Buca di Peppo

Tonight was Italian night for our family.  We went to Buca di Peppo for some family style Italian dishes that are always good. 

So sad...

Today, the girls and I were suppose to go away for the weekend for the second annual girls mountain getaway trip but mother nature ruined that for us.  The weather was icy and the roads were yucky so we decided it wasn't very smart to travel up the mountain by ourselves in a winter storm.  So unfortunately, our trip was postponed ..hopefully not cancelled.  I really hope we can all find another free weekend so we can get away.  We had so much fun last year and I was really looking forward to it this year.  

But on the bright side, I get to hang out with this cutie!!

Messy Lunch

Will is getting a little bit better at eating with a spoon.  Today for lunch, I gave him spaghetti o's and let him go at it all by himself.  I took his shirt off, wrapped a towel around him, and just stepped away.  He really didn't too bad and nothing ended up on the floor or the ceiling!

Friends

I have amazing friends!  Sometimes we don't stop and think about how wonderful it is to have friends in your life.  Friends are always there for you when you need them.  Some friends you talk to daily and some maybe just a few times a year but when you need them they are instantly there.  Some friends I have had since the third grade and some friendships have developed recently through work.  Either way, friends are great to have around.  They listen, don't judge, and keep you busy when you need some distractions from "real life."  

Thanks friends!  You mean the world to me!

Giddy Up Cowboy!

We went to a cowboy birthday party on Saturday for sweet little Jonah who turned 4.  We had a wonderful time and Will loved riding the ponies.  

The birthday boy Jonah and Will!

What a tease...

The weather today was beautiful, I believe almost 70 degrees!  Will and I played outside this afternoon for a while and had the best time.  He played in his sandbox and really enjoyed himself.  He threw sand  everywhere and I had to strip his clothes off outside before going inside.  I didn't mind though, it was worth it just to watch him have so much fun!  

The weather was great but I know it's just a tease because probably in a week or two the temperatures will drop and we will be miserable again.  I was actually hoping for some snow this year so Will could play in it.  But we sure did soak up some fresh air today!  Hope you did too!

PicMonkey

I was reading my Parent's Magazine tonight and came across a fun photo website called www.picmonkey.com.  You can add silly objects to photos, add text, change colors, and all kinds of fun things.  Most of it is free but there is a charge for an upgrade.  This masterpiece is not great but I was just playing around with all the fun features.  I love the mustache!

Ready to go night night...

Every night Will sleeps with his blanket, bear, & deer.  Everyday when we are playing he will pretend to go night night with bear and deer.  We have to go get them out of the crib and we lay with them on the floor.  The best part is when it really is time to go night night, he says ok because he wants to see bear and deer.  

Just a little something that I wanted to remember!

Love that baby boy!

Traditional New Year's Food

I made my first ever traditional New Year's meal.  Us southerners believe that collard greens and beans bring us good luck, wealth, and prosperity.  I think there is some other tradition about pork so I just bought a little ham that I warmed up in the oven.  Unfortunately, the grocery store was completely sold out of black eyed peas so I substituted pintos instead.  Now let me just say that I did not make anything from scratch.  The greens and beans came from a can and the ham was already cooked but I did put the whole meal together and also included mac n cheese, deviled eggs, and corn muffins.  Bryan loves greens but I honestly have never given them much of a chance but they really weren't that bad.  It was good and will hopefully bring us good luck this year!

Highlights of 2012

So many fun and wonderful things happened to our family in 2012.  I started going back through the blog and thought I would share some highlights with you.

I was fortunate enough to start January 2012 with a weekend in the mountains with some wonderful girls!

Bryan and I went on a cruise in February and had a wonderful time with friends and family!

In March we had some pictures taken that are still some of my favorite pictures ever!

In April, we went to the beach for spring break and Will got to play on the beach for the first time.  Thank goodness he liked it because we went all summer long!

In May, Will took his first steps!

(Not sure when this picture was taken, but I love it!)

Also in May, Will turned one!

In June, July, & August, we played around the house in the water.

Will ate watermelon for the first time!

He took swim lessons.

Back to the beach!

Hung out on the lake.

He loved popsicles!

and back to the beach again!

Spent a day in the mountains having a picnic, looking at the animals, and escaping the heat.

Sadly in September, I said goodbye to my Mawmaw Ruby.   She lost her battle with cancer and it was a difficult time for me.  I am just so glad that she got to spend some time with Will and Will always cheered her up.

In October, Bryan and I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary with a trip to the mountains.

Will was the cutest Dumbo ever for Halloween!

In November, Will got his first haircut!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with our family and we especially had fun cutting down our Christmas tree.

December was such a fast month.  I really don't know where the time went but we had a wonderful Christmas and we are ready to start 2013!  Who knows what this year has to bring for our family but I know it will be wonderful!

We wish everyone a Happy New Year!

Love,

Bryan, Stacy, & Will