Four Years Ago Today...

Four years ago today, I married my best friend.  I never knew I would find such a wonderful, smart, funny, and amazing man to spend the rest of my life with.  Thanks for being my rock and my biggest supporter.  I can't wait to spend many more years with you!

And Without Further Ado...

Here is the video that has been requested by many of you...Nolan and his mad dance skills!

An Early Anniversary Dinner

This week is my 4th wedding anniversary with my husband, even though it feels like I should be able to add more years since we've been together for 10 years.  Just typing that makes me feel old for some reason.  Anyways, his work is sending him out of town on our actual anniversary and the two days following.  So we decided to celebrate our anniversary this past Saturday.  My in-laws watched the little man, and we headed out to a lovely dinner where I might have enjoyed some pomegranate martinis.  Maybe just two--because I'm a light weight.  We had a great time at this restaurant that had a perfect romantic ambiance.  We were very happy since it was our first time dining at this place.  Overall we had a great evening with just the two of us.  It's sometimes easy to forget about the "just the two of us" since we are a family of three.  But it's so important to set aside time to just be a couple.

Because that's what began this journey.

Chicago October 2009

We finished the evening off with dessert...and you know nothing is better when they have the red sign on saying they are fresh....oh yeah some Krispy Kreme!

Life's Lessons: The 11 Months Edition

It's finally Friday, and I'm linking up with Sara & Rach after a few missed Fridays.  I know how you have missed them my friends!

1) Wow...you just turned 11 months old.  I seriously can't fathom that we are on the countdown of your year birthday.  It seems like yesterday that you were just a little bitty baby who fell asleep on my shoulder.

2) You're about 22 lbs, and I have no idea how tall...maybe 29 inches?  You've definitely slowed down in the height department which has allowed you to chunk up a little bit.  But I don't mind pinching those cheeks!

3) Your new game is to hand everyone what you're holding.  Including your food to the dogs.  Which is slightly annoying, but I guess it's fun to watch your food hit the floor.

4) You love to dance.  Anytime music is on you'll start to boogie.  It's the cutest thing ever.

5) You stand by anything...you don't discriminate...couch, wall, dishwasher...you're an equal opportunity stander.

6) You will catch yourself every now and then standing without holding onto something because you have a toy in your hand.  Then when you realize you quickly plop down on your bottom. 

7) We had a play date yesterday, and you were so funny.  You were trying to talk to the 6 month old and trying to get him to chase you.  I couldn't believe my little baby was now on the brink of toddler hood and ready to play with others.

8) You love your big monkey rug in your room.  I say, "Where is monkey face?"  And you scoot over to go cuddle with it.  It's so sweet!

9) You also love to pull things out of baskets, drawers, or anything that is made to hold items.  It's created more work for mom because you always have blankets, wash cloths, or all the clean laundry out everywhere. 

10) You went on your first beach vacation and had a ball.  You had fun at the beach eating sand and playing at the pool.  You ate all kinds of food...and even tried some seafood which may not be allowed for a 11 month old but you had no problem breaking the rules.

11) You are chatting away with all kinds of new sounds.  You laugh so much besides the times when you take a tumble which have been quite frequently when you are testing your new skills.

12) You love playing a good game of chase.  I say, "Where are you going?" And you take off like a bolt.  You laugh so hard when I chase after you and play peek-a-boo.

12) Happy 11 months baby Nolan...soon to be toddler.  Mommy is having so much fun with you and is trying to savor all these wonderful moments!

Toes in the Sand...

We had a great time on vacation last week in Hilton Head, SC.  Perfect weather and a sandy beach...

However, one must know that once you have a little one vacation isn't really a "vacation" anymore.

Long gone are the days where you would spend 4 to 6 hours laying in the sun perfecting your tan while reading a good book or listening to your iPod.

Instead you will be chasing your little one across the beach trying to limit the sand intake.

And the sand...

I remember the days when I would just get sand on my legs and be annoyed because I couldn't apply tanning oil to them.  Now I'm covered in sand because if the crawling baby is in sand you my friend will be finding sand in places you didn't know it could go. 

I didn't realize how much sand annoyed me until now.  It just GETS EVERYWHERE. 

On a positive note, Nolan loved the beach and the pool.  He was a good sport, but we would have to just make sure that when he was tired that we headed home.  He napped and slept like a champ.  That sun and new atmosphere tired him out.

