Rain Rain... I will kick your ass

Taylor's barnyard bash is being threatened by rain....

It will, of course, go on because it is IN the barn, but I wanted everyone to be able to enjoy a gorgeous fall day with the leaves turning, a cool breeze & miles & miles of land as far as your eye can see.... End the day with a roaring bonfire, some cocktails & adult conversation...

The weather men have been wrong before... A LOT, let's hope they are wrong about Saturday!

Taylor's Ho-Down

So, it started as a joke... Let's have Taylor's party in the barn so my family (who all live in the city) can see where we spend every waking moment on the weekends & all the animals....to which Kathy surprisingly was all like YES GREAT IDEA!

So then it took off...

If you know me, you were probably at my Luau... My very expensive over the top, took a theme & ran waaaaay too far with it Luau.... I had a 6ft Monkey with a lei & grass skirt... Necessary? No, but it was dressed for the occasion...It's a sickness, I cant help it.

Unfortunately or maybe fortunately, I don't have the kind of money as I did then... plus Pat would never allow the insanity of $5 grand... Oh yes, the luau went there.. But I had a REAL tikki bar...again I am a very SICK person...

SO the barn, sorry, first it was all oh animals.. yes animals, then it changed to fall at the farm, because, well it is. So the barn was emptied, cleaned, organized... a 4 day job to which I, the cleaning natzi, as they have referred to me, had it done within 7 hours,
(this is also part of my sickness)

Since I didn't have the funds to purchase what I thought should be in a barn, we had to be resourceful...... decorating with old jars, old farm items found in & around the barn, a few hay bales, some mums, soft fall colors... It is going to gorgeous, at least to me anyway... I didnt mind that I couldnt spend a crap load of money on decorations, I think the barn would have looked unauthentic with new stuff anyways.. so it worked out pretty good. Even Pat was amazed what I got done in such a short amount of time with hardly any budget.

Of course I HAD to buy cowboy hats & bandana's for all the kids, luckily it was the halloween season so they were easy to find. I ended up finding them at the dollar store which was good cause we had about 20 kids coming. My Mom is on cake duty, I told her I wanted a barn cake with animal cup cakes, so hopefully she can figure that one out!

I cant wait to for everyone to see it.. no one will quite understand the undertaking that came with deciding to have the party there, but it is adorable... The kids will love the animals... the grown ups will love that the children can run around & not be in our hair... I cant wait till Saturday

My Monkey is turning ONE

I cant believe that an entire year has passed.

I feel like only a few weeks ago, I was pacing my living room floor all hours of the night, crying because my leg cramps were so bad and I was so sleep deprived...

I feel like only a few days ago, I was walking into the hospital knowing she would be here in a very, very short amount of time...

I feel like it was only a few hours ago that Patrick & I brought home our tiny little bundle and just sat on the couch staring at her for HOURS on end...

I feel like it was only a few moments ago I was watching her find her hands, roll over, sit up, laugh, crawl, smile, coo for the first time...

And now, in about 2 weeks my little Monkey will be 1 and before we know it, we will turn around and she will be Alyssa & Tori's age...

Wow, one...

The Flu .. Already?

I dont get sick often, but I do always get a monster of a cold around the beginning of school.

Right now, because I cant sleep it off, I will safely say it is quickly turning into the flu.

I feel miserable, the baby is of course not napping ( I think she does it on purpose) & Pat couldnt be more unsympathetic so instead of getting better after 2 weeks, I am getting worse.

I wish I was home with my Nanny. She always makes me tea & rubs my back. I miss my family.

And Monkey says Mom...

I love love love the fact that Taylor says MOM. Not Momma, not Mommy but MOM. When she is upset I get the " Mom, mom,mom,mom MOM" I love it!

It makes my heart melt!

She talking up a storm, you ask her a question she says, "OK" or " yea". You say HI she says HI then puts her hand to her ear like she is on the phone. *Hi can not be said by her without the hand to ear motion*

When she doesn't get her way with me it's all Dada.. but lately it is mostly MOM!

She is at such a fun age now where she is silly.. she mimics everything. She even knows how to whistle from watching me & Pat do it.

Oh I could go on & on ... but I wont.. I am just so happy for her to say MOM!

Me & My Little Black Cloud...

I am thinking about writing a book...

Everyone has told me for years to do it...

It's just a matter of actually getting it down on paper, at least I have the title already.

Quote...

" Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are." -Bernice Johnson Reagon

Rough past couple of days...

Limits & strengths have been tested.. I am exhausted, I think this is bottom. Hopefully we can only go up from here. I don't think I can endure much more.

I need to repeat this to myself over & over to try to make sense of all that has happened.