Happy 4th of July

Our day was packed from morning until night. We headed to the parade bright and early (but still hot) to watch my dad walk in it with his church organization! Carter's favorite part was watching the planes fly overhead to signal the start.

We then came back to our house for a bbq and swimming at our friends pool

Russ made some chocolate chip cookies from scratch! Yum!!

And we finished the day off with fireworks and this beautiful view! 

Carter almost fell asleep, but he was a trooper and hung in there!

It was a day of family and being thankful for all of the blessings and opportunities made available to us because we live in the USA!

Easter 2014

In lieu of a "Weekly Roundup" post I'm putting all of the pics in this one because most of what we did this week was Easter related. This was by far the most fun Easter we've had with Carter because he understood a lot more of what was going on. He made crafts, colored eggs, participated in our community Easter egg hunt and loved the trail of eggs the Easter Bunny left for him from his room all of the way downstairs to his basket. To top it all off the weather was beautiful and we got to spend Easter day with our immediate family. I hope that you all had a Happy Easter, too! This time of year of new beginnings is so refreshing!

Happy Easter from our family to yours!

Easter Bunny Success!

We took Carter to see the Easter Bunny this morning and he did great! He was super excited so that was a plus. Once we got there and he saw the setup he was quickly ready to back out. "Come on, let's go!" he kept saying. But with some calm, gentle coaxing we got him up there. He started off giving EB a high-five and seemed to relax. He didn't want to sit next to him on the bench, but he did stand there by himself (and with a smile!!) which was awesome. I'm not into pushing him to do things he is uncomfortable with so I'm glad we were able to find a happy medium!

By the way, how cute is this bunny?! Pink vest, glasses, eyebrows! He's adorable!

And a look back:

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

May your day be touched with a bit of Irish luck, brightened by a song in your heart, and warmed with smiles by the people you love!

(Everyone should have a good luck charm as awesome as ours!)

Patty's Day Flashbacks:

Goodbye 2013...Hello 2014!

2013 has come to an end... There have been challenges and disappointments, but thankfully Russ and Carter helped me get through it with love and laughter. I've gained a better understanding of who I really am and who and what is most important in life. I've spent my days doing the most amazing job, one that I am beyond grateful for: being Carter's mom and life teacher. There is no telling what 2014 holds for us, but I am going into it with an open heart that is ready to embrace the joy life has to offer. Wishing everyone a wonderful 2014!