12 dates

Aaron and I are homebodies. 

Our usual Friday night includes dinner out (with the kids) sometimes followed by Yogurtland (my fav) and us watching a Redbox after the kids go down. 

But after reading my friend Courtney's recap of the 50 (yes five. zero) dates that her and her hubby took last year and how it totally changed their marriage

Aaron and I were challenged to commit to 12 dates this year.

12 well thought out, out of the house, get a sitter kind of dates. 

Last month was our first official one and it was so much fun! 

We went to dinner and then racing at an indoor go kart track.

It was pretty much the perfect place for 2 super competitive people.

Eat my dust.

We are natural speed demons.

Aaron got first place and I got third...out of like 20 people. 

Booyeah. 

Anyways, it feels good to be prioritizing our life and investing in the important things...like marriage!

Plus it's fun just getting to hang out with my best friend (and getting him all to myself).

What are some of your favorite date night ideas? 

Happy Birthday Hudson!

My baby is one! 

I don't really want to talk about it because I might just cry! 

Actually I'm still in denial. 

So let's just not talk about it, mmmkay? 

Hudson James,

Happy Birthday little man! 

You are the sweetest, most gentle baby ever. 

Your favorite thing in the world is to cuddle and you are happiest when I am holding you. 

You are fiercely loved by your 3 older siblings. 

They love on you and baby you all day long. 

You aren't in any hurry to walk and that is fine by me. 

You look just like your Daddy. 

One day you might have a real beard like him too. 

You can be a hard nut to crack but once we get you laughing you have a hard time stopping.

You love to watch what's going on in the world around you. 

Most of the time you would rather watch the craziness around you (usually your siblings doing whatever it is they do) than play with baby toys. 

You are very laid back and easy going. 

You love food. 

And you love. love. love. your thumb. 

You balance us out. 

I can't imagine our family without you in it. 

You bring so much joy and happiness to our lives and we love you so so much! 

I'm so thankful I get to be your Mama! 

I love you Huddy buddy. 

Happy Monday

grocery shopping and laundry.

That's what our Mondays look like.

So exciting, right?

What do you do on Monday?

 This is how we do grocery shopping (Kenzie was at school and Hudson is on me in the Ergo).

I have a love/hate relationship with those kid carts! 

I usually start by letting Wesley use his own cart as long as he is showing me he can be self controlled (stay by me, be mindful of other people, don't put things in his cart without my permission, etc.).

Some days he does great and other days he loses privileges and has to ride in the back of the big cart with me. 

This is Maddie's favorite way to ride in the shopping cart. 

 laundry!! 

You are the main reason Mondays are my least favorite day of the week. 

I know everyone has their own way of doing laundry. 

I do ours once a week. 

The main reason is because I hate laundry so much I don't want to be doing it everyday. 

That just sounds like torture. 

And the second reason is when you only do 6 people's laundry once a week there is so much of it you are forced to put it away because it literally overtakes your whole house.

And the putting away part is the hardest.  

So it's good to have some incentive. 

Like if I want to sleep on my bed tonight I HAVE to put away the laundry. 

Some of my other laundry secrets-

I don't separate colors. 

I know. gasp.

And I hang all of the kids shirts. And the girls dresses. 

Everything else goes in drawers.

And Oxyclean is my BFF. 

And to spread a little joy this Monday we surprised a friend with a card and flowers. 

 And dark chocolate filled with Speculoos cookie spread.

Because we really love her.  

And when you love someone you give them that chocolate.

(please tell me you guys have tried it)

Hope you guys had a happy Monday!   

A peek at our week

Hey guys! 

I'm trying to get back into the swing of things around here.

Here's a little peek at our week (more like 2) through the lens of my trusty iPhone.

Enjoy!

 world's cutest kids 

(I may be a tad biased)

 Fresh Baked Paper Goods made me the cutest custom (hand carved!) stamp

I finallllly made a wooden growth chart for the kids. 

Mackenzie predicts she will be at the 6 by the time she's seven years old.

I really hope that's not the case. 

Built in baby carriers

Me and the hubby busted out Uno for game night. 

 This little guy will be one next week (tear) 

10 years ago this guy asked me to be his bride.

And as a side note...styles sure have changed in ten years!

This may have been my breakfast a couple days last week.

I have no self control when bundtinis are involved. 

Painting is so therapeutic for me. 

I made this little guy for my cousin's 30th birthday. 

There she is (my cousin) or Auntie Becky as my kids call her. 

babies and games.

Two of my favorite things.

Baby shower game night = match made in heaven

We finally set up the kids Christmas present. 

I don't think they have played inside all week. 

Rainbow Princess Mackenzie 

My ears are his fav 

Went to the 31 bits warehouse sale and then stopped by Sidecar donuts. 

Oh man guys!

I will never look at a donut the same again.

craft time

Yogurtland is my love language 

Jog a thon- ing 

Getting fancy on the rainbow loom

Cutest baseball player ever 

friends :)

My baby big girl

I really wanted to get a cute photo of Hudson in the same spot at the same age as I have with Wes.

He had other plans. 

How was your week?

brown paper packages

I pretty much never have the right kind of gift wrap when I need it. 

Luckily I have the unique ability to come up with lots of ghetto, I mean creative alternatives.

 Our latest favorite go to wrapping paper is Trader Joe bags. 

Just cut of the bottom and the handles, flip over (so what you see is the plain inside of the bag), wrap and decorate. 

Sometimes I let the kids draw pictures on the front or go crazy with stickers. 

This time we used some washi tape and crayon. 

Easy, inexpensive, environmentally friendly.

Did I mention easy? 

win. win. 

drama

The many emotions of a 4 year old boy. 

From crying to laughing in less than 30 seconds. 

All because I made him walk to and from dropping his sister off at school (which is like a mile...maybe). 

Clearly we need to exercise a little more regularly because that was some serious drama. 

You would have thought his legs were falling off. 

Anyways, we survived and even ended with a smile.