Review Extravaganza: October, November, and December

One more quarter and one more day and 2014 is complete! Doing these posts has reminded me of some great moments this year.

October

I compared and contrasted Trent and Drew. It's been so fun watching her personality emerge and comparing our kids.

I got a new job! Two months in and I am still SO happy - I like it even more than I thought I would!! And I have enjoyed these holidays even more than usual knowing there ISN'T a busy season starting next week!!

Brent and I celebrated TEN years of wedded bliss.

We took a trip to Colorado to celebrate. Part 1 and Part 2.

I shared some thoughts on marriage.

November

Halloween was recapped - a great time was had by all!

I shared 30 facts about me for a November blog challenge.

Some favorites...

Other good blog challenge posts: childhood dreams, fashion, and favorite pictures.

We had a great Thanksgiving!

December

I shared some updates on our house progress.

8 things that happen every Christmas. {P.S. - I am still listening to carols}

I unveiled our current Christmas card.

And that, my friends, is 2014 in a nutshell!

Review Extravaganza: July, August, and September

Christmas has come and gone, and we are all recovering, ha! Before I upload pics and post, I wanted to continue with the quarterly review extravaganza - I am once again a quarter behind. {grin}

July

July was a busy month apparently as I look back!

Drew turned 18 months old. {Hold me...she turns TWO on Friday!}

Trent had several rights of passage - he lost his first tooth AND gave himself his first haircut.

We celebrated the 4th of July with family and friends.

We sold our house in less than 24 hours!

I shared our future house plans.

August

I turned 34!

We went to a family reunion...kind of.

We moved. Ugh. Can't wait to do that again in a few months. NOT.

The kids started school. Because we're at Montessori, I still don't know if we'd say Trent was in kinder or not? Ha!

September

Trent lost another tooth. Stop growing up!

Beau {my goddaughter} turned ONE.

I realized I am a bad mother and forgot to post about Trent turning 5.

Cousin time!

I shared more about our struggles with Trent. {I should probably do another soon.}

I absolutely love this nonsense post about the failure my father and husband are at dressing girls. I still giggle.

I gave an apartment tour.

So that about sums about the 3rd quarter of my year! Come back later this week when I finish out 2014!

Merry Christmas From the Family {If you don't know this song, please google it}

Santa...Then and Now

I am not the mom who has it together enough to remember to go to the mall and take Santa pictures. I'm just very lucky that our church invites Santa to come. {grin} We've now seen Santa twice - in 2012 and 2014. Pretty big differences!

2012

Who is this little munchkin? I just can't believe how time flies.

Drew's first visit {grin}

2014 

Asking for a Lego set with Babs the Elf

Suspicious Sister wasn't getting any closer!

A Life Update of Sorts...iPhone Pic Overload {Warning}

I was looking through my phone today trying to clear out pictures to get some more memory {the bane of my existence with this phone}, and I realized I had quite a few pictures on here I hadn't shared from the last week or so. The horror!

Last weekend, Brent and I went out to celebrate a friend's birthday and my parents kept the kids. Overnight! It was glorious. There was a Christmas parade in town, and it runs right past my parents' neighborhood, so my sister came over with her kids too.

The girls are ready to go! {Ignore Drew's ragamuffin hair.}

Do we look excited to be going out? {Ignore my swollen eye, I had a stye.}

It is time to admit I am old and can no longer sleep in even when the kids don't wake me up. Sigh. It hurts to admit that. So after too little sleep, we picked up the kids and went to Kristen and Schuyler's for Godparent-palooza. Is it weird that I love that our kids are god-siblings. {grin}

Trent insisted on wearing his pajamas all day. Fine by me.

And can we talk about the deliciousness that is my goddaughter? She and Trent might be betrothed...

Watching Baby Einstein after naps. {More ragamuffin hair, girlfriend sleeps HARD}

You gotta love a girl who knows her mind about picking outfits {even atrocious ones} and finding good seats for a quick bevie break.

