Brandon and Shelby

Nihn Bihn

2026-02-24T04:16:00.000-08:00

Tayte is going to tell bits about Nihn Bihn through his eyes.

Boating was so fun! We boated for about two hours. There were mountains that looked like big green hairy blobs surrounding us, that’s because the trees and bushes were completely covering the mountains. We got to go under caves to see all the slag tights and the slag mights and the cave would go through a whole mountain, 1,000 meters was the biggest one. There were paddles that we got to use and they were made out of just bamboo and a part of the side of a plastic bucket, they really use anything they can find. Also King Kong was filmed there and we got to see some parts where it was filmed.

One of the other things we did in Nihn Bihn was biking. We biked around the city, the rice fields, the big green blob mountains, and saw a pagoda. The pagoda we saw had some cool statues that we took a picture with and we also got to have some really nice guy let us put some incense on the altar. Also we came up with a game on our bikes that me (Tayte) and all of my brothers would do. We would grab a leaf of a tree or something and then we would ride our bikes really fast and use the wind and a leaf to surf on the air.

There was one place we would go to eat our food every day because it was so good and the people there were awesome. My favorite food I got was fried noodles with egg.

Notes from Mom:

What an incredibly special place! I didn’t expect to fall in love with Ninh Binh as much as we did. We truly played our cards right there—it turned out even better than we could have planned.

We left Sapa a day early, even though we had paid for three nights (thankfully our homestay was only $20 a night, so it wasn’t too painful). Honestly, I was chasing the sun—and it turns out, it was the right move. We left Sapa around 10:30 p.m. after a close call that almost had us missing the bus. Once we finally boarded, we were so relieved. We found our tiny but cozy sleeping compartments, and everyone immediately fell asleep. We still hadn’t adjusted our internal clocks, so most of us had been dozing off around 7:30 p.m.—which made 10:30 feel like climbing a mountain.

The bus ride was smooth and easy. Everyone slept through the entire seven hours… except me. I was in full mama-bear mode, checking on the boys throughout the night. We arrived early in the morning and found a car to take us to our hotel. When we got there, the owner, Jake, greeted us. We were completely shocked by how well he spoke English—what luck! He had lived in the States for eight years, so he understood everything we said and had all the tips and answers we could possibly need. Then he told us something wild: if we had arrived just one day later, we would have missed all the attractions because everything would be closed for Lunar New Year. Talk about perfect timing!

After dropping off our bags, we immediately headed to Mua Cave. The grounds were beautiful. Then came the real adventure—climbing 600 steep stairs to the top of the mountain. The views were absolutely insane. The only downside? It was packed with tourists. As we scaled slippery, sharp rocks near the summit, it felt a little dangerous navigating such a tiny space with so many people. But like we always do, we made it work. We clung to the dragon statue lining the ridge, carefully making our way around and soaking in every breathtaking view.

This photo gives a perfect representation of how much of a cliff we were standing on. And let me remind you... those sharp little jagged rocks beneath me are slippery from all the people walking on them!

But the views from the top were priceless!

Next, we went to Trang An River—the main reason I wanted to come to Ninh Binh! We paid for our seats and climbed into a small boat, where a local Vietnamese woman paddled us around for two peaceful hours. The scenery of the karst mountains was unreal—like something out of a movie set.

The best part? Drifting through the caves beneath the cliffs, filled with beautiful stalagmites, low ceilings, and that thrilling, adventurous feeling of being in an Indiana Jones movie. It was magical.

The cute, old Vietnamese lady that took our photo for us got her finger in it. Makes me love the photo 100x more.

We ended up loving our stay even more than we expected. Jake and his brother treated us so kindly and really seemed to take a liking to our boys. By the time we left, they had formed such a sweet bond. They hugged the boys like proud uncles and said, “You have such cute boys.” It melted my heart.

I’ve noticed that people here especially take to Peder. Maybe it’s his blue eyes, blonde hair, or his age—but if he even starts to whine a little, people rush to make it right. Whether it’s an extra piece of toast or resizing a bracelet, they’ll stop everything to make sure he gets exactly what he wants. It’s honestly so sweet to watch.

One day, we rented bikes and rode around a large part of the city. It was one of our favorite days so far. Ninh Binh is incredibly diverse, with something beautiful around every corner. We happened to bike on Lunar New Year, which meant the streets were unusually quiet—making it safe and peaceful to ride. Otherwise, it might have been chaotic! As we pedaled along, it felt like we were celebrities. Everyone was in such high spirits because of the holiday. People would honk to say hello or shout “Happy New Year!” as loudly as they could. It was the absolute cutest thing, and we loved every second of it.

Just as a side note. Since Peder was on the back of my bike we had some darling conversations. For a long while we talked about the trees and the stories we'd put them in. The trees were these veiny-type trees so unique! Peder decided he'd put them in a spooky story where I would put them in a fairy type story.

