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June 29, 2007 We've had several emails from people telling us how much they enjoyed our week of daily planning tips earlier this month so we've decided that we are going to be doing it again! Be sure to look for it in July's blog.
Mom was going through old magazines to finally throw them out and she came across this funny article:
"20 Ways Parenthood is Just Like College" American Baby August 2005 Excerpted from 14 Hours ‘Til Bedtime by Jen Singer
Most of them are so true! Except that mom only wishes I still took regular naps, and both mom and dad like most of my music. Our favorites are the Sesame Street box set Songs from the Street: 35 Years of Music and Justin Roberts (especially his Yellow Bus CD. The song Hey Hippopotamus gets stuck in mom's head a lot).
Tuesday evening dad was back at the beach for Debbie and Jeremy's engagement session. Their wedding is next May in Tampa and dad says he knows it is going to be wonderful because they seem on the ball with their planning. They booked with dad almost a year and a half before the wedding and already had some of their details set then. Once again, the weather cooperated! It was thundering that afternoon and mom was sure it was going to storm, but dad was confident that it wouldn't rain for the session. Thankfully he was right!
One of the best parts of an engagement session is that it gives you an excuse for lots of kissing .
Another beautiful Florida sunset:
The sky's colors were amazing just before all the light was gone.
Dad said it Debbie and Jeremy were great. Thanks for a fun evening and see you in May!
June 27, 2007 With so much talk about babies in yesterday's blog entry, I wanted to come back and share some cool baby products mom and I have seen. For baby shower gifts, there is a company called The Baby Bunch which makes bouquets out of baby clothes. They use bibs, socks, hats, onesies, and shirts to create the "bunch" (as they call it). You can order them in yellow, pink, blue, or apricot and you can even choose organic cotton as an option. The bouquets, or bunches, come in 3 sizes. How cute!!!
A yellow bunch
Mom and dad are using my old crib and bassinet for my baby brother, but mom still thinks it is fun to look at nursery decorating ideas. A great website for nursery furniture and decor is www.ababy.com. It is expensive, but fun to look through. Mom found all of the pictures that follow on their website while checking out their nursery furniture. One of their bassinets looks very "vintage." It has lots of fabric, including lace and a sash and bow. The pillow they show in the picture looks like a satin pillow with a lace edge. It is a bit too frilly for our tastes, but still beautiful in its own vintage way.
Another unique piece of furniture they have is a scalloped cradle. Mom thinks it would be beautiful in a baby girl's room with a silver and gold theme.
Round cribs are so cool! The first one is definitely over the top and made mom think of royalty when she saw it! But the second one is adorable. Mom said if she was buying new nursery furniture (and had lots and lots of money to spend!) she would do a Noah's Ark themed nursery and get this crib.
Moscato Round Canopy Crib and Noah's Ark Round Crib
Ababy.com also has complete furniture sets. The crib in the first room is beautiful, and I love the stars on the posts! We don't like the wall color though. The second room just made mom laugh because it looks like a pink explosion!!
Heritage Baby Nursery Set and Country French Nursery Collection
Nonna has been back home for a little while now and has a nurse come to her house instead. Because of the infections and dehydration, she hasn't been able to continue her chemo, so we don't have much news on her condition. But we do have some good news about Kenny, my pop pop's friend who suffered the accident when he came down to visit Nonna. He has been moved into the inpatient rehabilitation center for people with traumatic brain injuries. We still do not know to what extent he will recover but we are happy that he is making progress!
June 26, 2007 I have so many things to tell you about! I'll start with JoAnn and Craig, who came from Chicago to be married at the Sirata on Saturday. They chose a great team of vendors, including Charles Anthony for hair and make-up (813-810-3467), Rev. Tom Greene as the officiant (727-403-6308), and Hearts Video for their videographer. Mom loves how JoAnn decided to wear her hair. The loose curls updo completed her romantic look, along with the lace on her dress and her simple pearl strand necklace. She was gorgeous!
The ceremony was under an arch on the beach, which was decorated with large floral arrangements done by the couple's florist, Flowers by Design (727-543-0833). Guests were given fans to keep cool, which was one of the ideas mentioned in my June 12th entry during our week of wedding tips.
You don't often see bright, multi-colored balloons at a wedding! They weren't part of the couple's decor, but they added a bit of fun to the end of the ceremony when they flew away from one of the guests and Craig picked them back up during the recessional.
JoAnn and Craig in the golden sunset:
This picture is one of mom's favorites from the day. It looks small here on my blog, but imagine it blown up to a large canvas gallery wrap!
