to my little love on his first birthday

 

One year ago today, at 11:51 am, our lives changed forever.

 

Our sweet Houston Michael Roberts entered this world, wide eyed and screaming, he was ours – literally everything we had hoped for times a thousand.

 

His smiles, his joyful noises, his every move has brought us a love and happiness we never knew until we became parents. Not just parents, but parents to this child. My glowingly happy, cuddly sweet, unbelievably bright baby boy. We have been infinitely blessed by him and further blessed that God has made this first year a very healthy year in his life.

 

As cliché as it sounds, this year has passed with lightening speed.We had no idea what to expect when we brought that precious babe home and as hard as some moments and days were, the reward is beyond anything we will ever deserve. Tonight I think we will jump for joy and celebrate the year that we survived as new parents and that Houston survived US!

This past Saturday, we had a BIG birthday party for our little buckaroo. It was perfectly magical and I do not exaggerate when I say that I felt love and elation in every moment our boy’s happy day. More pictures coming soon!

 

Happy Birthday, sweet Houston! Our world, in all seriousness, now revolves around you and I wouldn’t have it any other way. You have made your father and I better people with your mere existence. May you always know the love and laughter you have brought so many in this first tiny year. You are SO special.

 

{…and now I think I’ll continue the sob-fest I started with writing this post. I’ve proudly kept the tears at bay for the 2 weeks leading up to this day as we prepared for his big birthday. The flood gates are now OPEN :) I am so thankful for these HAPPY tears!}

 

XOXO,

Stephanie

Show and Tell

Personally, I’ve pinned oodles and oodles of crafts to make and DIY out the wazoo on my Pinterest, but I never dreamed my darling husband would be the first one to actually put a pin to work.

For our anniversary, my love made me the sweetest gift that spoke right to my heart.

“52 Reasons Why I Love You” as seen on Pinterest  and recreated by MY HUSBY!:)

 

 

I know it’s a stretch for him to get crafty sometimes, so just the thought of him getting it all together and taking lots of time to get it just right spoke to my crafty lovin’ little heart♥

 

As for the “reasons” why he loves me – these were no generic reasons! He took the time to actually think of 52 reasons specific to the whacky relationship we have. Yes… I get “mad” if he says goodnight before I get in bed. I could explain, but you just think I was even MORE crazy than you’re already imagining!

{this man LOVES me AND my crazy!! u.n.b.e.l.i.e.v.a.b.l.e.}

 

He cracked me up in between the tear jerkers. He is such a keeper♥

 

That was my “show” part of the post, now for my “tell”…

 

I didn’t know I’d been keeping a secret. I’ve been getting compliments on my legs lately – which is very WEIRD for me to say to you… it’s not that I have toned legs – the very opposite in fact. I sort of loathe my legs and am usually the girl sweating it out in pants when everyone else is all cool and cute in their appropriate summer wear.

 

Case in point:

{looking ridiculous next to my cutie pah-tootie friends in Nashville}

 

But FINALLY, I can live free with my legs out to breathe WITHOUT panty hose:)

 

My friends seemed wowed by this product and everyone is running to Kroger/CVS/Walmart to get it. Have you heard of it?

It’s literally been around for years!

My mom even uses and love it.:

Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs

 

 

My legs are cool as a cucumber these days :)

 

Let’s do this show and tell again soon!

XOXO,

Stephanie

gearing up for a FIRST birthday!

 

This time last year I was feverishly preparing a nursery for my little love to be, anxiously awaiting his arrival, making lists and checking them off, reading all the baby books I could get my  hands on and getting BIGGER by the hour :)

 

I could have never imagined how fast this first year would fly by, what it would have in store for us OR just who that little boy would be that was waiting on the other side of my belly button. He has stolen so many hearts, grown the best little personality and surprises us {mostly good surprises…} daily with what he’s learning.

 

I can.not.believe that in less than 2 weeks, a gaggle of family and friends will be at our house celebrating our little buckaroo’s first birthday. I am so excited!

 

The theme?

Cowboys and Indians!

 

 

Hopefully next year, when he can start to understand giving and sharing, we can start the process of teaching him it is better to give than to receive – even on your birthday! I have several plans for this little life lesson, but for this year, I want to give back to YOU!

 

You that have given me sweet cherished advice, consolation, and a voice that tells me I’m not alone in the first year of motherhood. I honestly don’t know how well I would have made it through or just how confused I would be without all of your generous comments and emails. SERIOUSLY, from the bottom of my heart, I appreciate you!

 

I’m hoping to do several giveaways on the blog in the week leading up to Houston’s birthday {August 29th}. Several have contacted me before about hosting a giveaway for their shops/products here and if you’re one of them or are interested in being featured, please contact me!:

robertslove{at}live{dot}com

 

Erin from E Three Design Studio whipped up these ADORABLE invitations for us and will be hosting a giveaway on the blog for Houston’s birthday giveaway extravaganza as well! Check out her Etsy shop – her designs are no joke, beyond amazing.

