Choir Girls

I love music. From the time I was ity bitty I have been singing in different choirs. It's been an integral part of my life. I have loved every moment of it, and wouldn't trade the experiences I've had. They have helped shape who I am today. For these reasons, I have been so excited that my daughters have expressed a desire to have musical experiences, too. I was thrilled when I found an opportunity for both of them to sing in different choirs this past semester.

Really Thankful

Every November I look forward to Thanksgiving. The food. The family. The end of fall and the beginning of Christmas! There really is so much to be thankful for. This year that was hit home even more.

Quick. Easy. Tasty

You know those days where you realize it's an hour past lunch and you have no idea what to make? I know that feeling far too well. Lunch is the toughest meal for me. I don't like the regular "cop out" meals like PB&Js or mac n cheese. At least, not frequently. Even if I let myself make those things once a week, there are 5 other days every single week! So, when I come across a simple and well received meal, it's a time to celebrate!

Turkey Turkey Turkey!

For one of our crafty activities we decorated turkey cookies! They were super easy and so very fun!

But Baby It's Cold Outside...

With all of my recent posts about the time my family spent outside while on vacation, you may mistakenly think that we spent no time at all inside our unit during our stay. This, my friends, is a common misconception.

Crazy Weather!

Our family has a history of chasing snow. My husband and I lived in AZ most of our lives until moving to Texas about 4 years ago. There was little snow in either place. We grew accustomed to the idea that if we wanted to see or play in the snow we had to drive somewhere to find it. We learned the hard way that snow is not very predictable until typically after the first of the year. We made two trips to see snow while living in Texas, neither of which had us finding much of that fluffy white stuff.

BBQ away from the BBQ capital

My family loves BBQ. I mean, we've always loved it, but the love was most certainly refined and brought home while we lived in Austin. This is a good and bad thing. Good because, well, YUM. And not so good because we now can't just eat at any mediocre BBQ joint and be happy. Now it takes something special to please our BBQ lovin' family.

Child's Play

One of the things we were most excited about with this trip was enjoying the great outdoors. Any chance we could get to let the kids explore outside and play in the dirt, we took. Thankfully the children were the ones to spearhead this effort. It's funny how my kids never want to do anything if they feel forced to do it.

Shenandoah National Park

The weather was beautiful most of the day on Tuesday. The high was in the 60s. The kids wore long sleeves and were perfectly comfortable in the sun or shade. They found a lot to do. I love how much kids can find to do when there are no "toys" to play with.

Off Season Travel

Whether or not to travel somewhere off season is a constant question for my family. We homeschool, so we don't have the same schedule restrictions that most American families have. Do we go somewhere when it's the "season" to go there? For example, do we take a beach trip in the summer or a ski trip in the winter? Or, do we travel trying to avoid crowds? That would mean spring and fall trips to these places. When you are trying to tote around a family of small children, we have leaned more towards off season traveling to avoid the crowds.

Day of Rest

The best part about our first day of vacation here in Virginia (well, the first FULL day) was waking up whenever we wanted and just taking the morning slowly. I hate morning rushes. It was so great to be able to wake up and not have to jump out of bed right away. Baby North slept all night! It was a tender mercy for sure. When he did wake up, we just nursed and snuggled for awhile. He is such a sweet baby. Sometimes I can hardly contain myself.

A Much Needed Family Getaway

Some periods in our life are more hectic than others. We're in the middle of a very busy time with my husband's job. He works a lot. This past week we saw even less of him than normal. He is trying to find someone to hire onto his team, but in the meantime he has to get the work done. Needless to say,  at this point we are all ready for a vacation!

Whirlwind Beach Trip

There was a time in my youth where I was all about last minute adventures. I'm not talking about an impromptu trip to Costco. I'm talking hopping on a plane or into a car and driving somewhere to spend the day and a night or two. I loved that sort of thing! It was exciting and fun and totally not stressful to my carefree self. Oh how I long for that stress-free wonderland!

Apple Picking

One of my very favorite things we have done since moving to North Carolina is going and picking things on farms. We went strawberry picking this spring. We went blueberry picking in the summer. We went apple picking for our autumn picking experience. There is just something fantastic about fruit straight from the source.

When the Fifth Baby Laughed...

... my heart was filled.



I'm pretty sure that if this doesn't make you smile, nothing will.

Transported

We don't get many visitors since moving away from family a few years back. Traveling is inconvenient and expensive. As a result, anytime we are lucky enough to have someone come to see us, it's a hugely fun event! We were happy to have my dad come out to North Carolina recently for his first visit since we moved here. We had a great time!

Let Go and See

I am a control freak. I have probably said it before. It's not something I'm proud of, it's just something I have a hard time controlling (ironic, isn't it? The control freak can't control that aspect of herself.). I know one of the things I have been put on the earth to learn is to relax and let go at times.

Universal Yumminess

One of the biggest things I have missed since moving to North Carolina from Texas is the food. Texas has fantastic food. Not only that, but we'd been there for a few years so we really were able to get to know some great places to eat in our area (with the help of some awesome foodie friends!). I love food, so it has been hard to move here where I'm not as familiar with what is yummy. Thankfully there are a few places I know I can go if I really need some Yum in my day. 