At the reception, the tables were marked by numbered sand dollars, which dad thought was a neat way to be creative and keep to the beach theme. Dad said the guests enjoyed themselves and the whole day was laid-back and fun. Congratulations JoAnn and Craig!
This afternoon dad was excited to see Sarah and Jonathan again, who were married in March of last year. You can see a few of their pictures in the March 31st entry of the March 2006 Blog Archives. They received a wonderful one year anniversary gift, though it arrived one month later. Their baby boy joined their family! Dad got to take some pictures of him while Sarah and Jonathan were in town to bring the baby to meet his great-grandma and other family members. Dad was wondering if the baby was going to be wearing a Tampa Bay Lightning outfit but he didn't have one on this time.
Baby feet are so cute!
Safe in mommy's arms:
Mom came in to see the baby as the session was ending and he was all smiles. Look at him stick his tongue out and make funny faces! How cute!!! Dad just had to take a few more pictures to get all his adorable faces.
Next time you are back in town, come by again so we can see how much he's grown! Congratulations on your beautiful son, and stay in touch!
After photographing Sarah and Jonathan's baby, we went to get some pictures taken of my baby brother! Storksview Ultrasound in Tampa does 3D and 4D ultrasounds which gives you some awesome pictures of your baby. Everyone there was super nice, even when mom called for a last minute appointment which they fit in only to have us arrive 20 minutes late due to bad traffic. They have a large projection screen with a big couch so you can bring people with you to watch. Grandma, Aunt Lora, and Aunt Kellie came with me, mom, and dad to see my brother on the big screen.
Viewing Room at Storkview Ultrasound Picture from their website, www.storkviewultrasound.com
It was really awesome to be able to see the details of the baby's face. Here is one of the pictures, showing a close-up of the face. Look at his little nose and mouth!
This one is a bit less clear, but you can see him smiling:
My brother's face is on the left in this picture. If you look at his mouth, you'll see his lower lip pouting.
We also got to see all of his little fingers and toes. In the first picture he has his hand in front of his face, with his pinky pointed out. In the second picture, his hand is on his face and he is holding onto his toes. He is flexible!
As we watched my brother on the screen and everyone talked about him, I got very excited. I stood up and yelled at the screen, "Come out! Come out now!" but everyone told me that I would have to wait a bit longer. I can't wait to meet him. Even though he will be very little, I told mom and dad that I am going to play vrooms with him as soon as he comes out. Mom thought that making my brother more real to me was one of the best parts of having the 3D/4D ultrasound today.
June 23, 2007 We're back home and we had a great time. The car trip there had its moments, especially for me because I got car sick, but once we got there we loved it. Our hotel was amazing! The beautiful rooms (ours had a balcony overlooking the lake), the comfy beds with down comforters, the service, the yummy food at the restaurant...it was just perfect. And to make it even better, grammy had a present for mom and dad's anniversary waiting in the room when we arrived. There was sparkling cider and huge chocolate covered strawberries!! Mom and dad were nice enough to share, though it took some convincing for dad to give up any of those strawberries. Here are some pictures we took with the new point-and-shoot camera that dad got for Father's Day (so he wouldn't always carry around his big camera with all the big lenses!)
Thanks for the DELICIOUS surprise grammy! And mom and dad say thanks for the other present you gave them too. That was so nice! Thursday was the actual day of mom and dad's anniversary. After breakfast in the hotel restaurant, we headed to Stone Mountain Park for some fun. Dad brought his point-and-shoot again for pictures. We started the day on a scenic railroad ride around the mountain, where we learned a bit about the history of trains near Stone Mountain and sang some train songs. I love choo choos! After the train, we walked around a bit to see some of the park. Here is Aunt Kellie just relaxing in a gazebo:
Here is dad and I being silly at the pretend funeral parlor:
My favorite thing at the park was a ropes course with bridges and rope ladders and other obstacles. I went through the whole thing! Aunt Kellie did the course AND climbed the rock wall at the end.
It was very, very hot out in the sun and mom needed a break, so we headed to one of the only restaurants in the park for some air conditioning and something to eat of course. But the hostess there was one of the most rude, inconsiderate people ever (long story, but she even made mom cry!) so we ended up leaving the park and going back to our hotel room for room service. After we ate, we headed to the actual mountain. On the short drive there I fell asleep and dad had to carry me around . I didn't wake up until we were waiting in line to take the skyride back down the mountain. I woke up, lifted up my head to look around, and said, "WOW!" Mom and dad thought that was a great reaction to falling asleep in my car seat and waking up on top of a mountain.
