Beach Vacation - Day 3

The place we stayed was perfect for us. It was further down the beach towards the residential area. This made it really quiet, family friendly and low traffic. The condo had a pool, a fishing pier, a boat ramp, and a kiddie swimming area in the lagoon on the back side of the building. On the front side of the building was the gulf. There are also bike lanes all along the beach road, so we got out every morning and went for a family bike ride. Trent actually fell asleep in the bike trailer on the second day of riding. He did not look comfortable. Jesse must have a very smooth pedal stroke! :) The course we take bike riding is an out and back. On the second day of riding (third day here), we were riding into the wind the whole way out. It made for a tougher ride than the day before. Jesse had a more strenuous workout since he had the trailer behind his bike!

Here are some pics from Day 3:

Every town should have bike lanes

Spotting Wildlife off the Pier

"Dat Dat!"

Beach Vacation Day 2

White Sandy Beaches

Wave Jumpin'

Building Sand Castles

Play-doh time! (During a break from the sun)

Beach Vacation - Day 1

A week or two ago, Jesse and I decided a family vacation was in order. We really hadn't been anywhere this summer purely for vacation and we're fast approaching the "I'm not driving long distances" phase of pregnancy. So we looked around at places to stay at lakes and the gulf. The beaches are open again, but tourism is still hurting because of the oil spill. We opted to go for a long weekend to the gulf. I think this may be our first "official" family vacation. We've driven different places for holidays, weddings, etc. but I think this is the first trip as a family of 3 without any other agendas attached.

The weather has been beautiful - hot and sunny. We arrived at the beach around lunchtime and went to my favorite restaurant in town. It's no frills but I LOVE their fried crab claw plate. They give you a ton of fried crab claws, french fries, and cole slaw. They throw in a few hush puppies too, but I normally pass those along to TJ or Jesse. It's a beach staple. I can't be in town without eating there at least once.

Next up, we hit the beach! Trent went to the beach last year when he was about 5 months old. You may remember the post from here. It was fun to show him the sand and the water but he wasn't really moving around much at that point. Now at 17 months, he's a full speed ball of energy. He played in the sand, played in the water, ran around the beach, chased waves with Daddy... It was so much fun to see what a difference a year makes!

Checking out the Toys

Love the wind blown hair!

Come join us!

Wet toes in the sand

Beach Lover at Heart

Piano Practice

TJ and Grandma Sue

TJ has always loved music. He knows which toys play certain songs and will go and hit through the various songs until he gets to the ones he likes. Then he starts dancing. He loves to dance! He enjoys making noise as well. This is where Grandma Sue comes in. She has a piano and the two of them play together. Grandma Sue's part of the duet sounds like classical music. Trent's portion of the duet sounds like thunder. It's cute to watch them play together.

Kitchen Renovation - Part III

And... we're done!!! Jesse finished the island last week and Dave was nice enough to lend the extra muscle so we could get it upstairs. I love it! I can not believe that Jesse made the whole thing from scratch. It's beautiful! Today, I really put it to the test. This morning, I made hummus, marinara, ziti, banana bread, and dinner is currently cooking in the crockpot. It was so nice having the extra work space. It's the perfect addition to our kitchen!

Shoe Dilemma Solved and a Pregnancy Rant

Some of you may remember my running shoe dilemma. Basically the quality of my favorite shoe had gone down and the price had gone up. After thinking I would not go with a New Balance shoe because of my past experience, I decided to give them another shot. New Balance has 5 factories in the US. All of their runners are manufactured here, though some of the parts are foreign. (The 993 is entirely American Made) I went and tried on a pair and asked which model was comparable to the Asics 2150 that I had been wearing. They recommended the WR760. So I tried it on. It was too wide. So I tried on the narrow and it was perfectly snug without being too tight. New Balance has a policy where you can try out the shoe for 30 days and if you're not satisfied, you can come in and exchange it. So yesterday, I wore them on a 3.5 mile run. No blisters. That's right, not one! They were light weight and really comfortable. My only complaint was that they made my feet really hot when I first starting running. I don't know if that's the shoes fault or simply that it's August in Alabama. So far I have been impressed with them and like them much better than the Asics they replaced. I'm taking them out for another run tomorrow. Hopefully, they won't let me down!

