long live summer {Olivie + Ocean}

Let Me See You Sparkle Photography

Now that it's September I am seeing endless posts of cooler weather, pumpkin and holidays... and in Arizona we're over here like, does summer ever end?! Ha! We still have a solid month (more like 2... but who's counting?) of swim weather left! Plus there is indoor swimming, vacations (who's planning a vacation so that I can live vicariously through you?!) etc. Basically swim suit shopping is totally acceptable all year round, mmmkay?! So now that you want to come swimming with us in Arizona, be sure to check out Olivia + Ocean for child swimwear... prepare to swooooon! These swimmers are so dang PERFECT!! We are 100% obsessed with Mia's flamingo swim suit! Don't be surprised when you see photos of her in every suit from the collection- that's how much we adore these gorgeous swim suits! If you know me at all, then you're not surprised at all when I tell you that my favorite detail is the back... dem ruffles and dat bow!! OBSESSED!

 Swimsuit c/o Olivia + Ocean

happy 11 months to my little love

I'm not sure how it's this time already (cue the ugly cry!!) but it's BIRTHDAY MONTH for my baby James!! He IS my second child... I SHOULD know that the 1st birthday comes way faster than I could imagine... yet I still find myself in total shock that he is 11 months old. 11 months of pure, mischievous sweetness, ha ha! And my goodness, we love him SO!!

- James is constantly pulling himself to the standing position. He's even stood on his own for a few seconds. It was when he was distracted so it was totally an accident each time, but he'll get it mastered long before I'm ready for it, I'm sure!
- Since my last update on sleep, James has given me 3 consecutive nights of sleeping through the night! Then he will wake up once to eat a few nights in a row, then give me another night or two of sleeping though the night. At this point, I'll take what I can get! SOMEDAY it will be impossible to drag him out of bed, right?! He still gives me 2, 2 hour naps, thankfully!
- James still eats all the foods even though he has just 4 teeth, ha ha. He also nurses 3 times a day (4 if he wakes up in the night).
- He is obsessed with water- drinking it, swimming in it and bathing in it! He can be super ornery (I know, not James?!) but as soon as you turn on the water for bath time, his arms are flapping a million miles an hour and he's shrieking with happiness, ha ha.
- James hasn't really added any more words to his vocabulary, though I swear when he makes the "geegee" sounds, he is really trying to say "binky"! Maybe that will be his first word (besides mama)!
- We have a clapper now (it's the cutest!) and he's trying to master the wave. It's more of holding his hands up in the air like he wants to be held but hey, he will get there, ha ha!
- Guess who also figured out how to throw tantrums? So, that's cute... 
- James is in love with balls and cars! All boy, I tell ya! He will crawl around the house with a car in hand, driving on the tile! I debated whether to do a car or baseball themed birthday party... I think baseball won!
- He doesn't road trip or adjust to change as easily as Mia did/does. We just traveled to Utah (minus Eric) and between travels, leaving him to be babysat a few times, and no daddy, James turned into one very needy little monster.
- At his 9 month check up last month (yes, at 10 months. Totally a second child, ha!) James weighed in at 20 pounds! He's finally so mobile that he's not adding the pounds on, just maintaining. He's such a big boy!! Mia barely weighs 30 pounds, ha ha.
- He wears 12 and 18 month clothes (crazy!!) I have no idea what shoe size he is but I need to work on that because it will start cooling down here... in a couple of months ;)
- James still wears size 4 diapers. 

Our family is so blessed to have James in it... he is a bright spot in our days and all of us, including Mia, are obsessed with him!
 

save this memory

Save This Memory- could there be a more perfect name considering the photos captured here?! I'm so in love with our family pictures!

Save This Memory

Don't even worry that these gorgeous family photos were taken 5 months ago... Also, don't tell me that I've aged since then ;) Seriously though, I can't believe what a slacker I am with this blog that I love so much!! Life is busy but I'm grateful for everything in it that keeps me busy- including this sweet family of mine! I just adore this phase of life I'm in with Eric and our two babies, and having it photographed and frozen in time means the world to me!
One of my best friend's moved to Arizona recently and I'm so excited to share her with all of you! Not only do we get our weekly play dates, but we get to take advantage of her incredible photography talents... score!! If you're local to Arizona, I highly recommend Save This Memory for your photography and videography needs! She covers it all from family photos to weddings, etc.We loved working with her and I know you will, too!! Now excuse me while I go cry a river because it's time to schedule James' 1 year photos. Time is a thief!!

THREEnager

I am sooooo behind in my updates but I can't let myself skip talking about our favorite girl in da house! Mia is 3 1/2 (closer to 4... how do I make it stop?!) and kills us every day with her sweet, silly, SPUNKY personality! She is so full of it and we just can't get enough!

