Weekend Rewind~Lawyers, Football, Birthdays, & Naps!

Well, it was certainly a busy weekend!  And I've just now had time to sit down and actually compose my thoughts of everything that happened.

The weekend started early for Hubby & I as we took off work on Friday & traveled with my parents to Jefferson City, MO (our state capital) to see my little-brother be sworn in as a big-time lawyer! We left Elyse with my in-laws--THANK GOODNESS!--and drove up for the quick ceremony.  The ceremony WAS quick, the waiting beforehand was not...but I'm super glad we made the trip to support my brother in his new career.

Little brother with his very important license in the Supreme Court chambers of the State of Missouri

Nick & my SIL Millie along with my parents

Inside the Missouri State legislative chambers

The candidates were all seated on the House Floor

Being sworn in

Between being sworn in for both state court & federal courts, the process took most of the day but we were able to enjoy a nice lunch as a family on our way back home.  I'm super proud of Nick's accomplishments & if his success in past endeavors is any indication...he'll be a fabulous attorney.

Friday evening our family business was recognized at the local high school football game as being co-sponsors of a brand new scoreboard at the football field.  In conjunction with that we also threw out several t-shirts to the crowd...which wasn't many since the weather was quite nasty!  We had actually left Elyse with my in-laws for the night since we were going to be out past her bedtime...but we still headed home fairly early and we were in bed before 10!  ha!  We're such an old married couple!

Saturday morning I had to work and Hubby went to pick up Elyse.  After lunch she took her afternoon nap and then we headed down to Hubby's sister & BIL's house for our nephews' joint birthday party.  They are 4 & soon to be 7...I can't hardly believe it!

This picture cracks me up because it wasn't that long ago that Hunter could easily cradle Elyse in his arms.

The birthday boys & their toys!

Playing with Daddy!

Sunday was expected to be a long day & it certainly didn't disappoint.  We went to the first service at church with plans to have nursery duty during the second service...however, not one kiddo showed up so we left & ended up having an impromptu lunch with my in-laws.  We then quickly headed home so Elyse could nap and Hubby & I were also able to catch a quick nap before we headed out for the next item on our agenda.

Check out my little blond-haired, blue-eyed baby girl!  

Our small group went through some transitions earlier this fall & so first up was a meeting with our "old" small group just to hang out & catch up.  We just hung out & chatted it up for awhile & then the girls decided to take a quick roadtrip for some frozen custard while the boys stayed behind & watched the STL Cardinals game.  Don't worry, we brought some back for the boys as well!

Next up for the evening was actual small group.  Normally our group can take a topic & drag it out for almost an hour & a half...thankfully, the study we're doing right now lends itself to shorter meetings which is honestly a good thing for us.  Elyse is READY for bed by the time we leave so shorter small group gatherings are certainly not a bad thing at this point in our lives!

It seems like it's already been a busy week with so much going on...but tomorrow I'm home with my baby girl & besides a trip to Walmart, we've got NO plans!  Which is probably a good thing since I think we've got some more teeth coming through....

Elyse @ the Beach~ Papa & Gigi are here!

On Wednesday morning during Elyse's morning nap, help arrived!  ha!  This was another case of...we certainly COULD have done it on our own, but we were so thankful we didn't HAVE to!  With naptimes and feeding schedules and early to bed, it's always nice to have as many hands as possible to take care of a baby.

When they arrived on Wednesday, we started off with lunch @ the Back Porch.  This is one of our favorite beach side restaurants...the atmosphere is perfect & the food is your standard Destin fare with fish sandwiches, fried seafood etc.  It's always a must visit on our vacations.

Think the chair is a little big for her?

For the most part, days with Papa & Gigi looked pretty much the same as they did when it was just the three of us...except we had double the amount of hands to care for & spoil Elyse!  

One of her many mouthfuls of sand!

Playing with daddy along the water's edge!

Papa with our beach diva...hat, sunglasses, & pacifier!

For dinner that night we went to another one of our favorite Destin restaurants...McGuire's Irish Pub. Normally on a beach vacation we prefer to only eat at restaurants on or very near the water...McGuire's is an exception because it's oh so good!

Family photo on the balcony

Elyse honestly could not have been a better baby on our first long family vacation. She loved the sand & the water and besides her nighttime sleeping, the rest of her schedule stayed completely on track.

Another hole to play in!

Mommy & daddy might have splurged on her first pair of Toms...pink glitter of course!

And Papa & Gigi found this flamingo she just loved...she would giggle every time she saw it!

 I read some blogs where it seemed like the packed the entire kitchen sink to take down to the beach...we had plenty of stuff but picked up most of what we needed once we got to Florida. Our condo came with 2 beach chairs & an umbrella so we set up Elyse underneath the umbrella when she was at the beach.  We purchased a cheap twin sheet from Walmart along with a beach straw mat to create some stability.  This was the perfect place for Elyse to play with her sand toys & not be absolutely covered in sand the whole time. It also kept her out of the sun and kept her from getting sunburned.

