This Unfamiliar Road

For Eliza's first birthday, I wanted to incorporate a fall theme. We always have a fun time at the fair, so I knew this was the way to go. Honestly, this was my favorite party theme to date!
The rain was pouring down in buckets, but it was nothing that a giant tent over the driveway couldn't fix. Everyone really had a great time and didn't even notice the bad weather.
I will let the pictures tell the story... :)








I went to the local antique store and found lots of fun decor items for the party. My favorites were the old coke bottles and a large wooden coke crate.

We served Corn Dogs, Soft Pretzels, Popcorn, Fruit on a Stick, and Mini Pies (blueberry, cherry, apply, and peach). I loved this menu full of munchies! 
Instead of plates, I used boats and it was a perfect touch to this rustic affair.





We served lemonade, sweet tea and pink lemonade juice boxes. Oh, and adult beverages. Always adult beverages. I borrowed this stand, and it fit perfectly with the theme!



And the most important part of any party? Spending time with family and friends!








Cake time :)





Opening gifts lasted for about 30 seconds, but we are constantly overwhelmed at the generosity of our friends. Little Bean is one loved and spoiled baby!


Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate Eliza's birthday!

Making the decision to add to our family was not one we took lightly, yet it was almost "expected". We knew that we wanted to have more than one child, and that we preferred them to be somewhat closely spaced. I knew adding a family member would have a huge impact on our family, so I began preparing Peyton very early on.
We read books, watched shows, and talked nonstop about what it was like to be a big sister. Towards the end of my pregnancy, the guilt set in. Peyton's life was about to be turned upside down. It would change, and in mostly negative ways for her. Of course babies are hard work, but Ben and I would get a lot out of this-a new bundle of joy! What would Peyton get out of having a newborn in the house? I knew that someday she would love having a sibling, but just would not be able to appreciate it right away.

I. Was. Wrong.

My sweet Peyton has enjoyed being a sister from Day 1. I mean truly enjoyed. The pure love and adoration I see on her face when she's interacting with Eliza will absolutely melt your heart. She begs to wake her up, to hold her, and to play with her. I constantly catch her singing to her or telling her "You're the sweetest baby!" And the feeling is mutual. Eliza already looks up to her big sister, and smiles any time she's around Peyton.

Daily request in our house: cuddling in bed in the morning, then playing in the rocking chair.




I'm so happy Peyton proved me wrong :)

Wow, 2014 was a great year! It's pretty awesome to think back to January 2014, when we decided it was time to add another member to our family....and by the end of the year, our little Bean was in our arms!
Here are my favorite memories of the year:

I had fun playing with my new mixer: Making cookies with the cutest taste-tester there was!

Recipe here

We experienced some crazy winter weather and I was stuck at work for 4 days straight. Thankfully, the husband was able to stay at home and work....and enjoy P's first snow!


 We traveled to Nashville to celebrate a dear friend and to help her prepare for the arrival of baby Scarlett!

Guess what! There are 2 preggos in this picture :)

In March, we shared some exciting news. Oh, and Peyton got her first haircut. :)


A trip to Chattanooga to visit our buddies kicked off springtime!



We celebrated Mother's Day and watched the baby bump grow and grow!




We celebrated the marriage of dear friends. And Peyton enjoyed her first gig as flower girl!



In June, we celebrated our sweet Peyton's 2nd birthday, and partied Mickey Mouse style!



As the days grew hotter, the belly grew bigger! We attended our 10 year high school reunion and I accepted a job promotion and returned to night shift!





I blogged about my new favorite recipe


We got really brave and decided to potty-train Peyton! Using the 3-Day method made it easier, but it was still a lot of work!


 I celebrated my birthday and counted down the days until Bean's arrival! (Little did I know those days would turn in to weeks!)


We welcomed our sweet baby GIRL into the world and became a family of four!






Fall was a busy time with the fair, pumpkins,Halloween and Thanksgiving! Being on maternity leave allowed me to really enjoy this season at home with my family.





We enjoyed a visit from the Michigan parentals and Ben competed in his first BBQ competition and won FIRST place for sauce!


Christmas was a blast this year!




We celebrated Ben's 30th birthday, then I rang in the New Year with my work family!