Weekend Adventures

We had a great weekend!  It started out with a Hokie win and ended with a trip to the park!

It was a beautiful fall weekend here, so we spent as much time outside as possible.  We started out Saturday morning with a GREAT run!  It's the first time in my life that we finished 3 miles and I felt like I could keep going! Things are looking up.  Brian, Burke and I enjoyed a morning of running and getting ready for tailgating.  It was a 3:30 kickoff, which is the first of the season.  We weren't sure the best method of napping, etc to maximize our game time, so I headed out to tailgate and Brian stayed behind with Burke to nap.  Burke got in a really good nap (2 hours and Brian had to wake him up) and then they met me.  The game was wonderful, we scored 49 points in the first half and Burke was really well behaved.  We left at the end of the 3rd quarter, partly because Burke was getting antsy and partly because it was dinner time and we were killing them!  We headed home for some chinese and bed.  It was a long, exhausting and fun day!

Burke hanging with daddy and Dave at the game...

 Today we let daddy sleep in (two days in a row!), we sure are nice!  Then headed to the playground while daddy got ready to go out for brunch.  We headed out to C'burg to hit up Cracker Barrel.  It's a family favorite, but the wait stinks! I guess it's worth it in the end :)  After brunch, we headed home for nap time and cleaning.  I spent nap time resting and then cleaning up.  The house has needed major cleaning and purging since summer and I'm finally finding the time to get some done.  After too much housework, we headed out for a quick stop at Kmart (free toys for christmas, you know me!) then to the park.. Although we have both taken Burke to the park, we've never gone as a family.  It was a nice little adventure!

 Burke LOVES to swing..

 Sliding on his back.. It's easier so he doesn't topple over :)

A great way to end a great weekend!

The Pumpkin Patch

I LOVE THE PUMPKIN PATCH!  I love our family trips there!  I love the hayride! I love the animals. I simply love the pumpkin patch :)  Part of it is likely because it's fall and something to do, but it's also a great activity for us to do with friends.

We headed over to the patch today.  We had planned on going to Susan, Matt and the girls, but quickly found out it would be a busy day! On the way, I told Brian it would be packed today.  It was about 78 degrees and beautiful outside (borderline hot :) ).  The first people we met up with were Meg, Travis, Wyatt and Ethan.  The boys are so great with Burke and he loves playing with them!  We bought tickets for the hayride, but then quickly decided to wait for Susan and Matt and do the pumpkin chunkin instead.  It was $1 for 3 pumpkins.  If you hit the target you got free ice cream!  Of course we had to try :)

Brian didn't hit one (it's nearly impossible), but it was fun!

As we were waiting in line, The Olmstead's arrived.  They waited for a bit with us and then headed down to look at the ducks.  After everyone had a chance at the targets, we headed for the hayride.  Susan and Natalie stayed behind to wait for Susan's mom.  But we headed down with Matt and Abbey, the Eschenmman's and the Whaley's. 

 

We walked around the patch for a bit.  Most everyone in the group, quickly picked their pumpkins.  I decided we wouldn't get one, since Burke didn't care and they are way overpriced :)

Burke had fun trying to push the pumpkins over...

The family pumpkin patch portrait :)

Matt and Abbey

It was Abby Whaley's birthday today (and Christa's too!), so we sang a little Happy Birthday while trying to take pictures.. Didn't work too well though :)

Burke and Claire really enjoy playing together.  It's cute to see how well they can play (although it doesn't always work too well ;))

Claire giving Burke hugs!  He likes the older ladies.

After we road back to the main area with our group, we said good bye to the Eschenmann's and Whaley's and headed to the pony station to watch Abbey ride the pony.  She had been asking the entire hayride to get a horsey ride.  She was so cute riding, with the biggest grin on her face!  Burke and Natalie stood together and watched :)

They are so cute :)

We then ran into Kristen, Kassidy and Kolin and headed over to the farm animals.  Burke has never been around any large animals, so I wasn't sure how he would act.  He was terrified at first but did eventually warm up to the animals and want to pet them.  I actually want to go back next weekend, just so he can pet them some more.  Although, it is kind of dirty! 

Our last adventure of the day: Kassidy wanted to show Burke through the cornmaze.  Well, he was slow and she quickly got bored of it :)  So he ended up lost ;)  okay, not really!

We left the pumpkin patch and headed to dinner with the Olmstead's.  We went out for mexican, which is our family favorite.  We had a great time! 

We had a great weekend!  Hope you did too!



15 Months Old?!?

I'll start by saying.. Pics will come soon!

But I thought I would go ahead and do the 15 month review before I forgot!  I can't believe he's already so big.  In so many ways, I'm so excited, but in so many ways, I'm sad he's growing so fast!  For each of the middle of the night wake ups (too often this week!) there are a million moments that make us so happy!  He is so cuddly and loving!

