{ Nineteen months of Gunner}

n i n e t e e n m o n t h s ?!

WHEREEEEEE did my baby go!?

no seriously, have you seen him? 

Oh Gunner my love. How you have GROWN these last few months. 

It only took a little time and you went from an infant to a full-blown toddler, 

running around, getting dirty, playing rough, talking NONSTOP & full of life & laughter. 

you are the epitome of a dream for a son. 

I already know starting this blog post I am going to miss 2930930229 things you do, just because you do so many new things now I cannot even keep track! 

You had your checkup yesterday and now you don't have to go back until you are TWO YEARS OLD.  I don't even want to touch on that subject though because mommy is in serious denial you are closer to TWO than you are to ONE!

S T A T S
+ Weight: 20.3 lbs!  You are a TINY little man! {4%}

+ Height: 32 inches - you grew almost 2 full inches!  I knew it! {20%}
+ Head: 47.5cm {47%}

- you TALK. like, talk talk. you can say over 15 words. but more than what you can say, you UNDERSTAND everything that is said to you. 

- you know how to ask for exactly what you are wanting, and say no when you don't want something. 

- you can say hi, bye bye, you understand going "bye bye" and know how to grab your shoes & moms car keys and run to the door when we say we're going "bye bye". 

- you run & grab your sister's bottle for her the second she starts crying.  you then run over and put it in her mouth, even when she doesn't want it - she laughs and smiles because you're playing with her so she'll always drink her bottle if it's being held by you. 

- you run around full-speed & non-stop all day long! 

- you are FULL of life.  you are always playing with your toys or running around the house helping dad vaccum or mom put dishes away.  whatever we are doing, you are right there doing it also with us. you love to help us and you love to be apart of the mix no matter what we are doing. 

- you are a little man!  you know how to ask for a snack and dad even taught you how to say you're hungry in sign language - so when you're hungry you say "mama dadda" and throw your hands to your mouth for the sign for "hungry" - and then you start fake chewing which makes it even CUTER! haha! 

- you are a huge jokester just like your daddy!  you love making people laugh whether you are trying to tickle them or run and "BOO" at them to scare them or if it means doing silly dances for long periods of time - you just love being the center of attention and putting on a show for everyone! 

 - you have full on conversations with people now.  back & forth conversations with you going on and on and on talking up a storm, bursting out in laughter at whatever joke you telling and then nodding yes and no when people try and interact with your conversations.

- you are FRONT FACING in your carseat now and we ALL love it so much!  you love watching the world go by outside your window and you love being able to see did-ter in her seat facing you. you also love making silly faces at mama in the mirror when we're driving. I always knew this would be a fun transition and it is so much fun indeed being able to see you and watch you watch the world and take it all in.  It's very special indeed to see your little face in my mirror now.  I can't wait for Kenzie to turn around so I can watch both my babies in the backseat <3

- you eat EVERYTHING.  you love pretty much all foods & snacks but your favorite thing for sure right now are apples (appo appo appo - you always say it three times) - everything that is round and food - is considered an apple to you.  but you especially love it when you, dad & grizzly cuddle on the couch and share apple pieces together.  you think it's the funniest thing when she chews alongside you.

- you got your hair cut this month!  you are a BIG BOY now.  Everyone comments on what a stud you are and as much as we ALL miss your blonde surfer-dude curls - we also love this big boy version of you that was hiding under all that golden hair.

- your feet grew!  you're a size 5 in shoes now.

- you grew taller (we get your stats tomorrow at your checkup) but you definitely did get taller because now you a bittttt thinner in the waste and your shorts are a bit shorter (lol) 

- you still are wearing 6, 9 and some 12 months.  most 12 month bottoms are out of the question, but shirts are perfect in that size because they are longer.

- you and kenzie both are in size 3 diapers now. (LOL)

- you are a total mamas boy lately and I LOVE IT SO MUCH!  all you want to do is be held, hold my hand when we walk, cuddle up with me when we play or watch tv together, or sit on my lap when we eat, or just snuggle with me any chance you get.  I can honestly say nothing makes me happier and more wishful I could freeze time than in those precious moments when we're cuddled up and you're telling me all kinds of stories you have. 

- you are a S P O N G E!

everything you hear, you try to say.

everything you say, you try to do.

everything you watch, you try and recreate.

and everything that makes someone laugh - you try to duplicate it to make other people laugh even harder! 

