The Sprinkle on Top

Among the glittered bows and shiny wrapping paper, between the hover boards and baby toys, we received some pretty amazing gifts this holiday season. But some of the most amazing gifts we received this year didn't come in packages. We've received gifts all year long from the one who knows best everything we need. The gift of a daughter who lights up our world and a husband who is the hero of our family and my own personal rock and best friend The gift of a pup who is best friends with my girlie The gift of an actual plan to start publishing The Harvest trilogy by May 2018 The gift of living in Utah much closer to extended family  The gift of the opportunity that we've had to travel down to Orem at least once a month since moving to Vernal The gift of great friends in the Basin who make life in the desert fun The gift of a healthy family - with a lot of learning through the not so healthy times that has made me feel confident as a parent.  The gift of  hope i...

I could spend hours cutting papers, practicing lettering, and crafting a variety of projects - and I do. It's an escape for me to sit down with my paper box, a pair of scissors, and Pinterest to make cards for every occasion. And I love trying new ideas inspired from the crafty people of Pinterest.  This past year - 2017 - has been such a fun year with a lot to celebrate!  Check out these fun cards that are easy to DIY. Happy Father's Day! Natural Tri-Fold Card Idea from Verity Cards Tool Time Bi-Fold Card Idea from My Creative Corner Tie One On Bi-Fold Card Idea from Prairie Paper & Ink Happy Birthday!  Wishing You A Happy Birthday Card Idea from Split Coast Stampers   Birthday Gift Tower Postcard You're Not 66... Card Idea from Gift Ideas Corner Thank You! Grateful For You Bifold Card Idea from Justine Hovey Thank You Upside Down Bifold Opens downward from the top T...

One of the fun things about hosting a Christmas party is there are so many themes to choose from. Will it be a White Christmas? Everything red & green? An ugly sweater party?  This year I got to host the Bunco Babes in December for our monthly game night. Our theme?  Whoville and a Merry "Grinch"mas.  It was a lot of fun getting to plan the party and even more fun when everyone came and got to experience Whoville with me. I had $120 to spend on the event including food, decorations, and prizes. Let's be honest - I spent a little over $120 but definitely less than $150. And if you do a little more bargain shopping than I did you probably could keep it even lower.  First I had to turn my home into Whoville. Keep in mind I came up with this idea 2 weeks before bunco night so I couldn't do everything I wanted to, but it still turned out super cute.   Truffula Trees These Dr. Seuss trees were very simple to make and I was able to pu...

NOTE: I no longer breastfeed my baby girl due to a dairy and soy allergy, but I feel like I tried it all! I hope some of this advice might help others learning to breastfeed. The hardest part of my recovery from Evie's birth besides the raging hormones trying to balance themselves out was learning alongside my baby the art of breastfeeding. The lack of confidence in what I was doing mixed with the physical pain of nursing made those first few weeks of feedings a nightmare. I sought advice from anyone and everyone: online forums, my doctor, multiple nurses at the hospital, the on call lactation specialist, my mom and siblings…  I received some fantastic advice, but everyone had their own opinion on what would work and that added a level of frustration when I'd try it and come up against another wall. I'm sure other new moms have their own unique struggles to overcome when it comes to nursing a brand new baby so I wanted t...

I always heard that 4 months was the miracle month. At 4 months your baby would start sleeping through the night. At 4 months you can start feeding your baby rice cereal and solids. At 4 months... It's all true and this past month we have seen so many changes (for the better) happen in this little girl's life. Overnight, Evie, you became a big girl and gave up breast milk for formula. The change was not a happy one at first, but oh my the changes were worth every heartbreaking tear as we made the switch. Along with taking the bottle, you actually take a pacifier now, too. When mommy gives you your pacifier before bed or nap, your eyes close and you drift off within minutes when it used to take hours (no exaggeration). You love to suck on your pacifier, and roll it around in your mouth until it falls out. Sometimes you spit it out on purpose to make room for all of your fingers. It's a rare day when we don't catch you sucking on your fingers, mommy's hair...

Let's be honest: Pre-pregnancy me wasn't so good at the whole healthy living thing. I can't tell you how many times Justin and I would stay up until two in the morning watching back-to-back movies and eating frozen pizza, popcorn, and boxes of hostess treats. Yes, I said  boxes.  Plural. Of course we always set goals: Let's watch less TV, eat healthier, exercise more... none of which actually happened once we got back from long days at work and school. Transitioning into regular exercise ( Prenatal Pilates ) and eating a more balanced diet was tricky for me once we found out we were pregnant. Again, I tried. And again I failed. But at least I was getting better at it because now it wasn't just my health at stake, but Evie's. Throughout my pregnancy I gained around 40 lbs. A lot of that was Evie and fluid, and to be expected, but some of it was also proof of my weak-willed nature when it comes to food. (Feed me, Seymour!). With my body once again fully ...

With Evie so young and us being right in the middle of RSV season, Justin and I alternate who goes to church. Since one of us stays home each week, the other one takes detailed notes on what members spoke about during Sacrament meeting so that we can bring the spirit into our home.  Well, this last week, Justin came home with some spiritual insights from Elder Nelson's recent talk. One of the insights included “as we read the Book of Mormon daily, we will be blessed to know what decisions to make that day.”   If you didn't know, since Evie was born she's had a tricky time eating and an even trickier time pooping (often with blood). We've tried everything from helping her with gas and her poops, trying to reduce her acid reflux, to taking her to many a doctor appointments and trying all sort of different things to help her feel better. Almost two months ago she was diagnosed by a GI with a dairy allergy so I changed my diet and cut out all dairy (including a...