Pumpkin Patch

October 26, 2014 by megan

What?! There’s a new post on our family blog? Yes, I’m dusting off the cobwebs and making attempt #2 to revive this family blog. I have so many pictures of the girls that I need to start sharing them… So, here’s our latest grand adventure, the pumpkin patch! We love this little pumpkin patch and have gone every year.

 

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On the quest for the perfect pumpkin. Will it be big or will it be small?

 

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Definitely a big one!

 

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Savannah loves anything tiny… this was her big pumpkin and her baby pumpkin.

 

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And to end on a funny one… There’s always a fun blooper. Savannah did not want to sit down next to Katelyn for a picture, poor Kate took a pumpkin to the face.

 

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Stay tuned for more updates! I have two years to catch up on!

April Cherry Blossom Photo Shoot

October 27, 2012 by megan

For our photo shoot in April we went to downtown DC for annual cherry blossom festival (Thanks Penny!) It was a lot of fun, and I was VERY grateful for Penny driving us there.

I am still terrified to drive on the interstate roads here.

I did once, it was an awful experience that ended with me in tears, sobbing on the phone with Brad, trying to figure out how in the heck I was supposed to get to his work.

Anyways, the cherry blossoms were so beautiful.

 

 

So, the significance of the cherry blossoms is because in 1912, the people of Japan sent around 3,000 cherry trees to the United States as a gift of friendship. First Lady Taft and the Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese Ambassador, planted the first two cherry trees on the northern bank of the Tidal Basin. These two original trees are still standing today near the John Paul Jones statue at the south end of 17th Street. Normal cherry trees don’t live past 50 years or less, these trees have doubled their life expectancy, despite all the people who visit and walk on their roots and touch the trees.

Ok, enough history, here’s the pictures!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Flowers

October 26, 2012 by megan

I love being a mom. I love how Katelyn and I are best friends, we have so much fun together. It’s amazing at what small and simple things bring lots of joy.

A bottle of bubbles.

A basket of dandelions and pansies.

A wonderful spring afternoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two Little Monkey’s

October 26, 2012 by megan

 

 

March Photo Shoot

October 25, 2012 by megan

It’s pretty sad at how behind I am in updating our family blog. Our March photo shoot with Katelyn was a lot of fun. I saw a cool idea online with the balloon back drop and thought it would be very colorful and fun and perfect for March. (We were going with the St. Patty’s day rainbow idea here)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The only thing that put a damper on this mini session is that I used regular tape when I attached the  balloons directly to my wall (which has flat paint) so… I now have rows of sticky tape residue all over and I’m not sure how to get it off. If I scrub, the paint comes right off, and then if I use something to remove the residue, it leaves a stain on the wall… ggrrr.

 

Next time, I’ll use masking tape.

 

Katelyn’s favorite part was playing in all the balloons after we took them down. I have the cutest video of her running up and down the hall with balloons flying all over the place.

 

 

Chop, Chop, Timber

May 17, 2012 by megan

I really enjoy watching Brad and Katelyn play together.

 

One day they decided to build a tower.

 

They made the tower as tall as they could, and then Brad grabbed the camera…

 

 

 

 

 

It was pretty fun to see the pictures… oh – and do you like my empty frames?

My Little Fashionista

May 17, 2012 by megan

We’ve entered the stage of “I want to get dressed by myself, and pick out my own clothes” and rather than go against her independence, I just say “Sure” and take her picture…

 

 

 

I love it – she’s wearing her pajamas, with snow boots,  on top she has a sweatshirt layered underneath a  leotard, a scarf, and a purse as a back pack… all that’s missing is some jewelry and hair accessories, we’re still working on that part…

 

Rapunzel Friend Birthday Party

May 17, 2012 by megan

I decided to do a friend party for Katelyn this year. I love hosting parties, and I REALLY love planning parties. Katelyn chose the theme, and I was really excited to do a party based on one of my favorite movies too! Our overall color scheme was purple and yellow

 

The invites – I have a template if anyone wants it.

