Blessed...

Mommy moment:

My heart is so full of love for my two sons. When I see them give eachother hugs when they get home from school. When they play before dinner. When they snuggle up under a blanket to watch a show after dinner. When I get unasked for kisses and "I love you's". When my oldest excitedly explains his lego creations or tells me how much he missed his brother today. When my two year old climbs up in my lap and falls asleep....

My heart is so full and I am so blessed and thankful that God placed these two joyful little souls in the hands of Jeff and I to look after.

I seriously could not ask for more....except for maybe a winning lottery ticket. That would be nice. 

Pinterest Pizzaz

Ok, I don't know about you, but I am a Pinterest junkie. I am always looking for the next outfit to wear, food to have Jeff cook, makeup tutorial or birthday party idea. I just love pinning! I SO wish Pinterest would have been around when I was planning my wedding. I'm sure it would have been off the hook.

I have been looking at my Pinterest fashion board more and more lately. Ive been trying to incorporate the looks that I find into my everyday life. ITS SO EASY! I decided it would be fun to show you what I found and how I put it together using the things I have in my own closet.  Side-by-sides are fun, so that's what you are going to get. Its totally easy to see something you love and then use the items you already have to create it. 

Disclaimer: Don't mind today's look. I know it's a little wrinkly. I woke up late and had to haul ass to get out of the house.

Carla's Look Of The Day:

Shirt: Old Navy, Leggings: Vera Wang by Kohls, Boots: Old Navy, Glasses: These are my REAL prescription specs yo 

Date Night, XO Group/ Style...

My place of employment, XO Group/ (formerly known as The Knot) has an events team. I just so happen to be on this years team (woot woot!). Anyway, we love to have different events that are couples related. We decided to have a cocktail event at this super swanky building that was converted from a steamer for the railroads. I could totally see myself living there. There is no site or I would link to it.

My mom watched the boys and they had a great time playing with all of their cousins. Jeff and I got all snazzied up on June 28th and had a great night out. We drank FREE beer and mingled. When the party stopped, we drove just a few blocks away and stopped at the Old Market. We became old people. Instead of living it up and going to a bar for more drinks, we decided to go to Zios and eat pizza. I loved every minute of it!

Check out some of the pictures from that night:

This is us....are you surprised?

Mr. GQ, Gosh, I love him!

Some of The Knot Art/Editorial girls

This is the kind of shot you get when you work with artsy people

Hot to Trot

Julie, another events team member, and I

Love looking across the table and seeing him.

Dear Jeff...

Disclaimer: I will be the first to admit that I am horrible at posting things to this blog on time. I have good intention, but then, you know, life gets in the way. I love to blog about our life, but I also love to ENJOY our life in the moment. Jeff and I recently celebrated our wedding anniversary on July 2, and now is as good a time as any to post about it. Better late than never right? Happy anniversary to my main man!

Its been TWELVE years since Jeff and I started dated.

Its been NINE years since Jeff asked me to marry him and I said yes.

Its been EIGHT years since we recited our vows and I became a Mrs.

Its been 7 years 9 months since we became parents to Rilyn.

Its been 22 months since we became parents to Xavier.

Jeff-

Did you read that?! EIGHT YEARS! Man, we have been through a lot of changes during our eight years (or should I say 12?) We graduated college. Became our own family of two. Moved to Omaha. Became parents to a crazy, beautiful boy named Rilyn. Bought our very first, built from scratch home. Added our lovely boxer girl Mizzy to our family. Became parents AGAIN, this time to a mischievous, jokester named Xavier. 

Thats A LOT of change, and I have loved every minute of it. I couldn't have asked for a better partner to share my life with. Growth as a person, parenthood, laughter, tears, cleaning, landscaping, dirty laundry, lazy saturdays, wine nights, video game nights, vacations. The good, the bad....all of it. Im thankful that I have you by my side to go through it all with. Sure we have our moments, but thats what makes us a team. We learn from it and push forward. 

Heres to bigger and better things in the years to come J. Heres to more change that we will experience together. Are you excited? I am!  As long as I have you by my side, Im ready for anything. 

-XOXO

Look how YOUNG we were! We were just babies!

Our Wedding Day. It was SO hot that day!...and my dress was HUGE & FLUFFY!

Can you believe it, we are adults....with responsibilities! Our looks of the night. Pretty spiffy.

Thank you for the wonderful anniversary date night at CRAVE. I LOVED it!

Our yearly tradition. A mini anniversary cake and wine, for us only. Yum!

Like Mother Like Son...

Everyone always talks about how Rilyn is my twin. They say we look SO much alike. I notice it every once in awhile. The other day I found some old pictures of me as a little girl and thought, WHOA, Rilyn IS my twin. Let me know what you think. Twins or not?

Sorry the picture is grainy. Its an old picture. And Im pretty sure Im rocking a jerry curl....I mean it WAS the 80's. The jerry curl is the thing that got me. It totally looks like Rilyn and I have the same hairstyle, but we dont. Mine is totally not as cool as a naturally curly mohawk!

The picture I came across. My big sister Tamika and I.

A side by side of me and Rilyn. I asked my mom and she confirmed that I was the same age as Rilyn (7) at the time.

Boom, Boom, BBQ...

From our family to yours, Happy Fourth of July!

We had such a fun time on the 4th of July. My sister had a family bbq at her house. We ate SO MUCH FOOD, the boys stayed up late and we all enjoyed the fireworks as a family.

Sipping on some water

My festive mother

Mom and my brother, Neil

Take #1 of our family photo

Ri getting pelted by water balloons

Me and the oldest boo

     

Jumping from the water balloons

Looking so innocent

The hostess, my sister, Tamika and my nephew Malachi

Look at that glow! Our love was meant to be!

Mom, Xavier and Tamika

Man its hard to get a good shot with a toddler in the pic.

Notice how they are rocking Red White & Blue shirts?

Jeff and Xav watching the fireworks

Yep, these be my boys

Can you spot me in the back? They love the front facing camera.

Instagram Pic before the fireworks start.

SPARKLERS with dad!!

Sparklers are are favorite thing

More sparklers

Look at them sparks

Do a little dance...

Helping the littlest boo

Dads turn to help

Ri lighting Xavs sparkler

The littlest boo and I

The oldest boo and I

Watching the show

Enough pics mom

See ya next Fourth of July folks! P.S. Dont mind that kid in the back with just a diaper on, thats how we roll. 

Date Night, CWS Style...

Jeff was pretty pumped to find out that the Sales team at his current place of employment receives two tickets to the game of your choice for the College World Series. We have lived in Omaha for almost eight years now, and have never been to a game. Yep, I can hear it now, "are you serious?" I am very serious. 

We were able to get a sitter and off we went. Im not a huge "I like to be in the sun" type of person so I was hoping our seats were shaded. Hooray, they were. We had amazing seats that were right behind home plate, 13 rows up. 

We dont get very many date nights, so this was something new for us to experience as a couple. I can actually say that I am pumped to go next year! 

Told you are seats were pretty bomb! Shaded too!

What do yo mean they dont serve alcohol in our section?!

Another 1st in the books for date night!