playing catch up

it has been quite a busy week lately, and i just cannot seem to catch up....between volunteer things, meetings, usual weekly activities, school open house and helping a friend in need...the week just flew by. forget down time over the weekend to bring a little calm...it was more full than my week days! we had nathan's work volunteer event, the 8th annual down syndrome walk first thing sat morning. what a beautiful cause that we were very proud to support and share in. from there, i left the kiddos with daddy and went straight to volunteer at weetrade and from that event, i had just enough time to run a few brief errands, go home and quickly freshen up, dress four people, & go onto Alyse's 2nd birthday party. sunday was way more of the same..church, volunteer, errands and party at the beach. we do have one blessed life, but i am ready for my feet to slow down long enough for my brain to catch up. here are a few quick shots i was able to capture this week.....

olivia's says bottles are for babies, onto sippy cups!

jackson and emsley watching a movie together after a fun morning of play

tooth be told

well, miss o is trying to give mommy a breakdown! too much change in one week....first pushing up onto all fours and now cutting her first tooth! i want to freeze time. if you look very closely, the bottom left tooth made its way through, sometime between yesterday and today...i took this pic last night and it was almost out, sort of felt it, but today...it IS out. it still looks the same, but man can she already chomp your fingers now!! i forgot how sharp little toofers are when they are that "new". i am happy for her, in the midst of the change (and big sighs) because she seems to be in much less pain now that it popped out....she was so very pitiful in the beginning of the week....oh littlemama, how much you have grown and changed, can we slow it down just for a little bit longer, mama needs to catch her breath!

rock n' roll

olivia has now figured out the rocking thing...i caught her yesterday morning in her crib on all fours and then in the afternoon, this is how i found her again. so it will not be too long that we will have a full-fledged mover on our hands. it is exciting to see her get so proud of herself and sad at the same time because she is growing sooo fast.

olivia about to crawl- 8mos, 1 weeks

small changes

so, as most everyone is experiencing a money crunch, we are too.....making it hard to get all the ideas i have for our house done. we had to get a new computer, which lead me to my newest idea. i wanted to make an area in the kitchen more like a workstation rather than a junk catching corner (or at least make the junk look prettier and more organized, in true nicole fashion). in deciding on making the changes, i came across my inspiration...in the latest pottery barn catalog (no shocker there)...see below. we do not have the room or the need for as many shelves, so i tweaked it to fit our space. It is still a work in progress, but i already love the look and how it feels more "together".....more updates to come...please let me know any ideas or thoughts

pottery barn concept

our result....chair to be replaced or changed

fun with friends

we were lucky enough this past weekend to share time with our wonderful friends, the muchachos...better known by jackson as chachi and sausie!! maren and i have been trying to set a date that was good for all since both of us had the babies and we finally set it saturday. it may have been a long time in the making, but so worth it!! nathan and i always say after a visit with them, that we wish we lived closer together. but hey, we'll take orlando over charlotte (wink!). we had a wonderfully relaxing day catching up and watching our children play together....its so funny to say and even funnier to see because maren and i met a while ago in a very different time (ahem, college) and never envisioned then that we would all be here like this.....i think we hoped for it, but you don't think kids and hubbies in college, haha. we are lucky to have friends like them and hope to share many more happy times together, that is more before the wedding...hehe, olivia and liam's that is!!!!

olivia and liam..sharing a moment

mommas and babies..me with liam and maren with miss O, and jman

olivia sharing new toys with william

nathan getting some time with william...funny to see him with a boy baby again

shawn getting a "few" smiles from miss O....and giving him the girl baby bug (watch out maren, round two)!!

liam chatting it up to his new fav toy... soft book

Go Noles!!

our little nole babies gearing up for the game....scalp-em seminoles!!  future FSU grads

lovin' labor day

we had a nice, relaxing labor day weekend this year full of fun and family time galore.  on saturday we were invited to the Vogt's beach house....and i must say, it was the best time that we have had in quite some time.  a little over-due, well alot overdue, but with both of our crazy lives this year its been hard to do much fun.  thank you alli, marlen and kiddos for a great time....we are so happy to have shared the day.  sunday was fall cleaning in the house, yah...labor on labor day weekend, but nathan and i managed to get some relaxation at a nice, adult only dinner out! finally monday..more family fun with just us followed up with some FSU FOOTBALL...go noles.

this is what happens when miss. o skips both naps and parties on the beach!

enjoying some beautiful weather

buddies....tripp, addy, jackson and olivia

olivia getting a taste of watermelon.....good for the gums and so yummy

sand movers

marlen giving miss o some chuckles

nighty night

every night, after baths, jackson picks out his book for daddy to read.  i just love this time of the day...sneaking around the corner and seeing all three of my loves sharing such a sweet moment together.  jackson is too cute, and is the first to remind us that sissy love needs to be with them.  the newest change in this routine, though, is that once daddy finishes reading, jackson says it is his turn and wants to read to them....funny thing is, he does read it back to them, sort of.  soooo cute

sitting pretty

little mama- 7 1/2 months....sporting the bowhead!!!