Me at 49

 I guess 49 is okay. 

I'd much rather be 50. 

It sounds so much better...it has GRAVITAS.

eh.

I'll just tell people I'm 50 because what I want for my 49th birthday is to say that I'm 50. 

I'm rounding. 

I also want avocado toast. 

And a warm slice of oatmeal cake. 

my people

And a supper snuggly cream blanket.

and, you know, to pretend I'm already 50

Eagles v. Chiefs

 The Chiefs are going to the Superbowl for the third year in a row. They are going for a "Threepeat", if you haven't already heard...

Chiefs fans all over the world are praying extra hard every night. 

On Track went up against a Box in Philadelphia in a head to head workout, just for funsies!

That called for lots of red and yellow decorations and our best local artists to produce Mahomes' buns posters. 

We spared no expense and it was 

AWESOME

Philly:

On Track:

Sadly, the Chiefs lost and so did we. 

But I loved every minute of it. We live to squat another day.

The Feeling of Freedom

 This girl is SO READY.

She's been practicing in parking lots since she was in 6th grade. 

Hours?

Oh. 

She's got her hours. 

And she passed with flying colors.

Prom Dress Morning

 This morning we went to the Prom Dress Event hosted by Joy Closet, our very favorite thrift store EVER. They receive so many prom dress donations, they save them up and right before prom season begins, they host this day. Every girl can come and select one dress, a pair of shoes, necklace and earrings FOR FREE. 

Isn't that the coolest idea??

I found myself a chair and set them loose. 

They each for two or three to try on and waited in the long line. 

Just about every mom I know showed up that morning. It was so fun to see the girls find a dress that made them feel beautiful. We all settled in to ooooh and ahhhh and hold the ones they were considering. 

My only worry was that one of them wouldn't find something and would leave empty handed. But what do you know!! They all found something they loved! Laney and Anna found two! And they were all so different. It was fun to see what they picked and I really enjoyed seeing how confident they were in their own styles. 

This calls for a fashion show. 

It was a fun and happy morning. And Everly can't wait to grow a few inches and go in a year or two!

Michelle's Cookies

 Don't forget this recipe. It's a winner.

Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup butter

1/4 +2 Tbsp white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

**mix till smooth

Add:

1 egg

healthy glug of vanilla

**mix until fluffy

1 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

**gently mix dry ingredients together on top of the wet to save dishes. Then mix in with wet until combined

Mix in a bag of mini chocolate chips. The ratio will be about 1:1 for dough and chocolate. 

Scoop on to silpat and bake at 350 for 10 mins. DO NOT BAKE LONGER. They won't look done. Just trust the process. They will be so soft. Just take them out of the oven. Do it. Take them out. Please. 

10 minutes. 

Not 11. 

10.

These are practically burnt. I gave them 11 minutes and I hate myself for it. 

Everly the Twelve Year Old

She's a busy girl. We had to hustle to fit a birthday party into her schedule. On the 13th, I picked her up from play practice after school and fed her dinner in the car while we went to pick up her friends for a movie!

 

Last chance to see Wicked in the Theater! We drove to Merriam for the good seats. 

She was even busy on her birthday (Tuesday), so we had a late dinner after she got done with OTO.  (salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, dinner rolls and green beans). 

She didn't have time to decorate it herself, but she was all for lighting her own candles!

We got the far flung kids on the phone and sang our off-beat harmonies. I was so focused on holding the phone up for them to see, I accidentally sang " dear Laney" instead of "dear Everly". DoH! 

The Flynns were there to help make her feel special. Courtney always know just what kind of makeup she will like. 

Some of her gifts didn't arrive on time, so she got the classic printed out pictures in a card. She's excited to have new bedding that matches her walls. 

But her favorite gift was this galaxy projector for her room. It really is super cool. 

Sweet dreams, Everly! 

They Suffer Together

Let's face it, getting your wisdom teeth out is miserable. 

But misery does love company.