Welcome to the new website for The Cothren Family!
Hopefully everyone from the old website will be able to find this new one!
Some of you may be wondering why the change! Well, the answer is simple…money! This website is free, the other was costing us money each month.
While this website will have a little different layout, it should have all of the same information, journal entries and most importantly, PICTURES! There will no longer be one page (or several pages) dedicated to photo albums, instead the pictures will be embedded in each journal entry. At times, I will add a slideshow (especially if I have a bunch of new pictures on one specific date) and at other times, I will add a few images into the journal entry. As always, if there are any pictures that you want me to e-mail you, please let me know and I will be more than happy to do so! This website also allows me to upload video, so rest assured you will still be able to get your “Alex Video” fix! There will not be a “Guestbook”, but each journal entry will have a comment section (just look at the bottom of the entry and click on the word “comment”) and you can still leave your messages to Alex (and us!). We enjoy reading the comments, so don’t stop sending them!
Some of you may be wondering what will happen with the old website (the entries, pictures, guestbook entries, etc.) – well, I am in the process of printing up most of the website pages. I want Alex to be able to see it all and it has been a great tool for me to record his milestones and memories. I am also going to transfer most of the older posts over to this new website – you know, in case you ever want to go back and read about what Alex was up to six months ago ;). I will also transfer the pictures over here, too. Please be patient with this process though, it may take me awhile! I will not be able to transfer the guestbook comments over here, but they will be printed out and put into a book for Alex to look at when he grows up!
Enjoy the new website. Thank you for loving our family enough to check up on us, look at our pictures and watch our son grow up!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Happy Easter!
Happy Easter from our family to yours!
We had a great Easter here in the Cothren house!
Alex woke up and discovered his Easter basket that the Easter Bunny had left him. He got "food" for his kitchen, a new "Yo Gabba Gabba!" DVD, a divided plate, a few books and puzzles, a shirt and a few Easter eggs with Hot Wheels Cars in them (because what boy doesn't love Hot Wheels Cars?)! He loved the brightly colored Easter eggs that the Hot Wheels came in!
This year, we decided not to color Easter eggs. We decided that Alex was a bit to young to participate without making a HUGE mess everywhere and we knew that he wouldn't really understand what he was doing! I remember coloring Easter eggs every year with my Mom and Dad and I am looking very forward to continuing that same tradition with our child(ren)!!
Here is a slideshow of our favorite pictures from the day! Enjoy :)
Saturday, April 11, 2009
New York City
Larry had a four day weekend this past weekend and we decided to take advantage of that and go to New York City! Neither one of us have ever been there before, so we were very excited to go an experience “The City”!
We left California (Maryland) after Larry got done flying on Wednesday, April 8. I think we finally left the house around 6:00 pm. The drive was uneventful – Larry drove the first half and I drove the second half. We each got to drive through a tunnel – Larry’s was in Baltimore and mine was in NYC! I’m not sure that I have ever driven through a tunnel before, so that very well could have been my first one! We arrived in NYC around 11:30 and got checked into our hotel. We stayed at the Hilton in Times Square and highly recommend it to anyone that is in need of a hotel in New York City. Once we got into the hotel room, we gave Alex a bit more milk before putting him to bed. I was getting ready for bed and all the sudden Larry yelled my name – our sweet baby boy had puked all over the bed, my pillow that I brought from home and himself! Other than when he was a tiny baby, he has never thrown up and I think he was a bit concerned with what had happened. We called down to the front desk for someone to come up and change our sheets and comforter, changed Alex out of his icky pajamas, and threw my pillow away! Once we had taken care of all that, we finally got to sleep!
We woke up bright and early on Thursday morning – ready to tackle our first day in New York City! We had 48-hour passes for a double-decker tour bus and had planned on taking the Downtown NYC tour during the day on Thursday. Before boarding our bus, we decided to get tickets at the bus company for the Statue of Liberty! We rode the bus around the city and it was great! We were able to see so many sights – again, we highly recommend this to anyone that is planning on visiting NYC. We rode through Times Square, rode through 5th Avenue and all the shopping areas, toured a few of the ethnic areas, went to see the World Trade Center site and stopped at Battery Park. We were excited about going to see the Statue of Liberty, but quickly discovered that the line to get on the ferry was over 2 hours – completely impossible when you have an active toddler with you! We decided to cut our losses for the tickets and not spend the time waiting in line. We did take plenty of pictures from Battery Park and had the opportunity to test out our new zoom lens for our camera! After looking at the Statue from a distance, we got back on our tour bus and continued our tour of downtown NYC! Once the tour was over, we decided to go back to the hotel room to chill out for a little while before dinner. We had dinner that night at a place in Times Square called Chevy’s – we had great “Fresh-Mex” food and wonderful margaritas!
