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Tuesday, January 27, 2015

What We Did: Monday Jan 26th (Kenzie)

At the end of the day, I find myself wondering what exactly we did all day. Time seems to get away from me these days, so I thought I would try to write down everything we did. I took some pictures, too!

6:28am- Baby wakes up to eat. Notice baby's pajamas are soaked in pee. Change diaper and feed baby. Lay baby in bed with me.
6:55- Baby is not sleeping, instead he is grabbing my face. 
9:43- We both wake up. Did I really just sleep until 9:43? That never happens. Remember husband coming to say goodbye when leaving for work. Cuddle with baby.
10:00- Text Kayla to see what she's doing today. We do this every morning. We decide to go to Walmart- exciting times.
10:10- Get up and let the dogs outside. Set baby up with toys while I get ready.
10:40- I'm ready. Go get baby ready.
10:50- Bribe dogs with stale crackers to go back into their room. Eat a few myself since I haven't eaten breakfast.
11:00- Load up the car and head out. It's foggy and depressing.
12:00- Get to Kayla's and realize I forgot to put on an undershirt. Hang out at Kayla's while we wait for baby's feeding time.
12:30- Leave for Walmart. Eat lunch. Won't tell you what we ate since that would be admitting that I've broken a New Year's resolution. Notice Walmart is empty, contemplate doing all of my shopping on Mondays. Here's what I got. I went for the laundry detergent.
2:00- Hang out at Kayla's for a little bit so the kids can play.
2:40- Head home. Get stuck behind a school bus. Still foggy.
3:10- Get home. Baby is still sleeping so I wait in the car going through mail and spacing out while looking at the house.
3:20- Go inside. Baby wakes up and I feed him. Let dogs outside. Try to give Lucy her new stuffed panda. She hates it and Bella tries to steal it. Gave baby a small piece of a yogurt bite. Got this reaction.
4:00- Try to do some work on the computer. Smell poop as soon as I start going through emails. Change diaper.
4:10- Try again on the computer. 
4:15- Dogs are driving me crazy. Go feed dogs. Lock Bella in the bathroom to eat since Lucy tries to steal her food.
4:20- Back at the computer. Watch this video. Remember laundry in the dryer. Turn it on for the 3rd time to unwrinkle it.
4:30- Try to put Ben down for his afternoon nap. He fights it until 5:20pm.
5:40- Baby is awake. Watch an episode of Grey's Anatomy while rocking baby. Waiting for daddy to get home so I can make dinner. See Bella. She somehow let herself out of the bathroom. I forgot she was in there.
6:30- Feed baby. Start making dinner.
7:20- Eat dinner. Chicken Ranch Tacos with a Quinoa/Corn/Spinach salad.
7:30- Feed baby his baby food (spinach, zucchini, peas) while daddy cleans up the dishes. I let baby hold the spoon.
8:00- Work on my binding for a quilt.
8:20- Baby bath time.
8:45- Back to my binding while daddy plays xbox and baby plays with toys.
9:15- Feed baby and put him to bed. He goes down with little fight since he didn't have much of an afternoon nap.
9:40- Work on my binding while Adam reads our daily Bible reading out loud.
10:10- I would like to keep working but am too tired. Head to bed. Lay in bed on my phone for another hour or more. Remember the laundry in the dryer. It can wait until tomorrow.

And that's it! I can't believe how fast days fly by. No day is the same, I started writing this post at 7:30am today and hopefully the baby will take his 2 hour nap this afternoon as usual! Can any of you relate to this post?

