Mason's {vintage} sunshine and soda pop party!

I made the invitations just using basic Microsoft Word with a few clipart images. Printed them from my home and mailed them out to some family!

(I airburshed our address in the image above).

It did take some time to design but cost virtually nothing. You're welcome husband.

Overall, this was such a fun party to plan!

In fact, my favorite to date.

I wanted to pick a theme that really captured Mason's personality.

Ever since we brought him home from the hospital, I got in the habit of singing "You are my sunshine" to him every night. I grew to love this song more and more as his smiley personality began to blossom.

The yellow sign I found on etsy and it usually hangs in his room. I fell in love with the vintage writing and distressed treatment.

MENU:

- chicken salad croissant sandwiches-

- pita chips with spinach dip-

- gourmet crackers with cheese ball-

- veggies with ranch dip-

- bottle caps, gummies, and lollipops-

- lemon mousse layered cake-

-make your own italian sodas-

***

So, back to the theme.

Mason is bright and cheerful...reminds me of sunshine.

"Hmmm, he's also sweet and bubbly" I thought to myself.

Kinda like soda pop!

And with that, my theme was set.

It was harder than I thought to find soda pop candies. I settled on bottle caps (a classic) and some gummies in the shape of Coca Cola bottles {see above}.

I know my strengths, and baking is not one of them.

The cake and over sized cupcake I ordered 24 hours in advance from a local bakery.

Did I mention it had a lemon mousse layer in the middle??

Simply divine.

I saw an idea on Pinterest to hang the name of each child attending your party like garland.

But, since we weren't having any other little people at the party, I decided to hang words that describe Mason instead.

I used a Cricut (I borrowed) to cut out each letter out of scrapbook paper and glued them to some yarn to hang.

I made the "sunshine garland"{above} and the ruffled streamers {below} HERE using paper and yarn.

Note to self for future parties: buy more streamers!

I was amazed how fast this stuff ran out.

The idea was to have a solid waterfall of streamers against the sliding glass door.

All the way to floor.

We settled for one fourth the coverage. Oh well.

Probably a better idea anyway.

Mason would tear the whole thing down if he could reach it!

The "Soda Pop Shop" where guests made their own italian sodas.

Fruit flavored soda (found in the international food aisle) + ice + a can of whip cream to top it off.

Hint: if you use the mandarine flavored soda with whip cream it taste like a creamsicle. Reminds me of when I was a kid.

Here's the happy boy himself!

Happy 1st Birthday Mason!

Linking up to:

Our {28 lb.} walking one year old!

Okay.

Remember that fashion post I did a while ago where I mentioned that my daily life consists of cleaning, crawling on my knees and carrying around two children each weighing 25lbs??  I was just kind of estimating on their weight.

Well, I stand corrected.

I put them both on the scale this morning and they weigh exactly 28 lbs each!

Twenty-eight pounds people.

Normal if you are two and a half.

Humongous if you just turned one!

No wonder I want a massage every night.

Anyway, yes today is Mason's birthday.

He's bubbly, sweet, bright and cheerful.

His smile lights up a room.

His laugh is just as contagious as his daddy's.

His hugs are as cuddly as a bear.

His babbles warm our hearts.

His love for Kensie is endearing.

He also started walking just 2 short days before his birthday...so proud of him!

Up until 2 days ago he wouldn't even stand up on his own without holding onto something. As soon as I would try to let go, he would immediately squat down towards the floor. I tried it again on Tuesday and he stood for moment. Then all of a sudden he took 10 steps in a row like it was no big deal. Like he had been secretly practicing all along! Greg and I are still baffled. He's been a walking fool ever since.

Just 5 days old here...love his scrunchy face in this pic.

Watch how the lion shrinks as each month goes by...

Oh my, how he's grown!

It's crazy how much babies change and grow in the first year.

Happy Birthday little Mason man!
All twenty-eight pounds of you.

Can't wait for his party on Saturday. It will just be with family and probably no more than 15 people. But, I like to go all out for parties. So, stay tuned for pics on that next week!

A special little girl at 2.5 yrs {plus a video}

This girl is coming up on two and a half in a few days and I figured it was a good time to capture exactly what this little girl is all about these days...

{1} Dressing up-- this is a daily routine. Sometimes twice a day in fact. Usually between dinner and bedtime. The outfits vary but always revolve around being a "fairy" or "princess" or combination of both.

