Northern Road Trip - Part 3 (birthday parties and shoes!)

And so, here we are, at Nana and Papa Bear's!

There were all kinds of cool toys waiting for Turtle, and all sorts of fun new things to get into. He was happy to show off his cruising skills for his grandparents.



He also helped select his pick for the winner of the Kentucky Derby next week.



Since he is really starting to walk, Nana and Papa Bear wanted to make sure he was equipped and took him to Stride Rite for his first pair of shoes. Turtle was so excited and was adorable having his feet measured. He was so in love with his shoes that we took him back today for a pair of casual sandals (pics of that to come).



Wheee! Walking with Nana.



Getting more brave...



The day of the wedding, Aunt L came to visit and brought him a book of nursery rhymes. He loves books and was happy to sit and read with her.



Outside on the balcony, enjoying the nice weather. It went from freezing to gorgeous, just about overnight. Yay for sunshine and heat.



It was also a big day! Today we were celebrating Turtle and his Cousin A's first birthday parties! We got him dressed in his adorable first birthday shirt from etsy seller slice of lime designs and let him check out his balloons. He seemed to approve.



The "his & hers" cake cupcakes tiers. More artistic pictures can be seen here.



Our little family.



Cousin A checks out her first birthday candle.



Turtle is not exactly sure what to do with this cake. It's a little different from his last one.



Oh, wait... I remember this...



If I just break through this fondant stuff...



Ah-ha! Victory is mine!



Nom nom nom.



Do I have something on my face?



Daddy, that was so yummy. I love you.



A and her mom opening gifts. Such a beautiful birthday girl.



Turtle and Daddy open some gifts.



It was really a wonderful day. Thanks to all who came and made it perfect for A and Turtle. They had a great time and it was awesome getting to spend time with extended family.

Thanks again!

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Congratulations, L & T

On Friday afternoon, my beautiful cousin L married her husband T at a gorgeous ceremony. She was a gorgeous bride. Look at how proud my Uncle J is!



Mom and Dad at the church.



So, funny story. My mom was extremely excited about her dress. It was adorable and she had gotten it on sale for a significant discount. However, when she was trying it on at the store, the zipper on the size she needed was broken, so her DH went to to the rack to get another of the same size.

On the day of the wedding, we were getting dressed and mom asked me to zip her up. Well, the dress wasn't zipping. No way, no how. Of course, she was starting to get extremely upset and so I checked the dress size. Um. Well. Let's just say the dress she was trying to get into was 3 sizes smaller than what she was supposed to be wearing. Super.

There was panic. There was hysteria. There was a little bit of yelling. She got on the phone with JC Penney and explained what had happened. The woman who worked in the dress department found the proper size and said it would be waiting for my mother to exchange. She laughed. A lot.

The only problem was that we didn't have enough time to go to the mall before the church. My mom had a black sweater that she had for over the dress and this hid the fact that she was completely unzipped. We got in the car, went to the hotel to pick up my aunt and then made it to the church. She and Dad went to the mall between the ceremony and the reception and made the switch. Hilarious? Oh, hell yes!)

In the meantime, DH, Aunt L and I stopped at a bar a few blocks from the reception venue. Aunt L enjoyed a couple "Spring Break" drinks, which came complete with an assortment of toys. Fun!



At the venue, mom and the bride's lovely grandmother.



DH and I with the tulips.



Mom and Dad.



DH and Aunt L at the table.



Gorgeous Mother of the Bride, Beautiful Bride, Aunt L, Mom and me, all enjoying the wonderful party.



Cutting the cake.



Congratulations again, guys. We wish you every happiness in your new life together!

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Northern Road Trip - Part 2 (Turtle does DC)

On Sunday, we had gorgeous weather, so we decided to drive to DC for the day. This was great because a) the fresh air is just great for Turtle's sleeping and b) because in all the years I spent in the NE, I have never once set foot in Washington DC. I know. Crazy.

We got to the city around lunch time. On our way to the restaurant, we posed in front of the White House. I was absolutely in love with all the tulip gardens.



For lunch, we went to The Old Ebbitt Grill, Washington's oldest saloon. We had a bit of a wait, but it was worth it.

Aunt A entertained Turtle while we waited for our table.



Turtle got to enjoy his first hamburger in the atrium. Yum. My. He was a trooper through lunch, and never once fussed. Then we were ready for our walking tour of the Mall.



We headed to the Washington Monument. It was really beautiful to see with all the flags unfurled in the wind.



A much needed pit stop on our way to the Lincoln Memorial.



Beautiful view of the Memorial. There were tons of ducks and people just enjoying the day.



Turtle's cousins, watching the Reflecting Pond and the ducks.



Hai, President Lincoln!



Hai, everybody!



Mommy + landmarks = a good day.



When we got home that night, Turtle was treated to a delicious dinner of Aunt A's turkey meatballs and some cheese. This child loves his cheese. Loves it.



When he was finished, he was treated to his very first First Birthday Party. There were presents and cake and pointy hats. It was such a sweet thing for his aunt and uncle and cousins to do. We all appreciated it so much.

Turtle took his time with the wrapping paper. He got a great board book, an outfit, a wooden puzzle and...



... beach toys!



Yummy polka dot cake.



At first, he didn't get it. He wanted to dump his plate of cake off his highchair tray. Um. No. We don't dump our cake, silly boy!



Hmmm.... what's on my finger?



Oh, wait... this might be good...



Nom nom nom!



Happy Birthday to Turtle!



To be continued...

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Northern Road Trip - Part 1

Hello from the frosty northeast.

It is cold. It is dreary. It is certainly not what we are used to. But that's ok. We had a few nice days in NoVa, and the rest of the week should be nice as well. Thank goodness.

So, we started our drive on Thursday morning. Turtle was a superstar and was great in the car. He napped and chatted to himself and was really quite awesome.

Traffic, however, did not cooperate. There was horrendous congestion in North Carolina and it really put a dent in our travel time. By 9:30 at night, we were still about 3 hours from my brother-in-law's house, so we decided to get a room for the night.

Turtle was in heaven. It was past his bedtime (he had been sleeping in the car) and he got to bounce on a fluffy bed with a remote. He could not have been happier. It took him a little while to settle down in the new surroundings, but he finally laid down in his PNP and dozed off.



Turtle enjoyed practicing walking in the yard...



And hanging out in the soft grass...



And just chilling with his cousin...



We dropped the twins off at a birthday party and decided to enjoy the pretty day with a walk around an outdoor shopping center. Of course, Turtle had to wear his shades (and bring his mini cheerios box).



The flowers were so gorgeous.



The boys climbed the rock wall and REI. First, T went up. He reached the top in record speed.



H was a little tired from his lacrosse game that morning - it took him a little longer, but he made it.



And of course, we had to make chocolate cupcakes. I had some great helpers.



The twins, finishing dividing the batter.



More to come...

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