Our Memorial Day Weekend

I hope everyone had a wonderful three day weekend! In honor of Memorial Day I wanted to share one of my favorite quotes. I am forever thankful for those who have served and continue to serve for our country. You were not only in my thoughts and prayers this weekend, but every day of the year. 

"On this day, we must tell the stories of those who fought and died in freedom's cause. We must tell their stories because those who've lost loved ones need to know that a grateful Nation will always remember. We must tell their stories so that our children and grandchildren will understand what our lives might have been like had it not been for their sacrifice."

George H.W. Bush

Source

On Saturday we had friends over for an afternoon barbeque, where Kona blasted everyone with silly string, and spent the evening celebrating my Grandma's 89th birthday!

Sunday started with a trip to my favorite spot for breakfast. I'm a total sucker for their waffles and would eat there every weekend if I could. After breakfast, J.D. headed to work and the boys and I went shopping for flowers. We spent the rest of the day planting flowers, playing outside, going for a walk and celebrating my other Grandma's 79th birthday! I'm incredibly blessed to have these two amazing women in my life. We love them so much!

 On Memorial Day I made these donut and fruit kabobs for breakfast. I made them for the first time a few years ago and have made them every year since. They are so fun and the boys love them!

After breakfast we worked on some house projects, blew bubbles, swung on the hammock and ate our first watermelon of the year. When I was pregnant with Kai, I was obsessed with watermelon and ate it all the time. Now he can't get enough and will stand at the fridge, demanding some, if he knows it's in there. Like Mother like Son :)

 When Kai woke up from his nap we were super excited to go to the splash pad, that opens every Memorial Day. We got ready and drove up there, only to find that it was closed. We were super bummed, but still made the most of our afternoon with a bbq, wine spritzers, water gun fight and huckleberry ice cream cones.

I have been making this spritzer for a few years now and we love it! It's light, bubbly and our go-to summer drink.

If you want to try it you'll need:

White wine

Sparkling water (This weekend we used watermelon sparkling water and it was really good!)

7-up, Sprite, or Fresca

Fresh fruit and Ice

I apologize that I don't have exact measurements, I just start pouring until it tastes right. :) I would say it's half a glass of wine and equal parts sparkling water and sprite.

I would love to hear your favorite summer drink!  

This was Kai's first ice cream cone and I think it's safe to say he loved it!

XOXO


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Friday Favorites

Happy Friday and happy Memorial Day weekend! We can't wait to celebrate and have lots of festive stuff planned. On top of all the fun red, white and blue festivities we have planned, we will be celebrating our Grandmother's birthday's and putting flowers on my Mom's and Grandfather's grave. Fun fact: J.D.'s Grandmother and both my Grandmother's birthday's are two days apart. We love them so much and wish them all the best birthday ever!!


One
I got these sandals a few weeks ago and I love them. They are pretty comfy and the price couldn't be better. Right now they are on sale for under $15.00! You can see how I wore them here and here.

Two
Kona has been saying the best stuff lately!

Kona: I'm really thirsty.
Me: You can have some of my water.
Kona: Mom, that is really nice of you to share, but I've already had enough water this year.


The other night J.D. and I were putting the boys to bed and J.D was being super silly. Kona look at him with a straight face and said, "Dad you're a crazy mess." I could have died laughing!  #crazymess is the new #hotmess in our house. :)


Kai has also been talking up a storm and I never want his baby voice to go away. The way he says "mama" melts my heart!  

Three
Who needs to eat the graham cracker when there is a roasted marshmallow in the middle? :)  

Four
Yesterday we celebrated Red Nose Day and these two couldn't have been cuter! You can learn more about this wonderful cause here.

Five
On my facebook page I shared this post about the importance of husband's taking pictures of their wives. My favorite part is, "Take the photo. Messy hair, no make up or a dirty old t-shirt won't matter to your children when she is gone someday." This rings so true and something I need to remind J.D. of. I cherish the pictures I have of my Mom, and It's important to me to leave my boys precious pictures of us together.


I hope everybody had a wonderful and festive weekend!
XOXO




Linking up with Andrea, April, April and Katie

Fun Father's Day Activities

With Father's Day a few weeks away, I wanted to share some of my ideas for fun things to do. My husband totally rocks at being a dad and I plan on going all out this Father's Day! He does so much for us and I can't wait to show him how much we appreciate him.

