The Summertime Pace!

We kicked off the summer with a visit to the campground to spend some time with Grammie and Grampie, and Uncle Dan and Auntie Chris and Baby Mae even came along!:

Here we are playing with the Stomp Rocket Alice received for her birthday:

Here's the family out for a walk along the canal:

Pretty Baby Mae:

Here are the girls with Grampie and Grammie:

Uncle Dan, Auntie Chris and Baby Mae:

Snuggles with Grammie and Grampie are the best!:

Here are some more photos from our kick-off to the summer.  Enjoy!

Family Fun Day!

We recently woke up early on the Saturday morning of Memorial Day weekend without any plans and decided to have a Family Fun Day!

We started by going for breakfast at one of our favorite breakfast restaurants - Deb's Diner:

Then we happened upon a bowling alley and Alice bowled for the first time.  She loved it!:

After that, we made our way to our local Chuck E. Cheese's, to play for the afternoon:

We finished out our fun day by grilling for dinner - yummy!

Summertime calls!  Here are the rest of the photos from our day of fun!

Fortunate Kiddo

Alice is such a lucky kiddo to be surrounded by so many people who love her and give her such wonderful gifts.  Here she is enjoying just a few of her fun new things she received on the occasion of her recent birthday.

Auntie Jen and Uncle Matt really hit a home run with the doctor kit and baby doll they gave her.  The baby doll (a boy baby named Bobo) is her favorite sleeping friend and she loves to use the doctor kit to offer healthy checkups to her stuffed animals as well as her human family members!  Here is Dr. Alice giving Bobo his checkup:

As she has from birth, Alice still loves reading cards when she receives them:

Clothes too!  She loves having the opportunity to wear her new outfits to school and around the neighborhood:

Aunt Robin and Uncle Davey gave Alice this "camping chair" and this green dinosaur (one of the few things she suggested she might like for her birthday!) - she loves them both!:

Another fun toy she received as a gift for her birthday was this super fun coffee maker from her friend, Henry and his mom and dad, Liz and Steve.  She loves fixing us the perfect cups of coffee:

Our friend Leah may have hit on a toy Daddy will enjoy even more than Alice: Periodic Table Building Blocks!:

Here she is showing off a couple of the bears in a fun game of memory match she received as a gift from her friend Max:

Since it has a Nerf-style top, we have allowed Alice to play with her new "stomp rocket" in the house, but we can't wait to take it outside to see how high it will fly!  Thanks, Nick and Anna!

Thanks to everyone for all the great gifts and to all who surround Alice with love everyday!  You all are the best part of life!  Here are some more photos of her enjoying all of her fun new presents.

Candyland Birthday Party! Happy 3rd Birthday, Alice!

Welcome to Alice's Candyland!  We put lots of thought and effort into preparing for Alice's fun 3rd birthday party and we were so excited about how it came out.  Here are some shots of the party preparation before all the guests arrived.

Here is the view into the backyard from the street:

"Beware!  Don't Get Caught in the Licorice Lagoon!" (aka Our unyieldingly discharging sump pump!):

More shots of the party decor:

The game board was made of chalk and led to Alice's Candy Castle:

Thanks to Daddy's hard work, the backyard was looking AWESOME and there were lots of seating areas:

Alice's Candy Land cake:

The Fruit Kabobs were a big hit:

The peanut butter cracker pops were also a big hit.  We also had big swirly lollipops and bowls of loose candy everywhere, both for enjoying and as decor.  We even had "Cupcake" wine to match our theme:

A colorful veggie display contributed to the array of food for the party.  It was important to have lots of fun color, but to have much of that be healthful options.

When people started to arrive, it was time for the birthday girl to get ready.  Here is Daddy, painting Alice's toenails:

The Candy Castle was a great hangout for Alice's friends during the party:

Everyone loved the fruit kabobs, veggies and cracker pops before dinner was ready:

Daddy did a great job as Grill Master:

Alice had lots of fun visiting with all the guests.  Here she is laughing with Grammie:

The chalk board game was lots of fun for the kids and while they were not running through the game, Alice and her friends were playing ball in the driveway:

We were thrilled to have friends, family and neighbors join us for the big party.  Here is a great shot of our next-door neighbors, Deb and Ed:

Everyone had a great time:

Grammie even had fun inside the Candy Castle with Alice's friends!:

Once the party was over, Alice opened her presents.  Here she is, receiving her new piano from Grammie and Grampie!:

Happy Birthday to you!  Happy Birthday to you!  Happy Birthday, Dear Alice!  Happy Birthday to you!

Here are the rest of the photos from Alice's awesome Candy Land Themed 3rd Birthday Party!