Rail Road Park

We enjoyed a Saturday at Pepper Place a few weeks ago where we bought lots of fresh vegies and fresh baked bread. Followed by a visit to the new Rail Road Park downtown. It is a really super cool place. The playground was not huge, but the toys are cool. There was so much wide open space to run and play too. At one point Edie took off running down the track as fast as she could. I think she likes feeling like she is getting away. We just let her run and eventually she came back :)

I liked watching the gobs of people doing yoga, the dogs playing in the water and seeing families just enjoying the day. It was a great relaxing way to spend the afternoon with my family.

Painting with the Ticking children

Back in September we visited A'Mano's and painted with the Ticking children and their mentors. They had several beautiful pieces on display that the Ticking children had painted and one piece up for auction. The proceeds benefited The Bell Center. Their paintings are mostly on tar paper and wood. Edie painted a house using tar paper and house paint. We were able to take one home and one was left to decorate The Bell Center with. The Ticking family took on the love of painting and now sell their pieces in many art galleries and craft shows. They also have a love one who once attended The Bell Center. You can see their story by visiting www.trestaylor.com/tickingfamily_communityprojects.html.  As you can tell Edie LOVED it!

Bama Fans....BIG & small

Edie was something else over the weekend. She was in the best mood and everything was so funny to her :) She clapped, sang, screamed with glee and laughed more than I have ever heard her laugh before. Scott and I loved every minute of it too!! She also started jumping on the sofa. So every time Scott would say "Touchdown Bama!" Edie would climb up on the sofa and jump. She thought it was the best thing ever. Cute yes - dangerous YES! But how can you say no to this sweet little thing in her Bama shorts :) Scott purchased these Saturday morning when he and Edie went for her Chocolate Cheerios at the grocery store. What a cute Bama Baby!!

AL vs Penn State

Scott and I were fortunate enough to be given two free tickets to the game last weekend. Mindy and Chuck have season tickets and were not able to go, so we were the lucky winners of two tickets with great seats!! It was a long, HOT, day....did I say HOT!! The quad was SO crowded....did I say crowded!! It only took us an hr to park, 30 minutes to find our friends tent and an additional 20 minutest for Scott to go back to the car to get the tickets we forgot the first time but in the end we had a great time. Personally I have no idea how people tailgate every game. For me one or two is enough and then I can call it a season :)

The Backyardigans

Before

During

After

Our yard was pretty much useless before. We did not spend a whole lot of time out there. But now we are out there almost every evening. We extended our patio by adding a raised flagstone area. We wanted to keep it as natural looking as possible so we had grass planted in between each stone. Not only did it extend our patio but it really seems to have made our yard as a whole feel a lot bigger. A lot of the space that was previously useless to us is now filled with stone making the whole patio much bigger.

We (I mean Scott) used the leftover flagstone to make a border for our flower bed. We bought a few more plants, relocated others and we are now well on our way to the courtyard feel we are shooting for! We still intend to have the patio stained to match the flagstone and plant more plants in the spring. But for now we are just enjoying our new backyard and the cooler nights!! More to come!

We have been have been busy with our back yard for several, several weeks now. We still have a little left to do, but we are so happy with the end results so far! If you have ever been to our house you know how small our yard is. Which is OK. We did not buy because of the yard, we bought because of the potential the neighborhood has once it is fully developed. Granted we may not even be here once that day comes but for now we are going to enjoy every inch of it!

So Tweet!

Nanny bought all of the grand-girls matching Tweet Bird outfits so we headed to the park today to take some pictures since it was such a nice day. We got a lot of good ones, which I was really surprised that we were able to do it. I still have no idea how those professionals do such a good job at getting four kiddos to all smile and look at the same time. But for a bunch of amateurs we did a pretty good job! I think Nanny was pretty tired after doing jumping jacks, singing and dancing for for them but it was all worth it!!

Edie + Pudding = a sweet mess!

This is what you get when you mix Edie with pudding!

The bottom right photo is Edie signing "more" - AFTER a FULL bowl!!

