Party Season

Oh the Christmas memories!

Tis the season for partying!  We had my grandma's annual Christmas party a few weeks ago.  We get a homecooked family style meal at the local grange and Santa comes.  D did NOT like Santa, but he did love to be with his cousins and ran around nonstop.  I helped my Aunt prep for a party she was throwing.  I didn't attend the party but I did get to lick the spoon for the icing.  It is always good to have time to go home for the weekend.

Last weekend we celebrated the belated birthday of my Pearl Harbor born SIL.  (I also have a high school friend with the same birthday, which I always remember if no one elses!)  My BIL planned for dinner and bowling to celebrate Missy.  Her friend threw her the most BEAUTIFUL surprise birthday dinner before we went bowling.  They had an amazing older home, with all the beams, built-ins, and big wood work that makes me swoon.  It was literally the nicest dinner party I've ever been to.  Beautiful decorations with antique accents.  I've got to step it up, before I host Christmas Eve tomorrow.  We followed supper with some silly bowling and after hours at our house.  (Good thing I stuck to my Thursday night cleaning routine!)  It was a great night for a great lady.

Party nails!

Sadly due to our first big snow Friday night it cancelled our friend's holiday party.  When D and I stepped outside of daycare he said, "ew gross" at the sight of the white stuff.  He seemed to enjoy the snow when we got home, but it was short lived when his hand got too cold.  Even though we were looking forward to the party it was nice to sit at home, dine on Five Guys and catch up on the DVR.  I even got holiday party nails done with an accent color, which left Andy not only confused but disappointed.  That's what I get for trying to be hip.  My weekend has been filled with helping all the late shoppers at the store and getting ready for some Christmas family time.

Merry Christmas to all!  

Fall Review

I realize there are still a few weeks left of fall but there is too much to go over!  We started off the fall at my Aunt's Halloween party.  She did an amazing job transforming her house into the Adams Family house.  We went as Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach.  I am already planning our group outfits for next year.

Shelly got all (but one) of her bridesmaids together to go dress shopping.  Our Houston family was home so Kim (Andy's oldest sis) got to come too.  This is my first time being a bridesmaid.  We went to this adorable little bridal shop, Perfect Bride.  With seven opinions and multiple dresses it made for an interesting day!  You really learn a lot about one another's taste when you try on dresses together.  You'll have to wait to see the final product but I am happy to announce it was my favorite dress of the day!  Afterwords we ate at my new favorite restaurant Joe's.  Andy's mom knows the amazing owners and we were treated like queens!  (Very fitting since we had just tried on 100 gowns.) I never liked tabbulee, here I just never had good tabbulee, theirs is amazing.  I highly suggest it if you are ever in Rocky River.

Celebrating D's birthday ended up being a week long celebration, very similar to mine during my college days.  With the election and lack of energy we had we opted not to throw him a big party like last year.  We celebrated with Andy's family Sunday since his Papa's birthday is the day after his, we had our own mini party for him on his birthday and then celebrated with my side of the family the next week.  I only had the one candle left over from his party last year, my BIL told me just light it twice!

For our anniversary my parent's stayed with D while we went downtown to D.B.A.  It was all sorts of deliciousness.  A favorite chef of ours that I use to work with works there, we love his food so this place was on the top of our list to try.  Great food, great service and Andy is still talking about the duck he had.

Recently I bought a new vacuum on my lunch hour.  I must admit it was one of the most exciting things I've done in a while.  The salesman was part Uncle Leo, part Ed Grimley.  His dad owned the store before him, been in business over 50 years, it just warmed my heart.  He was so passionate about this Fuller Brush I bought it on the spot!  I could not wait to get home to use it.  Sweeping is one of D's favorite chores, he shared in my excitement by giving a, "Woo woo" when I brought it in the house.  Andy's sister also added a new addition to her house our new niece, Landry Shae.  We had a wonderful thanksgiving and have so much to be thankful for.  Hope you had a great thanksgiving, now bring on Christmas!!  

D takes blowing out candles seriously...

Look who's 2!

