So Thankful

We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We filled every minute of the holiday break and made lots of special memories with family. For Emmy and me, our break started on Wednesday, so while Daddy worked, we went to the Science Center with Grammy, Grandpa, Aunt M, Zander, and Maddox. We have been practicing our animal flash cards at home, and Emmy loved spotting fish, turtles, monkeys, and goats. Even though she was still fascinated by the lights on the floor in the aquarium and the red car in the play place, she also was very busy pointing out the different animals and making their sounds. After watching her cousins, she was even brave enough to put her hands into Stingray Bay. She liked touching the water, but she would often bring up her hand any time a stingray would come close. She did her best to keep up with her cousins, but she wasn't quite brave enough to touch one yet. After a full morning at the Science Center followed by lunch at Freddy's, we napped and then met Boomer for the Forbush women's basketball game that evening. The team was playing in the final round of the Mary Garber Tournament, and they had pulled off two big wins earlier over the weekend. Emmy and I stayed through halftime, and it was a pretty close game, but unfortunately, West Forsyth pulled away in the second half. Emmy didn't seem too bothered by the outcome of the game; she loved sitting on Daddy's shoulders and drumming on his head!

On Thanksgiving Day, we hit the road around 8AM to head toward Woodstock. We made the trip in just under 5 hours, including a pit stop for snacks and gas. We even had some extra time, so we drove through the campus of James Madison University, where Boomer's dad went to school. I love any excuse to see a college campus. On the way to Woodstock, we had a mid-afternoon Thanksgiving lunch with Boomer's uncle and his family in Lacey Springs, just outside of Harrisonburg. We were a smaller crew this year, with just Boomer's mom, dad, his brother Kyle, and then the three of us. Unfortunately Carlin and Goosie and Darby's crew weren't able to be there this year. We missed them! Emmy was a little ham (or should I say, turkey?) showing off for the family and soaking up all of Granny and PawPaw's attention. At the hotel, we had adjoining rooms, and it was nice to have the extra time in the morning and evening. Emmy began calling Boomer's mom "MiMi"; it is the first time that she has directly called Cathy by a name. The other grandkids call her Granny, so it will be interesting to see if "MiMi" sticks.

On Friday, we enjoyed a leisurely morning. Emmy slept until around 7:15AM and did well in the crib. She was pretty adaptable to the hotel room and once again was a great little traveler. Luckily we didn't have any incidents this time with Bobbie and the toilet, thank goodness! We did bring Bobbie of course, along with a few of her other stuffed animals, books, and flash cards. These all kept her entertained. After a slow morning, we went to the Fort Valley Nursery for lunch, which is an operating nursery but also a delicious cafe and a gift shop with an assortment of eclectic knick-knacks and Christmas decor. We tried not to eat too heavy, since we would be having another Thanksgiving meal, but I would definitely recommend the chicken salad sandwich and the house-made potato salad. That evening, we went to Boomer's grandparents' farm for the Kennedy family gathering. Our group grows bigger and bigger each year with marriage proposals and the births of great-grandchildren. Boomer's grandparents were in good spirits, and Granny Kennedy seemed to be having a good day. Although she continues to battle Alzheimer's, she was happy to see all of her family. The weather was very cold (in the low 30s) and so we didn't venture outside for the annual family picture. Unfortunately I didn't take too many photos of our time in Woodstock, but here are a few candids. Even if it wasn't well documented, we had a great time!

On Saturday, we headed back to NC. After spending several more hours in the car, Boomer and I realized just how much Emmy is talking now! Although she napped briefly, it seemed that she jibber-jabbered the whole trip. She is really picking up on the things that we say. For example, she now will say "Bess you Daddy" after Boomer sneezes or "nose runnin" if he blows his nose with a tissue. She also wants the "car wash open", which actually refers to the shield on the sun roof. After I opened it the last time we went through the car wash, that is what she calls it now. She also can point out a lot of things that she sees out the window, like trucks, buses, and pumpkins. Another favorite on the road trip was "Baby Shark" and apparently its sister version "Baby Car." Even though it meant a constant stream of chatter from the back seat, we are thankful for our little traveler. 

