A REAL Snow Day!!

We haven't had a snow in YEARS!!

It has dusted before, but it was promtly gone by 11am, so this snowfall was so great!! And in all honesty, it really wasn't snow, just sleet and ice, but hey, we'll take it!

Trying to chip the ice off my van

Snowball fight with the neighbors is about to happen!

"Mommy, I look like a boy. Can I wear this flower headband too?"

A slide with ice is waaaaayyyy better

first ever snowman!!

Waverly Christmas 2014

Yes, again SOOOOO late on this!! This was Christmas #2, in Waverly, TN where Jake's family lives. We go to Knoxville first, then to Waverly, then Santa comes to our house in Brentwood. ALWAYS a good time!!!

Our yearly crazy JAMMY PICS!!

Happy Valentine's Day

Coming from the most ANTI-Valentine's Day person on the planet, I do wish you all the best.

I thought it would be fun to take the kids put on a date night. We decided to let them experience Hibachi for the first time. They loved it! They were mesmerized by the fire, and actually ate most things. Success!!! 

My sweet family. Josh was most excited about his "peeps" getting in the pic. 

Happy VD. 

Happy Valentine's Day From Jules (not Josh)

On Monday, I thought it would be fun to do an impromptu Valentines Day shoot. It's kind of become a tradition, although I haven't realized it. It just has I suppose. Here is last's year's and the year before if you want to see how stinking adorbs they are.

This year only one kid wanted to partake in my oh-so-fun shoot. The other wanted NO PART OF IT, and in fact threw one heck of a fit about it. So, this year, I only have one lovely, sweet child who wanted to take pics. So, Jules got her own private photoshoot, which let's be honest isn't going to happen often in her twin-riffic life :) (and let's be even honest-er, she loved every second of it)

Wearing our favorite Matilda Jane. This one is the Homegrown Betsy dress, with the sweetheart leggings

Oh look! I even set up the tripod! and I'm not even going to think about how my hair is a disaster and my cardigan is wrinkled. One of this year's resolutions is to get in more pics with my kiddos. So, this is the first one. yippee!

we are ALL IN on American Girl right now. She got Isabelle for Christmas, and Samantha (my FAVE) for her birthday. Those are her "girls", and she loves them so much. (and there is a separate post dedicated to this oh so crazy fun world of American Girl that we are now a part of)

Gorgeous

Heidi Klum. Always. 

Josh's and Jules' 5th Birthday! - Skate Party!

80's Fam! (well, three of us are. One of us just wanted to wear bright colored golf attire)

Well, the day that I have avoided had to happen eventually. They turned FIVE. FIVE!!!!!!!!! How are they seriously FIVE???

Le sigh. Ive already been down this road, so let's just move on to their party! I tend to go all out for their parties. Their first birthday party was Elvis/50's themed (they share the same birthday as Elvis!), their second birthday was Mickey and Minnie themed, their third birthday was a Yo Gabba Gabba celebration, their fourth was a Pirates and Princess party. I love the planning, the decorating, the all out over-the-topness of it all.

Last year, it was so much fun, and crowded, and totally party-time.  And having a January birthday, you are basically on top of each other in the house. So, Jake forbade me from doing anything else at the house, lol. We had to do the play-place thing. So then you have bounce houses, Chuck E Cheese, etc.

We decided to relive my childhood and do a Skate Party! It was extremely less planning on my part, which made me a little a lot sad. I love that part!!! But, on the flip side, clean up was a breeze. But without my detailing and planning, it basically went by in the blink of an eye, and it was a little less memorable, know what I mean?

Happy Birthday Josh and Jules!!

Best part of Josh's night? Hitting the jackpot at this silly game

Seriously - hysterical - RUNNING to turn them in!

Knoxville Christmas

Better late than never, eh? Yeah, I might as well just say, hey! time goes by too damn fast, amirite?

Whew, well, I might as well recap our Christmas a month or so later. Knoxville Christmas was fabulous as always. All my extended family meets from all over at my Aunt Clara's home in Farragut, TN. "Santa" comes visits all the littles and there is lots of laughs, love, craziness, and drinks :) We call it our Dysfunctional Family Christmas.

before and after!

The big kid pics!

A RED ALERT Gingy Emergency

If you are a reader of this blog, or have the privilege of knowing Josh in real life, you know of his best buddy in the whole world, Gingy. 

Gingy was given to Josh by my dad, Grampa Roy for Christmas 2013. 

That Christmas he kept on saying he wanted a "gingerbread man" and I kept thinking he was just wanting to make Gingerbread cookies, so my mom clarified it one night and nope- he wanted an actual Gingerbread Man. Ha!

Dad was still trying to get him one more thing so I suggested I try to find one while my mom and I were out shopping that  day and have Dad give it to him.

Well, we went to several places - NO gingerbread men anywhere, and to be honest I kind of expected it. I had no clue what I was looking for. 

A lady at the last store suggested Hobby Lobby. So off we went. 

As luck would have it, they already had their Christmas marked down to like 60% off!!!! So we got Gingy super cheap lol!

We'll, wouldn't you know Josh opened that up and hasn't left his side since. He's been sewed up more times than I could count. They go everywhere together and are best friends. 

Yesterday we had a catastrophe and could NOT find him. Jake and I literally tore the house apart. Not only was Josh heartbroken, but we were too!! He's a big part of our family now and I'm just as attached to him as Josh is. Since their birthday was this week we started panicking that he got thrown out with boxes or trash. 

I started posting on buy/sell/trade boards on Facebook seeing if ANYONE had one. I honestly didn't want to get a new one. I mean, that's not his best friend and the one he loves, but we are desperate and maybe I could "rough one up" enough :( 

Someone actually found one on eBay. So many lovely people helped. Woohoo! I paid quite a bit more but who cares. I now have a back up!!!

Thankfully--- I ended up finding Gingy. He mentioned he was playing "Where's Gingy- there he is!!" Peekaboo game with him so I started looking "in" things where he could hide and I found him. Hallelujah!!!!! (And seriously how sweet is that!!!! <<<<)

I just went and woke him up to tell him I found his buddy :) and they're reunited again. 

All is well in the world again. 

Don't worry - we weren't driving ^ :) 

Found the little stinker!!!!! I had tears in my eyes when I found him!!