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?

a new year, a new idea

I've never been very fond of the idea that life is like a juggling act. If you use that analogy, then small things like housework seem just as important as big things like children, and something is bound to get dropped.

I have a new idea. It comes from Julie B. Beck, our church's General Relief Society President, through my friend, Laura, and her Relief Society lesson last Sunday. It is this: instead of seeking the impossible balance of trying to do it all at once, I am going to focus on one thing at a time, using the Spirit to help me choose where to place my focus from one moment to the next.

To help with prioritizing, Sister Beck divided our tasks as women into three categories: essential (like reading scriptures and praying), necessary (like making dinner and cleaning house), and nice to do (like sewing and blogging). I don't want the nice to do things to take up all of my essential time. If I choose my focus wisely, then I will accomplish more of the essential and necessary things, and the nice to do things will fill in the cracks of my day, making my life more joyful.

So this new year, in lieu of making the usual resolutions, I will accept the fact that I can't do it all (I never believed I could, anyway), and instead I will narrow my focus.

It feels fantastic already.

scenes from Sundance

We surprised our kids with a trip to Sundance after Christmas. They were in heaven. We had such a good time, despite the lack of snow. But we weren't there for the skiing, anyway. We go for the cousin/triangle room/Gramma and Pa-ing. And as usual, those did not disappoint.

I hope you all had a safe and happy holiday!