Gearing Up....

So I'm gearing up to be to be labeled 'world's best aunt'.

However there is a problem.

The momma-to-be is not my sister, which means.......I've got competition.

My sister-in-law is set to pop out our nephew, Emmett, in early March. (note: first boy grand child...we are pretty pumped about it) If I want to get the "world's best aunt' title I need to start strategizing now!

So far I think I'm doing pretty good. I recently purchased this for Emmett.....

....I snagged this jazzy little exersaucer not because the momma-to-be wanted it (which she did by the way) but because that little baby looks like it is having THE TIME OF IT'S LIFE!!!

IT'S IN THE BAG! SLAM DUNK! THAT KID IS GONNA LOVE ME!!!!

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crap! I just remembered how dirty my sister plays.....

......She has a pool in her backyard. How the hell am I supposed to compete with that!?!?!?

SCRATCH

(photo from the hot air balloon race that flew over our house last summer)

On the long (cold) drive back from Detroit this weekend, the conversation inevitably turned to how we can't wait for spring.

Monday, while cooking veggie chili with Katie Jean, we got to talking about all of things we can't wait to do this spring/summer.

It never fails. Every winter, about mid-way through the season, we get 'the itch'. Some people say 'cabin fever'...but I think 'the itch' sounds sinister and funny.

Right now I've got 'the itch' for:


food cooked on a grill
warm breezes (as apposed to the razor blade laced wind gusts we have now)
flip flops
bike riding
walking the dog (farther than around the block)
walking to the produce stand down the street
dining al fresco
cannon balls into the pool
sun kissed faces
thunderstorms (even though I get spooked)
picnics
open sunroofs and windows down while driving
birds-a-chirpin
drinks with umbrellas in them (I know I can have it now, but it seems wrong)
falling asleep in the sun

Hurry warm weather....I miss you!

F-U-N

This is what my weekend was full of:

cupcakes, sprinkles, beer......

......and giggles with the girls

Thanks Red, for another fun trip to 'Rock City'.

(and yes, I just called you Red....)

Teapot Love

I've been neglecting my new teapot.

Not one spot of tea has been brewed in this sweet little diddy.

But it gets worse.

It's not that I haven't been drinking tea....I've been lured away from my sweet new teapot by a saucy temptress of a coffee/tea shop around the corner from my house. Their vanilla lattes and earl grey lattes are making me forget myself!

Dear Little Teapot,

I promise to overcome the spell Hubbs has put on me and put you to use.

Until then, you sure do look pretty on my shelf.

Loves,

Court

bits from my world

*This morning I woke up to the sound of church bells from the church down the street.....their gentle chimes slowly pulled me from dreamland. I could get used to that sort of wake up call.

*Last night Stone and I may or may not have gotten dessert at Dairy Queen....before dinner.

*I had the silliest dream last night....Stone and I had a baby. The babe was chilling out in it's bouncy seat in the family room while I cleaned up the kitchen. I walked into the family room and found Matilda playing peek-a-boo with the baby.

Picture it...this silly pup playing peek-a-boo. It's pretty funny.

pleeeeeaaassseeeeee.

I need this dress (from anthro) about as much as I need a hole in my head.

Look at those airplanes! AIRPLANES!!!

I swoon for those airplanes.

so um yeeeaaaah....a hole in the head wouldn't hurt too much would it?

Do You Remember?.....

(just showing off my awesome balancing skills on my bangin red tricycle)

*Strawberry Quick

*Tinker Bell peel off nail polish

*Swiss Miss (with the teeny tiny marshmallows already in it)

*bendy straws

*gummy worms

*ants on a log (celery covered in peanut butter and topped with raisins)

*Bubblicious
*SpaghettiO's

*Little Debbie Fancy Cakes

....the list could go on

Tonight, after finishing all my dinner, Stone bought me a strawberry milkshake from Steak-N-Shake....in the kids cup.

I felt like a kid again...complete with not wanting to share one bit of it with Stone.

You know what would've made it even better?

If it wasn't 33 degrees outside right now.

Note To Self: save milkshake purchases (and childhood flashbacks) for warmer weather lest your core temperature drop to dangerously low levels.

PS: I asked mi Madre if I could have Little Debbie Fancy Cakes as my wedding cake. That's how much I love them.

PPS: she said no.

3-0

My sweets turned 30 last week.

30

Can you believe it!?!?!

I can't.

30 seems so grown up....and Stone is just a kid in grown ups clothing.

To My Love,

You are 30.

WOW. You are old.....

....but I love you more today than I did yesterday or the day before that or the day before that. Each day I fall for you again and again. How do you do that?

I'm thankful for you and our life together. Every bit of it.

I love you
Court

NYE

And now I shall share a peek at my New Years Eve.....

in three photos....

The ball has just dropped.

As evidence in the photo, Katie Jean and I are loving our lives...ringing in the new year with snazzy kazoos, beverages and Iko Iko playing in the background. (well you can't see Iko Iko playing in the background...but trust me, it was.)

1 to 1.5 hours later we have moved the party to the couch.

We are sitting, but as you can see....still loving life.

Roughly 2 hours after the ball has dropped.

Tilda is clearly very disappointed in our party pooper ways.

Hi.

Holy crow where has the time gone.

While I have been away I have:

celebrated

ate

drank

celebrated

laughed

snuggled

ate

drank

snoozed

smiled

hoped

laughed

danced

hugged

kissed

It was a nice time.

(annual photos in front of the tree....same poses every year)