Weekend Highlights

Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a great weekend. We did. Nothing too exciting over here but sad to see the weekend gone again. They always go way too fast! Let's chat about our weekend.

My hubby brought me home some pretty roses for no reason. That sure was sweet! I love roses but they usually die pretty fast.

Friday night I hung out with my favorite monkey while daddy worked. Some time in the future we will have some nights off together. This little girl is so full of spunk. She's got attitude written all over her face! I love her so much! My kind of Friday night! 

Saturday:

The weather was really rainy out all day so we didn't get out much! I did get to the grocery store alone which was a nice break. Kinley had a rough day! I think her molars are coming in and they are starting to bother her. Teething is so hard and watching your baby in pain is even harder. It breaks my heart. She did give us some smiles for the day while playing on the couch. This girl loves the couch. I did cave and let her watch one episode of Mickey. She doesn't seem too interested but she will watch it for a few minutes.

While she napped for a whole 30 minutes I cut veggies up for dinner and got a few other things ready. We had a yummy Dorito Taco Salad. This is so easy and gives the good old taco salad a new spin. Thanks Krystal for the recipe.

I know it doesn't look the like the most appealing salad to eat but add a little cool ranch Doritos and some homemade ranch dressing and this is one tasty salad. 

Matt had to go to part time so I was alone for the night. Kinley helped me put clean sheets on all the beds and she took a bath. She really has been uninterested in the bath lately so it was a fast one. I think she was over tired from not napping so it was an early night for her. We did lotion, pj's, nursed for a few minutes then rocked for a little. I love her snuggles right before bed. Then in her bed she went. She crawled over to the other side and laid right down. Poor girl must have been exhausted.

I enjoyed some much needed quiet time with a glass of wine while playing trivia crack! Have you played that game yet? It is fun but I am not so good at it. I am definitely learning a few things though LOL. I didn't stay up too late either. Quiet house with it raining outside was a perfect opportunity to get some sleep.

Sunday:

Kinley woke up a few times during the night but I never had to go in which was nice. She got up at 6:30 I nursed her and then Matt took her down stairs and I slept for another hour. That was wonderful! He got to sleep in yesterday so it was my turn :).


We had a great morning drinking coffee, making breakfast and pushing Kinley around in her doll stroller. She thought is was so hilarious. Then it was nap time. Nap time has been so rough around here for the past week or so, who am I kidding naps have always been rough around here. I made some yummy sangria to enjoy with Matt later. We only have been getting one night together due to him working so much so why not add in a little extra fun! Yummmmm

Don't mind the huge mess in the background :)

We headed over to nanny and poppy's for some lunch and more play time. They went to grab Panera while we headed over. I love Panera and always have such a hard time deciding what to get. I decided on the you pick two with the Greek salad and the chicken and wild rice soup. There are so many yummy options! I especially love their green tea! And I forget to get one!

Matt and I relaxed and chatted away with his parents while they enjoyed play time with Kinley. They sure do love that little girl.

Then it was home for nap attempt #2 before we were going to have some play time at the Little gym. Little Gym had an open house for a music class they are going to start. I would love to get her involved in a class there but I can't get myself to pay their prices yet. I want to get her involved in something so if anyone has any ideas I would love to hear them!! She loves running around, of course mommy and daddy loves her running around,  and she loves interacting with other kids. She is quite a social butterfly for being home all day.

We came home, made dinner and did our nightly routine with Kinley. She had a hard time going down but nothing a few extra cuddles didn't fix.

These hallmark books are great! My mom recorded her voice and is reading Kinley a bedtime story. 

Time to enjoy a movie with the hubby and some sangria! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

An Award? Fun!!

Hello! I really do feel special when I am nominated for an award, really though who doesn't :). Sarah over at Say Hello nominated my blog for a Liebster Award. Thank you Sarah! She has lots of fun things going on at Say Hello! Go check her out! Those of you not familiar with the Liebster Award, it is an award that highlights new bloggers with less than 200 followers. So while you are reading this be sure to follow me! Thanks :)

Here are the rules:

1. Thank the person/people who nominated you, and link their blog in your post.
2. Display a picture of the Liebster award (the cover photo of this post) in your post.
3. Answer the 11 questions given to you by the person/people who nominated you.
4. Provide 11 random facts about you.
5. Nominate up to 11 blogs who have less than 200 followers - this is to help out other new bloggers trying to get out there!
6. Make up your own 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer.
7. List the rules in your post so they know what the Liebster Award means.
8. Don't forget to let the people you nominated know that they have been nominated, and send them a link to your blog so they can get the information.

So lets get started! Sarah asked me the following questions:

Where do you blog (office, bedroom, Starbucks, etc.)?

I blog sitting on my couch listening to twinkle twinkle little star on the monitor.

How did your blog name come about?

I wanted my blog to be about every day life and things we enjoyed. People like to call us the Brooksie’s so I thought The Brooksie Life was fitting.

If you won one million dollars, what would you do with it! 

First I would pay off any debt and get a new car. I really need one! We would definitely do some traveling to some tropical places and Europe! I would probably help out some family members too.

What was the last book you read?

I am currently reading Captivated by You.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why? 

Fiji hands down. I have many dream places to travel but that is definitely on top of my list. But if I won a million dollars I could go all over the world. Problem solved.

What is your favorite hobby (or hobbies)?

I really do enjoy doing crafts when I have the time. I also like to workout and read. I need more time in the day!

What is your favorite musician/band?

I really don’t have a favorite musician or band. I love all kinds of music. It definitely depends on my mood.