This week, Book Club got together for a Christmas tradition of our own - a Christmas party. We had a white elephant gift exchange as well - for the second time no one stole anything. We are all good gift givers I guess! I ended up with an Outlander-esque scarf. #love

Love these ladies and I look forward to many more book {and wine}-related adventures.

School is out for 2 weeks! I think Trent needs a break, and I need a break from the usually once-a-week calls to pick him up for behavior. So Friday the kids spent the day with Nana!

Another awesome outfit choice by a child o' mine.

This weekend was low-key. Some family time {including a trip to the house!}, some friend time for a birthday dinner, church, a library and Starbucks trip, grandparent time...a great weekend! 

Is my mom awesome or what?

And if you can watch this video and not laugh...well, we can't be friends. My daughter certainly has some dance skills!

My Christmas shopping is 95% done, all my presents are wrapped, I'm off work almost all of the next 2 weeks... It's going to be a good end to 2014!

Review Extravaganza: April, May, and June

Doubling up on the review extravaganza to catch up with the rest of the link-up.

April

I participated in the photo-a-day challenge. It was a lot of fun!

Drew turned 15 months old, and I posted an update on her.

The kids moved schools. Overall, this has been the best decision for both kids!

We did Drew's 1-year photo shoot {just a few months late #2ndchildproblems}.

We celebrated Easter with family!

May

We had a great weekend early in the month including a night out for Mom with my BFF!

Mother's Day was celebrated!

My in-laws took us to Pebble Beach!

Trent had his adenoids removed.

June

I went to Florida for my {first} goddaughter's baptism.

The kids and I made a great surprise for Father's Day.

I also spent some time with my dad on Father's Day.

We had a nasty summer stomach bug.

And just like that, my first born turned 5.

Another great quarter with my family. I look like a jet setter taking 2 trips to opposite coasts, ha!

Review Extravaganza: January, February, and March

Karen is doing a super fun link-up that I somehow missed the first week of, so I'm starting off late. Essentially it's reviewing your year 3 months at a time. So with that I'm presenting January, February, and March 2014.

January

January started off strong {and will every year} with us celebrating Drew's birthday! She turned 1 on January 2.

We celebrated with a Winter One-derland party.

I finally sleep-trained Drew...sorta...because she's been back to waking up at night for several months...

That's about it for January, ha.

February

I shared about starting a blog dedicated to essential oils. Love me some Young Living!

Mayer, my sister's youngest, turned ONE! We celebrated with a Happy Hour. {Do we know how to party or what?}

I posted super cute pics {and a video!} of my kids on Valentine's Day.

I shared my plan to nurse Drew until she was 2. We are soooo close!

Trent started seeing a behavioral therapist who we still see and love!

March

Drew played peek-a-boo with my mom, and my heart exploded.

I told a funny story of Brent accusing me of lying.

Seriously, I have the cutest children. Need more proof?

And that was the first quarter of my year!

4 Things

I know I just did a semi-survey kind of a post, but I really love doing them, so you're getting another one! I'm also tired. Drew was sick again today {ugh...but finally we are 24 hours clear on everything so pending a disaster she will be going to school tomorrow!}, and I have a head cold. So hopefully you'll find this fun. {grin}

4 names people call me other than my real name: Mommy, Al, Lanzie, Hippie

4 places I have been: Puerta Vallarta, Turks & Caicos, Colorado, NYC

4 things I don't eat: tomatoes, eggs, mushrooms, onions

4 things I'm actually saying: On this blog I read..., Trent, stop it..., You really should try essential oils, I was reading this book...

4 places I've lived: Cameron, Pflugerville, Bryan/College Station, Austin {all in Texas...lame or cool?}

4 things I'm looking forward to next year: moving into our house!!!!!, trying to take a trip with Brent, convincing Brent we should have another baby, starting my doula training program

4 movies I have watched more than once: Steel Magnolias, 16 Candles, Beaches, The Little Mermaid

4 places I would rather be right now: our new house {ha}, a beach with Brent, NYC for all things Christmas, Book Club happy hour {which is Thursday}

4 books I recommend: Outlander, Before I Go to Sleep, Lonesome Dove, Shanna

4 TV shows I watch: Law & Order: SVU, Game of Thrones, Modern Family, Downton Abbey {season 5 premieres soon...yippee!}

4 jobs I've had: Auditor, pharmacy technician-in-training, bookstore clerk, Lead Resource Management Specialist {my current title!!}

The First Last 48: A Timeline

The last 2 days have just been some that make you shake your head and laugh at all the insanity. These are the days that make me wonder how I will ever convince Brent we should go for another baby! Or if I am insane for wanting another. {Brent, zip it!} Let me share...

