Mother's Day

We kicked off Mother's Day weekend with a little date night at Birmingham Botanical Gardens for the Arc Stories event.  We picked up food and met some friends and had a fun night listening to live storytellers.  I love the Arc Stories podcast.  I have a love/hate relationship to going to the events because while I enjoy listening to the stories live, I hate that then I've already heard the stories when they are on the podcast. So I don't go to many events but the one in the gardens is my favorite.

I'm not going to lie, getting there was a pain.  We were worried about getting our food and getting there on time.  When we got there we realized they didn't put forks in our to go food.  I threatened to leave and go home.  We ran to a store and picked some up.  It was really no big deal and I totally over-reacted. 

We made it a quadruple date night and it was so much fun! 

The kids spent the night with my parents.  Saturday before I picked them up I ran to the store to get last minute Mother's Day gifts.  Then we came home and relaxed at home!  I feel like we've been on the go so much this spring it was nice to just be home.

Patrick went to the grocery store on his way home and got stuff to grill steaks for my Mother's Day dinner.  We cooked way to much food but it was all so good! AveryAnn and her daddy both love corn on the cob.  She will eat her weight in corn.  

I forgot to take a picture before I dug in.

Sunday we got up and went to Mass.  I found this sweet Lilly Pulitzer outfit for AveryAnn in a consignment sale.  It is adorable and I love it so much.  They don't make this print anymore so I got on ebay to see if I could find a shirt or something that matched it for me.  Much to my surprise I found a dress so I ordered it. (I was talking to my mom about it and she ended up also ordering one for me.)  I love it so much!  I know she won't want to match me for long so it's fun while it lasts.

My sister and I both had our picture made in this little dress when we were around 3 years old.  I'd been talking about having AveryAnn's picture made in it for a while but I made my mom get it out for me so I wouldn't forget about it and her out grow it.  It fits her perfect right now so I need to hurry up and get her picture made in it.

We got to see Madelyn and Brooks (John and Hope too).  We were obsessed with Spot books as kids and of course my mom still has all of ours.  (For Barrett's first birthday John got him a Spot book and I ugly cried.  It was so sweet)  Now my kids are kind of obsessed with them too.  My mom got them all out for them when they were staying with them.  So AveryAnn was telling Madelyn all about Spot.  The girls are starting to play together more and more.  Madelyn goes to daycare and you can tell she's a lot more comfortable around other kids.  AveryAnn is getting there.

We left my parents and went to Patrick's parents.  We're so thankful for his Mama every year but especially this year.  It's been a difficult year for her but she is so strong and makes me want to be a better person!  We're so thankful for both of our mother's for everything they do for us.  They are so supportive and never hesitate to drop everything to help us in any way.  As I get older, I'm realizing not everyone is so lucky.  I try not to take either of them for granted.  

Easter Weekend

We had a wonderful weekend spending time with family celebrating Easter!  Last week was spring break here but I had to work so Barrett went to school 3 days.  We went to the park on Wednesday and then Friday we went to the zoo.  We were supposed to meet some friends but they had to cancel at the last minute and I'd already told the kids we would go so off we went.  It was a little cooler than I was planning for and a little crowded, but we had a fun afternoon.

Barrett still likes to ride in the stroller.  So he just held AveryAnn and it worked out perfectly.  She wouldn't ride unless he was holding her.  They were so sweet together!

This area by the predator house was so pretty with the wisteria blooming.

We had to ride the carousel.  AveryAnn won't ride on an animal but Barrett loves it!

She wouldn't take her eyes off Barrett.

I took this picture to send to my friends saying "Just hanging out with all our friends at the zoo!"  Just a little passive aggressive. Ha!  We came home after the zoo, cleaned house and got ready for the weekend!

Saturday morning we got up and headed to the Easter Egg hunt at church.  The Knights of Columbus has been putting on this egg hunt for as long as I can remember!  We went every year as kids and it's one of my favorite memories.  I love getting to take my kids each year!

John, Hope and Madelyn joined us!  Madelyn was a pro!  AveryAnn was just there for the jelly beans.

 

The best picture I could get of my two bunnies!

I love these people so much!  The days are long but the years are so short! 

