four is the new three

our big boy is four years old today.

yesterday chris took a video of him dancing.  while showing his cousins the video today, ben explained to them that it was taken back when he was a little boy.

ben is funny.  most recently he has added, 'what in the heck are you talking about?' to his vocabulary.  another gem is 'dangit!!!", to which we reply, 'ben, don't say dangit!", to which he then replies, 'nuts!"

he is loyal.  he makes friends easily.  but he only has one 'best' friend at a time.  and he loves that friend with his whole heart, forever.

 he is intense.  he is the firstborn, afterall.

 he is passionate.  he obsesses about his interests.  he loves gorillas.  he acts like a gorilla.  memorizes facts about gorillas.  asks to be called by his gorilla name.  before gorillas were elephants.  he marched around the house everyday trumpeting his trunk and marching up and down the hall.  before that was dinosaurs.  you get the picture.  he's a quirky one.

he is affectionate when it is not expected of him.  he doesn't like a lot of attention, unless it is from his daddy.  he is curious.  he is smart.  he is cautious. he is imaginative. 

 he is the love of my life.

happy fourth birthday to my first baby boy.

impossible until it is done

this is how i felt twelve weeks ago:

Source: someecards.com via Cortney on Pinterest

this is how i felt yesterday:

Source: i-a-t-g.tumblr.com via Cortney on Pinterest

i ran my first 5k. or as my running coach would say, "my last first race ever". i can now cross that off the bucket list. 

 it was hard, but good.

best part is that ben thinks i won the race.  god bless him.

next up: 5 miles.

greatest hits

back to life, back to reality (who is now singing that 80's song? sorry.)  so, it seems as if there is no such thing as easing into or out of vacation mode.  this week showed us who's boss.  an ear infection, another damn co-pay, scary storms, and realizing yet again that sometimes being a grown-up sucks-a-duck. but there were some bright moments in there as well :)  and those just happen to be the things i snap pictures of, lucky you.

1) baby shower #1: my sister's best friends + a shower themed around her pregnancy cravings = laughing until your cheeks hurt.

 (must i always look so dang tired? geez.)

2) ben's one and only, maggie rose, celebrated her birthday early this year.  as you can see, baby joe wasn't to sure about the whole shebang.

 can't find ben in the fun birthday party group picture?  he's the one refusing to face the camera because he wasn't able to sit next to the birthday girl.  that sure was a fun little tantrum.

the two goofballs were reunited at last.  tantrum over.  praise jesus.

 3) a pancake breakfast.

 4) baby shower #2.  addelyn is already so loved.

 these are sugar cookies, y'all.  they were gorgeous and tasty.  if you want contact info, hit me up.

pinterest makes party planning so much easier, btw.

 5) did you know that my baby has man hands?

oh, and ben turned into a teenager overnight.  betcha didn't know that either.

looking forward to my first ever 5k and my big boy's fourth birthday.  pass the tissues, please.

how was your week?  what are you looking forward to?

until next time,

xoxoxo

today

Source: bippityboppityboo.tumblr.com via Cortney on Pinterest

today most definitely deserves a punch in the face.  tornados popped up all over our neck of the woods, bringing with them panic, worry and stress.

panic, worry and stress do not bring out the best in me.

(especially when i am driving around in torrential rain under a pitch black sky.  not my smartest move.)

bring on tomorrow.

(this song has little, or nothing, to do with anything other than i heard it on the radio when i was in the car by myself the other day.  so i cranked. it. up.  it slows my roll in the very best way.)

*i hope you and your family were unaffected by the awful storms today.  prayers to those who weren't so lucky.

bluebonnet picture FAIL

while taking the long way home from lunch through a neighborhood near our house, i drove past a random patch of bluebonnets on the side of the road.  i threw the car into park, quickly bathed my children with wet ones, and plopped them in the "field" of bluebonnets with strict instructions not to eat or smush them.

now i could finally have some of those cute kid-in-bluebonnets photographs so popular in texas this time of year.

wrong.

 "hey guys, over here."

 

 "crosby, no-no.  no.  no.  ben, make him stop."

 "wheeeere's momma?  wheeeeeere's momma????  yoohoo?"

 "focus, ben."

 "why are you holding your face? is it too bright out here?"

 "crosby!  no-no.  no.  NO!"

 "BEN!  crosby can turn his own head.  thanks for your help, bud."

"good enough.  let's go home."

greatest hits- NOLA edition

every year, chris and his buddies fork over $160 each to join their fantasy football league.  every monday night during football season, they gather together to drink beer, watch games, and enjoy each others company.  we usually celebrate someone else's season win at an annual superbowl party.  but not this year!  chris won the imaginary superbowl.  to him this win means bragging rights, a trophy, and a big, fat cash prize. to me this win means just one thing: a big, fat cash prize.  

we couldn't book our plane tickets to new orleans fast enough.

 although we revisit our favorite city often, the adventure-seeking side of our personalities shine by switching things up each trip.  

wanna see what made my weekend?

 1) hearing kermit ruffins play at vaughn's.  it was a dancy, twirly, sweaty good-time.

2) hard and soft.  

wild flowers growing all over a dilapidated house.  vines crawling on wrought iron.  it sums up everything i love about new orleans.

 3) our balcony.  uh yep, the door is a window.  and yes, my husband is holding cafe au lait and croissants.

loving our balcony so much caused us to spend a lot of time on it,

 which led to me taking pictures of myself,

which led to the consumption of my new-found favorite beer, abita strawberry.

4) and speaking of abita strawberry, they sure were tasty while bellied up to our new favorite bar.  it was dark, the food was tasty, and their motto (as pictured on the sign above the bar) goes something like this:

'remember you can't drink all day if you don't start in the morning'.

 5) walking up and down royal, taking pictures of the colors of the doors and buildings, ducking in and out of antique stores, dreaming of buying art and furniture.

 6) could i be related to ella brennan?

 7) an unforgettable birthday dinner.

 8) a fancy schmancy after-dinner cocktail at the newly renovated carousel bar inside the hotel monteleone.

 9) happening upon a street festival.  we found a vendor from our favorite rib joint in memphis.  serendipitous, maybe?

 10) rounding the corner and running smack dab into a wedding party dancing down the street.

11) the food.  we put our noses to the grindstone, sought and successfully found the best bloody mary in the quarter.  oh, and the best coffee.  and the best breakfast.  i had an eggs benedict po-boy, y'all.  seriously.

 12) my travel buddy.  we have the same interests.  

i like him a lot.  

thanks for winning the imaginary superbowl, baby.

*i will be writing a travel guide soon.

stay tuned.

looking forward to a couple of baby showers and a birthday party.

how was your week?  what are you looking forward to?

until next time,

xoxoxo

boys club

my group of friends is multiplying.  all in all we have eight children, 3 girls and 5 boys, with another little guy due in april.

meet the newest man in our lives: nolan.

the evil stomach bug tried to come between me and my new little snugglebug, so once we finally met, we had to make up for lost time.

he was worth the wait.