Scrapbook of More Disney Pics

Disney - What a Magical Place To Be!

Keith, Samantha and I just had the best vacation ever in Disney World! We met up with my whole family. In fact, it was the first time we have all been together on a vacation, including all the kids and husbands, EVER! So, this was incredibly special.(The housekeepers made designs with towels every day and the first day was of course Mickey Mouse ears, so we couldn't miss the photo op)

I was initially worried about bringing an (almost) 6 month old to Disney World, but it was amazing! Samantha was so adorable. Her head was just bouncing from side to side constantly trying to take everything in and she was just smiles the whole time. I have decided that I have an amazing baby - yes, I know I keep saying that and yes I am extremely biased....but all that being said, she did not have a meltdown once, she kept up with us and she didn't seem scared of anything. And there was a lot of firsts for her - first time in a pool, first time meeting giant stuffed characters, first rides, and first major vacation. Many days we were going from sun up to sun down, and bless her heart , she got very few naps because every time she would close her eyes we would go in a show or on a ride, and she would pop awake as if she was afraid of missing something. :)(Samantha getting a better view of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse show - her favorite! She was bouncing around almost giddy and towards the end you could see her fighting sleep so hard. :) ) (Hanging out at the pool at the Lodge - despite her pucker, she loved it. She'd splash and giggle and we had a great time watching her!)

It was esp. magical to not only see Samantha enjoy Disney World, but to see my wonderful neices - Jackie, Reagan, Dani, Maddie, Grace and Allyson - just be giddy with excitement. They range in ages from just over 1 year old to 9 years old. They really got to enjoy all Disney has to offer and for the older, it will be lifelong memories!

(Grace and Maddie (4 years old) being goofy at the playground at the Lodge)

(Jackie, Dani and Reagan striking a pose before we entered the Magic Kingdom. And sporting their Disney pins -- the best money making venture Disney has come up with -- if you have been there, you know!)

(Samantha on "It's a Small World" -- she was mesmerized!)

(Tara's youngest Allyson was in love with Sami and kept hugging her. It is amazing how babies love babies)
(The Carters - Brian, Grace, Tara, Allyson, and Dani posing with Pooh)

On top of that, we met with a photographer to get our first professional pictures in almost 17 years! Luckily, they turned out great!

(First picture is in the lobby of the Animal Kingdom Lodge and the other is outside by the pool, and the last in the hotel as well)

The resort we stayed at - Animal Kingdom Lodge - was wonderful! We had rooms that looked out on the Savannah and you'd wake up to Giraffes, antelopes, zebras, ostrich and so much more. We also had some great meals at this and other resorts at Disney.

(We got to eat with the Princesses one day -- what a treat for the older girls - unfortunately Samantha was pooped out! But, I still got a picture with Ariel, Tara and Allyson -- heck, I was in higs heaven myself -- Disney makes you feel like a kid, and makes you want to be a princess!)

(The last day we ate at the Floridian Resort with a Cinderella show -- we got to snap some great photos and enjoy some more great food. It was bittersweet though, because we knew it was coming to an end. ;( )

(The Bach family - Tia, Jackie, Reagan, Ed and Maddie)

Thanks Mom and Dad - aka Nana and Papa -- we had a great time and we came away with some amazing memories!

Moments in the Life of Sami...

Here are some of the latest pictures of Samantha. Poor girl always has Mama flashing a camera in her face. How adorable is she, though -- I know, I may be biased, but that is my right as a Mama! :)

Mallory and Logan's Graduation

Keith, Samantha and I went to WV this weekend to celebrate his niece, Mallory, and his nephew, Logan's, graduation. We had a great and crazy weekend. We got into town Thursday evening and just got home today. Between catching up with Keith's family, going to a graduation and celebration dinner Friday and Saturday, having a picnic (and corn hole competition) at Tami's house, and the drive to and from Parkersburg - we were on the go the whole weekend, but it was a lot of fun.

It made Keith and I sad though, to see Mallory and Logan graduating. Keith is incredibly close to Mallory and Logan, having grown up with them his whole life - they were always more like siblings. I have known them since they were 6! It was hard to see them so grown-up and it made us feel SO OLD!! But, it has been an honor seeing them grow up into such amazing adults -- what an honor to have them in our lives and to have such great people for my daughter to look up to! Though, it did make me realize how quickly time goes by and how one day I will be there with Samantha crying my eyes out.

