Washington D.C. 2013

Our resort that we stayed at was only 2 hours from DC so we decided to seize the day and go see the Smithsonians with the kids.First and foremost, Lo took a nap somewhere other than her crib. She knocked out in her stroller for about 45 minutes, it was a Christmas miracle!

Some of the adults waiting on the metro.

Cute girls waiting patiently.

I just can't get enough of the metro tunnels. They are so cool! Can you tell we don't have public transit where I live? Haha!

The Washigton Monument under construction.

The Capitol building

My two loves strolling the Mall together.

We were able to go to 2 Smithsonians that day. The kids really enjoyed seeing the gems and minerals, the fossils and other miscellaneous exhibits. We grabbed lunch in one of the cafeterias in the Smithsonians and the Hubs ended up with food poisoning and it was immediate. Our trip home includes lots and lots of vomiting which worked out okay since traffic was at a stand still. It was a terrible drive home, horrific even!

Apple Festival 2013

We decided to go with my brother's family to the Apple Festival over Labor Day weekend. We attended last year for the first time as part of our "B" family vacation and loved being in the Hendersonville area. 

We hit up the festival- ate fresh apple pie, had apple slushies and apple sippers. Lou and Lo rode some rides (Lo's first experience with rides) and bought some apples at one of the vendors tents.

 Afterwards we went to a nearby local steakhouse that we remembered liking last year and it didn't disappoint this year. Then we went to an apple orchard (Stepp orchard, same as last year) where we picked our own apples. We were bummed that the tractor driver for the hayride that we liked was at the festival so we didn't get to ride this year. We brought back lots of fresh honey crisp, Jonah gold and Granny Smith apples though. Mimi had promised homemade applesauce out if the loot.

 On the way out we stopped by a shop that we went to last year because Nell had regretted not buying some serve ware that they sold when we were there in 2012. We happily went back because a year is a long time to regret not buying something you wanted! And one last important stop before heading home- Dunkin Donuts for our frozen hot chocolate and doughnut fix! We have our priorities. :) 

We were smooth sailing back home until I realized that Lo was finger painting in poop from her diaper. Gross! So we barely made it to an off ramp where we quickly got her out of her seat, stripped her down, wiped her and her carseat off and got back on the road. Good times!

Lo and Lou on Lo's first ever carnival ride "the caterpillar". Lo loved it and clapped every time it came around. The ride lasted over 4 minutes and she did great for being 17 months old. After this, I took her on a hot air balloon carnival ride that goes in a circle and the hot air balloons that you sit in go up and down...not a fan! She never cried but she was physically shaking because of the stomach flipping sensation that happened when the ride went up and down...it was too sad. Luckily I was riding it with her so I applied some pressure on her little belly with my hand to help her feel more comfortable and held her little hand. Bless her heart!

My two loves.

Cousins enjoying fresh apple sippers together. All of the grand kids love these cups and use them all year.

I love how Lo is looking at Lou in this picture, makes me laugh.

The apple of my eye at Stepp Orchard.

Someone didn't want to cooperate!

Pooped! Literally, she didn't nap all day until she had the blow out on the way home and then she had a nice little snooze. Seriously, nothing sweeter than a sleeping baby...especially mine!

Ohio 2013

We traveled to Ohio for Ronnie's funeral. He died in May and was cremated so we waited until all if the family could get together to do the funeral/burial. Independence Day weekend seemed to work best for the family so that's when we made our trip up. My parents came with us for moral support and to help with the baby during the funeral which was a huge help.

We traveled on the 4th of July and pulled in to Hubby's cousins home around 5:00. We were able to mingle with family and enjoy a barbecue for the holiday. It was a nice surprise to be able to make it for the celebration because we made really good time on the way up.

The 5th was the day of the funeral. There were so many people there that we didn't even know but we tried to mingle with most people as they came in the church so we could introduce ourselves. The funeral was held at the church that Ronnie's family has attended for years. 2 different Pastor's took care of the service, there was beautiful music and Hubby  closed the funeral with his thoughts about his Dad. He did a beautiful job and I know that his Dad would have been so proud of him.

I don't know where he got the strength to speak at his own Dad's funeral but he did an incredible job.  We went to the cemetery where family and friends paid their respects and Hubby dedicated (said a prayer) over the grave. Once everyone went back to their cars to leave, my Hubby took Lo over to the grave so that he could have a minute with her- telling her about her Grandpa that she was only able to meet once. It seems weird to write about this on a blog that other people read, but it's a collection of my thoughts and it's a sweet moment that I don't want to forget. 

We went back to the church and had lunch before going back to Kev and Theresa's so that Lo could take a nap before the next scheduled gathering. Later that afternoon we went to hubby's Aunt Fran and Uncle Neal's home where they hosted the family and some close friends for a dinner. It was nice to be able to kick back and enjoy time with he family. Kev and Theresa made a slideshow that I heard was really good of all of the pics of Ronnie over the years. I hate I missed it, but I was keeping Lo entertained so she didn't ruin it for everyone else.

