Kali's Life As a Mommy and Wife

Sugar Free Oat Drop Cookies

2012-01-12T11:46:00.000-08:00

While I have a few minutes to blog, I had to post my favorite sugarless recipe, so far. They're also perfect for someone with allergies because they can be gluten free and do not contain eggs. Intriguing, right? You can't stop at just one of these. I dare you to try. And FYI, the dough is just as good as the cookie. The best part, these are so healthy, you could eat them for breakfast! Now who doesn't want to eat cookies for breakfast?

Sugar Free Oat Drop Cookies

(adapted from this recipe)

1 1/2 cups regular rolled oats
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 cup of almond meal or flour
1/2 cup mixed nuts, finely chopped
1 cup dried fruit (I used raisins and craisins)

3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325F. Grease baking sheet.

In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, almond meal or flour, mixed nuts and coconut flakes. Stir in allspice and cinnamon. Add dried fruit and stir until well and evenly mixed. Make sure the dried fruit do not stick together in big batches.
In another bowl, combine canola oil, mashed banana and vanilla extract. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and stir until well combined.

Place on baking sheet 2 inches apart in one inch balls, slightly flattened. Bake for about 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

Makes about 2 dozen. Enjoy. :)

No Sugar | Day 12 | Delectable Whole Wheat Sugarless Carrot Cake

2012-01-12T11:15:00.000-08:00

Hi, my name is Kali, and I am a sugar addict. Seriously. Studies have shown that refined sugar can be addictive. It triggers the same parts of the brain as cocaine. Scary, especially for people with a genetic predisposition to addiction.

I'm thrilled because I did not think I could do this and honestly, didn't know if I even wanted to. I haven't had sugar in 12 days! You may not think that's a big deal, but this is coming from someone who hasn't gone a day without sugar in probably her entire life. I'm hoping to abstain for at least a month, then I'll decide if I want to adopt it as permanent lifestyle change, because it is a lifestyle change. I've had to become a constant label reader and the stuff is in practically everything.

Days 3-8 were the hardest. Killer headaches, massive fatigue, and unyielding cravings. But I'm happy to report, I stuck to my resolve.

One of the huge benefits that has come from quitting, is all I've learned about substituting sugar with natural sweeteners, like bananas and pineapple, honey and applesauce. I love to bake and haven't felt cheated at all.

Now to the point of the post, introducing:

The Delectable Whole Wheat Sugarless Carrot Cake

(adapted from this recipe here)
photo © Kali Matthews Photography

2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup oil
3/4 cup honey
4 eggs
2 cups grated carrots
1 cup unsweetened crushed canned pineapple , drained
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1
Combine dry ingredients.
2
Add oil, vanilla, honey, and eggs; mix well.
3
Stir in remaining 3 ingredients.
4
Bake in two greased 9-inch cake layer pans for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees.
5
Cool in pans several minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack.
6
You can also bake this in a 9x13 pan as a sheet cake -- just as good, and easier than frosting a layer cake!

I whipped up a delicious sugar free cream cheese frosting using these ingredients:

8 oz of cream cheese, 3 tablespoons of butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 2 tablespoons of honey, and 6 packets of stevia. Just throw them in a mixing bowl and use a hand mixer to whip.

It also helps to have an enthusiastic three year old co-baker on hand for entertainment purposes. The boys and I absolutely loved this cake, and I will definitely be making it again.

photo a day challenge (intro & days 1-2)

2012-01-02T14:27:00.000-08:00

I'm participating in a photo challenge issued by Chantelle at fatmumslim. I think it will be a fun way to start off the new year, get my creative juices flowing, and document the little things that go on in our life.

I'll try to get out my nikon for most of the photos, but I'm pretty sure lots of days, I'll be posting pictures from my trusty little iphone.

You can follow me right here on my blog or on Instagram, username kalisarah88.

Join in? (: The party just started yesterday, so you don't have too much to catch up on. The details are on Chantelle's blog here.

Day 1: me (taken w/ iphone)

Day 2: breakfast (taken with nikon)

lowfat vanilla yogurt, walnuts, a dash of honey bunches of oats, raisins, and green apples.

easy and de-lish.

life lately, according to my iphone

2011-12-29T13:54:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been a long time. Starting with Halloween-

Harper was Clark Kent. Landon was Batman. And I was Spidermom. We went to trunk or treat at church, then to see Grandma Ruth at work, then Aunt Cindy at her fun house.

We played with this handsome, dude Jeremiah aka Harper's birthday twin.

Harper had a birthday party and scored this cool wolf hat from his girlfriends. ;)

The boys went mini golfing for the first time and loved it.

"Polar Bear" the elf came and went.

He ever-so diligently kept watch on the boys and had some fun, too.

Landon's been waking up and asking for some pretty fancy breakfasts.

He's not accepting my usual offers of cereal and toast,

so I've had to get all June Cleaver-like and throw down some mickey mouse pancakes,

breakfast burritos, strawberry covered waffles, and pepper jack scrambled eggs.

I'm not gonna lie, I was getting kind of sick of cereal too.

Here the munchkins feel asleep on the way to the gym one evening. It was only 6:00.

You may not know they don't take naps anymore. It's been MONTHS and I hate it.

We've started potty training, or not.

The only thing that's gone in the potty so far is half a roll of toilet paper.

One of three yarn wreaths I made this season.

They actually take a lot longer than I expected, but they're fun.

I spend a lot of time loving on this little man.

He's the perfect soft, chubby snuggler. I hope that doesn't change anytime soon.

Brothers watching a little too much Mickey Mouse House on Youtube,

but Anthony's in San Diego for the week, and sometimes mommas just need a break.

This is my emo hat and sad face for Anthony going to San Diego for the week without me.

Just be glad I'm not posting Farrah's Ugly Cry Face.

Okay, I'm posting.

And Kim Kardashian's.

It's just funny.

Poor things, they've had hard lives.

where a kid can be a kid

2011-11-09T11:58:00.000-08:00

On Harper's actual birthday,

we went to Chuck E. Cheese.

Just our little family... and Anthony's entire soccer team. ha.

The boys had a blast and,

I just chased them around with my camera.

They really are growing up so quickly.

Older people tell you all the time, "It goes by so fast"and "I remember when mine were that little. Now they're in college". I didn't realize how right they were, until now. Once you start having children, yes the nights are long and the days are challenging, but I believe these are some of the sweetest moments of our lives.

I was brushing Landon's teeth the other day and explained that the toothpaste helps kill the germs in his mouth. He looked very concerned and asked, "Are the germs crying?"

A few days later, there were two flies in my kitchen. I was about to make lunch and I haaaate flies. So I went on a swatting spree, killing one, picking it up with a paper towel, and throwing it away, unaware that Landon was watching me in shock. Still unaware, I swung again to kill the next fly, and Landon cried out. I looked up to see him, horrified. He yelled, "No, mommy, no! Don't kill it! It just a baby! He not big. He not big." (Um, yes the fly was huge) but he was literally on the verge of tears. So, I let the darn fly live. I'm so thankful for this sweet, sensitive boy, even if he is the most rambunctious one I know.

a birthday letter

2011-10-28T01:21:00.000-07:00

Here I am about an hour before meeting Harper.

Here I am after one heck of an hour...

and enjoying the moment every mommy dreams of for nine months,

snuggling my sweet, cuddly baby for the first time.

I have such happy memories of that day.

Can't believe it's already been two years.

And a note for the birthday boy:

Dear Harper,

Two years ago yesterday, you joined our family. You were carefully planned and much anticipated. I couldn’t wait to meet you, to look into your eyes, to hold you, to kiss you, and to watch you grow.

What would our family have done without you, these last two years? You have taught us so much.

First, you taught me that I could survive on less than three hours of sleep for days in a row. You taught your dad that he can't take his eyes off you boys for more than 2 seconds. You taught your brother to share, to love, and to protect.

Your wonderful spirit is much needed in our home. Here are some of the things that make you so special:

You have very good manners and have the sweetest little thank yous I've ever heard.
You absolutely love to snuggle. Any time, day or night. I melt a little every time you climb into my lap, lay your head on my shoulder, and wrap those pudgy arms around me.
You love hats! You have several, and make sure to put one on almost every time we leave the house.
You love going to the basketball gym with daddy, and you love when he tickles you.
You love to play (and get into trouble with Landon). You two are best friends and follow each other every where.
You especially love playing cars and throwing balls.
You love climbing on the counter tops and sneaking food (especially chocolate chips)
You take all the DVDs out of the entertainment center at least four times a day.
Your favorite shows right now are Sesame Street, Mickey Mouse Club, and "Do" (Scooby Doo)
You love blowing bubbles and helping mommy make cookies.
You love reading Daddy's Winning Hoops magazines. When things are too quiet, I often find you in my bed flipping through the pages and pointing out every ball and basketball hoop.
You love building "castles" with Landon out of every blanket pillow, and sofa cushion in the house, then jumping on it or hiding under it.
You loooove books. You ask for "one more" until we've read 14 stories before bed, and sometimes even ask to sleep with one. Some kids sleep with a stuffed animal or blanket, but you sleep with a book in your arms.
You have unusually soft and silky skin. I'm hoping it's awhile before grow out of that sweet, baby-like softness.
You love gulping down daddy's Dr. Pepper when no one is looking.
You dislike when mommy or daddy leaves.
You also dislike bedtime and wearing a tie.
But mostly, you love everything. You are so easy-going, for which I am grateful.

You really are a special kid, Harper. You fill my heart with happiness.

We love you so much!

life according to my i-phone

2011-10-25T13:56:00.000-07:00

If you're not following me on Instagram, you are missing out.

I've been a pretty lame blogger lately,

but I have a good excuse.

I've been going to the gym twice a day.

(you would too if you had two boys and unlimited daycare).

Here's where I profess my undying love for Toms shoes.

Even the boys have ditched all their other kicks in favor of Toms.

Best of all, for every pair of Toms shoes purchased, a pair is given to a child in need.

