Baby Shower

This past weekend we hosted a couples shower for my cousin Amanda. She is having her first baby which happens to be another girl, her name is going to be Addison. We are so excited to get to met her. Everyone enjoyed playing a couple of games, eating some great food, and watching her open all of her amazing gifts. She only has 6 more weeks and she will be blessed with the greatest gift in the world, becoming a mother. I had a good time getting the diaper cake ready with the help of my mom and Alli. I also got to experiment with making her cake that we all got to eat. It took me a little longer than I would have liked to finish it but it was done in time for the shower.

Amanda's baby cake

The boys dressing babies

Amanda and her little helper opening presents

Payton wanting to hold the blanket

Amanda with her diaper cake made with love

New Routines

This year Mitch and I decided to make sure that we put forth effort to have a couple date night only once a month. We are going to alternate every other month for who is planning date night. Last Friday Mitch took me out on a date. I didn't know anything about it except when to be ready. He came home from work with a single yellow rose (one of my favorites) and picked me up for dinner. We went out to dinner at Old Chicago and then to the movies. It was opening night for Dear John, a Nicholas Sparks book made into a movie. I had read all of his books and love them so it was very thoughtful of Mitch to take me to such a girlie chic flick. We had a great time going out and just spending good quality couple time together. We even had fun cleaning the house and decorating because we were hosting a couples baby shower the next morning. We had the radio blaring and decorated the house, and just had a good time together. Payton spent the night at Nana and Papa's house so we could have music blasting throughout the house. I am looking forward to next month date night. I better come up with a good plan.

Cakes, Cakes and More Cakes

I went to my first of four cakes class that I am taking this month. I am so excited we had so much fun. I will have to make a cake and bring it iced to the next three classes and get to learn fun decorating techniques. I am taking the class with one of my neighbors. We have a made one of her daughters birthday cakes together and just though we would have a great time learning together. I have loved making cakes for the holidays and for Payton's birthday but thought maybe I could be a little more efficient and have it not take my 3 days to finish a cake if I got some better direction. I will have to make a cake before my next class plus a cake for my cousin's baby shower that I am hosting. I will be a fun filled week full of baking. Hopefully the shower cake turns out how I have in mind.

Wine Tasting Party

Friday night Mitch and I went to the Witham's house to celebrate Brad's birthday. Laura decided to have a wine tasting party in his honor. We have never been to one, but loved it. We all brought a bottle of wine in a brown paper bag and they all got numbered. We all tasted wine all evening and ate wonderful appetizers. The bottle of wine that we brought ended up tying for 4th place. It was a great evening out spending time with some good friends. Payton got to have her own play mate because Carie came over to babysit for us. Payton squealed with joy when Carie showed up, so I am sure that they both had a great evening also.
I think that everyone should have to go to a wine tasting at someones house. It was so much fun!! Brad hope you enjoyed your birthday celebration, because we sure did.

Speak any French??

Last week Payton and I accompanied my parents to a doctors appointment for my Dad. I knew that it would be a long morning so I brought our portable DVD player so Payton would have something to keep he occupied. I knew she would have to sit still for a while and we all know how well 23 month old do that. I brought along a couple of different movies that she likes. She had picked 101 Datamations, one of her favorites. This was the first time she had to watch an entire movie wearing headphones. I wasn't sure how it would work but actually did very well. We were back in the patient rooms she kept taking off the headphones saying she was done and didn't want to wear them any longer. I thought maybe they came unplugged so I put them on to make sure sound was coming through. It took my a couple of seconds to realize that the movie was playing in French. No wonder she had enough because the poor thing couldn't understand in the first place. She even mumbled a couple times during the movie but I couldn't understand what she said. She was just practicing her French and I didn't even know it. I was surprised that she went along for that long. We made it through the doctors visit and everything with Dad turned out as well as it could be. Thank goodness because I love my Dad more than anything in the world, I got a little nervous, but God is taking good care of him.

Snow, Snow, Snow

I can't hardly believe all of the snow that we have gotten. This morning I got the pleasure, along with many other people I am sure, to get up at the crack of dawn to make it to work on time. I was surprise how much snow we actually got. It took a little while to make it in but wasn't to bad. I also left my house at 5:15am so that helped there weren't a ton of people out on the roads yet. Luckily Mitch was able to work from home today so we didn't have to worry about taking Payton out in the cold and waking her up that early. She hates when she gets woke up anyways, I am thinking not going to be a morning person. I am hoping that the snow fall will be coming to an end for the year. I think that we have gotten our fair share this winter. I am ready for spring!! Stay warm out there.

IT's Now 2010

Amazing isn't it. Well we didn't bring in the new year exactly the way we had planned. We actually had a New Year's Eve celebration at our house this year. It was great we had friends come over and everyone brought different parts of dinner. We got 16lbs of crab legs as our main course. They were GREAT!!! Thanks to Lindsey's mom who told us how to make them everyone cleaned their plate. Then the guys played some beer pong in the basement and the girls visited. Noah came along for the night which was great because I hadn't really got to sit and hold him. So I got in my baby time with my little man Noah. As the evening went on I started not feeling well. Midnight came we all toasted and once I sat back down it was all down hill. I got an overwhelming feeling that if I moved I was going to puke everywhere. It is now 12:30 or so. It wasn't alcohol related because I had only one sip of my wine. I all of the sudden ran upstairs and stayed in the restroom the rest of the night. I have not been so sick in a very long time. I didn't get to say goodbye to any of my friends. I was thinking it was food poising and that everyone else would be getting sick any minute.

Mitch joined in my fun around 3am. No one else got sick which was good news. We finally figured out the next day my parents had been sick that whole day before and that Payton was sick from the other end, but she was at my in-laws house. What a way to start off the new year. Luckily it didn't last to long, I had been able to move and get out of bed thank goodness because I had to be at the hospital New Years day by 2:30 and I made it, not looking well but I was there worked and came home to crash. My thinking is if we brought in the year with the flu that it should only get better from here. Hopefully anyway!!

Luke and Luke jr.

Luke, Brett, Zach, Josh, and Mitch

Jess, Amy, and Lindsey

The cutest little boy Noah