Tag Archives: family

The Life and Times of Nolan Smith

Posted in Family, Nolan by

It’s been 3 months since we celebrated Nolan’s 1st birthday (eek!) and it occurred to me that when Brady was 15 months old, I did a blog post to document what he was up to at that age.

http://www.ourblessedadventures.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-life-and-times-of-brady-smith.html

I thought I’d do the same for N-Dawg to help myself remember some of his baby (although less baby-like every day) quirks.

First off, he has just recently mastered walking within the last month. He still has a little drunk man technique at times, but is trying so hard to keep up with his big brother. He always has the bruises to prove it.

Since he took his time getting the hang of being mobile, his focus must have been on language skills because lil’ man has lots of words he likes to use. Some of his favorite words include; ball, balloon, “all done,” “I did it,” bobba (bottle), wawa (water), Brady, momma, dada, pup-pup (puppy), up, down, Gato, moo (cow), foffle (waffle), night-night, vroom, airplane, monkey, moodic (music), outside, spoon, bite, wow!, hot-hot, bubble, pop, bucket, button, book, banana, and the ever so lovely “poo-poo” and “burp.”  Just to name a few…

He’s already fascinated by anything that Brady likes- trains, trucks, airplanes. He even knows the characters from the “Planes” movie…yesterday he brought me a  “Planes” sticker he found and kept saying, “Dusty,” which is he main character from the movie. He loves to make sound effects when playing with anything that has wheels. He gets great delight from coming in the room and destroying Brady’s train tracks and stealing one of his “choo-choo’s.”

The thing I will probably remember the most about Nolan from this age is his love of music. I know, I know, all kids love music. Brady loved music too, but this is like, whoa, demands music anytime he sees an I-Pad, speaker, or radio. He takes his music and his dancing very seriously. There’s a whole repertoire of moves that he uses for different types of music. He loves Hip-Hop and 80’s hair bands. His very favorite song, the one he actually requests by name, is the “Happy Song.” (Happy by Pharrell) If he sees my mom with her Kindle, he makes a bee line for it, saying “Happy Song” and does not give up until she has the music video playing on YouTube. He likes to watch and imitate any dance moves in the video. I can’t make this stuff up….

Since day one, Nolan has been bursting with personality. He is quick to laugh, and quick to freak out and cry. He is always “on” and rarely has quiet or down time. Despite his “on the go” personality, he still likes a quick snuggle with mommy every now and then. His signature move is to snuggle in my neck, pull my hair and suck his thumb. I’ve lost quite a bit of hair thanks to him, but have gotten quite a few cuddles to make up for it.

Nolan keeps us on our toes, but brings us unimaginable joy. He couldn’t be more different than his big brother, but they are still best buds. We have so much fun watching Nolan and being a part of his little world!

3

Mouth full of snacks…this is oh-so-Nolan.

6

Nolan is a constant sweaty, disheveled, messy-faced kid. Love him!

4

Still just rocking the same few teeth he’s had for forever! I think we’re finally up to 6 now…

2

My smart, sweet, silly boy!

7

Momma’s boy!

B-Man is Three!

Posted in Brady, Family by

Our big man, my first love, is 3. Three is the beginning of “big boy” world- no more diapers, constantly asking “why?”, off to real pre-school, and so much more. I just wanted to take the time to write down some memories of my sweet lil’ guy so I’ll always remember him at this age.

Brady loves all things golf. Putting around at Dick’s Sporting Goods with daddy is about the best thing in the world.

His favorite foods are hot dogs, popcorn, and fruit (all of which he requested for his birthday party.)

He loves Disney Junior and would watch Mickey Mouse all hours of the day…if I let him.

He’s fearless around water. Since he was a baby he has always wanted to dunk his head under and doesn’t understand why we won’t let him go to the deep end of a pool.

He loves music. From singing nursery rhymes, to jamming out to Disney songs, to our nightly dance parties with the “Happy” song, the kid just loves music.

He always wants to do things himself. He’s stubborn, short tempered, and easily frustrated, and always refuses help when trying to accomplish a task. (Gets those traits from daddy.)

He’s checked out almost every book about trains that the library has. Airplanes and tractors are pretty cool too, but trains are where it’s at.

He’s totally daddy’s sidekick. When it’s time to mow the yard, he’s got his bubble mower right there. When Chris has to fix something, Brady has his tools too. If daddy gets the motorcycle out, he’s right there waiting to honk the horn.

