perfect ten.

did i mention...we kinda like her?

a lot.

...

the simple truth.

i could not agree more.

...

and now...

i'm about to unload some serious cuteness on you.

feast your eyes on the chub-tastic yumminess of my squishy, topless baby.

you're welcome.

...

home.

happy tuesday!

the very first one of twenty-twelve.

which means it's time to say goodbye staying up late,

cookies for breakfast

and jammies until noon.

dang.

i'm gonna miss that.

another thing i'm really gonna miss?

having husband around.

he took an entire, glorious week off work and spent all his time with us.

it was kind of amazing.

he took sydney on a date to the movies.

played with us at the park.

taught syd how to throw a frisbee.

kicked the soccer ball around with mitch.

took us hiking....

and just relaxed at home.

watching him light up as he plays with his children makes me happier than...

well...anything.

i love that man.

...

christmas was quiet, cozy and magical.

i don't know of anything that can top witnessing little faces 

peek around the corner to discover that santa has been there.

there is no greater gift.

...

i hope yours was equally magical!

okay, 2012...

show us whatcha got.

...

lucky seven.

sure, she's seven.

but, i'm the lucky one.

...

compassionate and confident.

unique and understanding.

smart and sweet.

she's outstanding in every way.

i predict big things from this one.

mark my words.

...

to you and yours....

...

zoolander.

me. pretending to be a model.

i know. funny stuff.

my adorable friend, kyong, owner of koo de ker clothing boutique,

asked if i would send her a photo of me wearing my new favorite wrap.

she has the most amazing stuff in her shop. 

so much so, that it can quickly become a problem. you know, for the pocketbook. 

if you're ever in salt lake city...look her up, fo sho.

also, she does ship items out of state.

santa, you listening?

...

magical.

dear december,

welcome!

i've been looking forward to your arrival.

this morning, the kids could hardly wait to pin your number one onto the advent calendar.

the countdown to number twenty-five has officially begun.

i can feel it now,

 the spirit of the season.

and it's magical.

being surrounded by little people who believe, with all their hearts,

that santa can do anything, is something special that i intend to cherish.

this morning, our sneaky little elf, oscar,

brought everyone new jammies.

what a fun surprise!

how does he do it?

if you have little ones and you don't have an elf,

it is a must.

a must, i tell you.

we received ours, unexpectedly, as a gift from a most dear friend.

and i simply can't thank her enough.

he has quickly become a favorite family tradition.

speaking of traditions,

small, simple acts of kindness will again be rewarded with a piece of straw.

straw, you ask?

last year, i was inspired by this article to begin a new tradition.

and it brought such a sweet spirit of service into our home.

most certainly, a tradition worth continuing, if you ask me.

...

all this talk of traditions has me curious...

what is your favorite holiday tradition?

...

eight is great.

tiny is growing up.

and there doesn't seem to be a single thing i can do to stop it.

eight whole months have passed already.

she's beginning to crawl now 

and i swear i can actually hear her curiosity growing.

this sweet child brings so much joy to our family.

her happy, content little soul is just what we needed around here.

she fits right in.

the final piece in our family puzzle.

she completes us.

and the old saying goes...

last the best of all the game.

...

part two.

i am thankful...

16 ::  for my husbands' employment.

i realize what a tremendous blessing this is, 

especially during these times of economic hardship.

17 ::  for modern day conveniences:

electricity, running water, shelter, food and medicine.

hard to imagine life without them.

18 ::  for the men and women who so selflessly serve in
the various branches of the military.
home or abroad, their service and sacrifice will never go
unappreciated by me.

19 ::  for the families of those serving in the military.
there have been times where i had to navigate without
husband for a week or so and, man, it was hard.
the spouses who manage households and children alone for
months and even years at a time
are my heroes.

20 ::  for my freedom.
i can worship how and when i want.
i can express my opinions.
i can vote.
i get to decide how to live my life.
i'm grateful to live in a free country.

21 :: for the change in season.
the smell of fall.
is there anything better?
hot cocoa and pumpkin spice bread.
cozy cardigans and college football.
the golden sunlight and changing leaves.
clicking on the fireplace for the first time.
a warm bath and an extra blanket.
ahhhh....

22 :: for lazy mornings spent in our pj's.
only having one in school all day means
spending my mornings with a squishy baby in footed jammies,
and a curious little boy who asks a lot of questions.
about everything.
they will never be little again,
time whizzes by.
a backyard picnic and legos?
wiping sweet potatoes off of chubby cheeks?
folding teeny-tiny socks and onesies?
sounds like a perfect day to me.

23 :: for date nights.
i am a believer.
alone time with your spouse is essential.
i am so very fortunate to have my sweet in-laws nearby,
who are willing to step in and give us a night off.
it's amazing how sharing sushi and inside jokes
can totally recharge your batteries.

24 :: for the internets.
how did i ever live without google?
for reals.

25 :: for the kindness of strangers.
simple acts of kindness never go unnoticed.
i'm so appreciative when someone sees that
i could use an extra hand {or three} and takes
the time to open the door for me,
let's me move ahead of them in line at the grocery store
or offers to take my shopping cart back.

26 :: for people who share their talents.
we all have them, you know.
my life has been blessed because so many of you
are willing to share your talents with me.

27 :: that i've been able to travel to many different places
and experience different cultures.
it has taught me a great deal about humanity,
that we share many more similarities than differences.

