First spring-like day today. The temp was right above 50 degrees & it felt so great to be outside all day with the girls. We cleaned the cars, girls rode bikes/scooters & got some exercise in. Then this evening we decided to have a little Easter egg hunt for the girls. We filled about 100 eggs with candy & other surprises. Takes forever to fill them and about 10 mins to find them!! Margaux helped me fill the eggs & was so happy when she found a dollar bill in one of the eggs from last year. I told her to put it back in an egg, she said no & kept that $ for herself.

I had to tell our girls several times to slow down & leave some eggs for Sloane. 

Felt so warm outside, funny to still see snow on the ground. Sloane was all about the egg hunt, her excitement is so fun. A great age for things like this. Little Fitz was along for the ride all bundled up. Those littles make my babies seem huge!

 Once they found all the eggs it was time to head inside to break them all open. Eggs and candy everywhere! 

Although we enjoy spring break, it is no fun when it interferes with Easter. I like the years when they fall on completely opposite weeks. But no complaining, we were okay doing our egg hunt a little early. Looking forward to a week with my kiddos & the break from the crazy routine. Also looking forward to the warmer days that come with spring. I am done with the snow! xoxo

Carnival night at school. Always a fun event that the kids look forward to every year... the adults not so much!!! haha It is a great night for the kids but so much chaos, a little too much for me. As usual, once we got there & purchased tickets the girls took off with their friends. Barely saw them all night except when they needed us to hold something or needed more money! 

Maeve & Eva looking adorable...

 Marin & Estelle were equally excited for the carnival which was a surprise since they don't even go to school at the elementary school anymore. The photo booth is always the spot to go first. They love the strips of photos they get of themselves.

 The only pic I snapped of Margaux was this one with our friend Kristin {Estelle's mom}. Kristin always jokes with Marg that she will be here mother in law some day when Margaux & one of her twins Hudson or Kamden get married!

Happy to be home & in pj's relaxing now. Tomorrow the girls, Katie, Sloane & myself are going to see the Little Mermaid musical at the middle school & we change the clocks forward an hour. We all need to rest up! xoxo

Tonight was Maeve's last ice skating lesson. After six weeks of lessons she is not skating around like an Olympic figure skater like she had hoped, but she is definitely skating around like a little 6 year old pro. Much better than when she started & she loved every minute of it.

While strolling through Tjmaxx one day I stumbled upon these adorable skating shirts that I knew Maeve & her friends would love... I bought every one they had. We passed them out to all of her besties. This day she & Kendall were dressed the same and matched their teacher as well.

And here are the girls tonight after their last lesson. Regular skating pros! They wanted to keep going but the next session was already full. Guess we'll have to wait until next year. So glad they all enjoyed it. And funny for the adults to watch, kids falling all over the ice every lesson! They were just so darn cute. The good news is they were all much better by the end but there were still a few falling all over tonight, the last week of class. Not these ladies tho!!!

Marin got a few skating days in with her friends too. The weather has been so funny. Super cold & then warm. The sledding & ice days were a little limited so far this winter. We'll see what the next few weeks bring.

Winter can be so much fun, although I am not going to lie... I could use a warm vacation right about now! xoxo

I am a little late seeing as Marin's basketball season is already done as of two weeks ago, but better late than never! Last year she enjoyed basketball but was a little behind with the skills due to a late start {most of the girls started in 3rd grade vs Marin in 4th}. This year she is a whole new player... she improved so much!!! We saw her showing some aggression & even had a few fouls which made us all laugh. She was shooting during games & scored points for her team. Such a fun season, we really enjoyed watching her & spending time with all the girls families.

 It also is so odd to me that we spent so many weekends traveling around the area to various basketball tournaments. I can't believe that I have a child old enough to be playing competitive sports like this. Our kids are growing up so much & the past few weeks was a glimpse of the years to come with growing kids who play sports.

Aside from her own basketball games she spent a lot of evenings going to other high school games & also college games with a few of her friends. How cute are these kiddos? They loved supporting the local teams.

Such a great season for Marin. Lots of practice & hard work. Now the kids are asking for a basketball hoop in the driveway... we'll see if we can make that happen this spring. Moving on to indoor tennis lessons for now until the weather warms up a bit for the spring season. In a few weeks both Marin & Margaux will start run club as well. Active little ladies & we love it! xoxo

After a fun morning at Disney on Ice for Maeve & I we made it up north with plenty of daylight left to play on the ice & have fun with family/friends. Not nearly as cold as it has been, it was about 20-25 degrees. Warm enough to enjoy being outside but still needed the tent to warm up every now & then. Always fun for them to be on the ice in the middle of the lake. So hard to imagine there being water underneath them. Scares me a bit but with the cold temps the ice was definitely thick.

Gicuis clan came over for a visit too, which made our chicks happy to have friends to play with.

I snapped this photo about 30 mins before Margaux had a sledding mishap. She fell off the sled & scrapped her face on the ice. Poor peanut was not happy & it burned pretty bad. A little time in the car warming up & she was good to go. Tough little cookie.