He loves his little brother so much. They are absolutely best friends. {Melts this momma’s heart.}

He pronounces his own name as Brady Chri-a-pher Miff (Brady Christopher Smith)

He still snuggles with mommy- gives hugs, plays with my hair, and asks for kisses on his “boo boos.”

Brady has such a sweet, soulful disposition. He studies people and is always thinking. He’s tender hearted and a little praise goes a long way. One of my favorite things he says is, “I make you happy!” when he does something that makes us smile.

Happy Birthday Brady-Boo. You make us so, so, happy.

DSC_0703

DSC_0710

DSC_0717

Carolina Smitten

Posted in Family by

The Smith Family has been in North Carolina for a little over a month now. It’s been a fast month, yet we’ve done a lot of exploring! When moving to a new area of the country, you don’t always know what you’re getting yourself into or how you’ll like the spot you’ve chosen to live. We got so lucky when we moved to Pennsylvania when we happened to find the small town of Lititz. It had charm out the wazoo and was so safe and friendly. We always said we hit the jackpot finding that little city, and so far the feeling is mutual with Garner, NC.

Chris had no idea how close we would be to Downtown Raleigh when he found our rental house in Garner. One day we were driving around looking for restaurants or Target or something of the like, and we suddenly saw all the big downtown buildings in front of us (less than 15 minutes from our house.) Raleigh is a very inconspicuous city. It’s surrounded by suburbs and nestled in between huge oak trees. We’re loving taking advantage of all it has to offer; food truck rally’s, fun restaurants, beautiful parks, a weekly Farmer’s Market, and an AMAZING kids museum. It also helps that we moved here during the most perfect time of year so we are able to get out and about and enjoy all that the area has to offer.

wpid-20140520_133904.jpg

Riding the Kiddie Boats at Pullen Park in Raleigh.

wpid-20140506_135035.jpg

Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh

wpid-20140515_112134.jpg

Giant train table at Marbles Kids Museum

Our little town of Garner seems to be going through a growth spurt. There are several new shopping plazas-two Targets within 10 minutes of the house (moms you get how important this is!) We also have two lakes within 10 minutes of the house. The kids are loving going to the parks, story time at the library, and playing in our new backyard.

wpid-20140423_101352_3.jpg

This slide is HUGE! White Deer Park in Garner (also where a HUGE tree fell down right by us!)

wpid-20140513_192735.jpg

Bubba playing in our backyard- lovin’ tank top weather!

wpid-20140511_124851.jpg

Lake Wheeler Park

wpid-20140424_132632.jpg

Playground overlooking the lake!

Brady is enrolled in pre-school for the Fall and he can’t wait to make some little friends. He truly misses our playgroup in Pennsylvania (as do I!) but is loving all the kids in our new neighborhood.  Everyone has been super welcoming which has made the transition “back down south” that much sweeter. Our house is almost completely unpacked, but to be honest, we have put some housework on hold recently because we are just having too much fun on the weekends getting to know our new city- hanging pictures can wait, right?!

Chris is loving getting to know all the golf courses in the area and trying out the local breweries. He’s looking forward to getting his motorcycle out and also doing some fishing since the weather is so nice right now. I’m loving that we are less than 2 hours to the beach and 2 hours from mountains. I can’t wait until we get some family and friends up here to visit and can help us do some more exploring!

wpid-20140421_172432.jpg

Me and the hubby at Lake Benson (4 minutes from our house!)

Drop a Beet!

Posted in Brady, Education, Family, Projects/DIY by

Recently, I bought a whole bunch of beets for a recipe that Brady and I made for Food Revolution Day. I’ve never been a beet girl, per se, but they were pretty tasty in the Rainbow Salad Wrap we made. Nonetheless, we had a whole lot of leftover beets. I wasn’t sure what to do with them, but after seeing how amazingly vibrant and purplely-red the juice was, I thought, this would make a fabulous paint color!

I sliced the beets in different directions so they would all have a different shape. Then, we went outside and used the beet chunks like big stamps. This was easy, and not nearly as messy as I would have anticipated. If you ever have a leftover beet or happen to find them at a farmer’s market for a really cheap price, give this activity a try with your little one!

DSC_0560 DSC_0563 DSC_0565 DSC_0570

Food Revolution Day

Posted in Family, Kids Cook Monday by

Happy Food Revolution Day! Jamie Oliver’s goal is to get as many kids and families from across the globe, in the kitchen together today.  I’m taking part in this day because I love Jamie Oliver’s philosophy on the importance of getting kids involved in the food they eat.

