ALF

I love the Autumn Leaves Festival weekend! This year was a little more fun than years past.
This year Kevin and I ran the 5K on the Greenway! One of my college roomates, Liz, drove up from Greensboro to run with me. It was a great way to get together again. The race was 8:30 Saturday morning, still a little chilly but nothing horrible. We finished right under 30 minutes. It was the first 5K for all of us! Kevin ran in like 22 minutes...have mercy right?!

Here are the girls at the fall scene in front of the Municipal building-Mount Airy does such a great job of decorating!

Awww...

Uncle Marty and Lauren happened to be leaving as we arrived-perfect time for pictures!

Owoooooo!

More girls in red...
Sidney Kate rocking her new cheering outfit from Gran Mary and Papa. She's one lucky chick-this year she has two fun outfits to rotate for games! (Thanks to GG and Gran Mary!)

What you can hear...but can almost see is ECV going "tttttttttttttttttt" - blowing bubbles everywhere!

I'm pretty sure Kylie is motioning that State is number 1. I know her Daddy is proud!

Cheese!

The girls after the game...getting ready for a little stroll to the car.

Dixie Classic Fair!

So I had this GREAT idea of making memories at the Dixie Classic Fair. I mean, I remember LOVING going as a kid. It was always around my birthday and I went with my family-who wouldn't want to pass that joy to her child...
So off we go to the fair, just the three of us. Embree Claire was hanging with GG-it was a big evening for everyone!

We first hit up the animals, I mean-who doesn't want to go stand in ridiculous lines to see and smell animals? We're in!

Then we have to stand in another crazy line to take this adorable picture of her in a fake barn...I mean, it's a must! They know when they put these things up that mommies with cameras will be all over it!

Then we hit the Ferris wheel up...the one that seems safer than the bucket seat. Apparently Daddy hasn't been to this fair...so we needed to get the layout of the place in our heads (he did-Mommy remembered it all, tractor pulls included.)



Then we found the kiddie ride section. I didn't even want to bother with getting her on one of these, I knew what would happen...but she was adamant that she wanted to do it. So we let her get on one...and she cried-the whole way around. I felt bad for her, I didn't understand it-but I felt bad. She was one of two crying kids on that ride...

Then we came upon the Mirror Maze, that Kevin recommended she go by herself on...yes, I about had a heart attack right there when he said that. (Insert discussion of "you're crazy and not allowed to take our child anywhere by yourself" conversation here) ((chuckle)) Instead we walked to the next ride/activity that was a maze of sorts, but one she could do alone and we could watch her every move. This was much more her pace-forget the rides, this girl wants to climb and slide!

Do you see those yellow stairs? Those suckers go alllll the way to the sky...and my little 3 1/2 year old carried her own carpet all the way up. Yes she slowed down the line by turning around and talking to the little girl behind her at every turn (how sweet to watch), but she did it. Meanwhile, I stood at the bottom and cried that she was big enough to do this. True story.

Woo hoo! They didn't even charge me for a ticket to ride this-I was impressed.
What a smile!

So after all was said and done...we spent way more than anticipated, but had a good time. I'm not sure if Daddy thinks we spent enough for the memories made, but it was fun. Talk about things you don't remember from being a kid...the cost. :)

Just Around

Just cute pictures of cute girls...and daddies

:)

Go Wolfpack!

Another State game under our belts. I believe this was our 2nd game of the season (you know us girls don't really remember those details like daddies do.)

Sidney Kate can't keep her hands off of Embree Claire-which is all fine and wonderful until we're trying to take pictures. She wants to face ECV and talk to her and get her to smile...

This look is one of annoyance that Mommy keeps asking her to look at the camera! :)

Girl shot before going in the game!
'
Cheese!!!

Lookin' a wee bit like Minnie Mouse with that bow. :)
I think this was the game that Embree Claire made it on the big screen...

Family of Wolfpack fans...lots of red going on-that should be the first color Embree Claire learns.

Her howl towel-a must for all games.

Do you see this? I feel like I have two thugs on my hands...hahaha!

"Who you callin' a thug?!"

Cereal!

On September 25, Embree Claire tasted her first cereal. It was a big moment and Sidney Kate was there to help. She wasn't so sure what to think of it; she gave a couple of funny faces, but she was impressive in the eating.

You can see the profile of one of those "what" faces.

Morning hugs!

SKV wants to see, kiss and now hug ECV as soon as she gets up. ECV loves the attention. This morning SKV asked to kiss sister and mommy. When daddy asked about him she said-only those who are leaving! :) she's a routine girl already.

Mabry Mill 2011

Every fall we venture to Mabry Mill for some pictures...I always love the pictures we get. I stress out every year...getting ready, picking outfits out, getting out the door-but we always get awesome pictures. We don't have a photographer take them, we just take Kevin's trusty tripod and let the camera do the work. Somehow everyone ends up looking at the camera, even without a crazy person jumping around behind it.
Here is an outtake...

We stop at the same spot on the way up and every year we always comment that we should stop at the place after this one-it has a cool rail fence and nice overlook. Maybe we'll remember next year.

Then comes the mill shots...we normally go in October but looking ahead Kevin realized that we would be busy most weekends...eh hem football. So we went in September. Turned out to be a rainy Saturday and it was PERFECT! Nearly no one was there so we took our time with pictures and didn't have to worry about folks in the background. September might be the new plan!
All this started with Sidney Kate, so naturally I wanted to remake all her first shots with ECV.
ECV at 5 months.

SKV at 5 1/2 months...ish
*I can see them looking more alike as ECV grows...and yes, I threw this one in there just to depress everyone - time as flown by!

SKV LOVES her little sister-loves!

Super hard to get ECV to look at us after the above shots...she was intriqued by the leaves, ground and...well, everything but us. :)

Hilarious! I should have a caption writing contest for this...feel free to leave a comment with your caption. :)

Awww...I know you're thinking it...awwww!

Thank you random passerby-you rock!

I haven't done anything to this picture but it looks like a 70s tinted shot. :)

SKV 18 months and 3 1/2 years...well almost 1/2

The end...till next year!