A weekend recap post isn’t the most creative thing in the world, but we did have a pretty great weekend and I want to remember it. I am sure that this post will be sugary sweet, but I don’t care. We had a great weekend!

(I have found with blogging that you will be criticized for never complaining and then as soon as you complain you’re called a “complainer.”)

Hudson finished up swim lessons on Friday. He had two great weeks of swim lessons with a good instructor that he loved. He was so excited every day about swimming and by the end of the two weeks, he was jumping off the side of the pool and swimming to his instructor! I’m so proud of him! Before he’d go under or jump, he’d count. But he doesn’t count to three. He says, “1, 2, “free”, 4, 5!”

On Friday night, we just stayed in and watched more Friday Night Lights. We had a really busy day on Saturday visiting with lots of great friends, so we wanted to rest up.

On Saturday morning, TC got up and did lots of yard work before it got really hot. Hayes has been doing lots of 10-11 hour stretches and we are so excited. I can’t say enough great things about Moms on Call!

Hayes is seriously the sweetest baby. He is just so content and only fusses when he’s sleepy or hungry. And he is on such a great schedule that we know when he’s going to be sleepy and hungry. He usually just looks around and smiles at everything. Hudson is an amazing kid, but he was not a content baby and always wanted to be sitting up somewhere or moving around. I just can’t believe how different they are and how I love them both so so much!

While TC was doing yard work, Hudson played in his water table that he got for his birthday. He loves this thing!

Our friends came over on Saturday and we had a great day. We went to dinner on Saturday night, and Hudson almost ruined our meals. Just kidding. He took a bite of his chicken finger and threw up all over the table. My friend’s husband was mortified and even now, thinking about him trying not to look at Hudson’s “mess” makes me crack up laughing! TC and I minimized the drama and after getting sick, Hudson laughed and said, “no chicken!” I guess he just didn’t want any chicken because he was feeling great after that. Poor guy!

TC and I seem to have mastered the Sunday morning get up and get dressed  and get everyone fed routine. It can be a little hectic around here on Sunday mornings, but we had the rhythm down today! We had a great morning at church and had a fun lunch with some friends after church. Thankfully, both boys were really well-behaved again and Hudson didn’t get sick this time!

TC’s parents came over to babysit Hudson and Hayes while TC and I went to a movie. We were so excited to get out of the house in the middle of the day and go see a movie!

We decided to go see Horrible Bosses. And honestly? I don’t ever need to see it again. I was so disappointed in Jennifer Aniston’s character and how raunchy she was. I can easily get past the language because I feel like the language comes with the territory of seeing a movie these days. But I just wasn’t expecting her to be so vulgar. Oh well. It was still good to get out and go to the movies. We also took a super romantic trip to the grocery store!

We ended our weekend with Hudson playing in the sprinkler outside. He is just so much fun and life with a toddler is full of simple happiness. Anything makes him laugh and it doesn’t take much to keep him entertained and happy. It was a fun night!

I’m linking up with Stefanie at Paw Prints and Pastry Bags again. Visit her blog for all of the other fun “pins” from the week!

Back to school season is here. I love going to Target and seeing the aisles of school supplies. That yellow and green Crayola box just screams “back to school” to me. I always pretended to be a teacher when I was growing up and I still think it would be so much fun to organize a classroom and get everything set up. I’ll just live vicariously through all of my teacher friends!

I love the quote from You’ve Got Mail:

“Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies.

I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.”

We’re still in the middle of July and the temperatures are far from fall-like. But the school supplies on the shelves have me inspired and counting down the days to cooler temperatures and relief from the oppressive heat.

I pinned some really fun back to school ideas on Pinterest this week.

I love these jars of pencils, rulers, and apples. They’d be the perfect table center piece for back to school week at home. Or in a classroom, if I had one.

Merry B Events

My friend, Samma, pinned this photo and it reminds me of getting my YM or Seventeen magazine back in high school and I loved the plaid skirts and knee socks. I didn’t grow up in the 70s, of course, but plaid skirts and knee socks always make me think of going back to school.

We Heart Vintage

These little “First Day of School” happies would be so sweet to send with your child to school or let your child pass them out to all of his or her friends. They’re so cute and filled with candy and small school supplies. And of course a little “good luck” note!

Bee In Our Bonnet

Amy Atlas is the queen of candy buffets and displays. This back to school party theme is absolutely adorable.

Amy Atlas

I would love to set the table like this at home for my kids. The ruled paper and place settings to look like a desk are just too cute. Hopefully it actually helps kids get excited about the end of summer and the beginning of a new year!

Flickr

This flower arrangement is too cute! In fact, I may do this in August. I love the little magnetic letters filling the vase. How cute! My kids may have to bring this to their teachers on the first day of school someday!

