Working all afternoon - paint, planting and DIY planters

So yesterday...Jimmy and I had exactly 4 hours to ourselves.  We dropped the kiddos off at my parents house.  After we finally got them both down for naps, we were pulling out the driveway and he said- "Ok, let's just go home and take a nap."  For like five seconds, I was seriously tempted- but no, we had big plans.  First Home Depot for plants, Quik Trip for gas and lunch (duh) the we had three things to accomplish at our house- and we were determined to do them.  And we did just that.  And I'm not going to lie- pretty darn impressed with our efficiency.  We were a few minutes late for dinner at my parents house...but they didn't mind!!

So what was in our list!!?? 

Here is goes:

1 - Paint our foundation.  Did you know people do that?  Well ours looked super ghetto.  And I was starting to feel like our curb appeal was seriously lacking and neighbors were giving us the stink eye.  Especially since the parade of homes started this weekend in KC and one of the houses on it right behind ours (eek.)

Saturday afternoon after naps, we made a family trip to Home Depot and color matched exterior paint, picked up a few more supplies (including an awesome nail gun), and then I started with this on Sunday--- 

After a coat of paint (which included scrapping all the paint that was falling off off with my hands) on the foundation and the semi-ghetto wood arm rail that was there when we moved in...

Pretty crazy what s difference (in my view) that makes!!  I did the other side of the house too.

2 - Dig up the side flower bed that has nothing in it and plant!!!

Before-

And after!  Jimmy picked out some lilac and something else.  Then I think we are going to get Azelea to put in that big hole!  Maybe it won't die like all the ones at our old house did (oops!)

3 - So what was Jimmy doing this whole time? Don't worry he was hard at work!! Building planters!!! Check it out!  I picked out these plans for him (sorry the link to the exact plans isn't working right now - I will re-try and post later) from Shanty 2 Chic website

 and wahla - in just a few hours he had them cut, assembled and ready to go.  He even got everything cleaned up after.  What a good guy!

I'm going to paint them a dark gray that matches our shutters and throw them in between our garage doors.  Or... Maybe by he front door and make him make one more for in between the garage. Hmmmm...decisions decisions of having a handy husband!

So we did that...and went to Aldi for a quick grocery store run all in less than four hours.  It's amazing what you can do when you don't have two human lives to be responsible for!  But of course they had so much fun with my parents and sister and Casey; they went to the park, played hide and seek, rode bikes and ran around the backyard.  As always!!!  

Now our whole bodies hurt from all that work.  But love the results so far!! Planting more this week!!! 

And what I'm still loving? The view of he sun set from our front porch.  NEVER.GETS.OLD.

OMG I think this might be the first post in forever that I didn't put a picture of my kids too....

Five on Friday: my 21 day fix results

Here is goes.  My 21 day fix results on this Friday.  

The best part is?  It didn't stop at 21 days.  Nope - I have kept it up almost everyday since the beginning of January.  And I'm damn proud of it!  For many reasons, but I also had not worked out since before I had Charlie.  BEFORE CHARLIE.  I cannot even remember life before that because it seems so long ago, but I have been pregnant or breastfeeding for the last 3.5 years and like no consistent working out that whole time.  Talk about intimidating to start something like this.

I talked about the 21 day fix and even shared some of my recipes that were my favorite throughout the whole process at the end of my first 21 day round.  You can find that here. 

These are the before and after pictures from that round.  My first round.  21 days of working out in my closet (weird I know, but I have a big closet...) in the mornings before work/my kids get up.  

It wasn't easy at ALL.  Getting up EVERY day to work out was hard.  Especially when I had my 6 month old still waking up at least once a night and a few more time most nights.  My alarm would go off at 4:59 and I would cringe.  It was horrible.  I was sore and tired and just didn't want to do it.  On top of that, when I started this on January 3 - I had just had surgery on my foot to take out a neuroma (apparently a growth on the nerve), so my nerve between my third and fourth toe was cut out completely.  I was cleared to work out, but wasn't sure how I would feel.  But I was determined to not have ONE more excuse.  I felt like I had an excuse month after month and wasn't going to let that stop me this time.

