Vacay!

 I am writing this post at 2pm  from the comfort of my house... and for once its not because Aiden is sick! ha! I am off work this WHOLE entire week! WooHoo!!

The bank I work at requires us to take off 5 days consecutively each year. Well this is my 5 days and it couldn't have come at a better time! As much as I complain about my job, at the end of the day it is a JOB with pretty good pay, benefits, minimal stress, friendly people and I really need to be grateful for that. But lately I've just been burnt out and pretty grumpy at work... which is NOT me at all!

Originally my vacation was suppose to be next week and Mike had taken off as well. We had plans to head to Omaha and take Aiden to the zoo there!! But there's this thing called LIFE and sometimes it just gets in the way :(  No it really is fine... but because I needed this coming weekend off, for my brother-in-laws 30th birthday in Manhattan, and the weekend of the 15th off, for a wedding, I had to move my vacay up a week and work next weekend. Its actually worked out just fine and although we're sad we wont be able to take Aiden to the Omaha zoo... we plan to take him to the KC zoo instead, since we've never even been to it either.

We're actually headed to Manhattan Thursday night and will be there the whole weekend. Mike's parents are coming to get Aiden and keep him Friday & Saturday night. They are in DESPERATE need of 1 on 1 time with Aiden. This move has been much harder than we had ever imagined. Aiden is missing them like crazy too so I know they will have a great time! Im super excited for the weekend because we're doing a huge tailgate to celebrate my brother in law Derek's 30th Birthday!!  For the first time ever  Sarah, Derek, Tony, Tara, Amy , Josh, Mike and I get to spend time together without ANY kiddos!! This NEVER happens and Im just so excited ... plus K-State football and tailgating...OMG!!! :)

 { We all LOVE the babes more than anything and will miss them terribly though!! They will be in GOOD hands!!}

So that's what we'll be up to at the end of this week and until then Im just taking care of some cleaning and organizing at home, helping Sarah prepare for the party, putting the gym membership that i've had for months  to use and just relaxing!! Its pretty splendid!!!

And here's a real quick catch up of what we've been up to lately...

:: A couple weekends ago we attended my friend Addie's wedding!

Such a great time seeing these girls... its been TOOOO long!! Addie was a gorgeous bride. Her mom MADE her dress {amazing.} and the greatest part was the on the back she stitched a little heart and their initials and the date of their wedding... it was ADORABLE. 

{you can kind of see it on the right shoulder strap. Subtle yet SO cute!}

{amazing group of ladies from high school, it was SO good seeing them!}

Addie and Tyler met in grade school but went their separate ways for many many MANY years. Addie's move to Florida reunited them and the rest is history. Its the sweetest story ever and they are truly a wonderful couple who will have a lifetime of happiness, no doubt!!

It was a fun night!

::This past weekend was BUSY as usual. Friday night I attended a housewarming/stock the bar party for my good friends Mandy and Brady who are getting married in February and who just bought their first home! Sadly Mike couldn't attend with me because we didn't have a sitter and because he had worked RiDiCuLouS hrs last week and was ready to just be at home and spend time with Aiden.

I had a good time though!! :)

{Okay so I had to pat my own back on this gift... I just thought it turned out SO cute! I bought a bottle of wine and wrapped in in a cute dish towel. Then on the outside I included a wine opener and the "saw looking thing" is to cut lemons/limes as well as a bottle opener! Cute right??!! I thought so... :)}

:: On Saturday we headed to the Durler's house for a K-State vs. Miama watch party!

We got to meet some new friends as well as catch up with Mark & Lindsey and the rest of the Bryan family... they are all SO fun and sweet. Us girls hung around the AMAZING food the whole time chit chatting and making sure the little ones were getting along. I honestly didn't start watching the game til things got a little intense at the end. We all had faith our Cats would pull it off and they did! GREAT game!!!

Im so happy Lindsey put this together and we could attend... we hope to do another one soon. We're SO bummed that we wont be able to attend their murder/mystery party... that is def going to be a fun time as well!!

Aiden loved having Madie and Gracie push him. These girls are SO grown up now :( They helped out a ton on Saturday by playing with the 3 little boys.

::Sundays::

The past two Sundays we've spent over at my moms. Just watching the Chiefs and having Sunday Family dinner. Its been fun relaxing with the fam but I might gain 2O lbs from all the snackies we make :) Totally worth it though... ha!

:: Babysat little Jackson!

Last Thursday we got the privilege of watching Mr. Jackson Stein while his mommy and daddy attended a wedding rehearsal and dinner. His mom Steph is a good friend of mine who I met used to spend every waking second with  playing softball. Her parents are like my 2nd parents and we just love the whole family!!  Ironically she met her now husband at Amy &  Josh's wedding... Justin was a groomsmen and they met that night and totally hit it off! Fast forward a few yrs and they are now married and have a little man!! Sadly though, they live in Denver. BOO! We are trying so hard {and its actually working!!} to get them to move here! I bet HOPE they do within the next couple years! yay!! 

Jackson is a perfect angel!! He NEVER cries and just smiles all the time! Made my job very easy :) {plus the help from my sister and mom who  had to come over too!} I did have him alone for a couple hrs and definitely got a taste of what 2 kids would be like... lets just say Im not ready for that! ha! Aiden had fun with him and is so gentle and sweet to babies. It was quite obvious though that he is not used to sharing the attention with anyone... he didn't understand why I couldn't cater to his every want/need during that time. All was well though and we had a fun evening with the little guy around!

