sending you sunshine

I hope your weekend is warm and bright!

quiet days

We haven't been up to a whole lot lately, which is just the way I like it. Here are a few instagram shots to illustrate how very boring we are. :)

Elliot got a new car seat, much to his dismay. He had figured out how to unbuckle his old one, and now he is kind of bummed that he's stuck. Mike was working last Saturday, so the kids and I headed to the library. It is one of our favorite places.

The weather has been so pleasant, that we've been making twice daily trips to the park. We have to get all of our sliding and swinging in while we can.

I get to have handsome Oliver in my primary class this year. He is so easy and good. And once all of the kids are at school, I am left with this little guy. We have lots of fun folding laundry or cleaning the house or going to the grocery store together.

Does this look like your life, too?

photos

I am finally getting around to printing photos from our first ever official family photo session last December. Every time I flip through the images, I find more favorites. This time it was this set of our Elliot. Ashley did such a great job capturing his little face. Oh, if you haven't had your photos taken by someone, don't delay! I am so glad that I will always have these images to remind me of Elliot's little nervous finger sucking habit.

book report

It's been a long time since I've done one of these, but I've read a few great books lately that I wanted to share.

Pictured:

Ahab's Wife is perhaps one of my favorite books. I recently read it for the second time, and loved it even more than I remembered. It is the fictional account of Una, a woman who marries the legendary Captain Ahab. It is so beautifully written. I don't typically write in my books, but this is the kind of book that made me want to highlight passages to re-visit later.

A Fierce Radiance was my least favorite of this bunch, but it is a very interesting story. It follows the development of penicillin during the second World War. I found the ending unsatisfactory and the bedroom scenes unnecessary, but the reality of a world without penicillin was fascinating.

Gone With the Wind is a classic, and rightly so. Oh, it was good. I hated Scarlet and loved Rhett, and I still hold out hope that they ended up happy and together.

The Book Thief has been on my to-read list for a long time. I shouldn't have waited so long to read it. It was moving and heartbreaking and beautiful all at the same time. It takes place in Germany, during World War II, and is narrated by Death. But don't let that deter you. It is wonderful.

I am usually not one for non-fiction, but Bill Bryson's At Home is fantastic. I flew through it. It is so full of interesting information, and so entertaining. Bill Bryson is a master.

Not pictured:

My Cousin Rachel was a fun beach read while we were in Mexico last month. I didn't enjoy it quite as well as Rebecca, but it was still very entertaining. Daphne du Maurier is good at what she does, which is dark, mysterious fiction.

What is the What took me forever to finish. That is not to say that it wasn't interesting and well-written and that I didn't enjoy it. Because it was and I did, it is just a hard subject. The fact that it is based on truth, makes it even more difficult. It follows the story of a Sudan refugee, his tragic flight to Ethiopia, and his eventual settling in America. A tough read, but very well-done.

The Blue Star is the sequel to Jim the Boy, which I have never read but would like to. The Blue Star is sweet and tender and kind of heart breaking. It has sort of the same feel as The Whistling Season, which I also loved.

I typically don't like books that take place in modern times, but I enjoyed The Hand that First Held Mine. Maybe the fact that it bounces back and forth between a modern day story and one fifty years in the past kept my interest. There were moments in this book that felt so real for me, especially as it tells of Elina and her difficulties as a first time mother.


There you have it. Have you read any of these? If so, what did you think? What's the best book you've read lately?

spring

It feels like spring around here. My favorite tree, the ornamental pear, is in full white bloom. And our purple flowering vine has started taking over the front of the house. Our windows are open and the days are warm and bright. Come visit.

five happy things

early morning exercise

lunch and books with Stella

a 2 hour nap!

a successful first cooking lesson with Mabel and Oliver

sunny and 70 degrees

What is happy at your house today?

in the mood for cake

The whole time I was in Cancun, I was desperate for a good chocolate cake. I don't know why. I never did end up finding one. This morning I couldn't take it for one more minute. So I baked this cake and ate it for lunch.

The recipe makes quite a lot of batter. I had enough for two nine inch rounds, plus more in a loaf pan. The cake is fudgey and moist and delicious, but I'm still not sure if I like the frosting. The browned butter flavor is very strong. I think next time I might try it with a plain buttercream.

If someone offers you a trip to Cancun, take it.

Mike had a conference to attend there last week, so we pretended it was our anniversary and had a wonderful time.

It was beautiful. White sandy beaches, bright green water, deep blue sky. Oh, it was relaxing.

When I go to the beach, my goal is zero color change. So while Mike was in meetings, I found a shady spot and I sat there all day. And looked at the ocean, or read my book, or closed my eyes and listened to the waves pound the sand. It was the most relaxed I've been in years.

