party time.

Last night, we celebrated Emmett's 1st birthday! We had a great turnout and perfect weather. We held the party in the backyard and patio. Family and friends came and brought lots of gifts. I think Emmett was a bit overwhelmed, but had a smile on his face the whole time. We had finger food and cupcakes, which turned out to be pretty yummy. Emmett got some great toys and new outfits. I can't believe he is one year old.

here he is!

birthday banner I made

birthday shirt! 'E' was the theme

singing 'happy birthday'. kind of awkward...

first bite

getting messy!

gift-opening time

Ethnie was Emmett's helper

Ethnie's present to Emmett. (she made sure he shared.)

having fun

Emmett's little friends, James and Lily

happy 1st birthday emmett!

 

Pictures of the party to follow! I love you pup!

i'd better sit down for this ....

Ok, so Emmett birthday is .... tomorrow. He will be one year and not a baby anymore. This has been a little hard for me because the time has gone by extremely fast and Emmett is most likely going to be our last child. He got big so fast that I felt like I hardly had that 'tiny' stage with him. So he is going to be the big UNO tomorrow and I don't know how to feel about it! However, I am excited for his little party tomorrow and know he will be too. I can't wait to watch him eat cake for the first time!

great 'mom lit'!

I have been re-reading one of my favorite novels, called Momzillas. It's especially fun for moms because I think any mother can relate to it on some level. It's about a couple who moves to New York and the mom is trying to fit in with all of the rich, know-it-all New York mothers. The author is hilarious and so many of the things she writes about are true. It's a really fun book and will make you want to keep reading. CHECK IT OUT!

dolly, the fashionista.

As you all know, Ethnie has had Dolly since birth. She is Ethnie's best friend and does not leave her side. Recently, my mother-in-law, Meg, has sewn her some clothes. Dolly is a unique size so baby doll clothes almost never fit her. So Meg has begun so create a wardrobe for her. When I say wardrobe, I mean custom couture pieces!! So far, Dolly has two pairs of pj's, a matching skirt and shirt, leotard and tutu, and her latest - a wedding dress! This couture gown is made of satin and has sparkly pearl embellishments with a matching veil. Meg brought it over today and Ethnie was pumped. She definitely has a talent for making small clothes, and that special touch for making Ethnie smile. 

fun with myrtle.

My cousin has been allowing Ethnie to take care of her pet turtle for the past two weeks. Despite the drama we had with him last week, she has been having a blast with him. She feeds him, plays with him, and lets him walk around the yard and swim in her pool. She also bosses him around. Anyway, I wanted to post a picture to show you all.

my boys.

 

Last week my mom came over to visit. Like usual, she brought with her a big bag of new clothes for the kids. Thanks mom. :) This time she happened to buy a shirt that looks exactly like one of Matt's. The only difference is that his is long-sleeved. I just had to post this picture of them in their matching shirts. I love my handsome boys!

grandpa tom turns 50!

 

Over the weekend, we were up north at my dad's celebrating his 50th birthday. His actual birthday isn't until the 17th, but we had the party on Saturday. The weather was beautiful! We ate outside, played yard games and had a "bombfire" at dusk. Ethnie had the time of her life playing in the yard with the other kids. Grandpa taught her how to master the bean bag toss. They also enjoyed watching NASCAR together Sunday afternoon. Matt took all the kids for a ride in the trailer behind the four-wheeler. Emmett was sad off and on because he is teething, but he enjoyed sitting with grandpa and watching their dog, Lily. He didn't have a dull moment being passed around by all the aunties! 

It was so nice seeing my dad having a nice, relaxing birthday party. Age does not affect him; he is so young at heart. Like he always says, "It don't get no better!"

sprinkler pool.

Last week, I took the kids to a sprinkler pool. Ethnie has been there multiple times, but it was Emmett's first time. Despite the water being ice cold, they had a great time. Emmett loved sitting next to the sprinkler spouts so he could feel the water. He also enjoyed watching all the kids in the pool. Ethnie had fun "swimming" in the deeper end of the pool and playing with her mermaids. I tried to get a good picture of the two of them, but it didn't work to well....

turtle drama.

Last week, my cousin Jen asked Ethnie if she would like to turtle-sit while she is away in Boston. Of course, she said yes and has been in heaven ever since! She loves animals and loves taking care of them. She lets the turtle roam around the yard and plays with him in her little pool. Her favorite thing to do with him is feed him because he'll eat right out of your hand. Sometimes, if your finger gets a little too close to his mouth he will nip you by accident. Well, this morning before Ethnie left for school we had a little drama. I told Ethnie to go feed the turtle. She gladly did, but all of a sudden I started to hear her cry. I turned the corner and found the turtle clamped onto her finger hanging there! He didn't do it on purpose; just trying to get the piece of food. Ethnie was freaked out so I came to the rescue. He didn't break the skin or even leave a mark, but Ethnie was pretty traumatized over the whole thing. Poor girl!

minnehaha falls.

On Sunday, we spent the evening at the falls with our friends Rudy and Amy. It was so beautiful outside; we didn't want to leave! The kids walked around and played in the wading area and loved it. Ethnie played with Leila building things with rocks and catching caterpillars. Emmett loves trying to walk in the water and watch the falls. He was having a blast playing with dad and his little friend James. I think this is going to be a popular place for us to go this summer!

emmett's first summer.

Emmett was born in June, but I consider this his first summer because he is able to discover his surroundings. He LOVES being outside! His favorite thing is to watch cars drive by. We have a tree swing in the front yard and that's where he watches the cars. He also loves watching Ethnie play ball and run around. I recently started filling up their little pool and Emmett loves splashing in it. He also lets Ethnie pour water on him, which surprises me! So far, it has been so fun watching Emmett enjoy his summer. 

this is crazy!

8 Worst Appetizers in America

Read this article! It's from Men's Health magazine. One of these appetizers would take the equivalence of running a marathon to burn off the calories it consumes! It makes me gag.