Audrey Holidays & Celebrations!

Hello You Snuggly, Cozy, Warm, Spooky Season!

Fall always makes me want to write, even when I’m technically on a hiatus 🍁

This is Moo’s first fall! And I turn 30 next month! Despite 2020’s best efforts, we’re going to enjoy these last three months. (I’m ignoring the fact that the election is happening during this time- not neglecting to vote, though!) (Also ignoring the fact that my wallet was stolen from my car yesterday. Grrrrr.)

I dyed my hair purple for the spooky season. It took a few attempts but I’ve got it where I want it and our shower is 100% purple now. (From washing- I had it professionally done.) It is what it is.

We’re still having our annual Halloween party!! I’m excited. We’ve revamped it for COVID, of course. It will be outside in the backyard, lots of social distancing, masks and hand sanitizer available. Instead of an evening party we’re doing a kid-friendly afternoon bon fire. I’m pretty snobby about COVID protocol so you can rest assured that it’s going to either be safe or cancelled. Ha.

Speaking of Halloween, I have a pretty good idea of what our first family-of-5 costume will be… We’re not going to take M trick-or-treating (because safety and because she has no clue), but if our town decides to still have trick or treating I saw this cool idea in Parents magazine (I’m a real mom if I reference Parents magazine, right?) where you decorate the front door and post treat bags there. I’d still sit on the other side of the porch to ensure greedy little fingers only take one 😉

My bday is mid-October and we haven’t made any real plans yet… What I want to do and what we’re able to do/comfortably doing doesn’t really line up so we haven’t decided on anything. Hopefully we figure it out soon…

I’ll be around a little more in the next few weeks. (Fall gives me that creative spark ✨) Next Monday I’m remembering Lylee a year after her death, on Thursday I’m recapping my 3Q goals & sharing my new ones, & then the following week is SUYB day!

So I guess I’ll see you around 🧡

Audrey Holidays & Celebrations!, Relationships

Happy Birthday, My Love

Today is K’s 33rd birthday.

(I love this pictures of him giving his sister the business.)

Last year, when he turned 32, we had no idea it would be his last one without a child. We were on vacation- in Arizona- and we went on a long train ride through a canyon and had dinner at the MOST delicious place. Arizona was rainy and cold and expensive- but it’s one of my favorite trips ever.

Today is much less fun. K is at work & I’m home with a congested baby. Tonight we have calling hours for a very distant family member. Hopefully I can make K feel special this weekend with some fun activities and one of his favorite dinners.

It seems that at 33 and 29 we’re officially true adults. Ha. We started dating when he was 20. We’ve both changed so much over the past thirteen years and yet… we’re still the same ❤ & he’s still my favorite person on the planet.

 

Happy Birthday, my love. Here’s to many, many more.

Audrey Holidays & Celebrations!

Happy New Year! 2019 Recap

The past 365 days have had wonderful moments and terrible moments. I don’t like summing up an entire year as good or bad… but dammit I’m glad 2019 is over.

I would say this was our toughest year. We had a ton of work stress, we (especially K) traveled way too often, and we lost our first fur baby to a freak infection. There were some serious lows this year and I hate to reflect on them, but it’s true.

That said, we got pregnant and met our girl Madelyn! Best moment ever ♥

Physically, I had a pretty easy pregnancy but mentally/emotionally, I struggled. The ppd has been a doozy, too. Everything has been worth it & we know we are blessed to have a perfect daughter, but dang…. 2019 can see itself out. Lol

Here are a few other highlights- both good and not so good:

fmea | puppy snuggles | HP in concert | girls’ weekend | negative temps | omea | E & T’s bdays | tmea | PI move
new office | father-in-law’s bday retreat | Enzo’s hives | girls’ night in Cle | Arizona vaca | purple hair | PREGNANT! | telling the family
Bristol | wgi | Easter | 6th anniversary | public baby announcement | Rascal passes | Baby! | wedding | gender reveal
2nd at car show | family winery tour | midohio race | halfway! | dci | Bristol night race | car show | nola | Indians game
tampa vaca | Lylee passes | two hospitalizations | Bristol adoption | HONDA visit | baby shower | maternity pics | Halloween party | 1 month to go!
nursery prep | pasic | Thanksgiving | due date! | Madelyn is born! | newborn pics | PI company party | Xmas Eve | Christmas