As you can see, it's time for them to get new ones already.

Harper's birthday's tomorrow, in case you were wondering what to get him...

He's a size 9. Huge, I know.

The boys are so into Halloween this year.

They've worn a different costume pretty much every day this month.

And change their minds about what they want to be every .05903 seconds.

In the past week, I have had three completely different hair colors.

I decided I was sick of my highlights and wanted to be a red head. That obviously did not work out. So, I had to quickly cover my obnoxious strands with the darkest hair color possible.

I'm lucky to still have hair.

From blonde

to ~~red~~ orange

to dark brown.

I'm channeling my Cherokee roots.

Here is the one and only way to get my boys to sleep.

Push them in the jogger stroller for hours at a time.

It's true, no break for me anymore.

Naps, how I miss them.

Pinterest has made me quite the cook lately.

This may be my favorite recipe I've tried so far.

Chicken enchilada soup. Amazing.

Harper's always been quite the ladies man.

He's submissive and easy to dominate. Girls appreciate that.

Typical Harper and Landon.

Climbing on the counters and eating all the Reece's peanutbutter chips. Stinkers.

Here's an example of dinner at our house.

It's breaded tilapia (I tell the boys it's chicken fingers).

And yes, they love it.

They love each other.

Harper's become obsessed with hats lately.

He's so funny, when we're getting ready to go some where,

he's always rushing around last minute saying,

"Wait, my hat! My hat!"

Last of all,

Harper and Landon dumped out a 28 lb. bucket of laundry detergent this morning.

That was fun.

Oh, I love my boys. I really do.

meeting nie nie

2011-09-19T19:50:00.000-07:00

You may or may not know that I am a huge NieNie fan. Who isn't though, really? I found out about her blog the same week that their plane crashed and have followed diligently ever since. Along with thousands of others, I was praying for her recovery, my heart aching for their family. I rejoiced when she came out of her coma and was so excited to see her blogging again. What a gift for us. Her words and stories have made me laugh, made me cry, and mostly have inspired me to try harder to be a better wife and mother, despite any challenges I may be going through. I love her positive attitude, sense of humor, testimony, and her willingness to share it. What a great example to us all.

Just a few days ago, she posted on her blog about an event she would be speaking at in Loomis. I bought tickets immediately. Because, it wasn't heavily advertised, there was a very small group of people. It was a nice intimate fajita dinner on a beautiful ranch.

Her speech was awesome, and here are a few things that really hit me. She was asked if she could go back to that day before the accident, would she still get in the airplane? She said she would. She said, "I am grateful for this trial. There are lessons I would have never learned otherwise, things I can teach my children." She said, "Do not let your trials define you... It's what we do with these hardships that matter."

She talked about how she felt knowing that she was probably going to die. She thought she lived a good life and tried really hard. That also stuck with me. I could be called home at any time. No one knows for sure when their mortal sojourn will end. I don't want to have regrets. I want a clear conscience. I want to know that I've tried really hard. I want the people in my life to know how much I love them. I have some work to do. :)

Overall, I learned that life can change in a second. I'm grateful for what I have now. And, I'm so grateful I got to meet Stephanie Nielson. She radiates goodness. Ohh, and did I mention she has the cutest little baby bump ever? And, that she hugged me twice? I told her I was going to bring a sign that said, "NieNie's #1 fan!" She and Christian laughed, and she said she wishes I would have, but since I didn't, she'll put it in her memory that I did. haha. Darn it, I should have.

I'm sure most of you read her blog, but if not, you are missing out! I have especially enjoyed reading her pre-accident archives. I hope I can be as strong a woman as her, so that when the winds of life come, I will not fall.

Thanks for coming to California, NieNie! xoxo

P.S. Don't you love how our outfits totally coordinate?

pucker

2011-09-07T13:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a no good, terrible, really bad day. I'm not even being the slightest bit dramatic. My kids didn't nap, they created one monstrosity of a mess after another, I had a million things to do and no energy to do them. By the time I was done cleaning up one disaster, they were on to the next. Because the boys didn't nap, they whined and cried all day. Seriously, all day. Does this sound familiar to you other moms? Or do I really have no control?

At one point, I decided to just turn on a movie for them, and *hopefully* relax. I figured I'd edit some photos, go read a book, or write in my journal (therapy). I made it half way through my room, when I just plopped on the floor. Yup, that tired.

I don't know how long I was sitting there with my back against the wall, staring into space, but I was feeling a little bit sorry for myself, a little inadequate for this motherhood job... okay, a lot.

Then Harper waddled in and puckered his sweet little drool-ey lips on my cheek. I beamed. He nonchalantly waddled back out (probably onto the next mess). But that sweet little kiss made me feel better. Much better. Things like that make this job oh-so-worth-it. I am blessed.

oh, happy day

2011-09-04T22:01:00.000-07:00

Remember this post?

When a virus deleted all the pictures on my laptop?

My wedding photos and all of Landon's baby pictures.

I was devastated.

Well, I have the happiest news...

My cousin, Steven fixed it for me!!!! He's a genius.

I rejoiced when I saw all of the pictures of Landon as a baby.

He was kind of a chubby little guy.

Anyone else remember how chubby he was?

It's okay, if you don't.

At four months, his head reached the size of his mother's.

(that's when you know you have a genius baby)

Check out those thunder thighs,

and behold...

the chunkiest chunk in the world.

It's sad they have to grow up,

lose the chub,

and get all too cool for you.

But this stage is fun, too.

The kid still blows me away.

twins?!

2011-08-24T22:02:00.000-07:00

I still get asked on a daily basis if Landon and Harper are twins, yet it never fails surprises me.

I mean, really?

Landon's head is like 5x the size of Harper's.

Story\\

At Trader Joe's on Monday,

a finely dressed elderly woman was gushing at my perfectly handsome,
yet monsterly-behaved boys.

She was waiting in line and had to be summoned by the cashier because she was so captivated by my dashing young lads, as they rammed toddler sized shopping carts into each other.

The twenty-something cashier-dude did his best to politely get her attention.

Cashier- Ma'am, are you ready? Ma'am, I can take you over here. Ma'aaaam, over here, please.

Old Lady- I'm sorry, I'm just having such a good time watching these twins! They are just so cute, but I don't know how their momma does it with twins! That's two for the price of one, right there.

Cashier- My mom would have sold me two for the price of one.

Old Lady- But you weren't a twin, were you?

I didn't have the heart to correct her.

Besides, I kind of like people thinking I'm a super mom.

daaaaaate night

2011-08-19T23:36:00.000-07:00

[this lighting makes me look so creepy... I'm not that creepy, 'kay]

We went to Red Robin and I was ready to go over my 1500 calories per day diet.

Then I got scared and ordered a grilled chicken wrap.

Worst decision ever.

It was nast.

Next time, I'm definitely getting a juicy burger, then

something hot and sugary with ice cream all over it.

I won't even feel guilty.

It's okay though, I got something hot a little later.

Who could resist those sweet lips in a dark, empty minivan?

Music in the Park

2011-08-18T16:01:00.000-07:00

Every Summer Wednesday, we go to Music in the Park.

Last week was packed.

When the ABBA tribute band, Waterloo plays, it's always packed.

They were incredible and the crowd was the liveliest I've seen.

Even balloon artist, Brandon Stewart of Classic Clowning showed up.

He can be reached at 209.518.0919
Landon and Harper were fascinated.
To be honest, so was I.
This guy can make anything.
Seriously, anything.

I wanna hire him for Landon's birthday party in April,

which he's already requested be Cars themed.

Harper loved his car balloon, too.

Now this next picture, I will cherish forever.
Grandpa used to put me on his lap (and every other grandbaby)
and sing "Ridin' ole billy goat, goin' to town..."
It was my faaaaaaavorite.
Harper and Landon love it, too.

And isn't my grandma so cute in her sun hat?

Harper found one of her diet cokes and stayed up until about midnight.

That was fun.

What do you like to do with your family during the Summer?

two toddlers and a 911 call

2011-08-13T14:33:00.000-07:00

Saturday, early afternoon: Start bath water. Put Harper in tub. Go grab towel in hall right next to bathroom. Landon shuts bathroom door. Landon locks bathroom door. I nicely tell Landon to "turn the nose on the door". He laughs, thinking how fun this is, and refuses to unlock the door. After a minute of kindly coaxing, I start to panic. I pound on the door and yell for him to unlock it. Anthony runs over with his tool box and unscrews the knob. Still, the door won't open. Harper and Landon are crying hysterically while the water rises higher and higher. I yell for Harper to get out of the tub. Landon cries for Harper to get out of the tub. Harper stays in tub, terrified, as water is almost to the top. Anthony is frantically trying to get the door open.

I call 911 while running across the apartment complex to see if maintenance can get the door open before the fire department. Maintenance is unreachable. I hear sirens and pray they'll get through the gate quickly enough. I run back upstairs to our apartment and burst through the front door still on the phone with the dispatcher, apartment management trailing behind me. I turn the hall corner, Anthony is holding Harper tightly in the hallway amid shards of shattered door wood and scattered tools. Landon and Harper are both crying. I am too, but these are tears of pure relief.

Now we're off to go do something fun with our precious babes and forget about what happened. But not before we head to Home Depot and get a lockless doorknob.

fourth of july

2011-07-05T23:05:00.000-07:00

I am so thankful to be a citizen of the United States of America and for the freedoms that we enjoy here, especially freedom of religion. My priority, as a mother, is to teach my children to uphold the principles and values of the Constitution, to defend it, and to be citizens of much contribution. I pray my family will not take the blessings this country has to offer for granted. Many men have given up their own lives so that we might enjoy the freedoms they fought to protect. I will forever be grateful for the founding fathers and for the military men and women who sacrifice so much.

God Bless America.

a night without kids (this NEVER happens)

2011-07-04T01:33:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, Andrea and Eloy called us at like 11pm to eat at BJ's.

They're so spontaneous.