As my dear friend who wandered abroad homeschooling her girls imparted her wisdom on me told me t

to "wonder out loud." So many amazing conversations have come from wondering out loud.

We found a waffle place while biking and the boys were very happy for a break from Vietnamese food.

We also visited the bird sanctuary, and because it was Lunar New Year, we practically had the entire place to ourselves. Normally it’s crowded, but we wandered around without seeing anyone. It was immaculate and stunning. We took two boat rides—one through another cave (with bats!) and another to the bird nesting area, where thousands of beautiful birds filled the sky.

So grateful to run with this hottie!

We practically became locals by the end of our stay. Even though there were hundreds of restaurants to choose from, we found one we all loved and decided to keep it simple—we went back every single day. The woman who owned the place would light up and start laughing the moment she saw us walking up. She’d seat us at the same table each time and already knew exactly what we liked to order. She didn’t speak English, but that didn’t matter one bit. We absolutely loved our time with her—and her amazing food.

One thing that fascinated me was how many restaurants are actually part of people’s homes. Right next to the large dining area for guests, there would be sleeping quarters for the family. It was so interesting to see. It made me think about how much community exists here. You live where you work. You’re always home. Your neighbors are doing the same thing. Life feels intertwined in a way that’s so different—and so beautiful.

Ninh Binh completely stole our hearts.

Sapa

2026-02-22T07:04:00.000-08:00

I'm getting the boys to write about certain cities or adventures. I love hearing what they loved about the experiences!

First up Daxton:

We got from Hanoi to Sapa on a sleeper bus. Leaving at 6 am we got to Sapa around lunchtime. Our host for the homestay was an amazing and wise man that showed us around as soon as we got there, leading us to a spa that was not very far from homestay. There were many treatments to do there but we chose the herbal bath. The herbal bath is a Vietnamese tradition that is meant to help ease joint pain and it was literally as hot as the sun. This is exactly what I needed because for the last week my leg joints had been hurting from running. By the time we had ended the bath my knees and ankles were already feeling so much better.

That night host made us dinner and invited the spa owners and their homestay guests. The other tourists were from Spain and they were very nice and wise and two wise people make many great things when put together and one of them is that they make great conversations to listen to. There were many great things that were said and sadly I don’t remember all of them but here are some of the things that I remember. They started talking about food and how important it is to eat good healthy food. He was also saying eat slow/slow food and you will die slow but if you eat fast/fast food you will die fast. They then started to talk about meditation and how it is such an essential part of their lives and how they meditate for around 1hr a day then all the talking about breathing exercises turned into how there is a secret air in our bones and joints-causes that helps us move but if we don’t have that air it causes pain. Billy (the guy from Spain) was saying that meditation is key with having the secret air because when you meditate you can breath from deep in your belly and focus your air to the joints that are hurting. Your mind is very powerful and can heal something just by thinking about it. Our homestay host, Phaun joined in the conversation and said that worms are very healthy and there is a country where worms a thing that people eat and the people who ate worms didn’t get covid-19. Billy then told another story of how he was sick so he meditated for a full day and he breathed and waited for words to come to him and when they did he knew that that is what his body needed to hear and so he said the words out loud to heal his body. After the meal was done we went to bed in our very warm heated beds but there was a problem with our sleep. Around 3am that night around 100 roosters surrounding us started crowing.

The next day we went trekking through a bamboo forest and the rice fields. It was so beautiful. We got back to our homestay at 4:30 and immediately started to teach some 5-6th grade girls English. They were so giggly and, at times, we could barely get them to listen. That night we had dinner at a fun place and then went back home, packed, and drove through crazy thick fog to another sleeper bus at 10:30 that took us on a 8 hour drive to Ninh Bihn.

Notes from Mom:

We landed in Sapa after a six-hour bus ride—and let’s just say, the ride itself was an unforgettable experience. There was lots of honking, unexpected stops for things like the driver picking up random packages (or possibly trees?), and bathroom breaks where you had to pay to use the toilet. Good thing I had tissues stashed in my fanny pack—major win.

We stayed with Phuong at EC Homestay, which was rated a “Guest Favorite,” and I could absolutely see why. Phuong was an incredible host who made us feel so comfortable we didn’t want to leave. He went above and beyond in every way and quickly became a friend. Honestly, we just wanted to stay home and chat with him all day.

Instead, he took us next door to a spa for a traditional herbal bath—which was very necessary because Sapa was cold! After soaking and warming up, we walked back to the homestay and found Phuong and a couple from Spain cooking dinner outside. We jumped in to help—washing dishes, peeling vegetables—and by 7:00, we were all sitting down to eat together.

We shared dinner with our new Spanish friends, the spa crew, and Phuong. As Daxton described it, the conversation was “a delight”—and he was right. So much of why we travel is for moments like that. The energy around the table was radiant. You could feel it. There was so much laughter, deep conversation, and genuine connection. Everyone was just… happy.

