We

Are

Doing

Our SNOW DANCE!!!!

Will it work!? We will find out tomorrow morning!!

Fall Is In Full Swing

Holly, Levi and Kaden. This was my first time taking pictures for someone else. I was so nervous! I knew that there was no pressure because Holly is family but I really wanted to get some good shots of their adorable little family. It was a very fun afternoon and when it was all said and done I got quite a few shots they will be able to use! I am excited to continue practicing....SO if you are interested in helping me get better at my new hobby let me know. It's so much fun catching moments. Below are a few more shots I took of AB when she was out helping daddy rake the leaves. :-) She is no longer a little baby...I look at that face and I can't figure out where the time has gone. Time truly does fly!

We will have a very busy few weeks ahead. On Thursday, I'm headed to San Fran to visit Katie Sue...I can hardly wait!!! We are also excited because we are hosting Thanksgiving this year at our house for Nick's side of the family! It's a really fun...good kind of nervous. I love having a party, but I'm not so sure about this cooking a turkey business. I'm hoping it's one of those things that's "easier than it looks..." We shall see soon enough. I'm just happy to live so close to the Giant Eagle Market District where they will have fully cooked turkeys available for purchase...just in case!

Trick-or-Treat!

"My Little Pony, My Little Pony..." Annabelle was very into trick or treat this year. She went to Ms. Angela's house (my good friend I met at school :-)... Then to Aunt Patti and Maria's house -and then we hit the streets. She was very polite reminding Nick "I will say trick or treat and then I will say thank you." After an hour she was more interested in eating some of her candy than getting more goodies. We went home...After a few minutes she decided she would help hand out candy. This brought some great AB quotes such as:

"My Little Pony, My Little Pony..." Annabelle was very into trick or treat this year. She went to Miss Angela's house (my good friend I met at school :-)... Then to Aunt Patti and Maria's house -and then we hit the streets. She was very polite reminding Nick "I will say trick or treat and then I will say thank you." After an hour she was more interested in eating some of her candy than getting more goodies. We went home...After a few minutes she decided she would help hand out candy. This brought some great AB quotes such as:

"Trick or Treaters! Come to my house I have candy for you!" (yelled of course!)

"Oh...Here comes more customers!"

"Where's your bucket." (To kids who didn't bring their bag to the door with them)

"Open your bag!"

and

"I just love candy, don't I?"

We had 235 trick or treaters at our house! It was SO much fun. We LOVE our new little neighborhood!

I know a Little Pony who will have very sweet dreams tonight!

Ms. Angela's House

Running from house to house...

Our sweet little pony

A Day with Nana!

So Mommy going back to work isn't all that bad...especially on Thursday when AB gets to stay home for the day. Last Thursday, Nana came to stay with AB... Well the pictures speak louder than any words could.

9:30 am- a text from Nana stating that it was a clothing optional day for Annabelle. (there was some potty practice happening and then AB didn't want to get dressed)

Nana said, "no problem"

10:45 am - Yes that is a full moon you are seeing, peaking out from a tent designed by Nana and Annabelle. This tent is also where Annabelle had her nap that day as well. (a pull-up was insisted upon at nap time)

Noon- This may look like a scene from a nudie colony but it's not...It's just AB having lunch and watching Max and Ruby. Nothing like grilled cheese with NO pants!

Aren't Grandma's the BEST!

All Moved In!

West Side!!!! We are all moved into our new home in Upper Arlington. It's so much fun setting up a new place. I've tried to do this quickly to try and make our new house feel like home. We have really enjoyed getting to know our new community these first two weeks. Hard to believe it's already been two weeks here! We have checked out many of the parks and the libraries. We love all of the activities that are happening on a weekly basis...Like The Taste of UA which was a lot of fun and the farmers market! Probably our most favorite is having a few parks in walking distance from our house. Each night after dinner we head to "Tower Park" (ab's names of course) which is Wickliffe Elementary School's playground or "Bug Park" which is Fancyburg Park. Each are less than a 1/2 mile from our house! Fancyburg Park is "Bug Park" because of the little bouncy bumble bee and grasshopper not because of the mosquitoes that are out in full force right now. Living in a neighborhood with no trees makes you forget about what trees and lots of vegetation can bring...LOTS OF BUGS! After the mosquitoes found out what we already know that AB is really really sweet, we have a full arsenal of repellent stopping them from feasting!

More pictures to come!

AHA! A Hands On Adventure!