I decided that might be more fun

than staying home in my pajamas playing Ant Smashers on a Friday Night.

Karly has been staying with us and was more than willing to keep an ear out for our sleeping babes

while we lived it up for an hour.

Andrea and I had root beer after root beer.

It was pure amazingness.

Definitely made up for the revolting egg rolls I ordered.

I've always disliked their food,

but I may keep going back just for the ever-so-enticing root beer on tap.

Can you see how crazy I'm getting with my forty-seventh root beer?

Anthony looks a little jealous.

Thanks Garcias!

We had a blast.

And next time, we'll get some quiche.

brothers

2011-06-27T00:16:00.000-07:00

I was looking through old photos in my iphoto library (all 12, 399 of them). As horrible as I was with my ghetto polaroid digital, my heart did something when I looked at these ones.

As you may know, the boys are only 18 months apart, and a huge part of me felt so guilty after having Harper. I almost felt like I was taking Landon's babyhood away. But, I felt strongly about trying for another baby. I knew Harper was meant to come to our family when he did, and the most rewarding thing for me is witnessing the great love the boys have for each other. I know that they were meant to be brothers. They fight like all brothers do, but mostly they are so good to one another.

This week I started training Harper to sleep in a crib. I'm such a sucker for my babies' cries, so yes at 19 months, he was still in my bed. As painful as those first few nights were, I knew I just needed to let him cry it out. The other day, after about 15 minutes his crying stopped. I waited a little while, then went into his room. Landon was playing quietly, as I let him do during nap time, but Harper was sound asleep and tucked in carefully. I didn't tuck him in though...

Landon said quietly, "I put Harper's blanket on him, rubbed his head like this, and said shhhhh. Now he's asleep."

Landon is not much older, but he is such a good big brother! He is so protective, loving, and kind. Harper knows it, and always wants to be wherever Landon's at, and doing what Landon is doing.

As wild and busy as they are, I am so grateful to be their mom!

a boy wants a dinosaur

2011-06-25T14:33:00.000-07:00

Landon's been watching the old Land Before Time movies lately,

and has become ~~slightly,~~ completely obsessed with dinosaurs.

In one of the movies, a t-rex hatches from an egg

and the kid dinosaurs try to take care of him until finding his parents.

So, when I saw this egg at a shop in Mammoth,

I had to get it for him.

Throughout the entire 7+ hour drive home, Landon carefully held his egg.

If for whatever reason he needed to do something else,

he made sure one of us was holding his precious baby dinosaur.

I was a little concerned that he might be thinking there was an actual, live baby dino in there.

After scraping, brushing, and finally soaking the egg in water to remove the clay,

we were able to get baby t-rex out.

Landon didn't touch him right away. He looked at him, puzzled, and asked,

"Why isn't he roaring?"

I could tell Landon was very disappointed.

It was sad!

I explained that if he were a real t-rex we would all be in trouble,

because he would grow up to be too big for our apartment,

and he would even try to eat us.

Landon seemed satisfied with that.

The two of them played happily ever after...

for about two hours.

Then Landon dropped him, and his head fell off.

Good thing we don't have any real pets.

my little helpers

2011-06-07T18:12:00.000-07:00

My mom and the kids are in town right now,

and I could not be happier!

It seems like yesterday Clark, Karly, and Allie were babies.

Now they are 15, 12, and 9!

Karly is gentle and encouraging, so Harper has found his new favorite snuggle buddy.

Allie is enthusiastic and as energetic as Landon is, so they have been partying it up non-stop.

I think she's already taught him all of the lyrics to Ke$ha's songs,

along with some cuh-razy dance moves.

Clark is getting Harper's skateboarding career started early.

I pretty much had a heart attack watching him do this,

so I'll be just fine if my boys decide not to take up skateboarding.

I think I'll put them in bubble wrap first.

As you can see from how much dirt they packed on,

the boys had a blast with their aunts and uncle at the park.

And the best part for me?

Allie and Karly came to my house to bathe them!

They even read stories, toweled them off, and got them dressed.

I want to keep these girls!

I think I've almost convinced mom to let me have them for the Summer. :)

homemade pizza

2011-06-06T16:08:00.000-07:00

Kind of homemade.

I've been cheating and getting the dough fresh from WinCo's Pizzeria.

It's amazing.

I top it with loads of mozzarella and cheddar cheese,

Trader Joe's marinara, pepperoni, fresh basil, parsley, garlic, and mushrooms.

It's so delicious . . .

I don't know if I'll ever be eating take-out again.

No wonder I'm not losing weight. Ha.

Still working out, and the scale numbers haven't changed.

But hey, I'm getting kind of buff!

I cannot diet though.

I just asked myself a serious question.

Do I want to be skinny or happy?

The short answer is happy.

And food makes me happy. :)

i just need to vent and it's my blog so i can do that

2011-05-17T21:13:00.000-07:00

For the last 2 1/2 months, I've been working out every single day (okay, not Sundays) but six days a week for an hour to two hours at a time and have not lost one. single. pound.

I've actually gained four.

Here's what I do:
plyometrics, power sculpt, cycling, weight lifting, step n' sculpt, and I run to and from the gym pushing a double jogger.
annoying.

Shouldn't I be losing weight by now?
I'm starting to think it was a blessing that I burned 2 out of 3 batches of these chocolate chip cookies.

But seriously, if you remember to take them out after ten minutes, they are simply perfection.

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T15:47:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful mothers that have influenced my life!

{ my mom }

{ my aunt cindy }

{ anthony's mommy }

{ my beautiful grandma -in purple }

And a very special thanks to my smart, funny, crazy babies

for coming into our lives and making me a mommy.

I love them so much, my heart could burst!

{ landon- 6 days }

{ harper- newborn }

Happy Mother's Day to all!

P.S. Anthony took Landon to get me a present yesterday.

He suggested a yellow toy car, a red toy car, and Spiderman toys.

tehehe

terrible twos x2

2011-05-06T15:09:00.000-07:00

This little boy has it in for me.

My "sweet" and "mellow" Harper is now 18 months,

and I fear he's hitting the terrible twos a bit early.

I'm sad.

But hopeful...

since Landon turned three a few weeks ago, maybe he'll be out of the terrible twos now.

Oh, and this is him eating a booger.

Quit gagging,

you know you ate yours, too.

mother goose is pretty amazing

2011-05-03T15:49:00.000-07:00

Remember this post?

Well, those same two baby geese are now practically teenagers, and it's only been a few weeks!

It's kind of sad to see them grow up so fast.

*sigh*

But,

look what Spring has brought us again,

new baby geese!

Seven of them, I tell you.

Seven!

They were so cute trying to snuggle up under Mother Goose during a ferociously windy day.

I thought to myself she's got her hands full (or wings, rather).

How does she keep track of them all?

Soon after, I got a little taste of what it was like to take care of a large bunch of little ones.

I had two girls about the same ages as my boys from Friday to Sunday, the whole weekend!

It was crazy, but we had a blast.

And having girls around to dress up and play with was the funnest!

*a very special thanks to Aunt Cindy and Uncle Greg for setting up these pools.

P.S. Please, continue to keep six year old Jacob Wells' family in your prayers. It's been a little over a week since he passed away, and I cannot imagine how they must be feeling. Here's the article written about Sweet Jacob in our local newspaper.

grateful

2011-04-27T21:33:00.000-07:00

My heart is so filled with gratitude for these three guys in my life.

They bring me such joy and happiness.

But all day today, I have thought about a family who no longer has their son to hold and to hug.

Six year old Jacob Wells has had heart problems all his life, and sadly,
he lost his battle to survive last night.

I do not know this little boy.

He is a friend of a friend's child,

but as soon as I heard about his struggle, I started praying for him.

I thought about my boys, about how his family must be feeling, I cried, and I prayed some more.

Tears fall as I write this.

I'm touched by others who have prayed on his behalf.

I don't always understand why Heavenly Father chooses to take the lives of those so young,

but I do think Jacob Wells must have been so special, that the angels needed him on their side.

My heart is aching for his family.

Please, include the Wells and Dinubilo family in your prayers,

especially his parents and twin sister.

And hold your loved ones a little tighter.

Let them know how much you care.

Make that apology.

Send that thank you card.

Try harder to be better to the people in your life, to be more patient and understanding.

We never know when the time will come for those we love to be called Home.

emoooooooootional

2011-04-21T14:31:00.000-07:00

Today, I felt like this:

I was out to lunch at El Torrito and my kids were freaking out like mangy lunatics throwing their food and climbing on tables.

I picked up Harper after he refused to stop running around and dumping out the contents of his cup.

He wiggled and screamed, trying mightily to get away from me,

while Landon ripped open Splenda packets and poured them out onto the bench seat.

I could not get out of that restaurant soon enough, so I got ready to pay and realized they pretty much triple charged me, and I'm missing $50 from my wallet.

The first part is okay, because I have my card, but where is that $50?

I remembered leaving my purse on the stroller at the park yesterday,

and I wasn't watching it closely.

I felt like a complete idiot.

I searched my purse again.

Nothing.

Finally, I got the kids home, put them down for naps, burst into tears,
and searched like crazy for the money.

Again, nothing.

Fifty dollars may not seem like a big deal to some people,

but my husband's still a student and I'm no longer working.

Plus, I just got a gym membership which I promised to pay for with my own money each month,

and that money is g-o-n-e.

I started to think about what kind of

rotten thief would steal money from a mother of two ~~terrible~~ adorable children?

That's when I started to feel like this:

like throwing myself on the ground and giving up.

After the most dramatic 30 minutes of my life . . .

I remembered the money was in my camera bag.

And then, I really felt like an idiot.

But a grateful idiot.

So, am I the only one who has lost something, then became completely convinced that it was stolen, only to find it a few minutes later? (this same situation may have happened to me before today... okay, like five times)

summer agenda

2011-04-19T17:37:00.000-07:00

I am so excited for Summer this year!

