Our trip to Grand Cayman

Happy Thursday! I have some exciting news today... I am joining Annie and Natalie as a new co-host for Thoughts for Thursday! I am so flattered to be cohosting this weekly link-up every Thursday with two of my very favorite bloggers and mommas. I have been following these ladies for years and even though we have never met IRL, I feel like we are friends which is my very favorite part about blogging!

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We are back from our week spent at Grand Cayman and it was perfect. My entire family went so it was chaos in the best way. It was low key and relaxing... well, as relaxing as a vacation with 3 kids can possibly be ;) Vivi is a total beach bum like her mama! She was caught multiple times shoveling handfuls of sand in her mouth at lightening speed. I swear she would live in the ocean or pool if you let her. She is fearless and loves dunking her face underwater, crazy girl.

Grand Cayman is a very small island, approximately 20 miles from one end to the other. If you are looking for a wild and crazy night life, this is not the place for you. It is a quiet island with the most beautiful, crystal clear water you've ever seen and soft, white sand. There are usually no waves which makes it perfect for kids to swim. Of all the beaches I have been to, Grand Cayman is the prettiest!

We have been to Grand Cayman multiple times and we always stay at the same place. This time since we had so many people we rented 2 condos right beside each other. They were on the ground floor, about 15 steps from the beach. SO convenient for the kids and easy to check on them during nap time.

We took full advantage of Vivi's nap times. We would put her to bed in the condo then lock the doors and check on her every 20ish minutes. You could find my butt parked in a beach chair with drink in one hand and book in the other.

I had so many questions about my bathing suit. You can find it here for only $24!

Vivi's bathing suit

Vivi's bathing suit

Vivi's straw hat | bathing suit Old Navy but sold out

We got a babysitter one night and went out to dinner which was so much fun. There was live music and lots of pineapple martinis. I had lobster bisque and a penne pasta with fresh seafood and both were sooo delicious. The other 5 nights we cooked dinner at the condos and stayed in. Like I said, it was a super laid back trip!

Picture overload! A week with all my favorite people spent eating, drinking, swimming, and relaxing with the most beautiful backdrop ever. Check back next week for recommendations on where to stay, where to eat and things to do when visiting Grand Cayman!

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Saving Christmas cards

Happy Monday friends! We are home from our trip (recap coming later this week!) and finally unpacked and back in the swing of things. We spent all weekend unpacking, doing laundry, grocery shopping and I worked some on Sunday. We did have friends over for dinner Saturday night which was fun and Vivi took her first steps on Sunday! Overall it was a very low key weekend getting organized and ready for the week ahead.

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One of my favorite parts of Christmas is getting cards in the mail. I usually keep them displayed until well into January. Every year I save them and it is so fun to look back on them from years past. Here's how I save mine... it's so simple!

1) Punch a hole in the top left corner of every card

2) Thread them all together with a festive ribbon

3) Ta-da! That's it!

 How long do you keep your Christmas cards displayed? How do you save them?

Linking up with Biana and Meghan

Vivian Kate | 10 months

Vivian,

I am way behind posting your 10 month update and thought about skipping it, but I don't want to forget a single thing about you so here it is just so I can look back and remember you at 10 months! It was such a fun month prepping for Christmas. You are changing and exploring and you are so busy! We love you!

Sleep

You are consistently sleeping 11 hours at night, hallelujah! You have a very strict bedtime routine and you do NOT like when it gets messed up. You get a bath around 6pm, we read books then bottle and rock at 7pm and into your crib. You love getting in your crib for bed at night. If we try to keep you up any later than 7pm you are not happy. You are definitely a creature of habit and love your routine... you get that from me!

You also have a pretty consistent nap schedule. You sleep from 7pm-6am then go down for your morning nap around 8:45am and sleep until usually 10am. Then you go down for your afternoon nap around 1:30pm and typically sleep until 3:30pm. We have made great strides in the sleep department thankfully.

Eat

You loooove to eat. You get it honestly from both me and your daddy. You still get four 5oz bottles a day and have 3 meals a day. You absolutely love feeding yourself and your very favorites are blueberries, raspberries, ham, turkey, string cheese, avocado, yogurt and sweet potatoes. You are a little unsure about scrambled eggs but we will keep trying. I'm still making pureed fruits and veggies and giving you a little at each meal because it's much easier to fill you up that way. You love pureed butternut squash and carrots.

