This time with the Nowaks and Tarrs!
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Harper Turns Five Again
I had every intention for this blog entry to be a short one. I intended to post a picture of all the kiddos and be done with it. BUT with over 150 pictures that tell the story of a great day and celebration with friends and family, I’m at it again writing late Saturday night (while Justin is in bed snoring across the room) so I don’t fall any further behind in my posts (I still haven’t finished my beach blog). Anyway, Harper’s party started at noon. Kids and adults ate and played while others continued to trickle in for the first 45 minutes of the party until the Vienna Singing Princesses arrived. They started the party by letting each kid pick a charm for a necklace. Harper chose face painting as the activity she wanted the princesses to do. Earlier in the week, Emerson and Grace decided they didn’t like princesses and were too old for it….thus the older girls were not going to get their faces painted. That was fine with me because we were actually over the maximum limit of kids had they all chose to get their faces painted. I left the room for a few minutes and while I did, the older kids decided face painting was indeed cool. Harper and Avery were already getting their faces done and Emerson was next in line when I realized what was occurring. I reminded Emerson of our prior conversation about the older girls going last. With Avery being almost done, I let her finish. Emerson did not take it well. And for the next hour of the party was pouty, refused to smile, and stuck to herself.
Hannah
Avery
The Birthday Girl
Zara was so cute and every time I saw her after her face was painted, she would roar. 
Ella and Eric
Dylan
Sloane
Sophia
Ashely
Finally, it was Emerson’s turn and after all the wait, she opted for something simple. Later in the evening, she told me she thought doing her whole face would take too long and she would miss out. 
Avery and Emerson. Emerson snuck up from behind and Avery was not too pleased.
When all the kids had their faces painted, we took a picture with the princesses before they left. Harper was shy and trying to get all the kids looking and smiling in the same direction is near impossible. 
This one cracks me up the most…check out Ava grabbing her crotch. Meagan and Grace laughing at one another. Jacob looking at them like they are crazy. Dylan taking a bite out of Sloane’s head. Sophia looking at him like he is crazy. Harper slowly falling out of the princesses hold. I could go on…just so funny.
Ironically, not liking being the center of attention in a large group setting. 
The kids made crowns and tiaras next. Larrissa was awesome and helped set it all up. Standing proud!
The kids had a great time…even the boys! 
After crafts it was cupcake time! I got these at Walmart (shh…don’t tell). They were actually delicious! And of course I got way to many (as I did with the pizza)!!
Harper again got really shy being the center of attention.
And with every second that we continued singing to her, her head started to sink downward more and more. Meanwhile, as I do every year, I have to fight back tears as I sing Happy Birthday to my kids. Seriously, singing that song to my kids each year gets me choked up every time!
Emerson looked at Harper to nudge her to blow out her candles. 
She stepped back to have Avery and Emerson do it for her. 
It was actually sad and super cute at the same time.
Once cupcakes were over, I felt a little more relaxed as all the organized activities were done. As is the case with hosting a party, I never talk to anyone long enough because I am running around. Not to mention, I think I peed seven times during the course of the party. I had two beers and an insane amount of water! Anyway, I had Justin running around to making sure he was capturing the moments. Mila came and while I personally didn’t catch up too much with her, the girls were glad she was there! I LOVE all of these pictures!
Emerson went last taking her picture with Larissa and Mila. She didn’t want her picture taken…she was still mad about the face painting situation. So Larissa and Mila played along.
I then realized I needed a recent picture with my “oldest” friend. Thirty eight years later and still friends…we look a little older but still pretty good if you ask me! I told Lish I wanted to get a picture with her and she was like “I look like crap.” My response was well “I look good.”. Thus, her initial pose and my laughter. 
Then of course, I realized we must take a recent picture of our kids together!
Harper is all daredevil and boy sometimes. Case in point for the former.
The kids had a good time playing on the swing set as well. My girls don’t use it much on their own, but it seems to be a big hit at parties.
And last but not least, I needed a picture with my older kids.
Followed by all my kids.
A good time was truly had by all. Happy 5th Birthday Harper…again! We celebrated three times this month…that’s quite the celebration for a princess. And since we alternate years between the family and friends birthday celebrations, I’m hopeful that in two years if we are having a kids birthday party at our house, a new open concept kitchen will be in the background!
Outer Banks – 2018
Saturday: Saturday was the drive…it was 7 hours door to door, which wasn’t too bad. The girls all watched Netflix on their IPADs most the car ride, so they were pretty quiet. Harper received a new IPAD for her 5th birthday, two days early so that she could have it for the car ride! Normally the day of arrival, we don’t do much else besides unpack and go to the grocery store. This year, we arrived a little earlier than normal (3:30) and with the help of Larrissa, were able to unpack quickly. Gus, Erin, and I went grocery shopping together to pick up items for dinner (we grilled burgers and hot dogs), and we still managed to spend a little time at the beach (this year our house was on the beach) and also go to bed early!
