized pretty quickly that the wallet was missing. I returned to the store and picked it up. (So glad to have it back!)

5. Trader Joe's was out of Coconut Oil! I am going to have my mom do a run for me in a few days when they have some back in stock and I will have her pick up lots!

6. More family coming into town tomorrow.

7. Chocolate is good.

Have a nice day!

What day is it?

1. It's Taco Tuesday! Ty is on his way to pick up Mia from school and lunch on the way back :)

2. Ty's parents are coming in from Utah on their way to San Diego. They are staying with us tonight and bringing with them the 1/4 cow we purchased from Ty's uncle. The freezer is just waiting to be filled!

3. My Father-in-law has a birthday coming up so we are throwing him a little soiree this evening. Chocolate cake will be involved!

4. Yesterday was warm enough for a trip to the park and swimming after. Summer is coming!

5. I used up the last of my granola ingredients this morning......I wish we had a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods a little bit closer to us. Oh well! 

Have a wonderful day!

The Easter Hunt

 I sent Ty out this morning to hide Easter eggs in the back yard.

The kids were all upstairs and they had no idea what was going on.

After cinnamon rolls for breakfast everyone got their baskets/buckets ready to fill full of eggs.

 It is hilarious to watch everyone walk right past the eggs.

(look at the window ledge!)

Zackary needed a little help :)

 Max seemed to do alright on his own.

 Ty thought we needed to take a little video of Zackary. He was so cute and enthusiastic about the whole thing.

 When all the eggs had been found everyone headed inside to check out their loot.

I mentioned earlier that I was doing a candy-free hunt this year and it was a big success.

The kids were very pleased with all of the fun little surprises. (I did manage to throw in a few jelly belly and reeses peanut butter cup filled eggs, just for good measure!)

Zackary's favorite find was the little bubble packs. He has been trying to get  Ty and I to blow bubbles for him all morning!

We are looking forward to church and dinner with family and friends this afternoon!

Happy Easter!

Bald and Blue

Her eyes are still blue and her head is still bald!

I can't wait to see what kind of hair this little girl ends up with. I am hoping for a full head of dark hair. I love my little blonde kiddos, but I would love a brunette too!

We will just have to wait and see!

Tummy Time

 

Zoey loves to be on her tummy. She loves to be on her back. She loves to roll over.

She is a pretty easy going little miss.

I so enjoy watching her explore and discover the world.

Easter Menu

 We are hosting Easter dinner at our house this Sunday!

I love having a house :)

I love hosting a holiday dinner.

This year we are straying from the traditional.

I am making  THIS RECIPE for herb butter and goat cheese linguine with fresh herbs and tomatoes.

 I have actually been making this pasta dish for years now. It is one of our favorites.

It is very fresh and spring-y.

I am going to be firing up the BBQ and doing a little grilling.

I tried out Ree Drummond's (aka...PW) newest recipe for GRILLED CHICKEN earlier this week and it was pretty amazing.

I am also baking up a couple of THESE bread loaves that I posted about recently.

For dessert:

Angel Food Cupcakes with whipped cream and strawberries!

Are you hosting Easter dinner this year?

Are you making a ham or are you cooking something else?

Happy Party Planning!

He Is Risen

Diet Trends

It seems to be very trendy nowadays to be following some special diet. Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, paleo, etc.....

I understand that some people have food sensitivities or allergies that have forced them into certain diets. Some people have strong feelings about animals. Some people insist it is for health reasons.

I love reading about these diets. I think they are each fascinating and I am not opposed to trying different recipes for different diets.

I do not claim to follow any specific diet, however, I do know very well how my body feels and reacts to certain foods. I try and eat well. I try to avoid dairy because of sensitivities (although I have a difficult time staying away from ice cream!). 

What are your thoughts on all of the food and diet trends out there right now?

Important Information

1. The batteries in my camera are dead. Maybe I will replace them tomorrow.

2. I filled all of the Easter eggs today. I didn't think I had much to fill the eggs with, but I ended up filling 87 eggs. I hope Max, Mia, and Zackary appreciate all of this! (Zoey will have to pass on the hunt this year, maybe next time when she can walk!)

3. Ty has a day off tomorrow. I am excited to use him for driving kids to and from school, running errands, lifting heavy items at Costco, eating tacos for lunch, and of course showering him with love and devotion :)

4. I am out of granola, I am trying out THIS RECIPE as soon as I have time!

5. Ty hooked everything up in my exercise room so that I have access to all of the Netflix shows. I have been working my way through the last few seasons of Gossip Girl. I am really enjoying Nate and Chuck / my workouts :)

Happy Wednesday!

One more for hair :)

I am loving the new Keratin shampoo and conditioner from Suave.

I have been really impressed by how well it smoothes and softens. I also love that it is fairly inexpensive as far as hair care goes.

Go get some and have a great hair day!

Another Favorite

I love having a loaf of fresh bread to go alongside dinner.

THIS RECIPE for crusty bread from Simply So Good is the best!

It is also the easiest bread recipe I have ever made. It works out really well at our house, because the kids all enjoy the soft spongy insides and Ty and I love the crusty edges.

Try it. You will love it too!

My Favorite

I love Coconut Oil!

I especially enjoy the Trader Joe's brand. 

I use it to make granola and as a base for oatmeal. I slather it on the baby  (and on myself!) It smells amazing.

It really is one of my very favorite products right now :)