Sister Love & P. Diddy's Hat

Look who came in town a few weeks ago!

My youngest sister Maggie!

She had a weekend off so she flew in from Michigan.

And guess who surprised her at the airport?

Her boyfriend Austin!

And soon after getting to mom and dad's house, they hijacked my camera.

Maggie and I posing

My mom and dad

(who are renovating their entire living room if you can tell from the photos)

had some of our family over for Chili & Family Fun.

And by family fun, I mean OUR FAMILY fun.

(It's quite a bit different from most families typical get together)

We do things such as....

Our dad trying to hoist his 21 year old daughter up
to grab a fun hat for a picture.

Finally they had lift off.


And she got it!

*The story behind the hats....
My dad got me and my three sisters all fun, cool cat,
hats last year for Christmas.

A few weeks ago he made several comments about how he hasn't seen
any of us wearing the hats he gave us.

Me and my sisters plotted to all wear them to our
party when Maggie came in town.

Adie forgot.....
Boo.
Maggie couldn't find hers......
Double Boo.

So, to complete our "four sister matching hat look,"
we needed to grab a couple similar ones down from my mom's
stash of antique hats that used to be her Grandpas.

Thus, the hoisting.

And the result:

A cute sister shot in our hats from dad.
(With a few stand-in hats)

While Maggie was grabbing at hats,
she pulled a special one down along with the others.
P. Diddy's hat.

My sister Haley then reenacted "the catch"

P. Diddy threw this white hat into the crowd at a radio station multiple artist concert years ago.
Haley boxed out, jumped up super high, and caught this beauty.

I watched it happen several rows in front of me.

I was so impressed and proud of my sister!

My mom put on Diddy's hat for a "Mom & Daughters" shot

Then my dad tried it on for a "Father & Daughters" shot

What a fun night with my CRAZY family!

I love them all so much!

Gracie had so much fun giggling with Grandpa while still recovering from her hospital stay.

To me, there is nothing more important in this world than FAMILY.

I am so thankful for the FUN & CRAZY one that I get to call MY OWN.

Fabulous Fun Fall Photos

Our view these fun fall days is not too shabby.

For this reason, I do love fall.

(Second to Summer)

Here's our view from our family's new best friend on warm nights:

Mr. Trampoline.

Beautiful right?

The colors look FAKE.

Our house backs up to a huge wooded area.
No one behind us for MILES.
Just the way I like it.


Sophie showing me her famous front roll.


Mia, some sort of flip



And Steve, who knows?!



Even Booty Cat came out to play with us
during our TRAMPOLINE party.



Mia loves her so much.


Another fun fall photo.

Had to capture our view out our living room

before it's gone.

The leaves are already starting to fall.

So depressing.

My Mia reading to Sophie.

Her new favorite thing to do now that

she's a big girl Kindergartner reader and all :)

Another new fun fall event:

Dance Class.

Soph all ready to roll.

How cute are they sitting together.

Steve went for "watch night" which they have once a month.
*Notice Sophie's tap shoes are on backwards?
I would have noticed and corrected this...
but Steve is still learning about "dance attire."

Posing at Nana & Papa's HALLOWEEN BASH!

They are sporting their fun Dish Towel Dresses I made them!

Sophie roasting her marshmallow.

Smoke in the eyes.

They love S'mores almost as much as their Momma!

Happy Fall Everyone!

Our Annual October Weekend of Bliss

Every second Sunday in October.

This is when my entire family,

and our husbands' families,

and our friends

all get together in the cute little town of

Augusta.

Augusta is filled with:

vineyards,

antique shops,

rolling hills of trees changing color,

horses,

cows,

pumpkin patches,

&

family history.

My great-grandfather (my mom's grandpa) & family grew up there.

My dad's father & family grew up there.

What a small world.

All I know is that I wish I grew up there.

So.

Beautiful.

My girls posed in the field next to the playground after we ate

The. Yummiest. Meal. Known. To. Man.

The Sausage Supper.

Pork Sausage, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Applesauce, Bread & Dessert!

All. You. Can. Eat.

Every Second Sunday in October.

Sophie modeling for me.


Momma & Gracie.


My girls by a haystack in the field looking cute in their new matching peasant tops.

(Got these for our family photos I want to get taken this fall and thought,
why not rock them in Augusta too?)




Love them!




Sophie swinging away.




See way up on that hill?
That was the winery we spent the day at after the Sausage Supper.
So beautiful.



One of our tables.
We rented an entire section on the deck.
Heated deck I might add,
because it was FRIGID.



The view from the deck.




Another shot of our view for the day.

For our musical enjoyment.

Some great singers.

Me and my sis Haley posing for a picture out on the deck.

We even SKYPED with Maggie from Michigan since she couldn't make it in for our annual family get together!

My mom and dad, in this pic, chatting with Maggie.

Daddy and Sophie pose on the deck.

Mia and I snuggling with our neighbors, Jargirl & Matthew.

Little Miss Gracie.

An (almost) family pic.

Gracie was napping away in the stroller.

The view as we exited the winery.

So beautiful!

There was even some beauty on the way home.

Sunset Snap.

While driving.

Safe.

Our First ER Experience

with any of our girls,

was this past Tuesday.

Our little Gracie had to be admitted due to the scary

combination of the flu and pneumonia.

It was a LONG, ROUGH day.

After an X-Ray was taken of her lungs, the doctor saw a lot of fluid.
This resulted in the call directing me to get her into the ER
right away.

All day, she screamed when anyone got near her.

I held her from 9 am until she went to bed that night at 9 pm.

When she had to get an IV I thought I would loose. it.

But, oddly enough, I am very tough during stressful situations.

As a mom, you have no choice.

If you crumble what choice do you give your children?

Gracie finally tuckered out and got a little nap in.

(Good thing I brought DUCKIE because she held it..

ALL. DAY. LONG.)

After they gave her some fluids and a round of antibiotics,

we were able to take her home.

We were so relieved since they initially said

she may have to stay the night.

My entire day was a scary whirlwind of the unknown.

I didn't know whether to even take her in to see the pediatrician or not.

I am so glad I did.

I didn't know if it was really serious.

It was.

I didn't know how fast your life can turn from

the normal routine to sitting in an exam room,

to going to the radiologist,
to driving your baby to the ER,
to sitting in there waiting,
listening to other children crying,
to hoping and praying,
to thinking this would never happen to your baby,
to being thankful for all my family's health
and happiness,

to NEVER being able to imagine all the moms who do this on a

REGULAR basis.

I commend them all.

I have learned to be even MORE thankful for my health,

my children's health,
my family's health.

I hope you all take care of your little ones.

And stay healthy this flu season!