These are the days....

Bidding farewell to 2010

2010-12-31T11:53:00.004-06:00

Yes, I have emerged again, after a five month hiatus..but this is not a comeback, it's a farewell to the blog. I may start up another one someday in the next year, or I may not, but this one is coming to and end, along with this year of change, heartache, tears, screaming, laughs, smiles, heart warming moments, signing my name more times than I can count...and finally hope.

On Christmas Eve morning I was sitting in a parking lot waiting to meet my lawyer for the final exchange of papers and I couldn't help but reflect on the past year. I went from being scared, overwhelmed, sad, mad and disheartened to being happy (truly happy), content, strong, relaxed and myself. The people that I have had by my side this year are more than I deserve, I couldn't have made it through some days without them. People that have been in my life for years stood up for me, stood by me and believed in me and gave me strength. People came into my life this year that would not have if my life hadn't taken the course it did this year. I am so grateful for everyone of the amazing people in my life. I am happier than I have been in years and I'm me. I'm surrounded by people who love me for me and who allow me to be myself, an amazingly comforting feeling.

So, thank you if you have followed this blog all these years. Thank you if you have been by my side this year, thank you is not even a big enough word. This year has been full of change and I am so thankful to be where I am today.

A couple of my favorite shots from our shoot with Grethel Van Epps this fall...she does some amazing work!

Happy..

And content...

Cooking lesson #5 - Eggs

2010-08-06T09:57:00.006-05:00

The search for a potJill starts the egg boiling

That's right - it says "for professional cooks"
Perfect!

First poached egg ever

Cheers!

If you missed the first installment with the cooking lessons recap, click here, it's worth the read. So Jill and I had had some egg discussions. She needed to learn how to do deviled eggs and I needed to learn how to do poached eggs. So we found some recipes and turned one crazy Saturday night into egg night. The day started with my quest to find a spider strainer, I was convinced I needed one for my poached eggs, found one and it wouldn't fit in the pot I had to poach the eggs in. Oh well, now I have it and I'm sure I'll get tons of use out of that. Anyway, Jill came over here for cooking which was an adventure in itself. I don't cook so I don't have very much useful cookware. The first laughing fit was over my pots and pans cabinet - which consists of 100 cookie cutters, 17 cookie sheets, 12 cooling racks and 3 pots/pans. After some girl talk and a little wine it was time for the deviled eggs. There was some personality conflict between Jill's "these have to look perfect" attitude and my "just peel the damn things" attitude, but all in all, they were a big hit, we ate the entire plate full! Around 11:30 PM we finally decided to attempt poaching, once again our creation - Eggs Florentine was a huge hit! We toasted to eggs and friendship with a couple mimosas and ended another successful cooking lesson!

July 3, 2010

Hannah's acting debut

2010-08-06T09:45:00.005-05:00

Hannah went to a two week drama camp this summer (among other camps!) which ended with a production of Beauty and the Beast. She was a plate and a wolf and I could not have been more proud of my beautiful niece! The family headed to Red Lobster after for a celebratory dinner!

July 2, 2010

Well, I tried. Sort of

2010-08-06T09:38:00.003-05:00

It lasted less than a month and produced zero tomatoes. I got sick of watering it, no surprise the tomato plant died without ever giving me a tomato.

The family celebration

2010-08-06T09:34:00.003-05:00

My birthday week would not be complete without the celebration with my family. Mom made ribs and my fav chocolate chip cheesecake and I was showered with gifts!

June 27, 2010

A celebration among friends

2010-08-06T09:18:00.006-05:00

This was one of the best birthday celebrations I have had; surrounded by some of the people that I love the most. A few were greatly missed, but we made up for it at later dates! It started with sushi at Surin, and the rest of the night consisted of: some killer high heels, some drinking, some dancing, even some singing, lots of hugging, lots of love.

June 26, 2010

Splashing in Buck Creek

2010-08-06T09:08:00.001-05:00

June 26, 2010

My birthday

2010-08-06T09:02:00.004-05:00

I really spent an entire week celebrating my birthday, Jill took the day before off of work so we treated ourselves to pedicures, and the weekend was spent doing lots of fun things. But on my actual birthday this year was going to be a little different for me so my awesome SIL planned some fun for us that night! The day was fantastic, lunch with one of my favorite of favorites, Edgar's with my best girl for a treat, then headed to Jim & Reg's for the night. Reg went all out with a yummy mexican feast! Jim ate with us, then was banished upstairs while Reg, Melissa and I watched "Sweet Home Alabama". It was a great way to end a very a happy birthday!

June 24, 2010

List #5 - Things that made me smile this week

2010-08-06T08:33:00.002-05:00

And a couple that made me seriously laugh out loud!

1. Going through the 600+ pictures from my family beach trip
2. "There's no hope in my happy meal"
3. Watching V mesmerized by the fish at the McWane center and asking 100 questions about them
4. Getting rained on at the park
5. "I want us to have a restaurant scene like that just for kicks"
6. The comments going back and forth between my brothers on fb on the beach pics
7. Planning and starting a few things that will get me back to a new normal
8. Crawling into bed with V to read books at bedtime and hearing her ask for "one more, pleeease mommy"
9. The phone call Jason and I made to the Whiz
10. The older gentleman that I have gotten to know at the gym; on the treadmill next to me a couple of days ago he told me about him and his wife first starting out in a tiny apartment with a box for a kitchen table and milk crates for chairs. Gives you some perspective.

List #4 - what I love about the family beach trip

2010-07-23T07:24:00.002-05:00

So today is the day I would normally be leaving for 10 days at the beach with my family. Because of things going on in my life, my trip will be a little different this year. V and I are heading down this morning for only a couple of days and then hopefully, fingers crossed we'll be back next weekend. A lot needs to happen between today and next Friday, so praying that it does. But anyway, this is one of my favorite times of the year because I love my family and I love the beach!

1. Waking up every morning, coming out of my room and seeing who has already made it up.

2. My oldest brother and I always waking up our other brother. He thinks the beach is for sleeping. Wrong bro.

3. The annual dinner at Captain Andersons. Best shrimp ever.

4. The annual family pictures.....my brothers try to make this less enjoyable every year with their complaining about the coordinating outfits and countless pictures, but I love it because I know the pictures I will be able to look back on in January and remember those times.

5. The late nights, visiting, playing games, sitting on the deck listening to the waves.

6. Listening to V giggle and scream as the waves "tickle her toes". Seriously there is no better therapy.

7. Oysters at Shuckums.

8. Watching my brothers play with my baby girl.

9. Looking for shells with my SIL.

10. Walks on the beach with whoever feels up to it at the moment.

11. Relaxing in the condo with a good book.

12. The peace that always comes into my heart from looking around at the people I love the most and being at my very favorite place.

