Happy Birthday, Kurt!!

My sweet husband turned 32 today! I hate to say it, but it was a very "normal" day. We had so much going on. However, we are definitely going to celebrate this week, maybe by going out to a nice dinner. That's just how we are - we aren't die-hards about celebrating on the actual DAY (if it doesn't work out)! Even though there wasn't a huge celebration today, I wanted to share how special my husband is.

I love that we're on the same team. We are aiming for the same things, and we have the same goals. We totally agree on parenting, which is HUGE. Sometimes our methods vary (just based on our personalities), but we have always agreed with each other.

Kurt is so wise. He is a VERY gifted teacher of God's Word, and he has a unique teaching style. He likes to gather information from lots of sources, and explain the whole context of what was happening at the time. I really, really enjoy learning under him.

One thing I really appreciate is that Kurt never belittles me or makes me feel silly for loving things like musicals and Disney World. He will go to the theater with me, discuss it with me afterwards, and truly enjoy it. When we hear a certain type of music, he'll say, "Hey, that reminds me of Spaceship Earth," or "Oh that reminds me of the music on Main Street U.S.A." It's those little things that mean the world to me.

He's an incredible Dad. He just loves our kids with his whole heart, and it's been so fun seeing the "little boy" in him come out, especially when he's playing with Liam. I can really see that they're buddies, and Kurt will laugh so much when he finds a new game to play. I admire him so much for going through the adoption process and being so supportive. I know his heart has expanded (as mine has) because of it. He absolutely adores Evy, and sometimes he'll look at a picture of her and say, "She's just so beautiful." It's really, really precious how much he loves her.

Kurt has a great relationship with my family, and it's so fun being all together. :)

One quirky thing that I love about us - we don't like King-sized beds. It's just strange-feeling. We always end up in the middle of it, not in a weird way, but just because we're used to being near. I really like that.

I am so, so thankful for Kurt and I'm even more grateful that he's my husband! I can't wait to see what the future holds for us! :)

Evy's Dance Recital

Here are the pictures from Evy's dance recital. We were shocked that she did so well - she sobbed at the dress rehearsal! But something about that special night made her come alive, and she did SO well! She got more and more into it as the dance progressed!

We were so happy that Kurt's mom, my whole family, and my grandparents could be there for such a special night. It was a wonderful time! My sister Andrea was also performing, so she and Evy bonded as dancers. :)

You could hear the whole audience oooo and ahhh when they saw Evy's class ("Little Stars") file onto the stage holding hands in a line. I am not even kidding - my heart almost EXPLODED from the cuteness, and I wanted to just run up there and kiss and SQUEEZE my Evy Katie! IT WAS ADORABLE. In the pictures, you can see how she warmed up as the song went on! They danced to "Happy Birthday, Princess" by the Disney Princesses. I think we can all agree that this was a VERY appropriate song choice from Mrs. Kara! I think it really helped that Evy had little friends on either side of her. At the rehearsal, she was on the very end and I think it overwhelmed her. She was able to look to both sides and see that someone was there. Also, my sister was backstage and was able to wait with her and help her onstage, which I think was the BIGGEST help. She was prepped and ready to go!

The ending pose!

Isn't the River Campus beautiful?

Posing with Uncle:

Posing with Kay Kay:

Posing with Pinka:

We are so proud of our little ballerina!

What Products I Use

Let me give a disclaimer and say that I feel suuuppppeeerrrr weird writing this, only because I feel like I'm not one of those super "put together" people. However, a good portion of the emails I get are asking me about what products I use on my face, my hair color, and what makeup I use (again, I feel like shrinking in embarrassment just typing that last sentence). SO, I decided to do a post to answer those questions, because even if I don't feel put together most of the time, I do feel like I've found a routine that really works and I love the makeup I'm using.

