November 30, 2011

parenthood

hello. anyone out there still reading my blog? it seems as though i am not very good at juggling everything. it's 10:00 and blogging probably isn't what i should be doing right now, but i was tired of addressing christmas cards. love getting them. hate addressing them.

i am obsessed with the television show, parenthood.
obsessed.
i am 110% sure that i cry every episode. i don't know how that is possible, but somehow they get me.
every.single.time.
parenthood is by far the greatest show on television.
i can relate because i am a parent, but mostly i can relate because i have such a wonderful, crazy family.
i sometimes watch keeping up with the kardashians and think that they are similar to my family...but no.
i want my family to be more like parenthood.
i know it is a made up show, but the issues discussed, the love, the fear that i get watching the show realizing that one day my daughters ARE going to date, and they WILL go to prom...
the fact that when the ENTIRE family gets together, it's like they were never away from each other.
that is how it feels when i am with ANY member of my family.
extended family as well.

which made me think...with it being the holidays and all...
and how even if there are some things i really want...
if i take a step back and look from the sidelines...
i have a completely incredible life.
my wants are fulfilled by my family.

i have a 7 month old
who smiles at anything...
and who frankly is so stinking short she is STILL wearing size 3-6 month pants (but hey...this saves me money, right)




i have a 21 month old that is soaking up life as we know it...
and after all those times of me trying to get her to smile at the camera...
she finally realized what "CHEESE" was all about..

a brother that is a wonderful uncle
and who still acts like a kid and wants to play tag
anytime a youngster is around.


family members that know how to bring
a good time.
sure...the outcome of dance dance revolution wasn't the way we wanted it to be...
(No way Spencer is better than me and Poco...
and definitely NO WAY Walt is better than Poco.)
but we had fun while playing it...

a sister in law who clearly loves me.
she puts up with me ransacking her home and turning it into a "baby" house....
and i know she cleaned for hours...
and the second Hurricane Eloise arrived, it was all destroyed.
but...she never once complained.
ever.



*just look at Poco's technique here...it's a thousand times better than walt's, clearly.


a mother who loves with her whole heart
and has always put her children first.
and is incredibly beautiful!!!
a sister who stands by me through anything.
and she also cooks an amazing Thanksgiving meal.
but seriously...
i hope emerson is the type of younger sister to eloise that poco has been to me.
a baby girl who LoVEs to snuggle.
and who has some serious cute rolls on those legs.

a husband who provides for my family...
and who is letting me live out my dream and stay at home with my babes.
even if he does have to for go some things...

aunts who love my loves like their own.
siblings... (hate that my older sis Nichole isn't in this picture, but she was here in spirit)
love growing up with an instant circle of friends.
that's what my sisters and brother are...
my friends.
anytime i need them.
always there.
love all three of you.
and a little girl with such a huge imagination...
let's me know on a daily basis that she is growing up.

*like i said earlier...girl loves to snuggle.
*specifically asked if she could "Hold Emmy" for the picture.
yes, i think i want my family to be like the one on parenthood.
real issues, real problems, real love, just plain real.
where would i be without my family?

November 13, 2011

Grumpy Old Men

Well...I've officially done it. I've gotten REALLY behind with blogging. I'm so far behind, it would not be a surprise if within this post I told you that I had not been blogging because I've been feeling so sick, because Walt and I are expecting another child...
HA...don't worry...that is NOT the case!!
I've just gotten behind because I have two small children under the age of 20 months, and I can't ever find time to sit at the computer and blog.
BOO.
I don't like that it has come to that point.
But, on to another subject.
My darling husband officially turned OLD this weekend.
I'm talking, we've been together since he was 20..now he is 3o
He's old.

He also knows me really well...and he knew that I had something up my sleeve.
believe me, I can't take credit for it...I got it off Pinterest...
What did we do without pinterest?
Anyways...about a month ago I sent an email out to friends and family asking them to write down a memory that they had of Walt. They were asked to mail it in, and then on his birthday he would have 30 years of memories to open.
Well...Walt had about 45 memories, but it was so neat to read the memories.
I loved reading them and being reminded as to why I fell in love with him
Walt is such a good person, and a wonderful friend.
So, Friday night, the day of his birthday, I presented him with his envelopes and told him that this was in fact, what I had been working on.
He bought it.
And he also told me about a 1000 times that this was by far the greatest gift that he had ever received.






But of course, that wasn't all I had planned.
Like I said earlier...Walt is an old man.
He is a Grumpy Old Man.
So...after emailing his close friends...I asked them to dress as grumpy old men and come over to the house on Saturday morning to wake Walt up and take him to go do things that Grumpy Old Men do.
It was great...they showed up at 7 and Walt was still asleep...
He had no clue.
Classic.
Todd is leading the pack into the bedroom to wake him up...
AHHH...Happy Birthday Walter!!

So the boys, I mean, grumpy old men, left to go play golf at the crack of dawn...
such good sports.. all dressed up in their old men gear



and then after golf, it was off to the brewery... where the girls could join in on the fun as well..


oh yes, i let my child eat off the floor.
hey, if i've told her a 1000 times and she's still doing it...
I can't change her. :)



check out Travis' shoes!!
they are CLASSIC old man
My babies always want to be around sarah!



then all the grumpy old men went home and napped, before dinner.
isn't that what old men do?
after the naps, it was time to get ready for dinner...
i must tell you...walt must really mean something to me, because saturday night was the FIRST time EVER that I have left my children with a babysitter.
Sure, i've left them with friends and family...
but i'm talking...I know your mother but don't know you but can you babysit a 20 month and a 6 month old...
ohh...I must REALLY LOVE that man.
because I did it.
I left them with a babysitter..and yes, they were fine..but oh how my heart was aching.
Here is the Bass Family before dinner...
so happy that everyone came out!
18 friends there to celebrate Walt's birthday...
Walt must be a good man.
Thank you all for coming!






and then they surprised him with a little dessert...
can't believe I will never kiss a 20 something year old again...





and after a successful night...we were able to wake up to these two precious babies on Sunday morning...
emerson and presley
and then we put all three of them through the ringer trying to take their pictures