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Reflections on Christmas 2019
Can you believe it is already 2020? I feel like the lead up to the holidays was super fast and then the actual week between Christmas and NYE flew by…and here we are a week into 2020!Our Christmas 2019 was unlike any of our prior Christmases. Before having kids, we traveled to family to have Christmas with a big group (either Drew’s family or mine). After having kids, still we have a rather large Christmas gathering just at our house instead of our parents. But this year, none of the grandparents wanted or were able to come to our house for Christmas. I’m not going to lie, at first, I…
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Happy Bit: Taking a Break from Social Media
In this season of life and of the year, I am aware of the need to live in the present and guilty of not. Raising toddlers is a great reminder of living in the present. I read somewhere that kids up to the age of 7, always live in the present. They do not have the mental capacity to have regrets or forethought to fret about the future. Not sure what happens at age 7, but I am certainly in awe of the human brain to allow children to stay in the present/innocent bliss for as long as possible. My thought is that if my boys are constantly in the…
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Taking Family Photos with Toddlers: Our Family Pictures 2019
Wow, getting ready for family pictures can be super stressful. After 4 years of getting pictures done (really 6 if you include engagement and wedding), you would think I would have it mastered–but no such luck! The most important lesson I have learned is to go with the flow when it comes to taking family pictures.I set my expectations super low this year and it really helped us relax and get some fantastic pictures. I feel like in years past, I put so much pressure on us to take good photos and everyone to be happy–but the reality of it is that toddlers will act how they want and you…
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Halloween 2019: Fireman and his Crew and the Stomach Bug
Y’all, who knew that the stomach bug could fester in your house for over 2 weeks?! I certainly did not! We have been fortunate to have all sets of grandparents visit over the past 2 weeks. The boys (and us) love spending time with family and it was such a special treat to have my mom stop by for a quick visit before heading to Maryland, my dad and Mimi watch the boys so Drew and I could go to Clemson and my in-laws to celebrate Halloween with us (all within 2 weeks of each other).Unfortunately, the stomach bug infected our family the Sunday before my mom came into town…
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Motherhood Lesson: Being Mom can be your Purpose
I would love to live 6 different lives. Truthfully, there is a part of me that would love to be a small business owner who lives in a small town or a headstrong attorney in the city or an influencer exploring the world or a socialite who parties like crazy or a badass in JAG or just a mom who is raising her babies and supporting the home for her husband and children. The last one doesn’t sound very glamorous (and frankly, it isn’t!) but it is exactly where I want to be and the life I want to be living.It has taken me a while (and trust me, I…
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Camping with a Toddler and Baby: Our Trip to Balsam, North Carolina
We just got back from our first camping trip as a family of 4. I was apprehensive about camping with a baby and a toddler, but boy I am so happy we did! Drew grew up camping with his family and Boy Scout troop and finds it important that we raise our boys loving the outdoors. I am more of a “city girl” when it comes to the outdoors, but figure that since camping is so important to my husband I could either “join em” or be left out.For our inaugural camping trip with Walker (we went camping with Reid when he was 15 months old), we went to a…
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Long (kid-free) Weekend at St. Regis Bal Harbour
Drew and I just got back from the most refreshing and revitalizing mini-vacation. We spent 3 days and 2 nights at the St. Regis Bar Harbour, courtesy of his company! It was such a wonderful vacation that really snuck up on us and allowed us to have some time to ourselves.We flew out first thing Friday morning and checked into the hotel around noon. We thought that Friday was going to be the only sunny day, as there was a strong chance of a tropical storm (thank goodness the weathermen were wrong!), so we maximized our suntanning time. We laid out on the beach, went for a walk on the…
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Edisto Beach Family Vacation 2019
Wow, this summer FLEW by! We scheduled our big family vacation for the last week of July (right before school starts in Atlanta). We had an absolute blast in Edisto and cannot wait to return next summer.It was the first year we did not stay in Drew’s family’s beach house, which sold this summer. Though it is super sad, we made the best of it and embraced a new tradition and new location (same island just different house!).My mother in law found a perfect rental house right on the river with its’ own dock and boat ramp, per Drew’s request. It was a change from being beach front, but such…
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Walker’s First Birthday
SO hard to believe that a year has passed since Walker came into our lives. This year has tested my limits for sure, but has broadened by heart by SO much. I will be the first to tell you that my littlest baby boy is not an ‘easy’ baby, he had colic and still only naps for 45 minutes a day, if I’m lucky! He has major FOMO and is attached to his mama (no gym/church nursery or babysitters unless he is asleep). Even though he can be challenging, he is seriously the happiest and smiliest baby ever. He is very chill and relaxed and rarely fusses unless he needs…
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Reid’s Third Birthday Party
How is my first baby boy already 3 years old?! Seriously, time flies by and it is hard to imagine that it was 3 years ago that I first held Reid in my arms. He has grown and developed so much in these past years, and I can honestly say that it keeps getting better (in most ways) with age. I debated and debated about what to do for his 3rd birthday. Since he is in school and has little friends now, I thought a fun party with his friends from school would be great! However, after talking to my sister and a few friends I decided to make it…