We ate some amazing food at the Mainstreet Cafe & Pub.  I had the fish and chips, and my husband had their shrimp and grits which was delicious!  We fell in love with the courtyard and country cooking at the Lowcountry Backyard.   We actually went twice!  I had this wonderful Fried Green Tomato Sandwich the first time, and then The Bischick-a marinated, boneless chicken breasts, lightly breaded, pan fried and served over our homemade biscuits and topped with lowcountry gravy-is the description if you were wondering.  How can that not be good right?  We also hit up The Skullcreek Boathouse that had a huge patio overlooking the water.  I had the Pecan Ginger Crusted Mahi Mahi...and let's just say I left nothing on my plate!

Ok enough about food...I know you are drooling at this point...and onto the pics!

Oh yeah eating sand is tasty!

At Skullcreek Boathouse

It was nice to get away...and even though word "vacation" is being redefined I don't mind.  It's so fun to watch Nolan learn and see new things that I'm game to roll with the punches.  Even if I have to say goodbye to my unlimited beach tanning sessions!

Back to Reality

I can't believe it's already Monday, and the fact that I'm back from vacation.  I'm going to post some pics of our beach trip to Hilton Head, SC, and some great places we ate later this week...because first I wanted to share a creepy event that happened yesterday when we ate a late lunch with my mother-in-law.

We were sitting down, and this kind of too thin, too creepy waitress came over to get our drink order.  She then proceeds to put her hands all over my baby.  We're not talking just touching his feet or pinching his cheeks.  We're talking about cupping his chin in her skinny long finger nailed hand and then rubbing all over his head from the back of his neck and all over his face.  I really was cringing the whole time and didn't know what to do.  It was almost like she was the Wicked Witch of the West saying, "I'll get you my pretty!"  I wish I could describe exactly how she was caressing his face, but I don't think my words give it justice.  She would not leave him alone!  Luckily, I think Nolan is a good judge of character because he wouldn't give her a high five or smile at her.  Yet that did not stop her from being all up in his grill.  Have any of you had this happen to you, and if so what did you do? 

Also here's my favorite photo from the trip.  Please ignore the poor lighting as it was at night.  It was at Roastfish & Cornbread where I had the most amazing fish tacos!  Nolan was also jamming to the live music and entertaining the other guests.  Any ideas how to edit my beautiful black bra strap out of the pic?  Hope everyone has a great Monday!

Big Beach Pimpin'

We just got back from the beach, so I thought I would share this short video of Nolan crawling on the beach.  We had to use the paci for the beach after the gallons of sand that he swallowed the first day.  He literally would.not.stop.  Anyhow, I'll post more pics and a recap of our great time at the beach next week!

Planning and Pinterest--by Cajun Cowgirl at When in Doubt, Add More Salt

And last but certainly not least this week is my bloggy friend Cajun Cowgirl from When in Doubt, Add More Salt.  She has the cutest little boy (who just got his first haircut--sniff, sniff) that she lovingly calls Sheriff.  We've discovered that we share a love for the same types of books and have swapped mommy advice back and forth through many emails.  So without further ado, here she is!

Hey y'all! I was thrilled when Natalie asked me to guest post while she and her sweet family enjoy the end of summer! Her trip to salt water and sand? Yes, I'm totally jealous! But I hope they soak up every minute of beach thrills with Nolan!

In the meantime, you get this Momma! A former (and will be one day again) teacher, I find myself incomplete without some sort of planning/creating/sharing. I have not been able to turn of that switch that keeps me always alert to new ideas I could use in the classroom. This, however, does not directly transfer to being a SAHM.  Maybe not directly, but it does. Hear me out.

Our son is 14 months (close enough to Nolan to know that if we all lived closer, we'd be in real life family friends!), and I'm not pushing any homeschooling agenda on anyone. He's too young for that kind of structure, but I have found an outlet for my lesson planning spirit in looking for activities, projects, outings to do with him. Many are free, and others are simply being resourceful and thrifty when it comes to purchases.

I don't know it all; heck, I probably don't know too much, but I thought I'd share a few (hopefully) useful nuggets to help you happily pass the time with your baby/toddler. I'm not looking to overbook the kiddo either. I think a baby/toddler centered activity a day (along with your regular play) can be fun. And if you don't get to it and would rather giggle around in jammies all day, I'm ok with that (in theory ;)! Or if your activity is simply the park, totally ok with that as well!

Now this doesn't mean you get off easy, parents! Sometimes it seems like it takes more planning, set-up, and your own "hands-on" to make it happen.