This particular evening included Mickey Mouse ears and some old jewelry I dug out of my drawers.

{2} Wants to be a princess and ballerina-- as in watching princess movies (the only movies we have are Cinderella and Snow White), dressing up, and calling herself a "princess" at times. She still remembers seeing several at Disneyland (when we went this last November). She also begs me on a regular basis to play pretty music on the piano so she can twirl like a ballerina. Can I just interrupt....I DO NOT PUSH THIS AT ALL. It's funny what kids get interested in with or without the help of parents. I was never big on introducing the whole princess/ ballerina thing...but, she is totally into it. And I have to admit it's kind of adorable.

{3} Refuses to call herself "Kensie"-- if you ask her what her name is, it's "Choo Choo". This was a nickname we gave her since she was a baby. (Don't ask me why. It has nothing to do with a choo choo train.) Anyway, it's to the point where if I ask her to repeat after me by saying, "the letter 'K' is for Kensie...can you say  kh kh Kensie?" She responds with, "Kh kh...CHOO CHOO!!" Oh dear, not quite.

{4} Pretend play-- The play kitchen is a total hit! She likes to pretend to make me coffee in the morning and spends lots of time opening and closing the fridge picking out what foods to cook in her pot on the stove. She also loves playing "mommy". She has two babies that she loves to feed, change and push in the baby stroller. She will usually copy whatever I'm doing with Mason at the moment....putting him down for a nap, changing his diaper, feeding him a bottle...she will do it with one of her babies. Also adorable. 

{5} Organizing-- this one cracks me up! She will play quietly in her room at times...reading books, rocking her babies etc. One day I went in to check on her. She had lined up all her diapers in a row. The funny part is that even though the side table was in the way, it didn't stop her from completing her perfect trail of diapers...

{6} Still loves her crib, blankie and diapers-- Still sleeps in her crib, is very attached to "clinkie" as she calls it, and still has ZERO interest in potty training. And I'm totally okay with that. Although I'm still shocked she hasn't tried to climb out of the crib yet. She bounces so high in that thing...it would be SO easy to get out. Shhhh don't tell her I said that.

 

I'll finish with a video of some fun the kids had the other day. I set up the pack n' play in the living room and they played all day in that thing! If you like videos close to 3 minutes long, enjoy...

 

 

Oh, that little girl. She gets more and more personality every day. And I love her so very much.

Blue and gray on the brain!

I've decided it's time for a color change in the kitchen/ dining area. It's currently green. A very cheerful celery green. Actually, it's called "garden fairy" by Benjamin Moore. With green curtains, green pillow covers, and seat cushions, a green painted hutch and green painted shutters. It's been this way for the past 3 years. And I really truly loved it. But a few weeks ago I decided I was done with green. Has that every happened to you? One day you just wake up, look at your walls and think, "I'm just DONE with that color". I like change, so we are switching things up and I can't wait to see the end result!

Here's what I've got in the works so far.....

The blue Waverly print fabric was what inspired this mini makeover. But, then I found THIS gorgeous fabric online and I had to get it....

It came with the striped coordinating fabric (below) and BOOM...had to get that too. My fabric selection was complete.

Now that I see all three prints together I can really visualize the end result! I'm going for blue/ gray with some beach-y elements. The fabric will be used to make curtains, pillow covers, seat cushion covers for the dining table, and a skirt for the built-in...and maybe a table runner if there's some left over.

Oh, by the way--I don't even OWN a sewing machine. Ha! I'll have to borrow my Mom's for a while...thanks Mom!

Gray can be a tricky color to pick too! And Greg is we are not big on painting more than once. So....we must be very careful. Very very careful. I will be staring at these paint chips for a while before we decide on a color. Plus, it needs to match the "vanilla cookie" by Benjamin Moore that we already have on the ceilings and adjourning walls.

Golly, I love decorating! Wait 'til you see the lights I bought over the weekend to mount on the wall in the fireplace room!!

Breath Shannon.....breath....

***

If you'd like to see the rest of my pinterest inspiration board on this project...go HERE.

Psssh...I can do THAT!

There's a difference between thinking you can do something, and actually doing it. Am I right?


Yesterday, I shouldn't have been too surprised when our kids pulled stunts where they both probably thought..."Psssh...I can do THAT MOM!"

