Bang!

A few years ago we bought a shotgun.  The shotgun got lonely and demanded we buy it some friends.  Practically overnight we went from one to four guns - building our personal armory, if you will.

Why?

Why not?

Plus we live in Texas and that's just what you do!

But since we weren't sure what to buy, we had to test out a few models.

We settled on a Glock .45 (Kevin), Glock 9mm (Leslie), and a Mossberg 500 tactical 12 gauge shotgun (because it looks super bad!).

Me and Kaity getting ready to shoot

Shooting a Glock .40

Burglars beware! 

We aren't bad shots!

And by the way, in case you were worried, we do take gun ownership very seriously. Having guns and kids takes some extra precautions - be rest assured that Colin is safe from the guns, and the guns are safe from Colin! 

The Last St Patrick's Day Party...for a while!

This year's party was a ton of fun and I think everyone had a great time - we partied until well after midnight!

With my mom's help, everything went smoothly and the food was, once again, delish! Everyone brought yummy things, so between the food and the fun attendees, we really couldn't go wrong!

Karen and Mike - runners up for the Best Outfit prize and winners of a box of
Lucky Charms!

My dear friend Cindy made 122 DELECTABLE homemade rolls that absolutely made the dinner! 

Camilla and Lucas grabbing some grub

Thanks to Grandma Grady for sending Reagan a cute onesie for the party (Colin was upstairs with a babysitter all night)

Nana's girl

Yum!

Annie and David...only 2 weeks to the wedding!

Nana and my cute neighbors Janelle and Wesley

Meagan and Micah Skidmore - winners of the Best Outfit award ("Take Luck" t-shirts from comedian Brian Regan's show)

Andy picture bombing the Stevens

We are so fortunate to have such great friends :)

Andy actually requested this picture!

Kevin is such a great helper in throwing parties! He knows how to work the crowd, keep the food moving, and make sure everyone is having fun! Such a great husband :)

See Andy's eye? He cracks me up!

However, there comes a time when you have to throw in the towel. This year marked the 9th year that we have thrown our feast and I am about 95% sure it will be our last (at least for a while).  

It isn't that we don't have fun - we do! Lots of it! Heaven knows I love entertaining, but it's just that with two kids, it is almost imperative that my mom come and help and I just don't know if I can keep up!  We have so many great friends and I hate to leave anyone out, but the guest list stresses me out so much each year.  This year we had forty something attendees and while I loved how the party turned out, at the end of it all Kevin and I both turned to each other and basically said that we couldn't really top it, so why try?

It really is the end of a era...but this will be good for us :) In all the hustle and bustle, we've forgotten what the true meaning of St. Patrick's Day is - eating as much green dyed food and corned beef as possible!

Reagan at Four Months

Baby Sister is four months old!

A little bit about Reagan right now:

• She is still amazing us with all she can do! She started rolling from her back to her tummy a few weeks ago but she isn't so great at rolling to her back.  
• Sadly, yesterday she popped out her two bottom teeth. I will miss her little gummy mouth!
• She giggles and is extremely ticklish around her chubby thighs
• Speaking of chubby - this poor girl has to have special cream put in between her chin rolls to keep a rash away! (Let it be known that I use the word "chubby" as an endearment and to be honest, she isn't a "fat" baby and is completely proportional - Nana doesn't like it when I point out her chubs!)
• This little stinker is not a great bottle taker - we are having some success with pumped milk with a fast flow latex nipple (instead of silicone) given while I am out of the room...we're working on it.
• Since she's started teething she has stopped sleeping through the night...but I can't blame her when she is so cute! Plus she is a quick eater these days so I don't mind so much.
• She likes to go a week in between poops just to keep us always guessing when the next blow out diaper will be! She really likes blow outs on the go!