The next day, we headed out on an authentic trekking experience that Phuong arranged for us. Our guide, Mimi, was warm, hilarious, and spoke incredible English. She told us she hadn’t gone to school and had learned everything just by being out in the world—so impressive.

Walking through the rice fields felt surreal. The views were unreal—miles and miles of layered green stretching into the distance. One thing that amazed me was that the “long way” took us straight through people’s rice fields and property—and it was completely normal and welcomed. It felt so different from what we’re used to.

We loved every minute with Mimi and even the long trek back to our homestay.

When we got back we saw Phuong surrounded by children from the village—girls from very humble backgrounds. He had arranged for us to spend time teaching them English. It was such a special surprise.

The girls were hilarious and so giggly. I loved watching my boys step into their confidence as they taught. You could see how empowered they felt—it was their language, and they took it seriously. They would slow words down, emphasize certain sounds, and patiently repeat phrases until the girls got it. It was the sweetest thing to watch.

We played lots of games, laughed constantly, and the girls were all in. Their joy was contagious.

After the lesson, we went on a long trek into town to buy them a treat. Naturally, we assumed they’d pick something sweet—but instead, they chose packets of ramen! We found a nearby restaurant for dinner, then made the long walk home in the dark, tired and happy. What a fun, full day.

During both of our days in Sapa, I also had some pretty long runs to fit in for marathon training. I’ve realized one of my favorite ways to explore the world is on foot—running alongside Brandon, seeing everything up close and personal. You notice so much more that way.

Both days, I split my runs—one with Daxton and one with Brandon. Running in Sapa was incredible. Yes, there were a lot of hills (understatement), but at the top were the most breathtaking views of endless rice fields. Sometimes we’d even find ourselves running alongside water buffalo, which feels like a sentence I never thought I’d write.

I loved getting to know Sapa on my own two feet. It made the experience feel even more personal—like we weren’t just visiting, we were truly moving through it.

Sapa gave us more than just beautiful views—it gave us connection, warmth, and memories we’ll never forget. 💚

It was cold in Sapa but we had heated blankets! So this is the boys in their warm beds working on their school work.

On our morning run, the views were just incredible.

Red Dao herbal bath, it was just what this mama needed.

Hanoi Day 2

2026-02-17T18:25:00.000-08:00

Since learning all about the Confucius religion we were all pretty excited to walk through the Temple of Literature in Hanoi. It was Vietnams first university dated all the way back to 1070! We had a really good time walking through and reading all about the scholars and what they had to learn and why education became such a big part of the religion. Confucianism is heavily focused on education because traditionally your lineage determined your social class, but then Confucianism came along and it was a way for a family being born into a lower class to change their family names status in society.

The boys were really fascinated by all the history and were just as excited as I was to learn more.

This picture is a good representation of the streets in Hanoi! Crossing the street was pretty intense, no one stops for pedestrians and there are no crosswalks. You just take a trusting step off the sidewalk and hope that the drivers paying attention to you.

We walked quite a bit and got to see the famous train street where the train goes through the middle part of the city and all the shops around are right next to the train tracks!

Training for a marathon while traveling for a full month is legit crazy. Unknown terrains, lots of traveling and trying to make time for it! Ran 8 miles around the square in downtown. The first 6 miles with brandon and then the last with Daxton.

Mango and strawberry ice cream! A welcome relief after a lot of uneasy stomachs.

Off on a sleeper bus to Sapa a 6 hour drive up north. The boys thought this was the coolest thing ever to be able to lay down and have their own cabin. Even though they ended up all in the same cabin for most of it anyway. They just truly love being together.

Hanoi

2026-02-17T15:04:00.000-08:00

Waking up in Hanoi on my birthday was such a treat! I couldn't help but grin from ear to ear every second of the day. We were jet-lagged, so we didn’t think we’d plan for much as we got our bearings. But we walked the streets and took in all the smells and the electrifying city!

We first stopped at a bank to exchange some money. But the bank was in someone’s home, with a couple of tiny side rooms where people were doing hair. We slid past a man with a pot of fire he was burning inside the cement house/bank. It was quite smoky, and we were a little shocked he was doing it inside the house. We later found out that he was burning money for his ancestors — fake money, that is. He actually let our boys take some of the money and, with his very broken English, told them to think of their ancestors as they put the money into the fire.

Lots of awesome shopping in Hanoi! Patagonia, Arc’teryx, North Face, Lululemon. So many fun things and for so cheap!

Brandon found a real, authentic place to eat bun cha — a dish well known in Vietnam. It might have been a little too authentic too quickly. If you've been to Asia, you know that raw meat sitting outside, guts and blood are a common sight, and we may have walked past some fully roasted dogs. That was pretty hard. After walking down a very “local” alleyway past all the food being cooked by other shops, we found this tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurant. The boys tried their best to get the bánh mì down. It was really good and so authentic, but I think most of us had lost our appetite on the way over.

