Saturday, January 27, 2018

What up January???

This is what all we've been up to so far this January.....

The kids didn't go back to school until the 3rd, so they spent time playing with friends and new toys

Our rec league opened their new recreation center and we went to the ribbon cutting. It is so nice! They have basketball courts, a walking track that overlooks, workout room, meeting space and workout classrooms. 



Every day for school, Hollon insists on taking at least 10 small toys with her to leave in the car

 Ready for school!

2 Barbie princesses, comb, and purse with several shopkins....

Photo prop for this day? Belle doll.


Hollon's love language is tiny figurines

This is a picture another mom took of the boys after a game. So far, we've only lost one game! 

Hollon has been complaining that she doesn't have a warm hat, so I picked her up a cheap one on clearance at Old Navy. She insisted on wearing it right away.

The great grandkids call Granddad Jake's wife GG Kathy. The other day, Hollon asked about "Granddad Jake and GG Cavity". (They've been learning about taking care of your teeth at school). I DIED laughing. I had to get it on video because it is one of my favorites.

These 2 can fight a ridiculous amount considering they have a 5 year age gap between them. But other times, they are the sweetest with each other.

Rob was out of town 2 weekends in a row. Being that I work from home, by the time the weekend comes around, I'm dying to get out and for something different. After basketball practice Saturday morning we went to the mall to run some errands. (There were only 3 stores I had to go to, but yet with the kids, it took us 4 hours.) Because we have to take breaks to do things like ride the carousal..... 

....not to mention the fact that Hollon always has to go to the restroom when we are the furthest away from one. 

Jake needed some new tennis shoes. While in the shoe store, Hollon spotted some light up paw patrol hot pink shoes. I did the riskiest thing I've ever done as a parent..... 
....I let her try them on.

It was hilarious. She pranced and danced around that store wearing them. 
They didn't make it home with us.

That afternoon we went to a birthday party for one of her friends. The friend's mom is a teacher at the gym that I'd like Hollon to take gymnastics with next year. They had a beam, and bars and other equipment. Hollon was obsessed. The next week when we went to her actual dance studio for her gymnastics class, she cried saying she wanted to go to "Layla's nastics".



Sunday after church, we went to the McWane Center. Before Jake started kindergarten, we had an annual membership and would go every few months. Honestly, it is not my favorite and I don't think it is that great, but Jake LOVES it. We have not been since Hollon was born (except for a field trip), so I surprised the kids with a trip there that afternoon. 



They did have a new (to us) kiddie area. It was super cute and I was very impressed with it. But Jake was way too old for it. And I didn't feel comfortable him roaming around the rest of the center without an adult. Thankfully, the kids were pretty good sports about splitting time between what Jake wanted to do and what Hollon wanted. 




This was one of Jake's favorites when he was Hollon's age too




Afternoon princess tea

Weekend #2 Rob was out of town. Once again Jake had basketball practice that morning.

That afternoon, we met our friends at a new trampoline park

Hollon loved these fabric swings



Sunday after church we tried out a park that we don't usually go to. I knew they had a large bike path, so the kids brought their bikes and rode. Then we hit up their playground.

As we were leaving the park, one of Jake's friends mom called to see if Jake could come play (they live in our neighborhood). 
Hayden's mom is so good about taking pictures. I love it!
Ready for a new week!


Hollon's hair.... UGH! Our newest battle is hair battles. She will not let me pull the side back and put a bow in her hair (my very favorite little girl hairstyle). She will only let me put it in low pigtails (Ana hair) or a ponytail (Elsa hair). And NO bow. Hollon's hair does not do well in a ponytail (as seen above, these were after school one day). Her hair is so straight and fine, it just slips out of a ponytail. 

So we compromised. She'll let me pull the side back and will wear a bow for pictures and if we are going somewhere other than school. And I don't make her wear a bow for school. We are 1 week in and still not arguing, so I count that as a win. 

Her new pose for this week is her hands up in the air




This outfit was picked out by Hollon (with a little help from mom). I had been winning the clothing battle because Hollon loves dresses. So I just let her pick from her dresses which she wants to wear. This day though, she found her skirts. 😲
Trying to get her to pick out things that matched this skirt while still making her think these were all her decisions was tricky.



And we ended the week with Jake celebrating his 100th day at school!
I question rather he looks like an old man or an out of work vacuum salesman, but either way, he loved it. (Every store was out of silver hair spray and of course I didn't start putting the outfit together until the day before [too late for Amazon prime😒]. So we put baby powder in his hair. Not perfect, but close enough!)



