forever34. spring MOA.

post by casey.

we grace the Mall Of America with our faces and nursing babies and lack-of-financial-self-control twice a year:) Once in the Spring with just my sisters and mom and once again in the Fall with a group of ladies that have been in on this tradition for years and years!:)

you can see a few of our past trips HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE - these are all 2010 through 2012!!!.

not only do the majority of us love fashion and make-up and baby clothes and Cinnabons and shoes and good deals and all.the.things. BUT my most favorite parts are just being together!:) We, normally, stay at a hotel for one night and we lounge by the pool or order in food and do a show & tell after a full day of shopping and it's just fun! Not to mention the road-trip over and stop at IKEA:)

we've celebrated birthdays there. We've nursed babies in all the places there! We've dragged along newborns and unsuspecting husbands - we don't do that anymore, the husband part;). We've left diaper bags on benches, that ended up being called in as a potential bomb - that kinda sucked;). We've overspent and veryyyyy rarely underspent;)

when you don't like anything in the store BUT the decor:)

coy-boy is still on the boob, so he got to hang this year:)

13WK baby bump:)

babies are on to something...adult onesies for the WIN!!!

we took this trip in mid-April and will be headed back in mid/late-November! Which meanssssss I'll have a newborn babe attached to me for the next trip! Can't waitttttttt!!!!:) - also, let the saving and can collecting start...NOW!:)

#the52project Week19

post by casey.

the baby-kids are strapped in highchairs and so I'm gonna knock out this quick blog post!! 

we had a pretty busy morning, that began with us sleeping in (SLEEPING IN: where the kids get up at 6AM - which is unlike them - and instead of getting out of bed at that REASONABLE hour, I make them lay in bed with me and somehow we all fall back asleep from 730-845AM:). And then both boys got hair cuts and that went relatively well! I didn't even have to sit in the chair with Rocky - he's such a big boy:) and they all got, no less than, 3 suckers each for good-ish behavior;). Now I'm cleaning myself up and heading to a baby appointment...SOLO:):)

my good stuff: a sunny mothers day, spent outside:) early morning solo walks. strawberry sundaes.

a portrait of my children, once a week(ish), every week(ish), in 2017

homer - starting school this fall. Mixed feelings, on my part...but he's such a big guy now!!!!:')

theo - artist.

rockyp - he's been teething, maybe?!, and such a little cling-on:)

19 of 52

post by Courtney

these photos were ready for posting by Thursday, but then I caught whatever stomach bug the kids were passing around. feeling better and took yesterday off so playing some catch up today!

a portrait of my children, once a week(ish), every week(ish), in 2017

the only homework we see is his hands-on work

he's the first thing they play with after school

current obsession

caught off guard

refuses to read. then proceeds to read for an extended amount of time...

surprised by something while in deep conversation with Meg

culprit for my stomach bug

another one obsessed with matchbox cars

for a little over a month now, he's been army crawling everywhere. stinker.

SaveSave

he's five.

post by casey.

oh my gosh...I love him:)

this comes from a place of love...but at this very moment (and for the last 2 weeks)...I'm READY for him to start school!!!!

homer turned 5 on May8th!! Let the record state that since before his 1st birthday - see HERE - I've been recording entires in a journal for him, about how sassy he is. He's still sassy;). But along with being somewhat of a handful, I'm showered with love from this kid all.day.long. It takes a toll on my mental health but this kid ends every day with a hug and kiss (and sometimes a headstand in bed;) and begins every day with a morning hug. I'm very fortunate that besides being a pretty consistent jerk...he's so incredibly loving and kind. Lets hope that all works itself out into a very passionate and kind and generous young man someday;)

the Sunday before Homer's birthday we had everyone over for, what's turning out to be, a traditional Breakfast-For-Dinner Dinner:)

the day of his birthday, Jacob took off work early so we could take him to dinner, Target to pick out a birthday gift (he chose a huge Nerf Gun:) and then the movies! Hi, Date Nights with your kids can get pricey!!!!! Luckily, we had planned ahead and I also had Gift Certificates to use at the movies. PHEW!!!

we had dinner at Applebee's, mainly because they sing you Happy Birthday.

We forgot to request that they sing Homer Happy Birthday...oops;). It was still a great time, we rarely get one-on-one time with the kids...together!

And the food was so so good:)

Let's Hug It Out t-shirt that Courts got Homer for his Birthday:)

we saw Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2

It was great and Homer (we all:) loved it:)

and now just a few random photos of the days following his birthday...where no photo would be complete without the massive Nerf Gun and/or Darth Vader Hoodie he got from Aunt Pigg:)

and now, if you're up for it, a longgggg and emotional - only for me;) - trip down memory lane...brought to you by my brillianttttt idea to start a blog...where I can spend hours in bed at night, reminiscing and crying and crying and reminiscing;)

Homer's Birthdays:

ONE - TWO - THREE - FOUR

a few things: apparently, we didn't get a 1YR photo in the chair! CRAP:( And honestly, with the 24MO thing - how embarrassing:/...eventually, I'm gonna photoshop that into 2YRS. First Time Mom crap;)