Save This Memory

At 3 1/2 Mia is constantly talking about when she is "big like mommydad". "When I'm big like mommydad, I will drive a big, red truck like daddy used to. 'member dat?! He had a big, red truck!" "When I big like mommydad, I will 5 kids. I will be a mommy and you will be my kid." "When I big like mommydad, I will go on a mission to Mexico!" She loves to take all the stories we tell her about our past (like the big, red truck and daddy's mission in Mexico) and spin the story to make it about herself :)

She talks about going to school every. single. day. She is going to die when I tell her she gets to start preschool in just a couple weeks! But I'm sure she will be equally bummed when she discovers she doesn't get to ride a bus to preschool, ha ha!

Mia can spell her (first) name and write it! She can identify all the letters of the alphabet and is so eager to learn how to write them (but mom is a slacker and hasn't really worked with her like I should!).

She is a total tease. She actually reminds me a lot of my older brother which totally freaks me out at times (because we totally didn't get along growing up) but makes me proud at the same time because he's pretty awesome! It's my favorite thing to watch Mia and Eric interact and play off each other! She fits right in this family with that teasing personality! Now to teach her that it's not fun anymore when people (kids, ha!) start crying!

I don't even remember the days before Mia could talk. Like, I'm sure she was born talking, ha ha. Sometimes I forget that she's only 3 because of how well she talks! She also has the BEST imagination! One day during dinner, she was playing with a toy and I took it away because, "we don't play with toys while we're eating!" She gave me a very annoyed look then started playing make believe with her HAND! I mean... I can't take her hand away?! ha ha! Sometimes I feel guilty for not doing enough projects at home with her but at the same time, she's developed such a fun imagination and can play and play... and I love it! 

Mia is fiercely loyal as a daughter, sister and friend. She has the biggest heart and sometimes I just can't believe she's mine! She makes me sooooo proud! I am forever thankful to be her momma!

We are pretty obsessed with Mia (James more so than all of us!) and I thank my Heavenly Father every day that we were chosen to be her parents! I wish I could slow time down, but since I can't, I'm doing my best to soak up every second at this amazing stage in life with our Mia girl!

happy 10 months to my little love

Poor James is suffering from the second child syndrome (but of course he doesn't care, like at all ;) ha ha) and I missed the last couple of months of his monthly updates! So today I'm sharing updates from 8-10 months to help keep my mind off the fact that we have double digits. My baby is too close to turning 1!! How did this happen?! Time is flying!

 Let Me See You Sparkle Photography

- James totally mastered army crawling (something that Mia totally skipped) and he army crawled for a solid 2 months or so. Our whole house is tile and James figured out how to scoop his elbows so that his body slid right right over the tile and he is fast, ha ha! It's like he's swimming across the floor ;)

- He started crawling right after he turned 9 months. At this point he mostly crawls, but we still see the swimming army crawling each day!

- Nothing motivates James more than getting his hands on something he's not supposed to... he learned to pull himself to a standing position when he was trying to get a hold of the computer, ha! So he can also pull himself to a standing position!

- James has slept through the night a total of 2 nights. Such a tease!! He still wakes up, usually around 4am, to sleep. Every night I cross my fingers/pray/hope that it will be the night that he finally just sleeps, HA! 

- Let's talk food- he is an eating machine!! James downs everything we give him, including chunks of meat, sandwiches, etc. He's pretty much over being spoon fed. He loves to have his food placed on his tray where he can shove it in at his own speed and make a mess ;)

- James just cut his two top front teeth and man, they are huge, ha ha! 

- He still loves to be swaddled with his arms out! Such a snuggle bug! He also really loves his bink's! When he wakes up crying, I'll find him sitting up in bed with a binky in his mouth, and fumbling a second binky between his hands until I pick him up, ha ha. 

- We are so lucky to have such a happy, easy baby!! He's always smiling and it seriously melts our hearts!

- James is a total water baby! He gets SO excited when he see's me turn on the shower each night (the kids shower together because the water that comes out in the tub is too hot- good ol' Arizona summers!) and looooves the pool! Fits right in with his sister and momma!

- He has mastered "mama" especially when he's upset or wants to be held. We often find him calling for "mama" but crawling after Eric, ha ha! He's dabbling into other sounds now and says "baba" a lot! Eric told me said "dada" for the first time the other night! He is much less chatty than Mia was, ha! 

- Mia and James are the CUTEST together! Their relationship is so fun to watch as they play more and more together. They love each other more than anything!!

- James wears a range of sizes from 6 months (when I squeeze him into that crap- second child problems. Ain't no momma got time to clean out the drawers, HA!) to 18 months! I take him in for his 9 month check up in a few days (again, second child probs) so then I'll know his exact stats!

- He's wearing size 4 diapers. 

