Fun with Food

Recently, Andrew seems to show a lot of interest in our food. So we decided to give rice cereal a try. As expected, most of the cereal ended up on his chin and bib, and not in his mouth.

Flash forward approximately 3 years ...... most of the cupcake did make it in Nathan's mouth, but a lot still ended up on his face.

The End of the Season

On Wednesday afternoon, Dan & Nathan and Eric & Emilia headed into DC to cheer on the Nationals for their last home game for the 2009 season. The only thing more exciting to Nathan than the walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth, was discovering just how much he loves Cracker Jacks!

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!