My heart

2010-07-19T16:18:00.001-05:00

June 23, 2010

Jazz hands!

2010-07-19T16:10:00.002-05:00

Starting in the fall V will be adding jazz to her dance schedule, she took a short class this summer to get her ahead of the game! This was her last night and she looked so cute in her little jazz shoes.

June 22, 2010

“Know what you want to do, hold the thought firmly, and do every day what should be done, and every sunset will see you that much nearer the goal"

2010-07-19T16:06:00.003-05:00

I hate that I had to take this with my blackberry, but Melissa and I had gone out to dinner for a little early birthday celebration and came out to the most amazing sunset.
June 21, 2010

Father's Day

2010-07-19T16:01:00.003-05:00

There was a cook out, there were bubbles, there was a double slip & slide and there was my family. Perfect day.

June 20, 2010

Be Kind to the Earth

2010-07-16T16:15:00.001-05:00

June 18, 2010

Softball player through and through

2010-07-16T16:13:00.002-05:00

I took the girls to Cherub's Clubhouse to play one day and I looked over and saw V had turned this bowling pin into a bat and was having her big cousin pitch plastic balls to her! Can't wait for next softball season!
June 18, 2010

Back to Splashpad

2010-07-16T16:09:00.001-05:00

June 17, 2010

List #3: The good, the bad and the ugly of this week

2010-07-16T15:58:00.002-05:00

1. My kid learned how to swim
2. I got a speeding ticket. On the interstate. In a construction zone.
3. The papers went back, I survived
4. A return to kickboxing, which felt amazing. The 75 pushups that followed, not so much.
5. Sushi with Sherry
6. Chuy's with Kara
7. Purple Onion with Jill (clearly I love my friends and I love to eat out)
8. I have almost survived the longest week of my life sans the phone calls
9. Every morning spent a little extra time snuggling my baby before starting the day
10. The longest night's sleep I have had this week was 3 hours. ouch.

A day at the zoo

2010-07-09T11:05:00.001-05:00

June 15, 2010

Keeping cool

2010-07-09T09:44:00.003-05:00

It's hot here, crazy hot here. Most of our days are spent outside but sometimes we like to take a break from the heat and check out something indoors. There was a new inflatables place that we hadn't tried so we met up with Wendi and the boys at Ijump for a day of play. The kids loved it and V drove her first go-cart. It was slow going, but she didn't run into any walls! We went back the next week with our friends Steph and Abigail and she did much better!

June 14, 2010

Celebrating Melissa

2010-07-09T09:32:00.002-05:00

We all got together at mom & dad's a few weeks ago for a low country boil to celebrate my SIL's Melissa's birthday. Great time was had by all and the food was fantastic!

June 13, 2010

So happy together

2010-07-09T09:28:00.003-05:00

Jason and family had been in Disney World for 10 days, when V and I picked them up at the airport, to say the cousins were happy to be reunited is an understatement!

June 13, 2010

The roller derby

2010-07-09T09:16:00.002-05:00

I'm not even sure how to blog about this, it's kind of one of those things you really just have to experience to get the full affect. When Jill and I were at Sips & Strokes awhile back, some girls were talking about the roller derby, so we decided we had to check this thing out. We grabbed some dinner downtown at Fuego Cantina then to the derby. None of this is going to make any sense if you weren't there, but I'll be able to look back at this and remember the good times! There was the hand stamping, after party mention, the upstairs tour, the ladies cooking in what appeared to be a fellowship hall, the insane scoring of this thing, the break dancing halftime show, the live action just a few feet from us, the folding chairs we had to grab for a seat, babies sleeping....it just goes on and on!

July 12, 2010

Celebrating Kara

2010-07-09T09:01:00.003-05:00

Sometimes people come into your life by happen chance and you never realize how much of a part of your life they will become, what an amazing friend they will become or how long that relationship will last. I met Kara about 10 years ago. We worked together, on opposite ends of the building, never had to work together, so never really talked to each other. One day she asked me where I'd gotten the wedding countdown I had on my screen saver and that was the extent of our relationship for several months! Through a mutual friend at work we started hanging out more, and now 10 years later she is one of my very dearest friends and she has been there for me more times than I can count and especially this year she and I have both been through so much and her constant friendship has meant the world to me. She is at such an exciting time in her life right now, you can read about her journey here: http://theoliversjourney.blogspot.com/. No one deserves this joy more than her and Jason! I love you girl! Anyway, a few weeks ago Kara had a bunch of friends and family over to celebrate her birthday, we ate, we sipped cocktails, we talked, we laughed. It was a fantastic Friday night!

June 11, 2010

List #2: Things in my world I am loving right now

2010-07-09T08:40:00.002-05:00

There are a lot of things I am not loving in my world right now, so I thought I'd take some time for this week's list to make myself think about the things that I AM loving right now!

1. Big Brother and Big Brother After Dark
2. My weekends, they're quiet, they have a little me time, a little V time, some O'Brien family time, and some we're the single girls, let's do something fun Jill time (this weekend - lunch and a movie!)
3. Lunch hours spent at the park, talking and laughing
4. Spending the hot summer days with V
5. Using my camera every day
6. My daily gym time
7. Hannah's outlook on boys
8. Texting - greatest technological advance ever
9. My ipod, current favorites: "You're the Reason I come home" by Ron Pope. "Lover, Lover" by Jerrod Nieman. "Hold you in my arms" by Ray LaMontagne. "More Time" by Needtobreathe. "Free" by the Zac Brown Band. "Amy Amy Amy" by Amy Winehouse
10. My baby girl's laugh

Some time at the Jim & Reg B&B

2010-07-06T14:00:00.006-05:00

My oldest brother and SIL were very sweet and had V and I over for a spend the night! They took some time off of work, we headed over and met for lunch at the pool, spent the WHOLE afternoon at the pool, then back to their house where we were thoroughly spoiled! Jim made shrimp on the grill and Reg made appetizers, salad, green beans, rice and strawberry cake for dessert! Our room was beautiful and even had presents on for us! The next morning Jim got up and made us some fantastic pancakes! It was exactly the little mini vacation we needed!