More fun on the ice pics. We stayed outside until about 7pm & then we were ready to warm up and eat! Headed back to the lake cottage for dinner and hanging out. We played a bunch of board games with the girls before heading to bed. Long fun day.

Yesterday morning the girls were bundled up & out playing on the ice before 9am. They could have cared less about breakfast, all 3 loved playing out there. Before heading home we met the King's & Nick's at the sledding hill. I was done after about 30 mins, my toes were frozen & hurt so bad. The kids didn't seem to mind though. They had fun testing out the snow boards & sledding with the kiddos. 

Once again time to head home, we were all tired & ready to relax at home by the fire...low key night. Being outside takes a lot out of us! We all slept great again last night, always good to be in our own beds after a fun weekend. xoxo

Thanks to Aunt Amy for winning Katie, myself & the little ladies Disney On Ice tickets. So fun for Katie & I to have one on one time with Maeve and Sloane. They were both so excited for the show. With Maeve taking ice skating lessons she was thrilled to see the princesses skating on the ice. Sloane is 100% in full princess mode right now. Totally the age I remember all three of ours having the same obsession. So much fun.

Sloane was dressed in her best queen Elsa dress & ready for the show. Maeve even put a bow in her hair! That never happens, she obviously knew this was a special occasion. haha 

How cute are they?!?! Love them both to pieces.

For how long the show was {about 2 hours} they both did great & loved every minute of it. I loved sitting next to Maeve & listening to her sing along to all the songs. Girl loves to sing. Tons of snacks & treats, they were both thrilled and felt pretty darn special. We just got home & are switching gears... packing up to head up north for tonight. Ready for some outdoor winter fun! Always on the go, but we love it that way. xoxo

Happy Valentines Day from the Brown chicks!

We made these cute little valentines for our friends & family. The girls loved delivering them around the neighborhood. Surprisingly, the photo session, which we did a few days ago, went fairly quickly. We had to take quite a few while waiting for Margaux to get herself together. She thought everything was soooo funny.

 They all turned out so cute tho. It was hard for me to choose just one for the valentine. Estelle was over so I snapped a few of her & Marin. This time it was Marin's turn to think everything was funny. Love these two.

 And wouldn't have been complete without a shot of Maeve & Eva. Margaux did not want to get in the picture, she was done with photos. How cute are these two? 

Our girls had a great day today. Parties at school, Amazon Echo Dots gifted to them from Gary & I for their bedrooms {spoiled little girls} and we just got home from Valentine dinner with Veraghen's. Spaghetti {veggie bc it is Ash Wednesday} which included more treats of course!
Fun day filled with lots of love for all! xoxo

Girls had off of school on Friday so we decided to take a little staycation at a local hotel/water park. We've had a gift card from friends lingering around & it seemed like the perfect time to use it. Friday night we spent a lot of time in the water park. Lazy river was a hit. Gary obviously found it relaxing!

Knowing the kids would be hungry we stopped at four different places for dinner & brought it to the hotel. Pizza lunchable for Maeve, Pizza Hut cheese pizza for Marg, Jimmy Johns for Marin & Estelle and Chipolte for myself & Gary. It was easier/quicker than it sounds & that way everyone was happy and full! Before bed we took them to the arcade which was also a hit. I got sucked in myself, so addicting trying to win tickets. 

Estelle spent the night with us & headed home in the morning. We snapped a few photos of the girls in the lobby. Maeve still in pj's...

Saturday we took a water park break & headed to the mall for some shopping and lunch. Around noon we headed back to the hotel for another 5+ hours in the water park {Katie, Mike, Sloane & Fitz joined us} before heading home. We all slept fantastic last night at home after all the swimming. Fun little get away but always happy to be home. xoxo

School wide bowling day today for the little chicks. After a few days home this week with a fever, Margaux was excited to get back to school & join in the fun.

 Loved watching her little self throw the ball down the lane. She decided a few days ago that she did not want the bumpers in the gutters. After her first game she changed her mind after having the lowest score! Adding the bumpers got her a win the next game, so she was happy.

 Maeve pouted all morning about how much she hated bowling & she didn't want to go to school. Just as I suspected, when I got to the bowling alley she was all smiles bopping around with all of her friends. I couldn't wait to say "I told you so" to her!!! haha

Fun afternoon for the girls. They bowling alley was so loud, lots of kids having fun that's for sure. I was happy to be able to join in on the fun & snap some photos for the yearbook. xo

Look who visited sunny AZ this week!!!

Gary was in Phoenix for work this week so he made some time & took the 2 hour drive down to Tucson to visit GG & Grandpa Bob. First time he's ever been to their place down there. I was glad he got to see where they live the other 1/2 of the year. They had a great visit {Gary aka the technology helper was able to look at a few things} & were able to go to dinner together before Gary had to head back to Phoenix for work. It's been quite a few years since I visited them in AZ... kids make it difficult! We miss you guys & cannot wait for you to come home in May! xoxo

Ugh, these birthdays just keep coming.. And each year inches me closer to 40! Until then, I'll enjoy my last two years in my 30's while I can. 