The deuce!  I can't hardly believe that my little man is 2 today.  With the election just a few weeks away I've had to take a moment to step back and realize I now have a 2 year old, will be married for 6 years to my soon to be 31 year old husband all before November 6.  I've got a busy couple weeks before this election is over!  In the fall being a campaign volunteer and an employee at William-Sonoma when the gravy and cider are flowing things can get crazy busy.

In between lit dropping (that's campaign talk for stuffing paper boxes with campaign literature - you're welcome county residents!) and heading to work at the store I squeezed in a trip to the park with D on what I am assuming might be one of our last nice fall days.  We ran into his pediatrician.  I had a master plan of not going back to the doctor until his 2 year appointment.  His first year at the doctors went great.  That one year appointment and all of those shots sent him over the edge.  He cries when they call his name and then for the REST of the appointment.  I even bought him a doctor kit to take with us, it did not help, except for his cuteness being in just a diaper wearing a fake stethoscope while screaming.  After his 18 month I thought we can make it until his 2 year without a trip to the doctors erasing every horrible memory he every had!  One good look at his doctor at the playground and the tears started to flow two weeks before his appointment.  Almost 6 months and he still remembers!  This is just one of the many eye opening moments I've had as a mama of a now toddler.  Here are a few more interesting tidbits:

1. He is very tech savvy, hide yo iphones and computers.

 

2.  He's a lot smarter than we think.  He's always been fascinated with this family picture from his first opening day (this is a picture of him admiring it in January).  The other day when he looked at it he started naming people: Papa,
his favorite Uncle Mike, Lala, then looks at me and says, "Where's Pat?"
Sure enough my future brother-in-law was NOT in the picture!

3.  I now go grocery shopping at night...like late.  It is so quiet, the deli lady
seems a little more chatty but it's totally worth it.  Sadly one night my zen like
experience was ruined by a father and his 4 kids picking up some late night lunchables.

4.  24 months is the last size of the onesies and adorable
little matchy outfits with stuff on the butt - I am so sad!
Not only does he dress like a little man now, but without the
onesies he can be naked within minutes of being left alone.

5. A night out is super important!  My sweet manager took me out for a drink after work the other night.  I am sure I was talking nonstop since I didn't have to shout or be interrupted by the little guy.  It was so refreshing it felt like someone hit my reset button.  It was awesome!  Andy and I are much looking forward to going out for our anniversary in a couple weeks.  

6.  Thursday night is now my cleaning night.  The first week I tried it I was so excited that I didn't have to worry about cleaning my house all weekend I could hardly sleep!  I highly suggest it.  

Happy birthday sweet D!

Summer Recap

We started off with one of our favorite summer events — a golf outing with my BIL and SIL.  Mike even brought his "block rocker" this year taking it to the next level by announcing play by plays and singing karaoke in between holes.

Father's Day 

4th of July trip to Lancaster 

Talked with my neighbor a little too long.

The Doyle Wedding!

Snack time on the campaign trail 

Working for an elected official = campaigning.  D is not taking this campaign lightly.  He's attending campaign meetings, parades, and lit drops.  He (and his dada) have been troopers, workin' hard for his mama and the Judge.  We may have a future politician on our hands.

         Happy Fall Y'all!

Hay Ride at Canal Days

Baseball and bubbles, there is nothin' better.

A Sunday Kind of Love

  

I am loving Sundays lately!  Two weeks ago we celebrated my SIL's birthday at Gervasi's in Canton.  Beautiful, breathtaking, amazing, I don't know how else to describe it but by saying "go right now!"  You will not be disappointed.  It is great something like that is so close.  We ate pizzas and paninis at The Piazza.  After lunch we walked around trying to get a handle on what all this place has to offer.  We were easily sold.  Andy opted to golf instead so I already have a reason to have to go back.

Then last Sunday my Judge gave us tickets to the Memphis Kiddie Park in Brooklyn.  He said he loved taking his children there and it is a must for a toddler.  It was a tiny little amusement park for little ones!  No admission fee, all rides D could ride by himself, mini golf and a train we could ride with him.  It was perfect!  D's smile in our pictures tell you it was a success.  What an inexpensive way to wear your kid out and is fun for the whole family!  The first ride he was slightly confused even with Andy and I cheering like crazy people didn't help every time he flew by us.  We are already planning when we could come up next and to bring our friends and family.  After we went to Melt to enjoy a grilled cheese, it was another Man vs Food stop.  Today I am attempting to make Andy's great-grandmother's chocolate cake.  I'll let you know how it goes...

