Happy Birthday, Mommy!

Barrett said those sweet words to me several times on Sunday...

What he really meant was Happy Mother's Day, Mommy!

It was just as sweet though :)

My first Mother's Day gift on Sunday...Barrett let us sleep until 8:45am! That was extra nice, since we were out late on Saturday. We'd gone to the Boxcar, to hang-out around the campfire with friends and celebrate Tonya's birthday!! It was the perfect evening for that, and great to be with our friends. Barrett stayed up late with Gigi and Papa!

We met up with the Boxcar gang (who had camped there for the night) for breakfast at a yummy cafe. After that, I was stuffed...but we went to my parents and had a late lunch. After lunch at my parents, I was stuffed...but we went to Todd and Kim's and had dinner. Everything was delicious, but I was just miserably stuffed the whole day :) I guess that's a good problem to have!

Justin and Barrett got me one of the things off my outdoor wish list for Mother's Day!  A fire pit!! Here is Justin putting it together Sunday evening. Unfortunately it started raining as we left Kim's, so we didn't get to use it Sunday night. AND then a tornado tried to come through yesterday evening, so we didn't use it then either! Maybe tonight!! I will get some more pics of it when I finally get around to my outdoor landscaping post.

I just wanted a cute picture of me and my boy on Mother's Day...
was that too much to ask?!?!

Oh well, these make me laugh!

I love my boy, and I am so thankful for him every day. He made me a Mommy!

I hope all of you Mommies had a great day!
*** From Barrett, Happy Birthday to you all ***

{TEN} on Tuesday

{1} A couple weeks ago I signed up for a free webinar with an awesome photographer out of Colorado, Sandy Puc'. She does tons of workshop tours every year, and I'd love to make it to one if the future. This was a live "Bellies & Babies" webinar, and it was free, so I didn't want to miss it! I made sure Justin was home from golfing, so we could get Barrett to bed, and I'd be ready when it started at 8pm. I got my viewing spot all set up, signed in, and off it went. Then about 10 minutes into it, they had to cancel and reschedule. Sandy was having some major connection issues, since she was in a hotel parking lot somewhere on one of her tours. So, I'll do it all over again soon, and hope it goes better this time.

{2} Saw this idea in one of my parenting magazines. I think it might have been Family Fun. I knew right away I wanted to do it. Seems like I'm always wishing I had scissors with me, to cut down straws for Barrett while we're out at restaurants. This solves that problem. They're already cut down, and they're bendy straws :) I did this right before our trip to Nebraska, and it got a lot of use!

* Toothbrush holder, from the toiletry travel section at Walmart
* Package of bendy straws, cut down (if you'd like)
* Stick it in your purse, and you're ready anytime you need a kiddie-sized straw at dinner!

(I guess I have a *thing* for green!)

{3} We had a do-it-yourself "curb appeal" project a couple weekends ago. Our flower beds got some much needed attention, and we touched up that darn chipping paint all over the house! It feels great to have things looking good for Spring! Since getting everything spruced up, I want to be outside ALL THE TIME! Barrett and I spend a lot of time on the back patio, and Justin's grilled out four or five times in the last week. We've also been taking advantage of the cool Spring weather, and eating outside.

A {peek} at what we did...

I'm hopeful I might get a few things for Mother's Day to add the finishing touches to my outdoor spaces.
Then I will get around to the before and after "curb appeal" post.

{4} One of the new recipes we tried out the other night on the grill....

::BBQ CHICKEN PACKET::
1 small boneless skinless chicken breast half (1/4 lb.)
1 or 2 green pepper rings
1-3 red onion rings
1 Tbsp. BBQ sauce

(this is for one serving...adjust to make as many as you need)

Heat grill to med. heat. Place chicken in center of large sheet of heavy-duty foil; top with remaining ingredients. Bring up foil sides. Double-fold top and ends to seal packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Grill 15 min. or until chicken is done (165 degrees). Cut slits in foil to release steam before opening packet.

 

*I got this recipe from an old Kraft Food & Family magazine. They used pineapple instead of red onion. Didn't sound good to me, so I switched it up :) BUT, you might like the pineapple & bbq combo!

{5} I had a 9-month/family session with some awesome clients on Sunday evening. They are awesome because they're very loyal...I've worked with them for all of their childrens' milestones (3 months, 6 months, 9 months, family holiday pictures and cards, etc.). They are from Ark City, and I was super excited when they mentioned they wanted to do an urban session in downtown Ark City. I'm not too familiar with the downtown area there (this town is about 10 miles South of me, and where my hubby works most of the time). Anyway, they have some INCREDIBLE alley's and urban textures. I was in love!!

I'm still working on their session, but here are a couple to show the cool new "spots" I've found!

{6} It's BAAACK!!!!!

Friday Night Lights starts a new season on Friday!!  It's about time. I've been waiting patiently!

{7} I think I need to join Sweepers Anonymous. Is there such a thing? I've swept the back porch and carport at least 10 times in the last week. It's always been an obsession (with all the stinkin' leave we get falling down year-round), but now that we're spending so much time out there, it's worse! Barrett plays, and I sweep! If I had a nickle for every leaf I've swept up...

{8} Garage Sale??

I've been boxing and bagging stuff for the last few months, thinking I would have a garage sale sometime in May. Well, I just looked at the calendar yesterday, and realized that THIS weekend is the free weekend we have this month! Between photo sessions, family reunions and Memorial Day holiday, it will be June before I know it. So, if I'm gonna have a sale before June (when the summer activities and vacations start), I have to do. it. now.

We'll see what I decide!

{9} One of my favorite Spring events: Going to the HUGE consignment sale in Wichita with Megan and Audra. It's a Fall and Spring tradition. I love it because we make an evening of it. Go out to dinner (this time was On the Border), hit the sale for a few hours, DQ on the way home :)

This time, I made it home with LOTS of great stuff for Barrett! Several 3T pants and shirts for next year, shorts and shirts for this summer, shoes, swim trunks, jammies, toys, and even a cute little pair of Mary Janes for my cousin's baby, Lainey! As always, everything was Old Navy, Children's Place, Gap, Carters, and in great condition.

{10} Remember Favorite things of 2010: Part One??

There was also a {favorite things: fall edition}

Well, start thinking! Get your pictures and list ready!
Favorite things for Spring...coming soon!

back door surprise!

We came home from a FULL day of activities yesterday evening
to find a back door surprise for Mr. Barrett!

HAPPY MAY DAY!!

Barrett's friend Norah Kate, left this for him! 

May Day was always one of my favorite traditions as a child. My mom and I would make these little cones out of construction paper, just like this one. Then we would fill them with candy and goodies, and leave them at the doors of my friends. I remember leaving them in front of the door, ringing the doorbell, and running! I think about making these for our friends and family every year...but then never get around to it! I'm glad that Megan is on top of things :) Barrett really enjoyed it! 

As with the May Day tradition, there was no card or note to say who it was from. The two flowers in their own little plastic water tube (like you get at the florist) was a dead giveaway. When I pulled those out of the May basket, and saw that, I knew this had Megan written all over it! So, I texted her to say "thanks."

Hope you had a Happy May Day! 

More about how we spent the first day of May to come...