Facebook has been pulling up a lot of my "memories" from this time last year when I was pregnant and my goodness, it all feels like just weeks ago, not a whole year ago! I can't believe we are only 2 months from having a 1 year old! Time, PLEASE so down!! We love our James soooo much! 

our favorite time of day {bookroo}

Apparently when I said I'm back, I meant I'm slowly getting back into the blogging world, ha ha! Why is life so crazy?! Oh well, we thrive off the crazy, don't we?! I swear I really am back though ;) Today we are so excited to share our latest discovery which makes our book worm loving hearts HAPPY- bookroo!

books c/o bookroo

Bookroo is a monthly subscription of board or picture books, each individually wrapped! How fun for the kids, right?! I admit that I was a little excited as well to see what book would be under the wrapping paper, ha! We seriously LOVE books so this subscription is totally our speed. I suspect if my kids weren't interested in books though, the gift wrapping would totally win them over and give them a new excitement for books! I highly recommend checking out bookroo- it's the best excuse to take a few minutes (or hopefully more) a day to sit down, forget the crazy and get lost in a story with our babes... it's seriously our favorite time of day (along with bed time ;) ha ha!!) Thank you, bookroo, for this fun new surprise we get to anxiously await each month!

currently

For those of you that missed me, I'm baaaaaaaack! (So basically, hi mom ;)) I can not believe what a whirlwind life has been since my last blog post! It has been a crazy adjustment finding my groove with LuLaRoe and of course, being a wife (Eric has been working a ton, surprise, surprise!) and momma (the kids never stop... story of every mom's life... amiright?!). But it's been the BEST adjustment! I can't believe how much I am loving the crazy hustle that is my life right now! Of course I can't wait to update you all on everything so I thought I'd start today with one of my go to's with this post to touch on a little bit of everything!

Loving: being a LuLaRoe fashion consultant. I swore when I joined the movement that I wouldn't become crazy obsessed with LLR, but gosh dang, it's hard not to when you're apart of such an amazing company; one that focuses more on giving than receiving, one that challenges you to step away from yourself on the daily and serve everyone else... and the clothes really do live up to the hype! I know some of you "caught the bug" thanks to me, and I'd like to say I'm sorry, but I'm no more sorry than you are ;) ha ha! The addiction is real! LuLaRoe has been such a blessing to my family not only financially, but in a million and one ways that we weren't expecting. (If you want to join my shopping group, I will be doing a FB Live this week to touch on specific ways that LLR has blessed us and why we love it for other reasons than just the $!)

Reading/Watching: you know the drill here. I'm all about the kid's books ;) ha ha! But I will tell you that we've developed a love for Usborne books thanks to a party I hosted a couple months back when a friend reached out asking me to. They have some fun books that have kept the kids and me entertained! (And no, I'm not selling Usborne as well ;))
Eric and I haven't really been watching shows (I'm not kidding when I say our life has been hustle, hustle, hustle) but of course I watch the Bachelorette while packaging clothes to mail out ;) And we are definitely looking forward to a date night when Jason Bourne comes out!

Trying to: talk Eric into taking me to the beach! I'm dying to spend a couple days soaking up the sun with my favorite people! Beach, pool, mexican food, sleep, beach, repeat. I just want to escape the real world for a couple days and vacation with my fam! (Eric- are you reading this?! TAKE ME TO THE BEACH!)

Wishing: that the kids would stop growing so darn fast! James is close to 10 months (HOW?!) and Mia is 3 1/2 going on 13. I will be doing updates on the kids asap! Isn't it funny how during the time of our life that is most definitely "survival mode" while parenting young kids, we desperately wish we could freeze time just to soak it up a bit longer?! I'm so blessed to be Mia and James momma!!

Excited for: Eric's promotion at work. As you all know, Eric has worked his hiney off these past years. Our move to Arizona has been a good one, but he has worked like crazy and it's finally paying off! Eric accepted an offer where he will be working 40 hours a week (for the most part) and we are THRILLED! The perks that come along with the promotion don't even mean that much to me (but thankfully they reflect what a killer employee he is. He's worked hard for it and deserves the recognition!!) because the time we will have with him again is everything!! I know I am a braggin' fool right now but you know what? Eric is super man and deserves all the praise. He has been my rock since becoming a mom to 2 (more of that in a later post as well) and he's been the glue this family has needed. I'm so proud of him and SO thankful to call him mine!!

