Dear Davis–18 Months

     Buddy…how in the world are you 18 months old?!  You are such a big boy lately, and it’s almost too much for me to take! You’ve had a huge month celebrating Christmas with everyone, and I have loved spending this break from school with you.  It’s been awhile since I’ve done a post just for you, but celebrating 18 months seemed like the perfect time!

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     The past few months your vocabulary has exploded! You can say anything you want and talk all. the. time.  I love hearing what you have to say!  You have been really agreeable lately, but you definitely know how to pitch a fit.  You can be very stubborn, and when I see those eyebrows go up and your eyes cut over at me, I know you’re ignoring me.

     You have not slowed down at all. You are all go. You love to run and jump and climb and drive be silly and wild and BOY! In spite of all that get up and go, you are still so sweet. Hearing you say “please, mommy” and “wuv ooo” is just about the best thing in the world.

Loves
Eating
Going/Running/Climbing
Laughing
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
All Your People
Phones (actual phones, cameras, computers, remotes, etc.)

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     In the past few months we have done just about everything the world has to offer!  We pumpkin patched (twice), and you showed us that you can pull your own wagon, thank you very much.  Approximately two minutes after that picture, we tried to put you back in and you stood up and fell out splat in the road…because you are busy and never still.  Thankfully you were fine, but one of us may have made a bit of a scene…

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     On this particular pumpkin patch day, you thought that 15 minutes was an appropriate length of time to nap…it was not.  By 6:30 you were d.o.n.e.  Side note, I still love your cute little tail in a pajama!

Stats
Length: 34.5 in. (95th percentile)

Weight: 26 lb. 6 oz. (75th percentile)

Head: 49.5 cm (95-98th percentile)

Eating: Constantly (Loving: pasta, beans, bread, crackers, fruit, grits, cheese)

Sleeping: 7 to 6 with a big midday nap (on a mat when you’re at school!)

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     Everyone says you look just like your daddy…but every once in awhile we are twins too! It’s a well known fact that you get a lot of your personality from Mama too…

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     We had a petting zoo at church to kick off Animals for Africa, and you loved it! As soon as I told you there were goats, you ran screaming for the yard. You and Suzanne love goats. #yougetitfromyourgranny

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     I hated that you didn’t feel too good on this particular weekend, but I did not complain when you wanted to sleep on me for an hour. It was definitely a highlight! Christmas was another big moment this month, and I was so happy to see that you actually kind of “got it.” Last year you weren’t that interested, but this year you were so excited!

     Davis Malcolm, we love so very much! You are tons of fun and bring us lots and lots of happiness! These past eighteen months have stretched us inways we never could have imagined, but they have been the sweetest and best months of our lives. We cannot wait to tackle 2017 with you!

A Wish List for Mama

     I cannot believe that we are this close to Christmas!  Yesterday I shared lots of fun ideas that we’ve been looking at for Davis this year, so today I thought I’d share a little of what I’ve got my eye on for myself! Usually I am the very last one to turn a list in to my mother (who begins asking in August), and this year was no exception.  I did however find some things that I am excited about…and may buy for myself after Christmas!    

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1. Fiesta Baking Dishes – We registered for Fiesta place settings when we got married, and I could not love them more.  We didn’t register for the baking dishes because I felt like we should be more practical, and our plain old Pyrex still works like a dream.  Howeverrrrr…anytime I make something to take somewhere, I find myself wishing I had a prettier dish to set out.  Enter this gorgeous shamrock 9x13 and poppy 9x9.  These aren’t the colors of our place settings, but I have visions of a mix and match Fiesta shelf in my future forever home butler’s pantry.  I thought these would be the perfect to add in a few new colors!

2. Christmas Fiesta – There is a great little pottery store right outside of town that has super good prices on open stock Fiesta, and they always have some Christmas dishes in stock. I’ve been buying the luncheon plates two at a time for a few years now, but Christmas is a good time to add to the collection. We don’t have any of the Christmas gusto bowls, but we have them in our regular dish colors , and I use them all.the.time. My ghost of Christmas future vision is replacing all of my regular dishes with Christmas for the season. Frivolous? Yes. Fun? Yes!

3. Mexican Blanket Scarf – I need another scarf like I need a hole in my head, but this one has been on my Etsy favorites list for months now. Keith would be appalled if I bought myself another scarf…but a gift is a whole different ball game!