Thursday
2:15 AM - Trent wakes me up scaring me half to death asking me to help him blow his nose because it's stopped up. We blow his nose and he goes back to sleep.
2:30 AM - Trent is back. He wants to get in bed with us.
2:30 - 2:55 AM - He snorts, sniffles, and rubs his toes up and down my legs. I get up and go get in his bed.
5:00 AM - Drew wakes up blazing hot. #awesome

*Normal morning routine follows, but Brent stays home in the morning so I don't have to wake up Drew for a ride to school.*

9:00 AM - Drew wakes up and fever is gone!

*Spend morning trying to work and entertain baby.*

4:00 PM - Entire family goes to look at house. Lots of progress happening! Rain though so everyone is muddy! Trent falls down and gets a cactus thorn in his leg.
5:00 PM - On the ride home, Trent won't stop his extreme sniffling routine, and Drew is singing Love is an Open Door. Brent and I just laugh.
7:30 PM - After making Trent stand in a shower for 20 minutes trying to clear his nose, we try to use a sinus rinse. He repeatedly squirts himself with saline water in the eye. Hilarious.

Friday
7:15 AM - Wake Drew up who is clammy feeling. Decide to see if my mom can watch her just in case she is still not 100%.
7:45 AM - Drew begins barfing. Yup, I'd say she's not 100% yet. [Sidebar: This is the first time in 5 1/2 years of parenting I've had a kid throw up.]
8:00 AM - Brent takes Trent to school. The barfing continues. Operation wash everything and use Thieves oil on everything begins.
11:00 AM - Still barfing and now the school calls to pick up Trent for behavior. Sigh.

Let the good times keep on coming!

8 Things That Happen Every Christmas

I saw this fun post on another blog and knew I had to do it too. If you know me in real life or just follow my blog, you'll know I am obsessed with Christmas. Somewhere along the lines of Buddy the Elf mixed with the Grinch after his heart grew with a sprinkle of Clark Griswold. Luckily {sarcasm alert}, I am married to Scrooge, so our house doesn't explode with Christmas cheer like I wish it would. But there are certain things I am able to get away with every year, Scrooge be damned!

1. Decorations
I did an entire post about my Christmas decorations. I love to decorate for holidays, but I tend to go overboard for Christmas, and I LOVE it. This year is a little different living in an apartment with all my decorations in storage. Our decorations consist of a 3' tall tree my mom bought on Black Friday at Wal-Mart for $14 and a snow globe. Womp, womp.

2. Christmas clothes
I absolutely love decorating the kids up in Christmas clothes and pajamas. I abhor rompers for boys {called john-johns...sick} and pants with ruffles for girls, so you'll never catch my kids in those, but I do love a good Christmas t-shirt, and I got the cutest dress for Drew this year.

3. Listening to Christmas carols
I used to make myself wait until Thanksgiving to turn on the carols. Then I decided to screw it all. This is my all-time favorite holiday, and if I want to celebrate a little extra, so be it!

4. Geeking out over Starbucks holiday cups
November 1 rolls around, and I think 'Holiday cups are here!' I might have a problem.

5. Eating way too many sweets and blaming it on the Holidays
I have a crazy sweet tooth and the holidays give me too many excuses to enjoy some once-a-year snacks. My mother-in-law makes this amazing cranberry tea, and I drink it like crazy. She even made me a pitcher after Drew was born last year {or holy crap almost TWO years ago...although technically I am right that it was last y ear}, I was in heaven! I also love holiday wreaths. My mom took over making them after my Granny passed away, and they are a MUST every year.

