friday photo dump: week 10

1. The week starts off with a hole in our front yard.

2. Followed by cleaning out the basement, finding tapes for Savannah to entertain herself with.

3. Movie party after school, and those kids that always fight...getting along.

4. A spur of the moment adventure over a bridge that crosses the freeway.

5. Someone wasn't paying attention when she was walking and ran into the garbage can.

6. Stephanie is a rock star. Love her.

7. This is the norm around these parts...feeding one baby, while giving the other a bath. Multitasking is a must.

8. Target dollar big FTW. Kids love these little plates.

9. Teacher gifts just because. It made Savannah so excited to go to school that morning.

10. My favorite s'mores cookie from Over the Top Gourmet Cookies.

11. This boy is all over the place when it comes to sleep these days.

12. I spy with my little eye, a little green nugget sitting on the chair by herself.

13. Proof of our "jammas and neaners" day!

why?

Do you ever wonder why people have such a hard time telling it like it is? Instead they paint a picture perfect life, and make the people looking on wondering how the heck they do it all!? Hello Pinterest, I am looking at you.

We all do it to some degree. For example, I go through my pictures to post on my blog and I find the ones that my babies are looking, smiling, and don't show the mess in the background. Or have you ever cleaned a room, or area just to take a picture? Guilty.

{I wish this was posed, it is not! Savannah really was like this for the first weeks of Bean's life...she did not want to share. Oh, and hello unmade bed!}

It is only Wednesday, and it has been a helluva week for me. I have changed so many blowouts, I lost track. I got peed on. Sleepless nights for both Paul and I, tired Mommy and Daddy...I even debated not taking Savannah to school this morning so I could sleep in. Yup, truth people!

Our basement got a leak, and left us with a big hole in our front lawn. After waiting for someone to fix it yesterday, he still didn't get it completely done. 

Savannah has cried every morning on the way to school, because she just wants to hang out with us all day.

{Poor baby screaming, and Savannah trying to be Mommy!}

Devin had a huge, okay so huge is an understatement...colossal tantrum this morning. I mean, I got slapped across the face, and my shirt ripped colossal. Things aren't always pretty people. You know why he was mad? I made him get out the bath after an hour. I am such a mean Mom.

I can't keep up with the laundry, and the pile in the hallway is always there. Paul asked me when the last time the hallway was vacuumed...I can't even remember. I would also have to move said pile of laundry to do the other, and that hasn't happened for a very long time.

{nap time!}

I do have a lot more time since being home to do household chores, but my house is still not anywhere near spotless...like I had hoped for. Maybe I thought it was really possible after looking at so-and-so's blog.

The babies and I didn't even get out of our pajamas yesterday, and I even went to eat at Kneaders lookin' like a bum. Judge me, I am okay with it.

{Devin had to make sure Bean was looking!}

So, I am left wondering, why? Why can't we all just be a little more honest, instead of always trying to look so darn perfect!? I am sure I am not alone in this, or maybe I am.

Haters to the left.

love. {sabrina edition.}

I love that Sabrina is a perfect mixture of Devin and Savannah.

I love that she makes me laugh, and she isn't even old enough to know what she is doing.

I love that I am her favorite.

I love that her smile might just be the biggest ever!

I love that she loves to snuggle for naps.

I love that she is mostly patient with her older brother and sister.

I love that she tries to suck her thumb, but gets discouraged and just ends up shoving her whole first in her mouth.

We are starting to wonder if she knows her name is Sabrina, because she doesn't really respond to it. She has a million nicknames that we use, and she responds well to those! :)

Most of all, I love that she is ours, and that she made it here safely to us.

friday photo dump: week 9

1. Hello little hipster.

2. Been doing a little shopping for me, and it makes me feel so much better.

3. We call this "Ceelo". He isn't about being trendy, he is about making people laugh.

4. Love my Paul.

5. Cutest stamps...makes sending little notes that much more fun. Yeah, #operationsnailmail.

6. Our baby loves to lay on the grass and look up at the leaves.

7. These two have played with this princess castle for hours...without fighting!  THANK YOU!! We will be having a #megabloksparty, and can't wait to share these fun toys with our little friends soon.