4. Antelope Mohair Fringed Cuff – I saw this on Sheaffer Told Me To and could not resist adding it to the list! I can feel my husband rolling his eyes at this, but given that as we speak he has not one but two deer being mounted for the walls of our home…he can indulge me a fun bracelet!

5. Mustard and Fuchsia Floral Tunic – I love a good shroud and always have my eyes open for a fun new one to add to the collection. I don’t have a lot of floral, and I think this one would be good for most of the year. I love that the colors are bold and a little different…much like me.

6. The Walking Dead (Season 3) – To balance out all of the fun, girly stuff - a little zombie action! Keith and I love The Walking Dead, and I love being able to rewatch my favorites as often as possible. Because I’m a big dork.

7. Wood Watch – I’ve been eyeing the wood watch trend for awhile now, and having another option to add to my arm parties is just icing on the cake.  This seemed like a good middle of the road option.

8. Teardrop Crystal Bracelet – Another eye roll from my husband…may I direct your thoughts back to the deer heads? I love a gaudy bracelet…or necklace…or earring, and this one definitely fits the bill!

     I kind of thought I might do a post like this for Keith…but he asks for hunting things that I don’t understand…and wheelbarrows.  I love that man.

     We have no major plans between now and Christmas, and I could not be happier.  I think we’re going to see the live nativity at our church tonight, but other than that, we are settled in.  I’m hoping to squeeze a few more posts out of this year while I’ve still got time, but I can’t make any promises!  If I don’t see you before Sunday…

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Davis’s Wish List

     School is finally out, and I am so excited for this season with my family!  For the first time (probably ever), I’m done buying and almost done wrapping, so I can actually have this time to rest and enjoy the break!  Davis has already gotten to open a few presents, but I can.not.wait. until Christmas Day for him to really let loose!

     Last year he had a fun time, but he was still too little to really “get” present opening.  This year, he knows that inside that paper there is something for him to play with!  I thought I might put together a little list of some of the things we’ve asked Santa for (and a few things that Santa has already bought).

Davis's Christmas List

1. Mega Bloks Mike the Mixer – Davis has three of the Mega Blok trucks (“crucks”) and the wagon, and we looove them. The blocks are the perfect size for little hands, and the trucks are just really cute! I saw this one at Target a few weeks ago and knew he would have a ball with it!

2. Eric Carle Books – I  listed only a few (here, here, here), but then I modified our list to say any of them! Davis is very into books, and he has a few that do something fun at the end or are interactive, so Eric Carle will be right up his alley.

3. Llama Llama Books – Again, we love a book around here, and I have a soft spot for Llama.  We have Llama Llama Hoppity Hop, and we’ve got it completely memorized…and Davis thinks llamas say “hop.”

4. Melissa & Doug Puzzles – Davis has gotten really good at “puzzies” lately, and the I love the quality of Melissa & Doug! The farm animal one will be an immediate hit, but I have noticed him pretend counting lately, so the clock would be a fun addition too!

5. Noah’s Ark Books – Y’all…I can’t quit with the books! I picked out a few Noah books to go with the ark he’s getting.

6. Little People Noah’s Ark – Davis is obsessed with an animal of any kind, and I know he will have such a fun time playing with these! He has a few Little People toys, but one can never have too many animals!

     These are just a few of the things we’ve bought or asked for…but Santa may have another little something for under the tree!  I am so excited for Davis to play and have fun this Christmas, but I am even more excited to see him learn about what it really means.  We are taking lots of minutes to talk about baby Jesus and read books about Christmas. 
     One of my favorite Christmas traditions is reading the Christmas story in Luke 2 before bed on Christmas Eve, and I can’t wait to read out of one of Davis’s nativity books too!  What a special time that we get to do all of the fun things and still hopefully plant a few seeds as well!

Merry almost Christmas everyone!

Christmastime is Here

     It is really and truly the most wonderful time of the year!  We’ve been decorated since a few days before Thanksgiving, and it’s all I can do to drag myself away from the decorations to go to the mailbox, or grocery shop, or work.  I’m in favor of a worldwide, month long holiday for all of December so we can settle in and be cozy.  Who’s with me?

