Happy Birthday to Me

This past Saturday was my birthday, I've reached the peak of my twenties and I'm officially on the downward slope heading into my thirties!  In plain English, I am no longer 25.

We had a low key day with my family.  My parents came to visit this weekend, we played with the kids and then we went and took some pictures at the lake.  After pictures we had dinner at a local Mexican Restaurant, drank yummy margaritas and came home to sing happy birthday and eat homemade peanut butter pie (made by Danny)!  After we put the kids to bed Danny and I headed out for a few drinks and a movie while my parents stayed with the kids.

It's not my birthday until there's peanut butter pie.  It is my signature birthday "cake" and Danny did a great job with my recipe.

Before our movie, we had drinks at Park Lane next to the fire pit. It was a beautiful night!  We saw Lawless at the adult theater. 

We had originally planned on going to a party but it got cancelled last minute so we didn't have a lot of time to make plans.  I'm actually happy with the way the day turned out, though.  I got to spend time with the people who truly love me.  Over the years I'm learning that the people you think are your friends, often can't even take a minute out of their day to wish you a happy birthday.  At first I was kind of bummed, I felt like some of my friends forgot about me, I was beginning to mope and feel sorry for myself.  I told Danny on the way to town that I didn't understand why my friends couldn't wish me a happy birthday.  I thought I had done something wrong, that I wasn't worthy of a call, a text or a simple Facebook message.  As soon as I said that to him I realized that I got to spend the day with people who love me for me.  Who love me even when I'm mad, or frustrated because things aren't going my way, they love me when I'm happy and they love me when I'm sad.  I don't have to pretend to be someone I'm not, I don't have to go out of my way to help them or do things to make them like me.  They just do...because they are family.  Danny is my rock, my best friend, my companion.  He brings me back to reality and makes me realize what is truly important.  

My parents came to the lake with us and took family pictures, which was my only wish for my birthday.  Even though my mom is not a photographer, she doesn't know how to use my camera that well, Marissa wasn't cooperating, Dylan wanted my scarf, my earrings, my bracelet, Danny's buttons on his shirt and wouldn't stop biting his bottom lip, these are pictures I will cherish for a life time.  These are the people I live for, these are the people that love me...

My little dancing machine. She didn't want to take pictures (at all) but we put her on stage and she rocked it!

My boys

A very rare occurrence. We don't get many pictures together, so I will cherish these for a long time to come. 

My sweet, crazy, uncooperative, baby girl!

Our version of a family picture. Doesn't Marissa look impressed?  And Dylan, he just looks grumpy!

We'll show her...

Fun with daddy

My favorite family picture from the day!

Me and the Mr.

Marissa was refusing to even get near camera shot at this point.

So we took family photos with the cute little guy

I think he is teething

Love her!

She loved swinging, so at least we got a few pictures of her. ;)

Here's to another year.  Here's to more memories with my loved ones, to building new friendships, rekindling old ones and loving deeper.  Nothing in this life is promised, but I promise to be the best wife, mother, daughter and friend I can be!

Nurture

With two small children, you can imagine that nurturing is a daily activity in our household.  Danny and I went to a wedding last weekend.  My mom came to visit and stayed with the kids, we booked a hotel and got our drunk faces on for the big event.  It is not often that we have a kids' free night. 

While I thought of the kids most of the night and probably couldn't stop talking about them to everyone, we had a really nice time out.  It is no secret that I still want one more addition to our family (and no, I do not want another dog).  It is also no big secret that Danny does not...{I'll keep working on him, though}.

So in the meantime, it was suggested to us by many people that we nurture our marriage.  Sometimes it is really hard to get alone time for just the two of us.  We are so busy with schedules, work, fixing dinner, doing laundry and taking care of the kids that we forget to nurture the center of this whole operation. When Marissa was born I was still working full time.  Add in her 7 o'clock bedtime and I was only getting to see her for 1-2 hours each day which usually included bath, dinner, a few minutes of play and then bedtime.  So when the weekends rolled around I had no desire to go out and pawn her off on someone for the night. 

Insert baby number 2 {Dylan}, going to a part time schedule at work and I feel much more relaxed about having a night out with my husband.  I feel like I have quality time with my babies so I don't feel so guilty for taking a night off.  Now I still don't do it that often, but we left Dylan for the first time around 6 months old, so that is quite the improvement from Marissa. 

We do make a point to try and have a lunch date once a week together, but an hour a week to nurture a marriage is definitely not enough!

This weekend we will be having our first ever weekend away since having Marissa.  That's the first weekend in over TWO YEARS!  I'm nervous but it will be good to spend time with Danny (we have a 6 hour car ride ahead of us).  This will be good preparation for leaving the kids for a week in November when we go to St. Maarten for our 4 year wedding anniversary.  Danny has already told me that if I get home sick he will send me home but he is staying the whole week. ;)

Love this guy!



Locks of Love - Take 3

Yesterday I was feeling bold and decided to donate my hair to Locks of Love.  This is my 3rd time donating.  It feels good to give to a good cause. 

Before:

After:

It feels so much lighter but it really isn't all that short, considering I just chopped off 10".

I Need Your Help for My 1st Home Show

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~*Happy Shopping*~

Marissa's Minnie Mouse Party

We had such a great time at Marissa's 2nd birthday party, despite the rain and cramming a ton of people in our little house.  We had lots of yummy food and Marissa was so spoiled by her friends and family.

One and Two year comparison

DIY Decorations

Favor bags.  The babies (under 1) got a Mickey or Minnie bib and a board book.  The older kids (over 1) got a Mickey coloring book, crayons, a board book and gold fish. :)

Cupcakes I made.  They got a little dried out, so I need to figure out how to prevent that in the future.  They were only out for a few hours during the party but I was definitely disappointed that they got dry.  At least they looked pretty, right!?

Danny's kegerator decoration

I made an "adult" Minnie Mouse Cocktail.  It was super delicious!  I had actually pinned a recipe similar to this on Pinterest and made some modifications:

1 Large bottle of Pinot Grigio

1 Frozen Pink Lemonade Can

3.5 cups Sprite

Serve with an ice cube with a raspberry frozen inside

I had planned for these centerpieces to go on the tables outside but since it rained I just put them around the drink station and the pass through where all the food was kept.

Miss Minnie!

Marissa (2 years) and Dylan (8 months)

I never knew there were so many Minnie Mouse toys, I hope she doesn't outgrow Minnie anytime soon!

Singing Happy Birthday!