Category Archives: Celebrations

Happy New Year!

Hey friends! Hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and New Years! The fact this year is over is nuts!! Why does time go so fast?!! As the year closes and a new one approaches I can’t help but look back and reflect on this year and remember the highs and the lows. This year was good, we got to do some adventures, the kids are healthy and growing and our parents are still here with us. I’m thankful, I really am. That being said, this year also was hard. Migraines. Relationships were strained. Getting old and feeling our age. Expectations and dreams for the future not met. Not accomplishing as much I could have or capable of doing. We all know how life can kick our ass. BUT I’m so grateful for my life, my family and friends. It’s a good one in the whole scheme of things and I am excited for 2018. I never say I hope this is the best year yet because what then, every year after that goes downhill? But I hope and pray this year is a good one and hope it will be a great one for you as well!

2017 Halloween

Can I just say, as normal, I don’t have the time to be keeping this little ‘ole blog up, but when I’m here, it feels good. I like editing photos and reminiscing moments in our lives. Who knows if I actually will be able to keep it up because I’m juggling a lot of balls up in the air at the moment, but I hope I can. 

Another year, another halloween, which by the way how in the world is it already November?!? Per usual halloween is a big thing around here, I mean how could it not, it allows our littles to dress up and pretend to be something else AND THEY GET CANDY. This year the kiddos decided to be characters from the movie Wreck it Ralph. I am not lying when I say Jonas wore his Wreck it Ralph costume 4 days in the row (with washing in between we aren’t that bad, well actually I may be that bad, but not my kids) and I have purposely have not been washing it so we can have a break. Where Nola takes taekwondo they did a trunk or treat. It was a great because our kids could see so many people dressed up and they were also able to hand out candy. Sadly there aren’t a ton of kids that come to our side of the tracks for Halloween which is so disappointing because we think it’s so much fun handing it out! But besides the cold weather, lack of kids coming to our door and too much leftover candy, we had a great year and they are already scheming what they will be next year. 

Here are photos of my real life Wreck it Ralph characters (and I may be bias but think they are cuter than the cartoon characters) if you care to see:

trying out the hands! it was touch and go with these hands, at first he wasn’t going to wear them, but he eventually came around. he’s right at that sensory age where lots of things bother him dearly. also those hands took an entire day to make, that’s in between doing mom duties of course.

for those of you who aren’t familiar with the movie, here you go! can i just mention, those candy barrettes in nola’s hair we made, we dyed her skirt brown and basically scoured the internet for those tights and sweatshirt. it looks like a simple costume, however it was not easy finding everything. and may i just add those costumes at target and costco are a steal compared to making your own. but i don’t want to complain, i really do love putting them together. in his entire get up! that night was sooo cold that eventually the kids wound up in the trunk. not impressed with being in the school halloween parade because daddy is a good one, he got into character too, he’s fix it felix. really just watch the movie if you have no idea what i’m talking about. we trick or treated with neighbors and it was fun times chasing after our kids. kidding, it was a lot of fun. 

Happy Birthday Nola Girl!!

It’s my little girl’s birthday today and I can’t help but feel a whole lot of panic and angst because she’s been here FIVE years already and frankly the time is going by too quick. But the emotion that trumps that is the love I feel for this girl. She is my #1 little buddy, she still is cool matching with me (thank you God!!!), she loves having a good time, an amazing sister to her overbearing 2 year old brother, smart, witty and I’ll say this every year but she’s the girl I always dreamed of having. 

So in honor of my girl here she is on each of her birthdays:
the big ONE

TWO THREE FOUR

We love you Nola and we are so proud of you. I’m so thankful I get to to be your mama!! xoxo

Daddy Daughter Dance

The one great thing about our kids getting older is doing not only fun things with them but having them understand what’s going on and having them remember these events. One of them being the daddy/daughter dance. Of course I didn’t go, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t excited for them and had fun getting her a dress, corsage and helping Nola get ready for the big date! The great thing about events like these is CJ has a lot of fun with it. He’s a great dad, he really is. I hope someday Nola will look back at this post and just realize how much we love doing things with her, how much she is adored and appreciates the special dates she had with her dad.

Here’s photos before they headed out for their date:

DSC_0010 DSC_0013 isn’t she a beauty!! DSC_0017 how cute is this when she see’s her special corsage DSC_0020 DSC_0030 jonas had to get into the action of course DSC_0027 he’s my total ham!!!  DSC_0025 DSC_0023

Nola’s already looking forward to next year’s dance!!

Valentines Day

To keep up tradition and because it’s way too much fun to see how the kids have grown each year, here was our simple, yet very good Valentine’s Day this year:

DSC_0035 Here’s Nola’s cards she made for the class this year! I think she did great and how cool is she….I mean dinosaurs?!?

DSC_0041 Posing with Jonas’s Valentine day balloon in his cheesy underbite smile that I can’t get enough of and notice the spatula, that kid is always taking my cooking utensils!!

DSC_0046 Nola’s flowers

DSC_0043 Playing car wash DSC_0055 DSC_0056 We put together a kind of fancy dinner??? I got some sushi (my kids love it!!) and went with an asian theme for the sides and then I made pavlova’s with cream and berries. It tasted ok and the kids liked them, but they definitely could be improved. My grandma made these so I think they are special and regardless of how they taste, even with mine turning brownish they still look pretty!!