I won’t write off an entire year as “bad”- just stressful and insane and overwhelming. We felt like we were tied to a freight train- sometimes running behind it, sometimes running in front of it, often times being dragged by it, and once in a while being run over by it. We got to actually ride it once or twice maybe.

I know it’s a lofty wish with a newborn and business and life and whatever, but if 2020 wanted to bring some tranquility and slowness and boringness to our life I wouldn’t object.

Tell me about your 2019! What were your favorite moments? Are you looking forward to anything big or small in 2020?? And HAPPY NEW YEAR, my friends ♥

Audrey Baby, Holidays & Celebrations!

My Baby Shower

I haven’t had the chance to blog about our baby shower yet! My mother-in-law and mom threw me a shower in October and it was perfectly “me.”

I had practically nothing to do with this shower. I met with the moms twice, then bowed out. They put together a woodland/literature theme with all my favorite fall foods & yummy drinks. (Our nursery is woodland themed- pictures coming someday.) Imagine a crisp fall day in the forest & you’re camped out under a tree with a good book and a mug of warm coco. That was my shower.

My childhood bunny & K’s childhood bear

Baby’s Great-Grandmas

We had chili, a baked potato bar, a hot coco bar, delicious desserts, and so much more. The tables were decorated with elements from nature and children’s books and woodland animals. The facility was a winery that had a waterfall and back patio. We received so many generous gifts, too. It was overwhelming and brought me to tears.

The moms delegated help to family and friends, too. My friends put together the decadent charcuterie board & organized the games. Family members helped with food and desserts and decorations. Having such a strong, creative, generous community is such a blessing- I feel very blessed to bring our little girl into this circle of incredible women (and men- my brother, dad, father-in-law, and husband helped, too!).

Audrey Holidays & Celebrations!

Happy Halloween Party Recap 🎃

Happy Halloween, ghouls & goblins!! 
(Can we pause & freak out about the fact that it’s the END of October?)

In celebration of Halloween I’m sharing details from our annual party! It was pretty low key. We had about 25 guests and some yummy snack foods and drinks.

Our party didn’t have a theme this year so we saw lots of fun costumes!

The Bandit & Frog
The littlest SCUBA diver, her momma jellyfish, & daddy shark
HONDA employee (my dad impersonating my brother) & Ratatouille chef
My devilish sister-in-law and Stewart from Letterkenny
A whole bunch of characters

K and I decided we were going to be G.D. Americans- a spoof on the aggressive, harsh, unrelenting “American.” Truth be told… I didn’t have to buy a single part of my outfit. Mainly because I DO wear these clothes to concerts and stuff. LOL

Any time someone tried to talk politics or tell me something America-related I got in their face and asked if they thought they were a better American than me. Honestly, we probably could’ve topped it off with a certain red hat and confederate flag bandanas, but we couldn’t bring ourselves to spend money on that stuff.

I tried to determine if this costume was offensive before we chose it. We didn’t target a demographic & we are Americans poking fun at the extreme “Americans.” So we went with it. And if we’d have offended any right-wingers I was fully prepared to call them a snowflake 😏

On to the food…

Our last few guests trickled out (or went up to bed) around 1:30am, then K and I c.r.a.s.h.e.d. (And then Bristol had a lovely spell of diarrhea in our room around 4:45am SIGH.)

I say it every year, but the day after our Halloween party is one of my favorite days of the year. We lay around and don’t leave the house and watch NASCAR and relax. At times I wonder if I put myself through the party just to earn the day after.

We had trick-or-treaters Tuesday night & we’ve got another party on Saturday, then our Spooky Season is officially over. What fun things did you do this year?