My lil' Chef

e had a splendid Christmas. Taylor's parent stayed with us for a week. And it was fun to see Keira really enjoy spending time with them. Grandma (Janna) took her on couple walks with her, while I did some errands. And we went to the Children's Museum and Keira loved it. She loved the pretend grocery and cooking areas. But Janna and I were thoroughly pooped after two hours of chasing her around from area to area for two hours. And Keira was finally tired once we left.

She loved the kitchen at the museum.

Keira loved this cute circular reading nook. I'd love to have one in the house for her.

We gave Keira a play kitchen for Christmas and lots of fun play food etc. to go with it. And Grandma even got her a cute mixer that really works! I recorded Keira coming out of her room to capture her reaction. And...~sigh~ I'm such a mom... I started to choke up and tried not to whimper out loud, I don't know why I got emotional and teary-eyed from just watching her play with the kitchen. Having a child truly makes Christmas so much fun again. I don't even care what I get. I just wanna see that cute lil' face light up. Anyhow our lil' chef is loving her kitchen and always wants me to cook with her.

I got my first new sewing machine that I wanted! (well, nicer than the one I wanted! xo ) I am sooo excited to learn and make all the things I've always wanted to make! (hopefully!) I posted on FB: "I'm sooo excited to use my new sewing machine!!! I'll always kick myself for not wanting to learn when I was younger. And now I don't have my amazing seamstress mother living close anymore to help me get the hang of it easier. :P oh, well, let's see how far my guts and faith will get me! ;)"

On a side note, Keira is CRAZY about chocolate. She had a fair amount for the holidays. But I saved the rest for future rewards and for when we start potty training. Almost everyday on her own she'll ask randomly, "Some chocolate?" and start looking for some. And a few times I've asked her what she wants for breakfast or lunch and she replies of course, "Chocolate?!" ~ha ha! I have to make sure she can't see anything that looks like chocolate or else she freaks out. Eeks!

We had simple night on New Years and stayed home. And on January 7th, Taylor and I had our 6th wedding anniversary. We still need to actually celebrate it. But we'll probably just do something fun for Valentine's Day and celebrate it then. Even though my hubby isn't on Facebook (and never will be) I still posted something for him and told him what I put. But made sure is wasn't cheesy just for him.

"Today marks 6 years being married to my sweet husband Taylor! ~Thanks for your patience, putting up with me and toughing me up all these years. ♥ Happy Anniversary! ♥"

Taylor is an amazing husband and father. I admire him so much for how hard he works to support our family and I am grateful for all that I've learned from him. I'm profoundly & madly in love with him. And that love has grown deeper from all that we went through in those first tough years when he had to be away often working for long periods of time. Though it was hard, I know that he was doing all that he could so that he could take care us and make me happy. And all I want is to make him happy when he comes home everyday and always make him feel appreciated.

Toddler Tales

Last night as I took my two and half year old daughter to bed, she immediately said, "Say prayer?" twice! and it made me smile and feel so grateful that she is learning and wanting to pray. I strive to make sure she is learning to see when we need to pray and that we can pray for everything. She's heard me pray to find my keys when they're missing. We pray for daddy and his safety. I even make sure she hears me pray that I will be more patient and be the best mom I can be for her. I think once you become a parent you really start to put yourself in check mode. Because anything I'm not doing that I should be doing, she won't be learning. So I'm grateful that I have to push myself even more to make sure she see's and learns what is important to our family. Which in turn she strengthens and teaches her father and I. The most important thing to me is teaching her to know her Heavenly Father and to gain a strong testimony. To always trust and stay close to the Lord.

Yesterday, I was tired and moody. And I overreacted and yelled at Keira for tipping a cup purposely upside down and getting water everywhere. I immediately hugged her and looked at her and said I was sorry for yelling at her and then I asked her if she forgives me. She responded, "That's okay mommy," twice. I was astounded when she had that response. It's just so evident that children really do learn fast and do soak up everything! I am grateful for that experience.

One of her lines she says all the time is, "Oops, that's okay, it happens!" :) it's so cute and makes me laugh everytime. She also says often, "I love ____" and she says the item or thing that she's doing or looking at. It's just darling. And boy does she love chocolate. If you even just say the word, she starts looking everywhere for it saying, "Chocolate?" hee, hee, hee. She's so good at washing her hands and saying, "thanks" and "you're welcome!" She's also been singing, "Twinkle, twinkle, whittle star," and "Row, Row, Row da boat!"

