Beatrice sandwich! And some of the very best pizza we have ever eaten behind us 🍕@pizzeriabianco
These two are obsessed with “Fancy Like” and mostly obsessed with watching @walkerhayes dance to Fancy Like with his family 😎😎 It’s currently their top pick for the bedtime song🎶 and here’s a snippet of what went down last night! #fancylike
“Mama— take a picture of this face…” he says. And I’m grabbing my camera and trying to contain my laughter as I think to myself, “I’m just the absolute luckiest to know this kid.” 💛 Everyone needs a mister Conrad in their life.
When you convince (bribe?) the entire family to take a family photo with the real camera 📸 ps- spot the camera remote😂
Sometimes I raise my voice. Sometimes I beg. Sometimes I make ultimatums. Sometimes I hate bedtime to the freaking goodnight moon and back.
But then they’ll grab my chin and cheeks and lean in close to tell me they love me. And they’ll thank Heavenly Father for “no witches and no robbers” during their bedtime prayers. And insist on giving each other 17 silly hugs before the lights go out because “I’m gonna miss her so much when I sleep.”
I’ll take the 48 minutes of squatting between their beds for back scratches and the unexpected trip to the potty 12 minutes after the last potty trip if it means they keep this bond forever. Witnessing their complete love and sisterhood changes me. Even when I say I hate bedtime with my three-year-olds, I’m such a sucker for this stage of life with them.
A few photos from life lately over here - enjoying family time and life in Arizona. Thanks for being here while I’ve kind of been away for a little while… haven’t been doing well physically (some health issues) but that doesn’t mean I haven’t stopped taking one too many photos☺️
The game of “Who Can Stand on Mama’s Back and Wiggle Their Feet Around Without Falling Off!” …which is really just code for “mama would like a back massage” but they think it’s crazy fun and my back knots are screaming happy so everyone wins. #momhacks
One wall and pipe at a time, the home renovation is coming together. 💛 #renovation #homedecor #wallpaper (wallpaper is @riflepaperco🌸)
Just over here holding all my (not-so-little) babies close and stepping away from pretty much everything else. Trying to cuss less and write more. Often feel on the cusp of big breakthroughs I want from my life (yay!) while simultaneously giving too much power to my anxiety (ugh). Clinging to my evening prayers and favorite yoga class and busting out the Christmas music a season early. My footing might be terribly wobbly at the moment and who wants to hear the girl on the verge of nervous tears dish out any kind of life advice, but for anyone else in a similar rut (I’m so sorry) – might I suggest the biggest serving of strawberry shortcake as a remedy. Plus standing outside during a warm rain (Arizona, you healer with a perfectly timed monsoon season, how’d you know?)… and maybe put the phone down more. Or whatever version of these three things might float your boat. I’m sure chocolate soufflé with a dose of sunshine instead of shortcake and rain could also do the trick. The phone one I’m sticking by though. Sending you lots of love.
Bringing our summer along with us forever by way of new freckles scattered across most of our faces! ✨ …you can see B’s first sprinkle of itty bitty dots across her little nose and cheeks in the 2nd pic and even with all the lathering of sunscreen and my blessed daily nagging about sun hats, I’m nothing but proud in this moment!🥳 #summer #motherhood #magic
We are slowly making our way back to Arizona this week (my kids school year begins August 2nd😱) and we’ve never been more out of routine (definitely missing black out curtains right about now) BUT we’ve clocked in so many striking sunsets and got to hold and hug so many loved ones, it’s been everything.
I meant to share earlier this week that Amazon is running a promo on my book right now through the end of the month (until 7/31)— use the code 3YELLOW for $3 off your book purchase!
If you’ve been considering purchasing, it’d mean so much to have you do so! Thank you for supporting me and my book and I hope you find it worth your while and time.
For those of you who have already purchased and read— if there was a takeaway or something that resonated with you as you read, would you consider sharing in the comments below for new potential readers to see?
