7.12.2009

Again

Today was our second time making a trip up to Cape Canaveral to see the shuttle launch and we got the same results as last time...cancellation and disappointment. Ethan along with hundreds of other onlookers were ready for the big launch to happen. At least we got to hang out at the beach for a while and play in the sand right?!See these dark clouds on the left of the picture? Well they were the reason that NASA decided to reschedule the launch. Even though they were far enough from the space center at time they were supposed to depart, NASA didn't want to take any risks and postponed it until tomorrow.-What do you mean there is a dog running around behind me?
-Yeah. Sure Mommy, whatever you say. There's no dogs on this beach.-Wow, you were right Mom! There is a crazy haired dog running around me!-Wait a minute. You don't think he'll try to take my toys away from me, do you?

Saturday morning

Early start. Beautiful sunrise.Curious beady eyes.Excitement and joy.Silhouettes in the sun.Footprints? A trail leading somewhere special.
A sea turtle nest waiting for new life to hatch.

7.10.2009

Smile more :)

Ethan does not need a special reason to smile. He laughs and giggles at almost anything, even a sneeze or a hick-up.He laughs when daddy makes silly faces and plays music for him, he laughs when you chase him around the couch, he laughs when a spoon is hanging off his nose, he laughs when he get to run around naked, he laughs when giving us open mouth slobbery kisses, he is one funny boy! Babies find any excuse to smile so why don't adults do it more often?So you, yes you, this message is sent to make you smile more today and everyday. If you need a reason to grin then just think of how blessed you are to be alive. If you need another reason, think of how much you love to eat ice cream, that's sure to make you smile!

7.04.2009

Independence Day

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July! We certainly did, started out early watching the parade in historic downtown Melbourne.Ethan got a flag he started waving it around in excitement, he loved the cars and horses going by.
Ethan loves to watch motorcycles drive past best, their loud mufflers and shiny sides put him in a trance like state.This guy was great, i love the white wig, aviator glasses and frilly shirt combination.Like any good parade, candy was passed out for the little ones. Take a good look at baby, you won't be allowed to eat bubble gum for a few years.
Don't even think about sneaking a lick, i'm watching you!
Mommy, you know what your are...At the fair afterward there was music, classic cars and kiddie activities. Mommy's favorite car in the show was this custom VW van/truck. It seems like the ultimate beach vehicle and i'm pretty sure we could get a car seat in safely!

Little bits

Back home in Florida and what do we do? Go to the zoo of course!
Minding his own business splish splashing in the water.
"Hi! Did you like my splashing skills?"
"Want to play with the turtle together?"
"Can you come over to this side of the manatee?"
"If you need a hand i can call my mom over to help you"
Making his rounds in the pool, looking for toys and babies to chat with."We're about the same size and age right? Let me offer you a little bit of advice. I think its about time you drop that binky buddy.""Don't worry, i know it seems tough but trust me the ladies will come crawling once you dump it!"

7.03.2009

Blueberry bonanza!

Let it be known, i love blueberries. No, seriously, i LOVE blueberries! If we are ever on a game show together and are asked what my favorite fruit is, with no hesitation, scream out "BLUEBERRIES" and we will win a million dollars!During our trip up North we made time to visit a blueberry farm in NJ to pick and eat until our fingers and mouths were stained purple.
Ethan made his way through the long isles of bushes helping each of us pick and spill blueberries all over the farm.
He had no problem walking through the bushes looking for low berries or for someone to hang out with.Aunt Pam showed him how to pluck the berries off the bushes. From the look on his face he must of ate a sour one.
Look at all of those delicious little blue spheres of blueberry goodness! Yummy, yummy, yummy!Our motto was pick a few, eat a few, then one for the bucket. Ethan ate over a dozen and squished a few dozen more.
In total we collected over twenty five pounds of ripe juicy blueberries. It was a hot day so don't judge us for not looking completely fabulous in these pictures. But we had fun and that's all that matters right?!
Later when we were home sorting and picking the stems off the berries i saw this tiny guy making moves.
Then all the sudden he stopped moving and froze in this position. I think he was trying to disguise himself as a stick. Tricky little fellow huh?

