"...nothing is too much trouble if it turns out the way it should." ~ Julia Child

GOODNESS GRACIOUS ALIVE ~ I AM OUTTA MY MIND Y'ALL!!! I have created a MONSTER!
I have quite alot to post about because oooh let's see... Not only did I host TWO parties, one out of town for my mom's 50th and the other for my boys' FIRST birthday the very next weekend, but we went to visit my Grandma + Papaw, David's sister came into town Thursday and then we packed it up Saturday and drove 3 hours to Manchester, TN to see David's Grandpa. Whew... where is my bicycle and the rolling hills from my fantasy? I could use them right about now.

Saturday, July 2, 2011
My sister + I banned together to throw the biggest bash that Bartow, GA has seen since, well.... my wedding! Our mom turned 50 and we couldn't just sit back and let this day pass us by like any other! There was a band, + food (tons of food that vanished within minutes!), frosty beverages, cute costumes + fabulous people from the surrounding area there just to celebrate our mom! It was a very special night. Here are some photos that I stole from my mom.

Me + my fantastic little sis Jackie / Aunt Lea, Uncle Raymond, mama, Uncle Joe

Shagging with my little brother / sister

cake + decorations

It was a 60s theme and boy did everyone surprise us! There were soooo many fabulous 60s costumes! It was so much fun decorating and coming up with the invitations. We had tie dyed pails with candles on top of colorful table cloths. There were pictures of mama on every table from her childhood all the way up to just a few years ago. It was very special for me + Jackie to do this for our mom. Setting out all of the beautiful photos of her + seeing Grandma in so many photos... it was heartwarming.
It was such a wonderful night! But, the most important thing was that my mom was honored + had an incredible time!

The next day we trekked it on over to see my Grandma Georgia and Papaw. I am so glad we did! They haven't seen the boys in so long + it was well overdue! Since they were going to be unable to make the trip up the following weekend for the boys' birthday party, we really needed to get over there!

Hunter was a bit shy this day + did not want to be held

My Papaw is going through a really rough patch these days. He was recently diagnosed with lung cancer and is now going through chemotherapy. This chemotherapy run will last 7 weeks straight, 5 days a week, 1 hour drive each way... I do hope he charges through this with endurance and heart ~ because he also has a pace maker. I think this is going to be rough but I know he will make it.

Next stop.... a FIRST birthday!

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY BAYLOR + HUNTER!!!!!!!
My little angels, sweet buggers, most beautiful boys in the world are one year old! Where did the time go? I look back at their photos and just cannot believe how tiny they were. They came home in premie clothes... and now they are 17.5 pounds + 19 pounds, 29 inches tall, walking, talking.... Ugh, I miss those little baby sounds already.

Baylor

~ I am now 17.5 pounds + 29 inches tall! (That's less than 3% in weight, 50% height!!)
~ I love to walk everywhere now! I get so excited I'm actually running a bit...
~ I will dance with my brother to every song that comes on! I like to stand + dance + shake my head
~ I eat like a horse now, but at a much slower pace than Hunter
~ I like to prop my foot up when in the high chair or car seat just like my mommy
~ I quit the bottle cold turkey over a month ago! And said sayonara to formula the day my bottle went away.
~ Fruit is my best friend
~ I can wave + say bye. But my "bye-bye" is more of a southern drawl "byyyyyye-byyyye"
~ I know what a duck is + I can say quack! "kak" is what it really sounds like
~ When I hear the dogs I immediately run to the gate and yell 'ga ga ga'. This is me saying "dog", but the ending 'g' part
~ I love to make music! I shake anything that rattles and bang on it if it drums
~ I was stung by an ant last week. It made my hand swell + bleed. :(  It hurt!
~ I am definitely becoming a little clown. I will say things that are so funny, they'll knock your pants off! I laugh hysterically every time.... I crack myself up!
~ I do not like sitting in the car seat. Enough said.
~ Playing with Hunter every day makes me so happy! We love to play in the tunnel Grandma Ann bought us + chase each other all over the room! He is definitely my best friend
~ I give lots of hugs these days. I walk up to mommy + daddy and just hug 'em. I am really becoming quite the little snuggler.