ANNOUNCING... {+ a LuLaRoe giveaway}

Where are my LuLaRoe lovers at? Because I'm sooo excited, and a little nervous, but mostly excited to share the news that I am now a LuLaRoe fashion consultant!! In other words, I'm your newest hook up for beautiful, comfy clothes ;)

Let Me See You Sparkle Photography

So here's the deal... ever since we moved to Arizona I have been a full time stay at home mom. I feel incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to spend my days with my kids whom I love most in this world, BUT! I do miss my salon, my creative outlet, bringing in a little extra money (let's be honest here!) and having something for me! Now I realize clothes and hair are two totally different things, but since a salon just isn't an option for me right now, Eric and I both agreed that LLR sounds just right for now!  I love helping women feel beautiful and comfortable in their own skin... we all deserve that, don't we?! I know these clothes do just that for so many, and will continue to do so! Mia and I have quite the collection of LLR in our closets (as pictured above), so why not spread the love ;) It's totally scary to put myself "out there" with something like this, but the support from Eric (from the second I threw the idea at him just to see his reaction... which I totally wasn't expecting! But he's really excited for me to find something I can be in love with while again, doing what I love most and spending my days with our little people!), my family and friends (that knew about this), have given me so much confidence that it's okay to be excited about this! So here I am, sharing my excitement with all of you, who continue to support and love my little family through every phase of our lives that I've shared!

I'm excited to announce that my online launch party is Wednesday, May 25th on Facebook! Be sure to follow along now as I will be offering fun giveaways and share the most gorgeous skirts, dresses and more. Man, I can't wait to show y'all the goodies (where's the heart eye emoji when I need it?!) Speaking of giveaways... I'm so excited about my news that I'm giving away $100 shop credit between 5 winners (so $20 each!) because, the more the merrier, right?! I wish you all could win, but this is something I can do to show my love and appreciation for all of you! Be sure to follow along on Facebook and Instagram for more giveaways, and don't forget to tell your friends ;) Thank you, again, for your continued support and GOOD LUCK! xo

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a girl's best friend... {Azazie}

My Skirt Azazie Mia's Bow Her Joyful Studio

Tulle is a girl's best friend... oh, and diamonds! Definitely can't forget the diamonds ;) Seriously though, can a girl have too much tulle in her closet?! If you ask me and Eric's my mini, the answer is NO! Luckily for all of us tulle obsessed girls, I'm sharing your one stop shop, or as I like to call it, tulle heaven!
Azazie offers the most gorgeous bridesmaid dresses, accessories and more! If you're planning your wedding, you seriously needn't look any further than Azazie with the amazing collection they have! Or, if you're like me and have been married for forever (8 years counts as forever, right?!), this is my go to for all the tulle creations I've dreamt up in my head! You can find multiple length options (a floor length tulle skirt is next on my dream list!) and every color imaginable. I mean seriously, does it get any better than that?! I think not!
I absolutely love that my skirt can be worn casually while on a shopping date with my kids, or I can dress it up for date night with Eric, or I can really dress it up to wear to a wedding... the possibilities are endless! Since black goes with everything, don't be surprised if I wear this at least 5 days out of the week (because let's be real. I don't get dressed and out of the house every day ;) ha ha. At home you will most definitely find me in Eric's basketball shorts!) until I add more skirts to my collection ;) Hurry and get your own and join the "twinning" party with Mia and me!

Save This Memory Photography 

my mini(s)

...because you know I can't ever stop at just ONE post when it comes to sharing photos ;)

Our Dresses Lularoe Our Bracelets Poppy Lane and Co Blanket Bebe Au Lait

Have I mentioned how much fun we had during our mini shoot with Let Me See You Sparkle Photography? James wasn't invited to the party but we are just in that stage of life of "wherever mommy goes, baby goes!" so he got a few photos taken as well. Be still my mommy heart! James is such a little dream boat ;) And you can totally see the love they have for each other in these photos. My heart could not be more full! 

If you live in Arizona and want darling photos of your littles- these mini sessions are just for you! Fun themes, short time frame (perfect when photos involve children, ha ha!) and precious memories captured forever! 

Part 1

currently

I found this on Instagram but I'm not sure who to give source credit- let me know if you know :)

Loving: how comfortable we feel living in Arizona these days! I've been feeling very blessed lately when I think of the amazing friendships we've made these past few months, and the old friendships we've been able to grow because of living here. One of my dear friends moved here just a few months ago and she has quickly come to be one of my best friends, and I have Arizona to thank for that! We still get homesick for Utah's beauty and our family, but that just gives us the best excuse ever to go back and visit while we can! In the mean time, we are having a lot of fun exploring our newish (is it still new after living here almost a year and a half?!) state and all there is to offer here!

Reading/Watching: kid books are my jam, y'all. That's the only thing I make time for right now. But I did host an Usborne book party for a friend and I'm super excited to get our new books in the mail and have new stuff to look at with the kids! I'm so a mom, aren't I?! Ha ha.
Watching, what am I watching? I haven't even had time for shows these days... Now that we caught up with Fixer Upper on Netflix, we don't feel the need to rush to the TV once the kids go to bed ;) ha ha, I'm kidding! Eric and I are finally watching the latest season of Bones on Netflix. I finished Hart of Dixie (so cheesy, but I just can't help myself!) and now I'm on the hunt for something else to reel me in.