 What kept me motivated?  Honestly, it was the challenge group I was in on facebook.  The ladies in that group were amazing and so motivating to each other.  I knew that other people were just as tired and just as sore - but I knew they were getting up too, so I did it.  And I was so happy to report to my group that I did.  Oh and I can't forget to mention my in house accountability partner - Jimmy.  He is not a veggie guy at all, but went with me on this and ate whatever I prepared and stuck to the meal plans and containers himself.  On the weekends, we always ask when each other plans on working out and we hold each other to it as well - as that is harder because we don't like to get up early!  He's pretty great.  Pretty amazing how accountability works, right?

The eating part.  Well - that was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be. 

I'm not going to lie - it's COMPLETELY overwhelming at first.  You get these random colored containers and a booklet to explain them to you.  They tell you how many they recommend for effective weight loss and that's it.  I wanted more - like "tell me exactly what to eat and when".  But since that was non-existent, I took to Pinterest and the Internet to look for some good 21 day fix recipes.  The main thing is, no salt and not sugar (with a few cheats allowed - wine and chocolate, which is awesome!).  I also made a spreadahseet - because Excel is my love language.

What I learned in those 21 days about eating?  There is NO need to constantly restrict myself.  I really was rarely ever hungry - I swear.  But I was fueling myself with healthy food.  Choosing an apple and peanut butter as a snack versus a handful of potato chips.  I was making healthy (and delicious) meals for my family.  I learned how to use spices and seasonings that are good for you (did I mention vanilla flavoring and cinnamon are my best friend now?).  

My husband and 2.5 year old started eating vegetables.

Yes, go ahead and re-read that.  That might just be worth the whole pain of it all.

But what made it successful?  I planned.  I planned.  I planned.  Meal planned to be exact.  I had the first 2 weeks laid out exactly for every meal and snack that Jimmy and I were having (he was doing the eating part with me and working out alone).  It was kind of crazy, but that is what made it work for us because I had healthy snacks at my fingertips during the day.  Both of our works actually cater in lunch and yep - we both took our lunch everyday instead to ensure we had the most healthy.  

I didn't like all the prep work.  At all.  But it was worth it.

My before pictures at the very beginning of my 21 day journey and my after at the end of 21 days:

I especially like how you can see my abs in the picture on the right.

And from inches - guess how many inches I lost in total on my body?  19.  NINETEEN.

Like seriously?  Yes - from my stomach, my legs, my hips, my arms.  It was amazing how it just fell off.  Keep in mind though - I also had a 6 month old and gained 40lbs during that pregnancy, so I had plenty to go.  My ultimate goal was to lose 10lbs and just get back to where I was pre-baby.  But when I lost 11, I just wanted to see how much I was capable of. 

And I'm happy to report - that as of this morning (over 4 months into my journey) - I have lost 20lbs.  I'm 10lbs lighter than I was when I got pregnant with Maddie and it's crazy to me.  Crazy that I did this - my hard work and dedication to it really did pay off.  And it feels so good.  I feel so good.  In so many ways.  So that's what I wanted to do for my five on Friday - five things I have learned/enjoyed in the last 4 months of this journey.

{ONE}

You do have the time.

I promise - I didn't think it was possible.  I mean WHEN in the world am I supposed to work out???  I work full time from 7:30-4 everyday.  Love that I get off at 4 to pick up my kiddos and spend time with them before it's their bed time, but then after they are in bed, I spend time cleaning the house, doing laundry...oh yeah, and watching TV.  So no time for that.

I did start trying to work out after I put my kiddos to bed, but that didn't work for me because some nights I have dinner with friends, meetings at church, etc.  I didn't like that I couldn't work out at a consistent time - so I decided the mornings it is.  And I make time and make myself get up.

Everyone has 30 minutes in most of their days to work out.  Everyone has to eat...while it may take a lot more time than you are used to to prep all the healthy meals and snacks, it's worth it and it is worth the time investing in yourself.  Speaking of...