After dinner, we decided to hop back on the double-decker tour bus for a nighttime tour of New York City! I have one word for it – INCREDIBLE! New York City is absolutely beautiful at night – it is so lit up and so neat to see! We took a trip over the Manhattan Bridge into Brooklyn and had a beautiful view of the NYC skyline! Another tour that we highly recommend! Once the night tour was over, we stopped by the best cheesecake restaurant ever…JUNIORS! It was the best cheesecake that I have ever eaten! After Juniors, we went back to the hotel room for the night and went to bed fairly early. It is hard to stay up too late when all three of us are sleeping in the same room!
On Friday our first stop was the amazing Toys R Us in Time Square. For those of you that don’t know…Toys R Us has a Ferris Wheel in the middle of it! It is four stories tall! When we first walked into the store, we had the following picture taken of all of us:
For dinner, we attempted to go to Carmine’s, but we were unsuccessful. The wait was just too long for us (mostly because of the active toddler I have previously mentioned!), so we left Carmines. We headed back to Times Square and walked around for a little while before heading back to the hotel. We put Alex to bed a little while after we got back to the hotel and turned in early for the night also!
We left New York City after eating breakfast at the hotel on Saturday morning! We had a great trip and I hope we get to go back as a family before we leave Maryland.
Here are a bunch of pictures from our trip:
We left California (Maryland) after Larry got done flying on Wednesday, April 8. I think we finally left the house around 6:00 pm. The drive was uneventful – Larry drove the first half and I drove the second half. We each got to drive through a tunnel – Larry’s was in Baltimore and mine was in NYC! I’m not sure that I have ever driven through a tunnel before, so that very well could have been my first one! We arrived in NYC around 11:30 and got checked into our hotel. We stayed at the Hilton in Times Square and highly recommend it to anyone that is in need of a hotel in New York City. Once we got into the hotel room, we gave Alex a bit more milk before putting him to bed. I was getting ready for bed and all the sudden Larry yelled my name – our sweet baby boy had puked all over the bed, my pillow that I brought from home and himself! Other than when he was a tiny baby, he has never thrown up and I think he was a bit concerned with what had happened. We called down to the front desk for someone to come up and change our sheets and comforter, changed Alex out of his icky pajamas, and threw my pillow away! Once we had taken care of all that, we finally got to sleep!
We woke up bright and early on Thursday morning – ready to tackle our first day in New York City! We had 48-hour passes for a double-decker tour bus and had planned on taking the Downtown NYC tour during the day on Thursday. Before boarding our bus, we decided to get tickets at the bus company for the Statue of Liberty! We rode the bus around the city and it was great! We were able to see so many sights – again, we highly recommend this to anyone that is planning on visiting NYC. We rode through Times Square, rode through 5th Avenue and all the shopping areas, toured a few of the ethnic areas, went to see the World Trade Center site and stopped at Battery Park. We were excited about going to see the Statue of Liberty, but quickly discovered that the line to get on the ferry was over 2 hours – completely impossible when you have an active toddler with you! We decided to cut our losses for the tickets and not spend the time waiting in line. We did take plenty of pictures from Battery Park and had the opportunity to test out our new zoom lens for our camera! After looking at the Statue from a distance, we got back on our tour bus and continued our tour of downtown NYC! Once the tour was over, we decided to go back to the hotel room to chill out for a little while before dinner. We had dinner that night at a place in Times Square called Chevy’s – we had great “Fresh-Mex” food and wonderful margaritas!
After dinner, we decided to hop back on the double-decker tour bus for a nighttime tour of New York City! I have one word for it – INCREDIBLE! New York City is absolutely beautiful at night – it is so lit up and so neat to see! We took a trip over the Manhattan Bridge into Brooklyn and had a beautiful view of the NYC skyline! Another tour that we highly recommend! Once the night tour was over, we stopped by the best cheesecake restaurant ever…JUNIORS! It was the best cheesecake that I have ever eaten! After Juniors, we went back to the hotel room for the night and went to bed fairly early. It is hard to stay up too late when all three of us are sleeping in the same room!