Mike ended up with some free time, so one afternoon we took a little speed boat through the jungle to snorkel. Well, Mike snorkeled. I bobbed in the water and tried not to think about the fish swimming under my toes.

Once his conference was done, we rented a car and drove to the ruins at Tulum. It was beautiful and peaceful and so quiet. I loved it there.

On Sunday, we found the local congregation of our church. Church while on a tropical vacation means no tie or jacket for Mike. I've had lots of opportunities in my life to travel all over the world and attend church in many different places, and let me tell you something. The Church really is the same everywhere, even in downtown Cancun. I love that.

The trip ended with a 24 hour layover in Dallas so we could see Leslie and Neal. I had never even been to their house! Can you believe it? Her house is gorgeous (of course), and we had such a fun time together, that now I wish we lived next to each other even more (if that's possible).

As soon as we got home, Elliot fell asleep on my chest and we were right back where we started. It was an amazing trip, but it sure was nice to be home.

Special thanks to my mom, without whom, our getaway would not have been possible.

I'm going to miss this.

Last week, Elliot wouldn't let me put him down in his crib once. So we spent lots of time together on his glider. It's almost as if he knew I was going to be leaving him for a week, and he needed to get in some extra snuggles. I am so happy to be going away with Mike. I know it will be good for us. Going away together is a luxury we haven't been able to afford for a long time. Plus, my mom will be here while we are gone, and I can't think of a more capable woman. So I won't need to worry about the kids one bit. But that doesn't mean that I won't miss them like crazy the second I step onto that plane.

Have you ever left your children to take a vacation with your husband? It is hard to do, but in my experience, it is so so worth it.

Expect a full report when I get home!

homemade heaven

Have you ever made homemade brownies? I hadn't until a few weeks ago. And now I don't think I can ever go back to a mix again. Oh man, they are good. Yesterday, I made a quick half batch to welcome the big kids home from school and the little ones up from naps. Find the recipe here. You won't be sorry.

ballet, round two

Last year, Stella took a one-month ballet class through our city at the local rec center. It was fun, but too short and a little too unorganized. This year, I signed her up for a more official class, and today was her first day. It was so exciting. If you have ever seen Stella run, then you know that she is destined to be a ballerina. She flits about from one spot to the next, pausing to dramatically fling her hair back from her face every once in a while. When her class was over, she practically floated to the car.

winter white

Mabel sang with a small children's choir on Christmas Sunday, so I thought a new dress was in order. Let me tell you something, every little girl needs a pretty white dress. They work for every occasion and every season. This time I used Simplicity 2460, but altered the sleeves. I used a cream handkerchief linen and lined the inside with remnants from a wedding dress alteration I did a couple of years ago. I love the way it feels, and I think Mabel does, too.

another instagram dump

We are settling into the new year around here, hoping that this week is better than last (there was too much throw up and not enough sleep), and still figuring out what is essential and what is necessary. I feel so much better about my life when I am focusing on the right things, but I have a feeling that this will be a life-long process. That's ok.

A few highlights from the last little bit:

Stella found glow-in-the-dark stars in her stocking this Christmas. She knew exactly where she wanted each one placed. Mike was a good sport about it. :: And it seems that we have been spending all of our afternoons outside playing in the sun. Can you blame us?

On New Year's Eve I was Julie, from Saturday's Warrior. This required some frizzy curls. These curlers sure did the trick. You can see a full recap of the night here and here. :: A curling iron was responsible for my best hair day ever. I just had to document the brilliance of that wave for my posterity. :)

And this suede skirt and I have seen some good times together, starting with a trip to the temple on the morning of my wedding. Yesterday wasn't so bad, either. :: We have the late slot at church this year. While that's not my favorite, it sure comes in handy when you realize that your Oliver needs a haircut.

How is your new year feeling so far?

an afternoon ride

Mabel and Oliver convinced me to ride our bikes to the brand new Dunkin' Donuts down the street this afternoon. I said ok. To be honest, it didn't really take much convincing.

It was a beautiful day for a ride. Seriously, if you have ever wanted to visit Arizona, this week is the time to do it. Get over here!

winter days

We've been enjoying near perfect weather in these parts lately. I really love Arizona in the wintertime. The wisteria bush that shades the front bedrooms of our house for most of the year finally lost the last of its leaves this week. Now those rooms are bathed in a crisp winter light. These are the kinds of things that I love about our house.

I keep thinking that one of these days I'll start using our real camera again. I might someday regret this era of iphone photos, but I can't seem to do it just yet. I hope you don't mind.

What do your winter days look like?