2nd Annual Cabin Trip

This past weekend, we met several friends in the Georgia mountains for our second annual cabin getaway. The weather was perfect (even with a rainy day) and we had a blast!

We arrived Thursday afternoon and got settled. Friday was rainy, so we all sat inside and enjoyed being lazy. Daddy wasn't quite used to doing nothing, but eventually got into it. On Saturday the weather was great, so we went to an apple orchard to enjoy the sunny weather and pick a whole bunch of apples. We followed that up with a yummy lunch. Then, back to the cabin with naps for all!

It was so much fun to watch the kids interact and see how much they have all grown in the past year. At night, we sat around the fire with some beverages and played games. It was hard to leave but we're already looking forward to next year!

Here are some pics. Enjoy!




"O.K. - places
everybody!"








Hannah and Kate being
silly on the deck.








Activity time for
the kids.








Noah and Kate just
being cute!








"Now I have the power!"









Hannah and Kate
chillin' on the sofa.








"O.K. - lets
get some apples..."








"Perfect!"

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2008!

Well, we made it through Kate's second Halloween and she was definitely more active than this time last year! Actually, she was getting over a cold, so she missed out on some of the festivities. She was kind enough to put on her ladybug costume that mommy made her and wear it while handing out candy to trick or treaters. She liked that part a lot, although she wasn't sure why they all looked so strange...

Anyway, she's feeling better now (THANK YOU!).

Here are some pics to enjoy.

Another Summer Gone...

It's hard to believe that summer is over and Fall is here! Mommy is eager to welcome the cooler temperatures and daddy the lower electric bills...hopefully!

Kate is now into her once a week school program and LOVING it! Daddy dropped her off on the first day, and she didn't quite know what to think of it. Now when she goes, she runs into the room ready to take on the world! She's "talking" a little more as the weeks pass. She's also very vocal about her likes and dislikes, which is USUALLY a good thing. In summary...she's just a happy little person!

Anyway, I'll keep the writing short because you came here for the pictures!







Sportin' a new dress...











Kickin' back in her
new rocking chair...







Kate's first trip to the zoo...











"My first goat meeting
and carousel ride!"








Our first trip to the pumpkin patch...


















Seeing the animals,
searching for the
perfect pumpkin and
hanging out with mom
and dad...
WHAT FUN!!!

Fun In the Sun

Last weekend, Kate was introduced to the beach for the first time and it was a hoot! We went to Gulf Shores, AL and stayed at a condo right on the beach that we've frequented over the years. We were a little concerned about the weather because Tropical Storm Fay was heading right for us but she took her sweet time, so we had two and a half days of wonderful weather. Kate did have some trouble sleeping at night, which meant so did mommy and daddy. Considering that, and the approaching bad weather, we decided to head home a day early and take an extra day to relax before heading back to work.

Kate loved the pool and meeting some other kids to "talk" to. We were also lucky because Kate's Uncle Denny, Aunt Wendy and Cousin Jacob were staying at the same complex while we were there, so we all hung out.

All in all, a good time was had by all. Here's the proof:

FINALLY... An Update!

Well here it is, half way through summer and two months since Kate's last update. We figured we'd better get one in before the leaves fall and Santa comes!

Kate has really become her own little person the past few moths, complete with personality traits we can see (all good, of course!) and some habits that are fun to watch. For example, she and mommy play a game in the mornings. When mommy goes in her room to get her out of the crib, Kate is already standing. She then dives down in the corner of the crib, behind the bumper (parents...you know what that is...) and hides, while laughing and giggling. Then, she springs up and starts laughing hysterically. If not stopped, this can go on for hours!

Kate is pretty stable on her feet. She now prefers walking to crawling (don't we all) and has a pretty good sense of balance. That is, until she's ready for bed at the end of the day. When she starts falling down too often, it's bedtime! The beauty part is, she NEVER fights it! We take her up, she leans for the crib, we lay her down, she kicks one leg up against the side of the crib, scratches her belly and points us to the door. WOW!

In mid June, we headed to Birmingham for Grandpa Don's birthday. We then spent July 4th at Aunt Mary's place in town, where Kate hung out with her cousins. That same weekend, Kate's Uncle Jeff stayed with us for a few days, which Kate loved. This past weekend, we went back to Birmingham to celebrate several birthdays - Cousin Gracie, Uncle Patrick, Aunt Patti and Grandma Jane (yes, July is a busy month...) Kate enjoyed seeing everyone, and showing off her walking skills.

In about a month, she starts a "pre-school" type thing where for three hours, one day a week, she goes to a classroom with five other kids her age and they have activities and play. We're looking forward to it because she really shines when she's around other people, so we think she'll love it.

OK...enough reading! Here are some pics from the past few months:





"OK Grandmom,
get ready..."








"SMILE!"









Kate helping out.









Stoli and Kate
share a joke.








"MUST...
NOT...
LAUGH..."







"One question..."

"Got Milk?"








"My girl likes to...
party all the time,

PARTY ALL
THE TIME!"

ONE YEAR OLD!

Well, it's hard for mommy and daddy to imagine that Kate just turned one year old on Thursday, May 29! We can vividly remember welcoming Kate into the world one year ago and daddy patiently waiting for the instruction manual to be delivered as well. It never came...

It really has been a whirlwind year full of surprises, challenges (little or no sleep in the beginning) and happiness. We really are trying to enjoy every moment because we've been told, and now we can see, how fast time flies. "They grow up so fast..."

Kate is "talking" more and more each day and she's quite a little singer too! The dance moves are coming along nicely, so she should be "no kidding" walking any day now.

We had a small birthday party for Kate on the actual day, just the three of us. Then on Saturday, Kate's Mimi and Poppy came over to her house and brought her the coolest toy ever! It's a little water table village thing that has lots of bells and whistles - literally! She had so much fun with that, so we thought BIGGER is better and put in a pool. It's a real beaut!

That same Saturday, we had some friends over and Kate made another friend, Sam. He's a few months younger, so they chatted for a bit, had some laughs and swapped stories about their rookie parents. Then Kate showed Sam her water table and they splashed around.

Here are some pictures from the week.



"Let's get this
party started!"








Kate playing with
some new goodies...








The cake from
our friends at
Rhodes Bakery.







"I don't think I'll
like this..."








"Wait a minute...
YES I DO!"








"Cake?
What cake?"








Kate in her
birthday dress
from Mimi.







Kate welcomes
Sam to her "crib".








"OK, put this here
and that goes
over there..."







"Got it!"









"This is SO COOL!"










Now we're talking!