On Friday our first stop was the amazing Toys R Us in Time Square. For those of you that don’t know…Toys R Us has a Ferris Wheel in the middle of it! It is four stories tall! When we first walked into the store, we had the following picture taken of all of us:
For dinner, we attempted to go to Carmine’s, but we were unsuccessful. The wait was just too long for us (mostly because of the active toddler I have previously mentioned!), so we left Carmines. We headed back to Times Square and walked around for a little while before heading back to the hotel. We put Alex to bed a little while after we got back to the hotel and turned in early for the night also!
We left New York City after eating breakfast at the hotel on Saturday morning! We had a great trip and I hope we get to go back as a family before we leave Maryland.
Here are a bunch of pictures from our trip:
Sunday, April 5, 2009
TPS Tour & Park Time
Larry is able to take any of our visitors on a tour of TPS. He is able to show you the school and the hangars – you are able to look at the jets and helicopters up close and personal. It is really neat because you are able to see where Larry is spending most of his time while we are up here. If you are planning a visit to see us and you want to see Larry’s school, please let us know!
That totally just sounded like an advertisement for TPS or something…didn’t it?!
Back to the point of all that – when Jenny, Keith, Kyle and Katelyn were visiting us, Larry scheduled a tour of his school for them today! Kyle was SO excited to see the helicopters and jets. Larry first showed them the actual building that he goes to school in (not really much to see, but afterwards you know where Larry is spending MANY hours a day)! Once we got done with that, we were able to tour the hangars. We were able to see the jets and helicopters that TPS uses – Kyle was in amazement the whole time that we were in the hangars! After looking around the hangars, we were able to go in one of the jets outside of the hangars. It was huge plane that I will have to get the name of from Larry. The boys loved looking around in it!
After the tour of TPS, we went to a really nice park on base. We let the kids run around and run off some of their energy. Alex loved the time at the park – going UP slides, climbing on everything, swinging in the swings and falling face first in the dirt. For some reason he decided to go down the slide on his belly and when got to the end and was stopped he propelled himself onto the ground! He was fine, just a little dirty. Larry eventually got a football out of his car and the little guys had a great time running after it and “tackling” each other. Since Jenny and I have been friends for so long, I love seeing our boys run around with each other – it is something we always talked about growing up and so nice to see it happen in reality!
Here are some pictures from the TPS tour and our time at the park:
That totally just sounded like an advertisement for TPS or something…didn’t it?!
Back to the point of all that – when Jenny, Keith, Kyle and Katelyn were visiting us, Larry scheduled a tour of his school for them today! Kyle was SO excited to see the helicopters and jets. Larry first showed them the actual building that he goes to school in (not really much to see, but afterwards you know where Larry is spending MANY hours a day)! Once we got done with that, we were able to tour the hangars. We were able to see the jets and helicopters that TPS uses – Kyle was in amazement the whole time that we were in the hangars! After looking around the hangars, we were able to go in one of the jets outside of the hangars. It was huge plane that I will have to get the name of from Larry. The boys loved looking around in it!
After the tour of TPS, we went to a really nice park on base. We let the kids run around and run off some of their energy. Alex loved the time at the park – going UP slides, climbing on everything, swinging in the swings and falling face first in the dirt. For some reason he decided to go down the slide on his belly and when got to the end and was stopped he propelled himself onto the ground! He was fine, just a little dirty. Larry eventually got a football out of his car and the little guys had a great time running after it and “tackling” each other. Since Jenny and I have been friends for so long, I love seeing our boys run around with each other – it is something we always talked about growing up and so nice to see it happen in reality!
Here are some pictures from the TPS tour and our time at the park:
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Cherry Blossom Festival
Part of the excitement of moving up to Maryland was the prospect of being able to see the Cherry Blossoms in bloom in Washington, DC in the springtime. Today was the Cherry Blossom Festival and the blossoms were in full bloom and they were absolutely beautiful!
My best friend, Jenny and her family, Keith, Kyle and Katelyn came from Ohio to go to see the Cherry Blossoms with us. Truth be told, I don't know if I was more excited to see the Cherry Blossoms or spend time with Jenny!
Since we have been living in Maryland, Larry and I have been lucky enough to meet several wonderful new friends. Our friends, Matt and Stephanie along with their children Bella and Austin also came to see the Cherry Blossoms with us! It was great to have old friends and new friends enjoying the day with us.
