My Family Visits

Last week was a blur.  My family got into town (my Dad, my Sister, and her two boys) and between taking care of 3 little ones under 2 1/2, driving up to Marysville for the viewing & funeral for my uncle, it felt like we were going nonstop.  My sister and I set out Thursday morning for the funeral and got stuck in Cincinnati traffic on 471 for over an hour.  We didn't make it :(  I felt so terrible.

Add to all that, Morgan & Joey were both pretty sick with ear infections.  Morgan wasn't responding to the antibiotics and had a pretty high fever for 5-6 days.  I didn't want to be left out, so I signed up for another sinus infection.  Oy.  We're all on the mend now.

A few pics from last week:

Testing out the bouncy seat for Baby Carter

Jacob is such a good big cousin - Morgan loved having him around to entertain her.

Obviously Joey liked the attention too.

My sister & Baby Carter.  He's my little meatball.

Joey was cracking us up!  He loved going to Grandpa.  I'm pretty sure he'll go to anyone who wants to hold him.

Friday night we had a little yoga session with my new DVD.  If Mandy Ingber is responsible for Jennifer Anniston's body, I want in on that.

Jacob was really helpful with the kids.

We went to go look at a house (!!!) Which is kind of old news because we've looked at it several times and....it's a long story.

I broke out my Ergo for Carter and he seemed to like it for a bit while his Mama cooked us dinner.

Don't be fooled by this picture:  Carter was only mad because we were sitting down (and he was probably hungry) and Joey was NOT having any part of his Mama holding another baby.

Grandpa Don and 4 of his 7 grandkids.  I think Carter is hungry again.

This was so sweet.  I heard Joey babbling, nonstop and my Dad kept saying "Really?  Is that So?" and I snuck up on them to capture this while they were snuggled on the recliner watching TV.

 They went back on Saturday and the kids & I finished out the weekend by a trip to the park:

Boyfriend needs a haircut BAAAAAAD

 And a party in the basement Sunday night before bed due to Tornado warnings.  What the?!?!

One other thing worth documenting:  The kids have been pretty good for me since they are both feeling better, but tonight they were both in bed at 7pm for being so....let's just say unruly.  Fighting/crying/whining/more fighting.  And then?  Joey smashed a GIANT Costco bottle of Olive Oil in my laundry room, so there was glass & oil EV-ERY-WHERE.  Tomorrow's another day, right?

Sad Day

I got a phone call from my father over the weekend telling me that my Uncle Cecil had been killed in a woodcutting accident.  I am so heartbroken for his family.  He had 3 terrific grown children that my siblings and I grew up somewhat close to, considering the geographical distance (them near Columbus, OH and us in MN).  My family is en route here to stay with me to attend funeral services as I write this.  I know what it's like to lose a parent.  I'm so sad for my Aunt Mary Jane, who has lost her best friend.  It just doesn't seem fair.

I last saw my aunt & uncle this summer, when my father came to visit me, had them over for dinner and it was so nice to catch up and relax.  I'm now so grateful we made that happen.  It's too easy these days to put things like that off, thinking "Aw, we can do it anytime."  We are not promised tomorrow.  Cecil was a calm, kind, funny, warm person to be around.  I will always remember him as being the "fun uncle".  He always had games for us to play or activities to keep the 6 of us entertained.  He will be dearly missed.  If you would, please pray for my Aunt and my cousins.  They need it right now and in the days to come.

LOVING

I have a zillion things on my mind lately, so here's a bunch of random thoughts.

I'm straight up addicted to this stuff, thanks to my MIL who left this at my house:

So far I can only find the Coconut version at Whole Foods.

Did anyone find any good stuff at the Nordstrom half yearly sale yet?  I did.  And then I did again.  And once again I need to reign it in a little bit and slow my roll.

Then there's the black bootie saga.  I told you how I HATE the Target booties because they made me want to self-amputate:

So what do I stumble upon at the Nordy's sale?  The Steve Madden lookalikes that I originally wanted.  But then I realize I have a Macy's gift card to use, and perhaps I could get Macy's to price match and get them supercheap. So I did. While they feel like they might be slightly more comfortable, I wasn't entirely convinced.

And then, just when I think I have all my problems worked out, bad blogger influences convince me I really should get these instead:

Vince Camuto booties that do look just like those Rag & Bone Newbury booties, for 1/4 of the cost! 

So the Steve Madden's are going back, I *might* donate the Target booties to my sister who wears the same size as me, and I can't wait to get my hooves into those Vince Camutos.

{It's OK, I'm rolling my eyes at myself and feel pretty pathetic for how much time I've wasted on this topic, both on the blog and IRL.  Say it with me "You poor thing.  Try having real problems."}

While I'm on the topic of frivolousness...Sephora his having their 20% off VIB annual sale.  I literally wait for this event every year and stock up on a few essentials that never go on sale.

