Little Mermaid

At the end of April Hudsen started taking swim lessons for the first time. She had been talking about swimming all winter, but I wanted to wait until Justin had some time away from work on the weekend so he could be the one taking the dip into the pool in the Parent/Child class. I myself was not feeling too anxious about throwing on an old bikini, with my 'mom' stomach and general paleness….so I was happy to learn there was an opening at a time that worked for the whole family.....so for 4 Saturdays....at 8:20a, Justin and Hudsen hit pool!

Enjoying her yogurt before her first lesson

SOOOOOOO ready to go!

Learning to jump in off the side

Swimming to the toy

Modeling her tutu swimsuit prior to the 3rd lesson

No wonder Hudsen loved swim lessons so much...she has the funnest Dad!

Don't get me wrong....it wasn't all fun and games, as seen here....Justin shows he is serious about learning to swim, as Hudsen eyes the competition :)

Last lesson....someone got a little c0cky and decide to wear her first 2piece swimsuit :)

All and all, we loved Rockwoods swim program and will definitely be continuing lessons!

Olympics 2012!

31!

My Birthday-Week!
Oh how I LOVE to celebrate my birthday! Most of my family kinda thought that would die down after turning the Big 3-0 last year….but NOPE! I hit it hard again this year with a week full of festivities!

Wednesday: May 18
First celebration! Lis planned a great happy hour at Tuckers and I had so much fun with the girls! Thank you Ashley, Lisa, Kim, Kelly, and Jackie for coming!

Thursday: May 19 (actual bday)
Started the morning off with breakfast at home with Justin and girls, and then Justin went off to work (how DARE he work today, right?!) Hudsen, Henley and I then hit up the gym for an hour….and then afterwards went and picked up Carmie for some serious shopping time! Like many people, I am obsessed with Lululemon and jumped at the opportunity when my mom offered to let me pick out something for my birthday. We were there for over an hour trying on everything… I LOVE my new pants and jacket! Thanks Mom!

Later that night Justin came home from work and he had in hand beautiful HOT PINK roses for me! Loved them! And then went out for a nice little dinner together with the girls :)

Friday: May 20
Oh yes…this celebration continues post-birthday!
Amazing dinner at Annie Guns with my family! Thank you to my Mom and Dad for the special night. And thank you to Blake, Susan, and Connie for joining us with my parents! Everything was delicious, there were a lot of laughs, and I think everyone had a great time.

Saturday: May 20
Knowing that the birthday week was coming to a close, I wanted to go out with a bang! Nothing like 8th row center at a Tim McGraw concert with great friends! Best Tim McGraw concert I have ever been too….(granted, I was pregnant the last 2 concerts of his we went to and had a great time…but this time was AMAZING!)

Justin found this picture of the STL concert on Tim McGraw's facebook page....and yes Justin was also able to pinpoint our exact location...I, however, am too blind to really make it out, but agree you can see us. Arrow is pointing to Justin (in a black shirt)...then Kim and I are a blur, and then Mat in a blue shirt.

Thank you Tim for celebrating my 31st with me! Next time don't bring all your friends though! :) haha! And thank you to all my other non-celebrity friends who celebrated with me this week! :)

Well, another great year is in the books and I plan to thoroughly enjoy being 31 and am ready to kick off a fun summer with Justin and girls!

A Wonderful Mothers Day with my American Idol(s)

What an amazing Mothers Day!
Just got home from a beautiful lunch with my family and I'm realizing yet again how truly lucky I am. Had such a great morning spent with Justin and girls and some delicious Starbucks and great gifts.Loving my new Nike clothes and cute cards, especially the one from Hudsen and Henley :) - so sweet!

Then we had a delicious lunch with my parents, Blake and Susan, Connie, and my Grandparents. Feeling really thankful that we got to see Nana. She is 91 years old and although she LOVES my girls to death...and my girls LOVE her....sometimes Hudsen can be a little shy, especially when we visit her at the assisted living 'resort' :) she is currently living in. Our visits are typically short since Nana needs her rest, and the kids need naps, etc....and often times, Hudsen doesn't have enough time to get comfortable enough to really come out of her shell. Well, today, she had a 2 hour visit - and she really put on a show for everyone. I am just so thankful that my grandmother got to finally witness, first hand, how much Hudsen loves to sing. Nana played the piano professionally for a long time, so music is something they definitely have in common :)
Justin and I always joke about American Idol, and wonder if it will still be around when Hudsen and Henley get older - we have our fingers crossed, as the AI stage might be just where Hudsen belongs.

I was able to catch a bit of her performance today...its a fairly long, melody of songs....but Justin and I will save this forever. I know my 90+ year old grandparents will never forgot today, and neither will I.









And lets not forget about this other little showstopper! :) She is a perfect angel and brings so much joy to us! At 6 months it's hard to say what Henley's special talent will be, but looking forward to watching her discover it!





Happy Mother's Day to my Mom, my Mother In-Law, My Aunt, and my 91 year old Grandmother! Love you all!

Thank you Justin for such a wonderful day and for the 2 best little girls in the world! I absolutely LOVE being their Mommy!