Outtakes from the first day of school pictures!

First Day of School

In the beginning of September Riley started school. It had been a year since he had gone since we stayed home last year. From the day we told him that he was going to school he would ask me every day (for like a month) if today was the day he got to go to school. He absolutely loves it and he is learning so much! I can't believe my baby is getting sooooo big...somedays I have a harder time with it than others.

He got to pick out his own backpack and he picked out this cute little fox.

Catching Up Yet Again

The weekend before Riley started school, Russell didn't have to work and we managed to make a trip to the zoo! We love the zoo!

Sweet Friends and Fingerpainting

This is Riley and Carli. There are about 5 months apart. We go to church together and they are the sweetest friends. Riley is always excited to go to church and see Carli and multiple times during the summer did he tell us he had dreams about Carli on her pirate ship and ask when we could go to Carli's house and play. Their mommies finally got their schedules worked out and made it happen.

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This picture is taken at their Daddy's softball game. Riley had been begging to see Carli and so I wound up bringing Carli with me one night after I got done teaching and Riley was already there with his daddy. They played and played and played.

Here are pictures from the day we finally got together. Resa made fingerpaint and off they went. They had such a great time.

Riley even took it a little bit farther and decided to do some body painting!

Thanks Resa and Carli for such a great day!

Riley and Poppy

Here are some of my favorite pictures of Riley and my dad from over the summer. These two are pretty tight and always enjoy spending time together.

July 28th

July 28th is a special day, cause it's the day that 3 or my favorite people were born,  my mom, my dad and my sister. For the last few years my mom and sister have tackled their own birthday dinner, but now that I am in the same place I decided they needed a celebration dinner that they weren't in charge of. So they came over for dinner and I made chicken parmesan, caesar salad (my sister and BIL make the best there is), Pioneer Women's Olive Cheese Bread (if you haven't had this you are missing out) and I made  a chocolate cake for my mom and my sister always requests and Italian Cream Cake but most of the time doesn't get it. My dad doesn't eat chocolate and isn't picky about a cake so I wasn't making a third. It was my goal to make this a special day for all three. Thanks for letting me be your birthday hosts. Love you guys a lot!

These two cousins had been going to  a music camp I had been teaching and on this particular day they had taken a "trip" to the beach. Both of them were very attached to their sunglasses and visors. 

Barry was great entertainment for the evening. He was a climbing toy and a strong man.

My dad thought he was getting an iPad for his birthday. Riley had told him that Nana said she got him one for his birthday. Let's just say he was really surprised when he got a Kindle for his birthday instead of an iPad. He should have never trusted a 3 year old. : )

Happy birthday guys! Can't wait for next years event. I am already working on the perfect menu!

Rachel's Family Shower

Towards the end of July I had the honor of throwing my sweet sister in law, Rachel and baby shower. She is expecting their first, a boy named Noah. We are all so excited for this little guy to get here. It was so fun putting all of this together and getting to spend the day with some of the most special women in my life.

I found everything for this brunch menu here. Everything was wonderful. I need to make the quiche again cause they were yummy.

This was my first attempt at a diaper cake.

Rachel, thanks for letting me do this for you guys. It was such a special day. Love you!

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At the end of the shower Riley was allowed to come back and join the fun. He found all of the blow up jungle animals and piled them all on top of Aunt Martha or "Ms Martha" as Riley calls her. Silly boy!

July

July was a fun month filled with the zoo, a movie, cousins, 3 birthdays (more on that later) and jumping fun with Caleb and Hannah.

I cannot get over this picture and how big my little boy looks. I love our zoo. They have a bird cage where you can get a seed stick and feed the birds. It's one of Riley's favorite parts of the zoo. It has been so hot this summer we have only gone once, but I can't wait for it to get cooler so we can start going more often.

Riley went to see his first movie in the theater and what a disappointment this movie was, but he enjoyed the popcorn.

A day spent in Gilmer.

On our way home from Gilmer with a sticker on his head. I remember this night, cause he fell asleep like 5 minutes from him and then woke up in transition to bed and then didn't go back to sleep for like 2 hours. 

One cool evening we went to the park and I captured this.

Sweet cousins.

Why do boxes turn out to be the greatest toys.

I love this picture. These kids certainly had fun. They stuck together most of the day and Hannah was nice enough to show him the ropes. Riley wouldn't do anything without Hannah. thanks hannah!

Happy part of July. I am almost caught up...oh wait it's now september and I still have to do August.