An incredible adventure!

I think today could have very well been the highlight of the little Misters life! 

Hands down the most incredible adventure Captain America has ever been on! 

And Miss Wynn Charlotte you my dear made the most delicious strawberry! 

Ask anyone :) I couldn't stop nibbling on those cheeks of yours! 

I was completely helpless in the matter!

We started out the evening first by meeting up with my dear friend
and her two cute daughters Rapunzel and Pascal..
to bask in the 75 degree weather....I definitely am bragging ;)

Then we met up with Jetts and Wynnies cute cowboy cousin and 

filled their little buckets up with the good stuff....Unfortunately for Jett the 

"mommy & daddy candy taxes" were extremely hefty this year...

I think when The Mister is older he will definitely be the type of child

 that feels the need to count his Candy!

The highlight of the night was when a nice lady offered Jett a piece of candy and he decided  to take it with his mouth instead of hands....even as I am typing this I'm giggling! He is way too funny! 

 Halloween was a smashing hit! 

Better than carmel balls and mud-cups...and gambling away your candy

...

<< thats pretty dang good >>

"cow" boys in costumes

 This little "cow"boy turned one last week. He is definitely the cutest calf I have ever seen! Oh how we love Dallas and his sweet disposition. He and Jett will make the very best of friends :) I just know it! 

"In a few days, a lot of creatures will visit your door. Be open minded. The child who is grabbing more than one piece of candy might have poor fine motor skills. The child who takes forever to pick out one piece of candy might have motor planning issues. The child who does not say "trick or treat" or "thank you" might be painfully shy, non-verbal, or selectively mute. If you cannot understand their words, they may struggle with developmental apraxia of speech. They are thankful in their hearts and minds. The child who looks disappointed when he sees your bowl might have a life-threatening allergy. The child who isn't wearing a costume at all might have SPD or autism. Be kind, be patient, smile, pretend you understand. It's everyone's Halloween. Make a parent feel good by making a big deal of their special child. ♥" --reposted (writer unknown)

I saw this on the life is sweet and couldn't help but share it.

 In behalf of all those children under those cute halloween costumes....

but mostly for my little guy.

Have a happy and safe halloween! 

Mrs. October: A little less to Love

 By Cate.
We were running late for church we loaded our sweet babies into the van and I decided that right then and there in our garage would be a perfect time for a impromptu photoshoot! My photographer was less than thrilled with my timing as I waved the camera in front of his face.
After every photo he took he told me "I think I nailed this one." I was closing my eyes 4 out of 8 of them....

I asked him how I looked, he replied with a 

"well if I wasn't already married to you I would definitely want to date you!"

Words of affirmation is my love language....my bucket is overflowing! 

HIs off handed compliment has had me smiling all day :)

and can I get a WUT UP! for a 10 (double digit) pound weight loss.... I realize it took me a month to do what a contestant on the biggest loser will do a week...details ;) I think weighing in on national television with a quarter of a million dollar cash prize at stake would be enough to motivate me to work  a littler harder too! haha

Right now I am only motivated my colored skinny jeans...

*weight loss July, August, September

breakfast at 4:00 a.m.

Last night we were woken to our little boy crying from upstairs. I made my way out of bed to check on him. He was pointing and screaming....was this his first nightmare...was he scared or cold...what about his diaper? I laid down on his bed and he snuggled into me....contentment!

 Then without warning he jumped up and started running around! He was completely hyper....I am sure those TWO cupcakes before bed had nothing to do with this....:) I tried to get him to rest with no avail.....

 I brought him into our nice comfy bed, it was a little too comfy for me...I told The Husband "sorry lover, your turn....."

 He grabbed his little hand and off they went.....I mumbled something about him being wonderful! Wynnie please marry someone exactly like your daddy.....he is the best decision I have ever made.

And Jett you already look exactly like him...you're off to a good start.

By 4:00 a.m. all four of us were awake! These babies have been our very best adventure! None of us felt tired....

The Husband made Jett apple bread....he is a good man.

now we feel like a train hit us....THe children are showing no signs of slowing down....

wish

us

luck

today!

and i love this quote

 "There is no one perfect way to be a good mother... Each mother has different challenges, different skills and abilities, and certainly different children... What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else." Elder M. Russell Ballard

The power of well groomed brows!

