Fun family weekend

What a perfect weekend! The weather was awesome, and we got to spend lots of time together as a family.

Saturday morning we decided to try out our new backpacks and take Luke and Olivia for a hike up Crowder's Mountain. As we were getting them situated in their new "ride", one of the parts of my backpack broke. But we didn't let that deter us. We took the ribbons out of Olivia's hair to use as ties and temporarily fixed the problem. The hike started out great; they ate their snacks while we strolled along the gravel trail. After about 20 minutes though, Olivia became restless (no surprise there!) and asked to get down. And then she asked again, and again. So we decided to let her walk for a bit and explore her surroundings. Needless to say, our hike slowed to a crawl/nature hunt. Luke was content to just chill in his backpack and take in the scenery. We made it nowhere near the top of the mountain, but we had a fun time nonetheless.

Around noon we headed for my sister's house to celebrate my nephew's 9th birthday. We thought we would have to leave around 1pm for their usual naptime, but they were having such a good time playing we didn't leave until after 2:30pm. They fell asleep in the car on the way home and didn't wake up until after 4:30pm. Guess they were tuckered out from all of the cake, ice cream, and fresh air! Happy Birthday, Blake. We love you!!!

Once Luke and Olivia woke up from their naps, we gave them a quick bath so we could head to Freedom Park for a bit before dinner. They had so much fun exploring the new area, although at several times we thought Olivia might go for a swim with the ducks. She just couldn't get close enough for her liking. Luke loved to pick up the acorns and walk across this cool bridge. Around 7pm, we headed for Rusan's (a favorite of ours from Atlanta) so Luke and Olivia could have their first sushi experience. Let's just say it's a good thing I had PB&J as a backup! They wanted nothing to do with their california roll, but loved playing with the chopsticks.

One of the funniest points of the evening came when we were changing them into their pajamas. We knew they would fall asleep on the way home, so we brought their clothes to change into. Dan was changing Luke on the front seat, and let's just say his diaper was REALLY dirty. I got them into their carseats while Dan was cleaning up from the changing. He all of a sudden yells "oh no, poop. I just touched poop. Gross! It's on my hand...sanitizer...quick." I laughed so hard I almost cried.

This morning it was time to go to the pumpkin patch. We met some good friends and their son as well. When we got to Hodges Farm, they ran straight for the pumpkins (Olivia calls them cupcakes for some reason-so cute!) Then it was off to the petting zoo to see some pigs, goats (they called them sheep), and horses. After some running around time and a quick jump in the bouncy house, it was time for the hayride. They loved looking at the corn fields and trying to find all of the "cupcakes" in the field.

It was getting close to lunchtime so we decided to stop at another of our favorites from Atlanta-Taco Mac. They had fun watching the football games, and Luke just kept saying "ball" over again. Adorable! Naptime again and then we took them to the park so Dan and I could stop by and see one of the cutest newborns ever, baby Milo. Congrats again Sabrina and Marc-he is just adorable! Hard to believe Luke and Olivia were that size just under 2 years ago. Wow!

It truly was a fantastic weekend and it makes me love my wonderful family even more.

Olivia's pigtails

Olivia's hair is finally long enough to put in pigtails, and it really makes her look like such a little girl. Our baby girl is certainly growing up.

Ah Fall!

Cooler weather is finally here and I'm so excited. This is by far my favorite time of year and I love that Luke, Olivia and I get to spend so much time outside. We have been spending lots of time at the playground and in our yard. Last night it was cool enough to put them in their footed pajamas, and they were so cute in them!

Unfortunately Luke and Olivia have had a cold for the past few days, but I think they are getting a little better. I think they may have inherited Dan's allergies, although they can't technically get diagnosed until they are 2. Thanks goodness for humidifiers.

Here's hoping the cool, but not cold, weather lasts for awhile!

Happy 8th Anniversary

Another year has passed and today Dan and I celebrate another wonderful year of marriage. Even though we are more settled than we were this time last year, it seems like this past year has gone by even quicker. Unfortunately Dan has to travel this week but we hope to make it to dinner sometime soon to celebrate.

Happy Anniversary, babe. We certainly aren't perfect, but we are perfect for each other!