Sunday: Harper’s Birthday! My baby turned five. Honestly, this was a tough one to swallow. At age five, I clearly don’t have any babies…I don’t even have toddlers anymore. Ironically, Harper started acting older! I joke you not. I kept telling her happy birthday and in an annoyed voice she would respond “Mom (not even Mommy or Mama), you already told me that.” Then, she would not even let me pick her up! Maybe it was because she was with her friends! I hope so!
Anyway, Sunday morning the girls woke early….starting at 6:30! They never wake that early! Not sure if it was because it was so bright out or if it was simply the excitement of Harper’s birthday. Either way, they were up early…as were Mommy and Daddy. I started the first of many pots of coffee and then proceeded to make breakfast pancakes at Harper’s request. They were a hit!
We spent the morning at the beach and were on the beach by 9:30 am after what felt like a very leisurely morning. The light was amazing and I was having a ball with the camera!
The girls loved the water. The laughs that were coming out of them was so amazing to hear and brought such joy to me! These pictures of Emerson especially make my heart so happy because she is a tough one to please.
While Avery still didn’t like going in the water this year, she had a thrill getting close to it and having the waves hit her feet.
They even boogie boarded and had a blast riding the waves.
A little pool time followed by some lunch and then some quiet/movie/play time for the kids. While Harper and I went to the grocery store to pick out her cake, Daddy and Larissa took Avery and Emerson back to the beach. Harper and I joined upon our return but the threat of lightning and thunder abbreviated our afternoon beach time. So we took showers and ordered pizza to celebrate Harper’s fifth birthday! And we topped it off with cake, which was also a hit. These pictures are so funny because you can see the reflection of the kids in the table!
Happy 5th Birthday Harper Paige Maddy!
Monday: Monday morning Harper was up again early but the older girls slept in until around 8:00. We spent the morning at the beach. While the light wasn’t amazing, I still managed to take some incredibly pictures using filters and taking black and white photos. Again, their joy was abundant.
Some pool (and hot tub) time followed before eating leftover pizza for lunch.
In the afternoon, our family went miniature golfing. Emerson is extremely competitive and couldn’t handle the fact that Harper wasn’t playing by the rules. We eventually had to split up in two teams so Emerson was separated from her sisters. Her attitude improved by the end; however, while we played she was having a very tough time. It was Larrisa’s first time playing and she had a great time.
It was HOT playing and we were all dripping sweat. Ice cream seemed like the perfect thing to do next…we went to Booty Treats and it was delicious!
Next stop was Nags Head Pier, where the girls saw a 40 pound cobia being gutted and fileted. We took pictures on the pier.
Then went underneath the pier and on the sand for a few. Emerson and Harper got closer to the water than I was planning. The light was amazing again.
We came home to a delicious dinner of salmon, chicken, shrimp, and asparagus that Gus and Donald cooked. Followed by watermelon, dance parties, and fun.
Tuesday: Tuesday morning we made our way to the beach again. Harper and Emerson especially loved playing in the sand, water, and hours later still weren’t tired of doing so. Avery on the other hand loved playing near the water initially but was much more apt to complain after about an hour that she wanted to head to the pool. She doesn’t go into the water as much as the other girls so I think she just gets hotter. I tried pouring buckets of water on her a few times, which helped for a few minutes at a time.
The girls took a dip in the pool next. I stayed behind and read some on the beach!
After lunch our family went to Jockey’s Ridge. We went smack in the middle of the day in the sweltering heat. Emerson complained quite a bit and Avery and Harper some but overall enjoyed the short time we were there. Emerson refused to come up the final dune, thus why she looks like spec below!
We enjoyed Taco Tuesday at the beach house courtesy of the Brophys.
Wednesday: Wednesday morning we went to the beach again followed by pool!
Wednesday early evening the three families headed to Jenette’s Pier for our annual family picture taking.
Our family
The Brophys
The Nidays
The kids….Quinn wasn’t really into it and Harrison too wanted nothing to do with it.
Everyone!
Just when we were about to leave, some guys caught a shark. The kids had a great time watching it. Avery especially was laughing hysterically watching it wiggle and twist until the man threw him back in the water. 
After the pier, the families went out to dinner on our own. Justin and I decided to make it a date night and went to our can’t miss spot, Blue Moon Grill Café. Even arriving at 5:45 p.m, the wait time was 1 hour 45 minutes. After about 40 minutes and a beer at the new bar, we snagged a seat at the bar and ate a delicious dinner! Justin ordered the shrimp and grits. I ordered the swordfish special and they were both delicious! We even splurged on the lemon mascarpone cake, which too was excellent, and I had no regrets about ordering.
