Playdate

Last week we fortunate enough to have a visit from the Rodibaugh kids. The twins took a nap through most of the visit, but the older kids expelled loads of energy (to their mommies excitement) running around in the yard and playing in the pool. It was a great visit and had been too long since that last one. Looking forward to summertime schedules and being able to visit more often!

Fogo...round two

Friday night we visited the delicious, carnivorous Fogo de Chao restaurant again. We were celebrating Sally's birthday (Matt's boss's wife). It was yummy! We ended the night with some drinks at The Rathskeller. Hooray for adult conversation, good food, adult beverages, and friends!

Howl with 40% Steve

This past Friday night Matt and I went to see my brother's band 40% Steve play at Howl at the Moon downtown. My mother was brave and willing to watch the kiddos so we could enjoy a night out (much appreciated mom-thanks!). We were even able to celebrate with friends and family as well which made the night that much better!

Not a great photo, but Chris playing guitar on stage

Matt and I

Good friends, Ryan and Katie

My cousin Karla and Justin

Matt's cousin Jeff and Jim


They play alot at Howl at the Moon people, so if you haven't seen them--go! You won't be disappointed and the best part is that they play early (6-8pm) so us old people don't have to stay out past our bedtimes:).

Dorrell Visit

The week before Christmas we stopped to visit the Dorrell's, but I never got the chance to blog about it. We had not seen Ryan and Katie for some time and when I received their Christmas card saying they were expecting a 3rd baby in May, I had to call and catch up. It was great visiting them. Their little boys Owen and Carter are so adorable! Owen shared his toys very well (can't say the same for my kids) and the twins really enjoyed checking Carter out. Carter is much younger than the twins, but he his pretty much the same size as them. My little peanut boys!

New Years and New Friends

We had our what is turing out to be our annual New Year's Eve party at our house on Wednesday night. It has been pretty much the same crew for the past 4 or 5 years. Sometimes it is at a restaurant or bar, but the last few years it has been at our house. It can be hard for everyone to find a sitter, so we have been having people over with their kids. It's fun to predict what will happen in the next year. It seems like someone is pregnant every year. We had a total of 9 kids and one in the oven (not me people) this year. The kids had a blast bouncing in the bouncy house. I didn't get many good pictures, but here are a couple that at least show the chaos. Luckily no one was injured.

New Year's Day we visited Matt's new boss and his family for the day. It was nice getting to know him, his wife, and their adorable little girl Grace. It is fun to meet new friends and talk about life, kids, jobs, etc. I hope we can spend time with them again soon. Here is a picture of Grace with Grant.

Christmas at the Zoo

Friday night we went to Christmas at the Zoo with our friends Josh and Jody and their boys, Jake and Logan. It was cold, but fun. I think all the kids enjoyed it. Thanks to an early Christmas present from Mamaw and Papaw, the trip was included in our year admission pass to the Zoo. Not only fun, but cheap fun!

Make new friends, but keep the old

Who knew changing the holiday decorations could be so traumatic? It seems like the kids love to see the new decorations come out for the seasonal changes, but they are so sad to see the other items put away. As Jackson would phrase it, "Oh, man! What happened to my stuff?" No matter how you try to explain it, I think they would love a collection of all the holiday items year round. Hmmm...I wouldn't have to put anything away...or get anything out again...so very tempting, but somehow I don't think Matt would be on board. So for now we pack up the old and put out the new.

This toddler-sized scarecrow was outside on our front porch for the fall season. When I brought it inside to store until next year, Mia (who was previously scared of it) decided to make a new friend. In the process of putting it away, (do people actually put things away right after they take them down?) I find Mia in her bedroom like this:

She drug that scarecrow in her room all by herself. I thought this was so cute and funny. I mean, she has 3 brothers to play with and, no offense, the scarecrow certainly isn't your average doll. I suppose he doesn't bite, take toys away, talk back, tattle, or argue over what to play with. Needless to say, she was sad to see him go. Luckily, I have a replacement friend who is equally quiet, submissive, and easy to get along with.

Hello Santa! See you next year scarecrow!

A Playdate

A couple of weeks ago we were able to visit my good friend Amber and her two cute kids Clark and Cora. It is nice to be able to get out of the house and relax in a friend's house that is baby proofed, let our kids play, and chat about motherhood. Friends that are also mothers are essential, in my opinion, for sanity. Above are some pictures from their fun!

Holiday Weekend

We had a good holiday weekend. Matt was able to go to the race on Sunday (an annual tradition now) with his friend Josh. Josh's wife, Jody and their two children were able to come over after the race was finished. We had a great time watching our children play, eating, drinking, and talking. The boys were even able to get in some soccer until the ball went over the neighbor's fence (oops!). It was great weather and I hope that we are able to enjoy many more nights like this over the summer.

My mom and I took the kids downtown while Matt was at the race. It was a perfect time to go since many people were at the race or out of town. We walked around monument circle and had lunch at the mall. It was nice to get all the kids out of the house. Everyone was very well behaved and enjoyed themselves. I think the highlight for Jackson was riding the escalator with Nana about 5 times. The longer I have been a mom the more amazed I am about how the smallest thing can excite a child. Why we bother to buy toys or go to lengths to go somewhere when they enjoy the simple things is something I still am learning:).

Grant and Liam are now 11 months old. They are getting to be such big boys. Can't believe it has almost been a year since they were born. This year has gone by the fastest yet!

Today my dad was here to visit for a few hours and the rest of the day we just hung around the house and enjoyed being lazy (well, as lazy as you can be with 4 kids!).

Above are some photos of the twins and Josh and Jody's little boy Logan playing this weekend and a picture of the twins at 11 months old. Enjoy!