And for my pregnancy rant...On Monday, while I was running, a stranger came up behind me and stood probably four feet away from the treadmill and stared. If you're that interested in what I'm doing, ask or at least try to be discreet when you're looking. Ogling my treadmill from behind me is rude and a little weird (especially when the cardio room is basically empty.)

I know there's a lot of misinformation about exercising while pregnant. A while back, the rule of thumb was to prop your legs up for 9 months and not do anything while pregnant. Now, doctors encourage exercise. However, there are still some people that give you the crazy eye when they see a pregnant woman exercising. I do not overexert myself when I'm pregnant. I'm not out to break any personal records. My goal is to stay fit and healthy, and to have the stamina and strength to have a quick, healthy delivery.

So please, instead of staring, get on the treadmill and set the personal record that I currently can't attempt. We'll encourage each other and it will be far less awkward.

Target Deals Make Me Happy

TJ's new trailer

All Set and Ready to Go!

Jesse and I were shopping with Trent in Target this weekend and came across some great deals! We found a pair of shoes for TJ for $2.48! They look just like the sandals his Grandpa Dale normally wears, so I'm sure he'll be a fan! Trent apparently is really partial to his other pair of shoes. We had come back home and put the new shoes on, and he walked over to his older pair, picked them up, brought them over to us, undid the velcro on his new ones and started fussing. It was all we could do not to laugh. I told Jesse he was a boy after my own heart because he's partial to his keens. :)

Anyway, I digress. The big deal we found at Target today was a bike trailer! We have been wanting one since the day Trent was born but we were having trouble justifying buying a running stroller AND a bike trailer. I use our running stroller every day of the week so it's a must. But while we were at Target, the bike trailers were on clearance for 50% off. We were so excited that even in the heat, we decided a bike ride was in order! We came home got dressed, got the bikes loaded up, packed up some water, and off we went. Trent did great. The trailer fits two kids, but we had him strapped in the middle of the trailer since his partner in crime won't be here until December.

Surviving Summer

It is SO hot this time of year. We just finished our hottest July on record and traditionally, August is even worse than July. Temperatures have been right around 100 for several weeks, heat indexes have brought it into the 105 - 110 degree range. I love summer. I really do. But in the deep south, real summer can start in May and go on well into September. And it's not a "dry heat," it is a sticky, humid, sweat sitting still heat.

To best describe it to my friends and family in the Midwest Tundra, it's comparable to the feeling you get midwinter when you are just plain tired of cold and snow and ready for spring (except here it's the opposite.) I'm looking forward to the day where I actually consider putting on a shirt with sleeves. The thought of wearing jeans almost makes me giddy!

We can't be couped up inside all summer long in the air conditioning. It would drive me (and Trent) absolutely nuts. So we still continue to go on walks, play outside, etc. Thankfully, my inlaws and the YMCA we belong to have pools. So at least a couple of times a week, we go swimming! And the pool season is Looong. Last year, I think my inlaws had their pool open April through October. So here's to surviving the rest of summer!

Examining

If you look closely, it's a 21 week baby bump!

Chatty

Floating with Daddy

I Heart Weekends

Preparing for basketball?

So funny!

Here We Come!

Where to Next?

Weekends at our house are family time. I attempt to get the majority of the chores done during the week so weekends can be spent in quality time. This weekend was especially a treat because Jesse came home early on Friday. We went to family time at Pump It Up. It's a place with giant inflatables for the kids to jump around on. Trent had a good time. It was the first time he's been able to climb into the inflatables entirely on his own. I was impressed!

