Baby boy #2 update...

We blinked and this pregnancy was half over! Baby boy #2 has been a very good tenant thus far, much like Adam was. Hoping that's only the beginning of their similarities - suppose only time will tell!

We took Adam along with us for our 20 week sonogram. He was amused at first and then bored - ha - I forgot it is a 30 minute visit so I can't blame him too much. Baby boy was not being very cooperative, all curled up in a ball the entire time, so we have to have another sonogram at my 24 week appointment so they can get a better look at his spine and heart - otherwise everything else was looking great. Oh, and we also were thankful we already knew he was a boy as he certainly wasn't cooperating in that department either - phew! It would have been torture to wait four more weeks to find out team blue or team pink.

We did get some cute pics of his profile and his little feet - and confirmation of 10 toes, 10 fingers, so that's something!

He's definitely growing and moving around a lot. Andy was finally able to feel him kicking the other night - which was nice. Now to find a time when he's kicking that Adam can get a feel - sadly he seems to be most active late at night - no doubt a sign of what's to come those first few weeks he's home...oh boy.

4th of July at Wintergreen...and a birthday celebration too!

After a week at the beach it was time to head to the mountains for some family time celebrating our nation's birthday - and Auntie Anne's birthday too! 

The weather was actually pretty cool up there, not uncommon for Wintergreen of course. Luckily we had all packed sweatshirts as they were needed. Andy got to play a round of golf with my folks while Mark, Kathleen, Olivia, Adam and I relaxed and hit up the park. 

We didn't think we'd get any pool time in, but the sun did come out and warm things up a bit on the 4th, so the kiddos got to splash around a bit - was still a little too chilly for the adults to brave it! 

While we were there we also got to visit with Anne which meant we got to celebrate her birthday as well! To start the celebration we left Adam and Olivia with Grandma & Grandpa while we took Anne down to Blue Mountain Brewery for some brews and lunch - of course being the sneaky (and great!) aunt she is, she stole the tab and took us out for lunch instead! Stinker. After that we headed back up and were surprised by some cute decorations that Grandma helped the kids make - Happy Birthday signs and posters posted all over! Then it was birthday gifts and a strawberry pie to cap off the celebrations. 

Of course the celebrations did continue as it was time to focus on another birthday - that of the good old US of A! We were all looking forward to another fun picnic on the slopes (sans snow of course) and the kids even helped me whip up a festive and patriotic dessert. We found a great spot to park ourselves for the evening and then it was dancing, eating, chatting, a little National Anthem singing (which was cute to see Adam sing along to the parts he remembered learning in school) and then the main event - the awesome fireworks! They still give me chills and I always find myself reflecting on how lucky we are to live in this country and how proud I am to be an American! 

Happy birthday America...and Anne! :) 

Then and Now...

This first photo is from Adam's first trip to the Outer Banks when he was only 9 months old back in 2010...

I couldn't resist snapping this photo at this year's Outer Banks visit (age - almost 6) when I caught him in a similar to pose. 

The allure of the beach, the waves, the calmness doesn't wear off - not six years later, not even 33 years later as I've learned...

OBX 2015...

We've taken some amazing trips this year - I can't deny that - but there's just something about our annual visit to the Outer Banks that has us all counting down the days until its arrival. Mostly it was just going to be great to have the whole family (2 and 4 legged) on a vacation together. 

We started our beach trip as we do most - with a stop at the Williamsburg KOA. With our seasonal site at Bethpage we haven't visited the KOA yet this year, so I was definitely looking forward to getting back there, even if just for a night. The weather wasn't spectacular, but we still got in our traditional photo op, some time on the jumping pillow and a picnic dinner from The Cheese Shop. In the morning we hit up the free pancake breakfast and then it was off to the Outer Banks! 

With our early arrival we were all set up with plenty of time to hit up the pool to officially "dive in" to our beach week and then got in a walk on the beach with dogs. We were looking forward to introducing Sadie to the beach and she seemed pretty excited about it. 

