Better Late than Never

Since Mason didn't want to eat on his birthday or at his party he never got to indulge in the yummy goodness that is cupcakes :). A few days later however, he wanted one so I obliged. I think you can see from the pictures how much he loved it.
And here is a few pictures that I took of my silly 2 year old. It's a little difficult getting him to stand still but I think these pictures definitely show his awesome personality so they are perfect!

Guest Bath Redo

Most people that know me know how much I love to paint. However, I think painting one bathroom 4 times and never being happy is a little ridiculous. Our guest bath a been a pain in my side for over 7 years now. When we moved in I saw past the yellow and white striped wallpaper with floral border and the most awful yellow laminate floor and knew I could do something with it. Even though I have painted it several times I just still hated being in that room. On New Year Eve I finally had had enough. I had a vision and I went with it. Ryan was outside doing some yard work and I dragged my sick self out there to ask him if he wanted to head to the Home Depot and pick up some floor tile for the bathroom. Nothing should stop a woman with a design vision...even the flu! Surprisingly he looked up and said ok. He usually looks at me like I'm a mad woman for wanting to redo another room. I said I didn't care what he picked out as long as wasn't as bad as what we had. Who have I become to not care what kind of floor he would pick out. Seriously, the floor was THAT bad and anything would have been better. Thankfully he picked out some really pretty tile and we got started. It took a day of laying the tile and grouting but it was so worth it. The end result is just beautiful. The next few days were full of caulking around the tile, painting the walls, buying accessories, and doing some crafty stuff. I also painted the baseboards and doors since they had that ugly yellow glaze on them. I must add here...please do not put a yellow glaze on your baseboards and doors!! The homeowner after you will hate you! I still have some extra things to do such as new faucets, lighting and framing the huge builders mirror but overall it is done. My goal of the room was a relaxing, modern, yet child friendly. I think I finally have a bathroom that I really enjoy. Ryan told me that this gave him confidence to keep doing more projects so master bath, you are next!! In a way I am sorry I don't have a picture of the old bath to show but I really did not want any memory of it.Small spaces are really hard to photograph.Above the toiletI found these saying that I wanted to frame. I loved the little inspirational words for the kids. New towels with pictures of the kids above their individual towels. Plus one for a guest.A Pinterest idea. Found the wooden plaques at Hobby Lobby, painted them and Mod Podged the pictures onto them. Absolutely LOVE them! The best part is the new floor!! Bye bye ugly yellow laminate! Had to pull out the little camera to get the full view. Hmmmm countertops might be in the future as well :).

The Cotton Bowl!

Once we found out that Kansas State would be playing in the Cotton Bowl here in TX Ryan tried hard to score some tickets from work. It took awhile but he was able to get a couple just in time and it worked out that my parents would already be here to watch the kids. Even though we were surrounded by Arkansas fans and K-State ended up losing, we still had a really great time cheering on the Cats. Go State!!!Happy RyanRyan in disbelief.

Obsessed Much?

Yes, Mason is now up to 4 Woody dolls and 3 Buzz dolls. And he plays with every single one of them! He got RC for his birthday and has been playing with it all day. And I can't forget Ham, AKA Evil Dr Porkchop. He also got a new Buzz and Woody nap mat for Christmas. Like I said, he loves anything associated with Toy Story. I have never seen anything like it.

Mason's 2nd Birthday Party

On Saturday, 2 weeks after his birthday, we finally celebrated Mason's big day with a few of his little friends. We had an airplane craft and coloring. Papa made an awesome airplane out of a Dish Network box that we filled with little toys and covered with packing peanuts which symbolized clouds. The kids had so much fun digging in and finding goodies. After opening presents we tried singing to Mason and to get him to blow out his candle but he kind of flipped out when everyone was singing so that part was over pretty quick. Poor little guy got so overwhelmed! Overall, we all had a great time. I think the best part was watching Mason interact with his friends. They have all kind of grown up together this past year and I cannot wait to see them get closer and have even more fun in the years to come. They are all so cute! Coloring and putting stickers on their wooden planes. Papa's plane. Digging in!Look at those precious faces!Nana and PapaHe loves everything Toy Story.He got very upset when I wouldn't open his Woody doll Box. Thankfully Brian came to the rescue!Happy Birthday little Mason! We love you!

Christmas with Nana and Papa

This weekend my parents came into town so we could celebrate Christmas and my dad's birthday. It was a busy weekend but we had so much fun! Here are some pictures of our Christmas with them.

What the New Year Might Bring

Here we are now in the year 2012. The years go by so much faster now that I have kids and sometimes I feel like everything is just a blur. I am loving every minute of my life right now but I do wish it would slow down so I can enjoy it more! While I sit here and reminisce about 2011 I realize how much I am looking forward to '12. I have no complaints about 2011 though, it was another great year! Ryan continues to enjoy his work no matter how crazy it is at times. Everyone I meet at his work always tell me how much they love, and rely on him. I know he loves his "perks" and how his job constantly challenges him. He is looking to move up in the company soon so this year might bring him a new job and more responsibility.

Kaylie Rian will turn 10 YEARS OLD this year! Yikes, we are getting into the double digits!!! She had to choose either softball or soccer this year since there is no way we will be doing double sports again like we did last year. She, thankfully, chose softball because she has gotten pretty good and we just love watching her play. Kaylie still enjoys her books. She has finally graduated from Tinkerbell and now loves the American Girl history books. She learns so much and that's what she loves. I could not be more proud.

Reese Michelle will turn 7 in August. She is still the spunky, beautiful, stubborn, lovable, energetic little girl she has always been. Reese continues to love any and all animals but her favorites are dogs and horses. Too bad she cannot have either right now! She also loves her reading and has actually started reading the same books as Kaylie. These books are for 10 year olds but she does really well with them. Once again, I am one proud mom.

Mason Michael just turned 2 and is just as cute as can be. He is of course "all boy". He loves cars, trains, throwing things, climbing on things, talking very loudly and getting into/onto anything and everything he can. His favorite movie is Toy Story and Woody and Buzz are the first things he runs to in the morning. It's pretty stinkin' cute. He is a big boy for reasons I can't fathom because he hardly eats. He's growing though and is already wearing 3T clothes so I assume he is healthy! He is a very happy kid and knows no strangers. He gives hugs and kisses to everyone!

What am I looking forward to in 2012? I am headed to NYC in June for a much needed getaway with my friends and I cannot wait! House remodel is also on my list for 2012. We got a jump start on this on New Years Day by putting down a new floor in our guest bath. I won't even post a before picture because it was seriously the most ugly, yellow floor and I want zero memories of it! Now that Ryan and I know that we work well as a team after 12 years, we are looking forward to more projects around the house. It's amazing how just a little bit of work does wonders!

I have finally realized, after 31 years, that I cannot make resolutions. I just don't follow through no matter how much I want to. So while I have no resolutions I am just going to continue to be the best wife and mom I can be. I feel so humble and blessed. My husband is one of a kind and our life together honestly just gets better and better. My kids are such huge blessings and I cannot imagine my life without them. My family brings me so much joy, and insanity at times but I couldn't ask for anything more. I don't think my life could get much better but you never know what is in store for us!

I hope everyone had a great 2011 and we wish you all a very happy and healthy 2012. Happy New Year!