Face/Skin

I use Rodan + Fields skincare AND I LOVE IT!!!!! Long story short, my family used the Proactiv products for years, and then I believe 5 years ago, the doctors who created Proactiv came out with stronger, clinical-grade skincare lines that were sold only in department stores. They recently decided to switch to direct selling to market their products, and the company has grown exponentially. My mom is an R+F Consultant (something she thought she'd never do) and has seen GREAT success with it. I gave her some Rodan + Fields products for Christmas, because I saw a good friend of ours in Mississippi is selling it. She LOVED the products so much (and trusted our friend so much) that she looked into the business opportunity. The company is so new, some states don't even have Consultants yet, so it truly is a ground-floor opportunity. I started selling Thirty One around the time that she started selling Rodan+Fields, and we have laughed and laughed because we were both so anti-direct sales. But the key is choosing the right company for you, and my mom and I have each found the right companies for us. There really are awesome possibilities in selling R+F skincare, so if you're the least bit interested, my mom is the perfect person to ask. She already has a Consultant under her, and I really believe that some of y'all could be next. :) If you want to try the products first, you can buy the products from her website or become a Preferred Customer, which puts your products on auto-ship and gives you a discount (I love BOTH of those things!!). There are four lines: Soothe (calming), Reverse (undoing sun damage, etc.), Unblemish (acne), and Anti-Age.

I use the Anti-Age line. I am not just saying this, but I have seen such an amazing improvement in my skin since starting R+F. It feels nourished, completely clean, and MUCH, MUCH smoother. My makeup goes on so much better and I love knowing that I'm already preventing signs of aging (along with staying out of the sun, of course). :) There's a cleansing mask, toner, sunscreen for the daytime, moisturizer for nighttime, and then I also do the Amp MD roller. You roll the tool over your skin to prep your pores, and then apply a serum. It's AMAZING!!! It makes your skin super silky. I never had a skincare routine before this, and I just love having the consistency of applying the same products twice a day and seeing results. Check it out!

Makeup

Foundation: Makeup Forever HD Foundation

I LOVE this foundation! Dominic in Sephora totally sold me on this stuff, and HE WAS RIGHT! I used to think that you couldn't tell a big difference in foundation, but this changed my mind.

Brush: Makeup Forever Foundation Brush

Again, this was life-changing. I used to use a sponge, but so much foundation would soak into it and be wasted. This is the best thing I've ever used for applying foundation.

Concealer: Makeup Forever HD Concealer

I really like this foundation for under my eyes.

Concealer: Mally Concealer System

My Nana got me hooked on this - the consistency is great for blemishes as well as under the eyes!

Eye Shadow Prep: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer

This came as a sample with the eyeshadow palettes (see below) and I loved it so much that I bought it full size! This makes all the difference in making your eyeshadow last!

Eyeshadow: Urban Decay Naked Palettes (Original and Naked 2)

Thanks to Kelly, I am now addicted to these palettes! There are so many combinations of colors you can do, and it's fun to experiment. I do a strong smokey eye every single day, and I love these colors because it's not TOO strong if you don't want it to be. These are hands-down the best eyeshadows!

Eyeliner: L'Oreal Infallible Eyeliner

I've tried lots of eyeliners, but this has been the one I've stuck with for awhile now. It stays on great!

Mascara: Rimmel London Volume Flash Mascara & Benefit They're Real Mascara

I put a coat of the Rimmel on first, and then I immediately put on the Benefit. The They're Real Mascara is AMAZING. Seriously, it's just amazing.

Eyebrows: Lorac Take a Brow

I recently started defining my brows and I feel like it makes a big difference! Note: a little goes a LONG way. This is a powder with a wax that you can use to keep your brows looking defined, and you just barely brush a little on.

Blush: Covergirl Classic Color Blush in Soft Mink

This isn't a blush I'm passionate about per se, but it does stay on well and I do like the color!

Bronzer: Nars Laguna Bronzer

This is a good bronzer for fair skin, which I definitely have. It's good for contouring under your cheeks.

Lipstick: Benefit Full Finish Lipstick in Ladies Choice

I really love this color - it's the perfect neutral!

I think that's just about everything! Of course I vary a few things here and there for fun, but the products above are ones that I would really recommend and they're what I use everyday!