Theo & Dana's Wedding

After our Thanksgiving in Lexington, NC, we headed to the mountains of Cashiers, NC, to be a part of Theo and Dana's wedding. What a beautiful place to get married! Dave was very honored to stand up with Theo during the ceremony and was even more honored to be fed by Theo's sisters from Connecticut for the entire weekend. The food was absolutely delicious....from grape leaf wraps, to fresh spinach and cheese pastries, to stuffed shrimp, to the best bruschetta we have EVER tasted...we ate almost around the clock. Dave loved it so much, he thought about leaving his Italian heritage and becoming Greek! All joking aside though, Dave REALLY wants to visit Greece the next time Theo and Dana journey over there. And now that we have returned home, we have vowed to eat only salads and soups for the next couple of weeks...I guess I could blame the weight gain on the baby, but not when it goes straight to my rump! As soon as I get a photo of the groom and bride, I'll post it here...

Family Thanksgiving Fun in NC

For a change this year, we headed up to NC (instead of Ormond Beach) to celebrate Thanksgiving with the Conte family. David's grandmother, Maw Maw, made the 7 1/2 hour journey with us to enjoy some cold weather, beautiful lights and family fun. I have to say that it was rather nice to wear sweaters instead of shorts this year! Charlie especially enjoyed the trip because he got to play with his cousins, Jordan, Adan and Ava and his Aunts and Uncles that he doesn't see very often. He was even doling out hugs and kisses upon arrival and departure...I know, amazing for Charlie! Jenny's masterful arrangement of Thanksgiving dinner, topped off by Maggie's yummy sweet potato casserole and dessert was a treat! Dave, of course, was extremely thrilled to eat turkey sandwiches the next day as we ventured to the mountains in NC to be a part of our friend's wedding. Well, here is a few pictures from our trip...thanks to the GPS Ryan and Michelle let us borrow, we finally found the Christmas lights of Tanglewood...you must check them out if you are ever in NC during the holidays!

It's Potty Time!

Well, it's news that only a few select family members may care to hear about, but in our house, it's very big news! This morning, Charlie went "poo poo" on the potty. He was so excited, he kept standing up and looking at it! Kallyn, the little 2 year old I keep during the work week, ran into the bathroom and exclaimed, "Oh, Charlie, I am so proud of you!" He was even more excited when he got to "fush" it down the big potty. Of course, he received a little M&M as a reward, but the big reward for this first big potty feat was a trip to Target with mommy and daddy to pick out a new Matchbox car. Daddy had a LITTLE bit of influence and Charlie brought home a yellow 84 GT Ferrari. Way to go Charlie!

Halloween and Pumpkin Fun

Here are some pictures from the Halloween/Pumpkin Season. Charlie loved pumpkins so much, we visited the pumpkin patch twice. He LOVED his first Halloween and really LOVED the Trick-or-treating part. He was so thrilled when people kept giving him candy and tried his best to eat more than he ever has at mealtime. After a few pieces, we had to cut him off from his supply, so he tried to swipe some favorites from the bucket of candy we were passing out. He was such a cute little monkey! Thank you Grandma Roy for making this year's costume...what a treat!

Breast Friends Team- Race for the Cure

My first attempt at forming a team to participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Jacksonville was a great success...hooray! Thank you too all my teammates who got up way too early on a Saturday morning to be a part of a great cause that affects so many lives! Thank you also to those who sponsored me and my teammates. "Breast Friends" team will be back next year for the 2009 Race, and as soon as the date is published, I'll let you know. Way to go!

Charlie's Favorite Table

It took Daddy a while to get this table completely finished, but it has finally made its way to the office! Charlie LOVES his table and sits at it all the time. If you come by the house, he will definently invite you to "seat" with him and play cars. He will even tell you which bench he would like for you to "seat" on by patting his hand on the appropriate one (which is usually the one closest to the window, making it a hard fit for any adult!)

This table is a family heirloom, as PawPaw had his friend make it for his grandchildren. It has perfect height, sturdy wood quality and features rounded corners (a must for every mother's nerves!) Dave stripped off the old paint, painstakingly repainted it a perfect "garnet" shade and adorned it with FSU logos. Way to go Daddy...this table is way better than any you could buy in a store!

Baby #2 Due in May, 2009

Well, we got to see our new little peanut on the ultrasound machine yesterday. No gender news yet, but the doctor says everything is measuring good and the baby looks healthy. We, of course, think is way better than any gender news! Dave had to ask though...and got denied by the tech. This picture is not very clear, but at least you get a glimpse of a profile!