Fantastic February

We had super bowl fun at Bucky's house of course. Fun times! I won the stats page game. Yea

Tried out a new recipe for the snack we brought. Bacon cups. You make a bacon shell for your deviled eggs. Turned out ok, but not the wow I had hoped for.

This month I had decided that I had had enough of our blah bedroom. I hated the color and the carpet and things always get put off....So, I took it upon myself to start a project.

Long ago when we had remodeled Corbin's room Matt moved his wall that we share into his room 2foot so that we could one day build a walk in closet. I moved my things out of my by fold closet to Aiden's closet and knocked out the wall. Nothing was said or done, so come Monday I did the same to Matt's closet, pulled everything out of our room (with becca's help) and ripped up the carpet and tag strip. Matt was not as pleased with this amazing feat. He was almost upset. Well, now it's done, there is no going back. Phase one is complete. You can see the wall here. The closet has light/paint/and electricity. I have painted the floor and we are moved back in till the closed gets all its shelving and we can do the rest of the painting and such.

My sleepy-eyed boy

I've been our looking for future ideas. I found and love these two toned cabinets!

Also adored this chair at Pier One

My big boy eating at the table

Addie helped me with our heart shaped brownies

I made heart brownies for Corbin's Valentines party in class and also my bunco ladies! I hosted bunco this month and we had breakfast food. Yummo!


Adaline and Matt had their first date! Matt took Addie to our father daughter dance at church. So  precious.

Matt said that she danced all night. You couldn't get her to sit very long for dinner.

My sis, Lydia, and I took a road trip to Nashville, TN. As a special time for us I treated her to this trip for her 16th birthday! We went shopping at Opryland Mills Mall, ate at Red Lobster (our favorite)...

then headed downtown for the TobyMac Winter Slam. Well, the bad news is that we didn't get into the concert.

Bridgestone Arena is a hockey Rink and there were probably about 2,000 of us that didn't get in. One of the bad things about this concert series is that they do not sell tickets ahead of time. Bummer

We walked around downtown a bit...

Here is Lydia in front of the CMT building

Ran into Elvis

and decided to head back to the hotel. Still not ready for bed we went out for a movie. Warm Bodies was terrible. A zombie movie that hinted at Romeo and Juliet. Awful movie. Next morning we had breakfast at the hotel and went swimming in the heated pool. So nice and relaxing. Great sister time.

I cannot believe that my baby sister is 16! I really feel like Lydia's mom most of the time. We are 18years apart and my mom and I are 18 years apart. So, we had a great time with no little kids running around to catch up and reconnect. Lydia has really changed right before my eyes these last two years. She is not a little girl anymore and totally acts like an adult. She is driven to go off to college and become an interior designer. I know she will be great at whatever she chooses to do. I am happy she wants to go away to school and try new things.



I failed to get these apple cider donuts made in time for my bunco night. (there was plenty of food) So I made them the next morning for my gang at home. Yummo! I loved them. Definitely will make again.

Adaline and her bible study teacher Valerie. Addie has had her for 2 years and loves her class. This was also on Valentines Day! She signed cards to take to her friends.

Matt surprised me with dinner at the Melting Pot. I don't know what on earth we had to talk about for such a long dinner. Ha ha

Another highlight to our February was a family wedding. You know you hear adults say what kids they are getting married and commenting on how kids growing up and doing things seems so young? I didn't feel that way when I got married, but I was 23. Kendra, my cousin, married her high school sweetheart. Kendra is 20 and Ben will turn 20 this spring. Wow! These two did seem like a couple of kids getting married. So young.

Sorry this was the best pic I got of the bride and groom.

Jenny and Brian: Jenny and I have grown up together. I feel like we are more sisters than cousins. Family is so important. I am so happy to know and share my life with this sweet lady. :)

Kendra, the bride, and Jenny her older sis.

I came from teaching my cooking class with 3/4th graders. Missed the ceremony but happily participated in the reception with my plain Jane clothes.

Mother of the Bride: Marvena looks so nice, Loved her hair and dress today.