2nd Annual Tailgate Challenge

Last Saturday after the birthday party we headed to the 2nd Annual Tailgate Challenge benefiting The Bell Center. There were several more tents as compared to last year and the tents really stepped it up on the food too! During this event people are able to set up a tent, decorate it, serve something small that goes with their theme and cheer for their favorite team. There are awards for the tent with the best spirit, best all around and best food. We had so much yummy food to taste I was full within the first 10 minutes, but that did not stop me! We had hot dogs, fish tacos, Krystal's, cookies, rum balls, salsa, and I can not even remember the rest. Let's just say too much of a good thing! But there is never too much of a good thing is there??

Happy Birthday Wesley!

We celebrated Wesley's 5th Birthday last weekend. She had a Mary Poppins themed party complete with black hats that we got to decorate. This is a photo of the birthday girl blowing out her candles on her yummy cake right before Edie planted her hand in it! The good thing was Edie made a perfect hand print, the bad thing was it scared Edie so bad that she screamed while holding a handful of icing which she promptly rubbed all over her shirt. But in the end the party was great, the cake was still delicious and the birthday girl got lots of great gifts :)

So Sweet

  

I had to post the photos of Scott's recent contribution to nest EGgS design - a toddler picnic table. Edie LOVES hers! She sits at it like a big girl eating snacks, watermelon and drinking her pink lemonade. Scott is offering them in three colors - a coastal blue, green and white. They are really "cottagy" looking and the perfect size for Edie and her friends! We hope he can get in some orders for the upcoming holidays so please spread the word! You can see them under "for your {eggs}" on the nest EGgS design blog.

S-L-I-D-E!

I know it has been forever since I last posted and I had promised myself that I would start updating every Monday again, but as you can see it has been few and far between. What can I say, we are just too busy! Last MONTH we had a fun play day at Aunt Mindy's and Uncle Chuck's house which included, a pool and a HUGE slide! Any child's (and adults) dream come true! We had so much fun and Edie especially LOVED to slide - all by her self I may add. I would walk her up to the top and without hesitation she would flop on her belly and slide down just like the big kids. She had a blast!! We loved seeing her play with all of her little friends. Such a fun on a VERY hot day!

All I Can Say is AMAZING!!!!

Christian Maniscalco is AMAZING!!!

I met Christian during the PADS Golf Tournament this past year.  I heard of what he was doing, but I had no idea what he was REALLY doing!  Christian has been inspired by individuals with DS and he has taken on a challenge of his own.  He is supporting Edie and all of her friends by raising money for the Adult Down Syndrome Clinic right here in Birmingham and by participating in the Ironman Triathlon.  Do you REALLY know what an Ironman Triathlon consist of?  I didn't until today and this really puts it into prespective....

Swim the equivalent of 43 football fields

Bike the distance from Birmingham to Atlanta

Run the length of 459

Christian will finish his journey on Aug 28th in Louisville KY.  He has been training for the past 7 months with the mission to raise awareness for Down syndrome and raise funds for the Adult Down Syndrome Clinic.  He has raised $22,000 so far and he is still working on his goal of $25,000!  He is in second place in the Janus Charity Challenge and if he remains there he could secure an additional award for the clinic - up to $10,000 more!  Alongside this generous man is his wonderful wife, Amber who works with children in the Vestavia School system. Together they have two children. Thank you Maniscalco family - Thank you!  You are AMAZING!

See what one person can do!!!!! Read the press release below!

.........................................................................................................................................

Birmingham athlete, Christian Maniscalco enters IRONMAN TRIATHLON

Raises funds for the Adult Down Syndrome Clinic at UAB

July 26, 2010 -- Birmingham, AL

Not only will Christian Maniscalco swim the equivalent of 43 football fields, bike the distance from Birmingham to Atlanta and run the length of 459 on August 28th at the IRONMAN triathlon in Louisville, Kentucky*, he will also be raising funds so that individuals with Down syndrome* here in Alabama and across the Southeast will receive excellent healthcare. Their faces are his motivation and their stories his inspiration for the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike race and the 26 mile, 385 yard marathon.