After dinner, we headed for a quick walk back on Jenette’s Pier since our walk on pass was good for the entire day. Justin snagged a picture of me on the turtle….the same turtle that the kids take a picture on.
We also took some selfies!
Thursday: Thursday we switched everything up…starting in the morning. I took my morning walk on the beach. The girls went swimming after breakfast, while I went to The Fresh Market to get dinner food for the evening. The girls were a little disappointed that they didn’t get to go out to eat last night so we quickly left the beach house at 11:10 to beat the crowd before doors opened at 11:30 to eat lunch at Kill Devil Grill. Lunch was delicious and fun.
Justin and I spent an hour together in the afternoon and went for another walk and a quick trip back to the grocery store since I didn’t think I had enough flank steak for dinner. He took a picture of me on a massive chair in the parking lot.
We went to the beach a little after 3:00 today and it was nice to enjoy the beach later in the day.
Dinner was flank steak with salad and of course a lot of other “little things”…pesto, chimichurri sauce, fruit, green beans, olives, sweet peppers. I didn’t get up to take my pitch, but HOMERUN!!
Friday: Our last day…always bittersweet! Justin and I woke up before 6:00 a.m. intentionally – he wanted to take pictures of the sunrise. I wanted to see it as well and figured I would just start my walk early on the beach – of course the multi-tasker in me would do that! I was on the beach walking at 6:07 a.m. Justin was waiting for the sunrise and it looked hazy….I started walking and close to a half hour later turned my head toward the ocean to see the most beautiful sunrise. Justin had said the sun started rising 14 minutes before I noticed it rising behind me. I brought a ziplock bag with me on my walk today and collected seashells at the same time. My walk ended at 8:00 a.m. – and I had 10,000 steps by then! Score!
We indulged in Duck Donuts for breakfast courtesy of Donald and Gus! I indulged having half with an oreo topping and half lemon coconut and then the crumbs and drippings in the box! Up until today, I ate darn well (nutrition wise)….todays nutrition was so-so at best.
After breakfast, we beached it up for one last time on the vacation. I took turns going for a walk and looking for shells with each of the girls individually. They enjoyed the one-on-one time.
The afternoon was spent packing and getting ready for our departure. And of course, the trip wouldn’t be complete without another trip for ice-cream. We went to Booty Treats again…just a different location. It was packed and we even got to see a few girls displaying their own booty treats. Emerson too was staring at the girl at the cash register who was wearing a string bikini thong and at certain angles appeared to be truly naked from the back.
The highlight of the day for the kids (perhaps even the week) was when the fire alarm went off and the code to turn it off wouldn’t work, triggering a visit from the police department. All was well and the kids received hats from the fire department and then proceeded to play fire and rescue in the beach house the next hour.
Our last dinner we did take out from Sooeys Barbecue and while I made better choices than I would have in the past, the hush puppies coupled with the donut, ice cream, left over slice of cake, and chocolate covered beans, clearly made today’s eating a bit disappointing in some ways. As for the entire trip, I nailed my exercise averaging 20,000 steps each day and not missing a single hour of my 250 steps during the 14-hour window. While I did indulge some earlier in the week, I made great choices for the majority of the trip!
I feel so blessed to be vacationing with the Brophys and Nidays again. The kids get along great and the memories that these kids are going to have just warms my heart. This vacation while I was more active then ever, didn’t get a single nap in or have much R&R, I still managed to take a vacation from giving my kids showers and brushing their teeth….Larissa did it daily, which was a nice break for this mama! We certainly made memories that will continue to last us a lifetime! Until next time Outer Banks!
Avery and Emerson Turn 7
These girls turned seven this past weekend! The celebration started with white chocolate chip pancakes at their request. 
We had a leisurely morning allowing us time to open presents (a new water bottle, beach shoes, and swimsuits from Mommy and Daddy), and for me to read my annual birthday letter to each of the girls. 
Larrisa joined the girls and me for their birthday mani/pedis at RainLilly Salon. 
After enjoying their spa experience, we met Daddy, Papa and Grandma at Matchbox for lunch. Followed by some group picture outside the restaurant.
Followed by some birthday cupcakes. Followed by swimming at Papa and Grandma’s and then a low key evening at home, which included ice cream for dinner to top of their birthday!
