valentines.

here are the kids valentines this year. they were very specific on what they wanted....
{notice Taylor and Jackson did NOT want "love" written on theirs.}

click here for last year's valentines.

tasty love.

more valentines sweets...

Cherry Chocolate WafersChocolate Desserts from Real Simple

White Chocolate Oreo Truffles
Chocolate Cookie Dough Brownies

Sweetie Pies {via designmom)

unfortunately for me... i am on a lame diet and won't be able to taste any of these, but i am sure my kiddos will enjoy them immensely!

Birthday shout out... "HAPPY 28TH BIRTHDAY LEE LEE DOO!"

i love...

- baby breath
- a clean house
- fresh flowers
- really good chocolate
- chad's soft feet
- my camera
- watching Jackson play sports
- watching my girls dance

and i love that my kids love their daddy so much that after he was gone for 5 days they insisted on making him a "Welcome Home Sign." and i love that their daddy is deserving.

i love...

in honor of Valentines Day i will be posting some things i love for the next week...

adorable nursery.

my friend Jek has the most beautiful twin baby boys and has decorated an UNBELIEVABLE nursery for them. {which is really not a surprise after seeing her little girl's nursery} i think she should win an award somewhere for cutest nursery in the world. (and most of it was revamped, recycled, repainted) go to here for more details on how she did it. really jek... i'm extremely jealous.

more photos.

here are a few favorites of some adorable kiddos at a recent shoot. we had a great time, even with my 4 punkin' heads in tow. thanks B family for the fun!

feel the love.

here are a few ideas i'm hoping will help our family "feel the love" this Valentine's Day....

Felt Heart Scarves (by Martha)

Homemade Kisses

Valentine Stamp Cookies


Our traditional "Heart Themed" Valentines Day Breakfast

and check out these great plates from target...
have any fun traditions or ideas for Valentine's Day?....
please pass them along.

sunrise.

dream room.

i really really love everything about this room. i could copy every detail. even the boy jumping on the bed.
{via black eiffel}

...and my favorite magazine is folding. sad. goodbye domino.

6 month chub chub.

levi is 6 months old today. how time flies. i am not exaggerating when i say that he is the greatest, happiest, most wonderful baby on the planet. it is impossible to be upset, be depressed, or have any kind of sad emotions when levi is around. it just is. he lights up the room and makes anyone smile with his undeniable cuteness. we love our little growling, chubby monster, and wish him a happy 1/2 birthday.

6 month milestones:
-rolling everywhere
-loves green beans and peas
-growls
-coos and talks when he wakes up from a nap
(sometimes he could be in there for an hour awake and we would have no idea because he entertains himself)
-eats his toes
-eats his hands
-loves football

we "heart" disneyland.

disneyland was as wonderful as ever. we really love disneyland. this time was especially fun because grama linda volunteered to take levi for the long weekend. (and boy did he receive the royal treatment) as much as we missed our "little angel" we loved going on all of the rides together. kate is finally tall enough to go on most of the big rides. she loved raising her hands high and squealing on the roller coasters. (one of the most adorable things in the world to watch). some of our favorite friends went too, which made it perfect. everybody should enjoy a few days at disneyland. it really is the "happiest place on earth."

mmm.

textile designer amy butler's favorite recipe was featured on design sponge. it's her mother's recipe for red velvet cake. just in time for Valentine's day. can't wait to try these!

Ann’s Red Velvet Cake

Preheat oven at 350

1 oz. red food coloring
2 Tbsp. cocoa
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. margarine
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 cup cake flour
1 scant tsp. salt
1 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. soda
1 Tbsp. vinegar

Mix coloring and cocoa together until smooth and set aside until needed. Do not stir.

-Cream together butter, margarine and sugar. ( be sure to beat the mixture long enough…… the butter, margarine and sugar should look white and creamy )

-Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.

-Add cocoa mixture and mix until well blended.

-Sift together two times: flour and salt.

-Add alternately with buttermilk and mix well.

-Place 1 tsp. soda on cake batter, then add 1 Tbsp. vinegar. Mix until well blended.

-Pour into 2 well greased and floured 9″ cake pans

-Bake at 350 for 30 minutes

-Cool and frost with French cream icing.

French Cream Icing

1 c. milk
6 Tbsp. flour
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. margarine
1 c. fine granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

-Make a thickening of 1 c. milk and flour. ( blend with hand mixer ) Cook until thick but not clumpy, more like a thicker sauce.

-Beat well to be sure it is very smooth. Take pan off heat and set in a pan of ice water to chill it.

-Cream together butter, margarine and sugar for 15 - 20 minutes. Add thickening and beat another 10 minutes. Add vanilla.

** Icing needs to be very cold. You may want to put it in the freezer for a bit to thicken and cool it.

Note from Kristina: If you choose to make cupcakes, this recipe yields about 36 of them.

