16 Super Cute Invites

There are some days you just want to do something special for a party or shower, and lacking the creativity or budget...

Well, HGTV has an offering of 16 super cute invitations by different designers to download for free. From girly to modern, to just plain cute, check it out and find something fun for your next event!

Fourth Fun

The Fourth of July was so much fun this year.

So, this is parental supervision?

Last year...I was stuck inside with a brand new baby trying to keep my sanity.

This year, we were in a field eating out of the back of a truck and enjoying the plane show and fire works! All with a smiley, bubbly one-year-old!

The plane, boss! The plane!!

 So much fun!

Kaboom!!

Yes, I Have...

The instructions with this are to bold the ones you’ve done, leave the others in normal type. So here goes. (I got it here.)

1. Started your own blog (um, yes…)
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower (though I never see them!!!)
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables (we had a garden as a child)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill (teehee!)
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29 Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33 Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing (indoors!)
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41 Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45 Walked on a beach by moonlight (one of my favorite things ever!)
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60 Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64 Donated blood, platelets, or plasma (well, I did try)
65. Gone sky diving
66 Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67 Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt (a very, very, very small one)
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle 
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican 
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House (outside it)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life (I have a kid under 2, every day I do this!!)
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
Your turn!

A Game of Chase

You see this guy?

Yeah, you...

This guy, has become the favorite go-to playmate of a certain one-year-old around our house. Every night before bed this week, Ryker and Owen have played Chase up and down the hall. Sometimes Ryker is into it and gets down into a 'play bow' and makes funny barks. Sometimes he looks to us for help, like "are you really going to let that kid hang on me?"

It has been fun to watch their relationship grow...our first born and our fur born! =) Just think, one day, Ryker and Owen are going to be running up to me asking if they can go on a walk by themselves. I'll say yes, and I'll follow behind stealthly in the Cozy Coup! 

Ryker, you have your quirks, but we're so glad you're our puppy!

Owen's Rookie Year

Last weekend, we had a great time celebrating Owen's Rookie Year! It is hard to believe this little guy is one already. But sometimes it's hard to believe he's only one!

Here's a few (i.e. a lot) of pics of the big festivities. It was so great to have Owen's grandparents and aunts and uncles, as well as several of our friends, and Owen's very special one-yr-old friend, Asher to help us celebrate!

Happy Birthday, Big Boy!! You are a crazy, fun, silly, challenging joy we're so proud to call ours!

A Vacation for Three!

This past five days, our little family of three has gotten to enjoy our first vacation together! Joe had a business opportunity that brought him to the North Carolina coast, and with the help of AA airmiles Owen and I got to join in the fun!

To say I was terrified flying with an 11 mo was an understatement. There are just too many things going on and going wrong with air travel these days. But O showed me! He was a trooper, and I even got to snuggle with my little guy for two whole hours while he slept on me!

Let's see... We visited the Great Dismal Swamp, saw a blimp and ransacked a hotel room on our first few days! O loved being able to wander all around the room.

Blimp and blimp hanger....doesn't it look like a loaded down milk cow?

After Joe finished his business obligations, we headed to the Outter Banks, or the OBX as all the cool kids call it. We stopped in Kitty Hawk/Kill Devil Hills to see the Wright Bros Museum only to have missed it by 30 mins. Then we headed to the beach. Owen LOVED IT!!

O on the OBX

He loved the water. He loved the sand. He loved the birds. He loved the people. It was soo much fun getting to see him smile and enjoy something we love too! After unloading a diaper full of sand, we enjoyed a great dinner on the beach and a stroll on the pier.

Daddy and son making waves!

To continue our adventure, we headed down the road a bit to visit Joe's college buddy, Dave and his wife and kiddos. I have to take a second and rant here. On what should have been about a 2-hr trip in Texas turned into a 3.5 hr trip in NC. PEOPLE!!! It is OK TO GO FASTER than 55mph on a straight road with NOTHING ON IT!!!!! For the love of families with young kiddos, boost the dang speed limit!!!

So, when we finally arrived in New Bern, we had a blast! Dave and Bekah and Jonathan and Miss Abby were the perfect hosts. We played hard, visited an aquarium, checked out a fort, played on the beach and even went to church!

