2nd Birthday Party|| Part 1

This weekend we celebrated our duo turning TWO! 

I cannot believe they are two. 

We had family near and far join us for our celebration and it went perfectly. 

Thankfully everyone who was in town from Georgia visiting were great sports about helping prep and making my ideas come to fruition. 

I've had the theme in my head since their first birthday. 

I wanted to use it for their first birthday but didn't feel like it flowed so decided to save it for this year. 

Would you believe me if I told you I already have next year's theme?

I'm crazy, I know! 

We did a play on the words to James Taylor's song "How sweet it is to be loved by you." 

It was the perfect theme for our little ladies. 

They are oh-so sweet and I just cannot get enough of them. 

The Invite

The Sweets Table

More Decor

Food & Drinks

I wanted to keep it simple in terms of food and beverages. 

Josh has what I like to call GEO aka Green Egg Obsession and insists on grilling for every event or get together that we have. I'm not complaining because he is amazing at it and the food is always delicious. We decided to do a burger bar offering beef and turkey sliders with various toppings. 

It was a HUGE hit. Everyone raved about the food and gave me a hard time about the number of sliders poor Josh had to grill. Let's just say I am looking for new ways to eat mini burger patties this week. Suggestions?

The Cake

One of the many traditions we have for our girls' birthday is that I make homemade cake and icing. 

Hopefully next year I won't have to bug my friend, Molly,  to death about the icing and will actually remember that it is okay to ice the cake the night before!

The Menu...

The Quinnsington was AMAZING! All the heart eyes! 

The Set-up

Condiments 

We had all the condiments- Mayo, Mustard, Ketchup, Spicy Mustard, BBQ &  A1 Sauce.

Toppings

We also had plenty of toppings- Lettuce, tomato, avocado, fresh onion, sautéed onions, sautéed peppers, sautéed mushrooms, pickles, jalapeños, bacon and every cheese you can imagine for a burger. All of the sautéed veggies were wrapped in foil and grilled to reduce the use of the kitchen for cooking. 

  The Sides

We had good ole' fashioned chips and sour cream & onion dip, potato salad, sweet bbq baked beans and veggie cups with homemade ranch and fresh cut veggies. 

And let's not forget the birthday girls' own brand of water!

We sang Happy Birthday twice. 

I think Quinn would have made it just fine if we had combined their songs but the minute the attention turned to her tears started welling up and her bottom lip gradually increase in quivering until she was in a full-blown cry. Sweet girl.

These photos are after everyone stopped singing and the candles were blown out by me. 

She then wanted to blow her own candle out so we re-lit and let the birthday girls blow them out on their own!

  

We had so much fun celebrating these two with everyone! 

They were the life of the party... as long as we weren't singing to them! Ha!

I can't wait to share more photos of these sweeties and their guests!

Do you have any fun themed parties? 

I just love to host and brainstorm for things like this!

*A huge shout out to Ckfireboots for customizing the invites, printables & the awesome menu! 

*Thanks to Little Dovie for everything glitter!

* Sarah over at The Olive Grove Shop has mad skills when it comes to fabric banners!

*Thank you to Posh Peanut Kids for delivering another year of adorable customized shirts for our birthday sweeties! 

* I just love the bloomer shorts from Lovey Lake that completed their outfits & matched their party perfectly!

Linking up with Mommy Moments today!

TWO

Last night our sweet, sassy, outgoing and happy girls went to bed as one year olds and woke up this morning two full years old. It's crazy. I cannot believe it. Don't worry, I will gush about them more on Monday but for today,  Happy Birthday Kensington Rose & Quinn Harper!

Mommy loves you big, sweet girls. 

Kensington's last photo on her last day of being one!

Quinn's last photo on her last day of being one!

Flash back one year ago and this is what they looked like on their birthday eve. 

Kensington

Quinn

I swear they went to bed looking just like they did a year ago and woke up looking like teenagers! 

How did that happen?

HBD Zabies!!!

Happy Due Date

Today is a super special day, not only is it birthday eve for my duo 

but it is also my sweet sister-in-love's due date with baby number two! 

Can I tell you how freaking excited I am for that baby to be born?

I am more impatient about her arrival than I was my own children's arrival! 

I guess when your babies arrive nearly eight weeks early you don't get impatient as you see and then pass your due date. I digress.  

Well I have been sending her a daily reminder of the count down to baby for nearly two weeks (as if she doesn't know it herself!)  I'm nearly in shock that the littlest Zabie is still cooking! 

Bri, my sister-in-love, delivered my niece 10 days early nearly four years ago and her labor was pretty short in comparison to many day(s) long laboring stories you hear from first time moms. 

I remember the day well.

 My guy got a call bright and early from Drew, his little brother (by two years), telling him that I didn't look like they would make it to go target practicing on my dad's land stating, "well it looks like we are having a baby today!" Her arrival was PERFECT! Bri's parents were in town for Christmas and so were Drew's parents. We waited a few hours and by supper time we all headed to the hospital and patiently waited in the waiting room for Emerson to be born. 

We took photos, videos, shared in each other's excitement and cheered Bri on from the waiting room. 

It was an awesome experience! 

