Weekend In Review

To share your weekend, please visit Jodi at:

Friday ~ Happy Birthday, Lucas Elijah!  Today my baby boy is 2 years old!  We started the day with Lucas opening his presents.  After Lloyd went to work, we got ready and then met Cary and Abri at Silk City Saloon for lunch.  We all came back here and had such a nice visit.  There's something so special about hearing Lauryn and Abri giggling together, like Cary and I have done for years!  After our visit, the kids and I went to Greenville to get everything we needed for Lucas's party on Saturday.  The rest of the night was spent cleaning and preparing food.

[caption id="attachment_4919" align="aligncenter" width="224"] Opening Present[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4920" align="aligncenter" width="224"] Future ball player :)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4921" align="aligncenter" width="300"] When they're big, you gotta climb on them to get them open![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4922" align="aligncenter" width="224"] Checking it out.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4923" align="aligncenter" width="224"] Slam dunk![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4924" align="aligncenter" width="224"] Birthday Ice Cream at Silk City Saloon[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4925" align="aligncenter" width="224"] Hugs from Cary[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4926" align="aligncenter" width="224"] Abri, Cary, Lucas (who wanted more hugs) and Lauryn.[/caption]

Saturday ~ We spent the morning and early afternoon getting the yard and house ready for the party.  We had such a great time!  Our friend, Jessica, brought her bounce house and the kids loved jumping around in between games and food. :)  Our family and friends made Lucas's birthday so special and so much fun!  We are so thankful to have such awesome people in our lives!

[caption id="attachment_4927" align="aligncenter" width="224"] All dressed up for her brothers party.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4928" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Bounce house fun![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4929" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Daddy eating with the birthday boy.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4930" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Pin the Tail on the Donkey[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4931" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Balloon Pop[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4932" align="aligncenter" width="300"] "Tuptakes!"[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4933" align="aligncenter" width="300"] "More please, Mama!"[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_4934" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Getting some help opening presents.[/caption]

Sunday ~ We had a completely lazy day!  Lloyd showed a house, the kids and I ran a couple of errands, and the rest of the day was spent hanging out and playing.  After dinner, Lauryn was eating an ice cream cone when her first tooth finally fell out!  She was so excited she kept doing little happy dances around the house (she is SO my child!).  After the kids went to bed, Lloyd and I watched a couple of episodes of "Orange is the New Black."  It was a fantastic weekend, spent with amazing people! 

It finally fell out!

(Monday morning)

The Tooth Fairy was here!

Weekend In Review

To share your weekend, please visit Jodi at:

Friday ~ Another snow day for Lauryn so we stayed home, played games and I made a fun little lunch complete with carrot flowers and pb and j's in the shape stars.  We use my fancy dishes to eat, just to make it a little more special.  The kids got to play with their new kitchenette I put together the night before and they were making me tons of "meals."  Lloyd came home a little bit early, because I was hearing how terrible the roads were and I was getting nervous about his drive.    We had leftover chili and rice for dinner and I made honey corn bread to go with it. 

[caption id="attachment_4772" align="aligncenter" width="300"] All the pieces.[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_4773" align="aligncenter" width="300"] After about 6 hours...[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_4774" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Making meals for Mama[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_4775" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Lunch[/caption]

 

 

 

 Saturday ~ I did some laundry and a little cleaning while Lloyd did some work outside.  My mom came over in the evening so we could go out on our date night.  We started with a quick trip to Meijer, then went to Applebee's for a drink, then off to my friend Kathy's house for her princess birthday party.  We had such great time!  Lots of silly conversations and lots of great food.  

[caption id="attachment_4776" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Happy Birthday, Princess Kathryn! :)[/caption]

 Sunday ~ I didn't get much sleep because Lucas got up super early.  Shortly after Lloyd got up, I went back down for a nap.  Later, Lauryn and I ran a few errands, to pick up a few groceries and new winter coats for the kids.  Lloyd got the hardware up for our new curtains in the dining room and we put them up just before dinner.  We had crescent chicken with side salads for dinner.  Lauryn made the salads and she did a great job!  We spent the rest of the evening out together and watching a few "Sunday shows."

Happy Birthday, Lauryn Elaine!

Today is my sweet girls 5th birthday!  It blows my mind that it's been five whole years since she came into our world.  I remember every single detail about the day she was born, like it was yesterday.  I'm sure I won't get all the pictures downloaded tonight, so I'll do another post tomorrow.  I think it's safe to say Lauryn had a fantastic day!  She was surrounded by her favorite people, we had one of her favorite meals, she was spoiled by everyone, and she LOVED her special surprise from me and Lloyd, a face painter.  :)  Both kids went to bed without so much as a peep!  That's rare!  It makes me so happy to know she had such a great time on her special day!

Happy Birthday Lucas!

