Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Mother's Day Weekend - Camping Edition

I started out Mother's Day weekend with Muffins with Mom at Harrison's sweet school. Like my previous years' Muffins with Mom experiences, Harrison wanted to eat and me to run so he could play with his buds, so it didn't last very long!
 
Hudson was in the middle of baseball playoffs, so that Friday night was spent at the ball park watching round 2. Hudson hit his first home run of the season that night and the Braves won big!

The next morning was spent watching Harrison play t-ball and then watching Hudson play in probably one of the most heart wrenching semi-final playoff games I have ever seen. They were winning 18-3 to start the 4th inning (they only play 5) and LOST. They just gave it to the other team. The game ended on a questionable "safe" call from the umpire, which led the winning run to come home. It was SO sad. There were tears from every single player on the team and Hudson cried for a solid hour after it was over. He just swore the umpire was wrong and they really won the game. We had some life lesson discussions about how things don't always go your way. And how you can't blow a 15 run lead with 6 outs to go (hey, can't help that he has a competitive mom!). So that was how baseball ended!

 Thankfully, we had big plans for that afternoon. Being that it was Mother's Day weekend and all, you would think that our "big plans" involved the boys sending me to the spa for a day of pampering, thanking me for all that I do to keep the ship running, right?!?! Ha, no. It was spent in the woods. In a tent. With bugs. And night terrors. This Mother's Day will definitely be one I will never forget!

We were supposed to go the weekend before, but it rained so we postponed. I was hoping it would just keep on raining, but it turned out to be a beautiful 75 degree and sunny kind of day. Perfect for camping, so they say! We headed out to Tannehill with 6 other couples and their kids. We pitched our tents (which took hours I think!). I say we, actually Joel did that part of course. I have no prior camping experience! The kids were in absolute heaven. No tvs, no ipads, video games. Nothing. It was just pure outdoors. Bikes, playing in the creeks, whiffle ball games, gathering sticks for the fire, and lots of laughter (and some tears too of course!). Did I mention we had a portable potty?! 'Nuff said.
 
This was not even all the kids. They jumped in the creek as soon as we got there with all their clothes on! I love this picture though. So much personality!


We actually lost some of the kids for a little bit, my 2 included. They had been in the woods gathering sticks and we did not see them come back. After screaming for them in the woods as the sun went down (and starting to panic a little), we found out that they went to a nearby camper owned by one of our friends' parents (our friends were going back and forth between our campsite and the camper) and they were eating what looked like Christmas dinner, relatively speaking, compared to the hotdog that I had to eat, and making themselves at home! Anyway, they were safe and sound and that was really all that mattered, however, we had some discussions about wandering away without telling your parents!


 The adult group! Crazy moms who wanted to camp instead of go to the spa...

 Harrison and Evan were ca-razy!!!

 When the sun went down, everybody went crazy actually!


The kids all turned delirious from hours of running around and playing and not second sitting down. They were so tired, yet so full of energy.

 We had smores, which obviously didn't help the crazy, but they sure were good!


 And then we all tried to go to sleep. The kids slept beautifully. Me however, not so much. My mat that Joel said was inflated was actually NOT inflated, so it was like sleeping on the hard ground all night. And then there was Harrison's night terror that woke up the entire park at 1 am and lasted for a painful 30 minutes. That was fun. And then he decided he need to relieve himself, but wouldn't step on the ground outside, so he literally let it fly from the opening of our tent. I'm pretty sure we stepped in it the next morning! I was never so happy to see daylight in all my life! It was before 6 am of course, and the kids were already up and playing!

I love this sweet sleepy face in the morning!

 We packed up and were home by 8 am. And then I got my real Mother's Day gift. Joel and the boys cleaned the whole house while I relaxed. Best Mother's Day gift ever!

We ate dinner at Urban Cookhouse that night with Joel's mom and they had roses for all the moms. So sweet!

So we survived our first night in the woods. I'm not saying it's the last time I will ever have to do this because I know it won't be with boys, but I learned I can handle it as long as it's just for one night! Ha! The kids LOVED it and can't wait to do it again! Maybe next year we will pick a different weekend! :)

Sunday, May 22, 2016

More April Happenings

April flew by. I was still swamped with work, but was seeing the light. We spent a lot of our weekends and many weeknights at the ballpark, and I even had a girl's night out AND a weekend away at the beach.
 