Hunter

~ I still love, love, love to dance! Here is a video of me dancing to Adele's "Rolling In The Deep" + Gomez's "See The World" with Baylor. Although, he seems a bit preoccupied learning how to walk + all



~ I eat like a horse, too! You'd think I swallow my food whole it's gone so fast! If I'm close enough to Baylor's tray, I'll try and steal a few pieces of what ever I can reach to gobble up as well...
~ I weigh 19. 7 pounds + am 29in tall just like Baylor! My weight % has dramatically dropped because I am so active + growing like a weed. It's down to 8%! Crazy, huh?!
~ I now have my 5th tooth! Just came in this week. It's been a doozy, too. I was up all night + up at 5am with this thing. I'm ready to get this stuff over with!
~ Every now + then you will catch me staring off into space, as if I'm shutting down. I definitely get this from mommy.
~ I like to hold my leg/foot up. I don't know where this came from... but I'm cute when I do it! (see picture below)
~ I love to find things. I will find the ball, a book, even the dog if you ask me to!
~ If you ask me "what says quack?" I will go and find the duck for you!!!
~ I am standing completely on my own, without pulling up on furniture. I am definitely teasing mommy + daddy with this whole walking concept.
~ I can figure out all of these musical, technologically advanced toys with no problem at all. If I figure out which button makes music + the lights turn on, I will push it, + push it, + push it, + push it, + push it, + push it.................
~ I am starting to sing to songs that I know + love, such as Adele + Florence + The Machine! I'm so adorable.
~ I will say + wave bye to you every time. Daddy always asks for "bye-bye's" when he leaves for work each morning
~ I love playing with my brother! We will play chase + push the same toys all over the room. He's my best friend
~ I no longer have to wear my helmet!!! Woo hoo!!!!!!!!! 

Birthday Party Under The Big Top
Their birthday party was so wonderful! Everyone was there, eating, drinking, chatting... just having a great time. I thought that I was going to have leisurely time, lolly gagging around taking photos all day..... Ha. I was so busy up to the minute (later than that actually) as usual. Cooking, cleaning, cooking, setting up, decorating, cooking, delegating, + then showering! Whew. I cannot believe I do this to myself every time! What is wrong with me? And then being the hostess, there really is no hanging out for me (with a large crowd anyway). But... it was all worth it and everything was perfect. 
My mom took lots of photos for me + I was able to take a few myself after everyone was gone.
I know I promised how-to's, but not this long post! Coming soon, I swear!

 getting ready to sing "Happy Birthday"

 their first birthday bibs were so adorable!

eating our very first piece of cake!!! we devoured it!

my perfect lil' family

 I made these sweet little party hats for the children/the ferris wheel is a photo I took that you may remember from a previous post!

wearing our very own 1st birthday party hats that mommy made!

David + I are extremely lucky parents to have such amazing, handsome, smart, sweet, loving little boys. They may be a handful but, they are completely worth every hair pull, tear, laugh + hug+kiss. I am so fortunate to be a stay at home mom for B+H. Not only do I get to see every milestone unfold before my eyes, but I am also the one who helps them along each day, learning new things. I am the one who comforts them with each boo-boo + there to wipe away tears. I am also the one who gets to tickle them + make them laugh uncontrollably each day. I AM THE LUCKIEST WOMAN/MOM ALIVE. I would not alter one single ingredient in my little recipe of life. It's perfect just the way it is.

Aunt Patty! 
David's sister came into town, just passing through, this past Thursday. It was her first time visiting + meeting the boys! We were so happy to have her here!! It was a really nice because she + I actually had the chance to bond + have great conversation without a phone connected to our ears!

Here she is helping David bathe the boys while I prep dinner

"Dad! Water! Please!"

with Baylor, who looks a little confused...

and again with both little stud muffins!

Then it was off to Manchester, TN....

Hi Great Grandpa Preston!

We made a little trip up to TN to see David's grandpa this past weekend. I was so glad we did. He seemed so delighted to have us all there and to finally meet B+H! Here are some photos from that trip

Here are some fun photos for your enjoyment!

sweet baby boy

Hunter was not in the mood for more pictures (+ a bit of stranger anxiety)

Baylor warmed up nicely

 "what?!"

I have much, much more to post about. But, I thought this was enough for one post!! I hope everyone is staying cool in this terrible heat...

XOXO

Prophesy, or Just Another Fantasy?

So, I have been having this dream, or fantasy if you will, lately. It makes me a little sad, hopeful + peaceful all at the same time. This is definitely an out of the ordinary post for me, but I thought it would be nice to share... And so it begins:

~ mid morning and all is quiet. The only sound is the clicking of the chain on my vintage, + might I add very cute, bicycle with a basket full of fresh flowers, vegetables + fruit from the farmers market in town, + my camera. I am peddling through what looks to me like the countryside of Italy. Massive, rolling hills are sprinkled with tiny little villas {hey, it's my fantasy!}. Every now + then I pass sunflowers blanketing the hillsides. And over there, grapes just waiting to be picked and made into a fantastic barrel of wine {again, my fantasy}.
I take a left turn into this spectacular driveway that is perfectly set in between two walls of flowers. Every kind of flower imaginable. Purples, blues, pinks, yellows, greens + reds paint the way for me. I am making my way home...
As I turn a small corner, I see Baylor, Hunter + David in the front yard. They are playing catch. There is this magical ray of sunshine that is cast down on them from behind the trees. The boys are in darling, matching of course, white rompers. I mean, all three look like something from a page of a Brooks Brothers catalog. And then out from behind the house, this little angel appears out of nowhere. She is breathtaking. Beautiful, blonde curly locks, smocked dress and flowers clutched in her tiny hands. It's my daughter. She looks just like her brothers ~ big blue eyes + cheeks you just want to pinch all day.