And someone needs to level with me here:  I'm hearing all sorts of buzz about Rodan + Fields skincare.  I'm always on the hunt for something awesome...so is it that great?  And what about this Nerium AD business?  Shoot me straight from the hip people, I can handle it.

The Hubs has a 3-day weekend this weekend and the kids are playing "Pass the Fever".  Fall has just barely begun and I'm already completely over the snotty noses and sad little coughs and scorching hot foreheads.  Although after rocking Morgan for nearly an hour last night, I realized I rarely ever rock her and let her fall asleep in my arms anymore and I miss it so.  She won't let me do it much longer, or need me to for that matter.  So I soaked it up.

On a positive note, I had my man down in the basement with me today, tackling our hoarding situation.  It feels SO good to clean it out!  We have a long ways to go though.  How did we accumulate SO. MUCH. STUFF.  We took an entire SUV load of stuff to Goodwill and it was amazing.

I put all the punkins away except 3 little gourds that hopefully don't rot on my mantel.  This will be the extent of my decorating this Thanksgiving:

I can't leave ANYTHING at toddler eye-level/grab-level anymore.  Our house is about to get bare naked.  MoJo relocates things and drags things everywhere!  Joey has a full-time job emptying every drawer and cabinet he can open.  So far I've found a block of Velveeta cheese out on the porch, a fish stick in my shoe, my keys in the garbage...and God only knows what else that kid has relocated.

I'm dying to exercise and get back to working out.  It's always when I can't that I say that, ha!  But seriously, my surgeon said 4-5 weeks.  I might do some yoga to tide me over, that always balances me a good bit.

Still on the fence about cutting my hair...but I do love this cut with the only difference being I'd angle it up in the back a bit (it wouldn't be too drastic for me):

{VIA} This? Or Mom Bob?

I used some of my winnings from last Saturday night's split the pot and bought myself this sweater from the Hot Mama store (I thought I'd hate that place, purely on principle, but I've come to love it - great quality, SUPER comfy, although some of the stuff can be pricy but everything I buy I wear over & over & over.  It's the stuff I always reach for):

Let's see, what else...oh, obvs I'm avoiding homework.  Just a few weeks left and I've lost steam.  Our professors must know this because they're being all punchy and all "Hey! Chin Up Buttercup, we have a pop quiz for you!"

We have some fun things going on this weekend, a kiddie birthday party with a bunch of my Hubs' colleagues and then we are all going to brunch on Sunday together -- sans kids.  Plus Mimosas.  Can't wait!  I'm off now to steam mop my kitchen floor...hey, it's Friday night and we're getting straight up nuts in here.

More catching up

How is it November already?  In my defense, I was pretty much drugged into a coma for the last week of October.  But still.  (For the record, I'd make a horrible drug addict.  Narcs make me super grouchy....either that or I'm turning into a grumpy old lady like my husband says.  Which I refuse to believe.)

Anyway, on to the Happs round here.... I took Morgan with me to run some errands around town last Saturday morning.  We popped in to Fort Thomas coffee because I needed a fix.  She got a little hot chocolate and we shared a muffin.  She thought she was the neatest thing ever with her hot cocoa (or "coffee!" as she kept saying).  I love getting to do these little things with her and spend some one-on-one time with her.  I look forward to doing this more as she grows up.

 Saturday night we got all gussied up and went to the Happy Feet Ball for the Northern Kentucky Charities Guild.  It was so fun - all for such a great cause too - lots of people around our age to mingle with, and the highlight of my night?  I won the split the pot raffle - $468!!

PS:  I wore my Target black booties that night and NEVER AGAIN.  I felt like my feet were fractured that night and the whole next day I could barely walk on them.  Thinking about burning them.  I hope nobody else bought them!!!  Apparently being an old lady means it's time to invest in orthopedic shoes. *sigh*

Sunday was spent meal prepping and I went to a freezer meals gathering put on by one of the MOMS Club members.  Basically we buy the oils & spices from her (Wildtree products, which are free of MSG and other preservatives, all organic) and add them to prepped meat/veggies.  Toss in the freezer and *VOILA!* you have a meal whenever you need one.  I haven't made one of them yet, but can't wait to try them all!!  I've had ZERO interest in cooking lately and it doesn't help that the kids are in a phase where they pretty much don't eat anything I make.  SO frustrating.

These two monkeys are conspiring to figure out how to open the baby gates.  They're getting close....

 Joey likes to sit at the table and eat with Morgan now. Which excited me, because for a hot minute I thought "Yes! I can put his high chair in the basement now!"  Buuuuut he's got a long ways to go before he is "table ready".  Makes messes like a boss.