Happy Halloween

I enjoy this holiday much more now that I have children, that's for sure. Today, I'll be busy trying to keep the peace between Captain Hook and Peter Pan! We are hitting the road and going to Charleston for 5 days, and tonight, I'm taking the boys trick-or-treating in the neighborhood that I grew up in… here we come O.V.

I'll be sure to fill these two up with sugar and Halloween-inspired foods today, so follow my instagrams at @annaweaver to see what all we whip up.

I made Hudson's red vest (from a woman's pant suit jacket that I thrifted for $1) and Avery's entire Peter Pan costume (following this tutorial). Halfway through the project I vowed to never sew a costume again mainly because I just don't know what I'm doing… remind me next year to opt for a no sew project, ok? That sewing machine and I have a love-hate relationship. 

Hudson's Fire Truck Birthday Party

We celebrated Hudson's 4th birthday over the weekend with a party at a local fire station. It was such a hit. I think it turned out so cute… Enjoy!

While driving through the North Carolina mountains last month, I happened upon the small town of Hudson. Knowing that Hudson's party would be fire truck themed, I just had to stop at their station to take a few pictures of my boy in front of the Hudson fire station. The guys at the station were so nice. They gave me the Hudson balloons, Hudson badges and Hudson pencils. I couldn't have ordered anything more perfect.

We served FIREhouse subs and WATERmelon… cute, right?

The fire station gives these hats out to children, so I picked up a few in advance and added the personalized badges to the front. The hats can also be found right now at the Dollar Tree.

This motorized truck was a big hit… every kid got to drive a "fire truck."

At one table the kids colored a fire truck to take home…

The big birthday boy :)

This picture explains everything… get a bunch of 3's & 4's together, and it's impossible to get a good picture. I think that's why I love this one so much. Those faces crack me up!

The firemen responded to a real fire while we were there… the kids were excited to see them in action!

We used sparkler candles, of course.

Hudson really enjoyed the opening gifts part this year… this was his reaction to his gift from Eileen.

The party was a success! Happy Birthday, Hudson!!!!

on the go

Hitting the road after a quick breakfast… Virginia here we come!

source

Today, I shared a little post in a new series called She's Got Style. So head on over to A Creative Day blog now and check it.

spot on

here's to mixing prints...

playing dress up

Just having a little fun here going through my closet… yay for summer dresses and warm weather. Now, I just need to work on getting back that tan of mine!

making memories in the mountains

Gaaaahhh... this weekend was amazing! Going unplugged was so refreshing. I was able to catch up on some much needed, uninterrupted QT with my family. I forgot how good it feels to really get away every once in a while. I loved everything about being in that little cabin in the woods for a couple of days. We did manage to get out for lunch one day, but for the majority of the time we were lazy and loving life.

Yours truly walking the streets of Saluda...

Hours of cuddling my little ones in our jammies... (Mimi + Avery)

Have I mentioned how much I love the leaves falling? My munchkins loved them too...

Evenings were spent playing family board games by the fire while sipping on hot apple cider. It was perfect! Needless to say, I'm counting down the days 'til next year's mountain trip. :)

Happy Halloween!

I have to admit that this year has been even more fun than last year. I've prepared myself that this may be the last year that I can choose our oldest son's costume, but that's okay. He is still easily pleased by simply driving past the pumpkin patch, and I'm savoring this last bit of pure innocence.

Also, a big thanks to the hubs for getting such a great shot. I'm usually the one behind the lens, so I treasure this image.

Hudson is a bug this year... and the cutest bug EVER at that! He is all boy and loves being outdoors playing in the dirt and finding bugs of all sorts. Here he is (minus his beanie and antennae):

Sweet baby Avery is a little giraffe this year. His best friend is Sophie the giraffe, so I found the costume to be quite fitting. Here is the precious pair:

I'm excited about trick or treating with the boys tonight. Hudson's actually old enough to really get into it this year. I'm thinking one of the newest perks of motherhood will be sneaking some of my children's candy. You can find me in the pantry raiding the jack-o-lantern pail for a midnight snack. :)

Very Hungry Caterpillar Birthday Party

We celebrated Hudson's 3rd birthday with a small party at a local park this morning. Since Hudson's favorite book these days is The Very Hungry Caterpillar, I found this precious theme to be more than fitting. (I mean, he can quote the entire book verbatim!)

Here are the invitations that I made:

If you have never read the book then our menu will make no sense to you. "On Saturday, he ate through one piece of chocolate cake, one ice cream cone, one pickle, on slice of cheese, one slice of salami, one lollipop, one piece of cherry pie, one sausage, one cupcake, and one slice of watermelon." Here are all of the little details...

Monday through Friday...

My most favorite keepsake of the day is the guest book {The Very Hungry Caterpillar} that everyone signed a sweet message to Hudson in. We will cherish it forever.

Blowing out his 3 candles...

Hudson loves everything Toy Story, and believe me, he got it all. Woody is his new best friend.

This group shot of the kids is hilarious!

Family shot -- Brett's to the left and mine to the right

That's one happy little birthday boy!

Also, Hudson made a beautiful butterfly on a canvas out of his hand prints that we placed on the gift table. It was precious. 

Thankfully, the rain held out, and we were able to enjoy the unusually cool weather that we've been experiencing. The party was a success! YAY!

1st day of preschool

I can't believe it, but Hudson started preschool today. He might be the cutest thing I've ever seen.

He loves all things Toy Story and begs to watch Toy Story 3 about 3-4 times a day. I found him a cute Toy Story book bag at Walmart for about $5!

Our "daddy's boy" will get a little quality time with Brett in the car as daddy drops him off each morning. And the wave goodbye with pop tart in hand...

real men wear pink

Just wanted to make you smile...

Avery @ 7 months

4 Years

Today, the hubs and I are celebrating our 4th wedding anniversary. It's hard to believe that it's only been 4 years. Most people would say "it seems like just yesterday...", but it doesn't feel that way to me at all. Perhaps that "forever ago" feeling I have is due to the 2 children that we have had combined with the 4 moves that we have made in our 4 years of marriage. The last 4 years have been very busy to say the least. I have a better understanding of what it means to serve my family with excellence, and my dependence on the Lord is more evident to me than ever before. I have learned so much as a wife AND mother. I am so blessed! There is no one else that I'd rather do life with than my best friend, Brett. I've found my treasure in life, no doubt!

I love you to the moon... and back, my love!

get yours here

Hello Weekend

via

We're off to Charleston to see my family for 3 days with good friends. There will be plenty of time spent on the boat, at the beach, and in my parents' pool overlooking Shem Creek (weather permitting). Here's to a little R & R.