Trying to: be a good mom. I don't know why my first reaction is to be annoyed when most of Mia's responses to most of my commands (ha, oops) is "why". Like, shouldn't she just accept whatever I tell her because I, her mother, said it?! NOOOO! No, she shouldn't. Why do I keep forgetting that Mia doesn't just know everything?! She is learning EVERYTHING from how to clean a certain way, how we act in public, how we react to certain situations, etc and I'm the one that is supposed to teach her! I sure do hope to get my self in check and start teaching her with the grace and patience she deserves!
Whew! How was that for light hearted conversation? Ha! And now we all know what a bad/mean mom I can be.

Wishing: I could get my sweet tooth (and the salty one, too. Gimme all the junk food!) under control... I cleaned up my eating habits SO good after Mia was born but I am struggling this time around. So! Since I don't have a handle on that, it's time to up my workouts, AGAIN! I picked up my running a month or two ago and I've made major progress, but my wimpy weight lifting isn't cutting it. It's time to get serious about gaining more muscle! I'm going to start BBG next week- who's done it?! Do you love it, or hate it?!

Excited for: so here's the deal... I'm going to do something real annoying that drives me crrrrazy when others do this (because I'm so gosh, dang nosy!) and tease you all with something big, without actually sharing what the news, ha ha. But seriously, I've had something BIG in the works for a couple of months now and I am thiiiiiis close to sharing the secret. I am SO excited, a little nervous (okay, a lot nervous if I think about it too hard), but mostly really excited! You all have been the most amazing friends and supporters of mine, so I can't wait to share the news with you FIRST, in just a few days :)

night terrors :(

Let Me See You Sparkle Photography

Every Friday I usually feature a shop and product but tonight I have a heavy heart and I just can't seem to get in the right frame of mind to share my feature I had planned for this week. We've had a rough couple of nights with Mia- she's been waking up every couple of hours crying and I started to suspect night terrors. Well, tonight (Thursday night) it was confirmed when I went in her room to comfort her. I would hug her and hold her close, she would cuddle into me then moments later jump out of my arms and cry, "where's my mom?! I want my mommy!" and try to get around me and head for her door. She repeated that a few times before I took her to my bed to see if that would comfort her, but she didn't like that either. As I was carrying her back to her room, she suddenly started talking to me normal. I laid in bed with her and sang to her until she fell back asleep a couple minutes later. I was hoping to go to bed early(and was contemplating skipping blogging, oops!) as I've been so exhausted from lack of sleep, but what's the point now, right? I figured she would wake up again and sure enough, about an hour later we were on round 2. 

Of course I feel so defeated and helpless, but as I started researching and talking to people, I discovered that you're not supposed to wake them up (waking them up is when they act normal again, like I mentioned above) and I accidentally woke her up both times tonight. Cue the mom guilt on top of all the other emotions I'm feeling over watching my baby girl suffer! The first night we experienced this, I was so tired (and a little out of it myself from being woken up) and had little patience for her screams as I was trying to calm her down before she woke James up (they share a room) and wished she would hurry up and fall back asleep as I lay next to her, so that I could go back to my own bed and go back to sleep... mom of the year! Now tonight, all I want to do is sleep next to her to try and do all that I can to comfort her. 

I realize these night terrors are out of my control, but I would love to hear any experiences you all have had with your children?! Did you make a connection with any triggers? I'll be on the lookout for triggers with Mia and would love ideas of what to watch for. I know we could be experiencing much harder trials with Mia than just night terrors, but tonight I'm feeling pretty heart broken about it and wishing I could take them away from her and make them my own :(

tea time partay!

Our Dresses Lularoe Our Bracelets Poppy Lane and Co

Am I the only one dying, DYING over these gorgeous photos from our mommy and me tea party themed mini shoot by Let Me See You Sparkle Photography?! Okay, I realize I probably I am because I'm completely biased, but you can't deny how adorable these photos are!!
In honor of Mother's Day, Mia and I were invited to participate in these mini sessions and I can't even describe how much joy and love I feel when I see these photos! We were treated to the cutest dang set up EVER, and Mia dove right in and made herself comfortable. Treats? Check! And Mia did her best to eat her way through every single one. Teddy Bears? Check! And Mia practically named each one and picked out multiple to bring home with us. So many teaching moments were created here as I tried to explain to Mia that we had to leave treats and all the bears for other kids to enjoy, ha ha! There wasn't a single moment of awkwardness or shyness as Mia and I got lost in her imagination of tea time play, plus lots of snuggles and tickle fests! We had the best time just playing with each other for a solid half hour without any worries or to-do lists hanging over us! It honestly went by too quickly... what mom of a toddler ever said that about a photo shoot?! It was seriously that enjoyable!
Let Me See You Sparkle Photography is so creative and offers mini sessions for every holiday and other fun dates throughout the year! Her next session of minis is right around the corner and it's her favorite theme... sweet summertime minis!! Can you imagine just how great this will be?! Take a peak on her Facebook page! The dates are June 24, 25 and 26. So what I'm trying to say is this, if you live in Arizona and have littles, hurry and save your slot before they all sell out! You definitely won't regret having the sweetest candid moments captured of your precious kids!

