Getting settled... still

Well, we are still trying to get settled here. I was really feeling like we just needed 1 more room. We put the boys together in the same room when we moved in so that we could use the 4th bedroom as a playroom and they didn't really like that, and neither did we. We are trying to figure out if this house is THE house for us! So- last week James took a week vacation and we decided to switch things up and see what we could do. We have a formal living room and dining room just as you walk in the front door and we really aren't that FORMAL- I'd rather have that space to use! So we thought maybe we could make that a functional space, but still keep it nice (since it is the first thing you see when you walk in the house) So we found some furniture that we liked and moved the TV from the play room and mounted it on the wall. James is not really a "handy" guy, but he did an awesome job mounting the TV! (I was nervous- Im not going to lie!) We moved the kids rooms around and worked that out, and I think everyone is happy! I think it turned out great and now we can use that living room when we need to! I also found some great deals at Kirklands- (they were going out of business at the outlet mall and everything was 50% off- Score!! )

Also, I wanted to post the awesome Pic I took outside my back door a week or so ago!

Visitors/ Christmas/ New Years Eve

Happy 2011! My parents and my brother Todd came to visit us on Christmas Eve and we had so much fun! The kids were very happy with all their gifts and we had a great day hanging out! James spent the day BBQ-ing a turkey! He took it off the grill and set it on the stove until he was ready to carve it. I turned on the burner in front of the turkey to warm up some corn and accidentally turned on the burner under the turkey without knowing it. After a few min I figured it out and tried to move the glass pan it was in but it was so hot it EXPLODED! It was so scary (and sad). Glass was in a million pieces all over the place. I felt so bad that it ruined the turkey James had spent all day cooking. He threw some chicken breasts on the grill since it was still warm. It turned out just fine, but it was scary for a few min!

My mom was only 6 weeks our from a total knee replacement so this trip was just a "take it easy" trip. We went to the outlets a few times,to the Red Barn (a HUGE flea market)out to eat, and the beach, but other than that we just hung out. James took my dad, Todd and the kids fishing on the St Petersburg Pier one day. They had a lot of fun. Todd caught some sting ray! They went on bike rides through the trails in our community. They saw armadillo, Wild Boars, a turtle, and even Gator!!

Our friends from church wanted to have a big New Years Eve party and nominated our house for it (such nice friends huh? Ü) It was really fun! We had a dancing, games, good food, family and friends!

We were sad to see my family go, but we had a great time with them! Who's coming next???

Siesta Keys Beach- New Years Day





Cracker Barrel



Fishing on the Pier







Turtle they found while on a bike ride


New Years Eve










And last but not least-- Aubrey got her hair relaxed a couple of days before Christmas... It is so cute and is so much easier and manageable for her! (I don't like that it makes her look older than she already does though!)