On our Fort Macon visit, we changed Owen's diaper right where a civil war canon used to sit. Now, do you think that guy all those years ago in the throws of battle was thinking, "You know, some day some dippy tourists are going to be stomping all over here and even changing diapers where I'm fighting so hard?" Kinda puts things into perspective a bit -- everything changes, even the things that change history.

Notice the sign says "Fort Macon was made for war, not safety. Please be careful. " Kinda interesting!

The Atlantic Ocean at our backs!

To wrap up our visit, we "pushed" the speed limit on our way back to VA, and got to visit with my cousin Merritt and her boys. It was so fun to catch up with family that we don't get to see as often as we like!

Wow, a great trip! Lots of memories, lots of sand in our shorts! Can't wait to do it again...after a bit!

Leader of the Pack

Last night after supper, we loaded up the kiddos and went to a nearby dog park. Owen, Ryker and I had found it earlier on a ride around town after Mr O decided he didn't need a nap. (I'm sure he'll deny it if you bring it up, but some two-legged bud
dy DID take a nap on the drive.)

When we got to the dog park, the sign said kids 9 and up allowed inside. I guess this makes sense, some of these big dogs might see Owen as a treat, and I'm sure they don't want me going Mama Bear on a dog going after my son. So, Joe and Owen out, Leanna and Ryker in.

Ryker is a funny dog. He gets soooo amped up when other dogs are around when we're inside or on a walk. However, when we get to the dog park, he kinda trots around, but mostly stays away from other dogs. He has issues...we know that.

But he loved it. He loved running around. He loved, ahem, marking everything. He loved being a dog. But, what's a dog to do when there ARE so many other dogs around? Show you're the big man on campus, of course.

Ryker, my 40lb, medium build, mystery-breed dog find the biggest, baddest male Doberman Pinscher to try and dominate. Thankfully, Mr Doby was not as bad as he looked and just growled and snapped. Oh, Ryker, you're such a nerd.

Meanwhile, back on the other side of the fence, Owen was having a blast!!

Joe and Owen were walking around on the perimeter of the park talking to all the dogs that came to check them out. O would squeal and try and pet the puppies through the fence. Daddy however was looking out and made sure all were safe. Though, O did get his arm through to pet the poofy little American Eskimo, and couldn't have been happier.

Oh, what a good day when you bring home both you're boys and they are both happy and exhausted -- a day well lived!

(an old pic, but shows my buddies together!)

Happy Belated Star Wars Day

I forgot to put this on the blog last week, but it still makes me smile. Without further ado...

Happy Star Wars Day!

May the 4th be With You!

artwork by handz

The Day the Earth Stood Still

It started out so simple. An ordinary action. An ordinary action that soon began spiraling into chaos and tears.

A sync. An update. An iPhone.

Easy.

Then despair struck. Something went wrong. Something decided to attempt to kill my poor phone and rob me of the precious memories of my little family and friends. EVIL!!!

I panicked. I began searching Google. Nothing could point me to another way than the dreaded "Restore." Restore -- to return to factory settings, meanwhile deleting all media, pictures and video. Noooo!

I called my brother-in-law, Jamie, on Google Chat. He'd know what to do right?? I told him all I knew and all I saw. He sounded doubtful, but he emailed his tech guru, Zach. Zach emailed quickly with the dreaded answer, the only thing to do was "Restore."

Depression set in. I'd have to do it. I'd lose all my cute Owie videos. My happy memories on the fly. Gone! GONE!

I sucked it up. Put on my big girl pants, and clicked the "Are you Sure" button.

Several minutes later, my phone returned. But wait, it returned with everything on it!

Just another small miracle helping us remember there is a God!

So, what have we learned. BACK UP! BACK UP! BACK UP!! And pray. And that apple, along with every other electronics maker can suck too!

What the Hail?

Seriously, what the hail??

Last night was crazy. We didn't even know anything was rolling into town before the low, super-sonic thunder started rumbling. So, we turn on the weather and see a squall line is moving in and it should be a quick shower over in about 15 minutes.

And here it comes...the rain came. The lightening started flashing, and the loudest, scariest thunder started sounding. Poor Owie awoke with a cry, so I went in to get him and that's when the hail started.

It was CRAZY!! I had NEVER heard it that loud. I do NOT like hail. I started freaking out for poor Rufus, our trusty Civic. He does not like the elements, but the garage was a little full. We were just going to let him be, but it was getting worse...and that's when we heard the window break.

