Supper Club | 'Friends'giving

Last night we celebrated with our sweet friends for a Supper Club Thanksgiving.  Every year around this time we always plan something special and fun to do - We typically take the months of November and December 'off' and just plan to have a night out, doing anything festive we can think of.  Now that babes, babes, and a couple more babes have been added to the mix, our Supper Club looks much different. 

Ashley and I planned dinner for this year, and I literally have the least amount of Thanksgiving leftovers one can possibly have.  Everything was delicious, and the evening flew by.  

Love these people and I am thankful to be able to celebrate with them.

clickables

spinach dip

cranberry brie tartlets 

pumpkin hummus

caramel apple sangria

crock pot creamed corn

shredded brussels sprouts salad

green bean casserole 

(^ used canned green beans over frozen)

twice baked potatoes 

caramel apple crumble pie

roasted boneless turkey breast | spice rub: smoked paprika, garlic powder, rosemary, crushed red pepper, black pepper, seasoned salt; Coat a 3 pound breast with olive oil and the spice rub, roast at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 40 minutes |

Fun Run | FREE Registration

Remember when I shared about The Color Run {HERE} back in April?  We really did have the BEST time with our sweetest little bits 

(they were still so little.  And practically bald.  Where is time going..)  

I was so glad I decided to include them in this event - I think they actually had more fun than I did.  They sang and played the entire time, and provided prime entertainment to the other runners. 

We all loved them.

We have been talking about wanting to do another, but just finding the time was the
trouble.. 

If you have followed this blog for any length of time (forever..), you would have read about my runs here and there.. and now they are few and far in between.

I think this one was circa 2008 in Austin.. pre-blog, and when I had hair halfway down my back.  Take me there. NOT to 2008, but gimme that hair back.

I digres. 

Jordan and I would have SO much fun doing these kind of things together.  We would wake up early on Saturday morning (voluntarily), go for a run or something of the like, and then head to a pancake breakfast afterwards.  It was our thing.  

again from 2008 - the night before the race above.  We were like.. babies.

It was what we did a couple times a month - together.  

I would love to get into the habit of doing something (not just fun runs) now that we have a family.

I really want to be more active in the community, and bringing Parker and Jolie along to introduce them to this sort of thing gives me even more motivation.  

We (Jordan) did the Stair Climb Event back in September, and even though I didn't actually do anything, the girls loved it!

Enter The Corner Store Country Run in Dallas.  This one is a 5K family fun run hosted at Fair Park (the same at the Color Run) in Dallas on Saturday, November 8, 2014.  I'm totally going to tote my girls out and stroll them the entire 3.2 miles!  I am not a runner any more (whomp whomp..) but that doesn't mean I can't still have fun!  

In doing a little research for fun community events, this one caught my eye for a couple reasons.  

This is the first year for the Corner Store Country Run - which is actually an inaugural signature charity event - all net proceeds from the run will benefit Big Brothers | Big Sisters along with local children's charities in the Dallas area.

NOT to mention, it is Fall-themed.  After the fun time we had at the Color Run, I was so excited to do something similar again.  Hay bales, corn stalks (and giant inflatable cows and pigs) - so more FARM than fall.  But you get the idea.  

I see hay bales and corn stalks and it makes me think of cool crisp weather. What about you?

I'm going to do my best to encourage over-the-top country attire.. maybe even get Jordan to pull out his cowboy hat.  I am positive we have little cowboy hats for the girls somewhere from some family member.  We do live in Texas after all.  It is like a thing. 

After the run there will be tons of activities like carnival games, face painting, balloon twisting, a photo booth, live music, food, a beer garden and tons of sponsor giveaways. 

Best part? Once you are inside the fair, everything is free. No need to bring cash, all you need is ID (if you plan to consume an adult beverage)

 Even BETTER part??

I am REALLY excited to share that my readers can register for FREE using the promo code CSCRDALLAS

Regular registration fees for the event are $30 for a single runner, or $75 for a family 4-pack.

The website says free registrations for Dallas have sold out, but  readers can still use the above special promo code to register for the event for free! 

SO- Who is with me?? I would love to meet up with other mama's and their families (but families are not required!) and run/walk this thing together!  I have met so many wonderful people through blogging and social media, and would love to connect with a few more.  

I'll be out there with Miss Parker and Jolie, and their cowboy-ish daddy, so c'mon!

For more information, you can check out Corner Store Run on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  Check the Dallas race schedule here. 

Register here for the event.

Race begins at 8:00 a.m. and packet pick up is at the venue Friday, November 7 from 11am - 6pm.

Shoot me an email if you are interested in walking together:)

See you and your fam-bam in a few weeks!

Pumpkin Patch Kids | 2014

In trying to sound festive in the most non-cliché way..we went to the Pumpkin Patch last week. 

..and, you guessed it, picked out a pumpkin. 

Walking into the Patch, a flood of memories hit my ever loving heart of a mother and swallowed it whole.  Do you remember the last time we were here?

We were bald.  

Wearing leg warmers and a onesie.

Leg warmers and onesies that I have since boxed up and stored in the attic because they don't fit anymore. 

Walking was our newest trick and we had just turned 10 months old.

  

Here we are.  A year, (almost) to the day, later.

Who are you. 

You stop growing right now.

This very minute.

..and you too, little missy.

After seeing their reaction to the rows upon rows of pumpkins..

..the bounce houses..

..the hay bales..

..and most of all, the way cool, super huge tractor touring the patch.

I knew this trip wasn't going to actually be about choosing a pumpkin for our porch.

But they entertained the idea well enough.

Pumpkin Huntin' is serious business.  It was way to much fun watching them walk/run through the rows together.

With rows upon rows of open (gated) field, what else is there to do?

How about a fair game.

Lets race.  Get on your mark.  

Jolie starts off strong- a true burst of energy that leaves Parker behind

..until the blasted rock/step/branch/grass? that never was.

In true competitor fashion, there is no time to waist when you have the chance to W.I.N.

No hard feelings.

After all the reindeer games (in October), the pumpkin pickin' was complete. 

With the great Pumpkin selection behind us, we opted for a few photo attempts of just us girls.

fail.

Waving as all the cars came through. 

fail.

At first glance, this might seem like a fail. But Jolie looks like she's stepped out of a commercial for Paul Mitchell, and Parker really just smiles like that.

But, no she doesn't.

66.6% of us are looking.  

Non-Fail.   

Watching these two change over the course of a year really doesn't hit home until we step into a situation exactly the same as last year.  This year they really did take part in the pumpkin selection.  Played in the fields, the hay, and around the Disney character maze of wood figurines.  

Loving every minute of it.

Growing and transforming right before my very eyes.

I'm so excited for these family traditions to continue.

..but only if they stay small enough to fit in my lap forever. 

Pumpkin Patch 2013 HERE

headwrap: sweet t designs

tee: target

leggings: odarling handmade

moccs: brandalion boutique