Sugar after 8

It's a typical Friday night in the Skordal household. After fixing a quick meal, Trace, Macy and I decided we'd head on over to Kohl's to see if we could find Macy a super cute Fourth of July outfit. No luck at Kohl's, but success at Belk's! :) Stay tuned for pictures!

After leaving Belk, we decided to jet on over to Yum Yo's, our favorite frozen yogurt spot. Macy got her usual, a small cup of strawberry yogurt. When we got to Yum Yo's, I looked at the clock and it was 10 till 8. I knew it was late, but thought...what they heck...it's Friday...we'll live a little. Live we did. Yum Yo's was delicious, but uneventful. The fun came when we got home....

When we got home, it was around 8:30. Trace (being the wonderful husband he is) immediately got Macy into the tub. After getting her into her jammies, we somehow ended up rolling around on the floor and before you knew, the girl had gone crazy. Running...leaping... jumping...climbing...you name it!! Full on craziness for over 1/2 an hour. Before we knew it, it was 9:30. Just a typical Friday night at the Skordal household....

....More fun than a barrel of Monkies!

The Secret Life of a Pretend Seamstress

As many of you know, I'm quite the crafty girl. I really adore spending time creating different things. My favorites have always been scrapbooking and baby girl bows. In January, I decided I would take on a new adventure...sewing. I asked Trace for a sewing machine for my birthday and as always...the love of my life came through! The truth is, I got a sewing machine because I wanted to use it to add details to my scrapbooking pages. I never dreamed I'd actually sew!!

Then came....SNOWDAYS!! As I sat one snowy morning, I realized that I'd never really tried to sew anything. So, I got out a baby burp rag and tried to sew the edges. Turns out...I can sew a straight line!! I found my way to the computer and began to teach myself as all great educators do....You Tube. The next day, I made my (again always wonderful) husband drive me in the ice and snow to Hobby Lobby. There I bought my first pattern and material. The rest has been history.

Here's where the drama starts. So...the seamstress thing...I've got it down pretty well. I've made a couple of adorable pillowcase dresses and a pretty snazzy apron for Miss Macy. I'd become pretty confident in my sewing abilities.

In December, I found out that I am going to become an aunt!! I'm so stinkin' stoked I can't see straight. Now...for those of you who know my sister in law, you know that she is pretty convincing. Not to mention, I adore her and would pretty much do anything she ever asked. So...when she approached me with the fact that she couldn't find bedding she liked and asked me if I would make her bedding for her, of course I said yes.

Welcome to the dilemma! Are you kidding me?? How do I get myself into these messes? BABY BEDDING?!?! I've been sewing for like 15 minutes! But here we are....a mere days until sweet baby Addie will be joining us. The bedding is coming along, but the perfectionist inside of me maybe close to committing herself. I'll let you know how it goes...

The Beach

Well...The Skordal's are fresh off of our first family beach vacation. We had such an amazing time. Last week, we joined the Woody family and the Smith Family and traveled to Dauphin Island, Alabama. The 12 hour car ride was a bit interesting, but well worth it when we arrived. We stayed at the Island Breeze Beach house and did nothing but relax and enjoy each others' company for 7 days!



When we began planning this vacation, I was so worried about Macy and the ocean. Besides my obvious worries that come with my awesome nickname, Safety Sally, I really feared that Macy would hate the water and sand. QUITE THE OPPOSITE! This girl is a full on beach babe. She loved it...every second of it. She couldn't wait to get out there in the morning and we practically had to pry the beach toys out of her hands to come up for lunch.

This picture completely captures a typical morning on Dauphin Island for the Skordal family. Macy loved to sit out on were the surf would hit her and play with the wet sand. The surf was a bit rough this week, so we had to make sure to always be with her. Girl would be gone before we could say her name.



