Cox Farms

At long last.... it's pumpkin time, one of my favorite times of year. We headed over to Cox Farms on opening weekend and enjoyed the beautiful weather, the slides and hayride with several friends... the Hills, the Korsvalls and the Roses. It just wouldn't be fall without a trip to Cox Farms.

Andrew in a Dress?

Yes, that is Andrew in a dress, but it's a special dress. It was his great grandmother's (Lorraine Vaughan) christening gown. Isn't he cute? On another note, we discovered today that Andrew has 2 teeth on the bottom. You can barely see them, but you can definitely feel them!

Friends, Fun & Frames

As if life wasn't busy enough for the three of us, Erin, Wendy and I decided to start a craft business called Pink Pineapple Studio. We debuted our cute picture frames last Saturday at the Claude Moore Autumn Faire.

Although the weather was not very cooperative, it was a good day and we were very pleased with our sales and overall feedback. Special thanks to several friends who came out to support us at our first fair! And an extra special thanks to all of our wonderful husbands who took care of the kids that day, and also for ALL of their encouragement and support the last few weeks in helping to establish Pink Pineapple Studio and our first set of inventory.

Check out our website (http://www.pinkpineapplestudio.com) for more information about our upcoming fairs. The next one will be on November 14th in Centreville. Hope to see you there!

A Ride on the "Party" Boat

At long last... here are the last few posts from our trip to Deep Creek Lake (or as Nathan says, "Deep Creep Lake").

After getting our feet wet (so to speak) on the dock and the beach, we were ready to get out and explore the open waters of Deep Creek Lake. Uncle Ryan (Dan's brother) was the captain of our merry crew, and he led us on an exciting tour of the entire lake - from Deep Creek Dam at one end to Wisp Ski Resort on the other.

Nathan had been talking for weeks about riding on a "Party Boat" at "Deek Creep Lake." Little did he know that, with Uncle Ryan's help, he would have a chance to drive!

Grandad and Isabelle enjoyed cruising together at the front of the boat ...

... and Grandma and the boys (Nathan and Carter) had fun staying warm (as the breeze made the cool air just a bit colder) in the rear.

Mommy and baby had a great time together as Andrew was decked out in his favorite sailing gear. It's a good thing Grandma makes such comfy sweaters and hats ... who knew they would come in so handy in the beginning of September?!

Hiking at Swallow Falls State Park

One morning, the weather was particularly cool and damp. With three energetic kids in the house, and no one volunteering to lead the charge down to the lake, we quickly discovered that we needed an alternate plan. Fortunately, about 5 minutes down the road from our house is a beautiful State Park with plenty of trails, gorgeous views and multiple waterfalls. Andrew had the easiest "hike" of all. After about 25 minutes of climbing up-and-down, Dan asked if anyone brought the XXXXL - Adult size Baby Bjorn to carry him.

Nathan and Carter had a great time climbing on all the big rocks and were very happy to let us snap a picture of their genuine smiles!

A giant rock wall lined much of the path. In one place, a massive overhang provided an opportunity for the brave hikers to explore.

The hike was beautiful start-to-finish, but the main attractions were the rocky overlooks of Swallow Falls and Muddy Creek Falls. They both gave us a chance to enjoy the view, catch our breath ... and of course, give the kids a snack.

Photo opportunities provided a great opportunity to rest - which made everyone happy ... except Andrew!

Splashing in the Lake

While spending time at Deep Creek Lake, we had lots of fun on the dock with family. Given the very cool temperature, only the bravest actually got wet ... thanks for taking one for the team, Grandad! Nathan and his cousins, Carter and Isabelle, loved running on the beach, splashing around with their water toys and even more ...

Nathan loved launching to Grandad from the big trampoline. He also had a ball being "scared" when he was lounging on the top and Grandad would pretend to be a monster splashing water underneath!

Monkey see, monkey do - Nathan wanted to be just like Grandad in his inner tube!

What a difference a year makes: Last year, Nathan would not even think about getting his face wet - this year he at least entertained the idea of looking beneath the water (although I think the concept of goggles may take a little getting used to)!

Cousins Construction Crew

Dan's parents are building a new house at Deep Creek Lake. We can't wait for it to be finished. While we were here, they installed the windows and the roofing work should begin next week. Nathan and his cousins, Carter and Isabelle, put on their construction gear and tried to help move things along.

Brothers

Just wanted to share two cute pictures of the boys from our trip to Deep Creek Lake.

Andrew at 4 months

It's hard to believe that our baby boy is already four months old. I took him to the doctor for his 4 month check-up and Andrew weighed in at just over 15 pounds and 26 inches long. Andrew is really full of smiles these days and is starting to sleep through night with some consistency (a couple times of week), which is fabulous. On Wednesday, 9/9 he rolled over for the first time from his back to his stomach, but he wasn't a big fan. He is also starting to enjoy some time in the exersaucer.
Unlike Nathan, Andrew likes to soothe himself with sucking. He has pretty much abandoned the pacifier for his fingers. He prefers at least two fingers, but sometimes three and never the thumb. And you can always count on Andrews hair to be sticking up!

The Pirates of Deep Creek Lake

Ooo..... what's this?


During a walk along the shore of Deep Creek Lake, Carter found a bottle. Inside was a note from Captain Bluebelly of the Royal Rose. Apparently he and the rest of the pirates on his ship hid lots of treasure around the lake. The note proceeded to lead us on a treasure hunt full of fun pirate gear and yummy treats!

The Mountain Coaster

During our trip to Deep Creek Lake, we drove over to Wisp Resort and enjoyed several rides on the Mountain Coaster. Nathan loves it and was very sad when we left after only two rides. You can guarantee that we'll be back!

The Vaughans take over Deep Creek Lake

We spent the week of labor day at Deep Creek Lake in Maryland with Dan's family. His parents are currently building a new house, so they rented another house two doors down the street.

We were hoping to spend lots of time in the water, but the weather was a lot cooler than expected. It actually feels like we left summer in Virginia and drove into autumn in Maryland. Despite the cool weather, we had a really fun trip with lots of different adventures (you'll be seeing several postings from this trip). One of our first adventures was a trip to Black Water Falls in West Virginia.