8. Moochies at the fair. Honestly, I shouldn't admit this...I like Philadelphian more. I am sure Philadelphian isn't as authentic, and Food Network hasn't come for a visit...but whatev.

9. Best way to start a week...Mickey D's picnic breakfast. Totally earns cool Mommy points! :)

If you are on Instagram, and I am not following you...let  me know.

Over and out...

Evonce.

spoiled.

I wrote this post last night, but in my sleepy state forgot to publish it. :)

This post is long overdue.

It is true, I am spoiled...and this post is a big thank you to Paul.

As I type this it is 10:00 PM, and Paul is still not home from work yet. He went to work late so he could be home to help me during the day. He took Savannah to school this morning, because I had a rough night of sleep with Bri. He watched the babies so that I could go and pick Savannah up by myself from school. All of this is very much my normal.

I don't go grocery shopping by myself, because Paul rearranges his schedule to go with me. Never leaving me to do it by myself with the kids, and truth be told...I don't ever remember going grocery shopping by myself before kids either.


Paul changes 95% of Devin's diapers. The 5% that he doesn't change is when he is not home.


When I ask for something, he works it out for me to get it.

When I don't feel like cooking, Paul takes us out. When I haven't cleaned a darn thing all day, Paul understands that these kids keep me plenty busy. When I am tired, Paul makes sure to send me to bed early.

Even when I don't act like it, I am more than thankful for my partner in crime. I wouldn't be able to do this without someone that is so supportive. I know I have it good, and deserve a good smack if I ever complain...because I know a lot of Mommy's don't have near the amount of help I do.

kiss-kiss to my best friend.

love. {devin edition.}

I love that he likes to write his name.
I love that he still will come to me and say "hold you!".
I love his contagious smile.

I love that his imagination is growing.

I love his deep brown eyes.

I love that he is so proud of his toes when they get painted.

I love that after I took these pictures he told me "my cheek hangin' out Mom", and continued to pull down his shorts to show me his diaper wedgie.

Man, I just love this boy.

utah state fair.

It has been a couple of years since we have been to the Utah State Fair. Since we were occupied with road trips, having a baby, and lots of other chaos...we missed out on all the local carnivals, parades, and such. We definitely couldn't skip the state fair this year!

$27.00 for our family to get in the gate, and we were off to have a good time.

After a quick jaunt through all the animals, and booths we started eating.

$13.50 for Richards BBQ.
$14.00 for Moochies.
$5.00 for a yummy crepe.
$5.00 for a big old root beer float.

We tried to buy tickets for the rides, but holy hannah the lines were unreal.

Sooo, next best thing...games!

$5.00 on make the wiffle ball in the basket...no win.
$10.00 on pop 3 balloons...WIN.
$10.00 on shoot a beanbag in the mouth...WIN.
$2.00 on make a 3 point shot...no win.
$3.00 on aim, squirt, and beat 6 other people...WIN!!
$5.00 on make the basketball in the hoop...WIN!!

We headed over to have the kids get their picture taken by some sketchy guy in a booth. Only Savannah would play along.
Oh well, saved us $10.00, and only cost $5.00 for her.

We left before the sun went down. Our stroller full of big stuffed animals, and sleepy babies.

We always talk about how expensive everything is, but to watch these kids of mine have such a good time...

It really is priceless.

I still have a list of food I couldn't eat before I got full...so I'm comin' back for you next year...watch out!

friday photo dump: week 8

1. Paul told me that if he knew that I was going to wear these pajama pants as much as I have...he would have made me buy a couple of pairs. :)

2. Fondue party. We splurged, and didn't regret it one bit. We try to keep things like this top secret, because if Savannah found out we did this without her...she would be sad.

3. The Pinterest challenge continued. This is crock pot mac & cheese, which the kids of course gobbled right up. I should have cooked it less time, but still edible.

4. I always tell the kids no for the train at the mall. I mean $3 a person is a little expensive for a ride. BUT I must have been feeling extra nice, and said yes...these two were in heaven. Totally made spending the money worth it.

5. Yet another one of Paul's new business adventures. We got a couple of the Del Taco's, and are slowly fixing them up. The babies and I went and hung out with Daddy one morning, and ate cookies for breakfast!