The stinkin' hail broke a window!!!! WHAA???

So, Joe rushed in the garage and started making room, I went to help and Owen got to see one heck of a storm. When I raised the garage door for Joe to bring Rufus around, Owen could hardly believe his little eyes and ears; it was pretty cute!

We waited it out to put Owen back to bed, about 45 mins in total, playing Peek-a-boo and such. Feed him, put him back down, and listened to him babble for a bit.

What a night.

So far all I've found are the broken window and several dings on Rufus. I DO NOT like this side of DFW.

You can take your hail and shove it!

Your biggest non-fan,

Leanna

I Spy!

I spy something fun!

I spy something tiny!

I spy something PERFECT for this Easter season!

Have you guessed?

WE HAVE BUNNIES!!

Tiny little baby bunnies (and their mama) have taken up residence in our side yard. How did we discover this, you ask? Well, thanks to our trusty RykerDog, he sniffed out that something was afoot, and started poking his nose around. When his nose led him to a little patch of roughage that started squeaking, Joe quickly picked him up (because that was the only way of dragging him away) and threw him in the house. I however, went to work discovering what our little noisy hole was!! With a small stick I peeled away the leaves and fur and discovered 4-5 tiny little fidgeting bunnies!

They are so cute and small, and have already increased their size since we discovered them on Sunday! With the tiniest ears and, and they just bounce and pop when you peel back their cover. And no, we don't do this often, just to check to see if they're still ok! So, here's a little video to see the guys in live action!

Joe the Chef!

This Christmas I gave Joe a gift of "Be the Chef" from Benihana to learn to how to cook tepannyaki style, a style of food he LOVES to eat!

They had one day of training on a Saturday, then the following week we got to enjoy all his learned skills as he prepared a meal for us. We took our fun friends Emily and Allan to help me mock, I mean, cheer on Joe as he cooked!

We had a GREAT TIME! Joe was a wonderful chef, and we've enjoyed several meals back at home utilizing the skills and recipes he learned on his adventure! And if you have any budding foodies in your family, I totally recommend this! You get the cooking lesson and dinner for 4 out of the deal!

Here's a few highlights from our evening!

Joe's Birthday Gift

Looking for a little something for Joe's birthday this year (after getting a new radar gun), I decided we needed a new board game.

We had played Ticket to Ride: Europe at our friends Jon and Lydia's house and really enjoyed it! Ok, done!

It is a pretty quick game of strategy where your mission is to build trains across Europe given certain tickets. You have to plot the best coarse, avoid other players, and remember what you are doing -- but it doesn't take too long and you don't have to think to hard -- wins for everyone!

We've played several times now just the two of us and with family and friends. So, if you're looking for a fun family game, even for older children, I totally recommend Ticket to Ride: Europe!

What Flower are You?

You are a Tulip!

At one time, the frenzied demand for these bright, happy bulbs made the tulip one of the most expensive flowers on the market in Holland and Turkey. While tulips have become more affordable in the modern age, tulips have become synonymous with fame and yellow bulbs are often called “smiles of sunshine”. You share the limelight with the tulip as a popular individual who can light up your surroundings and make even perfect strangers feel perfectly at ease. You are an expressive, charismatic type of person who is adept at making others feel comfortable and special, and your charm is often deeply influencing to others whether you are aware of it or not. Often artistic and active, your expressive nature and youthful energy ensure your presence is never forgotten.

Well, it sounds nice anyways...And I do LOVE me some tulips! I have some coming up in my yard right now! Pictures to come...so, what flower are you? Post if you take the quiz!
http://www.flowermag.com/quiz/

Down and Out

So, blogging is a little harder these days, as our 13-month old HP computer has tried to come to an early death. I am not happy, and blogging from an iPhone is not that fun!

I'll keep you posted!

A Baking Secret

Ok, my friends. I have a baking secret/tip for you. It will change your world.

Do you love Chocolate Chip Cookies?

Are you listening???

Put a 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of coffee in your batter. Also, put a smidge less, like a table spoon less of butter, and this too will boost your batter!

Trust me. It will make you smile.

Happy Baking!!

Valentine's Crafty Fun

So,I like to craft, but with short one, my craft time is few and far between.