Thank you again for your support! This has been such a vulnerable and thrilling and challenging and exciting and scary endeavor and I’ve really appreciated the support. 💛
Just trying to keep up with these three on the mountain and ignore how sore my butt is from my saddle😅
On a boat! With a lot of laughs! And a few tears. Plus a whole lotta sunscreen and a couple of epic tube flips 🚤
Our summer adventures are getting a little jumbled when it comes to me sharing anything in chronological order (a part of my brain is freaking out right now but another part of my brain is feeling a little bit more free.) Sparklers are our family’s happy place so we continued our 4th of July celebrating tonight with a few on the deck. Of all the summer activities so far, a box of sparklers a few days post holiday was Samson’s favorite. He hugged me so tightly at bedtime as he told me for maybe the 18th time how much fun he had tonight. Somehow I forget anything else I loved this summer… his enthusiasm for an evening of sparklers brought sparklers to the top of my favorite summer activities list, too. 🧨
The BEST time learning all about bees 🐝 with the bee expert herself @mckayjo in Salt Lake City. We haven’t stopped talking about all the impressive things those hard working bees do each day and somehow honey has made its way into more of our meals this week 😋 Thank you for having us, @mckayjo!
Sometimes I love wearing my sleeping mask, but other times, it does just cause more tossing and turning…it's a toss up.
xx, ash
The masks are mighty silly looking, but at least they make for photo fun!
And congrats to Mr. Kingsley!
haha! so funny. may i ask where you ordered those from? i use a sleep mask, but mine is so annoying because it still lets in too much light… i feel like these ones might be a little better. they totally look like mini-padded-bra-meets-batman. haha ;)
I LOVE THESE! I bought one about a year ago from Bed Bath and Beyond, and liked it so much, I bought 2 more! I call them my face bras!
That is one cute, wacky sleep masks! I wonder if they have it in baby pink? Hehe..
Congrats to Mister Kingsley for the feature! ;)
I bet they are really tiny padded bras. For tiny people. We need to meet up before your next big trip.
I think I'd freak out with something on my face… or I would never wake up if I didn't see the sun.
might i ask where they are from?
been looking for a good one. i can't sleep, either and even the tiniest bit of light through the blinds wakes me up immediately. it's pretty annoying when i worked so so hard to fall asleep in the first place!
i just asked josh where he ordered them from and he can't remember. it's a little late here and we're in bed, so we'll find the shop tomorrow and i'll post the link!
xo
Lol. They do look like little padded bras. That first picture is awesome though. You look like super heros.
That is too cute — the sleeping masks and Kingsley's little award. xo
haha yea, they are kinda funny looking! yayyyy for kingsley
so cute that he ordered these for you guys!
aw, how cute. :)
That is so random!! I've never talked about how much I love this mask before and JUST last week I posted about it! http://www.hitherandthither.net/2010/03/shut-eye-on-red-eye.html
Aron got me mine at the Flight Store (link in the post). I love it for airplanes–but I doubt I look as cute.
Bras for your eyes… haha love it :)
I can not sleep without a mask anymore. Mine is not quite so elaborate though.
congrats to kingsley— i love sleeping masks.
I started wearing one a year ago and while it took an adjustment period, once I wore it religiously, it changed my nocturnal life! I wear it nightly now and I've never slept better – it's stops me from looking at my alarm clock and I sleep much more deeply now.
Give it a consistent shot, I bet you'll love it!
i couldn't get passed the fact that i had something on my face. even though i knew it was the mask, it was still kinda irritating, so of course, i stopped wearing it too. btw, congrats to mister kingsley!!!
sleeping masks are annoying, but the giggles the ensue are definitely worth it.
and rock on to kingsley. love that there is such thing as bulldog of the month. and love that your pooch holds the title!
I have a similar sleeping mask. Most of the time I love it. Sometimes it comes off while I am sleeping leaving the sun to wake me up. Other times it gets too close to my ears and irritates them. Good Luck with yours. Your picture are pretty cute!
I did think that VERY thing when I first saw those pictures — padded bras! Crazy! Haha…
You should read The Happiness Project, if you haven't already. It's not only such a very good book, she talks her first chapter about ways to sleep better. Mostly things we all know (go to bed at the same time each day, etc.), but she mentioned something I think I've heard, but don't really think about, and that is all the lights in our bedrooms. Between the cable box, alarm clock, blinking Blackberry — all that light interrupts our cycle, apparently. She has all the studies and such, but it has really worked for me, just hiding some of those cable box, alarm clock things.
Too funny! I love it…I've been thinking of trying a sleeping mask – I just haven't been sleeping very well lately. But maybe I should just alter a padded bra and save the money. ;)
I know you get a lot of comments so I'm not sure if you read them all, but for sleep troubles I recommend taking melatonin. it's a naturally-occurring hormone that helps control sleep cycles.
It works wonders and I'm pretty sure it's non-addicting since it's natural.
Anyway, we get it at Trader Joe's and take it when we have trouble sleeping and it's great!
