Holiday Party Invitations with a side of Anxiety

Hi friends.

It's Monday. It's going to be pitch black outside when I leave work today. And it's November. Blech.

While I'm not excited about adapting to daylight savings, I am looking forward to the holidays.

Yes, it's true, I'm part of the rest of the female population...sporting an infinity scarf with cognac boots and could be seen carrying a Starbucks pumpkin spiced latte while infusing my house with a pumpkin roll Scentsy scent. Oh, and I'll even snap a picture of all that and upload it to Instagram. We're all so cliche, aren't we?

Or just totally obsessed with the coming of the holidays that are right around the corner.

Which really means...you better get your ass in gear.

Is anyone else's head spinning about the next couple months?

What do I prepare for Thanksgiving dinner this year? *** Better start shopping for Carson's birthday and Christmas gifts. *** How on earth will we coordinate schedules and babysitters for the gazillion holiday parties? *** Where will the Christmas tree go in our new house? *** When will I find time to get our family holiday card designed and mailed?

Such a busy, overwhelming time of year.

But, also the most joyous, cheerful time of year!

Designing my company's holiday party invite was what sent me into excessive-anxiety-holiday to-do-list-tailspin today. About my personal to-dos of course.

But, I'm not complaining too much. Because it's pretty rad when I get to put aside the construction services design and writing tactics and spend time doing something I enjoy in my spare time.
 

For fun, I thought I would share holiday invites from a few past parties as well. Maybe it will inspire someone to get their holiday party invite or family card started. Lord knows I'm already thinking about ours!

We never host a holiday party (our friends have it more than covered), so it's fun to have the opportunity to design these for my company.

Happy holiday party planning everyone!

 

Hay Bales & Pumpkins

While everyone else has already posted about their trips to the pumpkin patch, I decided to hold out and be fashionably late to the fall pumpkin party.

Wish that were the case.

We went weeks ago and I'm just that mom that can't get her photos in order until weeks after. 

This year's trip was to the Louisberg Cider Mill.

The rumors about the apple cider and donuts are true. But Carson wouldn't know.

He refused to try them.

He just wanted to sit and enjoy his applesauce squeezer packet and sippy cup of milk.

Carson and his buddy, Landon, had fun together.

Smiling. 

Giggling. 

Kid watching. 

Being rowdy boys.

 It's always more fun when you have someone other than mom and dad to tag along with.

Only one of the boys would entertain a solo pic. And that boy wasn't mine. 

Landon hammed it up for the cameras.

 We also attempted a family photo.
{Boy, does Brian looked thrilled.}

We didn't capture the photo I had hoped for, but do we ever with this wiggly, on-the-go boy?

Good thing it's not about the photo and all about showing him what life is all about.

Because eating donuts, running through corn mazes, and feeding goats is reality.

 Oh to be {almost} two again.

It was a perfect trip to the patch.

Monkeying Around for Halloween

Well, our little monkey had a blast yesterday.

A Halloween parade and party at school, and trick-or-treating
with the cutest Cabbage Patch Kid you ever did see.

He even surprised us and wore the monkey costume.

 Just not the pants.

It could be worse. At least he wore pants. 

It's true. Being an almost two-year-old is rough and being forced to put on pants you don't want to wear warrants kicking, screaming and throwing ourselves on the floor.

I picked my battles. I chose to let him wear the jeans.

And not just at his school parade, but also for trick-or-treating.

Kicking, screaming and falling on the floor once a day is plenty for this mama.

These two cuties had so much fun together for their first trick-or-treating experience.
I highly recommend going with friends.

I was really surprised at how easy it was for them to pick up, and they absolutely loved it!

After two houses, they were pros.

Walked right up to houses on their own {hand in hand of course} and said "tick or teat."

It was the cutest thing. Ever.

 Who are you calling a first timer!?

Unfortunately, Carson didn't really grasp the concept of only taking one piece of candy so we have something to work on for next year.

 The adults learned a lesson too.

Bring two wagons...one ain't gonna cut it.

One for the kiddos and one solely for the beer. Kiddos don't like coolers at their feet. 

We had such a great Halloween.

Already looking forward to next year.

Happy weekend and cheers to a fun-filled 2013 Halloween!

The kind of fall I long for

Fall just might be my favorite season.

It's a tough competitor to summer, but you can't beat these crisp fall days we've been enjoying.

Wagon rides.

Pumpkin patch trips.

Driveway playtime.

K-State football games.
Pumpkin spiced lattes.

Impromptu park dates.

Crock pot cooking.

It's exactly the kind of fall I long for.

Fall is a wonderful season, isn't it?

Kansas City just experienced three days of intense rain, but the sun is finally shining today. Just in time for trick or treating tonight.

We're pretty excited to take our little monkey around the neighborhood for the first time. Last year, our not-yet-walking boy just wanted to dump the candy out on the front porch.

This year, he could care less about the costume and candy, and be completely content with a ball.

Soccer ball, "Back-et-ball", any ball really.

The kid loves balls.

He recently decided he doesn't like it when I pull the camera out. iPhone or DSLR, I get the hand if he's not in the mood.

 

Let's hope he lets me get at least one photo of him in his monkey costume tonight.

Scratch that. 

Let's hope he will even wear the monkey costume tonight 

(no such luck all week even getting him to try it on).

Fingers Crossed.

A day with Deana

I've told you before how much we love Deana Rose. She's plain awesome. 

And always brings the biggest smiles.

These two cuties (of course I'm talking about me and Amy, not the kiddos) enjoyed her recently on one of most beautiful weekends in Kansas City. 

Can you believe it's October and we're still getting almost 90 degree days?

Warmer weather means the hat is still around. Seriously, how can a kid be so obsessed with the same hat? 

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm sort of looking forward to the end of warm days. Just so that tattered, no-longer-a-fedora, worn-out hat can go buh-bye.

But I will miss the hat.

Seeing his face light up at its shear existence. And how he says "hat" and begs to put it on.

The way his little ears fold over while wearing it.

Yeah, I'll miss that.

While feeding the goats, my innocent boy expected them to have the same independence as himself.

He walked right up, placed the bottle down in front of him and just waited.

I could hear him saying, "Here's your ba ba goat, drink up."

 He was under amused with the feeding part, but what can you expect from an independent toddler who has a five second concentration span.

But he did like petting the animals. 

And pulling their ears.

 

This little miss just looked cute on the sidelines while her cousin ran rampant everywhere.

She even practiced posing for Innocent & Precious Babies Magazine.

Soon enough, they'll be causing trouble together.

Then, Brian and I won't be the only parents climbing claustrophobic barn shafts filled with gobs of kids to get to the top of the slide.

But, these smiles are worth it a thousand times over.

These two. The Angel and the Monster.

 Just kidding. Carson's isn't a monster, but Maddie is definitely an angel.

They make a pretty cute pair.