Halloween 2012

Cupcake Fairy 

Obi Wan Kenobi and Audreyosaurus 

 Trunk or Treat at Audrey's School

 Audrey's Class Trunk or Treating

 Elysse enjoying a snack at the Trunk or Treat

 Audrey's closest friend at school, Logan

Before the long night of Trick or Treating in our neighborhood.

Audrey, Eden, Elysse and in the background Elijah the spider on all "eights"

Halloween was a MARATHON day for us.  I was at Audrey's school doing a Trunk or Treating by 10:45 a.m.  We went to lunch with our friends the Kurbecs and long time friend, Megan.  Nathan came home.  We had a great Mexican feast and headed out Trick or Treating.  

Shortly after the last picture Audrey was running to get in a picture and her nose hit the curb.  We aren't sure that her nose is broken.  But it is bruised and swollen.  Nathan met up with a friend and went out while the rest of us stayed together.  Around 7:30 Elysse tripped over curbing at a house we were Trick or Treating.  She scraped the skin off her thumb and decided to call it a night.  Ryan took her home.  I finished the street with everyone else and left to get Nathan.  Nathan had gone back out Trick or Treating with his friend so I waited at the friend's house.  We left a little after 8:00 p.m. and made it back home about 8:15 p.m.  Audrey was still out with the Kurbecs until almost 9:00.  It was a long an exhausting day.  The kids had fun despite all of the falls, bruises and scrapes.

Next year:  Trick or Treating from 6:00-7:30 on a school night.  

The jury is still out on years when Halloween lands on a Friday or Saturday, will assess as the time comes.

Anyone need any candy?

Baptism

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Nathan was baptized as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  His baptism was held at the Naples Ward building.  

 Austin and Nathan

Austin was baptized 6 months ago and gave a talk at Nathan's Baptism.

 Grandpa Jim and Grandma Karen

 Aunt Sandy

 Grandpa and Grandma Beadle

 Dad and Nathan

Mom and Nathan

Audrey's Fifth Birthday

We make a big deal about birthdays.  I love to celebrate birthdays.  It is the one day that is truly yours.  On Audrey's actual birthday - September 28th - we had her favorite dinner, Hawiian Haystack.  Grandma Beadle was here to celebrate too.  Audrey went to school, I picked her up early, we went to lunch with Daddy, I took her all the way to the zoo just so she could buy two stuffed tigers from the gift shop, Nathan went to tennis, Ryan came home early, we had dinner and cupcakes.  It was a great day.  But the celebration wasn't over...the birthday party was the next weekend.

 Logan (Audrey's friend from school) and Maddie (Audrey's friend from church)

 Ollie (Audrey's friend from church)

 Eden (Audrey's friend from church)

 Audrey and Logan (Audrey has special feelings for Logan)

 There were many centers around the park for the kids.  

*Squirt Guns *Bubbles *Sand Toys *Paddle Ball *Bean Bag Toss

Grandma Karen made the bean bags special for the party!

It was a busy but very fun day!

What's With Two?

Elysse is living up to all the wonders of age two. In one weeks time she cut a chunk of her hair, dropped eight eggs (one at a time) on the floor from the counter and flooded the kitchen and part of the dining room!

7283 Acorn Way

When we moved here to Naples I began researching, studying, stalking and looking at houses.  In the short time we have been here, the market has not only stabilized, the market is beginning to pick up.  This annoyed me - we lost a bunch of money on the sale of our home in Asheville and we were hoping to pick up on the down real estate market in Florida.  When houses I liked were on and off the market in a week or less, I began to get nervous.  And, the real estate agent we had hoped to work with turned out to be a bit of a flake - maybe he wasn't interested in the lower end of the market that we were willing to purchase into...

Anyway, I really started to study new construction.  I focused on two neighborhoods in the same area we are renting.  One neighborhood seemed reasonably priced for the size of the home but it was not in the target school district we were hoping for.  The other neighborhood felt like it was out of reach.  My original goal was to secure a four bedroom, three bathroom home 2,500 - 3,000 square feet.  In order to be in the geographic area we wanted and in the the schools we wanted, it wasn't going to happen - especially not for new construction.

I kept being drawn back to Black Bear Ridge "the neighborhood" that seemed out of our reach.  I studied house plans and lots in the neighborhood.  I even set up appointment to speak with the sales broker.  It felt right every time I was in the neighborhood.  I wanted to be there.  I decided on a house plan that did not fit my original goal.  The Sarasota house plan has three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms at 2322 sq/ft.  On Saturday we signed a contract to have a home built for us in Black Bear Ridge!

The pictures below are of the same house plan that was built in the neighborhood a few months ago...

The Sarasota Home

Three car garage - so nice since we no longer have a basement...

Kitchen pictures - lets face it, it isn't just mom who spends most of her time in the kitchen...

Master bedroom and bathroom

Great Room

Kids bathroom - I love how the sinks are separate from shower and toilet!

For now, we will not have a pool but we will have a back, screened in patio, it extends the length of the house and is aprox. 7 1/2 feet out from the back of the house (where you see the pillars).

Black Bear Ridge is a gated neighborhood and offers a community pool, clubhouse, exercise room and a small playground for tots. 

I am still telling myself it is okay to have the girls share a bedroom.  It is okay.  Hopefully it will help them be good college roommates.  We do not need a gigantic home to be happy.  We are buying a home we can afford and pay off in a reasonable amount of time.  Proximity to Ryan's work and the school district were key components in making this decision.  And, if at some future date we feel the house isn't big enough, we can move.  I have learned not to call my home my "forever house" because one never knows the circumstances that will affect us in the future.  

Elysse

It seems I never post enough about Elysse.  She is growing, learning and loves routine.  Weekends throw her off as she is very rigid about schedule and likes to know what is happening next.  Here are some cute pictures of her...

School

Nathan is in second grade at Laurel Oak Elementary.  His teacher is Ms Cabreara.

Audrey began VPK - voluntary pre-kindergarten at Our Savior Lutheran Preschool.  It isn't Nativity but she has made friends and depending on the day, she enjoys it...

The best part of all - Daddy gets to bring her ever morning!  

Nathan's Birthday Dinner

The day before Nathan's birthday we had a birthday dinner (his actual birthday was on Monday and we never know when Ryan will be home from work).  We had our friends the Kurbec's over to celebrate with us.

 Suppose to look messy - like a cloud...

 Nathan wanted to decorate it with animals...

 This is our friend Eden...

 Surprise, it is a rainbow cake...found it on Pinterest - 

Yes, I know it is loaded with food coloring but we only had it once...

The candle on the table was my lame excuse for birthday candles.  

Guess what I just found the the drawer in the kitchen....