- with that, we've learned our first "bad word" and I'm blamin dad for this one! (haha!)

when you drop a toy or fall down, you whisper to yourself "oh sh#%" and just get up and continue on about your way. you say it quietly so nobody can hear it, but we have heard a few times and when you get really frustrated, it comes out a couple times. YEAH. =X

- you're little freakouts are more common some days than others, but for the most part as long as we don't give into your tantrum, you get over it in a couple minutes and find something else to do.  but you definitely try have about 5 mini freakouts a day when you're told no.  that's a new one for us so we're taking it one fit at a time and you are already catching on to what's "good" and what's "bad" ways of asking for something you want. 

- you such a smart little cookie!  you absorb everything you see and hear and you love to recreate it all.  Not only that but everything you do in life has a purpose of some sort.  You are always on a mission and you process & analyze everything you are doing.  I can just see your brain working and you learning and it's the most amazing thing to witness.


Well my little stud, you are QUITE the little weed.  I swear by the time I write this you have probably learned and advanced even more, BUT I gotta stop some time & I gotta save some suprises for your next blog!  So keep growing, keep learning, keep TALKING and keep being the little lovebug, mama's boy & total CUTIE that you are.  You light up everyone's worlds and we are all so blessed to have you in our lives.  You and your sister could not bring more joy to your daddy & me, and we are better because of you both.

Love always, Mom<3

{ Seven Months of McKenzie }

s e v e n m o n t h s

Oh my goshhhh baby girl, you need to slow your roll! 

Sweet little Kenzie, you are growing faster than a weed! 

- you're almost growing out of size 6 month clothes!

- you drink 4-6 ounce bottles and at night time you get 2-3 bottles in before passing out

- you're already growing out of size 3 diapers! mostly because of your little baby booty you got going on - which I loveeeeee!

- you are FULL of JOY and you make us all so happy because of it.  you are always smiling and laughing and now you scream when you laugh so hard because you can't control all the laughter so you just make loud outbursts. 

- you have a really deep squeel that comes out and you clench your WHOLE body when you get tickled now and it's the cutest thing!! 

- you started talking!  your "coo-ing" is starting to sound like little words and you are alwaysssss talking.  Mostly to your toys and your brother, but I love just watching you play on your own and talking to your toys in your own little world.

- speaking of playing, you LOVE nothing more than playing on the floor with all your toys.  you have all your toys and you play for hours crawling around the house with your toys and going from your toy bin to your brothers.  you are so simply satisfied w/ the freedom of that.

- you are EVERYWHERE now.  I swear we can't keep tabs on you because I look away for five seconds and you're all the way down the hall or halfway into the kitchen!  You're so fast and you are always on a mission of some sort. 

- you follow your brother EVERYWHERE as well. he is your favorite person in the entire universe and anywhere he is - you are following right behind him or you are just watching him from afar and smiling and laughing at whatever it is he is doing at that moment. 

- I'm a bit sad because you're not so cuddly anymore because you always want to be on the move doing your own thing (wah!) If you're not trying to get down when we pick you up - you stand up and just bounce and bounce instead of letting us hold you.  you're a little jumping bean and will not stay still anymore! 

- you are sitting up by yourself now! You still prefer to lean against things, but you can by yourself when you want to also! You especially like to do it when gunners sitting on the floor with you - you usually like to do what he is doing or try to at least <3

- yes, you LOVE jumping in your jumper and bouncer now and get super crazy the second we put you in it.  you start yelling and screaming and bouncing so high that everything starts shaking super loud!  it's so funny but we've learned a couple times we can't put you in it after bedtime because you get so crazy it wakes your brother up! haha!

- you're still a little love though when you're tired, and for that I am so thankful.  I am not ready to not have a cuddly baby anymore so I love when you're sleepy because all you want is to be held and cuddled and you just squeeze my arm or hold onto my hair or face.  You just love to be loved and to love on others, and it's so sweet.

- you are STANDING up on your own now.  I know, it's just mean how fast of a hurry you are to grow up.  You try so hard and will not give up until you are fully standing against something, even it takes you a full 10 minutes - you pull, fall over, pull yourself back up and then keep trying over & over until you finally stand up on your own.

- you LOVE baby food.  we haven't found a single one you won't eat. def your mama's girl.

- you ended up trying juice a bit early (thanks gunner) and you love it.  i'm not sure if it's your brothers sippy cups you love to suck on and play with, or the surprising drink inside - but you seek out his cups when he's playing and snatch them the second he leaves them unattended.