Mallory graduated from Warren High School on Friday night. She is going to Wheeling Jesuit scholarship and is planning on doing Sports Medicine or being a PA, plus she is playing basketball for the school.

Mackenzie (above) and Vicki (below) loving on Samantha. They seriously fight over who can hold her next. In fact Mallory's first picture after graduation was even with Sami -- she is well loved!


Logan graduated from Parkersburg High School (our old stomping ground) on Saturday night. He is going to Marshall in the Fall. Here the Brooks take time for their photo op. :)

Of course, we had to have pictures with both graduates -- we were so proud of both of them!

(Below) Logan is pictured with his family. I was proud of his Mom, Vicki, she held up well without too many tears. I know it must be hard to see your first born leave the nest. Heck, I cry with joy (and sadness) every time Samantha does something new (yes, I am pathetic). ;)

Samantha did well for both graduations, even though they made for long days for her. Here she is sporting her new baseball hat. However, as you can see below, they did wear her out a little bit. She had a busy weekend for such a little girl.
To celebrate Logan's graduation we all went to Outback Saturday night. Friday night we also had a great meal at Da Vinci's, but Samantha was fighting sleep so much there that I didn't get pictures -- oh well, she is only 5 months old. ;)

Overall, it was a great weekend.

Congrats again Logan and Mallory - we are SO proud of you!!

Sarah's Baby Shower

A dear friend of mine, Sarah, is pregnant with a boy and I had the privileged of throwing her a baby shower at my old stomping ground, Herron High School. A friend and co-worker, Dahnya, helped me with the planning and prep. Despite the craziness of Samantha and I prepping during school hours and amongst students I hadn't seen in so long (I realize how much I miss them all when I see them), it went off without a hitch and most importantly, Sarah seemed to have a great time! :)

In fact, here she is grinning from ear to ear. I made her wear a "New Mom" tiarra and we adorned her guest of honor chair. It was great seeing her in that moment -- I remember how much I loved being pregnant and the excitement and reality that the showers brought with them. :)
Sarah had a great turn-out of students and faculty. It was great for me to also see and catch-up with old faculty there. Plus, I am learning that I have started a baby-boom at Herron - 4 of the teachers are now either pregnant or their spouses are. Though, it seems the girl trend has so far stopped with me. That is okay though, because it was neat seeing Sarah's shower -- one immersed in blue and not pink.

After being lugged around in a Baby Bjourn and in my arms for about 1 1/2 hours of decorating, she pooped out for some of the shower. It gave me some much needed time to pass out gifts, enjoy the party and dig into the food.

Here are the four amigos - Dahnya, Sarah, Samantha and myself. What a great afternoon! I am so excited to be a part of this new chapter of Sarah's life - she has been such a dear friend and will be an amazing mother. Plus, she will bring Samantha a new playmate here soon. :)

Children's Museum Outing

Samantha and I went to the Children's Museum with my friends Stephanie and Charity and their children. It was our first time there and we all had so much fun! I can't wait until Samantha can crawl and walk around the exhibits - esp. the toddler area. Nonetheless, she was excited to take in everything. She fought me every time I tried to put her back in the stroller -- she was mesmerized by the dinosaur room (and changing colored ceiling), the fish, the playmates, and watching the bigger kids play around.
In the above two pics she is in the 2 years and under area in the Toddler Zone. You can tell that she is still working on this sitting thing. Though, she loved playing around with the toys.

Samantha also gets some photo time with my friend Charity and her son Wesley. Wesley is so good with Samantha -- he entertained Samantha in the car ride there and back. Thanks Wesley!

Crazy, Wonderful Week

So, the past week has been crazy but wonderful! After Kris left us, we got back into our normal routine (somewhat). The Moms group that I just started for my church had two events - Toddler Time and a luncheon at the mall. Both events were fun, despite smaller turnouts. Nonetheless I got to meet with and talk to some amazing women, and my girlfriend Heather and her adorable kids got to even join us on Friday for lunch at the mall. Heather also helped me find an adorable bathing suit for Samantha at the mall, for our upcoming Disney trip. It was perfect! And, it will proudly highlight her adorable Michelin Man legs. ;)

I also got to join my girlfriend Maria for our weekly breakfast. Her daughter Merrell is a sweetie and is totally smitten with "Baby Sami" as well, despite the fact that she can't join Merrell in playing -- soon enough she will, though.