After the mountain, we went on a paddlewheel riverboat around the lake, and then we got in pedal boats and rode around in those a while. I wanted to ride with mom so Aunt Kellie shared a boat with dad. He didn't think mom would be able to pedal all around herself for very long (since my legs didn't reach to help), but even with her being so pregnant she was faster than dad and Aunt Kellie together! Here is my happy smile from such a fun day!
That evening we went to see the laser and fireworks show. They played music and had colored lasers directed at the mountain so it is sort of like a movie (or really a music video). The idea of it was okay, but we hardly knew any of the songs and there weren't very many fireworks. Still it was fun to sit outside together as a family, listen to music, and watch the sky.
The next morning we wanted to do a few more fun things at the park before the long drive home. There was a Veggie Tales show I wanted to go to, but we had about an hour before it started so we went to the Great Barn to play while we waited.
The barn was like a giant ball pit, and you could earn points for completing different tasks with the balls.
Besides earning points, there were also things to climb, giant punching bags, and slides from the very top of the barn to the bottom. Mom and I played on the smaller slides and the tunnels at the bottom level and waited for dad and Aunt Kellie. Soon it was time for the show, but we couldn't find dad and Aunt Kellie. It turned out that dad was having too much fun trying to get points for Aunt Kellie (and playing on all the stuff there) so he lost track of time and we missed the show. It was fine, though. We had a great time!
Before we got back on the road, dad wanted to go up the mountain one more time with his "real" camera to take a few pictures. I was awake this time, and I loved walking around on all the rocks! Mom liked how this picture captured the scenery on the mountain top.
Dad took some pictures of mom and my baby brother too, though her "real" maternity session isn't for another week or two.
Aunt Kellie found a bit of shade to lay in. The sun was very bright and harsh up there, but the wind kept things cool enough to stay for a little while.
A couple pictures of me and dad:
This is a great picture of me looking up at mom's belly in the crowded skyride back down the mountain:
The drive home was actually a fun time as well! I didn't get car sick, and mom and dad got more sleep than they did the night before we left, so we enjoyed ourselves. We sang songs, played games, and talked about how excited we were for my baby brother to come. Aunt Kellie and I fell asleep a couple hours before we got home and mom and dad had quiet time to talk to each other and enjoy the moments with one another . It was a wonderful vacation, though it was too short.
Dad went to a wedding today, and he has a baby session and an engagement session this week, so stay tuned for pictures!
June 19, 2007 We're on Vacation! Mom, dad, Aunt Kellie, and I will be out of town until late Friday night. We are headed to Stone Mountain Park in Georgia on a trip to celebrate mom and dad's anniversary! We won't be checking our email until we return so if you need to get in touch with dad just give him a call and leave a message.
Thanks to everyone who has asked about Nonna. She is unfortunately still an inpatient at the cancer center and is battling two infections. They are hoping she will be back home by the end of the week. She is having a hard time and it is difficult to watch her go through it. But we are still hopeful and prayerful and she is surrounded by her family right now to give her strength.
Now all about Shannon and Duane's wedding weekend! Dad arrived in New York on Friday afternoon and was excited to finally meet the couple! He went to check out their reception location before heading over to the rehearsal at the church. The church where the ceremony would be was the Asbury First United Methodist Church, which has a history that dates back to the 1820s (of course not in its current building).
Shannon and Duane in person were just as they were in their emails; happy, really fun, completely in love, and so excited about their wedding! It is so cute to see how lovingly Shannon looks at Duane...
And their family and friends were just as excited for them...
The rehearsal dinner was held at The Green Lantern. Dad loved the architecture of the building.
Shannon and Duane's itinerary for the weekend had "bedtime" scheduled in for everybody, which was smart with an early start the next morning.
The morning of the wedding, the girls gathered at Shannon's mom's house before Shannon headed out for the salon. After hair and makeup, everyone gathered back at the house where a trolley met them to take them to the ceremony. The reception that evening was held at the beautiful Inn on the Lake and was decorated in the wedding colors of tiffany blue and brown. Dad said the day was absolutely wonderful, and he had so much fun that time went by really quickly! Shannon and Duane are the best! Rather than try to describe the wedding, here are some pictures from throughout the day:
Mom loves this picture! They look completely lost in each other and the moment.
Dad says he hasn't seen a good cake smashing in a while! Notice Duane is holding back Shannon's hands...
...but when Duane gets a bib for Shannon, she knows she's the one in trouble!
Having fun at the reception...
Duane is a lucky man. When you meet a girl who knows all the words to Ice, Ice, Baby and performs it at her wedding reception, you know you have a keeper!!!
