Welcome to the Club, Honey!

Last week, we had the opportunity to celebrate Brian and his 30th birthday.  He woke up to a trail of 30 balloons that led him to breakfast.

He had to pop each balloon because inside of each one was a little note that shared something I love about him and something about his life for which I am grateful.  It was fun to watch him read each one...it honestly was hard to narrow it down to only 30 balloons!

I also arranged a surprise trip a local lake for just Brian and me.  My mom came and spent time with Mikayla while Brian and I had a picnic and time for wakeboarding on the water.

Our version of romance...his and hers wakeboards

The handsome birthday boy

Brian ready to hop in the water and tear it up on the wakeboard

My turn

Brian was talented enough to get pictures of me wakeboarding.  I, however, was not talented enough to snap a picture of Brian in action (which, trust me, is way more awesome)!

Peanut butter cup cupcakes

Such precious time together

We milked every minute of daylight that we could.  Beautiful sunset, huh?

Mikayla's First Birthday

It meant so much to us that we were able to spend Mikayla's first birthday together as a family of three.  We kept her party a very small family get-together and very simple.  It was a great day, and not only did we enjoy watching how much fun Mikayla had, but it was also a treat to see our family enjoying her so much as well.  We started the day like any other...

Then the guests and a few presents arrived.  Our curious little one didn't waste a second trying to figure out what the new additions in our living room were.  What was inside the presents was OK, but Mikayla's favorite part was definitely the tissue paper.

Mikayla really liked spending time with each of the guests.

 

Grandma V

Her Uncle Tyler took such good care of her on her birthday, and she adored him!

Aunt Liz and Vince

Grandma and Grandpa Davis

Can you spot one of Brian's favorite gifts?  Every girl needs a pink NC State onesie and matching skirt, right?

After presents and lunch, we moved on to the best part...cake! 

Brian and I made a cookies and cream cake and a special cupcake just for the birthday girl

With a little bit of coaching from Daddy and Uncle Tyler, Mikayla decided that it would be OK to dive right in to her cupcake.

 

Of course she needed to reach for her whole milk to wash it all down.

In so many ways it feels like we just met our little girl, but in so many other ways, it feels like we have known her forever.  We are continually amazed by how much she is growing and changing before our eyes.  Can't wait to see what is next in the years to come.   Happy Birthday, Mikayla Tamir.  You are such a big girl!

Brian's Birthday Present

Fall is landscaping time around our house, and this fall has been no exception.  There is nothing that Brian likes better than an outdoor project in the fall.  He was pumped when he got a gift card to Lowe's from my sister Julie and her husband, Jason for his birthday in August.  It took Brian no time to decide what he wanted to get...landscape lighting.  This is a project that we have talked about for a long time, but it has never been on the top of the priority list until now.

Brian picked out a kit with 12 electric lights.

He installed the lights in no time flat, and now we get to enjoy sitting on our back porch in the evenings even more!

Happy Birthday, Brian!

Happy birthday to my BEST friend ever!  Today Brian turns 29!  We spent a quiet weekend at the lake to celebrate Brian's birthday.  Our good buddies Sam and Lyndsey joined us for yummy food, lots of fun on the water, and remembering fun stories about the birthday boy.

The year since Brian's last birthday has been relatively calm for us! It seems like we are normally moving, changing jobs, etc.  Some fun and exciting things have happened since his last birthday:

1.  We completed our dossier paperwork and went on the waiting list.
2.  We built a shed.
3.  We celebrated 5 years of marriage and went on an amazing cruise.
4.  We welcomed a new nephew to the family.
5.  WE RECEIVED A REFERRAL FOR A PRECIOUS BABY GIRL!
6.  We have knocked a hole in a wall to our kitchen and turned our downstairs bedroom into an office.

I can't wait to see what this next year brings for us as a growing family!  Happy Birthday, Brian!