Babe, baby, & the baby

I tried doing a cute birthday shout out with my boys for their aunty's birthday. I got the idea from Pinterest and wanted it to look something like this...

FAIL. 

Safi boy was laughing when i was writing on the bottom of his foot with the marker, Niko was too squirmy so I couldn't even write 'aunty' on his foot, then safi boy was mad because Niko was scratching him (his face says it all), Niko was sliding down, safi boy was moving his feet so you couldn't read the words, the angle was off, and I was getting hot. Talk about trying to DO THE MOST. They make everything on pinterest look so easy! Oh well. At least safi boy was entertained for the rest of the day with looking at the blue writing on the bottom of his feet and saying, "HAPPY BIRFDAY!" (I thought the marker I used was washable. Nope. Another 'parental fail'. I seem to be having a lot of those these days.)

Anyways, I love my boys. They keep my life entertained and busy. On a side note -we still find ourselves calling safi boy "baby"even though he's not the baby anymore. We always said that once the second one came along, we wouldn't be able to call him "baby" ...but that didn't happen. On rare occasion we'll refer to niko as "the baby" (as in "can you go get the baby?") but never do we talk directly to him and call him "baby". So now I have a "babe", "baby", and "the baby". I know that might sound confusing but we all somehow just know who is talking to who. Hey, it works for us. I wonder what original name we'll come up with for child #3?

Niko's newborn photos

i was gong to send out newborn announcements for Niko but i ended up being too busy and never got around to it. now i feel like it's too late to do them so i guess i'll just post a few of the pics that my talented sister-in-law took on here...

Parental Fail

I can't believe how fast my baby Niko is growing! You think your first child grows fast but just wait until you have #2...they grow even faster because your twice as busy! I was in such denial that when I went to Costco and bought a HUGE box of diapers size 1-2 (thinking he was still a 2) I came home and put the first one on him only to find out they were too small! FAIL! Well....anyone need 230 diapers size 1-2? Back to Costco I go for size 3...

I really don't want my angel boy to grow up but then again...I really don't want to be buying the mother load box of diapers from Costco any longer than I have to.

beauty sketch

i came across this video today...

 ...and it reminded me of an experience i just had. last saturday my little sister was going through the temple for the first time. beforehand, as i was getting ready to go to the temple i scrambled around trying to find something to wear. my clothes didn't fit right (due to the stubborn baby weight i gained), my face felt super round and chubby, and my hair felt dried out and nappy. i was having a [ moment ]. i felt ...discouraged... and somewhat frustrated. it's not that i don't feel i'm beautiful (and i mean that in the most self-loving-non-conceited way)...i just don't feel like i have the same confidence as i did pre-pregnancy. anyways, so i pulled my hair back into a quick side-bun and threw on a long skirt with a loose sweater and was out the door. once i got to the temple, i walked past a group of temple workers as i walked through the women's locker room to change. before i walked into the endownment session one of the workers, who seemed to be around the same age as me, approached me and said, "i saw you when you walked in and i just wanted to tell you that you are beautiful and stunning!" i was kind of taken aback and didn't know what to say for a second and then replied with an awkward, "thank you." honestly, her kind compliment was a bit of an ego boost. i thought to myself, "what was i stressing about earlier? i'm not sure what she saw but maybe i'm not looking as awful today as i thought i was." after that i told myself i wouldn't be so hard on myself.

anyways, i loved this video.

 what we see ourselves as isn't always what others sees. 
you're more [ beautiful ] than you think.

Motivated to DO better & BE better

I'm enjoying this beautiful general conference sunday with this cutie. I didn't realize how much I missed having a baby in our home. They change and grow so fast everyday! This 'lil guy just brightens up my entire day every time I see him smile.

Anyways, between taking care of the kids and cooking (and sleeping) here's a couple thoughts/notes I had that stood out to me this conference:

-as mother/wife, I set the tone in our home
-make CHRIST the center of our home and a refuge from the world
-simple, consistent habits lead to full and bountiful blessings
-stay on the Lord's side and I will "win" every time
-too much wasted time on phone/Internet-->set time aside each day to connect with my boys
-more faithful & OBEDIENT-->I will receive power added into every aspect of my life
-be a TRUE FRIEND
-recognize the GOOD in others
-always speak to my son to uplift him
-marriage is a gift from God to us-->the quality of our marriage is our gift to God
-even if my child/husband make a mistake, make sure they still feel my confidence and love for them

I always love hearing from the leaders of our church. I still have much to work on and personal weaknesses to overcome but I feel renewed and am [ motivated to DO better and BE better ]. I am PROUD to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Say Saints.

Just to get by...

Lately, I've been feeling so burnt out! Since having two kids my days have somehow become shorter. I'm making breakfast and before i know it's time to get the kids ready for bed. Honestly, some days i feel like my biggest accomplishment is making it through the day without anyone dying! Sometimes it feels like I'm living "just to get by" until that next pay check comes...or until I can just get both the kids to sleep (at the same time)...or letting my son watch Netflix (literally) all day so I can get more done or so I can just chill out like a vegetable and think about absolutely nothing while all his favorite shows lull him into a passive state...

Wow, I really just made my life sound miserable. It's really not. Today has just been one of "those days". I just realized I could (and need) to do a lot better in [ enjoying ] everything, including the little things, and not just [ enduring ] day to day life.

So my new goal is to put a little more [ umph ] into each day and add an extra dose of [ passion ] into everything I do....because "life is to be enjoyed, not just endured." (Pres. Hinckley)

thnakes (snakes) & nacks (snacks)

this poor guy and his lisp. hopefully he grows out of it. but for now -it's cute. and he was killin' me at :30.