I know, I know, I know.... I really shouldn't do this but hey... I'M A MOM and this is what we do!
No this is not a list of my wants, a tip on eating healthier or anything else..

It is a shameless brag! That's right I am bragging!

I love my kids and I believe they are awesome! From having two homes, multiple surgeries, being a lone wolf and too young to hang with the big kids... I think think kids are pretty awesome! Plus, my kids are my world!
I know you are probably sick of hearing people say things like " my kid is so smart", "My kids are so well behaved",  "my kids are the BEST", " My kid blah blah blah".. I know it's a headache!

But since my husband decided that we should all move back to Kansas City ( that's right, I'm no longer a Texas resident :( ) to be with our oldest, our family has gotten stronger, more close knit and the love has flourished!

As you may know we have a blended family and it isn't always sunshine and rainbows, (see how we manage to make it work  HERE!) but having all of them together makes life seem less complicated.

Sooo, as soon as we had the opportunity, you bet I did what any parent with a camera would do! I decided to do our own little kids only photo shoot!

Hey, why not?!

Sooo... back to my shameless bragging on my kids, here are some photos that we took around the city on a beautiful Fall day!

Baltimore 5

Italy 3

Best Friends Forever

Two Peas in a Pod

I'm not really a "trendy" person... I tend to go with my heart on what looks good, feels good and if it's something I just can't leave behind.. But when I seen this seasons runway collections, there was one trend I was totally on board with! That is Granny Chic! 

Yes... seriously! 

This trend is something that speaks to me on a whole new level. I always loved some of my grandmothers eccentric pieces of jewelry and coats. When she passed I was lucky to inherit some of her best ones! Granny Chic is something that could definitely be more than a trend, I can see it being around for a while! Over sized coats, floral and lace, cat- eyes and brooches ahhh!! I'm so excited that designers are embracing this style!

sooo.. 

If you are not familiar with Granny Chic and ways to pull it off, here are a few tips that will easily help you execute this look!

1- Great coat- A great over sized coat will be your saving grace! Make sure it has long sleeves, a little extra space on the collar or lapel and extra cool points for prints and colors! Try pastels or eccentric colors like green, orange tinted tans or mustard.

2- Accessories- In my opinion, pearls are a girls best friend! I love them, I don't know why, I just do! So when putting together your accessories for this Granny Chic look, add some pearls! Try over sized round ones if going minimal or smaller ones paired with a pearl choker or necklace. A brooch is one added touch that can easily compliment or ruin your look. Make sure it has something special about it. Try one with a single colored gem, an animal ( peacocks are always cool) or one that is just so beautiful... it is guaranteed to catch everyone's eye.

3- Prints-  Face it, grandmas are known for loud, crazy and off the wall prints! Look for some beautiful florals, unique prints or even simple ones. Try to avoid animal prints AT ALL COSTS! This is Granny Chic... not Cougar Chic lol.

4-Glasses- A great pair of vintage/ vintage inspired glasses are sure to draw attention.

5-Velvet/Satin- The Granny Chic trend on the runways have been flooded with velvet! I have to be honest... I love the way it looks, but I'm not a fan of the feel. I could rub it all day but I never liked the way I felt in it. So, if you are down for the velvet... get you a great velvet blouse with a pussy bow or classic bow around the neckline. Not down for the velvet? Try a satin blouse instead!

I hope these simple tips will help you come to the dark side lol.. no seriously, I hope these tips for going Granny Chic will help you feel more comfortable, confident and even love the Granny Chic look!

click the icons below for details on where you can find these items or for more inspiration....

Love this trend for fall? What are your go to items? Let me know in the comments below!

10 years ago, I married my best friend! We didn't have a wedding, we didn't have a witness, we didn't even have a ring.

We had love, we had a friendship, we had faith in each other.

10 years ago today I repeated vows from a Judge in Arlington, Tx. And over the past 10 years, over the ups and downs, good times and bad times, gains and losses. Those vows not only stand firm, but new ones seemed necessary to add.

I personally had never known that October was Pregnancy and Infant loss awareness month, breast cancer awareness yes, loss of a child no!
So a little while ago today, a dear friend and I were having a conversation about miscarriages and how difficult it is to move on from them. The emotional pain, the physical pain and even in some cases, the pain it could cause in a marriage. During our conversation, I told her something that I don't think I have ever told anyone before. Maybe not even my husband.

You know we have 4 kids, and I love them dearly! But before my son was conceived, we suffered a miscarriage. I will never forget that day. It was March 19th, 2010, and we were out shopping for my Thai's 2nd birthday. A week before, I was informed that I may have a miscarriage because my levels were not correctly rising. But, I stayed positive. I knew that God is able to do anything at any moment. But on that day, I knew it was not in God's plan for that baby to be with us.

While trying to have a fun day, my body started to ache, and I had a constant feeling that I needed to go to the bathroom. Thai was a C-section baby, so I didn't know that that feeling was my body going into labor. After trying to go to the bathroom about 3 times, I had this urge to go again, only this time I did. I felt my body push the fluid and blood out of my body, and for some reason I just began to cry uncontrollably. I had no idea at the time that I was having a miscarriage. Once I pulled myself together, I stood up and seen my baby, in it's sac, in the toilet. Even though everything happened so fast, time seemed to move in slow motion. I was in shock! The pain I was in went away, I stopped crying and I felt like I couldn't breathe. Before I could catch a breath or make a movement, the automatic sensor went off and my child went down the drain. All I could do was get on my knees, cry and pray. My child was gone.

After, loosing someone that I would never see , never know if it was a boy or girl, or never even have the chance to hold, I struggled for a long time. Most of that time I was afraid, afraid of getting pregnant again and having another miscarriage, afraid I couldn't even get pregnant. So many emotions plagued me everyday. I couldn't shake the fact that the child I had tried to conceive with my husband, never would be a part of our lives. This child would never know how much it was loved from the second it was created.

Thankfully,  after a while and many prayers, my husband and I were able to conceive after our miscarriage. I was of two minds. On one hand I was so excited! I was already writing out names and reading up on how things change with two kids. And on the other hand, I was nervous and constantly checking for symptoms of a miscarriage. It wasn't until about 7 months that my mind was at ease. Same feeling for our youngest. Even though she wasn't planned and we were not in a position to have another child, I would still worry about loosing her. So I found ways to put my mind at ease again and counted my blessings!

Now that we have 4 kids, I often joke about having too many or how we can't have anymore because I had 3 c-sections. But the truth is, I wish I had the opportunity to even try. Having my tubes tied (even though it was best for my well being) feels like a dead end. I often give myself false hope by thinking we could be one of those couples that still gets pregnant. Not being able to conceive makes me feel like I am loosing my child all over again.

I know I can't dell on the way things are now and we should be thankful that we were even able to have kids, which we are! I just can't help but wonder what if? What if we could have more? What if we never lost one? What if we made a mistake by getting my tubes tied?  Just what if?

I am so thankful for our kids that we have, yes they are a handful and yes they test.... A LOT. And even though one was not destined to be with us right now, we are blessed with the ones we have!

Have you lost a pregnancy or know someone that has? How did you deal with it? Let me know in the comments below.