Photo Dump Wednesday: Celebrating the Spring

Spring is finally here and even though the temperatures don't always cooperate, I am grateful for the seasonal changes. It is a sign of new life, new beginnings and growth. 

I love how much JOE and JAE are growing and how they are developing their relationship. They play together and often, they have each other's back. Except for when they want the same item and JAE is determined to get it.

Last week, I came home and saw the mess in the girl's room. Below is a brief conversation with JOE.

Me: Jordan, it looks like a hurricane came through your room!
Jordan: Yeah it did. Hurricane Jenna! 😂😂😃

JOE is now totally into building things with lego pieces and any other structural blocks she can put together. I love her creative mind! She never ceases to amaze me. Check out the helicopter she created. These pieces are "open". In other words, it doesn't have a set structure kids build because it wants to encourage creativity and JOE definitely did a great job.

She was very proud of her creation.

I love that JOE still likes to make faces at the camera and cuddle with me every now and then. I know as she gets older, it'll be fewer and far between but for now, I am totally enjoying it. 
That's my "I just woke up and haven't even brushed" face :-).

One of the highlights of my work day is doing Jeopardy questions with J. I often text the question to him and he gives me his answer then I give mine and we check at the end of the week to see how much we've each scored. We don't necessarily follow all the rules of the TV show but it is a good distraction in the midst of our busy days. 
J's mom got me this calendar last Christmas.

Last week, I received my 10-year pin at work. In my mind, I feel like it has only been 4-years but clearly, its been MUCH longer. Wow! Only 27.5 more years to retirement. Woohoo! 😏

My baby sporting a cute purple hat that doesn't belong to her :-). Still looking cute though. Look at that face!

My other baby. The reason behind this picture is because the writing on the glasses wore off a while back. So she decided to paint polka dots on her glasses. It looks really cute!

Introducing something new from AyoBE Boutique. I love this custom calendar board. It works year after year. A perfect birthday, anniversary, grandparents and Mother's day gift. 

We went for our family walk last Saturday. We finally have better weather. Check out JAE sporting her sunglasses.

J and I went out to see Logan on Saturday while J's parents got to spend some time with JOE and JAE. 
I was disappointed with the movie but since this is not a movie critic blog, I'll let others decide on it for themselves.
The thing that really got me though was the cost of the food! For a large drink, we paid $5.46 plus tax. This was RIDICULOUS! I mean, that is the cost of 5 whole liter bottles of soda! Granted, we got a free refill and the cups are giant size but still. I thought that was an outrageous price for soda.

And on the heels of my bad soda decision, I am happy I have been able to keep up with my steps. Woohoo!!! I love the way my clothes fit and that just makes me feel better each day.

Sunday family car selfie on the way to Church. JAE didn't want to smile but the minute J said "stick out your tongue", she was all about taking the picture. So we all did the same thing.

We wore blue as a family :-).

J's birthday was on Monday. So we both decided to take the day off to celebrate his birthday. Taking advantage of the child care. The girls serenaded him in the morning when he first got up. 

Then we each got a good workout and after cleaning up, we headed into DC to visit The Capital Grille. This place holds a special place in our hearts because it is where we ate the night J proposed in 2009.

The birthday boy...J

Can you guys his favorite drink? He gets the same thing EVERY time :-).

I got a delicious mojito. Yum yum!

They didn't have the salad I always get so I got a bacon wedge salad. The dressing was a little excessive but other than that, it was good. Especially the nice chunks of bacon. I love bacon!

J got his regular ahi tuna with gingered rice. 

He was teasing me about always ordering the same thing everytime we go there so I decided to order something different this time. 
I ordered their smashed potatoes with the filet mignon. It did NOT disappoint.

J enjoyed his meal. 

And I definitely enjoyed mine as well :-). I wanted to make sure I left room for dessert so I didn't finish mine.

They surprised us with a delicious double helping of their dessert. They were both desserts that J loves and I just like so he had all of his and I ordered my favorite.

