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Jack and I were both under the weather for most of the weekend, but now that we are feeling better we have been playing in the back yard & enjoying the beautiful weather. Evan bounces between his quad, the wading pool, and the swing set.
Jack turned 14 months on Sunday, and is still as cute as can be. He is super talkative, and loves to say "na no", "pup pup", "ball", and "uh oh". He adores Evan, and they have started playing together a lot during the day.
Have a wonderful Thursday, friends.
xoxo,
Erin.
Good Books. I usually read more during the summer months, and this year is no exception. Right now I'm reading Bright Lights, Big Ass by Jen Lancaster. It's definitely chick lit, but super funny & should be a quick read. I have another Jen Lancaster book, and a Jodi Picoult book on my to-do list for this summer as well.Outdoor Photography. I love his hat and toothy grin :-)
Jack @ 13 months.
Baseball. When the DirecTV installer told me I could get the Mariner's games in Ohio, I was thrilled. There are a few drawbacks, though: 1.) Most of the games start at 7pm pacific time, which is 10pm eastern time (good thing I'm a night owl). 2.) Mark probably thought he was escaping my Mariner's obsession when we moved across the country. Little did he know! 3.) The Mariners aren't very good this year.
BBQ. I love it when Mark barbecues during the summer. It means I don't have to cook (except to marinade the meat), and Mark is really good at barbecuing, so it's always yummy. Home Improvement Projects. Mark assembled this collage above our kitchen table & I love it. Ali Edwards posted a photo collage from her baby's nursery awhile back, and I knew I wanted to do something similar when we moved. Two of the photos were taken by Terri Beloit Photography, but the rest are mine.
Flowers. I am not as comfortable with nature photography as I am taking pictures of people, but I couldn't resist snapping a picture of this beautiful hydrangea when we were at King's Island two weeks ago. 
Visitors. Evan was so, so sad when Abby had to fly home a few weeks ago. Ev loved having her here for 8 days & asks us regularly when we are flying to Grandma and Grandpa's house to see her again.
Abby @ 22. Evan @ 4.
Family Time. Game night, King's Island, family walks, movies, and playing outside are a few of our favorite things to do during the summer as a family.
Time to Scrapbook.
[Supplies - (all supplies are Karla Dudley Designs) Cardstock: Sunkissed. Tag: Fly Boy. Staples: Digi Essentials. Word brush: No. 1 Dad. Font: Georgia.]
Have a wonderful Thursday, friends. I am off to check on Jack, who has come down with a virus & isn't feeling well at all. Poor guy has had a fever all day and isn't sleeping well :-(
xoxo,
Erin.
I love Father's Day because I get to spoil my hubby & tell him just how much I appreciate him. When I asked him what he wanted to do today, he said "dinner and a movie", so that's what we did.
We took the kids to Toy Story 3, which was great! Definitely worth seeing in theater. Evan was mesmerized for almost two hours. I swear he didn't take his eyes off the screen. Jack was great through the first 2/3 of the movie, but got fussy toward the end. So he and I walked through the theater and played peek-a-boo over and over until right before it ended. I did sneak back in for the last few scenes, so I do know how it ends.
We had Panera Bread for dinner, then I attempted to get a good photo of all three boys on our front porch, but they were being difficult! After photos, we put together a puzzle (three times), and read books before bed. It was a great, great day for all of us.
Happy Father's Day, Mark. We love you :-)
If you only knew how many hours I have spent stressing over your wonky eating habits. You are so finicky about what foods you like & when you want to eat, and meal time has become more than chaotic around here. One day you devour bananas and cereal for breakfast, and the next you throw it all on the floor. Some days you love bread, others you don't. Some days you like strawberries, other days you would rather fling them at me. Good thing you are cute because I could be a very frustrated mama! But I know you aren't starving, and you're not eating junk food, so I'm sure you are regulating your food intake just fine.
[Supplies - Digital template: Template Set No. 1. White cardstock: Sunkissed. Patterned Paper: Sunkissed. "Life" tag: Spring Anticipation. "Tuesday" brush: Handwritten: Weekdays. "May" brush: Spring Anticipation. Scallop brush: Happy Day. Font: Georgia.]
