Butch's 60th!!!

My dad turns 60 today, so we had a 60th Surprise Birthday Bash at our house this past weekend!!!  It was sort of thrown together quickly, but turned out perfectly!!  We invited several of his friends and had a fish fry.  The weather was perfect and the food, drinks and company were outstanding!  

Many thanks to Tom for lending the fryer, but more thanks to Ty and Stephanie for slaving over those fish, french fries, and hushpuppies to get them just perfect!!!  AND many thanks to my husband who spent most of his Saturday and the better part of his week watching the kids and getting the house and yard ready while I put in extra hours at work this last week and weekend!!  He did an outstanding job!  I think everyone had a good time and more importantly I think my dad was (maybe a little unpleasantly, but secretly pleasantly - make sense?) surprised!!!

  

HAPPY 60th, DAD!!!

Blooming!

The azaleas are blooming and they are beautiful!!!  And I just don't remember the colors being this pretty in NW Arkansas... 

 Sass...she's got it.

 I know these are a LOT alike...I just LOVE her! 

 trying not to smile or notice that Mommy was taking a pic! 

Beckett - 8 months!!

In 2 days Beckett will be 8 months!!!  and we're loving every minute of it!!

8 month stats:

Wt:  19lbs 10oz (and this was from about a week ago!)

AND This is more than Ruby Belle weighed at 1 year! WOW!

• has 7 teeth and one breaking through as we speak (Ruby Belle only had 2 at this age!)
• his eyes are still blue...but do have some hazel seeping in I think...
• he's crawling all over
• pulling up to stand
• and all over!!!  he's non-stop! 
• loves to put everything in his mouth
• grunts LOUDLY a LOT! and in public places.  
• He's eating lots of pureed foods.  Usually we make our own foods and my new favorite (his new favorite) is mac n'cheese w/LOTS of mixed veggies mixed in.  He will eat most of those stinky Gerber meat-and-mixed-veggie combos.  However, he hated the pureed pears and peaches I made (just used the low sugar canned ones).  Hated them so much that he immediately vomited the peaches and his meal up (those were his dessert).  Wouldn't even touch the pears...even when I mixed them with cereal.
• eats 6 times a day...usually a bottle and food
• sometimes holds his own bottle and tries to take the spoon and feed himself
• I'm still pumping (5 times a day) and we don't usually have to supplement w/formula
• he has tried a sippy cup a few times, with some success
• he mostly sleeps through the night...it's been hit or miss for about a month due to being sick, but we're almost getting back in the swing of things regularly! 
• goes to bed around 7:30-8, wakes around 6-7am
• wearing 9-12 month clothes
• wearing size 3 diapers and cloth diapers (as seen in the pics below)
• loves baths
• LOVES LOVES LOVES his sister
• seriously happy baby!!  these smiles you see are constant and so easy to come by!!  (SO much different than Ruby Belle...she was much more serious as a baby!)

some pics...overload, I know, but it's SO hard to decide what you like best when it's your little man!

(yes, that's a "princess" bandaid on his hand because those are all we have and I'm a terrible mommy and let him accidentally brush his hand against a hot pot today :-( didn't faze him, but it looks yucky!)

 

 

kinda random

If I was a stay-at-home mom a few things would happen:

1.  I'd be on Pinterest ALL DAY LONG...we all know it's got every sort of inspiration you need...but for me, it's SO addicting that it's hard to channel that inspiration into actually doing something sometimes!
2.  I'd try to be a photographer...try.
3.  I'd spend WAY too much money between internet shopping, Target runs, and little fun places around town!
4.  I'd have my house totally finally decorated...and would probably be broke because of it.
5.  I'd cook, bake and eat A LOT. (mostly thanks to Pinterest...because I did not cook before I meet Pinterest!)
6.  I'd work out every day...to help make up for #4.
7.  and I'd do a lot of yoga.
8.  oh, and I may go crazy.  (really, I dream of being a stay at home mom, but don't think I'd stay sane!  To you stay at home moms out there...you are my heroes!)

...and all of this means I may not pay enough attention to my kids if I was at home.

So, instead I try to cherish every moment I have at home with them.  Now, yes, my parents want to babysit ALL the time, so I usually let them.  AND this takes away from my time w/the kids, but it also helps keep all relationships healthy and my sanity in check. My kids benefit from the relationship they're forming with my parents, Justin and I have a little more "kid free" time to try to "keep the spark" alive with date nights, conversations without kids interrupting, etc., and we have time to actually get a few things done around the house!!  Really it's the best of both worlds...even though there's never enough time in the day for everything!!
Because I LOVE LOVE LOVE these kids!!

But, back to Pinterest.  I want to do SO many of the DIY things I see on there and read up on all the "99 things to do with toddlers," and plan parties, and the list goes on.  BUT instead, I've only thought about doing those things and have instead started trying my hand at cooking.  I really don't cook much, but thanks to a simple life, I have spent the last few weekends trying out recipes.  These have been 2 of my husband's favorites.

Barbacoa Beef - not as easy as some of those super easy crock pot recipes, but nonetheless, it IS a crock pot recipe, so you put it all in and while you do the endless loads of laundry, dinner's simmering (and ready WAY before laundry's done!).  It's a little spicy. just FYI.

Louisiana Crawfish Casserole - one of the easiest things I've ever made...and really really good! 

Skinny Beer-garitas - my mouth is watering over these, although I haven't made them.  and almost doubt they are as good as they sound???  One day I'll get around to it!

A walk in the park

I love these kids!!!

trying to get creative!

I've been feeling a little "constricted" at work and decided to let my creative side out for a little change of pace. I've been dying to learn photography and express my creativity that way, but it seems a little overwhelming (and time consuming) to dive as deep into that as i'd like to be successful! Besides, it's been years since I've really done much of anything creative, so I decided to start easy...

A painting for our living room (I copied this from an original, but changed the colors...so NOT that creative, but it's a start!)

another painting....(copied from the original below)

(this is the original)

Really, I am not super impressed with my skills. Maybe if I didn't know they were mine, I'd like them better, but for now they are occupying walls in our house.

There are so many other things I'd like to do...like photography, or refinishing furniture, home improvements (i.e., decorating! ;-) I'll get around to it one day!!