Sweetheart Party

My special Valentine and I went to a sweethearts party at  Lil Peeps' Playhouse this year. She was dressed up in her heart tutu and rocker pink pants of course and handed out "be mine" valentines she made with a little helping hand from me.

All the kids had some free time to play and explore, then it was songs and circle time, followed by a small craft and then topped off with decorate your own cupcake. It was a great day and a fun way to spend Valentine's day with my little sweetheart.

Crawling through the tunnel 

Sophia is ready for her road trip 

Pushing a truck

Building in a tutu

Andrew all dressed up

Target Tuesday

On the first Tuesday of the month the Glazer Museum has Target Tuesday which is free admission sponsored by Target of coarse. I have been wanted to take Everly there for a while but wasn't sure if I really wanted to spend the money since her attention span is well, like a small child. So when the mom's group was planning our next meet up at the museum I was super excited to explore what it had to offer.

The Glazer Museum has so much for  kids of all ages to do. The first level your little one can explore and learn about water and rain storms, build sand castles, drive a cruise ship and much more. On the upper level they can tap into their creative sides in the art smart center, go shopping at Publix, learn to take care of animals at the vet clinic and learn at many other play stations.

It was a great little Tuesday at the museum and all the kids and adults had a fun time. I would recommend taking advantage of Target Tuesday if you are wanting to learn more about what the museum has to offer and to see if your kids will enjoy it.

With a Smile

I ran my first 1/2 marathon this past weekend and I did with a smile and had a blast! I NEVER would have thought I could run 13.1 miles but I am thrilled to announce I can cross this off my "things to do list". To start I would like you all to know I am not a runner and I do not enjoy the act of running alone. With that said I do enjoy running with a group and with friends because I have had the most interesting conversations when I run and I have made some amazing friends running. So I guess you can say I am officially a runner as long as I have a buddy and a Starbucks after a nice run.

If you are friends with me on Facebook you all know I have been training for this race for a few months now and you have already been experiencing this with me through my many status updates, photos and videos but I would like to take you back to how it all began.

I knew that if I was going to participate in a 1/2 marathon it would be at Disney, I mean the thought of running through the Magic Kingdom just sounds like a great time! After talking about it with friends and family on various occasions I decided that 2012 would be a great year to complete my first 1/2 marathon. Like I said before I was not a runner so I started slowly running the galloway method, the way this method works is you run for an amount of time like 1 minute and then you walk for 1 minute and alternate run/walk, this method helped me build up my endurance. When I joined the Y a few months ago my lovely tour guide Leslie told me about a running group that met up on Saturday mornings, I jumped or ran at the opportunity to join the CORE runners. Every Saturday at 7am my friend Amy and I would meet up with the CORE runners and have an enjoyable run followed by a more enjoyable Starbucks. This seemed like such a great way to get ready for our 13.1 miles we needed to train for. Eventually 7am turned into 6:30am and maybe even earlier as our training miles needed to increase to meet our goal. But no matter how early we needed to get up or how long we need to run that day it was all worth it since you knew you had a goal and someone to hold you accountable. One of the best parts of running with a buddy is the conversation, because really when you are with someone for that long and you are trying to pass the miles by, nothing is of limits and you talk about it all. From babies, to food, to sex, to bodily functions, through memory lane of your past and all your goals for your future, there is never a dull mile.

The morning of the race started at an early 2:30am but that didn't matter because I was to excited and nervous to sleep. With our tutu's on and cameras in hand we were ready! Me, Dawn and my Mom made our way to our assigned corral. I was franticly trying to get a hold of my running buddy Amy so we can try to meet up in the sea of 26, 000 runners  (and we did meet up). The count down began and the fireworks went off  and we were on our way! On a runners and sensory overload there was something to get you motivated at every mile. High school bands lined the streets, volunteers cheered you on as they gave you refreshments, characters were available for pictures, spectators screamed your name in encouragement, if you didn't have fun on this race something was wrong with you because it was amazing! And to my surprise we found my fan club (Justin, Everly and Aunt Lisa) and Amy's fan club on more than one occasion, hats off to all the support!

My goal was to run with fun and a smile and finish under 3 hours but I came in at 3:01:30 but hey I was to busy laughing, singing, wooting and cheering. It was an experience of a life time and I can't wait to do it again. Thanks to all who have taken this journey with me and for all the encouraging words and motivation!