And I love you. Even when you throw your bananas at me and they stick in my hair.Love,
Mama
Abby, Evan, Jack, and I made our first trip to King's Island last week, the day before Abby flew back to Washington. I purchased season passes for the family back in May, and I really wanted to take Abby with me for our first trip. King's Island is about 30 minutes from our house, and with the passes we get free parking & unlimited visits to the park. What I liked about this amusement park when I was researching it was the amount of rides & attractions for kids Evan's age. He is the perfect height to go on almost every ride in Planet Snoopy, and can go on a couple of rides in the main park, too. 
This was the last photo I took in the park. Evan was exhausted and pouting a little because we had to leave. The weather forecast said low 70's with a good chance of rain, so I dressed the boys in t-shirts and long pants. That was a big mistake. It was 82, hot, and muggy, and we were all over dressed. He was so sweaty & sticky by the time we left, but he loved every second we were there.
This was Evan's first time on a real roller coaster. He hid in Abby's lap the whole ride, but at the end he looked up at her and said "I want to do it again!". 
I adore this photo of Evan and Abby. He loves his Auntie so, so much and I know he misses her. It was all about Abby when she was here. I heard "no, Abby will do it" more times than I care to admit. 
Evan and me while we were waiting in line for the roller coaster. 
When I asked Evan what his favorite ride was, he said the little green cars. He loved riding in them and gave me a thumbs up as he was driving down the last hill.
Aren't these just the cutest little helicopters you have ever seen? 
I love Evan's thumbs up in this photo. 
Jack was a trooper the whole time we were there. He was comfy in his new stroller, and was really good until the very end when he started getting tired and cranky. 
The bumper cars were an instant favorite. He got a little frustrated when his car got stuck, but he figured out how to turn the wheel and get himself away from the walls. And look at that face... I don't think he could be more excited.
The swings were the only ride that was just okay. They barely moved, and I think Evan was a little bored. It was a near-perfect day & everyone had a great time. Evan asks me every morning if we are going to King's Island today, and he talks about our trip with Abby almost as much. Thanks for visiting Abby, we miss you!
Karla Dudley has two new products available in her shop today (here and here). I love the Sunkissed kit... perfect for summer layouts. I used the kit to create a layout about my sister & parents on her graduation day: 
[All Supplies are Karla Dudley Designs. White cardstock: Sunkissed. Patterned paper: Sunkissed. Flower sticker: Sunkissed. Metal rimmed tag: Sunkissed. Jewel brad: Sunkissed. Staple: Digi Essentials . Tag: Sunkissed. "a" brush: Digi Essentials No. 5. "GRADUATE" brush: Digi Essentials No. 5. Fonts: Amalie & Georgia. Layout size: 11x8.5 inches.]
Isn't she just the cutest thing you have ever seen? And my parents look so happy. It was a wonderful day for all of us. And I couldn't believe it when I saw my mom for the first time. She has lost over 30 pounds since New Years and looks amazing!! Mark and I are so, so proud of her.
Have a wonderful Thursday, friends!
xoxo,
Erin.
After a rainy, dreary Saturday I was thrilled the weather decided to cooperate on Sunday. Mark, Abby, and I took the boys to Sharon Woods for the afternoon so Evan could ride his bike and play on the big toy, and Mark could see the sea turtles in the science center :-)
Evan spent most of his time on his bike zipping along the paths. He was quite the stud with his muscle tank top & shades (which matched his bike, of course). 
I love this photo of Abby, Mark, Evan, and Jack. We are going to miss Abby so much when she has to leave tomorrow!
Evan really loved being on his bike for almost two hours.
And Jack was a happy camper in the swing & in his stroller (especially if he was eating a cracker).
Mark and I walked hand-in-hand. That was so nice.
Abby spent some quality time with both boys. They adore her, and her, them. It's fun to sit back and watch them laugh and giggle and be silly.
Ali Edwards posted a weekend creative challenge on her blog on Friday, and it inspired me to create this layout about Evan:
[Supplies - "e" & "4.25.10": Karla Dudley Designs Digi Essentials No. 5. Font: Times.]It' a small layout - only 8 inches by 8 inches - but it sums up Evan and what he is into right now.