This crazy boy was getting ready for summer!
 

The boys keep telling us we need to sell our house and buy a new house with a climbing tree. Because who cares about the house! Ha! Apparently the crepe myrtle is not good enough!

 The boys were getting hair cuts one day and the poor barber accidentally cut Hudson's head. He told Hudson he could spray him in the face for as long as he wanted to get back at him. Bless him, he felt SO bad. Hudson was obviously fine and loved the payback!

 #9 has my heart! Love t-ball, but we are ready to move on to coach pitch next year! This boy is ready for more action!

 Cute stuff right here!
 What is with the climbing of trees?!?!?

 Play date with our best buddy Haines!

 
I had a girls night out at the PALS casino night event at the library. We clearly had a little too much fun (and spent a little too much money). But we had good intentions--future girls nights out at the shooting range and Break Out Birmingham. Won't that be fun!?!? Ha!
 
 
 
I also had a weekend away at the beach! One of my sweet co-workers was getting married and so a couple of the other married moms and I decided to make that a girls trip so the husbands could keep the kids. We had been working so much that it was just what the doctor ordered. And our husbands didn't really know our friend getting married so they were totally fine with letting us go alone! Win! It was glorious, but way too quick of a trip. I could have used another day in the sun!
 

 It was a beautiful wedding at Alys Beach! The weather could not have been more perfect the entire weekend.


 Harrison had teacher appreciation week and he decided that his teachers would like chocolate more than flowers, so he picked these out all on his own. He said that his teachers were "sweet!" Which they are!
 Migi went to Hudson's class for Mystery Reader one day! She read The Gruffalo and it was so cute!

 And this guy went to an adorable dinosaur party. These dinosaur tails were a huge hit (and still are at our house!).
April was a good month!

Friday, May 20, 2016

Spring Break In Mentone

My poor boys are never going to get to go anywhere super fun for Spring Break. This was the first year that Hudson actually realized that. It was sad. But, we had lots of discussions about how it is way more fun to travel in the summertime! Ha! Not sure it worked, but oh well--such is life and they are going to have to get used to it.
 
We did try and sneak away the Thursday night of Spring Break and go to the cabin for the weekend. It ended up being a disaster because I had a work blow up while I was there and pretty much cried the entire weekend because of stress/mad/guilt...but we tried to make the best of it.
 

 We ate a delicious meal at The Wildflower while we were there too. No pictures, but Larry Joe was singing so the boys had a blast!


We also went to Chattanooga on Saturday for a quick visit to the Children's Museum. We love that place. Hudson definitely found HIS room...and maybe his new calling (the tuba may be getting replaced, haha!)...


 If I were Hudson (and a boy!), I'm pretty sure I would be making that face too if someone were giving me a shot in that area! Ha! We were just dying over this picture! And this is just so typical of their personalities too...

 They really are best friends though!


 Our little honeybee!

While it didn't quite turn out like we had hoped, we certainly needed the weekend away with the boys so I am glad we went!

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Easter Weekend

I've got to catch up on the past couple of months. I had the worst busy season at work that I have ever had, and the blog unfortunately was the first to go. However, time is coming back to me and I have missed having a place to document our lives so I've got to get back to it! 
 
We were so busy leading up to Easter that we never got to do an Easter egg hunt with the boys. Thankfully, the boys did not seem too upset about it. Honestly I do not even think they noticed! Ha! However, my mom guilt got the best of me so the Saturday before Easter we had a little hunt at our house.
 
 Hudson's little neighborhood friend, Logan, participated with us!

 We actually did the hunt 3 times I think? It was really fun!

 Counting the eggs to see who won. Everything is a competition around here...


Then it was Easter Sunday! It was a gloomy day, but we made the best of it. The Easter bunny stopped by our house and left some fun things for the boys, and then it was on to church!
 
Here are the boys posing with Lilla!

 We did not get a whole lot of pictures that day because it was raining, but I thought this was cute of the boys!

And we managed to get a family picture in front of the cross, so that was good!

 
We had lunch with my parents that day and then we literally napped all afternoon! Sometimes those are the best days!
 
Lunch with buddies the Saturday before ! Hard to believe these 2 are in the same class. Harrison is so tall for his age!


 
Next up...trying to make the best of Spring Break with an accountant working mom! :)