 

Enjoy a few of the outtakes from our tiny cowboy photo shoot Nick and I attempted… 

 

This boy was having no part in wearing his cowboy hat.

 

AND the cowboy boots I ordered him were waaaaay to large,

 

yet he still made for some extreme cuteness in the chaos of it all!♥

 

Wait… is that the Naked Cowboy??? ;)

 

♥♥♥

 

XOXO,

Stephanie

a lifetime supply of roses

 

That’s what my brother-in-law has given my sister since they first started dating.

Did he know way back when what he started would one day turn into?

 

How he explains it: “Honestly I have tried other gifts: jewelry, spa treatments, vacations, but ever since I gave her a single rose each month during the first year we dated until it culminated with a dozen white roses, since then it's kind of been our thing. If it works, don't try to fix it.”

I must agree!

 

 

Today, on their 11th wedding anniversary, what else but ELEVEN dozen gorgeous hot pink roses:

That’s a LARGE dining room table almost completely dwarfed by the biggest bouquet you’ve ever laid eyes on!

 

Then there’s last year’s roses – on their 10th wedding anniversary, he actually pulled off 14 dozen roses for each year they’ve been together instead of just the wedded years… man had to get crafty and pull out a frickin’ frackin’ BUCKET to display them in. Ha!

 

And my sister – she’s the “dry and keep every rose petal” kind of a girl. Her displays in GIANT lanterns,vases, and glassware are gorgeous and obviously, getting out of hand at this point ;)

Just how does one even BEGIN to dry 14 dozen rose petals – lay them out on a queen size bed of course!

 

In the McFaddin family, roses aren’t only for anniversaries and Valentine’s Day, David “Crafty” McFaddin always has something up his sleeve for every occasion.

 

Most of us are thrilled to get a dozen roses, which are usually gorgeous but at this point in the post, are looking a bit sad and lonely…

 

Her 31st birthday morning… cinnamon rolls, stuffed Malamute puppies just like their own dogs – each holding a rose, and then add just a few hundred more roses and petals to top it off. No biggie ;)

 

I love these two SO MUCH and am so happy that THEY ARE SO HAPPY together this many years later. David swept her off her feet 15 years ago AND became the big brother I never had.

 

Happy anniversary, Melissa and David!!

 

 

 

XOXO,

Stephanie

uncle fishy

 

This past Saturday, we spent a fun-filled day in Newport {northern Kentucky} celebrating my brother-in-law’s birthday with family and lots of friends. Chad lives in Michigan and we so rarely get to see him that it was much more of a treat for us than for him!

 

McKinlee and Kennadee {sisters and family friends} with Houston and Uncle Chad.

 

There was about 13 of us total that ate together at Mitchell’s Fish Market on the levee in Newport. It was delicious and the company was even better.

 

Sweet Dani and D.J.! So happy to finally see these gorgeous girl again and to finally meet D.J. for the first time. I can’t wait to get him and Houston together again SOON.

 

I wasn’t sure how Houston was going to handle a visit to the aquarium. We’ve never done anything quite like this with him before {no zoo, shows, etc. yet – are we boring or what?!} and it happened at a time when he is usually ready for his second nap of the day, so anything was possible.

I was {extremely} pleasantly surprised.

 

Houston petting a starfish!♥

 

Admiring a school of fish with his Kiki♥

 

Kennadee and the croc, “Mighty Mike”

 

Houston trying to make a run for it from Mighty Mike…

 

Mother and son:

 

Brothers:

 

This bird flew anywhere he liked around the “rain forest” area of the aquarium, which this day was right into the head of the man in front of us… Nick took this picture while I quickly scurried past and tried not to anger it any further!

 

 

 

He was SO PRECIOUS {as usual ;)} with his finger pointing and oohing at everything he saw.♥ Just when did he get to this age????

 

 

Ho-hummmm…. just an enormous shark swimming over top of our heads…

 

My favorite always – the penguins. I could watch them waddle, jump and swim all day!

 

Strollers weren’t allowed in the aquarium at the busy time of day that we went, so when we had our stroller returned to us at the end, this boy was buckled in and asleep in 60 seconds. You would never have known he was that tired while in the aquarium, he had a blast!

 

Back to the grandparents house for a little birthday celebration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

and of course – MORE PLAYING!

 

 

 

 

 

 

…and maybe even time for a tiny photo shoot with the Roberts men and their Reds jerseys.

{L.O.V.E.}

 

 

 

♥ ♥ ♥

loves of my life:

 

 

 

 

These girls adored Houston almost as much as he adored them.

 

 

 

 

 

I was so impressed at how great they were with him, toting him around all day, feeding him, entertaining him. I said out loud that Houston didn’t need a little sibling, I needed to somehow get him a big sister. But how??

Kennadee quickly quipped that of course – I could adopt!

Knowing these two sweet faces on these gorgeous girls were BOTH adopted, it sounded like the best idea I’d heard in a long time.

 

You may or may not recognize them as our tiny flower girls in our wedding just 4 short years ago. Which is now making me feel soooooooooooooo old.

TIME FLIES!

 

XOXO,

Stephanie