Playing Catch-Up!

Hello Friends and Family! SO. I realize I haven't written a post since Tate was about six months old. I apologize! I believe I mentioned in the last post how I feel about blogging. I love reading other peoples blogs (sometimes) and I really love that our friends and family can keep up with OUR family through my own blog (mostly) but what I REALLY love is spending time with my people: My husband Brandon, our family, friends, and kid.

*(and sleeping) I do not prioritize enough time in my day to blog regularly. HOWEVER, I do see the advantages.....so here goes a catch up post (through photos!)

Tate was a giraffe for Halloween! Here he is with Batman Corbin :) This is the baby of our next door neighbors Ryan and Jessica. He was born about five months after Tate (early August). And him and Tate love spending time together. They went on my work's Not-So-Haunted Hayride this Halloween. I hope this becomes a tradition for the future! Ryan and Jess are the best neighbors anyone could ever ask for (seriously). They are SO down to earth and for real the easiest people to get along with. They are the ones whom I mentioned a very long time ago when we adopted our pup Kenzie. If it weren't for them, we would not have that little black and white crazy hyper terrier dog that we call our 1st child :) As you can obviously tell, they are the BEST neighbors ever!

 

This next picture is of Tate playing with his BFF Jack. Jack is the baby of MY bff Hallie. Hallie and I have been friends since the 7th grade. She and her husband Neil live in Bell Buckle and are teachers at Webb. Jack and Tate LOVE playing together. We all recently dined together at the new Chipotle in Mboro. (It was DELICIOUS!) It makes me SO happy to have her close to me, and for our babies to be friends.

  

Brandon is for sure a "baby person" And everyday he stays at home with Tate while I work (which is not very often) I often think how great he really is with kids. Maybe we should role reverse and I work 60 hours a week ?! 

 Tate LOVES being outside. We still go on as many walks as possible!

 We celebrated my mama's birthday at Tony's Mexican restaurant in Tullahoma. It is one of the BEST Mexican places in middle TN (we are quite partial to their guac) and I'm pretty sure Tate had his first taste of refried beans there ;) He also had a little taste of ice-cream cake!

Thanksgiving this year was a whole lot of fun! Tate got a little taste of everything we ate. He still loves beans, bananas, avocados, and cheese the most. Oh, and scrambled eggs!

I recently celebrated one of my dearest friends Charlotte B. Hutson's engagement! (Soon to be Charlotte Brinkley! LOVE how that sounds!) I absolutely cannot WAIT to be apart of her big day! I freaking LOVE weddings! And speaking of weddings, I am SO excited about the ones Brandon and I will be attending in 2014! May, September, and October ;) Beautiful times to exchange vows if I do say so myself!

So, Tate definitely enjoyed his first Christmas. We had such a good time opening his presents from Santa, Grandma & Grandpa, Nana & Papa, Aunt Dev, Aunt Winky, and Uncle Dub. He is truly a very blessed little child, and we are surely a very lucky family. Sometimes times are tough, and sometimes I get frustrated and upset with life. But when I really sit back and allow myself to realize how amazing my circumstances are, I can only feel thankful and happy. I am alive and well and have been given the absolute BEST friends and family a girl could ever hope for :)

Till next post! (Hopefully before Tate is a year old!) ;)

-NIKI