- you are eating baby puffs now and OMG you freak out when you get them or see them out! You zone in and start flinging your hands around and yelling at us until we put it in your mouth. 

- you're getting better about your carseat now.  you dad hooked up some toys on it and a little mirror so you can see yourself, so that helps a lot.  you still dont LOVE the carseat, but you last a lot longer in it once you realize your friends return when you get in your seat.

- you are crazy strong! like, everyone talks about it because it's scary. nobody can outstrength you and you fight with all your might if you don't want to do something!

- you love your brother's ball pit. it's probably your favorite place in the house to play. and now you can crawl in and out by yourself (which is crazy to watch) and you spend all day just crawling in & out of it playing and laughing in the ball pit. even when there's no balls - you just think it's the funniest thing to be in there again! 

- you still are a little night owl.  you sleep for 2-3 hours TOP at a time. then you wake up, scream until you get a bottle, fall back asleep, then wake up another 2 hours later.  then around 4-5 am you wake up ready to play and then just fight sleep and roll around yelling at everyone for about an hour... then you're biggest sleep period is about 4-5 hours after you finally fall back asleep. yeah. we're working on it, but you just loveeeee to be awake.  you fight it and it takes me FOREVER to put you back to sleep sometimes just because you won't let yourself fall asleep. 

- you took your very first nap in your crib this month!  you've never slept in it but you fell asleep in your brothers so we put you in yours to try it out and you slept for the longest nap you've ever taken! so yeah, we're onto you and will most definitely be doing that again! 

- your little feet grew! all your newborn shoes don't fit now, just your jellies (thank goodness!) so now we need to go shoe shopping soon! :)

- you loveloveloveLOVE the baby channel. you and your brother both just sit and stare at it all day long.  now that dad found the channel at our house (usually you only get to watch at grandma's) you watch all day & night and LOVE it. you laugh and focus on it and at nighttime we put on the lullaby's and you really do fall asleep to it.  it's so sweet watching your little face light up at all the characters and even sweeter that you & your brother both cuddle up and watch it together before bed.

I'm sure there is lots more I'm missing - but everyday you are growing so much and learning so much! I love this age so much because you are really just growing so much and becoming your own little person.  We are having so much fun watching you evolve into your own little self kenzie girl, and your daddy, me & your brother love you so much. Even grizzly actually loves you a ton because she stays laying by you and licking your little toes because it makes you laugh so hard. I never imagined our life and house being more full of love after your brother, but ever since you've come into our lives - our lives and hearts have quadrupled in size! you're such a little princess and have the biggest heart of joy, the loudest laughter, the biggest and most infectious smiles and the most gorgeous blue eyes I've ever seen.  Not to mention you are one tough cookie with a whole heart of determination to get and do what you want. I just know you are going to grow into such a beautiful and strong woman one day and right now we are all doing our best to soak up all these precious "baby" moments with you because you are bound & determined to grow big & do even bigger things! 

We love you did-ter<3

Gunner gets a hair cut!

Well, it happened!

Gunner got his hair cut! 

And boyyyyyyyy does he look WAY TOO OLD for this mama's heart to take.

With a few snips of the scissors - my little baby turned into a big boy.

With daddy by his side giving him snacks and making him laugh - the lady was able to do everything we asked in his haircut. 

She said he was one of the best "patients" she has ever had!  Gunner played w/ the toys and ate his fruit snacks and was the sweetest & most patient little guy for the whole thing!

He got "baby's first haircut" certificate w/ his before & after shots, a lock of his curls and his name in big letters to celebrate the monumental occassion. 

(and mama took home an envelope FULL of all his precious & first golden locks of hair)

I miss those curls so much already but I really do love his new look.  He's such a little stud now and looks like such a big boy.  Definitely the most bitter-sweet change Rick & I have both encountered with our little man.  We really do have a toddler now and one without any baby hairs! Aghhhh! :'(

Happy 1/2 Birthdays To Both Little Ones {Photo Session May 2014}

So as you all know, I am obsessed with my babies.

And taking pictures of them.

And celebrating every and any reason to celebrate.

Every three months of Gunners first year of life, we had his photos taken.

Now, we are doing the same with McKenzie boo. 

From ages now till, well, forever, once the kids past 12 months I'll separate the gap a bit more and they'll both get their photos taken every six months. 

