Port Aransas

I will remember this year spent in Port Aransas as the year the girls fell in L.O.V.E with the beach.  We had a great time soaking up mild weather and most importantly each other.

Here are a few pictures (all taken from my phone) of our 5 days in Port Aransas if you would like a sneak peak of some of my favorite memories (more to come once I have downloaded all of my pictures :)).

Hope you have a great Monday :).

Friday Favorites | What's on my Christmas List

I thought it would be fun to link up with Andrea, Erika and Narci this Friday to show you what I know will become some of my favorite things- the things that are currently on my Christmas wishlist.

Since we have two kiddos, sometimes decorating my house is lowest on the budget totem pole, so I always look to see what I can ask for during Christmas that I know I have a spot for and will go straight into use.  That being said, I asked for two prints this year that will go straight on our gallery wall (we already have frame- just not enough art).  As a reminder, here is what our gallery wall currently looks like.

I asked for this print (to go on the left) and this print (to go on the right).

In the same realm, as you can recall from my house goals post, I am desperately trying to redecorate/decorate our mantle.  My friend, Kelli, sent me this image and I am smitten with the simplicity of it all.

Accordingly, I asked for this boxwood topiary to go in place of the iris in the picture above- it has been a favorite of mine for a long time.

Now moving onto a few clothing items, I asked for my favorite grey Toms.  I bought a new pair in preparation of my Asia trip (my other ones had big holes in them), but alas after only three weeks of wearing them- I left them on the airplane #infirstclass #firstclassproblems.

I also asked for two new pairs of my favorite stud earrings - in white and hot pink (these earrings make such a statement).

And last, but not least in the jewelry realm- I asked for this cute necklace (my mom has it and loves it! and I just think it will pair with so many other necklaces as well).

And then, so I can make some progress on my reading goals (ha, those are nonexistent with two littles ;)), I asked for this book from my favorite bloggers!

We have a few other things on our Christmas list (hello, new muffin pan!), but those above are truly my favorites :).

I Am Thankful

… for the two girls that made me a mommy; it really is the best gift in the world

… for my husband that is truly my best friend 

… for the sweetest morning kisses bye bye from my baby girl

… for stolen date nights amidst the craziness of raising two toddlers

… for 4pm phone calls with my sister where we talk everything from work to baby to husbands

… for mid-week coffee dates with my sisters that will always snap me out of a funk

… for snuggles in my blardigan; it really is the coziest

… for Sunday afternoon naps with my biggest girl

… for my morning cup of coffee that is always guaranteed to put me in a good mood

… for night night prayers with sweet Ev’s; it is so fun to listen to who she picks to pray for each night

… for Sunday mornings/afternoons spent at my parents’ house letting the girls soak up their grandparents
... for sisters, it is the best gift my parents gave me (and I am hoping it is the best gift that we give Emma and Everly ;))

… for a career that took me to places I never imagined I would see in my wildest dreams

… for a body that let me breastfeed my baby for 21 months

… and, likewise, for a baby that finally moved out of our room and into her crib and most importantly that sleeps all night

… for walks to the lake with Papa George

… for trips to the zoo, specifically the water park – the joy it brought the girls this summer was so fun to watch

… for Starbucks/smoothie dates with my dad

… for a husband that supports my career 100% even when that might mean big changes for our little family

… for God’s grace to pick me back up when I falter

… for family road trips – we had the best time going to Disney World this year!

… for preschool teachers that love our girls like crazy and make learning fun
... for trips to the museum; we love to craft there

… for playdates with baby Seodore, baby Connor and baby M; it is so fun to watch my girls love on other babies

… for relishing the small moments of everyday life (nightly family walks in the fall/nightly pool swims in the summer/pizza dinners with Bobbob and Colleen/bedtime cuddles/bath time play)

… for baby girl clothes, because let’s be honest- I adore dressing my two girls

… for a chance to get away to Mexico this year to celebrate our five year anniversary

… for imaginative play, I just love watching my girls minds work their magic
... for Wes's family - I love the way my in-laws and sister-in-laws love our children

… for the perspective that the days are long, but the years are short because let’s face it- raising two toddlers can be challenging ;)

What's Up Wednesday | November

Happy Wednesday before Thanksgiving!! I am currently in Port Aransas, Texas soaking up my two littles and immediate family for our annual family vacation.  I hope you are having a fun Thanksgiving break filled with lots and lots of yummy food :).

What we’re eating this week…

All things Thanksgiving considering tomorrow is Turkey Day!!  In addition, we are bringing supplies to the coast for bacon and tot casserole and these ham and cheese sandwiches :).

What I’m reminiscing about…

I am not sure this is reminiscing or just thinking about or just hoping this doesn’t happen again this year – but as we prepared to head to the coast this weekend, I was reminiscing about my two girls being attached to me at all times during last year’s trips.  I really try to put an emphasis on savoring each phase knowing that they move on in a blink of an eye, but them being all over me at all times was a bit stressful (this is how I spent the majority of my time last year).

Here is to hoping they are a bit more independent this year.

