More Goodbyes

Brad's parents very generously hosted a going away get together for us over the weekend. It was great to see many of our friends that we will miss so much when we move. I was so busy chatting and having fun that I didn't snap a single picture of the action, but I did manage to take a picture of the beautiful flowers that were on display. Nothing says Texas like yellow roses!




We have also been enjoying our last servings of Blue Bell ice cream for a while. I sure am going to miss that Cookies n Cream! We had dinner tonight with some dear friends, the Lindsays, who spent several years in the Princeton area while Michael earned the same degree Brad will be pursuing. They tipped us off to a New Jersey creamery that may be able to serve as a Blue Bell replacement. And where there are sweets, you know I will track them down!




We're also temporarily saying goodbye to our belongings...our house is a wreck and it will only get worse in the next few days. The moving truck is being loaded up one week from today. It will be so exciting to unload those boxes and get everything into our new place!

Baby It's Cold-ish Outside...

Let's just take a moment and marvel at the current Pennington weather. It won't get like this in Houston until, oh, November? Maybe? Of the many things we will miss about Houston, the sweltering summers is NOT one of them! But check back with me in March, when we're still bundled up in sweaters and y'all are splashing in the swimming pool. Perhaps I'll be singing a different tune :)

Beach Trip, Take Two

We just got back from a great weekend in Galveston with my family. We are doing things for the last time, and it makes our move seem more real. It felt strange to say goodbye to the Texas coast, even though I'm sure we'll be back at some point. Here are a few snapshots from our weekend:


This kid has never been so content to just sit still in a chair! I think part of it stems from the fact that since her last trip to the beach, she has developed an aversion to sand, dirt or anything else that is the slightest bit "gucky" (yucky). She had a real problem with having sand on her feet.

Natalie and Daddy enjoyed spending time in the water together.

A rare picture of me! I always seem to be the one behind the camera. We should work on that. I love having pictures of me and my girl!

Natalie was my dad's shadow the entire weekend. She had a great time feeding the seagulls with Pop. Actually, she had fun watching him feed the seagulls. Every time he handed her a Goldfish cracker to give to the birds, she ate it herself.

My mom's beautiful work of art.

So long for now, Galveston!

SOLD!

Well, not quite sold, but we are on our way! When we returned home from our house hunting trip to NJ a couple weeks ago, we were pleasantly greeted with two, count 'em TWO, offers on our house! After some negotiations, we finalized a deal yesterday and are set to close on the day before the moving truck leaves. What perfect timing!

Happy Half Birthday, Natalie!

Natalie turned 18 months old today -- at 3:04am, to be exact. We can't believe our baby is a big girl! On one hand, it feels like she was just born; on the other hand, it feels like she's been with us for so long! Despite her overuse of her new favorite word ("NO!") and the tantrums that have recently started, life with Natalie is so fun. She is such a sweet girl, and we can't wait to watch her personality blossom even more as she learns new things.

I know 1.5 isn't a "real" birthday, but there is such a drastic difference between a 1 year old and a 2 year old that I feel like 1.5 is something to celebrate!

A Year of Pies -- Month 3

In honor of our 4th wedding anniversary (traditional gift: fruit) back in June, I promised Brad a different fruit pie every month for the next year. He came home from work on our anniversary to a homemade blueberry pie:

July brought him a key lime pie:

And this month I made a fresh strawberry pie (and let's talk about how great this picture is, taken with the new camera!):



I can't wait to make the next pie in our beautiful new kitchen. So stay tuned to the blog -- around the 11th each month, prepare for dessert cravings to kick in! BYOBB (Blue Bell).

Go Tigers!

As you can see, Princeton was the inspiration for the blog's orange and black color scheme. Natalie knows what a tiger is and has her fierce growl perfected. She still has some work to do on her intimidating face...