June 7-8, 2010

The loose tooth that wouldn't go away

2010-07-06T13:35:00.005-05:00

V's front tooth had been loose for MONTHS, no exaggeration, but throughout May it had gotten worse and by June it was disgusting, turned in all directions and she would not let anyone try to pull it and it refused to fall out on it's own. Here's a few pics of how awful it was:Uncle Jim even tried to yank it:
And then finally after my friend Steph saw it one night at dance class she sent me a text and said "bring that kid over here tomorrow, I'm yanking that tooth"! And that's just what she did, she wrapped a string around that thing, yanked, there was a snap and the tooth went flying! Now that's a good friend!

V and Abigail (Steph's daughter) with their missing front teeth

June 10, 2010

Celebrating Vulcan!

2010-07-06T13:24:00.004-05:00

V and I headed out one very hot Sunday afternoon for Vulcan's big birthday bash. If you aren't from around here and have no idea who Vulcan is, here you go: http://www.visitvulcan.com/. Even though it was hot, V had a blast, she got her face painted by clowns (mommy was terrified), she hula hooped forever and like a pro let me add, I had no idea she could do that! Played in the drum circle, jumped in the inflatables, had a huge snow cone and we made a few trips up the elevator to check out the view of the city from the top. Great day with my girl!

June 6, 2010

..."and it's a great day to be alive..."

2010-07-06T12:40:00.004-05:00

Yes, they're all blackberry pics, so the quality sucks!

First weekend in June, Jill and I headed to Alabaster's CityFest for the free Travis Tritt concert. Yes, that's right...free! I put on my thrift store find pink cowboy boots and made Jill a kickin salmon dinner! She had a hookup so she got us in to the VIP section which let us park our chairs in a great spot! There was a breeze that night, the music was fantastic, the company even better! We had a little sleep over after since the concert was so late and being the insomniac night owl that I am, I had to keep Jill up uncomfortably past her bedtime. To the tune of....oh about 2 AM. There were so many hilarious one liners from that night that we sent about 200 texts back and forth the next day just remembering all of them! I gotta share a few here so we can remember this night when we're old and gray!

Me: Well while you're waiting for your slide to inflate, I'll be safely outside

Me: why are you laying all sideways on the bed? Jill: I'm trying to resist kicking you. Me: You get mean when you're tired!

Me: these herbs aren't chopped. Jill: they were hard to chop when they were wet! Me: maybe they weren't supposed to be wet when you chopped them

Me: I already forgot we were baking those rolls

Jill: (after being in my house for 10 minutes) you don't have a coffee pot???

Me: you're using a debit card for a $1.29 cup of coffee?

Jill: Is that an OFFICE chair Traivs is sitting in??? (and yes it was)

Me: you don't know how to use a fold up chair? Jill: I've never used one Me: THE STRING, Jill, the string!

Me: I feel like I should give you a tour of Alabaster. Jill: is there more?

Me: do you want something to drink? water, diet dew...milk???

Jill: (just after midnight) It's ANOTHER day!!!

And general hilarities from the night:

The glow rings

Cooking in my kickin' boots

June 5, 2010

List #1: Things I would tell my 20 year old self

2010-07-02T07:56:00.003-05:00

While reading through my blogger reader this morning, a friend refereneced another friend's blog with this entry. I thought it was a great opportunity for some reflection on my part.

1. Stay there (MN) for three more months and finish college, once you move to AL you think you'll finish but you still haven't

2. He's not the one, you so want your first love to be the one, but he's just not

3. You are about to meet someone who is going to sweep you off your feet, there's going to be some hurt there but he is going to give you the most amazing gift of your life

4. Give your mom a break, she loves you so much and only wants what's best for you, she wants to protect you from every hurt in the world

5. Write more letters to grandma

6. Listen to what your passion is and follow it, it'll be easier to start now than in 10 years

7. Put the hairspray down, the big bangs are not working for you

8. Hang on to those kick ass brown cowboy boots, when you're 34 you're going to go to a Travis Tritt concert and you're going to kick yourself for losing them along the way

9. You're about to move across the country (again) it's going to suck at first, you're going to doubt your decision countless times, but hang in there, in the years to come you are going to meet some of the most amazing people and one in particular will ground you and finally make you feel at peace

10. Listen to your doctor when he tells you to stay on strict bedrest that last week of your pregnancy, you are going to have that precious baby girl early and she is going to be so tiny and you are going to blame yourself for a long time to come

11. Don't bend over to pick up that passy for V while you're holding her, it will result in a black eye for her on your second mother's day

12. Don't have that conversation with your SIL on your parents back deck steps, over the years you and she are going to grow very close and she's going to be there for you when you most need someone

13. Don't insist on that college boyfriend being in both of your brothers weddings

14. You're going to end up being a stay at home mom, don't take one minute of it for granted

15. In a few years, don't have as many drinks as you'd like the night of your bachelorette party, you're going to pay heavily for it the next day

16. You don't know everything, listen to the people that love you

17. In 15 years you will go through one of the most difficult times in your life, you will find out who your true friends are

18. After you have V, you're going to go through PPD, you'll get through it and you'll be an amazing mom

19. Enjoy waking up every day without a single ache or pain, without even knowing it they slowly creep in

20. Hold strong to yourself, 10 years is going to go by and you're gong to realize that slowly you lost yourself, keep her now so you don't have to spend two years trying to get her back

"Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, 'What! You too? I thought I was the only one” ~C.S. Lewis

2010-07-01T15:54:00.003-05:00

So before I went any further into my June blogging, I had to take a minute to do an ode to Jilly because I have some hysterical nights coming up to blog about that involve her. I have known Jill going on six years now, we met at a company Christmas party, realized we both had that special love for our nieces that everyone doesn't understand and the rest is history. But, it wasn't until our cooking classes started and we discovered we were going through something else very similar that we really became close. And it was one text sent back in March that made me realize she was a true friend... "no judgement, just here for you". At a time in my life when everyone was judging me and I had no idea who I could trust and who I couldn't trust, Jill came through for me and she has every day since then. The last three months have been rough for me, some very dark days and some very scary moments, through them all Jill has been there, literally standing by my side when no one else was. I cannot even count the number of hours we have spent in heart to hearts or the number of texts we have sent flying back and forth for hours at a time. I can't even imagine going through this without her by my side and I am forever grateful to have her in my life. Thank you Jilly for everything you are to me and for being such an amazing friend! I love you girl!

Splashpad

2010-07-01T15:40:00.001-05:00

This was one of our favorite spots last year, so we made the drive north and met up with Sherry and the kiddles for another day of fun!

June 3, 2010

Water fun day, Hannah's way

2010-07-01T15:32:00.002-05:00

Hannah requested that V and I come over to have a water fun day, it consisted of a hose and the trampolene!