6. Looking at lights
We don't necessarily have a tradition of where we go, but I love driving around and looking at lights. This year has been especially fun as Trent likes to vote on whether he likes them {over the top colorful gets his vote...he is so my son} or they are boring {plain white? you lose!}. Drew also loves it, and says 'More lights' after we pass a house and then will should 'I like it!' at every house with lights. #andmyheartexplodedfromthecutenessinthebackseat As a kid we used to drive around in my parents' hometown on Christmas night all bundled up in my Granny's car. I hope to make it something my kids remember every year.

7. Last minute Christmas shopping
I am the worst at buying presents. It stresses me out, which is SO not the point of the holidays. I have a friend who is amazing at gift-giving. It is her thing. It is most definitely NOT my thing, and I am guaranteed to be paying crazy shipping for buying something on December 22!

8. Make {stress out over} our family Christmas card
I love sending Christmas cards and hanging the ones we get on the fridge. I'm usually late about it, but this year I have already mailed out all our cards, except for a few stragglers that I got the addresses for a little late. Every year I think our card is the best, but I'm really very pleased with this years! Tune in on Christmas Day for the big reveal!

Some recent cards:
2013
2012
2011
2010

What do you do every year? Are you a Scrooge or a Clark?

Movie Review: Mockingjay Part 1

Over Thanksgiving, me and a couple of book club girls went and saw the 3rd Hunger Games movie: Mockingjay Part 1.  

Plot: When Katniss destroys the Games, she goes to District 13 after District 12 is destroyed. She meets President Coin who convinces her to be the symbol of the rebellion, while trying to save Peeta from the Capitol. {If you haven't read the books or seen any of the movies you just went Huh? Ha!}

Review: I have enjoyed all the Hunger Games movies {and books}, and this one didn't disappoint. There's a lot less action as this book was more political, but I was never bored. I think JLaw is an amazing Katniss, and overall, it's a great movie. I also loved a song Jennifer sang in the movie and downloaded it from iTunes {The Hanging Tree}. Apparently I wasn't the only one as it went to #12 on iTunes!

Weekend Recap

We had a low-key weekend. But one that makes you sad for Monday to roll back around.

I just had to share this because I cracked up. I sent this to book club because we have a rule that we have to wear stretchy pants to our meetings and we all drink wine. I mean seriously though - wouldn't this store do awesome?

I know I JUST said I wouldn't do constant house updates, but we went to the house on Saturday with my parents to show them the progress, and there were already a lot of changes! Windows are going in and the roof is on! I took some pictures on my phone that Brent accidentally deleted when deleting the 150 pictures Trent took. {grin}

This was the first time I noticed this sign. LOVE IT!!!

Trent played Monopoly with Brent's mom the other day, and he is OBSESSED. We bought it on Friday, and it's pretty much all he's done. He is doing so good - he totally understands the rules, and we love that he's working on counting, math, and especially dealing with losing!

At this moment, I had just mortgaged 5 properties to pay a $1,050 hotel bill and then landed in jail. I had 4 properties left and $24 to my name. Needless to say, he kicked my butt that game!

 Today, we were literally walking out the door to go drive around and look at lights when Trent decided he wanted to build his gingerbread house instead. After about 10 minutes of decorating, he took all the candy off, ate a few bites of the house, and then threw everything away. At least he had fun?

This girl just ate candy, put about 2 pieces of candy on her house and then licked it a bunch. She is SO my daughter.

I am not ready for work tomorrow!

House Update...We Sorta Have Walls!

I didn't want to go overboard and drive everyone crazy with constant updates on the house. Look, we have foundation! Look, here's a wall! etc... So I thought I'd accumulate a few stages and post together. We've officially had some good progress in the last month, and it's so exciting to see.

Foundation was poured on Halloween Day!

Framing part 1 started about 2 weeks later

Framing stage 2 added a roof! 