Wuv Ewe

Last night Dan and I were putting Luke and Olivia to bed. It's was Dan's night to put Luke in bed, so I was giving him his good night kisses and telling him I love him before I took Olivia to her room. He looked at me, smiled and said "wuv ewe." I almost cried...sweetest words ever (along with momma and dadda)! Then we said it again and he said it again. He did it again tonight, and it is so cute. Luke-what a lil' sweetheart!

Fun times with mommy and daddy

Here is a pic of Luke, Olivia and me at Latta Plantation and of Dan and Luke at our neighborhood playground:

A new career

It's hard to believe I am already starting to think about Luke and Olivia's 2nd birthday. Didn't we just have their first birthday last week?

It's also time for me to start thinking about what I want to do regarding returning to work. I have been beyond blessed to be able to stay home these past (almost) 22 months with L and O. Initially, I was going to stay home for about 2 years and return to sales. However, after much discussion, we decided it would be best if I did something that didn't require travel. Dan has to travel so much for his job, and there is a chance we would need to be gone at the same time. This possibility just wasn't a good option for our family.

Plan B. I have thought for months and months about what I would like to do, and I considered several different options. Meanwhile, I was becoming very passionate about something that initially started as a hobby-photography. Not long after Luke and Olivia were born, we got a DSLR camera and I got interested in taking pictures. With my two adorable subjects, there was always a great photo op waiting! I took a few classes and spent countless hours photographing objects in different lighting, etc.

To make a long story short, my new career is born:
www.threelovesphotography.com

For me and our family, it's the perfect career for me. It allows me to be creative, meet lots of great people, use my mind, work flexible hours, and best of all...do something I absolutely love! I still have so much to learn, but it has been fun so far. I hope to try it for a few years, and once Luke and Olivia start school we will reevaluate things and see what lies ahead. Until then, say "cheese" =)

Fun with Oma and Opa

This past weekend we went to Oma and Opa's time share at Lake Hartwell, which is at the border of the SC/GA state line. We left Friday night around 8pm, just in time for Luke and Olivia to go to sleep. Our hopes were we could make the 2 1/2 hr drive without stopping. Thankfully Oma and Opa had the pack n plays all set up for our arrival, so we when got there around 10:30pm all we had to do was unload a few bags and put the babies right in bed. Smooth sailing!

Saturday we went to a huge flea market called the Jockey Lot in Anderson, SC. We enjoyed walking around and the babies loved checking out all of the junk for sale. After lunch and naps, Dan and I went to the outdoor pool. Luke had fun pouring water out of his mustard bottle while Olivia preferred to jump into the water. Dan's favorite game was "let's see how high L and O can fly." As you can see in the pics, they got some air! Sunday was pretty low key and included an ant following field trip around the trails. Monday and Tuesday Dan, Opa, and myself played golf (9 holes Monday and 18 on Tuesday) while Oma watched Luke and Olivia. After naps (daddy included), we either swam in the indoor pool, played at the outdoor playground, or went on more field trips that included lots of bug following. We were going to come home Tuesday night, but didn't get the car packed in time.

Wednesday morning we all got up pretty early and got the car loaded. There was another flea market on the way out of town, so we all stopped by there for awhile. It was pretty interesting because the stroller was packed. Luke and Olivia were troopers and walked/were carried for almost 3 hours. Olivia did LOTS of walking and I know her little legs were worn out. After a quick lunch, we headed for home while L and O napped in the car. As you can see in the pictures, they were both happy to be home and back in their chairs.

A whole new world

The time has finally come to turn Luke and Olivia's carseats into their forward facing position. We have been waiting until Olivia hit 20 pounds (she is barely there),and thought we would wait until their 2nd birthday before we turned them. But we noticed lately Luke is getting just a little too tall to be rear facing anymore, and we weren't about to turn one carseat and not the other!

Wow, what a whole new world...for them and for us! We can now talk about stoplights and oncoming traffic. They seem to be a lot happier with their new viewpoint, and I love being able to communicate with them easier. It's also lots easier to hand them a dropped toy, but only when the car is fully stopped, of course! =)

Before:




After pics soon.....