Play Golf, Football, Soccer, Or Any Game
J.D. would love hitting golf balls on the driving range, throwing around the football or running through the park playing soccer with the boys. Follow this up with a BBQ and a beer, and you got yourself a perfect day.

Go Hiking

A peaceful day hiking with no distractions and a picnic lunch sounds like a wonderful way to spend the day.

Have A Steak Dinner

My husband is a meat and potatoes kind of guy, so a steak dinner is definitely on the menu.

Go Fishing

Anybody surprised by this one?! When I asked J.D. what he would like to do for Father's Day, he couldn't say fishing fast enough. A peaceful day on the water sounds perfect to me!

Take Him To A Brewery Or Distillery
My husband loves to try new beer and whiskey. Spending an afternoon eating delicious food and trying new drinks would be right up his alley. An added bonus, is taking his favorite beer or whiskey home, to enjoy the rest of the week!  

Watch A Baseball Game
Watching baseball is one our favorite things to do in the summer. Sitting outside, eating a hotdog and drinking a beer (or two) sounds like a perfect way to spend Father's Day.  

Visit A Barber Shop For A Straight Razor Shave
J.D. had a straight razor shave, for his sisters wedding, and loved it. He still talks about it and has mentioned that he would like another one. Maybe I should take the hint and schedule him one. :)
Go Camping
We're not brave enough yet to take Kai camping, but maybe in a year or two we will make this our yearly tradition. J.D. and I went camping all the time before having kids and loved it so much. We're both so excited to make lots of memories while camping with the boys.
Go To A Amusement Park

Exciting rides, funnel cake and strong man games would be such a fun Father's Day. J.D. is a pro at taking the kids on their rides, and to be honest, I'm not sure who has more fun!

 Visit A Museum
My Dad and I took the boys to a museum for Mother's Day (J.D. was working out of town) and we had the best time. The museum we went to is 1.5 hours away, which made for a fun road trip. Drinking coffee, jamming to music, going out to eat and learning a thing or two was a such a great way to spend the day.

Visit A National Park
There are so many national parks we have never been to and always talk about going. Spending time together exploring would make a perfect weekend.   

See A Car Show

This wouldn't be my top pick, but guys love cars and this day is all about them!

Listen To Music In The Park
We did this last year and had so much fun. It was a wonderful evening relaxing, unplugging and spending quality time together.

How are you celebrating your Dad or husband this year? I would love to hear!

XOXO


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Fishing The Day Away

When I was pregnant with Kai, I dreamed about all the fun things we would do together and all the memories we would make. I remember telling J.D. "I don't want him to grow up, but I'm so excited for all of his firsts. To make as many memories with him as we have with Kona." This weekend was one of those moments. Kai went on the boat for the first time, which is a huge milestone in the Roberts household. It makes me a little sad that another milestone is in the books. One of the moments I had been dreaming about has happened. I know there are many more moments to dream about and look forward to, but I have to admit I'm a little sad. Our snuggly baby is now old enough to sit on the boat and help his daddy ore. The days that seemed so far away are here. I want to hang on and cherish every moment I have with my boys, because I know it goes by too quickly. The babies I couldn't wait to hold and kiss and now fishing, begging to go in the boat and telling their daddy they want to be just like him when they grow up. As excited as I am for the next milestone, I pray that time will slow down, just a little bit.

XOXO 



Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! I hope everyone is having a wonderful week! J.D. has been home 4 days this week, which never happens, so we've been spending lots of time as a family and getting a bunch of house project's done. It has been a wonderful week and I'm not looking forward to him going back to work tomorrow. Here's a little peek into what we've been up to!

ONE

Yesterday Kona and I made a grapefruit bird feeder. It was super easy and such a fun little DIY project for us to do together. I know the boys are going to love watching the birds out the window.

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Materials Needed

Orange or Grapefruit

Bird Seed

Wooden Dowels

Scissors

Yarn, string or fishing line

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TWO
I made my first pie last Saturday and it was so good! I've always been really intimidated to make a pie, but I found this recipe for a cinnamon roll apple pie and couldn't pass it up. Kona helped me make it, which is always my favorite. 

