Birthday Boys!

Van and Eli turned 2 Sunday.  I can't believe how quickly the past year has gone.  They are no longer little babies. :(  They are little boys and it blows my mind.  We didn't have a huge party since the boys still don't totally get the whole birthday thing.  I am sure there will be plenty of those in years to come.  We decided to make visiting Santa a yearly tradition on their birthday.  Last year they didn't have a clue what was going on.  This year was a different story...

Waiting patiently in line...

and then it came time to sit on Santa's lap...

Terrible I tell you!

We also did some driving around to look at Christmas lights.  This house is insane right?!  They have the lights choreographed with Christmas music you tune into on the radio...crazy!!!  So cool!

In other news the boys helped me do a little Target shopping last week.  I have to admit they did really well!  This time the wrapping paper did the trick.
Have to have something to keep their interest.  :)

I will leave y'all with a few more pics of the birthday boys...

Van with his new Mr. Potato Head and Eli pointing to all the "balls" on the tree

Eli gets a turn with Mr. Potato Head

Van checking out his birthday bag

Eli loves his "Santa box" from Grandma and Grandaddy

He thinks it's a suitcase or purse because he kept heading for the door and saying "Bye!"

~Sarah Marie~

Merry Christmas to Us

Adam and I received a wonderful Christmas gift already.  Our gift from Grammy and Poppy Vicars this year was a weekend away at Biltmore.  Now, for those of you who don't know, Biltmore is a wonderful place to get away.  I had no idea!  We stayed right on the property at The Inn on Biltmore Estate.  We ate some of the best food I've ever had.  The first night we had dinner in the Dining Room at the Inn.  Saturday night we ate at Bistro at the Winery.  Both meals were fabulous and I had steak both nights which is very uncharacteristic for me.  It is nice that everything is on the property so we didn't have to worry about driving.  The only time we ventured out was to check out the shopping at Biltmore Village.  We had yet another fabulous meal for lunch at The Corner Kitchen.  Of course we toured the actual house, which is insane even if you've been before.  Blows my mind!  Even though we only live an hour away, I had no idea all this was in Asheville.  There is so much to do at Biltmore.  Needless to say Adam and I had a wonderful time.  It was just what we needed...a little time away with no schedule to eat, drink, and RELAX in a beautiful place.  Everything was perfect!  It was better than I ever imagined.
So if you're looking for a relaxing getaway, I would highly suggest The Inn on Biltmore Estate.
One of the best trips ever!

Here are some highlights (when I remembered to take pics) ;)...

 Dinner at the Inn
Dining Room at the Inn

View at breakfast

This picture doesn't do it justice, but this fireplace is beautiful!

I wanted to bring this lion home for the boys.

What a fabulous weekend!  

We didn't want to come home but of course we missed the boys.

Everyone needs some time away to recharge.

Merry early Christmas everyone!

~Sarah Marie~

Thanksgiving and Right on to Christmas

I need to back track a little and share some Thanksgiving highlights.  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving in Kingsport, TN with Grammy and Poppy Vicars.

Over the River and Through the Woods...

We had a beautiful drive in the snow up to Grammy and Poppy's.  

My parents even came up last minute on Thanksgiving.
Needless to say the boys were happy to have all their grandparents to love on them.  :)

The Chef
Thanksgiving wouldn't happen without Grammy.

Watching Poppy carve the bird

The boys didn't last long at the table.

Our attempt at a family pic...not happening!

Grammy and Poppy pulled out some of Adam's old toys.  

I was shocked because they are still in perfect condition!

Check out that trike.

Eli loves pulling the wagon 

Van's toy of choice is the broom of course.

And yes, he has a one-eyed owl hat...oops.

We headed back to Greenville Friday and spent the rest of the weekend decorating our house for Christmas.  Whew, what a job!  We still have to complete the outside of the house but the inside is finished.  Nothing I love more than relaxing by tree in the stillness of the evening.

I put Adam to work hanging the lights.  

By the way Costco has great deals on real Christmas trees. 

The boys had to inspect Daddy's work.

 

Yes, they are sniffing the tree.  Why not?  

The smell of a real tree is amazing!

  

All this decorating wore the boys out.  

That's about how I felt by Sunday...laid up on the floor.

I tried something different on the mantel this year.  I wanted a more natural look, 

so I used a real garland this year...again, from Costco.  Who knew?  

~Sarah Marie~

Christmas Shopping?

