Take a big, deep breath. Now sit back and exhale. Aaaahhhhh. That is how I feel at this moment because we just closed on that darn spec house.

Whew. We can officially close that chapter of Harrison Homes. Now it is time to pay off credit cards and put a little back on our home equity loan.........and then buy a minivan. Neither Seth or I want a minivan but we have to have a car with a third row now. I am tired of buckling three kiddos in every time we load up. We thought about some sort of SUV but then came to the realization that the only reason we didn't want a minivan was because a minivan is uncool. Well, that is a pretty dumb reason. It is really funny, because we had a van about 5 years ago and I had no problem with it at all. I think I was more secure in my coolness because I was only 24 years old. As I get closer to 30, I realize that I am getting less cool by the day. So, though a minivan is not the coolest option, it is the most practical option for a family of five. I tell you what is not cool, driving a little bitty Toyota Camry all over town knowing that more than half of the cars on the road would crush us in a crash because they are so much bigger. So, I am cool with getting a van now. I am actually looking forward to it.


Did you like how many times I used the word "cool". I thought it was appropriate for the annoying content. :)



As for the birthday weekend, I am a bit short on pictures because Aunt Amie is very busy these days. Here is a video from the cake scene:

(It is so cute to watch Lanie sneak a couple of licks too. )



I had forgotten how overwhelming a first birthday party can be. Annabelle did just fine and even unwrapped a gift or two on her own. She had plenty of help from her cousins on the others. It was a really fun time and I will get a slide show up asap.
Love y'all!