{TWO}

You're a busy mom, but you are worth the investment.

Mom guilt.  

Something we all have.  Whether you work at home, work out of the home, or you stay at home....everyone has a little bit of it every now and then.  I'm not going to lie, that guilt is one of the main reasons I just never worked out or find the time to do it.  I just felt like it was somehow selfish of me to take time out of the day that already has so little hours in it to spend with my kids to work out.  Like I'm already away from them for 9 hours, if not more.

But guess what?  When I found a time that worked for me (in the early morning) that I didn't feel guilty...it stuck.  And it made me happy.  It makes me happy that I dedicate time to myself.  And on the weekends, I don't feel guilty if I am working out for 30 minutes while Jimmy is down playing with the kids.  I have more energy, a better attitude and am a better mom because of that time - which makes it way better to be my child, I promise!

{THREE}

Energy.  Having it makes things so much better.

I cannot stress this one enough.  Before I started working out and eating healthy, I literally was falling asleep at like 7:30PM every night after I put the kiddos down and got only a few things done.  

Even getting up early, I am not exhausted every night.  I need less caffeine to make it through the day also.  It's so counter intuitive, but so true.  And the more energy?  Well everyone likes a lady with more energy - her kids, her husband, her friends and co-workers!

{FOUR}

There will be good days...and there will be bad days.

And after those bad days, you can always start over.  Tomorrow will come and that can serve as a fresh start.  I think before this adjustment to my life, I would try to be so strict with my diet and working out that the minute I messed up or ate something not-so-healthy, I would just give up entirely and figure I ruined the whole thing.

So not the case.  What I love about this program is that it's not just designed for 21 days of it...it's designed to facilitate a lifestyle change.  And in life...you can mess up.  You make mistakes.  But everyone was just so encouraging to each other in my challenge groups and you realize that other people make mistakes too - but you can keep on going together.

{FIVE}

There is no greater feeling than feeling good about yourself.

 This was not about weight loss to me.  This was not about getting a six pack.

I wanted to lose the baby weight I gained and fit into all my clothes again.  Some of which I haven't worn or fit comfortably into since before Charlie was born.  He's almost 3 years old people!

But now many of my jeans are too big - it's crazy!  I can wear my shirts and not feel self conscious.  I feel great.  I feel like I look great and just how I should.  I'm not too skinny at all - just right.  My comfortable weight.  That six pack?  Well - it for sure doesn't look like it did when I was in high school, but I'm proud of my body.  I'm proud of all the things I have done with it and the two beautiful babies that it made.  It has transformed and been through so much over these last 3 years...but my body has been good to me.  And I feel like getting into this healthy lifestyle and exercising and gaining muscle definition and fueling it with healthy food - I'm rewarding my body for all the things it has done for me and preparing it for more.

And the first time you try on shorts in a dressing room in a size that you think might be too small...and the size is way too big (OH MY) but you always love the way your legs look - that is a feeling I never want to forget.  I feel strong.  I feel proud.  I feel healthy.

And for fun - a work out selfie that I took for one of my challenge groups.

My coach during this journey, Ruth, constantly has challenge groups - so if you are interested, you can find her on facebook here or instagram here, but I'm also excited that my good friend, Lauren, is going to be a Beachbody coach now and her first challenge group is starting on Monday.  I cannot wait to be a part of it and encourage her and my other friends that are doing this challenge with me.

I'm super happy with the way my body looks now, but I am interested to see what happens when I stop nursing (within the next month) and am burning less calories...but I'm confident that if I keep working out an don't go overboard on my sweet treats that this is my new normal and I love it.  Oh yeah - I didn't mention that before, but I did all this while still breastfeeding AND maintaining my supply.  I really think that all the healthy eating helped a lot!!

So there you have it - my 21 day fix journey that has turned into a now 4 month journey and new way of life.  I haven't taken a good "after" picture lately - but really, if you are starting this you NEED to take pictures and measurements.  Because the scale is not everything - I learned that, especially in the beginning. I loved seeing the pictures and seeing the progress and seeing how many inches I lost - things I didn't even think about before I started. 