June 2, 2010

Staying cool at McWane

2010-07-01T15:26:00.001-05:00

June 1, 2010

First day of summer

2010-07-01T15:15:00.004-05:00

Well not technically, but this was the first day of summer break! Hannah joined me and V to meet up with my friend Sherry and all her youngins for a very hot day at the park and lunch at Chic-Fil-A! I love having V out of school and spending my days with her and Hannah and an added bonus to summer break is time with my mommy friends!

May 28, 2010

Sips & Strokes returns!

2010-07-01T15:04:00.002-05:00

Seems like forever since I did a S&S blog! My friend Jill and I decided to do this one because we are both about to start a new chapter in our lives and this lady in the hammock seemed like the perfect one to signify our new beginnings! We grabbed some cajun food for dinner, then headed to paint. The night was hilarious from start to finish, we had the best teacher ever and our paintings turned out beautifully!

May 24, 2010

The last days of school

2010-07-01T14:54:00.004-05:00

Field Day - May 24, 2010

End of the year luau - May 26, 2010

Last day of school - May 27, 2010

Once school started back after Christmas, the rest of the year seemed to fly by especially the last two months. The last week was full of fun for Miss V! They had field day which I got to go to, it was hot but so much fun, it was awesome for me to watch her in her little world at school with all her friends and teachers! There was a misting tent, tug of war (which mommy got in on), potato sack race and tons of other games. They had a luau one day and then it was her last day. I couldn't help but think back to the tears I shed that first day of school, so scared for my baby girl. The last day I shed some tears too telling her teachers goodbye, sad that her year with them was over and so grateful for all they taught my baby this year!

Last night of softball

2010-06-24T14:58:00.004-05:00

When V's softball season started back in March I felt a little overwhelmed when I first looked at the game schedule and heard the practice schedule, but after the first week I was in softball heaven! I loved every minute of watching V learn and play, being the team mom, being in the dug out with the girls at every game and being part of this wonderful group of girls, parents and coaches. V could not have had better coaches for her first year and we are thrilled that two of them will be snagging her for next year's season! Unfortunately the last game was a rain out, after an hour in the dug out of waiting on lightning delays, they finally called the game, so we all headed to Zaxby's for cupcakes and the awards ceremony. The girls all got trophies and a game ball which the coaches all signed, one of V's coaches wrote "best batting average" on hers, we gifted the coaches with pedicures and I was very touched that the coaches made a book filled with pictures of all the girls through the season. Can't wait for next spring!

May 20, 2010

Softball girls

2010-06-24T14:55:00.001-05:00

Dance Recital 2010

2010-06-24T14:37:00.004-05:00

The O'Brien clan

Hannah - lyrical ballet

Hannah - tap
Hannah - ballet

Hannah - jazz
Me & V and our favorite dance friends before the mommy & me dance
Mommy & me - 50s theme

V - tap

V - ballet

I have soooo many pictures from the recital this year, I just got the bare minimum to put up here, one of each dance each girl did. Hannah came back to dance this year after a five year hiatus and to say I was proud of her watching her dance again is an understatement. I got tears in my eyes at how amazing she is, but also because of how happy she is when she is dancing. V did great this year, we had a mommy & me number again, along with her ballet and tap. Hannah did four numbers this year, the girls were in two different shows, so we were camped out at the BJCC for a whole day! Afterwards most of us headed to Davenports for the traditional after recital pizza!

May 15, 2010

Here it is again....

2010-06-24T00:15:00.002-05:00

my birthday, and continuing with tradition, I am up at midnight and reflecting on the past year and I'm putting my thoughts down once again on this ole blog.

Well where to even begin on my thoughts this year. In some ways I feel like I have lived a lifetime since my birthday last year. This past year I found strength, the strength to recognize what wasn't working in my life and the strength to choose to make some changes. Today I turn 35, that number seems unbelievable to me. And although my life is a little messy right now, I have to say there are a lot of things I am happy about and thankful for right now. I am, now at 35 probably in the best shape I have been in since high school. I have lost about 30 lbs in the last few months, I work out six days a week religiously and I enjoy being at the gym. Many, many days my time there, ipod on, in the zone, pulls me out of a funk and gives me my strength back that may have wavered. I am thankful for the people in my life, of course my ever faithful, amazing family has been nothing short of awesome this year, I have grown even closer to every member of my family this year and for that I am incredibly thankful. My amazing daughter, seven years old now and more than I could've ever imagined. She keeps me laughing, she makes me smile and she brings tears to my eyes some moments when I can't believe how much I love her.

I learned this year that all I wanted can come true. I learned who I can trust and rely on. I learned who my real friends were. And on that subject I have to stop for a moment, my friends, I don't even have the words for these women who have supported me, stood by me, rallied around me, and saved me so many days. I love you all and am lucky to have you in my life. I learned I am stronger than I once thought. I learned that all of the walls I had built up around me can be broken down. I learned to laugh again. I learned how to be myself again. I learned how to trust again.

This weekend will be spent surrounded by some of the most important people in my life, who I am fortunate enough to be able to celebrate with. Saturday night will be filled with laughter, drinking, dancing and more fun than I can probably handle at this god awful age and will probably pay for Sunday morning, but oh so worth it. Sunday night I will be surrounded by my family at my parents house for the traditional O'Brien celebration.

So there it is, my blog on my thoughts at the beginning of my 35th year. My best days are ahead of me....

Cooking 101

2010-06-23T16:09:00.005-05:00

Take two good friends, a recipe, a couple bottles of wine and you have the makings of a perfect night! Back in December my friend Jill declared she was going to teach me how to cook. This is a tall order, I am completely uncomfortable in the kitchen and I really dislike cooking, so she had/has her work cut out for her. We started in January and have made it through four recipes so far. I will say I have become somewhat more comfortable in the kitchen, but I still don't enjoy it when Jilly's not there! ; ) And if you want to check out some great recipes, Jill is working her way through some southern living recipes over on one of her blogs! Oh and my teacher isn't great about sending me home with a recipe, so I don't remember the exact name of this first one!

Cooking lesson #1: Garlic chicken???/January 29, 2010
Memorable event: popping a garlic glove

Cooking lesson #2: Stuffed Shells/February 19, 2010
Memorable Event: honestly I don't even remember making this one, I'm going to blame everything going on in my life at the time, and not the wine!

Cooking lesson #3: Monkey bread/May 7, 2010
Memorable Event: well I baked, that's immensely memorable! But Jill not letting me leave the kitchen while it was baking is what's really standing out in my mind!
Cooking lesson #4: Steak & Spinach salad with a hot pan dressing/June 18, 2010
Memorable Event: The brass knuckles

I was terrified of cooking steak!