Christian had always wanted to complete a full IRONMAN TRIATHLON. Shortly after he registered and learned of the Janis Charity Challenge he and his wife Amber, a speech therapist at Vestavia Elementary School East, attended The Buddy Walk* hosted by Parent Advocates Down Syndrome*. PADS invited him to tour the Adult Down Syndrome Clinic where he met with clinic director, Dr. Eddie Lose. He knew immediately he had found his source of inspiration and the charity he wanted support.

Christian is raising funds for the Adult Down Syndrome Clinic at UAB to be named in honor of John Mark Stallings in conjunction with the Janus Charity Challenge. Athletes who join the Janus Charity Challenge find deep meaning in the Ironman experience by using their passion for the sport to make a difference in the lives of others. When applauded for his efforts, Christian comments, “Sure I’m training for the IRONMAN, but all admiration should be directed toward parents of children with Down syndrome. They are IRONPARENTS, running the lifetime race of raising a child with special needs.”

Christian has two specific IRONMAN goals. His first goal is to raise $25,000 or more for the clinic - to date he has already collected $19k. The second goal is to complete the course within twelve hours. For this he is relying on encouragement from family and friends along the course since there are no breaks between events. Birmingham can cheer him on by donating to http://www.januscharitychallenge.com/ or sending notes of encouragement to downsyndromealabama@gmail.com

Melon Eating Contest

Scott is going to soon add some new additions to nest EGgS design of his own. Baby picnic tables and I am so excited! This is his first prototype that he made just for Edie. To test it out Edie decided that she would have a watermelon eating contest on it after a dip in the pool. That sweet girl loves watermelon!! Scott is actually painting now as I type - aqua!! I know Edie is going to enjoy many picnics and watermelons on this cute little table. It's just her size!

Take Me Out to The Ball Game

Friday night we celebrated the hot temps, crazy humidity and PADS at the Birmingham Barron's game. Scott and Edie had attempted this once before when I was out of town but due to the rain that night the game was called. So this time we all went out to the ballgame and despite sweating like the three little pigs we had a great time. Edie loved sitting on the bleachers like a big girl while she ate her hot dog. She also clapped and cheered at every crack of the bat. I think she may actually know more about baseball than I do! I know her daddy LOVES that too!!

BIG 1

Saturday night we celebrated Wylie's 1st Birthday. Again, I say it all of the time, but where does the time go? How can she be one already? Aunt Kelli out did herself on the birthday dinner too! We had chicken casserole, steamed veggies, fresh tomatoes, peas, bread, strawberry dessert AND cake!! I ate, and ate, and ate!! Everything was delicious - the food, the cake and the sweet baby girl!

Something else special happened that night too. I have been anticipating the day when Edie could sit at the "big kid" table and eat without us by her side. Well Saturday she did and she did great! I actually think she found Wyatt, Wesley and Camille so entertaining that she forgot what she was doing and ate almost all of her plate! I was so proud of her. I was also proud of how well she played in Wesley's room with all of her cousins. Aside from the occasional hitting on Wylie (which we are aware of and working on) she did great.

Roll Tide!

Scott, Edie and I were invited this weekend to go on a tour of Bryant Denny Stadium by the Caldwell family. They won the tour during the "2ND Annual Ladybug Fundraiser" and we were twice blessed by the Caldwell's - once when they made the donation to our cause and won the tour and twice when they invited us to go with them! We were so excited to see what all Alabama fans out there want to see! We saw the recruiting room, the press room, the locker room and the big "A" where the players and coaches stand, the sky/VIP boxes (which cost around 500K I might add) and the newly planted field. We had a great time and we would have documented so many wonderful photos of it if only I had remembered the SIM card which was back home in my computer and NOT in my camera!! UGH!! Therefore the above snaps were taken with Scott's camera phone. :(Sorry again Scott :(

5 years

Scott and I recently celebrated our 5Th year anniversary. I can not believe it has already been 5 years! Where does the time go is all I have to say! It is hard to believe that in 5 years we have lived in three different homes (great memories, great homes and did a good job at selling each of them I must say), moved to Mobile and back, now on our 4Th car (we have a way with lemons), had 1 car stolen out of our driveway ("now" a funny story), lived in our "new" home for almost three years and have a beautiful 2 1/2 year old! Oh and Ziggy is still with us (poor Ziggy). There is so much more I could add to this 5 years of total bliss, but I will not bore you with the details.