“It’s time to take action!

We need every child to understand where food comes from, how to cook it, and how it affects their body. This is about setting kids up with the knowledge they need to make better food choices for life.” -Jamie Oliver

To participate in this day, our family made Jamie’s “Rainbow Salad Wrap” recipe.

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetables-recipes/rainbow-salad-wrap

I have to confess, when I first saw the ingredients (raw beets, pears, green cabbage…) I was a little concerned. I’ve never eaten raw beets, let alone tried to feed them to a two year old! I was up for the challenge because, if I’m not willing to be adventurous when it comes to eating new foods, how can I expect my kids to be willing to try new things?! I also have to admit that I took some short-cuts with this recipe. It calls for you to shred all of your own veggies, but when I saw pre-shredded cabbage and carrots in the store I thought, umm, yea, let’s do that instead! I did however shred my own pear (with Brady’s supervision!) and beets.

DSC_0509

 

Here’s my PSA for beets- they’re M.E.S.S.Y. If your child is old enough to use a box grater and shred the beets themself, please use gloves and an apron, or be prepared to have stained hands, countertops, clothes, etc. I took on that task myself, and it was still messy. I kept thinking, we should totally use beets to paint with- outside. Other than the beet mess, this recipe is super easy to put together! Shred the veggies and mix together. Whisk up some cider vinegar, EVOO, mustard, and yogurt for the dressing. Once you mix the dressing and veggies together, top it with some feta cheese and roll it in a whole wheat wrap.

DSC_0513

Brady enjoyed measuring, stirring, and as usual, tasting ingredients. (He loves shredded carrots!) But, there’s also something to be said about the amount of conversation that goes on while preparing a meal. From helping me pick out the ingredients at the grocery store, to picking herbs from our herb garden that he helped plant, to reading through the recipe together, there’s some really valuable dialogue that takes place.

I wasn’t sure what Brady would think about this meal. But, no joke, the first words out of his mouth after he took a bite were, “Yum. That’s delicious.” Chris and I both said, “Really?! Yay!” It just goes to show, you should never underestimate what a kid will eat or enjoy. This food was new to him, but it was colorful and fun looking. Plus, Brady was the one who helped mix the dressing and stir it all together and top it with cheese. To him, he cooked it, so it had to be awesome!

DSC_0528

This was a fun recipe to make and it just makes me so happy to think that kids around the globe were cooking and eating the same thing that my family was!

DSC_0526

For more info on Food Revolution Day, check out this site.

http://www.foodrevolutionday.com/

 

 

“Perks” of Being a Mom

Posted in Family, Holidays by

Mother’s Day is a perfect time to reflect on the hard work and love that goes into being a mom. I am lucky to not only have a selfless, strong, amazing mom, but also aunts,a grandma, and step-mom who have all been a blessing in my life. All of these women have had an impact on the kind of person I want to be and the way I want to raise my boys.

With that being said, it’s important to note that being a mom is not always a fun, easy gig. It can be gut wrenching, stressful, and all– consuming. To know that every move you make impacts the life of someone else, is quite humbling. While the love between a mom and her kids is the absolute greatest reward for all that hard work, there’s some parts to being a mom that are not always glamorous. I thought I’d take a moment to list a few of the ways being a mom has changed my life- and perhaps find the good in those “not so glamorous” moments.

1.Never will I have to worry about getting lonely while peeing. Even when the bathroom door is shut, I can count on at least one little hand creeping under it to track me down.

2. I can have all the kid food leftovers I want. In between wiping up spaghetti sauce spills and crushed Cheerios, I am totally swiping bites of grilled cheese sandwiches, pizza and Mac-n-Cheese. And let’s not forget about the free desserts that come with kids meals…

3. It is completely acceptable to bust out in a Disney song, watch The Little Mermaid, and plan Disney vacations. I play it off like it’s for the kids, but who am I kidding? I freakin’ love everything Disney!

4. My body automatically wakes up at 6:30 AM every day. Nolan is my early bird and rarely sleeps past 7. That means, whether I like it or not, I get to see the beginning of The Today Show every.single.day.

