WE HAVE A HOUSE!!!!

For months we've been searching. When we moved from Houston back home to Dallas, we never thought it'd take this long to find the right home. We needed more space, a good school district and—most importantly—a place we could live in for a long time.

I'm excited to announce we've found it and, as of this afternoon, it's officially ours!!! Welcome to our new home...

A few repairs and some paint and it'll be ready for move-in within a couple weeks.

I look forward (so much!) to sharing our transition into our new home and our updates and decor over the coming months. It's going to feel ah-mazing to have a place for everything, everything in its place and room for the quads to grow. 

Up next: birthday photos and details on the babies' one year birthday party at the lake!

{My Recipes} White Bean & Chicken Pitas

A few days ago, I really wanted a light, healthy lunch. In a pita pocket. I had some of those pocket thins on hand so rolled with it.

In a bowl, I threw some torn pieces of rotisserie chicken, a couple roasted garlic cloves, kalamata olives (both of the latter from the olive bar at the grocery store), feta cheese, cannellini beans (rinsed & drained) and freshly ground sea salt and black pepper.

Then I squirted in a shot of spicy mustard and gave it another stir...

...and stuffed it into my pita. Yum!

A fresh glass of black iced tea and some baked sour cream & onion chips and I was good to go!

This would also be good with diced purple onion, torn basil leaves, diced tomato, etc. Be creative and make it your own. I have found that having a small container of marinated olives and roasted garlic cloves from the olive bar at my local grocer and a rotisserie chicken to eat on for several days (tacos, salads, sandwiches, etc.) make last-minute meals much easier. And tastier.

Happy eating!

{Daily Pics} Head Stands & Cake Pans

daddy thought he'd go play with the babies while drinking a beer. wrong! 

trystan's favorite new face

logan at it again - kid has to climb on top of everything!

before their birthday party, i made a "practice" cake to be sure they'd eat it. no problem! 

talking to daddy on skype while he was out of town for work 

"are you serious?"

headstand-ing harrison

{Quad Squad} Birthday Celebrations

While we're out at the lake wrapping up the quad's birthday party weekend, I wanted to share some photos of the babies' one year celebrations that began even before their actual birthday! It's so awesome to have four cutesy babies turning one all together and the husband and I have loved every minute.

someone (logan) wasn't keen on pictures!

My Aunt Deanie and my Grandma both came to visit and brought early birthday presents for the crew—books! They love books, especially the hardbacks like my Aunt Deanie gives them and immediately started flipping through the pages. It was also special for them to play with their great grandma, who got on the floor to get in on all the action! She is nearing 90 and had a stroke many years ago that left her speech impeded, but she's still every bit the grandma she's always been. ;)

Next, my nanny was so sweet to show up that morning with gifts for each of the babies plus a group gift. They all tore into their gift bags filled with tissue paper, sampling many of the pieces as they went, ha. The girls got adorable matching dresses and Harrison got a polo in the same color, and they loved their group toy as well.

Then my mom and step-dad came to see the babies that afternoon. My mom said she couldn't let the real occasion go by without seeing them in person! I treasure the fact that these kids are growing up so close to their grandparents, who put in a lot of sweat and tears to help raise them from the very beginning. It most surely takes a village! The quads loved playing with the wagon full of giant lego pieces that grandma brought, it's a favorite toy to date.

Right as my parents were leaving, my mother-in-law dropped by to bring some fun birthday balloons and some sweet clothing sets for the quads. I never thought I'd like dressing them in matching outfits, but as babies there's something so endearing about seeing the girls outfitted in coordinating clothes and Harrison in something boyish of the same color scheme.

I even got flowers for the apartment :)

When daddy got home from work, we broke out the bubble machine that was a birthday gift for the babies from their fellow quad buddies. At first they didn't know what to think, but quickly attempted to catch a couple bubbles in their fingers and jumped when they popped at the touch.

