{Shoe Party}

Usually a shoe party is given to some 40-something-year-old fashionista who has countless pairs of shoes.

Well, for our dear Olive, it was the only way to go this year for her birthday party!

Between wearing her own shoes, Caroline's shoes, and mommy's shoes, she has an overwhelming

amount that she feels need to be worn. 

When we are at home she changes her shoes at least 8-10 times a day, sometimes mismatched, and she finds so much joy in doing it.

Adam and I made the invite before we left D.C. so the colors totally don't match the party, but I thought I was going to go with some bright colors.

Those who know me though will not be surprised that I ended up using red as one of the main colors.

I am trying to branch out, but it's hard!

Usually I get so stressed out planning parties and getting all of the finishing touches together.  I don't know why, but this time I was totally relaxed and had just as much fun preparing as we did during the party. 

Caroline and Olive were so thrilled to help decorate and arrange things, we had a lovely time.

She was bursting with happiness all day, she knew something was up, and that it was all about her.

The decor was simple with accents of red, silver, and black.  Besides the sweet treats of cake, ice cream, and Peppermint Joe-Joe's (that I brought boxes of in my suitcase from D.C.), we had the strawberry topiary.

At the base of the topiary there was a dip of sour cream, sprinkled with brown sugar.

I am sure most of you have tried that delicious and simple delicacy, but it is an old family favorite of mine!

I found a pattern for paper shoes online and modified my favorite pom-poms to add a little

glitz to the toes.

"Olive" brand shoes were the cake topper, and they were made out of gumpaste. 

Luckily I watched a tutorial about a month in advance so I knew I needed at least 10 days to get the shoes made so they could dry.  The shoebox is just marshmallow fondant which I have loved working with since my first experience for Caroline's tea party.  It's super cheap to make and tastes way better than regular fondant.

Our girls have 9 boy cousins ranging in age from 1 to 13, so I decided to make two different age appropriate party favors.  For the older nephews, I just put some candy in a shoe.  Now, the shoe they didn't really care about, but they liked the candy.  I think little girls would die for a tiny paper shoe.

And for the younger ones, I just got some Melissa and Doug lace and trace animals because they came with a "shoe" lace.

Olive knew just what to do when the singing began.  Adam came in with the cake and she grabbed the cake tray and got ready to blow out the candles.  She has been carrying around fake candles for weeks and singing "Happy Birthday" to all of the family members.

She was showered with love and it was so nice being with everyone during such a magical season.  After opening each present she would give out a cute little gasp and slowly say, "Oh my mommy!"  She melted everyone's heart.

Besides being into shoes, she adores Mickey and Minnie Mouse.  She often wakes up and just sings, her favorite song being "The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Rock" with actions.  She is a little parrot and copies anything you say and do, especially what Caroline does. 

Her dance moves are originals and I don't know if anyone has cuter little hip shakes.  When we say goodnight and are shutting the door she always says, "Sleep well mommy" and it makes everyday worth all the work and any tantrum seem minute.  She adores dogs, nail polish, Cheerios, and leggings.

And darling Olive, we adore you sweet baby girl!

Building some holiday cheer

A couple of years ago when we lived in New Hampshire, there was not a whole lot to do right in Concord during the winter with Caroline and a brand new baby.  We discovered a wonderful gem at Lowe's, a kids craft that they let the kids build every other Saturday morning.

We were regulars and Caroline constructed all sorts of wooden projects like a transformer, mini basketball hoop, jewelry holder, and more.

Home Depot also does the kids craft, but they only do it the first Saturday of every month.

We have not been for quite a while, but we went here in Utah and it was a hit!

Every child gets an apron (at Lowe's or Home Depot) that they wear during the project.  (At Lowe's they also got work goggles that looked adorable on little 2-year-old Caroline's face.)

After each project they do, they get a pin or a patch that you can put on the apron to represent each project.

You get a kit with all of the wooden pieces, the small nails or screws, and often stickers.

Then the kids get to work putting it all together.

This project was a snowman napkin holder.

At Home Depot they provide paint to finish your project.  We used to just take them home and have a fun painting project for later!

It is kind of nice to keep the mess at the store though :)  The girls were quite excited about their pink snowmen.

Santa happened to be visiting last time and Caroline let him know that she and Olive would like some Tinker toys and a Barbie.

Hopefully little Olive and Caroline can continue to be little dolls and their wishes will come true!