Four Month Stats

Height: 26.5 inches (>98th%)

Weight: 15 lbs 10 oz (95th%)

At the Zoo with Nana

Phew! This has been a crazy week! My mom came out for a fun visit and to help with our annual St. Patrick's Day party and I feel like I am still reeling from all the stuff we packed in! Trips to the store, Costco, Hobby Lobby, Joanns, Charming Charlie's (cutest accessory store ever!), the zoo, the park, taking Reagan for her 4 month check up, a dentist and a hair appt, and everywhere in between! We have been busy...and my house is still recovering!

Taking a bunch of kids to the zoo can be a little crazy, especially during spring break, but Colin had a great time seeing all the animals and making all their sounds (roar!).

See the elephants? Colin was so distracted by the water, rocks, and trees that I am not sure he saw them! "Mama! Water! Mama! Trees!"

Nana, cool, huh?

Adorable Sophie

Love these kiddos!

Our new friends, the Pelfreys

Reagan just going with it!

Funny Kids

They keep me laughing, these kids of mine!

Asleep in the swing at the park

Reagan is big enough to hang out in the jumper!

I often find Colin right next to baby girl

Colin refused to take his hat off for dinner after playing in the cold with Daddy

He thinks it is the Cat in the Hat hat!

Valentine's Day

I rocked this Valentine's Day!

On Wednesday, Kevin had a pro bono trial he was nervous about, so I gave him a cute jar filled with Reese's Peanut Butter Cups with stickers on the bottom listing reasons why I love him and a tag that read..."50 Reese's Why I Love You."

  

Original from Pinterest

On Thursday, I showed up at Kevin's office with a batch of yummy homemade sugar cookies to share with his coworkers...they were a hit to say the least!

On Friday, I arranged for a babysitter to come while I met Kevin for a fancy lunch at Perry's Steakhouse. We got the amazing $11 Pork Chop and shared a great creme brulee (my favorite).

On Saturday, I organized a round of WhirlyBall with a bunch of friends (because nothing says "I Love You" like playing overly competitive bumper car lacrosse basketball) and then we all grabbed sushi afterwards - delish!

Kevin's Valentine for me didn't go so well.

The poor guy tried so hard!  After the VDay debacle of 2012 (Kevin was in Russia and completely ignored the holiday...I was not pleased) Kevin knew he had to do something to redeem himself, so he ordered a two-part package from 1-800-Flowers where I would receive chocolate covered strawberries the day before and then a dozen roses the day of Valentines.  Two surprises, how fun!

Sounds great, right?

Well, on Wednesday, Kevin kept calling me and asking if anything had arrived.  Nothing ever did. The next day - THE day - Kevin was on edge all day waiting for my flowers to come.  By this time he had told me what was going on and we had a good laugh about it. The flowers finally came at 8pm and get this - THE VASE WAS BROKEN!!

I didn't care at all, but Kevin was furious and demanded his money back.  We never did receive the strawberries.  I felt so bad for Kevin! He tried to surprise me with something fun and it just didn't work out.  I love him so much for trying so hard to make it special for me. He was so excited about my surprises and stupid 1-800-flowers really made an enemy out of my husband! 

In the end we have a funny story and I have a great husband.  I love you, Honey!

  

Legoland Discovery Center...

...or in other words, a big overpriced disappointment!

Kevin took Presidents Day off and we were looking for something fun to do in the area with Colin. At my suggestion, we went to this mini Legoland at the Grapevine Mills Mall.  $35 later, we would have had more fun if we had let Colin loose with a bunch of legos at a McDonalds playplace!  

Nonetheless, Colin did have fun and I documented it diligently!

Waiting to get in

During the "factory" tour (Colin is scared)

In Mini Land (pretty cool, but not worth the $$)

The Dallas skyline

Cowboy Stadium

Texas Fair Ferris Wheel

Southfork

Making Lego towers and turning on the "earthquake"

The long suffering Reagan hanging out in the stroller

Proof that I do exist

(I never seem to get pictures of myself in here anymore!)