After a quick stop by our house, we went over to Megan and Zack's for the Bakewell Thanksgiving. Zack once again prepared an amazing feast, with my mom bringing her special sides like sweet potato casserole, which was a particular favorite of Emmy's. After dinner, we fit in a few pictures and then had dessert while the three cousins played and made a general mess of the living room. Aunt M and Uncle Zack are good sports to host each year (and throughout the year, too!) Emmy loves playing with her cousins and playing with their toys! If you look carefully, you'll notice Iron Man in the last picture!

A comparison over the last three years:

The break wasn't over yet! After church on Sunday, my mom and I had a fun mother-daughter outing to Korner's Folly. Korner's Folly is a beautiful historic home in downtown Kernersville. I have always wanted to tour the home, and it was a special treat to see it at Christmas time. Mom and I took our time going through the house and learned so much about the local history. The home was built in the late 1800s, and it was the residence of the Korner family until the 1930s. In the last decade, the home has been added to the historic registry and has undergone restoration. It is pretty unique in its design, and although it is only 3 stories, it has 7 levels/floors, some with ceilings only 5.5 feet high! We'd love to go back again with our guys, but it was fun that it was just the two of us. 

We are so thankful for our many blessings, with family at the top of the list. It was nice to have the break to focus on family and spend extra time with our loved ones. Happy Thanksgiving! 

 

Another Black and Gold Saturday

On Saturday, Boomer and I went to our third Wake Forest football game of the season. This surely must be a record! In the past, we may make it to one game, sometimes to two, but rarely to THREE games! If we have an open Saturday, it usually doesn't match up with the home games....Oh, and there's that thing of being parents now! It takes a little more effort to plan a full day of football than it used to. But Boomer and I have tried to continue to do things just the two of us, with sporting events being one of our favorite date activities. Right after Homecoming earlier in November, Boomer got an email with a special deal for tickets in the Touchdown Club. We went to one game last year in the Touchdown Club, and it was such an amazing experience - unlimited food and soft drinks, tickets for beer and wine, indoor and outdoor seating, TVs (to watch other football games), and swag like koozies, programs, beads, stickers, and pom poms. We've been wanting to go again, and so once we secured Grammy and Grandpa to watch Emmy, we bought the tickets and planned for another Black and Gold Saturday. Weather earlier in the week was so cold; we even had ice delays on Thursday and Friday. Luckily, the weather on Saturday was perfect football weather: upper 50s, sunny, and no wind. We even got a little bit of a sunburn! Although the Deacs couldn't pull off the win against Pitt, we stayed until the very end and had a fun time. I am so thankful for a husband who likes to plan things for us to do together! 

After the game, Boomer took off to go to his school's basketball season opener, while I picked up Emmy and headed to the Williamses for a weenie roast. Boomer met back up with us a little bit later, and we all enjoyed some time with friends. Emmy wasn't too interested in a hot dog. Luckily there was also the option of pizza - an Emmy favorite!

Last week, we got some extra time with Grandpa. With Megan and Zack in Jamaica for their anniversary, Grammy was pretty busy watching Maddox and Zander, which allowed for some bonding time for Grandpa and Emmy. On Friday, we even met for breakfast at Fitz on Main during our 2-hr delay. Emmy sure loves Grandpa!

We have a short work week, and everyone is excited about the upcoming holiday. Boomer has to work on Wednesday, but my county is out of school so Emmy and I are planning a day at the Science Center with the cousins. We will leave early Thursday morning for the trek up to Virginia for Kennedy Thanksgiving. We are all looking forward to the break and extra family time! I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

 

"What's that, Mommy?"