I can hardly wait for

Music in the Park,

trips to the zoo,

dips in the pool,

our trip to San Diego,

our trip to Arizona,

fresh fruit pizzas (now, I'm drooling),

but what's even better than fresh fruit pizza,

is that we get Anthony to ourselves for two whole months!

*special thanks to Lodi Unified

I'm so excited about that part, I can hardly stand it. :D

*this picture cracks me up

You're never too old for the swings.

Grandma Joyce says swinging is good for your glutes.

She's a pro (and I only wish my glutes were as nice as her's).

What are your plans for Summer 2011?

a lazy sunday

2011-04-18T18:04:00.000-07:00

After church and naps and such, we headed over to Aunt Cindy's. She literally lives less than 2 minutes away, but when I'm in her backyard, I feel like I'm on vacation.

It's so relaxing, and she or her sweet husband, Greg are always preparing some delicious dish.

This time, I thought I'd make something for them.

I made some shrimp pasta that I've been dying to try. Here's the recipe (they used chicken), but it's pretty dang yumazing with shrimp.

Did I just make that up?

We took the boys on the paddleboat for the first time.

They absolutely loved it, and Landon has spoken of nothing else since.

bye bye blondie

2011-04-18T18:03:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce, the brown hair is back!

What did I learn after being a blonde?

They don't have more fun. Why, you ask? They spend more time and money going through the whole bleaching/dying process, leaving less time and money for actual exciting activities.

Nobody takes you seriously. Seriously (see, you believe me now because I'm a brunette).

Dean said, "You're too kind for that blonde hair."
I thought that was a sweet way of telling me I look like a little meanie.

But for real, I think people do perceive bottled blondes as snobby. Who knew?

My mom said I look cheap.
Heidi said I look white trash.
My husband thought I looked h-o-t-t hott. That should have been all that mattered, so I kept it for him until my roots grew in, which thankfully took less than 2 weeks.

Honestly, with brown hair, I just feel much more me. It was fun being a blondie for two weeks, but next time I'm craving some blonde in my life, I'll go with a few highlights.

spring time- meet our new baby geese!

2011-04-16T15:58:00.000-07:00

[mean papa goose]

The best part about living on Quail Lakes is watching new life appear in the Spring.

Just two days ago, these sweet little geese hatched.

The funniest part, is two momma geese and two daddy geese follow these babes wherever they go.

It's so sweet to watch.

Okay, maybe it wasn't so sweet when papa goose lunged after me and my camera.

I wasn't ready for that to happen again.

Remember what happened last time?

So, I may have shrieked and run away.

Hoping nobody saw that...

Anyway, I'm gonna make sure these new baby geese love me and the boys.

We'll be back out there with some bread and crackers real soon.

photo booth

2011-04-14T21:14:00.000-07:00

Anthony hates these.

They seriously freak him out, but ever since I discovered Effects in Photo Booth on our Mac, I have had endless hours of entertainment. I just crack myself up.

Oh, and incase you forgot what we really look like:

(we're not freaks) okay, maybe we are.

liahona

2011-04-13T21:56:00.000-07:00

If you follow me on Facebook, then you have probably already seen this video, but I just had to post it on here.

Landon and I have been reading the Book of Mormon together before bed, and for the last few months, he has had quite a fascination with the Liahona. It's described as a brass ball of "curious workmanship" and was used as a compass to lead and guide Lehi's family in the wildness. I think the reason Landon is so obsessed with it, is because it's a ball. haha.

Well, as we were reading a few weeks ago, he said, "I want a Liahona for my birthday!"

My first thought was, "How in the world do I get him one of those?"

Thank goodness my friend, Whitney is a genius and sent me a link within minutes. So, I ordered it, and it came today! So exciting. He loves it, and I think it is sooo cute that he asked for it.

Even though it's Landon's birthday week, my blog really needs some Harper in it's life. So here:

I love me a boy who cleans up after himself.

three years

2011-04-12T13:48:00.000-07:00

I can't believe our Bubba is actually three.

When they tell you the time goes by fast,

they really mean it!

Ohh, my goshhhh, wasn't he soooo cute?

Dangit, now I'm getting baby hungry.

In honor of his turning three, here are some of my favorite pics of Landon from this past year.

It has been amazing to be a parent for these last three years,

and watch him grow from a tiny, helpless newborn,

to a chubby, babbling baby,

and now an articulate, energetic, little boy.

Landon has changed our lives so much, for the better.

And we couldn't imagine being without him.

birthday weekend

2011-04-11T15:46:00.000-07:00

Friday, Anthony took us to String's for dinner. I ordered a shrimp and chicken pasta with curry sauce. It was so spicy, but that still didn't stop Harper and Landon from eating half of it. Darn.

I took the boys to the van while Ant paid and accidentally locked them both in there. Oops. Thank goodness Landon was in the mood to follow direction. He unbuckled himself out of the carseat, climbed up front, and unlocked it for us. I promise, I'm a great mom! I'm not sure the crowd of people who came out of the restaurant to "help" thought so.

"It's okay, I really don't think we need to call the fire department."

Saturday, I went shopping in Roseville (hello, H&M) with Andrea and Heidi, while Anthony and the boys had some man time. They went to the mall, too. Daddy just couldn't resist getting them some matching Nike outfits.

Sunday, I filled the whole livingroom with balloons to surprise Landon when he woke up. He sang, "I looove balloons, I loooove balloons!" It was so funny.

Anthony made me a yummy breakfast of sausage, bagels, hashbrowns, and orange juice. Then we went to church, put the kids down for their naps, woke them up, and opened presents at home. Next, we went to Aunt Cindy's to open presents and feed the ducks. Then off to Grandma Ruth's. She and Dean made us a delicious chicken dinner complete with his famous apple walnut salad. It was such a great birthday!

We feel so spoiled and so loved!

And, I still cannot believe my ~~baby~~ big boy is three.

dear long brown hair, i miss you.

2011-04-08T11:54:00.000-07:00

(on my way to the salon)

I went to the salon to get my hair trimmed a few days ago.

The girl I usually go to, does a fabulous job.

She doesn't speak much English so I always bring a picture of how I want it,

and she cuts it exactly like the picture.

Since I just wanted a trim this time, I didn't feel it was necessary to bring a picture.

That was a mistake.

Because apparently, to her, a trim is eight inches.

I thought maybe I'd feel better if I dyed it blonde.

I don't.

______________________________________

I'll probably be dying it back in a few days.

My poor hair.

doubling up on celebrations

2011-04-06T00:23:00.000-07:00

We were ~~kind of,~~ really stupid and got married on Anthony's birthday.
Which makes celebrating both occasions in one day a lot harder, especially because my honey loves his birthday.

He can't be too upset about his day being stolen though, because Landon decided to put me through 14 hours of back labor on my birthday and steal it, too.
Oh, and we can't forget how Harper stole Jeremiah's birthday.

I have to admit though, celebrations are so much more fun with the kids.

The best part of the day, for me, was seeing how excited Landon was about Daddy's birthday. As soon as Anthony came home, he ran up to him and said, "Daddy, it's your birthday! We made cake! Let's eat cake! Blow your candles!"

I can't believe he's going to be three on Sunday. And I'll be 23. That sounds really old.
And then I remember, that I've been married four years and have two kids and think, daaaaang, I got an early start. I start to think what would I be doing if I hadn't been married at 18? I would have finished school, started a career, gone on a mission... so many possibilities.

But then, I look at my family and know I would not have it any other way. I love them so much I get teary-eyed thinking about it, and my heart feels like it could burst. They give me a reason to celebrate every day.

Now if only I could justify eating cake everyday...

bubbles

2011-04-03T11:49:00.000-07:00

I am so glad Landon is at the age where he has figured out how to blow bubbles without spilling them. Even better, he can blow bubbles for Harper and they are both entertained.
But of course, Harper wants bubbles of his own to blow, and he is a frequent spiller.

During this bubble blowing session, he spilled out all of his bubbles.
He cried and cried, "Bubbuhl. Bubbuhl. bubbuuuuuuuuhl!"

Landon came to the rescue and poured half of his bubbles into Harper's bubble bottle.

I love seeing Landon give little acts of kindness to his brother and others, especially without being asked.
It makes me a proud momma.
I sure love these boys.

kali's cures for anxiety

2011-04-02T15:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who offered suggestions and support. Glad I'm not alone in feeling anxious sometimes. I'm realizing that anxiety is just a part of life, especially with such great responsibility, and that's okay. I think a little bit of anxiety gives us the push we need to do things that need to be done or are a little bit out of our comfort zone.

The last couple of weeks, I have done a lot to reduce my stress level.

#1. I started exercising consistently. I tried Bikram (hot) yoga for a week and I absolutely fell in love with it. Unfortunately, they do not have a daycare, so I won't be able to go as much as I'd like. But, I got a gym membership instead and have been taking the kiddos to the daycare there. I get to exercise and a break, and they get to play and make friends. Win, win, win!

#2. I'm making it a priority to have some alone time with this guy. Dinners sans kids, candles, incense. You get the idea.

#3. Scheduling more play dates! The kids have a chance to interact, get their energy out (yay, nap time!) and I actually get to have an adult conversation.

I love these babies.

#4. I'm making it a priority to wake up an hour before the kids do, to pray and study my scriptures, uninterrupted. By the time they're up, I've been reminded of my purpose, feel at peace, and prepared for the day.

#5. I basically just decided to simplify my life. Part of that was giving up the fashion blog for a while (maybe forever). Simplifying helps me to focus on the things that matter most. And for me, it's the little things. Getting down on the floor to play with my kids, letting them "help" me bake or do dishes. I've also had way more time to clean and organize, which reduces my stress level significantly.

I know that I'm going to look back on this time in my life and miss it. The moments are already ticking by so fast. I'm doing my best to cherish the everyday moments. Snuggle with my boys and kiss their pudgy cheeks, blow bubbles and let them make messes. I'm learning to live in the moment and to appreciate the beauty in my life. It humbles me to recognize so much of it.

