trip recap:

Oh, we had such a great time on our trip! It was a blast, and it just flew by! In fact, I had so much fun that I think I'll go back home in 8 days. Yes, that sounds like a plan to me!

Saturday was spent hanging out with my sister, brother-in-law, and my adorable nephews, and we all played on our new Wii together! Clayton thinks Mario is "hard," but he did have fun. Mark and I had Kyoto twice on our trip.

Note: Cheap Japanese food is non-existent in our area. We've looked. Over and over and over. In our book, there is nothing quite like chicken broth clear soup with white sauce to dump all over fried rice, paired with hibachi steak and veggies. Nothing.

Mark and I cruised Bowling Green and got some great deals at Bath and Body Works. We hunted down a Pedi Paws nail trimmer for Piper. Let's just say that the Pedi Paw likely scarred Piper for life. No exaggeration. That thing looks (and sounds) like it hurts big time. Stupid Pedi Paws...

Later on Saturday, we went to El Mazatlan (where I enjoyed a succulent chicken chimichanga, and Mark devoured yummy nachos) and then the entire family went to see New Moon. Again. Because it was so great. If you still haven't seen it, I would like to encourage you to go see it!!!

We went ahead and gave C and H their Christmas presents. They were a hit:

in his skivvies

sittin on the couch
in nothin but my skivvies
big bro plays the wii
and he's really busy

i huddle next to mommy
and slip her chocolate milkshake
my chubby, sweet belly
loves Steak and Shake

Thanksgiving & Black Friday!

We must be crazy. We must!

Today, my mom, sister, Clayton, and I risked our lives went to Target first thing in the morning. The line stretched on for miles. Well, maybe not that much, but it was huge. I got the very last Batman Bat Cave for Clayton's 5th birthday present. I felt pretty bad when I saw a lady run to the aisle, only to find out that I took the last one.

:\

We stood in line forever and checked out. And then we got even crazier (borderline insanity) and went to Toys R Us . I would compare Toys R Us on Black Friday to.. well.. a demolition zone. There were giant piles of destroyed toys and clothes. It looked like a tornado blew through. Holy smokes!

And then we went to Gymboree (moms will stand in line forever to get cute clothes for their babes at a discounted price..) and American Eagle. Then Kohls.

My legs are jello. My back aches. My feet are sore. I'm exhausted. But it was SO FUN!

I'm done shopping for almost everyone, including Mark! He ventured out on his own to the mall early this morning to buy my present. What a man. (In a good way, I mean!!)

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Thanksgiving Day was fantastic! Extended family drove in and we feasted together on yummy traditional (southern) food! Nothing screams "home" like hashbrown casserole, sweet potato casserole, and celery filled with "cheese stuff."















We also got a Wii today, as well as Mario! We've been having a blast with Wii sports, and it turns out that I'm pretty good at (virtual) tennis! So fun! If you have a Wii, do you have any suggestions for games!? I really like The Sims, but the man at the store gave it a bad review. So far we just have Mario and the "free" Wii sports! But we're loving it!

I hope each of you DBR* had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We're loving being at home in Kentucky, and I will for sure be back in two weeks! Hopefully Mark will too! We'll see! :)


*Dear Bloggy Readers

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm really thankful for my sweet and precious nephews

and the mystery bun in the oven too!

Happy Thanksgiving!


(fear not. there are 530593053 pictures ((approximately)) coming tomorrow!)

our big surprise. and lots of babes.

This week, I've spent a lot of time asking my mom all sorts of questions:

Does Pet milk go in sweet potato casserole?

How do I cook my ham? What's that recipe?

How many hours do I cook my ham?

What's granny's topping for sweet potato casserole?


And the list goes on. But I was faking it.

Lies.

Lies.

LIES!!!

Because, for the past month, Mark and I have been planning a trip back home to dear old Kentucky for Thanksgiving. What, did you think we could really stay away?! Never. And we successfully kept it a secret from almost everyone. Only my sister and brother-in-law were in on the surprise, so we totally shocked everyone else:





Later, in the car, I asked Clayton what he really thought. His response:

I was like.. wooooah... It's Shaaaannnieee.. Woah. *does googly eyes and hangs mouth open*


Yep! We surprised everyone! It was perfect and went exactly as planned. And then we took a lot of pictures of our babes. More to come, I promise!

I can personally testify that my nephews are growing like weeds. Clayton is adding double digits like a pro and Hudsie's vocabulary is getting larger by the second. Hudson really loves Piper and calls her "dog." We found them under the kitchen table, and Piper was licking the fire out of my baby nephew. Mark and I love all of our babes so much.

I fully intend on a mini photo shoot very soon with my nephews! Be on the lookout!