Just a quick mid-week post because these photos are too cute not to share! Boomer and I both have been in awe of Emmy's vocabulary and curiosity. After turning 2 on Saturday, it's as if overnight she has become even more of a sponge. Her social and language skills are definitely taking off. She loves to point at things, 'read' with Mommy, and carry books around with her wherever we go. A few of her new phrases are "What's that, Mommy?" and "one more book." How can I say 'no' to this sweet face!?

There is a cute little two-year-old in there somewhere!

Emmy had her 2-year appointment today, and our healthy girl is growing! She weighed 26 pounds (41st percentile), measured 34.5" tall (77th percentile), and had a head circumference of 47" (18.5 percentile). She loved entertaining herself with the crinkly paper and the mirror, and she was quite a trooper for the finger prick and two shots. She didn't even flinch for the finger prick! She cried for just a few seconds with the shots in her legs, but she quickly recovered when she got a new purple ball. In the last picture, she is showing off her blue fishy band-aid. Hopefully we won't have to make many trips back to the doctor in the months ahead - I hope we can keep her healthy through the upcoming winter season!

 

 

To our Birthday Girl

Dear Emmy -

Two years have gone by in a flash! It is hard to believe that we are celebrating your 2nd birthday. You have brought so much joy to our lives over the last 24 months. Each week brings something new, and every day is a blessing. There are so many things that I love about two-year-old you. 

You are quite a talker. You jibber jabber all day long, from when you first wake up until you are drifting off to sleep. We can't always understand what you are saying, but you have such a look of concentration as you are talking to us, so we nod and talk back to you as best as we can. You are developing such a big vocabulary. You are even starting to string together phrases, like "Where Daddy go?" and "That's my bear." You are saying "my" before everything - "my bear," "my baby," even "my Daddy." I love how you say "dull" instead of "doll" and "beer" instead of "bear." We've recently started practicing our flash cards before bed. It is such a special nightly routine, and you are so attentive as we sit together on the chair in your nursery. We will first read a book (right now your favorites are The Little Engine That Could, Goodnight Moon, and books with textures or mirrors) and then we will go through your animal flash cards, repeating the names of each one. Without me saying the name first, you can recognize fish, cow, dog, pig, horse, and duck. You can also make noises for each, my favorite being the 'fish.' It gets a little confusing when we see the 'seahorse' and you start to neigh...that one is tricky! I love the way that you say "please" as "peas" and that you have started to say "help" when you want us to carry you or pick you up. You really love music, and we listen to songs before school as we go about our morning routine. You know a lot of the words to the "Good Morning to You" song. You also will often sing or hum the ABCs, "Twinkle, Twinkle" (which is the same tune...but Mommy can tell the difference!), "Old McDonald," and other songs that Mommy has made up. I'm sure one day in kindergarten you will say to a friend "You don't know the toothbrush song?" because surely "Brusha, Brusha, Brusha" is a childhood classic ;)

You are so busy all the time. You love emptying the toy box and pulling the books off of your bookshelf. You also love playing in Mommy's closet and trying on my shoes. It's never too much of a mess, and you usually help clean up afterwards. Your favorite toys right now are your baby stroller and books. You still love your Mega Blocks and talking teddy bear, and you love being outside. Unfortunately with the weather getting cooler, we aren't able to take our evening walks, but you like to point out the moon and stars both in the mornings and at night. You also like spotting pumpkins and doggies. 

Now that you are 2, we will soon begin big girl things like potty-training and brushing your own teeth. You are wearing size 4 diapers and a combo of 24-month and 2T clothing. I just bought the first box of size 5 diapers. (Hopefully we won't be buying diapers for too much longer!) You love your size 5 pink tennis shoes, although they are almost too small. We have several pairs of size 6 shoes that you will be wearing soon. You are a mess when you come home from daycare most days. It usually means you have had a fun day playing outside or that the day's meals were a bit messy. You've started to say "dirty" when your hands need wiped off after a meal. If you fall down, you'll come to your Daddy or me with your palms held out so that we can brush them off for you. We are still cutting up certain foods, but you are doing very well with utensils. You've started to try some meat, but mostly you like fruits, vegetables, and bread. Our go-to snacks are yogurt, applesauce, and cheese. You also like Fig Newtons and Teddy Grahams.  

