2014

I still have Christmas and Birthday posts to complete but wanted to share my top 14 favorite moments of 2014 since today is New Years Eve. :)

Kings of Leon Concert
Even though I was pregnant and couldn't drink I had SO MUCH FUN at this concert.  Will, Paige, Eric and I are all big fans (Will and I probably lean a little further into the super fan category).  They played so many songs we love, Will got so drunk he missed the end of the concert (he passed out in the bed of his truck :) and we got to meet NACHO!!!!

 

Apple Picking at Eckerts
Eric and I were both off on a Friday so we took our girl out for a ferry ride to Illinois, lunch on the water and apple picking at Eckerts.  It was a cold day but oh so fun!  Elle absolutely loved it and I think this will be a fall tradition our family does every year.

Gymnastics
Elle started taking gymnastics in January and those first few months were the best.  She was so teeny tiny, by far the youngest in her class.  Every Saturday we would go to gymnastics in the morning and then out for breakfast.  We are hoping to sign her up at a different gymnastics studio this winter to get her back in some classes.

Charles Edwin
This sweet little bear came into our lives in February.  It has been such a fun year watching him grow and seeing his little personality shine through.

Vacation
Family vacation was memorable this year.  We had such a fun time and laughed so much and killed so many mosquito's!!! The boat ride with the mosquito madness has to be a highlight.  Even though I'm itchy thinking about it.

6th Anniversary
Eric and I headed to Chicago for our 6th anniversary and had such a fun time!  Even though it is oh so very hard for me to go anywhere without my Roni it was so nice to have a weekend away with him.

Polar Express
I have a whole post coming on this.  It was definitely a highlight of our year.  The kiddos loved it and it was such a fun, magical night.

Baby Brother!
Finding out I was pregnant was both exciting and scary, finding out we are having a little boy was also exciting and scary.  Any fears are fading fast though, I'm just plain excited to meet this little boy.  I'm picturing a mini Eric.

Splash Pad
Eric and Elle discovered this little splash pad on one of their fun daddy/daughter days and Elle quickly became a regular.  I already have big plans for lots of summer days to be spent here.  Once I'm part time I think it will be a fun little Monday or Tuesday activity.

Purina Farms
We had a fun little Saturday at Purina Farms and as much fun as the dog show was the real star was buddy the horse.  Elle fell hard for Buddy that day and since then every horse she encounters is named Buddy.

Meeting Truman
A post is coming on this as well, Elle got to meet Truman Tiger on her birthday.  I don't think the girl has ever been so excited!  We stayed for about an hour so she could play with him.  They played catch, she talked to him, tickled him.  It was Elle's version of meeting an A-list celebrity.

The Crazy Egghunt
This egghunt was insane.  I think it was over about 30 seconds after it started but it made Mary and I laugh.  I don't think we will be participating in 2015.

911
Calling 911 in the middle of the night because I thought our house was on fire and filled with gas when in reality a sippy cup was burnt in the dishwasher. Neither Eric, the police officers, firefighters or EMT's thought it was as funny of a mistake as I did that night.  Can't a girl mix up the smell of burnt plastic and gas without being judged?!

Watching Elle Grow
It is so hard to believe Elle started the year looking like this...

and now my big girl looks like this.  It has been such a fun year watching her grow, learn new things, form sentences, have opinions. 2014 was a really great year and I'm excited to see what 2015 holds for our family.

2nd Birthday Party

This year we celebrated our sweet little Eleanor turning 2 with a pink birthday party.  Her only party requests were a pink cake and to have ice cream. Done and done!  I asked her for months if she wanted a Frozen party, Monsters Inc, Elmo, Horses...but her answer was always "pink".

We kept the decorations and food simple this year.  We had mini sandwiches, sliders (made by mom and the hit of the party), pasta salad, chips, cake pops, cake, ice cream, chocolate/pretzel sweets and rice krispies (both made by Mary) and of course Henry's cupcakes.

 

This sweet boy decided to make cupcakes and told us we just needed to add a little bit of milk and they would be ready.  He is truly the sweetest little boy in the world.

