2013: A Look Back at a Whirlwind of a Year!

I just found this as a draft! Not sure which pictures I was waiting to add but here it is - published with disregard to whatever I was waiting on 6 months ago! :) 

New Orleans!
We kicked off the new year flying home from one of my favorite weddings and family trips of all time - Andrea and Rogan's NYE wedding! I turned 36 weeks pregnant the following day...the cut-off for travel ;)

Walker was born
Our biggest Baby #2 blessing was born on 2/1 weighing 9 lbs 3 oz. This delivery and hospital stay was picture perfect - I loved every second and wish I could go back for just a moment in time! I can't imagine any different personality fitting so well with our family. He's our cuddly, lovable easy-going little dude.

How can such a big baby still be so little?!

I can't stop adding photos here! I miss this time so much!

Walker was Baptized
I have said it before, but we feel so blessed to have so much family that loves our family so deeply. Andrea and Rogan came into town to stand beside us and become Walker's Godparents and many other family members joined us on that day.

Destin
I'm so nostalgic looking through the photos! I can't even pick just one to put here. We really want to make this an annual tradition but probably need to pass this year with all of the expenses of a big move. I really, really can't wait to go back though!

 

Shelby went to a new home
2013 wasn't all wonderful. I still get so sad when I think about Shelby. She was my #1 girl. We decided that it would be in everyone's best interest, including her own, if she went to live in a kid-free home. The first time she bit Grayson, since it didn't break the skin, I convinced myself it was an accident and that she wasn't dangerous. I mean she was my little 10 lb lover! How could she be?! But the second time, when she bit Grayson on the face, I knew it was time. Things weren't getting any better: she would shake when the kids would get near, she couldn't relax to sleep all day, which is all she wanted to do, she just had so much anxiety with them around. She went to live with a sweet retired woman who was a recent widow AND had lost her beloved dog soon after she lost her husband. What heartache all at once. Her adult daughter told me that Shelby gave her a reason to be happy and go on with her life again. How could I feel like this was anything but meant to be? I miss my Shelby Girl though!

She would find the furthest and/or highest point from Grayson so that he couldn't get to her.

I loved the way she slept with me! I still miss her burrowing under the covers.

Oh, these pictures make me miss her so much!

My Birthday with the girls
Beau sent me down to Hotel Zaza in Dallas with my Mama friends the weekend of my birthday and we had so much fun! A day by the pool, then dinner and drinks. Too many drinks. There is a reason a birthday only comes once a year! We did a post-mortem on the weekend and decided that going forward, a day by the pool should only end with room service and a movie. That's more our speed these days! :) Thank you Honey for such a treat! And the bottle service. Too much bottle service...

Grayson turned 3
My sweet Grayson turned the big 3! And I wish I could freeze frame time and capture every single change and thing he has said. He is a chatterbox these days with an impressive imagination to boot. We celebrated this Birthday with just a few friends at Chuck E. Cheese. My first outside of the home and to order 100% online. In 15 minutes. What a treat! Especially because....

A case of the Staph
We weren't even sure if we'd be able to do a party because around this time (mid-June)

We sold our house!
Our first home will always have a special place in our hearts! But what a time to sell! This house was under contract with multiple offers within 24 hours. It's a hot market, people! We sold this home for an amount that no one believed could be possible! Our neighbors, realtor, everyone was blown away. The neighborhood was selling at a consistent $103/sq ft and we sold for $124/sq ft. (someday we will all wish we could get back to these prices!) But it was SO worth it with the updated kitchen, huge backyard and surround sound among so much else. It was where we brought our babies home and we will always, always miss this house! :)

We moved in with my parents
They made this 12 weeks (was only supposed to be 6) the easiest time for us! We alternated between their home and the Marriott in the Shops at Legacy while our new house was being built. And delayed. And built. And delayed. :) It felt like a really long time. Everyone involved was a trooper - my parents with the unexpected delays, Beau, Grayson, everyone! We finally closed on our new house on December 6, 2013 after a 5 day ice storm across the metroplex. It was unbelievable! But my parents' house with them and Beau and the kids is the ONLY place I'd want to be cuddled up. Homemade cookies, scones, hot cocoa, stew, you name it! It was a lot of fun :)

Girls' Canton Trip
This was a much-needed trip with many other mamas from MOPS. We shopped all day and then curled up in our PJs at a lake house that belongs to the family of one of the girls. This is an annual tradition that I was fortunate enough to be part of and I look forward to the first-annual Spring trip in a couple of weeks! :)

Top L to R: Meghan, Kim, me, Shannon, Megan
Lower L to R: Sarah, Shannon, Jen, Ashley, Aimee

Dinner at the quirkiest little "winery" in all of Canton. ;)

Wine and good convo out on the deck!

We stayed up til 4am! That's HARD to do being a 30-ish Mom! 

Views like this continue to be retirement inspiration for Beau and me!

Grayson's very first soccer season!

What a milestone! It was his very first organized sports team and he had a ball! Lots to learn but he and the other 3 year olds did a great job with it all! This year, we are on a new team that is closer to our new neighborhood. We did this with the hope of him playing with more kids that he may go to elementary school with so he'll have some friends when it's time to make that big step! That happens in about 18 months - yikes! :(

Grayson receiving his Participation Trophy from Coach Casey. ;)

New House

I have talked about this so much on this blog but woo hoo, a very exciting time for our little family. We moved into a new, fun house that we have really enjoyed so far. I'll update with more pictures of us settling in when I have them.