One year ago today, at 7:10pm, Lucas Elijah joined our family.  His first year has been fast paced and awesome!  When I found out I was having a boy, I was a little conflicted.  I always thought I'd have two girls.  And what do I know about raising a boy?  Turns out, he's the perfect addition to round out our family and I couldn't imagine life without him.  When he smiles and laughs, you can't help but do it to because his whole face lights up and it's contagious.    Big sister, Lauryn, does whatever she can to bring those smiles out and he loves it!  When he's mad, he has no problem vocalizing it.  Yesterday, he clunked me on the head with the remote and when I said, "Ow" he pouted, cried a little and snuggled up to me because he knew he'd hurt Mama.  I love that he has a softness to him and I love that he's a little monster boy too!  He loves to take whatever toy is in his reach and smash it on the nearest thing that will make the most noise.  He loves to throw things, whether it's a toy or dinner.  He was the perfect little puzzle piece to complete our family.  I love watching him grow, learn and explore.  He's pulling himself up on everything now and it won't be long before he's walking!  I love my little guy so much and I'm excited to see what the next year will bring :)

Catching Up

It feels like it's been ages since I've been on my blog.  Time to do some catching up!  We have been in the new house for just under two weeks now and it's really starting to feel like home.  The main floor is pretty well taken care of but anyone who goes down to the basement will see tons and tons of boxes that still need to be put away.  I LOVE my kitchen!  I love cooking in it, cleaning it up and sitting at the bar to visit.  It's easily my favorite room in the house.  We'll eventually be making some cosmetic changes to a few rooms but those things will get done in time. 

Lauryn was the cutest Minnie Mouse ever for Halloween :)  She was thrilled to finally be able to wear her costume and to go trick-or-treating for the very first time.  Don't get me wrong, she's gone before but since she was so young, I took her around to family's houses and the neighbors.  This year, she walked the neighborhood.  Our friends, Ed and Michelle, came over with there boys and Michelle and I took the kids while the guys stayed home and passed out candy.  Afterward, Lauryn and I headed to my aunts house and to my brother and sister-in-laws.  She was exhausted by the time we got home and fell asleep on the couch.



Lauryn turned three on November 2nd.  When Lloyd got home from work he brought flowers and she was so happy!  She decided she wanted lasagna ("sagna" in Lauryn terms) for her birthday dinner and we let her open a present from us and one that Kathye dropped off.  We got her a microphone and she LOVES it!  She walks around singing her own little songs all the time :)



Last Saturday, she and I had a special afternoon.  I took her to the mall to get her ears pierced and then we went to lunch at Applebee's.  She did cry for a minute after the ladies did her ears but then she was happy again and thrilled to go out to eat with Mama :)  She loves her earrings and I'm really glad we had it done.   She has little diamonds with white gold posts and they are adorable!  I tried getting a couple of pictures but so far she's managed to turn her head or her hair gets in the way so I'll have to post a picture later. 

On Sunday, we had her birthday party.  Her Nana, Grandma, Grandpa, Great Grandma, Uncle Shane, Aunt Trisha, Emma, Uncle Jake and Gus came to celebrate.  I had snacks set out - cheeses, crackers, summer sausage, carrots, celery, cucumber, red pepper and dip - and then made creamy pasta and breadsticks for dinner.  Lauryn wanted chocolate fudge cake with milk chocolate frosting so that's what I made. All in all I think she had a pretty great birthday :)

We Closed!

We closed on our new house today!  Everything went so smoothly and didn't take very long at all.  It probably helps that Lloyd is a real estate broker and knows the paper work inside and out.  Now we just need to figure out what all needs to be done to this house before it's ready to sell or rent (we haven't decided) and get the new house ready to move in.  We need to get a new water heater, all the kitchen appliances and we want to see if the reverse osmosis system works.

Today is my big brother's birthday!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHANE!!!!  We love you so much!!! 

A Good Day

Even though the day started off rainy and chilly, it was still a pretty nice day.  Lauryn and I got around and went to Two Seasons to get some more cucumbers and melons for the garden, then ran to the grocery store to pick up a few things.  I made cake balls this afternoon and a pasta salad to go with dinner.  My mom came over and since her birthday is Sunday, we celebrated today.  We got her a card, flowers, a balloon, a candle and a goofy toy that lights up...she loved it :)  After dinner, I put a couple of candles in the cake balls and we sang "Happy Birthday" to her.  The cake balls didn't look very pretty but they tasted great!  I'll post the recipe for them later. 

We've been looking into changing our internet provider service.  There are a few companies we're looking at but I think we may go with CLEAR Internet.  I've been looking at their site at, http://www.clearwirelessinternet4g.com/ and it seems they have a lot to offer.  I'll have to talk it over with Lloyd though and see what he thinks.