{Aiden was like "Score! The baby toys are ALL mine now!!"} 

{He would just look over at my mom and LAUGH! It was cute :) }

Okay I think that covers it for now.... I purposely left Aiden out of this post because I'm working on a catch up/ update post all about him. Hopefully tomorrow! 

Seriously I can not WAIT for this weekend!! Bring on the Cats and the GOOD times!! 

The goal is to get a picture of ALL of us this weekend... didn't realize we don't have a SINGLE one! ha!

HAPPY 30th DEREK!!!

Wildcat Weekend!

{Gah!! Im SO behind on blogging!! I have at least 3 posts to do!! Such a slacker....}

{A much needed snooze on the way to Manhattan}

Anywho.... Ill first catch you up on our WonDeRfuL Wildcat Weekend!!! We hadn't planned on going to the first home game but when we found out it was at 6pm we figured why not??!! I also thought it'd be a great idea to take Aiden to his FIRST game! {In our defense... we haven't ever felt like it would go real well taking him to a game. He was always such a busy baby/toddler and wasn't EVER content just sitting on our laps... it would have been a disaster for us and the poor people stuck sitting by us. PLUS Mike's parents loved getting the chance to watch him whenever we wanted to go. So we're not completely horrible for waiting this long} I finally felt he was at the age he would enjoy the game. He loves to watch/play sports plus with the band and crowd there is just SO much to look at. Plus Willie the Wildcat!!

 

{at this point I was shaking and in tears... ridiculous I know! I just LOVE the Cats!!}

Our seats were BEYOND perfect. In the shade... at the end of the aisle (thank god).... and BONUS the people right next to us had a little girl Aiden's age! {hallelujah & praise the lord, this was our saving grace!!} Aiden had SO much fun with his little "girlfriend" and we stayed from the minute the game started til the minute it ended AND the fireworks following. Mike and I were beyond  pleased with how the day went and were so happy we finally did this as a family. {and that it didn't completely blow up in our faces like usual. ha!}

Dont' get me wrong we were EXHUASTED at the end of the day... but it was all completely worth it!!

Aiden thought it was pretty great too... he was slightly envious though and kept asking when it was his turn to play football... and the instruments {the band}. I had packed a bag of snacks that he and his little friend shared and I was completly shocked that he only went to the bathroom once the whole game. I was sure he would want to run around, up and down the stairs and have to go "potty" a lot just so he didn't have to sit ...but he was competely fine just playing with his friend and actually "watched" the game! It wasn't til towards the end of the game that he got a little antsy but was completely content playing games on my phone and showing his little friend how to work it.

I was so proud of my little man, he is really growing up and that day totally proved it :(

We're headed back to Manhattan for the game on October 1st... but NO kiddos!! I can.not.wait to tailgate with friends and family and celebrate my brother-in-law's 30th Birthday! woop.woop!

Sunday my grandparents had us all out to their place for a HUGE lunch before we all left town. On the way out there I had to take a trip down memory lane and show Mike my "old stompin grounds." The neighborhood where I spent most my childhood, the TWO houses my dad built in that same neighborhood, the gas station that my bff T.Chard and I rode our bikes to get candy and glass bottles of Clearly Canadian {remember that stuff??!!}  ... oh the good times we had :) Such a wonderful childhood :) Im sure Mike was thrilled... ha!  Its SO crazy how that neighborhood has changed and now instead of Timbercreek I and II there are Timbercreeks 3, 4 & 5! Craziness... 

Lunch was beyond amazing and my grandparents still have their touch with cooking, even though it was exhausting for them, it was so nice and we appreciated them doing it for us! My grandma wanted to take Aiden over to the playground before we left so she and I drove him over there. Lake Elbo is where I spent SO much time growing up. Weeks at a time in the summers, and EVERY 4th of July. The lake, the beach, the fishing... it was heaven growing up. Such a sweet memory for me being there again with my grandma and my child. Seeing him play in the sand and throwing rocks... makes me wish we had spent more time out there when we lived in Manhattan. :( He had so much fun and we promised when he was a little older my grandpa would take him out on his fishin boat!

AND being the super cool, laid back mommy I am... I let him sit on my lap and DRIVE us back to the house {GASP!!!!}
Settle down people... Lake Elbo has a speed limit of 5mph and its completely its own secluded community. Everyone drives around in golf carts, its very quiet, and the house was less than a mile away. Heck, growing up my grandparents let us drive home from church which was MILES from thier house... on back country roads and "killer" hills :) Its all good... we survived and I was in the moment and said the heck with it :) And he LOVED it!!!

 Funniest thing was him getting on my lap, before he drove, and saying...
"I need the keys mommy."
 So I put them in.Then...
"I need music mommy"
 All before he was ready to drive...Ha! He must be watching his mama in the car! :)

{If you all think THATS bad then you dont even want to know about him not riding in a car seat at all sometimes when we're back in Mike's hometown... ugh oh! someone call SRS!! ;) HA!}

Its always so good for my heart when Im back in Manhattan... it really takes me back everytime Im there and I love it.


We spent Labor Day OUTSIDE! This weather makes me beyond happy!! Fall is just around the corner... my ABSOLUTE favorite time of year!! {minus the pale skin and 20 extra lbs I gain from all the comfort food!}  Im quickly planning  our weekends with tons of trips to festivals, farmers markets, pumpkin patches, craft fairs, K-State Football games and MUCH more! And we thought Summer was busy... ha ;)

Stay tuned for and Aiden update and a post all about FOOD! :)