Rain or No Rain...

The weekend Cameron's mother Marsha came to visit was a rainy one. We had big plans for each day she was here, but Friday it literally rained all day long. Our plans were for outdoor activities. With a new baby in tow, we couldn't just trudge through with an umbrella. We spent the day at home except for a short drive out to visit Cameron at work and drive through downtown. The forecast called for rain on Saturday, too. We briefly considered driving a few hours away to the beach hoping to escape the rain. However, we soon discovered the forecast called for rain on the coast, too.

Popcorn Popping

One of my very favorite things about homeschooling is the opportunities I have to go and explore the world with my kids. I am always on the lookout for our next field trip. Since moving to North Carolina I have been thrilled with all of the fun places we've found to go! The summer has been especially fun because the other kids are out of school and have been available for field trips as well. My kids love it when there are other kids their age around.

Celebrating a Great Character

Harry Potter I mean. Yes, another July 31st means yet another Harry Potter Birthday Party. The kids look forward to our Potter Party for months beforehand.  This year we were lucky enough to have Cameron's Mom out for a visit. She was able to join in on the fun! Cameron also took the day off work for the occasion (the visit from his mother may have had something to do with his motivation as well).

Yogurt Love

I've been having all sorts of fun keeping Kingston from destroying our house while still trying to nurse this newborn and get everything else I need to accomplished. The other day I failed.

Two Car Family

We've been a one car family nearly our entire marriage. We started out each with the car we had when we were single. We got rid of Cam's car shortly after getting married though and kept my Mazda Protege. We had that car, and only that car, for the next 6 years. We even squished three children into the backseat -- all in carseats! Then we bought a Mazda 5 and sold the Protege. Still a one car family, and that's really the way I wanted it. I didn't feel like we really needed another car, and I wasn't willing to pay for another one when we could do without anyhow.

Baby #5

North Cameron Alverson

Born: 5/27/2014 3:51am EDT

9 lbs. 3 oz 19 1/2in long

He immediately snuggled with Mommy.

We fell instantly in love.

Local Strawberries!

It's been hard for us to get out and do things just for fun since we've moved here. I'm very pregnant. Cameron is very busy. We still have a house to put together. So, while the kids and I have done a few things here and there, we really haven't done anything I would call a "field trip" since moving into our house here in North Carolina. I was trying to figure out something that would be fun, but wouldn't leave me in a coma afterward. My poor ankles have been swelling like nobody's business the past couple of weeks. It's nearly impossible to put my feet up as much as I probably should, but I was hoping to avoid an all day field trip, or one that involved too much driving.

River's Getting Baptized!

Another Backyard

Backyards are really important to our family. Since we homeschool, my kids are home a lot. They are also KIDS. They have a ton of energy, and need a good place to run around. The house in Austin had a fantastic backyard that we absolutely loved! It was big, had a lot of level ground, lots of trees, and lots of grass. This house has a good backyard, too. Though it's not as level as I'd like, it is big, has a lot of trees, and has a little playscape.

New Home

I know you have all been anxiously awaiting more blog posts from me. I assure you, I haven't let this blog silence go on without good reason. I've come to find out that moving across the country with four kids, while 8 months pregnant, is kind of a big deal. I've pretty much maxed out my energy and motivation level each and every day. It's been exhausting, but great, too!

Is There Life After Dell?

This is a "guest post" by Cameron.

A few months ago I decided to start looking for jobs outside of Dell. Dell was my first job with a big corporation. All of my previous jobs had been with relatively small companies. The company before Dell had four and a half people. Before that I owned my own business. Before that I was in Korea with three other teachers. Before that I was at a company with something like 60 people.

I Feel Pretty

Nobody can tell this girl that red heads shouldn't wear pink.

Ch-ch-ch-Changes!

It's AMAZING how much can happen in a two week period. I will try to sum it up.

More Big News!

It's no secret how much I love Austin. I enjoy so many things about this place. It's been our little slice of heaven and home these past 3 and a half years. We love our house. We love our neighborhood. We love the nature. We love the people. We really do love Texas. However, there are phases in life, and this one is coming to a close.

States of Matter

Today was another fabulous day at the Austin Nature and Science Center. It was one of the first warm days after a week or so of colder weather. We were all thrilled with the chance to go and enjoy the great outdoors for a few hours together in the afternoon.

Impromptu Park Time

This afternoon while Maddy was at her Activity Day with the girls her age from church, I decided last minute to take Britta and River to the park. The activity is only an hour and it takes me about 15 minutes each way to drive there. I figured it was more efficient use of my time to just hang out at the local park instead of spending the entire time driving back and forth.

In N Out Saved My Evening

A few months back In N Out came to the Austin area. We use to go there sometimes when we lived in Scottsdale, but haven't missed it much since our conversion to Five Guys. However, Cam and I found ourselves there for a quick after movie bite to eat on date night a few weeks back and realized that it was actually better than we'd remembered!

