am i really 3 years from 30?? no, surely not....

so since we were in birmingham the day before for mia's dance comp, we decided to spend the night & make a day of it on my birthday..i had debated just saving the money & coming on home, but i'm glad brock talked me into staying...this picture was a hoot...with mia's crazy dance hair & faded makeup..i always love when we get to crash in a hotel..

every now & then, when i leave them alone to play, they come up with the cutest scenario's... i love this one..they were playing 'dentist'


my first bday gifts...a necklace made by brix & breakfast "shakes" made by mia (in case you're wanting the recipe- i think it was oatmeal, milk, banana, water, corn flakes, & who knows what else!) i didn't have much of an appetite but i'm sure it was delish :)

cristin & shelby decorated the wrong hotel door for my bday :)

after a fabulous lunch at this cute little family bakery/deli 'klingers' i think it was called..that had been around for 30 years, we went over to the botanical garden..we had been once before when brix was a baby & all the flowers, etc were in bloom..i was skeptical how nice it would be this time of the year, but it was great..i think this might be my mothers day request each year..it's so huge/spread out that you never feel crowded or intruded apon as you walk around..beautiful...



mia was so excited to give me my gifts..there was one gift she kept trying to give me hints about & as she was 'hinting' to me, brock stopped her & it just broke her little heart...

reading my cards from the kiddos



at the bakery, we bought these adorable cupcakes...frogs & the cookie monster, it think they were..

then back in the car for our drive home (with an added stop at my absolute fav, chipotle, in nashville before back to the house :) thanks to everyone for my calls/texts/cards, etc...i feel so lucky to have such special friends & so grateful for such special memories with my fam :)

"yummy, yummy, yummy i got love in my tummy"....

getting out the door way early for mia's dance 'showcase' a couple weeks ago.. it was a performance for all the families to come watch all the competition dances before they start competing...for us non-dance folks, it was basically a glammed up dress rehearsal..but anyway, i'm glad i got this pic of her on the rt, because when she's sleepy she gets her blankie & puts it on her lips..?

don't know why i love this pic of my sis...i think its because she looks so much like my mom with these glasses on..



i love this pic...its like kathleen is thinking "did this kid just really eat all my skittles??" & brix's face responds "of course i did!"



last weekend mia had a dance competition in birmingham..mamoo & papoo & papaloo all made the drive to watch..here we are all loaded up & on our way..check out knox's face because he cant see the computer they're playing with :)

knox was a happy little fella with an ice cream in one hand & sucker in the other...no wonder he loves the grandparents so much!

don't know why but i snapped this on the way in to comp in downtown birmingham...kinda significant, ya know..








that's mia standing on the oven on the right & holding her beloved pins..they won first place & her fav reward was the pins for her jacket

thats her popping out of the front, center cupcake...hands down-the best part of the dance! one of these days i'll figure out how to put the video on here :)

gosh, i love these boys...