Name three words that describe your personality.

Caring, Loyal, Easy going

What did you want to be when you grew up?

A doctor

If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Mexican food!

Describe your proudest moment. (Or one of them.)

Giving birth to my baby girl Kinley Reese. The toughest thing I have done by far (well breastfeeding might top the toughest list). The birth didn’t go as planned but wow what a proud moment I heard that angel cry. You can read more about that here and here. 

11 Random Facts about Me:

• My husband and I met online.
• When I was little my sister and I were on the Bozo show. Anyone remember that show?
• I love to eat healthy but for a long time I was obsessed with Taco Bell. Grosses me out thinking about it. 
• I love wine! 
• I might be addicted to my phone
• All three of us girls (my sisters) live in different states
• I love dolphins and swam with them on my honeymoon
• Ive always wanted to be a singer
• Water is my favorite beverage
• I don't like watching TV
• Pretty much every time I see a movie in the theatre I fall asleep

I am really new to the blogging world and all of the blogs I follow have a ton of followers. If you know anyone that is just getting started and would be a good candidate for this award let me know! I would love to nominate them! 

Hope everyone has a happy Sunday!  

I'm Back...What has been going on

Hello friends!

I know I have been gone a long time but there were just some things that I needed to focus on for a little. I can't believe it has been months since I have blogged...don't judge :) A lot has happened so I thought I would update everyone on life and what has been happening. Sorry in advance for the long post! If you follow me on instagram you have gathered a little peek. Let me start from where we left off.

We went on our first road trip to DC to visit some friends and had a blast. Kinley did awesome on the road trip up and back. She definitely let us know when she was done and thankfully we were just about there when she had had enough. We had such a great time with our friends and can't wait to see them again. The day we came back Kinley's first tooth cut through! No wonder we had all night parties when we were in DC.

We miss these pretty ladies and their sweet boys! 

Shortly after DC Kinley and I went to Colorado to spend some time with my family. I was a little nervous because I was traveling with a baby alone with 10 pounds of luggage. Thankfully she did great and enjoyed all the attention she got from everyone. It was great seeing my sisters and spending time with my mom, dad and step mom. The time always goes too fast so we soak up every second of it. 

Sorry for the crappy picture but it was the only one of all of us. 

Kinley turned 10 months and about a week later took her first steps. It was so special! I even was able to catch it on video! Go me!! She didn't start walking consistently until right around 11 months, and after that it was all over! Just kidding! It has been so much fun since she started walking! 

Matt and I celebrated 3 years of marriage! We had the best wedding in St. Thomas I love looking back at pictures from that day. I am thankful every day for such an amazing husband that puts up with me! Lets be real though I do put up with him too :). We celebrated by going to the new adventure park here and went zip lining. Wow was that amazing and worth every penny spent!

I highly recommend the adventure park if you live in Virginia Beach or come to visit me :)

Kinley celebrated her first Halloween by going trick or treating at the mall. Since she was too young for the candy we walked around and looked at the other costumes. It was perfect since it was cold out and she was too little to actually trick or treat. Of course she was the cutest lady bug around. 

I told you she was the cutest lady bug around. 

We added another road trip unexpectedly to Baltimore. Matt's uncle passed away but we made the best of the trip and enjoyed some quality family time. It wasn't the ideal situation but it is always nice to take a few steps back from everyday life and enjoy one another. Life is truly too short!

We had some family pictures done that I was so in love with! They turned out amazing and I can't wait to book another session with Kirstyn Marie Photography. I ran my first half marathon since having the baby (technically she is a toddler, but she will always be my baby!). I was pretty happy that I finished it in a decent time (for me) and could still walk. My brother in law and father in law ran it with me. 

And the biggest milestone so far was Kinley turning 1. Wow what an amazing day! Her birthday fell on Thanksgiving this year which was so special. We were also in Colorado and got to celebrate with my family. It was special to all of us and she had such a blast at her party. I put a lot of work into the party and was very happy with how things turned out. I will do another blog post on her birthday so I will only share a few pictures, because lets be honest there is probably 1000. When we got back from Colorado we had another party here with our family and friends. Kinley and I were so very excited our friends Erin and Bodie came from Connecticut to celebrate such a memorable day with us! Thanks Erin for making that happen! We love you guys! 

Christmas came and went.  Kinley sat on Santa's lap but was quick to jump down. She is such a busy bee you can't get her to sit anywhere for more than 2 seconds, unless she is reading a book. That girl loves to read books, especially the Llama Llama books. We all had a great Christmas and are truly blessed. We had a great holiday season but to be honest I was glad when it was over. It is so chaotic and with all the traveling it is super busy. I like my routine and was happy to get back in the swing of things! 

New years was nothing special, but I am ok with that. These days I would rather sleep.  Did I mention Kinley is FINALLY sleeping through the night??!!! It only took us a year but we are all getting sleep again. I was definitely more tired the first few days because I was so use to getting up and being up for hours some nights. It is pretty amazing to get sleep again. 

Kinely will be 14 months at the end of January and every day I can't believe how fast it is going and how fast it has gone. I no longer have a baby...we have a toddler. I really do love this age! She is so amazing and watching her learn new things every day is truly a blessing. 

If you are still reading thank you! I know it has been awhile and this post was forever long but I appreciate all of you! I promise to blog more often and keep you all in the loop. We have lots of exciting things coming up this year to include Kinley's first wedding! Gosh we are excited! 

In a nut shell that is what has been going on in our lives the past few months. I will leave you all with a Kinley selfie. Hope every one has a great hump day!