What I’m loving…

Everything Christmas already. As much as I love Thanksgiving, I think I can have a grateful heart even while preparing for Christmas early.  That being said, we are definitely in the put Christmas decorations up before Thanksgiving camp (even though our decorations are minimal).  We decorate our fireplace mantel and Christmas tree and I just love the twinkling lights (Wes timed them to come on shortly after the girls wake up, turn off during nap time, come back on later in the  afternoon and then off around bedtime) – it is so fun to see the girls eyes light up with the lights come on.

We also did our first Christmas activity this week- Holiday in the Park (more on this below)!!

Even though it was freezing outside – we had such a good time exploring and taking in the rides and lights.

What we’ve been up to…

We had a blustery, cold weekend (we had a cold front where the temperatures dropped and winds from the north came in) freezing our Texas bones.  On Friday night, we stopped by my parents house and while my dad and Em's went across to the lake, I caught this sweet moment of my mom and Everly playing the piano.

The next morning, Emma had her last soccer game where Everly and I attempted to stay warm on the sidelines.

And Emma was more concerned about keeping her hands in her pockets as opposed to actually playing soccer ;).  Can you spot her way over there in the lefthand side of the picture (not in on the action at all ;))?

We took naps and headed to Six Flags to soak up freeze at Holiday in the Park.

Her baby blues combined with my winter hat had me swooning :).

As did Ev's excitement about the reindeer! She has the cutest pronunciation of reindeer that I will never be able to type out correctly.

We rode the swings a couple of times where Everly kept claiming 'this really fun'.

Emma and I shared her sentiments :).

They love riding in this cute train together.

And after dinner, there were hugs all around (maybe they were super excited about the pizza they ate?).

We took a ride on Goldie where Emma informed us that Goldie was growing up so soon she will be able to go up and down ;).

We headed to my parents house so that Wes could help him load up kayaks - Emma was in her element helping out bossing everyone around.

The next morning after Mass the girls asked to paint and promised they wouldn't get messy (yeah right) before we headed out to Wes's family Thanksgiving (more on this to come later).

What I’m dreading…
I have business travel for work next week. boo. As fun as it may sound to go to California- I will be missing my hubby and babies like crazy. I am going to take the ignorant approach and not count how many nights I have spent away from them this year because I know it is way too many and will make me way too sad.

What I’m working on…

Cleaning out. All of the surface areas of my house.  I strive to be that girl that puts away her things every night, but that is just not me. At least it is not inherent in me.  Next year, I am really doing to work towards picking up for 5 – 10 minutes after the girls go to bed every night in an attempt to stay more clutter-free.

What I’m excited about…

All of the fun Christmas things this time of the year.  When we get back from Thanksgiving, I plan on sitting down and making a thoughtful Holiday to-do list of all the fun things we want to do with the girls this holiday season (similar to what we did last year).  Emma is finally at an age where she definitely grasps the Santa Claus aspect of Christmas, but I also want to be thoughtful in teaching her the real meaning of the season and teaching in her the importance of giving back to those less fortunate than her.

And I am excited to see if my little one’s reaction to Santa has changed or if it is still the same ;).

What I’m watching/reading…

Still the same. Nothing has changed (except that the Ladies of London is over- gasp!).  The other thing I would add to this list is Shark Tank- we love love love that show!

What I’m listening to…

Ok, I actually have something here- I have been obsessed obsessed obsessed with the new Adele song, Hello. Like I constantly scan radio stations trying to find it, that is how much I love it. I need to get myself to Target and buy the cd ASAP.

What I’m wearing…

Yikes. I have been a big fail at taking pictures of what I have been wearing lately.  I looked through my phone and a couple of pictures will have to do.  I really did like the ensemble that I wore to the Arboretum this year - black shirt plus scarf plus military jacket plus jeans plus boots.

And here was the outfit minus the jacket (please note, Ev's was killing it in her poncho).

Here is a picture of me and my girl on Sunday that shows this new dress I got at Nordstrom recently.

But, let's be honest- my kiddo's wardrobe is always on point ;).

What I’m doing this weekend…

We will spend the weekend recovering from the coast.  On Saturday, we will spend the day driving back from the coast (always my least favorite part about going to the coast- sigh) and on Sunday we will spend unpacking and doing laundry (another sigh).  Hopefully we will get to squeeze in a visit with our very favorite baby Theodore on Sunday or Monday because he is turning ONE! The girls can’t wait to give him his present (Emma is already promising to help him learn how to use it).

What I’m looking forward to next month…

What am I not looking forward to next month should be the real question- Christmas and birthday everything (I turn 32!).  We are hoping to invite family and friends over to share hot chocolate and watch Wes’s light show one evening and I also hope to have my family over for pizza one night where I hope another dance party ensues J.

What else is new…

In old people news, we bought a new dishwasher! And just let this be a public service announcement- for a measly $400, a new dishwasher will change your life. Relatively speaking, they are so inexpensive for something that we use every.single.day.of.our.lives. Ahhhh, you don’t even know how happy this makes me. And to boot, my husband does all of our dishes.

And, also, I read a lot of meme's but few of them literally make me laugh like this one did. Oh my goodness, this is my life with Emma to a T.

Happy Wednesday! I hope you have a great Thanksgiving tomorrow :).