Have a great day,

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Three Lovely Adventure Custom Picture Quotes

Happy hump day.
What is life, but one big adventure? 
Here's to hoping the rest of your week is an amazing adventure!
Adventure Picture Quote by Orchard Girls Blog #adventure #quote
Adventure Picture Quote by Orchard Girls Blog #adventure #quote
Adventure Picture Quote by Orchard Girls Blog #adventure #quote
If you'd like to create your own custom picture quotes, come check out our 

Monday, January 19, 2015

FREE "Today is a Good Day" Watercolor Printables

 Good morning everyone! I just have a quick post today, I wanted to give you these FREE fun watercolor motivational prints. I put the fonts together and added a watercolor background effect. The circle leaf graphic was downloaded from one of my favorite blogs We Lived Happily Ever After. I am working on making a little sewing/office area for myself and came up with this, to print out and hang up. I'm still working on more designs and prints, but was excited to share this one. I want this area to be an organized and positive space I can be inspired by. Stay tuned for more prints and a post on my completed sewing/office area!
Here are a few examples of what you could do with these PNG image files.
FREE "Today is a Good Day" Watercolor Printables by Orchard Girls Blog
Below are the links to each PNG file...
FREE "Today is a Good Day" Watercolor Printables by Orchard Girls Blog 
Click HERE to download Blue Watercolor (PNG Image)

FREE "Today is a Good Day" Watercolor Printables by Orchard Girls Blog
Click HERE to download Gray Watercolor (PNG Image)
FREE "Today is a Good Day" Watercolor Printables by Orchard Girls Blog
Click HERE to download Plain Black (PNG Image)
If sharing these printables, please link back to our blog :)
Thanks so much for stopping by our blog. We hope you stay, take a look around, and decide to follow along with us. We would love to hear from you. Leave a comment if you'd like!

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Benjamin's 6 Month Update

Hello! I can't believe I am at the point of writing up Benjamin's 6 Month Update. Time, slow down! 
I've really just been trying to soak up all the time I can with him. There's a point everyday where I look at him and think "this isn't going to last much longer." I try to remember that whenever he's fussy or just wants to be held. I know that someday he won't want mama snuggles, and it breaks my heart to think about. So, I'm trying to get all of those snuggles in now! 

We went to the doctor today and Benjamin is 17 pounds 5 ounces, and 27 3/4 inches tall! He's in the 50th percentile for both height and weight, and 97th percentile for his head. 97 sounds pretty high, but he's been in the 99th pretty much since he's been born, so even a little bit helps! Hah! The doctor said everything looks perfect, and that he's a healthy boy. I did notice a little lump on the back of his head a couple of weeks back that I had her look at. She said she was pretty sure it was a swollen lymph node, but to keep an eye on it! His baby eczema is pretty well controlled with hydrocortisone cream and gentle soaps and lotions.

As for milestones, Ben still isn't sitting up for any long length of time. He really doesn't seem interested in it at all. He would much rather be trying to crawl, and rolling to get somewhere. I know he will become interested eventually, so I'm not worried. As I mentioned, he is rolling to get where he wants to go. He also turns around on his hands. He sticks his little booty up in the air and pushes with his legs, too, but just hasn't put the two together yet!
The day that he turned 6 months (the 10th) he said "mama." It sounded more like "momomom." He said it during the evening when we were getting him ready for bed and he was starting to get upset. I looked at Adam and said "did you hear that?!" and then Ben did it again! He usually only says it while he's getting fussy. I don't think he knows what it means yet, but it's still cute! 

His schedule has been changing quite a bit. He switched to only taking 2 naps a day, which I am all for! Rather than three shorter naps, he takes one short nap and one long one. I get so much done during his long nap, I love it. So, he usually takes a nap around noon, and then around 3:30-5:30. 
We tried putting Ben in his crib for a few nights. He did just as well as he did in our room, but he's still waking up every 3 hours to eat, or sometimes he just needs his binky. It was getting pretty old walking back and forth between the rooms. Also, the baby monitor was waking my husband and I both up, when him fussing in the room usually only wakes me. We decided to wait to move him to his crib when he's sleeping longer stretches at night. What happened to him sleeping 7-8 hours?! He slept great until he hit about 3 months, and he's been up every 3-4 hours ever since then. :( This mama is getting tired. It's a good thing he is so darn cute! :)
Ben is still nursing every 3 hours, and he also eats pureed fruit or veggies around dinner time. I will be starting to feed him more during the day, but keep up the breastfeeding. He is a hearty eater, and has likes almost everything we have given him.