Since my babies are a bit Irish (as in twins, LOL) - 

they age at the same time. 

So November = birthdays.

May = 1/2 birthdays.

So, with that - I present you with their 1/2 birthday sessions.

& of course the amazing Lisa Williams had to be the one to take them.

Because I mean, well look below!

HALF a year of McKenzie! [late post]

[ I'm so late again on posting! ]

luckily we took your photos at the beginning of the month so those are still on time, but here is the blog to go along with this HUGE milestone age you've hit this month! 

But yes, this beautiful month of may - BOTH my babies hit their 1/2 year marks!

I cannot even believe my sweet little newborn baby is now 

S I X M O N T H S O L D 

six month old, folks. THAT is straight mind blogging.

But I can't even lie, I am loving every second of this stage with her! 

We have so much to catch up on! 

- You have GROWN a ton! 

- You had your six month checkup today with Dr Takamoto and here are your most recent stats:

+ weight: 15.12 lbs {36%}

+ height: 26 inches {41%}

+ head: 42 cm {35%}
You also got four shots today and took it like a total CHAMP! 

- You now wear size three diapers (yes, you are your brother wear the same same diapers now)

but it's actually AMAZING stocking up on two sizes to just stocking up on the same one size you both wear!

- You are out of anything clothes with a "0" or "3" now and are strictly in size "6 month only"

- You ROLL over.  You hate your back so you never stay on it. 

- You C R A W L now!! I thought this month was going to be about your first little "scoot" but literally the day after you learned how to scoot, you were crawling.  Full blown pulling yourself all over the house!  It BLOWS our mind still.  I forgot what it was like to have a crawling baby - NOTHING is safe now on surface level or beneath!  But it's so much fun watching you slither around the floor and go get all the things you've been eyeing for so many months. 

- You play with your toys now!  Lovelovelove that!  I swear that's the best thing because now you play by yourself and since you're a little crawler now, you just crawl around getting the toys you want and playing for hours with them.

- You are really independent.  You can play with your toys for hours on your own.  But with that, you also aren't one to be alone.  You get scared if you crawl too far away from us and start crying until we bring you back near us to play, then you're happy as a clam for hour again. 

- You are eating rice cereal now!  Well, more like drinking it because we put a little in your evening bottle before bed (Dr T said to try that since you weren't fond of it on it's own)  And you love it this way! 

- You also started eating baby food this month!  Very exciting stuff right there! 
So far you've had apples, bananas and sweet potatoes and you love it all.  You don't quite understand the whole "spoon" concept so it's more like slurping and sucking the food like it's a bottle and then crying everytime the bottle "aka the spoon" runs out until I get more food on it, then you start sucking again like crazy. 
So yeah, it's a pretty funny little scene every night feeding you.  But hey, babysteps right?!

- You do everything you possibly can to always be near your brother.  It's the sweetest thing.  No matter where he is in the house, your eyes are always glued to him and you just smile.  You watch him play with grizzly or run around and you laugh and laugh at him.  And now you get to follow him around the house and you absolutely love that. 

- You love staring contests and making eye contact.  I joke with your dad a lot because you really do get sad if you don't get that "one on one" attention from him.  Sometimes you'll be fussy and all it takes is for one of us to lay on the floor and just be eye level with you and play, and then you just stare at us and laugh and laugh. 

- Yes, you are the HAPPIEST little girl in the world.  Everyone comments how you are always smiling from ear to ear and you always got the biggest grin on your face.  It's the sweetest thing. 

- You're still a total mama's girl and I couldn't be happier.  Though, it really is a tough statement to make because you absolutely adore your dad and brother too.  I think it's broken down right now like this: 

Daddy makes you laugh, You always want to play with your brother because he's your very best friend in the whole world and you seriously just adore everything he does, and I think I'm the one you look for in the room because you know I'll always give you that one-on-one attention and the snuggles you always want.

- You are a total love.  You love just being held and you hold onto our arms or squeeze our necks and you just love to be loved on.  And I totally get that, and am thankful for it.  That's the biggest difference with boys and girls I think - your brother always wants to play, and you do too, but you're always down for cuddling with mama for hours on end if we could. 

- You found your voice this month!  You found it awhile back with cooing, but now you're full on yelling at your toys, cooing, laughing, giggling, and making all kinds of little noises.  It's so sweet hearing your little personality starting to come out.  And yes, you sound EXACTLY like your brother when he was your age (and still now too)  everyone laughs because you literally cannot tell who is yelling or talking sometimes! 