The couple's cute puppy:
I think I may have used the word "fun" many times in this blog entry when describing Shannon and Duane and their wedding weekend, but really it just fits them so well! They proved it again the morning after the wedding. They had to catch a flight to Italy, but they woke up early to meet dad for just a few minutes. What would make them wake up early the day after their wedding? A quick jump in the lake of course...in their wedding clothes!!!
Shannon and Duane, THANK YOU so much for having dad share your wedding weekend with you and treating him like a friend. Italy is going to be a great time and we can't wait to hear about it!
Yesterday dad met Lindsey and Anthony who were in town on vacation and had their engagement session in Sarasota. Dad was a bit worried early in the day when the thunderstorms began. We even lost power at our house for a few minutes. But the weather on the beach in Sarasota was just fine. Lindsey and Anthony are getting married in Massachusetts and dad was bummed when he was already booked for their wedding date because he loves to do weddings in New England. But he was happy he was able to meet them to photograph their engagement session.
Lindsey was all smiles.
Sharing a sweet look into each other's eyes...
Mom's favorite from the session was this one in the water:
We hope you enjoyed your visit, and stay in touch to tell us all about your wedding day!
June 17, 2007 HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!! "A man that doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man." --Marlon Brando as Don Corleone in The Godfather
Dada, you are a good daddy and I love you. I have so much fun when we play together and act silly. Thank you for loving me so much. I can't wait for you to come home! From mom: Jason, thank you for being the type of man I would be proud to see my son become. I want you to know how much I appreciate you. I appreciate how you can go to the play area or the park and be the only daddy there and not mind one bit. I appreciate you when people make jokes about dads not changing diapers or waking up when the baby cries or other things, and I can smile knowing that those are all things you want to do and would be sad to miss out on. I appreciate the pride you show when you introduce Connor to people and talk about him, or when you tell people we are expecting another baby. I appreciate how you still get misty-eyed at times when you are holding Connor or when he gives you a kiss and hug. I appreciate that you always put our family first. People tell me how they wish their husbands were as involved as you are, and I just think of how lucky I was to find someone who is not just an amazing husband, but also a truly wonderful dad! Thank you, and I love you. I can't wait to see you when you get home late tonight!
June 16, 2007 Saturday's wedding tip (the last of our week of wedding planning tips): Ban cell phones on your wedding day Once your wedding party arrives and you won't need to call them to track them down , have them turn off their cell phones. With so many people, cell phones can be a major distraction during the day. Phones are ringing, people are texting, and the focus is lost from the emotion of important moments going on. Most people will turn off their phones during the ceremony, but ask them to do so during the getting ready and then again at the reception as well. Not only will they be able to focus on the events happening around them, but it will also keep you from having lots of pictures of people on their phones!
As I have mentioned before, Aunt Kellie is staying with us for part of her summer vacation while grandma is helping Nonna. Aunt Kellie asked if she could write a message for my blog and I said okay. Mom told her she could pick what to write about, and here is what she came up with: Hi! I'm Connor's Aunt Kellie. Congratulations on everybody who has something special going on in their life! Here's a tip for kids who read this. If you have a baby brother or sister, enjoy them and play with them because childhood won't last for long. It warms your heart to see them laugh. P.S. Trust me because I'm 10 and Connor's 2, so we're like brother and sister. Mom thought that was a cute message because she has to remind Aunt Kellie about that when her and I get in arguments about toys and playing.
Mom also wanted to give an update on Nonna. She had a little set back and had to be admitted to the cancer clinic last night. She will be there a couple days. Please continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers.
Dad has only been gone one day, but mom and I miss him terribly. I woke up this morning asking for him, which made mom miss him even more too. Even the dogs are running to the door at every sound, thinking dad might be home. It tells you what a wonderful person dad is that even being apart from him for just one day makes us sad.
June 15, 2007 Friday's tip comes courtesy of wedding planner Charity Plaster of A Charmed Event: Let your wedding reflect your personalities "Whether the bride and groom are into heavy metal (one couple named their tables after their favorite bands) or zydeco music for the reception, or want to incorporate items from their hometown (NY = apples, broadway style programs, checker cabs) don't be afraid to inject some humor, inside jokes and personal love into the wedding - the guests will forget what they ate at the reception, they'll forget what kind of flowers were in the bouquet, but they will remember something touching and personal." Charity also recommends using ideas from other brides as inspiration, but then adding your own personal touches. This makes your wedding different and reflects you and your groom. Thanks for the great tips Charity!
