Jonathan is 30!

My handsome hubby turned 30!  I tried to fill his "birthday week" with a few surprises.

Surprise Date Night!  At a hibachi place...

I had planned out to feed Annalee and get her in bed by 7:30 and thankfully, she cooperated!  We had some amazing babysitters that Connor got to stay up a little late and play with.  THANK YOU sweet friends for taking such good care of our babies!  So since we started our date at 7:30, it was a late night for this old man! ;)

We went out to the movies afterward and chose "Les Mis", which we had both wanted to see.  It was great but soooo long.  We got out at 12:50 - yikes.  Thankfully I had snuck an overnight bag into the car and made a hotel reservation so that we could sleep in! :)  Jonathan said that he was wondering if we were going to be gone all night because he saw that his glasses weren't in the bathroom...ah well, I had to pack them!

Our date night was on a Friday, and then Monday morning Jonathan left on staff retreat.  He was going to be gone right up until choir practice that Wednesday night, his actual birthday!  Jonathan's co-workers and I had been doing a little scheming about this night, too.

Surprise, Daddy!

I tried a new sugar cookie recipe, these were "Key Lime Pie Cookies" (Jonathan loves key lime pie).  I didn't know that key lime extract was a hard to find item until I checked 2 stores and called 6 more, to no avail.  I finally found a place online called "The Savory Spice Shop" that was also in downtown Charlotte.  I dreaded driving the 40-45 minutes it would take to get out there with both kiddos in the car, but we did it!  We were the only ones in the store and it was SO nice, I definitely want to go back. The woman who helped us measured the extract into a 2 oz. bottle so that we didn't have to buy too much, and we walked around among all of the hand ground spices and seasonings (testers for each one!).  Definitely a place I want to go back to with Jonathan (when we have some more time!).

We moved choir rehearsal into the choir room (usually in the sanctuary, but no food allowed there) and Jonathan was oblivious.  Everything was hidden in an office, and Brenda had gotten a crew of people together to help with the surprise!  Jonathan started rehearsal and after running through one song, said, "Okay, let's look at page 12..." and much to his surprise, out of the speakers blasted, "YOU SAY IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY!"  We came piling out of the office with cookies, coffee, waters, and a table FULL of CUPCAKES!

Everyone was standing, singing, clapping, laughing...so fun.

Cupcakes were made by our friend Lucille...she makes DELICIOUS cakes and cupcakes, so pretty too!  Our friend Glenda made cookies too, but they were gone too fast for me to get a picture!  THANK YOU, ladies!

The choir members had e-mailed me all sorts of encouraging notes, funny stories, and birthday wishes that we gave to him in a book for his office.  He also got so much love in cards, a balloon, a snowball thrower (?! lol)... Here he is, recovering from his surprise and enjoying a birthday cookie.

Ever the jokesters...Mike said a few words and handed the microphone to Jonathan, and Jonathan said, "Okay, let's turn to page 12."  Ha!  Really though, we enjoyed the treats and "Booski" (pictured below) played us a few tunes.  Then we got back to rehearsal!

Since Jonathan wasn't home on his actual birthday, we had our family birthday dinner the next night.  Enchiladas...what else?  On the special plate, of course.

Ha!  Annalee: "Scuse me, I'm eating."  Connor: "Cheeeeese."

Jonathan had a few little presents to open from us and the kids were excited to have some time with their Daddy!

Ahhhh hahahaha...I was laughing so hard that I cut off Jonathan's head.  Notice that Annalee was about to have a nice big chomp after she was being squished!

I love you, my best friend!  Happy 30th Birthday!!!

11 Months - Annalee Style

Hello, friends!

I turned 11 months today, just one day before my Daddy turned 30, on the same day that my Uncle Jay turned 25, and on the same day that my best friend Charley turned 1!  Happy birthday, everyone!

Mommy said that I am too wild for her to get a good picture now.  I love to crawl as fast as I can and check out anything and everything that looks fun and new!  I like to kneel and try so hard to pull up to my feet, but I haven't quite gotten it yet.  I do love to stand and wiggle if someone helps me to stand up first!