Clothes

You are mostly in 12-18m clothes right now. I'm ready for spring and summer clothes so I can get you back into adorable bubbles and look at those chunky thighs!

Likes

Eating, going on walks, being outside, bath time, drinking water out of your sippy cup, Bella (she doesn't really like you back), walking around the entire house while holding onto our fingers, getting into things you shouldn't (papers, mail, cords), your cousin Ella James.

Dislikes

Getting dressed, riding in the car for long periods of time, being bored (diva), sitting still.

Milestones and Memories

You started standing by yourself this month! You have a push walker like this that you love to walk around with. You are TOO brave... you let go and can balance on your own but you think you can walk and you can't! You can take 2-3 steps then you fall straight forward so we have to be right beside you. Your third bottom tooth popped through the skin so you now have 3 teeth on the bottom. You loved our Christmas tree and you would smile so big every morning when we walked into the living room and it was lit up. You had spaghetti for the first time and you were a huge fan (I think you inherited my love for carbs). You met Santa for the first time and didn't know what to think. You showed no emotion... no smiles or tears, just stared a hole through him. December was so much fun prepping for Christmas with you! Already looking forward to next Christmas when you "get" it more!

The Best Monday Ever

 There are no Monday blues around here because we are on total vacation mode in the Cayman Islands! We left the ice and snow in NC and are soaking up the sunshine and crystal blue waters. I hope everyone has a great week!

Vivi's swimsuit

Vivi's swimsuit

Vivi's swimsuit

Christmas 2017 recap!

I cannot believe it is 2018! Christmas absolutely flew by and it was just the best. Garrett and I both agreed that next year will be even better when Vivi is old enough to "get" Santa and the real meaning of Christmas.

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Our Christmas started on the 23rd with a small brunch at our house. My in-laws and my MIL's father came over for a low key early Christmas breakfast.

On Christmas Eve we always go to my dad's house then out to lunch with him. Most people do fancy Christmas Eve lunches but not us... we go to a local burger place and load up on grease and French fries! After naps we headed to 5:00pm church. Vivi lasted approximately 10 minutes before she was taken in the lobby to walk around and eat Cheerios for the rest of the service.

After church we headed to my mom's house for Christmas Eve dinner. Garrett did such a great job cooking the beef tenderloin and we all pitched in with sides. It was so delicious! Lots of pomegranate martinis and White Russians were consumed and it was so nice to relax and enjoy family and friends. We decided to spend the night at my mom's so that we could put Vivi to bed and not have to go home so early. It worked out so perfectly and we were so glad we did it! My sister's family also stayed so we all got to put Santa toys out together after the kiddos were in bed.

 Christmas morning Vivi was up and ready to go at 6am. We had to wait for my niece and nephew to wake up and they finally came running downstairs around 7am. They faces were pricelessss when they saw all the toys Santa brought them! My husband knocked it out of the park with these homemade ornaments of Vivi's handprint and footprint. The absolute best present ever! Also, we were only supposed to do stocking stuffers for each other and he surprised me with a new MacBook... he definitely won!

Vivi was still a little young to understand everything but she loved the wrapping paper and all the activity going on around her. She got this Pewi Elite Ybike, this Step2 blue wagon, this chuckle ball, this stacking spin toy and a few other small things. We had our traditional Christmas breakfast of breakfast casserole, grits, homemade cinnamon rolls, fruit, biscuits and gravy... one of my favorite meals all year!

 Around lunch time we headed to my in-laws, about an hour away. I always look so forward to Christmas night with Garrett's side of the family and this year was extra special with 4 great grandbabies. Garrett is super close with his cousins so seeing our kids playing together is just the best. Vivi was so spoiled by her grandparents and our Nana. She got a little piano similar to this which she has not stopped pounding on (earplugs anyone?) and an anywhere chair from Pottery Barn Kids that is soo cute!

 Unfortunately I was on call the 26th so I was up and on the road by 6am but it was the best Christmas ever. I pray that Vivi will grow to learn the true meaning of Christmas and I already can't wait until next year!