Favorite Moments of 2014

2014 has been such a memorable year!!! Let's recap, shall we?

How I rang in 2014!

Without a doubt, my greatest moment of 2014, was becoming a mama! I had waited and prayed for 30 long years, but God's timing is perfect -- we have been given the most perfect little girl. She is my sunshine, my reason for being and the light of my life. With her, my life finally feels complete.

Four days old <3

We celebrated our sweet Gracie - with her baby shower on March 8 and her christening on July 10. Both days were filled with love and joy!

I celebrated a big birthday - turning 3-0 on January 8 :) We had a nice quiet celebration since I was six months pregnant, but it was perfect.

We took two separate trips to South Carolina:

In January, we went for our babymoon and stayed in Charleston. We had an awesome, relaxing weekend shopping, sightseeing and eating tons of yummy Southern food!

In November, we took our first family vacation to Hilton Head Island, SC. Gracie was the perfect little traveler and we had such a great time relaxing and enjoying precious family time.

In July, I went back to work at TrashLand, but quickly realized that it was not the right job for me anymore. I needed something that offered more flexibility now that I have a family. I started a new job on November 2, and it has been the perfect fit for our family. Less hours and more time with my Gracie is a win-win.

We FINALLY made the decision to stay in our home. We had it on the market twice this year, and had over 30 showings and only one lousy offer. Sometimes it's hard to trust that God is making the right choices for us (ha!) but we went with it. We took it off the market, and started doing some improvements around the house, and now it really feels like HOME. And I can't ever imagine leaving!

We celebrated Gracie's first holidays! I am really loving holidays even more now that I have a child of my own. She was too young this year to really understand, but I know as she grows, holidays will only get to be more fun!!

Upcoming in 2015: Besides the usual eat-better-work-out-more-blah-blah, I really just want to focus on being present, and living in the moment. Seeing how fast Gracie has grown in just 7 short months, I know how much faster it will go as she gets bigger. And I don't want to miss anything. So, really, I just want to appreciate the small things. Because after all, the little moments are usually the best. 

Happy New Year!!

Our Christmas

I am loving seeing the Christmas recaps all over Blogland today! It looks like Santa was good to pretty much everyone :) 

Our new living room was completed *just* in time for Christmas!! Tuesday the carpet went in, and Tuesday night Keith and I moved the couch and the Christmas tree into the room. We didn't do gifts this year, and instead decided that this new room was our gift to each other. And honestly, after not having a living room on our main floor for 16 months .... this was one of the best presents ever!

Christmas Eve- Eve

Christmas Eve my mother-in-law, Keith's stepfather and his brother and sister came over for dinner. His brother brought his girlfriend, and his sister's college friend came as well. We had a full house! We made lasagna and stuffed shells for dinner - and drank lots of wine! We had cheesecake and oreo balls for dessert along with a mini hot chocolate bar.

With her Auntie Meghan and Uncle Billy

Mid-present opening! Can you spot Gunner?

Loving her new picnic basket!

The whole family

I love my people <3

Santa came!!!

Christmas morning we slept in, after being up a little too late and drinking one too many cocktails :) Enjoying the couple years before we have to get up at 6am to open presents :) 

Keith's father and stepmother came over at 10am to open presents and have breakfast.

My two loves checking out all the presents

That grin :)

Her new doll from her Gram

I think she loves shoes like her mama

Day two of opening gifts

Playing with her Daddy

Merry Christmas Y'all!

This is her new "face" -- little Miss Sass, she gets her attitude from her mama!

I know that she has no idea what Christmas is or what presents are, but she certainly had a blast! She loved the tissue paper and all the boxes her toys came in :) She's just now getting to be at an age where she loves to play with toys, so Christmas was perfect timing for her!

This was the first year that we didn't travel at all for Christmas. Normally we split our time and drive all over creation to see everyone and it's not very relaxing for us; so this year we decided to just stay home. We had 4 1/2 glorious days off, with nowhere to be! It was truly relaxing and enjoyable, filled with lots of snuggles and playing and staying in our pjs all day long. 

I hope that your Christmas was as wonderful and magical as ours!!

sick of being sick + a photo dump

I realize that I have been completely and totally MIA these past two weeks. The stomach bug made it's way through our house ... then Gracie got a bad cold ...and then an ear infection. Then just as we were starting to feel better, I got hit with a nasty head cold! Ugh 'tis the season!!!

I had big blog plans for the month of December, but clearly those aren't happening! I will be back to a regular blogging schedule after the 1st of the year!

So instead ... here's a photo dump ... enjoy :)

Easiest holiday appetizer!

Happy week of Christmas! I'm so excited that Christmas is in FOUR days! I'm looking forward to all the baking and cooking and eating and drinking haha!

Today I want to share a quick, super easy, three ingredient appetizer! If you need an app to have on hand this week or to bring with you on Christmas Day, look no further :) 

Recipe from Tablespoon.com

Sweet, cheesy deliciousness

All you need is puff pastry dough (from the freezer section of your grocery store); 1/2 lb of Brie cheese and 1 cup of cranberry sauce:

• Lay out dough and cut into 3x3 inch squares, and press into a muffin tin.
• 
  
• Cube the cheese and place one cube in each square.
• 
  
• Top with a dollop of cranberry sauce.
• 
  
• Bake for ten minutes in a 400 degree oven.
• 
  
• Serve warm

I made this today when my in-laws came over, and it was so yummy that I plan on making it again on Christmas Eve, it was a huge hit!

What's your go-to recipe?

Friday

I never thought Friday would come, this has been such a long week!!

1. We seem to be on the tail end of our sicknesses - thank The Lord - and I plan to spend a good chunk of time tomorrow cleaning and sanitizing our house. I want these germs out! Clorox wipes for the win. 

2. Our living room remodel is so close to being done and I can't wait! I hate living in a construction zone, and since we can't really organized our main floor until that room is done, the past few weeks have been torture for me. Tonight we are choosing carpet which (fingers crossed) will be installed before Christmas!

I'm loving this living room from I Heart Organizing:

3. Anyone else still need to wrap presents? I pulled everything out the other night, but still have not wrapped a single thing! The underneath of our tree is looking very sad :(

4. I started thinking about New Years resolutions this week. I don't normally make them, because who really follows through? But I love the idea of a fresh clean slate!

5. What's a Friday post without Gracie??

She has so many Christmas related outfits, she's been wearing one a day this whole week :)

I hope y'all have a wonderful weekend!!