The morning started with Mason hitting the deck right before breakfast. I set him in the high chair, turned around to grab the tray by the sink and heard a loud crash! (I know, totally my fault for not strapping him in). He must have leaned forward to try and grab the cheerios from the counter that were close by. He fell and the high chair tipped over and fell on top of him!! So scary. But, he hardly cried, and there's not a scratch or bump on the kid. Amazing. Pretty sure some angels caught him on the way down to the hard wood floor.

HAHAHA! You can't stop me mom!

Fast forward to just a few minutes before dinner the same day >>>>>

Kensie thought it would be a good idea to stand on her bouncy ball when I wasn't looking and she fell face first on the wood floor. Are you seeing a pattern with everyone falling on the wood floor? What is with that?! Tons and tons of blood from hitting her upper lip, and a front tooth partially chipped. This is her SECOND chipped tooth. Oiy. Thankfully they are just baby teeth.

bouncing their little hearts out...without a care in the world.

We have not had any major hospital trips as a result of injuries...but between these two, I'm pretty sure we will at some point. If they don't go, I just might. I nearly had 2 heart attacks in one day!!

Phew.

Glad Monday is over!

Some "firsts" over the weekend...

Nothing big.

Just some kiddo updates that are fun to record...

First up, sweet little Kensie girl. Believe it or not, she has never {I repeat} NEVER had a hair cut. It just kept growing out so nicely with a touch of curl on the ends, so I never noticed it looking uneven. But, today after her bath, I grabbed those scissors and decided it was time for a trim....

She sat incredibly still on her cute little stool.

She even let me blow-dry it at the end!

However.....

For the next 4 hours all I heard was, "Mama cut miya haiyer..."

Yeah.

Reason #245 why I was putting off the whole "cutting of the hair". I vividly remember cutting my own hair as a child and hiding the evidence behind the entertainment center.

***

Moving on to Mr. Mason man...

The boy has been army crawling since he was 8 months old. Then he started cruising along furniture at 10 months. And he gets going pretty fast! He will be walking any day now. But, for some reason he has a hard time going from the sitting position to standing (without some help). Probably has something to do with the fact that he is 11 months old but weighs as much as my 2 and a half year old!!

Geesh.

Anyway, this is a BIG first for him...

I walked in to get him up from his morning nap and found him standing up for the first time!! Something so simple but, for some reason it just warms my heart so much.

I grabbed the camera quick to get it on video...enjoy!

These two are growing up so fast!

Crafty weekend! {plus garland tutorial}

Mason is turning one in less than a month.

Unreal.

And for once in my life, I'm actually getting a head start on party planning.

Also unreal.

{I'm a dreamer AND a procrastinator if you couldn't tell already. Bad combo.}

So, here's some pinterest inspired projects I accomplished over the weekend!

I love all kinds of garland. This one might be my new favorite! It's a mix of a few different ideas I found on pinterest.

Here's what you need to make it:

{1} I found this giant pack of rainbow assorted scrapbook paper at Hobby Lobby (50% off)

{2} Paper punch I already had (also from HB)

{3} Basic yarn (HB)

{4} Use the punch to punch out a variety of patterned paper and fold them in half.

Next, grab your average glue stick.

{5} Place the yarn inside your folded paper and glue shut!

{6} I spaced them randomly in groups of 1, 2, and 3 on the yarn. I think it gives it a vintage feel.

{7} Hang your cheerful garland!

***

My Mom brought her sewing machine over yesterday to help me make these fun ruffled streamers!

I won't bother with the tutorial.

GO HERE to find out how easy it is! This lady posts great photos and very helpful hints.

I followed it exactly and I'm so pleased with how they turned out!

I bought 4 rolls of streamers not knowing how much I would need. 

2 rolls of white.

1 roll of blue. 1 roll of yellow.

I may have to go back and buy some more.
Yep.

I could see re-using these for parties/ weddings/ showers to come!!

***

And lastly....here's how I spent 2.5 hours last night.

Let's pretend I'm kissing my hard-working mommy arm in the middle pic and not (what looks like) smelling my armpit.

Can you tell I'm pretty proud of myself?

Greg kept asking if I needed help but me and my darn competitive nature just had to finish it on my own!

Well, I'm proud to say I did.

And, after all that effort I couldn't wait to give it to the kids the next day. I think they appreciate it. And happy early birthday to Mason...this is your big present!