Keepin' it Real-- Anxiety

2011-03-14T23:29:00.000-07:00

*don't let their sweet looks fool you, these guys mean trouble ;]

I like to keep it real-- life can't be sunshine and rainbows all the time. I love being a wife and mommy more than anything, but with two very active little boys and a husband who has a very demanding schedule, a lot of times, I feel like a single parent and get overwhelmed.

I've always been able to handle a lot of stress without any problems, but lately I've had such bad anxiety. Just a knot in my stomach and that feeling of nervousness. I have standards for the order of my home that sometimes seem impossible to attain. My children throw tantrums and some days just do not listen (I just pulled Landon off the counter as he was throwing teddy grahams all over the floor... oh, here he goes again).

Anyway, it can be a real challenge doing it by myself 24/7.

I've had a crazy busy schedule lately, teaching young women, doing photo shoots, editing photos, and just trying to keep our family afloat. It seems like I just go, go, go hardly stopping to eat or sleep. And as if sleep isn't hard enough to come by, I've been getting these horrible itchy hives at night for the last 2 days. With the bedbug epidemic I freaked out. I ripped off the sheets, checked the cracks and crevices of the mattress, and saw nothing. Harper still sleeps with us, and he and Anthony haven't had hives at all.

After being kept awake for 22 hours straight, I did a little research (thank you, Google), and found out that anxiety and the epidermis are directly related.

"Anxiety releases a myriad of chemical reactions in the body, including adrenaline and cortisol, which can cause eruptions on the skin's surface."

"Hives are typically caused by an allergic reaction to a substance, but also can be the result of high stress."

And the reason I'm getting these hives at night is because the body produces a natural antihistamine (anti itch) during the day, but at night it shuts off.

I'm so relieved just to find answers.

Anthony has been super helpful today. He's off work this week (tender mercy), and let me go back to bed for a few hours this morning. When I woke up he was making lunch, and then went to get me benedryl, clariton, and benedryl lotion. They have helped so, so much! And my aunt gave me an herb called Valerian Root that helps you relax. And I needed to calm the heck the down, so I'm feeling much better. :)

So, friends (especially all you mommas out there)-- during stressful times, do you ever get anxiety, and how do you deal with it?

Kali's Cell- Unloaded

2011-03-10T14:03:00.000-08:00

Here are my very dirty little munchkins after an eventful day at the park.

Here are some geese that wander around the apartment complex leaving turds everywhere and

squawking their annoying little heads off day and night.

Here's my knee after they lunged after me!

I tripped and fell up the stairs.

With Harper in my arms, thankyouverymuch, geese.

Don't worry, he's just fine. :)

I protected him with my mom reflexes.

Here's my handmade necklace, handmade by your's truly.

Check it out on my fashion blog.

Last but not least, I'm so excited because my cousin's getting married this Saturday,

and I get to do the bride's makeup!

I love this look, so I've been practicing on myself. :)

P.S. Did I mention, I'm photographing the wedding, too?

So excited!!!

Dear to My Heart

2011-03-08T08:15:00.000-08:00

Last night, the babies and I went to Ross while waiting for Anthony to get a new phone nearby, which typically takes 57,438 hours. That's okay though, because I like Ross. We circled the aisles over and over, and Landon started to sing, "Follow the prophet, follow the prophet, follow the prophet, don't go a stray!" with much enthusiasm. As embarrassing as it was, I couldn't help but smile, and actually get a little teary eyed. I'm so happy for the gospel in our lives. I'm so, so grateful for all the tools it has given me to help lead my family to Christ.

Landon is a very strong-willed child. He is challenging, but so smart, sensitive, and loving. Lately, I've noticed just how sponge-like our little children are. Landon has been using a particular phrase lately that I'm not perfectly happy with. When I ask him to do something, his first response is, "Stuh minute."
"Pick up your toys, Landon."
"Stuh minute!"
"Come eat breakfast, Landon."
"Stuh minute!"

You get the idea.

After several days of this, I started to become quite frustrated having to wait on him for everything. And then, I realized that is what I sound like. I'm sure he's been frustrated with me! When Landon asks for something; help with a toy, a snack, a book, my time, I'm often preoccupied and respond with, "Just a minute." Despite all of the responsibilities mothers have, I'd really like to become more present for my children. If that means letting the house get a little bit messier than I'd like, so be it.

They really absorb all that we say and do, which can actually be a good thing. It's an opportune time to teach them the values we hold dear.

For the last few weeks, Landon and I have read the Book of Mormon together each night before bed. I wasn't sure how he would do because he's so used to our rhyming books with lots of colorful pictures, but he so looks forward to us reading the Book of Mormon. He'll point to the pictures in the front and tell me who Jesus Christ is, who Joseph Smith is, and then go on and on about Lehi and the liahona (or gold ball, as he likes to call it).

I've noticed a change in our home, since we've started reading together. There is more peace. More understanding. It helps remind me that they are not just my children, but children of God. And I realize what a blessing it is to have them entrusted in my care.

I truly believe that the spirits who have come to this earth in these latter days and those who are being born now, were saved for a special purpose. They are the most brilliant and the most valiant. They will have temptations and challenges that are greater than we've ever had to face. Never in the history of mankind has it been so vital to teach them who they are and what their purpose is.

I've decided to start teaching the boys the Articles of Faith. For Family Home Evening last night, we went over the first, "We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and his son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost." I'm so excited about it, and I'm so grateful to be a mom. Again, I am so, so thankful for the church and all the tools it has given me to lead and guide my children. My family means everything to me.

I've noticed, I have a lot of new followers on my blog. Some I've met and some I have not, but I'm excited to get to know you. If you are not a Mormon, and have any questions about this post, please see mormon.org. Or feel free to leave me questions in the comment box, or email me at kalisarah88@yahoo.com. My faith is very dear to my heart and I'm more than happy to share it. :)

*Despite all of the crazy things you may have heard, we can drink coke. In fact, Harper loves it!

What's on Kali's Phone? (It's a good one)

2011-03-01T10:54:00.000-08:00

It's Tuesday, so head over to the Hussy's blog, and link up!

(she's super pretty, hilarious, has FIVE kids, and you'll love her, so go!)

Harper decided he didn't just want one piece, but he wanted the whole box.

Aren't those chubby legs the cutest?

And, I gave him a big boy haircut this week!

*tear*

It really does make him look so big.

I couldn't resist taking this sweet picture of husband taking the boys to nursery on Sunday.

As Sarah says, The Walk to Freedom for 2 Hours.

haha...so true!

I went to a Filipino restaurant called Jolibee, and had to get a

picture of my drink to send to Luisa.

Her husband told her the little black balls were jellyfish poopies.

They weren't poop balls, but they were gross.

Or were they?

The other night Harper kept me up until 12:30 teething, and woke up several times throughout the night.

So, when Landon woke up at 5, I was desperate for some sleep.

I stayed up until 7 with him, made him breakfast, put on Toy Story 3, and went back to bed.

Not long after, I hear water running.

I run into the bathroom to find him like this:

He flooded the whole entire bathroom.

I quickly threw down about 12 towels, when I heard a knock at the door.

I literally just woke up, so I threw some clothes on, and yelled "Who is it?"

"Maintenance."

I crack open the door,

"Is there a leak somewhere in here? The lady downstairs says her bathroom is flooding."

Crap.

That's the first and last time, I'll ever fall asleep while one of my kids is up.

And, we should really have a downstairs apartment.

I'm totally psychic

2011-02-27T15:05:00.000-08:00

This is me and Adam when we were kids. Didn't we look so much alike?

As you may know, Adam was killed in a car accident a few weeks ago.

{read tribute}

Aunt Cindy sure has some amazing friends. They bought a star for Adam.

So, there's a star in our galaxy named Adam David Hamel,

and you can see it if you're far from the city.

Aunt Cin texted me to let me know she and Nate would be going to the dessert to find Adam.

Here's our convo. I'm green, she's white.

Those are Adam's ashes in the box next to Sponge Bob "hanging out in the backseat".

Playing in the Rain

2011-02-21T19:52:00.000-08:00

This week it rained. A lot.

One particular morning, there were great chunks of hail falling through the sky.

In Stockton, California.

Crazy.

Even crazier, Harper absolutely loved being outside during the storm.

Does this make me a bad mom?

Disney on Ice

2011-02-17T15:42:00.000-08:00

Dear Aunty Cindy,

Thank you so much for taking us to Disney on Ice!

We had such a good time snuggling with you and

eating popcorn right out of your hands,

with our eyes glued to the crazy characters

and their interesting skate moves.

Seeing Buzz and Woody was definitely the highlight of our night and our lives.

We also had a blast re-creating the "snow show" with popcorn in the livingroom.
Mommy loved it.

Thanks again, Aunty Cindy.

We love you soo0o0o much!

Love,

Landon, Harper, (and Mommy)

Cupcakes

2011-02-15T17:15:00.000-08:00

Someone gave us cupcakes after Anthony's basketball game the other night,

but

I ate them all.

Landon woke up asking for one, and I felt pretty guilty for not sharing.

That's what I try to teach my kids to do and obviously was not a good example.

So0o0o0o0o...

I had to make more.

I let them frost their own, which they loved.

You know you want a closeup of that action.

My kitchen floor still hasn't recovered, but they had a great time.

That's all that matters, right?

[ Landon doing post-cupcake push-ups ]

Park

2011-02-10T16:50:00.000-08:00

We spend a ridiculous amount of time on our balcony.

to the point that Landon just gets bored out of his mind.

Today he decided he wanted to go feed the ducks.

I grabbed a few pieces of bread, and we headed downstairs.

Only Harper kept trying to jump in the pond with them, so that ended pretty quick.

I felt bad because they were terribly bored and the weather has just been too beautiful to stay inside.

I carried our 500 lb. jogger stroller downstairs and we went on a lovely walk to the park.

Landon went down the slide over and over and over.

Harper just walked around... my little explorer.