Yesterday dad photographed an interesting couple. They love to travel and live life on the fast lane, but they were so loud and they had a lot of gas. They were dump trucks!!! (Okay, so mom and I aren't that creative today, but we tried.) Dad had a commercial shoot for TBEI, which makes truck bodies and equipment.
Mom thought this looked like a modern art sculpture:
When dad showed me the pictures, I thought they were so cool! And then to make it even better, today a package came in the mail for me from Grammy. I got new pajamas with dump trucks on it, and a new dump truck toy! Isn't that the neatest coincidence? Thanks Grammy!
A quick fact (directed at my Aunt Lora): Did you know that even if you are just tanning and don't get a sunburn, you are still at risk for developing skin cancer? Parenting magazine (July 2007) says that "while even one sunburn may double the chance of eventually developing melanoma...[you] are still at risk even if [you] never burn." The American Cancer Society's Skin Cancer Advisory Group says that even a "tan indicates damage to your skin." So Aunt Lora (and everyone else), WEAR SUNSCREEN even when you are trying to get a tan!
We miss dad already. He left way before I woke up this morning for a wedding in New York. Dad won't be able to answer emails or phone calls while he is gone because he has a full schedule, but mom is checking email for him and will be sure to pass on any messages so dad can get back to everyone on Monday.
June 14, 2007 Tip for Thursday: Before your ceremony, switch your engagement ring to your right hand Dad has been to many weddings where the bride wasn't sure what to do with her engagement ring. Before your ceremony begins, put your engagement ring on the ring finger of your right hand. After you exchange rings during the ceremony, you can then move your engagement ring back to your left hand. This keeps your wedding band on the bottom, closest to your heart.
A picture of Danielle's engagement ring during her and Matt's engagement session
Dad leaves tomorrow to photograph Shannon and Duane's wedding weekend in New York. They are an awesome couple and they had so many great ideas during their wedding planning. Dad cannot wait for their wedding day! He's going to have a terrific time, but mom and I are going to miss him lots.
June 13, 2007 Wednesday's wedding tip: If possible, face your guests during the ceremony For parts of the ceremony such as the unity candle, the sand ceremony, or the breaking of the glass, face your guests so they can see what is going on. Often guests only get a view of your backs as you are lighting your candles or pouring your sand. If you have items set up on a table, simply walk to the side or back of the table so your guests can see you and what you are doing.
Denise and Brandon stood on either side of the table with their officiant behind the table so their guests had a good view of them pouring the sand during sand ceremony.
June 12, 2007 To continue our week of giving a wedding planning tip every day, here is Tuesday's tip: Summer weddings in Florida are hot Yes, that seems like it is self-explanatory, but it is definitely something you need to keep in mind when planning your wedding. The time of day you are having your wedding will make a big difference for the heat, so consider that when choosing your ceremony time and planning when your pictures will take place. Also be sure to give some thought to attire. Groomsmen in jackets or tuxes will feel the heat much more and could even overheat. Breathable fabrics, such as linen, are much better choices. For beach weddings, remember the setting when you choose your bridal attire. Gowns with trains will pick up sand as they drag, making the dress very heavy. Choose a thinner material without a train, and give some thought to shoes that won't sink into the sand (or just go barefoot!) If your ceremony is outside, help your guests enjoy it by providing ways to help them cool off. Personalized labels on water bottles or a table with fresh, cold lemonade are great touches. It is also a good idea to have sunscreen available if your ceremony is in the direct sun. You can give guests paper fans that can even double as programs, or you can rent big electric fans. Even if your wedding is inside, you will most likely be going outside with your family and bridal party for pictures since this will give you better lighting and backgrounds. Let the people who will be in these pictures know this ahead of time. Be sure the guys have handkerchiefs or some other way to wipe away the beads of sweat you don't want to see in your pictures. Girls might need to reapply their make-up, and the bride should definitely plan on some make-up touch-ups after the pictures so she looks refreshed when she enters the reception. You may want to plan for a few minutes to let everyone cool off and freshen up before reception introductions. One couple who was married on the beach and had their pictures immediately following (also on the beach) had a short cocktail break for the people who were in their pictures. After being in the hot sun so long, everyone appreciated the break. They had a room with fans blowing and ice cold drinks waiting, and the bride and groom gave each person a small "survival pack" with mini deodorants, bottled water, and battery operated fans. Everyone was able to cool off and look great again before they headed in to the reception.
