Present!

Happy Monday!  I hope you had a fabulous weekend!  We had a great one and it is still going on for a few more days!  My husband took a few days off from work and we have been on a little staycation of sorts and have really been enjoying our surroundings.  I have to be honest, though...it is taking all of the restraint I have not to start thinking about Christmas preparations.  I feel like I start dreaming about decorations, gifts, and baking earlier and earlier each year and that needs to stop.

This holiday season I am determined to savor every single day and stay present!

click here for that fabulous gift wrap!

Each moment is like a gift and I am going to treat each one as such.  November has already been magical for us as a family.  As cheesy as that sounds, we have had so much fun being in the moment and enjoying each others company and everything around us...and some really great food and music thrown in there too.

Here is just a little glimpse into our lives over the past few weeks.  I just love my little family!

Great Cajun Cook-Off and Food Fest!...so much fun.

I mentioned here and here that we lived in New Orleans for nearly five years and miss that city terribly!  This festival took us right back!...and the proceeds went to five great charities!  It was great watching our son dance to the music and fall in love with Mardi Gras beads!

...then home to play with our doggie and chalk...and cars!

My birthday was perfect!

A 'Happy Birthday' message written in chalk, fun at the park, my husband's homemade Swedish meatballs (though he is not Swedish), and a red velvet cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes, complete with a tea light because my husband said I had to have a candle and he forgot to buy some = the best day ever!

at an art festival on the most beautiful day ever!...complete with funnel cakes and beer!

We learned a few valuable lessons yesterday at that festival...Never ever wear black pants on a day you plan to eat funnel cake:

 Also...do not attempt to get a family picture when your son is over-tired:

...And in case you decide it is a good idea to hang from a tree like a monkey, be prepared to have your hand ripped to shreds:

It seems like my life can sometimes just fly by without really enjoying it and I hate that.  I feel like sometimes I miss really fantastic moments because I am too focused on what's next..."What am I going to wear to that party?," "What am I going to bake for Thanksgiving?," "What color scheme do I want to use for our Christmas tree this year?"  ...but I can promise you one thing...none of those questions popped into my head in those moments pictured above...I was 100% present.