I just wanted to share some of my favorite go-to sites that I've run across in my "planning." :) Hopefully these little bites will help you make some memories with your wee one.
ROOKIE MOMS

Be sure to stop by this one and check out categorized activities and suggestions for ages 1 month to preschooler. I for one had a  bit of a tough time adjusting to becoming a SAHM. Finding some outlet once or twice a week was fun. A personal favorite--building a fort! (We need to do this again. It's been a few months!)
And feel free to jump throughout the age groups; many of the activities are fitting for several ages.

TODDLER TODDLER
The link I've posted is for younger tots but has practical, "I never thought of that" ideas for playing with your sweetie pie.

MOMMY SCHOOL from Oopsey Daisy

I've got a lot of "in a few months" pinned from this site. These lessons are geared for an older toddler, but I imagine you could do something introductory things with the little ones. If anything, it'll get the wheels turning and creative juices flowing!

Speaking of "pinned," if you aren't on PINTEREST, well stop reading and get on it! But seriously, there are so many links for "busy bags," "printables," "crafts," that you'll spend an entire nap time perusing instead of cooking dinner or folding laundry. Hey, it's all for the kiddo right?!

And another for the older group--stop by PINK AND GREEN MAMA. She's got great art projects/tutorials/must have lists. It just takes a bit of searching (if you've got a younger toddler) for some great finds like this one! Hello DIY Christmas present! You just can't lose with entertaining the kiddo and fulfilling some crafty urges of Momma!

I really do hope I've shared some ideas that you haven't already run across and would LOVE to hear from you, so be sure to let me know what you try, as well as any sites/activities you and your wee one love.

Thanks Jenn for sharing all of the great sites!  I know that I personally needed this because now that Nolan can really interact I need some good activities to help him learn and have fun.  Now I have a place to start!  Now head on over to Jenn's blog to check out more of her tips and and to tag along on her mommy journey!

I Want One of Those--by Sara at Life's Recipe

I'm so glad to have Sara from Life's Recipe guest posting at my blog today.  Between her posts about scary hybrid spiders or her neighbors who make their own horror films, you can't help but get hooked!  She was one of my first bloggy friends, and we realized we have a lot in common---minus the fact she's not a mom.  However, as you'll read in the post below, Sara has a lot of mommy followers and a lot of mom blogs she reads.


I'm so excited to be over here at Natalie's Blog! I'm not sure how we found each other (and I think I'm taking a lot of credit here, since I'm pretty sure she found me) but I'm so very glad that we're friends-and not just because she also loves Adele (although that goes a long, long way in my book...).
Here's the thing though….Natalie, like most of the blogs I frequently read, is a mommy blogger. There isn't anything wrong with this, but I'm not one. I'm totally fine with this-and it's not like I'm purposefully seeking out mommy blogs, it just happens that way. Most of the time I can handle it, and read the stories, leave a little comment and move on.


Natalie's son?


Makes me want a baby.


Now to be totally fair, there are a few of my bloggy friends that all have babies within the same age range, and they are ALL adorable. And if I were guest posting on their blogs, it would be similar content. But Natalie's blog was the very first one where I read a post on something baby-related and thought….


"I could do that".


And


"I want one of those".


I've said in the past, on my very own blog, that many times I have mistaken "baby-lust" with just wanting a stroller to hold my Starbucks and haul my shopping purchases around the mall (I definitely have stroller envy-they are like fancy shopping carts!!), or getting to buy super cute outfits.


Oh, the outfits….


I manage a children's clothing store and once a month, when shipment comes in, I avoid the newborn section like it's the plague… Inevitably, I will wander over and see something new, and think maybe I'm ready.


The nice thing about working in a store like that?


As soon as I'm done thinking a thought like that, another child gets dragged in and pitches a fit over  something….


And it's back to my not-ready-reality.


So I have learned to apply this strategy to my Google Reader… I know which blogs will make me want to give birth (ahem, From Corporate To Domestic) and which will drag me back down to reality* with stories of sleepless nights, poop, and epic tantrums (did Y'all REALLY think I was going to name names??).

And so I remain childless (although, not for always, just for now). A lone non-mommy blogger in a land of diaper, breast is best, learning to walk, and car seat stories. And for now, I'm perfectly OK with that. And so is this spoiled girl….


*That is NOT to say that Natalie isn't writing about her reality, or is sugar coating things. She is the first one to put difficulties out there, she just tempers them with such adorable pictures.....