It's been a great week of celebrations and there's more to share once we're back from the lake. It's also been awesome for my husband and I to simply relish the fact that we feel closer to each other, even through all the craziness, chaos and exhaustion of the past year. It's only made us stronger and a better family unit and we feel we have fully embraced being parents to our amazing quadruplets. It's enabled us to discover an entirely new side to each other as a mom and a dad, and I credit much of our success to the fact that we continue to put each other first—as a husband and wife—in order to be even better, happy, connected parents.

I also want to express my gratitude to all who have been reading along on the blog—some of you for years now, and others for just weeks. I enjoy sharing our story and am so thankful for such a supportive group out there, sight unseen, that takes the time to leave thoughtful comments, celebrate our accomplishments and lift us up in times of need. Thank you!

The 28th Year

I am now 28 years old. Never (ever, ever, ever) thought I'd be 28 with four one-year-olds! Sometimes the unexpected in life is the best in life. I've been married for six and a half years now and love my husband more and more every day. We've gone through many life experiences, including living overseas in Scotland for a year, and through all of them we've become so much closer. It's amazing to share your heart with someone and continue to grow with them throughout your new life together, always finding ways to continue surprising each other, romance each other and share in new adventures. We embarked on our own big adventure(s) last May when we welcomed our quadruplets into the world!

So now I'm 28. I kid with the husband all the time that I've still got a whole two years to go before I even hit 30. And no, I'm not trying to make anyone reading this feel old. (Or feel too young, ha.) My husband's only 31 anyway, so only a few years separate us. But I've loved my 20s so much that I will be truly sad to leave them. Yet with four toddlers running around behind me by the time I hit 30, I know life won't be slowing down any time soon!

For a simple celebration this year, we went to a nice dinner at Nick & Sam's. It's one of Dallas' best steakhouses and we are infinite lovers of Vic & Anthony's but they only have four locations: Las Vegas, Atlantic City, New York City and Houston. And since we no longer live in the latter it's no longer an option unless we're making a getaway to Sin City.

Anyway, I was running through Target and spotted these airy black silk-like blouses on a rack and thought it'd be great for my birthday dinner. You know, when you spot something and you immediately know it'd be perfect for a specific occasion and it was just what you didn't know you were looking for? Except I went to grab the top in my size and, of course, there's none left. I checked the rack three more times just to be sure then felt completely disappointed in my aforementioned euphoria at finding a nice blouse. However, a few seconds later I feel better knowing that everyone else is also apparently wearing the top in a size large since they're all gone. Then I realize another Target is only about 10 minutes away, so I squeeze in the detour on my way back home and, BAM, there's the top in a large and off to checkout I go. My face might have passed for the latest lottery winner I was so happy. Should I be slightly concerned or outrageously upbeat that something so small got me so excited? I'll just say it made my week. After having quadruplets, clothes shopping isn't necessarily something I look forward to.

Blouse story aside, after our delicious steak dinner—we split the 22 ounce Cowboy ribeye, by the way and whoa delicious heaven—we headed over to my favorite hotel, the W. The cocktail lounge was just busy enough to keep us awake and entertained but not too boisterous to annoy the hell out of me. We talked and joked and laughed and felt like we used to a couple years ago, BQ (before quads). When we were lookin' all swanky and out on the town in a nice place drinking our nice drinks and having a nice conversation. Good to know those former lives still exist in us from time to time. ;)

In my 28th year, filled with four babies and all the diapers, bottles, laundry and slobbery kisses they bring, little heroic moments make all the difference—blouses and all. And I hope they continue to do for years and years to come! I have certainly learned to live for the little moments, just as much as I do for the big ones. I've come to appreciate taking a few minutes to just sit with one of my babies and look them in their big blue eyes or drop everything once I put them down for naps and read that book I've been dying to finish (which is Close to the Bone by Stuart MacBride, by the way). To relish a wonderful dinner with my husband or to enjoy all the excitement that comes with a lakehouse getaway for the babies' birthdays. Which is where we're off to now! So happy weekend and enjoy a few small moments of your own...