I think that's about it! I hope you all are doing well. Kayla and I have a pretty exciting announcement to share pretty soon, so keep your eyes peeled! We are so ecstatic about it, and hope you will be too.

Have a great day!



Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Top Blog Posts of 2014 + Blog Stats

Blog Stats 2013
We are nothing, without our readers, so to start I would like to thank each and every one of you. Yes YOU! Thank you!! These numbers aren't to impress anyone, I just know I enjoy looking at other bloggers stats, so I thought it may be fun to share our little ol' blogs numbers. Also, it is encouraging to see that we are continuing to grow as a blog! In the upcoming year, we hope to continue to reach more people and gain more readership. Above all though, I think Kenzie and I both just want to continue to have fun with this blog and to keep sharing fun projects, recipes, and keep you up to date on what we've been up to.
Number of Posts in 2014 = 158 (2013 = 155)
Total Page Views 2014 = 735,081 (2013 = 288,008)

Total..Facebook "Likes" = 705 (2013 = 422)
Twitter Followers = 220 (2013 = 127)
Pinterest Followers = 802 (2013 = 429)
BlogLovin' Readers = 185 (2013 = 157)
Google Friend Connect/Google Plus = 148/226 (2013 = 125/135)
EXCITING NEWS: We have created a new series here on Orchard Girls. We love supporting Small businesses, a way we have found to do this is, each month we will be featuring a new small business. If you're a small business and would like to be featured, CLICK HERE to learn more about our Small Business Monthly Feature!!

Kayla's TOP 3 POSTS of 2014:
5 fun Valentine's Day crafts for you and your toddler - can't wait to do some of these this year!
These are great for kids of any age, but I put them up in Simon's Nursery. Check it out for your FREE prints!!
I was going through a rough time, and thought I would share some encouraging quotes and pictures
Kenzie's TOP 3 POSTS of 2014
These projects are great for anyone on a tight budget and looking for a fun DIY
Breastfeeding can be a struggle sometimes, come see what Kenzie found to be the most essential products.
Pregnant? Check this post out to see the essential items to pack in your hospital bag.

Thank you so much for all of your support this past year! We hope you come back again to visit soon. We look forward to hearing from you on what you'd like to see in this upcoming year! Please comment below. Have a wonderful week, and stay warm! :)

Sunday, January 4, 2015

2014 Recap & 2015 Resolutions: Kenzie

Hey everyone! I can't believe that 2014 has flown by and it's time to write up my recap for the year! I feel like I just wrote up my post for 2013.

This has been one of the most life changing years for us as a family, and I am truly beyond grateful. If you had asked me even 5 years ago what life would be like for us today, I doubt I would come close. There is no way that I could have ever anticipated the joy and happiness my husband and I share through our marriage and our son, Benjamin. I am blessed and I know it. Thank you, Lord.