5. My days are spent cleaning up messes, reading children’s books, singing kids’ songs, tripping over crayons and Legos, hearing my name called 177 times an hour, and repeating myself until I’m blue in the face. This seems exhausting until I remind myself that before I had kids I was a first grade teacher and my days consisted of almost the exact same things! Except now I get to do it without the hassle of principal observations, complaining parents, and lesson plans. (Or a paycheck, but I digress…)

Being a mom has also made me appreciate the little things in life so much; drinking an entire cup of coffee while it’s still hot, having one too many glasses of wine and being able to sleep in the morning after, 20 minutes of quiet time to read, a solo trip to Target, an uninterrupted conversation with my husband, eating as slow as I want- using both hands, and starting a project and finishing it within the same day. Some of these things are unlikely to happen while my boys are still young, but that’s ok. I’m sure someday when I’m able to indulge in these little treasures, I’ll be longing for the days of rocking Nolan to sleep at night, getting blue Icee’s at Target to appease Brady while I shop like a madwoman, sharing chicken nuggets with the boys, wiping sticky handprints off my windows, pushing the swings “higher!”, “faster!”, “more!”, having to sneak out of the house to avoid sad faces looking out the windows if I dare go somewhere alone, and reading just “one more” book at bedtime.

I can safely say that being a mom is more challenging than I could have ever imagined, but the truth is, it’s a job that I am blessed to have and am thankful for every.single.day.

 

  wpid-20140503_132003.jpg wpid-20140507_164007.jpg

wpid-20140429_185415.jpg wpid-20140505_104543.jpg

 

Nolan’s Hole In ONE Par-tee!

Posted in Family, Nolan, Projects/DIY by

We had a busy, busy weekend full of family, friends, and celebrating Nolan’s first birthday! This year has truly FLOWN by. I can’t believe our baby is now a one year old…a one year old who had an absolute blast at his party! He loved seeing all of his little friends, eating cake, and most of all, balloons! Or as he called them, BALLS!

His party was a golf theme that was put together with the help of Pinterest and Etsy. Seriously, what did we ever do without those sites….wander the craft store, trying to muster up inspiration?? Psshh! Here’s a little glimpse of the party set up, decor, and food…

DSC_0202 DSC_0203

DSC_0205  DSC_0204  DSC_0219  DSC_0201  DSC_0217

DSC_0212 DSC_0208   DSC_0231 DSC_0234 DSC_0235 DSC_0237 DSC_0238 DSC_0239 DSC_0241 DSC_0242

We were so thankful that so many of our playgroup friends were able to make it to Nolan’s big day. The kids had a blast running around, decorating hats, and of course, eating!

DSC_0255 DSC_0261 DSC_0316 DSC_0320

Nolan was also blessed to have his Grandma, Uncle Charles, Aunt Gift and cousin Chloe at his party. We did our best to get group shots with everyone looking!

DSC_0342 DSC_0352DSC_0253

Not surprisingly, Nolan was a fan of his birthday cake.

DSC_0267 DSC_0274  DSC_0277  DSC_0282

DSC_0284 DSC_0286

DSC_0295 DSC_0298

DSC_0299

Thanks to our friends and family who sent messages, cards, and gifts to our littlest man. His birthday was so special thanks to all of the people who love him. Nolan is such a sweet, fun-loving, little guy who is bursting with personality and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for him!

 

DSC_0307 DSC_0328DSC_0251

Nolan’s First Year

Posted in Family, Nolan, Projects/DIY by

What a year it’s been! This time last year, we were anxiously awaiting the birth of our littlest man. My due date came and went and we started to wonder just how long this little guy of ours was going to make us wait for his arrival. Then, in the middle of the night (going into the day after my due date) my contractions started. Chris and I were up all night timing my contractions, eating peanut butter sandwiches AND peanut butter crackers (it’s what my loving husband whipped up when I requested a snack) and we watched some awful Jessica Simpson movie on TV. Apparently there was nothing else on at 3AM. My contractions slowed down around 5AM and we figured it must have been a false alarm so we went back to bed. By 9AM we were back up and on our way to the hospital. Our baby boy was on his way!! After a pretty uneventful day of labor that turned into a quick, rushed, scary emergency C-section, we got to meet the little guy that had, and would continue to, always keep us on our toes!

DSC_0577

From finding out that we were pregnant two weeks after moving 6 states away from our family, to the full head of black hair that he was born with, I’m constantly surprised/amazed by our lil’ Bubba! He’s been a character from the beginning and has never lacked in personality! He’s the little brother that Brady never knew he wanted, but now, couldn’t live without. He completed our family in the best possible way and solidified my very proud status as a “BOY Mom.”