We took a break back at the hotel and did some school work. We are taking a class on the religions of the world and we made sure to take the class on Confucianism before we go to the Confucious temple tomorrow.

We bought tickets to see the traditional water puppet show in Hanoi. It “traces its origins back to the 11th century, blossoming from the fertile river deltas of northern Vietnam. During the annual rice harvest, villagers gathered in fields transformed by water and entertained each other with puppet plays staged on pools or flooded paddies. The wet environment of the countryside became C both stage and inspiration for their creativity.” The show opens with a live band of Asian instruments and singers. It melted my heart into a puddle to be able to witness such deep culture in music — to hear such different sounds and singing that none of us are used to. The puppetry was very cool and artful. We had a really good time.

To end my birthday, we walked around the lake and found a bunch of locals having a dance party! One woman opened her arms wide to me and invited us all in to dance. She grabbed our hands and immediately made us feel welcome and included. We danced with her, all smiles! What a fun little cherry on top to finish my birthday night.

But wait — there was one more finisher! Brandon took me to get a foot massage. I think we laughed in pain for the better half of it. Those Asian women are relentless! But hey, I woke up with my plantar fasciitis feeling better the next morning, so there had to be something to that rough massage!

Taking a chance and paving an unknown path

2026-01-30T10:48:00.000-08:00

Since Brandon and I homeschool our kids we have a list of things that are really important for our kids to learn. At the top of our list is life experience that will teach our kids curiosity, empathy, confidence and problem solving. Traveling and living in an unfamiliar environment will teach, and sink in so deep, that it's been our favorite way to educate our kids. So we sacrificed, planned, dreamed, and are now off on a month long adventure in Asia to learn lifelong lessons and to make lifelong memories.

Taking time to pause

2018-01-24T10:43:00.001-08:00

I love being a mom and we all know it has its up and downs, but I don't think I truly comprehended how hard and how humbling it was going to be. I've been on a journey to become more mindful of how I'm parenting and also being more mindful of how I live my life. And so recently I've been doing a lot of meditation and breathing. Let me explain.

I've now learned that we only use 10% of our brain consciously, only 10%! The other 90% is used for our vitals and such but its also used to store habits and experiences that we've gone through whether they've been positive or negative. I'm sure almost everyone has had something happen to them and their first reaction was to get upset, or sad, or depressed- thats the subconscious coming through because thats how it was learned in the past. So in order to prevent our subconscious determining how we react to our life situations, being mindful of those feelings immediately, analyzing and watching those emotions, why you feel the way you feel is the first step to changing unwanted feelings that are stored in the subconscious.
There is one vital thing to being keep us alive that can be controlled in the subconscious and the conscious mind and that is breathing. Being able to slow down our breathing, and take deep breaths has all sorts of positive affects on our body and our minds. Breathing consciously for 3 minutes a day can rewire habits, beliefs and many other things and I think its due largely to fact that we are consciously changing it. So in my room before I get going for the day I've been breathing, meditating, pondering on any scriptures I may have read and allowing myself to think for myself instead of outside influences determine my feelings and thoughts.

Anyway, there is loads I'm learning and I'm not perfect at it but without dumping it all here and going super deep these are just some thoughts I've really been working on lately that I've been wanting to share.

Bed Frame from Humble Dwellings

Cyber Monday

2017-11-27T15:21:00.003-08:00

Cyber Monday! Have you guys taken advantage of all the sales? I thought I'd do a little round up of some of my favorite shops because I have a couple of my tried and true places I always shop and since I love me some sales why not share the love. So here you go here are some of my favorite places!
First off my ultimate favorite spot for Home decor is West Elm. They always have good prices for gorgeous pieces. And usually have free shipping on a many items!

I get questions all the time where I get this couch in this picture and West Elm is where I got it and its on sale now!

We just got this bench to go up in our new space and we love it so much.

We got these dining chairs for Christmas last year and I love them, West Elm doesn't sell them anymore but these dining chairs are very similar.

Also, Just got this pillow and this one and I'm in love with them! And I alway love my Mudcloth pillows from Mae Woven.

I love ASOS, I get a lot of my clothes there and its now 30% off everything. They always have unique different clothes that are great quality. ALSO a HUGE bonus is they have free shipping over $50 and FREE returns! So try things on and if you don't love them just return it. No worries.

I get questions on my necklaces all the time and I always have pieces on from Made by Mary, they mean the very most to me and they would make for a simple, beautiful gift!

Roolee is another favorite shopping place and for Cyber Monday they are having 25% off PLUS free shipping!!

So there are really a few of my go-to shops I love so much. Hopefully you find something you love and with all the sales going on its a good time to try them out!

C+A Wedding

2017-09-28T23:26:00.000-07:00

So I know my sidebar is like 5 years old all those pictures, and my computer is loaded with pictures I've never posted and I'm like 3 months late to posting all these events... but I want to post them because I want these memories and I know I will see them more if they are online than hidden in the hundreds of folders I have on my computer. So look out as I purge through my old photos and post them. First off Chris and Alta's wedding.
How lucky am I?! All these handsome boys I get to call mine.