- You can hold yourself up to sit and you can sit leaning against things now.  I honestly think you could sit if you wanted, but you just don't seem to be a fan.  Anytime we sit you up you just lean over and play with your toes and you can sit like that for awhile, but you just don't have any desire to sit straight up. 

We're working on this though - you have two weeks until your photos with Lisa and mama would loveeeee some sitting up poses! (lol, no pressure!)

- You got a big girl bed now!!  Yes.  A full on pink toddler bed.  It's pushed up next to our bed and between the wall that way you can sleep and roll around comfortably, and have no chance of falling off.  You absolutely LOVE the freedom to move around and spread out, and we love having a little extra room in our very small full size bed.  

- Some people ask why you're in a toddler bed and not your crib, and this brings me to my next point.  You still are not a fan of sleeping.  You're getting better, but still not a fan.  You're more of a "20 min power nap and 3 hour sleeping block" than an overnighter.  So until you're sleeping through the night longer or with at least less overnight feedings, it's just easier to keep you with us in our room right now.  And not going to lie,  we (yes, dad too) are just not ready to have you gone.  We miss gunner still not being in our room and it's nice having you there to watch sleep peacefully and be right by you when you need us. 

- You are incredibly strong.  Like, hulk strong. 

You will not do things if you don't want to, and your strength seriously overpowers mine sometimes.

For instance, like I mentioned before, you hate being on your back. SO, diaper changes are seriously the hardest battles everyday because you thinks its HILARIOUS to spin onto your back the whole time we are trying to change you and we canNOT keep you down because you're so freakishly strong!  I get frustrated sometimes when we're in a hurry and I've even put on your clothes and diaper w/ you on your belly because I just can't win the battle of strength!  But I always end up laughing because it's just so funny how you really do outstrength me and laugh at me the whole time.  Funny, and mean. Haha!

- You are growing some more hair!!  You're one little pony is a lot longer this month, and your getting some more peach fuzz all over now.  It's so sweet. 

- Your eyes are still light so they just may stay light blue afterall (fingers crossed) you get strangers all the time coming up to you and complimenting how big and blue your eyes are.  I think it's obvious that's allll from me. 

HAHA!  I wish. 

- You are so chill lately.  Now that you can crawl and play with your toys, you really are just so much  happier all the time because you can finally do what you want and don't feel so trapped in your little body.  I love watching you come into your own and just develop your own personality and voice and social skills. There's no bigger moments than watching you and your brother discover yourselves, and I really am just relishing in all these precious moments while I can watch you both blossom into your own little selves. 


Well those are the biggest changes in you this month.  Six month has never seemed so short, but you've grown leaps and bounds just in the last couple months.  You are not a newborn anymore and it's never been more obvious.  I'd lie if I say it's not a little sad watching you leave the tiny baby clothes and precious little diapers.  But I also can't lie in saying that I'm loving the new stages your getting to and how interactive you are everyday.  It's just so much fun and now that you and your brother can actually play together and communicate, my heart darn near explodes with happiness on a daily basis watching you two.  I see you two being the best of friends already and there's nothing I could have possibly hoped for more than just that.

Here's to you sweet girl, six months old going on ONE now! 
Here's to the next six months of milestones, discoveries & adventures with you. 

Love always, Mom. 

Five (going on SIX) Month old McKenzie!

McKenzie is has been FIVE months old!

Haha. yes, I totally failed this last month.

I took the photos, wrote up the blog notes in my phone, but totally skipped out putting everything together & writing up the blog itself.

I'm so sorry my little lovebug, mama has been B U S Y lately with her new job that so many things have fallen behind, including my beloved blogging on you & your brother.

But YES the time has come to talk about our adorable little FIVE month old!

You only have a handful of days (5 to be exact) left before you turn the big SIX months old, so let's get to it!

Here are your adorable photos we took at the beginning of this month!

- you began teething this month! you've been teething for awhile now but now we can see that little white tooth surfacing in your gums and even feel it from the top of your gums starting to poke through. hopefully soon it'll break through and give you some relief becuase I know it's been really bugging you (fingers crossed).

- you are completely out of all things newborn or with any "0" in them. we pulled out all your 3 month clothes and even those won't be lasting too much longer - you are growing so fast I'm sure we'll be pulling out the 3-6 size soon!

