Call me Martha

So, yesterday was a total Martha Stewart day for me filled with cooking, crafts, cleaning and building things. I am not the most domestic of wives but, the past 2 days in a row I have cooked dinner and that is a big deal...so, I decided to document yesterday.

My sweet brother and sister-in-law gave me this cool memory box for some of Kinley's special things and it has a foot imprint maker. So, we did crafts yesterday and molded Kinley's footprint for the box

So cute!

Then we put together her high chair for those soon to be baby food days :-)

Then we cooked Chicken Pot Pie for dinner which was eaten by me, Ben, Lauryn and Landon and I am told it was fantastic!

Like I said, just call me Martha!

Nick & Sam's grill

For the last 2 years since Bart graduated A&M and started working at JPMorgan Chase in Dallas we have had lunch every week or every other week. I never knew how special those lunches would be to me. We have grown really close during these last couple years. We have walked all over downtown Dallas during lunchtime, ate at many different places and talked about everything. We ate at Subway and La Madeleine in the E&Y building, many different places in the Plaza of Americas, a few times with Jessica at the Dallas Museum of Art, all over Uptown at Pei Wei, PD Johnson's, Which Wich, etc. We went to eat at St. John's cafe and he watched me practice singing at Dallas Baptist Church before his wedding. Sometimes we had other people come with us...sometimes just us. Either way, it has been a blast. Ever since Kinley has been born Bart has made the effort or coordinated the effort to see her every week...I know he has never gone more than 10 days without seeing her. It has been so much fun. And our weekly lunches have led us the last 4 months to Nick & Sam's grill everytime. Mom and Kinley and I go pick Bart up and we go Nick & Sams. We love Nick & Sams...we always sit outside...Bart always orders the special...we always make sure to get the sweet potato fries and it has bee a blast. Today was our last weekly lunch with Bart before he and Olivia move to Boston. It was a really special day because our whole family got to go. Mom, Dad, Me, Bart, Matt and Kinley. Bart, we have had so much fun with you and will miss these lunches so much. Have fun in Boston and find a good place for us to go to lunch when we come visit you. We love you!

Family Birthdays

Every month or so, everyone on my mom's side of the family get together to celebrate birthdays. It is such a fun tradition that we have done for many years now. This Sunday was July and August birthdays (so Amy, Matt, Me, and Pepa) and it was a rare occasion that we got EVERYONE together.

All the grandkids and great-grandkids
It was also Bart & Olivia's 1-year anniversary! Happy Anniversary! May you have many, many more happy years together!
I got this awesome coffee maker from mom & dad for my birthday and I think Ben was just as excited as I was.

Chris and Lisa got to join too!
Kinley LOVES Uncle Bart & Aunt Olvia and will be so sad when they move to Boston in a couple weeks :-(

The Howes

Saturday Night Fun

This Saturday night we had the rare occasion of having a bunch of our friends in town and got to let loose a little! Kinley had her friends in town to hang out too and it was a blast. Throughout the night we had 11 adults, 4 kids, and 3 dogs in our house...and I loved every minute!

Ben is an early Aggie! Gig Em!

Babies playing!

Sassy knows how adorable she looks in Kristen's glasses!

Aves is so sweet to Kinley

Babies are in bed and the adult fun begins.

Joe is in serious mode teaching us how to play landmines. Apparently Joe has never seen a worse player in the history of Landmines than Kris.

Chris and Lisa were in town from Oklahoma for the weekend. After 'Landmines' was 'Never Have I Ever' and then a great game of 'Celebrity.' Thanks so much to all for coming and hanging out. Come back anytime!

Alex Graduates!

Friday night Alex graduated from ACU! Congrats Alex! We are so excited we could be there. One funny story....Alex's favorite cake / dessert ever was the wedding cake from Ben and my wedding. It is white cake with rasberry filling from Creme de la Creme. So, Cheryl was being the greatest mother EVER and ordered him his favorite cake to celebrate graduating. After the ceremony we went out to eat at Lytle steakhouse with all the Harrison's and Alex's girlfriend, Mendy's family. Gary went to go get the cake and bring it to Lytle for dessert. A few minutes later Alex got a call. Ben could tell by Alex's face something had happened and said "He dropped the cake didn't he." and Alex nodded "Yes." We convinced Gary the cake was too good to leave on the sidewalk...so, he picked up the smashed box and brought it anyway...take a look at the cake and some pics from graduation below.

Gary got to hood Alex...so cute!

It was still delicious and we even took some home in a to-go box!

Late 20's

This past thursday was my 27th birthday. It was a pretty low-key day with a wonderful dinner with my husband and daughter and cake eating with family and good friends. We debated whether 27 was late or mid-twenties..and I think it is indeed late 20's...not sure how I feel about that. When we had to get 2 boxes of candles to get enough candles on my cake...that was pretty depressing. Below are some celebration pics. Thanks to all who wished me a happy birthday with calls, texts, facebook messages, etc. It is a blessing to have you all in my life!

Birthday cake from Kathy Halbert
Gorgeous flowers from Ben

Cute pic of Lauryn and Kinley

High Octave

Lately Kinley has found her high octave and tends to squeal constantly. It kinda sounds like a creepy door closing. She loves it and it is hilarious. Not sure if she is auditioning for a horror movie or just likes the sound of her own voice. Listen at your own risk and possibly turn the volume down.