All kidding aside Scott and I have a wonderful life. I married a wonderful man and Edie has a wonderful father. I can not ever say it enough "Scott is an AWESOME father and husband". We have made some great memories these past 5 years. We have shared a lot of laughs, a lot of tears and a lot of GREAT times! I am still grateful, very honored, so blessed and just as excited as I was 5 years ago when I said "I do". Thank you for 5 wonderful years and Thank you Edie for making 2 1/2 of those our best!!

The big DQ

So we have been busy lately - I know, I know, I always say that.  But I promise you I am not kidding!  Between work, nest EGgS design (check out the NEW look BTW) and life in general we stay busy.  I love it most of the time, I wish things would slow down some of the time, and I would not have it any other way all of the time.  I live for cahos!! 

We did take a break last Sunday and made a trip to the big DQ for some ice cream.  You really can't beat DQ's ice cream even with all of those other fancy ice cream and yogurt shops out there.  However, I still have not been to Yogurt Mountain and once I do I may change my tune.  But for now I am sticking with DQ.  Edie LOVES ice cream.  BUT only if she can eat it all by herself, with her own spoon.  She is a bit like her mommy and does not like to share when it comes to food :)

Grethel Van Epps Photography

So my all time favorite photographer, Grethel Van Epps Photography is doing another contest and this time the winner will receive a free session AND $100 print credit and all I have to do is tell you how I really feel! 

She is truly the best!  I found Grethel's information at the Baby Palooza a few years back and I am not even sure if I met her that day or if I just picked up her pamphlet from a random table.  Anyway I loved her work and I held on to it waiting for Edie to turn one.  So once she finally did we booked our session and we have been using her ever since.  We have had four sessions with Grethel since that first booking and I have LOVED everything she has done.  My house has gone from a few black and white photos of landscapes to a shrine of our daughter and of our family in eye popping colors!  I have counted and as of today we have 37 photos on display that GVE took throughout our home!  I can't believe it myself - slow down sista!

To top it all off Grethel has become a great friend of mine.  She has supported our "Ladybug Fundraiser" by donating a $700 value photo package, she did the photo shoot for the Save the Dates for the fundraiser last year, she has become the preferred photographer of Hillsboro (where we live), she helped me to launch nest EGgS design by donating her talent and getting word out and she is just plain fun to hang around with!  Can't get enough of GVE and I mean that!  GVE is a great photographer and a great friend - winning the contest would just be a bonus :)  Check her out for yourself and you can enter the contest too!!  Even if you don't know her personally, just share what you like about her work www.gvephotography.com/blog and www.gvephotography.com

Let Freedom Ring!

We had a GREAT 4th of July weekend!! We started with watching the firework shows from the top of our neighborhood. We could see Helena's, the Hoover Met and another show that was going on in downtown Birmingham. We were not sure how Edie would react since this was the first time she had ever experienced the fireworks, she LOVED it! We had glow sticks for all of the kiddos since it was so dark out there and Edie waved her stick shouting "yeaaaaaa" after each boom! It was so cute! We had fun and Edie got to bed around 10:00

Sunday we went to the pool and afterwards we went to our neighbor's for more food and fun. The D's cooked a yummy Boston butt with all of the fixins. Edie's favorite part was the watermelon as you can see! And after Maxwell taught her how to eat it with no hands it made it even more fun for her. She, Mason and Maxwell were so cute together. They played so well and we even think there may have been some flirting going on ;) Another great day and Edie got to bed around 9:30

Monday we cooked out at our house with the neighbors again and later on we went to the A's for some boccie ball and more watermelon. Edie was in heaven. She had watermelon and chocolate ice cream from head to toe! That little girl LOVES to get dirty!! We had another great day and another late bed time. Scott and I said she was officially a Big Girl this weekend. She played so well with all of the kids, she had such a great time and she stayed up with the best of them!