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     Our tree…oh our tree.  So we bought our tree at Lowe’s Thanksgiving night.  It was dark. It was rainy. I ran a buggy into the sliding glass door on the way out and knocked it off the runner.  Once we got this thing home…y’all, I think it kept growing.  I think it’s still growing!
     It’s kind of bald and skeleton-y, but it has charmed me.  It’s significantly more humongous than our tree last year, and it was not easy to attach ornaments to it…but its personality has spoken to me!

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     My shelves are probably my favorite part of our entire house. They make everything feel so cozy and inviting, and I love decorating them for Christmas.  The giant nativity on the left is on loan from my mother.  My Nana made it, and it is huge. the camels are probably the size of a kitten.  The mantel is much more full this year, but I stuck with the “woodland Christmas” theme from last year. The shelf on the right has been one of the most fun little nooks in the house! Davis’s Christmas books and toys are on full display, and he has had the best time playing with them.

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     I bought Davis several Christmas books at TJ Maxx right around Thanksgiving, and when I got home and started opening boxes to decorate, I found all of these that I had totally forgotten about from last year!  He is still really into his nativities, and will even find baby Jesus and tell me that he has a blanket and is in a “manket” (manger)…then he stares at me until I sing Away in a Manger…

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     That wraps up the living room.  It is so homey and glowy and perfectly us.  We don’t do fancy Christmas at our house.  We do gaudy, overdone, and busy, and we LIKE it!

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     The dining room hasn’t changed much since last year.  We still have the carpet.  We still don’t have chairs.  I did add a giant mirror, so there’s that.

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          I also added a giant green cabinet and the basket tray.  Weirdly enough, our dining room houses some of my favorite things in the whole house, but still hasn’t quite gelled in my mind yet…I think it’s the carpet.

     The kitchen has a few little happies sprinkled around, but it’s mostly the same as last year.  We’ve got the sparkly bow on our front door wreath and the ceramic carolers (also made by Nana) in the back bathroom…because who doesn’t need to be serenaded in there?

     I am so thankful to have this home and this life to do Christmas in.  When Davis gets excited to play with his nativities, my heart could burst!  The fact that he knows baby Jesus is in a “manket” is almost too much for me.  I know it’s just a “trick” right now, but more than that, it’s a foundation.  How marvelous, how wonderful, how incredible that our God wrote His story for all of us. As an adult I experience a new aspect of Christmas every year, but it’s simple enough for our children!  As I get older, I’m more and more aware of the fact that it’s not the “Christmas story.” These were real people who lived a real life in a real place in service of a REAL God. 

     The same God who formed the earth is the same God who sent his only Son to the broken world, and He is the same God who is still writing His story!  I am in awe of His first coming, and filled with hope and joy at what He is still doing and will do when He comes again.  Christmas is the best kind of reset for our spirits.  A time to rest and refocus on the fact that the Jesus in the manger, however lovely, however worthy, however precious will not return as a gentle baby but as a conquering King!  We will turn our eyes on Him in a wholly new kind of reverence and awe!  I can’t wait!  Christmas isn’t the end of our year, and it’s not the end of the story.  It is the most beautiful beginning!

Merry Christmas!

Last Ten

     I’ve seen this fun idea a few places, so I’m hopping aboard the bandwagon and sharing my last ten pictures from my camera roll.  **Disclaimer** This is not 100% accurate, becuase I take lots of photos at a time, so this is really the last ten original pictures in my cameral roll…nobody wanted to see the same 10 pictures of my hair.

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These three are really all in the same category.  Christmas options for Davis.  Santa at our house is bringning a tent and a “campfire” (that I desperately need to buy), but Keith’s parents asked for options, and I delivered (if I do say so myself)…  I am #obsessed with the wingback, but Keith is not into it.  He votes red…I really love the wingback.  We’ll see where we end up.

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For the two of you who are regular readers (looking at you Tonya and Natalie…), these are repeats.  I have loved my Halloween decor, but I’m happy to let things settle just a little before Christmas descends…soon!

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I found this beauty at Ross for $33! I am crossing all of my fingers that it fits in the space above our master bathroom sink.  The frame is a pretty gunmetal with dots (probably not the correct design term), and I think it would go a long way to making the sink nook not look so…janky (also not the correct design term).

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I hear that Davis looks like Keith a LOT, but I snapped this the other day, and he can be Mama’s twin too!  I love his wrinkly nose smile.  He calls phones a “TV" and has started pretend talking and pretend picture taking on them!

