A Texan Odyssey

Is it even a birthday if you don't blog about it? Kidding! Once upon a time I blogged regularly. First I used the blog to record my weight loss journey after I had a baby, then (as I started to enjoy fashion again) I started posting my outfits and participating in blog link-ups. I did a few guest posts for other bloggers, won a lot of giveaways, wrote a few sponsored posts, and commented on a lot of blogs I followed (and got comments and followers in return). It was a lot of fun, but not something I wanted to keep up with in the long run. I'm not fashion forward or creative with clothes. I do want to dress uniquely and feel effortlessly stylish in whatever I wear, but I refuse to waste money just to have something new to post about. As I work towards getting back to my goal size (again!) I want to curate a closet that only has clothes I love, clothes that are flattering and can be mixed and matched with ease. Anyway, the point I'm ge...

Sean turned six on the 2nd and we ended up having three separate celebrations for him, one with my side, one with friends, and one with Ryan's side. We had so much dessert last week I need to give up sugar again to make up for it! Everyone had fun though, and we're so proud of our smart, fun, six year old! On Sean's actual birthday we treated him and his friends to 2 hours at a local trampoline park. It was the perfect spot for a bunch of active kids to jump around to their heart's content! My friend Karen made the most delicious cupcakes for Sean! The kids had a blast and several of us parents jumped as well. We can't wait to go back soon, even though we were sore and tired afterwards! Connor actually took a LONG nap, unheard of!! We appreciated that for sure. This was from the dinner at my sister's house. That candle we picked out was a sparkler and it spooked Sean a bit! Connor wanted the presents to be for him! M...

Robot Lego Party Commence! I made Mr. Robot Man from tissue paper and wrapping paper. The kids had fun posing with him! For the robot containers I just covered cylindrical tissue holders with tape and then decorated them with pom poms for eyes, pipe cleaners for arms, and card stock designs for the front panels. I used a few rubber bands as well to separate the different parts of the robot. Sean helped and now they're being used to hold his paint brushes. Waste not, want not! We had a variety of snacks available, (junk food and healthy options) and a bunch of pizza, plus favor bags filled with an assortment of twizzlers for the kids to take home. I made the banner and Ryan, Sean and I worked on the big lego robots. And to continue in the tradition of last year's birthday post , here are some of Sean's favorite things at age 5: Favorite color:  "Uh, black. Actually I think I don't like black, I like blue." Favorite  number: ...

What a busy month June was! We celebrated Connor's first birthday at the beginning of the month and then left for the beach for four days the next morning. The party was a blast and the beach was fun/chaotic (traveling with kids, you know how it is...) and when we got home I had lots to do to prepare for Vacation Bible School the following Monday. I helped teach in Sean's class and Connor had lots of fun in the toddler room! My mom and Ryan joined us for family night at the end of the week and that weekend was my 29th birthday as well as Father's day. My sister's birthday is a week after mine, so we waited to celebrate with my side 'til last Saturday, and my mother-in-law's birthday is today so we're going to celebrate both our birthday's on the Fourth of July! It feels like June is one long party, I love it! What a happy, crazy month! Lots of sun, sunscreen, and pool time too. Just the way summer should be! Connor's F...

♪♪ Happy Birthday to You~ Happy Birthday to You~  Happy Birthday Dear Sean Baby~ Happy Birthday to You♪♪  He went to town with that cupcake, trying to eat it in one bite! Poor baby, you can tell in these pictures he wasn't feeling his best.  Even though the day started off with Sean baby having a fever and upset stomach, and us getting late out the door and then practically melting in the extreme heat on our way to my mom's house, thankfully things improved once the party started. Sean felt good enough to enjoy seeing everybody and eat a cupcake and play with his new toys, even if he was more mellow then usual. We felt so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family who came to celebrate Sean's first birthday with us! I thank God for all the people in my life. I was too busy to take pictures (other than the ones from the last post) but my mom snapped a few here and there. Unfortunately I didn't get any with her in them, but it felt good to be in the mo...

On Saturday we had Sean's first birthday party! My sister made delicious cupcakes and they went fast! My mom and I put together cookie favor bags with various combinations of yummy cookies for the guests to take home. We included a labeled card in each bag with fun stickers for decoration. We had little favor bags with toys for the kids too, but I forgot to take pictures of them. I also bought little jars from Hobby Lobby and filled them with Starburst jelly beans and they were a big hit. The M&Ms and Chex Mix on the other hand...nobody ate much of! I had to bring it all home with me! In the middle bottom picture you can see a fox that my mom traced from clip art I found online, I just added the lettering to make a cute little personalized sign. Normal snack fare for the table, not pictured are all the pizzas everyone devoured! I used punch out letters to make the confetti spread around the table. S S F for Sean's initials and the number 1 for his age! I was ori...