A Fall Tradition + a wedding + NYC = Autum 2013 Update

What a great month :) Not only am I not travelling for work every week, I am really getting to enjoy the best part of the year with some of the best people I know.

ArtPrize Brunch 2013 was a success. The weather was perfect, the company happy, the coffee was flowing and the art was abundant.

Nope, we can't fit that ducky in your tub.

Our little puzzle piece

One big, mossy fisherman 

True to form, I just don't take pictures of guests. So you'll have to use your imagination and just trust me when I say there was more than just HP and I :)

Jon and I hadn't really celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary properly last June, so we waited for our friend's wedding celebration in NYC this Fall to go all out. We gave HP to my parents for a long weekend (he promptly said bye and went about his business of play- ouch), jumped on the plane and landed in NYC for an ideal wedding weekend.

We were able to stay at my friend's apartment, which conveniently was located 5 minutes away from the wedding :)

reunited with my besties 

Had a cute date 

Threw on a dress 

grabbed a drink, or two or three

and watched as my beautiful friend got married

then danced the night away 

under a canopy of lights :)

Playdate in Pictures

I got to see my bff's from High School today, complete with their sweet babies(and husbands too!) 

Well of course we had to try to do a group shot :) 

My personal favorite is the first one :) Oh...I was just borrowing that sweet 6 week old bundle in my arms, she belongs to Jen :)

Friends, Family, Festivals and Fiascos

H and I had a very lovely long weekend, which began after I got out of work Wednesday. We were joined by Kathryn, my good friend from NYC. She'd been travelling the far reaches of the world so of cource Grand Rapids was next on her list :) 

 We showed her the sights of GR, including the misting pool at Rosa Parks. H loved it so much he threw his hat into it...

Not much was on the agenda outside of taking it easy. We did a lot of that. But Friday evening we joined my visiting sister Kellie and my mom for the ride up to Alma to experience the one and only Highland Festival! Did you know Alma is Scotland, USA?

Well it is:) We have fond memories of visiting my Abuelita's house in Alma and watching the parade and highland games.

 Complete with bloody marys :)

 We had great seats thanks to my Uncle. HP got a great view of the parade.

 Many different views of the parade :)

Which actually didn't turn out to be a great thing...

It sounds crazy and it was really surreal, but we witnessed a freak accident at that parade. One of the floats carrying several passengers tripped up and literally ran over a woman walking alongside of it. She is okay (as far as I know) but she most definately went under a wheel and was trapped under that float for at least 30 minutes before being carted off in the ambulance.

And then everything went back to normal.

Yeah, crazy.

Speaking of crazy, have you ever seen a caber toss? The different clansmen tried their hands at tossing a giant log (like a telephone pole).

The strong man gets the "pick", then does the caber dance to get his balance before tossing it upwards to make it flip over. Some were successful, some not.

It was a fun-filled, dramatic week :)

Reflections on being 27

I certainly had a great time living my 27th year

The 27 highlights were these; 

1. moved into our very first house

2. celebrated H turning 1

3. saw my sister get married 

4. Ran my 2nd annual Halloween Run and Turkey Trot with the one and only Katie Matteson in record time I might add!

5. Enjoyed a crazy bachelorette weekend with Katie, Kellie and Kel's friends in LA, complete with seeing the bride-to-be destroy a very cute purse in the back of some unfortunate's taxi cab:)

6. Was the B Team soccer coach at my school, loved getting back on the field and seeing those boys learn the game and sometimes love it 

7. Enjoyed 6 weeks off in the summer to play with little boy H

8. Bought the burley! 

 

9. Had Katie be a great babysitter for H

10. Found Cindy and Eli which turned out to be the perfect place for H to spend his days while I worked 

11. Thanksgiving in Alma with my sweet familia 

12. Watched Jon become a greater and greater dad every day 

13. Met the sweet Bridget Thomas, the daughter of one of my BFFs

14. Art Prize Brunch with our friends! Although less spectacular than last year it was made fun by Fred's dynamic GR touring skills 

15. Reunited with some of my favorite and truest high school friends at the Annual Poker Party

16. Was able to congratulate (albeit not in person) one of my NY besties on her engagement 

17. Had Harrison help me be a more outgoing version of my self every day 

18. Witnessed Jon embrace cycling to work with enthusiasm 

19. Found enjoyable GR spots like Reeds Lake 

20. Bought not one but two new winter coats (both because sister Katie introduced me to Modcloth)

21. Learned to love Mulick Park for being super close to my house, and truly beautiful in all seasons

22. Successfully got H on a sleep routine and said goodbye to late night feedings

23. Speaking of which...said goodbye to breastfeeding as soon as he hit the 1 year mark, whew

24. Was able to walk, bus, bike, or drive to work-which I love!

25. Spent Christmas Eve as a little family unit and watched H tear up his Christmas presents gleefully 

26. Rang in the New Year, just Jon and I

27. Enjoyed a great birthday party complete with ice skating downtown, sangria, tapas and friends :)

Looking forward to making even greater highlights this year!

Babysit for a Friend

Thank you Mandy and Aaron for helping me check one more thing off my list! I got to watch Miss Bridget this afternoon while Mandy had some solo time. She was an angel and it all went smoothly enough to continue to offer my services to my friends with kiddos.

I was curious to see how Harrison responded to a small one around. In the beginning he was all about showing off for her, complete with turning circles and drop kicking balls. But I think when Mandy left and he realized that she was staying with us he got a little more wary. They both shared well. Ate lunch at the same time, and danced to music. But whenever Bridget got too close to him (which lucky for him, she's still crawling) he got whiney and kept looking at me as if to say "call her off!".

One thing I noticed having two sweet babies around is that I couldn't watch one's acts of cuteness without missing the other. Tricky! As a second, and middle child, I feel bad for myself knowing now that Kellie got more attention :) Well, I turned out well enough anyway :)

A Grand Haven Wedding

This past weekend's (5 day-off Labor Day Fest!) highlight was going to see two of my friends get married in Grand Haven. Jon was is the wedding so I got to follow him up in time for the Friday evening wedding. I went past my turn, over a bridge and back with 10 minutes to spare. Whew.

No I didn't forget my dress, it's strapless.

After all the times I went to GH growing up, I do not remember it looking so precious. I need to get back there soon. The reception was in a restaurant with a lovely view.

 Jessica getting some sweet shots of Mandy and Aaron out on the deck.

 Post-wedding, pre-reception drinks across the street.

 Two blurry groomsmen helped their bf Keith get to the altar. 

How does one not get a picture of the bride and groom? Well, I left my camera at my table too much and to my surprise I found picture gifts like these :)

  Precious moments.

Babies Babies Everywhere!

Today we finally met little Bridget Grace! Okay, finally is not the right word when she is only 5 days old...but still it felt like forever. She is a DOLL.

I love those little lips and the baby non-chin. 

She had that featherweight feel to her, especially after lugging Mr. Bear who must be approaching 20 pounds by now! 

Speaking of which, when did this happen?

 

2 weeks old 

8 months old

Yeesh. Nothing like meeting a smaller baby to remind you that your baby is not so small anymore. Same thing happened when Harry met Jayden (not Sally....haha). Although they're just like 6 weeks apart, so this was a bit more dramatic a difference. 

It's such a thing to see you friend from high school holding a tiny version of herself. You know its coming for 9 months but it is a shock when she's there in your arms, squinting curiously at you.

Proud dads show their babies off. 

Is Harrison huge or Bridget tiny?