Mother's Day

2010-06-23T15:51:00.004-05:00

We continued the tradition for Mother's Day where we all were treated by Jim and Reg to lunch at the club at Greystone, then back to their house for gifts and dessert. I so love my family!
May 9, 2010

Behind again

2010-06-23T15:50:00.001-05:00

Once again, I am way behind on this blog, so there will be lots of pics, not much writing coming up!

Some more softball pics

2010-05-28T16:24:00.004-05:00

May 2010

It didn't stand a chance

2010-05-28T16:19:00.003-05:00

V brought this home from school on Earth Day, she had planted it and was very proud of it, but just as I predicted, in my house it was dead in two weeks time, which is exactly why I took the picture, I knew the plant would never last!

May 6, 2010

Music program at school

2010-05-28T16:18:00.003-05:00

The parents got invited to V's music class one day to watch what they had been learning this year. She sang songs, played the xylophone and the maracas, this kid LOVES music!
May 5, 2010

My softball playing ballerina

2010-05-28T16:12:00.003-05:00

Our spring was a little hectic, softball and dance schedules collided sometimes and we were running A LOT! This particular day we had dance practice followed right by softball practice, no time in between to change, so we had to make do, I had to laugh at my good sport of a kid in her leotard and softball shoes, and yes that's exactly how she was dressed for practice that day!

May 4, 2010

One more birthday celebration

2010-05-28T16:03:00.006-05:00

This one with the family. We all headed to mom and dad's and made homemade pizza, then V opened her presents, then cupcakes and ice cream. It was the perfect way to finish off our celebrating for the year of my baby turning seven! The most precious part of the night was when V got the gift she had been asking for since JANUARY! When we went to the American Girl doll store back then she spotted the twins and she has asked from them almost every day since! She was SO excited when she opened them and didn't put them down the rest of the night!

May 2, 2010

V's birthday party

2010-05-19T16:01:00.004-05:00

We celebrated V's birthday this year with her friends at Cherub's Clubhouse which is like a huge indoor playground, they were wonderful, I literally didn't have to lift a finger! They played games with the kids, led a train of kids and presents into the party room where the kids enjoyed snacks and cupcakes, then more play time. I did a softball theme this year since it is such a huge part of our lives this spring!

May 2, 2010

Celebrating my baby girl!

2010-05-19T15:32:00.004-05:00

V had a big day on her actual day celebrating! It started with balloons and being sung to, then she got a birthday muffin for breakfast and got her first peak at her birthday banner (which she was so excited about), and fielded many birthday calls. Then she headed to school for the day where they celebrated her all day long. One of their butterflies hatched out of it's cocoon that day and they named it after V! Papa and I joined her for lunch, then after school we headed to meet Uncle Jim & Auntie Reg at Edgar's for a treat, then on to the traditional birthday trip to Davenports for the best pizza in town. It was just as much fun for me as it was for her celebrating the day this beautiful child came into my life!

April 28, 2010

“We are one big family of people, trying to make our way through the unfolding puzzle of life.”

2010-05-09T22:13:00.002-05:00

I have been uploading the pictures from my mother's day with my family, as I was looking through them I was filled with love for these people. We started as five, we married, we had children, we grew, we're a little smaller than we were last year, and we're not done, there will be more additions to this family before it will be complete. But this family, the ones I am lucky enough to call mine, I would be absolutely lost without each and every one of them. I had the most wonderful day with them, wrapping up with a small group of us on Jim & Reg's deck at sunset, relaxing, visiting, some reflecting for me, a phone call from someone very dear who couldn't be there and I realized I felt peaceful. Those are rare moments for me these days so believe me, I savored this one. As I drove home I glanced at my baby girl sleeping in the back and I knew that I was doing something right, she was peaceful too.

Is my life where I thought it would be at this age? no.
Is my life perfect? no.
Is my life exactly how I want it? no.
But it's well on it's way.

Beach trip!

2010-05-09T21:57:00.004-05:00

My parents had a wedding in Seaside, so V and I decided to tag along for the beach part of the trip. It was the perfect little weekend getaway!

April 23-25, 2010

Tennis on a Sunday afternoon

2010-05-09T21:51:00.002-05:00

V had been asking to go play tennis for a couple of weeks (probably because I finally cleaned out the garage and she could now see her racket!) so I got mom & dad & Jason to meet us out at the courts. V wasn't interested in the actual game, she just wanted to hit the ball, so her and Grandma went off-court to do just that. Dad took on Jason & I, and then Jason & I went up against each other. And I have to say, I wore my poor big brother out!
April 18, 2010

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T10:13:00.003-05:00

"The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. "

As my beautiful daughter called for me this morning at 7 AM, my immediate (selfish) thought was - it's mother's day, I should get to sleep in. I felt sorry for myself briefly as I remembered Mother's Days past when that is exactly what I got to do. But then I thought of a dear friend and the struggles she is going through and I thought, how lucky I am to have this gorgeous child calling for me at 7 AM. My child is full of energy, from the minute she hits the floor in the morning, she's ready to go until bedtime, as I drug myself out of bed and we loaded into the car (still in our pjs - don't judge) to go get her Sunday morning pancakes, I let a little more self pity slip in, but then I thought of the day I have ahead of me, a day I will be spending with my wonderful mother and my loving family and I thought how lucky I am to have my mom with me, my thoughts immediately went to someone else who is not that lucky this year. I am truly blessed with wonderful people in my life, surrounded by inspiring mommies, supportive friends, and a family I couldn't live without. But at the top of the list has to be this precious child above, her smile brightens my day every day, her laugh is contagious, and she melts my heart every time she tells me she loves me. So to my baby girl, thank you for making me a mommy!

Focusing on the positive

2010-05-06T23:24:00.003-05:00

These days, I am loving:

sharing softball with V, cheering her on, sharing her pride when she gets a hit, high fiving her as she hits home scoring a run for her team
the warm weather, the sunshine feeds my soul
the little tan lines V has on her face from her glasses
the fact that at almost 35 I am pretty proud of the shape I'm in and having dropped 25 lbs over the last few months
V's motherly-like love she has for the American Girl twin dolls she got for her birthday
watching Glee, it just makes me happy
texts that start my day before 7 AM
the friends that have proven they are true friends
the song "Lover, Lover" by Jerrod Niemann
the thought of my life this summer
the high pitched tone V has developed when she's super excited about something
the gym, it is my one hour a day where all I have to think about is the tunes pumping through my ipod
my blackberry, seriously it's an addiction

Happy Birthday to my baby girl!

