love is in the air~

Well hello there.

This post is going to sort of be all over the place, but in the end it all comes down to one simple fact... we are set for v~day! Something special about this lover's day that I just can't get enough of. Is it just me, or did it sneak up way to quick this year? To all my pinterest buddies, did you spy these little sweethearts? Couldn't resist~ the peanut butter blossom, with a lovely twist...

I actually posted this recipe waaay back here, for those interested. And gotta send a shout out to one of my most favorite kitchen tools, my cookie dough scoop! Makes life just sweeter i say, and only a few bucks at your local Bed Bath and Beyond! This is me and my sweet nephew Krew~ I was getting some serious snuggles, and loving every minute of it:)

We dug out some keepers from last year~ nothing too crazy, but very special to me. That planter is actually from when my sweet grandma passed a few months ago. I am pretty impressed it is still living;)

Ry-bug celebrated her 100th day of school, and dug into carefully autographing her valentine's~

Parker has been pretty much obsessed with Lego Ninjago, and insists on watching or rehearsing all of their sweet moves... pretty flippin' adorable if you ask me.

Some more quality time on the slopes~ such fun times with my family.

The gals in my family came over for some serious craftin'~ there were goodies involved... Nic never shy's away from a little treat;) Oh! and just to clarify, he does not sport his jersey around the house, unless he is fresh home from a b-ball game... which was the case here:)

I thought a hot cocoa bar was in order for such a night~ um. I made homemade mallows. I will never turn back, they are pure delightfulness. Recipe here.

This little bowl speaks to me;0~ thanks Meg, you are my girl!

These mini-cake donuts are from my kitchen as well, recipe here. They were a little taste of heaven I must say. I left out the maple, and stuck with chocolate and vanilla glaze.

And then it was time to get our craft on!

We laughed until I was doubled over, and crying...

I needed that. Girl time is a must!

And the finished product~

Oh, how I love this bunch!~

{hotta, we missed you!! almost made you a 'hotta' banner;)}

The next day was a lazy one. Playing in the leftover paint mess, making masterpiece's! And special mail~ my favorite!

And got my new banner hung~

A little close up~

And what's going on behind me you ask...

monkey business! We are all about it:)

And that is that folks.

Hope you all have a happy lover's day.

I'm going to be lovin' up on my sweet family;)

And loves to you, too!

~xo

hitting the slopes~

Our favorite family past time, as of late, is indulging in gorgeous days on the mountain. Something about those crisp, beautiful, carefree days that we just can't seem to get enough of. Some i-phone pics of last weekend~ my sweet dad with the kiddos...

Such a family friendly atmosphere~ good clean fun for all!

I love seeing our kiddos venturing into new territory, and discovering new talents.

Much thanks to my amazing parents for getting us all rolling this year.

Some precious memories in the making for sure!

~xo

choose happy~

This week started out pretty crummy, to be perfectly honest. Sick kiddos, work drama, single-mom status, lonely. So many thoughts running through my scrambled brain, I can't even see straight. And I am in serious need of sleep~ never good;) I am feeling empty, yet full. Wanting, yet satisfied. Happy, yet sad. Guilty, yet justified. What is that all about? Maybe I should just chalk it up to January~ hmm?

I've decided that every one of us have our ups and downs. That's the way it is supposed to be, right? Opposition in all things. It is what makes us appreciate the good, even if it is in the midst of the bad.

I feel so blessed really, lots of goodness in my week as well. A beautiful/happy ending wedding reception, birthday luncheon with some gal pals, my baby boy's basketball game, book club~ awesome, lots of progress with a personal goal, started reading the Book of Mormon{not the pictured reader, the real deal} with our kiddos-huge!, and started in with my spring training{core baby! my abs are hating me right now}

It sure has been chilly around these parts. What is it about icicles, they are just so beautiful~ and tasty;)

love my Kade~man playin' tough!

butterfly kisses~

Fridays have somehow morphed into our 'play-date day.' It is early-out for the school kiddos, and somehow they all gravitate towards our home. We always have a pretty good crowd, and although things get a little rowdy~ I thoroughly enjoy it! Today was no different, it was gang-busters! I even had a couple of my favorite gals wander over, and chat the afternoon away over blueberry bread from Meg. Good therapy:) I had a sweet tooth, so we made sugar cookies. The kiddos are huge fans of cookie decorating~

I might need to share this recipe~

It's a good'n. Like really, you should make these asap!

Sugar Cookies

Cream 1 c. softened butter

Add 1 c. sugar

Beat until fluffy, then add 2 eggs

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. almond extract {i'm an addict}

Then add 3 c. flour, alternating with

1/2 c. sour cream

Chill overnight, or for several hours. Roll out about 1/4 in. thick, and cut into desired shapes. Place on greased cookie sheet, and bake 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees. Frost with buttercream frosting.

Buttercream Frosting

1 stick butter, softened {not melted}

Beat this until fluffy, then add half bag of powdered sugar. Thin with very minimal amounts of milk. Repeat this process with the powdered sugar, then milk, to desired consistency. Flavor with 1 tsp. vanilla{or vanilla bean paste, my fav}, and 1 tsp. almond, pinch of salt, and colorings of your choice. Frost away~ and enjoy!

And while Nic is away, the babiest one is sharing my bed. I pretty much love it with all my heart. We read the same two books each night. Toy Story 2 {surprise, surprise}, and George Shrinks{a family favorite}.

Too many good things going on to wallow in the bad.

Happiness is a choice.

And when given the choice, why not choose happy?

~xo

this and that~

Hey there, remember me?

Funny how a few days can turn into a few weeks before I even know what hit me. Doesn't help that I've had my nose in this book~So, so sad to see it end. Absolutely adored this book. Definitely tops my list of favorites, it is a must read:) We celebrated Gramy's birthday over pizza and birthday cake~

It was sorta sweet to see these three headed out the door to their "Daddy's and Donuts" morning at school~

Our latest and greatest after school snack~

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothies

2 c. chocolate soymilk

1 ripe banana

1/2 c. peanut butter {Adam's is our fav}

2 heaping T. flax seed

1 1/2 c. ice

Blend and enjoy!

I always appreciate a little help in the kitchen:) If you look closely at Parke's pants, you will notice one leg has been completely riped wide open... ugg, that's my crazy boy!

Kade started up with basketball again~

We were so proud of the way he got out there and played hard!

Rylie and her sweet gal~pal Kendal...

More action on the court~

And the cheering section~

Made a new wreath for the front door~

Inspired by these~

A few months back I recycled Kade's old pants into these little pretties for a fundraiser. They were a big hit, and I was happy to see them sell:) Moral of the story~ use those old pants for good! They can be very useful.

Spiced up the front porch a bit~

And now I am up to my elbows in other projects. The laundry room is getting some love, hope to share that with you soon. Hope January is treating you well.

~xo

Out with the old~

In with the '2'~ ha!

I always love the coming of a new year. It means a fresh start, time to re~focus, and brings high hopes of accomplishing lofty goals. So with this in mind, here are my focus points for 2012~

I think Nic and I were set on survival mode this past year. It was a good year, but there is always room for improvement. Our family thrives on quality time together. Uninterrupted time. Our children are growing right before our eyes, I am realizing this more and more each day. No regrets. We plan to slow down, soak up every sweet moment, and find the good.

Can't wait to see what good we can do in 2012!

~xo