Sunday, November 22, 2015

A Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

Both of my little ones are in afternoon preschool.  I love it because we still get to do fun special outings, playdates, & sometimes things around the house (like today!) while they still get a full afternoon of preschool in after lunch.  One morning, after Aiden headed off to school, we decided to hit the pumpkin patch for some fun fall fun.  We were the only people there so the kids had a blast!











I always hate that he misses out on some fun adventures, but he was pretty excited that we picked out a pumpkin just for him!

Thursday, November 19, 2015

A Quick Getaway to Miami

School started & life didn't slow down for us, it just picked up!  The second week of school, Chris and I headed to Miami for a big work meeting for him (and the wives).  This is a super rare opportunity where the company has spouses involved & are strongly encouraged to attend.  Thankfully, my mom is retired this year and was willing to watch our crazy kids while we headed south!  Destination...the super glitzed & gaudy Trump Doral in Miami.
 

There was a full two day of meetings (where the spouses actually attend most meetings and/or events) and not a lot of time for rest!  I kind of felt like I was back in "work" mode with waking up early for work breakfasts & sitting through meetings in "business casual" attire.  Although it wasn't a true vacation, we enjoyed some kid-free hours & even had some fun.  Doesn't this gala picture remind you of our prom picture about fifteen years ago?!

The last day, everybody that was attending got to pick a fun excursion to go on:  Segway tours, catamaran rides, golfing, & more.  I was super excited for our pick:  riding on an airboat through the Everglades.  A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

I loved every minute.  We also took a tour & learned more about this beautiful place and saw lots of alligators.  And even held them...

I chose to hold the tiniest alligator... (no way, am I holding anything bigger!)

Thankfully, we had one last day in Miami to do nothing before we returned home.  We sat by the pool, enjoyed the beautiful sunshine, & got one last date night in before returning home to our sweet crew!

Good-bye Miami!



Monday, November 16, 2015

First Day of School 2015

All three eager & ready for their first day of school!
 Aiden, First Grade
Marshall Road Elementary
 Andrew, Pre-K
Holy Comforter Preschool
Abby, 2's Preschool Class
Holy Comforter Preschool


Friday, November 13, 2015

Our Last Week of Summer :)

I'm totally getting caught up as I am finally blogging about the last week of summer:)

After spending two weeks of vacation in NC, we were ready to home for one last week of summer before school started.  Well, almost all of us were.  My mom was going to head up to baby-sit Jack for a week in Baltimore but with a quick last minute decision, she decided to take Jack and Aiden home with her.  So off to grandma's house, Aiden went & he couldn't have been more excited.  He eagerly waved good-bye to us at the beach house while Chris, Abby, Andrew, & I drove away without one bit of nerves in his body.  This is his first time having a "sleepover" somewhere else & almost a full week.  He LOVED it & says it was his favorite part of summer.  They got lots of special treats, visited the museum, parks, & just got to be with his grandma and cousin Jack for several days. 

While Aiden was off to Grandma's house, the kids & I settled back into life in Virginia.  It was a lot of errands, getting everything for school, & enjoying a few more carefree days of summer.  Someone was happy that his Halloween costume came...
 And someone else needed a vacation from vacation...
  We had fun, but we sure missed Aiden!
Aiden finally returned & we enjoyed a nice three-day family weekend over Labor Day.  Just spending together, with no special plans, sometimes makes these extra long weekends the best!
Now, it's time to send these kids off to school...

Friday, November 6, 2015

Another day in paradise...


Love this girl!

The beach always knows how make one nap...
Have you ever tried to take four kids, six and under to putt-putt golf?  It's not as much fun as you think it sounds, trust me!
little Andrew, big Ocean
Seriously, the sky.  A-M-A-Z-I-N-G
Sand Angel Abby
Hot afternoons means creative fun inside.  Aiden decided to make his very own board game:  Color World.
Andrew built this huge Magnatiles tower!
Hello gorgeous beach.
Window shopping at the toy shop!
Happy with our sweet candy loot!
Happy girl!
Happy boy!
Sandcastle builders
Someone loved our food stash...
Nature's playground
Good-bye beach, see you next year!


Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Some More Favorite Photos, Emerald Isle

This week, I am sharing all my favorite beach photos so here is round two :)