2010-04-28T10:19:00.004-05:00

Dear Miss V-

So we've been in this for seven years today! Holy cow, seven years that have flown by in a flash. Thank you for being the most patient and sweet baby ever, you let me learn how to be a mommy with you, you were so tiny when we brought you home I was afraid I would break you. But you grew quickly into a strong little thing and now I look at you and I am truly amazed by you. You are filled with a spirit I didn't even know existed until I had you, you are strong and resilient, you aren't a cry baby, you are happy, god you are so happy - it amazes me and it makes me proud. You love school, you love people, you love your friends and you love me and that makes me the luckiest mommy on the planet. Thank you for teaching me patience and humility, for teaching me to enjoy the little things and to sit back, relax and just enjoy life. Thank you for making me smile every single day, for making me laugh and for loving me, thank you for being my daughter and for making me a better person.

I love you punkin,

Mommy

In my daughter's eyes

2010-04-27T21:35:00.002-05:00

As I was taking these pictures of V, I was getting frusturated with seeing my reflection in her glasses, but when I uploaded them onto my PC the song lyrics from this Martina McBride song were all I could think of.....

In my daughter's eyes, I am a hero.

I am strong an' wise,

And I know no fear.

But the truth is plain to see:

She was sent to rescue me,

I see who I wanna be, in my daughter's eyes.

In my daughter's eyes, everyone is equal,

Darkness turns to light,

And the world is at peace.

This miracle God gave to me,

Gives me strength when I am weak.

I find reason to believe, in my daughter's eyes.

An' when she wraps her hand around my finger,

Oh, it puts a smile in my heart.

Everything becomes a little clearer.

I realize what life is all about.

It's hangin' on when your heart has had enough;

It's givin' more when you feel like givin' up.

I've seen the light: it's in my daughter's eyes.

In my daughter's eyes, I can see the future.

A reflection of who I am,An' what will be.

An' though she'll grow an', some day, leave:

Maybe raise a family,

When I'm gone, I hope you'll see,

How happy she made me,

For I'll be there, in my daughter's eyes.

Taking in a game with my girl

2010-04-27T21:29:00.003-05:00

Last year we went to a few Barons (our local baseball team) games and V loved it, I was excited to take her to her first game this year since she'd been playing softball! It was a goreous Sunday afternoon, the crowd was light and V and I headed out to the ballfield. She LOVED the game and cheering for all the players, clearly the start of her cheerleading career prepared her well!

April 11, 2010

Gone to my happy place....

2010-04-23T22:02:00.002-05:00

Yes I am at my happy place.

The Beach. The glorious, peaceful, fantastic beach.

We just arrived tonight, so my toes haven't even felt the sand yet, but I'm here and my body and soul know it. I almost always vacation at the same beach, in the same condo. So every time I am here, the thought always crosses my mind "wonder what my life will be like next time I'm here".

I have come here in times of joy, times of sadness, times of confusion, and times of disillusionment. I have been here when I was single, engaged, newly married, with a newborn, and every year been here as my baby girl has turned another year older. I was here last June for our annual family trip and I could not have imagined then the road my life would take in the coming year. I was here just over a month ago purely for an escape, to attempt to clear my mind and focus on the tasks ahead. At that time the thought REALLY crossed my mind "what is my life going to be like the next time I'm here?". So here I sit, in a quiet condo, reflecting. Where I am now is better then where I was then. I've gotten some answers, some resolution and finally more so in the last week, some peace. I can see where my life is going and I am hopeful for what lies ahead. There are still many bridges to cross and I'm sure rough days ahead, but where I am now is better than where I was then and that shows progress. A very dear friend gave to me a quote that I absolutely love: "Progress always involves risk; you can't steal second base and keep your foot on first base". So I'm heading to second, and I'm going to continue on until I reach home base once again.

My little cheerleader!

2010-04-08T11:22:00.003-05:00

January brought something new for V, her first run at cheer leading. I was a cheerleader throughout high school, so I was beyond excited for this and she LOVED it! Every Saturday morning in January and February was spent at basketball games with her cheering, we're planning on trying football in the fall and I can't wait!

I just loved this picture

2010-04-08T11:16:00.002-05:00

February 21, 2010

Snow day!

2010-04-08T11:05:00.002-05:00

Yup, it happened again, it actually snowed in Alabama again this year. School got out early, after maneuvering the insane carpool line from an early dismissal, V and I came home and had some winter wonderland fun! Snow ball fights and snow angels, perfect afternoon with my girl!

February 12, 2010

Caught up! Sort of

2010-04-08T11:02:00.003-05:00

So the blog is current, think I'll go back through and do a few of some happenings over the last few months while I was on my blogging hiatus!

Easter Sunday

2010-04-08T10:39:00.006-05:00

Easter Sunday the rain cleared up and we had a beautiful day! We joined some dear friends for church and an egg hunt, then headed to my parents house for the rest of the day with the O'Briens. We had a huge meal, as always, the girls had an egg hunt, blew bubbles, and dyed Easter eggs. All in all a wonderful day with my family!

April 4, 2010

Easter egg hunt...in the rain

2010-04-06T12:05:00.004-05:00

As we do every year, V and I headed out to Uncle Jim & Auntie Reg's house for their neighborhood egg hunt. It was raining though this year, but they still had the hunt and it didn't bother V one bit! We had some fun after, playing at their house and grabbing some breakfast. To spite the rain it was a wonderful morning with my big bro and SIL! Love y'all and thank you for treating us to this every year!
April 3, 2010

Cookies & pink fingernails!

2010-04-06T11:32:00.005-05:00

I would totally wear this outfit!

Last week V and I had a perfect girls night in! She has been asking me for a few days to paint her fingernails - this is new for her, she's not really a girly girl (just like her mommy when I was her age), so I took advantage of it while she was asking! We played outside, picked up a pizza, had a picnic in the living room, baked chocolate chip cookies and painted her nails pink! The last pic is adorable of her laying in bed, she was so scared she'd mess her nails up she wouldn't move her hands!

March 31, 2010

She always makes me smile, always

2010-04-06T11:25:00.000-05:00

March 28, 2010

And because we were there....

2010-04-06T11:21:00.002-05:00

I had to snap a few more spring pics of Miss V!

March 28, 2010

Spring pics - My gorgeous niece

2010-04-06T11:16:00.001-05:00

When did this baby get so grown up???
March 28, 2010

Spring pics - Cousins

2010-04-06T11:11:00.003-05:00

March 28, 2010

Spring pics of my girl

2010-04-06T11:07:00.004-05:00

This b&w is my very favorite from the day!