I am a firm believer that the mantra "fake it tell you make it” will never be more applicable then when it comes to a nice set of well grommed eyebrows! Nothing polishes your look or if improperly plucked makes you look more“surprised" faster than eyebrows! Unfortunately, the chocolately brown hair I inherited was paired with (not so chocolately) sparse set of brows. Unlike my size 10 foot I can actually do something to remedy my dilemma! If only my former 16 year older eyebrow less self would have realized this....I  could have had a boyfriend in high school.....I think it would have been that big of a game changer haha....

I happened upon the  makeup blog Maskcara. It is plum full of excellent tutorials and the very best homemade eyebrow primer recipe, it costs only cents to make (cue the chorus of angels singing!)

I applaud her for making something so simple with so much longevity! My makeup stays put all. day. long! I used to feel like it was gone before I even stepped foot out of  the ladies room! For the first time since I was 12 and was allowed to to wear shimmery blue eyeshadow I am excited to put my makeup on....it has only been four days....I will give it a week!  

My favorite place for base you might ask (okay one reader emailed and asked?) Everyday minerals....that was an awesome discovery too! One container last about 4 months for me. I tried to fall in love with bare minerals....on three different occasions but it just wasn't there...

EM has been a great fit and they send you a free sample kit to find your perfect shade. gotta love that! 

As far as other makeup product I am far to fickle to recommend any brand :) I get a cheap thrill out of purchasing makeup...it is therapeutic really! I am on the search for the holy grail of makeup products! 

And here is a video we made for Jetts and Wynnies aunties 

that has nothing to do with makeup....

but seriously check out my eyebrows that was after six hours! enjoy! 

and for those that need a bit more convincing! 

via
*edit one thing I forgot to add is to think about eyebrows more like sisters rather than twins!
Happy plucking or coloring!

brownies & babies

Five months later, here we are!  The very sweetest moments of the day is Wynnie watching her older brothers crazy antics and uncontrollably laughing....

The sound of her giggling is the music that brings our home to life! 

Nobody can make her laugh as hard as Jett does!

I kind of love that!

She is curious, observant, quick to smile and loves to cuddle!

And we love to cuddle her and those delicious cheeks!

Speaking of delicious.....today we made brownies....they were divine.

Jett had the duty and responsibility of cleaning the dishes....he took his job seriously.

for some reason it never looks as cute when I "clean" the brownie bowl...;)

 and because I love nothing more in life than to compare my children.

I am mother hear me roar!

When I was a little girl I used to carry around a little asian baby doll and pretend that someone just left her on the door step for me..because they knew I would make the perfect mother (I wasn't exactly sure how babies were made and that seemed reasonable enough ;) I carried around dolls until I was a bit to old waiting and dreaming about the day that I would be a "perfect"  mother. Now here I am with two kiddos of my very own and a lot of the time I think that my little blessing  are so darling and so. so. so exhausting. 

Children really aren't time consuming they are life consuming! Like many mamas I go to bed at night thinking about everything that still needs to be done! Before my heavy eyelids surrender to sweet rest a marathon of thoughts run through my mind...

"Did I brush Jetts teeth tonight? Oh my goodness did I brush my teeth tonight?? ....I am glad Wynnie doesn't have teeth....oh crap I forgot her vitamins.....thats like two months in a row!!" 

Life consuming I am tellin' ya!

A few events have transpired as of late that have caused me to shake my fist cursing the heavens and then fall to my knees and beg for his forgiveness.....and reevaluate my role, my job, my profession as a "domestic engineer" as a mother. I have finally decided to let go of my childhood fantasy of becoming the perfect mother (and the guilt that ensues) and have decided to simply become a better one. 

I think the first thing on my agenda is to start taking better care of myself and to get organized.

Back to the basics, love deeper, be distracted less and present more....more makeup less pajamas pants. More healthy dinners, trips to the parks and games of chase. Less time on the phone on the computer and nose in a book (less time in a book is a little extreme;)

It is time I take my divine role a little bit more seriously....I mean after all even in dream jobs you have to do things you don't necessarily feel like doing (or wiping;)

This is my chosen profession! My greatest aspiration.I would highly (as in very highly) recommend reading this post entitled Major league Mom by one of my favorite writers...Annie is definitely one of my daily reads....I lover her honesty....and I love her name! I need to print it out and put it on my refrigerator....so far I am 0-8!.....I am pretty sure that is almost three strike outs!

