Thanksgiving 2014

We spent another Thanksgiving down in Waverly. I didn't take many pics, but did take a couple. Im blessed beyond measure!

Things I'm Thankful for in 2014:

1. My two blessings, Josh and Jules
2. My husband
3. My business, Le Petite Maison. (www.facebook.com/lepetitemaisonshop) - it allows me to...
4. Being able to stay home with my two littles - extremely thankful for that.  
5. Two nieces, Sutton and Olive
6. Great friends
7. My crazy sisters, mom and dad, and inlaws.
8. That's my moms breast cancer diagnosis was treatable (well, hopefully) and that her chemo is almost over! - radiation is next!
9. Our home in Brentwood. It was still one of the best decisions we ever made. We gutted it and turned into a forever home. And adding location and fabulous neighbors - it's wonderful
10. My new minivan - I know that sounds shallow, but MAN I love, love that thing
11. My health - I was hospitalized last week with extremely high blood pressure. I've always had it, but got taken off meds (but now back on them big time) it was pretty scary.
12. My kids and husbands health - I know too many people whose kids are sick, going through treatments, husbands with cancer, the list goes on and on. I am blessed in this area, and something that terrifies me.
13. My kitties Gus and Zelly (can't forget about them!)
14. Our life - we are able to do so much and go so many places, and live like we want to live. I think and pray all the time about other struggling families, and those sweet kids who don't get much to eat or play with, or even people to pay attention to them.
15.  Christmastime. Im so glad it's coming. The magic and spirit of the season just overwhelms me. And now that I have kids, it's just awe inspiring. I just love it, and love seeing it through their eyes.

Four Year Portraits

Yay! I can finally post these since Christmas Cards are finalized. I am really late at getting their four year shots done - but better late than never, eh?

Back to NYC

Ahh, this city. I love it so so very much. I try to go once a year. And I've been pretty successful. My first trip there was in 1994, and again in 1996. A group of singers from my high school was invited to sing at Carnegie Hall. (moi being one of them) and yes, I get that dates me to like, a million years old. After that I piggy backed on my mom's fields trips to the Big Apple. She would chaperone an 8th grade field trip every year. (its also her fave city too, so hence the reason they'd go there lol)

After that my sister was a buyer, so shed go to NYC about twice a year (nowadays much more) and I'd try to piggy back on her trips too. I promise I'm not a mooch. ha! I was always invited and always paid my own way. It's just way more fun when people are already going and you can just tag along.

Then, I owned a stationery company for some time, and we'd attend the National Stationery Show at the Javitz center every year.

So, now that I've convinced Jake that it's also the bestest city EVAH, we try to go every year too. He's a big Yankees fan anyway, so he certainly does not care.

This year was Derek Jeter's final season *sniff sniff* with the New York Yankees. We simply HAD to go up and send him off in style. It also happened to be around our 12th (yeesh!) Anniversary. And, it just so happened that we watched him hit his very last homerun ever in Yankee Stadium. Pretty cool. We also spent lots of pre-game at Stan's. Love, love that place. Jake and "Stan" chatted it up a few years ago and came to know he actually moved to Nashville and flew back and forth for games. Small world eh? (clearly a New-yawker though) When we spoke with him this time he had moved back to north New York.

I'm a BIG FAN of Priceline. I do it pretty much every trip I take. It's not great if you're looking for a cheap room - but it's REALLY great if you're wanting a 4-5 star property and are willing to pay 3 star prices. We got the Waldorf Asortia this time!! Holla. Still pricey? Oh yeah. As pricey? Heck no.

We also took in one of our favorite shows, Rock of Ages. It's a really fun show if you haven't had the chance to see it. We went and toured the 9/11 museum. Last year when I went the museum wasn't open, just the memorial. I didnt take many pictures. It was honestly too emotional. You can easily spend an entire day there and it was just too awful. You have to make yourself get out of there. You just cry off and on the entire time. So sad.

I also got to catch up with a friend from seriously, a lifetime also - 6th grade! Thanks to good old facebook we've kept in touch. She is living my dream up in NYC. Living in a high rise, doing the city-mama thing. Other things we did were lunch in Little Italy, dinner at Nobu, and dinner at Becco. Becco is an "every trip" stop. It's excellent every time! Until next year NYC!

Times Square selfie!

So, this is in Stan's. It's the picture that Derek Jeter signs in the farewell Gatorade commercial. So neat!!

In the Yankee museum inside Yankee Stadium

Like I said, I didn't take many pics inside the 911 museum, but this is one of a firetruck. Completely burned. 

At Stans

Stans!

At the game. the bottom is cut off. My memory card got all screwed up :(

Me and Shannon!

Just Playing in the Leaves

Since I finally got my camera back, I've been dying to take a few pics of the kiddos outside in all these fabulous fall colors. And they've been dying to have a leaf fight. Win-win.

Literally rolling in the leaves

Oh to be 4 again. 

Sweet little guys. 

I did a couple in black and white, but not many because the colors were too pretty!

Typical Jules

On Jules: Head to Toe Matilda Jane//Shoes: Target
On Josh: shirt: Childrens Place//Pants: Polo//Shoes: Boutique

Such a pretty thing :)

*We interrupt this photoshoot to bring you a ladybug *

He was super mesmerized 

Now time for solo pics!

Beautiful if I do say so myself :)

Halloween #1 and Halloween #2

I'm absurdly late on getting these out. On Halloween #2, I lost my camera. EEEEK. Thankfully, I was found whew. So, I'm just now looking at them :)


Our first Halloween was in Knoxville. We were in Knoxville visiting while Jake was out of town and we decided last minute to do Boo at the Zoo in Knoxville. And of course, we had no costumes. So, $60 later at Party City with NOT THE COSTUMES WE WANTED TO WEAR FOR ACTUAL HALLOWEEN and we were all set. So, meet the firefighter and tinkerbell.

me, the fireman and Tinkerbell. She got to wear glitter makeup and I put ivy in her hair lol. 

Posing with possibly their mascot?

"Mommy can I get a photo in this cool jeep?"

"Mommy can I get a picture with the firetruck"?

Jules had to get her pic made with the gaggle of princesses. Naturally she chose Aurora to stand in front of. 

Tinkerbell on the carousel. 

Trick or treating - this is so funny. Shes so excited to get skittles, because she hates chocolate. But skittles are of course, the non-chocolate M&M and she wants to eat it immediately ha!



Halloween #2
Their preschool has a fall festival which is usually the week of Halloween. There is food, games, truck or treating and bounce houses. It was so fun! The kiddos were sick though but we powered through to get all the candy we could grab lol. 

Princess Anna of Arendale. 

Mikey and Anna are trunk or treating!

Seriously beautiful :)

More trunk or treating!

Random family pic!

I finally got the two together. Josh is harder and harder to keep still for pics ha!!