Our day started out VERY early! We met up with Matt and Stephanie and followed them to a train station near DC. Kyle was SO excited to ride the train into DC! I do have to admit, it was a much easier way to get into DC than to ride around for 2 hours trying to find a parking space (yes, Larry and I did that on our first trip to DC on Valentine's Day).
We got into the city around 9:30 and found a spot to watch the Cherry Blossom parade. The parade route was packed, but we managed to get a decent spot. The parade was okay - nothing spectacular, but at least it had a few bands, floats and Alex Trebec (I did however think that Alex was Bill Clinton...oops!)! We wound up walking away from the parade before it was over and headed towards the monuments and Cherry Blossoms. We walked over to the Washington Monument and let the kids play around in the grass in front of the monument! Bella and Kyle loved chasing each other - they were hysterical together! Alex tried to chase them, but mostly fell over when he tried to run after them! I got a few good pictures of Alex running around with Bella, Kyle and Larry!
After the monument, we walked over to the Cherry Blossoms. There really are no words to describe how beautiful they were. They were in full bloom, a lovely pink color and looked incredible along the river! I would love to have a yard filled with them.
We ate lunch at a great little Japanese place near the zoo and after lunch went to the zoo. The kids had a blast running around to the different animal exhibits. The zoo in DC is definitely a place that we will be going back to. It is located along a busy DC street in a little neighborhood - a place that you will never expect it to be! It was huge and had so many different animals. And one of the best things is that it is owned by the Smithsonian people and it is FREE! Yes, free - another added bonus! Alex finally took his nap for the day at the zoo...I think it was nearly 5:00 pm before he finally stopped fighting sleep!
It was such a great day! We had a great time with all of our friends! We are so thankful that we got to spend such a nice day with everyone!
My best friend, Jenny and her family, Keith, Kyle and Katelyn came from Ohio to go to see the Cherry Blossoms with us. Truth be told, I don't know if I was more excited to see the Cherry Blossoms or spend time with Jenny!
Since we have been living in Maryland, Larry and I have been lucky enough to meet several wonderful new friends. Our friends, Matt and Stephanie along with their children Bella and Austin also came to see the Cherry Blossoms with us! It was great to have old friends and new friends enjoying the day with us.
Our day started out VERY early! We met up with Matt and Stephanie and followed them to a train station near DC. Kyle was SO excited to ride the train into DC! I do have to admit, it was a much easier way to get into DC than to ride around for 2 hours trying to find a parking space (yes, Larry and I did that on our first trip to DC on Valentine's Day).
We got into the city around 9:30 and found a spot to watch the Cherry Blossom parade. The parade route was packed, but we managed to get a decent spot. The parade was okay - nothing spectacular, but at least it had a few bands, floats and Alex Trebec (I did however think that Alex was Bill Clinton...oops!)! We wound up walking away from the parade before it was over and headed towards the monuments and Cherry Blossoms. We walked over to the Washington Monument and let the kids play around in the grass in front of the monument! Bella and Kyle loved chasing each other - they were hysterical together! Alex tried to chase them, but mostly fell over when he tried to run after them! I got a few good pictures of Alex running around with Bella, Kyle and Larry!
After the monument, we walked over to the Cherry Blossoms. There really are no words to describe how beautiful they were. They were in full bloom, a lovely pink color and looked incredible along the river! I would love to have a yard filled with them.
We ate lunch at a great little Japanese place near the zoo and after lunch went to the zoo. The kids had a blast running around to the different animal exhibits. The zoo in DC is definitely a place that we will be going back to. It is located along a busy DC street in a little neighborhood - a place that you will never expect it to be! It was huge and had so many different animals. And one of the best things is that it is owned by the Smithsonian people and it is FREE! Yes, free - another added bonus! Alex finally took his nap for the day at the zoo...I think it was nearly 5:00 pm before he finally stopped fighting sleep!
It was such a great day! We had a great time with all of our friends! We are so thankful that we got to spend such a nice day with everyone!
Here is a slideshow of some pictures from the day:
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
18-Month Check-Up
Alex went to see Dr. Whitaker today for his 18-month check-up. I just can't believe my little boy is nearly 18-months olds...where has the time gone?!
As far as Alex's stats - he is growing like a weed!
Weight ~ 24.14 pounds - in the 40th percentile (he is finally gaining a little bit of weight)
Height ~ 33 inches - in the 75th percentile (still tall)
Head ~ 18 inches - in the 20th percentile (still has a small head like his daddy!)