6. No explanation required. This happens a. lot. Sabrina is finally starting to smile at Devin, instead of cry. He likes to dance for her, and she does get some entertainment out of it.

7. I saw this wallpaper, and instantly wanted it. I think you could do it in vinyl easily...I see new decor for Savannah's room one day.

8. Chauffeur...I could get use to this. I liked sitting in the back with Sabrina, and not worrying about traffic.

9. Our little Devinator is a thumb sucker. It actually isn't a huge problem. He sucks it for a few minutes while he falls asleep, and then doesn't use it for the rest of the night. {I know this, because he also loves to sleep in our bed!} His thumb got a little ow-eee on it, and I decided to put a band-aid on it before nap time. I watched him try to figure out how he was going to suck his thumb as he fell asleep...and then he gave up and just started sucking on it with the band-aid. Gross out. I didn't worry too much about it, until he woke up and I couldn't find the band-aid. After a brief freak out, thinking he had swallowed it...I found the band-aid safely stuck to his shirt. Phew. We will not be worrying about this problem for awhile longer. :)

the great pinterest challenge.

After taking close to a year off from Pinterest, I am back on the band wagon.

Since I am trying to cook more, and failing miserably...I decided I should probably start putting those food boards to use.

The first thing I learned when I got back on is I needed to organize my boards. I had one big food board, and it makes navigating a little time consuming. So, I used Emily and Cathy's boards for inspiration.

The second thing I learned is that I should probably not plan two new menu items a day, only one. When the lunch item fails, you get pretty hungry for dinner...and I want a sure thing. These pizza rolls that have been floating around were our lunch yesterday, and although the kids loved them...I did not. I guess you can't count that as a complete flop. I did love the glaze you put on top of them, and will be putting that on other breads I make. Let's be honest cheese and butter, can't really go wrong, can you!?

My grocery list and shopping this week was so easy. I guess Pinterest isn't a complete waste of time if you actually do what you pin. :)

never learn.

warning: none of the pictures go with this post, they just make me smile...and sometimes that is what I need to do.

When I started to feel really down at the end of my pregnancy with Sabrina, I immediately went and got some happy pills from my Dr. I think that is what made those last few weeks so enjoyable, and I was able to keep us doing all the fun Summer stuff.

Well, it has been a few months, I was feeling good and thought I didn't need the happy pill anymore {sound familiar}. I hate when I get cocky, and decide to play Dr.

It only took me 2 weeks, and voila...felt like crap.

I think I finally reached that breaking point when I had two awful nights of sleep in a row, and I got sick.

This Momma was not happy.

{doesn't she just look so grown up!?}

Paul jokingly said to me after 3 babies you would think I would learn I need a little pick me up after...and I shouldn't get cocky. Uh, he is right...again.

So, here I am saying that I have learned my lesson, and these hormones bein' out of whack are not going to get the best of me.

call me crazy.

Most people will say that the more kids they have, the less pictures they take. I am the complete opposite. With every child I learned, I only wanted more. You can never have enough. On average I usually upload 20-30 pictures from my camera every night, and that doesn't include Instagram. Yes, a little obsessed, I know.

I told Paul that I would love to have the kids pictures taken professionally every 3 months. When he laughed, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

I came up with this brilliant idea I would just take some posed pictures. When I told Paul this idea, he thought I was crazy. I knew it was a little ambitious, but I still wanted to try. After all, Paul bought me this really nice camera, I should try to take some quality pictures with it. {I am not saying I want to be a photographer, I would just like to improve my photo taking skillz.}

So one day after school last week, I got all the kids ready and up that mountain we went behind our house. We weren't all but 3 feet away from the car, and it was a complete train wreck. Sabrina was crying when Savannah held her. Devin would not look at me, even if I promised him Disneyland. Savannah was worried about the babies looking and smiling...instead of herself.

I took 100 pictures in like 20 minutes, and knew I hadn't gotten a single good shot of my kiddies together.

I know now why I pay someone else to take these kind of pictures, it is ridiculously hard. Oh, and even though it didn't turn out like I had hoped...I still can laugh at these.

I tried. Really.

friday photo dump: week 7

You guys week 2 of school did not get easier for me.

Obviously, I was pretty much MIA on my blog.

