cosmic charlie's 4th of july extravaganza :)

As per usual, we went to Charlie's for the annual 4th of July festivities! Charlie and Charlotte really know how to have a party (even during major home construction renovations!), and we always leave so happy, dirty, and exhausted. You can't ask for more than that, right?!

Emily and R3 resting up on Sadie's lap on the car-ride to Uncle Charlie's. :)

We started out with some fishing and swimming at "Lake Charles" in the afternoon.

Deee!

How cute is this picture?!

Note: There actually aren't pictures of dinner, which is a shame because there was the most awesome macaroni and cheese that forced (forced!) me to skip the line twice to get first and seconds before it was all gobbled away.

Setting up the big show! 

While the fireworks show was being set up, there were lanterns for everyone to light up and send off into the sunset. We did it for the first time last year, and the result was so engaging and beautiful that I think it became a new tradition!

Matt & Ioana | Sadie & Bob

Meggie brought her crew. :)

Sadie, as well as everyone, had a plethora of ant bites, which did not make her a happy camper. Poor thing! Socks are definitely a must next year... ;)

Boys on their cell phones. ;P

Yes, the fire department comes! (Better safe than sorry, right?)

And then, the fiyahwerks! R is on the official firing squad (with a t-shirt and everything!), which is a very elite group of selected boys that know how to be safe and awesome. As responsible as everyone is (and as lovely as the show turns out!) I'm still happy when it's over!

Big, warm, fuzzy special thanks to Charlie and Charlotte for having everyone over for another wonderful get-together. We're so lucky to have friends with the biggest hearts and most generous spirits. Hope everyone else had a lovely holiday. We're already looking forward to next year!

hi, blog! long time no see!

Hi, Blog! I know I haven't been around lately for a while, but I've missed you! We've been up to some awesome things the past few weeks, which include (but are not limited to):

- having CJ and Jim over for burgers

- starting ballet again!

- spending Christmas money like a BOSS (I'm so good at Retail Therapy)

- watching four shows on one glorious Saturday with my sweet man (1, 2, 3, 4!)

- inheriting a fishing boat from Charlie!

- getting some sweet recognition at work

- learning how to take awesome pictures on my camera (annnd failing? getting frustrated? snipping at Richard?)

- seeing my mommy for a teeth cleaning and eating lunch with her beforehand :)

- buying a new cookbook to try

- having our carpets cleaned!

- catching fish with Emily

- getting a shellac manicure and painting the girls' nails for KyScouts

- buying one of my favorite childhood movies for the kittens, because they love it now, too :)

And, to top it all off, I was approached by two casting agents for Dove's shampoo line while I was at the mall yesterday. Turns out I'm too young for the commercial they were casting for (you had to be over 30), but they said they ran over to see me and needless to say that made my whole day!

I'm doing well at so many things I want to accomplish. I'm trying to not be hard on myself for things I'm not accomplishing just yet.

Richard and I have a backed-up queue of sooo many shows/movies we want to watch, and last night I realized the main reason we don't get through the queue so fast is because we have too much fun talking to each other. What a problem! ;) I always hear stories of friends blowing through 5 seasons of a show or having movie marathons, and I think "That would be so much fun for R and I to do! Let's queue up X, Y, and Z!" But by the time I get home from work, eat dinner, take a shower, and tidy up around the house it's 9 o'clock and R and I are still having fun talking about things! Then we throw in all of our activities with ourselves and the kittens into the mix, and I just have to laugh at how something as easy as watching a movie takes forever. (It took us two days--Wednesday then the following Monday!--to watch "I Love You, Man," hahahahahaha.)

I got a glitter shellac manicure, and I feel like I'm 5 and just had my grandmother paint my nails. :)

R makes me laugh so much.

Ulyana Sergeenko's new collection debuted this week, and I'm SO EXCITED. 

Morgan from "The Mindy Project" makes me laugh so much, I'm kinda embarrassed.

I told Sadie how I felt kinda blah with my hair in a bun and wearing one of R's sweatshirts, and she took my hand and said in most concerned, supportive tone, "But you're always so pretty!"

I'm having a good time. :)

let's do this.

Ugh, I still feel relatively sinus-y, achey, and prone to complaining, so let's focus on the delightful things! :)

- The littles and Mr. Man had a great time at Charlie's this weekend. (Pictures below!)

- I made a super veggie soup (daikon! bok choy! collards! leeks! etc!), drank lots of tea, and then followed it with Cheetos and Snickers ice-cream, because I'm AWESOME.

- Had a nice little catch-up/more Cheetos time with my handsome man after the kids went to bed on Saturday.
- We had a great week of sales at work.
- My sweet man texted me when I was work, making me feel loved and pretty.
- I took this detox bath. (40 minutes is sooo hard! I felt my heart pumping the entire time, and I took breathers outside the tub every so often, and my whole body was red foreverrr afterwards!)
- Sadie's tummy. Oh my goodness, I used to be obsessed with her sweet little heiney, but now I moved to tummy time.
- Sadie laying in R3's lap on the way home from the grocery store Friday. Ughhhh.
- My mom started her cruise today, and one of the last things she texted me while she had service was that she got the girls feather boas. Ky Scouts uniform?!
- I saw an old man at the grocery store wearing Converse, and I fell in love.
- Finally remember to charge my iPod. Woo!

(While I didn't go to Charlie's, Richard knows I love a good cell-phone picture of anything. Thanks, sweetie! You are the best best best!)

All the littles got into some fishing, because they are their Daddy's babes. :)

(Look at Sadie with her ballerina bun holding a fishing reel... o.m.g.) 

 LOOK AT THE TUMMY. OMG.

 This beautiful girl! Ugh, I'm planning on sending her to the Hilary School of Heartbreakers.

R3 helped Charlie make a bonfire (nice!) 

Roasting hot dogs in a mini-bonfire. I wouldn't be surprised if this was candid or posed to the last detail.

I love using my blog as a space to remember the positives, because if I was living in a vacuum I would do nothing but continually bitch about how tired and cranky I am, and how justified it is!, all the time. But when I take a step back, I remember just how blessed and fulfilling my life truly is at this point. I have a sweet, amazing, handsome man who loves me dearly and is super sweet to me (Ugh, I appreciate and adore you so hard, Richard), step-kittens who are adorable and vivacious and more of their Daddy to love and who challenge me to be better, a job that appreciates me, and friends who are so sweet and supportive and hilarious whenever I get a chance to catch-up (and/or stalk online). La-di-da! That's worth blogging aboot!

So now, I'm going to drink some wine, find something on Netflix, and listen to Richard and Matt be precious and boyish watching the Cowboys game in the other room. (OMG, R just offered Matt popcorn, and I could just die because boys are so adorable when they are hospitable to one another.) :)