After the egg hunt at church we headed to my grandmothers for lunch.  The little kids hunted eggs and we just sat out and enjoyed the beautiful weather!

We came home and picked up the house to get ready for the Easter bunny to come!!  I was in the kitchen and I heard the kids giggling, when I walked in I saw them snuggled up together.  They really are so sweet together!

Barrett got up while I was having my quiet time Easter morning and he was just beside himself that the bunny came and brought him a basket.  It was so sweet!

The bunny really worried because there wasn't anything they could really play with right away.  It was mostly necessities.  They each got a swimsuit, sandals, sunglasses, an activity book, a mashem and candy.  Barrett also got some camo binoculars.  But you would have thought it was filled with gold.  He was so excited!  

He happily posed for a picture before he dug right in!  

AveryAnn slept a lot later than Barrett and she still wasn't very excited when she did get up!

We all got dressed and I tried to snap a few pictures before we left for Mass. 

He was so proud of that bowtie!

They had to wear their new sunglasses and AveryAnn would not let us take her new flip flops off. So she wore them to church. 

I know I'm biased but I thought they looked so sweet.

After church we headed to my mom and dad's house for lunch.

We got a few family pictures.  My dress is actually my moms.  I've always loved it so much, it finally fits this year so I decided to wear it today.  I need to find a good picture of her wearing it too.

Mom was insistent she get a picture with all the grandkids.  AveryAnn was having none of it.  Today is also my parents 41st wedding anniversary.  Yes, they got married on April Fools.

We left there and headed home to recharge before dinner at the Horton's house.  Patrick volunteered to rock AveryAnn back to sleep after she woke up from her car nap.  Please notice there is no baby in this picture.  She never went back to sleep.  She cried when I walked by so I got her out of his lap but he never budged.  I think he's the only one that got any nap today.  

It was a beautiful weekend celebrating our risen Lord.  We've got a busy month leading up to our anniversary trip so we're gearing up for that!  

New Year's Eve

We haven't done anything for New Year's Eve in years and we were so excited to actually have plans this year.  We went back and forth about what we wanted to do.  I wanted to go bowling, no one else seemed excited about that.  Patrick called one day and said Sister Hazel was playing at the Alabama Theatre for their 90th birthday celebration.  I love any excuse to go to the Alabama Theatre and I was excited to get to dress up.  We made plans to go with Jeremy, Jessica, Brittany and Seth. 

We were all really excited until we realized how late midnight is, and how old we were.  So I made a giant iced coffee while I was getting ready.  You know you're old when your pregame for the pregame is coffee.

Funny story, Brittany and I both kind of stalked this sequin dress at Target all December long.  We wanted it but had no where to wear it and knew it would be silly to buy.  Well when we decided we'd be spending NYE at the beautiful Alabama Theatre I knew sequins would be perfect so I went back and grabbed up the last one.

We met at Jeremy and Jessica's house for pizza and drinks before the show.  We decided to all ride together and Jessica offered to be the DD

Meanwhile, back at my parents house the kids were partying hard.

Every year.  Oh that little NYE newborn.  I can't believe how quickly the time has passed.

We walked in just as Taylor Hicks was starting his set.  I loved him on American Idol.  I love that he loves Birmingham and he's a really good performer.

After his set he had a little meet and greet in the lobby, I didn't go get in line but I did see him taking pictures with fans. Just a super nice guy.

We're so excited to be out with grownups!  Also we're tired.

Sister Hazel was great.  Took me right back to middle school.  It was a fun little time warp.  The quit playing around 11:30 to give everyone enough time to go outside and countdown to the lighting of the new "Alabama" sign on 18th street.  It was freezing so we killed time taking pictures in the lobby.

Jeremy and Jessica

Brittany and Seth

Patrick and me.

Then we made the guys take our picture.

Then we made them let us take their picture.

With the Alabama sign that's always been there.

And the new one!

Group shot!

Both signs all lit up!

We quickly got to the car because it was so cold.  We headed back to Jeremy and Jessica's house, ate more pizza and then headed home.  It was such a fun night and the perfect way to close out a banner year welcome in a new one.  2017 was good to me.  I learned a lot about myself.  I'm so proud of all the progress I made.  I'm so excited looking forward to all 2018 has in store.  It's going to be a great one!