Happy Birthday, Vivienne Kathleen! How are you already ONE?!? I feel both like this year flew by and like you’ve been in our family all along. We celebrated our special little lady all week. Kay Kay and Pa flew into town to join in the festivities. We hosted the Betancourts for a special birthday dinner and Vivi got to try actual cake (carrot) on the big day. Surprising no one, she loved it! We spent her actual birthday at an…
We celebrated Vivi Girl with a big flamingle fete one day after she turned 12 months old and she (plus her Big Sister) had the grandest time! We made her a Funfetti smash cake, we played flamingo-themed games, and our house was packed to the gills with well-wishers for the Birthday Girl. We specifically requested no gifts, but a few people brought some, and the ones they gave were just adorable–flamingo themed books, dresses, dolls, etc. She even received her…
Well, the big day finally arrived! 12 MONTHS. Wow. In some ways it feel like it came in a flash and in other ways I feel like Vivi has just always been a part of the family. She hit 12 months on a Friday in November and seeing how it was the big first birthday and all, Kay Kay and Pa were here to celebrate our big girl. And celebrate we did! More on that later…here is what our newly…
Caroline received a tiny set of square cards in a Chick-Fil-A happy meal last week and I almost tossed them in the trash, thinking they would just be clutter. But she caught on to my plan and insisted we not only keep them but place them front and center on the lazy Susan on top of our dining room table. These cards have become her new favorite toy. She asks to play them at every meal, and she likes to…
Super early Halloween morning–which also happened to be the day after the Washington Nationals won the World Series, whooo hoo!–Mike, Caroline, Vivi, and I flew down to St. Pete Beach. We were so excited to meet our family’s newest arrival Baby Bryce, to go trick-or-treating with our family, and to enjoy all things Florida for the weekend. We packed two suitcases: one for our regular clothes, and another for our costumes. Bird costumes take up a lot of space! Caroline…
Angela, Joy, and I reserved the last weekend in October to get together with the Type A team (plus kiddos!) at cute little Larrimore Farm, where you can enjoy all of the fun fall things to your heart’s content–pumpkins, apple cider donuts, apples, hayrides, and corn mazes. We packed a picnic and sampled the delicious apple fritters that they make on site. The last time we were here, Caroline was 7 months old, and neither Vivi nor Eliza were on…
Vivi turned 11 months in October on a day when I happened to be home, so we celebrated by going to the indoor playground in our neighborhood and she got to climb all over all the soft blocks and smooch all the little friends she made. She is just the sweetest little lady–quick to smile and laugh, curious about the world around her, and getting more interested in toys and books. She now has THREE teeth, is crawling everywhere, can…
Fall is here! Fall is here! Time for apples and pumpkins and festivals and long sleeves and cool breezes and open windows and fresh-smelling candles. We welcomed in October and kicked of the autumn season with lots of fun playing outside, picking out our family Halloween costumes, celebrating Roman turning TWO, hosting John and Eva for a weekend, and welcoming our brand new baby nephew into the world. We attended a HS football game, had brunch with the Metcalfs at…
When Caroline was a baby, I put her in a pumpkin for her first Halloween. She was seven months old and did not enjoy the experience one bit. However, she looked adorable and I managed to get a few good pictures of her celebrating the season. So this year, even though Vivi was 11 months old and a wee bit larger than Caroline, I knew I had to do it for her, too…I can’t have Vivi thinking she is any…
I am incredibly lucky to have a wonderful group of friends…who just so happen to be scattered all over the globe. Picture 13 of the smartest, funniest, best ladies you can–and that’s my college rugby friend group. We’ve got some who are fitness fanatics, others who’d rather eat pizza and drink wine and watch Friends (that’s me). We have some who are world travelers, lawyers, professors, moms, single ladies, math superstars, authors, and illustrators. They are on the East Coast,…