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

Christmas 2011

Christmas morning was magical.

Santa found our house, and delivered wonderful gifts~

of the toy variety! ya~

He gobbled up his cookies, and left some awesome homemade doggy bones for the furry one!

Oh, and some beautiful oranges. You know I'm a sucker for fresh citrus~

Rylie was the first to wake up...

3:30 people!?!

Luckily, Santa had just left;)

She snuggled in our bed until 6:00, and then it was game on!

Kaden in his new magic hat... he is going to be a real "madician." I think I'll leave that one alone for a while, he has the rest of his life to call it a magician:)

Parker got a shiny new Buzz Lightyear {obsess much!}

And our big daddy of a birthday boy! After minimal amounts of sleep:)

After we played our little hearts out, and ate a fabulous breakfast of sugary treats... we got all gussied up and headed to church.

Then up to Mimi & Papa's house we went~

Mimi & Papa always serve up the most amazing brunch. Quiche, Christmas morning casserole, and pumpkin pancakes with cinnamon syrup~ yum-o!

Opening a few gifts...

Birthday time~

We were spoiled, what more can I say?

Then off to Gramy & Papa's house for some more holiday fun~

Gift opening craziness!

Ty & Steph and their cute little family.

And the newest addition to the Sparrow clan~ Rhett. We love him to piece's already.

Gramy and Papa sure spoiled us with a delicious Christmas dinner~

It was a fabulous holiday, indeed.

And a Happy Birthday for my baby!

Here's to ringing in the new year!!

Me and my peeps are going to grub, and dance our way into 2012!

Happy New Year's to you all!

~xo

holiday hoopla~

December was nuts! With a capital N.

With all of the hubbub of Christmas, I could barely squeeze in a few winks of sleep! Needless to say, I'm a bit behind. So this is the deal. We are going to knock it out here in one huge marathon~of~a~Christmas post, mkay?

First off, we decked the halls. I had lots of help this year:) Our tree was re-decorated on a daily basis~ awesome! and only a few casualties {translation: shattered glass} due to Parker's incessant need to throw objects at the tree.

{oh, and notice my new tree skirt~yay! finally got that bad boy done}

As per tradition we hit up the Festival of the Trees. Rylie had a dance performance, and was so excited when her cousins came to see her shake a leg!

We decided to jump in line to see Santa and almost missed Rylie's performance~ way to go Mom;) Pretty sure I had scrambled eggs for brains all month long! I'm usually so with the program, ha! Oh man, I don't even want to see me in 30 years~ scary;)
{so this picture is out of order, but it's too precious. I couldn't stand to leave it out}We had a group meeting with Santa...

And an unsure 3 year old. This picture of him peaking around my leg at that jolly old elf pretty much melts my heart...

Once we realized that we were on the complete opposite end of the building than we needed to be at, and ran around like a bunch of crazy people, we finally settled in and watched our sis take the stage. Whew! She did awesome, and we were so proud of her!

They danced to the Polar Express, and Rylie thought that was pretty amazing:)

Flowers from her Daddy are always a must!

Then we were off to the kiddy~korner for some holiday fun...

Sweet Gramy and Papa{with a freshly replaced hip! no less} were such troopers, and such fun to hang out with. Ry~bug sure does love her grandparents...

And then we were toast! and headed home for bed. This was the day of the massive wind storm here in Utah, and as we drove home we couldn't believe the damage along the way. We were definitely counting blessings that night.

Next up~ The Sparrow family Christmas party! We were spoiled with a delicious dinner at one of our favorite spots...

The cousins were in heaven~

Parke and Zac~ I love to watch Zac with our kids, he is such a great uncle to them, and they love him to piece's!

After dinner we bundled up and went to see some Christmas lights!

When we stopped in to see Santa, Parker went and hid in a corner...

While the others anxiously awaited their turn to sit up on Santa's lap...

Ty and the boys~

Our cozy little family~

Thanks to Gramy and Papa for such a special and memorable night!

Sent the last of our Christmas cards off in the mail {whew!} and loved as Christmas cards from friends and loved ones poured in. Definitely one of my most favorite holiday traditions.

There was our annual Christmas goodie day, where we do not leave the kitchen until there is an over~abundance of sugary treats! All went well this year.

The list included: salted caramels, turtles, chocolate~dipped oreos, fudge, divinity, chocolate~peppermint cupcakes, Christmas wreath treats, and sparkly red~velvet brownie bites.

On Christmas Eve~eve, we went to my parents for our annual Christmas party. We ate ourselves sick! what's new? I am making some serious changes... come January:)

Me and my cute sisters~

The opening of the jammies~

Me and my honey~ and my new Rossi beanie:)

Sweet Mimi and Papa~

My Dad reading 'Twas the night before Christmas.' He has been reading this same storybook since I was a baby. It even has some really awesome illustration additions from 'yours truly' inside the front cover that I added in my toddling years:)

Christmas Eve~

Santa asking if we've been naughty or nice?? Hmm...

that's a good question:)

Ah, the magic of Santa Claus... I love nothing more than to see it in the eyes of our children.

Group picture!

Then we headed for our neck of um, suburbia. The kiddos opened new jammies, put cookies out for Santa, sprinkled the yard with reindeer food, and we snuggled by the fire and read 'The Quiltmaker's Gift.'

And the moment of truth...

Which list were they on?

I have to say, this last month my kiddos were livin' on the edge a little.

Testing the waters, if you will;)

So did Santa deliver wonderous toys, or lumps of coal??

Stay tuned...