Mother's Day 2016

“Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling. It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in, it is what God gave you time for.” - Neil L. Anderson

Let Me See You Sparkle Photography

Mother's Day is such a special day to celebrate even though Eric, you guessed it, worked ;) I'm pretty sure he has worked every Mother's Day since Mia was born, ha! But he always makes the day as special as he can for me! My day was a simple one that started with church and watching Mia sing with the primary for her first time! Oh my momma heart was bursting with happiness as I knew how much Mia loved being up there singing! She's the cutest :) She brought home the sweetest Mother's Day card for me with her hand prints as flowers and a questionnaire that I've been dying to get since I became a mom. I still can't stop laughing over some of Mia's answers. My mom's full name is: "just Courtney." I can totally imagine how she said that with a "duh" type of attitude, ha ha! My mom is "38" (not bad considering we've never talked about this. She was only 10 years off!) and weighs "bigger". I love it when my mom "reads books" which is what I plan on doing as soon as I finish this blog post. I'd say we're due for a cuddle sesh and enjoying something we both love after the doozy of a Monday we've had so far... I couldn't resist sharing a photo on Instagram if you want to see the rest :) We took a nap, called our mom's to wish them a Happy Mother's Day when Eric got home. He made me dinner and we ate it while watching a movie (during which Mia cuddled with me almost the whole time!!) and he baked my favorite pie- lemon meringue. It was a day filled with simple moments that truly meant the most to me! I love my people! I'm also incredibly grateful for our mom's for raising Eric and I to the best of their abilities, and being the very best grandma's to our babies!
This year was such a sweet one as it's my first Mother's Day since becoming a momma of two! James, that sweet boy, has reminded me what a sacred calling motherhood is. Mia and James are so innocent and pure, loving and forgiving and they never cease to amaze me with their incredible relationship. I can see just how much they love me written all over their faces and every day I will try harder to honor my calling as their mom, because we all deserve my very best effort! I love my babies and their daddy, and I'm so thankful to be a mom!

wood ya look at that {Mulberry House}

We live in a rental and we are seriously dying to buy a house asap (Fixer Upper has NOT helped curb our desire to find a home and make it ours, ha ha!) but unfortunately we haven't felt settled enough to take the plunge and put some roots down (evident by our move every couple of years! We moved 3 times in Utah, and now we are in Arizona!) With each move and new rental, I become less and less motivated to decorate the house, but I've discovered that though the home isn't ours, these personal touches help make it feel more "homey" until we do buy our own home!
When we moved to Arizona, we had Mia's room completely unpacked and decorated in the first couple of days. The move was such a big change that we wanted her to have something familiar, a safe place to go that felt like hers. Now that she and James share a room, I just keep adding to the decor and their room is definitely our favorite place to be. It feels like home :) I can't wait to share a full reveal of their bedroom, but below is one corner of their room with that beautiful "Be Brave" sign from Mulberry House.
I'm ashamed to admit that our bedroom (the master bedroom) has never been decorated... I keep waiting for the day that we buy a house, can paint the walls, buy the bedroom furniture we truly want, spend the money on decor knowing that the color scheme will be there to stay for awhile, etc. But as soon as I saw those "LOVE" letters from Mulberry House, I knew I had to have them! I LOVE the feel they bring into our room and I'm actually feeling inspired to keep decorating! Even Mia noticed the letters and she's always mentioning them when she's in our room. It just feels so good to have something personal hanging on the wall, and I can't wait to keep filling up empty wall space!  I may even get a little crazy and splurge on some accent pillows ;) ha ha!
So if you haven't noticed by now, I'm completely obsessed with Mulberry House! The shop is based in Arizona and they have the most beautiful wood art! I was just scrolling through the shop to check out their new items, and I fell in love with a lot of their older ones all over again! I want to (and will!) fill my house up with all of their fun, timeless designs! There are so many great gift items as well- Mother's Day (for all you procrastinators... I belong in the club with you, ha ha!), teacher gifts, home decor, etc. I've got nothing more to say besides, check 'em out, NOW! ;)

Wood Letters and Sign c/o Mulberry House

you know you've been married forever when...