Now isn't she just the best?  I love Sara's writing and her sarcasm!  Please check out her blog because I know you will feel the same way.  She also has an awesome link up every week that I participate in called Life's Lessons.  Hope you enjoyed meeting Sara!

Riding in Car with Babies--by Rach at Life with Baby Donut

Today my friend Rach at Life with Baby Donut is nice enough to fill in during my vacation absence.  Rach is also recent to mommyhood, and we've shared experiences and advice back and forth as we try to figure out what the heck we are doing.  Through all of these correspondences, we've become good friends.  I'm glad that I met her out here in bloggyland so that we can help each other hold on to our sanity.  Today her post hits the nail on the head, since I am taking a long trip in the car with a baby!

Riding in Cars with Babies

When Donut was 10 weeks old, we planned a 4 hour road trip to visit my in-laws. We carefully made a list of the gazillion things we would need: diapers, check. Bassinet, pacifier, booger sucker. Check, check check. We wrote out her feeding schedule, mapped planned stops, reserved a hotel room. As we loaded up the car with every earthly possession Donut owned, we patted ourselves on the back and headed into smooth sailing.

Armed with a book and magazines, I looked forward to a few hours to relax while Donut slept blissfully in the back. Half an hour into the trip, Donut starts wailing loudly. My feeble attempts to pat her little head were futile, thus our first stop 5 minutes later resulted in me hauling myself to the back seat and sitting with her. Not exactly how I planned it, but at least she was quiet.

And that sentence became our guiding light the entire trip.

You never realize how much you will do to make your teeny, red-faced, wailing infant happy. I did things that I hadn’t planned on, like breastfeeding in an almost empty outlet mall parking lot while my husband stood guard outside the car door. I realized that it’s kinda hard to feed a squirming baby in a backseat that is piled high with baby paraphernalia. And that I should have practiced at home with a nursing cover.

You also don’t think about how hard it is to change a diaper in a leather bucket seat. Donut lay sprawled and wiggling on the passenger seat while my husband leaned over from the driver’s side and attempted to change a poopy diaper. I held Donut’s arms and tried to prevent her from moving while standing outside the car as the wind repeatedly caused the car door to slam into my protruding rear. After what seemed like an inordinate amount of time to change a diaper, Mr. DIH proudly held up the dirty diaper while I informed him that that wasn’t mustard on his fingers.

Finding a place to eat wasn’t hard, thankfully. We only had one requirement: that the restaurant be LOUD. That way I wouldn’t feel bad when Donut squawked. Also, we had to make sure the table was big enough to hold a car seat. I didn’t realize all the things we had to think of, but then again, I was too busy trying to scarf my food down in 2 seconds so we could hurry and leave before a meltdown/diaper change/feeding occurred.

You also don’t realize that there is no such thing as a quick stop. Not with a baby to unpack out of a carseat. Even a quick trip around an outlet mall takes tactical planning. Do we have the carrier? Diaper bag? Clean diapers? Where’s the nearest changing station? At one point we found the family restroom and yes, we all took turns in that one little room. Really, these malls need to have some sort of map designed for parents of young children.

Our trip was only 3 days long, but I was so relieved to finally be home. I think it took us a month to unpack the car. Traveling with the little ones changes everything. But if there’s one thing I learned, it’s stay home go with the flow and laugh--because that’s what you’ll be doing when you look back on that time anyway.

I hope Natalie and her family are having an awesome trip!

You never quite know how much you took for granted about traveling before having a baby.  Rach thanks for sharing your experience and giving us all a "reality check" when it comes to traveling with a little one!  Go check out Rach's blog to learn more about her learning experiences with baby donut and to link up with her Life's Lesson each Friday!

Three Things That No One Tells You---by The Workaholic Momma

Today The Workaholic Momma is gracing my blog with her presence!  She was actually my very first bloggy friend that I didn't know in real life.  I couldn't believe someone else besides my friends would actually read my blog!  After a short while of reading posts, we realized we had so much in common.  Sadly, we don't live in the same state.  But if we did, we so would be hitting up some play dates!  Today she's going to give you her top three things that no one tells you before becoming a mom.

First off, I want to thank Natalie for sharing a small piece of her amazing blog with me while she is hopefully on the beach somewhere drinking margaritas and digging her toes in the sand!!  Natalie was one of the first blog friends I made when I started blogging back in March and I am often amazed by just how much we have in common...I'm pretty sure we're really long lost twins!  I LOVE reading Natalie's blog and adore her beautiful little family...so thanks again Natalie for letting me guest post!!