The thing I love the most about this stage is your imagination. You love to play make-believe. You will often set up your animals to read to them, or you will put one of your babies in the stroller to push around the house. You like to pretend to put diapers on things and to feed your babies with an empty spoon. During bath time, you will bathe your "bath baby doll", just like a nurturing Mommy. You will certainly be a caring mother one day, and I love getting glimpses of you as a Mommy years from now. 

There are so many special snapshots from the year that I hope to never forget. It was amazing to watch you take your first steps in early January; we had so many adventures together over the summer; you were unfazed going back to daycare, although Mommy was a little sad; and you continue to amaze us with all your tricks and skills. We are so thankful to be your parents and you light up our world!

We love you!
Mommy & Daddy

Even though we already celebrated a couple of weeks ago, we certainly couldn't sit at home on her actual birthday. We met up with Grammy, Grandpa, Maddox, and Zander for breakfast at Fitz on Main, where we ate last year. I suppose this makes it a tradition! Aunt Megan and Uncle Zack are out of town (in Jamaica for their anniversary); otherwise, they would have been there, too. 

With full bellies, we headed off to the Greensboro Science Center. Emmy and I went several times over the summer, and it was fun to go back again with Daddy. Emmy loved seeing all the animals and running in the open space. We initially brought in the stroller, but I ended up taking it back to the car when it became apparent that Emmy preferred to walk or ride on Daddy's shoulders. 

Our friends Stephanie and Lyla met us at the Science Center, and Lyla and Emmy had a lot of fun playing make believe and darting from one exhibit to the next. 

We've had such a fun day! Happy birthday, Emerson Leigh!

Go Deacs!

This past weekend, Boomer and all of his friends celebrated their 10th Reunion. It was so fun to get together with friends from near and far. There are very few of us that still live in the Winston-Salem area; most traveled from out of town: Georgia, Maryland, Florida, Massachusetts. We kicked off the weekend on Thursday with dinner at Camel City BBQ with the Schmidts and Riddells. Boomer had his last Forbush football game on Friday, so we had to miss the festivities that evening, but we got back together with everyone for the game on Saturday. Wake played Syracuse, and it was a beautiful, albeit chilly, fall day. Sadly Wake lost, which puts our record to 0-2 for watching Wake football this season :(  As Boomer would say, it's never easy being a Wake fan. But we still love the Deacs! 

You'll noticed a particular curly-headed blonde missing from these photos. While Boomer and I enjoyed a 'day date' at the football game, Emmy was with her Aunt Megan and Uncle Zack. She had so much fun playing with her cousins! Maddox and Zander took turns pushing her on the swing, and she loved emptying their toy box, just like she does at home. 

When we picked Emmy up, we put her in her own Wake Forest jersey and attempted to get some family photos. My hope was to get our Christmas card photo. I'm not sure if we were successful or not...maybe the last one? You can be the judge! :)

On Saturday evening, we got together with the whole group, kids included. It was so fun to see all the little future Deacs running around. It was such a special time to have all these friends together. 

Boomer Kennedy: Great dad, not so great at pictures! :)

 The weekend ended with church, lawn work, and dinner at East Coast Wings. We moved the clocks back, and Emmy didn't quite give us the extra hour of sleep that I was hoping for. She was up around 6:45AM, which I suppose is still later than some other unlucky parents. While it is nice to have some sunlight in the morning, it will be hard to adjust to the dark evenings. Here are a few pictures from Sunday of our silly almost-two-year-old. She loves playing in Mommy's closet and lining up her stuffed animals and babies.