After a few days of nothing but beach fun, we decided to head to the Estuarium on the Island. To be honest, I had no idea what an Estuarium was. But...we figured worst case scenario...we leave. The other couples who joined us each have a little girl with in a year of Macy. The Woody's also have a 13 month old little boy named Jude. All the kids LOVED the Estuarium. I was so excited by how much Macy adored all the fish. The Aquarium is definitely on our list of to-dos this summer. She had a blast looking at the fish and exploring.



 

We also celebrated Trace's 29th birthday on our vacation. He's such a wonderful father and husband and I was so excited to be able to actually celebrate his birthday at the one place he loves more than any other...the beach.

The remainder of the week was filled with tons of fun and fellowship with wonderful friends and wonderful scenery. We so loved our beach vacation and our sweet baby LOVING the sand. Below is a pictorial description of a typical day at the beach for Macy. 

All-in-all, the week was wonderful. We had an amazing time and grew closer to some amazing friends. Can't wait until it's beach time again! :) 

The First Birthday is on it's way!

So..I am completely floored that I am already writing this, but Macy's first birthday is quickly approaching. In true Jessica Fashion...I have began preparing for what is sure to be superb bash for all. I'm so excited about this day and all the things that will be there. The theme is Hot pink and Zebra and I can't wait! I am making all the invitations, decorations, tutu and bow. Needless say, My girl will be decked! I know it may seem a little ridiculous, but she only turns one once and she's my only girl (currently). The truth of the matter is...it's going to be a good time! :) So...here's a sneak peak of what is to come.

Summer Time and the Livin' is Easy...

So...it's official! I'm the worst blogger of all time! I swear I'm terrible! I haven't been on this in forever! I wish that I could blame it on my incredibly hectic schedule, but that would be a lie. The summer has been great! I've had the amazing opportunity to stay home with Macy this summer. I can't tell you the fun we've had. We've been to Phoenix and Tulsa and had more play dates that we could even imagine. This summer Macy has spent her time enjoying Riley, Millie, Sarah, Cooper and Ava. I'm excited to report that just like her mother, she's a social butterfly.

At the beginning of this month, we had the awesome opportunity to fly to Phoenix to see Dad, Pam, Charles and Henry. Just as we expected, we had a wonderful time. The trip was filled with tons of shopping, food to die for and a day filled with nothing but scrapbook shopping. We did have a few unexpected excitements, but we had a blast!! Can't wait to see them again.

Now as the summer comes to an end, I'm just in awe that the days have flown by so fast. I feel like just yesterday I was counting down the days until I could spend my days with my Macy girl. Now...I'm getting ready to retire them for a while. In two weeks, Macy will begin her run at daycare. I'm really excited about the facility, but very sad to see my big girl move on to day care. I know that she will love it, but I think it's going to be a very difficult transition for Mommy! However, I know that it is best for our family. I just pray she gets along with the kids. Leave it to a Skordal to cause trouble. :)

Easter!

Oh Easter! How I love you! Easter means so much to mean. Besides the wonderful celebration of what our Lord gave us, it's filled with family, fun times and bright colors. This Easter was especially wonderful! Being Macy's first Easter...I couldn't wait to let her see what the Easter Bunny brought her!

She was so into it!! She loved every part of the basket. It was definitely a shining moment in the mom book for me! I was so glad she loved her presents. More importantly, she loved the grass! She couldn't figure it out. It was so fun to watch! I love this picture! Such a mischievous look. :)







After a few fun minutes of playing with our basket, it was time to get ready for church! We forgo ed our favorite Sunday spot, Southside, to head to church with Mom. The service was fabulous and the company was even better. Macy's dress was perfect. I search hi and low in an attempt to find the perfect dress! The search spanned the country (we looked in Phoenix when we were there :) ) and the final decision came the Sunday before Easter. I found this dress at Dillard's and it made the day for me. She look just too precious in her bright colored dress and matched Mommy and Daddy to a "T."