Natalie was also gracious enough to give me free reign when it came to choosing a topic to blog about so I thought I'd share the three things that no one tells you...or at least no one told me before giving birth to my sweet baby girl!!  And yes...we sat through hours and hours of parenting and birthing classes but somewhere along the line either they failed to mention these things or I tuned out!

1.  There is no such thing as "routine."  I can remember during my parenting classes the instructor lecturing about establishing a routine of feeding every 2-3 hours with a diaper change and nap in between...then rinse, wash, repeat...  Sounded easy enough...it certainly meant sleep would be intermittent but consistent and as long as I was napping when the baby was I'd be fine.  Except that didn't work for us...Addie might sleep for one hour or she might sleep for five...and the amount of time it took her to nurse also varied quite a bit.  And napping during the day was an extreme challenge for me because there were dishes to be done, clothes to be washed, and bills to be paid.  So...my husband and I devised a plan once I started pumping when Addie was 3 weeks old that we would alternate nights of sleeping so that we could each count on a solid night of sleep every other night.  This certainly helped each of us to develop somewhat of a sleep routine despite Addie's lack of one.

2.  You'll need a soft place to land.  Nobody told me that sitting on solid surfaces would not be possible for the first 3 weeks after delivering.  Ouch...seriously, stock up on all of the ice packs and numbing agents they hand out while you're in the hospital...you'll need them and then some.  I'll never forget the disappointment I felt at Addie's first doctor's appointment when I realized all of the seating in the "newborn" area consisted of wooden rocking chairs with no seat pad.

3.  Momma Bear is real and you have just become her.  So, they warn you about the baby blues and the crazy hormones and the extreme emotions but I had no idea I would develop momma bear tendencies after Addie was born.  I definitely cried at the drop of a dime which is not like me...so I got the emotional part but I also had an overwhelming sense of protection over my daughter.  I didn't like strangers approaching me when we were out and about or getting too close.  A look and quick comment were ok but please don't hover...and god forbid you touch her...or follow me around the store...you might just get a reaction you didn't expect.  I'm much better these days now that my little girl is almost a toddler...and it's true what they tell you about time...it goes too fast!

These are awesome tips!  I believe before you actually have a baby you have this perfect vision of how your life is going to be.  However, that baby will rock your world once you take them home from the hospital.  No one can describe to you what life is going to be like---and in reality you just have to muddle through these experiences to figure it out. 


So go check out the rest of The Workaholic Momma's blog.  I know you will love and relate to her and her sweet baby girl!

Not Just Chromosomes--by Germaine at Kiddothings

Since I'm on vacay this week, I've asked some of my bloggy friends to fill the void.  Heck they might even do a better job than me.  Ahhh well at least I'm at the beach.

First up is my gal Germaine from Kiddothings who is half way around the world in Malaysia.  If you haven't checked out your blog, you really are missing out.  She's also got a great linky she recently started called Picnesday. Today she's here to talk about her lovely two kids and how different her boy and her girl can be.

Not Just The Chromosomes

When Natalie asked me to guest post for her, I was thrilled beyond belief. This is the first time anyone has asked me to guest post. I'm truly honoured and happy to be here today to fill in for one of my best bloggy buddies.

When I was at a loss for what to write, clever Natalie suggested that I write about the loves of my life - my kids; and how different they are. I thought what a great idea because they are totally different not just in the chromosomes they possess but also their personalities and everything else. I have a 4 and a half year-old boy and a 2-year-old girl. They are exactly 2.5 years apart but when it comes to how they behave - worlds apart. I get confused sometimes, who plays the boy and girl roles. And this is why...

My Boy
The New Age Guy. Mr. Sensitive if you like. Emotionally vulnerable. Gentle.

He gets teary easily and is often at the losing end of a confrontation with his sister. Partly because he's the big brother and has to set a good example. Partly also because he's just the sweetest soul and loves his little sister to bits. (although there have been times he wished he didn't have a sister).

He is not adventurous and is chicken when it comes to big slides and monkey bars in the playground.

My Girl
The New Age Girl. Ms. Bully if you like. Obstinate. Stubborn. And all other words that have more or less the same meaning.

The BIGGEST thug in our household (and I don't mean her size). Used to love hitting her brother on the head with whatever she's holding. Now, she just snatches away everything HE is holding. I've lost count of the number of times she has made her brother cry and gotten him in trouble. (that poor guy).

