Summer Olympics 2012

6 Days and Counting...

Birthday Dinner

Yesterday was my nephew's birthday. Baby Girl got all dressed up for the event. She even wore ruffles on her socks. She has good taste. :)  It was so much fun to see the family and celebrate together.

It's so sweet to see how much she is loved.  She can (and did) cry her little self into a tizzy and still have everyone going gaga over her. I guess I can't say much.  She has my total attention too.

Cousin time.

Below: I think Chase liked his presents. He made these faces for real, but then he was willing to pose each of them for me again so I could get my pics.  He thinks it's funny to make "silly face" shots, and I love it.  He is so funny.  If you can't tell, he's a bit of a ham!  

Our dinner came with a dessert so Hubs and I shared tiramisu. Yum!  For a second, I thought I was in "No Reservations" (except that we weren't eating it out of a plastic tupperware container).  

It has been fun to start trying to do things and get out again with our new baby girl.  It wears her out, but she is very determined to not sleep when she doesn't want to.  So we had a fun time with the vacuum running to calm her down when we got home.  Once we put her to bed, she woke up still a little hungry and ready to talk her sweet babble talk... melts my heart. I just rocked her and cherished the moment knowing that no picture or video can capture such sweetness.

Above: Baby Girl cashed out from her outing before we put her to bed.

Wedding Vows Renewed

My dear friend from high school renewed her wedding vows with her husband this past weekend. It was such a special event.  Her husband is from Venezuela, and they met while on a mission trip.  They were married 10 years ago in Venezuela, and I wasn't able to go to the wedding.  I don't think anyone from the States besides her family was there.  So that is partially why she wanted to have a "wedding" here.  I so wanted to be there for her this time for her special event.  And it was simple and yet stunning.  She looked beautiful, and their three darling children walked down the aisle with them.  It was such a special time for everyone to be able to celebrate their family.

Above: Sara and Camilo on their wedding day, July 14, 2002.

Below: Sara and Camilo at their wedding renewal ceremony, July 14, 2012.

Below: Their three wonderful children, Landon, Kyle and Adriana. They have the sweetest hearts.

Above: The guests arriving and the entrance.

Above: All of the guests put their thumbprint on the tree and signed it. 

Above: Sara and her daughter had up do's for the event. Gorgeous!

 

Walking down the aisle as a family and then reciting vows. Camilo also played guitar and sang a song for Sara that he sang on their mission trip where they met.

Now it's time to par-tay!!

Above: Yum!! Chocolate covered strawberries!

Below: The cake.  The "sand" is crushed graham crackers and sea salt.

  

Above: Cutting the cake!

It was such a fun event, and I loved getting to see everyone.  Sadly, too much time passes between when I get to see these dear friends.  As Camilo says, we need to stop saying we'll plan something and put it on the calendar.  That is so true. 

Below:

Sweethearts.

3 Months and Growing!

It's hard to believe Baby Girl is already 3 months old.  I love that she is able to be awake for longer periods of time so we can play and talk more.  She is able to entertain herself and loves her stuffed animal friends.  She can even fall asleep on her own sometimes when we lay her down for nap time.  I think my favorite "new" thing is that she not only smiles but also laughs when you talk to her.  That melts my heart. 

Empty Nester

I have had a strange group of friends visit our flower beds this summer. I assume they're partially closer to the house due to the drought and searching for food. We had a deer eat our hostas, a toad living in the courtyard and several humming birds busy at the feeder all summer. Oh, and there was a mallard couple that waddled through our yard several times this spring, which I loved.  I miss the ducks.

But the timing of the sparrow couldn't have been better. She came and built her nest in my hanging basket, which I got for Mother's Day.

At first, I was a little annoyed because well, "How am I supposed to water my flowers?" But then, I noticed the nest had eggs, and it wasn't long before they hatched. Once there were baby birds living in the basket, I quit watering the plant in hopes it and the birdies would survive.

I have tried to take a picture several times without disturbing the baby birdies, but I could never get close enough. The flowers truly were good coverage.

It was amazing how quickly, they went from hatched babelets to little birds hopping about in the hanging basket. To my surprise, they had already moved out by today.  They were so active and fun to watch for that short period.  And now there is just a nest left, and the momma bird doesn't chirp at me to go away whenever I walk by the flower basket.

There is no amazing morale to the story. Just that, as a new mom, it turns out, I was proud to watch out for them for a little bit.

Only 88 degrees

You know it's been an extremely hot summer when you say, "only 88 degrees." I can tell I've been inside a little too much last month. I found myself saying that the weather was so nice on July 4th! I guess I had just gotten out of the pool, but still, the words were already out before I realized it.
All of that to say that baby girl and I got out for a walk today. What a blessing. We are loving going out with her stroller around the block. Bring on more of this "cool" weather. :)

Hot Mama

The Hubs and I went on our first DATE since becoming parents.  This is huge since I have barely breathed the air outside of my house in the past couple of months.  It was great being out just the two of us.

While on our outing, we came across a fun place that I think will become a new love for me.  It's a boutique at the Keystone Fashion Mall called "Hot Mama."  It might even take the place of Ann Taylor LOFT.... seriously.

The salesperson was uber nice, and the clothes were exactly the style I wish I was. My hope is to one day, piece by piece, get there.  Anyway, it seemed like the perfect place to tell my stylish friends about. The reason it's called Hot Mama is because they help moms discover what fits their body best after pregnancy. There are toys for the tots to play with while you shop, and they have drinks to enjoy.

Plus, they host Girls' Time Out parties. They supply the treats and drinks. You bring your friends. It's an after hours party, and everyone gets a 15% discount on purchases that night.  It sounds like the perfect blend of hosting a party (without having to stress over snacks and house cleaning) and girls shopping (except you have the store to yourself!).  So, someday, you may see an invite to a fun gals night to Hot Mama from me.  It might not be for a little bit, but still, be on the look out.