Floral Monograms

This year for the twins birthday, I wanted to finally make their monograms for above their beds. When Corah moved into their room nearly a year ago, she came with her own monogram from her nursery, and the space above the twins bed’s was rather lacking.

I finally decided that the girls room wouldn’t necessarily be designed under a strict “theme.” Instead, I chose to just go with all things girly and colorful. These monograms really make a huge impact on the feel of the room.

My original plan was to fill the entire letter with flowers, but as I did that, the letter disappeared and only left a floral blob that resembled a letter. Instead, I discovered that I like the look of the flowers gathered together in one spot.

Here’s the DIY tutorial:

I bought these plain wooden letters at Hobby Lobby, and painted them with a teal acrylic paint, which needed two coats.

Using wire cutters, I took a bouquet of the fake flowers and cut each one off from the stems and hot glued them to the letter. This is kind of a trial and error process in which you try to make it look as full as possible. A lot of these flowers were actually glued right on top of each other.

Here is the final product hanging in their room! It was really simple to do, and they look so lovely in my girls colorful floral room!

Goals for 2015!

“If you don’t have goals, you aren’t growing. If you aren’t growing, you’re dying.” -Anthony Robbins

“Where there is no vision, the people parish.” Proverbs 29:18

I am a notorious list maker, planner lover and goal maker. If I don’t have something to look forward to, or work towards I go insane. That’s probably why at the beginning of every year I set out to write my list of goals for the coming year. It’s incredible what happens when you write words down, and think on them throughout the year. Honestly, everything I wrote last year happened. I am writing my list publically this year to prove that words are powerful!

My goals for 2015:

1. I would like to run at least a 5K race, if not longer races. EVERY MONTH. On the months where weather doesn’t permit, I will run an indoor 5K at my gym.
2. Up my writing on and off this blog. I have a passion for writing, and I want to spend more time in that. Specifically, I want to blog about food at least twice a month.
3. As the chef of the family, and the caretaker to everyone’s health, I have decided to implement “meatless Mondays” as I dabble in Vegetarian cooking. I have had some great friends and family who are vegetarian come forward with some incredible recipes. I can’t wait to start this! And this will coincide with my food blogging as well! If anyone has any good recipes PLEASE comment! I am SO new to this, I need help.
4. I want to get my photography business off the ground here in Utah. Click here to see my Facebook page! Since the move, I haven’t had any sessions nor have I even thought about it. But I’m ready to get back to another passion of mine.
5. I am dying to get back to school. Since we aren’t considered “residents” of Utah until we’ve lived here a year, it’s been a long wait. However, I should be able to return to school in the fall, and get this associates degree DONE with for good!

 

What are your goals for 2015? Have you ever had the experience that what you write come true? Make some goals! You will be amazed what that does for you! Wishing you a fantastic 2015!

 

2014: Our Year

As it is now tradition, my husband writes our Year End Review. He is my favorite guest blogger, and he’s pretty cute too.

 

FAMILY AND FRIENDS:

2014 was a huge year for our family. Everything we had been working towards for the past four years finally came together. This has honestly been the best year we’ve ever had. We moved to Utah, spent a month in Florida, Sam had events for Strideline all over the country, Jenn traveled to Virginia and Sam started a new job.

Corah June tuned two this year. She is growing up way too fast, and she is fully adored by everyone. She started talking at the beginning of the year, and now she won’t be quiet! She talks in full sentences, and you wouldn’t believe the things she comes up with. Her imagination is never ending. Some days she’s a pirate, some days she is planning her vacation while other days she pretends that she is a dinosaur. And if you don’t pretend with her, she pouts but eventually manipulates someone else to play with her: she is very persuasive. She continues to be mommy’s big helper and longs for the day that she can go to school. This year she is proud to announce that she is fully potty trained. We are SO thankful to end the year diaperless!! She loves her mommy more than anything, her friends, her yanks (her special blanket) and playing with her siblings.  In 2015, Corah June will turn 3! And hopefully she can start preschool in the fall!