Sunday was the girl’s birthday party. In March, Avery and Emerson had gone to a birthday party (a mining birthday party) and at their request, I booked Tim’s Gem & Mining for their 7th birthday. The girls invited a combination of friends from their class and the neighborhood. We also invited the Brophys and Nidays on Friday since we had a few remaining spots and I knew they wanted be offended by being on the B-list. They weren’t! Luckily they didn’t have any other plans yet and they were excited to be able to join in the fun!
In total we had 14 girls, including Avery, Emerson, and Harper. They had fun running around and being silly.
They had a great time mining (despite it being so hot in the trailor!). There was A/C but it was really hot outside!
….eating cake
….and painting
Happy 7th Birthday Avery and Emerson! May you always shine bright in each other’s eyes.
Shin Guards
THIS! Seriously, my heart is going to explode out of my chest. They are growing up so quickly! Just look at them. THIS picture is everything…I can’t stop smiling looking at it!
4th of July Week
The 4th of July fell on a Wednesday this year, so Justin and I also took off Thursday and Friday to make it an extra-long weekend! Originally, we were going to head to Baltimore for the weekend, but when that didn’t work out, we decided to make it a staycation and plan some fun local events while still getting some stuff done around the house.
Tuesday night we went over to Papa and Grandma’s for some evening swimming and pizza. After a long search, I found a place online (googlesnmore.com) that would make Avery’s prescription swim goggles. She is finally acclimated with them – the new goggles coupled with their new swim teacher has really led to significant improvement. Harper too is also greatly improving. Emerson was already further ahead with her swim skills, but she too is progressing and hanging out in the deep end of the pool now.
For the actual 4th, we hung out and did organizing around the house most the morning. We had the girls help us go through their toys and donate ones that were too young for them. Our neighborhood parade is now Labor Day weekend so we weren’t missing any neighborhood festivities by spending the morning indoors organizing. After lunch, we headed to the Vienna Community Center, where Emerson and Harper went on a couple water slides (Avery didn’t feel like going). Afterwards, with the girls in their bathing suits already, we headed to my parents for a little more swimming. Avery and Emerson wanted to see the fireworks while Harper did not. We left Harper with my parents for a sleepover and Avery, Emerson, Justin and I went to Southside Park in Vienna, where the fireworks were being displayed. I had not seen real fireworks in over 10 years and I was amazed! They were awesome. They were also incredibly loud! Neither Avery nor Emerson cared for the sound – Avery covered her ears with sound reduction headphones and Emerson with her own hands.
Thursday we took Jana out to Sweetwater for her celebratory dinner to commensurate her year being with our family.
Harper’s face! Haha…she was being so silly….it was hilarious!
Friday after lunch we headed to National Harbor. It was a gorgeous day and while it was a bit touristy, we had a good time eating, relaxing, shopping, and just hanging out.
Late Saturday afternoon we had the Brophys and Nidays over for a low key get together and the girls (and Harrison) had so much fun together. Cannot wait for our vacation in a few weeks with one another!
Sunday it was a trip to Nats Park! I managed to get five tickets for $36! Two beers cost more than all our ticket seats! Granted we were sitting in the nose bleed section, but still a great time…and a beautiful sunny relatively mild day for a ball game. The only thing that could have made it better would have been, had the Nats won!
Oh just look at that excitement!
Vanish
Trying out another brewery “Vanish” in Lucketts, Va with the Russos. This place was great! It was huge…lots of indoor areas, outdoor areas, music, a playground, food, beer; and most of all pure joy and fun was had by all, big and small.
Dance Recital
Another year of dance is in the books! This is the fourth year for Avery and Emerson and the second for Harper. I’m proud of my “not so tiny dancers”. A few pictures from dress rehearsal.
And a few pictures from the recital. The girls had a big cheering crowd…myself, Justin, Grandma, Grandpa, Jana, and one another when they weren’t performing.
At this point the girls are wavering if they want to continue dance next year. I think they love dancing but they sometimes don’t love following the instructor. If they really don’t want to continue at Cuppetts with ballet and tap, I think we will try another dance studio that offers more types of dance for their ages.
Schools Out For Summer!!
It’s hard to believe but the 1st grade school year has come and gone for Avery and Emerson. We started the morning with a little Alice in Chains School’s Out for Summer. The girls got a kick out of it. I think we should make it a yearly tradition….I’m not even in school and it puts me in a great mood!
The last day of school even warranted new Hanna Anderson dresses! Avery and Emerson both wanted matching “rainbow ponytails”.
Now its time to have an awesome summer before starting 2nd GRADE!
2nd GRADERS (and one future kindergartener)!!!
Backs at Meadowlark
Finally back at Meadowlark for one of our summer visits. I still love this place and the serenity of the surroundings. We have been going here with the girls since Avery and Emerson were infants….look at them now! I can’t get over how quickly they are growing up. Seriously slow down time!