10 (really 11) years!!

My classes this semester are tough and my motivation is waning (4 full years of grad school with one semester off to give birth is rough!) so, I'm way behind in blogging but certainly don't want to forget these awesome events, so late is better than never!!

So, in October, I was able to meet up with my closest college friends along with husbands and kids at William and Mary for our 10 year reunion!!  It was WONDERFUL.  Such an amazing thing that we pulled it off!  We were able to get a timeshare a few minutes from campus and stay in the same building (baby monitors reached far enough for us to all hang out together each night-it really was ideal!)  Considering we all came from Richmond, VA Beach, Baltimore, Boston, and Nashville and have 9 kids 5 and under between us, it really was amazing that this happened! So thankful to have these women still in my life!

Turning 30 did something to all of us-5 of the 6 of us had babies last year!!!! Maggie, Joe, Henry, Elsa, and Sadie!!

CHEEEEEEESE SHOPPE!!!!!!!!!!! I think most of us were excited to see each other first, and to eat Cheese Shoppe second.  YUMMMM.  My order from college was still as tasty-turkey with havarti on french with sprouts and house (dressing) :-)

Jennifer and Jeremy teaching Henry young :-)

Annie, Jennifer, me, Kathy, Libby, Meredith. 

All the girls!!!  Most of us were roommates at some point, we all did Bible Study together and I still talk to some of these girls every week! Amazing Friends.

The big kids had fun too :-)

I took Ella to see my old Mailbox.  I mentioned that I still use my mailbox # as my password for almost everything and Kathy said she does too!  See how much we love W&M?  We're weirdly linked to it still :-)

Those are my feet-and yes, I actually graduated 11 years ago but I started with all these girls in 1997 I just accidentally graduated a year early (stupid AP classes in high school hijacked my college career).

Ella decided on this trip she likes getting her picture taken!  Wahoo!!  I've waited 6 years for this.  Well, not this face exactly but looking at the camera is a huge step forward :-)

Thomas, Will, and Ella.  Will and Ella are exactly a month apart in age.

I feel like we look like a stroller commercial here ;-)

Sadie LOVES holding hands with other kids. Maggie's not so sure.

I told Ella this is old-school time out.

 

Family Pic Fail

Sure do love this girl.

I pretended to be taking a picture of the tree to snap this pic of the colonial dude on his cell phone.  Cracked me up!

Ella actually took this pic!

It was a WONDERFUL trip and we all vowed it will not be another ten years til we all get together again!

I'm no artist...

I was trying to cut and then paint Ella's nails and she kept jerking away and even started crying at one point saying I hurt her. Then...
Me: Ella do you know what toenails are? They're dead. Like your hair. You being scared of me cutting your nails is like going to a hair salon and crying when they cut your hair. You wouldn't do that because it doesn't hurt!!
Ella: but no mom. It's different.
Me: no it's the same
Ella: no but they are different...they do it all the time, they're like....artists mom. They're talented. They know what they're doing. So it doesn't hurt.

What???

I acted all offended and assured her that I'm no toenail artist but after 32 years of life, I know how to cut them.
Where does she come up with this stuff???!!

Stealth Decorating

 Every year Chris has a week long work trip to Florida. So, anticipating that he'd be away, and that it would coincide with his birthday, I cooked up a plan.  What if, I made over his office while he was away?  Chris works from home about 85% of the time and his office has been a sad mish mash of what used to be a playroom before Sadie's arrival last year.  I always felt bad that his work space wasn't ideal but he never complained so we never did anything about it.  Until now!  I did some planning and stealth shopping before he left and then pulled off the re-do in the 6 days he was gone!  He had NO idea and we're both very pleased with the result :-)

 Before

The mint green walls were "fun" when it was filled with toys but not so fun anymore

Notice the left over kid art on the wall from when it was a playroom?

 and drum roll........

After!

This was right after the "reveal."  He was so shocked and happy!

So glad Daddy's home!

Nostalgia wins

 I have very fond memories of going to a local pick your own farm with my dad for many, many years growing up.  So, when Chris and I realized our weekends are packed this fall and there wasn't going to be a time to take the girls this week we decided we'd throw legalism to the wayside (who wants that anyway?) and skip church to go :-)  We got there when it opened and had a great time.  We got pumpkins, apples, took a hayride, Ella mastered the Hay Maze, and the hot apple fritters were amazing. There's defintitely something to be said for enjoying God and family in the sanctuary He created once in a while rather than in a more formal one :-)

Preparing to rock the Hay Maze

It cracks me up that Chris was FEET taller than the maze!

Chillin at the Barn

My Peeps!

Not so sure about Hay

Turtles and Wings

Ella has been hilarious lately!  She's also been really well behaved, affectionate, and wanting lots of time with me since kindergarten started.  So far so good with how school is affecting her-hope that lasts!

Some recent conversations...

Me: (telling a story)...and one named Beau...
Ella: I know a Beau at school! He's Brianna's brother. Her turtle twin.
Me: her what??
Ella: Turtle twin. You know mom, when a boy and girl are twins. TUR-TLE twins.

Me:...wait...fraternal twins?? (laughing once I realized what she meant)

Ella:Noctural twins? Like they can see in the dark?

Me: (CRACKING UP) No! FRA-TERNAL! And Nocturnal means they stay up all night not that they can see in the dark!!

Ella: Fraternal? 

Me: Yes.

Ella: I like turtle twins better.

Me: Me too.

And today...

We were talking about going to heaven and how we'll have new bodies

Ella: what will they be like?

Me: I don't know.  The Bible just says they'll be new and we won't get old or sick or die but I don't know what they'll look like.

Ella: Ooo maybe we'll get to pick whatever we've always wanted and God will just make us into it!

Me: Maybe! That would be cool.  What would you pick?

Ella (without pausing for a second): Asian with wings.

Me: What?

Ella: I'd be asian and I'd have wings, like an angel.

WHERE DO THESE THINGS COME FROM??? I love that girl and she makes me laugh A LOT. Especially because she's not trying to be cute or funny, she's 100% sincere and innocent when she's this hilarious.  Loving this "almost 6" age :-)