Festival of Trees

The holidays just get me giddy.  Not just the Christmas holiday season but every holiday!  It's nice during the Christmas season though, that there are so many festive and delightful things to do.

The Festival of Trees is a favorite, especially with kids.  My sister and two of her boys came, our sister-in-law Kate, and me and the girls. 

We were just mesmerized over some of the trees and gingerbread houses.

The Up tree had us stop dead in our tracks.  I just loved how colorful and bright it was (sorry it's a bit blurry.)

The girls kept going for all of the pink and sparkly trees, and Olive continued to walk under the chain to pick up some of the toys that went with the trees...dress up shoes, M&M's, Barbie's.

I think she thought we were at some sort of incredible toy shop with everything within her reach.

Looking at the gingerbread houses is so inspiring and you can get some really good ideas of what to add to your own.

Now, the National Capital building is not one that gave me a whole lot of ideas, but just had us in awe!

The same group did this Madagascar one and we were wondering who is this group!?  They have some serious skills.

Caroline loved this one because she has already assigned our family to dress up like them next Halloween.

I don't know if that's going to happen, but it's a sweet idea!

The Tangled tower blew us away with the purple licorice roof, the detailed grass and candy stones.

The Kids Korner was full of little crafts and activities for the kids to do.  The giant bubble encasing booth was a hit.  Kids would try to blow a bubble from the giant bubble.  Caroline tried a few times and was blowing so hard, but just couldn't get a bubble out.

Both of the girls got manicures and Olive took it very seriously.  She kept saying, "Nail polish mommy!  Nail polish!"  And she didn't want me to wash her hands the rest of the day. She would say, "No, polish" because she thought it would wipe off.

This is the most still I have ever seen her sit.

This was the perfect event to lift our spirits after Adam left for D.C. to finish the semester.  I was in a total funk and couldn't shake it.  Thanks Corinne and Kate for the best day!



The Feast

Thanksgiving is pure bliss.  It is a day to just enjoy the company of family if it be while cooking, digesting, or laughing about good memories.  We have not been with family on Thanksgiving for 2 years, so this was especially sweet.  It was one of my favorite ones on record. 

It was perfect because we spent Wednesday evening feasting with the Beckstroms and then Turkey Day eating with my family.  We didn't have to run all over and split time between parties, we just ate and laughed as we compared our "food babies".  They were very impressive!

I don't know if I can give the food proper credit for all it did for us on those days.  I was too busy eating to take pictures, but look at these rolls!  I love to make rolls, but they sure don't look like this.  Way to go Erin!I almost could have just had rolls for dessert, but I did sneak some pie in :)

Adam and I had our second go at brining a turkey.  It is definitely worth a try, they turn out incredibly moist and flavorful.  We laughed as we gathered all of the ingredients to mix for the brine.  It seemed like we were concocting some sort of witch's brew- candied ginger, 4 sprigs of rosemary, allspice berries, leaves of sage, eye of newt...just kidding about the eye of newt, but the list does go on and on.

Olive just couldn't believe how much food there was!  The turkey, whipped potatoes, brie and cranberries in puff pastry, sweet potatoes, mixed fruit, rolls, it was all pure delight.

Bingo is a fun tradition that we do with my family.  Everyone brings a couple of little prizes per person and then the games begin!  You can steal gifts from others instead of opening ones and it can get pretty intense.  Caroline was especially worried that her lip gloss and polish would be stolen, but luckily she was safe.

My cousin, Brian, was so dear with these sweet little ones.  They were all over him, as you can plainly see, and he just let them help him call out the bingo numbers.  They didn't care about playing a BINGO card, they just wanted to spin the cool wheel.

Aunts and uncles were there, cousins (one about to leave to Africa for his mission), an old family friend, and all of the joyful little grandkids. 

What a pleasant way to ring in the upcoming festivities!

(and with that, more to be thankful for because there is just so much if you want to read on below..)

I am blessed with my energetic, charming, and joyous little girls.  I am so thankful to have the best job in the world to be their mother. 

I am grateful that when I miss Adam so bad that it hurts, the hurt eventually goes away after  a couple of days.  He gets back on Friday, way to babe, only one more semester!!

I love having a washing machine IN our apartment.  I could do wash all day really.  In New Hampshire we had to put on our winter woolies to go outside in 2 feet of snow and lug our laundry to the scary basement.  (Therefore, Adam did a lot of the wash because I didn't dare go down there at night.)