Today I started my morning at the gym for my spin class & then an hour on the treadmill. Spring break will be here before we know it & I need to get myself into swimsuit shape!!

After gym I had lunch with some good friends & then headed to my favorite store TjMaxx!

Tonight we had dinner, cake & the girls shared their cards they made me.

 So sweet, I love that they come up with cleaver little sayings.

 And Margaux with another rhyme!

 Much needed low key day. Happy Birthday to me! As much as I love the celebrations, it gets crazy with them all so close together. This mama needs a break & a clean house! The Christmas tree is down, so that's a start. The house seems so bare, we'll miss the warmness of the tree & the lights. This week I'll have some time to get this place back into shape & maybe do some new decorating! That is something to look forward to! xoxo

Birthday party day for Margaux today!

She chose to have her party at the pool which was a great way to burn off some energy with the cold weather & invite all her best friends to swim with her! This invite was perfect & so cute.

The kids swam their hearts out & had so much fun. All three of them had fun with friends & the girls found it pretty funny to squirt Gary in the face with water. 

 They took a short break for snacks, cupcakes & to watch Margaux open her presents. Once they had full bellies, they were eager to get back in the water & play before their parents came for pick up.

 Margaux loved every minute of it. So many of her friends bought her pig related presents. Pig stuffed animals, pig earrings, pig pillows, pig themed games, a pig purse & an adorable pig shirt. She squealed with delight each time she opened one. She was pretty excited & happy to pose in her bed with part of her pig clan.

Lucky little girl. She was pretty thankful for all of her friends & the gifts they brought her... but most of all she enjoyed her time with a large chunk of her favorites. Just my birthday yet this week, then the celebrations will be done for a bit. Until then, we'll keep celebrating!!! xoxo

Happy 38th Birthday to the man of the house! {Yesterday}

He spent the day at work yesterday & then last night we went out with Wendy, Travis, Kari & Mike for a fish fry. {Gary's request... lots of requests on birthdays around here!} We had a fun night but were exhausted & in bed fairly early.
Hard adjusting after the long holiday week!

The girls made cards for Gary & were so proud. It's always fun to see what they come up with. Maeve's card... 38 is great!!!

 Margaux was all about the rhyme & silly of course...

 And Marin's card. She wrote a sweet message inside but the front was too cute not to post.

Today even though it is freezing outside, he decided to run outside!

He's crazy, but we are getting pretty excited for Boston in April. Seems so far away yet, but it will be here before we know it! Happy Birthday Gary!!! We love you soooooo much. xoxo

Happy 9th Birthday to our pig crazed, Luke Bryan loving Margaux.

Seems impossible that our little middle is nine years old already. Last year in the single digits & another year of me begging her to stop growing up so fast. You are such a sweet little girl & daddy and I are so proud of you. We had so much fun celebrating you today.

We love you to pieces Margaux!

She woke up this am and requested a big stack of pancakes on the special plate for breakfast. She ate pretty quickly & once she was done getting ready she was off to school.

Really hard for everyone to go back to school/work after a long, fun week of holiday celebrations... especially hard for Margaux on her birthday. She begged me to let her stay home, but of course she needed to go. I met her at school for lunch {Another request.. McDonald's} and she shared a birthday treat with her class. After school we headed to the movie theater {yet another request} to see Pitch Perfect 3. Funny movie that the girls all enjoyed. After the movie we headed home for dinner & some snuggle time with a little snap chat. Margaux loves the fun filters.. tonight we were bunnies.

Another fun day of celebrations for Marg, but the fun isn't over just yet. Her birthday party with friends is this Sunday. Lucky little girl. We love you so much Margaux!!! Happy Birthday! xo

Happy 2018!!!!

We spent the day hanging out together & prepping to celebrate Margaux's birthday with friends/family. Seemed easiest to celebrate on New Years Eve since Margaux requested to see a movie the night of her actual birthday. So we decorated, ordered a cake & celebrated!

Happy 9th BRRR...thday Margaux! So fitting with the freezing wind chills.

 She requested a cookie cake for dessert & we all sang happy birthday after everyone had dinner. 

 We ended up feeding the kids home made mac & cheese earlier in the evening & making a steak/crab dinner for the adults a little later. The kids were awesome & stayed downstairs for hours entertaining themselves while the adults had a quiet dinner. We had quite the crew here, the kids had a blast. We played games together after dinner & Travis lit off some impressive fireworks at midnight. -20 windchill so we all ran in as soon as they were done for a New Years toast.

Love these kiddos.

Not long after midnight I found Maeve curled up on the chair fast asleep. Late night or her, I am not sure she's ever seen midnight before!

 The last crew standing... I think this bunch was up until well after 1:00am. Also the latest Marin & Margaux had ever been up. Worth it, we had so much fun.

 Pretty fun birthday celebration for Margaux too! It's been a few years since we've celebrated on NYE. She was happy & so were we. One day of rest before she turns nine years old, we're all napping & going to be early tonight. Back to school tomorrow.

Happy New Year!!! xoxo