Last note of the month: Aiden was sick for a few days. He had a low grade fever Saturday night and being his age and teething on and off, I didn't know how or if he was sick. But Sunday when we were all getting ready for church Aiden just laid on the couch and looked so pitiful. Yes, he is sick and not feeling well. I stayed home with him and just held and cuddled with him.
Aiden is my sweet boy. Matt hasn't corrupted him like the other children. He still loves his mommy best.

January in a Flash

Wow this year is rolling on by so fast. I can't keep up.

This is my bestie that I love seeing anytime possible. So, anytime that she is state side I make every effort to see her and her boys. Right now Anna, her two boys and husband live in Corsica (an island south of France). Antoine is teaching at the College and Anna is working on her Disortation/ Doctorate. 

This visit I got to have a day with her all to myself. We were suppose to be wedding shopping for her brother. Thus one of the reasons for her extended stay this time.

Look at these goof balls!

 I meet her in Lexington and the other family had been working on the wedding and did not require our hands as of this day. Tell you about the other wedding excitement we had a little later. So this day we did our own shopping and got to see Le Misrables together! Outstanding film and a wonderful day.

So that was Tues when I went to see Anna. I came back Friday evening and spent the night with Amy (anna's sis) and went with them to little brother's wedding Sat. 

When I got down there Anna informed me that we were going to be incharge of the wedding cake! When I say incharge, that not only means picking it up, setting it up at the reception, but also decorating this cake! We were picking it up after the wedding (around 2p) and setting it up at the reception (begining at 3p). I just busted out laughing. How we were going to pull this off i didn't know.

Anna was a little stressed on Friday night. We had a lovely rehersal dinner by momma street and helped clean up and talk with the bride about this cake. Anna had a picture of what we needed to get the cake to look like, but the snag was the deep purple color that was in the wedding. There were no real flowers that color in all of Lexington to be found. Luckily I had had my first cake decorating class the night before. Ha

We settle on the perfect flower that was artificial found ribbon and trimings Saterday morning and off to the wedding we go. Anna is still all in a flutter. I totally understand. At least I can leave town when it is done and not have to worry about what this cake turns out to be. But we have high hopes...

The reception is in Johnie Corrinos ( a resterant) and there were already people from the wedding there for the reception. We hunkered down in a corner booth and went to work with our super skills to decorate this cake.

I would say it took about 30 min to decorate and set up. And not a moment too spare for the wedding party arrived about 10min later. Yikes!

This is what Anna and I came up with. Our mad skills came to great use. The bride was happy and Louise (mother of the groom love it!) and that was who I cared about.

I love our time together. What a precious friend. Anna is so accomplished and driven in her career. She is a wonderful friend, mama and woman. I love my dear friend.

 While I was away Matt let the kids roast marshmallows over a candle. I don't know how I feel about them doing this over my tableclothe... but they thought they were big stuff.

 Here are some cute shots duing January...

Addie in her adorable sheep coat from aunt Melanie.

boys not wanting to take any pics...

 So, my mother-in-law bought me cake decorating classes. This was class 2. I learned a great deal. It was a fun class. There were four classes in the month of January.

Tracy Blackburn who is in our life group invited us to celebrate her birthday together at Kobe! Yummo

One of our other fun adventures was to see the play, "One Fish Blue Fish". The community group put it on and we were able to go for free. There was a craft, the play and snacks. 

This magical fish is an Asops Fable and the two play writes acted out three plays and had us vote on the one they were going to turn in for publshing. All three versions were fables about the magical fish.

Addie was intent on the play. She wouldn't even stop for a pic.

 Version 2: The fisherman and his wife waste their wishes.

 Version 3: The selfish woman was turned into a mermaid.

Fun times!

Gross Factor!!!! Avoid your eyes.

Matt has this horrible habit of picking at his toenails. Well this time he really did it. The hang nail ripped off and left this terrible raw sore spot. Manly Matt didn't soak or take care of his toe, as you see in the pic. So it bulged and got infected. He has finally gone to the doc, nursed and cared for his toe so that now, three months later it has healed. Goodness!

This day the three kiddos were eating a snack (carrots). They like me to peel a long carrot and let them eat the whole thing. 

See the orange on Corbin's face? They were so cute sitting together watching a cartoon. They were still there 15min later when I walked back through. Usually Aiden doesn't stay put that long.

Here is my sweet baby boy. So precious...