I put him in the swing, and he loved it!

Especially when Big Brother pushed him.

Awwwww!

Landon loved the swing, too.

I haven't heard him laugh so hard all day.

So, yes, carrying a ridiculously huge jogger stroller up and down the stairs,

then walking too dang far for flip flops was totally worth it.

Next time I'll be wearing sneaks.

Maybe I'll even run to the park.

Yeah, right.

Ramble

2011-02-07T23:49:00.000-08:00

Look at these boys. Look at these boys!

I am so in love with them.

They keep me insanely busy, make messes like pros, and occasionally beat me up.
But,
I love them.

I love Harper's sweet spirit, his wise soul, and how he snuggles and smooches me several times a day. Even if he is covering me in snot/slobber in the process.

I love that when he wants my attention, he'll quietly come grab my hand and lead me to where ever he wishes. It's usually the basketball hoop in the corner of the bedroom. Then he'll pick up a ball and shoot hoop after hoop after hoop (just like his brother). He'll stay so serious and make sure I'm watching, throw the ball in and say "Goal!"

Landon keeps me on my toes. His spirit is just too big for his little body, so he does not stop moving. I'm especially impressed with him right now because we have about 80 kids books, and he has at least half of them memorized. It is crazy. He does not get that from me. I don't even remember what I ate for lunch today.

I am so thankful for them. Being a mother has blessed my life in so many ways. I can't even imagine what life would be like without Landon and Harper. They are so special to me, and I'm so humbled to have been entrusted with these amazing little boys. I hope I can help them reach their full potential.

{ what's on kali's phone }

2011-02-01T12:05:00.000-08:00

If you haven't heard about the coolest game on the web yet,

you need to go check out The Hussy's hilarious blog.

She's like Supermom on something. But not, because she's Mormon.

High on life?

Finally, both of my boys seemed healthy enough to be in public.

We celebrated by going to the park.

Then we went to Jack in the Box. It just reminded me of how much I love Stockton.

We saw at least 5 crackheads and this lovely couple in the corner below.

What you can't see, is that she has her legs straddled around his body,

and he kept sticking his tongue out to lick her face before they engaged in passionate kissing.

Needless to say, I kind of lost my appetite.

Then it was our turn for some passion. The Mr. and I hired a sitter and went on a real live date!

Anthony took me to an Italian restaurant called De Vega Brothers (awesome).

After a night out, I'm always more excited to see be with these little guys.

On Friday, we celebrated Grandma Joyce's birthday.

I hope I look this good when I turn ??

Saturday, we went out for a good old greasy chicken dinner (and saw more crackheads).

Ugh... we've had too much fast food, lately. :/

I should really start eating better if I'm serious about training for that half marathon.

Saved the best for last.

I punched myself in the face trying to pull Harper's sweater off.

I know, I'm awesome.

Training

2011-01-31T17:56:00.000-08:00

Just want you to know, I'm so domestic. I'm cradling a giant bowl of homemade guacamole in my lap and stuffing covered chip after chip into my grateful mouth. I love food.
Too much.
That's why it's been my goal year after year after year to run a half marathon. I've been pregnant for pretty much the last 3 years, so that's of kind of gotten in the way of things. But if I want to keep eating like I do, I better get running.

So0o0o0o0o...

I talked to my personal trainer friend and she said she'd give me a 12 week training plan for Beginners. But guess what.
I'm not even a Beginner. I'm like a pre-beginner. I have to start running four miles a day before I can even start the Beginner Training Schedule.

But I'm ready,

because I want to go from this:

To this:

I've been very diligent about doing my pre-workout stretches.

Then I put on my ipod and start to get pumped.

I run, and it feels pretty good.

I even pump up the speed a few notches.

I run faster and faster and faster

and then

I feel like I'm gonna pass out.
My stomach hurts, the room seems to spin, I envision my body flinging off the treadmill, and slamming against the wall behind me.
I start to look like this:

dang, I'm hot.

Then comes my favorite part:

Post workout stretches!

Do I look lethargic, or what?

I hope I can keep this up.
In the mean time, what are you favorite workout songs? I'm still on a search for the best of the best motivational music. I neeeeeed it.

Sloshy Bellies and More

2011-01-27T20:25:00.000-08:00

Landon was jumping on my bed tonight, stopped suddenly with wide eyes and asked, "What's that sound?"

I said it's the sloshing of juice in your tummy.

"Milk", he corrected me.

He's been jumping around the house ever since. It's cracking me up because I can hear his pudgy belly sloshing from the other side of the room.

I took this photo right after he asked to watch a movie. I said no, and this is the look he gave me.

He looks pure evil.

In fact, this picture totally creeped Anthony out.

P.S. I just overheard him trying to get his fruit snacks out of the bag. He said kindly,"Come heeeere, little guys." Nice to know he makes friends with his fruit snacks before eating them.

Sometimes, I really don't know what to think of this kid. But I love him more than life.

{ tribute to adam }

2011-01-25T12:09:00.000-08:00

My dear cousin, Adam Hamel was ejected from his car early Sunday morning, and found 50 feet from his vehicle several hours later, with serious head trauma. He wasn't breathing, but they were able to bring him back for a short time through life support. Unfortunately, his brain did not stay active.

He passed away at 11:45 a.m. today.

Adam was my oldest cousin on my mom's side. I looked up to him so much. He was intelligent, witty, and oh, so cool. He was a very talented musician. Adam spent hours composing music, making beats, with lyrics as deep and insightful as he was.

Because I knew how much he loved music, one year I bought him a toy microphone from the dollar store. Over a year later, I saw it pinned to his wall, still in the case. He appreciated the little things.

I remember playing Sorry with Adam and my sister, Samantha. Adam was so positive, so I handed him the yellow game piece and said, "You take yellow, because you're bright like the sun." He took the piece and laughed. Probably because I'm such a nerd. But he left a note on my door later telling me how much he appreciated that. I was grateful, because I meant it.

As kids, we were riding in the car from a camping trip. No Mercy's "Where Do You Go" came on. Adam sang along, "Where do you go, oh, oh, oh, my ugly, where do you go? Where do you go, oh, oh, oh my ugly, where do you goooo?" I laughed and laughed. This just verified the fact that I did have the funniest, coolest cousin ever. I still cannot listen to the song without singing along to Adam's version.

My thoughts and prayers are with my Aunt Cindy, Uncle Dave, and cousin Nate, Adam's only brother. They were really close in age, just like my boys. My heart is filled with grief for them.

Adam will be missed tremendously.
Love you Adam. Until we meet again.

For Adam.

{ link-it-up tuesday }

2011-01-18T11:09:00.000-08:00

Time to head over to the Hussy's blog, upload those phone pics, and linkup!

I've been encouraging Landon's independence,

so along with potty training,

I've let him pick out his own outfits lately.

I guess I need to explain that pajamas are not considered day wear.

He does seem to have quite an adventurous sense of fashion though.

He must get it from his momma (pictured below).

I was kind enough to dress my little sister, ever so modestly.

That obviously was not for me.

Doesn't Harper just have the cutest little cry face?

Here it is again!

My 94 pound older sister came to visit,

and suggested I go on a diet to "firm up".

I picked up this magazine with every intention of following her counsel.

Then I saw that Nestle Tollhouse partnered up with Dryer's ice cream.

I ate the entire carton in less than 24 hrs.

It was awesome.

I pledge my undying love for my husband right on the side of our minivan.

"Is that gonna come off?"

Um... I love you, too would be a nice response as well, babe.

Here I am glammed up for a night on the town.

Do I look evil, or what?

Aunt Cindy gave me these Puppet Animal tats to entertain the kiddos.

I didn't realize so many people would think it was a real tattoo.

I felt super cool and hardcore for one night of my life.

This guy liked it, too. :)

I killed this sucker. And I'm pretty dang proud of it.

I guess I am pretty hardcore.

Husband and I walked into Safeway, and saw these peculiar looking balloons.

They're supposed to be pistachios.

???

{ real life }

2011-01-17T20:17:00.000-08:00

In preparing to become a mother, there are some things you just can't plan for. You will be pooped on. You will be vomited on. You will scrub barf out of the carpet for hours, and somehow the smell will still linger. You will be vomited on again. Then you will do it, too.

Oh, the last 2 days have been hard. But aren't these crazy munchkins the cutest?

They really do make it all so worth it.

And if you haven't read this article yet, I suggest you check it out. It's written by a young, feminist atheist who's addicted to Mormon Mommy Blogs. Gotta love that.

Silly Landon

2011-01-11T22:11:00.001-08:00

Landon has been cracking me up all day today, so I need to journal it in.

He was jumping into piles of laundry (freshly folded...ugh!). But he was jumping and saying, "I'm so happy! I'm so happy!" over and over. Who would I be to take that from him? Yes, an evil ogre.

Then, as we were getting ready to go to Daddy's basketball game, he went to pick out shoes for himself and shoes for Harper. In the process, he found newborn shoes and said, "Look, Mommy. Tiny baby shoes. I wanna put shoes on a little baby." I said, "Oh, well, we don't have a little baby anymore." Out of curiosity, I asked, "Do you want another baby?"

"Yes!" he said.

"Would you want a brother or sister?" I asked.

"A sister." he said firmly.

"A boy or a girl?" I tested him.

"Girl."

Woah.

Then we were saying family prayer and Harper happened to unfold his arms. Landon screamed, "Harper. Noooo! We're saying a prayer!"

Way to keep it reverent.

We got Landon the huge Buzz Lightyear on Saturday. It's a "thinking toy", so he interacts when you speak to him. It's hilarious because Landon totally thinks he's alive. He'll keep a ten minute conversation going with him, and even tells me to be quiet when Buzz is "sleeping".