Hey guys!  Sorry it's been awhile since I've posted. Of course I couldn't pass up an opportunity to talk about my favorite hobby on the biggest shopping week of the year!  I must be honest though I've been feeling a little overwhelmed about Christmas this year.  I blame all the constant, in your face advertising.  Everywhere you turn it's buy this, sale here, sale there, you must shop shop shop, do do do!  I swear there must be something subliminally in those ads that makes your heart beat a little faster and start to sweat a bit.  Anyway, I'm fed up with it even though I am a shopaholic.  I think we all need to take a step back, breathe, and remember what it is all about.  I am mainly speaking to myself, ha ha.  It's very easy to go overboard.  Why?  We spend time, energy, and money trying to find the perfect gift when in all actuality, is it even needed?  So I've been thinking...instead of buying crap that we don't even need, how about spending that time and energy on helping someone in real need?  I write this after I've already done most of my shopping because Heaven Forbid I wait until December to actually start Christmas shopping.  Point is next year I plan on getting together with my family and putting our money toward those who really need it.  There are many wonderful organizations that you can help others.  Samaritan's Purse is one of my favorites.
Here's the link if you want to check it out:

http://www.samaritanspurse.org/gift-catalog/give/?utm_source=Ggl&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=m_YS4G-14XA_GGLSPCat&gclid=CJn2hJCGj7sCFSho7AodTUUAgA

They have the option to help repair a child's cleft lip, buy a goat for a family that needs milk,  or you can donate to Operation Heal Our Patriots.  Now that is a great way to spend your money during the Christmas season.  

Having said that of course the kiddos have taken top priority for Christmas.  I am so excited this year because the boys will understand a little more about it.  I also have done most of my shopping for the boys.  I thought I'd share my finds with y'all...

Land of Nod is offering 15% off plus free shipping through Dec. 2!
Enter code SAVE15 at checkout.

I used coupons and Black Friday discounts to my advantage from JCPenney, Kohl's, and Amazon



Costco is also a great place to buy toys.  Great prices!

As you can see Santa has just about completed his work for the boys.
Now, we have to decide what Santa brings and what they get for their birthday.
Yes, double whammy for us. :)


~Sarah Marie~

A Day in the Life

Hey guys!  Sorry I've neglected my blog lately.  I've been very busy chasing the 2 little ones around and clearly the blog was put on the back burner.  To be honest I have been having a hard time juggling everything.  Since that has been on my mind, I thought I'd share a little about my day to day life.  Not that y'all are even interested, but it's therapeutic for me to write these things out.  What better way than in my blog?  Who knows?  Maybe someone can relate...

I've been thinking a lot about being a stay at home mom.  I must be honest I have questioned whether or not I should put my boys in daycare and work full time. It would be great to get out of the house, have a break from the kiddos, and be around some adults.  Being a stay at home mom is definitely the hardest thing I have ever done!  At the end of the day I feel beat down and drained physically, mentally, and emotionally.  I do know I'm doing the most import job ever which I constantly remind myself, but the day to day is very thankless and grueling.  And you know what?!  That's OK.  I went through a really hard spell this summer when I didn't have much help with the boys since they didn't have MMO to attend.  I was so desperate for some help I went to look at daycare programs.  Let me tell you as soon as I walked in, I knew I wasn't going to do it.  Not that there is anything wrong with daycare by any means! I am just fortunate enough that I don't have to work full time, so I feel like my calling right now is to be a full time mother to my boys.  I need to enjoy the time I have with them now because they will be off to school before I know it.  And let's be honest, if I did go back to work, I probably wouldn't break even paying for 2 in daycare, ha.

I don't want to coming across sounding like I don't enjoy staying at home but really I do!  It is the most precious time, and I am so fortunate that I have it. I love these little boys more and more everyday, and I truly wouldn't want to be doing anything else.  I am so thankful and so blessed with these 2 little guys so full of life.  Words really can't describe my love for them.  I am just being real and honest when I admit that it's not all roses.

Now, a day in the life...

My day begins anywhere from 6-6:30.  I try to get up before the boys so I can have a cup of coffee and try to get a little web work for The Pink Monogram done before I hit the ground running (literally).  Normally I am fortunate enough that they sleep or will play in their cribs for a little bit in the morning.  Although the time change has messed us up a bit this week.