28 :: for my dishwasher, my washing machine and my dryer.
sure, i complain about never-ending piles of laundry and dishes
as much as the next gal.
but, at the end of the day, i'm grateful for these machines
that really do most of the work for me.

29 :: to live in such a beautiful community,
filled with people who are willing to serve each other.
i love walking into a restaurant and running into people i know.
there's a friendly vibe here.
people know each other and care about each other.
they volunteers for community events
and help with city clean-up days.
i'm grateful to be surrounded by such good people.

30 :: that i never, ever have to shovel snow.
...

what are you thankful for today?

...

four years.

429 posts.

countless friends made.

hundreds of memories recorded.

plenty of giggles shared.

my little online journal holds a special place in my heart.

without it, i would have never met some of you.

from idaho to australia,

texas to japan,

we all want to feel connected to something bigger than ourselves.

thank you for allowing me the opportunity to share myself, my life,

my hopes and my dreams with you.

you have so graciously shared your friendship, your thoughts,

your words of encouragement and yourselves with me.

thank you.

i hope this place will continue to bring me as much 

joy and happiness as it has throughout the past four years.

happy birthday, blog!

:::cheers:::

...

image

part one.

in honor of the month of thanksgiving,
part one of the thirty things i am thankful for... 

one for each day in november.
...

i am thankful...

01 ::  for my better half. 
and for the knowledge that we will be 

laughing together through the eternities.
i'm pretty crazy about that guy.

02 ::  that i get to be a stay-at-home mom. 

i really do see this as one of my greatest blessings.

there's nothing i'd rather be doing.

03 ::  to live in st. george, utah. 

i pinch myself every day when i stop and look around 

at the natural beauty that surrounds me. 

04 ::  that i can smell a baby anytime i want. 

really, is there anything better than the smell of a freshly bathed baby?

05 ::  for food. i love to eat. 

i love growing it, picking it, cooking it and eating it.

i love it all.

06 ::  for the ability to push my body with exercise 

and have it surprise me with just how much it is capable of doing.

07 ::  for friends
who inspire me to be better

and to do more.

08 ::  a lovely, modest home that meets our needs.

sure, there are bigger, fancier homes.

but i like mine just the way it is.

09 ::  for my health.

it's such an easy thing to take for granted.

10 ::  for my faith.

it is everything to me.

i know, with every fiber of my being, that it is true.

and it guides and blesses my life every single day.

11 ::  for an incredible neighborhood.

there is nothing better than feeling safe, secure 

and happy with where you live.

12 ::  for bedtime rituals.

sure, it can be a production to get kids into bed. 

but once they are, there is nothing sweeter 

than listening to their simple, sincere little prayers.

melts my heart.

13 ::  for incredible parents and in-laws.

they lead by example and always have.

i look up to them and admire them in more ways 

than they could ever know.

14 ::  for outstanding teachers.

i have been so impressed with my childrens' teachers.

they love what they do and it shows.

15 ::  for my siblings.

you would never know by the way i treated her when we were young,

but my sister has become my closest friend

and someone who i genuinely admire.

and my baby brother has grown into an amazing man.

he's smart, savvy and a wonderful father to his little girls.

...

up next :: part two.

what are you thankful for today?
...

friday, i'm in love.

11|11|11

...

veterans day.

...

a day that i am feeling especially grateful.

sometimes i pinch myself when i really stop and reflect on all that i am blessed with.

i live in america,

the greatest nation on earth.

men and women have fought and are still fighting for my freedom.

and today, i thank them.

i honor them.

i love my country and i am not ashamed to admit 

that every time i hear our national anthem

 and see the stars and stripes billowing in the breeze,

i get a little emotional.

i am proud to be an american.

and i wouldn't have this life that i love so very much

without those who have sacrificed and even given their lives defending my freedom.

...

and so today, 

i simply say...

thank you.

...

a moment in time.

family {2011} from Jill Mortensen on Vimeo.

my favorites from our annual family photo session with kellie.

there are no words to express how much i cherish these images that will forever remind me

of this happy, yet hectic, phase of my life.

such a gift to have this beautiful record of my young family.

thank you, kellie, for sharing your talents with us.

...

music | mindy gledhill | see the good.

where am i and what year is it?

how long have i been out?

why am i surrounded by fun-size snickers bar wrappers?

last thing i remember was helping the kids sort through their loot...

and the rest is hazy.

a sugar coma.

it's the only logical explanation.

ah, halloween...

must you remind me, yet again, that my ability to resist those

seemingly innocent, fun-size morsels is, on a scale of 1 to 10...

a zero?

as if the nineteen pounds of candy corn i consumed wasn't enough.

gee, thanks.

...

well, here is what i do remember...

there were three adorable kids.

one was a wolf.

a really cute, handmade, felt, etsy wolf.

another was a fireman.

an ironic fireman.

one who's pants were a mile too short

{thus the boots}

and who tried not once, but twice, to start a fire while trick-or-treating.

a fireman who needed reminding that his job was

to extinguish fires, not cause them.

shoving a dry, brittle twig into a space heater would not make your fire captain proud.

not even for a second.

and then there was this irresistible little chunky monkey.

with a face you couldn't help but kiss.

with thighs you couldn't help but squish.

oh, and there was a husband.

a husband who, i seem to recall, got an immense amount of pleasure 

from scaring the crud out of the neighbor kids.

so, yes.

it seems as though i did indeed have a lovely, albeit sugar-coated holiday.

how was yours?

...