put me in coach...

One of my favorite memories of our recent trip to Iowa was watching Addie interact with her second cousins....whom she had never met before.  Cautious at first...she most certainly was but by the end she couldn't get enough of my cousin's 3 boys.  And watching them with her...just made my heart melt...they were so sweet..so kind..so patient..so understanding.  Even when she had to have e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. they touched.  While I didn't get nearly as many pictures as I wanted...I managed to snap a few of them enjoying some time kicking a soccer ball around.  Addie didn't quite get it...but these boys...they tried to teach her...tried to show her how to play the game.  And while she wasn't their best student...even the blades of grass distracted her...she had fun!!!

a little kick

inspecting this so-called "soccer ball"

its not an all-out sprint unless your tongue hangs out

"mom, i just scored the big one!!!"

future david beckham

friday funnies...

happy friday!!!

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wordless wednesday

we will never forget

I'll never forget the day...the place...the voices...the emotions...the fear.  Those memories are etched in my mind forever...but today, 11 years later...serves as a reminder of all of the sacrifice that so many Americans made and continue to make to support this county and preserve our freedom...and that should never be forgotten.

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Show & Tell...oohhh, baby!!

I'm linking up for another wonderful week with Becky over at "From Mrs. to Mama" for Show & Tell Monday...and this week we are talking all things baby...yay!!  So...I'll list the questions and share my responses....and if you haven't already - head on over and link-up and share in the fun!!

1.  Tell us your favorite baby names.

 

Girls:

Olivia

Avery

Clara

Sloane

Cora

Boys:

Landon

Jack

Cam

Carter

Peyton

Side Note:  Don't expect any of these to make the final list when it comes to the hubs and I choosing a name in the future - we couldn't be more different in what we like...so it will take quite a bit of convincing for any of these to make the cut...

2.  Show me your dream nursery.

Girls:

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Boys:

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3.  How many children would you like to have?  How far apart?

uumm...how to answer this?!  ok, so if you'd asked me before we actually had Addie I would have told you the number was 3...no exceptions, no questions asked.  Now...I really don't know - the hubs and I have agreed to take it one at a time and know that we'll know when were done.  No, not like Duggar style or anything like that...I'm not sure we'll even make it to 3.

4.  Tell us what you think the importance of parenting is.

Not to sound cliche...but parenting is giving your child roots...so deep that they know right from wrong, have a desire to leave this world a little better than they found it, treat others with respect and compassion, and always say "i love you."  And then giving them wings...so strong that they can build their own lives on the foundation of everything you taught them.

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5.  Show us your favorite newborn photo.

Seriously...next time I'm totally doing this...I die at the cuteness of this pic:

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6.  Tell us some things you promise never to do as a parent (and if you are a parent, did you stick to it).

No video games...none.  Will they play them at their friends houses?  Yep.  Will they beg me and grovel at my feet?  I'm sure.  Will I give in? No.  I won't get on my soap box about what I think video games have done to society...I could write a whole post on that...and they are here to stay... but not in my house.

how beautiful is the day that is touched by love...

the day we laid my grampie to rest was a beautiful one...the sun was shining..not a cloud in the sky.  his service was held in davenport, iowa and he was laid to rest in the rock island national cemetary in moline, illinois...just a short trek over the mighty mississippi...i'll let the pictures tell the story. 

Benjamin Franklin Matthews 1921-2012

the final salute...one of the most touching memories

speechless

my cousin and brother

and we're back....

not that anyone knew we were gone...BUT, we spent the last half of last week in Iowa celebrating my grampie's life and enjoying all of the wonderful memories the years held.  We were wheels down on the ground in Norfolk at about midnight on Friday and woke early Saturday to take a much needed 3 day hiatus in the Outer Banks...toes in the sand and a pina colada in my hand was just what we needed.  I've got tons of pictures I can't wait to share, a few toddler travel tidbits, and hopefully a little blog sale of some of Addie's stuff planned soon!!!  Gotta love these 4 day work weeks!!!

