Year in Review

This is my last post of 2022! I have lots of fresh ideas that I hope to put together for my blog! I really enjoy my space here and want to honestly do more with it. Not sure if people even read blogs any more! For me, it's a place to put all of these amazing memories and to connect with others but not have the constant pressure that Instagram puts on us. Perhaps that changes one day but who knows. Thank you for being here! I've been blogging for 13.5 years and it's been wonderful. Here's to 2023 y'all! 

These 'Year in Review' posts are a way to really reflect on the year and how memorable it was! I love the recap and look forward to putting it together each year! 

January - we went to Disney World. Posts here, here, here and here. 

February - we got a new dock!

March - Daddy Daughter dance is always a highlight and Grady started tee ball!

April - spent Easter in Ocean Isle and Molly Anne lost her first tooth. 

May - Grady turned four, best Mother's Day in awhile and I loved playing in the Member Member tennis tournament.

June - we took a family trip to San Diego and end of June, early July wasn't great but on the mend now!

July - Molly Anne turned 7 and Garth Brooks was incredible!

August - we spent a week in OIB and had an amazing meal at Steak 48! Also, Molly Anne and Grady started school.

September - Molly Anne had her first real swim meet and I got to go with friends to a Panthers game. 

October - we loved OIB's oysterfest and Molly Anne had fun playing field hockey.

November - Member Guest tennis, my 40th birthday and Thanksgiving in OIB with the whole crew.

December - Nutcracker, Polar Express, parties and Christmas Day!

Christmas Day

Christmas Day was wonderful! The kids at ages 7 and 4 are super into it and love it all. Grady really understood it a lot more this year and fully got it! That definitely made it more fun!

Santa delivered on the American Girl gymnastics set, dog house and backpack! And for Grady - race track, Paw Patrol Sub Controller and a hot wheels downhill race track! Other big highlights were a rocket launch center lego set for Molly Anne and an air hockey table for Grady, from my parents. 

The joy is SO special!








We got a bit dressed up and had dinner - Cream of Crab Soup and Maryland Crab Soup! Both delish and such a treat. Dad brought crabmeat down from Maryland. I had also gotten some cocktail shrimp from Carolina Fish Market the day before to have. And I made another Christmas tree charcuterie board! It was a feast!












The twins, plus Mills!


Mom and Dad and their favorite puppy! ;)


These are my people. 


Hearts!






After everything settled down for the day, Kevin and I went upstairs and changed into beach clothes and came back down to surprise the kids with their own bathing suits to use on a trip coming up! We are heading to Turks and Caicos (Beaches) with a couple of other families and they are SO excited! We've known about the trip for awhile and had already gotten them passports! They're going to LOVE it. They were jumping up and down. We watched a few youtube videos of the resort to get extra excited!

It was a fun day full of memories!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was low key around here thankfully and it’s always when we do our extra nice meal! 

First the four of us went for a walk around the hood which was good to do. Dad, Molly Anne, Mills and I. 

Mills was a very happy boy! Basking in the sun, on a walk and getting loved on!


Bloody Mary time! Zing zang and Tito’s! 


Then the standing rib roast. We decided this year that cooking it at 350 degrees at a set amount per pound was the easiest way to go. That’s what we did and it was perfect. Oh and first let it sit out for 2-3 hours to get to room temperature. Anyway, cook for 21 min per pound! Then take out and let sit for 20-30 min. We didn’t cover it while it cooked. We always get this hunk of meat from The Butchers Market! This was 3 ribs and 6.7 pounds and we decided it was the perfect size for 6 of us (2 kids included). We had some leftovers but not much of the good stuff!


We opened wine from our Napa trip last year! 


Poppa is the chef!


We had it with asparagus from the butchers market and air fryer baked potatoes!


Toasted Uncle Mac, Mom’s brother. His birthday was on 12/24 and we wish he would have been here with us. 



The other neighbors brought the kids some adorable gifts!




And you know we drove around and looked for Rudolph’s nose. If you don’t do this with your kids, I highly recommend. It’s soooo cute. You’ll find a red flashing light in the night sky and that’s Rudolph! Grady was a little scared to get out of the car and look at the red light off in the distance. It was kinda cute I must say! 

When we got home, he wouldn’t spread the reindeer food with Molly Anne in fear the reindeer were going to come right then! We assured him that they were still in east Africa per Santa Tracker!


See him inside watching her!


Twas the night before Christmas! Grady and I read it together too!


And to all a good night! Santa does not wrap here. But we do so those are the wrapped gifts plus wrapped gifts from my parents. 

Christmas Eve Eve

On Christmas Eve Eve we went to our neighbors and had appetizers for dinner and a jolly ole time! It was nice to be together and celebrate the season! Very casual and last minute which is the way we roll these days. I made the below Christmas Tree Charcuterie, the famous artichoke dip (use Sir Kensington mayo) and Buffalo chicken dip!

Christmas Randoms

Just some pictures from the past week!

Grady was insistent that his Nannie and Poppa pick him up from pajama day at school on Wednesday! 

Mills and his best friend! Not sure who loves who more ha!

My parents! 

Kevin sent me this from the Polar Express. I don’t want to forget it because he always hugs me like this to keep me warm when I don’t have a coat in the mornings walking into his school! He says, “I’ll keep you warm mama!” Sweet boy!

This morning we made snickerdoodles which is what I grew up making. Well, fudge of course too. We made that earlier in the month but honestly it didn’t come out well this year! I had one good batch and three dry batches! Bummer. 




Molly Anne and Grady also made their reindeer food this morning - oats and glitter! First time we’ve ever made it because it always comes from school ha! Grady’s class made it but he didn’t go to school the last two days this week! 

We are ready for Santa!