Texas State Fair 2016 | fall family photos

we did something totally different this year for our family photos.

we went to the fair.

after tagging a long with Brittany for a session she did out there for a sweet couple, I decided last minute to scratch all plans for our traditional holiday card pictures and do something fun.. because what better way to describe our family right now than one big carnival game, right?  we are so blessed, but it gets a little crazy at times.. and when its all said and done I wouldn't want to trade this crazy right now for anything! 

it was the last week of the fair and we didn't anticipate how many people were actually going to show up on a weeknight to get in their own Fair fix before it was gone until next year, but we made it work and these are some of my favorite photos we have ever taken.  plus, getting to take my kids to experience something like this for the first time was an absolute JOY!  

a couple things we learned about the fair:

-Baker LOVES corndogs.  like, a lot. she housed two fletchers on a stick before we could say "smile".

-no one likes cotton candy.  not even a little bit. 

well, except for pregnant Amber.

-Parker really loves the idea of riding all the rides, but once she's on them, the fetal position is where she stays.

-Jolie LOVED every minute of everything.  arms in the air, legs flailing, and uncontrollable laughter.

-the twins were in complete awe of everything around them and all the stimulus of the fair.

..trying to get them to look AND smile without something else catching their eye was basically impossible.

-THANK GOODNESS for papa + BB to the rescue.  this would not have been possible without roping Jordan's parents into tagging along to help us wrangle smiles and keep everyone together while we attempted pictures.

-I'm terrible at the games.  I failed to win the stuffed animals multiple times, while Jordan knocked that job out of the park for the both of us.

lastly.. we are making this fair visit with the kids a tradition.

October love list | checking off the weekend

better late than never to throw this list out there. we are in the last week of October, so I figured I can give myself a little leeway of overflow into November, because November is just as amazing as October.

1. visit the Dallas arboretum // oh this place is magical.  the pumpkins, the flowers, the crisp air.. everything about this place just makes you fall in love with this time of year even more.  we visited the arboretum over the weekend with my niece and nephew and the grandparents and had just the best time.  the best time of year to visit this place is in the fall.  

2. visit the Texas State Fair // its been YEARS since I've been to the state fair, and after taking the girls this year I think we are safe to say that we will go back every year!  they loved every minute of it and for that reason alone we will be going back. I can hardly imagine having a 7 month old baby BOY tagging along next year!!

3. enjoy 800 of my favorite lattes before they are gone for the season // because why the heck not.

4. pumpkin patching // as much as we can in 31 days.

5. pick the perfect pumpkin // we made our way to the pumpkin patch again this weekend.  I love watching the girls just run up and down the hay mazes and rolling the pumpkins and finally we picked the perfect one to take home and carve. 

this time of year is SO stinkin fun.

6. carving the perfect pumpkin // Jordan takes this.  last year with the twins was so much fun and after a little bit of a clean freak out over the slime, they finally enjoyed it!  

7. roast pumpkin seeds // me and Jo love love LOVE roasted pumpkin seeds.  after we carve our perfect pumpkin we will totally be making some of these to snack on.

8. have a picnic dinner // now that the weather has cooled off a bit, its so much easier to enjoy being outside without being swarmed by mosquitos or sweating into your meal.  we checked this one off the bucket list this weekend- I packed dinner for the girls from home and me and Jordan enjoyed a Friday special (BOGO burgers) at Market Street while they played.  $2 glasses of wine and $4 beers.. my pregnant (burgers) and non-pregnant (WINE) self really appreciates this kind of dinner. 

8. watch a movie on the patio // again.. because the weather is getting to be absolutely perfect.  maybe something like Its the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown for the kiddos and NOTHING scary for me and the hubby.  we have become the biggest wimps.

9. SOUP // one of THE best parts about this time of year is the toasty comfort of delicious food. soup is my foodie love language.  I could write a book with the amount of soup recipes I have made and created.  this taco soup is a crock pot favorite. actually anything in my crock pot is a favorite:)  this spinach + mushroom tortellini soup is on my list to be one of the first I make and my favorite potato soup will find its way back into the regular dinner rotation.  also.  two words: bread.bowl. 

