Easter 2013

This last week we were able to go to Salt Lake City to visit with Peters family for Easter. His sister from Colorado and their family came as well. It was nice visiting, and spending time in the BEAUTIFUL weather Utah had this weekend. We took the kids on a couple walks, went fishing with grandpa, played games and ate great food.

On Sunday, Katies boys put together a small easter egg hunt for my two kids and how fun it was to watch! Elsje had her two cousins, Brayden and Derek following her around, making sure she found all the eggs, and at one point held her basket for her! They looked like her bodyguards and it warmed my heart watching them get along with her. Ezra had his second Easter and this time he was a bit more excited. Peter helped him walk around and find a few eggs.  We had a great brunch with his family then hopped on the road to make it to my parents house for dinner. We had so much fun jumping on the tramp with grandpa and swatting fly. Ezra kept practicing his stairs.

I'm glad we have the opportunity to be with family and to remember the reason we have Easter.

Although its nice to be visiting family, its always just as nice to get back home to our bed, our house, and our little family.

I got one dad!!

Reach!!!

"The bodyguards"

sideways pic!

These were the cute bunnies I sewed all of peters nieces and nephews. I got the idea from HERE

I used the tutorial, but didn't have time to hand stitch 16 faces...so I used hot glue and squiggly eyes and buttons for noses. I think they turned out rather cute! 

Happy Easter!

It's your birthday and you know it....

Well, this is late....like a month late....but we recently moved from our home of 6 years in Sandy to our new home in Driggs Idaho. What an event. I still am trying to recover. Moving is hard!! but this is all for another blog. Today's blog is dedicated to my sweet, beautiful, excited little girl Elsje. She turned two years old in February and it seems these sort of events get funner and funner the older they get.

I made her cake, an elmo cake, and as an amature cake maker, may I say it turned out pretty good? Elsje loved it anyway. We celebrated at grandma and gradpa Boogaards the weekend before we moved. Elsje was spoiled with lots of presents all of which she really loves.

I'm in shock and awe that I have a two year old. really and truly. what an amazing last three years we've had. Being a mom has changed me in many ways, and I'm always grateful for the chance I have to be a mom.

Here are some pics of her party:

She Blew both of them out...all by herself

the infamous Elmo cake

Looking at her daddy with such excitement

Presents!!!

Ezras 1st Birthday

Well, it happened, by little boy turned 1. I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!!! He is such a special boy, and we love him very much. He brings much joy to our lives. He loves his sister very much and Elsje is beginning to really enjoy playing with him.

We celebrated his birthday on his day, the 1st of Feb, and had some of peters family over for cupcakes and ice cream. Peter was able to take some time off work to help me, and he did just that. Ezra was just NOT into his cake, the only reason he got cake on his face was cause I smeared some on his face to try and get him enticed! but alas....... He really enjoyed the attention, and loved the gifts, but the cake was just not his thing.

I made homemade chocolate cupcakes with homemade lemon butter cream frosting. I put some lemon zest on top for more flavor and looks.

Enjoy some cute pictues of his day, and his cute "1" onesie I sewed up for him the night before.

cupcakes for all!

Ezras cake

um..........

what's in there??

getting ready!

fun with cousins

Peter decorating Ezras cake

going in for it, but he stopped and really didn't get a drop on himself....

All in a days work

Clean Eating, and a freebie salad

As many of you know, I started eating "clean" about 3 months ago. I was about half way to my pre Ezra/Elsje baby weight and I needed an edge. As I don't really believe in "dieting" in the literal term, I want to be able to eat delicious food, without losing Dairy, meat, and all the good foods that should be eaten, just in small doses. I have a couple friends from Green Shakes and Giggles that live just down the street and they have helped me through the years with all my health questions. I love those girls and I'm really glad to know them, and I urge ANYONE to check their site out...it would be worth it! ANYWAY.....I love a lot of recipes they offer, but I just can't see myself and family eating that way every day. So I started looking into a happy medium: little to NO processed foods (come on, no ones perfect) to making foods that have basic clean ingredients. I have embraced this way of eating and I'm loving it. I feel better, I have more energy, and I feel SO good when I feed my kids this food. Now I won't lie....I don't feed my kids this way every day. This type of food takes a little planning and if I'm short on ingredients, my kids LOVE mac and cheese (homemade of course, but still not healthy) and hot dogs....I know...so sue me. hahahaha BUT, I'm trying, and everyday gets better. Here are some things that I have changed in our diet:

No more high fructose corn syrup
--my husband still comes home with random things, but when he walks in with the item, he says, "i bought (said item) and it has high fructose sugar in it...I'll take it to work". At least now he knows I don't approve. haha

The processed foods we do buy don't have any more than 8 ingredients listed
--and If we can't pronounce them, we don't buy the product

Reading labels
--I was shocked at the random things that were added to even things like canned tomatoes. you'd think there would be just tomatoes...but no....check your labels!!! we spend a little more buying groceries, but its worth it.

Menu planning
--I've always done this, but with clean eating, its more important to stick to that list...your food will go bad...because THERE ARE NO PRESERVATIVES IN IT! You are eating WAY more veggies and fruit so if you don't stay on top of it, you'll be wasteful.

