Yesterday I was gone most of the morning on a hike with some women from church. My husband, Ryan, stayed home with the girls, and him & Eveleigh planted a little strawberry plant we were given as a gift. Eveleigh LOVES working out in our garden & and it warms my heart to see them having so much fun together. Ryan put this video together of their time and it’s just too cute not to share! <3
Hope you all are savoring this beautiful weekend!
With love,
Monika
Our sweet Eveleigh is growing into such a big girl. She is two years and four months old and is so full of joy & life. She is talking more and more everyday, and we are able to have full on conversations now! Nothing sweeter or sillier than a conversation with a two year old! She loves to sing and is always asking mommy & daddy to sing her songs (old mcdonald, the ABC’s, and twinkle twinkle being some of her favorites). She loves puzzles and making towers out of her building blocks. She is miss independent these days and pretty much says “no, I do it!” to just about everything. I love seeing her little personality and sense of humor come out more and more! I love to watch her interact with her baby sister too. She loves laying on the floor with Cora for “tummy time” and is always smothering her with hugs & kisses. Whenever Cora is crying Evie says “Uh oh, Codaa befff” or “Uh oh, Paci!” (as in, “mom she needs her paci!”).
She loves helping out with our little garden out back. Watering the plants, and picking & washing the fruit. We have some blueberries we’re waiting to ripen, and every morning she looks out the window and tells me “blueberries ready soon! We pick ‘em and eat em! Blueberries is so yummy!”
She really loves to learn and absorbs so much more than we even realize. She loves to pull her books off the shelves and sit with them in big pile all around her as she reads them. We read to her every night before bed, and she has to be the one to pick the book, hold the book, and turn all the pages all by herself. She also enjoys dragging out that process as long as possible and taking an hour to turn each page haha! Some of our current favorite books are ones by Dr. Seuss and Nancy Tillman.
Can’t forget this recent conversation over breakfast that cracked me up:
Me: How old is Eveleigh?
Evie: TWO!
Me: Do you know how old mommy & daddy are? Mommy is 26 and Daddy is 29!
Evie: Pauses, stares. Then “Daddy is SO OLD!“ ?
—
And a little questionnaire…
What’s your favorite color? “color blue”
What’s your favorite food? “Chocolate Cupcakes!” (I think she has only had a cupcake maybe twice in her life, but clearly they made an impression!)
What’s your favorite song? “twinkle twinkle”
What’s your favorite thing to do? “play toys”
What’s mommy’s favorite thing to do? “coffee” (it’s amazing how much she gets me ;))
What’s daddy’s favorite thing to do? “Guitar!” (again, spot on, kid!)
Where’s your favorite place to go? “walk to park”
Who’s your best friend? “TANYA CALEB!” (our friends from church… She always says them together as if it’s one word too, haha! Though I was sorta wishing she said mommy… tear)
Love this girl so much and am so grateful she’s mine. Watching her grow is one of my greatest joys!
(^When both kids nap at the same time and it feels like you’re sorta kinda on a date! ?)
Lately we’ve been loving heading south to San Clemente after church. Last Sunday was a particularly beautiful day, and we wanted to soak it up! We had lunch at HH Cottons, which was yummy and surprisingly pretty kid-friendly. Afterwards we walked down to the pier and got some coffee from Bear Coast Coffee. Their lavender infused caramel latte is ridiculously delicious (just writing about it is making me crave one) – I definitely recommend going if you live in Orange County. Then we strolled along the pier and took in the view. I still pinch myself that we get to live here in Southern California. It is just so beautiful!
Hoping for more sunny days soon (we’re in the midst of what we call the “May Gray”) and looking forward to many summer beach days!
Hope you have a beautiful week <3
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I have searched far & wide for the perfect Paleo Brownie Recipe, and alas, I believe I have found it. These brownies are rich, fluffy, and full of chocolatey goodness. Sometimes a girl just needs a chocolate fix, and these allow me to indulge guilt-free.
They are super quick & simple to whip up too. And I usually have the ingredients on hand, which is a plus (and also dangerous because I literally make them all the time).
Give ‘em a try and let me know what you think!
With Love,
Monika
Paleo Brownies
Ingredients
1 Cup Creamy Almond Butter
1 Egg
1/3 Cup Pure Maple Syrup
1 Tsp Vanilla
2 Tablespoons Ghee (or sub melted grassfed butter)
1/3 Cup Raw Cacao (or sub unsweetened cocoa powder)
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/4 Cup Cacao Nibs (or sub dark chocolate chips)
1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts (optional)
Instructions
Preheat Oven to 325.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond butter, egg, maple syrup, vanilla, and ghee. Stir well, and then add in the cacao powder, baking soda, cacao nibs, and walnuts. Mix well.
Next, spoon batter into a greased (or parchment paper lined) 8 x 8 baking dish.
Bake approximately 21-23 minutes.
Let cool, serve & enjoy!
This season of life is so hectic. Trying to find balance amidst caring for our family, working, and ministry. This month, in particular, has been so busy – our days & nights completely filled up. But amidst the busyness we must find time for rest. My soul needs it. And we need time with one another, to connect and just be. So one night last week we had our friend stay with the girls while we rode our bikes to the beach. We found two palm trees and set up our little travel hammock and watched the sun set together. It was the stuff my dreams are made of. It was so peaceful & relaxing and just what we needed. My idea of a perfect date.
I love this verse in Matthew “...Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me- watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” [Matthew 11:28-30 MSG]
The words that stand out to me are freely & lightly. What a beautiful way to live. I find that I sometimes get overwhelmed by the sheer number of things I am trying to get done each day. But then I will hear The Spirit whisper to me “give to me the first fruits of your time, and you will have plenty.” So I’ve been striving lately to honor that and ease into my day with reading & praying. It’s funny we often view our time with a scarcity mindset (just as with our finances), but I’ve found that if we operate instead out of a place of abundance, there is more than enough. And then I am able to check off my to-do list with a happy, calm spirit instead of an anxious one. This is so freeing for me as I am someone who used to stress out easily, but now, in faith, I can truly live freely & lightly.
Hoping you someone’s somewhere find beautiful, restorative moments of rest throughout your week.
With love,
Monika