Keira has been getting more interested in sitting on the toilet a lot the last couple weeks. I got the Prince Lionheart Weepod toilet insert seat months ago, and she did not want to sit on it. But finally she wants to very often. So this past Sunday we tried to see if she would really try to use it. We got her go in her small potty once (but she had her undies still on, haha!) and then she did use real toilet one once. I gave her couple mini M&M's as her potty prize. It seemed to work well, but... the rest of this week, she hasn't wanted to try or even sit on either potty. Soo.....ugh. I'm trying to decide what to do, because I don't want to force her, since I've heard from many that it'll just make them not want to do it and make them hate it. Which will make it take longer for them to finally do it.

Well, yesterday morning I was on my way to get an eye exam. And as we almost got there, she barfed in the car. So I had to cancel it and go home to clean her up. She had eaten some yogurt and raspberries for breakfast. It's been a long time since she has barfed in the car. Since the two times in the summer (which were both from the string cheese she'd eaten.) So, again it was after she ate something that was dairy. It's just odd. Dairy and driving, just don't mix for her. She gets car sick or something. Sigh...poor thing. And seriously, why must they make the car seat so dang hard to take apart just to get off the dang cushion so you can wash it?!!!

Anyhow, it's tough keeping up to clean up all her little messes and random things tossed all around the place. But thanks to nursery, she's does help me clean up way more, while singing the 'clean-up' song. And on top of that, I'm begging my husband to clean his side of the room too. I told him for Christmas I want my room entirely clean and pretty. Haha!

I have been loving this cold weather! We're hoping to go up to Flagstaff soon to see Keira play in the snow for the first time. We reeeally need a little family outing. Keira and I are in desperate need of getting out the house and doing something fun as a fam.

Tube-ular ;)

The last show I was hooked to was the "Glenn Beck Program" (well actually...pretty much Fox News in general). I had it on everyday. Practically all day. Which you can imagine what it did to me. I became a tea party lover, anti-Soros supporter, eager to learn history, concerned about my country, the world and the future for my family. But don't worry, I've calmed the Fox News and Beck obsession dramatically. I just watch here and there now! :)

Anyhow before that, I don't think I've been really hooked to any television series since I was a teen. I was obsessed with 'Felicity'. I could not miss an episode. I had to make sure to set it up to record on the VHS, hehe! I was smitten for Scott Foley. I loved the show mostly because, I was a hopeless romantic.

The last few years, besides watching stuff on HGTV and other random shows of interests and whatever my hubby was watching. I didn't care that I didn't have a show to be hooked on. I tried to watch a couple popular shows I heard were good, but found most of them distasteful or not my cup of tea. So, I was fine with watching, "Are you being served?" and "Seinfeld" reruns. I love those.

But this past fall, I decided to DVR some new shows that looked fun and just give'm a go. So my hubby and I have been watching, "New Girl", "Up All Night" and "Whitney". We really like them so far. There's a couple thangs here n' there, that are not favorable. But all-in-all, they're not too distasteful that I feel evil for watching (haha!). It's been kinda fun to have something that my husband and I get to look forward to enjoy and laugh at together. {While cuddled up on the couch holding hands..}

The other show I'm truly hooked to is, "Parenthood". It's not "trying too hard," if ya know what I mean. There's interesting plots throughout it. And the way they film and direct it, I find tasteful. It makes me laugh outloud. It makes me bawl. I even posted about it on Facebook confessing that "now it's my mom's turn to spy and laugh at me if I'm crying at any given moment about anything. It's the automatic default once becoming a mom. And deeply embracing life's moments." I'm fine with turning into my mom, in other areas that I swore I wouldn't. Because those things she did that I laughed at, are normal, when your a woman and a mom. :)

I also like, "Ringer" with good ol' Sarah Michelle Gellar. It's just a fun soap-opera like plot, but it's just fun and can't help but be hooked it.

Now that I have shows that I enjoy. I can't let them prioritize over things I should be doing. Believe me there's always times when I'm reeeally sick of the tube being on and just want it off for a long while and enjoy music or silence. And indeed when sports takes over...haha! (my man deserves to watch his sports of course, I just hate when it takes up so much time and then I get needy and want quality time together. I'm a typical needy wifey, I know.) But I know I'm married to a man...and to his love for sports. They go hand-in-hand. And I accepted that, haha!