Here are our TOP 5 events of 2014, starting at the beginning of the year:
1. January- Babymoon/Anniversary/Valentine's Day trip to Leavenworth area
Adam and I decided to go on a semi-impromptu trip to Leavenworth. We stayed in a little cabin, and really just tried to relax and enjoy some time together. I always love taking little trips with my husband, and I think this was the last one we took as just the two of us! You can read more about that trip here.
2. July- Benjamin is born!
One of the best days of my life. I mentioned in our pregnancy announcement that it had taken Adam and I a little while to get pregnant. We had almost been trying for 2 years when we found out we were pregnant. I don't want to say that this made his birth so much more exciting, because welcoming a little one into your lives will ALWAYS be exciting, but after waiting for that length of time (and desperately wanting a baby) it made having Benjamin that much sweeter. I can't imagine not having him now, and am so grateful for being blessed with this amazing and beautiful child. You can read his Birth Story here.
3. September- 5 Year Wedding Anniversary
We celebrated our 5th Wedding Anniversary this year. I can't believe that much time has passed since our wedding. I also can't believe all of the things we have done and been through in that period of time. I will always be thankful for our early years in marriage, they made us into a strong and resilient couple.
4. October- Beach Trip!
To celebrate those 5 years (and just to get away!), we took Benjamin on his first trip to the ocean! We stayed in Moclips, WA and thoroughly enjoyed the beach. We made a little day trip up to Lake Quinault, as well. It was so beautiful and peaceful. All in all, Ben did great! Can't wait to take him back when he's older and can run around.
5. December- My Niece was Married!
I have a sister who is 11 years older than I am. We have a wonderful relationship, and she blessed me with a niece who is only 7 years younger than I am. We grew up more like sisters that Aunt & Niece. Our relationship is sort of a mix of the two now that we're older. I was so thrilled to see her get married this last month. She was a beautiful Bride, and I'm so happy to welcome her new husband into our family (and my husband is happy to have another male to help balance out us girls!).

And now for my 2015 Resolutions:
1. Since everyone has to have one "healthy" resolution, mine is no more fast food or soda. Since I already cheated and had some on New Years day, I started over yesterday :) Even if I cannot do it cold turkey, I want to reduce the amount of both.
2. Read through the Bible. We try to do this every year but somehow always miss a few weeks throughout the year.
3. Become involved in a ministry.
4. Play more music. (I had this one last year, too!)
5. And finally, a very special resolution for my husband. This year I will love more fiercely, forgive more freely, speak more kindly, and cherish my spouse more dearly.

I hope you all had a wonderful 2014! Make 2015 even better. 
Lots of love,


Saturday, January 3, 2015

2014 Recap and Resolutions for 2015: Kayla

I can't believe it is already 2015! This year, truly, has flown by. I thought I would do a little recap of our year, by talking about the 5 fun happenings of 2014 for our family! Not in any specific order, here they are:
1. Our 2nd year Anniversary (February 11, 2012) Although our lives continue to change, Daniel and I have only grown closer together, by loving and supporting each other unconditionally. We were able to stay at an AMAZING Bed and Breakfast and can't wait to go back again this year!
2. Adeline got to experience her first REALLY big snow storm. (February) We got hit with a BUNCH of snow on the orchard in February, so much that we were pretty much stuck on the orchard for a few days. We ended up walking to my in-laws and borrowing the 4-wheeler to get around on the orchard. Adeline loved seeing, eating, and playing in all the snow! She also got to ride on the 4-wheeler for the first time, she loved it!

3. The birth of our Baby boy Simon Logan (May)! You can read the rest of his birth story HERE! A day I will surly never forget. This was a huge transition for us as a family. We went from a family of three to a family of four, and the parents of two kids under the age of two.
4. We were able to take a little family trip and stay at this fun beach house, right on the Puget Sound! (September) It was pretty crazy have two little ones, in this one bed room beach house, but it was fun and we were able to have the family come over and enjoy a bon fire down by the beach!
5. Adeline's 2nd Birthday Party (November). Adeline just loves Frozen as every two year girl does. We decided to throw a "Frozen" themed party for her and invited our close friends and family. You can read all about her party and get other "frozen" goodies HERE!
There were a lot of other fun and exciting things we got to do this past year, and I have to say we are so blessed. We look forward to the upcoming year and I'm sure it will be filled with adventure, fun, and a lot of "firsts" for Simon.
Resolutions for 2015 - 
1. Not eat as much fast-food (im so horrible at this)
2. Workout at least twice a week
3. Be more intentional with my day (have a plan and make a list)
4. Create menu's to help with grocery shopping and cutting costs
We hope you follow along with us, so we can share it with you! I hope your 2015 has started out on the right-foot!

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