The new year!

I know I'm about, oh, 14 days late with this but Happy New Year one and all!
I know the new year brings mixed emotions for alot of people, many can't wait for the previous year to be over and start new and many people had a great year and are sad for it to end. Then there are people like myself who are indifferent. 2014 was AMAZING! Taylor and I became parents

Figuring out parenthood has made this year FLY by so fast. I can't believe Henry is trying to walk and eating solid foods and I'm planning his first birthday. It's so weird. Just yesterday he was teeny tiny in my arms and now I find myself thinking how heavy he is when I'm hauling him around and how much he is wearing me out but chasing him around the house. 

I can't imagine 2015 bringing such a huge life shift as becoming first time parents but you just never know what can happen. I pray for only good things in the future of course. I'm definitely not trying to see what life can throw at us. Trust me,  it's been exhausting and sometimes really overwhelming and stressful, but more than anything it's been so much fun and has brought so much joy and love to our life. Taylor and I have become closer than ever, maybe a little more "laugh to keep from crying" moments in there as we navigate the new parent thing together than brady bunch moments, but either way it's been so fun with him by my side. I guess more than anything our family of three really has made me realize what life is all about this year.

That being said, I don't really have resolutions this year outside of try my hardest to be the best mommy and wife that my two boys deserve, stop cussing as much (my kid is learning to talk over here) and try to chill out and relax a little more. I feel like those are attainable goals so we will see what happens from here. Happy New Year everyone I hope 2015 is as wonderful as it can be for you and your family!

Taylor's Christmas Gift

For Christmas I wanted to get Taylor something unique. He always needs socks and shirts for work and probably new shoes etc but I wanted to get him something fun and special that he didn't really ask for. I like to be creative with my gifts and as I was cruising around on the internet one night in October I found this deal to tour Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Kansas City Chiefs! Taylor is a die hard Chief's fan and I knew he would love the opportunity to tour the stadium. Our tour was self guided, which was awesome so we could take our time and explore a little bit. We got to walk through the concourses, through the Hall of Honor, down into the locker room, press conference room and onto the field itself. Such a neat experience!

 He looks grouchy, I promise he was not.....See VVV kid in a candy store!

 The concourse looks so weird empty.

 I think I prefer it with 70,000 crazy fans.

 Taylor with the Super Bowl trophy.

 and me!

 Clark Hunt's personal collection of championship rings.

 Trent Green's Cleats.

Helmets through the years...really cool display. 

 The secret elevator to the locker rooms.

 

The doors to the tunnel to the field. 

 The locker room!

 It was not at all how I pictured it. These are the original lockers from the 60's when Arrowhead was built. They are too nostalgic to replace.

 More locker room.

 Taylor's big ole head wouldn't fit into a helmet. Ha!

 The tour guide told us they had the tarp down to cover the grass and protect it from the elements and not to walk on it...naturally my husband tap, tap, tapped his toes onto the grass anyway. When in Rome I suppose.

The tunnel to the field. 

 Press Conference room.

So uhh... Coach Smith, why'd you go for the 2 pt conversion?

 Special passes :)

I highly encourage anyone to do this tour, not expensive and so fun for any Chief's fan!

 Christmas Bucket list update:
Let's see how we did this year. What we did I highlighted in red and put the link to the matching post in green.

-Crown Center to see the Mayor's Christmas tree, lights and Santa!!!! We used to go to Crown Center to see Santa every year growing up because my mom used to work at Hallmark. Just fond memories there. We always have lunch there, grab some fudge after we watch them make it at Chip's, share a limeade maybe from Topsy's, walk through Halls, go to the toy store, the nature store and the Christmas ornament store, see the EBM laughing santa and gingerbread village. Take pictures outside on the big wooden toys and such. I just can't wait to share it with Henry.
- Drive around the Plaza and see the lights, maybe a carriage ride if we can get a date night without Henry. I've always wanted to do that and just never have.
- Drive around with hot chocolate or a peppermint mocha and look at Christmas lights with Henry. He loves all kinds of lights anyway so it should be a hit.
- Make salt dough ornaments of Henry's hands and feet.
- Christmas baking day with my mom and sister.
- Go to the Christmas tree farm and pick out our tree and decorate it.
- Decorate my house for Christmas.
- Christmas shopping with peppermint mocha in hand.
- Read Christmas stories to Henry each night before bed. (this one I kind of did, I read a few to him, not every night though)
- Get some cute Christmas Jammies for Henry for Christmas eve.
- Make a few cute ornaments that have been sitting in my Pinterest board for oh, I don't know, a few years now.
- Go to my grandmother's annual Christmas party.
-Go to the nutcracker (I found out this is sold out already, I'm bummed).
-I want to paint a mug, cookie platter and reindeer carrot bowl set at a pottery place that is customized to our family to keep using year after year to leave our treats for Santa on.
- Have a wrapping present party.
- Play secret Santa at work.
-Send out our super cute Christmas cards and hang all the ones we receive.
- Watch our favorite Christmas movies and share them with those who have no idea what they are missing, my second copies of White Christmas and Christmas Vacation are already on circulate at work. Bing Crosby in drag singing a Rosemary Clooney song and Chevy Chase flipping out are two life changing moments that all should have the joy of witnessing.
- Find as many ridiculously cute Christmas outfits for the nugget as I can get my hands on. I'm planning on several days of holiday old man cute in a row toward the big day itself.
- Spread some kindness and holiday cheer to others.
- Make a donation to a charity

19/21, not to shabby I'd say!  I'm proud of myself for getting as much of these fun things done as we did. Thankful for a husband who puts up with all my holiday cheer and even more excited to continue to do some of these things in years to come.