 

 

The Decorations and food table.

 

 

 

For the painting, I used the mural that Rapunzel painted above the fire place in her tower, I just used a plain poster-board and sketched out my simplified version. I hung it in Katelyn’s room after the party.

 

Katelyn and I had fun decorating together. We also had SO much fun making all the food.

 

 

 

This was our ‘tower’ out of Krispy Kreme  donuts (I think I ate at least 4, I have a severe weakness to donuts.)

 

 

 

Katelyn’s favorite was the marshmallow sticks, I wanted to tie little ribbon bows to the sticks, but – again – ran out of time and besides, would the little kids care if there were bows? Probably not.  They were just excited to see big marshmallows dipped in chocolate and sprinkles.

 

 

Our Menu was:

Krispy Kreme Donut Tower

Vanilla Cupcakes with Flowers (Rapunzel and Flynn are holding cupcakes in the city in one scene)

Tower Kabobs (Ham, String Cheese into Cubes, Colby Jack Cheese Cubes, Strawberries, Grapes, Oranges, and Apples)

Braided Hair Bread Twists

Pretzel Paintbrushes

Boat Ride on the Lake Jell-O Cups

Marshmallow sticks

Cookies (in the shape of the sun and flowers)

Lemonade & Water

 

 

Before we ate we played a few games, and I am so, so, so grateful to Rainbow and Rachel who stayed and helped out.

 

We played a fishing game (because of the lake the castle sits on), a toss the bean bags into the tower,  a pin the flower on Rapunzel’s hair game (which we missed), and Duck Duck Goose (came from the “ugly duckling” pub). I also had Tangled playing in the background so the kids who didn’t want to play could watch the movie.

 

 

 

After all the fun and excitement of the games and food, Katelyn got to open presents. All her friends were so generous and I loved watching them ‘help’ open the presents too.

 

 

I forgot to take a picture of the treats in the ‘thank you’ favor bags our friends got to take home. We loaded them up with goodies, a Rapunzel coloring book and crayons, bubbles, play dough, play jewelry, a ring pop and other candy, a punching balloon… I can’t remember all of it.

 

Overall, it was a very fun party. Katelyn had so much fun having so many friends over to eat all the yummy treats and play games. A big thank you to all her friends and their mommies who came and played with us!

 

 

 

Birthday Girl

May 17, 2012 by megan

I can hardly believe my baby is three years old! Her birthday was great.

 

The night before Brad and I blew up so many balloons. In the morning before she woke up we put all those birthday balloons in her room so it would be the first thing she would see.

 

To say she was excited would be an understatement.

 

 

 

 

The birthday balloons will definitely be a tradition we carry on.

 

After breakfast she got to open presents, we simplified and only got her three gifts. One from Mommy, one from Daddy, and one from both of us.

 

 

 

Daddy got her a Black and Decker toy tool set. I was skeptical when he told me that was what he wanted to get her, but as you can see in the pictures she LOVED it.

 

Her and Daddy play ‘tools’ all the time now. They work on her Jeep or on computers…it’s pretty cute.

 

 

 

Mommy got her a baby Rapunzel doll. I am in the process of making her matching princess dresses, but we’ll see when that gets finished!

 

 

 

Our gift that we got her together was a little cash register for playing store. She loves to go grocery shopping and we knew she would love this one too.

 

 

Later we got to Skype with our families while she opened her gifts from them. She was so happy to be able to open presents all day long.

 

 

Later that night we had some friends come over for cake and ice cream to celebrate Katelyn’s birthday and mine. It was really nice, and I got to make a pretty cake.

 

 

 

Katelyn’s Photo Shoot {February}

May 17, 2012 by megan

Finally, some February pictures! It was pretty chilly, so we decided to try an indoor studio set up this time, complete with a giant lollipop sucker! Anything for cooperation right?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And yes, Katelyn of course doesn’t always cooperate or like her pictures being taken… but I sometimes like the ‘blooper’ pictures too. This is her ‘stinky cheese’ face, and at the end she just laid down and decided she was done.