{Look at that gorgeous blue sky and our huge tree in the front!}

 Walls getting started...Front view

Back view

Brent and I go tomorrow to pick out cabinets. We are getting close to having all our decisions made...except I'm second-guessing some of them {namely lighting and paint color}. Brent is being great, and he has said to go look at them again and if we want to change, we need to do it now. So we'll see what sticks!

Gobble On

We had such a great Thanksgiving! This time of year is for sure my favorite. I get giddy {giddier} and cheesy {cheesier}. Brent would probably muzzle me if that were considered acceptable behavior.

Tuesday was my sister's birthday and Trent's Thanksgiving feast at school, so I took a half day from work. I brought my sister Starbucks and worked from her house for a few hours. Her kids were so confused why I was there without my kids!

Happy birthday to the best sister ever!

When I got to Trent's lunch he told me 'This is the best day ever!' If that doesn't melt your heart!

After I got the kids from school, we went to my parents. My mom was keeping Patty's kids so she could go out with friends for her birthday.

Trying to get a picture of all 5. Yeah, it went super great.

We SO deserved some wine!

Clean baby ready for bed

Wednesday the kids didn't have school. We stayed home and were bums. 

Starving! When are the cinnamon rolls going to be done?!?!

Guess how much they ate? About 1/4 of one together.

By Wednesday evening, we were a little stir crazy {I even started cleaning if that tells you anything}. Rhonda invited us over to play for a bit and have dinner. Trent plays great with Rhonda's girls, and he couldn't get in the car fast enough.

This makes my heart happy. Friends!

My 2 turkeys laying on our bathroom rugs under Drew's blankets.

We spend Thanksgiving Day with Brent's family, Brent got to do some hunting too, and the day after relaxing at home. {No Black Friday shopping for me - that would be more like torture!} Trent spent the night with Brent's parents, so he was in HEAVEN.

Saturday we celebrated with my mom's family. We also celebrated my dad's birthday {which was Friday} and again my sister's. It was a fun birthday because my sister turned 36 and my dad 63. My grandpa died when he was 62, so I was especially thankful to celebrate this birthday with my dad. I pray I get a lot more birthdays with my dad then he got with his.

Happy birthday to 2 of my favorites!

We also took a picture as a family for my parents' Christmas card. Again, it isn't an easy fete to get 5 kids to smile, look at the camera, and not act like torture victims.

#fail

I'd say he enjoyed himself.

Trent went with me to Target today, and he was so sweet and adorable, I bought him about a million things. My mom bought us a little tree for our apartment {it makes me both happy and sad, ha}, so Trent insisted we needed ornaments for it. And he HAD to have a snow globe. And some books. And a new Christmas t-shirt. 

My excellent shopping date

I rounded out the weekend with a movie date with some of my book club ladies. We saw Mockingjay Part 1. I'd say it was a pretty perfect weekend!

Book Club Book Review: Me Before You

I'm being super lazy {as can be evidenced by my lack of blogging}, but I'm tired and a little sick, so the thought of uploading holiday pictures and blogging about the goodness that has been the last few days must wait. {grin} Instead you get the latest book club review! Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Plot: I really don't want to share with you the full plot of the story, because I think it gives the ending away {or at least it did for me}, so I am going to give you just a portion: Before Louisa met Will, her plans didn't reach beyond their tiny English town. Will, when he wasn't closing multimillion-dollar deals, blew off steam scaling mountains, leaping from planes, and enjoying exquisite women--until an accident left him paralyzed and seriously depressed. When his mother hires Lou to keep his spirits up, he meets her awkward overtures with caustic contempt, but she's tenacious and oddly endearing. Their fondness grows into something deeper...

Review: I absolutely LOVED this book. Amy {who also picked Before I Go to Sleep} chose another winner! Was it the best book I've ever read? No. Was it the best writing ever? No. But was the story beautiful? Yes! Did it make me think about life from a different point of view? Yes! Did I cry at the end both happy and sad tears? Yup. I also felt like it gave us some really good discussion because we had some differences of opinion for our questions, and I really think that makes for a fun get together [nerd alert]. Added bonus - this will be our 5th book being made into a movie! Can't wait!

Favorite Family Photos #NovemberBlogathon