This memory of Daxton I don't want to forget. He a normally shy guy and dancing in front of people is not his comfort zone... and this wedding had THE biggest dance party I've ever been to at a wedding. So as the dancing was going on- he stood comfortably by his mama being an observer and would every so often get his toes tapping and his hands clapping. He's a good little dancer but i won't push him further than his boundaries in hopes that one day he'll break his shell and fly.

Swimmers

2017-09-28T22:23:00.000-07:00

We spent a lot of our summer swimming, and a lot of time around water. It was about all I could do when I was so big and pregnant and hot. Luckily its the boys favorite activity. They did swim lessons at the beginning of the summer and it really helped with their stokes and being more confidant. I love watching them play.

Benson stills afraid of swimming without his swimmer which is good. However he will go underneath the water which is a big step for him.

Tayte looks like he's always struggling keeping above water but its really the way he swims. He spends most of his time underneath and can hold his breath for absurd amount of time. He looks like one of those little water bugs swimming underneath- crazy legs and all. And Mr. Brave took the high dive all by himself this summer and as he was climbing up the ladder- a bunch of older kids were talking and saying how they couldn't let a little kid show them up (since a lot of them were afraid to jump off) so he started a wave of interest in the high dive that day. As he kept jumping off he attracted more and more kids to come over to try jumping off as well.
Daxton all of sudden busted out the breast stroke after jumping off a high dive and completely shocked me as he cruised across the water. He really got the strokes down really well.

Heber Creeper

2017-09-28T22:01:00.000-07:00

Brandon's Uncle had set up a fun FHE a couple months ago, he had told us about the Heber Creeper and wanted to have our family join him on this old train. The boys were so excited! There was a gun show before the train took off, and after we boarded the train and took our seats. Everything was so old and actually really hot! ha But once the train started the breeze came through the windows and helped cool things down. As we traveled through the Heber Valley the sights were breathtaking and there was a lot of fun entertainment aboard. The boys enjoyed it so much and were just so excited they were riding on an actual train.
Uncle Mike, his wife and his cute three kids peeping through.
My cute new SIL Alta, hat buddies ... we were actually trying to figure out how to sit close and take a photo with out our hats colliding. haha

Peace a baby brings

2017-08-29T21:29:00.000-07:00

Oh Peder, how we love you. You have brought our family so much joy already and have a way of bringing calmness and being the peace maker in our home. I love the way you always put your hand on your face when you sleep, how strong you are already, and how much you love to be held. The boys can't get enough of you.

There has been an added measure of peace in our home, more of being present, slowing down and enjoy all the simple things. And whats nice is that adding onto that peace of mind can only heighten the amount of joy in the home. Owlet has just added onto the peace of mind while Peder sleeps, it keeps track of his heart rate and his oxygen levels, so I don't have get all nervous about him while i sleep. Peace is something I'm always striving to have more in my life and as a parent its something I have to constantly work at and I'm grateful that this baby monitor has help in some way to bring more peace.
I can't believe Peder's already 3 weeks, but at the same time I can't imagine what we did without him. He fits into our family like he's always been there and I can't even wait to spend more time with this little sweet boy.

Peder Osmond

2017-08-27T16:33:00.002-07:00

Peder Clark Osmond

9 lbs 6 oz

August 3rd

And we love every inch of him.

Maternity Shoot

2017-07-28T20:56:00.001-07:00

Would you believe that after 3 babies I've never really had a true maternity shoot. I was so lucky when my friend Emmy Lowe suggested I use one of her photographer friends to have her take my pictures. So then our friendship with Courtney blossomed and I am so impressed by her talent and her photography eye, (you all need to check out her stuff!) I am so grateful that she captured some maternity photos but also some family photos, and I cherish them so much.

Its hard to describe how this pregnancy has changed and molded me into something that better and stronger, it hasn't been easy but its been such a blessing in so many beautiful, tender mercy ways. This is most likely our last baby and so to have it captured and documented was something my mama heart desperately needed. So thank you Courtney, these will be a treasure for the rest of my life. v

What to see and do in Portland with kids

2017-06-20T06:53:00.003-07:00

Its been on my live list to go and see Portland and the Oregon coast so when we got a memorial day weekend we took that opportunity to travel up to Portland and see what it was like! I tell you what after wanting to see Haystack Rock for yearrrrrssss it was like an Eiffel tower moment for me. When we rounded the corner and saw haystack rock in the distance I gasped and screamed and the boys yelled along with me. I don't know if their excitement was more for the rock or for the fact that we would be getting out of the car. haha! Either way nothing beats the excitement of children and having someone to find joy in what you do.

First off here is the video of some of the places we saw and did, and keep reading below after you watch it to see our list of what to do in Portland!

