It’s become a bit of a tradition to share our annual family camping adventures here on the blog! I have to admit, after last summer’s camping trip where I unknowingly get a little cozy with a deer tick, and was infected with Lyme Disease, I wasn’t quite as excited to pitch a tent in the wilderness this summer. I have this mama-bear quality where I fiercely want to protect my littles from danger. ... [ Read More ]
Tips for Taking Littles out to a Restaurant! (& live to tell the tale)
Taking children out in public can be tricky business. They’re unpredictable. And no matter how awesome we are at parenting, our kids can quickly turn into wild beasts and there’s nothing we can do about it. But even though we don’t eat out very often, I’ve learned a LOT of things that can make it less chaotic and prevent potential catastrophes. Because mama needs to GET OUT OF THE HOUSE sometimes. ... [ Read More ]
Lately…
It’s been awhile since I’ve shared some behind-the-scenes action of the chaos in our lives. It’s beautiful, often high-pitched chaos. And we love every second. If you’re wondering if that’s one of our giant pumpkins covered in snow in the background, you’re absolutely correct. I affirm your curiosity. The twins are old enough now that they understand that money has value, and they want ... [ Read More ]
Unexpected Pumpkins
After publicly announcing that we suck at gardening (or should I say WEEDING the garden) we proceeded to not do a very good job of keeping you updated on our efforts this summer. We love planning out our garden and mapping what goes where every spring. And we plant and water and nurture… blah blah blah. But the romance dies as fast as the weeds grow. However this year I’m proud to say the ... [ Read More ]
Annual Fam Camping 2016
I’ve had so many projects to document and share lately, I almost forgot to write a post about our annual camping trip that my family takes each year. *This post contains affiliate links* My parents, all the siblings (7 to be exact) and their spouses/children have been at this tradition for 10+ years. Each year, there’s either a new baby or a new family member via a younger sibling getting ... [ Read More ]
The Twins are 5!
A few weeks have passed, and I realized I never really documented the girls’ Birthday! These precious girls made me a mommy 5 years ago via whirlwind C-section. And our lives have never been the same. (you can read all about our Fertility Story, and watch the video we made to announce our pregnancy if you so desire). I know a lot of you readers have been around our little blog for yearrrrs ... [ Read More ]
Clear your schedule…
I’ve been quiet, both here on the blog and in real life. After a week of weird symptoms, urgent care, ER visits, and a myriad of tests… we finally have some answers. I’m not sure how dramatic to be about it, because there is a lot of conflicting information out there, but I have Lyme’s Disease. And it totally sucks. I’m have no idea what to expect in the coming weeks, so I don’t know how ... [ Read More ]
Monster Toss Yard Game
Nick and I love to entertain, especially in the summer. We’re pretty casual about it though… no twinkle lights and fancy mixed drinks with beautiful tablescapes. Just us and some wide open space and good conversation. Playing corn hole, ladder golf, or throwing a frisbee are always good outdoor entertainment when we’re barbequing with friends. And we’re always on the lookout for fun ideas that ... [ Read More ]
‘round these parts
Spring has been popping in to say hello here in Iowa. And I’m desperately hoping that it stays! The weather can be pretty fickle here, and snow has been known to fall IN MAY. But let’s not speak of those things. Let’s talk about long walks on the acreage and the springy bouquet of tulips the hubs bought me for no reason. We’ve been brainstorming what we’ll plant in our veggie garden this year, ... [ Read More ]
Cypress’ Birthday
We celebrated Cypress’ first Birthday this week. It’s crazy even typing that out… HOW HAS A WHOLE YEAR PASSED? (her birth story here) It’s one of things where I can’t even remember what our family dynamic was like before she was born, and yet it feels like she was JUST BORN YESTERDAY. If you haven’t been keeping up with her weekly pics, you can scroll through them here… it’s so fun to see her ... [ Read More ]