We're so excited!

haircuts

Whip out the black smocks
it's time to cut some hair
Scissors and sheers
locks flying everywhere

Side burns trimmed up
A cow lick or two
Hudson's first trim
Such sweet nephews

(Has H grown up or what?!) Man, who is that kid!?

baby teef

Piper is nearly 6 months old now, and she's losing her teeth at the speed of light. Well, maybe not that fast, but they're falling out here and there. On Sunday, she lost 3 teeth in a row. She was in a lot of pain, and it was pretty sad. I caught a little of it on video:







I saved this particular tooth and plan on scrapbooking it. Weird? I think not. I just love her to death. All of her. Even her baby teef.

Strollers: Holy Cow

As you may recall, I'm going to be an Aunt^3.
Excited would be an understatement.

And, as you recall, I like to use my blog for product reviews and I love to help other people.

Today, I'm combining those two passions into a post I like to call:

Strollers: Holy Cow

In June, Hudson will be just under two years old, and she'll have a newborn. While she plans on packing around the newest edition in a sling, she'll undoubtedly need a double stroller. And, being the good sister that I am, I'm here to her rescue! (And yours, too, if you're in the market for a double stroller..)

1. Phil & Teds: The bright orange stroller you see MckMama pushing the Happy Meal in. The seat has 4 positions for your kiddo: upright, heads up, sleepy, or lie flat. The front seat holds a child up to 5 years, and the backseat holds a child up to 3 years. You can get a Phil and Teds Double Kit (similar to one shown below) on Amazon for $539. Personally, I think this stroller is adorable.


Here's MckMama with her adorable orange Phil & Teds:




Simply scrumptious, don't you think!?

And, hey, even Madonna & Gweneth Paltrow push one!

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2. UPPAbaby: This stroller is actually a single stroller, you buy a Rumble Seat extra. Kinda similar in looks to the Phil & Teds. The Rumble Seat holds kiddos from 6 months to 35 pounds. It has 3 possible configurations:

*Infant in car seat & toddler in RumbleSeat

*Infant in reclined stroller seat & toddler in RumbleSeat

*Toddler to 50 lbs. in stroller seat & toddler in RumbleSeat

Unfortunately, this could get kinda pricey. First, you'd have to buy the UPPAbaby system:



And then buy the RubmleSeat extra $129. So, um, yeah. Pretty pricey. Oh, and don't even get me started on the features of the UPPAbaby. First of all, that bassinet is to die for. Second of all, the actual stroller seat can flip frontwards or backwards, so your child can look at you or look out at the world.

I HIGHLY recommend that you watch this video. This lady explains the entire stroller and benefits of it, as well as all the configurations. It's very very informative. Lauren, WATCH THIS!!

(Note: In the first picture of the UPPAbaby, see that little wooden foot stool in the front? A third child can stand on it (your oldest kid) and ride along! So it actually transforms into a TRIPLE stroller!)


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3. Joovy Caboose: This stroller is just adorable. The front seat holds a child from 6 months to 45lbs. However, the Joovy has a universal car seat adapter, so you can put your newborn in the Joovy as soon as Sprout arrives! Hudson (or your older child, if you aren't my sister) can sit or stand in the back (which is totally fun for a toddler to ride backwards like a big kid!)



This video is really helpful in understanding the different positions, and how to put a car seat in the Joovy with Hudson:


You can get a Joovy for only $125 on Amazon! And in orange, too!

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4. Maclaren Twin Triumph: This stroller is suitable for kids straight outta the womb. There really isn't much to say about it except that it's pretty straight-forward and easy. On Amazon, they sell for $225. Kind of expensive for what it is. But in Virginia, Maclaren is all the rage. Everyone owns a Maclaren.


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5. Combi Twin Sport: This sorta looks like the Maclaren, but it comes in brighter colors. Again, this stroller is suitable for newborns, so you don't have to hook up a car seat. The neat thing about this stroller is that it folds down and folds in half, so it actually folds to the size of a regular stroller. The stroller alone sells for $169 on Amzon, OR you can get the stroller AND the Combi car seat for $390 on Amazon.




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6. Peg Perego Twin: I know, I know. Now they're all starting to look the same. The difference with this stroller is that one side is called the "60" side and the other is the "40" side. The 60 side is compatible with a car seat. I really really love Peg Perego. You can get one on Amazon for $300. Pricey. I know.





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I vote for the Phil and Teds. And not just because MckMama has one (but that's part of it, I won't lie!), but because we both know that H won't want to sit in a stroller forever. The Phil & Teds and UPPAbaby can both be transformed to both look like a single stroller, so you aren't stuck with a double stroller after H outgrows it.