Home again, home again, jiggity jog.

We made it to Grandma and Papa's and back safe and sound despite a lot if wind and rain from Fay the hurricane. Audrey had a great time, and so did I. Here are several pictures to show you all the fun things we did.We got to bake cookies...


We read books with Tia and Ana....

We tortured the cat...
We soaked up some salty air...
We fished, but they weren't biting...
So we tried to catch some minnows with a net. No minnows, but we did get a hermit crab and some teeny tiny crabs...
We drove a boat all by ourselves (at the Jr. Museum)...
We played musical instruments from countries I've never heard of with Ana and Isabel...
We put on a grand puppet show with creatures from the ocean...
We rode a fire truck to a huge fire and rescued a family...
We goofed around a lot...
We went to the bouncy place and even got Grandma to go down the slide!
I went really fast down the slide!!!

Over the river and through the woods.....to Grandma and Papa's we go.

We have been talking about going to Grandma and Papa's for a few weeks now (my mistake for mentioning it early). I should have just waited until the morning of so I would not have to continue to re-explain "two weeks", "next week", and Friday to her, but now the time has come and we are getting packed. I told Audrey today we needed to pack so she immediately started hunting for the suitcase and packed all of the things she feels are essential. As you can see, neither of us will be wearing much as the contents of the suitcase are 95% dolls and stuffed animals.Audrey is very excited about going to the airport in the morning and very concerned that she has at least one baby doll in her backpack! It's going to be a great trip filled with swimming, fishing, the zoo, the beach, the boat, and of course cousins!!
Here are a few extra pictures of Audrey goofing around while I tried to pack actual clothing in the suitcase.

Snuggle buddies

Audrey has always had a special fascination for Bailey Cat. She learned to crawl by chasing Bailey around the house and her first word other than Mama and Dada was "kittycat." Bailey is wise in the ways of toddler hood now and is a little harder to find when Audrey is looking for her, but they still manage to cuddle together from time to time. Here's a picture from when Audrey was 6 months old and one from today.

Life as we know it...

Is going to change! Audrey is very excited to announce that she is going to be a big sister in late March /early April. We are all very excited and realize that things are going to change!! Of course Audrey does not understand the full scope of it all, but she thinks other people's baby sisters and baby brothers are pretty neat and has wanted one of her own for awhile now. Last year Audrey asked for a baby sister in her Easter basket and this year she just might get one!

The little fountain

It may not exactly be a fountain, but Audrey has been calling the sprinkler our little fountain and it manages to keep her cool no matter what you call it. Here are a few pictures of her enjoying the mist on a hot August afternoon.

Celebrity sighting...

Well, it was curious George, but to a room full of toddlers he might as well be a rockstar!!! At story time today we listened to a Curious George book and then the monkey himself made an appearance!! Audrey was so excited she was shaking and got to shake his hand and pet his soft fur. It was definitely the highlight of the week! I forgot my camera of course, so we'll all have to settle for the cell phone shot.

Beach Reunion

Here are a few pictures from our Beach Reunion. Audrey had a wonderful time swimming and digging in the sand and chasing the seagulls and spending time with her doting family. Dad did a great job keeping her from drowning and getting sunburned as Mom was home sick and absent from the reunion.

Our Family

Here is the latest of our family pictures. I don't think we've managed to get one all together since Christmas. We had to leave the dogs out of this one because they're just a little too excitable to pose. We took these pictures at UNCC Botanical Gardens.

When did she get so grown up?

All of a sudden Audrey looks like such a big girl. I love this picture.

Lake Titus (AKA "Camp") Adventures

The family took our annual trip to Camp on Lake Titus in Malone, NY this year to spend time with family and attend a fabulous wedding. Audrey had a ball every second of the trip. (Except for the 30 hours in the car). She went fishing, swimming, mountain climbing, and danced like I've never seen anyone dance before. Seriously, where did the kid get those moves?!?!? Audrey got to spend time with many generations of her family and her dog brother's family. I have a ton more pictures that I'll send the link to Ofoto if you are interested.

He loves me, he loves me not

Audrey and her two boyfriends of the day picked flowers for each other today at the park. It looks like Audrey is playing "he loves me, he loves me not," but we know that they both love her!

Ice Princess

Audrey went ice skating for the first time today. She was sooo excited and was ready to hit the ice with our without our help. She didn't get too far on her own, but had a lot of spunk and a really good time!

Slpashing around...

Audrey had a great time beating the heat today (and almost every day) with our neighbor who has become one of Audrey's favorite people.

Carousel Ride

Audrey had a great time today riding the carousel at the mall. Not the most exciting day we've ever had, but it kept us out of the heat for a little while.

The Princess and the Nugget

We had the pleasure of attending "Princess Night" at chick fil a a few weeks ago and Audrey, um, I mean, Belle had a grand time. She got the royal treatment including a crown, wand, painted fingernails, balloon animal, and an opportunity to sit on the throne. According to Audrey it's the treatment she always deserves.

Streaker

It's a wonder the shirt stayed on long enough to get a picture. Our neighbor gave Audrey this shirt as they are more than aware the she likes to be naked....all the time.

Stay off the road

Audrey is driving without a license. Somehow Audrey stumbled on a Barbie Jeep and is terrorizing the neighborhood with her driving skills, or lack thereof. Despite her lack of direction, she's having a great time!!!

Grandma's Girls

Audrey is in FL right now at Grandma and Papa's while mom and dad enjoy a little time away in San Francisco. Audrey clearly is having a great time with her cousins Ana and Isabel and probably doesn't miss us a bit!

Self Portrait

This picture is so darn cute to me. Audrey has so much fun painting and drawing pictures of Mommy, Daddy, Ridley, Murphy, Bailey Cat, and all of her friends and family. She ran out of paper and decided to paint herself today.

Ok, ok, so most of you probably don't even remember that I started a blog, but that's ok because i didn't do a whole lot with it. I promise I'm going to get it together this time and keep you all updated on our lives. As soon as I get the darned iphoto fixed you'll all be refreshed with our recent activities!