Spring, Kites, and Babies!

 I think it is safe to say that spring is finally here!  It has been a long time comin'!  I had to go out driving for work in Heber and Mt. Timpanogos was so beautiful!  Now as soon as the snow melts, I'm heading to top of that thing!

 I went up Big Cottonwood Canyon one Sunday and read.  It was so perfect!  The mountains just do my soul good!

James and I babysat Jack and Sophs on Saturday.  We had a picnic on the deck and then went to the park to fly kites.  Jack picked out an Angry Birds kite and Sophie picked out Cinderlella (as she calls her).  It was lots of fun!

 

 

 

 

 

I adore this picture!  She sure loves James!

And I sure love this kid!  He's getting so big and he's smarter than me I'm pretty sure!

And now babies...James's brother and sister-in-law adopted a beautiful little girl in January.  I got to play with her one evening.  I just want to bite those cheeks!

 And I am an aunt again!  What joy!  Little Wyatt Bradley Cosby was born on April 25th.  It is killing me that I haven't met him already!  Can't wait to hold and kiss him!

Nienie

Here is the story of me and shopping...never really loved it.  Being overweight most of my life made it not so fun.  I like it a lot more now that I can walk into any store and try just about anything on.  I don't feel like I'm very good at it though.  Fashion these days is sort of horrifying anyway with the skinny jeans and colored denim.  No thank you, I'll pass! I already lived through the 80's once!
James loves to shop.  Strange for a boy, I know!  He loves to take me into a store and then pick out clothes for me to try on.  I comply because his response when I walk out of the dressing room is always something along the lines of, "Whoa!  You look smokin' hot!"  I will try on clothes all day!  He likes to go the expensive stores.  I'm all about the Target, Kohl's, Old Navy, with the occasional splurge at the GAP Outlet.  I like to think that we balance each other out.  He loves to shop, and I don't.  He will spend a pretty penny on something that is good quality, and I will panic and go try to find something similar at Kohl's for half (or more) the price.
So the whole point of this post is the outfit below...

I actually bought the skirt on my own at Costco (yes, Costco...for $29.99...which was even a little hard for me to spend).  I had no idea what top I would wear with it or what sort of top I should even try to find.  I just liked the skirt.  My plan was to get something cream to match the polka dots.  I don't think outside the box when it comes to fashion.  One day James and I were at the mall and I explained my new skirt to him and asked what I should wear with it.  He suggested a bold colored shirt...bright yellow, red, or coral.  Well, we all know I will never wear red, so yellow or coral it was.  We found this very cute top at the J Crew Outlet.  It cost a pretty penny (even at the outlet for 40% off), but it fit so well and was so soft and pretty (100% silk).  I made the purchase and then kept the tags on it for several days thinking I should probably take it back and find something similar for cheaper.  Eventually I decided to just go with it.  I had just gotten a sweet bonus at work anyway!  Deep breathing!
I showed this picture to Amy and the first thing she said was that I look like Nienie.  Could a girl ever be paid a higher compliment?  For those who don't know who Nienie is, she is blogger Stephanie Nielsen.  I read her blog every single day (nieniedialogues.blogspot.com).  She inspires me in so many ways.  She is a burn survivor and wife/mom extraordinaire.  Not only has she overcome tremendous (beyond anything I could ever imagine) trials with grace, humility, and poise, but she is an incredible wife to Mr. Nielsen (as she calls him), and five cute, active kids.  If I am half the wife and mom that she is someday, I will be a success!  I love how candid she is about the struggles of everyday life but the beauty of woman- and motherhood.  She has incredible fashion sense too!  I can't even comprehend how her brain thinks to put together the outfits that she wears or that she dresses her kids in.  Now I have an outfit where I can at least sort of look like Nie!  I may just let James pick out all my clothes from now on, but we will have to be at Kohl's or Target!  My bank account can't afford such expenditures on a regular basis.  And come to find out, the shirt is dry clean only.  Who has ever taken something to a dry cleaner?  Not me!  James will have to start handling my dry cleaning too!

So Cupcake!

One day I went down to Amy's after work and we took the kids to Sweet Tooth Fairy.  I told the kids I wanted to take pictures of them enjoying their cupcakes.  The pictures were so perfect for their personalities...

Soph gave me sass and barely licked the frosting on hers...very neat and tidy  Love her!

Jack went in face first...big mess!

 

 

Love this kid!

James took me on a date to the park one night for a picnic!  This has nothing to do with the cupcakes but I just thought I'd include this pictures.  James even had a little picnic basket kit that he got for his 16th birthday to take girls on dates.  Haha!  I love it!