August memories

Eric & Christin's going-away party
Joseph's older brother Eric (with his wife and daughter) were gearing up for a cross-country move from Georgia to California. So, before heading west, they decided to come to Maryland for a visit. We attempted to get all of the cousins in a picture together - this was the best we could come up with :-)

That same day, Madison had fun swinging on a big girl swing by herself for the first time. She knew how to hold on and loved it, although it made mommy a little nervous ;-)

Enchanted Forest at Clark's Farm

Awhile back, my dad had sent me a link for a farm in Ellicott City that had bought and restored all of the old Enchanted Forest theme park things. My mom and I decided to take a day trip there to see what it was all about. What a neat place for toddlers and preschoolers. There was a petting farm (full of goats, chickens, rabbits, horses, cows, sheep, donkeys, llamas, etc...) Madison loved feeding the animals and seeing them in person (she is used to seeing them only in books)! We also got to take a hay ride, which of course she was front and center for, never taking her eye off of the tractor. We packed a picnic lunch and made a fun memory. The best part was when I got stung by a bee in my mouth and my whole face swelled up. If you've even seen the movie "Hitch" then you'll understand what I mean when I say I looked like Will Smith when he was sipping on benadryl :-) Yup, funny memory....

Some Fun Random Summer moments

Fun with water and bubbles with our playgroup on our deck:

Fun with yummy fruit smoothies made by granddad:

Good food and Good friends at Rockville Town Center (where Fractured Prune was enjoyed after dinner, of course :-) Thanks Peter for the pictures

Our Annual Family Vacation

Every summer we go with my parents to my grandparents place in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware for a week of fun and relaxation. I knew this year was going to be even more fun than usual since it would be Madison's first time when she could actually participate in things. I was especially excited about taking her to the beach for the first time and riding the baby rides on the boardwalk for the first time. It was a vacation with many "firsts."

Here are some of the highlights:

She loved riding the rides - wanted to try all of them - and squealed super loudly on the swings. It was so cute. We all took turns riding certain rides with her. It was just as much fun for us as it was for her :-)

She loved the beach. She would sit in the sand and play for as long as we would let her. She even would walk down to the water and let it rush up over her.

My parents always do something really special for my birthday (my birthday usually falls while we are on vacation). This year, like most, when asked what I wanted to eat, I didn't hesitate to say "CRABS!!" So, thank you mom and dad for all the fun memories, for providing such a fun trip for us (since Joseph was without a job and we couldn't afford much), and for making my birthday special every year. We love you!

It's a New Year!

I can't believe how fast the time has flown.....it seems like it was just summertime! Well, I'm REALLY behind (my last post was from July 4th!). So, in an attempt to catch up on what's been happening around here for the last 6 months, I'm just going to highlight some favorite moments.

July

Swimming Lessons

Madison and mommy took swimming lessons for the first time! I wanted Madison to get used to the water before our beach vacation this year. She loves her baths, so I figured that once she got used to it, she'd love the pool too! Well, the first day, she was very timid.....barely wanted to get her toes in. But, by day 2, she was going all the way in. If I wasn't watching very closely, she would've walked right in until the water was over her head! She loved jumping in from the side and picking up water rings. We had so much fun!

Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A

I can't remember when I've had so much fun dressing up and acting like a little kid! I love my playgroup - all of the mommies have become such dear friends to me - and all of the kids have become such dear friends to Madison. We look forward to our time together each week. But, this particular week was particularly fun! We decided to get together, make our costumes, and then head to Chick-Fil-A to receive our free meals (stay-at-home moms will do anything for something free :-) Our group was a hit - all the management at the store were taking our pictures and telling us how we were the best group that had come in! What a fun memory!