mom's 50th

it was my mom's birthday last thursday. and not until mid-december did it dawn on me that it was my mom's 50th birthday! with christmas being such a busy time of year, we didn't even think about the details of the party until a week before. not like me. usually i like to start planning well in advance because i don't like being rushed. but with the help of everyone, we were able to pull the party together & it really turned out to be cute & fun for everyone. here are the invites...

and of course the banner...

the cake & treats...

i put a few little cards together with different quotes about aging that reminded me of my mom...here's one of them...can you find the typo??

the favors...

my wonderful parents...

not the best quality picture, but it's my family & i can't not post it. i like how everyone coordinates with the party decor except me. why i decided to wear a green striped shirt, i don't know.

happy 50th mom! here's to another 50, right??!!

...finally...

some may be wondering what i've been up to that has kept me away from the blogging world for so long. let's just say i've been plenty busy...and haven't felt like taking the time to upload pictures. so now i'm back...and here's one project i'd like to tackle before the end of next week...thanks to my good friend for giving me the idea...which she got off of ali edwards' blog, who got the idea from martha...(surprise, surprise!) anyway...it's an advent calendar...i bought the boxes from my local craft store...and then bought some christmas paper, paint, and number stickers. then instead of tacking them straight onto the wall like others have done, i found an old cork board that i'm going to try and salvage into something cute...we'll see how it turns out. hopefully it does...i'll keep you posted.

(photo courtesy ali edwards)

then of course we have zac's 4th birthday coming up! so fun...but it's keeping us busy around here! seeing as how zac thinks animals are pretty cool, we decided on a jungle sa"four"i party. it should be fun. it's zac's first "friend" party...so he's excited about it. hopefully we can pull it off...we'll see how it goes! :)

...preschool & party planning...

according to zac, he is now "a busy boy". he had his first day of preschool yesterday and loved it...i knew he would. it was weird not having him home...i almost didn't know what to do with myself. i was looking forward to having a little break, but he's always so much fun to talk to & such a big helper with emerson, it's almost more work without him. after 2 1/2 hours, i was glad to have him home...

and emerson had to join in on the picture taking action. lately, this sweet little girl has turned into a sweet but fiesty little girl...like yesterday, she pushed her brother down the stairs and giggled as he fell from the top to the bottom of the stairs & landed hitting his head on the tile floor. so sad for zac. times like those, all that runs through my mind is that i really hope this is just a phase...really. however...i must say that emmy was very good at giving zac hugs & kisses better...so there's still hope! :)

for the past three weeks or so, my sisters & i have been staying busy planning this for friday...


and this for saturday...

hopefully we can pull it off...and once we do, my mind won't be such a big jumbled mess anymore. it's been a little crazy, probably because i don't have a planner...but i need one. or maybe i should just start using the i-calendar on my computer. something needs to change, my brain can't keep everything straight anymore. any suggestions on how you keep yourself organized?? anyway, it should be a fun-filled & busy weekend...