Dear Emersyn

Today you are 1 year old. You woke up bright and early and wanted to cuddle. You laid in bed with me and your dad for awhile and then popped your eyes open, smiled the biggest smile, rolled over and went and attacked your dad. You love when dad is home. You run straight to him when he first walks in the door and you climb all over him until you go to sleep. You are a sweet little mammas girl too though. You prefer me to hold you, cuddle with you and put you to sleep. I love our moments together. During the day I always find you right behind me, usually with your fingers in your mouth. You have the biggest blue eyes that you are always watching us and look so loving. You adore Leighton. I hope you always feel this way about her. No matter how much she picks on you. Emersyn you would be the happiest baby in the world if Leighton would play with you all day. You giggle every time she talks to you and laugh so hard when she dances or plays with the kitchen with you. 

Emersyn your spirit is so sweet and pure. In our eyes you are still perfect and straight from heaven. You have brought so much love and joy into our lives and into our home. Our family would not be complete with out you in it. This year has gone by so fast and we keep hoping for time to slow down. We want to remember every little minute with you. We love you so much our little 1 year old.

Picking Pomegranates

Last week the girls and I took a quick trip to the valley. While we were down there we were able to make a much needed stop by great grandma and grandpa Leavitt's. Their home is like magic to Leighton. She hasn't spent enough time there but as soon as we pulled off the highway and crossed the railroad tracks she knew exactly where we were and was giddy to see her great grandparents. 

If anything reminds me of fall in the valley or even with Kaden, it is pomegranates. Our first year married Kaden helped my grandma sell fudge at the pomegranate festival Grandma K's fudge sold awesome that year and Kaden was given the nickname Grandson K. Another year i took pictures of pomegranates and guess what people actually bought them, that same year Kaden sold pomegranate saplings and made enough for our poor college student budget to have some spending money. 

Two years ago Leighton and I went to the family reunion with out Kaden and while we were there Ron  and Joyce offered to let us take pomegranates to sell in Cedar. Seriously this turned out to be such a huge blessing to us. We were still paying off Leighton's birth, I wasn't working, we were both in school and Kaden really didn't make much. Selling those pomegranates paid some bills and paid for Christmas. I don't know if they will ever know how grateful we were and still are for that.

It was the sweetest thing to be able to experience pomegranate picking with the girls now. I hope to continue this tradition with them and hope to visit the great grandparents way more often than we do. Spending time with family is so important to us and is so good for the girls. If anything i want them to be brought up knowing how loved they are by all of the important people in their lives and great grandma and grandpa really do love them so. 

Monster Bash

Halloween is almost here! Like really it is only 3 days away. We have been so busy around here i haven't even had a second to realize that until today. Last year i was 9 months pregnant and doing everything in my power to get miss Emersyn to grace us with her presence so that also means my baby girl is about to turn 1. I am not sure i'm ready for that. Shee is so little and squishy and every time i look at her i want to explode because i love her so much and i feel like the second she turns 1 its a long road to toddlerhood. So this week i'm going to just think about halloween.

We threw the funnest little Monster Bash a couple weeks ago and I am so excited to finally post about it. Seriously how cute are babies in costumes? I could die! Babies in costumes hitting pinatas? Even better!

Do you follow Elizabeth Faye? You should. She is a babe, does hair, has style and has been posting the cutest halloween series. All these cute print outs came from her. Go grab some! They are free. 

This year i thought i knew exactly what my girls were going to be. Princess Anna and Olaf. Leighton is obsessed with frozen (who isn't?) and i found the cutest olaf costume. But then i realized how over done that was going to be and wanted something different. So cats it is. I totally made these outfits. Even their tales! Usually I'm not a big crafter but when it comes to costumes i hope i can keep up with making them every year. 

Finally the piñata! You are all thinking the same thing right? Cutest ever! These little ones didn't even need help busting it open. The party was a smashing success! Lots of yummy food. Fun treats. Games. Pumpkins galore. (we also did a pumpkin craft but i have 0 pictures of it) It was the best moms and babes party we've had so far. Maybe we will make this a yearly tradition.

Quick Trip to Disneyland

Leighton is the biggest princess lover out of any two year old I've ever met. Basically she is a princess herself so naturally Disneyland is truly the happiest place on earth for her. She has been 5 times now and each time has been a funner experience than the last. 

Kaden and I have been looking forward to a good family get away for a long time now and I had our california/ disney trip planned to the T. 

After a really horrible turn of events at CML (where Kaden works) our trip was cut in half and rushed and honestly i left the park crying and dreading an 8 hour drive to Cedar through the night. Sometimes being an adult and not doing just what you want to do just plain stinks. 

But we are blessed. We were able to spend the weekend together with out stressing over money and Kaden was able to come home to a job bright and early Tuesday morning. 

So much about this trip wasn't as magical as we wanted. But we loved it all the same. Leighton met Tinkerbell, she went to Mickeys halloween party with her cousins. Kaden spoiled the girls with lots of treats. Emersyn soaked everything up and napped a lot. 

I love this little family of mine and I could not be more grateful for them. Really i could not imagine a life without these 3 by my side. 

Painting Pumpkins

Again with the pumpkin love. Leighton has been asking to paint for weeks now and i have been so hesitant because when she asks she goes straight to a door or the walls and pretends to paint. One of my favorite things from her first halloween was a little pumpkin she painted. She was seriously like 7 or 8 months old and painted the sweetest little pumpkin. I have a picture of it somewhere and i honestly might frame it if i find it. 

This week i have been brave and crazy and doing sooo much and in middle of it i stopped and sat down with leighton asked what she wanted to do. She said paint pumpkins. When i said yes she beamed. I got everything ready and she was jumping up and down the entire time. Leighton gathered every pumpkin in the house and tried to paint every single one. If you read my last post you'd know that is a lot of pumpkins. 

After painting for a bit Leighton asked for baby to paint too. (She still calls Em baby). Emersyn loved it. Mostly she loved eating the paint but she loved the colors, and doing something with Leighton too. 

We had the funnest afternoon together and painting pumpkins was the perfect activity for all of us. 

MMM- October I Love You

October has brought some much needed beauty into my life. Ever since i was little i have been obsessed with this time of year. It just some how makes me feel happy. It might be the billions of adorable mini pumpkins and so ugly their cute gourds that are everywhere or the endless amounts of apple cider that i drink. The air seems crisper, view of the mountains clearer and it is just perfectly feeling outside. 

So because of this October is motivating me. I am trying extra hard with my babies. I am being more patient, playing more often and trying to make every moment a teachable one. The other day after taking the girls to a small town apple festival and hours of shopping for too many new clothes Leighton said "fun day mom" I about fell over. I was so happy that she loved spending time together and how simple but great our day was.

I want every day to be like that. 

Last Thursday we went to a cupcake decorating party that was so sweet. 

Friday we went to witches night out at a local main street boutique and the girls were the cutest little witches. 

Really is there another month with so much fun happening? I think not. 

Dear Babies- A space for you

Dear Babies

I love you so much. Life is beautiful and it is because you are in it. Both of you have contagious personalities, loud laughs and bright smiles. Happiness glows around you and love shows from your eyes. Your little hands hold mine, your dad's and each others. Your little feet run and dance and play. I hope you love your space. I hope you feel safe here, that you want to spend time in here, that it allows you to be creative and inspires you. Both of you deserve a beautiful place and this is yours.