nora belle's nursery!

nora belle's nursery is finished!  it's bright & cheerful & makes me oh so happy.  so many people put so much love into this little girl's room.  thank you, friends & family, for helping create a wonderful space for miss nora belle.

{the perfect place to sit & read to our little girl.
& rock her to sleep.
& maybe fall asleep with her too.}

{tanky loves her room too}

the gallery wall is one of my favorite parts of the nursery.  it's full of so many wonderful things - paintings from two extremely talented & wonderful gals, a piece i remember hanging in my bathroom while growing up, beautiful details from her baby party like the amazing gold polka dot napkins, a piece of oklahoma, a piece of birmingham, & fingerprints from so many loved ones!

your nursery is ready for you, nora belle!

love love,

kjp.

week 23: sweet home kansas city!

we're here!!  kansas city is our new home for the next three years, as blake begins his fellowship training in maternal fetal medicine, aka high risk ob.  we are so excited to be closer to oklahoma, closer to family, closer to life long friends, closer to sooner football.  we are thrilled to begin this chapter of our lives in which we learn to mom & dad, in addition to husband & wife.

{our adorable new home & first house!}

i'll catch you up on all things saying goodbye to birmingham, as i begin my new career of "homemaker".  that involves blogging, right?  

blakey & i are so incredibly grateful to all of our family who helped us pack up, move out, & begin again.  we've said it a hundred times but we absolutely could not have done it without all of you.  seriously.  so so many thanks.

{my sweet mom & me}

{dad & blake having man time at home depot}

happy to begin our family of three {ok, tanky, family of four} in sweet home kansas city!  ready to experience all that's next.

love love,

kjp.

celebrating 13 weeks with the vandaveers in birmy!

13 weeks!  the second trimester has arrived & i've welcomed it with open arms.  i'm feeling much better, like i could conquer the world even!  my appetite has returned to a normal schedule, not eating every hour or two.  my biggest cravings are still orange juice & v8 juice.  so random, but i'll certainly take it.  & naps are still my most beloved afternoon activity.  but conquer the world after those naps i can!

to celebrate these 13 weeks, the vandaveers came to visit us in birmy!!  it was little man's first time to our neck of the woods out of the womb.  {julie byrd & little aveer were here when she was 7 months pregnant, almost 2 years ago.}  we ate some amazing food {moe's & saw's, of course}, played at parks & the museum & watched choo choos {malcolm's favorite}, & celebrated easter together!  it was a wonderful & so loved weekend.

 {a sunrise swing date}

 {all 4 fellas on a trip to the park}

little man celebrated his 2nd easter with us!  we made a huge feast with our favorite pioneer woman spicy dr pepper pulled pork, super cheesy potatoes, corn casserole {you know, for a "vegetable"}, spinach & kale wontons {julie's idea of easter food}, coconut cupcakes, & carrot cake cake bites!  little man got an easter basket full of eggs & bubbles & stickers & an easter book & an easter lamb.  he was pretty pumped about the bubbles.  & then he had his first easter egg hunt!  with stickers & bandaids abound.

 {cheers!}

{or boom! if you're blakey}

{a little frat guy in the making}

{love you, julie byrd!} 

happy 13 weeks & happy easter & happy weekend with the vandaveers!

love love,

kjp.

celebrating the holidays in oklahoma!

{oklahoma will always have the best sunsets.}

blakey & i had a wonderful christmas week in the great state of oklahoma!  eight days of family {although we really really missed my mom & ray & sister & benny boo & little man!} & sleeping in & delicious food & amazing friends & celebrations & one incredible football game.  we got to see our adorably pregnant sister-in-law & our tiny little four month old nephew, celebrate christmas a few times & new years a few times, eat cow or mexican at almost every meal. sleep in until 9 or 10 every morning, & spend every moment together.  it was oh so lovely.

{christmas at my dad's!}

{baby aj!}

{happy hour with delicious cocktails at scratch}

{of course we had to have big truck tacos}

{hot tubbing' with tanky}

the ou vs alabama game had to be the best sugar bowl of all time!  did i think we'd win?  absolutely not.  not a chance.  & that made it oh so sweet.  living in alabama & not having to listen to the tide talk about how incredible they are for the next six months, even better.  boomer sooner, friends.  boomer sooner!

{porters celebrating the win!}

{tanky was thrilled too}

{one of the best burgers in norman at the garage}

{old man tanky was worn out from his week o' fun}

merry christmas to you!

love love,

kjp.

our christmas 2013.

as with all things worth celebrating, blakey & i celebrated christmas all week long!  we began last weekend with a puzzle by the beautiful christmas tree, our annual viewing of love actually, our first viewing of white christmas, lots of football, & a couple of days home together.

{my happy boys}

 {the little guy & green man & me & coffee}

 {the beginning of our a christmas story puzzle}

{after three days, success!}

on christmas eve, blakey was working away at the hospital, so i brought a christmas feast to the call team!  we enjoyed some truly delicious smoked turkey from moe's bbq, super cheesy mashed potatoes, & my favorite green bean casserole.  & for dessert - eggnog cheesecake!  a happy christmas eve in the hospital.  

as soon as blakey got home christmas morning, our true christmas celebration began!  we opened presents, watched tanky tear into his presents, facetimed & chatted with family, threw greenman over & over & over, & made our christmas breakfast tradition - migas & chorizo!  it was a beautiful day with my amazing husband celebrating the love of Christ.

 {the pioneer woman's amazing migas}

 {tanky LOVES opening gifts.

that must be why he tried to open our gifts early too.}

 {the awesome new le cresuet tea pot blakey got me!}

{& the GORGEOUS sorel boots blakey got me!

he really really spoils me.}

 {Christ the Lord, the newborn king is here!}

a very merry christmas to you & yours.  may we remember the joy of this day all year long.

love love,

kjp.

a very merry christmas to you! love, the porters.

a very merry christmas to you & yours!  wishing you much joy & peace & love this holiday.

love love,
kjp.

o christmas tree, clam chowder, & war eagle.

our thanksgiving break was filled with so many wonderful things - resting a little, celebrating a lot, delicious treats, amazing friends, unbelievable football, & four days together.  it was truly incredible.

after the big thanksgiving day, we spent friday decorating for christmas!  our tree is up, lights are on, ornaments are hung, & all is lovely.  our advent calendar is hanging with the annual discussion of whether you count up or down. {down is obviously the answer.}  & we even got to open a christmas gift early from my amazing in-laws - a beautiful new tree skirt with "the porters" embroidered on it!

we had the mcgs over for football saturday!!  i made my dad's new england clam chowder in homemade {& by that, i mean my manager made at work} bread bowls.  all very delicious.  the pups played & played again, although much more tired this time.  we actually took a couple photos to commemorate.  & then we watched THE unbelievable iron bowl.  oh my gosh.  that was an ending for the ages.  & i am very happy to say - war damn eagle.

so many things to be thankful for this holiday season.

love love,

kjp.