Rachel’s 21st!

My oldest baby didn't listen to her mama when she said "PLEASE STOP GETTING OLDER", UGH...

Nonetheless, Rach turned 21 on March 14th.  We picked her up (with balloons and champagne!) and met some friends at Olde Brick House restaurant downtown.  

Not even sure how this is possible.  Or, how she can be taller than me, ooof.

The next weekend we met up with her and her friends at the La Playette and had a blast!

I think about 25 people showed up to celebrate with her, such a fun night!

And this I couldn't love more.  Even though these two literally fought like cats and dogs, my mama always said they'll grow up to be BFF's, and well, here we are.  And yes, mama was right.

Happy happy 21st Rachel!

Winter Formal

This year Rocori decided to do a winter formal, which they haven't done before Mousey got ready with her friends and her best friends house, and the adults enjoyed snacks and beverages.  Win, win!

Not sure where our baby went....

New Years Eve

New Years Eve was another super fun night with friends!  Rick and Tonia host and we spend the evening playing cards, darts and pool.  Oh, and eat.  Alot.  

Love these peeps so much, we definately know how to have a good time!

And leave at 12:01 am, haha!!

Thanksgiving and Christmas 2021

We had an amazing holiday season!  Thanksgiving we always host my family, my mom and her husband, my brother Patrick, and his girlfriend Katie.  We made all the usual Thanksgiving food and stuffed ourselves silly.  There may or may not have been some political bashing by some, but that's a story for another day...Welcome to the family Katie!

We of course had to get the obligatory family pics!

And I REAAALLLLLY tried to get a super cute Christmas card photo of the girls.  

Sigh.....

I literally lost my shit on them, it was easier bribing them when they were little!!!

Finally (after 20 MINUTES!!!) I got a decent one, and called it good.  Just because they were such shits, I added the crazy pic on our card, haha!!!  Don't mess with mom....

Now that everyone has jobs and boyfriends, it's not as easy to have everyone here on Christmas Eve or day, so we decided this year to celebrate the weekend before.  We ate, played games and the girls opened gifts.  I tried to get them to wait until it was dark out so it at least "felt" like Christmas, but that was a hard no from them.

After opening gifts, they complained how it didn't feel like Christmas...

#alwayslistentomom

Christmas Eve we went to Brad's sisters house around 2 and stayed until 7ish, came home and hung out.  Christmas day we had Brad's family here to celebrate.

We were all pooped, and Josie and Maci faked being friends, it was so cute.  Also, notice how the tree skirt is not there.  Maci might be 107, but she turns into a wild woman when the tree skirt comes out.  I don't get it.

It was a very relaxing Christmas this year, the older the girls get, the less busy it gets, which I love.  Happy hours with friends during the season is the best!

Emma College Move In Day

Emma moved in to college on August 26, literally the hottest damn day of the year.  Thankfully the college has this move in business down to a T and everything went so well!

Her move in time was 8:30, we pulled up, unloaded everything and then headed out to lunch.

After that we made a Target run and spent about a billion dollars on things she really didn't need.  except fans, she definitely needed those!  We got her all moved in and fridge stocked!

And then after we got her all moved in, she promptly came home to shower and nap in the air conditioning, HA!!

The next Monday was the 1st day of school for Rachel and Emma!  Rachel is in her third year and in the nursing program.

Emma started out going for nursing, then changed to business and is now back to nursing haha!

So far they are both loving school!  Emma absolutely adores her roommate, I seriously couldn't have picked a better roomie for her!

Random

Well well well, did ya miss me??  I am trying my best to get caught up on blogging life.  Too many fun milestones that need to get documented.  As I was finishing up our Florida vacation, I already forgot the name of the restaurant we loved so much lol!

Anyhoo, here is a smattering of some fun stuff we've been up too...

Our church did a "Garden Tea" and the older two and I decided to go, it was such a fun morning hanging out and listening to missionaries speak.  It is Emma and Rachel's dream to go on a mission's trip.

Firefest is a country music festival that a town close by us puts on every year, they get pretty sweet big name country stars and this year the headliner was Dustin Lynch.  I LOVE HIM!!!  I was so stoked that we went, and he did not disappoint, it was amazing.

Jake doesn't looked thrilled here, but it was literally just the timing of the photo haha!!  Again, I love that my girls and their friends love to hang out with us!

The end of July we went up to my dad's for "Christmas in July".  It's the one time of year we all get together for the weekend and hang out.  We had a blast, the best times are all the singing we do around the campfire!

Also, never really realized how much my brother and I look alike!!

August brought a cabin weekend with Brad's sister's family and we had such a great time and seriously laughed all weekend!

 

Also in August was our annual friends "Lobsterfest".  We have been doing this for several years and it's so much fun.  This year I bought Brad and I t-shirts.  Duh.

4th of July 2021

It was another wonderful 4th of July!  As it seems with every blog post I've done this year, each event is dependent on Covid.  The church which puts on the 3rd and 4th of July festivities canceled everything in April already which was such a bummer.  Thankfully the parade is put on by the Lions Club and not the church, so that was still on!  I'm pretty confident that when Brad and I are old and crusty, these kids will still be wheeling us up to watch the parade, haha!  Just one of those family traditions that will never go away...

On the 3rd we went to our friends house for a bit then went uptown to have a few drinks.  It was surprisingly very quiet in town which is usually packed with people, such a bummer.

The morning of the 4th I made my usual cinnamon rolls with icing and red white and blue sprinkles.  Then we all headed into town to watch the parade.

Alayna may be 15, but she is still hard core grab the candy!  Of course she gives it all to the little cousins...The weather was gorgeous and it was just so nice to do something normal with lots of people.

I also love that my mom and her husband still come every year!

We had everyone come over later in the afternoon to swim and hang out.  Always such a fun time and lots of yummy food!  Of course Brad made his flag meat and cheese tray.  We did not do a fire since we haven't had much rain which was a bummer, but I had bought a bunch of sparklers for the girls so they had a blast doing those!

Definately one of our favorite days of the year!