I'm not going to lie - I was super hesitant to share this, but you know what - I'm proud of what I've accomplished and the new mentality and lifestyle that I've started and if someone needs a little bit of encouragement out there - this is it!!  You can do it!

I will do another post of my favorite snacks and recipes too - because that makes it easy for me to share with others when they ask me for my favorites. 

Happy Friday friends and thanks for reading and putting up with my sports bra pictures! Ha!

Linking up with these ladies: Darci, April, Natasha and Christina.

Double holy communion fun

This last weekend, in addition to celebrating Jimmy's 31st birthday at T-Rex, we also spent a lot of time with Jimmy's family celebrating our sweet niece, Kenlie, and our wonderful nephew, Eli, and their first communions in the Catholic church.  

I am SO sad I didn't get a full shot of Kenlie's gorgeous dress!  When we first walked into their house on Saturday afternoon (we were late because our kids actually decided to take somewhat long naps), Kenlie was walking down the stairs of their house and she looked like a little bride!  It made me tear up a little thinking of her being old enough someday to get married!!!  But luckily for me, Shellie posted a cute little collage of her at church with her dress.  It was gorgeous!!!

I did get this cute shot of this sweet girl at the party at her house though.  She loved the purse on her shoulder too.

And even better about the dress?  Grana (Jimmy's mom) made Kenlie's American Girl Doll a MATCHING first communion dress.  So Shellie had her on display on the table with other adorable pictures of Kenlie.  So so cute!!

And just like Ben's communion 2 years ago (which was the same weekend 2 years ago because it popped up on my time hop - so crazy how fast time flies!), we all sat around in the same spot to watch her open her cards and presents celebrating her special day.  She got her very own bible too, which is pretty special.  And some holy water!!  So she walked around the room letting people do the cross - but of course I messed up because I'm not Catholic - I just blanked, even though I know exactly how it goes!!!

Charlie always takes a little bit to warm up to so many people and kids before he goes off with the kids and starts playing, but once he does, we don't see him at all.  He had a blast in the basement wrestling with his cousins and even made some new friends with two of his cousin's cousins from Shellie's side (got that...??!!).

And Maddie's outfit??! Well it's 12-18 month from Gap and it's almost too small.  This girl is growing too fast! I'm glad I tried it on because now she's going to wear it all the time- it's so cute!

We are blessed to have lots of nieces and nephews - three of which are all in second grade this year (yep, all three my SILs were pregnant at once, which makes me wish I was pregnant with them at that time too - how fun!!  Now I just need to convince my younger SIL to get pregnant the same time as me next time!).  So that meant we celebrated another first communion the next day, this time for Eli.

And I about DIED when I saw him in a suit.  Oh my goodness.  Seriously the most handsome little man ever.  He even wore it most of the party!!

All the cousins were back to celebrate Eli together and play with new toys with each other, just like the day before.  And we got to watch him open all his presents/cards too.  In just two more years, I'm guessing we will be in that same place watching Eli's sister, Katy, do the same thing.  How fun!

And the weather was GORGEOUS.  I mean seriously.  So that meant, it was nice to gravitate outside, even though the Royal's game was on.  Charlie is obsessed with baseball lately and hitting the tee - so a few of the kids got together to play outside while Uncle Jimmy pitched.  

Even Maddie wanted to join in the fun!!!  These two boys love her so.  Jimmy and I were even talking on the way home on Sunday that our kids have no idea how lucky they are to have such amazing older cousins.  Older cousins that love them, teach them to do the right things, cousins that want to hang out with them.  So so lucky.  Built in best friends.  Can't get better than that!

At the end of the playing, Maddie apparently was done with dodging all the balls and escaped under the net!  And Eli came out to announce that the Royal's WON!!  Eli is a sports expert and a huge Royal's fan - so he was super excited and that made his special day even better.