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Davis was very unsure of the pumpkin guts.  He loves talking about pumpkins, but the slimy seeds were not a favorite.

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Keith and I went to a wedding last weekend for one of his fraternity brothers, and it was so fun to dress up and be real grown ups for just a few hours.  I ended up finding the dress a couple hours before the wedding at Ross, and for $16 I felt like a pretty lady.

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I tried a Small Things Blog hair tutorial, and it kind of worked!  I even got a few compliments on it.  On the other hand, I forgot to put on mascara…#youwinsomeyoulosesome

     In other news, I’ve finally undecorate for Halloween and have put out my Thanksgiving happies for the next three weeks!  As soon as I can figure out how to clear some space on my phone, I’ll take some pictures of that too.  I’m off to win this Friday and then settle in for the weekend.  I have big plans to vacuum, eat chili, and pray for cooler weather!  What are you up to?

Linking Up Here:

Friday Favorites

Halloween Home Tour

     Soooo…these decorations will be coming down probably tomorrow, but since they’ve been up for a month, it’s high time I blogged them!  I love Halloween, and I’ve had the best time making our house a little spooky.  Also, I couldn’t find my camera, so these are just plain old iPhone pictures.

IMG_3677This is on our front door.  The wreath I made right after we got married, and I love changing out its accent seasonally.  The bat is a little wooden hanger I found at Hobby Lobby a few years ago.  I just twist tied it to the wreath.
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The giant basket tray is from Dirt Cheap (originally Target I think), and it is everything.  The yummy pumpkin waffle candle came from WALMART.  I instagrammed about them, but these fancier candles are back with the cleaning supplies and are changed out seasonally.  They have three wicks and smell so pretty.  The 4x4 canvas is mine, and I kind of want to carry it everywhere I go.
IMG_3707I looooove decorating our mantel.  Our fireplace sticks waaaay out in the living room, so if it’s going to be a little obnoxious, I might as well help it out…right?  I’ve seen paper bats everywhere, and call me #basic, but I love them.  Mine are a little cartoonier than I was planning, but I still think they work.
     Keith bought me the Halloween tree last year for Christmas (because he knows the way to my heart).  I was going to dress up the bottom with some sparkly green and purple tulle, but it was stuffed away in a box, and I didn’t have the energy to dig it out.  I have big plans of printing Halloween pictures each year and stuffing the tree.  Maybe when Davis is a little older and doesn’t hate crafting, we’ll make some ornaments for it too!
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     If you squint or zoom, you can see my Halloween village on the mantel.  I bought a Christmas village from Dollar Tree and sprayed it black (and added GLITTER this year).  I really want more pieces, but our Dollar Trees have been kind of pitiful lately.
     Davis has been surprisingly well behaved with the decor! I have a glimmer of hope for my Christmas tree(s)… He hasn’t bothered the tree at all, and only occasionally stops to point out the cat’s eyes or tell it “nooooo noooo” (which is apparently what all cats say).
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Aaaand a wide shot…which I mostly include to remind myself how pretty the house looks when it’s picked up.  Sigh.
     The clock is ticking y’all!  This week I’ll get my cozy cottage all Thanksgivinged up, and in about three weeks, it’ll be a straight up Christmas wonderland in here!  I’m going to attempt to get some pictures of Davis at our Fall Fest tonight, and maybe I’ll get my tail in gear to blog a little more.  My mother told me today that I may just have to “burn the midnight oil…” #wisdom

Updates and Latelies

     Y’all…life keeps you busy.  Also we’ve been binge watching Breaking Bad, so I’ve taken a mental leave to fully immerse myself.  So good.  I will be crushed when it’s over.  Aaaaaand The Walking Dead  starts back soon, so I can’t promise regular posting.  What else is new?

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     My baby buddy went to the beach!!!  As soon as he figured out  that he really could walk on the sand, he loved it!  He was such a good beach baby.  As long as he had a drink and a snack at all times, he was totally set!  Also, that fishing shirt he’s wearing.  So many  heart eyes.  He looks like a little MAN!

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     Davis and I started back to school a month ago…he handled the transition better than I did I think.  I’m still sort of a zombie.  He loves his big boy class and is sleeping on a mat.  Darling.  We went to the doctor for his FIFTEEN MONTH check up yesterday, and he is 75th percentile in weight (chunk), 50-75th in height, and…drumroll please…95th in head.  He is a big ol boy and I love him!