Be careful with these! I thought when I first got mine it would be a silly joke, now I can't sleep a wink without it, and ANY light around makes me crazy when trying to sleep! I didn't use to be that high maintenance I swear!
aha you two are too cute!
try yoga before bed. it works wonders, and you feel good when you wake up!
haha! Those masks are too funny. You remind me of a sleepy super hero!
My husband calls them "Eye Bras". He use to wear them all the time because he went on his mission to alaska and the sun was always up! hahaha. Yours definetly look like mini bras though! haha.
Naomi, I am up late, too, should be sleeping, head buzzing…your posts are so sweet, they've calmed me right down and made me feel grateful instead of inadequate, and also made me miss DC. It's one of my favorite places on earth (I call it "my Disneyworld", the place I always want to go on spring or fall vacay). I have been reading for a long time, I've commented before, I wanted to make this an email, but a comment will have to do…just thanks for sharing your life and ideas and testimony and good taste with us. It's fun watching your life unfold and I pray along with you that you will have all the blessings your heart deeply desires. G'nite, e-friend!
Oh, I have that same eye mask. They are dorky looking but, ah heck, they are great.
They don't squish down your nose or eyes. I'm totally the type of person that needs to sleep in complete darkness and silence.
These suckers are heaven sent!
aw so cute! They actually kind of remind me of Batman masks haha
haha they really do look like padded bras! i used to have to sleep with an eye mask on the other summer because i was sleeping so badly, it actually helped.
Oh goodness this is adorable.
The first thing that came to my mind was bum-pads you put in your jeans to look like Beyonce. It's like..the bumpit of down under. The kind they advertise on late-night infomercials. Uh..not like I watch that..
;)
LOL you guys look adorable!
xx
Nikki
I think the sleeping mask would drive me crazy. Try a new pillow, it worked for me.
I loved the story of a "day in the life" of a bulldog rescue worker next to Kingsley's profile. It is so sad how many people give up/abandon their dogs- even expensive, hard to get dogs- and how many of them need homes. I'm thankful for people that do that work. Any time I've volunteered in a pet shelter it has made my heart very, very heavy. On a lighter note, yes, those masks look exactly like mini padded bras, haha.
LOVE your pink shirt in these pics!! where-oh-where did you find it? oh yes, the masks are nice too.
you guys are so cute! the bf and i would have taken pics too. hehe
xoxo
haha they do look a little like bras.. but they also make you two look like batman and robin!
:)
Naomi & Josh,
what a cute boost! i agree with the consensus, Batman meets Bono (the fly). super hero's rock on cos we all know you use your super powers for good!
xo
I've been wearing a sleeping mask for years now and I have a hard time sleeping without one! What kind are those? They seem a bit more sturdy than mine, if that makes sense.
oh goodness, kingsley is too cute. if you wanted to post kingsley blogs/photos on a daily basis, i wouldn't be opposed to that.
Hello new-pseudo friend!! First, and foremost, I LOOOOOOVE sleeping masks!! I always sleep a million times better. I wake up without it on, but no recollection of having removed it and the slumbe is lovely!! You have good ones–they poof out at the eyes so you can blink! Cute ones at Lounge in Reno, NV.
Also, congrats go out to Sir Kingsley–I absolutely adore him and think he is Bulldog of the Year (we'll wait for the official naming, but my money's on him!). I love the Bulldog site as well–thank you for the intro. We're working through a rescue to get my mom a pair of beauties!!
Enjoy the day dear!
Aww–congrats little Kingsley! A title truly deserved! :)
I love those masks
I have to admit though these masks are surely a saving grace when you are flying in an airplane. hence the feeling silly in front of many strangers but at least your prepared and will get some wonderful shut eye!
Maybe these "maxi eye pads" will help with my boyfriend's snoring. Perhaps it will make him sleep better and go into a deeper REM. Who knows…..maybe worth a try, so I can have a better nights sleep. Thank you for sharing.
Dana
The Beso Team
Beso.com
they totally look like boobs stuffers. Or knee pads. That is too funny!!! There are some pretty awesome ones at Old Navy. I wouldn't be able to wear them, I would feel like someone was kidnapping me the whole time I was trying to sleep.
I love sleeping with eye masks. Get a soft one from Bed Bath and Beyond. It will change your life. Those look too firm and not comfortable.
yay Kingsley!!
This comment has been removed by the author.
aw shucks, i thought i was going to be the clever one and say that josh looks like batman. seems i've been beaten to it. :)
These do look like mini strapless bras on your heads. It reminds me of Weird Science (80's movie). I hope you get to resting better soon.