DSC_4335

It’s hard to believe that we’ve had Nolan in our lives for an entire year now. I’m partly in denial as he makes his transition from an infant to a one year old…he’s had his last weekly picture, nursed for the last time, is cruising around the furniture (desperately trying to walk to catch up with Brady), is out of his infant car seat, and got his first hair cut. As much as I would love to freeze time forever, we are having more fun than ever as a family now that Nolan is becoming his own little person.

DSC_0528

To celebrate Nolan turning one, I did a little make-shift smash cake photo session for him. His little buddy Elliot got in on the action too…they’re just 5 days apart! After a little Pinterest research, I made a paper bunting banner, rearranged my couch so I had a blank wall for my backdrop, and Elliot’s momma Lauren brought two cakes for our little guys to indulge in. I’m not gonna lie, it was messy. We really could have used a third adult to help corral the kiddos, and it would have been great to do it outside (temps in the 30’s didn’t allow for that!), but all in all, we got some really great shots!

DSC_0998

His face says it all!

DSC_1017

There was a lot of excited grunting going on here!

DSC_1005

I just love this shot with the frosting covered feet and hands…

DSC_0960  DSC_0007

DSC_0015

Yea, that frosting was EVERYWHERE.

Tomorrow we’ll celebrate Nolan’s big day with a golf themed birthday party (expect a blog post on the party soon) -Chris couldn’t think of a better way to kick off Masters Week! He’ll officially be ONE. As usual, this milestone will be bittersweet. My little guy will be even less little, but he’ll always be my forever baby!

Check out the video below for a glimpse of Nolan’s first year through the weeks…

Planning, Packing, and Parties. Oh My!

Posted in Family by

SO much going on this month and next!!! I’m currently sitting in my living room , with a glass of wine, Pandora playing, the fireplace on, and pretending like I have nothing else to do but blog. Meanwhile, my house is a mess, my hubby is out of town for work, and, oh yeah, we’re moving to North Carolina next month!

When Chris first mentioned the idea of putting his application in for a North Carolina (Raleigh area) sales position that opened up in his company, I was like, oh sure, right, you’re kidding… Then, the more we talked about what a great opportunity it would be to explore another new area of the country, get closer to family, and add a new experience to his resume, the more the adventurous (crazy) part of my brain got on board! Chris has always dreamed of living in North Carolina- to him, it’s the perfect place to live. After a super quick road trip with the kids to check out the Raleigh area, I was smitten too. Ever since we made the decision to “go” for the NC job, everything has fallen into place in a very God-orchestrated, whirlwind kind of way.

We listed our PA home last Thursday and it sold Saturday…to a young couple buying their first place- she’s a teacher! {LOVE!} They fell in love with the house that we fell in love with just less than 2 years ago. Now we have started the search for our next home in North Carolina. We plan on renting for a while until we can decide where exactly we want to be long-term and can find our forever home!

wpid-storageemulated0DCIMCamera2014-03-11-14.45.39.png.png

In the mean time, we are busy getting ready for lots of visitors. My mom will be coming up in a few weeks to help me with the boys, packing, and planning Nolan’s first birthday. Our besties, Jill and Andy, are coming up for a visit soon after that. Then, our brother and sister-in-law and niece are coming for a weekend. Everyone thinks they are coming to sight see and visit, but secretly I’ve got long hours of packing boxes planned for them. HAHA!

In April we’ll be celebrating our sweet lil’ Bubba’s first birthday. Holy moly. What a year it’s been! Nolan is the best thing that has happened to us in our short time in Pennsylvania, and while we have made some amazing memories and life-long friends, he’ll always be the my favorite part of our stint in the Northeast. Best. Souvenir. Ever.

DSC_0683

In addition to party planning, packing, and visitors, we plan on using the rest of our time in PA re-visiting some our favorite spots in Lititz, eating at our favorite local restaurants, and spending time with our friends. When we first moved to Lititz I took Brady to a free trial Gymboree class. Not only did we end up joining Gymboree and having an absolute blast in the classes, but more importantly, I met another mom who graciously invited me to be a part of her weekly playgroup. I’m forever grateful for that chance meeting that turned into my weekly outlet that connected me to other mommies and gave Brady his first real group of friends! We sincerely hope we will keep in touch with these wonderful families that have been such a support to us during our short time in Pennsylvania.

