Excuses vs REASONS

So I can throw out a number of cards here to make my disturbingly long absence seem like less of my fault.. or at least help to ease the pain of having dropped the ball so terribly!  From the relaunch of baileysblossoms.com to the renovations on our home, our furniture arriving, school starting, holidays raining in without proper warning, countless family visits, and (GASP!) another baby on the way!, I've kind of let my photo organization, and therefore blogging, completely slide!  I made some wonderful New Years Resolutions to help get back on track, but who knew January and February would speed by faster than I could catch my breath?!  New Years resolutions still count if started in March right?  *Feel free to say yes.  You're SO sweet! :D

Well, with little Marshall Scott arriving in just over 8 weeks now, I figure I have 8 weeks to get everything back in line before I lose my mind.  Again.  That's doable right?  So, without further adieu, it's time to rehash the past a bit in order to keep future teenage conversations of, "See, you DO love _____ more, because you ALWAYS blogged about their _____'s!", at a minimum..

AUGUST.  It came.  It went.  We were in an empty house.  And it was HOT!  But alas, in between the bubble blowing, water gun fights, eating on camp chairs and family sleepovers on the floor, the older kids started school, I relaunched my site, and we had TWO birthdays to celebrate!  Our sweet Handsome H turned the big 6, and my handsome hubby forgot how old he was..  The true mark of age ;)

Just because we were living on borrowed camp chairs and a coveted lazy boy doesn't mean we skimped either!  Breakfast in a box-bed can be quite an adventure too!  By the time we brought it up to him (at 6:45am!), he was already dressed and ready for the day.  Aka - just a smidgen excited ;)

We started the day off with some high flying fun..

Then headed on over to Chik-Fil-A for lunch out with mom,

AND dad!  (A first time daddy-showing which made a few siblings rather jealous might I add!)

 

The kids and I brainstormed long and hard over what to give this sweet boy this year.  He is a MAJOR hoarder, I mean collector, finding value in all sorts of garbage treasure!  In order to cut down on the empty bottles, scraps of paper, and the like, we gave him some healthy alternatives:  Exibit A - KEYS!  They're SO cool and he was ecstatic!

Exibit B - Seashells.  Because I miss Brazil terribly! :(

He also got rocks & coins from grandparents. :)  We switched it  up a bit with what has become the boys' all time favorite movie: The 3 Ninjas,

and some legit water guns that made the girls a tad jealous, and VERY wet! 

Last but not least was a treasure box to sort all of his goodies :)

Have you ever seen a more happy and handsome kid?!  I mean really..

But the icing on the cake is definitely having cousins 15minutes down the road!  Cupcakes anyone?

All in all it was a great day!  This sweet boy has blessed our lives more than I can say.  He has a heart of gold and is growing up so fast.. it's truly amazing to watch him become quite the little man! :)

Speaking of men, my main man celebrated his big day too!  By that time I had gotten my Silhouette Cameo and was able to try it out to make a quick banner..  

But as cool as my banner was, the surprise grill definitely outshone it!  ..And the awesomely massive steaks to go on it.. ;)  Looks like we are officially Texans now!

Happy (belated) birthday to my two handsome men!.. even if this is a bit late getting up, the intention to do so was always there.  It's the thought that counts right??..

And last but not least in the August brigade was the first day of school!  Orientation was quite the ordeal with the entry ways to the elementary lined with perky teens in all their cheer-leading glory.  Miss B was in awe.  Handsome H was in love.  I thought of the future, and was thoroughly terrified.

Once again we have been blessed to get two AMAZING teachers!  Miss B entered 2nd and Handsome H started 1st grade.. I cried.  A LOT.

Thanks to my handy Cameo, teacher gifts for the 1st day were a breeze!  And addictively fun! :)

Then the beasts starting showing up.  Pallets of product for my Bailey's Blossoms site relaunch.  My neighbors congratulated me on our furniture arriving.  I sheepishly admitted that it wasn't the furniture, and that I have severe shopaholic tendencies..

This was about when I started to really lose my mind..  Like wearing two different earrings all day (hair up!) and not noticing until your 4yr old points it out to you kind of crazy.  Yeah.  Good times.

Grandparents came to visit and we took them to their first baseball game!  On the way there, they asked what baseball was.  I then realized that I am a pitiful American parent.  The horror!

Baby C won the heart of Grandma.  Again. :)

And just in case that isn't enough to squeeze into 31 days, we whipped up this "responsibility rock" jar for the kiddos to earn their very own PUPPY!  I mentioned that I have certifiably lost my mind right?