Morgan turned 5 this year. In August she started Kindergarten at Daybreak elementary. She has really started to break out of her shell, freely sharing her opinion now.  She has developed her confidence this year, with both herself and her abilities. She is a quick learner, always curious about something, leading us to believe her love of learning will only grow. Morgan enjoys reading, performing plays, identifying her sight words, riding her bike and counting to 147. In 2015, we are hoping to get her involved in art class and continue to nurture her curiosity towards learning.

Kenley turned 5 this year. She also started Kindergarten, attending the same class as her sister. They love being in the same class together. Kenley’s art never stops. She colors on anything and everything. She fully enjoys writing and will show off her work to anyone that asks. Her athletic skills are through the roof. She can run just as fast as her brother, and she never stops moving. Getting her to stay still is a battle.  Kenley loves art, running, riding her bike, and endless hours outside with her friends.  It’s incredible to see the differences between the twins: Kenley is three inches taller than her sister and uses her creative side most of the time while Morgan is all reason and science. The one thing they have in common is their love for each other; they are inseparable. In 2015, we hope to develop Kenley’s athletic skills and leadership qualities.

Aedan turned the big 8 this year! How did that happen?  In July he started his new adventure into 2^nd grade after only getting out of his last school in June! Year round school is a whole new animal! He quickly settled into the new routine and made a lot of friends. He spends most of his time outside playing any sport he can, but football is his favorite. He is a pro reader and mathematically gifted. We see him becoming an engineer, as his mind always goes to the “how” of things. This year he played football for the first time and played basketball for the 3^rd year in a row. He enjoys Pokémon, Seahawks, Skylanders, building Legos and being outside. In 2015, we want to continue to push him academically, slowly add more responsibilities on him and let him enjoy being an 8 year old boy.

Jennifer had a lot of work to do leading up to the big move to Utah: between packing, and organizing, and saying goodbye to her great friends she was stressed out.  We took a break from the madness to celebrate our 7^th anniversary in San Francisco (which she wrote about here). We had such an incredible time and we can’t wait to go back. Cutting it very close to the deadline of us leaving Washington she finally found us remarkable place that we now call home in a community called Daybreak in South Jordan, Utah. It’s a huge upgrade from what we are used too. It’s much more suited to our family size than the home we had before.  Ten days after arriving in Utah, Jennifer and her friend Stephani drove across the country to Florida with all four kids in tow! She got much needed rest and relaxation during our month long stay in paradise.  After we got home from Florida she got the kids settled into school and started training for her half-marathon. She completed her first half-marathon in 2 hours and 37 minutes! The kids and I were so proud of her! Literally two days later she was on a plane to Virginia to attend her Brother Jason’s wedding (read about that here). She had a fantastic time her with family. She finished out the year getting settled in Utah and making new friends. And she finally got her wish of snow! Plenty of snow! Her goals for 2015 are to continue her education, develop her writing skills through her blog, get her photography business going here in Utah and continue her love of running.

I graduated with my bachelors of Arts in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the University Of Washington Foster School Of Business. I’ve never worked harder for anything in my life and I am excited for the opportunities that have opened up to me due to my dedication to the best university in the Pacific Northwest. I landed a job at Morgan Stanley, a top five finance firm conveniently located only four miles from our house. At Morgan Stanley, I am an operations analyst with the gain and loss department. This is a great position for me to launch my career in finance. In addition to Morgan Stanley, I continue to build my small business operations with Strideline. I’ve developed markets in Eastern Washington, Idaho, and Utah. In 2015 we are slowly building operations into Nevada, Colorado, and Arizona. I’ve linked up major retail connections with Big 5 Sporting Goods, Pro-image Sports, and numerous other small local sports stores. I anticipate working with my brother Mark in completely different small business operation which I will discuss with you all as our business plan becomes more defined. 2014 was a great year all around and we will continue to build on the foundation that has been laid in the past four years.