                 

Loved ringing the bell!

D gave this guy a high 5 every trip around!

The Silly Jeeps were his favorite

D couldn't wait.  (Note chubby hand sneaking in.)

Happy Sunday and Happy Labor Day!

Hollow what?

My great grandparents outside the cottage

The same cottage (2008)

Hollow Rock, it's a place in the boonies on the border of West Virginia that holds a very special place in my heart.  I am proud to say at almost 30 years old and I still go to church camp.  The oldest church camp in America to be exact.  It's held the same time and filled with the same familiar faces year after year.  My close knit group is mostly made up of kids whose parents attended camp as kids.  My dad went with his cousins and my little great grandma  and stayed in our family cottage.  (Which by the way has a prime time location right next to the cafeteria.)  I was sent down to stay with my great aunt and uncle, my dad's sister and a handful of cousins when I was 6.  Discovering I had cousins all over from Georgia to Washington, if not for camp I would not know these out of state relatives even existed!  It was amazing the relationships I was able to build only seeing these people 10 days out of the year.  The Internet, Facebook and getting my license helped fill the void throughout the rest of the year.  To put it in perspective just of how long I've been going, we use to send letters through the mail.  My younger years involved bible study, waiting for nickel ice cream day and dodge ball, the teenage years were filled with activities with the youth group, and as an adult my few days consist of a lot of porch sitting and eating.  Andy's first summer out of baseball I begged him to go and he complained most of the ride down.  He couldn't wrap his head around that there was no AC or TV, we just sit around on a porch all day and go to church service.  It's a good thing my Uncle Bill has a radio so we can at least keep up with the Indians.  One slawdog day and he was hooked.  It makes my heart so happy that he looks forward to going.  This year we took D with us.  Our friends had twins and we were thankful her parent's had baby proofed their porch.  We were able to catch up carefree without the fear of D escaping off the porch.  You may grow up but Hollow Rock never does.  Bring on the next generation of Hollow Rockers!

My Aunt Sally - The First Lady
(My uncle is the president)

D outside the cafeteria 

Andy sliding down Cooper with the youth (2009)

Proof of just how long I've been going

Next to the 80 year old fridge

D's first slaw dog

It use to be just me and Alison for these yearly photos

The scenery for most the trip, truly God's country

Happy Birthday Mom!

Decor - Everything bright!
We figure this is not a welcomed birthday
so we made it as cheery as possible

My mom turns the big 6-0 today as I am sure she is thrilled I am putting it out here for the world to know.  We hosted a surprise birthday party for her at my Aunt's house that her and her husband built out at my grandparent's farm.  Their house looks like something out of Southern Living, so when she offered it up I jumped at the chance to use it as the location for mom's bash.  It took weeks of planning, emails and secret meetings to pull this off without my mother's knowledge.  D almost blew our cover during a covert stop at my grandparent's, mom called my grandpa and D insisted on following him around the house.  It worked out well that she had to work this weekend leaving me to go out to my Aunt's at least 20x's.  Once even to help set brush on fire that ended up resembling an explosion after my Aunt (and her bucket of gas) were done with it.  How to get her to the party was the hardest thing to come up with, so I decided to kept it simple, "We are celebrating your birthday tonight, be ready by 5."  As Andy and I left, she yelled, "Does dad know where we're going??"  Upon arrival in true Bonnie form she shed some tears as she hugged and greeted the close friends and family we had invited.  It was a great night with good food (thanks to Andy on the grill) and good company.  I am blessed to come from such a hardworking family, it was much easier to pull this off with all of their help.  I was able to sneak down and put up a birthday message for her on our town's board that she is in charge of.  Only being yelled at a few times during the 5 minutes it took me to change it, that's proof of how small my hometown is.  It was an amazing party for an amazing woman.  She has dedicated her life to her family and keeping the town she loves looking imacculate.  She deserves everything she wants and more.  Happy birthday mom!

D's stranger danger was at its peak!

There was even a parachute motor thing that flew over!

Sisters

The grill master and his mama