Why Amy chose this recipe:

I chose my Mom’s red velvet cake because it encapsulates my best memories of celebrating and gathering when I was growing up. Mom always made us red velvet cakes for our birthdays ( really anyone’s birthday ) and especially during the holidays including Valentine’s day. We pretty much came up with reasons ( excuses ) to celebrate just to get Mom to make one of her cakes. My Mom is an excellent cook and she usually specializes in savory dishes but her red velvet cake can put you over the moon! It’s a moist, buttery cake with the creamiest icing. It takes a few extra steps, a little bit more time, but the end result is totally worth it.

let go.

for the past 3 years, taylor has been begging and pleading to get her hair cut. every time she has gone into the salon, i have some how managed to talk her out of it (even if it led to her tears in the end.) i figured that "i know what's best for her. i know what she really wants. everyone wants long hair, she'll be sad if she cuts it...etc. etc."

well, today i let it go.

i let taylor get her hair cut how she wanted. at first it was hard to see so much go, but then i looked at her reflection in the mirror and there she was with one of the biggest smiles imaginable. she was beyond joyous, beyond excited, and couldn't wipe the huge grin off her face. she got in the car and said, "i can't believe i really have short hair. this is the best day."

she looks beautiful as ever thanks to our wonderful hair dresser... (aunt Krista). i can't believe i made her wait so long to get what she wanted, {but if i didn't maybe she wouldn't have been so excited.}

i was happy for her and a little jealous too. she knew what she wanted, never looked back, and dealt with change like an old pro. i don't like change. never have. but today i learned a lesson from my little 8 year old. and tomorrow her hair will be a whole lot easier to brush out.

thank you taylor. thank you krista.

today.

i'm glad nie is back.

i watched the "miracle" over and over. 

read this great piece.  a must read.   (thought of amy when i read it) 

signed up for skype so i can talk to my sisters in spain and taiwan. 

looked around at all there is to do around the house. and didn't want to face it.

took a spin class.... which just may have altered my "lower area" FOREVER. ouch! 

had the neighborhood kids over... then sent them all outside:) 

finally unpacked our closet. found clothes i had completely forgotten about.

then i was mad that they still don't fit; so i went and had a piece of cookie dough. 

ate too much. 

now.  we are off to eat with the fam. ( i don't cook on fridays. period.) 

then. i will put the kids to bed and chadly and i will watch a movie.

a day in the life of me.  

with no fluff. 

cute "one"

i took some pics of an adorable one year old today.... here are a few.FYI: if you book this month for a shoot you can get this deal. Starting in February it will double to $150 per session. (C.D. with pictures included)

big boy.

at the rate my little levi is growing up, it will a month before he is 6ft. 5in. 220 pound man.

levi's latest milestones:
-rolling (back to stomach)
-sticking his little but in the air and trying to scoot forward
-releases enough drool daily to fill a sink bath tub
-laughs at diaper changes
-laughs when his clothes get changed
-laughs when he sees anyone
-cry's when they leave
-grabs my hoop earrings out a few hundred times a day (and then eats them)
-pulls taylor's hair (and eats it)
-enjoys eating his fist and sucking his fingers
-enjoys ripping up, crumpling, then eating paper
-loves to "foot clap" an amazing talent
-lost his dark head of hair and now its turning blonde
-carries on full conversations with all of us
- 21 pounds large

We love our little "501"..... (thanks sheri for the nickname:)

thank you 2008.

2008... in a nutshell.

january
made a lot of resolutions
(i think the only one that i succeeded at was the only watching 3 hours of T.V. a week, as for the rest, i failed miserably)
told the world i was having baby #4
surprised Taylor with tickets to the Hannah Montana Concert
gained 5 pounds

february
disneyland vacation
found out we were having a boy
made lots of chocolate
gained 5 more pounds

march
taylor's first dance competition
del mar beach for spring break
disneyland again
easter
our car along with "blanky pink" was stolen
gained 5 more pounds

april
found our car (w/o wheels) and blanky pink was still inside
kate turned 4
princess party
family obsession with American Idol (me with Jason Castro)
jackson's baseball games
gained 10 pounds

may
jackson turned 6
ward talent show... {kate was a super cute maniac}
spring "Girl Next Door Show"
more of Jackson's baseball
singing kids
gained 10 more pounds

june
school got out
swim lessons
waiting and waiting for baby
10th wedding anniversary
chad turned 35
family obsession with "So You Think You Can Dance"
dance recitals
gained 10 more pounds

july
waited and waited and waited for baby boy
American Idol Concert
summer fun
aunt Lisa and boys came to town
gained 5 more pounds (yes, that makes a total of 50 pounds. i owe you one levi.)
Taylor turned 8 years old
LEVI WAS FINALLY BORN

august
smothered levi with love
went to Santa Barbara for a week
went to Del Mar Beach for a week
levi laughed
Taylor was baptized
school started
lost 10 pounds

september
I TURNED 30!@#%&*@$
Levi was blessed
Jackson started soccer
renovation of the new house began
lost 10 pounds

october
continued renovation of house
trip to Kolob
Halloween fun
middle of tennis season (i still have yet to win a game)
photography endeavor
lost 10 pounds

november
moved into new house
continued renovation of house
lots of sewing
"girl next door show"
Thanksgiving
lost 5 pounds

december
it snowed in las vegas!
kids had a snow day
lots of Christmas activities
had a beautiful Christmas
lost 0 pounds

For 2008, my words of the year were "SIMPLE and STILL".

My word of the year for 2009 is "BALANCE."

Here's to a new year....

huh?

tonight at dinner i made this.

and one of taylor's many complaints was:

"I don't want to waste my life away eating healthy foods."

to that i replied, "huh?"

then she went on complaining and said,

"It's really not fair that you are the 'diet controller'."

to that i replied, "huh?"

"I shouldn't have to eat vegetables until I am an adult."

"huh?"

then she was quiet.

good thing she's cute.

our christmas story.

have a ...