Dr. Whitaker examined Alex like normal. He discovered that Alex has a heart murmur called a Still's Murmur (http://www.larserickson.com/PatientInfo/Murmurs_Stills.htm). Apparently, this is a pretty common murmur in children and they typically grow out of it as they get older! Dr. Whitaker said that he will continue to monitor it as Alex grows, but he does not suspect it will be a problem! He was very pleased with Alex's growth and showed me that he is growing along the same curve he has been growing along since birth. He was happy to hear that Alex is "talking" and learning new words all the time! As always, our visit with Dr. Whitaker was great -we are so blessed to have such a wonderful pediatrician!
Alex also received a shot today - he was not a happy camper! He took it like a trooper and only had a little crying because of it!
All in all, a great visit to the doctor! I love hearing that my little boy is growing and meeting milestones! It makes me feel like we might be getting this parenting thing down :)
As far as Alex's stats - he is growing like a weed!
Weight ~ 24.14 pounds - in the 40th percentile (he is finally gaining a little bit of weight)
Height ~ 33 inches - in the 75th percentile (still tall)
Head ~ 18 inches - in the 20th percentile (still has a small head like his daddy!)
Dr. Whitaker examined Alex like normal. He discovered that Alex has a heart murmur called a Still's Murmur (http://www.larserickson.com/PatientInfo/Murmurs_Stills.htm). Apparently, this is a pretty common murmur in children and they typically grow out of it as they get older! Dr. Whitaker said that he will continue to monitor it as Alex grows, but he does not suspect it will be a problem! He was very pleased with Alex's growth and showed me that he is growing along the same curve he has been growing along since birth. He was happy to hear that Alex is "talking" and learning new words all the time! As always, our visit with Dr. Whitaker was great -we are so blessed to have such a wonderful pediatrician!
Alex also received a shot today - he was not a happy camper! He took it like a trooper and only had a little crying because of it!
All in all, a great visit to the doctor! I love hearing that my little boy is growing and meeting milestones! It makes me feel like we might be getting this parenting thing down :)
Monday, March 30, 2009
Visit to the Easter Bunny
Sheena and I took Alex to visit the Easter Bunny at the mall in Dothan, Alabama! As you can see by the look on Alex's face, he was NOT a fan! He never cried, but certainly was not shy in displaying this priceless look of terror. The photographer took nearly 10 pictures and believe it or not, this was the best looking one! Apparently, Alex is not a fan of the Easter Bunny (well, he really isn't a fan of "real life" characters in general)! Hopefully by the next holiday he will get over his fear :)
Monday, March 9, 2009
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Fun Facts
Here are a few fun facts that I found on a cute website about Alex's birthday:
~Your baby's half birthday is April 15
~Your baby's birthstone is Opal (Hope)
~Your baby's Astrological Sign is Libra
~Your baby's Flower is Calendula or Cosmos (White, Yellow and Varied)
~Your baby was born in the Chinese Year of The Red Fire Pig
~Your baby will start kindergarten in 2012, be old enough to drive a car in 2023, finish high school in 2025, and will graduate from college with the class of 2029, give or take a year.
Can you imagine? I love the last fact - it is scary to think he will be starting kindergarten in 2012! I know it is far away, but I am sure that it will be here before we know it!
~Your baby's half birthday is April 15
~Your baby's birthstone is Opal (Hope)
~Your baby's Astrological Sign is Libra
~Your baby's Flower is Calendula or Cosmos (White, Yellow and Varied)
~Your baby was born in the Chinese Year of The Red Fire Pig
~Your baby will start kindergarten in 2012, be old enough to drive a car in 2023, finish high school in 2025, and will graduate from college with the class of 2029, give or take a year.
Can you imagine? I love the last fact - it is scary to think he will be starting kindergarten in 2012! I know it is far away, but I am sure that it will be here before we know it!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Snow Day #2
Today it snowed! And today it snowed a BUNCH!! So much, that Larry didn't have to go into work :)
The weather people were predicting that we would get quite a bit of snow, but I didn't believe them. Afterall, since we moved up here we kept hearing that it would snow and it never really did! It started snowing before we went to bed and we were getting some pretty big flakes. For a couple of people that don't have much experience with snow, it was so neat to watch it fall! In the morning, we woke up and it looked like a winter wonderland. It was beautiful to see everything covered in white snow! Once it stopped snowing in the early afternoon, we had gotten approximately 12 inches of snow - it was CRAZY!!