Also, I am grateful to have a dishwasher.  Handwashing all of your dishes makes cooking and your hands a real nightmare.  (this was also a New Hampshire moment without one.)

I am grateful that even though we are trying reusable diapers, I can switch back to disposable when Olive has uncontrollable cha-chas. 

I am humbled that I have been sick :)  Keep it coming.

I am grateful for past trials and experiences that have opened my eyes so much wider to see a bigger, better picture!

Forever Grateful

Here we are in lovely December.  The weeks have passed us by with all of our time being spent with family.  It has been bittersweet because dear Grandma B is missing.  A void is definitely felt.  I have felt kind of frozen as to what to post next.  There is not enough that can be said about our dear sweet mother Gae.  I would regret not putting down so many things that I am grateful for, although Thanksgiving has passed.

-I love that I really knew Gae.  We not only lived with them for a year, but she and Blake came to visit us whereever we were living be it Concord, New Hampshire, or New York City.  Adam was always very busy with school or work and so I had a lot of one on one time with his parents.  Boy am I lucky.  We had such a good time chatting, playing with the girls, exploring new places, and Gae especially loved cuddling colicky baby Olive early on.  She would send Adam and I out on a date, even though I was so worried Olive would cry the entire time.  Gae did not care, it was her love.


-I am grateful for all of the spontaneity, love, generosity, kindness, acceptance, fun, and charity that just oozed out of her.  You just felt it in the room when she was in it.  She welcomed everyone into her life with open, loving arms.  There was never an outsider or someone that felt unomfortable if she was around because she always reeled them in.  If anyone is ever confused about all that charity encompasses, come talk to me about Adam's mom.

-The precious memory of Caroline being able to attend her Kindergarten class a few times last December is so tender.  Adam and I went along separate times and we were the teacher's aide.  It was a blast and my jaw dropped several times that she could get 20 little 5 year olds to have all eyes on her and not make a peep.  Adam mentioned in his talk that she even took Caroline to get school lunch with her, which Caroline loved.

-I hope I can always be optomistic like her.  She was sick, really sick for a long time.  She was tired, and sore, and had burns from radiation.  Complaints were rare, truly I can't even remember any.  A lot of people didn't even know how sick she really was because instead of the focus being on her, she would turn it right around and ask others how they were. 
Even though she was dealing with wounds that were still trying to heal, she and Blake still came to New York just 4 short months ago.  We covered all there was to cover on Manhattan Island.  We walked miles and miles and fought the crowds to see the fireworks over the Hudson.  Ok, I better stop there, those memories are too tender.





-I am especially grateful that the Stake President said at her funeral that her legacy lives on through her children.  Adam and his sisters possess so many of Gae's incredible qualities that we are lucky to have.  We are also lucky to have all of the stories and good memories that were made that can be talked about over and over.  I have never felt stronger about the how blessed we are to have the plan of salvation and for the blessing of eternal families.  The comforter has helped everyone to keep moving forward without feeling a sting every inch of the way. 

There is so much more to be said, but it will have to come in pieces because I can no longer see the computer screen.  My eyes must be "sweating" as Caroline says whenever she catches me crying.

We Love You Mom!

Its hard to know what to say to pay tribute to such an incredible woman.  Feelings are still tender right now, but we wanted to share Gae's obituary until we are able to adequately express our love for her.

Gae Terena Morrow Beckstrom (56) loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, teacher, and friend, born July 22, 1955 passed away November 10, 2011 after a courageous fight with cancer. She is now reunited with her parents, David Lendrum Morrow III and Yvonne Easthope Morrow and brother Roy Morrow.


She is survived by her husband, Blake D. Beckstrom (Taylorsville, UT); her children, Erin (Jonathan) Thomas (West Valley City, UT), Emily (David) Smith (Kearns, UT), Adam (Andrea) Beckstrom (Alexandria, VA), and Jamilyn (Nathan) Morris (Taylorsville, UT); sisters Dawn (Mark) Yarbro (Ft. Worth, TX), Rachel Morrow (Kearns, UT) and brother Darren (Becky) Morrow (Riverton, UT); and 7 grandchildren. Her family is her greatest love and she lived to serve them.

