Christmas Party at the White House

    Despite the fact that Christmas was two months ago, I wanted to share our pictures from the Christmas Party at the White House.  We had an unbelievable time and it's something that I will always remember.  I'm not lying when I say that I was in awe the entire time.  From the moment that we walked in, the smell of fresh greenery surrounded us. That's when you know you're in for a real Christmas treat because they used the real stuff to adorn everything, from trees and wreaths to garland.  It smelled exactly what Christmas should smell like.  

    We were greeted with wine, champagne and people singing Christmas Carols which was such a delight. After touring most of the East Wing and taking as many pictures as I could, we enjoyed a delicious buffet.  We ate, we drank, and we ate some more.  It truly was a great way to ring in the Christmas Season. 

   Please excuse the quality of the pictures, I didn't want to lug my good camera around, so we had to settle for sub-par. 

Eleanor Roosevelt is my favorite First Lady so this was a real treat. 

Most delicious Egg Nog. Not joking.

White House Gingerbread House

I had way too many of these gorgeous Macaroons. Divine....

However, the best part of the night was taking this picture.  They were absolutely kind and it was a pleasure meeting them. 

Our American Girl turns 7

Our Gracie "Goose" is now 7 years old! 

Gracie has the craziest personality.  She can warm our hearts one moment only to shock us into a state of embarrassment the next.  She loves school and we couldn't be happier with her grades.  It's sad to say, but her handwriting is looking better than mine most days.  She enjoys her friends company, but on occasion has shown that she is confident in her own thoughts and opinions.  While it's a daily struggle to foster a good relationship with her brother, Ethan, (whom she secretly adores) she's a great sister and I often refer to her as their second mom.  She, just like any girl her age, enjoys playing with barbies, drawing beautiful artwork, and having tea parties.  Her love of music is electrifying and it's usually the reason why we have impromptu dance parties in the kitchen.  She truly is a blessing to have and rounds out our family quite nicely. 

To celebrate her special day, Gracie decided on a lunch with her best girl friends at American Girl Doll Bistro.  It was such an amazing experience and I loved watching her treasure it.  She is such a girly girl that it makes my inner child squeal in delight! 

Birthday morning presents

Birthday Outfit

Birthday lunch at school the next day

American Doll Birthday Party

I love our love day!

Pinterest treats for classmates 

Our breakfast tradition 

Sugar cookies! 

We made love flip books for the grandparents!

Heart Sandwich dinner....yummy! 

List of Five

Favorite Instagram Accounts 

1. vpjoeybiden -Trust me, it's hilarious!
2. jenhatmaker- She gets me. I don't know how, but she does. 
3. elementstyle- I wish I could have this chick design my house and dress me all at the same time.
4. jessicaalba- This doesn't even need an explanation. 
5. petesouza - White House Photographer so you know his photos are Aca-mazing! 

Favorite songs on my playlist ( This changes all the time. Some old, some new, but here is what I've been hitting replay on this week) 

1. Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars- Uptown Funk
2. Maroon 5- Sugar 
3. Gym Class Heroes- Ass Back Home
4. Ryan Bingham- The Weary Kind...or really anything else that comes out of this beautiful man. 
5. The Blow-True Affection 

Favorite TV shows 

1. Parenthood- My heart is going to need some time to process the fact that this show is over. 
2. Vikings  -  Oh yeah, Ragnar.  We have a date on Feb 19th. 
3. Orange is the New Black- I have gotten Eric ADDICTED to this show. It's that good.
4. Scandal- The chemistry on this show is incredible. 
5. The Mindy Project- If I had to invite a celebrity over for a girls only sleepover, I would invite Mindy Kaling.  Simple as that. 

Favorite Authors

1. Carlos Ruiz Zafon 
2. Stieg Larsson
3. Markus Zusak 
4. Alice Walker 
5. Jane Austen 

Five quirky things about me 

1. I touch my hair when I talk.  Like too much. 
2. I have a droopy eyelid that bugs me more than it should. 
3. I only follow less than half of my friends on FB. Sorry, but I'm sure a daily/weekly dose of me is too much for you too.  The unfollow button keeps me from posting sarcastic/rude comments.  It's good for everyone involved, trust me. 
4. I pick up way too many things with my toes.  That talent has passed on to Gracie as well. 
5. I never let my hand or foot hang off the bed because I'm afraid the Cucuy will get me.  I will feel the same way when I'm 80.

Half of a Childhood

Yup....this cool dude of mine has turned 9!!

It's hard for me to come up with anything to write because my kid's birthdays pretty much knock the air out of me.  They're growing up too fast and it's hard for me to realize that another year has flown by. I was so busy planning Ethan's birthday that it didn't occur to me how big he has gotten until Eric said,"Wow, I can't believe he is going to be 9. That means half of his childhood is gone."  

Ugh, excuse me???  Way to twist the knife in this poor momma's heart.  Geez!

Eric's right though, Ethan is halfway to 18 and it terrifies me.  Ethan is super easygoing, and always has a smile on his face.  He is a people pleaser and loves being in the social mix.   He is hilariously sarcastic and rocks at math.  I don't think I could've picked a better big brother for his siblings and I'm keeping my fingers crossed he has the same amount of energy during his high school years. 

I see big things for Ethan and just know with the right amount of motivation, he will lead a pretty extraordinary life! 

Birthday table at school 

Opening birthday presents 

To celebrate his birthday, Ethan choose three friends to join him for a day of fun.  After playing in the arcade, they enjoyed two rounds of laser tag and we finished it off with pizza and cake. 

Ethan and his friends had a great time!