1. Upper Left Roasters
This place was so clean and beautiful. Really fun atmosphere. And their avocado toast is something I am trying to duplicate. It was incredible And they have free hot chocolate- also really good!

2. Pine State Biscuits.
You can't go to Portland without eating here. But I suggest getting there early the line gets long but it sure was worth the wait!
3. Salt and Straw
Another place you have to try when in Portland. The flavors were outrageous but so fun to try each. And they don't go skimpy on the samples they love to let you try all of them. Again this is a popular place so its better to go earlier to avoid the lines.
4. St Johns Bridge.
After eating so much food, it was good to run around and play for a bit. This place was beautiful and had a grassy area all around for the kids to play and get wiggles out.
5. Powell's Bookstore.
The biggest used bookstore in the world? It was awesome, we bought a couple of books- one was Harry Potter to read to the boys as we drove home.
6. Cannon beach is about 2 hours away from downtown portland. I liked Downtown but would much prefer to spend more time at the beach.
Can never say enough about our Gathre mats. We bring them EVERYWHERE . If you want to see how awesome and functional they are at the beach you can watch our video here.

7. Multnomah falls:
Another place that I've been wanting to see for years, like literally since I was in High School. So it was totally amazing to see in person and so much more grand!

8. Oregon Coast:
We took a drive down the Oregon Coast one of the days and it was breathtaking. I read once that Portland is like the cold Hawaii and it really is. So much beauty everywhere. We stopped off in a little village called Manzanita and it was so cute, and a nice beach to stop off and play.

We had some amazing friends who let us stay at their beach house and we couldn't be more grateful for them. They also gave us so many tips on what to see. We had such an amazing trip and can't wait to go back again!

Some other things that we did that was not picture:
Grill Cheese Bus: You order grill cheese sandwiches and get to sit on a old school bus that is really cool on the inside.
Blue Star Donuts: We heard Voodoo Donuts were fun, but the blue star were better tasting. I just wish we were there earlier in the day so we could taste all the flavors.

A flower for you.

2017-05-17T22:01:00.000-07:00

We all go through experiences in life that change behavior and create habits. And I think to some degree most women struggle with loving their body and to be honest for as long as I can remember I have had that struggle of loving and accepting my body. Just writing those lines is hard to say but they're real, they're raw and I say it to be vulnerable to continue a healing i've been seeking. But i've been on a journey of healing and one of those things I've been seeking is to heal is those awful, damaging thoughts of self destruction. I'm sick of seeing those thoughts arise in my mind and I'm sick of seeing it in other women, women who are beautiful, strong and remarkable. So here I am, to tell you my story.

Each and every pregnancy before this one I would die at the scale as it slowly went up, I would die at the body I would see in the mirror and all those damaging thoughts would always continue post baby and beyond.
But for some reason, the beginning of this year something has been different for me. I've been earnestly seeking healing, love and deeper meaning in my life. And its affected me so much this pregnancy that as I've seen my body change and gain extra pounds here or there, I haven't been so ashamed. I've been proud, my body has known exactly what it needs to do to carry a baby, to carry my body. There have been moments, days where I can go back into that place of body shaming especially when multiple people tell me I look HUGE and that I've been eating too many desserts (PEOPLE! Don't ever say that to a pregnant woman, even in joking manner haha!) Good thing that I've been in a place where I'm loving myself where grace and self love are my biggest goal right now, so it didn't affect me nearly as much as it would in the past. I know that self love is essential to progressing forward to becoming a better person and aligning myself with my spirit.

I know my body is SO much different than that of my girlfriends, my sisters, and so many other women.. but I know I'm healthy and I am okay with and even love this body thats looks so much different than others. There are seasons in life, and I've had a long season of body shaming, but I'm done putting energy and thought into any of that junk. I love to workout, I love to challenge myself to eat healthy and those are the things I want to put my energy to. This life and even this pregnancy is way to short to allow those thoughts to govern my thinking or even my subconscious thinking. I'm not perfect at it, but challenging myself to be open, to give myself grace, and if I have a down day there is always tomorrow. If I could, I would give a flower, a bouquet to everyone of us pushing through the weeds to see the sunshine- which can be all of us.. Lets keep loving and being kind, especially to ourselves. xo

Throwback Sunday

2017-04-26T12:07:00.001-07:00

I was looking through some photos last night and I came across some of these old photos we took in January! But I was dying over some of the photos and the length of Benson and Taytes hair! It was so long.
On Sundays it fun to walk around the city, especially when its warm in January- there was this beautiful church right by the Conference center downtown and so we walked around and noticed its beauty. Brandon and I have a love for old buildings (if you couldn't tell already) so its fun when we find old gems.

We also love this part of temple square, it has the grass and we always end up going to this spot when we go there as a family so the boys can run and there aren't a ton of people around. Sure love this guy so very much and we feel so lucky to live so close to such a beautiful, historic area.

