Sunday Funday

We had a fun filled, busy weekend.

To start, Saturday evening we were invited to a neighborhood cookout (Evan's old neighborhood where his mom lives). I decided to make a dip and some homemade banana pudding to share. Banana pudding happens to be one of my specialties. :)

 

 

Ethan had a blast running around and playing with the other kids. He didn't get in bed until 9pm that night, but he would have told you it was worth it! He slept in the next morning until 7:30, so it was a win-win situation.

 

The next morning, Sunday, was my mom's birthday. We had a morning out on the lake planned, followed by a family gathering at our house for dinner and gifts.

 

This was Ethan's first ever boat ride. He was really excited to ride "Papa's boat".  We all had an awesome time, especially him! It was nice to be back out on the water again. My sister and I grew up taking the boat out to the lake with my family, so this was a great treat. My family hasn't taken the boat out in a few years- so we were all pretty excited. Here are a few snapshots of our day-

 

 

Jess and I (my sister) we actually really look alike in this photo. Most people say we look very different.

Ethan did not hesitate to get in the lake and swim!

 

I was really excited that after having not water skied in 4 years, I was able to get up on the first try! Evan took some video footage for your viewing pleasure! See, just because I'm a mom doesn't make me old and boring! Did you happen to notice Ethan cheering for me?

 

 

 

 

When we got home, Ethan took a 3 1/2 hour nap. SCORE! Evan was able to get some yard work done while I showered and got dinner prepared. My mom's birthday dinner request- fresh shrimp wrapped in turkey bacon, covered in BBQ sauce, and grilled on a kabob. This also happens to be one of my favorite meals, too. With it we had baked potatoes on the grill, broccoli salad, and corn on the cob. For dessert, my mom's choosing was red velvet cake.

 

It was a wonderful day from start to finish, and a great day with family. Ethan especially enjoyed helping his Nana open her gifts and reminding her that "it's time for cake and ice cream!"

 

 

Happy Birthday, Mom!!!

 

And while we are on that note...happy half birthday today to my little one. I cannot believe you are 2 1/2 already. You make my life so rich, whole, and full of meaning. I love you Ethan!

 





A Whole Bunch of Nothing

Since all it's done is rain the last two weeks, our I feel like our "fun" has been a bit limited these days. Thus, not too much happening. The last two weekends I swear all Evan and I did was "a whole bunch of nothing".  Well, if you can count napping as doing something...I guess that counts. :)  We were thankful that Ethan took very long naps, too. (3 hours or more!) These opportunities are rare. Take advantage.

Last Friday I did get a gel manicure for the first time while Ethan was playing at his MiMi's house. I don't usually do manicures because I feel like they come off so quickly. I'd heard that the gel manis stay on longer and were very durable. The truth- they are very durable. You can't do anything to mess them up. That's a major plus for my very "hands on" motherly approach to life. If my hands aren't in soap, they're in poop or Clorox. Sounds fun, right? Anywho, while I was a fan at the time of the mani, I'm going tomorrow to get it taken off.  It just grows out too quick.  Since I am a perfectionist, I can't stand to look down and see my nails partially in color, with a white line where the nail is growing out. That's $30 I won't be spending again anytime soon. So, my new idea? I'm going to try Jamberry. Can't wait to get my first order! Have you ever tried it?

On another note...and to continue on about a whole bunch of nothing...here is a picture of one of my recent favorite purchases.

You know how much I love the gym. I've always used those skinny head bands in my hair to hold it back while I work out. I always get those fly away hairs around my face that drive me crazy. The skinny head bands just weren't cutting it anymore. So, Ethan and I took a little trip over to Dicks Sporting Goods (by the way when your 2 year old asks you "mommy what's the name of this store?" I had to quickly think of an alternative) to find some good quality head bands. Not sure of how I would like them, I left with these larger width head bands. Awesome is all I can say. MY. HAIR. NEVER MOVED. I highly recommend it.

The newest addition to my work out regimen is a walk a few evenings a week AFTER my gym work out with my dear and sweet neighbor, Denise. No, not just any kind of walk. A fast paced, 3 to 4 mile walk that takes about an hour. I found that after adding this to my routine, I was going thru my gym shoes like crazy. I needed an additional pair of shoes to fall back on. So, I found these Nike's. I am usually not a big Nike fan (for shoes) but these I love. Light weight, and airy. I never thought I would like those kind of shoes, but turns out- don't judge before you try.

And last but not least....

Not sure what the heck has been up with the kind of summer we've been having (weather wise) but I sure as hell am NOT going to complain about the lower temps. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. Which brings me to my next point...

Flu shots. Have you noticed they are already available? Colder weather is coming. Winter is coming. The winter sickness curse will be upon us soon. Really? Already? My God, I feel like we just came out of that. Flu shots...just another reminder of what every mother on planet earth dreads...

Baton down the hatches people.

It's coming.

The Finished Product

Many of you inquired a couple of posts ago about the wooden monogram that I ordered for our master bedroom.

Evan and I finally had some extra time to paint and hang our wooden masterpiece. I could NOT be happier with the finished product. It is stunning, and I am totally in love with it. For once I actually ordered something online that exceeded my expectations.  Our master bedroom is now complete.

We decided to paint it the same color of the trim, which also happens to be pretty similar to the color of our comforter. It looks beautiful against the wall color, and has a nice pop factor to it. I can't take credit for painting it- that was all Evan. I mean he does own his own painting company- so I must leave it to the professional. :)

If you are interested in the esty shop where I bought this, go to etsy.com, and type in charming little nest. I love that she is located right outside of Charlotte, and was recently featured on the Today Show.

In other news...

We haven't been up to anything too exciting recently. Evan and I did go to Busch Gardens last weekend...childless. We had a really great time. The weather was perfect- low 80's, cloudy, and breezy. It wasn't crowded at all- we never waited in line. We rode the best rollercoaster "Griffin" probably 6 times. It was awesome. We enjoyed just being kids again. It's easy to forget what that feels like...isn't it?

Ethan had another successful week at Wee Camp this past week. It was his second week. The theme last week was "The Greatest Show on Earth"- aka circus. He had a blast. Here is a picture of his artwork-

 

 

Hope everyone has a fabulous week!