***

Phew! What a weekend of productivity.

Feels so good...


linking up to:


PS- if you'd like to see the rest of Mason's 1st birthday inspiration board visit my pinterest page HERE.

Basement {phase 2ish)

Just a recap...


Here's a pic I showed you yesterday. This is what our basement looked like as of last Friday:

And, here's a pic I snapped this morning! The treadmill is in the exact same spot (to give you a better perspective).

As Greg always says, "It's gotta get worse before it gets better!"

Ain't that the truth.

***

And if you would like to see some of my other basement dreams from a while back, click HERE.


So many possiblities!

If you like "before" pics...well then, these are for YOU!

So.

Last Thursday night, after the kids were in bed, and we were happily plopped on our separate couches with separate laptops, scrolling through our separate FB accounts, exchanging the highs and lows of our day (yes, our life is really THAT exciting...don't be jeal.) Anyway, Greg announces that he would like to invite 2 of his brothers over on Saturday to help gut the basement.

Whoa. Hold up.


(**blink with perplexed brows and shake head slightly at the same time**)


I was shocked.

What?! We've been talking about finishing the basement for HOW LONG and all of a sudden you want to gut the basement on SATURDAY!? (Please understand: my husband needs T.I.M.E. when making big decisions. Finishing the basement? I figured it was never gonna happen).

Sa-weet!!



That's the good news.

The bad news is what I'm about to show you......prepare yourself as we enter the dungeon:

Good-bye happy world above ground level!

Welcome to the basement.

Now, it doesn't look so bad here (depending on your perspective)....

Other than the unorganized pile of junk haphazardly arranged on the floor. (There's a method to my madness, okay?) The only thing I actually use in this room: the treadmill.

But, what lies behind those walls of paneling you ask?

There's gotta be more to the basement than just this "junk" room, right?

Get ready for the most sarcastic basement tour of your life...

Lets go see what's behind that paneling then, shall we?

There was once a shower gracefully placed right under the ceiling light you see glowing in the picture below. While I never showered in it myself ('cuz we ripped the sucker out as soon as we moved in) I always thought it was so convenient. Placed right next to the exposed sump pump (the hole in the corner) for easy draining. PLUS, there was an outlet also directly above the shower. I imagined plugging in my blow dryer, so that the moment my shower was done, I could blow dry my hair without even stepping out!

Let's keep taking the tour, shall we?

Turn around.

Oh, look! I see some light down there....

Why yes there is! Let me TAKE you there! Come on!!

**skip skip skip**

THIS is the laundry room! Isn't it grand?!

 But, what's that dark color running down the wall underneath the window?

Oh THAT?

pshhh.

That's just from the flood of '09 where we got 18" of water in our basement.

No. Big. Deal.

And don't you just LOVE the variety of colors on the wall?

Golly, that horizontal striped pattern above the chest freezer (probably from old shelves, I'm guessing) adds SO much dimension. Don't you think??

And THIS? Well this completes the tour of course. Just another beautiful corner of loveliness.

Okay I'm done.

Let's go back upstairs where my brain can think clearly.

While I'm excited about the idea of having a usable basement with a larger playroom for the kids, I know it will still be a loooooong journey. And don't get too excited for the after pics. It will not look as nice as the upstairs. But, anything will be better than what we have now!

I'll take pics tomorrow of what it looks like gutted. Now that the walls are down, I can see the whole basement at once. Lots of day-dreaming will happen in the next couple weeks.

Stay tuned!

The trying and tiring two's

Before I had children I would cringe when people started groaning about the "terrible two's". They would depict fist-throwing fits where children would start to scream in the middle of the grocery store. And these toddlers wouldn't stop screaming. They would melt into a puddle of jello and refuse to walk. And when you try to pick them up they would throw their bodies into convulsions, screaming even louder. The mother would end up ditching the full grocery cart, drag (literally) the screaming child out of the store in complete embarrassment and drive home in misery.

I'm not saying it's  that terrible--not yet anyway (or maybe I'm just trying my hardest to come up with other titles because I enjoy living in oblivion that things aren't that bad. They can't possibly be THAT bad. Right?). Whatever you want to call it...

This stage is humbling. 

This stage is trying my patience.

And this 2 year old is making me plain tired!

with a capital T.

*Sigh*.....ohhhh this age.