Saturday we deemed a fun day. Kev a d Theresa generously offered to show us some sights- We went to a chocolatier, an outlet mall, a cheese place that gave the Amish a run for their money, a outdoor store and a steakhouse. Later that evening we met back up at Neal and Fran's for dinner with the family.

Sunday morning we said our goodbyes to everyone, loaded up Ronnie's belongings in our car and made the trek back home. The trip home took a lot longer than the ride up...we were definitely glad to be home! 

Some of the few pictures I have from the trip-

Hubby and Lo

The cheese store of all cheese stores...amazing!

Traveling with a toddler was a full time job for 2 people. It was difficult keeping her entertained and difficult to get her to take naps along the way but better than I expected. Did I mention she cut molars on this trip? Yikes!

Mountain Retreat

We had the most fabulous trip to the mountains last week.  It was so much fun and so relaxing- it was a perfect balance of go and do & rest and relax.

The first day was spent in Asheville where we saw a man riding a gigantic tricycle wearing a nun costume- just doing his best to "keep Asheville weird".The highlight of mine and Heath's day was the stop into Miss Kim's wig shop where we found fantastic earrings for 50 cents.  So, we dumped the contents of the earring basket out and loaded up on ear bling.  We all enjoyed all of the local art, Japanese food at a sushi bar and gelato.

The second day was spent in Cherokee where we fell into many tourist traps!  My goal for the day was buying Lo a sweet pair of moccasin booties to rock out with her leggings this fall/winter...but alas, my child refuses to uncurl her toes making it impossible to put any shoes on her feet.  I guess I can't have it all!  One day she'll beg me to buy her shoes, one day.  We were able to load up on local honey, fresh apples, pottery.  Heck, we even bought locally made pork rinds and I found an amazing huge shell for sale that I brought home to hold random jewelry on my nightstand.  We also climbed the 9 story tower to look out over the mountains in Maggie Valley which is where our cabin was located.

The third day was spent in Waynesville,NC.  We had the most delicious Thai food there.  I think I'll day dream of my curry dish for a few weeks!  We antiqued, browsed all of the little shops in the adorable downtown area and Hubby racked up on emergency essentials.  Waynesville was one of my favorite parts of the trip,it was such a neat little town.  I loved how centrally located everything was and how you could walk to everything. The latter part of the day was spent in Maggie Valley buying more local goods, specifically fudge!  Oh, we had an amazing dinner at this fabulous bakery.  Hubby got the biggest prime rib of his life and Heath and I enjoyed our shrimp and grits.



Our adorable cottage "13 Moons".  It was completely redone inside- had a fireplace that we used daily, 2 beds and 2 baths, a separate loft for TV watching. We have vowed to go back to this place as often as possible.

A path around the house.  I just loved the leaves everywhere and the crisp mornings...so fallish!

An adorable Lo cuddling her Daddy by the fire. She was a little under the weather but such a champ!  The girl is quite the traveler, she loves a good adventure.

The fam before the 9 flight trek up the observation tower in Maggie Valley, NC.  Apparently the entire town is competetive about their fall decorations.  Thank heaven for our fantastic Maggie Valley expert/travel companion,  Heath.

Our view at the half way point.

Who is that super model sassing up Maggie Valley?!

No words are needed.

2 little indians

There was even a bear sighting in Maggie Valley.

An artistic photo by Hubby of the leaves on our balcony on a rainy morning.

The fam in Greenville enjoying the outdoors at Reedy Falls Park.

At a store in downtown Greenville- These gorgeous things are called "witch balls".  I would like to have a window full of them like the store display- alas, I didn't win the lottery!  Heath did take one of these gems home though.

We loved the Nutmeg Cafe so much that we made reservations for brunch on our final day.  It did not disappoint!  We spent the rest of the day in Greenville where we got to enjoy more outdoor time at the Reedy Falls Park before coming home. What a great trip!

Traveling With An Infant

The Hubs and I recently took a long road trip (11 hours each way) with our baby. I'd like to share some helpful tips of what worked for us-

We brought the grandparents along for the ride.  This won't always be the case but it helped Lo to have new faces every couple of hours.  This would work with just 2 people instead of 4...just rotate every stop.

Speaking of stopping- plan on doing that a lot.  When you add up all of the reasons for stopping, there are many!  We tried to work around baby's schedule.  Since our 4 month old eats about every 2 and a half hours we found that we could hold off on other pit stops until she needed to eat again. We made a long stop about half way through the drive.  We would find a place to sit down and have lunch.  We brought Lo's stroller that reclines all the way so she was able to stretch out and play while we ate. A typical stop went like this-someone takes baby out, lets her stretch, feed, burp, diaper change and then walk around for a few minutes/play time. Usually one of us would stay at the car with baby while the others gassed up the car, went to the bathroom, got snacks, etc.  Then we would switch.

Punky and Papi shopping at Cracker Barrel.

