Father's Day

For daddy

5x7 Folded Card

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Halloween!

This was the first year that we dressed Adri up for Halloween. I found a costume last year for her on clearance and it ended up working perfectly. She was the cutest pumpkin ever. I was excited for the holiday season to start and this was definitely a perfect beginning. There was a Trunk or Treat at the church the weekend before so that was our main event. Adri thoroughly enjoyed all of the events and actually did most of the trick or treating by herself. I didn't quite know what to expect but she really got into it and liked going around to get candy. She of course forfeited her stash to Mom and Dad(really just mom) afterwards because what 18 month old needs candy more than a very pregnant lady who has an addiction to candy? On the actual holiday we just stayed home and passed out candy. Apparently everyone in our neighborhood sits outside in their driveway to pass out the candy which took me awhile to figure out. I just thought no one was out yet. Adri held the bowl the entire time for the kiddos.

Family Picture Day

Our computer stopped working and therefore I stopped blogging. It up and running again but I feel very behind now and don't know where to start. The first thing that comes to mind is our attempt at family pictures. I got on this kick that we needed to take pictures together because we don't have any of just the three of us (nice ones at least) but I really didn't want to go somewhere to get them done professionally. I have no knowledge/experience in photography and neither does Jared but that didn't keep this idea out of my head that we could get a great picture to send out in our Christmas card. I planned our outfits, the location, and date and we set out. Well to say the least, it didn't work out so well. We could not get Adri to cooperate whatsoever. she constantly wanted to get down and walk around. Sitting and posing for a picture was not going to happen for her. Even if she was with us the pictures just weren't cute or the lighting and everything else was just off. Oh well. Here are a couple of pictures that I think appropriately depict the experience.

Labor Day

We started planning for Labor Day more than a month ago since Jared had Friday and Monday off. I think our plans changed about five times until we finally decided on a destination. Originally we wanted to venture down to the Florida Keys or Miami but came to the conclusion we needed to stick a little closer to home. Since we really hadn't spent any time in Orlando we thought it would be fun to explore it a little bit. Jared used his favorite travel tool, the Priceline Negotiator, and got us a 4 star resort for only $50 a night. We didn't set any other plans in stone because we figured we needed to be flexible with Adri.

We arrived in Orlando too early to check in so we thought we would get a free taste of Disney and headed to Downtown Disney. I always enjoy going into shops and walking around so this was something I was looking forward to. Adri just about jumped for joy when she saw the carousel so we let her have a go around on it. I think she thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

Later, we went to the hotel and checked out the amenities. There were four different pools to choose from. Two of them were centered around kids so they were perfect. The no entry pool let Adri go in and out of the pool without us (not that we weren't right there with her) so she enjoyed the freedom. She also loved the little splash pool that was shallow enough to run around in and splash in the fountains. There were hardly any people around so it felt like we were vacationing by ourselves which was especially nice.

Saturday was our designated park day. We decided to go to Sea World just in the afternoon and evening when tickets are cheaper and Adri could have a nap beforehand. We also figured we would not want to spend the entire day there so this worked out well. We went to some factory outlets in the morning which mainly has high end stores that do not really sell anything for any cheaper so I didn't get anything but Jared found a couple of shirts at Nike for super cheap so that made it worth it.

Once the time was right we headed over to Sea World. We were really worried that the park would be super crowded but it really wasn't bad at all. We had planned out a way to see all of the shows beforehand so right when we got there we headed to the Pets Ahoy show. I knew Adri would love this since every time she sees a dog or cat she gets so excited and can't help but make her barking sound at them. I think it probably kept her the most entertained out of all the shows. We hit all of the shows and saw almost every exhibit. My favorite is their Blue Horizons show. It has dolphins so that is probably why. There was a fireworks display that night that we had thought about sticking around for but we were all exhausted and ready to go before it started so we headed out.

After that the main events of our trip were over and we spent the rest of the time lounging at the pool and hanging out in our room. I was very pleased with how everything turned out and I am glad we were able to get away for a couple of days. Hopefully we'll be able to take another mini vacation before the baby comes.

New Hobbies

Adri has recently picked up a few hobbies.

Smearing every meal in her hair and all over her face seems to interest her more than eating at the moment.

She finds every sock around and brings them to me to put on. She has on six in this picture I believe. In the picture above she also brought me a bow which she usually hates wearing. She looks like she is getting ready to do some Sweatin' to the Oldies with her leg warmers, sweat band, and bright colors.

As you can see she is smiling in both these cameras. She now smiles when I get out the camera for a few seconds before trying to take the camera away.

Lastly, Adri now folds her arms when we pray. I love this. Randomly throughout the day she stops what she is doing, folds her arms, and starts babbling in a really sweet and soft voice. At least she is picking up some good habits!

Weekend Adventures

Someday I will figure out how to post pictures in places other than the top of the post...

Because we moved to Florida a few months ago (or six) we have had the opportunity to explore a ton of new places. We of course have frequented the beach and so far our favorite is on the Gulf side. We really prefer the Gulf because the water is warmer, the sand is whiter and finer, and the waves are the perfect size. Adri loves to play in the waves but she probably loves eating the sand more than anything at this point. We thoroughly enjoy our beach time but let me tell you it is exhausting chasing her around all day. Can't wait to chase around two kids! AHH!

We have also visited a few state parks around. There are about a million and a lot of them seem to be similar but we enjoy the views and the hikes. We never end up staying at ones that don't have a spring because we about die from the heat. We have been to one called Rainbow Springs a couple of times and it is really beautiful. The only thing that I dislike is the signs warning about alligators in the water. There's supposedly one in every body of water. As my brother said before we moved, "Adri don't be the first one in the water. Let the other kids get eaten first." He probably said it better than that but you get the idea.

Someday we will make it to all of the big theme parks. Our excuse for not going is we want Adri to actually enjoy it. I can't even go on any roller coasters now anyways but we'll hopefully go sooner rather than later.

Big News...

So by now anyone who reads this blog already knows that we are expecting a new little baby! I am already almost half way there which is just crazy. We are having a boy and we are so excited. Jared is already very proud of his son to be. I am due on December 25th. Perfect timing! Adri was born on her due date so I am hoping he decides to be different and come at least a little bit off schedule. I always said I would never have a baby around Christmas. Oh well. Can't do much about that now. When we first found out I was very nervous to do this all over again with another little one as well but now I am feeling much more excited than anxious. We are just trying to figure out everything we will need with a boy which is actually a lot more than I originally thought. It is fun though since it is just another excuse to go shopping.

Adri loves to hit, scratch, and pull little babies hair at the moment so we may have to keep the new addition away from her for awhile. It will definitely be an adventure. The picture above is how happy she is when we tell her about her little brother. Kinda scary!! :-)