This adorable Martha Stewart cupcake with the worm coming out of the apple! How cute!

Martha Stewart

Why is it that there is so much pressure to be everything to everyone who needs us? Disappointing my family and friends is one of my biggest fears. I’ve heard that as I get older I’ll forget about this and get over that fear. But right now, it gets to me.

I’m a wife, a mother, a daughter, a friend, a church member, a volunteer, a cook, an organizer, and a planner.

If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you know I struggled post-grad school with finding great friendships. So I prayed for friendships and God blessed me with amazing friendships. I have my wonderful, supportive husband. I have my beautiful, sweet children. I have my generous parents and in-laws. But I have expectations and they all have expectations. And I don’t want to let anyone down.

My kids need to be loved and fed and paid constant attention. My husband needs my love and attention more than anyone and deserves a good meal every day. My parents and in-laws want to see their kids and grand kids to spend time with all of us. And we want to see them, too!

But there aren’t enough days in the week or hours in the day. Between work for TC and responsibilities for me at home, we’re already swamped. But I have a couple of days a week when I have meetings in the evening. So does my husband.

My friendships are important to me. My church is important to me. I get a lot of fulfillment from the activities that the church provides and the relationships that I have there. I am fulfilled by the voluntarism from being in the Junior League. I am able to give back while still using some of my skills that I don’t get to use on a daily basis.

But every day, I seem to go through my check list of the people in my life that I need to contact to stay in touch and I get overwhelmed. And then I go through my checklist of extra responsibilities that aren’t in my home. Some days I just feel stretched thin.

I want to want to do it all! I want to have great time with my family and great girl time with my friends. And I also want my kids to spend time with other kids while I spend time with other moms. And we want to spend time with our families.

I guess I’m just using my blog as a little therapy session today. I don’t want to be overwhelmed. But I also want a great balance in my life. I want to find a way to balance the relationships in my life that mean so much to me. And still find time for our little family of four to get lots of quality time together. And still have time for amazing friendships and trips to visit my family and our out-of-town friends. I’m not willing to quit the things that are just for me and I’m not willing to just let relationships go. But I also want the management of all of it to come easily.

I went to America’s Mart in Atlanta this past weekend. It has become an annual trip for me. I meet up with my mom, sometimes my dad, and my mom’s best friends every year in Atlanta while my mom shops for her clients and I tag along. As a kid, my mom allowed me to go as long as I never complained about being tired, hungry, or bored. She let me keep coming back, so I must have followed “the rules.”

On this particular trip, I was on a specific mission. I’m the Decorations Chair for the Junior League of Columbia’s Holiday Market this year. I can’t believe I’m doing this big job, but I’m hopeful our committee can put together a gorgeous, fun, whimsical market! I had my eye on things like this. Love the colors!

I was fortunate enough to meet up with two of my favorite friends that I’ve met through blogging. They also happen to be sponsors of my blog. Sarah from The Monogram Chick is just about the cutest person I’ve ever met. She is also so creative and easy to work with. I was so happy that she emailed me to let me know she was also at the Mart this weekend, so we got to chat a couple of times. I love her!

I also stopped by the stationery temporaries to see the extremely talented Ashley Brooke Designs girls. Ashley and Betsy have been so much fun to work with over the past few years and I couldn’t believe I was going to finally meet them in person. They have done so much for my family and for me and I’ve even given their goodies to friends of mine as gifts. Ashley has an incredible eye and tons of talent. I’m so excited that they made their big America’s Mart debut this year!

Hayes came on the trip with me and I carried him around in the Baby Bjorn. I thought he seemed pretty comfortable because he slept most of the time, but then I saw this picture and couldn’t believe how crooked he was! We straightened up the Bjorn for the next day. Poor guy.

I had to get a special Market pass for Hayes. The pass said “Baby Pass” on it and I joked that someone was going to see it and ask if my name was “Baby Pass.” I wasn’t far off because in one of the showrooms, a man laughed and said “Oh, you have a baby and the name of your shop is ‘Baby Pass.'” I looked at him kind of confused at first and then I realized he was seeing the nametag and didn’t understand that the badge was just Hayes’s Market pass. So funny.

It was a fun little trip. I loved having an excuse to see my parents again this summer and I always love getting together with my mom’s friends. These friendships span 20-30 years and I love them like they’re family.

I also got to meet up with Callie and Lyndsey for dinner and we had a blast. My friendships with both of these girls have come to be so special to me. I got back to the hotel really late because we just didn’t realize how late it was and we just kept on talking. I’m so thankful for blogging and the friendships that I’ve made through it. I love the ideas that all of the commenters leave and the people I’ve come in contact with. It is such a wonderful piece of my life and I’m just so thankful for the opportunities and friendships that have come as a result of this little blog. A big huge thank you to everyone who reads!