This summer has been odd in that there has been quite a few shark attacks - including one the day we arrived at the campground next door - yikes! This kept us a bit cautious for the week, spending late morning until lunch at the beach and then the pool the rest of the day. It also meant we weren't big on taking the dogs for the early evening swims that Liddy has enjoyed in years past. Fortunately, Sadie doesn't know what she's missing and Liddy got a chance to swim in the sound on our last evening. We still got in plenty of time playing in the sand - Adam had a blast each day playing restaurant in the sand - making us three course meals before jet setting off to Paris or Hawaii for visits whereupon he'd return with gifts - which usually came in the shape of beach buckets and sand shovels. Watching his imagination in action was something I won't soon forget. 

Of course the fear of sharks didn't completely keep us out of the water - just at a reasonable depth. Adam didn't seem to mind and still enjoyed himself boogie boarding in the surf. 

Adam also got to spend some time with fellow campers participating in a puppet show and play and then some arts and crafts time. Good excuse to get out of the sun for a bit. 

Another highlight was getting to have crabs for dinner one night. Adam really got into it this year listening to everything Andy said about how to crack 'em, pull 'em and eat 'em. He really seemed to pick up on the technique - Poppy will be proud! 

The dogs did get some dog park time in - and even met up with another labradoodle - it was funny seeing three doodles of the same color hanging out (Liddy is wet in these pictures having just gone for her swim.) 

We ended our beach trip with a special late night (well, 9:00) dip in the pool. Adam gets such a kick out of night swimming - probably it feels like such a treat, and actually I remember thinking the same thing as a kid. Love making memories with the whole family - and knowing that next year's OBX trip will include one more...

Adam's Last Day of Kindergarten...

Wow! Did that school year fly by or what!? It really seems like we were just packing up his lunch and putting him on the bus for the first day and all of a sudden the year is over. Adam learned so much this year and has grown so much too! It's amazing to hear him reading to himself and to have him read to us at night. He's writing mini-stories and drawing awesome pictures to go along with them. His math skills have already surpassed mine...ok, maybe that's a stretch but he has stumped me a few times...oh boy! His teacher, Mrs. Jaeschke, was very proud of his accomplishments and had very nice things to say on his end of year report card - which I'm happy to brag was really super and his end of year test score just two points shy of perfection (and worthy of some celebratory Star Wars books!) Proud parents for sure! First grade here he comes! 

Annual Trip to Clearwater Beach, FL...

I love when my conference rolls around as it means not only are the months of hard work about to come to fruition, but also my annual visit to beautiful Clearwater Beach is upon me. It truly is a wonderful spot and while the work part makes for a busy and tiring week, the rewards of evenings spent watching the sunset with amazing co-workers and a few extra days of rest and relaxation tacked on to the end of the trip make it all worthwhile. 

This year we kicked off the week with a sunset catamaran trip. Nothing like being in close quarters with your colleagues for two hours to help you reconnect (most of us are spread out throughout the country/globe) and gear up for a busy week. Also this was my first time catching one of those Gulf Coast sunsets from the water so that was pretty great. 

The work part flew by, as it usually does. Being pregnant and working this event added to the challenge, but everyone was extra helpful and the hotel staff couldn't have been nicer - they even dropped off some goodies for baby boy and big brother in my room one day (that came in much handier than the bottle of wine they delivered the first night prior to learning that I was expecting, ha) :) It's always great spending time with my colleagues, especially those I don't see too often. We all spent one evening around a fire pit on the beach and just talked and laughed the night away - nice having colleagues that double as friends. 

After the work ended it was time to relax. After our Hawaii & St. John trips it seemed best for Andy to skip this trip (try and save a few bucks to refill our piggy banks) so instead my sister joined me for a few days of laying by the pool and on the beach. Though I'll admit I was missing my pool/beachside cocktails, I did manage to come up with a few virgin cocktails that tasted pretty great. My favorite was a half pina colada, half strawberry daiquiri - beautiful and refreshing. 

Of course we also took in a few more sunsets - and watched American Pharaoh win the Triple Crown - not too shabby!