Thanksgiving 2012

A little behind, as usual, but wanted to update on our holiday season! 


Starting with Thanksgiving. This is Jason's favorite holiday. Lots of food and no stressing about gifts - I have to agree, it is pretty great!

Lilli loved meeting Auntie Ashley at the airport - she saw her plane come in!

We spent it with his family at Cracker Barrel this year.  It was just easiest for us to all meet and eat there.  No cooking or cleanup - score!  However, I didn't even get any pictures because we weren't there too long.  Bummer!

We celebrated with my side of the family at Aaron & Tosha's house.  Traditional food - my Granny's stuffing is the most amazing thing in this world.  No lie.  My Dad's turkey is up there as pretty awesome, as well.


Tosha found paint chip turkey crafts from Pinterest.  Kids loved it!



Scarlett loved playing and entertaining us!



Story time with "Aunt" Lindsay

We spent time with my parents and my sister which led to finding this AWESOME photo -

I love our dresses - and wonder if my girls will hate me for their hairstyles in the future!?

Lilli spent time at Nana and PawPaw's house - which she loves!  She went to her first UK basketball game, which she did amazing and loved every second.  Her favorite player is Coach Cal and she loves the Wildcat mascot.  I wish I had pictures - but they are on my sister's phone and on facebook.  She was so worn out from their trip that she fell asleep at a restaurant after we picked her up, a first since she has been an infant! 

While Lilli was with them, we did some browsing at Lowes with Scarlett.  She was adorable and loves one on one time with us!

Overall we had a wonderful break together.  I just love the anticipation of Christmas and the decorating and shopping that comes along with it. 



Halloween 2012

Despite both having colds on the 31st, we still had fun this year dressing up!  Our church had Trunk or Treat the Sunday before Halloween and they loved it.  It was cold but the red wig and the octopus costume helped keep them warm! ;o)

Here are some pictures of Ariel and Ursela!



A "trunk" inside the church - it was amazing!



Nana and PawPaw had a trunk and survived the cold to hand out candy!

This little octopus LOVED crawling around the gym floor. 

Scarlett's Pumpkin Party!

I often feel like the only people that read this blog are people that also see my Facebook page and therefore have already seen these photos.  While that is true, I do have big hopes and dreams to print this blog as a book and have documentation of events.  So for those that have already seen these, sorry - but I wanted to remember the details of Scarlett's first birthday party!

The theme for the party was Pumpkins.  We didn't know if Scarlett was a boy or girl until her birth and so we always called her "Baby Pumpkin" in the womb.  I even told Jason I was pregnant by writing my due date on a little pumpkin.  So the idea for the party was a no brainer!

I found inspiration on Pinterest and Etsy for the invitations and the rest just came together.  I worked with Meredith from MJ Paperie and I cannot say enough wonderful things about her!  She sent multiple files and helped me plan the invitations - at MJ Paperie they will do everything from send a computer file for you to print to printing and assembling the complete package.  I didn't want to print myself (I have never had luck doing that) but I do enjoy the assembly part.  Although after cutting and gluing all of these pieces I was starting to wish I had changed my mind!  In the end, though, they turned out beautifully and were a favorite piece of the party.

I took the picture in the backyard (with help from my mom, of course!) printed it at home and glued it into the envelopes.  Looks difficult but really wasn't.



My mom also made her bloomers and her birthday onesie and tutu

I bought most of my supplies at Shop Sweet Lulu and they were super fast and super cute!


I covered a particle board "S" in burlap - burnt my fingers with the glue gun but it was worth it!  Mom made the frame and the pumpkin is fake!



I had big ideas - I attempted to make cake pops that looked like pumpkins. Although they were delicious, I didn't have the candy melts warm enough and they turned out looking like orange blobs.  I just didn't have enough time to mess with it so we ate them ourselves and used plan B - pumpkin cookies from Parcells.  They were delish and adorable.



The tags say "A big thanks from ONE happy pumpkin!"


I knew I wanted to make her cupcakes after getting this idea in my head (which is rare, most of the time I see something online and want to re-create it!) I used chocolate cupcakes, green icing as grass and marshmallow pumpkins on top.  My mom made the pumpkin smash cake for Scarlett using 2 small bundt cakes.  The stem is a tootsie roll!



The picket fence cupcake wrappers are from Michaels



I don't know how we keep lucking out, but the weather was nice for the party.  In October you never know what you might get but we hoped to do some things outside and that worked out!  The kids painted pumpkins and played on the patio while the adults socialized.



Notice the bibs!  I used tempera paint so it wouldn't stain but guess what - it doesn't work well for painting pumpkins! They wouldn't dry fast enough and then when it did, the paint just peeled off.  Oh well!



Scarlett just liked watching! 



