family warms the heart.

our visit with grandpa, grandma, and uncle andy was extra special. we celebrated christmas, watched football, played wii, ate lots of yummy food, and dedicated baby kaden to Jesus. so many wonderful memories. kyri LOVES her grandma and grandpa! she is full of smiles when they are here. it melts my heart to see them with her, and now with our little kaden. love at first sight. it also breaks my heart that they are so far away...we can only pray that they will soon live closer. kyri also had way too much fun with uncle andy. she only wants to play, play, play when he is here. this was a bitter-sweet visit because he will be leaving for afghanistan in a few months. he will be there for 6 months...6 very long months. we may see him before he leaves, we may not. oh Jesus, please keep him safe. we did experience loads of joy from their visit. here are some of the precious moments...

playing in the leaves with grandpa at the park.

happy girl.

just being lazy.

evil cinnamon rolls...before the frosting.

patti's sister and brother-in-law from san diego were in town and stopped by for a quick visit. so good to see them!

sweet playmobil pirate set from uncle andy!

grandma made this ADORABLE hat for kyri and a matching scarf. so stylish!

kaden checkin' out his new batman toy.

go big red!

cutest huskers fan ever.

decorating sugar cookies...a family tradition.

focused on the prize...getting to eat her masterpiece!

so colorful and delicious.

stories at bedtime with grandpa.

we're going to miss this face. the mustache...not so much.

grandma loves are the best!

miss you already.
love you bunches!

apple hill.

last week, grandma and grandpa hornacek came to visit and the first thing on our to-do-list...apple hill! we packed a lunch, bundled up, and drove to beautiful placerville, ca. the leaves on the trees were full of every fall color. gorgeous. it was chilly, but a perfect day for apple hill. we went to high hill, our favorite spot. after eating our picnic lunch, grandpa bought us a most scrumptious treat...apple doughnuts! kyri enjoyed every minute of being outside. kaden was precious as usual. we walked around, looked at the craft booths, and enjoyed just being together. we had to make a stop at the fundge factory before we headed home. kyri picked out a chocolate sucker...it's become a tradition. such a joy creating memories with grandma and grandpa. what a glorious day!

all smiles, all the time!

my tiny loves.

checkin' out the ducks.

darling.

a couple to admire and love.

complete.

heart breaker.

two peas in a pod.

curiosity.

yep...she's my girl.

chocolate!

love her.

snuggling his grandpa.

goodlins = good friends.

we love it when the goodlin's come to visit! brett, jenni, and maya came to see us after spending time with their family for thanksgiving. maya and kyri had so much fun playing together and just being girly. maya calls kyri "kyki" and we just love her. they are both so cute together! jenni and i were able to have some girl time and went to joann's after the kids were in bed. i miss time with my b.f.f. of course, kevin and brett kept texting us...we can't escape our motherly duties. on sunday they joined us at church and it was a beautiful day! we enjoyed mexican food for lunch from our most favorite local joint, los gallos. jenni and i went to target to get a slurpee...target and slurpees...our two favorite things! they're visits are always too short, but the time we do have with the goodlins is such a blessing. we have so much in common with them and always wish we lived in the same town. we would hang out ALL the time!

two beautiful girls.

cute enough to be in a magazine.

just getting some kaden love.

we love auntie jenni!

the only one that brett wasn't making a goofy face...

friends forever.

give thanks.

simple. delightful. thanksgiving this year was just us. kyri was sick and so it was nice to just be in our cozy home. for me, it was my first thanksgiving all on my own. scary! i had never cooked a turkey before. i knew that i wanted to do a brine because they make the turkey taste extra yummy. i found a recipe for a brine at the pioneer woman...i just love her! i also used her recipe for the perfect turkey. working with a raw turkey made me gag. i hate raw meat...especially when it weighs 14 pounds. i put it in the brine the night before so it would be extra flavorful. i also made a pumpkin pie (sugar free using agave nectar), the cornbread for the cornbread stuffing, and strawberry fold-over cookies. my fave!

let the cooking begin! i started cooking at about 9:00 in the morning. once i had the turkey in the oven, i felt very domestic. i was cooking my first turkey! kyri and daddy watched the parade, while kaden took a nap and mommy was cooking away. kyri made place cards for the table and they were so adorable! she did them all by herself and i was quite proud of my little love. i felt like the cooking would never end. now i know what my mom went through every thanksgiving! i made cornbread stuffing with turkey sausage and apples, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, mashed potatoes, steamed green beans, and turkey gravy. everything from scratch and simply delicious. the turkey came out of the oven and it was pure perfection. juicy and tender. mmmmmm good! the only thing that didn't turn out so good were the rolls. i'm still trying to master bread baking and i'm still in the "trial and error" stage. kyri liked them! the meal was so yummy and it was so nice to enjoy a wonderful meal together as a family. the hard work surely did pay off!

at the end of the day...mommy was exhausted. after the kids were in bed, kevin and i watched the new star trek movie. it was awesome (even though i dozed off for a little while). i was very thankful this year for all of the blessings in my life. this past year has had its ups and downs...but we have so much to be thankful for. our most precious gift is our little kaden. we are so thankful for both of our beautiful children. thank you, Jesus, for providing for all of our needs...and so much more.

happy thanksgiving!

looks good enough to eat...and we sure did eat it and enjoyed every bite!

i love fall.

ready to dig in!

i have all that i need.

three months.

another month has passed us by. our sweet, baby boy is now three months old! we are just loving our time with him. kaden is all smiles. what a happy boy! he is starting to interact with us more. too fun! he's trying so hard to talk too and don't even get me started on his giggle. sometimes i can't even stand his cuteness. kaden just found his hands and he is so intrigued by them! it is just amazing to watch him grow into this little person and to see the different stages of his life. i'm trying to soak in every moment with our little love.

kyri is still so fascinated by everything little thing kaden does. when he talks to her, she gets so excited! when he spits up, she is right there with a burp cloth to wipe it up. she still is cherishing every moment with him. i'm in awe of her patience and love for her brother. it is a beautiful thing. it is going to be so fun when they can actually start playing together. right now he just likes to watch her every move. he gives her "kisses" on the cheek...when she puts her face on his lips, he licks her. they're kaden kisses.

he's not rolling over yet, but he is some how scooting in his crib. every morning when we go into get him, he is all the way up against the bumper, cuddling and warm. kyri did the same thing. i'm not sure how he gets over there...but that's just where he likes to be. kaden is still sleeping like a champ! he goes to bed at 8:00 and then i wake him at 10:30 to feed him before i go to bed. he wakes up between 7:00 and 8:00 in the morning...which makes for a very happy mommy! kevin gets so happy when he comes home from work...to be with his babies. they love their daddy so much! he is such a big help with everything and i'm so thankful. sometimes he let's me go to target all by myself after the kids go to bed...such a treat for me. i love him. kaden is such a joy and kyri is teaching us something new everyday. kevin and i couldn't be happier with our little loves. perfection.

mommy is always making me laugh!

somebody is missing from this picture...

baby blue eyes.

still loves that thumb...

trying to wake him up to get one last feeding for the night. not an easy task.

checking out those tiny hands.

hi sweet boy!

playtime with sister.

kyri "nursing" her baby...she is such a little mommy.

warm and cozy in my moby wrap that gentry made for me...he loves it in there!

such a big boy!

love.

can't get much done when i'm looking at this face all day...