Skirt c/o Azazie

Thank you everyone for all of the sweet anniversary wishes all over social media! It made our celebrating that much more fun! Gosh, I remember when we were newly weds and five years seemed so far in the future... then I blinked and suddenly we've been married for eight years and have two babies! Marriage isn't always easy or fun, Eric and I still haven't figured out how to stop arguing over some of the same dumb things we've been arguing about since day 1 (ha ha), but I wouldn't want to experience the nitty gritty with anyone else! Marriage is worth fighting for and I'm so grateful for our relationship, our loyalty to each other and every moment we've experienced together!

Good ol' snapchat :) Find me @courtneybrink

Eric ended up having 5 days off over our anniversary and sadly we didn't realize it in time to plan a little getaway. Instead we had to do lists, doctor appointments and other lame adult stuff ;) But we made the best of our time together and I'm definitely feelin' the "Monday blues" today as it's his first day back at work. We kind of celebrated all weekend long in the simplest of ways, but it was just perfect for where we are at in life right now! Saturday night we put the kids to bed early and sat in front of the TV with some take out and binged on food and our shows. Brought back memories of how that was the norm before we ever had kids, ha! We were true party animals and stayed up past 9! No worries though, we were dead asleep before 10 ;) Eric and I each planned a date to celebrate our 8th anniversary so Monday night, Eric took us all out to Cheesecake Factory. He had hoped to get a sitter but I had already snatched one up for my date! Tuesday morning my friend took the kids and I had planned to take Eric shooting (we haven't done this together since Mia was 6 months old!) and enjoy a picnic... but we don't live in Utah anymore! There really isn't desert that we know of where we can drive out and shoot guns, and when I finally did my research late the night before, I discovered the shooting range is only open on the weekends. Oops! So I thought I'd surprise Eric with golfing instead. Well, who knew you had to have a reservation AND that it takes hours to complete the course?! Not this girl because, you guessed it, I didn't do my research, HA! James doesn't take a bottle so we had a timeline to keep to, so instead of doing the course, we hit up the driving range and actually had a ton of fun! It was totally relaxing to not have to worry about the kids for a couple of hours! We got to play, be goofy, relax and enjoy being carefree for a couple of hours. It was just what we needed!! And it made me realize once again how precious dating each other is! I've made it a goal to get a sitter once a month so that we can get out and have some care free fun together! Anyway, our celebrations were so simple (I didn't even wax my out of control eyebrows... you know you've been married for 8 years instead of just 1 when.... ;) ha ha!) but just right! I am excited for the years to come, growing pains and all, with Eric by my side!

8 years later and I couldn't be happier with my life and the people in it! LOVE my family!

8 years

where it all began

We did it!! We beat the 7 year itch... not that I was worried or anything ;) Jobs, vehicles, cities, states and so many other changes, too many to list, we've experienced together- it hasn't always been easy, but there's no one else I'd rather experience the ups and downs life has to offer with! 

Back in the day, when Eric used to smile willingly for the camera ;), I never could have imagined the life we would build together in 8 short years. Our life, our two precious babies, our marriage, it's all just so good! It's worth fighting for, and that can be hard to come by these days. My cup runneth over.

8 years down, eternity to go! Happy Anniversary to us!

 I'm waiting to get family photos back, but in the meantime, it doesn't get sweeter than this! LOVE my family!

lookin' so fly {Lunaby Baby}

I am so excited to share Lunaby Baby with you all today! Lunaby Baby is a brand spankin' new shop and they already caught my heart with these adorable bandana bibs! I'll be honest and admit that I didn't know what the fuss was about with these bandana bibs (I don't think they were around when Mia was a babe?) until James started drooling... then teething. Have I mentioned that James has two teeth now? Nursing is super fun now... but I digress! These bibs soak up all the drool and keep James dry and lookin' fly ;) ha ha! I couldn't resist. But seriously, I love how these bibs dress up any outfit, or a naked baby for that matter (as pictured above) and they go with everything! Look how adorable our set is and that free pacifier clip is a total bonus! I kind of wish I could get away with the girl bibs because those prints are so stinkin' cute!

But back to keeping James dry... poor kid has had a rough go with his neck (or lack there of) and it gets really red between his little neck rolls. We've discovered that putting cornstarch on his neck each night really helps heal the skin, but with all of his drooling, etc, we've had a hard time keeping the skin nice and dry during the day. These bibs have been heaven sent as they soak up all the drool and give his little neck rolls a break and keep them dry. 
As I mentioned above, Lunaby Baby is a newly launched shop and have a lot more goodies coming our way soon! Be sure to sign up for their newsletter to receive 10% off your first purchase and to be the first ones to know when new product drops! I love supporting new shops and can't wait to see Lunaby Baby take off!