 In between all of those stops were play time and nap time.  Our 4 month old likes white noise and darkness so we brought her travel white noise machine and a blanket to put over her seat to make it a little darker.  We were also sure to bring her favorite blanket and pacifiers to make it more comfortable for her.

Lo's cave of darkness.

Another life saver was her "command center".  I brought a little square caddy that had dividers in it that we put on the floorboard in front of her seat.  In one section there were bottles already filled, formula and one with bibs and burp clothes.  In another section we had toys and in the other there were lots of pacifiers. It was very convenient!

Taking a stroll at a pit stop with her Daddy.

 And even though she didn't seem interested in toys before we left home we quickly found that she in fact, did like to play with them after hours of sitting in the car.  We brought a slew of new toys and a couple familiar ones and switched them out.

  When she got really grumpy and we did have internet connection we would occasionally play a little clip of Curious George or Sesame Street from the PBS Kids app and she loved that.

Punky and Sophie the Giraffe

 Make sure to dress your little one comfortably.  We just stuck to a plain white onesie.  We were also sure to bring LOTS of bibs since we have a teether on our hands. I switched them out every stop that we made so she stayed nice and dry.

Our comfy little traveler at a gas station taking in the sights.

Other things to pack for your stay with a baby-

*Travel crib

*Diapers and wipes

*Hand sanitizer

*Extra blankets, bibs and pacifiers

*Extra outfits (they're bound to dirty up a few)

*Clothes that can be layered.  We went from almost 100 degrees at home to about 70 degree weather.

*Gas drops, infant pain reliever (just in case!)

*Lots of deodorizing bags for all of those diapers- there are no diaper genie's on vacation.

*Travel sized baby wash, powder, diaper rash cream.

*Several different modes of transporting your baby- slings, front packs, wraps, stroller.  I brought a few different carriers and stowed  them in the underneath compartment of the stroller.

I definitely over packed but I would rather be prepared than be scrambling to a nearby store to try to get what I need.

Punky Takes Ohio

Our little family and my parents took a little road trip to visit Hubby's side of the family in the buckeye state.  It had been far too long since the Hubs and I made the haul up the road to visit so we were happy to see everyone.  Some of the trip highlights included-

 Punky meeting her paternal "Grandpa" for the very first time.

 Hanging out with Uncle Neal.

 Getting the grand tour from Aunt Fran and meeting Gweny the cat.

Apparently meeting the man of her dreams. Seriously, this kid couldn't get enough of her cousin Kevin...I think I'm going to have to get a poster to put above her crib of his face!

 Amish Country- a pretty gazebo outside one of the shops.

 Browsing the Amish furniture and finding this huge chair to pose the little one in.

 The reason for visiting Amish Country- Heini's cheese!  I've got my freshly made baby swiss and parmesan in the fridge to prove it.

 A shot of one of the farms.  It really is a beautiful place...maybe it was because it was 70 degrees there as opposed to 100 degrees back here at home?!  I told the Hubs that next time we're bringing a tripod and taking some family pictures in the pastures up there.

 We had a family reunion with the family.  It was nice to visit with all of his aunts, uncles and cousins.  We wish that we could see them more often and have vowed to do better.

 Theresa loves s'mores as much as I do! That was some exciting news to me.  She and Kevin brought their fire pit so we could make some delectable s'mores that night.

And, while being cooped up in a car for a total of 24 hours over the span of a few days...the girl has decided that doing tricks with her tongue is where it's at!  Hours of fun, never gets old.

North Carolina Museum of Art

While accompanying the Hubs on one of his business trips to Raleigh we stopped in at the North Carolina Museum of Art.  We were both rather impressed with the collection that they had and how sleek and modern the building is.  This is part of it, there is a whimsical metal tree out front.

North Carolina Museum of Art

Hands down the coolest piece that this place had. This installment was quite large and was made from spools of thread.  The image was made hanging upside down but there was this cool wand that you held and looked through to see it right side up.


The cool wand that inverted the image.

So neat!

A close up of the spools of thread that made up the image.

I loved this drapey piece.  I love modern art pieces in general because they are so colorful and I never met a color I didn't like.  This guy was HUGE!

Overall view of the piece of art.

Zoomed in a little you can see that the piece is made out of different wrappers that were woven/sewn together. I can't imagine how long it took to complete!

Close up shot-  It's made out of wrappers.

 I wish I would have gotten a closer shot of this one because the attention to detail was amazing.  The lines were so crisp and where they intersected it looked like it was woven and not painted.

I loved this one!

I just think this one would make me so happy if I got to see it hanging in my home everyday.  Of course, I'm partial to anything on a square canvas anyway!

So colorful.

I finished the large painting for the baby's nursery last week that Hubby lovingly named "The Gay Zebra".  I haven't gotten around to posting pictures of it yet but when we saw this painting we decided it was The Gay Zebra's long lost cousin.

The cousin to my nursery artwork.

If you ever find yourself in the Raleigh area I suggest that you check this place out.  From doing a little research on the area I found that there are 20 museums in Raleigh and most, if not all, are free of charge.