Since Larry was off of work all day, we waited until it stopped snowing to take Alex out to play in it. We bundled him up and took him outside! He loved it :) Alex had a great time trying to chase Larry through the snow. He mostly was tripping over his own feet and falling face first into the snow, but he was laughing and smiling the whole time! Each time he would fall, Daddy would help scoop him out of the snow - I think that might have been his favorite part!
We took a few pictures of our winter wonderland and our outdoor adventures! Enjoy!
The weather people were predicting that we would get quite a bit of snow, but I didn't believe them. Afterall, since we moved up here we kept hearing that it would snow and it never really did! It started snowing before we went to bed and we were getting some pretty big flakes. For a couple of people that don't have much experience with snow, it was so neat to watch it fall! In the morning, we woke up and it looked like a winter wonderland. It was beautiful to see everything covered in white snow! Once it stopped snowing in the early afternoon, we had gotten approximately 12 inches of snow - it was CRAZY!!
Since Larry was off of work all day, we waited until it stopped snowing to take Alex out to play in it. We bundled him up and took him outside! He loved it :) Alex had a great time trying to chase Larry through the snow. He mostly was tripping over his own feet and falling face first into the snow, but he was laughing and smiling the whole time! Each time he would fall, Daddy would help scoop him out of the snow - I think that might have been his favorite part!
We took a few pictures of our winter wonderland and our outdoor adventures! Enjoy!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Happy Birthday, Uncle PJ!
Happy Birthday, Uncle PJ!
We hope you have a great 23rd birthday. We wish we could be in Alabama to celebrate with you, but know that we are thinking about you and sending you lots of good birthday wishes! :)
We miss you very much and wish we could have seen you before you leave for Alaska! We love you, lots! Happy Birthday!!
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Happy Valentine's Day!
Happy Valentine's Day from our family to yours!
We hope that everyone has a great "heart" day and that you are celebrating today with lots of love!I am a very lucky girl and I am going to be celebrating the day with my two favorite guys!
I love them both more than they will ever know :)
Washington, DC
Larry, Alex and I took our first trip to Washington, DC on Valentine’s Day! Pete, Becky, Josh and Kaitlyn had come up to tour visit DC, so we figured it would be great to see them and to see Washington, DC!
We drove into DC (mostly because we had never been there before and didn’t know how the traffic would be) and it was a terrible idea! We spent an hour and a half looking for a parking space, but once we found one, it was a great spot! Once we got out of the car, we walked to the Lincoln Memorial and met up with Grandma Becky, Grandpa Pete, Uncle Josh and Kaitlyn! Alex was very excited to see them!
We walked around the Lincoln Memorial – let me just tell you the pictures that I have seen of it do not do it justice. It is incredible! So beautiful and so powerful! After the Lincoln Memorial, we walked alone the Reflection Pond to the World War II Memorial. Another incredible memorial! Unfortunately, the fountains were not working because it was too cold. We can’t wait to go back and see it when the fountains are working! We walked around the Washington Monument – it is so big and majestic! A truly beautiful monument.
We saw a bit of open grass and let Alex loose to play in it! He loved running around with Daddy, Uncle Josh and Kaitlyn. He was chasing Kaitlyn and laughing so hard – it was really cute to watch.
Oh, a little funny – we tried to use Alex’s leash on him (a back-pack that looks like a monkey – the monkey has a long tail that you hold kind of like a leash for a dog). Alex was terribly confused with his back-pack and kept falling to the ground. He kept trying to look behind him at the monkey and would fall down! Apparently he isn’t quite ready for his leash just yet!
After running around in the grass we walked over to the White House. I really think that was my favorite part of the trip. It was so neat to see something in person that I have only seen in books and on TV. The White House is such an amazing building – not only because the President and his family live there, but also because some of the most important decisions in the world are made there! I just loved it!
We went the Museum of Natural History after the White House. We got to see all sorts of different animals, but most importantly “The Blue Diamond”! What a beautiful piece of jewelry!
We ended our day with dinner at a great little sandwich place. Alex was pretty good during dinner, but his favorite part was playing “swords” with Uncle Josh! Don’t worry…we play “swords” with straws around here! Seriously though, Alex was belly laughing with Uncle Josh – and I think Uncle Josh was belly laughing just as hard!