Kensie (so far) doesn't seem to be a "throw-yourself-into-convulsions" kind of fit-thrower. And I have not had any horrible shopping experiences. She actually does very well going to the grocery store.  I'm not saying she doesn't throw fits. She just has different ways of throwing them. It usually involves covering her face and shedding lots of TEARS. Lots and lots of tears. Oh, to be a girl.

Currently my daily battles with miss Kensie include (but are not limited to):

• Sharing toys with Mason or other playmates. And she's a sneaky one too. I once caught her in the act of stealing a toy from Mason. She paused and looked at Mason with a scowl. Then looked at me and said, "Mason, share Mama?" As in, Mason needs to share his toys with ME. Uh, yeah right little miss. I caught her red-handed and she tried to talk her way out of getting the consequence. Geesh. 
• Dumping her cereal. If I don't take away her cereal bowl as soon as she's finished in the morning she dumps the bowl over and starts swirling the milk ALL over the counter. Every morning.
• Putting toys away just before bedtime. Takes on average 30 minutes of repeating myself and then she winds up playing with the toys she's supposed to put away.
• JUMPING ON THE COUCH. This one drives me absolutely nuts!! This is NOT a new rule in our house. I've been training her since she was walking that we do not jump or stand on furniture. I realize other people may be OK with this at their house. And I'm fine with that. But, at our home we DO NOT. She has been testing this one like crazy lately! I feel like giving this battle up at times but I'm still determined to keep trying.
• Taking shoes off and ponytail out while in the car. It doesn't matter where we are going, the girl will take her shoes off and throw them across the van. The ponytail also comes out and I can never seem to find it again. There's probably a thousand hiding under her car seat.
• Throwing things in the house. Once I walked in her bedroom after nap time and her lamp was knocked over b/c she chucked every dolly and blankie with all her might across the room.
• I'm sure there's more but, that's all I got for now....

I know it's just a stage. Like so many others.

This too, shall soon pass. 

I know I will get through it.

I'm sure I will not feel like a good Mom at times.

But, just for record keeping, can I please show you this video? Please??...

Mmmkay.

Here's the scenerio:

They were playing SO nicely together. Kensie was rolling the ball back and forth while Mason giggled hysterically.

And as soon as I pull out the camera...as soon as Mom wants to document this sweet moment, it all goes downhill.

Moment ruined.

I was venting to a friend last week and we agreed that God definitely knew these early years would be the hardest. That's why (we concluded) He made them so darn cute at these ages. It's what makes the tough moments tolerable, and the sweet moments that much sweeter! Just look at these cute little buns...

Can't be mad at those cuties for too long...

Updates: this and that

We've had lots going on and I keep procrastinating forgetting to update the blog...so here it goes:

We had a lovely winter wedding {for my Mama} two weekends ago. It was held inside the most beautiful log cabin I've ever seen, tucked in the middle of a deep forest with trees covered in fresh morning snow. Beautiful. Unfortunately I don't have many pics so you will have to imagine the rest....



hanging out after the ceremony




the flower girl and ring bearer...they did awesome.
{even though their silly mom forgot the flower girl's shoes! Don't get me started...}




weddings are such a nice chance for family pics...




Mama and Terry...the lovely bride and groom.




trying to capture the gorgeous snow outside. Seriously, it was unreal.



***

Greg was gone the following weekend for a High School winter retreat with church. So, while he was enjoying sledding, broomball, and freezing his booty off....I enjoyed some quiet nights with candles, pinterest, my bible, and some precious moments with God. It was one of those potentially "lonely" weekends that turned out to be one of the most memorable two days I've had in a long time. I love how God speaks to us in love when we need it most. I was moved to tears Sunday morning during worship  just thanking him for his goodness. This blog is used to document these times so I can look back on them later. So important to me.



One of my quiet weekend nights--enjoying some leftover flowers from the wedding and my favorite scented candles.

***

Speaking of pinterest...

I tried a new brussel sprouts recipe! Greg is not usually a fan of this particular vegetable.

These were a hit! I especially like the cranberries mixed in. Gives it a little zing!

Go HERE for the recipe.



I'm also working on a post which I've already titled, "The trying and tiring two's".

Can't wait for that one huh?

Me either.

Thanks for staying tuned in!

Evening stroll

Strollers have been popular from the beginning.

Kensie has always loved pushing around various dollies, stuffed animals, and even Mason on occasion...