March 18, 2010

Celebrating Jim & Regina!

2010-04-06T10:59:00.004-05:00

Sometimes we get a little behind on birthdays in our family, but we always get to them! We combined Jim & Reg's birthdays for a super fun night starting with dinner at Brio and then back to their house for cake and gifts! I especially felt like I reached a milestone that night as far as V and fancier restaurants, she can finally sit through a meal and not make me a nervous wreck running around!
March 13, 2010

Spring Break - McWane

2010-04-06T10:53:00.003-05:00

Everyone in Birmingham and the surrounding areas could have this same blog post from this day. I have NEVER seen McWane so packed, the deck was even full! Thankfully Uncle Jim's office is only a few blocks away so we parked there! Thank you for that Uncle Jim and for lunch and coming to play for a bit!
March 17, 2010

Spring Break - Homewood Park

2010-04-06T10:49:00.001-05:00

March 16, 2010

Spring Break - CHOM

2010-04-06T10:45:00.003-05:00

My buddy Steph and I headed down to Tuscaloosa the first day of spring break with our girls and Hannah for a day of playing!

March 15, 2010

Getting away from it all

2010-04-06T10:40:00.003-05:00

The weekend finishing up spring break I was at a breaking point of my own. Jason, Melissa & Hannah had headed down to the beach for the weekend, and they graciously let me crash. I needed to get away to clear my head and just relax and that is exactly what that weekend did for me! Just to show what kind of zone I was in that weekend, I only took 10 pictures and over half of those were on my phone! I enjoyed some long talks with my SIL, loved hanging out with Hannah and her friend, and had a wonderful, sunny day on the beach with Jason. My family is amazing! Thank you Jason & Mel for letting me get away from it all, if only for a few days! And yes that picture of Jason is him facebooking from his blackberry!

March 19-21, 2010

V's second softball game

2010-04-05T13:41:00.003-05:00

Running to first
First time on base in a gameLast week V had her second game and it was much more organized and the girls did awesome! We ended up winning 8-7. V hit the ball both times she was up, made it to third base the first time and got her first run the second time!!!! I was one proud mommy!

Touching home the first time in a game!

March 30, 2010

V's first softball game

2010-03-31T11:26:00.003-05:00

The sun came out in full force for opening day at the ball park! It was a little chaotic, but the girls all did great, V got a hit, but they got her out before she got on base. Didn't matter to her though she was so excited about that hit! After three hours at the park that morning, I knew V and I had found our second home for the rest of the spring! The game ended in a tie 14-14, not a win but better than a loss!

March 27, 2010

Softball!!!!!!!!

2010-03-31T11:20:00.002-05:00

I'm going to start with this because V's latest endeavor has consumed our lives! And I am LOVING every minute of it!!!! I had been thinking for a few months about trying softball this year, V has been playing t-ball in our backyard ever since we went to a friends birthday party last spring and she got a ball and bat as a party favor. We got signed up and the fun began! We are at practice three nights a week and our games just started and I'm not sure which one of us is enjoying it more! I volunteered to be the team mom and it keeps me busy but it is fantastic, I love being in the dug out with all the girls during the games and I love all the fun stuff I get to do for the team. She has amazing coaches and so far she has really taken to it! On to some game posts!

Endings and Beginnings

2010-03-24T19:04:00.002-05:00

"Beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but it's the middle that counts the most."

I've always loved this quote from the movie Hope Floats. So I am getting ready to close a chapter in my life, it is sad and it is scary but just like the movie I am counting on the hope for happy beginnings to float up to the top! I am also hoping to get back to this blog, there is no way I can go back and catch up all that I've missed blogging about so we'll start with a fresh start and I may go back and pick up a few of my favorite pics over the months I've missed. I also have to say that when times get tough, you really do find out who your friends are and who really loves you and will support you. A huge shout out to my family, you are my rock from where I get constant strength and warm hugs, phone calls for me to vent, to cry and to try and make me laugh. You are all amazing and I would be nothing without you. To my circle of friends, you are just like an extension of my family. I have never felt so supported by a group of women as those I am lucky enough to consider my friends today. The lunches, the texts, the emails, the phone calls, the offer of help on a project, an afternoon relaxing by the pool, the offers for anything I need and I know that they are sincere. You are truly amazing women and I am honored to be your friend. So, enough with the sappy, sappy. Now on to some blogging!!!!

Mom confessions

2010-03-23T16:22:00.002-05:00

Inspired by my friend Lacy, I thought I'd do a blog today.

Sometimes....
*I wish I still had a little one I could tote around on my hip
*I get overwhelmed with the responsibility of raising an entire little person
*I wish I could run away to a hotel and order room service and not answer the phone and just put myself to bed and wake up whenever I want to
*I skip my kid's bath if she didn't really do anything that day
*I let V play on her computer so I can watch an episode of The Office on the DVR
*I feel guilty for not giving V a sibling
*I let a poptart in the car on the way to school count as breakfast (more than sometimes)

I am proud....
*that my child is friendly to anyone and everyone that comes into her presence
*that my child loves to go to school
*that I have a little ballerina and a little softball player (with a killer arm) all in the same beautiful little girl
*to be a stay at home mom

I am thankful...
*that my child has a family around her, grandparents, aunts, uncles and a cousin that love her and would do anything for her
*for a free-spirited, loving little girl
*for bedtime, most nights
*that V is now at the age where we can actually experience things together that she will remember throughout her life

I love....
*watching my baby girl sleep
*Friday nights when V gets to be with her grandparents making her own memories with them and I get to just be Jenny, not V's mom for a night
*Hearing my baby girl say "I love you mommy" out of the blue, for no reason other than she feels the need to say it

I never knew how hard it would be to be a mom, but I also never knew how much being a mom would make life worth living!

It's a major award!

2010-02-02T20:28:00.003-06:00

So it has been forever since I blogged, I don't know what my deal is. There's no time or really I'm just not motivated to keep it up anymore, maybe I lost the blogging but or maybe this will kick start me back into the world of blogging, we'll see. Thank you Lacy for the award!!!

Here are the award rules:1) Thank the person who nominated you for this award. 2) Copy the award & place it on your blog. 3) Link to the person who nominated you for this award. 4) Tell us 7 interesting things about yourself. 5) Nominate 7 bloggers. 6) Post links to the 7 blogs I nominate.

So here are 7 things about myself, not sure how interesting they are:

1) I have moved from Minnesota to Alabama to Minnesota to Alabama. Think I'm here to stay this time.