She isn't walking yet on her own but was determined to walk with help at her party!





I just love this picture of Cameron after eating something messy!





We bought these HUGE white mums the day of the party - they got the most compliments of any decoration!  They are still beautiful on the back patio.



Scarlett loves attention.  She is such a little ham.  She makes funny faces and repeats just about any face you make at her.  She was so much fun at the party!

Wearing my Uncle Bill's glasses



It started getting cool so we moved inside for cake!

There is something so special about singing "Happy Birthday" to a one year old.  They just sit there, wondering what the fuss is about, while Mom and Dad sit back thinking "we did it, we survived!" - I teared up during the song (did that with Lilli's, too!) - I got it on video but not on my camera since I was holding the cake.  But then it was time to dig in!

Yummy toes!

She had to share with Sissy

 So many presents, she is such a loved little girl!

She was getting tired at this point!



Monthly photos



She loves them!

Our blessed family

 And just like that, it was time to say goodbye to our family and put another birthday party in the books!

Scarlett is ONE!

I honestly can't believe I am posting this.  Shouldn't I be sharing the news of her birth!?

We are so incredibly blessed and in love with our girls.  Scarlett has added something to our family that we never knew was missing but now couldn't live without.  She is spunky yet snuggly, giggly yet determined. 

 At one year, Scarlett:
*weighs 21 lbs, 2 oz (50%ile)
*is 30.25 inches long (75%ile)
*goes to bed around 7 and wakes around 12 hours later.  She sometimes sleeps straight through, sometimes wakes 1-2 times.  She typically wants a bottle and is not soothed by anything else!


My mom made these outfits - I LOVE them! 
There is something extra special about the girls clothes when they are made by Nana just for them. 

*takes 1 nap for about 2+ hours but can sometimes sneak in a catnap
*has 6 teeth - 4 on top and 2 on bottom

 *still has the bluest eyes and is getting longer curls.  Hair is dark blonde

*won't walk on her own but will cruise on furniture - she is a pretty fast crawler so I don't think she sees the appeal in walking!  She usually sits down when you stand her up and laughs at you!

*takes formula in a bottle 3 times a day.  I won't lie - I hate to wash bottles but hate even more the thought of my baby being too old for a bottle so I'm not rushing it! She drinks out of a straw cup and likes water and juice.  She loves to let the water fall out of her mouth and soak her shirts!
*has had some dairy and we have seen no issues - yay!  Plan to try whole milk soon!

*wears 12-18 month clothes, size 3 shoes and size 3 diapers

*loves to give kisses (see above!) and snuggle her head in my chest.  She hides her face when she gets excited.

*has made many friends at church in the pews behind us.  She loves to entertain during the sermon!  She cries in tick tock (Bible class) when other kids cry or when the routine is changed.  Apparently she doesn't like for people to come in the room!

*tries to draw with her right hand.  She loves to use the bath crayons and draw on the tub like Lilli does.  It is adorable and she is pretty good at it!
*says Mama, Dada, "mo" (more) and "baba" (bottle)

*loves to mimic whatever we do - making funny faces or sounds and watches intently when we speak. 

*makes a really hilarious face where she squints her eyes and cocks her head, it cracks us all up!




"The Face" at a basketball game

  *went to the Wurth Farms Pumpkin Patch this year for the first time, she loves being outside so she was happy the entire time!



Normally I update the blog and write a little something to her but this time I wanted her Daddy to chime in.   So here is the beautiful letter he wrote for her:

Our dearest Scarlett,


The curl in your hair, those gorgeous blue eyes, and that precious round face… those were the ways that we fell in love at first glance.

The funny face that you make, the endless giggles with your sister, and that adorable open mouth kiss on the cheek… these are the ways we know we’ll love you forever.

There is nothing that will amaze a mother or father more in their lifetime than this... Just when they think they have given all the love they could ever give, when they couldn’t imagine where the same love for another would come from, when their hearts are already on overtime, a daughter is born, and love’s true lesson is revealed. Love doesn’t divide, it multiplies. Their hearts swell, their love deepens, their faith strengthens. The blessings of God baffle understanding, they turn man’s wisdom on its head, and they wear pink socks.

Before you were born we prayed for you, in your mother’s tummy we sang to you, wrapped in swaddling clothes we rocked you, in your bare skin we bathed you, in your gowns and dresses we photographed you, in your bathing suit we swam with you, in your little tennis shoes we walked with you, and covered in your birthday cake we celebrated with you.

Today you turn one year old. We have a whole lifetime to look forward to spending together, but already we have enough love and memories together to make anyone’s lifetime feel whole.

We love you and God bless you,

Mommy and Daddy

We had a wonderful 1st birthday celebration and I will be recapping that next!