Evan has been sick today and we didn't make it to King's Island like we were supposed to. He kept apologizing for being sick and saying "we'll go to King's Island tomorrow". I hope he's right!
xoxo,
Erin.
I am slowing going through all the photos I took on our trip, and this is one of my favorites. It's not very often my parents are cooperative enough to pose for me!
(Left to Right: Uncle Tom, Deanna, Abby, & Mike.)
Have a wonderful weekend!
xoxo,
Erin.
I knew when the kids and I left for the West coast I wouldn't have time for blogging, the internet, or anything scrapbooking related... I would be too busy! Both Evan and Jack had photo shoots (check out Terri's blog for a peak at Jack's... so cute!), Abby's graduation, a party, lunch dates, shopping, play dates, and lots of time spent playing with Grandma & Grandpa.
When we got home tonight I was ready to work on a layout for Karla Dudley Designs. It felt really good to work with a current photo of Evan (from our trip), and play with a couple of Karla's new products:
[Supplies used - White cardstock: Cardstock Essentials. Frame: Frame Essentials No. 2.Brads: Frame Essentials N. 2. Stitching: Digi Essentials. Background brushes: Digi Essentials. "Play All Day" brush: Handwritten - Summer. "Summer" brush: Handwritten - Summer. "2010": Digi Essentials No. 5. Arrow: Digi Essentials]During our l-o-n-g trip home today, a couple of funny/embarrassing/cool/weird things happened, and I want to remember them. We started our day at 4:20am (pacific time), and we arrived home at 8:00pm (eastern time)... so hopefully this is written coherently! I'm so, so tired!
1. Abby and I were trying to get through security in Seattle, and I was struggling with bags, car seats, shoes, jackets, blankets, kids, etc., etc. I looked behind me to apologize for taking so dang long and totally did a double take... Jay Buhner was standing right behind me! I must have looked like a spaz because he gave me this half smile and helped me get our bags/gear/crap through the x-ray machine. He was super nice, but both Abby and I agree he isn't as tall as we thought he was :-)
2. A woman on our second flight (who was traveling with 8 month old twin boys) asked us if Jack was an actor. I said no, and she said she thought Jack was the baby from the show Dexter! I haven't seen the show, so when we got home I did a google search, and sure enough, Jack looks just like him! Abby thinks Jack is way cuter, though, and I have to agree.
3. During our layover in LA, we had to go down a huge escalator with all our stuff (and the two kids). I stepped onto the escalator, followed by Abby. Evan was supposed to follow right behind Abby (with his own carry-on bag), but he freaked out and wouldn't get on. I'm hollering at him to get on the dang escalator, but he wouldn't... so I start to panic. The escalator is at least three stories tall, and I didn't want Evan to turn around and run the other direction. So I frantically tell Abby to turn around and go get Evan (I had my hands full with Jack and Jack's car seat)... so there goes Abby: running up the escalator as it's going down. Evan decides to sit down and take his shoes off and send those down the escalator instead! I finally make it to the bottom of the thing, and I look up to see Abby trying to make it to the top, and a security guard is asking Evan if he had been abandoned! He did look neglected sitting at the top of an escalator with no shoes & a carry-on bag. Abby finally made it to the top to rescue him and they made it to the bottom safely (and with both of Evan's shoes). I was laughing so hard (after Evan was safe and sound, of course!).
4. Our second flight was full, so we couldn't bring Jack's car seat on the plane. Abby was also sitting three rows ahead of us, so I was a little panicked about being by myself with two kids and only two seats. The flight attendant said we could ask the gentlemen sitting by the window if we could change seats so Abby was sitting with us, but he politely declined. He was really nice, but said he wanted to be by the window (and Abby's seat was an aisle seat). Evan spent the net 30 seconds fidgeting, rearranging, adjusting, and squirming, and the guy changed his mind and asked to switch seats with us! Way to go Evan... being a wiggle worm got us three seats in a row!
5. We were on a bus from the Alaska terminal to the Delta terminal, and we were passing by some construction at the airport when Evan turned to Abby and said "we are in the desert!" My other favorite Evan-ism from the day is "we are about ready to land this baby!" as we were descending into Cincinnati.
The trip was so much fun, and I know Evan is going to miss his grandparents. Good thing they are visiting next month!
xoxo,
Erin.