If you've never been to the AHA in Lancaster, OH and you have small kiddos you have to go! This place is where imagination goes to play. They have it all! AB and I met our buddies-Sawyer, Dalton, Ms. Christy and her mother at AHA. We got there at 10am and we could have stayed all day. Those three peanuts were all over the place! It was such a fun day. Dalton and Sawyer are twins and are less that two weeks older than AB. They are the perfect playmates because they are very "active" and "hands on". Where AB can be too much for some children her own age with her personality, these two dudes are just the same. It is always fun when we can spend time together. I met Christy and the boys at the zoo when the kiddos were a little over a year old. It's not really my thing to strike up conversation with just anyone (well ok...maybe it is...) but Christy came strolling up to the Elephant area with a double wide stroller and two adorable little boys in tote! I thought the boys looked about AB's age so I asked a parent's first ice breaker question "How old are your boys?" This led to walking around the zoo chatting about our careers in education and our children. It's been fun getting to know The Smith family throughout the past year and a half. Here are a few pictures!

AB and Dalton putting out a fire from the firetruck!

Sawyer and Annabelle at the sand table

The kiddos fishing

Sawyer and Dalton driving the firetruck

4th of July Fun!

We had a whirl-wind of a week... We were home from Florida on Thursday and then off to the Lake for Mimzey and Dano's annual 4th of July Party. There were so many friends there for AB to play with. The fireworks were fabulous, but nothing could beat the weather! It would have been a perfect day, however, AB decided on a day when many people would be visiting and she'd be wanting to stay up late, there was no NAP happening! It did supply a lot of blog worthy quotes from my little friend, such as:

Me: "AB no more we need to go up and take a nap!"

AB: "Don't call bout me Mommy!" (she has been saying "don't call bout me for the past week or so whenever anyone tells her what to do or to stop a behavior.)

Me: "Lay down sister and get cozy."

AB: "I not your sister I am AB!"

Me: "Ok here is your cozy blanket and piggy." Tossing the cozy blanket down onto AB and walking out of the room.

AB: looking down at her legs, pointing to her one exposed foot and says. "Mommy Wait! You forgot to cover this foot!"

In one attempt to leave the room we were all standing down in the kitchen listening to AB fuss about missing out on the fun, being forced by her evil mommy to take a snooze...and we hear "SAVE ME UNCLE SCOTTY SAVE ME!!!" lol-she always goes for the weakest link! Just kidding Uncle Scotty! She did in fact fall asleep and get a great nap and therefore had a fabulous time! Thank you Mimzey and Dano for two wonderful weeks of fun!

Sanibel Island

Loving Time with Family in Fort Myers

Day One In Fort Myers, FL

Summer Fun with Auntie Kate

Katie Sue is home and we have had so much fun playing with her. We just finished our very first week of summer. It is so nice getting up with Annabelle and spending the day playing with her. :-) Here are some pictures of Annabelle, Katie and Cathy at the park today.

LOVE!

Kate and AB at the top of the hill!

Rolling Down the Hill

Back up again!

And down again!

Sahara, enjoying the sights from the top of the hill!

Happy Memorial Day

We spent the weekend with family. Great Grams has recently sold her home and has decided to down size and more closer, finding a great place here in Columbus! Deciding what to do with the things she and Grandpa had collected has been the hardest part. One item that spent 62 years with Grandpa and Grams is Barney the horse. Barney has lived through lots of love and provided even more fun. Barney is an original Wonder Horse...He should probably be restored and put in a showcase, however, that would make Barney sad! Barney has lived through the Finerty children, their children and their children's children. We are happy to take care of Barney for a while. Annabelle is THRILLED! Here are a few shots and a video of AB hanging with her new best friend Barney!

27 more days!!

Boy oh boy is AB TWO! lol- She is a wonderfully independent, willful little girl!! We are having so much fun listening to ALL she has to say. She has been having a re-occuring dream about "mean trees." I think it all came from her slight fear of the apples trees on the Wizard of OZ...

Leave it to AB to be scared of the trees, not the witch or flying monkeys! The first morning, after this nightmare, she told Nick and I about the dream over and over. "The trees were small. Then the grow up fast! Then they say BOO AB!!" She even made her voice low and scary when she mimicked the tree's voice. lol-So we had to make a sign for her bedroom door that says "NO trees allowed!" It has really helped! I am trying not to count down the days of school....but who am I kidding! 27 more days! I'm very excited for summer and time with AB. We have the house back on the market. It would be nice to move of the summer too! We'll see. It would be just one more bit of good news for our family... I've had a pretty good few weeks-1st -Teacher of the Year at Tussing and 2nd-I FINISHED MY MASTERS! I feel so FREE! lol. Above are some more recent pictures of AB at the pond in our neighborhood. Happy May Day!