Hananuka Day 6

I realize that all of you are probably on pins and needles for what the last two days of Hananuka were. So, I figured that I would help with that. I am considering this my good deed of the week, just so you know. Blake and I had a really nice night out. We went to Market Street Grill and then to the movies to see Sherlock Holmes. Our friends the Wheelers are the best and watched our kids for us and put them to bed. They are tops in my book.

For the last Day, me and my friends April and Shelly went out to Indian food for dinner and then went shopping. We had a really good time and it seemed like the perfect conclusion to another fabulous Hananuka.

Hananuka Day 5 and Another Birthday

When I read the first line of today's card that said "We'd Love to See You Naked" my first thought was "You would."

But when I realized it had to do with shoes...
I was equally pleased.
I love them, but I am also a little undecided as to whether or not I will keep them. I tried them on real quickly like with a skirt to try to decide what I thought. Please excuse the lily whiteness that is my legs. They haven't seen the sun since last summer. Looking at the pictures I am still on the fence.

--Side note--

My Dad turned 60 today.

The pictures I have of us together are in a frame in our office and I was far to lazy to try to take them out. (It is a difficult frame.) Plus, our scanner isn't working so...you get a lazy non-working picture of a picture. I am high tech like that. But don't let that change your opinion of my Dad's awesome 70's style. It is just as cool as you think it is.
Him, me, and that comforter are working it.

Not to be outdone by the couch.

I also have this gem. Which in my opinion takes the cake. (He is on the left)

Although he was a laugh worthy teen it is nice to see that some things definitely improve with age (and lasik surgery).My Dad may have an unnatural love of guns, but he never fails to make me laugh or to make me feel loved.
In my book, my Dad is the bee's knees.

Hananuka Day 4

This morning I found my card on the table with a little note beside it saying that I wouldn't receive my flowers till Blake got home. I figured that he would buy me a plant, possibly flowers...and he did.

The real kicker? They came in this vase. I may have an unnatural love of this vase. I seriously look at want to give it a big squeeze.

I have admired it many times in the store but every time I figured that it would never come home with me. Not that it is super expensive...it just cost enough that I always paused and then thought of all of the other things I could buy that my kids wouldn't end up breaking.
But now it is mine, and if my kids so much as look at it I may have to put them in time out.
No lie.
When it comes to breaking stuff our kids have it down to a look.

Hananuka Day 3

Gavin's back of envelope.
He made sure to remind me what age I am now. I will thank him later for that.

Front of envelope. Back of card. Front of card. Laney's front of envelope.
She and I are sporting some nice "blinkers" as she calls them. Front of card. Totally Laney in its colors. Canon's card. Canon's envelope.
If I had to guess who did this envelope I would guess Canon in a second. Not only is there scribbles all over it but large circles and little C's. Canon's signature coloring skill.

Penny's card somehow went MIA before it got delivered to me. I suppose it will be a welcome surprise once it turns up.

Random side note:
The other day when I received my first card Gavin asked what I was reading. When I told him it was my Hananuka card he asked what Hananuka was.
My only response was "What family have you grown up in?

A Little Of Sunday, Some Of Monday, A Lot of Random. Featuring Hananuka day 1 and 2

First things first: Penny officially started to go to nursery on Sunday. While that is quite a milestone for her, I myself am not sure of my feelings about it.

Two facts are abundantly clear: 1. she is the ripe old age of a year and a half. 2: I may be having a nervous break down because my baby is closer to being two then she is to being a newborn and I turn 33 today. That has all the makings of a mental break.

There was a baby false alarm a month ago where there were mild panic attacks, some threats made to Blake on his life, and then some chest bumps when we were all clear. But then it also occurred to me amongst the rejoicing that she is our last baby. Which means that I don't get a lot more of this Or this. I'm coping.

Random #2. Blake and I are going on a cruise in a month. We couldn't be more excited. But with the cruise comes two things: 1. No Easter party this year. Which is sad. But I am going to get by with a little tropical action. 2. Cruises + food = Hannah + 5lbs. Not the most lovely of thoughts but true. So to curb the weight onslaught that is bound to happen I am going to try to go down 5 pounds to make up for it. Which means that Lose It has now officially become the red headed step child at our house, which also means 5:45 am spin classes which in turn may make me act like a rabid animal...we will see.
On the upside:
Hananuka has begun. It is a little later than normal but I could care less, because if we are truthful here, how can one complain when a week is spent celebrating your existence? A friend of mine says that having Hananuka has ruined me. Because I could never go back to the normal birthday celebrations. He is probably right, and I am totally OK with it.

