Fabric...I need more!!

I am so pumped about making so many of my Christmas presents for friends and family this year...and most of them consist of sewing...and that means cool amazing fabrics (of which I am addicted to buying)...and Terry at Sew-Fantastic is having a great giveaway!!

Hawthorne Threads just opened up a new online store and she is giving away a 6 half yard fabric bundle by Studio E!! I want to win!! Will make creating my Christmas presents so much easier and cheap too :)

What a difference a year makes...

On Thursday of last week we visited our local pumpkin patch (granted there isn't actually a patch there, but it is a farm with animals and pumpkins!) and I got some good pictures of Miss. Charley. But first, lets compare one of last year's pictures... (I tried to find 2 that were the most similar)



To one of this year's pictures...



Here it is side by side...


Woah - it is unreal. She is amazing. Just goes to show you how fast time flies. Can't wait to see what the pictures will look like next year! Well, actually yes I can...she needs to slow down!

She was SO EXCITED to go and get a pumpkin!! She said pumpkin over and over the entire drive there. I don't know if she really "got" it, but she sure did have fun! Here are a few more pictures to enjoy :)

My Favorite Picture of the Day :)

The Pumpkin Hat made a reappearance...

Running to the pumpkins!

mmmm...I love lollipops!

Looking at something interesting...

My new favorite Charley face...she does this when she is excited or surprised by something...I think we said look at the big pumpkin and she does this :)

So interested in the tiny little baby pumpkins

Love...

More love...

She is saying "heavy!" as the tries to pick up her pumpkin :)

This was a quick shot...she doesn't like not being able to 'walk' so she was on her way of getting out!

I hope you all enjoyed the pics. There has been a lot going on here...more to share later. And Halloween pics will come too! :) Let just say we took advantage of it probably being the last year we had a say in what Charley got to be for Halloween! :)

Finally...COSTA RICA!!!

Ok - so I'm going to take the easy way out...because to tell you the truth since we have been home - I have been incredibly busy getting ready for the 3 day walk, traveling some more, having fun with Charley, breaking my DSLR camera (and getting a new one), working, etc...

So since I finally posted the Costa Rica pictures with captions on Facebook I am just going to post the link to the pictures here...I know slacker - but really - I have been so overwhelmed with finding the hour or so to sit down and put the pictures into blogger in the correct order, with captions and all that I have been avoiding it. So please follow this link and take a look at the pictures. Then come back here and comment - since I try to keep this blog private from my in real life friends and family :) So that would be much appreciated!

Costa Rica Pictures 2009

A few quick things about the trip:

• It was amazing
• It was SO RELAXING
• It was gorgeous down there - the weather was FABULOUS!
• The wildlife was awesome
• We had private surf lessons - which there are no pictures of because there is a pretty high crime rate there and we didn't know where we were going with surfing and how safe it would be to leave a camera while we were surfing.
• The surfing was by far my one of my most favorite vacation experiences of all time. It was SO MUCH FUN. Jimmy rocked it (he's a snowboarder so that helped a lot) I did really good - stood up a lot - which was more then I thought I'd be able to do.
  
• Having private surf lessons on the gorgeous beach where we were surfing was the most amazing thing ever.
  
• The ziplining was amazing as well - I have a video of it too - so if I have time to upload it I will.
  
• For those of you who are wondering - yes we missed Charley - but not so much to ruin our vacation at all. It was very healthy for us to be away from her, and her from us. I think it makes us better parents to be able to get away and have time for us. Others may have a different opinion...but that is mine. And I would and will go away without her again.
  
• Though we will definitely take her most of the places we have been without her, once she is old enough to appreciate it!
• All in all it was a little too short of a trip - but amazing, none the less! And we had tons of memories and experiences that we will never forget!
  

I will be back to regular posting now that I have gotten over the overwhelmness of this post :)

Thanks for understanding!!

And the WINNER is....

I headed on over to...

Plugged 19 into the little box...and hit "Generate" and it gave me...

EMILY...from The Wild and Crazy Life of the McCann's is our winner!! Yeah Emily!! You have won a custom blog redesign from Jessica at This That and Your Blog!! Congrats!!

Thanks to everyone who entered!!

Charley would LOVE one of these...

I have seen these all over Etsy - and now one of my favorite blogs is giving away 8 different prizes!

Terri over at Sew-Fantastic makes such amazing products and is doing this great giveaway for hitting 1000 sales in her Esty shop...1000 sales!!

I hope I win a crayon wallet for Charley!! It would make going out to dinner a lot better - as I'd take this along to keep her entertained!!

still here...and so sorry...

We are back from Costa Rica...A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. Since we have been back I haven't had a chance to sit, let alone blog. I just wanted to say, I have pictures, I have stories, I will pick the winner of my blog redesign giveaway...but we are off to the beach on Friday morning for the weekend, we are going with friends and wanted to take a weekend away to spend with Charley since she stayed home when we went to Costa Rica...So it is looking like everything will have to wait until next week...

So sorry...

and So Sad....Summer is over...but I am squeezing that last beach weekend out!! :) Then I will count my summer over...:(

Many Things...

Look who is 18 months old!!

She was actually 18 months last Friday - I can't believe it. She is so big. Growing so fast. Talking up a storm. And has such a personality! I LOVE IT! I'd told Jimmy I'd have another kid tomorrow if they came out at 18 months! It is such a fun age...though I'd like if we could take her out to eat and to the store for more then 5 minutes...but I hear that gets better in a few months...anyone? is it true? If not...just lie please :)

We have been trying to hit up the pool as much as we can - but now that Jeannie has wished fall upon us...boo...and it is in the 70's we are not going to make it at all this week! Which means for the rest of the pool season! :( We were planning on going Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night this week because we are heading to Costa Rica (!!!) on Thursday morning and the pool will be closed when we come back :(

Here are some pics from when we made it there last week...






So we are spending as much time with Charley these nights as we can, as she isn't coming with us to Costa Rica and we will miss her. We will enjoy time without her. But we will miss her...though I'd have to say when I am sleeping in EVERY DAY...I won't miss her much then :) Many people ask how much kids change your lives...my response is...not much, you can do everything you did before kids - after kids - except for SLEEP IN. :)

So we are heading to the State Fair tonight! I am very excited. I love me some zipper, round up and other rides!! And the State Fair has animals! Charley LOVES animals and rides too, so it should be a lot of fun!! I have never been to the State Fair (Delaware or otherwise) so I am very excited!

I have been an Etsy ordering fool this past week - I have a bunch of birthday presents to make and want to make something for Charley. So I hope I will finally have a little time to do that once we get back! And I can't wait to post the progress!!

Alright...not sure what to do with myself...Charley had her 18 month appointment this morning where she got 2 shots...and she has been asleep since 1030!! I guess I should get the laundry done, so we have clothes to pack for our trip!!

Oh and here are Charley's stats 33 1/4" long and 29lbs 13oz!! :) 95% in both!

***Don't forget to enter my contest for a new blog design by Jessica!! It ends tomorrow night!!***

An Award...

Stephanie over at Eyeball Girl - gave me an award!!

Thanks so much Stephanie!!


I am going to pass this on to Jeannie, Kim, Juice, Sarah, Midwest Mommy and Tiffany!
I love these girls blogs...though I am sorry I don't get around to commenting enough!

** Don't forget to enter my contest!!**