This is getting long winded, but on Oprah today, there was a family who lost all three of their children, ages 5, 4, and 2 in a car accident. It really made me think. A car almost hit us yesterday. I am so thankful that it didn't, but realize that our lives can change in an instant. I am so thankful for my boys. I'm thankful that I'm home with them, and even though it can be so hard and so exhausting, I get to be here for all the cute things they say, and the funny things they do. I can pick them up and snuggle or smooch them, wipe their tears when they're hurt, stay in my pj's and play catch for half the morning, just because. I love them so much. Yes, even when they're tossing my folded laundry around... gotta go!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-01T10:37:00.000-08:00

These people came to visit- Dad and Grant from So. Cal, and my sister, Samantha from Florida.

We went to see the Christmas lights. Landon's favorite was the train, of course.

Anthony, so sweetly, personalizes the labels on my packages (it's tradition).

My kid is a stud. Just sayin'.

Hope your Christmas was merry and bright! Our's sure was. :)

Sweets

2010-12-22T16:37:00.000-08:00

As I pushed my cart through the candy aisle the other day, I mistakenly veered a little too close to the shelf. Landon quickly grabbed a Butterfinger, and held it up high, yelling, "I caught it, Mommy! I caught it!"

Another time, he grabbed a box of fruit snacks off the shelf, and tossed it into the cart, saying, "I helping Mommy."

I LOVE my boys! I also love sweets. Here's a few shots of us in the kitchen this morning, where I got to enjoy both. :)

These cookies are to die for.

My baby!

(these may have been intended for stocking stuffers... Oops)

Sticky fingers

Drooling.

Sweet, pudgy feet.

And, we can't forget about "Frosty" the fridge.

Thanks to Sarah F. for the idea!

What's on Kali's Phone

2010-12-14T11:59:00.000-08:00

Jessica aka "The Hussy" (she's pretty much famous) does this thing on her family blog where she uploads pictures from her phone every Tuesday, and invites her readers to do the same and link in. Jessica's like the popular girl in the blogging community that everyone wants to be friends with. She is absolutely hilarious, gorgeous, and has five kids. Crazy. I think the closest I'm going to get is that I'm friends with Mica Martin and Ira Heinzen. I still haven't figured out how they're related to Jessica, but anyway...

Harper in distress after wrapping himself in Christmas decorations.

My little munchkins at Costco.

People keep asking me if they're twins. They're 18 months apart, folks.

Landon asked me to draw a picture of him and Harper.

I scribbled this on a piece of nearby mail, and actually thought it turned out pretty dang good.

I found a website that you can use to try on celebrity styles, and then texted this to Anthony. I didn't realize he would think I had actually dyed my hair. Needless to say, he was very disappointed when he got home to find I was still boring brunette. Poor guy.

When I say Landon hardly stops moving, I mean it.

This is the closest I could get to an individual snapshot.

Smooching the manchild. He just loves when I do that.

Ladies can't resist him. Sorry, Kitkat. He's mine.

Makeup

2010-12-09T22:51:00.000-08:00

I'm on the computer editing some photos, and I turn to see a lifeless looking foot peaking out from under a throw blanket. I immediately recognized it as Landon's, and thought, "Why isn't he moving? Is he okay?!"

Then I saw it.

Me: Landon! Do you have my makeup?

Landon: Yeah.

Me: Okay, get out from under the blanket.

Landon: I playing hide and seek with makeup.

This kid LOVES to play with makeup (or anything potentially messy). He sneaks my beauty bag whenever he gets a chance and paints his body, the carpet, the wall, or Harper with my mac shadows, eyeliners, MASCARA, and whatever else he can get his hands on. Oh, my son.

Walmart Babies

2010-12-08T10:48:00.000-08:00

I heard that babies who run around in their diapers are called Walmart babies. These pictures were taken right after bath, so I'll have you know, they are usually like, Ralph Lauren babies. You could even call them Gucci babies if you wanted to.

Most of the time when we are home, Landon wears underpants. But lately, he has been freaking out every time I've tried to put them on him! He says, "I wanna wear diaper like Harper."

I was like, okay, here's a diaper. I pick and choose my battles with this kid.

Well, I got smart and decided to put underpants over Harper's diaper, and now Landon is back to wearing underwear. Ha.

They crack me up.

Holiday Cheer

2010-12-07T13:41:00.000-08:00

Jana did this on her blog, and I pretty much died laughing. Maybe because I have the sense of humor of a 5 year old, and just cannot handle how hilarious it is to see Anthony with a woman's body. Landon thinks it's pretty funny, too. Now, I want to see yours!

Gangsta Matthews:

Surfing Matthews:

Saved the best for last, Country Matthews (because we all know how much Anthony loves country...not)

Dreaming of...

2010-11-30T10:20:00.000-08:00

This is my living-dining area. It was when we first moved in, so the walls are now adorned with framed pictures, but the rest is still pretty... blah. I love my obnoxious sectional, but a friend came over not long ago, and said, "You really need to cover these pillows."

The yellow ones are pier1, and I liked the striped ones because they have a nautical feel. But, let's face it, I just can't afford super fab pillows, and with 2 of my own kids 24/7, and 4 other kids in my care 40+ hours a week, I don't have much time to sew.

I don't know if it was the look on my face that prompted her to say, "Well, they're not total eye sores."

I think we all know how you feel now (we, as in me and my pillows).

Well, well, Christmas is coming and maybe if I'm really good Santa will get me some of these babies:

Or maybe I'll just get some time to cover those old "eye sores".

While your at it, Santa, I'd really like a new dining set too. My "thrifted" dining chairs keep poking me in the bum because pins stick out of the cushions.

This table and chair set from Ikea is only $310! Please, Santa, pleeeeeaase!

One of these rugs from Anthropology would be nice to cover my bare carpet too.

Okay, I'm done!

Blogoholic.

2010-11-22T21:52:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I may a little addicted to blogging. I'm really just trying to "journal" my life. We are supposed to be journaling, right? Writing with a pen and paper is just too old fashioned for me. I'm an up with the times kinda girl.

Last week, Landon dumped out a whole bottle of baby soap and a whole bottle of Tresemme. I was irritated, but whatever. So, we went out Saturday and bought two new bottles.

What do you think he did with the new bottle of baby soap today?

That's right, he dumped it out. But wait-- there's more. He got ahold of the dish soap and dumped that out too. He also knocked over a lamp which resulted in our last lightbulb breaking. So, we went out to get

dish soap
another bottle of baby soap
and lightbulbs

We got home, I changed the lightbulb in the lamp, and I put all the soaps up high and out of reach. Well, guess what...

Harper just knocked over the same lamp! Ugh.

And you thought girls were expensive.

My baby's sick. :(

2010-11-21T18:04:00.000-08:00

This happy guy is not so happy right now. Poor guy had a fever of 103.4 last night. He kept me awake from the wee hours of the night until the sun came up. Thank goodness it's not my week to teach YWs, because there was no way I was going to church. Plus, it totally drives me crazy when people bring their sick kids to church, to get everyone else's kids sick. I got Landon ready, and sent him off with Daddy.

Harper and I went back to bed and I dreamt I was in the hospital having surgery for the second time, when I looked out my ocean-view window, and a horse with humungous cat eyes galloped out of the ocean. It was creepy. I really don't know why I shared that.

Anyway, my husband is really wonderful because he did two loads of laundry tonight and made dinner. It was de-lish. Beef fajita goodness topped with roasted red and green bell peppers, shredded cheese, sweet tomato salsa, and cool sour cream. Ohh, gosh, you can tell I worked at Chili's. Ha. But seriously, it was good. I'm so thankful my hubby cooks. He's baking cookie brownies right now. Excuse me while I go grab a bowl of ice cream, to top it off, and eat my worries away.

Bunco and Will.i.am (Not Bunco with Will.i.am...I wish)

2010-11-19T13:02:00.000-08:00

{can't you just see how much he loves me smooching on him?}

Last night, I hired a babysitter and was off to Bunco with the girls. Remember, it's basketball season so Anthony is gone 13-17 hours a day, minimum. I was not going to pass up an opportunity to get a little break. We don't play Bunco for money, by the way, so quit judging me. No gambling here.

I had so much fun, but it was nice to get back to the boys. They don't have separation anxiety, but I think I do. My arms just don't know what to do without a baby in them! So here comes the best part of the night...

The babysitter said Landon was a "big help." He was good. The whole time! I'm so happy. Last time we went out, he threw a toy that happened to hit his brother in the head. The week before that, he got kicked out of nursery for swinging from the curtains and bashing his face on a nearby table. I was thrilled to have a good report. So, I gave him three balloons and we played with them the rest of the night. Literrally, we didn't go to bed until midnight yesterday. I'm such a ~~bad~~ fun mom.

Here's this video that my kids are sick of, but I can't stop watching. If Anthony died and I had to marry a celebrity, it would definitely be Will.i.am. Not only can he sing, but he is so dang cute, and sensitive! On Oprah, there were these families who were losing their homes to foreclosure because of the economy, so he bought their homes for them (and he cried)! I love when guys cry. Seriously, it's so ~~hot~~ sweet. He does it for lots of people, including his mom and grandma. He's amazing. Okay, watch the vid.

Landon Bombastic

2010-11-17T12:07:00.000-08:00

We all know Landon is what child development experts call the "spirited child". He's textbook case.

Intense: When he's happy, he bursts into peals of laughter, always smiling, laughing and moving. When he's sad or upset, he is inconsolable.

Persistence -- we value persistence in our society, and Landon has it -- he will stick to something for a long time. But he also has the negative kind, stubbornness. He "locks in" to ideas and has trouble unlocking. He can never take "no" for an answer; he'll ask for the same thing 20 times in a row. (He has asked me for a cookie at least 12 times since I started typing this).

Sensitivity -- emotionally; his feelings are hurt very easily. And physically; he hates turtlenecks, hoodies that come up too high, even socks. Everything feels too tight and constraining. He wants to wear the same adidas velcro shoes every single day. Putting his high top converses on is torture for us both.

