- We have PORCHES, yes we do! -

...We have porches, how 'bout YOU??!

Weeeeeeeeee.

The winter threw us a week of warmness, so believe me when I say we took fulllll advantage of this unexpected blessing!  While Daddy and Papa Ron prepped the porches for pouring, we played and picked up nails.  Harper was an awesome helper!  [December 2018]

Snack break!

Front porch...

...and back!

This shack is really starting to look like something, and we are soooo excited! 

- Princess Tea Party -

This year for Christmas, my parents gifted Harper a ticket to a Princess Tea Party.  It was amazing on all levels, because a) who really needs more toys piling up in the house?, and b) who doesn't love a special/fancy day out?!!  I'll take experiences > junk any day! :)  Best of all:  Kate and her mommy were gifted tickets, too!  We gussied ourselves up and hit the road.

The princesses made crowns and sashes and wands and bracelets...

...and also a little mouse cupcake to take home as a treat for later!

There was story time with Prince Charming...

 ...a parade of princesses through the store...

...and then a full spread of food and drink for the Princess Tea Party!

Harper was in the early stages of a full blown, nasty cold and cough, but she mustered up the energy to make it through the afternoon. She was really excited to get home and tell Daddy allllll about the things she did and made, and I know she really enjoyed it all! 

Thanks for the royal treatment and a special day out, Grammy and Papa! What a wonderful idea! :)

- HBD, Gram! -

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to this beautiful gem: my role model and the girls' beloved Grammy! May today be the beginning of your very best year yet.

We hope you enjoyed your homemade/toddler-decorated yellow box cake and all the calories love that comes along with it!

We love you to the moon! :)))

- SNOW FUN! -

Snowwwww fun is SO fun; see what I did there?! ...

I'm typically more of a "watch through the window while sipping hot chocolate ...under a blanket and next to the heater" type of gal, butttttt when Daddy's gone every day building us a new house, Momma has to pick up the slack!

3, 2, 1.....let's go!

Do you wanna build a snowmannnnn??! :)

^^ Scarlett was not a fan of the cold OR snow and preferred to watch the action from afar.  I see beaches and sand in our future, Sissy! :-* 

Then! What's that you say?! Ohhhh yes, the fun parent ditched the new house project and arrived home early to save the day!  Daddy and Harper bundled back up and hit the snow while Mommy and Scarlett stayed inside and snuggled up for [Sissy's] naptime.

I have to admit: while I've never once been excited to trudge around in a pile of wet snow, experiencing a snow day through a toddler's eyes was actually pretty wonderful!  Bring on the next snow storm... This momma's all in!!! :)

- Turning ONE is so much fun! -

^^ Soooo so much fun, in fact! In honor of our sweet snowflake's milestone day, we transitioned our home into an igloo and opened it up as Scarlett's Winter ONEderland! :)

After dinner was finished, Harper helped her little Sissy get a taste of the smash cake...

...and it was allllllll downhill from there!!!

Pretty sure it's safe to say that she thoroughly enjoyed it! I wiped off her face a few times to give her tiny nostrils a pinprick of patency, but she just kept shoveling it up and in by the fistful.  Like momma like daughter; I'm thinking we have another little sweet tooth on our hands!

Thanks to this bath time crew for helping me get that messy, cake smeared ONE-year-old all cleaned up!

On to presents...

...and then a little love from both of Scarlett's grammies! 

Is it true what they say? ...We have another BIG GIRL in the house?!? :(

As if a full blown party and successful cake smash wasn't enough celebration, we skipped off to IHOP on Monday morning to celebrate Sissy's REAL birthday! She looked through the menu a few times before settling on the perfect pancake.

^^ Brian finished his food and dashed off to work mid-meal, which left me stuck with two sticky girls. Syrup here, there, and everywhere; messy messes for you and you and you!  We finalllllly finished up ...and cleaned up ...and hit the road for Grammy's house...

...where Scarlett was serenaded again and lapped up a lemon macaroon! She smiled and clapped as we sang, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOOOOO YOU!" and her sweet little self just literally couldn't even be a tiny bit cuter.  [PS - No children were harmed/burned in the taking of this photo.] 

Happy 1st birthday, Scarlett [for the last time, I promise!]!!!

- Forever young ...but ONE! -

Ohhhhhh man, how can this actually be possible??!?  This year vanished at record pace, and I literally can't even wrap my mind around the fact that this [once] small, squishy baby is now a big, bold ONE-YEAR-OLD!  

Scarlett Clare, we love you so!!!

...Annnnnnd in true "this is our second child" form, the 12-month chalkboard photo totalllllly slipped my mind. But this is just about as good... :) 

TWELVE months of amazingness... Happy birthday, Scarlett!!!