recap...

Looking back, I think it's safe to say that we've packed as much as we could into the last month. Here are some pics of our October fun!

new project...

Lately, I've been spending some time getting re-acquainted with crocheting. I haven't worked on anything since last winter, so it's taken a bit of time to get in the groove again. My first goal for this year was to learn to crochet a hat of some sort. Eventually, I'd like to learn how to crochet many different hats, but I've tried to stick to a realistic goal for now. I've got lots of colors and patterns in mind for more of these and can hardly wait to get started on them. I've just got to find some time, tweek a few things that I learned the hard way with this one, and get a LOT faster.

wheels & hills

This past weekend, we loaded up our bikes and headed to Staunton, Virginia for the Shenandoah Valley Fall Foliage Festival. Although it was a bit of a drive, it was good timing with the leaves being SO pretty. My Dad was able to go along with us, so it was really nice to spend some quality time with the three very special men (including little man) in my life. We spent the first half of the day on Sat. and Sun. riding bikes. The scenery was break-taking and once I got past the shock, the chilly air was really nice. E tagged along in his bike-trailer, eating goldfish, checking out the cows, and taking a nap every once in a while. We also spent a bit of time in some cool parks and rode the trolley around town, which E liked a lot. And, last but not least, we ate some really yummy food and drank lots of yummy coffee while we were there. I'm hoping this trip may quickly become a Fall tradition of ours :)

prepping for the first ride...

we're ready...

really cool old house on our Sunday route...

after the Sunday route...

6 years!

Jesse and I spent this past weekend in Asheville to celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary. It was a fairly quick trip, but the weather was perfect and we had a great time. It was so nice to stroll around downtown and enjoy lots of yummy food. One of our favorite things to do lately when we get a chance to go on dates is to restaurant-hop. We choose a place to have an appetizer, another to have the main course, and another for dessert! This is really a great way to check out a lot of cool eating places when you don't have a lot of time or don't get to go out as much as you'd like. So...needless to say, Asheville had tons of great places to choose from when it came to food. We took our camera, but didn't take one picture. So...I'm posting pics from the web of the spots we enjoyed so that maybe one day you can too :)

Tupelo Honey Cafe~ My Dad had recommended this place and we knew from the hour-long wait for lunch that it must be good.

They served a warm biscuit with amazing blueberry preserves to start...

Jesse had the sweet potato pancake and I had the oh-so-yummy pimento cheese dip :)

Table restaurant...we had our main course here. Loved the cozy, modern feel of this place. And, of course, the food.

French Broad Chocolate Lounge...

We made our last stop here at the recommendation of our waitress at Table. The two-page menu of homemade desserts made it very difficult to choose, but I didn't regret my choice of the Highland Mocha Stout cake one bit. It was probably the best cake I've ever eaten. We definitely saved the best for last!

Okay...all of this typing about our get-away makes me want to go back, so I'm gonna stop now :)

(I do want to say "thanks" to my husband (of six years now!) for making the weekend perfect...I love you)

father's day & a new toy...

We celebrated Jesse's second Father's Day on Sunday with a trip to the Knights game. It was Eli's first baseball game and he seemed to really enjoy it for the first few innings. After that, though, he was ready for bigger and better things, like the carousel and bounce house :) On Sunday night, Jesse had to leave town to be in New York for the week. Having him away reminds me how much he means to me (and Eli) and how much he gives and sacrifices for us. It's nice to have times like this to remind me not to take things and people for granted...unfortunately I need these reminders fairly often.

So...since Eli and I are alone this week, (my grandparents and Dad are vacationing too), I've been trying to stay busy and entertaining. Last weekend, we bought Eli a balloon-powered boat at Books A Million. He and I tried it out the other day and I was pleasantly surprised. It works well and Eli seems to really like it! So...if you're looking for a simple, inexpensive toy that seems like it will last a while, check it out.

He was sooooo... funny and persistent with trying to blow up the balloon...

and...just couldn't keep those little hands out of the water : )

summer kick-off...

This past weekend served as a great start for my summer vacation. My mama and sister came to visit on Friday and we spent Saturday morning celebrating my cousin Laura Leigh's high school graduation. It was a nice ceremony and we're very proud of Snuffy :) I think this was our last graduation for a while...we've had a ton of them in the family! Jesse, Eli and I spent Saturday evening in Tryon, NC for the Blue Ridge BBQ Festival. Our friends Matt and Erika had told us about it and were there as well. Molly and Eli had a great time dancing and riding as you can see from the pics! Sunday, we spent the day by the pool with friends and had a nice, home-cooked meal for supper :) I had to work a workday on Monday, had yesterday off, returned today for a training, and now...I'm DONE! Yipee~Skipee! I'm really excited, although, I do believe my little man is going to keep me just as busy (probably busier) than my full-time job! Right now I"m spending my extra minutes completing an extra-special project for another special weekend coming up this weekend ;) and getting things ready for Eli's second birthday! I can't believe I just typed "second"! He is growing WAY too fast!

Time out for a hug...so sweet!

I don't think Eli closed his mouth the whole time...pretty sure he was in shock over us letting him ride by himself :)

all aboard!

We have been staying pretty busy lately...busy with work, busy chasing Eli and busy having fun! Our Memorial Day weekend was great...we got a chance to visit with our neighbors, spend time with Jesse's Mom (she came to NC for a few days), celebrate a birthday and graduations, and take Eli to Tweetsie for the first time! It was the perfect day weather-wise and crowd-wise and we were able to take quite a crew along with us! Jesse's mom, my grandparents, my dad, and my aunt Angie were able to join in on the fun! Eli had a blast and surprised us by enjoying some of the "big" rides. He is really into trains right now, so it was the perfect time to visit : )