Bandana Bibs c/o Lunaby Baby

happy 7 months to my little love

I can't believe James is 7 months old now! There's something about passing the 6 month mark that makes him seem so much bigger, older... we are going to be out of babyhood before I know it :( But we are loving every second of life with our sweet boy! James is such a happy baby and he brings so much joy into our family! Watching his relationship with Mia grow with each passing day is almost too much for my heart to handle... they are the sweetest siblings and I'm so thankful!!

- James is finally sitting up! We work on it every day and he's getting better at it, though we still have some work to do to perfect it. Surprisingly, he's most sturdy in the grass, ha! 
- Speaking of grass, James likes grass! He sat on it for the first time just a couple days ago and he sat up for SO long! Then when he finally toppled over, he rolled around and played in it for quite some time without any protest!
- He's working real hard on becoming more mobile! James rolls all over the place (like across rooms and everywhere in between), he does "sit ups" when he's on his back, and he's testing out getting on his hands and knees.
- James got his two front bottom teeth! I have to admit, this was one milestone that I was totally okay with not hitting for a couple more months, ha ha! Teething is the worst! And teaching a baby how to nurse around those teeth is also the worst.
- His favorite "toys" are water bottles and packages of wipes. Those trump toys every. time. 
- We are finally getting more sleep (for the most part)! James is pretty much up once in the night... the best is when he doesn't wake up until 4:30-5 because then I just stay up and get my day started. I accomplish so much that way and then I catch a nap when the kids nap. Some nights James wakes up crying for his binky more than other nights though, and that's what can be the death of me.
- Speaking of nap time, James kind of has the schedule of being awake for 2 hours, then napping for a couple hours (usually). But his nap always lines up with Mia's so they are both asleep for an hour or two at the same time each afternoon. Woo hoo!
- Now we just need to work on breaking the swaddling habit. James is such a swaddle bug, but he also likes to sleep on his belly. He usually pulls his arms out of the swaddle within seconds, but he has to start out swaddled! When we have a few days in a row where I know we will be home all day, I'm really going to focus on sleep training without the swaddle. Mia broke the habit on her own so this is all new to me!
- James is eating solids now and loves it! The first couple of weeks were a total pain as he was getting the hang of it but he's got it down now and is loving every new food we introduce him to! Just yesterday I fed him a banana in small chunks instead of having to mash it up for him which is a pretty big deal! Sweet boy is growing and catching on to things so fast!
- I think James is going to say "mama" before "dada"...mostly because he already has, ha ha! When he's really upset and crying he will look at me and (scream), "mama!" Even Mia has pointed out a couple of times, "hey! He said mama!" He's a momma's boy ;)     
- Last month I mentioned that we finally pulled out his 6 month clothes... and they lasted for 2 weeks :( I've pulled out his 9 AND 12 month clothing and both fit! He's such a chunker! And now I need to do some shopping because I wasn't expecting to build a 12 month size wardrobe for a few more months... ha ha! We seriously have like two 18 month outfits and he'll be in that size before I know it, yikes!
- He's wearing size 3 diapers... this size should last a little longer than the smaller sizes. We'll see ;) He's also wearing the swim diapers that Mia wore last summer (when she was 2 1/2)... baby got back ;) HA!  

Whoee, there were a lot of milestones and changes for James between month 6 and 7! My only wish is that time would slow down! But thankfully, every day with this boy is better than the last! We love our James SO much! 

when you're pretty & you know it {Zaza Couture}

Mia and James' outfit c/o Zaza Couture

I am so excited to share the darling Zaza Couture with you all today! James and Mia received the most adorable outfits and we are so obsessed! I'm in love with the nautical theme, especially when the weather is warm (although I do wish I was on a sailboat on the ocean instead of melting away in the desert, ha ha!) and James' outfit could not be cuter! Mia literally swooned over her outfit! Actually, to be honest, I'm not entirely sure that I know what "swooning" actually is... but the that's the first word that comes to mind to describe her reaction over her new outfit, ha ha! Mia threw the shirt and skirt on in the blink of an eye, then ran to the mirror where she twirled and admired herself for a few minutes. Then she came twirling up to me and told me how "'eutifole" (beautiful) her outfit was. Then I watched her saunter over to James, curtsied, then twirled for him while asking, "do you like my 'eautifole clothes?!" I mean, SERIOUSLY! I was dying!! Anything that gets that kind of reaction out of her is a win in my book! One last plus? The fabric is super lightweight, a must to survive our summer heat, and SO SOFT!
I highly recommend checking out Zaza Couture for adorable, unique and just plain beautiful clothing for children AND adults! Alsooooo, hurry and get entered in my giveaway on Instagram for the chance to win an outfit of your choice (subject to size and availability)! As always, thank you for the support, my friends! xoxo

  Save This Memory Photography