Yet another face full of sand...for some reason she didn't seem to mind it being in her mouth!  yuck!

One afternoon they borrowed a ladies tube for her to play in...so of course that night we had to go buy our own.  It was the perfect place for her to play & keep her confined.  

Having quite the conversation with Papa

Me & my beach babe!

Walking with Momma & Papa

Family photo on the beach

The entire group...what a fabulous trip!

We even had a little time to play in the waves!

Thursday night we ordered pizza in for dinner so we had some time to hit up the outlets for some Fall clothes for Elyse.  We found some adorable stuff and I'm definitely glad we made the trip.  

Friday night we went to another Destin-favorite...The Crab Trap.  I honestly was a little nervous about it because some of the reviews had been less than stellar, but we had a wonderful meal overlooking the water & then got to experience an absolutely gorgeous sunset!

The view from our table

Love this picture of Hubby & I...we don't have pictures of just the two of us very often anymore!

Christmas card picture...I think so!

Of course Papa & Gigi needed a photo with their sweet pea!

And a family photo...Missed you Nick & Millie!

Oh how our world is complete with this little girl!

Beautiful sunset...stunning!

Love all the sea grass and different colors in the sky!

We spent lots of time at the beach on our last day...Saturday.  Elyse never seemed to get tired of the beach, my beach baby for sure!

Papa, Momma, & Elyse

Momma, Elyse & Gigi...yes, my mom & I are smiling like dorks for no reason, but I absolutely love this photo!

Chilling with daddy in the shade before naptime

And one last dip in the water before it was all over...

So blessed to be able to spend relaxing time with family at a place I love!

I definitely think she likes the water!

Wheeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our last night in Destin we headed back to the beachfront and had dinner at Pompano Joe's.  Another great typical Destin restaurant with yummy seafood and a beautiful sunset.

Pure joy with Gigi

I love this photo...

& this one too!

Elyse was pretty much done with family photos at this point so we just had to deal with it!

The best we could go...she's holding Papa's car keys!

Overall this was an incredible family vacation.  When we arrived on Sunday afternoon and we stood on our balcony I might have teared up just a little bit as my dreams became a reality.  I've imagined the time when I would first be able to bring my baby to the beach for so long.  I'm such a beach lover and I hope that Elyse is too!  I can only hope that many more beach vacations are in our future...next year we won't be able to keep up with her!

We were long gone when this was taken...but my mom snapped this the morning we left...the serene, untouched ocean is one of the most beautiful sights in the world!

Decking the Halls for Fall

Having a baby certainly does change everything!  Normally I am on the Fall decorating bandwagon in mid-late September, but as with most things recently...time just got away from me. I finally got most everything put out late last week and then Hubby & I made our annual trip to pick out pumpkins & mums.  Our town has this outdoor structure that used to sell basically every seasonal item you could think of:  plants in the Spring, Memorial flowers in May, Fireworks in July, Pumpkins & Mums in the Fall, & Christmas Trees in December.  They've scaled back and now there's really just spring flowers, fireworks, & pumpkins but it's a great place to go!

My little Pumpkin

I'm really more of a "fall" decorator as compared to decorating specifically for Halloween or Thanksgiving.  I really don't get into Halloween much yet (I guess that might change when Elyse gets older), but I also just don't want to take the time to redecorate my house 3 months in a row for 3 separate holidays...Halloween, Thanksgiving, & Christmas.  Christmas is a biggie around my house so even my fall decorations are fairly low-key...but I do love getting out my pumpkin collection, my fall wreath, and filling our porch with a bale of straw, pumpkins, mums, & gourds!   

Front Porch

We even found that long green gourd that looks like an "L" for Layman!  ha!  Yes, we're dorks!

And the full view...3 mums were plenty after this years crazy summer...I'm tired of watering plants!

I haven't bought a single new piece of fall decor this year...bummer, but it just wasn't in the budget.  I try to relocate some of the items from year to year to give things a little bit of a different look.  I completely transform the house for Christmas, so I normally just stick a pumpkin here or a fall flower arrangement there to add some fun for the fall season.

Our entryway table

I found this idea last year on Pinterest using candycorn to fill some glass vases I normally use during the Spring.  I loved this look last year & so of course I repeated it this year.  

A shelf in our dining room & my Mother's Day present (photo collage frame from Red Envelope)...I love this !

& our mantle.  I actually decorate with lots of fall-type colors so there really isn't much to do except put out my pumpkin collection!  

It's another beautiful fall day here today, Elyse & I will probably go for a walk once she wakes up from her morning nap.  However, the temps tomorrow are supposed to plummet...they're even talking snow flurries on Saturday!  No thanks, I'd like to enjoy these fall temps fora while!