A little too adventurous for her own good. She will scale the biggest slides in the park and climb on anything climb-worthy.....and not. It's no wonder why so many strangers have mistaken her for a boy (even when she's wearing a frilly pink top).

Now you see why I'm confused.

Of course both of them do have traits that are unique to their respective chromosomes.....

My Boy
Loves anything robots, aliens, cars and construction sets. Is not fussy when it comes to clothes or shoes. Pretty straight forward with his demands and is quite easily appeased.

My Girl
Loves anything shoes, bags, shoes, clothes and did I mention shoes? Super fussy and fickle. Can't decide what she wants - she would ask for one thing and in the next second, change her mind.

Now you know why I love my life as a mother to these two creatures.

***************
It's been wonderful guest posting here today Natalie. Thanks so much for the opportunity!

Now isn't she just awesome?  So check her out, and I'm sure you won't be disappointed!

It's the Simple Things in Life-The Cooler Weather Edition

Linking up with Jesslyn Amber again for It's the Simple Things in Life!

*I am appreciating that all this rain actually brought some cooler weather. Looks like I need to buy baby some shoes!

*I am appreciating the fact that I will be on vacation next week and that my little boy will get to experience the ocean and sand for the very first time.

*I am appreciating my very first mom playdate with new friends.

*I am appreciating that I had my very first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season at Starbucks yesterday.

*I am appreciating all the fun activities this Halloween that I get to do with Nolan this year. I can't wait to see the little smile on his face!

*I am appreciating that currently my windows are open and the cool air is breezing throughout the house.

What are you appreciating this week?
 

A Little Bit of Cabin Fever and a Birthday

I hope everyone had a relaxing holiday weekend.  Yesterday little man and I had a little bit of cabin fever because we were in the house ALL.DAY.LONG.  It was raining cats and dogs and not worth the hassle of actually getting out---especially with a baby.  I didn't realize how just getting out to go to the store or ANYWHERE for that matter makes such a difference in our day.  Literally Nolan was get bored of the house and if he could have talked would have said, "Let's blow this popsicle stand, Mom!"  Needless to say we'll be getting out today for a change of scenery.  We did get some good news yesterday...Nolan's birthday outfit is shipping today, and I received the design for his invitation.  Mark those off the list!

Happy Tuesday and a very Happy 30th Birthday to my friend Sarah!  We've been friends for 10 years and early next year she'll be adding to her family with a little boy or girl.  Hope you had a great time at the beach and wonderful birthday! (Sarah is the blue-eyed brunette in the front!)

Life's Lessons: And It's Still HOT Edition

Wow it's Friday...not just any Friday but Labor Day weekend Friday.  That's just awesome.  Let's link up with Sara & Rach to see what we learned.
1) Don't you wish when the calendar rolled around to September 1st that fall weather automatically followed?  Except it doesn't and it's still as hot as August. 

2) All my grass is all dead.  I guess it saves some mowing.

3) I'm still not able to enjoy my deck because the thermometer reads like 100 degrees out there.  It gets a lot of blazing afternoon sun.

4) The birds have been eating my tomatoes because it's so hot and no rain.  Who knew gardening was so hard in a square foot garden box?  I've been fighting off caterpillars...now birds????  I already said forget the organic pest spray for the poor broccoli...I went with the powerful real stuff.

5) I went walking with Nolan in the stroller at 7pm in the evening...still over 90 degrees.

6) However we will be going on vacation to the beach in a few weeks.

7) It will still be hot but at least I'll be close to the pool and ocean.

8) It will be little boy's first trip to the beach so please pray that he loves the sand and ocean.

9) Why is it out of all the toys in my house that my son insists on playing with the gas fireplace and pulling the fake rocks out and then trying to eat them?

10) And why do I even have fake little rocks?  How about some big ones so they aren't as much a choking hazard.

Well there you have it!  Hope you have a wonderful long holiday weekend!

Honeymooning Honeys Link Up!

Natalie at Mommy of a Monster & Twins has another great linky!  This one lets you show off all those great honeymoon pics.  I loved, LOVED our honeymoon!  We spent two weeks in Maui, Hawaii.  It was absolutely breathtaking and totally worth the long flight.  Maui was everything I hoped for and more.  We experienced the great beaches, the mountains in Upcountry, the crater and desert-like terrain of Haleakala, and the amazing rainforest along Hana Highway.  We went horseback riding to the crater, ziplined through a eucalyptus forest, and walked on a black sand and a red sand beach.  If you are planning a trip or honeymoon, I strongly suggest Maui.  Now for the pictures!