 

 

Elle was pretty attached to me, Eric, mom, dad or Mary during the party.  When she's around people she doesn't know very well she becomes very clingy and shy.  There were lots of babies at the party which she loved!  I was holding my friend Katie's baby William who is about 4 months old and Elle loved him.  I told her this is what brother will look like and she was amazed.  She kept giving him kisses and wanting to love on him.  This interaction is exactly what I've needed to see my entire pregnancy.  She acts excited when we talk about brother and loves talking to him, hugging my belly, etc. but to see her excited around a little baby I was holding put my heart at ease.  We are so ready for brother to get here.

Elle enjoyed her cake and asked to blow her candles out again and again.  She, of course, loved opening all of her presents.  She was especially excited about her scooter and Elmo pj's from MawMaw and PawPaw, her grocery cart from Mary, Nick and the boys and her and Hen had fun with her stuffed alligator from Uncle Alex.

 

After everyone left Henry, Elle and Charlie played with all her new toys and put Eric to work putting things together. She put on her new Elmo jammies and passed out once the boys left.

It was such a fun day celebrating our Roni.  I have loved every second of the past two years we have had with her and am savoring the one on one time of her being our only baby before our life is turned upside down in the best way possible by baby brother.

St. Nick's Day

St. Nick's Day was always celebrated in our house growing up so it's something I wanted to continue with Elle.  This is a new holiday for Eric so he doesn't completely understand St. Nick coming to fill your stockings but he's on board none the less.  I tried my best to explain to Elle the night before that we needed to hang her stocking so St. Nick could come and fill it up.  Somehow my story ended up with St. Nick being Santa's brother?  May have to rethink that next year.

 I have a really cute video of a sleepy Eleanor walking in the kitchen and seeing her stocking on the kitchen table.  She was really excited!

Her stocking this year had candy, Frozen socks, Monsters Inc. guys, an Advent calendar, a Frozen cup, a couple new books and her Elf on the Shelf made his first appearance!  She is a little young to understand the Elf, the no touching rule that is described in the book is completely lost on her but she gets excited to see where he flies to at night.  One day he was up by our TV and I could hear her from the kitchen say "hey Mr. Elf, get down!".

This year threats of Santa is watching you work part of the time, she will look at me and say "yes, mommy" in the cutest little voice.  Hopefully this silly little elf has some pull next year too. :)

Thanksgiving 2014

I love Thanksgiving, to me it officially kicks off the holiday season.  This year Eric had to work Wednesday night so Elle and I headed to my parents house without him for our annual pre Thanksgiving party.  Now the party just consists of eating appetizers, decorating the tree and watching the babies play and weave in and out of meltdowns.  We go hard.

 

Eric came home from work Thursday morning and tried to get some sleep while Elle and I ate breakfast and watched the Thanksgiving Day parade.  It was a fun morning, she really enjoyed watching the parade.

She looked adorable in her dress so I took approximately 500 pictures.

Since Eric had to work it also meant that we weren't able to go to Sullivan for Thanksgiving with the Hylton side of the family.  I think this is the first year since we have started doing holidays together that we haven't gone.  Eric's mom hosted Thanksgiving lunch, Elle was her usual shy self and refused to get off my lap.  One big holiday highlight - we turned Elle around in her carseat.  Eric had been asking for awhile but I kept holding firm that we wouldn't turn her around until her 2nd bday.  I caved a month early.  Elle loves it...although since I'm writing this about a month later she now asks to sit in the front passenger seat instead. Not gonna happen little lady.

After lunch we headed to mom and dad's house for dinner.

After dinner we ATTEMPTED to get a cute picture of all 3 babies in the matching jammies from MawMaw & PawPaw.  Nailed it.

Then us ladies hit the road for our annual overnight shopping extravaganza.  This night is so fun and something I look forward to all year.  It always includes a run through Starbucks, stopping for breakfast and lots of laughing.

This is a picture of our loaded up cart caravan through Toys R Us.  3 spoiled little babes, that's for sure. So ready to see how excited this little babes are Christmas morning!!!!