Happy Birthday Mom

A couple days late...

Mom, You're amazing. You have such a selfless heart you are always looking for ways to bless others. I wrote this post last year and the words only get more and more appropriate, THANK YOU. It sounds too simple, but I hope I take care of my family like you take care of us. I love you.

~meg

The kids and I spent the night at my parents while Mike was working out of town. 

Chocolate face

The kids had a tea party with Nonnie

 

I got to sneak away with my Crystal for drinks and dinner. Crystal's one of my oldest friends and being with her makes me so happy, she's like family to me. AND, she just had a new baby girl.

Nothing like brownies in PJs. We sang to my Mom and Maxwell kept whispering to me, "Where's the party?" He was so disappointed that my Dad, Mike and my brothers weren't there to celebrate. Hard to explain to a three year old why they have to be at work.

 

 

Nautical Guest Room

Now that we've finished Ella's room, it's fun to think about the rest of the house. Our plan is our bedroom next, then we dream about doing an outdoor covered kitchen/bbq area...which would be so amazing since we love our property and we are out there rain or shine.

But I also daydream about giving our guest room a quick redo. When I became pregnant with the twins, we added a room onto our house for Maegann. It was her senior year of high school and I wanted her to feel like she was getting something special, not getting kicked out of her old room as we made hers the nursery. Mike let me choose the flooring and we put in beautiful dark hardwood, the only real hardwood in our house. Little did I know that these floors show everything, but they are perfect in a guest room. Little Maeg has long since moved out and spread her wings so this room is now dubbed Michael's room (when he comes home) or our guest room. It still has big letters from Urban Outfitters that spell out M E G across one wall. The other wall holds the nails of paintings that she took with her.

The room's fine as it is but here's my vision for it someday...hints of nautical without being too theme y.

Got to start with oars, above the bed

Or maybe above the dresser...

And sweet words in pretty frames...

 Throw some rope in a bowl...

 

Frame a BIG vintage map like this, or a fishing map would be cool

I'd keep the bedding all white or do a stripped duvet in yellow, navy or gray

 

Mike already drywalled and textured the walls, which look really good, but how cool would wide planked walls be painted white?

 

Thank you pinterest for keeping me up too late.

I've Got A Brand New Pair Of Rollerskates

Ella tries out her new skates from Santa. She's very serious about telling me that she wears her helmet because the directions say to. Love my safety girl.

 

 

The Most Special Gifts

My birthday is New Years Day. I turned 32 and I have to say, this has been the best birthday year to date. I had my fabulous wine tasting the week before, and New Years Eve was spent at home with Mike and the kids. We did our favorite thing, back yard BBQ, and early to bed. New Years day Mike asked what I wanted to do and my one request was the movies. We went to see This Is 40, which I loved, at 10 30 in the morning while my mil watched the kids.

We were home in time for the kids to take a nap, which meant Mike and I got to be lazy, then we went out to Mexican food for dinner. My mother in law made a cake for me, because she loves me- but also because the kids were soooo excited to sing happy birthday. When we got home from dinner Max and Ella insisted I give them wrapping paper and tape. I cut out big squares of paper and they raced to their rooms where they spent 15 minutes at work. At one point Ella ran out and said, "Mom, do you think I can ask Santa for tape next Christmas?" Poor girl, I never let her use tape because they go through it so fast. That night I let her use the whole thing.

After they sang to me and helped blow out candles, I opened presents. Cue the cutest moment ever...Maxwell had wrapped up his treasured plastic tool set for me. Ella snuck in my closet and wrapped my favorite old flip flops and a belt. And Mike gave me an iPad for Christmas/Birthday! How sweet is that? It was a perfect birthday. And it just keeps going. On Sunday I went to lunch with girlfriends, we do an annual December/January celebration for a few of our birthdays. This Wed I get to have dinner with my friend Crystal. I'm telling you- best birthday ever :)

 

 

 

My Birthday Part 1

Now that I'm older birthday's aren't usually a big deal. I love to celebrate, but my birthday's now measured by how excited my kids get to help me blow out candles. Well, this year (32) I got a super fun surprise. Cue my dysfunctional/happy family...my stepson Michael was home from New York for Christmas. Some of his friends from LA, who we love, came home to visit for part of the break as well. So Michael's Mom (my husband's ex wife), arranged a fabulous day of wine tasting in a ginormous limo for my birthday/Michael being home/family and friends. I didn't know the details, which made it all the more fun for me. We had such a great time and I felt totally spoiled. We live within 15 minutes of this beautiful wine country.

I can't be sure but this has got to be a posed fake laugh...

 

 

 

 

Little Maeg and I died of happiness when we discovered these bread sicks

What? Mike drinking wine? He was over the wine pretty quick, but he was a trooper for the day

Our only family photo and it was blurry

Michael and Maeg's mom Jennifer, me, my mother in law and little Maeg

I'm thankful that this works for us~

 

Christmas Night

Christmas Night...I can't tell you how impressed I was with little Maegann and Zack. About a month ago they threw out the idea of hosting Christmas dinner at their house this year. They did an AMAZING job. I love many things about their relationship, but my favorite is that they are very much a team. We walked into their home and they had a beautiful table setting to seat all of our family and Zack's family. We pitched in with food but they were the most gracious hosts. Each person had a place setting with their name, and there were five kids under 5! That's enough to intimidate a married woman with kids, but Maeg (21) was all about it. Thank you Maegann and Zack. Dinner was wonderful and it was a really special night.

By the way, if you want to see how blessed I am personally by this girl woman, check out this sweet post she wrote to me for my birthday on her blog.

Our hosts, Maegann and Zack

I love this picture. Mike and his big kids.

 

A little game of Wii before dinner.

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas Eve/Christmas Morning

I'm behind on my memory keeping. I'll start with Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning. We spent another wonderful Christmas Eve with my family at my parents house. I love this tradition.
 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas morning we woke up at home shortly before the big kids pulled in. Maxwell and Ella opened their stockings and Santa presents. Grandma Judie was here before anyone, another perfect Christmas tradition.

 

...and then came the big kids...

 

I know Christmas isn't about the presents, but oh my word the excitement of the little ones is too much. They were sooo ecstatic when they saw family opening the gifts they chose. They made this season so magical and happy.