2) During different times in my life I have actually gone to school to pursue three separate careers: business, paralegal, and photographer

3) If I didn't have a family my dream job would be a freelance photographer for National Geographic

4) I have never broken a bone in my body, but I have sprained my ankles a total of seven times

5) I love road trips. LOVE 'em!

6) I am a terrible cook, but the one thing I cook really well is eggs. Go figure.

7) I have a very tough outer shell, I'm hard to get to know, not always very pleasant in the beginning, but somehow I have been blessed with amazing friends who have gotten through all of that and still stuck by me. I'm a lucky girl!

So here are my 7 bloggers I nominate!

1) Katy H

2) Char

3) Sandy

4) Jennifer

5) Hannah

6) Sherry

7) Emily B

Disney on Ice

2009-12-08T11:10:00.003-06:00

As is tradition, we headed to see Disney on Ice again this year, V absolutely loves this show every year and this year was no exception! She got SO excited when Mickey & Minnie came on and once Nemo and Dory came out, it made her whole day! I got tears in my eyes watching her excitement!

November 7, 2009

Fall Pictures

2009-12-08T10:57:00.004-06:00

The leaves were starting to change and the fall colors were gorgeous, so I decided it was time to head to the Botanical Gardens for a fall photo shoot with my girl!

November 4, 2009

Student of the month!

2009-12-08T10:49:00.002-06:00

November 1, 2009

Move over...I'm crowded!!!!!

2009-12-08T10:49:00.001-06:00

November 1, 2009

Halloween!

2009-12-08T10:20:00.003-06:00

Yes it's almost Christmas and I am just blogging about Halloween! Anyway, we had a wonderful Halloween, V decided on Friday (the day before Halloween) that she wanted to be Tinkerbell instead of Belle. We already had a Tinkerbell costume, I just needed wings, so off I went! I must say she was a beautiful little Tinkerbell! Hannah used my costume from last year and she was a candy corn - they both looked so cute! We started the night at our house, went up and down our street, then headed to Jason & Melissa's house, then to my parents house. The girls trick or treated around their neighborhood together, then we all went back to mom & dad's house for pizza and to warm up!

October 31, 2009

Baking cookies with Grandma

2009-12-08T10:11:00.000-06:00

October 30, 2009

PJ day at school

2009-11-13T23:11:00.002-06:00

October 30, 2009

Our little ventriloquist!

2009-11-13T23:09:00.003-06:00

Chris brought this ballerina puppet (Bena as V has named her) home from a trade show last year and V has had no interest in her. Until one night after dance class, she picked her up and started talking for her in the most hilarious voice!
October 29, 2009

Celebrating Halloween - dance style!

2009-11-13T23:03:00.003-06:00

Princess Belle
Group photo

These three have been dancing together since they were 3 years old

V with her teacher and playing the games

V's annual Halloween party at dance class was filled with fun, as always! There were lots of sweets to eat and the girls had a ball playing "hot pumpkin" and pumpkin bowling! She dressed up as Princess Belle for the party, but by Halloween (2 days later) she had changed her mind to Tinkerbell, luckily we already had that costume from her big cousin, but mommy had to make a mad dash around town the next day for Tinkerbell's wings!

October 29, 2009

Field trip to the farm!

2009-11-13T22:46:00.003-06:00

Me & V in the pumpkin patch

In the hay maze

Cotton pickin cute kid!

I was lucky enough to get to go along on V's first field trip of the year - to Old Baker Farm. We had never been there before and it was an action packed field trip and lots of fun! We started out with watching the farmer feed the baby cows, even V's teacher got in on that action! Then we headed for the hayride out to the pumpkin patch. It had been raining for weeks, and although this day turned out to be beautiful we tromped through a lot of mud to get to that wagon! Once we were out there, V and her friends all ran around looking for the perfect pumpkins. We then headed back to the barn where we ate lunch in the loft, then toured the bottom of the barn and the kids got to pet some animals (oh how my kid loves any kind of animal!). Next came V's favorite part of the day - the hay maze! Oh she was in heaven, running through, finding her way out and back around to start again! Lastly we went to the cotton field and the kids each got to pick one puff of cotton. It was a fantastic day and I loved meeting all of V's new friends and spending the day with them!

October 28, 2009

Silly cousins!

2009-11-13T22:37:00.000-06:00

October 28, 2009

A spooky gingerbread house!

2009-10-31T08:59:00.002-05:00

A friend told me about these gingerbread houses you can get at Halloween and after the fun V had with our one at Christmas last year, I had to get one! She had a great time, daddy handled the creepy drippy roof while V was in charge of candy. Mommy mixed up frosting and attempted to get black frosting off of every finger and table surface! V was the most excited about putting the ghost on, it was her last addition and she said it was the ghost's house!

October 25, 2009

Pumpkin Carving

2009-10-31T08:48:00.003-05:00

It was a gorgeous day last Sunday so we took advantage and headed to the backyard to carve our pumpkin. V worked on drawing the face on and helped me a little with scooping out the seeds, but really she was more interested in trying to get her daddy to play football with her! She picked all the shapes for the jack-o-lantern's face and enjoyed watched it come to life as daddy did the carving! She was very excited to see the final product!

October 25, 2009

Pumpkin Carving with Grandma & Grandpa

2009-10-31T08:33:00.002-05:00

While Jason & I were at our Halloween Birthday party, our parents had the girls over for the annual night of pumpkin carving! I can still remember doing this when we were kids and I love that they have this tradition now with my little girl and her big cousin!
October 24, 2009

Halloween Birthday Party

2009-10-31T08:28:00.002-05:00

Last weekend Jason and I got to enjoy some Halloween fun while celebrating our dear friend Annis' Halloween birthday! The food was wonderful, the company even better and of course there is always fun to be had when this group gets together! Happy Birthday Annis!

October 24, 2009

Fall Festival!

2009-10-29T12:46:00.005-05:00

Last weekend was the fall festival at V's school. We volunteered to run our class' carnie game - and by we, I mean hubs! We all headed up to the school and had a fun filled afternoon! Hubs manned our ring toss game (and barked like a champ to get people down to our game at the end of the hall!)while I took V around to all the other carnie games - which she LOVED! Holy cow, that kid got into those games - my personal favorite was the Plinko game they made - I love me some Plinko! We also have a very large collection of plastic bugs and rings laying around the house now! There were also inflatables and vendors selling their wares. All around, a great time!

October 24, 2009

Fall has arrived!!!

2009-10-29T12:42:00.003-05:00