'Tis the Season

Starting from the weekend before Halloween (our annual punkin' carving contest) to Jan 11th (our wedding anniversary) we have 13 holidays, anniversaries, and birthdays in our close family! This year we had two especially special birthdays; Liam turned 15 and my sister, Erin, turned 40.

Liam will be off to the races this summer when he gets his driver's permit! In preparation for this fun chapter we celebrated on New Year's Day with friends and family at K1 Speed where we all tapped into our inner speed demons for a few laps around the track.

Liam let himself let loose on the track, coming in first in the kids category, of which I proudly came in second, just ahead of the littlest Vespremi.

Uncle Mickey was unstoppable, even on the podium he couldn't contain the power and glory of it all.

A good time was had by all! Liam has a lot to look forward to this year, including private driving lessons with long time family friend, Bill, automotive engineer and racing enthusiast.

Liam had to head to SLC for school, and the next day Isaac and I hopped on a red eye flight down a to my hometown for my sister's 40th. He and I enjoyed quality time together canoeing on Bayou Desiard, tasting Monroe's mocktail scene, and meeting my dog niece, Chloe. David joyfully joined us a couple of days later to be bay-us on the bayou, enjoying West Monroe's half pipe with Isaac, supping with dear friends Janna and Scott at Parish and feasting on Clay & Joy's homemade biscuits + beignets from Delta Biscuit company.

skata' gata' hatas'

Birthday festivities kicked off with spa time at Spa Bella with our sweet cousin Abby. This was Isaac and Abby's first spa time so we started with 30 min facials/massages while the birthday girl had an extra time to relax. While we waited, the three of us popped over to Bayou Chocolates to enjoy some homemade fudge and cocoas. Afterwards, we enjoyed a family supper with Mom, sister, and Uncle Randy at El (p)Aso Mexican Grill where David drank a margarita the size of Isaac's face.

Her big day started with a family supper at Olive Garden with a dozen family members enjoying unlimited breadsticks and salads followed by a Vampire Diaries birthday party at Bayou Longbeard, the same spot where David and I hosted our Be Bayou family gathering a couple of years earlier. Erin walked up to see a huge Vampire Diaries banner greeting her, with her face over Elena's of course, and was shortly after presented with her birthday canvas made up of hundreds of images from all chapters of her life!

Isaac was our polaroid photographer for the evening, running the family photo booth and giving out photos as party favors. We were even able to give Erin her birthday party album by the end of the party!

We enjoyed wine in blood bags and vampire cookie cake before watching her slideshow from birth to present, which included surprise birthday messages from family members who couldn't make it.

To close our celebrations, we headed out to the backyard dock on the bayou and lit sparklers and made birthday wishes in her honor. Yet as cool as all of this is, her big birthday finale is happening today: she and our Mom are in Dallas to meet her Vampire Diaries celebrity crushes in person, and will get her photo taken with them + autographs!!

Here's to your your first decade and a half, Liam, and to your best decade yet, Sis.

We love y'all!