I need something easy and fast these days. Enter the t-shirt wreath.

I saw this on a blog a while back and decided, yep, that's my skill level these days. Cut, stick and glue!

What you will need:
- t-shirt material - about 3/4 yard or an XXL t-shirt
- scissors
- glue gun
- cardboard
- ribbon

Step 1: Cut out a LOAD of squares. And when you think you have enough, cut out more. Trust me. My squares were about 1.5"x1.5"

Step 2: Cut out your desired shape out of a sturdy cardboard. It needs to be able to hold weight, or reinforce a thinner cardboard with wood or plastic pieces on the back.

Step 3: Scrunch up with a point at the bottom like you would do with tissue paper. Place a dot of glue on the bottom point and glue to your shape.

Step 4: Place pieces right up close to one another. This will give you the fluffy look and hold up your material as you go along. KEEP GLUING!

Step 5: Glue, staple or pin your ribbon on the back of your shape to hang.

Step 6: Step back, and enjoy!

Our Arkansas Adventure

This past weekend, we loaded up the family and road-tripped to Arkansas to visit our favorite misplaced friends, the Norvells.

We had a great trip up and Owen did pretty well with a few stops along the way. We so loved hanging out with our friends over the weekend. Caleb is a delight. He is so smart, curious, courteous and loving! Baby James is so healthy, easy-going and smiley! And Jon and Lydia - well, they're just two of some of my favorite people on the planet.

Of course when you get Lyd and me together, there's bound to be photos of something! So here's a few we took together.

On the way back to Texas, we stopped along side a pasture for Mr. Owen, and were delighted when the cows came by to say howdy!

A good (long) trip, and wished we could do it every weekend! We love you Norvells!

Dear Spandex

Dear Spandex,

Thank you for being created! You have helped hide a number of unsightly fashion flaws over the decades. But today, I would like to thank you for getting me back into a size jean I was pretty sure I wouldn't see for a long, long time.

Ok, so I'm sure the make-up of these little capris is like 70% spandex 20% denim, but I'll take it!
I've had these pants for at least 5 years, and they fit!
Hear that world! They still fit!

Spandex, thank you again for reminding my derierre of the size it should aspire (or should I say, perspire) to be ALL THE TIME!

Your pal,
Leanna

The Great Kitchen Makeover

Hallelujah! That's all I got to say about that!

Since we bought the house a little more than 3 years ago, we knew we had to do something to the kitchen. The floor had these rockin' porcelain tiles with green and pink roses, there was a drab dark wallpaper on the walls. But the counters, I thought were pretty cool, they were a green and white tile. I liked it. Then I lived here. And I didn't like them any more.

The wallpaper and tile floor were changed within weeks of purchasing the house. Woohoo. But counters, counters are a lot of money, and I thought I could live with it. However, when you scrub and scrub and still know they are not clean, it begins to eat away at your sanity (and who knows what else!).

So this Christmas season, Joe and I gifted each other with new counters and backsplash.

We went to Home Depot and purchased the counters knowing Joe and awesome helper-dad Jim would do the tear-out. When the girls left to go to a baby shower, we let the guys go at it, thinking it would be about finished on our return.

OF COURSE NOT!

Whatever dufus put up the stuff to begin with used all the wrong things. The only way to get it out, was to cut it out. So when we came home from the baby shower, things were down, but not quite in the way I was hoping. We then had to re-Sheetrock the giant holes in the wall (sorry, I don't have pics of this because I was crying on the inside). Sheetrock leads to dust everywhere...then countertop dust...ugh...everything was covered in dust.

Next time, if there is a next time, we're boxing stuff up.

So the counter install, they arrived and worked swiftly while Owen and I were just there. Joe came home a bit early from work to oversee things too. Thank goodness! The smell of the cut silestone was getting to me, along with whatever they were using to clean up. So, I took Owen and ran to his parents. Joe stayed and actually caught the counter was not level by almost 5/8ths of an inch! YIKES! The smell from the epoxy and cleaning chemicals was so strong we weren't able to go back home for 3 days/2 nights. WAAAHHH!

Then we started the backsplash and decided we'd go big and go with a glass tile background called Tea Leaf. After a lot of hard work by Joe and a lot of cleaning by all, we NOW have a beautiful kitchen.

Really.

I hope you enjoy and can't wait to show you in person!