Yummy creme brulee...hmmmm...

I promised JOE we would bake a cake for J's birthday so after we got home and settled in for the evening, we made a reeces peanut butter cup brownie and topped it with peanut butter ice cream. My hubby LOVES peanut butter! 

At the end of the day, J told me he really enjoyed his day and that made me feel great. It was the 9th birthday we have celebrated together and I look forward to celebrating many more decades with him. 

I hope you had a wonderful weekend! Enjoy the rest of your week and be sure to be kind to strangers!

Photo Dump Wednesday: The look of love

The last few weeks have been busy but the best thing about it is that I have started to work on the way I think about things and that really has helped me in my daily life. 
My sister recommended that I read Battlefield of the Mind" by Joyce Meyers. Since I never have any "free time", but do have a long commute, I decided to get the audiobook version and it was amazing. It isn't just for Christians. The principles she had in the book apply to everyone. If you are looking for a way to change your mindset or even refocus, this is a good read. I got my free copy from my library so check out your local library first to see if you can get it. 

So the last week has been fun filled and with a renewed mindset, I feel like I am ready to take on new adventures. 
Last Saturday, I decided to make Nigerian puff puff. If you haven't tried it before, it is a fried sweet dough. It is soft and DELISH! I made it as a snack for the family and it was gone by Tuesday!

JOE had 3 that morning. Considering she is not a big foodie, that speaks volumes.

On Saturday, I decided a good way to burn calories and get my steps in was to play the Wii with JOE. Ummm...check out the below! This girl can play! I have been playing the Wii for years and she is only playing it for the second of 3rd weekend. She is the one on the right. She definitely gave me a run for my money!
A picture you won't see is one from the Wii Sports boxing. She beat me hands down! As in she knocked me out in the second round! Honestly, my feelings were a tiney tiny bit hurt. 
My excuse is that she is shorter and the sensor picks her up first before it picks up my player. 

My babies. They fill my heart with so much joy.

On Saturday afternoon, I went to lunch and nails with a friend of mine. We went to our favorite local Indian restaurant. Then walked to the nearby nail salon. 
While getting a pedicure, they turned on the massage chairs. It was definitely a very different experience. 
See the ball under the butt of the figure? Let's just say you could feel that ball in places most people don't want to feel in public! 

I sent the below to my hubby and all he did was laugh! Honestly, it was funny! My friend and I were laughing hysterically. 

I have been doing great with my steps and exercise. The best feeling is seeing the results in the way my clothes fit and folks noticing. Now, I just need the scale to follow suit.
Week 3 of hitting my 10k or more steps 6 out of 7 days.

Sunday was a big milestone for JAE. She is now forward facing because she has hit the weight and height requirement. Check out our first all forward facing family picture. This was taken on our way to Church on Sunday.
The theme color was pink and gray.

And JAE's pictures from our service.

On Monday, JOE decided to make a "no boys allowed" sign for our staircase. I guess boys are not allowed upstairs. LOL.

On Monday, I met up with J for lunch and decided to sport our Afrocentric tee from AyoBE Boutique. 
I love the way the tee hugs the body and gives character. I got several compliments while wearing it :-D.

On Tuesday evening, J went to a game with his dad and brother so it was me and my babies. I love them so much but they can also be tiresome as far as eaching wanting 1 on 1 attention 100% of the time. 
After "eating" playdough pizza like 10-times which having "tea", I was all pizza'd out. JOE then turned to me and said:
Jordan: Mommy, I wish you'd let me use your camera.
Me: Why?
Jordan: Because I love you and you look beautiful!
#thelookoflove #throughtheyesofachild #myheartbeat

Below is the picture she took. Most definitely the look of love. She truly has my heart. 

Have you had a chance to view our Sunday family Chronicles? If not, go check them out.

Have a FABOULOUS weekend and remember to be kind to strangers!