10. trick or treat // I'm so excited about this year's costume!! we have so many fun dress up opportunities coming up in the next week (can you believe halloween is in ONE week??!). we have a halloween birthday party on Saturday with costumes and all.. going to a neighborhood halloween trunk or treat celebration on Sunday and then Monday we are getting the supper club + kiddos together for one big trick or treat celebration!

its been the best month so far.. and we still have so much to do!

weekend | pumpkin everything

IT IS October, after all!!

this weekend was FULL and so fun- and we are still recovering.. well I am still recovering.  its amazing how easily my energy level can be zapped. we spent every moment together as a family with only interruptions to take naps for Baker and me, myself, and I- and baby brother, too I suppose, right??  Parker woke me on Friday morning at like 5:30am (!!!) and I told her NO after she repeatedly requested absurd things like a banana and bubble guppies she finally sunk my "mom stance" of putting my foot down with "mom.  I just want to wuv on my baby brother.  he wuves it when I rub his head.."

fine Parker.  FINE.

the weather was amazing this weekend and we took full advantage of getting and staying outside.. and I took about one billion photos to prove it..

side note: we discovered Baker was allergic to insect bites maybe a month ago after she was bitten on the hand by a mosquito.  her hand swelled tremendously and blood pooled around her joints, so we made a trip to the doctor in panic we were all relieved that it was just a mosquito bite. she was bitten on the cheek on Wednesday and by Friday her eye was swollen shut. 

exhibit A:

moccs / sweats / tees / striped leggings / hoodie

 we made our weekly trip to Costco for the essentials and then headed to Market Street for lunch and to play at the park.  OMGGGG this weather. 

 pumpkinssss! the twins were fascinated with the piles of pumpkins in front of the market.. my mama heart skipped a couple beats when I saw all the festive October-y things every where I looked!

this is my favorite time of year.  hands down.

 ..we ended our Friday night with a walk + a trip to the park before the babes went to bed.

Saturday, October 1st

the best day of the year!  I celebrated a good mama friend and her growing baby boy belly on Saturday morning and then we headed for church on Saturday evening.  by the time we got out of service everything was closing down, but we made a quick stop at a small nursery on our way home to grab a couple pumpkins for the porch.

hats c/o / tees c/o / skirts c/o / boots c/o

 Sunday. 

it isn't really public knowledge, and I'm not totally sure WHY, but I've worked as a stylist for Stitch Fix for almost a 8 months now and they hosted their Dallas team and our families for an amazing brunch at the Truck Yard in downtown Dallas on Sunday. I LOVE this place, and their cheesesteaks are phenomenal.. and not to mention my company was pretty awesome, too. such a random job to have found myself in- but its fun and I don't feel like I'm "working" when I am styling women of all sizes, preferences, and ages. plus, since cutting back on the amount of hours I work away from home from my growing family- every little bit helps.

SO ANYway.. food.    

 we ate a lot of it and enjoyed every moment of it. 

plus.. the weather.

 after we filled our bellies with food, we stuffed the grocery cart with all the food.. and hardly made a scene while doing so.

 somehow I convinced Jordan, after our entire Sunday spent away from the house, to skip the Cowboy game and head to the weekend opening of our favorite Pumpkin Patch!
flower bow / denim dresses 

 $5 bucks to park + 1 billion pumpkins + tractor rides + hay mazes + bounce houses + giant slides  

we will be here everyday of October.

 Baker's first real experience with a pumpkin.. she was cracking me up!

#rookie
bow / romper

 the girls and their amazing sport of a daddy rode these cars about 5 times before we finally said TIME TO GO with promises we would return super soon.

gah.  take me back to the weekend! I took a two and a half hour nap to make it through my Monday after this fun weekend, but still so worth it.

'tis this AMAZING pumpkin season!