Keith finally got two much needed days off from work. I hate these months of nights, but I relish in his days off when we have him to ourselves. :) We tried to let him rest up some, but we also wrangled him into some window shopping, a nice lunch outing, snuggling up in front of a movie (Benjamin Button -- AMAZING BTW!!), and tons of walks.

On Sunday, we joined a new Bible Study with our church. It is another group, in addition to our Wednesday night Life Together Group. Our friends Maria and Brian from church decided to start it up, and we were so excited to join them. So, on Sunday they cooked out for all of us and discussed how everything would run. We also got to meet some new faces - which is always fun. We are beginning with ACTS and are jumping into official discussions next weekend, which I am looking forward to. Now, I have NO excuse not read the Bible!

Lastly, we have been prepping for a rotation Keith has in DC next year. We are renting a place with some other residents for his rotation there. So, all of those plans were in the works.

Therefore, needless to say, it had been a CRAZY, but WONDERFUL week! I do feel so blessed though, to be surrounded by so many wonderful people - they make it all so much fun!

What is an Exersaucer?

It is a whole lot of fun, isn't it Sam?! (her new favorite toy!!) :)

My First Mothers Day

I had a wonderful First Mother's Day! I got to share in this Mother's Day with not only Keith and Sami, but also my friend Kristina.

For Mother's Day, Keith surprised me with a bouquet of flowers, an incredibly sweet card and a beautiful plaque. Samantha also wrote me a card -- it is amazing how well she can write -- she is a savant (ok, I know it was Keith -- but that is one of the many reasons I love my hubby). ;) However, she did wake me up around 5 am in the morning -- she must have been just too excited to sleep in. ;)
Kristina also surprised me with a book that I am SO excited to read. I am hoping I can learn some great tips from it, and (as appropriately titled) a Take 5 candy bar (one of my favorites). Of course, she also had an amazing card!

Mom and my sisters sent cards -- they are amazing! Tia even sent a special surprise in the mail, that I just got today. I will post on that later, since it is also a special gift for Samantha's room. I also got some great phone calls and emails from loved ones.

Also, I almost forgot to mention that Keith took me to Olive Garden -- and if you know me well, you know that this was the clincher to a truly perfect day.

I truly feel so blessed to be a mother! This is the most amazing time of my life. I thank God for my amazing family and friends every day.

I hope that all of you Mothers had a special day and that you felt enveloped with love!

Time To Reunite With a Dear Friend

One of my dearest friends, whom I have known since High School, flew from DC to visit us this past weekend. Kris and I have remained like sisters over these past 12 years, despite the many moves and miles between us. It was great having her here to meet Samantha for the first time and to just get to talk with her in person. We spent the weekend going on lots of walks (as you see above), shopping, having lots of girl talk (I think we could talk people into deafness), and playing with Samantha. As if she needed to be spoiled any more than she already is, Kristina just kept spoiling her with hugs, kisses, and outfits for our upcoming Disney trip.
Here we finally got an updated picture of us. Sadly, we usually forget to take pictures when we are together or one of us threatens the other that it can never be shown (as most women, we hate all pics taken of ourselves). ;) This time, it included our new addition -- Samantha! As you can tell, Samantha hates the camera. :)
Kris and Samantha had some one-on-one time, too. While I don't think Kris ran home with her biological clock ticking, I do know she relished in being Auntie Kris! :) Samantha also ate up the attention.

I have more pictures that I will update later, but I wanted to put a post up to celebrate our time together. It was a wonderful weekend and a great reminder of how much love we have in our lives. Kris has been a part of so many of my greatest memories and has always been a support system for me, that it is so nice to see her sharing in the life of my daughter as well. Samantha will grow up knowing and loving her crazy and fun Auntie Kris. I will be so boring in comparison! :)

Priceless

While I was making dinner Keith was suppose to watch Samantha. Within just a few minutes this is how I found them on the couch. They were both snozing away like they just passed out! I don't know how he got Samantha to sleep in that position -- unless she was so bored from the hockey he was watching -- that is my guess!