Sunday is our best day.

Mabel lets me do her hair. We go to church. We draw. We read. We think. We take a nap. We make a big mess in the basement. We sit in the sun and watch our silly chickens. We visit family and eat too much yummy food.

It feels like a deep breath, and it's the best way to start a new week.

Ten years (and four babies) later. . .

and we can still squeeze into our wedding clothes. Phew.

Just don't ask me to move.

Or breathe.

a decade

Mike and I were married ten years ago this morning, on a beautiful rainy day in Los Angeles. It was an easy, happy day. Oh, I am so glad we found each other!

the first egg

One of our hens left us a present yesterday morning. Our first egg! Never have I appreciated an egg more. It is such a little miracle.

Here's hoping it's the first of many.

Be Mine

Mike and I usually don't do much for Valentine's Day, as our anniversary is the next week (this year will be our tenth!). So instead of flowers or chocolates, I baked a chocolate cake. And I shared it with my honey. I was even feeling festive and put a powdered sugar heart on it.

Tip: If you are using a cake mix, try melted butter in place of the oil. It will make it taste better.

Happy Valentine's Day.

weekend sunshine and inspiration

The sun was streaming through my kitchen windows this morning. I thought it looked pretty. And oh, it felt good!

Don't be mad, but it's supposed to be 81 degrees here on Sunday. Glorious! I hope you get a little sunshine wherever you are, too.

And now for inspiration, a quote:

"When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies? The great armistices made by military men or the peacemaking of women in homes and in neighborhoods? Will what happened in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling than what happened in congresses? When the surf of the centuries has made the great pyramids so much sand, the everlasting family will be standing, because it is a celestial institution formed outside telestial time. The women of God know this."

Neal A. Maxwell

What do you think? Powerful, no?


Have a happy weekend.

naptime

My little kids are napping and I have one hour before my big kids get home from school. Do I take a quick nap myself? Or finally hop in the shower and get dressed for the day? Do I finish the laundry, or dust the living room?

Such is my daily dilemma.

p.s. What do you like to do while your kids are napping?

Hens were the obvious choice.

Mabel and Oliver with Fluffy and Tulip, two of our smaller girls

This one is my favorite. Isn't she pretty? I mean, for a chicken?

We brought our hens home this weekend. There are ten of them, each a different color, which is quite convenient when choosing names. So far, we love them. They are silly and tame and about a million times easier than our dog was. (Happily, Champ moved across the street last summer.) We are not dog people. But we might be chicken people.

We are eagerly awaiting eggs.

cookies and weekend plans

We recently made the switch to all natural peanut butter. My kids didn't even notice. So when I saw this recipe I knew I had to give it a try. I realize that adding sugar to the natural peanut butter in the cookie dough kind of defeats the purpose, but it's still better than using regular peanut butter, right? Plus, the recipe only calls for whole wheat flour, which makes me feel good inside.

We have exciting weekend plans. Mike is almost finished with our chicken coop. Yep, a chicken coop. We'll have 10 of our very own egg laying hens sometime tomorrow! Do you have chickens? Any words of advice you'd like to share?

Happy weekend.