Lana and Scott were married on Sunday at the A La Carte Event Pavilion. They had Melody of Echo Media Group as their videographer and the talented Darla Stafford for Lana's hair and makeup. Their wedding included another great idea to beat the summer heat; they had an ice cream sundae bar at the reception! Lana's gown had a beautiful train. Before the ceremony, her bridesmaids made sure to steam all the wrinkles out of the dress...even after Lana had put it on!
The bride's shoes:
Lana and Scott, just married!
At the reception, the table centerpieces had little lights that made a big impact. They illuminated the floating flowers in the glass vases.
The reception's lighting went well with the pink the couple used as a wedding color.
Congratulations to Lana and Scott!
June 11, 2007 Mom and I decided that every day this week we will give a different wedding planning tip or idea, so here is our tip of the day: Hire a professional wedding coordinator According to a survey done by superweddings.com, 72% of brides who did not use a wedding coordinator said that if they could do it again they would hire one. Not only do they make planning your wedding feel like the fun, creative process it should be, but they are also invaluable on the day itself. Communication between vendors is so important so everyone is working together and the day is on schedule, and a good wedding coordinator is the liaison that makes sure this happens. When you have a good coordinator, it is everything you don't notice during your day that makes them worth it. When you don't have one, you notice!
Lauren and Jamie were married on Saturday at the Palm Aire Country Club. They had the wonderful Charity Plaster of A Charmed Event as their wedding planner. Charity is awesome to work with! Lauren had her hair and makeup done by Julissa at Beauty Brought Out (813-453-3355). Here is Lauren having her makeup done:
Mom loved this picture of Lauren's dress:
Dad said he took this picture just for me . Mom, dad, Aunt Kellie, and I all went to see Shrek 3 last week. Dad and I both fell asleep during the movie, but it was still a fun time.
Lauren's beautiful smile (doesn't she look so bridal?!):
One of the best parts of the day was at the church just before the ceremony began. In their separate rooms, the bridesmaids circled around the bride and the groomsmen circled around the groom to pray. Mom thinks that does so much to give meaning to what is about to happen during the ceremony. What a great way to prepare the couple to see each other and say their vows.
The reception had great details as well. The dance floor had the couple's monogram in flower petals, which was beautiful. There was also a mini putting green and for every hole in one Lauren and Jamie had to kiss. The couple had guests from all over, including many from England. It was a wonderful day for a wonderful couple. Enjoy your trip to the Bahamas Lauren and Jamie!
I'll be back with another wedding tip tomorrow, along with pictures from Sunday's wedding!
June 8, 2007 We wanted to give a good news update. Our friend in the ICU has now regained consciousness and is even responding to people somewhat! Because his brain injury was so severe the doctors still are unsure if he will recover completely, but this is really great progress and we are very hopeful! Again, thank you all SO MUCH for the very kind emails wishing both Nonna and our friend well. We work with some of the most caring people!
Yesterday mom, dad, Aunt Kellie, and I headed to the beach for a couple hours. We needed a little break and it was nice to get away for a short while. Aunt Kellie and I played in the sand, making and castles and digging holes until we found water.
Dad went way out in the water to cool off, and I wanted to check it out. I was a bit hesitant at first and wanted mom to stand right next to me. Soon I was loving it and walking out further where the waves were almost pushing me over! Then mom was the one getting scared and she told me to stay closer to the sand.
When we got home, dad took me swimming in the pool before I had to take a bath. This picture isn't from today, but it is of me swimming in our pool earlier this week. Mom bought me this floating swimsuit that we found out does not work. But she loves this picture of me staring at dad with my hands on my hips so she wanted me to put it on the blog.
It was nice to spend the day with my family and having today as a "mini-vacation" made us more excited about our trip to Miami in just a couple weeks. Mom and I didn't get any emails with hotel or activity recommendations yet, so be sure to send us some to help us plan our trip!
June 7, 2007 Mom told me to share this, though as a kid I don't see the humor in it... Before kids...I slept late. Before kids...I THOUGHT I was busy. Before kids...3 in bed was risqué.
A funny (and true!) quote for all of you couples in love: "You have to walk carefully in the beginning of love; the running across fields into your lover's arms can only come later when you're sure they won't laugh if you trip." --Jonathan Carroll, Outside the Dog Museum
How weird is this?! Check out the Barbie Forever Barbie Doll with Tanner the Dog. Barbie gets her own pooper scooper, complete with Tanner's magnetic poop!
Barbie with Tanner the Dog
What's funny is that when mom saw that, she immediately thought of how those small pieces of poop would be a choking hazard for kids .