At 15 months:

- Burke is 19 lbs 12 oz (almost 3 %), 29.5 in tall (10%), and 18.5 in head circum (50%).  The doctor said he had a large head, then asked if Brian had a big head.. I laughed!
- He is finally starting to walk.  He only takes 6-8 steps at a time, then will crawl, but there's no more coaxing, he just does it!
- He's starting to be a little more picky with food choices.  It's quite annoying, but he still eats pretty well! Especially mac and cheese!
- He gives out hugs and kisses whenever you ask (and I ask A LOT!)
- His vocabulary: mama, more, mo (milk), dat (that with pointing), dada, and hot (first time today!!)
- He loves to read books.  His favorite are the touch and feel books, but he LOVES Peek a Who, Wild Animals Touch and Feel, Fall Touch and Feel, and Goodnight Moon
- His favorite past time is climbing :)
- He really enjoys knocking over towers of blocks (he has started to build things too!)
- Sits forward facing in the car (which I kind of got lectured on.. I SWORE he was 20 lbs!)
- Sleeps about 10-12 hours at night and takes a good 2-3 hour nap...

Is SO FLIPPING CUTE! :)

We have a breakthrough!

Burke took steps unassisted and unwarranted!  YAY!  I was sitting on the floor playing with him and he just stood up and took 4 steps to me.. No crawling, no "walk to me Burke," he just did it!! We're getting closer!

Amazing Wedding!

Well this was the big weekend.  Ashley and Chad finally tied the knot!  The ceremony was GREAT, the bride was beautiful and Burke cried all the way down the aisle, then puked... AWWW! :)

We had a great week last week getting ready for the big day. Burke had some good days and some bad days.  Monday wasn't great, but we went to Books A Million to play with the trains.  Since he had been sick on Sunday he stayed home with me on Monday.  It was a nice day to spend together. It is such a great FREE activity for us. Burke loves playing with the trains and I LOVE watching him :)

We had a pretty busy week getting ready for the wedding.  But it was so worth it.  It was such a great weekend.  Burke ended up going to daycare Thursday and Friday this past week.  It was such a HUGE help!  Thursday I went into work in the morning, then headed over to Megan's to make the cupcakes in a jar.  I wish I had taken pics because they ended up so cute!  They were the favors for Ash's wedding.  It was just a red velvet or pumpkin cupcake in a mason jar.. They were adorable though!  Megan and I spent the afternoon making cupcakes.  It was quite a process (212 cupcakes takes a LONG TIME!), but fun.  After we made the cupcakes, we ran over to the high school to watch Ashley's volleyball game.  Burke and I try to go to as many home games as we can to support Ash's team.  After the game, everyone headed over to Chad's, where we finished the cupcakes.  We had to ice them and then put the lids, fabric and stickers on.  There were a TON of people, so we finished pretty quick.  After cupcakes, we decorated the wagon for Burke and Lucy to ride in (wish I had a picture :( it was ADORABLE!)

Friday we got up early and headed out to the club to drop off some things and finish some last minute setting up etc.  After that we headed to Chad's to finish the welcome bags, then to the hotels to deliver them.  After a quick stop at the hotel we went to get our nails done.  It was SO NICE!  I NEVER get manicures or pedicures and it was a nice treat :) After we finished there, it was a quick trip home to get ready and go to the rehearsal, then dinner.  The dinner was a BBQ with live band at Chad's house. The food was great as was the band.  It was casual (which is always a plus for Brian! :) )  and relaxing!

The bride and ringbearer...

The family at the rehearsal dinner...

Saturday was a CRAZY day!  But good crazy.  I got up early to run to the club to drop off some last minute things and set some things up.  Then over to hair, decorate the church, get ready, pictures, and then it was time...  Brian and Burke got to the church at 3:30.  Burke seemed tired, but was in a decent mood.  He did GREAT with everything up until about 4:25 (the wedding started at 4:30).  Out of nowhere and for no apparent reason, Burke started crying and was NOT happy!  There was nothing I could do to console him.  When it was his turn to go down the aisle, I told Brayden to just pull the wagon and not worry if Burke cried.. Just keep walking.. And that's what he did!  It was kind of cute as he cried down the aisle.. but yes he cried all the way... Mid way through the ceremony, I took him out because he was crawling around and starting to disturb people.  Once the wedding was over he started freaking again.  He did a few pictrues with the wedding party and then him and Brian left to head to the reception.  As soon as they got there he puked all over Brian.. LOVELY!  They ended up heading home shortly after I got there and of course Burke puked all over his tux on the way home.  GREAT!  But after, he was MUCH better!  The reception was great.  I stayed behind and got a ride home (Thanks Hutch!). Over all it was a GREAT DAY!  Minus the puke..

The ONLY picture we got at the wedding :(

Sunday we headed over to the brunch to say good bye to Ash and Chad, then headed to Cracker Barrell for breakfast.  Since Burke didn't get to wear his awesome tuxedo onsie for the reception.. he wore it Sunday!

Enjoying his new book.. thanks Ash and Chad!

Sunday evening we headed over to the Olmstead's for dinner.  We had a GREAT time! Burke and the girls had so much fun together!

Natalie and Burke

We had such a great weekend!  Lots of time with friends!

Thanks Ashley and Chad for including us!  It was amazing!