As the year ends, we could not be more excited about what lies ahead. We have been working so hard over the past four years to get here and we feel like everything is finally coming together! We have large expectations for the upcoming year. We want to get closer connected to our family, which is exactly one of the reasons we moved to Utah in the first place. I hope everyone had a great year in 2014 and we are anticipating a good year for everyone in 2015! Wishing you the best! Seahawks repeat super bowl champions.

Happy Birthday Aedan

To my sweet boy:

Every woman is forever changed when her first child is born. She is no longer just a woman; she is a mother. When I had you I was just a girl, not yet a woman. Honestly I had no way to prepare for your impending arrival. I had no idea what was really coming. You arrived only 5 days after my 18^th birthday. To say I was naïve would be an understatement. To say I was utterly clueless would be an understatement. To say that I was a complete idiot would be an understatement.

But here is the beauty of it: you changed my life in every possible way. I had to grow up, and fast. I had to work extra hard to graduate on time and with good grades. I had to get my priorities right. I had to not only be a teenage girl, but I had to learn to be a woman, a mother for you. Your dad and I had to learn to grow up together, in love.

I often think about what my life would be like if I hadn’t gotten pregnant at 17. I’m sure by now I would have my college degree. I would probably be traveling all over the world. I’m not even sure if your dad and I would have been together. But I never want those things more than I want you. I am so glad you came into our lives, because your dad and I really are perfect for each other, though at the time we might not have seen that. We’ve been together now for 9 years! All thanks to you!

You are so smart, so talented. I look at you, and I swear there is no way I made you. You have such joy always, and you are so patient. I see a leader when I look at you. Every time there is a chance to help someone you do it. I can always count on you to help me with your sisters, or with some house work. But I’d much rather see you play: football, Legos, running, video games, Pokémon, or rough housing with friends. You have never-ending patience when it comes to your sisters, especially little Corah June, whom you’ve always been so gentle with since the day she was born. You have a natural curiosity for everything, and I hope it never ends. You are smarter than your years. Every day I am impressed by you and proud of you.

I can see you in the future; though it breaks my heart to see it. You will be such a good husband, an incredible father. An amazing leader of men. Maybe a college football star? Maybe an entrepreneur like your dad? I wish you could be my little boy forever though. You are really growing too fast.

Thank you for being my sweet boy. Thank you for making me realize everything I’ve ever wanted from life. Thank you for making me grow up. Thank you for making me love your dad. Thank you for making me the woman I am today, I am so grateful. I couldn’t be who I am without you.

Happy 8^th Birthday to you Aedan. I love you more than you could ever know.

The day we found out you were a boy

two months old, chillin in your crib

Five months old, my sweet boy

That face! Six months old

Daddy is home from Iraq and finally gets to spend time with you. 8 months old.

Christmas time in 2007. 1 year old.

Just me and my boy. 1 year old.

Two years old

Driving with papa, two years old

that sweet face, two years old

First movie theatre experience, 3 years old

First day of preschool, 3 years old

Loving your sister Morgan, 4 years old

4 years old

You are the best big brother in the world, 4 years old

On your 4th birthday

Fishing with daddy, 5 years old

First day of 1st grade, 6 years old

6th birthday

7 years old, that smile!

1st day of 2nd grade! Getting so big now!

You love your seahawks! 7 years old.

I love you so much Aedan, you will be my little boy forever.

 

A Vineyard Wedding

Just an hour until sunset, I can no longer see the sun as it’s behind the old growth forest; this gives the sky an orange cast that’s almost too perfect. To the left I can see the endless vineyards rolling …

Summer: a paraphrase

I haven’t blogged since July. That’s so sad. My laptop died a heroic death, but unfortunately it took everything with it. I’ve always had a passion for writing. It gets all my ideas out of my head and helps me keep my sanity. Im not to keen on the desktop though, but I guess I need to get over that. So much has happened since July: So incredibly much.  I honestly don’t know where to begin.

To save all the hassle of writing up all the blogs I should have in the last 3 months, I am going to paraphrase.