Plenty of Peaches

Most people have heard of the Georgia Peach. But if you want my honest opinion, the Alabama peach tastes even better! They are delicious and in season from May through August. This past week, Jesse's parents visited some friends of theirs and came home with bags of peaches. I LOVE peaches, but when they're in such abundance, they go bad before you can eat them all! So I went into overdrive finding ways to use them up for later. The outcome: We had jars of peach freezer jam, a container of homemade peach ice cream, two loaves of peach bread (kind of like banana bread but with peaches instead), and two peach crisps. I threatened to make peach soup, but Jesse and Trent devoured the remainder of the peaches before I had the chance! Sweets don't stand a chance in our house. Both crisps are already gone!

Successful Surgery

Sue's surgery went really well! They were able to remove the tumor and surrounding lymph nodes and reconstruct the colon. She was in surgery about two hours and then she spent a few more hours in the recovery room. She still has the spots on her liver, but they looked around while they were in surgery and did not find anything new. She is now settled in her room. When we left the hospital, she was still groggy from the pain meds and anesthesia. She is resting and looks great. Everyone is encouraged as today went as well as we could have hoped.

Family Shots - Wedding Pics, Part III

One of the great things about weddings is that they bring a lot of family together. Our family is really spread out. We have people representing every region of the US and some in Europe too. Family came from the east, west and places in between to celebrate Dana and Chris's marriage.

Dana made such a gorgeous bride!

My brother's adorable family

Texas is HOT

One of the family tables - Poppy, Nanny, Aunt Vicki, Uncle Bob, Eric, Alicia, Lily

My handsome men and Grandma Sue

Surgery Day is Almost Here

My mother in law is scheduled to have surgery tomorrow morning (Wednesday). The plan is to remove the tumor that is in the colon and reconstruct the colon. Please be praying that all goes well. Also, remember you can follow her progress on her caring bridge site.

Bride and Groom - Wedding Pics, Part II

Ceremony in Progress

Mr. and Mrs.

First Dance

Dana and Chris with Mom and Dad R

Time for Cake!

Surviving Summer

It is SO hot this time of year. We just finished our hottest July on record and traditionally, August is even worse than July. Temperatures have been right around 100 for several weeks, heat indexes have brought it into the 105 - 110 degree range. I love summer. I really do. But in the deep south, real summer can start in May and go on well into September. And it's not a "dry heat," it is a sticky, humid, sweat sitting still heat.

To best describe it to my friends and family in the Midwest Tundra, it's comparable to the feeling you get midwinter when you are just plain tired of cold and snow and ready for spring (except here it's the opposite.) I'm looking forward to the day where I actually consider putting on a shirt with sleeves. The thought of wearing jeans almost makes me giddy!

We can't be couped up inside all summer long in the air conditioning. It would drive me (and Trent) absolutely nuts. So we still continue to go on walks, play outside, etc. Thankfully, my inlaws and the YMCA we belong to have pools. So at least a couple of times a week, we go swimming! And the pool season is Looong. Last year, I think my inlaws had their pool open April through October. So here's to surviving the rest of summer!

Examining

If you look closely, it's a 21 week baby bump!

Chatty

Floating with Daddy

Here Comes the Bride - Wedding Pics, Part I

Finally! I had to scan in pictures from the wedding. Having a toddler to chase after and being the matron of honor, I did not get the opportunity to take many pictures on the actual wedding day. But thankfully, relatives of mine did take some pictures of the beautiful day.

The lovely bride and her father

The best man and I escorting my lovely little niece

Flower Girl, ready for her closeup

Trent escorting the mother of the bride and the groom

TJ Close Up

Lily and Trent were opposites when it came time to walk down the aisle. As we were waiting to walk down, Trent was contently hanging out with Grandma. Once he started walking down the aisle, he was less than thrilled with the situation (as evidenced by him trying to sit down in the picture). Lily was coming apart inside. The best man was holding my bouquet and Lily's basket until we were inches from walking down the aisle because I was trying to manhandle my rambunctious niece. Once she saw all eyes were on her, she was absolute angel walking down the aisle. You just never know how they're going to behave in a wedding!