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     We’re starting this looooong weekend right.  A sassy topknot for some Farmers Market donuts and empanadas #breakfastofchampions and some sort of secret project that Keith is working on.  He won’t let me in the garage and keeps sneaking out there to work.  He knows that I do NOT like surprises, so he tries to be as sneaky as possible as often as possible.  I’m sure I’ll be back to blog Instagram about the result. 

Here’s to a long weekend, coming out of blog hiding, and sneaky husbands!

Lately

     We are basically halfway through the summer (also, we’re not discussing that) and still having the best time!  We aren’t doing anything really specific enough to warrant its own blog post, but I thought I would share a few latelies – a summer scrapbook of sorts.

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     Davis has been making excellent use of his birthday presents!  He makes a mean plastic hamburger.  When it’s not 8524% humidity, we like to go outside for a little bit.  Davis has decided it’s his favorite thing ever and stands at the door pointing and crying when we are inside. 

     In other news, parents of the world, do NOT underestimate the power of a pan of water and plastic cups!  Davis loves splashing and pouring and stirring.  He also loves to pick up the entire pan and dump it out…game over.

IMG_3165Does anybody else feel this way when the pasta is gone?  Just me?

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     These are from separate trips, but grocery shopping with toddlers is an Olympic event.  We mostly shop at Kroger and because of how the straps are attached to the cart, Davis doesn’t really fit to be buckled… He spends most of  his time sitting sideways and turning around to survey the buggy.  I spend most of my time carrying on conversation with him and forgetting half of my list.  Grocery shopping also counts as exercise.  A buggy with Davis plus two weeks worth of groceries is heavy…

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     Davis has free reign in the house and still chooses to sit directly atop my personal space.  #toddlers.  I know I’ll miss these days when he’s big and kind of smelly and doesn’t want to sit by me…but right now I kind of miss my furniture.  Currently, he’s obsessed with books and anything that makes noise. 

     I am loving all this time we’re getting to spend together!  I love seeing him learn new things (like what a pig says – “ack-ack”, and where his belly is).  We have t minus two weeks until we head to the beach, and I. cannot. wait.  I love the beach for myself…but I can’t wait to see Davis see it!  We are so close!!!

Family Pictures–June 2016

     I have been itching to get family pictures made since Davis was born.  He had a session with his cousins, Della and Suzanne, (did I ever share those?) but I felt like we needed some family pictures too.  Since he just turned one a few weeks ago, I figured there wasn’t going to be a better time.

     I was wrong…20 degrees cooler would have been a better time.  Regardless, Aubrey managed to take our hot, sweaty mess and get some beautiful pictures last week!  I was so excited to get the pictures back, and I love them even more than I thought I would!

DSC_0549Y’all!  Can’t!  Also, I think Davis is actually looking a little like me here too!

DSC_0547Davis is almost never impressed with me…but he is so cute!

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This is actually Natalie’s front porch.  We knew we were going to use her side yard (and her neighbor’s side yard), but Aubrey loved her porch too, so we hopped up there, and I loved how they turned out!  Side note:  I thought Natalie was gone while we where doing this, and then halfway through, the garage door opened, and they walked out to head to swimming lessons.  Davis was so excited!

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I’m absolutely shocked that Davis didn’t try to climb off the porch.

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These two are definitely favorites!  I’m thinking of using the color version on a canvas for the dining room.

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We were trying so hard to make him smile…but it was hot, and he was hungry.  It’s a good thing he’s got such a cute serious face!

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I love both of these so much!  I’m thinking I may print the one of Keith and Davis for my desk at work.  Love!

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This one is also in the running for a canvas.  Davis was supposed to be laying with us…but he had his own plans.

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#momhand

     There is a whole series of unedited pictures where Keith is tossing Davis into the air, and Davis is laughing super hard.  Buuuuuut…in every single one, you can see my panicked mom hand shooting in from off camera.  Moms.

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This one is my absolute favorite!  Aubrey managed to sort through the other pictures where we were feeding Davis Cheerios out of my pocket and find this gem.  I’m almost positive this will be on a canvas.  I may actually wallpaper the entire house in this. 

     I don’t know how often we’ll be taking family pictures, but I’ll probably call Aubrey every time!  I am in love love love with our pictures, and can’t wait to plaster the walls with them!