Gift Ideas

Lloyd's birthday is this Saturday and I'm at a loss about what to get him.  He's no help either!  When I asked him for ideas, he says, "Don't get me anything.  Get something for yourself or Lauryn."  Um, no!  It's your birthday and I want to get something for you!  I'll be making him a cake and his favorite meal for dinner and cards from me and Lauryn.  I thought about getting him some rocawear but that's really not his style.  He's a khaki's and polo shirt kind of guy :)  I'm sure I'll figure something out though :)

A Friday the 13th Birthday

Tomorrow is my 29th birthday.  I am so not looking forward to it.  I don't know if everyone has a "scary number" but for me it's 30 and this just means I only have one year left before I reach it.  30 is also my deadline on kids.  I have said since I was a teenager that I will be done having kids by the time I was 30.  I know many women who have kids into their 30's and I think that's great but that's not what I want.  So Lloyd and I need to figure out a way to get that ball rolling and get going on baby #2!  I know some people think it's silly that I could just say that's it at 30 but especially with the crazy high blood pressure I had when I was pregnant with Lauryn, not to mention that can get worse with age and pregnancy, I mean it when I say it.  The Friday the 13th part of it all used to mean it was going to be an extra special day.  Don't ask why, I think mostly just because I'm not superstitious but I just always thought of it as being a little extra special.

I don't think we have anything planned for tomorrow.  My mom will be coming over as she does every Friday.  I have no clue what I'll make for dinner....it would be nice not to have to cook (hint, hint Lloyd :) ) but I'll figure out something.

Pictures? She Thinks Not!

Today Lauryn and I went to visit Lloyd's mom for a little while and then we were all going to go to get her one year pictures taken.  Lloyd's mom offered to have them done for us and I thought that was really sweet of her.  Lauryn was not up for it though.  We tried and tried and tried to get her to smile and all she wanted to do was put her finger in her nose :)  After she very dramatically threw her head back and squished up her face, I knew it wasn't going to happen.  The photographer gave us a few minutes to try to get her in a better mood but I know my little girl and she wasn't going to have it.  We're going to try again another day.

I can't believe on Monday my precious baby is going to be a year old!  We're having her party on Sunday and I'm excited for it and I can't wait to get it over with.  We tried to keep it small and still ended up with 22 people on the guest list.  I have no idea how we're going to fit that many people into our house!  Tomorrow my mom and I are going shopping for her gifts and to get all the food I'll need to prepare.  I'm making Lauryn's cake and we're buying a bakery cake for everyone else.  I've made a couple of practice cakes to try my hand at cake decorating and they've turned out pretty cute.  Lloyd doesn't mind one bit because he gets to eat them when I'm done :)

This is going to be one busy, busy week.  Shopping tomorrow, lots of cleaning to get ready for the party on Thursday, Friday is our 5th anniversary, Halloween on Saturday and Lauryn's party on Sunday.  Busy, busy!

Speaking of Halloween...I had already picked up a costume for Lauryn.  She's not going trick-or-treating but she's going to help pass out candy so she's has to dress up for it :)  Anyway, I had a cute little pumpkin outfit picked out because when I went back for the ladybug one, they were all sold out.  Well today I found an even cuter one, an adorable lamb, so I'm returning the pumpkin one tomorrow.  She's going to be the cutest lamb ever!  I will definitely post pics!!!

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The Blue Rene Meme

1. What thing is nearest to you ? My coffee.

2. What is your ringtone ? Golden Girls for close family and friends, Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" for Lloyd, and Seinfeld for everyone else.

3. What was the last message in your inbox ? A confirmation that my pictures were ready to pick up at Rite Aid.

4. Who is your best friend ? Kristin.

5. What is the brand of your TV ? Toshiba.

6. What schools did you attend? Belding.

7. Do you own a MP4 ? Nope.

8. What song are you listening to now ? Not listening to music right now.

9. Did you kiss anybody in the past 2 days ? Yes. Lloyd, Lauryn and my Mom.

10. Have you ever kissed someone you met in the blogosphere? No.

11. What would you want to call if you weren't your current name ? I don't know.

12. Would you be happy if you had everything ? I feel I do have everything and yes, I'm happy :)

13. Are you always thinking of someone special? Yes.

14. Tell us of your most desperate dream? I've had some bad dreams about bad things happening to Cloz'r.

15. When did you last laugh till you cried? Probably a week or so ago.

16. If you had a crush, would you tell them you love him/her now ? No.

17. If you could be anywhere in the world now, where would you want to be ? I'm right where I want to be.

18. When was your heart last broken? 10-ish years ago??

19. Whose birthday(s) is/are coming up? My father in-laws.

20. How many email accounts do you have? One.

Today my in-laws are coming over to visit and to grill some burgers. I have a few things I need to get done around the house before they come over. I alway, ALWAYS want my house looking nice and tidy before they come over.

We had a really good time celebrating mom's birthday last night. We had pulled pork sandwiches that Shane had smoke for about 11 hours. They were so yummy! Lloyd is still amazed that I'm actually eating pork. I've never been a big fan so I don't make it or eat it but in the last couple of years I've given it a try and found that I do like some of it. That makes him happy because then he gets to eat it more :) Mom loved her picture frame with the pictures of us, Lauryn, Shane and Trisha and Robert. The weather turned out to be beautiful and we spent most of our time there outside enjoying it. I hope it's just as nice out today!