Mommy tried a second day of 11 month picture taking, and as you can see, I was not very happy about it!  I am very vocal lately about what I want or don't want, usually in the form of screeches and cries.  I also do love to talk and babble all the time.  I still say "Dada" a lot and I say "Mama" quite a bit too, though Mommy is not sure that it's directed to her!  I looooove to give kisses...I say "Mmmmmmmm-mah!"  One of my favorite words is "tickle" ("duck-a, duck-a, duck-a") and I try to give tickles to anyone I can.  I also like to make the "vroom" noise just like my brother when I play with cars and trucks!

I can't wait for St. Patrick's Day, my birthday, and Easter all in the next month!  See my pretty St. Patty's Day bow?  If you want one (or a matching bow tie), visit here!  There are so many cute spring and Easter bows to choose from!  Mommy gave me some tissue paper to play with and I liked to crunch it.  I'm pretty happy playing with most anything, as long as Connor doesn't rip it from my hands.   My very favorite thing is to play with a ball...I love to throw them, roll them back and forth with someone, shake ones that have beads, or just crawl around with them.  As I said before, I love to give kisses, but not to just my family.  Also to my baby doll, my lovie, and my reflection anywhere I can find it (*Mommy note - ie: the dishwasher, our stainless steel trashcan - disgusting.  I am always finding her "mmm-mah! - ing" the trashcan and we have been wiping that thing down like crazy!*).  I have grown very attached to my lovies at bedtime and hug them tight!

I've been using my two new chompers to try any food (or non-food) that I can get my hands on.  I am just starting to show Mommy and Daddy some of my food preferences, but I still try pretty much anything and eat a large variety of things!

No idea on my height and weight stats this month, but I am wearing 9-12 month clothes and growing, growing, growing!  Even my hair is getting a little longer in the back (I heard Daddy say something about a mullet and it didn't sound good!).  Can't wait to see you all again when I am ONE!

Lots of Love,
Annalee

SSSSNNNNNOOOOOOOWWWW!

We drove back from visiting our VA family in a little bit of snowy weather.  It was on and off but we did see a flipped truck and some accidents from loss of traction.  That is my absolute least favorite weather to drive in...especially in an area that doesn't get tons of snow and isn't able to prepare.  We made it home, though, and I had Jonathan take a picture of our house in the snow the next morning...it was cold enough that they cancelled our first two services (of three) at church because of the icy weather!  I figured this may possibly be the most snow we see at our house.

It was really nice to have Jonathan home for a while on a Sunday morning and it was much less rushed.  We got back to the "norm"...see?  Annalee trying to climb the stairs but not going anywhere, and our Otto was back home!  He had been on vacation with our friend Dan since Christmas.

Plenty of time for Sunday morning picture taking in some warm cute clothes!

Thanks for my sweet bow, Aliana!  Love the "A's"

Checking out her awesome flowers.  Thanks for the beautiful dress, Sarah Rae!

"AiraCUSE, AiraCUSE!" (Connor's Syracuse cheer). ALL the boys!  Love 'em!

Our First Niece!

Our very first niece, Gracelyn, was born on Superbowl Sunday - right on her due date!  We were so excited to get up to VA and see her and it was such a great time (too short, as always!).

The big brothers.

These cooking cousins already love to hang out, even if Connor is still learning about not taking things from kiddos littler than him (oh, and sharing)!

Oh yes!  Holding my niece!  Isn't she sweet?  Look at all that hair!

Sweet.  She loves her Uncle Jay and Aunt Sarahann!  Annalee wasn't sure what was happening for a while, but then she jumped right in to play with the boys.  It will be so fun to have a (girl) cousin her age, too!

Connor checking out "baby Gracelyn".  Loved that he knew her name because we prayed for her every night while Kelly was pregnant...although hopefully someday he will drop the "baby" part. :)

Sweet, alert girl!

I think someone has a pic of Jonathan and Gracelyn on their phone...Matthew??  We miss you all, see you again soon!

A Sunny February Day

Connor got a haircut a few weeks ago (badly needed!) and I promised him a trip to the park afterward because Mrs. Jeannie's salon is close to a newly renovated playground.  They built a splash pad that we are looking forward to this summer, but it was just warm enough for us to enjoy a walk and some play time!  Oh yes, Levi came to play with us too!