Gae and Blake met at Kearns High School and were married in the Salt Lake Temple on June 24, 1977. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Elementary Education with an Early Childhood Development specialty. She loved teaching children. Gae taught kindergarten at David Gourley Elementary for 5 years before retiring to raise her growing family. After a few years, she opened a home preschool (Early Bird) which she taught for 17 years. She returned to public school in 2002, teaching kindergarten at Lone Peak Elementary and then Monte Vista Elementary schools. She touched the lives of hundreds of young children who brought immense joy to her life in return. During her last two years, while teaching full-time and fighting cancer, she was driven to complete her Masters Degree in Elementary Education from SUU. She also had an undying love for animals of all kinds. She loved music, played the guitar, and instilled a love of music in her children. She taught her children and grandchildren to read and to love books. She filled many ward and stake church callings in Primary, Young Womens’, and Relief Society as a teacher and leader, and served in the Jordan River Temple as an ordinance worker. She also performed humanitarian service by helping orphans in Romania. She was loved, and will be deeply missed, by all who knew her.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, November 16th at 11:00 AM at the Bennion 12th Wardhouse (6540 S. 2700 W., Taylorsville, UT). Friends may visit at a viewing beginning an hour before the funeral, or at McDougal Funeral Home (4330 S. Redwood Road, Taylorsville, UT) on Tuesday, November 15th from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.

Blessed with Time

It's not often that people think that they have a lot of time.  Everything is usually packed into a super busy day with too much to do.  Places to go, errands to run, budgeting, meal planning, cleaning....it's always a lovely and long list :)

My life right now has been completely opposite of that.  I have wondered for a long time why I have been given all of this time and what I am supposed to be doing with it.  Since we are not preparing for a new baby, I  feel like it is such an easy and fun time with our little 4 and almost 2 year old.  They are so delightful and easy to go places with and I don't even take a stroller anymore, we are just free to roam and have fun!  

For Caroline a lot of her time has been filled with Preschool time, dance classes, and soccer.  She takes dance so seriously and concentrates so hard.  We knew she would like it A LOT, but this is beyond love.  She never stops dancing and Olive is following suit (although she can't quite get her arms to reach high enough over her head.)

Drawing is another passion that has recently blossomed.  She sits down and creates pictures for hours, and then explains what they all are for about a half hour.  It makes us so happy that she is passionate about reading and that she wants to read US the bedtime stories.

Olive has been using her time to play Caroline's client at the salon.  She has been receiving countless colorful makeovers that may have you wishing you could be a client of Caroline's.  She does have a way with color and accenting facial features.

This could be YOU!  (Caroline swears that very thick eyebrow shadow is very nice.)

Olive is intense with love and with sadness.  She adores singing and loves "Row, row, row your boat."  

"I do it!" is her coined phrase right now and she wears panties over her diaper to be like Caroline.

Most of her time is spent picking out shoes to wear (even if they don't fit), and then changing her shoes.

She will growl at you when she says sorry, which gets us laughing loudly!  Cutting out bears with Play-Doh keeps her endlessly occupied and she often says, "I funny mommy."

She will melt your heart.

My time has been filled with all that these two have to offer!  They were sick last week and we didn't leave the house for a couple of days...it was dreamy.  We couldn't go to school, or playgroup, or even to the store, we just played (in our jammies). It was just nice to not have an agenda at all!!  

I have also been working quarter time (5-7 hours a week) doing a couple of nursing jobs.  One is training people how to give themselves shots of a medication and it has been so great to dabble in nursing again.  

The other job was a rare find and I will be sad to leave it when we leave.  After two years of just gathering dust, I finally have been able to use my NP license  and work with a therapist/personal trainer in D.C.  She works with people who suffer with body image issues, eating disorders, anxiety, etc.  The thing I love about her practice is she combines working through issues with actually working out during the talking, right there in the office!  

Her book has been so educational for me regarding the area of exercise.  Everyone knows exercise is incredible for your body and brain, but reading exactly how has just inspired me in how I will live and also teach.

Adam has been dedicated and hard working at school,  at his internship, and at home.  He works without complaint although I know he is exhausted.

I know Heavenly Father knew we needed this precious time to not only have with our own little family, but also to be available for dear loved ones.  Skyping filled with laughs and lots of tears has occupied a lot of time.   

We now know that the tender weaving of different events happens for a reason and are known by our loving Heavenly Father.  

Adam's mom is very sick and we get to go be with her in Utah very soon.  We don't worry about how it would have worked for Adam to go alone to Utah and have me almost ready to have a baby in December.  

We don't have to fret because He has known all along and has blessed us with this time.  

I am truly humbled by all of it.