Family Portraits!

My friend Paige and I did a photoshoot swap. I photographed her family over the summer and she photographed my family last week. She did a fabulous job! I was very impressed. Now, you can revel in the beauty of my family for a while, if you will. Thanks, Paige!

Linvilla Orchards!

This past week I had a short Fall break from school, so we had some fun and took a day trip to Linvilla to pick apples, look at the farm animals, and shop in the farmer's market. I had never picked apples off the tree before, so this was really fun for me. The apples were soooo yummy (and that's saying something, coming from me, because I normally don't like apples). At the farmer's market we got some delicious caramel dipping sauce for the apples and peach salsa. I can't wait to go back next summer and pick berries!

Pumpkin Carving!

Last Friday we invited all of our friends over to carve pumpkins with us. It was pretty nippy outside, so most people just stayed inside with the food (that was me), but some people braved the chill to go outside and carve a pumpkin. We also had a mummy rolling contest with toilet paper. Miss Hazel and Sara were our winners. Great team work, ladies! We had a great turn out and a lot of fun. I'm already looking forward to doing it again next year!

Craft Night!

Last night Abigail and I decided to do a craft together. A.C. Moore has the cutest Fall crafts for kids for only a dollar! Abigail picked out the witch to make. I'm so excited that she's old enough to actually enjoy doing these little crafts now. She was so proud of herself when she completed. I have quite the artist on my hands.

A Surprise Visit!

I was sitting at Abigail's birthday party last week when a lady that I didn't recognize started walking down the path to the party. She had two little girls with her and a gift in hand. I was really struggling trying to figure out who it could be when my friend Andrew suggested that it was my sister. Sure enough, he was right. She had driven over 600 miles just to make it to Abby's party. After the party we spent the day doing what sisters do, eating and shopping. That night my oldest niece, Hailey, spent the night with us. Her and Abigail stayed up half the night whispering and giggling. Even though I knew they needed sleep, I wasn't about to stop them. They missed each other so much! It was sad for us to see them go, but we were really happy they were able to come.

Happy 4th Birthday, Abigail!

I cannot believe that I am the mother of a four year old. That's crazy! When did I get so old? My little girl is growing bigger, sweeter, and smarter everyday. We had a cute little get together at the park for her birthday. She had a lot of friends come, including a surprise visit from her cousins and Aunt Jamie from South Carolina! They just kind of popped in without telling anyone they were coming. It was kind of crazy, but we were happy to see them. I'll write more about that in my next post. At the birthday party we had a cupcake bar. I baked dozens of cupcakes and prepared little bowls of candy and other treats so the kids could decorate the cupcakes themselves. Abigail had an amazing time. I am so grateful to everyone who showed up. Thank you for making my little girl feel so special!

Walking the Benjamin Franklin Bridge

Yesterday was in the upper 70s and we had overcast skies. I thought that this would make for perfect weather to walk the Benjamin Franklin Bridge with Abigail. This is something that I've wanted to do since I moved to Philly but never got around to doing it. Yesterday I figured that there was nothing holding me back, so I went for it. I'm so glad I did. It was a bit confusing finding the entrance to the bridge, but we finally found our way. I didn't realize how long of a walk it was across the bridge, but it was definitely worth it. Abigail loved it. She loved when we walked over the water and when the trains would go underneath us and make the bridge tremble. She's so adventurous! When we got to one of the towers she looked up and said "I feel so little now". I thought that was adorable. I can't wait to go back!