Andrew turns 2...

Andrew,
  You are the cutest 2 year old I know. I love it when you run to greet me with a big hug. I love it when you shine that crooked smile. I love seeing you play with your big brother - you both really like the movie Cars or any kind of tractor, train, car, or truck! I love how you say "red car lightning" and "baby Evangeline." And I LOVE YOU!

Your mom did such a good job with your train themed 2 year old birthday party. She is making it hard for the rest of us to follow.

Mrs. Jordan and Aiden came to celebrate. Your mama made your blue cake with blue icing like you specifically requested.

Your cousin, Evangeline, got to celebrate with you this year. You also looked adorable in your conductor hat. It was just a tiny bit too big for your head, which made it even cuter.

Aunt Cyn, Aunt Pam, and DeeDee would never miss your birthday party!

CHOOOooo - Chooooo!

You received lots of presents from your sweet friends. Big brother Hudson made sure you could open our presents. He did a great job opening them - errr - I mean overseeing your progress.

Godfather Joseph had a good time.

Apparently the new way to do a piñata is not by hitting it, but everyone grabs a string that is attached underneath and pulls until the candy comes out. Your dad decided that was silly so we took a broom stick to it.

He busted it open, but hit your mother in the head with part of it in the process! oopsy!

See Andrew's first birthday party here!

happy new year!

There were many gatherings with friends in town for the holidays, hundreds of pictures were taken, but there's this one image that made my heart pitter patter...a moment captured of us kissing at midnight on New Year's day... our first kiss in 2013...the year we are getting married.

ps - these resolutions still apply! Maybe this year :/

mistletoe and mustaches...

Our family's Annual Holiday Gathering was this weekend. I tend to forget from year to year just how much effort it takes to put this thing on. I mean, it is worth it, but prepping food for large numbers is certainly a gesture of love. Mom, Leslie and I turned the kitchen into an assembly line of cooks - stayed up to the wee hours of the morning prepping on Friday night and Mom spending most of Saturday getting everything oven ready.  Mom- I seriously don't know how you used to do this alone!!! You amaze me everyday.

I'd like to say thank you to Tison for helping out in the kitchen during the party on Saturday. When the doorbell started ringing with guests arriving, hardly anything was on the table! Thank God for Mom's double ovens- things were on every rack! To our surprise we opened the oven to smoke billowing out causing the kitchen to smell like burnt plastic, and in the process I got grease on my new holiday frock! I was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed to say the least. And I look over at him, all calm and collected, (he used to work in the food industry and I assume is used to this time crunch frenzy.) I'm amazing at the yin and yang of our relationship. I am so thankful that when I am frenzied, he is calm and visa versa.

With all the commotion setting out the finger food and drink options for our guests, I forgot to snap photos of the table arrangements. Can you believe it!? ME- forgetting to take pictures. I swear... here are a few towards the end of the party :)

{Leslie, Mom, Lauren, Me, and Rosie!}

Tison and I left Mom and Dad's house for our next stop, the Mistletoe and Mustache Mixer! - Leaving Lauren and Mom with all the dishes - OOPS!

{Some people came with their mustaches attached (Russell), while others had to hold theirs on with a stick! The girls had the house looking so festive. There was even karaoke -haha!}

 I hope your weekend of Christmas parties was joy filled!

feet in the sand with the clan...d

I can't believe we are a month away from Lauren & Justin's wedding at Nottoway Plantation! I feel like Lauren and I have been talking about this wedding since, well, forever and I can't believe it is here! I was lucky enough to get to share in her bachelorette party in Gulf Shores, AL with a gathering of her friends from elementary, high school, and college. There was a little bit of me that wondered how the weekend would go since I'm the "work friend", but these girls put any fears I had to rest on the drive to the beach. As you can read here, we weren't even sure we could make this trip due to Isaac, but I'm so glad we did. The weather was perfection. Leaving on Friday morning, we stopped in Baton Rouge to pick up Laura and dine at the Chimes.Unfortunately they were out of the alligator appetizer, but the boudin balls were spicy and delicious.

"Sing-screaming" to 90s rap songs on the drive to the beach could possibly be my favorite part of the whole bachelorette weekend. Who doesn't use their phone as a microphone, I'd like to know?

The next few days consisted of me trying not to turn into a red lobster on the beach, while still having fun in the sand. I have to tell you- I applied SPF 75 in the condo and then reapplied with 100on the beach and I still got some sun. Gone are the days of  lathering myself in baby oil. Ahh, getting older (and wiser) is awesome, but certainly more pasty! On Saturday night we went to Flora-bama, which has grown considerably since the last time I was there. They have three music stages and more bars than I can count. It was shoulder-to-shoulder crowded, but we found a sweet spot in front of an industrial fan and danced the night away.

 Our last night at the condo we cooked spaghetti, drank wine, opened presents and played bachelorette games that turned into baring our souls to one another. It was kind of priceless.

I can't WAIT for your wedding next month, Lauren. You are the BEST. Thanks for being you...and thanks for having kick a$$ friends.

pomp and circumstance...

So, maybe it has already been two weeks since the Royal Wedding...and maybe I had no reason to get so excited about all the details of the celebration....but I was! (and maybe still am) The lovely Mrs. Daci invited a few ladies over for digestive biscuits and Pimm's liqueur. The whole evening felt very British. We gathered around and watched the DVR'ed broadcast of the royal wedding at Westminster Abbey. Go ahead...call me cheesy, but I love this stuff!

Can we please start requiring hats at all events?

Ladies you looked bloody gorgeous in those hats!

pumpkin tricks & treats...

 {You are such a great host Daci!! Everything was wonderful.}

 {loved those homemade cinnamon rolls}

 {found a carving idea in the October Martha Stewart Living magazine that I thought would be fun}

 {Natalie and Kanishk are hard at work on their pumpkins}

 {Daci painted hers gold and Diane is carving her design- good job!}

{Martha's witch proved to be quite the project. Tison had never carved a pumpkin before...maybe I should have stuck with something easier!!}

{I finished her up last night- not exactly as I had planned it, but it works :) }

ps- the inside of pumpkins STINK!