4th of July Weekend... Kind of

Well, I called this 4th of July weekend even though it wasn’t really… we are working today so we didn’t get a long weekend and we technically haven’t actually celebrated the 4th, so I guess really we should just call it the weekend before the 4th?

Anyhoo, ours was a good one spent with family, and it didn’t even rain all weekend like the forecast originally said.  Luckily it held out Friday morning because Olivia’s school had their God and Country celebration… a bouncy house, sno-cones, cotton candy, patriotic tattoos, and the fire truck.  I’d say she had a pretty great morning.

We had a downpour Friday evening so we made a pizza, opened a bottle of wine, and then had another family movie night.  We are really loving those lately!  Friday night’s feature presentation was The Lion King.  I was the only one who had seen it… can you guys believe that Brian had never seen it before Friday night?!?!  I mean, that is just crazy!  Everyone loved it, and as per the usual I cried.  Yes, I have seen it nine million times and yes my BFF and I used to ribbon dance to the soundtrack… wait, what?

#Fact 

But no matter how many times I watch it, I still cry and I’m sure I always will.

After the kiddos went to bed, B and I watched a couple more episodes of Gilmore Girls, and just when we were getting ready to turn it off and head up for bed, we realized that there was only one episode left in the entire series, so we decided to YOLO and stay up to watched the final episode.  You guys, I was SO satisfied with the ending!!  Several people had me believing that the series just ended without warning and therefore, no loose ends were tied up, but that was just not true.  I was extremely pleased with the finale, and I’m stoked to watch the Year in the Life to find out where everyone ends up!  SO GOOD.

Saturday morning Olivia decided that 6 AM would be a nice time to get up (never mind that it’s still pitch black here at 6), so she joined us in our bed and proceeded to flail around like a hot mess for the next hour, so I never really went back to sleep.  We had to be up early to help host a baby shower for my step-SIL, so I suppose it wasn’t that big of a deal, but still.  6 is waaaay too early for a Saturday.  Especially one after Mommy and Daddy had decided to YOLO the night before.

We had breakfast, got ready, and then got B to snap some pictures of us on the way out the door to my MIL and step-FIL’s house.

Olivia was ecstatic to see her Aunt Jessica.  She and her hubs live in South Carolina so we only get to see them a couple of times a year. 

The shower was great!  We started the morning with brunch.  My MIL made homemade blueberry muffins and raspberry muffins along with the best quiche and some fresh fruit (blueberries from her garden – woo hoo!), and my SIL had made the best hash brown casserole ever.  Oh man, I heart brunch.  It’s crazy to think back in high school that I used to skip breakfast, because breakfast is usually my favorite now!

After brunch, we played a few games.  For one of them, my MIL and SIL had made these adorable tiny diapers and one of them had Grey Poupon mustard in it.  Whoever ended up with the “dirty” diaper, won the prize.  We also played Guess How Many Jelly Beans are in the Baby Bottle, Baby Shower Bingo, How Big Around is the Mother-to-Be’s Waist, and Don’t Say the Word “Baby.”  That’s the one where everyone gets a little clip to wear and you can’t say the word “baby” for the entire shower.  If you do and someone hears you, they get to keep your clip and then whoever ends up with the most at the end wins the prize. 

Fun fact, Olivia won the How Big Around is the Mother-to-Be’s Waist game.  I did help a little bit, but she was the one who pulled the yarn out to measure.

After the games, Jessica opened presents and everyone oohed and ahhed over all of the sweet little baby things, and then it was time for cake.

You guys, I feel like the worst blogger ever this weekend because literally the only pictures I took of the entire shower were of the cake table.  :o(  I wish I had taken pics of the brunch spread, the gifts, and of the actual shower guests, but I honestly just got so wrapped up in everything that I forgot.  Plus I was the one who managed the games and wrote down the gifts for the mom-to-be so I was busy anyway, I suppose.  Just trust me when I say that everything was beautiful and we had the best time!  Here is the lovely cake table.  Just look at that precious cake!  Attending the shower almost made me want another one.  Almost, but not quite.  ;o)

The entire time during the shower Olivia kept bombarding Jessica with questions about the baby in her tummy.  “There’s a baby in there?!”  “How does he come out?!”  “Can you lift up your dress so I can see your tummy?”  “Is the baby still in there?”  Lol.  Needless to say, it was an interesting morning.

Meanwhile, B and Jacob were doing this:

Playing games at our fave entertainment center.

Olivia and I headed home mid-afternoon to get her down for a quick nap, and then it was time for church.  After church we went to our usual Mexican joint for margs and queso and then we headed home to put the kiddos to bed.  Right when we put Olivia down a humongous storm popped up out of nowhere so B ended up laying with her for a good 45 minutes until she fell asleep, so he and I only had time to watch the first episode of Gilmore Girls Year in the Life.  I loved it!

Sunday morning was slow and lazy… just the way I like it.  The kids watched Cars, B did some weeding in the yard (much needed) and I got some photographing done for the blog.  The bar cart has officially been photographed!  I’m hoping to have the post up next week!  I also finished the chalkboard to go over the bar cart.  It’s so cute!  There’s a sneak peek below.  Oh, and since I didn't full-on decorate for the 4th, I stuck some little flags up and called it a day.  ;o)

Sunday afternoon was spent at my MIL and step-FIL’s house for lunch and Olivia was still asking Jessica aaaallll the baby questions.  We spent a few minutes in the garden and we checked out all of the baby watermelons that are starting to grow.  They are just so tiny and cute!  I also snapped a few pics of their neighbors sunflowers because – sunflowers.  I used to be obsessed with them when I was in my teens.  My entire room was done in sunflowers. 

Sunday evening was spent at my parents’ house for dinner.  Momma made spaghetti (one of my faves), we opened another of our 24 bottles of Trader Joe’s wine (ha!), and we spent the evening enjoying each other’s company.

Today it’s back to work – BOOOO – but tomorrow, we’re off!  Yes!  And please note that tomorrow’s Tuesday Talk link-up will be cancelled as we will all be enjoying our day off!  I will be back on Wednesday with a What I wore post for June, and Tuesday Talk will be live again next week. 

Happy 4th, everyone!

*Linking up with B Loved Boston for Weekending, My Glittery Heart for Hello Monday,  More Pieces of Me for Hello Monday Linkup, and HoHo Runs for Weekly Wrap.