JULY: Florida: 4^th of July. Many days at the beach. Mini golf, the kids first time ever. Sam’s birthday. Dave Matthews Band Concert. Art museums, yes I’m that girl. St. Augustine. Gater farm. Clearwater. Incredible white sand beaches. I don’t ever want to leave. Meeting old army friends. Shark teeth. Back to our new home in Salt Lake City: Settling in. MY SISTER MOLLY HAD HER BABY!!! A beautiful baby girl named Zoey. School started so early for the kids. Girls started Kindergarten. Since when is that okay? Pool time with Corah while big kids are at school. She had a hard time adjusting to being without her siblings.

AUGUST: I started training for my half marathon. Intense. In awe with the mountains, every day. Corah turns two. Wait, what?! My lovely friend Tiphani came to stay with me for two weeks! We took full advantage of the Utah sun and outdoors while she was here. Hiking. Beaching. Crafting. And silly drinking game nights. Enjoyed every minute and cried like a baby when she left. Continued to soak up summer sun. Talked with an old friend. Magic. Lavender fields. Still training every day for that marathon. Kayak on the lake.

SEPTEMBER: Football season starts. Are we the only Seattle fans in Utah? Apparently not. Still training. My kids are settled in school and have friends now. Makes me happy. I don’t get to go to Canada to see my new niece, so sad about that.  Flag football starts for Aedan. That’s entertaining. I get some much needed alone time. Heart break ensues. #41.  Sam started a new job at Morgan Stanley. So proud of him! Dave Matthews has his own wine? Why didn’t I know about that? I have too much free time. Grey Street. Fall décor. More Seahawks games. More training.

OCTOBER: Its already October? How? Kids are out of school for a month. We’ve been playing. Reading. Walking. It’s still warm here? This is so weird. Flag football ended for Aedan. He loved it. Sam and I have been having nightly walks together after the kids go to sleep. Works wonders. Sky full of stars. I still have too much free time. Looking into going back to school. My half-marathon is in 3 days!!! I leave for my brother’s wedding in Virginia in 5 days!! Excited to see my family! And to be at a wedding that’s on a vineyard… Wine does equal happiness.

We have packed so much into a short amount of time. Not only was it a lot of activities, but it was a lot of life changes. A lot of heart changes, a lot of up-rooting and rearranging my entire life type changes. Damn it was a summer.

I will write more, I promise. I’ve missed it too much.

Our Beach Day

FINALLY. Beach Day arrived. We deserved to sit on the beach after the four days in the car we endured. We decided to go with a more private beach called Mickler Beach. Not a lot of foot traffic here, but plenty of million dollar mansions and white sand to look at!

Aedan went to Atlanta with my dad to meet up with Sam for the Atlanta Peach Tree Road Race Expo. So he unfortunately missed this trip. But it was fun because it was a girls day! This was the kids first time ever at the Atlantic Ocean, and Corah’s first time ever at a beach of any kind! She hated it at first. The heat, humidity and wind probably didn’t help. She warmed up to it eventually. She loved to watch her sisters play.

The twins were in their element. Seashell picking. Sand castle making. Swimming. Being a mermaid. You know, all that little girl stuff.

Stephani. This girl. I’m just saying, no one has friends like me. This crazy girl signed up for a four day road trip across the country with four children. She is bananas. I am so grateful! So yes, I bought her a Margarita! Love you Steph! Thanks for your willingness to help. I literally could not have done this trip without you!

And who doesn’t love a nap on the beach? That is pure bliss. Corah, you look lovely my dear.

Olympic Game Farm

No less than five people have recommended that we go to the Olympic Game Farm in Sequim Washington before we leave the state. That is a lot of people saying the same things, so I had to check it out! I was hoping to kill two birds with one stone by seeing my sister Jana and her sweet family as well. Mission accomplished.