And then I wake up.... What in the world!? What am I supposed to do with that? What does it mean? Yes, of course I would love to live in Italy + I have been wanting a cute, little vintage bicycle with an awesome woven basket on front. I think it has something to do with my desire for something new and exciting. Don't get me wrong, being a stay at home mom is exciting.... in it's own way. I just need something to put my brain back to work and my passions into play. The basket full of fresh produce + my camera ~ come on! That is saying something right?! Food + photography... two things I love!
And then there's the little girl. David + I both want to have another go at this baby thing in another year or so. And we both would love to have a girl. A girl. Not two. And definitely not two more boys! Geesh! ~ I say that, but I know we would be happy either way...
If this is a prophesy.... I will gladly take what ever challenges come my way just to make this place in my mind a reality {Italy or no Italy}.

photo courtesy of hillarymaybery.com

Beach + Family Time

I have been one busy mama. From traveling to party planning to keeping up with our two little devils... I'm spent! But this is my life, so far anyway!


Ahhh BEACH! How I've Missed Thee!
During the week of Memorial Day, we packed up everything but the kitchen sink and headed toward the coast! We met my family in Isle of Palms for a long, "relaxing" week of sun, sand and water. If you're not familiar with Ilse of Palm, definitely become acquainted! This little island of the coast of South Carolina is so quaint and empty!!! Our little nook on the beach was cozy, beautifully coated with white sand, + spacious.... It's so nice to walk out on to a beach and not worry if everyone can fit in that teency~tiny sandy spot 400 yards away!














Since I never seem to be in the picture, I decided to book a photographer out of Charleston. Amy, owner of Sweet Tea Imagery came over and took some pictures of me, David + the boys since we have yet to have family photos of ourselves! She was so sweet and very patient with us. Baylor + Hunter were definitely not themselves that week with the change of scenery and all. But for the most part they were really good boys. You can see more of our photos here.

My favorite hands down

Unfortunately I did not take any photos of my entire family while at the beach... I was so distracted with trying to keep my own family under control, I lost focus! :(

T minus 1 Month + Counting...
That's right! We're now 11 months just waiting for that new year to come along. Here's what we're up to these days

Baylor

~I can now stand completely on my own with out pulling up on furniture
~I have said da-da, ma-ma, ball + dog! I don't like to repeat myself, so don't ask
~I will not eat it if I can't see it. {Baylor will not eat something out of your hand if he doesn't get a good look at it first!}
~Tackling Hunter really makes me happy! Playing with Hunter in general makes me happy
~I know what a ball is and love to chase my favorite ball all over the room!
~I know what a book is. My favorite is Brown Bear, Brown Bear. I like to point at the eyes on each page {to me, this is amazing because he is pointing to an object on different pages/animals that are similar and then sometimes he will touch my eye. Smart lil' bugger!}
~I give mommy lots of kisses!
~I can walk really well with our walkers.
~I have taken a step here and there. Just teasing mom + dad is all...***
~I love to climb! Whether it's on my brother or the jumperoo, I'm on it!
~I think it's fun to bang my hands on things. Table, chair, water.... it's fun everywhere!

*** I WALKED FOR THE FIRST TIME TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!
Baylor took about 8 steps with no problem at all! David and I just held our breathes, I couldn't move. I was speechless. And of course, we tried + tried to get him to do it again, but no such luck. But, here's a sneak peak. Pretty funny video as he is growing tired of our harassments...



Hunter

~I love to run behind our walkers! On my feet or knees, as long as I'm going
~I love to dance to every sound that has a beat!
~I still bounce like crazy
~I have started to stand on my own with no hands! This is very exciting!
~I have said da-da, ma-ma, dog + book!
~I know that if you say Brown Bear, you're talking about my favorite book and I will go get it for you to read
~I know who Baylor is!
~I know what ball means and I'll go get that as well!
~I love to climb. If it's knee high, I'm on top of it.
~My helmet is really working well. My last doctor's appointment was pleasantly surprising. The doctor said I may be half way through the process already! I am a growing boy after all...
~I love to play hide+seek! My mommy's the best at this game...
~I think it's funny to slam my hands down on the table. Mommy + daddy will play too! It's especially fun in the water!
~I wave bye-bye!
~I give mommy kisses all the time... :)

"My dad is so silly..."