Bri has decided to really hate being in her car seat. Can you imagine how awesome that makes car pool? 10 minutes to get to the school, 20-ish minutes to get Van, 10 minutes home...that equals some where around 40 minutes of screaming in the car. Devin tries to talk to Bri, but you can guess it doesn't help...maybe when she is a little older it will.

We spent the majority of our week doing some fall cleaning/organizing. I wish I could say things were more exciting. Like my Sista always tells me, everyday can't be fun.

So, here are my phone favs...

1. Paul has been expanding our business again. That man needs a break. NE who. The babies and I tagged along to the Game Grid Arcade to see our Big Buck HD delivered. It is 1 of 3 in the entire state of Utah...which is pretty cool. I thought that Paul was the ultimate lover of all things vending, and he is...but then we had Devin. He is giving Paul a run for his money. Devin loved watching the boys set it all up, and cried when we had to leave.

2. Our baby loves her bath time, and unlike most babies who like to kick and splash...Bean likes to relax. Dude, she fell asleep on me. That has never happened.

3. We went shopping for new clothes, and Savannah was proud of her find. She is saving it for her trip to Idaho this month.

4. It is fun to watch Devin become big enough to really play with Savannah.

5. Not only is Bri getting some delicious thighs, but she got her first freckle that adorns one of them.

6. Savannah always makes me proud. I love that her "character goal" for school was to make 2 new friends.

7. I got new shampoo and conditioner, and man my hair feels amazing...and smells amazing too.

8. CARPOOL BLOWS!!

9. Baby has blue eyes, and might as well be a mini Van.

10. Van started Girl Scouts, and in her innocence asked me if at the first activity she would start selling cookies.

11. We love Water Gardens Theatres!! We have been doing the vending at the American Fork location, and now just moved in to the Spanish Fork location. I shouldn't admit that sometimes I like to just go to get the yummy popcorn for super cheap.

12. It was a sad day to watch Billy Bob move. We are crossing our fingers for some cool neighbors. Honestly they don't even have to be cool, just maybe water and mow the lawn would be nice.

13. My little stud, partner in crime, lunch date, ultimate cuddle bug at night...the Devinator! ;)

Hit me up on Instagram...evonce.

Leap Frog Touch Magic Rock 'n Learn Par-tay.

I was excited to be chosen for a party that was just for Devin and his little friends. Savannah sometimes gets all the fun. ;)

I knew the party was going to be awesome just by the excitement that Devin had when he saw the toys. We have had the Leap Frog Touch Magic Learning Bus and Rockin' Guitar in our house for over a month...and they are still getting used a.lot.

Leap Frog sent us some fun ideas to make our party that much better, and the ideas are definitely worth sharing if you plan to buy these toys.

We sang "The Letters on the Bus" instead of "Wheels on the Bus". We pushed the buttons on the Learning bus, and sang the A on the bus says /a/ /a/ /a/ {you get the idea}...and you repeat for the entire alphabet. It is great for learning letters and sounds. The bus is also fun, because it has a piano and other cool sounds...so, not just the alphabet.

We also had a jam out session. We were sent two Rockin' Guitars, and two by two we had everyone rock out together "on stage". Of course the boys really liked this. The guitar does lots of different songs that you can play your guitar too. Devin takes his guitar playing very seriously.

Most importantly we learned about sharing toys. We can all use a lesson or 20 on this.

We played, we colored, we ate, we conquered.

Things I like about the Touch Magic Learning Bus and Rockin' Guitar...

• I like that they are light weight.
• I like how skinny they are. You could bring the Learning Bus in the diaper bag for entertainment, and it doesn't take up any more space than some of the board books we have.
• I like they have an on/off switch. So many of Devin's toys run out of batteries just from being pushed just so in the toy box.

The only thing our party was missing was Devi's bestest little friend Gage.

PS We are also learning how to get dressed all by ourselves...all outfits are awesome, because of Devin. Oh, and he changes clothes as much as a girl...can we say never ending laundry!?

Full Disclosure: The toys were given to me by Leap Frog through Mommy Parties. All opinions are mine, and the little boy that lives in our house. We owe a big ol' thank you to them, because we have had a blast playing...obvs.