After church, we ran home to make a few dozen deviled eggs and took this quick family shot. Macy was so cooperative and a ham as ever. It was a wonderful day and a wonderful first Easter with my sweet Macy girl!

Phoenix

This past weekend, Trace, Macy and I took our first Family vacation. We traveled to Phoenix, Arizona to visit my father, step mother and little brothers. We had such an amazing time!! The day before we left, Macy was a flower girl in the wedding of Kevin and Erin Staples. After the glorious wedding, we caravaned with with Facklers up to Tulsa. What a trip it was!! Arkansas and Oklahoma are known for their crazy early Spring snows. We were just "fortunate" enough to have one this past weekend. The forecast called for 8-12 inches of snow in the Tulsa by Sunday morning. With our flight leaving out at 8:55 A.M. Sunday...we were more than little concerned. I am happy to announce that they great city of Tulsa was spared. Poor NWA didn't fair as well...but we made our flight! :)

Macy is the most amazing flyer!! The picture above is pretty true to the way she flew for the entire flight! She loved it! We were fortunate enough to fly on a flight that was only at half of capacity. The wonderful staff of Southwest Airlines allowed us to bring Macy's car seat on board and take up a seat with it. She sat in her seat during take off and you would have thought she was born to fly. She laughed and giggled all the way to 10,000 feet. She stayed this way for the entire flight!

We arrived in Phoenix around 9:45 A.M. (Phoenix Time). Grandpa was patiently waiting our arrival and couldn't have been more excited to see us. However...his excitement didn't come close to the excitement of Charles and Henry. They were crazy about Macy!! Couldn't get enough of her. Every time I walked in the door it was "Hey Jess, could I hold Macy?" or "Jess...could I help with Macy's bath?" They are wonderful Uncles and very proud of their baby niece. Trace and I walked Charles and Henry to school on Monday and Wednesday and Dad, Macy and I picked the boys up on Monday afternoon. It was so cute to see Henry introducing Macy to all his "girl friends." I would hear him say..."Yeah...that's my niece." So cute and such a memorable experience.

Charles especially was crazy about Macy. He's 9 and very much into the whole "uncle" thing. He was such a little helper. Anytime I needed anything he was there and was constantly wanting to hold or sit with Macy. He even got mad at me and wouldn't talk to me for half an hour because I had him ride with me to dinner on Monday night instead of in the car with Ms. Macy.

On Tuesday, Dad and Pam both had to work and Charles and Henry were in school. So Trace and I took out the yellow jeep to tour the area. We ended up in an area of Phoenix know as "Happy Valley" at World Market. Let me tell you...that is a cool place. We found such cool, eclectic stuff there. I loved it!! While there, I spotted a pair of bunny ears that fit my snuggle bunny too perfectly and snapped a quick photo.

One of the most amazing parts of this trip was the food. Dad took Trace and I to two separate restaurants that have been featured on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives on the Food Network. On Monday morning, we traveled to Scottsdale and ate at Over Easy. If you are ever in Scottsdale...I beg you to go to Over Easy. It's the best Breakfast I have ever had in my life... period! I also urge you to order the Caramelized Bananas and Pecan Brioche French Toast. I've now lived because I had this! That evening we traveled to Roberto's in the Anthem area of Phoenix. Again...amazing!!

The picture above was taken at the Five and Diner on the corner of the 101 in Phoenix. It too was delicious, but the most fun part of that experience was the fifties feel. It's a chain restaurant. However...if you step inside you feel like Elvis will be walking around the corner any second. Not to mention...our waiter's name was Elvis. Almost a little too perfect. Janet and George Kleven joined us for dinner at the Five and Diner. This was the perfect cap to a wonderful trip.

All in all...the trip to Phoenix was amazing and way too short. We had a wonderful time with Dad,Pam and the boys and can't wait to go back soon. It's hard being thousands of miles from people who mean so much to me...but it makes our trips together that much more special. Till next time....we love you!