The favorite spot: "A plane!  A plane!"

"Isn't it morning nap time?"

Ha!  Annalee really hung in there!

Yeah...this slide was a little quicker than we thought.  Not going to lie...I was taking this picture and in the next millisecond Connor was flying off and landing flat on his back.  Ah well...he got up and did it again!

Building sandcastles...good work on sharing...!

Annalee is trying SO hard to pull up.  She gets to her knees and gets mad mad mad that she can't get all the way up where her brother is.

...but it only lasts a moment.   Then she's just happy to be moving all around!

Pretty flowers that Jonathan brought me one day.  Not for Valentine's Day.  Just because.  Looooove! :)

Superbowlin' It

Whoops.  Guess I hadn't posted this after I started working on it...

Mmmmm....GIANT SUPERBOWL COOKIE CAKE!

Connor helped...thankfully the frosting was dairy-free.  I also made him a couple chip-less cookies with the dough. :)

Our Sunday School class began 3 years ago on Superbowl Sunday, so we like to celebrate that too!

The next morning, Connor fixed our doorbell... :)  He told me it was "broken" so I showed him where it was told him it was where there was a little screw in the door and he worked very hard on it!

focused

Annalee had a roooough night after the Superbowl...I figured she had just stayed up too late and was thrown off her normal routine.  Uh...turns out she had cut her first tooth...2/4/13 10.5 months old!  I had been checking her gums since about 4 months and then kind of gave up, figuring she wasn't getting any til after a year old like Connor.  WHAM...there it was.  She cut the one next to it (bottom middle teeth) about a 5 days later.  Stillllll smiling!

...and stillllll hammering. :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

We've been celebrating "love" all February here at our house!

Loving sharing, building, and fuzzy pink coats.

Loving crawling, getting into things, and super cute bottoms.

Loving the fireplace and a cozy chair to enjoy it - and loving lots of red!

LOVING getting mail that has amazing bows made by friends...

Loving Elmo, being silly, and matching for church.

Loving an awesome handmade bow on the headband...

and loving just enough hair for no headband at all!

Loving baby 'tude for the camera.

Loving sweet time with Momma and coordinating.

LOVING taking his very own picture.

Loving fake pouting after being told to "put your hands in your lap".

Loving to play the piano, always.

Loving a silly Daddy who needs a bow in his life, too!

Loving matching red pants and being "just like Dad".

Loving sweet hand-me-down dresses even when it's a little too chilly to wear them out of the house!

Loving too-much-chocolate-hazelnut-cookie-batter-for-my-mixing-bowl.

Loving making "fancy" cookies.  Seriously, I think this is my love language...

Loving making valentines with my sweet little toddler boy.

Loving making a sweet surprise for our newest niece (surprise, can't wait to see you guys!) and loving practicing writing out her name...

Loving that I heard the ice cream truck go down our street as I wrote this post?  Oh no wait...it's FEBRUARY!  But it did...away with you creepy ice cream truck van man at least until Spring!!!

Loving giving away cookies to awesome childcare teachers that I work with and sweet women at bible study this morning (plus a few extras, I wanted to give a little love to EVERYONE today...too bad I didn't see so many of my loves!).

Loving coming home from bible study to that same sweet toddler, asking if I had given the "ladies" their special cookies!

Loving that I have more cookie pictures than I do comments.

LOVING that my hubby (1) spent the morning with the kids, (2) took time with Connor to make some hanging hearts and a V-Day card for me, and (3)....

...made me heart-shaped breakfast for lunch.  Isn't he the best??

Loving heart cookies on a fun colorful plate!  Loving that one friend bit into one this morning and said "You should sell these!"  Hmmmm... :)

LOVING. THIS.

Happy Valentine's Day!

If you LOVED Connor's bow tie and Annalee's bow as much as I do, please visit this Etsy shop:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/kindercompanie

My dear friend Christiane and her sisters are talented in multiple ways...and have created these adorable fabric bows and bow ties.  St. Patty's Day bows, anyone?  Easter?  Church?  I think I need about 20! :)