Favorite Things Party! WaHoo!

Cortney & Shauna putting the finishing touches on the numbers for everyone to draw - in my laundry room :)

Yes, those Anthro candles were the hot pick of the night...and I scored one!

Mascara and eyeliner was a big one this year too! They went F.A.S.T

Everyone loves this part...going around and telling what they brought and why. It's like a walking advertisement and some of these girls are GOOD...like commercial good :)...they LOVE their favorite thing(s) and want to share it with the world!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this party! It is so fun and festive at Christmas time and such a blessing to be able to share such a fun girly night filled with friends, Christmas music, yummy food and laughter! When I started it last year we all had a great time! But as the year flew by and Fall arrived I had texts and run ins at the store with friends making sure it was going to happen this year! Of course because I think I have just as much fun planning as I do being a part of it. Last year the drinking glasses were the chalkboard stemless wine glasses...so this year I decided to be "crafty" and buy stemless $1 store wine glasses and try the whole gold glitter around the bottom idea. It was tougher than I thought but it happened and who cares that there was glitter EVERY.WHERE especially in the wine. It's Christmas so what's a little more glitter and glitz!?!? I totally appreciate Tim on this night because he sees the planning and gets home a bit earlier than normal, takes the kids out to dinner and ice cream and then whisks them away upstairs for bedtime. He does re-appear to snap a big group picture and then is always right there to help with dishes and clean it all up...and does so with a big heart because he knows I love love doing this stuff.  As friends were walking out the door they were making sure there would be one next year and some even wanted to compile a list of the top favorite things from year to year. A fun and full girls night at one of my favorite times of the year!

Cheering for The Home Team

Not sure how we went from cheering on a team in the playoffs last year to this year only winning TWO games but nonetheless our family was able to go to the Texans Football game on Sunday, Dec. 1st. The kids always have a blast (especially when Brooklyn decides she is D.O.N.E. with this whole thing called football and decides to entertain us with a gymnastics routine and cartwheeling her heart out until the last whistle. Despite the record of the team, it's a fun family time following one of our favorite sports!

Game Over! This is right before a cartwheel...her idea of entertainment!

Polar Express

This picture cracked me up...this is us real life right now! This picture depicts the evident age gap between the oldest and middle...the younger excited looking out the window...the older apparently trying to figure out how she would survive :)...She's a part of a younger family we tell her often. She is a trooper and most of the times secretly likes it and for the most part does very well. We can tell especially this trip the age gap is starting to become more real. She rolled with it (as you can see below) and after you can tell it was a memory added to her family adventures. 

She recovered and got bold dancing on the train!

Love this boy!

He knocked his knee so hard on the table...took awhile to recover. So glad big sis was there to make it all better.
She is so good at this!

Classic big sis moves right here

Waiting for Santa

Brooklyn's face completely captures what Tim and I were thinking...seriously this is POLAR EXPRESS people and this is the best friggin Santa you could GET?? 

See...LOVE HIM!

So here's the deal...we had never done The Polar Express before. We had wanted to and then the season gets busy and it doesn't happen. We planned early enough and made it happen this year. This was the weekend after Thanksgiving. We did surprise the kids so that part was fun. We told them to get ready and we were going on an adventure. And then each 20 minutes we would give them a clue.

The final clue was The Polar Express Movie...

It was a 3.5 hour drive each way and we decided to make the drive back that night...we had lots of laughs, memories, time together in the car, interesting grocery store stop in a very interesting town and lots of coffee for Tim and I. Glad we went and had the experience but the whole Polar Express at least here was a bit of a disappointment. We made it fun and not sure if it's because our kids are older and this was the first time we did it??? A lot of younger younger kids on the train but I think it may have been the TX one. Would love to try to AZ one to compare for that experience. Santa was a little sad in my opinion and super rushed the kids sat there forever rehearsing what they would say when he asked them what they wanted and he was so rushed that he barely stood long enough for a picture. Thank God for fast clicking DSLR cameras! I think I was just expecting something a little more especially getting to the North Pole. Again, so glad we did it but we wont be doing it again in TX. BUT funny thing is the kids all asked the next day if we could do it again...EVEN Kennedy. So what I have realized is it's the time spent together and the adventure as a family. Can't beat that!

2013 Year In Review

Studdert's 2013 Year In Review

January 2013

January 4th we welcomed Miss Mazie into our family...it has been an adjustment (for mostly mom & dad) but we made it!!!
She is a sweet sweet dog!

We were fortunate to spend 10 days after Christmas and through New Year's in AZ with tons of family time and hanging out. What a blessed blessed trip...especially seeing Nana Peeps and her snowball fight!

February 2013

February found us celebrating Valentine's Studdert Style. Running in a Color Run. K running in the annual Brigefest 5k.
Tim finishing up coaching his first year of basketball with a undefeated season!!

March 2013

Easter and celebrating Christ's Resurrection. The Rodeo. Spring Break in Kemah. St. Patty's Day. Completing another 1/2 marathon - blessed month!

 April 2013

This month was all about celebrating Nonie and her BIG birthday! What a blast this trip to AZ was and the memories and family time we had - fabulous time together!!

May 2013

The little cutie turned FOUR. Our favorite 6 year old graduated Kindergarten. Mother's Day at Shell Beach. & The Big cutie turned 35!! Lots to celebrate this month!

June 2013

Saying Good-bye to 4th Grade. K saying Good-bye to a best friend, Brynn :(. A fractured ankle. Officially learning to swim. Welcoming summer!! Graduating Little Gym. First work trip with daddy!  

July 2013

Amazing family vacation and 1st Road Trip to Pensacola, Mobile, AL & New Orleans. 4th of July! & 4th annual Bake-sale for Charity put on by the kids...honoring Yarnell Firefighters

August 2013

AZ Summer trip, tons of cousin/family time, last hug and kiss with the special woman we call Nana Peeps, quick trip to Dallas to meet best friend from College-Jessica, Back & Neck injury to KK - no more trampolines for these kids,& Back 2 School for my favorite little girls!

Kitchen Remodel started and completed - now it's us!

September 2013

Our favorite little guy started his first year of school. Our girl turned SEVEN, celebrated with a surprise visit from Nonie and a surprise trio to the American Girl Store. And partied with friends with a Garden Party fit just for her!!

 October 2013

Tim and I were able to travel to San Francisco for a wedding and had the best time together and exploring the city.

After, we headed on to Jackson Hole, WY and fell in love with a brand new place, and beautiful scenery...BRRR but we can't WAIT to go back and take the kids!

November 2013

Fun family visits from Uncle B, and Poppy (whose names were interchangeable according to Carter who couldn't keep them straight). Our favorite big girl turned ELEVEN! Celebrated with a fun family day of surprises and partied with her friends with bowling and a sleepover! Thanksgiving - so thankful for family and friends, Our 1st ever Polar Express

December 2013 

Saying good-bye to the woman who left an amazing legacy of family love for us to follow! Turning 36. Annual Favorite Things Party. Santa Visits. Christmas Break officially begins when Nonie arrives. These THREE make celebrating CHRISTMAS so special and I am so thankful they are mine!

I have always wanted to do a year in review...and then I get distracted looking at all the pics and choosing which ones...which then takes forever and so it's usually February until I remember to finish it and kinda defeats the purpose of a year in review :) So, trying more often this year to not think as much about the things and instead just do them! All good things come from Above!