Summer is a great time to explore new places as a family! We checked out the Provo Court building which was full of beautiful marble columns.
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1/4/2020 0 Comments Home for ChristmasLook at these sweethearts who just woke up for the most magical day of the year! We really missed being with my side of the family for Christmas. I enjoyed being in the comfort of home and basking in the warm glow of our live Christmas tree as we filled the stockings, though. Did I mention I love that tree?... It snowed in the night so it was also a white Christmas and perfectly picturesque! The kids are growing so fast and their favorite things seem to change constantly, but we totally won with presents this year. I call it the LEGO effect, because as soon as they opened it all they wanted to do was play LEGOs (including Daddy). Our Spider-Man obsessed toddler and preschooler got a figurine from Santa, and our big girl (who still believes) got a cook book and stuffed dragon she asked Santa for. They were so excited for their stockings, too!
12/31/2019 0 Comments DIY Little Passports: IsraelOur last stop on the World Explorer Club this year is a place I definitely wanted to learn about, especially at Christmastime. Welcome to Israel! I was super emotional reading and writing about Israel just because the area is so full of rich and heartbreaking history for the three biggest religions in the world.
12/30/2019 0 Comments A Grinchy Christmas GatheringOur friends are so awesome! They love Dr. Seuss’s The Grinch and have all sorts of fun things Grinch Christmas themed which they use for a Christmas party! A blow-up Grinch greeted us at the door, and my favorite detail was the Grinch themed fresh floral centerpiece on the table. There were headbands/hats for everyone to get in the spirit, ornaments hanging from the ceiling, colorful real linens and silverware, all sorts of delicious food for the “feast”... Wow. The kids loved when we played Bingo after dinner and watched the original Grinch cartoon.
12/27/2019 0 Comments Watercolor Family GiftSo pleased and proud of my husband for making this beautiful family portrait in watercolor for his Mom! It was quite an accomplishment with so many people included. I helped a tiny bit with doing some of the coloring but he came up with the layout which I love—his parents surrounded by clusters of their children with their own families, even those who have passed on. It’s crazy how even without faces we still know who everyone is!
12/2/2019 0 Comments Christmas Time is Here!We got our Christmas tree!! I am in love. It touches the ceiling and lights up the house with its beauty. I think it’s the same species as last year (Black Balsam) from the same farm in Elk Ridge (Peterson Trees). Jer says we should keep the tree up as long as it lasts, and I agree! We’ve enjoyed lots of family time and Christmas traditions this month—quite a lot to catch up on! Check it out below.
12/2/2019 0 Comments DIY Little Passports: El SalvadorHola from our latest stop on the World Explorers Club! We’re towards the end of the year on our journey, and have come to the “Land of Volcanoes” in El Salvador! Sadly it wasn’t even labeled on our illustrated wall map! My husband actually spent two years there on a mission, so it was really cool for him to sit down with our Explorer and get her excited about this tiny bit mighty country in Central America when she opened her package.
It’s taken me months to write this post, but it’s an important topic I can’t skip. I hope it gives a bit of insight into "Why I Believe". “For a little while have I forsaken thee; 11/18/2019 0 Comments Batman Potty Party!We’ve had a potty for 2 years hoping our now 4-year-old son would just use it one day when he was ready, but he was showing signs of readiness so I needed to learn how to teach him. I borrowed a Potty Kit for Boys from the library with books that came with a baby doll, mini potty, bottle, and the book “Potty Train Your Child in Just One Day: Proven Secrets of the Potty Pro” by Teri Crane. I got 3 other potty training books and prayed for success since I really did only have one full day to to dedicate entirely to potty train. A ton of effort but... It worked for us!
11/12/2019 0 Comments Apple Orchard Family PhotosWarning- gushy moment... I love this family, they are some of the most genuine and kind-hearted people you will ever know. This lovely lady is one of my BFF's, and lucky for me she married one of my other BFF's who is also Jeremy's BFF! We've all come from the same hometown, been there for each other through dating, recession, weddings, pumpkin carvings, game nights, births, hair style changes... you name it! She definitely has that beautiful Mama glow with their 4th child on the way. In addition to documenting their growing family, these photos also celebrate learning the gender of the baby! They're also dang photogenic which helps because I've found I'm not a very skilled photographer (haha luckily I try to compensate in *photo editing*). Check out the photo swap with our BFF's— our family's here, and theirs below! The apple orchard location was magic for fall photos. Watch for the wild deer roaming in the background!
11/8/2019 0 Comments Mama RetreatMy sister is pregnant with her second child, and super excited to be having a girl! She recently earned her degree after many hours of online study and a busy internship, and completed a stressful move with packing, cleaning, and moving everything only a week before we took this photo. As far as she knew there wouldn’t be a baby shower, though it sounded like she really wanted one. After some sister-to-sister talks, we realized she had most of the things she needed—she was just burned out. In lieu of a baby shower, my other little sister and I did a Mama Retreat for her at my place! We took care of transportation, food, and activities so my sister didn’t have to worry about anything except enjoying herself. Her husband even got on board to help watch their kiddo so she could get away!
My sister in law is having her first boy! Her nursery is neutral colors with wooden accents, and features a car play mat which inspired the theme for her baby shower. Many of our close sisters and sisters-in-law just recently moved to the other side of the country so I also put together packages with the invitation so they could join the celebration over FaceTime. My favorite moments were from the fun “Words of Advice” activity as all these seasoned moms and sweet women shared their experiences with raising boys. My mother in law also made an incredible white bean minestrone soup which I still want the recipe for! Her home is gorgeous and the perfect backdrop for a gathering, she did a wonderful job hosting! Photos below...
11/1/2019 0 Comments A Happy Doctor Who-lloweenIt’s a Timey-Wimey-Wibbly-Wobbly Halloween this year in our Doctor Who family costumes! For fans of the BBC show, we dressed from left to right as Robin Hood, the Impossible Astronaut, the TARDIS in human form, the Last Centurion (Rory), and the Eleventh Doctor. Check it out because... Bow ties are cool!!!
10/30/2019 0 Comments DIY Little Passports: KenyaI cried—a lot—while reading the materials before approving them for this package. Stories about kindness, giving, gratitude, making a difference, following your dreams, unexpected friendships, and what it truly means to mourn with those that mourn... I hope my Little Explorer is as touched by discovering the beautiful culture and people of Kenya with our homemade World Explorer’s Club! My Little Explorer wears her souvenir everyday to school (it helps that it’s her favorite color and matches most of her current clothing). It’s been a busy month so we haven’t gotten around to the activity yet. More details below!
10/23/2019 0 Comments Fall Halloween Home TourIt’s been little touches here and there, but I didn’t actually decorate for Halloween until yesterday! I’m embracing the orange and letting my kids’ creativity shine. This is the first time I’ve switched out the artwork above our couch! Instead of the black/white sailboat print I used the pretty fall woods painting that used to hang in the nursery. Everything is either what we already have or what we bought at the pumpkin patch to carve. Check out more below.
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AuthorI'm Kat - designer, code monkey, teacher's wife, and maker of home. This blog is my personal and creative outlet chronicling the special moments of our family. Archives
January 2020
CategoriesAll Adventures Decorating Kids Little Passports Party Personal Projects Teachers Why I Believe |