It varies, but lately the boys have been getting up around 7-7:30.  I go in and change 2 diapers and clothe them both if we are heading to the gym or MMO (a feat in itself).  I then give them their morning milk (yes, they still love their milk) and breakfast.  They may or may not eat what I give them for breakfast and trust me, I've tried all different types of foods.  I never know what and if they will eat.  This is one of the most frustrating things for me...getting them eat and trying to find healthy foods that they WILL eat.

At some point I get myself dressed (meaning I throw on workout clothes, put my contacts in, and throw my hair back in a pony tail).  No time for a shower or makeup.  I can't even imagine fixing my hair.  I then load them up in the car and head to the gym or MMO depending on the day.  The gym is great because they can expend some energy in the nursery AND Momma gets a much needed release.  Next I load them back up in the car, which is a process all in itself.  You should see me walking into the gym: double stroller, diaper bag, yoga mat, workout bag, and purse.  I might go run an errand after the gym if time allows and we are all in good moods.  Everything we do is on a schedule around nap time.  I've tried to forget the schedule but every time I do, I pay for it.  A schedule is what works best for us, so we try to stick to that as best we can.  Plus nap time provides me some quiet time and that's when I get to work.  It's essential for my sanity.  If we do run the rogue errand, I have to unload the boys again and put them in either the double stroller or grocery cart.  As I enter the store I always get a little nervous.  I never know how it's going to go down....2 screaming boys that BOTH want to be held, boys that want to throw everything out of the cart onto the floor (yes, we've had many casualties at the grocery store) or the rare occasion that they will be perfect angels.  Needless to say I try to get in and out as quickly as possible.  After our morning outing, we return home by 11-11:30, and I begin the lunch process.  After another diaper change and an attempt to feed them lunch, I chase them around to go down for naps.  Normally they go down pretty easily but some days naps are impossible.  As soon as I shut the door to their room, I breathe a sigh of relief.  Whew!  Now it's time to make my own lunch, watch some TV to have a quick moment for myself then back to work on the website for The Pink Monogram.  Did I mention I haven't had a shower yet either?  I will normally shower at this time too.  Taking a shower with them in the bathroom is a nightmare.  I really don't mind working because it does give me a little outlet, a chance to use my brain, and a little extra money, but let's be honest, some days I just don't feel like it.  On those days, I lay on the couch and watch TV and maybe even get a nap in (if the boys are napping that is).  If naps are a no go, I have to decide whether or not to listen to screaming while I try to work or get them up and chase them around until Daddy gets home.  The worst part of the day for me is after naps.  This is when I am most exhausted.  I mainly just run interference and make sure the boys don't kill themselves.  This is why we have to do something every morning because I can't keep up with them in the house all day.  Way too hard!  They are into EVERYTHING!!  Once Daddy gets home, I have an extra hand thank goodness.  We do dinner and get the boys ready for bed.  They go down between 7-7:30 thankfully.  Then it's bedtime for Momma.  No really,  I'm in bed by 9 most nights.  I am totally exhausted by the end of the day.

Even though the days are long and hard right now, I love watching Van and Eli grow and learn.  It really is a miracle!  I hope I don't come across as ungrateful because I do know how blessed I am.  I am so thankful for the 2 little lives I have been entrusted with.  I will leave you with some recent pics of my 2 little monkeys...

 Eli building a paper towel tower.

 A rare moment of stillness.  Trust me, this didn't last long.

 We finally upgraded to the forward facing car seats.  

The boys are much happier with their new point of view.

 Van giving Mr. Scarecrow kisses.

 Eli showing us Mr. Scarecrow's nose.

 Big boys having their snack at the table.


Dressed up for church

~Sarah Marie~

Quick Update

Sorry I've been MIA for a while y'all.  It's been a busy few weeks.  I am working on a longer blog post, but first I thought I'd share about our Halloween... 

The boys had a great time!  Of course I dressed them up, but I wasn't sure if we should try Trick or Treating.  As soon as our doorbell rang and the boys saw all the kids, they were out the door.  They walked all up and down our street (we thought we should stay close to the house just in case...) and pitched a fit when it was time to come home.  They absolutely loved it and walked right along with the big kids.  Our first Trick or Treating experience was a success!  We already can't wait for next year!

Van couldn't wait until Trick or Treat time to put on his costume.

Of course I have to take 100 pictures and hope one turns out.  

Apparently banging on the garage door is hilarious.  ;)

Eli went with Daddy

and Van went with Mommy

 Hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween!

~Sarah Marie~