First, I should say, I have a love-hate relationship with Zoos. I love animals of all kinds, but I hate seeing them in cages. I especially dislike small unnatural habitats. If you live in the Pacific Northwest and are looking for a well done animal park I would recommend Northwest Trek without a doubt. The animals are roaming 635 acres of private land that is their natural habitat. Visitors ride throughout the park on trams to view the wildlife in their natural world. It’s incredible. Please go check it out. However, I wouldn’t recommend the Point Defiance Zoo at all. The animals there are living in horrible conditions, with tiny enclosures and they almost are always sleeping, probably because they are so depressed. So if you are from here that will give you a little clue as to how I believe animals should be treated. The Olympic game farm falls somewhere between the two extremes.

The Olympic Game Farm is a drive through Animal Park, where the animals presumably have a decent size enclosure that they are free to roam. When you arrive, you pay per person, and you are given some safety rules of course: don’t open your doors or leave your vehicle, for all you dumb people out there. You can either buy their whole wheat bread for $2 per loaf, or bring your own. When you first drive in, directly in front of you are animal cages with a bear and a wolf in them. Immediately not happy about that, since I had assumed this would be a free roaming zoo. Well, moving on. Your first stop, and only time you can leave your vehicle, is an observation tower on the top of a hill overlooking the park. If you go on a clear day like we did, it’s definitely worth the stop! Gorgeous views!

Get back in your car, and you can enter the park! First thing we see are peacocks. Aedan and Morgan went in Aunt Jana’s car so they could see more, since our van windows don’t roll down. Kenley and Corah rode with us. As soon as we get through the entrance, I see Aedan and Morgan hanging out of the window with HUGE smiles on their faces, enjoying the lovely peacocks. Instantly I knew we had spent our money and time wisely; these kids were going to have a blast.

Did you know peacocks hang out in trees? I thought they were land birds….

albino peacock!

The first big creature that we encountered was a Yak. One big guy was hanging out way in front of the others, probably because he was the hungriest. He was all about that bread. Now let me think for a second, is bread a natural food for Yaks? Nope. This is not making much sense, but this is the closest anyone can get to a yak. The children are laughing hysterically when the yak’s head ends up in their dad’s lap inside the van. These big guys aren’t afraid of us AT ALL. They have been here a long time and they know how to get food. They are gentle and docile. The scenery is nice, there is plenty of shade for these animals and it seems like a very big enclosure that they are free in. Next stop: bears!

Aedan hanging out of Aunt Jana’s car.

Kenley feeding the Yak

Even Corah fed him!

Sam petting a yak! What?!

great scenery

The enclosure for the bears is a bit smaller and also guarded by a dinky fence which is terrifying until you notice the electric fence in front of it. Now I know why those bears aren’t going near the fence. This part was thrilling for me because I absolutely love bears. They are on my top favorite animal list. I have never seen a bear this close and was shocked to see how big their claws actually are! But seeing the bears sit and wait for cars to pull up, and then wave on command for food was a little depressing. Felt like a circus show. I left feeling a sad for them.

not being mean here, just asking for bread

look at those claws!!

its a little frightening how close this bear is to my daughter Morgan!

The next big place that you drive through is the Elk, deer and buffalo enclosure. This was my favorite part by far. There was a warning sign before you go in that states that you must keep moving at all times because these animals are so large they can cause damage to your car. However, almost no one was following that rule, including us. I literally had NO idea how big elk were until I saw them duck into an SUV in front of us. WOW! These animals actually put their entire heads inside your vehicle in hopes of a piece of bread. They also follow you as your drive! It was insane! This was scary for Kenley, but Corah didn’t mind at all. I could hear Aedan and Morgan in that car behind us laughing up a storm!

elk vs. ford explorer

elk is the same size as an SUV

I feel the need to tell you that a buffalo is nearly the size of our minivan. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t go into that part of the farm if I had a smaller vehicle. That would be alarming. Sam had a buffalo head in his lap and was petting him. He could have gotten that buffalo into headlock. Until you experience, that you aren’t really living. These giant beasts come right up to you and shove their giant heads in your face! You can’t help but laugh! Did you know that buffalo tongues curl up like a Giraffes? I had no clue until one licked my hand trying to grab some bread! EWWW!

eww he licked me!!