We said our good-byes to everyone and headed home. We had a great time and we are so happy that we had a chance to see Grandpa Pete, Grandma Becky, Uncle Josh and Kaitlyn!
Here are some pictures from the day:
We drove into DC (mostly because we had never been there before and didn’t know how the traffic would be) and it was a terrible idea! We spent an hour and a half looking for a parking space, but once we found one, it was a great spot! Once we got out of the car, we walked to the Lincoln Memorial and met up with Grandma Becky, Grandpa Pete, Uncle Josh and Kaitlyn! Alex was very excited to see them!
We walked around the Lincoln Memorial – let me just tell you the pictures that I have seen of it do not do it justice. It is incredible! So beautiful and so powerful! After the Lincoln Memorial, we walked alone the Reflection Pond to the World War II Memorial. Another incredible memorial! Unfortunately, the fountains were not working because it was too cold. We can’t wait to go back and see it when the fountains are working! We walked around the Washington Monument – it is so big and majestic! A truly beautiful monument.
We saw a bit of open grass and let Alex loose to play in it! He loved running around with Daddy, Uncle Josh and Kaitlyn. He was chasing Kaitlyn and laughing so hard – it was really cute to watch.
Oh, a little funny – we tried to use Alex’s leash on him (a back-pack that looks like a monkey – the monkey has a long tail that you hold kind of like a leash for a dog). Alex was terribly confused with his back-pack and kept falling to the ground. He kept trying to look behind him at the monkey and would fall down! Apparently he isn’t quite ready for his leash just yet!
After running around in the grass we walked over to the White House. I really think that was my favorite part of the trip. It was so neat to see something in person that I have only seen in books and on TV. The White House is such an amazing building – not only because the President and his family live there, but also because some of the most important decisions in the world are made there! I just loved it!
We went the Museum of Natural History after the White House. We got to see all sorts of different animals, but most importantly “The Blue Diamond”! What a beautiful piece of jewelry!
We ended our day with dinner at a great little sandwich place. Alex was pretty good during dinner, but his favorite part was playing “swords” with Uncle Josh! Don’t worry…we play “swords” with straws around here! Seriously though, Alex was belly laughing with Uncle Josh – and I think Uncle Josh was belly laughing just as hard!
We said our good-byes to everyone and headed home. We had a great time and we are so happy that we had a chance to see Grandpa Pete, Grandma Becky, Uncle Josh and Kaitlyn!
Here are some pictures from the day:
Friday, February 13, 2009
Happy Birthday, Grandpa Pete!
Happy Birthday, Grandpa Pete!
We hope that you have a great 40th birthday! What a BIG day :) Enjoy your birthday trip to Washington, DC! We wish we could be with you to celebrate this big birthday, but know that we are thinking about you and sending you lots of birthday love!
We love you! Happy Birthday!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Happy Birthday, Grandma Karen!
Happy Birthday, Grandma Karen!
We hope you have a great birthday! We love you so very much and we are so lucky to have you in our lives! Thank you for being you and thank you for loving us ALL like you do :) You really are the best!
Happy Birthday!
We hope you have a great birthday! We love you so very much and we are so lucky to have you in our lives! Thank you for being you and thank you for loving us ALL like you do :) You really are the best!
Happy Birthday!
Monday, February 2, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Snow Day!!
Today it snowed!!
Each week since we have been here, snow has been predicted but has never come! Today it FINALLY snowed! We woke up about 7:30 to a light snow and by the end of the morning it picked up quite a bit!
Alex and I went outside to play in the snow after he woke up from his nap! I bundled him up in sweatpants, a long sleeve shirt, his big puffy jacket, gloves and a hat! He was a little angry with me for bundling him up so much, but once we got outside I think he figured out the reason why! At first, we played in the snow on the porch, but I quickly discovered that it was pretty difficult keeping our active toddler from trying to wander down the stairs. After Alex chased Buckwheat around the porch and loving it, I decided to take him to the backyard and let him run wild!
He had a great time running around the backyard! He was running full speed ahead. He would fall down every few feet, pick himself back up and keep running! It was so much fun to hear his little laugh – I love that laugh!
Oh, another highlight of our outdoor adventures – Alex LOVED playing in the snow on the stairs of the deck! He had a great time playing with the accumulated snow on the steps! Who knew that could be so much fun?!