Back to my point, I never want to get too sucked into the tube and let it consume too much of my time. Especially the time I should be reading my scriptures. But I don't feel guilty finally having some shows that help me unwind, give me some good laughter in at the end of the day. Hopefully the shows will remain good. Otherwise, I will turn off the tube. And wait another decade and try again. Haha.

Forget the turkey mom, I want pumpkin pie!

She was dancing like a cute lil' 'Peanuts' character, it was so cute!

e had a nice quiet Thanksgiving as a family at home. Taylor helped me do a small turkey breast and I found a yummy marinade recipe for it, and it turned out so moist and delish! I admit I cheated and used instant organic mashed potatoes and stuffing, which they both tasted amazing! But I made my own sweet yams, deviled eggs and Paula Deen's Pumpkin Pie recipe and used Martha Stewart's Pate Brisee pie dough (Taylor loved the pie!) We ate in the early afternoon and Keira only ate a roll and some pumpkin pie, then she went out for a nap. So it was just Taylor and I enjoying our feast. I thought for sure she'd go crazy over the yams. Oh well, she's in a picky faze though. Taylor had his football game on...of course! And after Keira's nap we played some of our own toss football outside and I gave her a piggy back ride. She looooves piggy back rides! It was a perfect cool and cloudy day! :) Then I made Keira a turkey feather hat. She made the cutest lil' turkey eVer!

I decided the last week before Thanksgiving I'd post some things I'm grateful for on Facebook. Here's what I posted:

"I'm grateful for the amazing things I learned at church today. I love feeling the spirit."

"I'm grateful for my daughter. Her smile, laughter, silly personality and when she gives me running hugs. It's the greatest gift and bliss ever."

"I'm so grateful for my amazing husband. He's one of the hardest workers I've ever known. Always proving me that you can do anything you put your heart & mind into. And his crazy innate ability to truly have me figured out and knows how to always make me laugh, especially when I need to. There's not one day I don't feel lucky to be his wife. ♥ "

"I'm grateful for the many appliances that make life easier. I forever praise the women that did e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g before they existed. I'm reminded especially when one breaks...I'll never take them for granted! :D "

"So thankful for the Lord and all He's given me. Happy thanksgiving!"

We got our Christmas tree and house lights done over the weekend. And I pretty much got all my gift shopping done, even before black friday! Hah! :D

Keira & The Sugar Lollies!

Keira gettin' ready to do a rock star jump off the ledge...not really of course, but someday! ;)

~Don't even think of taking her lollipop!

eira LOVED being a Rock Star for Halloween. Like I said before, she just loves saying,"I Rock!" at random moments. Just a few days ago she yelled it out loud in the grocery store, it was so cute and funny! She gets so excited to put her costume on! And she still has a boot fetish, she loooves her boots!

Rock Star is ready to pass out even before even trick-or-treating! not for long...

Rock Star is alive & kickin' after her sugar rush now! she loves lollies & chocolate!

I'm so thrilled with how her costume came out, it's exactly how I imagined it. For months I searched for the pieces I imagined for it. So I found the darling skirt and tights on Etsy, the skirt was exactly what I wanted, gray/black houndstooth with chains! They're both slightly big on her, but at least she'll now just get to wear it longer! :) Which makes it more worth the money too! You always think making your own costume will be cheaper...but nope, not for me this time...hahaha! I had fun designing her shirt myself! I hand-cut and embroidered the guitar, used an iron-on star and hearts for the tuners, and I used fabric silver glue and free-handed the words. And I made the bracelets.

I've been obsessed with sugar skull/day of the dead makeup. So I had to try doing my own! When Keira saw me she said,"Tiger! Rawr!" Hahaha! it was so funny! (I want to try doing some more versions...a scary one especially). And ya'll know I gotta have my fake lashes! I love these ones with rhinestones on each end! And I busted out my gothic wig again, it just went with the look so well ;)

Mr. Kitty perched right next to my pumpkins just as I clicked the picture of them ~ Purrr-fect timing! Haha! I carved a Jack Skellington design in the big pumpkin, and then did a cute lil' pumpkin face on Keira's pumpkin.

It took awhile for Keira to finally say, "Trick or Treat," while gettin' candy, and when she did, she yelled it loud and drawn out and made us and the neighbors all laugh! And then after that she would only say it cute and quietly!...haha! such a funny girl. I love her to pieces! Anyhow, hope your Halloween was spooktacular!