Again, bread isn’t a natural food for these animals, so to that part, I am not a fan. I did think that the enclosures, with the exception of the bears, were big enough for the animals to freely roam comfortably. I wish that this wasn’t a for profit animal farm, instead I would rather see it be a non-profit farm giving money back to the rehabilitation of the wolf, bear or buffalo which we all know aren’t exactly “safe.” Having said that, I did enjoy my time there and seeing these remarkable creatures up close and personal. Who can say they’ve pet a buffalo? Um, I have!

I am petting a buffalo!!!

After we left the farm, we went to a grocery store and bought some picnic supplies. We joined my sister at Carrie Blake Park in Sequim to enjoy lunch together. It was a hot day by Washington standards! The kids played in the park together. My nephew Haven is so adorable! I am sad to be leaving my sister, brother in law and nephew behind! We are excited for our new adventures, but goodbyes are NEVER fun. Love you Ward Family!

What Memorial Day Means to Me

A lot of people see Memorial Day weekend as the start to summer! Many people are firing up the grill, going to the park, or going to the lake. Still others are taking advantage of store sales or spending time doing absolutely nothing.
For the few of us who have had loved ones in the military, or who served themselves, Memorial Day is something completely different.
Sam left to Iraq a mere three days after we were married. He had only been there a few months when his best friend died. He witnessed things that no 18 year old young man should ever see.
Every Memorial Day I am vividly reminded of how close I was to losing my husband. It was almost 7 years ago that my husband sustained many injuries do to an improvised explosive device while on a raid in Bagdad Iraq. If the vehicle was less than a foot closer to that bomb, Sam wouldn’t have his legs today. He likely would have bled out and died on scene.
So when people tell me, “Happy Memorial Day,” of course I am polite and say Thank You, but deep down I know this is NOT a happy day. This is the day when mothers of killed soldiers are reminded that their boy is not coming home. This is the day when widows feel their loss most deeply. This is the day when families of the lost soldiers visit the graves of their beloved.
Please take this day to HONOR those who have fallen. Please take this day to say a prayer for the grieving families. Please take this day to visit a national military cemetery. Please take this day to teach your children about the sacrifices made for them. Please take this day to donate to the Military Order of the Purple Heart or the Wounded Warriors Project. Let’s put action behind our words. Let’s give honor where honor is due. “We might not know all the names of the fallen personally; but we know their sacrifice intimately.” – Pastor Brandon Stewart.

Here are some images to reflect on.

All of the above photos were taken from GOOGLE images from search: Memorial Day National Cemetery.

Family Time in Moving Chaos

Family time is important for any family in any stage; however, during a chaotic move with huge looming transitions, I think family time is even more critical. Samuel has had a business trip every weekend for the last 3 weeks, and to have him home this weekend means a lot to us. Every Friday night there is NO social media, NO blogs to write, NO homework to do, NO deadlines to meet, NO calls to make. Our family gathers around the table like every other night, except this night, its PIZZA! I have invented MANY different ways to make pizza. Ever heard of the pizzadilla? Well, it’s incredible. I’ll blog about it later! Everyone looks forward to it all week (Especially me, because it is my cheat meal of the week!). After dinner we play together and chat while I clean the kitchen. After that its MOVIE night! But this isn’t your average family night. We make a fort! We make beds on the ground! Popcorn is always involved. We all cuddle in and watch a movie as a family. Thankfully Corah is getting old enough to hang for most of the movie before she has to go to sleep. A few weeks ago, she even participated in making her own pizza. It was mostly pineapple 😉 We are trying to keep this important family time EVEN while moving. It’s been interesting, but it has really kept us close as a family unit. It also helps us to make sure we always have something to look forward to after a stressful week! What family traditions do you have? Do you have a “family night” once a week too?