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what's in my toddler bag

Long gone are our days of diaper bags brimming with everything imaginable....diapers, wipes, bibs, burp cloths, change of clothes, bottles, teethers, rattles, security blankets, nursing pads, and a million other things I'm sure I've already forgotten.  These days life is a lot simpler when it comes to what we need to get out of the door...but that doesn't mean we leave the house empty handed either.  So, I thought I'd share what we just can't imagine leaving the house without...even as Addie quickly approaches the 2 year mark:

snacks - Addie does snacks...she's not a big "meal" eater...she's my little bird that likes to graze.  Which simply means...she wants something no less than every two hours...so snacks are a must anytime we head out.  Some of her favorites...aunt annie's fruit snacks, gold fish, happy baby caramel apple yogurt melts, cheese sticks, and plum pouches.

wipes - I don't think I'll ever go another day in my life without a pack of these by my side...perfect for messy faces, spills in the car, diaper duty, dirty hands, and anything else that needs a clean wipe.

favorite book - Addie LOVES to read...she actually asks to bring a book to bed every night...so it's no surprise that they go with us in the car too.  It keeps her happy and content while we trek around town...happy toddler = happy mommy and daddy:)  anything dr. suess is all the rage right now in our house

water or milk - this girl is ALWAYS thirsty...which means we better have something for her when she asks...I love the thermos foogo cups that are well insulated and really keep her drinks cool so i usually grab those if we plan to be gone for any length of time.

and last but certainly not least...diapers...enough said, right?!

Amazing what a difference two years makes...I usually just carry a small clutch with the diapers, wipes, and snacks...milk/water in the other hand and she covers the book....simple, right?!

**I have not been paid or in any way incentivized to write this post - these opinions are my own and name brands mentioned are those we enjoy in our home.**

show & tell - all things wedding

Linking up for the second week with Becky over at From Mrs. to Mama for show & tell...this week we are sharing all things wedding...which can i just say, where in the world was pinterest when I was planning my wedding?!?!

1.  Are you married?  If so, when did you get married and tell us about your special day.

YES...and have been happily so for 4 1/2 years...although it seems like its only been a year.  We said "i do" on a beautiful spring day on a green overlooking the sand dunes of the chesapeake bay.  we completely lucked out weather wise and celebrated with family and close friends.  one of my favorite memories was the dinner we enjoyed together away from everyone else where we really got the chance to soak it all in (i highly recommend at least 10 minutes of alone time during your event)..we went with a station/buffet style dinner so we actually chowed down during the cocktail hour (which was the "picture hour" for us and we snuck in a meal at the end while our wedding party got started on the end of cocktail hour...i really don't think anyone had any idea we even slipped away).

2.  Show us some wedding pictures.

3.  How about the engagement.  Tell us your story.

eeeeppp...slightly embarrassed to say but I helped my hubs pick my ring...so i totally knew it was coming...and i was totally inquiring on a daily basis what the hold up was...yes, i was that girl.  he surprised me by proposing in our home one evening after i had just finished my shower...we celebrated by getting dessert at the melting pot.

4.  Show us your wedding rings or an engagement photo.

a picture speaks a thousand words...my all time fave pic of my rings...a very simple platinum set with a round cut diamond

5.  Tell us why you think marriage doesn't work out for so many.  What can we do to make things last.

COMMUNICATION is key....for real.  Make big decisions together...and be considerate of each other's feelings...and always kiss each other goodnight...no matter how mad you are - sounds corny and cliche but it's worked for us.

Addie's 2nd birthday preview

The party is a little over a month away but I've taken advantage of some major motivation I've had to get things together and thought I'd share some of the highlights...

"Look whoo's turning 2"...yep, that's the theme...cheesiness to the max...but shouldn't it be for a 2 year old's birthday party?!?!  We are going with the owl theme this year which was completely inspired by Addie's halloween costume last year (here are some pictures).  Bright pinks and oranges will be the colors and we are planning to host a much smaller gig than last year.  Here are a few sneak peaks of some decorations I made purchased (let's be honest...i'm trying to reduce my stress levels these days;)) for the party.  We are planning to keep the food pretty simple and as always there will be plenty of sugar to go around.  BBQ sandwiches (or maybe sliders...depending on how on fancy we decide to get), Miss Vickie's chips (a household favorite), mom's pasta salad, and red skin potato salad will serve as the main course....and for dessert (who are we kidding...thats what people really look forward to) it will be cupcakes and owl-shaped brownies (wish me luck on that endeavor) and maybe....just maybe some cake pops and/or oreo truffles (game-time decision on those).  I'd love to hear what you guys have planned so feel free to share your ideas or thoughts!!! 

I can't wait to share all of the post party pics and give credit to the wonderful folks who were able to make my decorating dreams a reality!!!