Summer 2017

Holy Cow, it looks like the blog has taken a backseat to, well, life this past year!  I sincerely love having my blog to look back on, but I have the hardest time keeping up with it!!  So, a full year after the fact, here is a recap of our summer of 2017!!!

We started off the summer with a trip to Topsail with The Hetricks and the Marianis.  It was such a fun trip, and the cousins all love to hang out together all week long!

Girlfriend steered clear of the ocean, while repeating to herself, "The ocean's not gettin' me.  It's not gettin' me/"

On our way home from the beach we planned to stop and visit Jess and Phil and their kiddos, but Juliana had a super high fever so thos eplans were derailed.  We hung out in Cary for awhile, met up with Taylor, Rachel, Harpa, and their new baby Gia and then headed north to Richmond. 

 We ended up at a Brewery in Richmond, and so began Mike's obsession with breweries and craft beers.

I had to snap this photo in the hotel in Richmond because it is so real life.  Addy and Izzy are up bright and early, sunglasses on and ready to party, while Emma and Daddy are still snoozin'

Erin, An, and the boys came into town from Vegas and we were able to hang out with them, which is always fun!

Tina took the girls to the cabin and gave Mike and I a nice relaxing kid free weekend!

Instead of hitting up Treasure Lake for our annual Hetrick/Gordon/Cannon 4th of July, we went to Pittsburgh this year since the Gordon's new lake house was still being built.

We hit up the Harrisburg 4th of July festival... that ended with Addy running away from us, calling us sh**heads for all of Harrisburg to hear... but that's a story for another time ;)

Hershey Park happy!  I threw this pic of the girls eating their Italian Ice in there because I took an almost identical pic this year.

Here I am very pregnant with Reagan... also a story for another time ;)

We made it through the park AND Chocolate World!!  Winning today!

Mike ran his first ever Spartan race with this crew while I trudged my pregnant butt all over that mountain trying to get pictures of them all.  So proud of him for doing this!!

Our cherished annual trip to Dunes Manor in OC MD, just our little family of 5.  I love this tradition that we've started!

Sunrise with these beauties dancing in the waves.  Pure perfection :)

No summer with kiddos would be complete without plenty of pool time!

We also went to OC with my mom, sis and bro-in-law, and grandparents!  We can always count on Tina for some awesome pictures!

All yes, the shower curtain pool for Izzy

Double date night at the Lobster Shanty

My girls.  Emma: lover of jumping in the waves.  Addy: lover of swimming in the ocean and riding the waves.  Izzy: lover of steering clear of the ocean ;)

And there you have it!! A year late, but our summer of 2017 in a nutshell of photos and videos.  Until next time... which hopefully will be soon!

Emma: 5 Years Old!

Dear Emma Lou,

You are 5 years old now, which means that in less than a year you are heading to "big girl" school!  I cannot believe it!  You are just as sweet as always, and you live in your own little world as you always have 😉.  It still blows my mind how good you are at sharing and how selfless you are in that regard.  Even as a really little girl, you have always been a good sharer, and nothing has changed.  I feel like it says a lot about who you are inside 💗.

You're a little flighty, and we often have a tough time getting you to focus, but it's never usually intentional on your part.  You live in Emma's world and it's a fun place to be.  You don't have much sense of urgency and you've taught me a lot about patience and slowing down a little in life.  I often sit and think about how awesome it must be to be YOU!

You have a new found love of horses, and Spirit is your favorite show on TV.  Anything that has to do with horses you are into.  I might try to get you some lessons sometime, but I'm torn because that might be a slippery slope 😉. You also love LOL dolls and Barbies.  You and Addy both have a Barbie house in your rooms that I got from a neighbor and you have been loving playing with those.

We still struggle a lot with your letters and a few of your shapes.  Daddy and I requested a conference with your preschool teacher to see if there is something more that we could be doing to help you. She assures us that you are doing fine and one day soon it will click for you.  We practice flashcards and tracing letters, but there isn't much retention yet. We'll keep working and you'll get there! 

Your best friends are Grace from next door, Emily and Olivia at school, and Emme and Sydney from the neighborhood.  You are such a sweet girl and a good friend, so everyone wants their Emma time 😉. 

You're riding your bike like a champ and we're trying to get you off of that little blue two-wheeler and onto a bigger bike.  You are running the Healthy Kids Running Series 75 yard dash and you've won every time!  Grand champion and you are proud!!  So am I!  Maybe you'll be my little runner!

Your 5 year checkup went just fine and all of your stats were normal:

HR:104
BP:104/60
BMI: 15.23 (52nd percentile)
Weight: 41lbs (54th percentile)
Height: 3' 7.5" (63rd percentile)

You are an AMAZING singer, and you sing and dance your way through life!  I adore hearing you sing and make up songs all day every day. To any little thing that you're up to, you'll make up a song and sing it quietly (sometimes not so quietly) to yourself.  I want to keep your love of music alive and get you some voice lessons as soon as you're ready.

We had a little birthday party for you here at the house and you invited a bunch of your friends.  You had a pinata (a first for us) and that was your biggest wish!  It was a princess party and you dressed up as Elena of Avalor.  She is your current favorite princess.  A princess party was perfect for you since you love to dress up and look beautiful.  You are always asking to wear dresses, have your nails painted, have your hair curled, and wear makeup.  We have to reign you in sometimes 😉.

Here are some photos of you from your 5th year of life:

Joy from Inside Out for Halloween.  The perfect costume for you 😍

Another affectionate nickname I have for you is "My Little Elf kin"

Ready for our Mommy Emma date day!

Ha ha, you have a random new love of the dictionary (or in your words, the "Diction Play").  It is so funny because you want to open it and look at it all the time 😂

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

We always say that with your large, bubbly personality and love of performing, you'd be a great Irish dancer!

I love this picture of you with your sparkly new haircut!

Always smiling!

The Barbie house has arrived!

Always the fashionista!

First dance class!

Happy birthday Emma!

Here are some birthday videos!

Looking at you in all of these pictures and videos just brings the biggest smile to my face!  Happy birthday Emma Jane!  You are a ray of light in our lives who always keeps things fun and happy!  My wish for you is that you continue to sing and dance your way through life with the same spirit and joy that you do now.  Happiest of 5th birthdays to the happiest little girl we know!  Mommy and Daddy love you to the moon and back and back and back again 💗.

Love,

Mommy