Misty Day Walk

I officially started my third trimester yesterday. This pregnancy has really flown by! Frankly, though I don't feel like it's been long enough for me to be 27 weeks, I look like I'm further along than that (well, in my opinion). I mean, I have this GIANT belly. I don't mind really though. It's fun to rub. Ha!

Fellow Chocolate Lover

I think Kingston might like the organic dark chocolate covered coconut pieces from Costco as much as I do. He's very grateful I'm willing to share.


He's also a goof. ... Or is he wanting to share, too?


I could do without the chocolate drool though!

Our Heavenly Father's Plan

If you remember back to the beginning of the month, I talked about my new calling as Primary Music Director at church. I am still totally loving it! In fact, I love it more every single week. The kids are all so sweet. Now, that's not saying they aren't rambunctious. I think that's implied with the very title "kids", but I love them still. They give color to my days.

Gumbo for the Win!

I love delicious foods. I don't think that's much of a surprise. Cooking is such a fun thing for me not in small part because it's so great to make foods that tantalize my taste buds. I'm always looking for fun ideas of new things to make.

Another Happy Birthday to Me!

Birthdays are a big deal around here. Thankfully, that's not just to me. The whole family typically counts down and then we all feel extra celebratory on the actual birthday. That really helps when I'm not really in a "birthday mood" in the days leading up to it.

Asia Cafe

I love exotic foods. I love trying different things. I love the variety in flavors. I love new experiences. Admittedly, I like venturing into new foods with a guide.

True Love

Cameron gave me the best Valentines Day card ever. 

Well, for this year anyhow. I've received some pretty choice homemade cards from this guy.

If you're not impressed with the amount of love expressed here, perhaps it's because you are unaware of how much my husband truly loves Oreos. I, for one, am deeply touched.

Special Grandmother Cookies

There are always recipes within a family that are very well loved. Usually they are the recipes that aren't made very often, usually just for special occasions. Well, Cameron's Grandmother makes Valentine and Halloween cookies that are awesome. When we lived in Arizona, we looked forward to those holidays for the cookies as much as anything else. When we moved away we were sad for our lack of cookies.

Beary's Blanket

River's crocheting has really taken off. He thought he lost his hook for a few weeks, but then found it shoved inside his big skein of yarn. He decided the best thing would be to roll the yarn into a ball to make it more manageable. Well, of course, he ran into tangles pretty quickly and asked me to please help him. So, his mother spent two days untangling the whole thing. I was pretty dang proud. Thank goodness for my obsessive personality.

Sweet Sweet Mother Daughter Date

I love taking my kids on "dates." Each child goes out with either Mom or Dad once a month. This month it was my turn to take the girls out (one at a time). Sometimes it's hard to think of fun, inexpensive things to do. This time we decided to get some treats.

The Universe is their Playground

We had another super fun day at the Austin Nature and Science Center a couple of Fridays back. It was the kids' monthly homeschool class that afternoon. The whole family loaded into the car and headed over. I LOVE when Cameron is available to go with us. I love being able to spend that extra time together.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

I found THIS recipe online the other day. I was wanting to make pancakes, but not the same ol' pancakes I usually make. I wanted something spruced up a bit. I knew I would need to do some altering of the recipe, but I figured this was a good direction to head.

Primary Singing Time

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints all of the jobs that need to be done for our every day meetings are voluntary. Nobody gets paid. We also don't get to choose what we help with. The leaders give out the assignments. Thank goodness we also believe in Divine Revelation! The Lord is most certainly guiding our paths.

Experiencing Clue

As the kids are getting older, the variety of games we feel comfortable playing for Family Game night continues to increase. When we first started out, there were only a handful of games the kids could play without a lot of help. We played a lot of Uno, Chutes and Ladders, and Winnie the Pooh Candy Land. Don't get me wrong, those are all very fun games. It's fun to expand our horizons though.

Getting Her Craft On

I love creating things. I love sewing. I love cooking. I love making something from nothing. I'm pretty sure the love of creation runs through my veins because my children share that passion.

New Food with Friends

A few weeks back it was my turn to plan date night. I really wanted to go out to dinner, but I was all out of new places to try! I really like exploring tastes around Austin! I posed the question on Facebook, and I sent an email or two out to friends. I was very happy when they came back with a handful of suggestions for places I'd never been to before!

Austin Snow Day!

It has snowed here in Austin one time since we moved here in July of 2010. It was a wonderful occasion. The kids had a ball. They played outside for hours. It was melted by late afternoon. We've been talking about that day ever since with a sense of nostalgia. Well, today we got another dose of that fun snow day!

The First Pregnancy Belly Picture!

So, today I am 21 weeks pregnant. How far along we've thought I was has changed a few times. Finally with the ultrasound we settled on a due date, and I've been calculating from there ever since.

In this photo I'm technically 20 weeks and 4 days pregnant. I look pretty darn pregnant. I think it's because this will be our fifth baby! I'm sure I'll look back in the end and think how small this belly is right now.

Happy Pregnancy to me!

Britta's Day as a Princess

Every girl needs a day where she feels like a princess. Even more importantly, every girl needs a day where she is treated like royalty. For Britta's 6th birthday we arranged just that. Her day as a Princess.