Funny story - Shellie asked Eli what he thought the wine tasted like at communion and he said "metal" - hahaha!  I guess it kind of does for kids!  Haha!!

What a great weekend celebrating two special kiddos and their first communion - we are so blessed to have them and their families as part of our family too.

Their day

Some times as a parent, you are just plain old tired.

Or crabby.

Or sick.

And you wake up NOT wanting to do life that day.

Know that feeling??  Sometimes, we know it all too well and way too many days/weeks in a row, right? 

Like how fun was it that you had to work until midnight last night and then get up with your kids that are choosing not to sleep (something as adults we will NEVER understand)?  Trust me - this has been me way to many times.  And when I roll out of bed (before them, of course), the last thing I feel like doing is getting myself ready and getting them ready AND fighting with them when they are screaming because I am dressing them (I mean God forbid they go to school clothed) and then argue 14 times about what they want for breakfast (well at least arguing with one of them - the other just screams).  

I will tell you what I feel on those days - ANGER.  Like - OMG you little people leave me alone for 2.5 seconds because as mad as you, I bet you I am even more mad.

Like how dare they ruin my morning with their attitude, right?

Well, have you ever looked at the situation from the other side?  Yes that's right - have you ever though about what your bad attitude does to your kid's day and your kid's attitude?  In talking to a wonderful friend about this - it really opened up my eyes.  I can help set the tone of THEIR day.  Jimmy can help set the tone of THEIR day.  And if we have good attitudes from the minute we walk in their room...maybe that will rub off on them.

Because guess what?  It's THEIR day too.  It's THEIR morning.

And look at these faces....how could you not want to do everything in your power to make their day the best it can be?

It's so so hard.  Trust me.

But over the last month, I've truly been trying to shift my attitude.  Go into their rooms happy. And excited to see them.  And get their day started off the RIGHT way.

And when I get screamed at because he wanted a bagel versus the waffle that he just told me he wanted and then changed his mind five seconds after he said waffle - but no, he wants the bagel with cream cheese on it NOW - regardless if it's frozen or not, right?  And when little miss takes her hand and rubs her tray so all her breakfast flies off it onto the floor and THEN she starts crying?

Yes, even in those moments - I'm trying to have a good attitude.  Be happy.  Show them, it's going to be a good day.  For all of us.  Get it started off right.

The motto of my blog is "Every day might not be good, but there is something good in every day".

And that's exactly how I am going to live this life.

It's THEIR day too - let's do the best we can to make sure they have a good one!

It's the least we can do as parents.

But just so you know, Charlie has now moved onto to requesting "doughnut powder" daily for breakfast...because we had powdered doughnuts the other day...so yeah, that's a fun conversation and meltdown.  Attitude people.  It's everything.

As long as I get a smile like this at least once before I leave for work in the morning - all is well in life.  yes friends, with a smile like that, all is well.

Now make your Thursday a good one!!!!

A 31st birthday at T-Rex cafe

Let me just start this out like this.  When you turn 31...things are a lot different from when you turn 30.  Harsh reality?  Or really just reality of having 2 kids under 3?? Haha!!  But Jimmy was a good sport this year in having a totally different birthday celebration than we had for his 30th!!  Check out his 30th birthday post here or about his 30th birthday party/Easter here.

This year, I suggested we do something fun with the kids for his birthday.  And then came the email from the Landry's restaurant club thing (that we signed up for when we went to fancy places like M&S Grill or McCormick and Schmick's) saying we had $25 birthday credit loaded to our card for his birthday.  

Since the only other restaurant in KC now for this restaurant chain besides the fancy (and delicious, but not so under 3 friendly) McCormick and Schmick's is T-Rex Cafe at the Legends.  Now to be honest, all I previously knew about the place was that every time I walked by it when we were out there it was PACKED.  And waiting for a table to go out to eat with our kids is pretty much something I won't do - not fun for anyone.  Especially because we rarely even go out to eat, so I would like it to be somewhat enjoyable...and waiting for 30 min - 1 hour is not my definition of enjoyable with these kiddos.  But to my surprise, I called and they took reservations and of course, they weren't too hard to come by on a Friday night at 5:15PM - because yes, that is when we eat.  Ha!