Also, for those who have asked on IG, I'll tag where my outfit is from below. And funny thing about my dress- when Trump was inaugurated and his wife was in that stunning blue dress, I had been on the hunt for something similar because I loved the blue. So when I found this maternity dress I fell in love. So yea thats the story behind the dress. :)

Dress / Shoes (sold out) but similar here / Fur Jacket

Daddy Lunch Date + Gekks

2017-04-03T08:28:00.002-07:00

Every once in awhile we get to meet up with Dad and go walk around the city on his lunch break. We usually end up going to Chick Fila if we're short on time they have the best french fries! But its fun to walk around especially now that its getting warmer and the blossoms are coming out. I can't get enough of blossoms. Temple square has some of the prettiest blossoms right now. Brandon also needed some models for a billboard he's working on for work, no we aren't the models but he was trying to get an idea so we were the fake models. But i'll take it. It was so pretty. That little face! I could kiss it all day long. Okay, so I got these Gekks the other day and I'll have to tell you more about them, but just as a background I've had the hardest time keeping no show socks on when I have shoes... especially these black shoes for some reason! So I tried these Gekks and they are awesome. Gekks are a no-show sock that grip to the inside of your shoe. If you want to try them out you can use code “SHELBY8” to receive $8 off orders $40 or more! They are a great option for a no show sock.

This is the Place

2017-03-28T21:42:00.001-07:00

Its been raining so much here in Utah the past week and so today when the weather finally cleared up, we played hooky from school and took off to This is the Place Heritage Park. I knew that baby animal season was happening and I wanted to have the boys see the baby animals before they grew up too fast. I was so surprised by all the baby animals they had. They had bunnies that were TINY, chicks, baby sheep, goats, pigs and a few other animals. The boys loved walking around seeing, touching and holding a bunch of the animals. We had some episodes trying to get in the car to get to the park, but I was so glad to have persisted through the crying and have a day to explore. I'm excited to go back and explore more of the park!

Those little legs working so hard to run after the train. It will never get old.
Benson had hit his mark, i don't blame him. He was cold, hungry and it was his naptime. The boys were being pretty good with him, trying to make him happy so we could last a little bit longer.

The park is SO big, our first stop when we got to the park was going to hold the chickens and after taking a train ride around, seeing more attractions the boys insisted on coming back to the chicks to hold them. I was told they sold these chicks and I'm super tempted to buy some!

It's a.....

2017-03-28T20:31:00.002-07:00

Family Photos

2017-03-13T21:24:00.001-07:00

After about almost a year, I finally posting our family photos, life as a mom I guess... But i'll have you know it was so hard to restrain myself from not posting every single one. Jessica Haderlie works magic, and I'm so grateful for the emotion and meaning she captured behind each photo. She truly has a eye for capturing beauty and love. And I'm so grateful for my boys, all four of them. I never thought I'd be a mom to so many boys but its truly such a joy and honor. And that Mister Osmond has always been a dream come true.

Baby number 4

2017-02-20T20:48:00.003-08:00

I know I've already posted this on Instagram and I'm sure many of you have seen it. But I wanted to document it here, it just takes me so much longer to post on my blog. I usually write post at night when the kids have gone to bed. But seeing that I get most sick at nights due to pregnancy, this blog hasn't been updated very often and it makes me sad I haven't posted as much. I'll get back to it someday! But we have been waiting for this new little babe to come and we are all over the moon to have a new brother or sister join our family!

A new year.

2017-01-06T07:50:00.001-08:00

We had a couple weeks where Brandon was home and it was so wonderful to have him around all the time. We relaxed, spent a lot of time with family and created new goals for this upcoming year. I'll tell you a little more about our goals at the end of the post, but this week was Brandons first few days back at work. We sent him off with a lot of hugs, kisses and tears- we sure to do love him. And yes Brandon is awesome, he rides his bike to work most days- whether its rain, snow or shine.
It seems the littlest always have the hardest time sending Brandon off because their still trying to understand the concept of time (obviously) but right now Benson is having a hard time letting Dad go every morning.
It been these three and me all day and next week we will send Daxton back to school. I still am not loving Daxton in school all day and we will miss him a lot. But its been so fun to have him at home with us.

Also, Brandon's had a messenger side bag for his work bag and it seemed to always get in the way when he biked. So for Christmas, I got him a Just Porter Streeter Backpack because I wanted him to have an easier bag for biking to work, he's loved it and has commented saying its "The best bike commuter bag." Anyway, love when gifts work out as a success.

As a final note, I wanted to tell you a little about what we are doing for our goals this year. For me, I decided that I wanted to work on a goal each month. I think by the third or fourth month of the year I forget my resolutions and I really don't want that to happen. So this year I'm hoping that if I write down a goal each month it'll help me with the progress that I have and if I need to extend a goal or move on I can do month to month- helping me progress more. Just thought I would write it down for anyone who might need some ideas on resolutions. Hope everyone is having a good start to their year!!

