garden & home show 2012

Steve and Castlewood did not disappoint this year...his garden was amazing!  I am so proud of my hubby, he is so very talented.  It was great to get down there with my family to see the show and my brother Adam.  He is working for a company that also has a display garden.  Thanks to all of our friends too who came by, I know Steve was happy to see you all and we appreciate your support.

from the ground up....

almost there

ta-da!

Emerson loves to model....

Jason (Steve's partner) and Emmy

Where's Waldo?

snow day

Largest snow on record for the month of February....we had just about 2ft of white delightfulness at our home.  This means a snow day!  Steve started into work that morning and returned about a half hour later...roads were bad and he and the plow trucks were about the only ones out.  Snow day for us meant Steve plowing the driveway 2+ times, sledding in our yard, hot chocolate, a warm fire, movies and lots of snuggles from my littles.  No pics of the kids this time....it was snowing too hard when we were out to play...no place for a camera!  Steve snapped this on one of his many times plowing our driveway.....

my baby is 20 months

I can't believe that Wyatt is 20 months old now.  Wow.  He is one amazing kids that is for sure.  He is a mini Steve right now and I can't get enough.  He is so sweet, gentle (except with sissy), always wants loves and hugs.  He is talking more and more and it is sweet as can be to hear his squeaky little voice.  He is still a mini boy....tall, but skinny mini!  I thought boys were supposed to eat you out of house and home?  Not yet with Wyatt, but having grown up with 2 brothers myself I know that day will come!  Wy and Emmy play so well together, from the moment they get up until we read them both stories in Emmy's bed at night.  I love how they love each other (or should I say love/hate?).   He loves his cars and to push them around the house making truck sounds...vroooom!!!  He can tell you that a dinosaur says roar too.  I love his age right now....he is so perfect!!!  Oh and his curly hair, need I say more?!  This little guy has stolen my heart that is for sure!

At 20 months Wyatt can say:
mama
dada
sissy
nana
papa
uncle Brad (which really sounds like "Braa"
uncle Adam ("Aaaa)
book
car
truck
baba
milk
banana
shoes
sox
boots
uh-oh
no
yes
please
thank you
hi
bye
night-night
more
mine (haha...he surely is the youngest!)
"oh shoot"...papa taught him this one

Zoo

The kids and I headed to the zoo last week on a beautiful 50 degree January day.  We had so much fun wandering around, the kids were so good!  Emmy was bummed the carousel was not open, but other than that it was a perfect day.  So hard to get these two to stand still for a picture together....did what I could.  Wyatt is much easier to photograph right now...sissy is too fast and always on the move.

a little change...

I got a wild hair and decided it was time to change the color in the dining room...drab to fab!  We had the entire house painted when we moved in 8.5 years ago.  The dining room was painted what the main part of the house was....a nice warm yellow, but we were ready to have something a bit more fun.  Luckily Steve agreed, we tossed around the idea of doing a wainscoting below our chair rail, but since our home is a bit more "mountain rustic" I nixed that idea.  Rather we just painted the chair rail and below the cream of our kitchen cabinets and above the chair rail my favorite, silver sage (which the entire basement is done in as well as Wyatt's room).  I love how bright our dining room is now.....paint does wonders.

BEFORE

AFTER

Day

Emerson woke us up as usual on Christmas Day....she was so excited with anticipation.  We waited in our bedroom watching cartoons until Wyatt got up and then we all headed downstairs to see what Santa brought.  We were all very lucky this year, Emmy was mesmerized by it all.  She knew and told us that Santa came down our chimney, filled our stockings and left her and Wy some great toys by the tree.  They were thrilled to say the least.

That afternoon we hosted my family and Steve's family for dinner...16 adults and 3 monkeys.  It was a full house, but everyone had a seat at the table and the meal was fantastic.  I love Christmas!

Strawberry Shortcake dress....she would not take it off

CARS race track...my boy loves his  cars

meet Strawberry Shortcake

Buddy needed a backpack like Sissy....

Eve

Our Christmas Eve was wonderful....all the traditions were carried out which makes it even better - some new and some generations old.  Family brunch at our house, church, seafood dinner at my parents house, gifts and of course Santa stopped his sleigh later that night at our home.

Christmas is my favorite holiday, but now that we have kids it is all the better seeing the magic through their beautiful eyes.

Emerson's favorite gift of the night was a MP3 boom box from Uncle Brad....lots of great children's songs loaded on it.  But, Uncle B did not forget her favorites, "Pumped Up Kicks" and "Single Ladies"....hmm it is bad my 3 year old loves Foster the People and Beyonce?  Nope!

 Oh Emerson!  Your personality is amazing :)