While we're talking about amazing food, for dinner last night, I made these cheddar beer burgers and oh my word they were good! Everybody loved them and I can't wait to make them again.


Three
On Monday we met some friends at a park to have a picnic and go for a walk. While we were on our walk we saw baby ducks and geese! The kids were so excited and couldn't get enough of them.
Later in the week the boys and I were on a walk when Kona saw a bird egg that had hatched. He is always asking us which animals hatch out of eggs, so this was perfect for him. I love spring and all the baby animals it brings!

 

FOUR

I had the best Mother's Day on Sunday! J.D. had to work, but that didn't stop us from having a wonderful day. My Dad and I took the boys to a dinosaur museum and Kona was on cloud 9. When J.D. got home we ordered pizza and had a movie night. It was the perfect day with my amazing boys. I love them more than words can express and I feel so honored to be their Mom.

 

Five

My best friend sent me this article about being a boy mom and it is a tear jerker. It is beautifully written and expresses what I have never been able to put into words. If you are a boy mom I hope you love it as much as I do.

XOXO
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Linking up with Andrea, April, Apriland Katie

What I Wore

Happy Thursday! I hope everyone is having a lovely week!

My first outfit, is what I wore on Mother's Day. I got the shirt last week at Target and can't wait to wear it again! The print is so fun, it's light weight and perfect for chasing around two little boys, while still feeling put together. I also wore my new favorite sandals and can't recommend them enough. I walked around in them, all day Sunday and my feet never hurt!

My second outfit, is what I wore to a backyard BBQ. I found the shirt several years ago at TJ Maxx and still love it so much. The print is beautiful and always puts me in the best mood!



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Shirt: Target Same

Jeans: JCPenny Same

Shoes: Payless Same

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Shirt: This shirt is from TJ Maxx several years ago.

Here are a few that are similar.  One, Two, Three

Jeans: Old Navy Same

Shoes: Target Same




 I hope everyone has a wonderful day! XOXO

You can see more spring outfits here.

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Mommy & Me Pictures + Photography Tips

I'm so excited to share our mommy and me pictures, that were taken as part of my Mother's Day present! Amber and I have known each other since elementary school and she is incredibly talented. I feel so blessed to have her follow the boys and capture them growing up. We had the best time taking these pictures and I hope they become a yearly tradition!

Dress: Target Same

Shoes: Target Same

Boys Clothes: Crazy 8

I am by no means a photographer, but I know how stressful it can be to take pictures with little kids. You are spending a good amount of money and want your pictures to turn out. I get it! Here are some of my tips for having a successful photo shoot with little kids. If you have other tips or tricks I would love to hear them!

Give your kids a late nap: Since we started pictures at 7:00, which is Kai's bed time, I knew he would need a later nap. He usually naps around 12:00, but I had him nap at 1:30. I was a little nervous this might back fire in my face, but it worked really well.

Feed your kids right before you leave the house: I gave the boys a snack right before getting them dressed so they were full and happy! 

Have an idea of what you want: Amber and I sent ideas back and forth, so we were on the same page. That way we didn't have to spend precious moments, talking about what types of pictures I was hoping to get.

Bring along props or activities: I brought along bubbles, Kai's blanket and books. We also took pictures by the river which meant throwing rocks in the water and finding sticks. :)

Go with the flow: The cutest pictures happen when you follow your child's lead. They will be more playful, cooperative and everyone will have a better time.

Check your expectations: Make sure you have realistic expectations of what pictures you will get. Kids are so unpredictable, and the more realistic expectations you have, the better your shoot will go.


Hype it up: I kept telling Kona how much fun we were going to have and how handsome he was going to be. This helped him get really excited and he looked forward to it all day.

Start taking pictures immediately: Right when we got out of the car, Amber grabbed the boys and started taking pictures. With small attention spans it's important to start snapping pictures right away.


Give them a treat: Taking a 5 minute break, to have a little treat, is sometimes all kids need to finish up the shoot. Also, ice cream after pictures works well. ;)


No matter how prepared I was, Kai still wouldn't give me kisses and Kona still wanted to run away! ;) The realness of these pictures makes me love them so much more and I know we will cherish them forever!

XOXO

I would love for you to follow along on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest!

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