From the moment we were told she was pushing to the official proud daddy announcement was all of maybe 30 mins! It was crazy! 

I am so sad that we don't get to be in the waiting area sending waves of positivity, encouraging thoughts and prayers when the littles Zabie makes her debut.

One thing I know for sure and I've said it before- God's timing is perfect! 

Emerson's arrival was perfect for all of us to celebrate her in person and this little lady's will be perfect too! All of Bri's immediate family is with her now making me think that the timing got a lot more perfect for a special delivery anytime now. Like today. Right now. Come on kid, your auntie is dying over here!!If she doesn't come today, she is coming tomorrow because what are the odds that three Zabek gals share the same birthday?

Bri, we love you and will be "helping" you push from a far when the time comes!

 More importantly we will be praying for the safest and most special delivery for a very loved little lady. 

Looking Back

On this day two years ago I was admitted into the hospital for the 

second and final time for pre-term labor. 

The day went something like this:

First thing in the morning Josh brought me up a carnation instant breakfast and grape jelly toast- two of my favorite things while pregnant. 

I couldn't stomach eggs and needed protein so carnation instant breakfast helped a lot. 

Since I was on bedrest I stay upstairs in our master suite until close to noon. 

I watched the Today show followed by Kathy and Hoda. 

This was all a part of a normal daily routine since I could only go up stairs once per day and down once per day.

 Josh usually had plenty of water and snacks for me up stairs as well. 

After my favorite morning shows went off I showered and got ready for the day which usually meant wearing one of my guy's oversized shirts and leggings since my belly was rather large and nothing was really comfortable anymore. 

On this day I actually had to get "dressed" since it I had one of two weekly monitoring appointments. 

Every morning my phone rang and dinged like crazy! 

It was my sweet family checking on me and our sweet growing babies. 

This particular morning my Granny send me a text saying she wanted to see my beautiful face and see how big my bump had gotten- I remember thinking it must have taken her an hour to tap out that text from her little flip phone. 

I'm SO glad she sent me that text. 

It prompted me to take a photo of myself and my bump. 

It turned out to be the very last photo I took of my oversized belly before our babies were born. 

I then went on down the stairs for my once down that day and headed out for my doctor appointment. 

Josh had driven me to all of my appointments except this one. My OB office was literally in my neighborhood, maybe two miles away. 

When I got there they did a non-stress test and I explained that I was still having tightening but nothing painful. My favorite nurse took me down the hall to have an ultrasound done. This time it a labial ultrasound which is something I had never heard of or experienced. 

The ultrasound tech did her thing and told me to stay flat on my back while she asked the doctor a question. She and my nurse returned with a wheelchair and told me that I needed to go to the hospital immediately. Apparently the ultrasound indicated that my cervix was no longer there. 

I tried to get them to let me drive myself back home but they weren't having it and I had to call Josh to pick me up. Thankfully he only worked a mile from my OB office. 

He picked me up and we stopped by our house to grab our bags. 

While I was waiting in the car, trying not to walk more than I had to, I called and ordered a pizza from my favorite pizza place. Josh hopped back in the car and we went to get pizza on the way to the hospital. I remember Josh getting in the car with the pizza and sharing with me that when he mentioned his wife was in labor they really started rushing around to get our order ready. 

It still makes me giggle. 

My belly was so big that the pizza box wouldn't fit between me and the dashboard and had to sit on the dashboard. 

As we drove to the hospital I started having time-able contractions and they were slightly more uncomfortable but nothing that stopped me in my tracks.  

Our office had called the hospital to give them a heads up that we were on the way and we were admitted immediately. 

They gave examined me and started fluids. 

I was 90% effaced and dilated to 4cm. 

It looked as though this was the real deal. 

My goal was to get some rest until labor progressed but by days end labor completely stopped. 

Read how it all turned out here!

This is the first time I have written out the events of that day but I remember it like it was yesterday!

While I am remembering these events I am also celebrating our birthday girls all week long!! 

Weekend Wrap-up

Happy Tuesday! 

Here is a wrap-up of our weekend!

Friday we made our monthly Costco run! 

I've been working on some major meal planning prep and can't wait to share it with you... after the birthday party! 

These two love to yell or sing in Costco. 

Evening porch sittin' is my favorite! I think the girls like it too since it involves frozen yogurt!

Saturday morning started bright and early with a 6:30 am run with this guy and our 5k training class!

Oh, didn't I mention that we were training for a 5k? Yep... I've lost my mind but so far we love it!

Thankfully Grandma and Grandpa Zabek were free to listen out for the girls while we were running. 

We ended our weekend with Sushi at the Druken Fish. 

Review? You don't want one from this gal. 

We were not impressed- over priced for mediocre sushi. 

I'm pretty sure we paid for the location!

Quinn tried her first piece of Sushi and spit it directly back out! 

Don't worry sweet girl, that's how I felt the first time I ate Sushi too!

If you grow to like it before you turn 21 you'll have one up on me. 

Kensington was worried more about her hands staying clean than actually eating.

I have no idea where she get this from... <---insert sarcasm here 

I love family weekends like this one. 

It is what keeps me sane in the middle of all of the chaos. 

I hope y'all had a great weekend and your week is starting out wonderfully!!!