After spending so much of my life in Florida and not seeing snow, it was really neat to be able to experience it! I loved seeing everything covered in white snow – it really did look beautiful! I’m glad that Alex got to run around and play in the snow – while he probably will never remember it, I at least have pictures! The only thing missing from our day – Larry! He was at school, so he didn’t get to play in the snow with us – we missed him. Hopefully, it will snow one weekend day and he will be here with us!
Here are some pictures that we took today:
Alayna Kate Howard
Welcome to the world, Alayna Kate Howard! Today our good friends Zach and Gina Howard, along with their daughter Aliyah, welcomed their new baby girl, Alayna Kate, into the world! Alayna was born weighing 7 pounds and is 19 inches long! The picture that Zach sent to my cell phone is the one that I am sharing with all of you - I can't wait to see more!
We are so excited for Zach, Gina and Aliyah and we know that Alayna is welcomed into their family with so much love! We all wish that we could be there to meet her in person - I think that is one of the hardest parts of being so far away from friends and family!
Congratulations :)
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Alex and his NEW toy box!
Larry and I were tired of the toys that were constantly lying on the floor, so we decided to get Alex a toy box from Toys R Us. We found a nice Step 2 (that is the brand name) toy box. We would like a nice wood one made eventually, but for now this will work!
Last night while Alex was sleeping, Larry and I put the toy box together. Okay, actually Larry put it together and I filled it with Alex’s toys! It definitely was big enough to hold most of the toys that we brought to Maryland (with the exception of the large toys) and it was nice to have the toys off of the living room floor.
When Alex got up this morning, he noticed his toy box! Well, actually he first noticed the basket that I had put all his “Little People” and “Little People” accessories in. He quickly examined the basket and then dumped all the “Little People” out of it! Once he was satisfied with dumping the toys of the basket, he discovered that all the rest of his toys in the toy box. Instead of pulling the toys of OUT of the toy box, Alex decided to climb IN the toy box with the toys! He was able to easily get into the toy box, but getting out was a bit more difficult. Larry had to help him out the first few times, but by nap time he had figured out both getting in and getting out! At one point before bath time, he was in nothing but a diaper and sitting in the opening just watching TV. He had both of his legs out and both of his arms out – he was just perched in the opening! I tried to get the camera to take a picture of him, but when he figured out that I was getting the camera he got down! Smart little kid! He is so crazy sometimes and is constantly keeping us on our toes!
We were initially worried that he wouldn’t understand that you have to pull the toys out and we were worried that he wouldn’t be able to get the toys at the bottom of the toy box. We should have known that he would figure it all out!
We took some pictures of the great adventure with the toy box. The pictures are below in a slidshow. After I got done uploading the pictures from today, I noticed that one year ago today I also uploaded pictures. Larry and I took a quick trip down memory lane looking at those pictures! It is unbelievable how much Alex has grown and changed.
Enjoy the pictures from today!
Last night while Alex was sleeping, Larry and I put the toy box together. Okay, actually Larry put it together and I filled it with Alex’s toys! It definitely was big enough to hold most of the toys that we brought to Maryland (with the exception of the large toys) and it was nice to have the toys off of the living room floor.
When Alex got up this morning, he noticed his toy box! Well, actually he first noticed the basket that I had put all his “Little People” and “Little People” accessories in. He quickly examined the basket and then dumped all the “Little People” out of it! Once he was satisfied with dumping the toys of the basket, he discovered that all the rest of his toys in the toy box. Instead of pulling the toys of OUT of the toy box, Alex decided to climb IN the toy box with the toys! He was able to easily get into the toy box, but getting out was a bit more difficult. Larry had to help him out the first few times, but by nap time he had figured out both getting in and getting out! At one point before bath time, he was in nothing but a diaper and sitting in the opening just watching TV. He had both of his legs out and both of his arms out – he was just perched in the opening! I tried to get the camera to take a picture of him, but when he figured out that I was getting the camera he got down! Smart little kid! He is so crazy sometimes and is constantly keeping us on our toes!
We were initially worried that he wouldn’t understand that you have to pull the toys out and we were worried that he wouldn’t be able to get the toys at the bottom of the toy box. We should have known that he would figure it all out!
We took some pictures of the great adventure with the toy box. The pictures are below in a slidshow. After I got done uploading the pictures from today, I noticed that one year ago today I also uploaded pictures. Larry and I took a quick trip down memory lane looking at those pictures! It is unbelievable how much Alex has grown and changed.
Enjoy the pictures from today!
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