Valentine's Day - 2018

Happy Love Day!! Unfortunately we've got a sick little on our hands which has put a little cloud over the most lovey dovey day of all. Looking back, it seems our kids have been sick almost every year on Valentine's Day. Ha! Go figure.

This year, our little B Bear has pneumonia ... so we're keeping him pumped with lots of fluids and meds, but we're gonna make the most of our day together. And, per tradition we'll be making heart shaped pizzas for dinner tonight.

I love looking back on previous years and reminiscing on all the fun memories we've made.

• 2013 - Valentine Heart Petit Fours for sweet treats and pre-natal massages
• 2014 - I failed to blog Valentine's Day in 2014, but we spent it in the Bahamas and took sweet photos of our little man (ugh tug at my heart strings, he was so tiny!)
• 2015 - More delicious and festive treats plus dipped krispy yummie and per our usual tradition (although somehow I managed to miss blogging about it nearly every year?! what the heck) we made our homemade pizza and cake batter blondies to celebrate!
• 2016 - I had a fun little photo session with the kiddos and again, then little man got sick, but we made the most of it ... and on the actual day we once again headed down to the Bahamas (part 1 , part 2 and part 3)
• 2017 - Lainey was under the weather for our Valentine's Day Photoshoot but we made the most of it. And then we celebrated with the kiddos' fun treats and Bennett's class party. 

This year poor buddy has to miss his Valentine's party, he was so excited filling out all of his Valentine's and I hate he won't be there to pass then out to all of his friends. We'll be dropping them by the school in the morning - and hopefully picking up his little Valentine bag will give him a little pep to his step. 

This year I hosted Valentine's Day Mini sessions for my clients at Katie Marie Photographie and to advertise I used my littles as models to spread awareness for the sessions. So, in honor of Valentine's Day here are some of my favorite captures from their mini session this year :) Siblinghood can go 0-60 reallllll fast :) Love them so! 

The make me smile :)

-- Katie Marie

January

There was a time in my life where I came to this space regularly. I would sit here during nap time and write all the things. I would share pictures, I would tell stories, I would share what was on my heart. I LOVE looking back. I love having the memories. Not just the images, but the pictures to go alongside them. I LOVE the archive and appreciate it even moreso now that my littles are starting to feel like bigs sometimes. I'm toying with the idea of making this space "private" as well -- as my littles are getting bigger and sharing their everything and every story with the world may not be something they love as much as I do.

But, I'm realizing that the "bigger" they become, the more tasks I am taking on, the bigger ventures I am dabbling in, and the more life we seem to be living - life away from the home and into the world. And coming to this space is no longer as "available" to me as it once was. So my weekly posts just aren't happening as often as I'd like. And now I'm sitting here today about to share an entire month's worth of pictures and a few words. Geesh!

But either way, life is moving forward (in a motion faster than I'd like) ...so, here is January.

We rang in the new year with a kid friendly party at the house - and had all of our friends with littles over to celebrate the new year and toast one another at 7:30pm!

We've adopted FUN Monday -- and are taking advantage of every Monday we can - as this is Bennett's last semester of EVER having a full day off of school. <insert ugly mom cry here>

 Little bit got hit hard with the stomach bug, flu, ear infection nastiness ...

 We went to see CoCo in the theaters - which really meant popcorn and candy in lieu of lunch.

 My handy hubby helped me create a fun photography prop!

 And I added to the finishing touches

 Voila!

Little bit finally entered the real world and joined the land of the living. 

 Just in time to have SEVEN straight snow days (including MLK weekend). Which meant we ate breakfast lunch and dinner in different rooms of the house just to feel like we were changing it up a bit.

 And couldn't wait for Daddy t get home at the end of the day (this was the day the school were called off and HA! NO SNOW!!)

But it finally came - and we made sure to make the most of it!

 Complete with snow cones, snowball fights, snow men, ice skating on the koi pond (it was completely frozen solid - we checked!), and sledding.

And our most favorite, hot chocolate - extra marshmallows of course! 

 We made slime ...

 Had more hot chocolate ... and then even more ...

 And played in the snow until we all felt like this and were just ready for our normal routine! (Dang brothers and snowballs to the face!)

 I'm scheming up a project downtown Louisville and I'm stupid excited about it. Big thanks to my dad for nudging me to take the leap.

 I spent a much needed weekend away with my girlfriends in Cincinnati.

 And we're finally back to school - and it's our week to keep the class pet, Lindsay the Turtle, and take her with us wherever we go.

We've got a big weekend ahead with lots of things planned and we're ready for February and all of the hearts and love that comes with it! Cheers to 2018 - a new beginning to A LOT of life!

--Katie Marie