One other thing I learned about it??  The location in KC is only one of TWO anywhere in the US.  THe other one is in Orlando at downtown Disney.  When I learned that, I was even more excited to take my kiddos to this one of a kind KC thing! 

I asked Jimmy if he would be ok if we went there for his birthday.  To be clear...he picked Hy-Vee for his 29th (which I guess wasn't blog worthy in my opinion - but it was a super cool new Hy-Vee with a restaurant)...and this year, he "picked" T-Rex.  Haha. Poor guy.  But not really because we get to go to Mexico in a month alone together and eat whatever we want.  So we decided on that and I got really excited because I thought the kids would just love it!!

And guess what?  They did!  

Except the big bugs on the trees as you go up the stairs.  Charlie hated those.

A girl and her dad!

My parents tagged along per our invitation and my dad has been at every one of Jimmy's birthday dinners since he turned 26 and my dad picked us up from the airport on our honeymoon on his birthday and we went to Red Robin.  The best part?  My mom and Jimmy hung out at the table after we ordered drinking their beers (which by the way, with a draft beer you get a T-Rex beer glass too - which Jimmy's was pumped about.  A $9 beer at a kid's place will get you that!), while my dad and I took the kids to explore all the fun stuff they had.

So I mentioned the $25 off that spurred us to come here.  Well in my research of this place, I saw they had a Build a Bear, but with dinosaurs in the restaurant.  And guess what?  In our ridiculous stash of gift cards we have gotten over the years and yet to use, we had a Build a Bear gift card for $20 that Charlie got for his FIRST birthday thanks to my aunt and cousin.  I brought it along just in case they would let us use it there because 1) we never go to the mall (Sorry, Emily and Jeff - I know you frequent it) and 2) Charlie likes dinosaurs WAY better than bears.  I stopped by when we got there to make sure they took them to the normal store and they did - SCORE!!

With that, we took the kids down to have Charlie pick out his dinosaur.  He picked out the green one with "cool spikes" and then we went off to get it made.

What a fun process.  My sister and I did this when we were kids when we were visiting the Mall of America in Minnesota as a family and I'll never forget it.  Since then, the whole company has taken off, but it was fun to see the concept was still exactly the same of making your animal.  I love that Charlie got to pick the heart, kiss it and put it in his dinosaur.  He picked up another heart kissed it and gave it to me, what a stud.

After helping her with the stuffing machine, it was time for his birth certificate!  We asked what he wanted to name him and he immediately said "MAX".  That was easy!!!  So fun that we made the birth certificate.

Ok so my honest opinion?  Charlie was at the perfect age to do this.  For real.  He could help with the process but didn't understand enough to ask/beg for add ons to him (like sound or clothes), which of course can add up.  The whole thing was $20 without anything extra so all we paid for was tax.  And guess what?  He LOVES him.  Like sleeps with him and takes him everywhere.  Constantly is talking about "Max".  And when I put him down for a nap on Sunday he asked me to tuck Max in too.  Dying of cuteness - so happy we did this!

Ok back to T-Rex pictures/experience.

The birthday boy and his kids!!  Jimmy was so excited because Charlie begged to sit on his lap - he usually wants to sit on mine!

Bad lighting for sure for pictures with Nana and Papa, but overall there was cool lighting effects when there were indoor "rainstorms".

For dinner - my dad got the chicken fried steak and it was HUGE.  Like we thought they messed up and gave him 2 of them.  But he loved it and I had a bite and it was really good.  My mom got the cocunut chicken fingers appetizer and she liked it.  Jimmy got the Pterodactyl Salad  that was delicious - I wish I would have gotten that!!  I got the Paleozoic Chicken sandwich and it was good (and big - they were all big and we all took home leftovers).  (whole menu here). Charlie got the kids dinosaur chicken nuggets and ate like 2 of them - story of our lives with kid's meals.