 DSC_0605DSC_0140

Brady’s little friends!

Wish us luck in this new venture. We know it’ll be a crazy couple of months to pick up everything and start all over again, but it feels so right! Our kids are still young, so if we are ever going to get the chance to start a new life and see a new part of the country, this is the time to take it!

February Happenings!

Posted in Family by

February is always a quick month, but it feels like it’s really flying by this time around. Although I never like to wish time away, I’m certainly ready for Spring to hurry up and get here! There have been a ton of snow days this winter and it’s really made me (and my fellow Northerner mom friends) get creative with how we entertain our little ones. I must say, I totally underestimated how brutal winter can be up North. As Floridians we have a tendency to think we get it because we have our occasional cold day here and there, even getting frost on our windows every once in a while…but it’s a totally different thing when you have 4-5 months in a row where you must wear a jacket everywhere you go, have to put hats on little ones, and drag wet slushy snow into your house every single day. Even though I lived in Ohio until I was 9, the “up North” lifestyle is a whole different ball game as an adult, especially an adult with two kids!DSC_0318

Because sometimes cabin fever sets in and you just don’t know what else to do with your kid…

DSC_0239 (2)DSC_0276 (2)

The world’s cutest little men!!!

Anywaaaaaays, we’ve embraced our chilly life this month and have had some really fun times! Despite the fact we’ve missed several days of pre-school because of the snow storms, we have managed to get out and have some fun play dates with our friends. A few days before Valentine’s Day we hosted a play group for our kiddos to exchange Valentine’s cards. Unfortunately cold and flu season kept some of the little ones from being able to come, but the other kids still had a good time eating snacks, playing with balloons, and chasing each other around the house.

DSC_0310

Brady’s Mickey themed Valentine’s for his friends.

DSC_0311

Some of our Valentine’s playdate treats- notice the little pretzel snatcher!

We got a bunch of snow the day before Valentine’s Day, so thankfully my smart hubby thought ahead and brought me a little Valentines snack (and flowers) earlier in the week…just in case we were snowed in and he couldn’t give me anything on the actual day. I know Valentine’s day is supposedly a made up Hallmark holiday, but I still love it! Flowers, candy, candles, cards…I’m a fan of all that stuff!

DSC_0312

Pink Champagne and Raspberry Truffle. OMG.

In an effort to get a change of scenery, we tagged along with Chris for a 4 day trip to Buffalo, NY. He had to work, so me and the boys did a little sight-seeing on our own and just had some fun trying new restaurants and playing in the hotel pool. We were determined to see Niagara Falls and it did not disappoint! It was every bit as magnificent as I would have imagined even covered in snow and ice, but dang, was it cold! Side note…we told Brady we were taking him to a big waterfall. He was all excited until we got there and realized it was not what he had expected. Apparently he remembered the small waterfall in the bass tank at Bass Pro Shop and was super annoyed that Niagara wasn’t as cool. You just never know what a toddler is thinking!

DSC_0429 DSC_0434 DSC_0427 DSC_0419 DSC_0413 DSC_0409

Just love that Chris was rocking my super girly backpack in these pics!

We also made a point to go to BOTH of the famous wing spots in Buffalo- Duff’s and Anchor Bar. Anchor Bar claims to be the “Original” and definitely has a cooler atmosphere, but I gotta give Duff’s the award for best wings. They were SO DELICIOUS! And I’m sure Duff’s is so honored to have won the “Our Blessed Adventures Favorite Chicken Wing Contest.”

20140216_181031

20140217_191840

The boys and I also managed to make our way to the Aquarium of Niagara. It was terrible weather to drive in. Like, my mom and my husband would have had a heart attack if they’d have seen how icy and snowy the bridge was that I drove over! But, totally worth it because we saw a Sea Lion show! Still questioning my judgement on that one…

20140218_110843 20140218_103737 20140218_110131 20140218_10374820140218_110242

You know you’re desperate for a break from your normal day to day life when you’re willing to do a 6 hour road trip with two kids to Buffalo…in February! Buuuut, it was really fun and we came back feeling happy to be home and grateful for safe travels. I’ll leave you with a short video taken on our way back. The kids were surprisingly good (they slept a lot on the trip home) but when things got a little crazy I busted out the bubbles for entertainment (the Gymboree brand are the best!) I just love Nolan’s little giggles in this clip!