In the spirit of "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader" (is that show even still on?), someone sent mom a link to a quiz with 8th grade math questions. Since the quiz turned out to be on a website called blogthings, mom thought it would be appropriate to share her results here (and BRAG):
Woohoo! Perfect 10 out of 10!! All those years of college and grad school paid off!
Does anyone have any travel tips or recommendations for a trip to Miami? While they were on their honeymoon, mom and dad promised each other that they would go away every year on their anniversary, even if it was just an overnight trip. And they have taken me along every year since I've been born too! This year we are thinking of a short trip to Miami. We need to find a fun, kid-friendly hotel or resort and we need some ideas for activities that a toddler and a pregnant woman can have fun doing. Email me and mom if you have any recommendations on where to stay and what to do while we are there! We already know we want to visit the Miami Children's Museum and Parrot Jungle Island. Mom wants to go to an art museum, and dad wants to drive to the Everglades for an airboat tour (though mom isn't sure if we'll find one that allows toddlers).
June 6, 2007 Now that it is June and feeling like summer, I thought I'd share some summer tips with all of you.
Add a tiny bit of ginger to your lemonade to give it a different flavor. Another drink idea is to mix 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in a glass of ginger ale. The June 2007 issue of Parenting magazine says it is better to keep your watermelon on your counter (or any where outside the fridge) until you are ready to cut and serve it. Even after they are picked, they continue to produce antioxidants, but cool temperatures stop the process. A whole melon can last a couple days on your counter, but once it is cut it needs to be chilled. Did you know that caffeinated beverages can dehydrate your body? When outside in the heat, avoid teas and soda and instead drink some refreshing fruit juices or water. Be sure to drink even if you aren't feeling thirsty, as my Aunt Lora learned one year at a trip to an amusement park that ended up as a trip to the hospital! Picnics and barbeques are "Must Do" summer activities. Check out some picnic and grilling recipes on www.recipeamerica.com. Many people travel for summer vacations. Be sure that you always pack some essentials in your carry-on just in case something happens to your luggage. Every minute airlines lose 57 suitcases (Parenting magazine, June 2007)! With gas prices being so high, some people are having to cancel or cut short their summer road trips. What a great time to look into a hybrid! Even if you still want a SUV, you have options. My great-uncle Joe just got a Ford Escape Hybrid, which I thought was really neat since Kermit the Frog is on the commercials for it. Their ad says you can go 500 miles on a single tank of gas, which made mom think of the song, "I would walk 500 miles and I would walk 500 more just to be the man who walked 1000 miles to fall down at your door." (I'm Gonna Be by the Proclaimers).
Ford Escape Hybrid www.fordvehicles.com/suvs/2008escapehybrid/
If you are leaving your kids at home when you travel, be sure to find a good babysitter! Click here for some questions to ask a potential sitter. With your air conditioners probably on now, be sure to try to find other ways to save electricity! Did you know that plugged-in items still use electricity even when they are off? If you plug electronics into a power strip and turn that off when not in use, you can save $20-$50 a year! That's another tidbit of information mom and I picked up from this month's Parenting magazine. There are more tips on saving electricity and money on the Greenpeace website.
Today marks 8 weeks (2 months!) since my grandma quit smoking. We hope you know how proud we are of you grandma, and we know how much more meaningful it is to you now.
June 5, 2007 With so much going on with our family right now, Aunt Kellie (who is on summer vacation) has been staying with us. I love it! She is so much fun to play with. Mom says that she hopes having Aunt Kellie around is teaching me to play nice and share since my little brother will be coming soon. Aunt Kellie wishes I would learn a bit faster, but we are still having a good time together! She told me this joke (that she read from her Highlights magazine): "Can you use green, pink, and yellow in the same sentence?" "Yes, when the phone goes green, green, I pink it up and say, 'Yellow!'" I thought that was funny!
I'm jealous that dad gets to go to the beach almost every weekend. He told Aunt Kellie, mom, and I that he'd take us one day this week too. On Saturday, dad went down to Sanibel Island to the Casa Ybel Resort where Alex and Mike celebrated their wedding day. They are from New Jersey and came here for an intimate destination wedding. The florist was Floral Artistry in Sanibel (239-472-3040). They did a great job with the bouquets.
We had some much needed rain the day before and the morning of the wedding, but it cleared up in time for the ceremony. Good thing because Alex and Mike came to Florida to be married outside in the gorgeous Florida sunshine!
Here is our favorite bride and groom portrait of the day:
Just kidding! That is really just their cool cake topper with confetti of their names. Another great bride and groom portrait was drawn by one of the guests. The guestbook was from The Guestbook Store, where each person gets a page to fill out. They draw a picture of the bride and groom and they can name a memory that they have of the couple. One guest drew Alex with devil horns, which can probably be explained by the memory they shared of Alex burning down the backyard! We want to hear that story! Here is the real picture of the bride and groom in the water at the beach:
Congratulations Alex and Mike, and thanks for having us share in your day!