Christmas Cards

2016-12-06T08:39:00.002-08:00

We got a few Christmas cards this week in the mail and I can't even tell you how excited i am! I just love Christmas cards and I have been patiently waiting for ours. They showed up yesterday and now I'll I want to do is stuff and address them. Thats what we did for an hour last night and Tatye and Daxton have been loving it too and have been so helpful getting them ready! We got our last years cards from Tiny Prints and so I went with them again this year because their cards are beautiful and its just a one stop shop for all the things I need! And as I just went to their site I saw that they have 40% off everything AND free shipping! Such a steal! So if you are still wanting to get yours done, head over to Tiny Prints, lots of options to choose from. Wish I could see all of your cards... Christmas + Family all on one card has a very beautiful message and one of the most important messages in my book.

LegoLand!

2016-12-05T22:37:00.001-08:00

We have been wanting to take the boys to Legoland forever. And the chance came, Brandon had a work conference in San Diego, I had a brother and a family in Huntington Beach and it all just came together for a fun little getaway.

We left on Halloween night so our kids didn't actually trick or treat- but I don't think they even noticed. Especially since they got to swim in a hot tub instead! We drove to and took a pit stop in Vegas and stayed at this beautiful house and let the kids swim and get out their energy

OH! and I have to add my incredible sister Cassidy decided very last second to tag along by herself with her two kiddos and it was perfect, we were so happy that they came!

This water was seriously freezing. We all took turns taking on dares to jump in. But this brave boy just stayed in and was showing off his new love for cold water.
We dropped off Brandon in San Diego and then the next day drove to Huntington beach to stay with my brother and his family. We had blast staying with them and going to the beach!
That little pony tail! Gets me everytime I see this picture.

The sisters with the twins :) My little nephew Taysome. Such a fun, loving boy!

Mandy is such an amazing mom. I was so grateful for spend some time with her and Tanner. They have a lot of wisdom and are trying to do so much good in the world.

Wrestling with Uncle Tanner!

Little Charolette, how how I love you.

Our sweetest friend Marilyn and her husband were so good to us this trip and I have to say a big thank you to them!

LEGOLAND!!!

I didn't get a ton of photos from legoland because I was trying to capture more video but here are a couple stills. The boys loved it, and were loving every single ride.

Poor little Benson had had it at the end of the day. He was a trooper but boy does this kids always need a nap!

These cute boys did a lot of chores to earn those legos. We started about a month before and they worked everyday to get enough money to buy them their own lego set. They were so proud and were so happy about their new legos! I'd say it was a pretty successful trip!!

Picking out a stroller

2016-11-11T12:53:00.002-08:00

Over the past few years moms have questioned me about my stroller and what kind of stroller I would suggest. I want to be able to help those with questions because making a million decisions when your a mom isn't fun- like tonight I was done making decisions with Brandon and trying to schedule things out for my kids and my life and then I went into a zone and I stared at a wall for like 20 minutes completely checked out. ha! So in partnership with The Baby Cubby we hope to make moms decisions on strollers a little easier.

I'm going to just touch on a few points, because the Baby Cubby has a great details guide already set up, but these are just my opinions.

How will you use your Stroller?
When we lived in Boston we walked around a lot on sidewalks, we were city dwellers. But most of the sidewalks had huge bumps due to the roots of the trees taking out the sidewalks. I knew we had to get a stroller with heavy duty wheels, that was durable and had a large basket storage. We decided to go with the Baby Jogger Double Stroller. We have absolutely loved it and always recommend it to those looking for strollers.
Are you a jogger? There are lots of things to consider when buying a stroller for jogging but I have seen and used the BOB strollers and have loved them. I've had friends who use their jogging stroller for everything and don't use a second stroller. But there are some that need that second stroller.
I don't like to run with my kids, its too stressful for me and I like that alone time. So I've never considered getting a jogger- at least at this point in my life. So do what works for you and your life.
What is most important to you? Does the weight or the size of the stroller matter? Would you like a big canopy for you little one to sleep under? Or does that not matter to you. Since we walk a lot of place, I wanted to keep the sun out of my kids face and so I researched canopy reach.

Another thing that was important to me was the amount of storage that was accessible . I walk with my stroller to the grocery store, parks, picnics, library and end up filling that storage to the brim. So it was important to me to have a large storage compartment, but you might just need a little storage that can hold one or two coats or a purse.

There are lots of things to consider when you buy a stroller, and I just touched on a few but let me know if you have any questions or if there was something you wanted me to cover.
One more thing because Brandon and I are friends with the people over at Baby Cubby and I wanted to give you a little more information about their store. The Baby Cubby is for every parent out there who has felt overwhelmed or discourage about becoming a parent. They find the best and safest baby gear and provide it to parents in a fun shopping experience. They price match, even amazon! They do their research about the safest and only carry whats best. I have loved going into their store and shopping online with them. I hope you check them out!