6.30.2009

Time to relax

My baby has a black eye! My bottom lip quivers every time i look at his face, i hate to see him get hurt, it should have been me instead.And look at the culprit, lounging in the grass, dreaming of bacon treats and belly rubs. This pooch has no idea what he did to my baby's eye and really how can you be mad at him? You can't, Wesley is a good puppy and has been tolerating all of Ethan's whacks and smacks regarding them like little love nudges.
Since the sun was shinning we headed to hang out at our uncle's pool for some heat relief and sun basking. We needed a break after all the work that we put into throwing that fun graduation party the night before.Celina showed off her skills at the diving board making a big splash in the deep end of the pool.Ethan took a ride down the short slide landing with a soft splash into the water. He loves slides, his eyes get real wide and a big toothy grin spread across him face when he's going down.
Like most activities, this one ended in a nap. This time Ethan snuggled up on Aunt Celina while resting in the shade.

Brunch

Sunday morning the girls, Ethan and I all headed out to meet some of the Schrier family for a brunch buffet at the Valley Stream in Bucks County. Lola and Pop-pop were so too tired and full from the previous days party that they opted to skip the meal so they could stay home and rest.
Although the weather was perfect for an al fresco meal, the patio wasn't set up for dinners. So we enjoyed our meal inside watching the water trickle down the stream though a large window by our table.
After we had filled up on all the treats and sweets we made our way outside to take in the fresh air and pose for some group shots together. As you can see, Ethan didn't make it through breakfast, he fell sound asleep despite all the good food and conversation going on around him.

Welcome to the real world Pam!

A party was definitely in order, Aunt Pam just graduated from Penn State University with a bachelors degree in Actuarial Science! Family and friends gathered together to eat, drink, play, chat and celebrate in her honor.We prepared LOTS of homemade food including salads, dips, kabobs and the usual grilled goodies. There was enough food to feed the whole neighborhood, not to mention all of the yummy sweets that were brought for dessert.We were blessed with the most beautiful weather, sun shining, cool breeze, and no down pouring rain (a light mist but only for a minute it didn't hurt or scare anyone). Activities included: a baby blanket with toys, wiffle ball, badminton, horse shoes, washers and even a bonfire after dark!Lots of laughs and good conversation where at every table. There was also a lot of advice being given about life, this kind of milestone brings out all type of life learned advice.Pam made her way around the party chatting with all of her guests about what if felt like to be in the "real world" now. She's moving to NJ to start her job as an actuary with Prudential next week. She was one the lucky few that got hired full time after interning with them last year. Smart girl!
All the men seemed to congregate around the horse shoe game together. Unless it was their turn to toss they had beers in one had, cigars in the other. Men will be men!Its always a treat to get together with family and friends that you don't see very often, especially when its to celebrate a college graduation. Nice face Uncle Mark, i counted to three so you should have been ready for the picture, maybe you wanted to make that silly face!?!
While a rousing badminton game was going on, Celina, Mike and his parents were enjoying a leisurely game of washers. Although this is usually a tailgating game, playing on the grass seemed just as fun.Look what happened to my baby!!! He was trying to climb over Wesley (the dog) so he could get over to Lola but tripped trying and fell into a lawn chair. See that cut under his left eye? I'm sure that it will be black and blue tomorrow. My heart stopped when i saw him fall and the tears start falling down his face, i feel so bad for him.Guests packed the streets of our neighborhood with cars parked back to back up and down the street. Oh and did i mention the jello shots? How could i forget about the five dozen jello shots that were passed around throughout the night. Everyone, i mean everyone (of age of course) joined in, tossing back the sweet spirits. This was one fun party, thank you to all of our guest who came and gave there love to Pam.

*Congratulations Pamela, embrace true wisdom and love every day!

6.25.2009

We left on a jet plane!

Yesterday Ethan and I packed our bags and hopped on a jet plane leaving steamy Florida behind us. We headed up to PA to stay with Lola and Pop-pop Schrier and join in celebrating Aunt Pam's graduation from Penn State!
Since Lola and Pop-pop have not seen us since Christmas, they were so excited to kiss and hug our growing mini-man.Wesley isn't sure about this new visitor in "his" house. Sure, he's been happy to have another person to chase around and toss balls his way but since Ethan has been getting all of the attention, there is a bit of jealousy in the air.Ethan has been exploring every inch of this place and Lola has been laughing at his silly ways a LOT!Although she couldn't figure out how to play "Old MacDonald's farm", Aunty Nene was able to teach Ethan how to make music on the big piano.
So much fun, so many new things, so much love from our family. But Daddy, we miss you and wish you where here with us!