Cooking Blunder

I love cooking, food, shows about food and anything to do with a culinary adventure for my taste buds. And not to honk my own horn but I have occasionally made some creative and tasty dishes in the past. However the last two nights I have failed miserably in the kitchen/cooking department, so bad that Justin had to band me from the kitchen and start over completely. It could be I am getting slight overwhelmed with activities throughout the day, keeping Everly entertained and trying to decode what she would like to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner and lets not forget snacks. Plus trying to come up with something other then my five go to dinner recipes.

So my baby yoga mommy friend Julie has turned me on to e-meals, you get to pick the meal plan that works best for your family and they provide meals and recipes for the week, as well as a shopping list! I signed up today and can't wait to get started. We shall see if this will help me be slightly more organized for 2012.

The New Year

I look forward to the New Year, I believe it is a great way to start fresh and get excited about what the coming year could bring. My idea of a perfect New Year's Eve party is actually very low key, it would be at someones house or my own, with yummy food, some bubbles and cocktails, the kids playing and dancing to the music in the background, maybe a game of taboo going on, and everyone just enjoying the time with each other.  My NYE has definitely changed over the years to say the least, but life evolves and so does your vision.

I have learned from the heartaches and enjoyed the many blessings that 2011 have brought to me, my family and friends. Relationships have blossomed, babies have been born, loved ones have passed, businesses have been developed, trips have been taken, life is being lived and memories are being made! This is more than I can ever imagine, being able to share and enjoy what is offered to me is amazing.
I am looking forward to 2012 and the many adventures that are in store for me. I can't wait to keep learning, loving, giving and receiving.

Happy New Year to all! Be safe and enjoy.

Evolving Traditions

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays for many reasons. The obvious reason, all the amazing food. The corny reason, watching the Thanksgiving Day parade (because I secretly still want to be a rockette). The sporty reason, football.  And of course all the thanks that is given all day long! But what I love the most are the non traditional traditions that have developed over the years. When you get older you get to pick and choose how you want your holidays to go and of course they never go as planned but that's part of the fun and it is the chance for new traditions to develop.

Thanksgiving Eve is my favorite tradition I have choose to continue. Ever since I lived in Birmingham I can remember going out with friends and just having such a memorable time. I'm not really sure how it all started, I think it was when I was in high school my mom and I would always go out to dinner and do something fun the night before. As I got older it evolved into cocktails and appiez at a local restaurant with friends. It was great because such a unique mix of people would come out, you would have a few laughs, you could sleep in the next morning and you knew at some point there would be an amazing feast the next day.

Now that I have a Everly we will have to create a new Thanksgiving Eve tradition that will be more suitable for a little one.  That's the best part about the holidays you can create whatever memorable moment you want, it's all about being surround by the people that make you smile and laugh!

I hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving Eve followed by a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!

Let the Magic Begin

This past weekend we headed to the happiest place on earth, Disney World! We had very mixed feelings about if we should take her when she was this young or wait till she was older, but since some of Justin's family was in town to enjoy a little magic Disney style, we thought we would join in the fun too. Justin and I agreed that this was all about Everly and we were in no rush. What ever she was in the mood to do we would do and that is what we did. It was a little overwhelming for all of us at first,  since this is the "Happiest Place on Earth" there is a lot of expectation to make sure every one is happy! 

I felt like we accomplished a lot for our first trip to the Magic Kingdom, we went on five rides: Small World, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, Aladdin's Magic Carpet Ride and we ended with some Pirates of the Caribbean. We also watched two parades and saw a few of our favorite characters. I was very thankful for all the short lines as Everly has not mastered the art of patients just yet. She just wanted to keep walking right on to the ride, but who doesn't. She also wanted the ride to start immediately, she is still in that instant gratification stage of her life. 

Here is my Disney Tip: For anyone who is thinking about taking their family to any Disney theme park, pack snacks, lunch and water. It may be a magical, happy place but I did not taste any of that magic in the food. And after walking around and chasing a little one you might want something yummy to snack on and your wallet will thank you later. 

All in all the day was great, the weather was perfect and everyone had such a fantastic time. I am so glad we took Everly and got to hang out with Justin's family. We will always remember the fun time we had and all the firsts we enjoyed with our family.

I say it was a very successful first trip to Disney! 

Here we go

Daddy and Everly

On our first ride, It's a Small World

Cinderella's Castle

High Five 

Waiting for the Parade

A little snuggle with Cousin Collin

Daddy higher! 

Headed home

Smile