- you are eating a lot more & more often now. you were drinking 4 ounces and now you can drink up to 5 or 6 ounces at a time, and more often too!

- you definitely have been going through a growth spurt. you eat a lot more and sleep a lot less and definitely have been having some growing pains because you've been a bit, um, cranky. I get it, growing is hard and so is teething - but yeah... we'll just blame it on the teething and this growth spurt.

- you have developed the chubbiest little thigh & thigh rolls and I am O B S E S S E D. your brother didn't get very chubby or "rolls" really anywhere and I was so bummed, and you are such a little chunka-monk I LOVE IT. I take a billion pictures of your little thigh rolls because they are the cutest! I am going to be real sad when you lose them. (don't worry, you will lose them - that's why it's okay I talk about their chubbiness)

- you're getting a lot stronger! we've been working on your sitting up and you can sit on your own if your propped up against something so that's a big step! It's not that you can't sit by yourself yet, it's that you don't want to. you hate sitting. you LOVE standing up but everytime we try to pull you downward to sit, you lock your legs and refuse to sit. so that makes it a bit challenging but I know once you realize how fun it is sitting up, you'll do it.

- yes, you are freakishly strong and you are also strong-willed. as in, if you don't want to do something - you will not do it. and you use that superhero strength to fight us on everything we try to make you do that you don't want to (i.e sitting, changing your diaper, rolling you on your back, getting you dressed) lol - it's all pretty funny though because we literally cannot make you do anything you don't want to.

- you still are not a huge fan of sleeping. we are realllllllly hoping to change that soon. right now you sleep for 2-3 hours at a time.

- we did try rice cereal (mostly to hopefully keep you full longer so you'd sleep longer) but you hated it. you spit it out and wanted nothing to do with it. so next month since you'll be turning 6 months, we're going to try introducing baby food to you & hopefully have better luck with that.

- you LOVE standing up. if we hold your hands or your side you can stand up all by yourself and you think it's the funniest thing ever standing upright! your dad keeps joking that you'll be walking before sitting because that's what you like doing.

- speaking of your sleep, you are the loudest little sleeper ever! not only do you wake up like clockwork every couple hours, you also fight sleeping. whenever you are tired or exhausted you just start yelling and yelling. not crying, yelling. then you just yell until you start falling asleep finally and then your tone gets quieter and quieter until finally you're just sorta moaning until you eventually just pass out. it's pretty funny to watch and your dad and I usually crack up laughing because we have to try and quiet you down so you don't wake up your brother, but waking you up just starts off the loud yells all over again.

So these are the biggest updates with you this month. you are growing so fast everyday you seriously grow leaps & bounds. between the teething, growing into your next level clothes, eating a lot more & now close to sitting and holding yourself up - you are going to a toddler way before my heart is ready for it!

I can't even believe next month (which is just a few days away) you will be SIX MONTHS OLD. Half of a whole year! Ah! As bittersweet as it is watching you grow this fast, it's also so much fun and each month you are growing into your own little personality more and you are quite the character! I am really excited for the next six months with you and before you know it I'll be sitting here writing your twelve month blog. I know all too well how fast it flies by after your brother, so I am determined to soak it alllll up with you!

persian new years.

this past week was persian new years,

or Norooz as my family calls it.

we said farewell to the the past year and welcomed the new year -

thirteen.ninety.three.

haha pretty neat, huh?

 

I have always loved being Persian for many reasons, but one of the major reasons is because of them having their own special holidays to celebrate & recognize.

Norooz is HUGE to my family. H U G E

My grandma gets all gung-ho about the table decorations being setup perfectly at every families house, and everyone gets dolled up for a big family party to ring in the new year together.

 

I especially love this because anytime a new year starts out on a bad note {much like 2014 had for me and our family} - BOOM. Another new year & new beginning is just around the corner.

So, since 2014 wasn't quite what I had expected so far,

now I have a whole new start to the year, and it's already going MUCH better than the original "new years" we celebrated.

Like I said, it's pretty neat.

 

This year we hosted the family party at our house & here are some fun pictures from the occassion.

My amazing amazing husband cleaned and DECORATED the house all by himself after we went to bed and surprised us all with a clean & festive house for the party on saturday.

I was so shocked to wake up to a house that was completely done-up and that I was able to just jump into cooking & setting up, completely free of cleaning and decorating!

Yes, he is THAT amazing.