Friday, January 26, 2018

Good-bye 2017

Recap of Previous Years:
2008: {Surprises}
2009: {Happiness}
2010: {Peace}
2011: {Change}
2012: {Hope}
2013: {Reflective}
2014: {New}
2015: {Fun}
2016: {Growing Up}
2017: {Steady}

I picked the word steady to represent our 2017 year. I realize that, that doesn't sound very exciting, but it was nice. Over the last 9 years, we've had surprises, disappointments, changes, so I'll gladly take a year that is steady. 

In January, we went to Auburn one weekend to see gymnastics and basketball {here}. In February, we lost our precious Maw-Maw, but we rejoice that she is no longer in pain and is reunited with Paw-Paw {here}. We still had things to celebrate in February thought, like Valentine's Day, Jake's class field trip to American Village, and Jake's 8th birthday party {here}. In March, we headed to Atlanta for Gaines birthday part {here}. Hollon turned two and a half and it was fun to compare her 30 month update to Jake's. {here}. Jake was awared Student of the Month & Hollon had her first dentist appointment {here}. Jake played baseball and Hollon had a hundred clothing meltdowns {here}. We also had our first ER visit {here}. In April, we went to Atlanta for Mae Stanley's baptism {here} and walked in the MS Walk in honor of Mimi {here}. Robbie and I celebrated our 9th year of marriage.
We had a lot of Easter fun {here} & {here} and we attended an event at the Birmingham zoo {here}. In May, Hollon had her end of the year art show, Jake went on his last 2nd grade field trip to Old Baker's Farm & he participated in his school's first annual Color Fun Run {here}. The cousins from Atlanta came to visit {here}. Hollon finished up her last day of 2K and Jake finished up 2nd grade {here}. Went to Eufaula for the Bush Family Reunion {here}. In June, WE WENT TO DISNEY WORLD!! {here} & {here} & {here} & {here} & {here}. Once we got back, Jake got to go to golf camp and we started potty training Hollon {here}. Jake and Robbie went to the Father Son weekend at McCallie (and while they were doing that, I took Hollon to get her first pedicure {here}. We had a blast when our best friends from Chattanooga came to visit {here}. In July, we spent 4th of July in Chattanooga {here}. We had summer fun making slime and hanging out with friends {here}. In August we had a fun day in Prattville with all our cousins and I had my annual girls weekend {here}. We had some before school starts fun at a water park and chuck-e-cheese and dad got to take his annual boys weekend{here}. Then Jake started 3rd grade! {here} Hollon finished up her summer at CCS, we snuck in some pool time and had a special ice treat  {here} And we ended the month celebrating Hollon's 3rd birthday! {here} In September, we spent many weekends during the fall in Auburn{GA Southern here}{Mercer here}{MS State here}{Ole Miss here}{GA here}{LaMonroe here}{AL here} Hollon had her first day of school {here} and her first day of dance {here}. We also had Hollon's actual birthday party {here}. The same weekend as Hollon's birthday party, her cousins from Atlanta came to visit, Jake got to go to a PGA tournament with dad & granddad and Hollon got to see Disney on Ice with her best friends! {here}. And Robbie celebrated his 39th birthday. Come October, we went to Chattanooga for Robbie's 20 year high school reunion {here}. Jake's class had a feild trip to Desoto Caverns {here}. Hollon celebrated her school's fall festival and we spent an afternoon at the lake with our best friend neighbors {here}. We visited a pumpkin patch {here} and celebrated Halloween with our neighborhood friends {here}. In November, Jake & dad enjoyed a morning of paintball {here}. Hollon got to go to a horse farm, Jake went camping with dad, we celebrated Friendsgiving & Hollon had her fall musical {here}. Before we knew it, is was already December! We had a snow day!! {here}. I had the best birthday surprise ever, when my Robbie arranged for my 2 best friends to come up and spend the day with me {here}. And we celebrated Christmas parties {here}. We spent the weekend before Christmas in Prattville with my family {here}. We celebrated Jake turning 9 {here} and then headed back to Birmingham to celebrate Christmas with Robbie's family {here}. And then we rung in the New Year's Eve with neighborhood friends {here}. 2017 was a great year indeed!

Isaiah 26:3-4 You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.

New Year's Eve

We really didn't have any plans for New Year's Eve and had just planned on hanging out with our next door neighbors. But then other friends in the neighborhood joined along, so we ended up hosting a dinner party and then ringing in the new year. Everyone brought the meat they wanted to grill and an additional dish. It was all last minute, but we had a blast!




 We do a very casual meat & cheese tray during football season. It is always eaten so fast. Since we were having a fancier dinner, I decided to step up the tray. It looked beautiful, but was hardly touched! 

This picture was actually taken after everyone had a bite! This was the leftovers! 
Our neighbor made this dessert. How cute it it?!?!

And that is where I stopped taking pictures. I was so busy running around, I didn't even realize until the next morning that I didn't take any pictures of actual people. Oops!