Some fun moments

Spaghetti!




We took the boys to the Georgia Aquarium yesterday! It was so much fun watching B+H become mesmerized by all of the amazing sea creatures. The nurse sharks, groupers, belugas, + all of the thousands of other fish performed very well for our little buggers!





The Beluga whales were my absolute favorite! They would swim right up to you, face to face, and just dance and play! The boys were so enamored. It was just so sweet to watch.

Nurse Shark

Happy Father's Day!
Today was David's first Father's Day! Baylor + Hunter are two very, very lucky boys to have such an extraordinary father. I know that David will only be an unbelievably positive influence in their lives. He'll be that cool dad who can make weird noises and flies them through the air. And the dad they can always turn to when life throws a curve ball.
He's incredible.

No Title Here... Too Tired To Think!!!

I cannot believe I have been this lazy/busy/spaced out/forgetful/exhausted/etc/etc ~ what ever you want to call it! I have not updated my blog in how long? A month+ maybe?! I have an extensive amount of things to blog about... So here goes!


Who Needs Mom + Dad?
David + I took the boys to the park one day and found out that our babies are becoming pretty independent. Baylor would just take off from us, crawling as fast as his little arms and legs could take him. He just wants to explore the world around him! Hunter was not to interested in leaving us at the time. He likes to sit beside you when you're down on the floor. Here's a video of Baylor crawling towards daddy for once instead of the opposite direction!



He was so proud of himself that day! He would stop for a moment, look back at us to smile and take off again! So sweet yet, so terrifying at the same time.

9 + 10 months
Here's the run down for you:
~In the past month Baylor has started to stand on his own without support. He is almost to the point where he is standing without pulling up on something! I swear they're going to walk before their first birthday.
~We now know how to climb the stairs without hesitation or failure!
~Dancing is what we love to do!!!!!
~Hunter now has his helmet that helps round out his little noggin.
~Both were sick about a week ago.
~Baylor now has 5 teeth with 3 more coming in! Hunter has 4 + his bottom 2 molars are coming in... poor babies

At their 9 month check up (4/12) Hunter was 17.5 pounds + 28.5" long. I took him in on May 4 because he had a 101.5° fever. His weight.... 18.5. Little bugger gained a pound in less than a month! He does eat well. Baylor, at their check up, was 16.22 pounds + just shy of 29" long! They are growing up so fast.

9 month pics

Baylor

Hunter

10 month





Steps? What Steps?
There is just no stopping these two from getting around when ever + where ever they want. Without any hesitation, Hunter and Baylor decided to just climb right up the steps. I am truly happy that they are exploring and wanting to take on new things, but climbing?! This really freaks me out.




Shake Ya Groove Thing!
Hunter + Baylor have mastered the art of dance. The first time I saw Hunter dancing, I honestly didn't know what I was looking at. He was on top of this toy that sings and teaches hands, feet, colors, etc, just moving back and forth so quickly. And then he did it again, + again... I finally realized my little bugger was shaking his groove thang! Of course Baylor didn't come without a dancing gene or two...




This is My Playground!
I think play dates should happen a bit more in our near future! We met up with Heather Hodge and her little fella, Wyatt, for a quick afternoon visit at the park a while back. It was nice getting the boys out and hopefully a little more acquainted with future friends!

Wyatt

Who said anything about wearing them?

Last week we met up with Suzanne Doyle and her little munchkin, Michael. I cannot believe he is going to be 2 this July! Here are some pictures of the boys swinging. Baylor was actually enjoying it this time!



What Are We Going To Do Without This Thing???

Looking good huh?! Hunter has bumped and scratched his head on so many things around the house, his poor little noggin takes some abuse once the helmet comes off! He has to wear it 23 hours every day. So, needless to say he's pretty used to this thing now! But, I will say, his little smile looks so much bigger behind this blue monstrosity, it's unbelievably irresistible!

Easter
Celebrating the holidays is a little harder for us this year because we can't just pack up and go. So, I asked that our fams come to us for Easter this year. My mom, Ken, sis and brother actually packed their butts up and came to us! It was really nice to have them here too. It felt kind of special being the one this time in charge of the food and drinks... like I'm really an adult, with a family of my own.
I delivered poached salmon, herbed spoonbread and a tomato, corn salad to the table. I also made an angel food cake from scratch with homemade whipped cream and strawberries. Mmmm... I'm craving Easter lunch again!

Easter cookies Jackie + I baked ~ John Paul helped us decorate (note the peace sign!)

The setting


The food


The shades

Sweet love surrounding the table...


I do plan on keeping up with my blog. I have just been so busy lately with two parties to plan. I will post my how to's very soon!

XOXO