I've replaced brown sugar and white sugar with Agave, Honey, Molasses, and Stevia.
--If something looks delicious, and I want to try it, I have to be able to replace the sugar with one of those 4 above, or we don't get it. PERIOD.

Wheat Flour
--end of story. I keep a little white flour around for those days when you need to make something with white flour, but I hardly use it.

These are just a few of the things that I've had to adjust to, but there is SO MUCH MORE! I'd say that even if you tried just a few of these things, you'd be able to tell a difference.

Last night, I wanted to get out of the house and take the kids for a little treat. We decided to go get a cupcake at a local cupcake shoppe. Can I just tell you that one bite and I was sick. Like S.I.C.K. I didn't sleep well, I was restless, and my tummy was in shambles. and you know what, thats OK! I knew I was on the right track.

Today I want to share with you one of my favorite recipes. I adapted it from another site, but it really wasn't that similar.

Avocado, Tomato, Mozz Salad

1/2 avocado diced
4-5 cherry tomatoes diced
2 oz FRESH (it has to be fresh) mozz cheese
salt and pepper to taste
drizzle of Balsamic vinegar

mix all ingredients and enjoy!!

I dare you to try it!

XOXO

niss

A New Leaf

I have a couple goals for 2013, and one of them includes being a happier person. This last year has been hard for me. I've had two babies to take care of, a post baby body from two babies that certainly isn't up to my own standards, HUGE decisions to make for the good of our family, a goal to nurse a baby for 12 months, church callings that take lots of time outside of church, a touch of depression that certainly didn't help anyone, and this is just the beginning of my list. As I look back on this year, I am happy about what I accomplished. I'm happy about where my family is now, and I'm excited about what the future brings. But I digress....there were times in 2012 that I wasn't happy. I wasn't happy with me, and I was choosing to nit pick many areas of my life instead of enjoying things. I was looking at others and thinking, why can't my situation be more like that. But all of that can/has already changed, and I plan on only making it get better.

I have dubbed this year the year of downsizing and ridding myself of things that clutter my life; this includes over-decorating, keeping items that I haven't looked at in years, and I hate to say it, but people who bring me down, are negative, and don't help my cause. I have had to sit down and figure out what in my life really matter. Here they are in no particular order:

My Children. I want to spend MORE time with them teaching, learning, and accomplishing.
My Husband. I want to spend MORE time with him, communicating, learning, and accomplishing.
My Friends. I want to spend MORE time letting them know how much they mean to me, how much I care about them, and how no matter where I am, or where they are, friendships can and will continue if you give them the love and time they need to grow.
My Church and My Savior. I think we all owe a lot to him, and what better way to show that appreciation than to serve, serve, serve. I want to expand my circle of friends in the church, again, no matter where I am.
My talents. I've decided to part ways from my scrap booking days, however I will continue to make my homemade cards, and create fun crafts. As far as talents I wish to nurture:
--Sewing. A new found love of mine, and I'm hoping I can get pretty good at this.
--Organ playing. I recently found that playing the organ is so much fun...but challenging. I hope to learn this quickly and so I can be of service with this talent.
--Having more patience. My daughter is turning that wonderful age of 2 in a month. I will need all the help I can get. We are all happier when I'm happy.

As I have been cleaning out, packing up baby clothes for storage, creating a large pile for yard sale, going through boxes in the basement, and reminiscing of what life has been, I've shed tears, remembered great memories, and felt a cleansing process begin to occur. Life doesn't consist of what is just handed to us...we MAKE our lives. We make the choice to be happy, and we MAKE the choice to be negative. We choose to be offended, and we choose to learn from experience, we choose to be mad, and we choose to trust.

Future me: Don't forget that we can make our lives as happy as we want wherever we are, whenever it presents itself, and no matter the situation. There are other people on this planet and we can learn to co-exist, or we may get over looked and feel like we don't exist due to the negative nature we portray. Inside every human is the rite, privilege, and responsibility to be better, grow and nurture. Lets make that our goal always.

Below I have provided a picture that I took one day when Peter and I were making the trek from Driggs Idaho to our home in Sandy. Something about this picture draws me to it. I feel peaceful, quiet and creative when I'm at this location, unless its at night...then I'd probably be really creeped out. haha I hope this picture can do something for you.

Christmas 2012

This Christmas was fun. I was the one up early....and even opened a couple presents before the kids were up. The only reason why I stopped was out of GUILT! haha Santa was good to us all. Ezra got a few toys and Elsje got a kitchen setup. I got a watch, and Peter got a snowbike. We had a wonderful brunch with Valerie and here mom, and enjoyed the afternoon and evening with Peters family. I love Christmas. So many good memories for me, and I hope to give the same to my kids.

Merry Christmas

Family Home Evening

A few nights ago, our little family was having a family night in, and learning about Jesus Christ, and learning that we are all Children of God. I had failed to think of an activity because we had a rough weekend...I was just too out of it. But luckily I saw three sets of fairy wings I purchased Elsje at a garage sale this last summer. Her most favorite thing in the world right now (aside from a stuffed monkey her cousin Brayden gave her) is Abbie Cadabby. (Sesame Street) If you recall, she was Abbie for Halloween too. Anyway, she loves running around the house waving her arms pretending she is Abbie. So, what better way to finish the night off than to run around pretending you are a fairy??!!  I love that its the little things that make your child so delighted. I love my little kids, and the fantasy they make every day life.