Overall?  I was worried because there were lots of negative reviews online about their food and service and how the food was cold, etc.  It wasn't by any means the fastest service, but she was really nice and attentive and the food was hot.  So I'd call that a win.  A little more expensive then our usual places we go with kids, but worth it for the extra experience for sure.

Then (against Jimmy's will), we had them sing happy birthday to him, bring him a candle, AND roar at him at the end.  It was amazing.

Of course we got hats.  And while a little too big for her head, Maddie wore it with style and had about the cutest look on her face.

I, of course, requested a departing family photo in front of the sign.  And oh my goodness.  My mom took a lot of shots and this was the best/funniest.  I mean, Jimmy and I have the picture taking thing down pat...our kids?  Well they apparently need some work. 

But Maddie's face is AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!

Overall?  We had a great time.  It wasn't super super busy and the food was decent. 

And for Charlie?  He was literally telling us how he wanted to go back the second we left.  Maybe for Maddie's birthday?

Glad my husband is a good sport and goes for family fun for his birthday dinner too!

JAM is 31 years old: Five things

It's my main man's birthday today.  He is the ripe old age of 31 now.

Since it's Friday...why not do give things I love about him?  So here it goes!

{ONE}

He's still FUN and WILD.  

Case in point - he ran in a race from Boulevard Brewery in KC to Free State Brewery in Lawrence with some co-workers this weekend.  Drinking all day AND running?  That's fun and wild.

We had a pretty good time back in the day celebrating his 22nd birthday and on...with all our adventures before kiddos and a house, etc.   Case in point - this picture of date party senior year.  FUN and WILD.

{TWO}

He is still looking HOT.  Yep - true story.

After 5 years of marriage and 2 kids...while we have not been super healthy, we made a change at the beginning of this year and it's been awesome.  Both have been working out lots and eating healthy and it's making us both feel so good AND look good if I say so myself.

Pretty much we will look like we are this age in a month when we are in Mexico...

{THREE}

He is SELFLESS.

Haha this is an inside joke between us, but really he is.

Being a parent takes a lot of sacrifices and he does just that.  He has turned into the disciplinarian (which honestly neither of us ever foresaw that happening....), so I know it is so hard for him to have to put Charlie in his place/timeout/tell him what's right and wrong all the time.  But he does it and does it well.  He is the best and always has put others first, always his family too.

{FOUR}

Oh Jimmy - he has "put up" with me for oh so long.  Almost 10 years to be exact.

And he continues to put up with my on-going lists I give him and sometimes ridiculous ideas.

Case in point, a few things I have had him up to in the last few weeks around the house have included hanging curtain rods (and re-hanging when I measured wrong...),

then painting the play room...

and the most crazy was when he had a Friday off and dared to ask if I needed him to do anything - and I said "yes, paint a stencil on the wall in our dining room".  Even though he called me to tell me I was crazy...but he did it and finished it and it looks amazing.

He's a trooper putting up with me for many reasons.

{FIVE}

Loyalty and loving.  

These man is fiercely loyal to everyone he loves.  He loves his family so much - all of us - his kids, his brothers, their families, his parents, my parents, my sister and my extended family.  His love and loyalty know no bounds I swear. 

I have just loved seeing Jimmy grow up over the last 10 years and become the man he is today.  I love that he has the exact same friends that he did 10 years ago and I don't think that will ever change.  He would spend every minute with his family if he could.  His role as a father is just so amazing and he loves both our kids so much but also in their own special way.  Playing with Charlie and loving on Maddie - I have loved getting to see him as a boy dad, teaching Charlie to play catch and about sports and wrestling, but also being so sweet with Maddie and even going out of his way to buy her super cute clothes.  I mean he's the best.

While we are just going to eat at T-Rex in the Legends tonight (no party like we did last year!), I can't wait to celebrate with him.  And for him to open the presents that Charlie and Maddie picked out for him!!  Haha!!

Love you so much, Jimmy and cheers to 31 years!

Link up yourself!