Sunday's wedding was with Dana and Ryan at The Lange Farm, a wonderful location! Dad, mom, and I used to see Ryan all the time when he worked nearby, but then Ryan and Dana bought a new house further away and Ryan transferred jobs so we didn't see him any more. Dad was looking forward to seeing the couple on their wedding day! Yogi, Dana's family's dog, was there that morning with all the girls as they were getting ready. Dad said Yogi was energetic and frisky, probably because of all the excitement of the wedding day. What a cute dog!
Dana getting ready:
The ceremony was on the South Lawn, with Dana arriving in a carriage pulled by Ms. Dixie. Dad says Ms. Dixie is a very sweet horse and he loves when he can visit with her. He didn't get a chance to visit his goat friends this time though. Here is the beautiful couple after the ceremony:
At the reception, each guest got their own mini bottle of white zinfandel (or apple cider) that was personalized with the couple's monogram, names, and the wedding date. Attached was a tag with the guests' names and table seating assignments. What a great idea! Another great idea was the giant cupcake tower instead of a traditional cake. The cupcakes were in the wedding colors of black and pink and the tower itself was taller than the guests!
Dana and Ryan are going on a cruise for their honeymoon. Have a great time!
June 1, 2007 A message from mom: For those of you who did not read the May blog, I am sad to say that my grandma has been diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer. As our family was coming together for this difficult time, a close family friend came into town to see grandma and had a serious accident. He is still unconscious and remains in critical condition in the ICU. We again want to thank those who have sent thoughts and prayers to my grandma (Connor's Nonna) and to our friend.
Onto happier news...we have lots of great couples to tell you about!
On Saturday, dad spent the day with Evelyn and Rudy. Evelyn was a gorgeous bride (and Rudy was looking pretty good himself!) Here is a picture of Evelyn getting ready that morning:
The bride and her family were greeted with 2 limos to bring them to the ceremony. One was just for the bride and bridesmaids while the other was for her family. The ceremony was at Nativity Catholic Church in Brandon. We sometimes go to Mass at that church as well, though it is a bit further away than our own church. We have not been since the renovation and dad said it looks beautiful! All the wood has been replaced and they redid the entire interior in white and blue. Mom did not even recognize the inside of the church in the pictures!
After the ceremony, Evelyn and Rudy alone went with dad for bride and groom pictures. Dad said that anyone looking at them could just see how in love they were. When they looked at each other, you could see it in their eyes. Here is a cute picture of the couple at the University of Tampa:
The reception was at Tampa Palms, and all of Evelyn and Rudy's family and friends there were so kind. Dad said he felt so welcomed and got lots of hugs. The flower girls were the stars of the dance floor! The entire day was just beautiful.
Dad's last wedding in May was with Leslie and Michael for their wedding at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Dad started the morning poolside at a hotel with the guys. They were swimming and relaxing before they headed inside to get dressed. Dad then met up with the bride and her bridesmaids for their getting ready pictures. Dad loves this picture of the bride's shoes:
The ceremony was under the pavilion at Selby Gardens. It is always so sweet to see grooms who feel the emotion of the day. Here is Michael wiping away a tear during the recessional.
The favors at the reception were personalized glasses which all the guests seemed to like. There was also a signature mat with one of the pictures dad took of the couple at their engagement session. Here is the reception room before guests arrived:
The room also had the ceiling decorated with Chinese paper lanterns. Mom thought they looked great in this picture of Leslie and Michael's first dance:
Congratulations, and enjoy the honeymoon!
Dad spent his Memorial Day with Casey and Nathan at the beach. They luckily found a spot where there wasn't a huge crowd. Dad said this couple was a ton of laughs! He came home telling mom how he couldn't wait for their wedding because they were so fun to be around. They were just a truly happy couple who enjoyed being with each other. Dad said Casey was like mom when it comes to the water. She didn't like the idea of fish and whatever else might be in there swimming around her feet. But just for the pictures she went in the water and Nathan was there to do the stingray shuffle and protect her from all the elk (just teasing you Casey!)
Relaxing on the beach...
Mom liked this picture that dad took as they walked back toward their cars:
Dad cannot wait until next May! He is so excited to see Casey and Nathan again on their wedding day. If they were laughing and having this much fun at the engagement session, he knows the wedding will be a blast!
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