Perceptiveness -- Landon notices everything around him. The smallest detail seldom escapes him. However, these details provide distractions which make completing other tasks difficult. Perceptive kids are often accused of not listening, when in reality, their attention is simply focused elsewhere. Adults have learned to screen out stimuli which are not important -- for example, we often drive on "auto pilot," not paying attention to anything around us except the other cars. Yet, we complete our task without mishap. Perceptive children have not learned to screen out extraneous stimuli, nor have they learned which stimuli are more important to attend to than others. I was exactly the same way as a kid. Oh, wait...still am.

Adaptability -- to transitions, surprises, changes in schedule or routine. On the days I babysit away from home, he is a meltdown master. Same with church half the time. He's used to our very scheduled routine at home, and doesn't adjust well to change. He likes to go out and do things, he's just very overstimulated. It helps to prepare and notify him. "We are going to church today. After Sacrament Meeting, you're going to play with your friends and fun toys."

Regularity -- Landon's eating, sleeping and elimination patterns are not regular. He's 2 1/2 and still has some problems sleeping through the night. He has a really hard time falling asleep, and is rarely asleep by 10:30. Nothing we have tried improves his sleeping patterns -- that's just how he is, and we are learning to adjust.

Energy -- activity level. Landon has limitless energy. From morning until night he is moving. Even compared to other two year old's, he is constantly moving and into something.

So, yes, Landon is a "handful", but he also has the kindest heart of any kid I know. He may be energetic and moody, but no matter how upset he gets, he never hits, kicks, or physically hurts others in any way. He plays very well with his friends and brother. He is always concerned about the welfare of everyone else. If he hears me run into something or even sneeze, he comes running and says, "Are you okay, Mommy? Are you okay, Mommy?" I hear that at least once a day, and it always makes me smile.

He is also seriously smart. I am stunned by how quickly he picks things up. He started using words at six months, and knew several by nine months. At fifteen months he could hold a conversation. He knows all of his letters and all of their sounds. He loooves books. That's the one time I can get him to sit still is when we're reading.

He is an amazing athlete already. He is so coordinated, can dribble, shoot, hit a ball with a bat, and throw a football as far as the moon. He makes me so tired, but he also makes me so proud.

So, please, stop judging me. He may be the one at the store screaming his head off because he wants the balloon he saw on the way in, or running around the restaurant like a maniac, but one day, he just might be your kid's boss.

10-15% of children are considered by experts to be spirited. If your child sounds like my sweet Landon, read this.

Harper the Great

2010-11-16T21:53:00.000-08:00

When Landon was six weeks old, I went to my postpartum checkup and was scheduled to get an IUD inserted. It's a form of birth control that lasts up to five years. I sat on the procedure table with a sheet over my lap, and waited for the doctor to come in and get it over with.

Then I had a feeling. An unmistakable feeling...not to get the IUD. I started to argue with myself. I'm already on the procedure table. It's too late. I have to get it. Anthony and I talked about this. We are waiting five years.

Don't get it.

But I'm here, on the table, with a sheet over my lap. I have to!

The doctor came in. I had never met him before. He was African American with white hair, a white beard, and smile to match. He kind of reminded me of "God" in Bruce Almighty.

He asked if I had any questions before he began the procedure. I tried to buy myself some time (and courage), so I asked a few lame questions I already knew the answers to. What's the risk of ectopic pregnancy with this? How effective is it? Will I gain weight? etc.

He told me that he had tied women's tubes before, and they still became pregnant. He said if you're supposed to get pregnant, you will. Then he said, "Too many people listen to their heads, instead of their hearts. Do you want to get this today?"

I sat stunned and said, "Well, we're poor right now. We have to finish school before we have another kid. Logically it makes sense to wait..."

With firm authority he interrupted, "What is your heart telling you?"

"No." I sighed with a huge amount of relief.

"I'll write you a three month prescription for the pill. Take it, or don't."

Is that crazy or what? Not long after, I had another strong impression that I needed to try for numero dos. I'm so glad we did. And, I'm so thankful for a random doctor who was in tune and told me just what I needed to hear.

From the beginning of my pregnancy, I could tell Harper had a very gentle, but mighty spirit. I felt intelligence. And, when he was born, I felt like he was already smarter than me! He seemed like this wise little thing, and I still feel that about him. The funny thing is, my friend said the same thing when she held him. And my dad on a separate occasion.

He's such a good boy, and I can tell already he's destined for greatness.

In the mean time, he's Landon's best bud, and he's my snuggle bug, mellow and sweet. Unless you're trying to put clothes on him, that is. Either way, we couldn't imagine life without him.

Quote

2010-11-11T15:40:00.000-08:00

"Nothing will surprise us more than when we get to heaven and see the Father and realize how well we know Him and how familiar His face is to us."
— Pres. Ezra Taft Benson

Nacho

2010-11-01T20:11:00.000-07:00

My internet is unbelievably slow tonight, so I've only been able to upload two pictures from our Harper Halloween weekend. Facebook is inaccessible entirely, and that's where I usually do my mass uploading. Here's a word to the wise:

Do NOT get Clear wire internet EVER. Don't worry though, we are switching to U-verse with at&t next week.

Enjoy these pictures of our Nacho Libre and we hope your Halloween was fabulous!

Where Does the Time Go?

2010-10-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

One year ago today, my sweet Harper was born! Seriously, where does the time go? It does not feel like it's been a whole year since I brought Harper David into the world. That was such a fun day, despite having the Swine flu and having my entrithethical wear out thirty minutes before I'd have to push.

He was healthy, strong, and beautiful. I was instantly in love, but at the same time felt guilty. I felt like I was betraying Landon. I felt like I was cheating on my 18 month old by loving this other baby. Poor Landon was home with the swine flu, without me to take care of him, and I was overwhelmed with guilt.

When he and Anthony came to get us from the hospital, I had Anthony switch me places. I wanted him in the room with Harper, so I could greet Landon alone, and then introduce him to his brother. I walked into the hall where Landon was in his stroller. Right away, I could tell he was not happy. He turned his head to the side to avoid even looking at me. I hugged him and kissed him, and still he refused to respond. I tried to contain myself, as nurses were watching on, but I could not hold back tears. I had been gone for three days when Landon needed me. And, now he would know we had another baby! I felt ridiculous for crying, and I don't know if it was my postpartum hormones, but I felt like the nurses thought I was a horrible mother, too.

Harper screamed most of the way home, and Landon just stared at him, pointed and said, "baby?" a couple of times. By the time we got back, Harper was asleep. Landon lifted the blanket that covered the carseat, and peered in at his brother. He was very curious, and had forgotten about being mad at me (I had hoped).

We took him out, and let Landon hold him. Harper was screaming at that point, and Landon was just so excited. It was really cute. We explained that this was his baby, and from that moment on that is how Landon has treated Harper (most of the time).

I was terribly worried that Landon would be jealous of Harper, but I realized that's not what I would have to worry about.

Harper is jealous of Landon. If I'm playing ball with Landon, hugging him, or holding him on my lap, Harper gets jealous. He crawls, cruises, or toddles over and tries to push his way on my lap while pushing Landon off. He's very territorial of me, and Landon, not so much.

Harper has been such a blessing and sweet addition to our little family. We all love him so much! This past year has been such a crazy, fun ride with two boys, and I really would not have it any other way.

Happy First Birthday Harper!!!

Harper Birthday to You (Almost)

2010-10-14T10:25:00.001-07:00

‎"The tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly... Find joy in the journey-- now." -President Thomas S. Monson

Harper is going to be one in less than two weeks. It goes by so much faster with the second baby. I feel guilty that I had time to blog about Landon like once a week as a baby, and poor Harper hasn't had nearly as many posts or pictures.

I can't believe I survived almost a whole year with two boys. These two babies are crazy active. If you don't believe me, come take a look at my living room right now. Landon is stuck inside a toy bucket and laughing his head off. Harper is trying to join him in the bucket, but was denied, so he's bawling. Now, walking to Momma, now biting my shoulder as I type. Ouch. Seriously.

Really though, Harper has been such a fun baby (except those first couple of months when he stayed awake until 3 am every morning). That was not fun. That was torture. Literally.

Harp is so squishy and snuggly. I love when I scoop him up, and he gives me a squeeze while resting his sweet little head on my shoulder.I could just eat him up. He's pretty laid back, but lately he insists I carry him on my hip like a king all day. Sunday morning I had him in one arm and I blow dried my hair with the other. Did I mention he's at least 25 pounds?

His favorite foods are bananas, cream of wheat, jello, corn, applesauce, and cheese. I think his proudest moment was pulling Landon to the floor by his hair and pinning him on the ground for a good five minutes. It was a long time coming.

Fall or Nothing

2010-10-03T09:53:00.000-07:00

Incorporating a Summer piece (shirt) into a Fall ensemble.

by Kali

I love Fall fashion!

Fall or Nothing by Kali Matthews featuring a silk skirt

For the Love of Blog

2010-09-29T17:04:00.000-07:00

My friend, Jana has the cutest blog. I just love reading it because she has this dreamy life in San Francisco, loads of creative ideas and recipes, and the most smiley, beautiful, chub of love daughter I have ever laid eyes on.

Jana recently bestowed The Lovely Blog Award on little ol' me. I couldn't be more flattered. Thanks Jana! Kiss that Lily girl for me! Today is her first birthday and all.

Here are the rules of the Lovely Blog Award:

1. Accept the award and post it on your blog with the name of the person who has granted the award and his/her blog link.

2. Pay it forward to 10 other bloggers that you have recently discovered.

3. Contact those blog owners and let them know they have been chosen

These are my top picks (in no particular order). Happy Reading!

1. Whitney is at Wit and Wisdom of Whitney
2. Dione at It was the Best of Times
3. Amy at The Ziehl Family
4. Sasha at Love Birds
5. Kira at Kira, Blake, and Jackson
6. Dani at Dani Loves Kevin
7. Andrea at Garcia Lovin'
8. Annie at Macias Family
9. Trista at Jesse, Trista, Jaiden, Graysen
10. Dana at Always Changing