Is that my son??? Don't even recognize him here. Crazy.

But, today Kensie decided to switch things up a bit.

Is it just me, or is there something wrong in this video...

...that's what I thought.

The baby is pushing the toddler in the stroller.

Weird.

Kensie thinks she's boss.
Mason thinks he's actually walking.

Win-win.

This is NOT January weather.

We live in a place that snows in the winter.

Some years are better than others.

Some years are worse than others.



This is what January is suppose to look like.
(pic taken this time last year)



But, this year I feel like I'm dreaming.

We've been absolutely loving this warm spell in the middle of January!

I'm talking....

(1) NO snow.

(2) Green grass.

(3) Playing outside in just a light jacket.

(4) Yesterday it was nearly 50* F

Unbelievable

**blink**

Am I still in California??

Wait.

NOPE!

It's motivated me to {finally} take down all the Christmas crap stuff.

I'm not getting tooooo comfortable with this heat wave though.

Snow is coming.

Soon.

Like tomorrow soon.

Like 8" plus.

Oh well.

It was fun while it lasted.

A {not so fun} 10 month celebration.

Mason is generally a very happy baby.

Except when he's sick or teething.

And when he's sick AND teething....you don't want to be a guest overnight in our home.

Trust me.

When he wakes up he let's the whole house know it.

(Although Kensie and Greg NEVER wake up from his cries...those two sleep like rocks!)

During the day he is easily distracted.

But at night? It's a different story.

And (unlike Kensie as a baby) he does not go back to sleep without intervention.

He needs:

(a) a bottle

(b) mommy

(c) cuddling

So last night I was up from 2am-4am.

Happy 10 months little guy....

I hope you get those 2 front teeth soon.

You deserve it.

I deserve it.

***

On that note...this is a good post to tell you two things:
(1) I LOVE my role as a mother and absolutely think it is worth it to have kids.
(2) But, there are days like today, when I'm exhausted and wonder, "Can we just get to the next stage already!?!?"


Then I read THIS ARTICLE from a gal that (in my opinion) totally "gets it" as a mom.
I was so encouraged.
Read it.
If you have little ones, you will be encouraged too.

10 months and moving fast!

Holy smokes! Is it really possible that Mason will be 10 months tomorrow??

Unbelievable.

What's even more unbelievable is how fast this kid is growing, learning and moving.

He's been army crawling for while now but just recently started cruising along furniture up on his feet.

And boy, is he happy about it....

New Year's Day {3 years ago}

It was January 1, 2009.

I woke up early and slipped out of our warm bed. The sun was just coming up. Greg was still fast asleep. I tip-toed to the closet to grab my yoga pants and a coat. Something comfy and warm. I had to run an errand. A short errand, but one that required getting dressed. I knew exactly what I needed to buy.

I quietly snuck out the front door and clicked it shut. Fifteen minutes later I was back with a plastic Walgreen's bag draped around my wrist. Inside the bag was a box. One small item that always costs more than you think. I was so excited to show Greg my little New Year's surprise but alas, he was still sleeping and I decided to wait. And wait. And wait.

Then I heard the bedroom door slowly squeak. He emerged scratching his head and squinting his eyes. Heading straight for the bathroom, I rushed down the hallway to beat him to the door. He gave me a warm bear hug and whispered "Happy New Year babe".  I quickly held up my Walgreen's bag and raised my brows with excitement, "I have a surprise for you...if you want to see it." His brows quickly matched mine. He knew what it was. And he knew why I was excited.

Yes. Inside that box was a pregnancy test. I was already a couple days late and just had that feeling. We had been trying for 6 months and were ready to start a family. So I opened the box, looked up at my scruffy handsome man and gazed into those familiar hazel eyes, "Should we take the test and see?" He replied with a sweet and silent grin.

It was such a special time for us. We prayed together as we waited for the results. Even though I knew in my gut that I was in fact carrying a baby inside...we still prayed that no matter what the results we would trust God.

And He decided to bless us with a baby. Nine months later she was born. Her name...Kensie Michelle. And just like that, I became a mom. And then nine months after that I was pregnant again. This time, a boy. And nine months later we had Mason Gregory. I felt like I became a mom all over again.

Anyway, it's my favorite New Year's memory.

Fast forward>>>>

Here's our little family today....January 1, 2012.

Can't imagine life without them.