I Love You Father!

 I love it when I catch my kids playing and saying such sweet things...it melts my heart and I don't EVER want to forget it! That's why I'm glad I can write it down...

Kesslyn pretending to be Barbie:

"I love you Fadder (Father :)

I wish I could live with you!"

Me too Kesslyn...me too. :)

It Feels Like Home

 Moving is a big job, and I feel exhausted most days from working morning till night, but finally after waiting for a month and a half, our new bed was delivered! As soon as the delivery boys left, I flopped myself onto the bed and felt like I had perched myself on a cloud. It felt like heaven. :)

In fact, I slept flat on my back last night and didn't have an ounce of pain and I didn't get stuck!!!

If you know me and my back then you know that THAT is a small miracle! This bed already seems to be worth every penny!!!

 I bought new bedding to match my lamps that I love so much, and this new king bed is now my favorite bed. EVER.

Moving to this new home required a little change in some of our furniture because this home is a little more updated than our last one. I am still going to try and decorate with a country farmhouse style...just a little different than before.

With the beautiful dark wood floors in this home, I knew that I needed to do something with my dining table that was black and brown. I didn't want everything to feel dark, so I paid my talented little sister Tiffany to work her magic on some pieces for me. Look at what a beautiful job she did! :)

 The table looks perfect in the new space and I love how light it makes the room feel...

It was a HUGE job that she tackled and I was soooo appreciative!

 She worked and worked and worked and worked...

 ...sanding and sanding, taping and painting...she even redid the table and chairs twice because she wasn't happy with the first time...she is a perfectionist like me...I think it runs in the family...;)

She made my red sofa table a beautiful antiqued duck egg blue...

 ...and also took my benches that were green and black and made them a set! Beautiful and white for the family room. It will take a while to get things just the way I want them, but with Tiffany's help, it is going to be beautiful! (I just think I might have to wait until after Christmas before the real decorating gets done...;)

Even without the decorating done, and with boxes and tools and piles everywhere, this place already feels like home.

And I'm so glad.

It just feels right, and I'm so glad Heavenly Father led us to where we are.

Home. :)

Cooking With Chef Brad

 Last night I had such a great time attending a cooking class in Orem with Chef Brad ~America's Grain Guy!

My friend Emily took me there, we sat in Chef Brad's home, and watched him work his magic filling the kitchen with aromas and smells that my nose and taste buds both loved! :)

 We made Brown Butter Grains...

 Cheesy Grits with Cranberries...

and my favorite...Coconut Nut potatoes!

These were all holiday side dishes that you could cook in a pressure cooker or an Insta-Pot.

But what I loved the most about Chef Brad, was his philosophy about cooking, including the whole family in the process, and how it can unite everyone. It's the truth! Who doesn't like to come home to spend time with their favorite people AND eat good food while they do it??

I am excited and looking forward to some new and upcoming adventures with cooking new foods and trying new recipes that my family will love...and JUST in time for the holidays!!!

Yippee!!! 

STOP Growing Up!

 Dear Kambriella Noel, 

You are such a beautiful and special daughter of God! I love you so much!

Now please stop growing up. 

That is exactly what I thought to myself when Kambriella showed me her school pictures when she brought them home...I don't know how, but time continues to march right on faster and faster than ever, and I feel I am completely helpless in getting it to slow down, so I just keep on trying to embrace each and every day. The big things and the little things. But mostly the little things because they are really what add up to become the big things...

I'm so grateful for all of my children and the good that they are doing! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Girls Night Out

 It was a girl's night out on Saturday with these 2 cuties! It was the 2nd of November (Kambriella's day for a date) and Kesslyn got lucky and got to come along since all the boys were gone too.

We had a fun time going to see the movie "Abominable."

 This movie looked pretty cute from the previews that I had seen, and when we actually got done with the movie I was feeling so happy because the movie was so good! It had such a cute story line and taught some good life lessons...and the baby Abominable Snowman had magic powers that were actual very inspiring. I know that may sound silly, but just see the movie for yourself and you"ll see what I mean. ;)

 After the movie was over we waited to be the last ones out of the theater and smiled at the last scene after all of the credits...it was a family...together. I loved it.

We of course couldn't end our date just yet, so we made our way over to Crumble Cookie and took a box home to share with the boys too. It was a fun night and I was so grateful to be together with a couple of my girls...and thinking about our other sister Kierra and her getting ready for their little baby boy to come!

I am going to be a GRANDMA!!!

XOXOXO

My Sister Cynthia

 Last week my sweet sister Cynthia who lives in Alaska flew to Las Vegas, picked up my mom, and took a road trip up here to Utah to visit family! Lucky for me, she got to stay the night and we were able to talk and visit and I had such a great time having her here.

 She is such a fun, happy, loving person and so much joy to have around! We took advantage of the afternoon and met up with Tiffany and Shane and all went out for lunch together and it really was great having everyone around, even if it was just for a minute...I always say that I will take whatever I can get! ;)

I'm grateful for eternal families and the relationships that we have. I consider myself lucky and blessed to be a part of a special group of people that love each other even across lots of miles!

I love you Cynthia! Thanks for the visit and the smiles!

Halloween Success!

 Yesterday we had fun celebrating Halloween! I dressed in my usual witch attire to hand out treats to all of the little trick or treaters that came knocking at my door...and I was especially glad to see the Tatireta family who decided to visit us at our new home! I love them all so much!!!

 Dallin dressed as an Asian Ninja Warrior...

 Gavin wore his favorite costume...Sumo Wrestler...:)

 Kambriella was a Day of the Dead Skeleton...

 ...and Kesslyn was "Princess Blue!"

(She calls this outfit princess blue because of the dress...it's blue!)

 This little sweetie waited patiently for her daddy to get home so that they could go on their date trick-or-treating together! One thing we just realized this year was that literally on Halloween, it is Kesslyn's day for a date! If you remember, each of our children usually get a one on one date with mom or dad on the same day every month, the day of the month that they were born!

 Since Kesslyn was born on the 31st of August, the 31st of each month is her day for a date! (Or the 30th or the 28th if there is no 31 in that month...:) So, that means that every Halloween Kesslyn should be having a date with her mom or dad! LUCKY!!! :)

 We also baked 3 Jack-o-lantern pizzas for the kids and their friends! (Did I mention how amazing it is to have 2 ovens in my kitchen?? :)

All of the kids went with friends...Dallin went to a party at Clair's house, Gavin had all of his buddies over to our house, and Kambriella went with the girls from the neighborhood and everyone had a fun night!

 While Kesslyn was trick-or-treating her princess crown kept on falling off, and so lucky for her, when she visited Grandma Virginia's home, she took her own pink princess crown right off and gave it to Kesslyn! What a lucky, SPOILED little princess!!! :)

 She finally came home to get warm with her daddy once her bucket was full! She was so happy for the fun date night AND for all of the yummy treats that she got to bring home!

It was a success...a very happy Halloween!