And this is Jett (2 months ago)....hear him roar! That fearsome roar is what sweet little Wynnie wakes up to every morning! Lucky girl! And me frantically chasing her brother the lion begging him not to wake her up....its a daily occurrence. 

*I disabled my comments because I love reading  them way to much....one thing leads to another and 20 minutes later I am pinning ways to get creases out of my carpet on pinterest.....and that was the sole reason my iphone and I had to break up......It was tragic really, I am hoping we will get back together soon! I am currently with a phone that is older and simpler.....but far less reliable and attractive....(shallow?) And heavnes knows that the last thing I  really need is an attractive distraction.....but Kyler if you are reading this I already have my iphone case picked out...older and simpler is not working out that great either....

But in all seriousness I am only an email away! I am hoping that by disabling the comments I will be more inclined to write more freely....we shall see.

with the best of intentions

When I grow gray, old and it is my time to say goodbye please say that I will be remember for my intentions and not for what I never did..because that is just a technicality... I really have intentions of the very best kind! Like making cooking dough the night before an event, to feel prepared, to let them caramelize into the chocolate morsels 

of heaven they would have been....I gave myself a pat on the back and a "Heck YA."

 for being so prepared (my recipe of choice;) 

The oven is preheated, the magic is ready to happen...annnndd  I completely shattered the bowl containing the good stuff. With no time or chocolate chips to spare...

The audience in my kitchens face fell with defeat as the shards of glass pierced such a delectable treat (rhyme of rap...depending on how you read it HA!)  So I took a deep breath bent down and starting sweeping it up.....and had The Husband call his Aunt and tell her I suddenly wasn't feeling well....because I suddenly wasn't....darn. 

Or spending a week at home in Oregon with my DSLR never leaving my hand. Thrilled with the memories that were painsakenly (heavy camera;) being documented. My children meeting some of their Aunties for the very first time and the little Misters face as his older cousins chanted in name in unison when it was his turn to fly down the water slide!

And accidently and completely swiping the card containing those irreplaceable memories. When I realized that I lost my whole week in photos I slid off the bed and sobbed. 

And ran into the bathroom dry heaving.

 Maybe someday I will handle disappointment less dramatically? 

A few months ago I took Jett and Wynnie to the park. Jett naturally was carrying around 4 large stuffed animals and was wearing footsie pajamas with sandals. I had Wynnie in my front pack and crawled around trying to 

capture my beautiful son doing what he does best, playing. 

It was hard work, I was drenched in sweat, Wynnie was screaming...

but the images made it so worth it

I went to edit the photos last night and realized they were all gone. 

All except for one photo. WHAT?? WHY!?? what the heck... but I didn't say heck.

I hope when my children grow up and think about me they will think 

"Our Mama really, really tried!"

 I would love if my children would call me "Mama."

But the Mister yelling MOM with a touch of annoyance in his voice works too!

I really have the best of intentions, the executions is a little rusty! 

The happiest place on earth!

 " I think today was the perfect day!"  Was the last thing I said before I kissed my sweet husband and children goodnight.

But how can anything that has to do with hot apple cider, pumpkin wagons, squeaky cheese and cider donuts be anything but perfect? Except, for now I am dieting and not indulging....But after Mister Jetts animated "mmm" after every. single. bite of his delectable treats I am confident it was a perfect night.....Donuts for dinner + super unsafe slide = perfect night for a way to darling of a two year old!

And then there is always the awkward moment when that same  two year old suddenly realizes he was born into the wrong family......Darn the luck buddy...haha

We even brought our very favorite little pets to join us at Rowlys Red Barn! 

(Thank YOu aunt LeAndra for the darling owl hat!! Miss Wynn wore it well!)

At some point in the evening I realized that my very own twin sister is a shape-shifter....amazing work Candi and Mike!

We went to sleep after a perfect day only to be awoken at 5:00 a.m. on the dot to a very frantic two year old who realized he had left his beloved kitty behind.... after giving Mr. Kitty a mud bath! I felt devastated for him. He was out of sorts for days!!

Part of me felt relieved after the loss of kitty.

After Mr. Kitty went swimming in the lake a few months ago he smelt a little fresh....

as in if you ever touched the kitty your hands smelt 

like a old dish rag for the rest of the day.

A mud bath was not going to help Mr. Kitty cause! 

Mr. Kitty you were loved!

*Last Year