Hananuka (The End)

I am late getting this up.

How is that for stating the obvious?My Birthday was good.
Laney, Penny and I stayed home from church. Laney had a really high temperature so we just laid low.
Blake got me these awesome shoes.
They are two different sizes so I am going to have to wait to wear them until they ship me new ones.
Laney and I made pretzels.
They were good.
Almost as good as Hananuka...
almost.

Another year older and wiser.

Hananuka Day 6

Blake and I going on a date?
Perfect.
Steak and crab.
Perfect.
Someone else putting our kids to bed.
Perfect.

Hananuka Day 5

Friday was a good day.

Blake watched all of the kids on Friday (including my niece Addi that I watch) and including my friend April's two kids so that April and I could go out and do what ever we wanted.
The world was my oyster and I had not a clue what to do.
So....
I figured that it would be good to hit up all of the places I have wanted to go but have yet to visit because of kids or whatever.
First item of business was to hit up Trolley Square and buy some tights.
Second was to go to Decades, a store that sells vintage clothes. While I own nothing that is vintage I can't help but love to look at old things. The problem is most of the time

vintage = expensive.
Not at this store. They had some awesome things...they also had some crazy things but I would say that the majority was more awesome than not. I purchased a skirt.
I am pleased as punch it only cost me $17. Then we went to an Antique store that I have been dying to go to.
It was strange
and it was cold. Very cold inside the building.
It was chalked full of stuff. Most of it was larger items like dressers and armoires.
Imagine our surprise when we were walking along and there on top of a tall dressing closet we spot a lion.
No lie.
He was stuffed but that didn't lower the creepy factor.

The more we walked back into this huge warehouse of stuff the more it seemed like
A) we were not going to be able to find our way out.
B) the walking aisles were getting more narrow and the ceiling was getting lower
C) this would be the perfect place to film a scary movie...no one to hear you scream
D) whoever owed this must definitely be a hoarder.

Much to our luck and eternal happiness we found our way out.
On the way out we saw a rhino.
No lie.
Sitting up on top of a table...he had his front two legs but was missing his back end.

In between his legs was a sign that read,
"Please do not handle the rhino. Thank you."
April said that she was glad she read the sign to not "handle" the rhino because she was about to pick that rhino up and put it on her back.
Crisis averted for us, I can't say the rhino was so lucky.

It is nice to have a day where you can be yourself and not have to be a Mom.
I laughed a lot....
and didn't have to change any diapers.

Hananuka Day 4

Yesterday was busy.
But that doesn't mean it was any less fun.

I am especially excited about this.
I have wanted a good mandolin for quite some time.
Blake informed me that he wanted crinkle cut chips and french fries when he got home.
It didn't happen yesterday but that doesn't mean it won't soon.

Hananuka Day 3

When I wake up every morning normally one of the first things I do is go upstairs to see the treat that Blake has left for me.
It is like Christmas morning as a kid.
So fun.
While I realize that most husbands are not like Blake...
and that some of our friends want to stage and "intervention" so that they don't look so bad (their words not mine)...
I am grateful that Blake is mine, and that he loves me enough to know what will make my birthday great.

What did the box hold?This shirt is so cute. I was excited to wear it.
I put it on, wore it for about 10 minutes and then promptly removed it.
It is cold here.
19 degrees cold.
So I put on a nice comfy sweater.
I will wear this shirt a lot I am sure.
I am just gonna have to wait until it is at least 40 degrees.

Hananuka Day 2

And So It Begins!

So excited!

Seriously.

So so excited!

Click on the pictures to make them bigger
and
to see what the sound track is for this week.

Day 7 (Final Day)

Sorry I am late talking about my actual Birthday.

I am still trying to get off the present high.

My morning started out greeted by this little monster. He may be the cutest gift card holder ever.

I love him.

And my Anthropologie gift card that Blake got for me.

I went for my manicure and pedicure first thing in the morning.

Then I went out to lunch with my sister Sarah at the Garden.

We had yummy sandwiches and fun talking.

Then we went shopping at the Gateway.

Sarah doesn't really understand my love for Anthropologie...

but she was a good shopping buddy none the less.

I got some lovely things.

Sarah got me a cast iron pot that I am so excited about.

Blake made me a cake. From scratch.

The first one he messed up...so he made it again.

Determination paid off because it was like a work of art.

He would like me to call him the cake master. I'm thinking about it.

We went to Red Robin for my free Birthday Burger.

We came home.

It was a fabulous day.

This is one of the tops and a necklace that I got for my Birthday, holding the cake that Blake made.

31...here I am.