Early October Recap

We love to make our annual trek to Sky Top Apple Orchard in the mountains near Hendersonville, NC

With a little help from Daddy, Elise can pick the prime apples

Family Shot at the orchard

We got our pick of apples & it was time to head on home

Such a fun annual picture...our little girl is growing up so fast!

After we left the apple orchard, we had to stop at the Asheville Mall, and Elise wanted to try the Mall Jump...I'm still amazed that she wanted to do it..I just wish you could hear her giggling through the jump  - she thought it was the best.

I finally finished my kitchen Roman shade...it will be a welcome relief from all the summer heat that usually comes through this window...

Baby Two - Due May 1st!

We are excited to share that we are expecting our second child in May. Here's a little video clip of telling our family...

September Recap

We went camping in the mtns. off Blueride Parkway - John got his workout that day...

Caroline & Elise - the waterfall was the view at the end of the hike

Camping at Bear Den Campground with the Roger family

The family shot - cool day, but beautiful views

Look how far down....

Back in Charlotte, we woke up one morning to see these two deer in our backyard

Elise loved the jumping castle at the Preschool Blast Off Event!

Pretty face painting

Train ride at Preschool Blast-Off!

Only a designer-daddy could make these pancakes!!

First Day of Preschool

Last week after our busy Labor Day trip, Elise started preschool. She attends 2 mornings each week.
We got up early and had breakfast, got dressed and got her lunch packed and into her blue bag.

Bag in hand!

We've been talking a lot about how she'll get to go all by herself to play at school and meet new friends, and she was very excited to go.

Big girl!

The closer we got to school, I could tell she was quiet. They have a carpool line, and the director, Susan, helps each child out of their car with their bag & shows them to their classroom each morning. We had discussed this and she was ready to get to her class. I snapped a picture just as she was ready to walk into school, and after pulling away, I broke into sobs! I wasn't quite prepared for this emotion - feeling like I was sending her off on her own when she had only met the teachers and didn't know any other kids in her class....but when I came back after lunch to pick her up - she was all smiles and said that she really enjoyed circle time, and got to hold a puppy. It was very surreal to have her away for the morning and not know exactly what she did. I kept trying to ask her, but she didn't offer too much. Then, we got home and relaxed a bit, and she fell asleep for over 2 hours. It was a lot! So - we'll be back at it again this week!

First carpool! Ready for preschool

Visit to MN over Labor Day Weekend

We traveled to Minnesota for Labor Day weekend & enjoyed seeing family and a few friends. Paul and Jodi also made the trip, and we had a nice visit over breakfast with Josh & Debi in Bloomington. My mom requested that we take a photo with the 3 of us...here you go, Mom.

Sisters

Elise wanted in on the girls' photo

After breakfast with Carlsons, John's parents came to pick us up and treated us to a wonderful roast beef dinner. Elise woke up at 4:30am EST, and so here she was starting to droop a bit.

Sleepy girl with Oma

We brought along cupcakes from our favorite little shop, SAS Cupcakes and shared with everyone...yum!

Cupcakes on the deck...smiles all around

On Sunday, we visited the Minnesota State Fair & several others had the same idea...there were throngs of people! We enjoyed seeing the animals, eating the fresh cheese curds, corn dogs and the dairy milkshakes!

Nigerian goats - aunt Jodi wants these someday

"Yum!" Strawberry milkshake

Elise and Ethan also got  to be farm hands through an interactive expo. They got their aprons, pails and had to collect corn to feed the animals, plant some corn, and milk the cows.

Getting ready to help on the farm

A 'hands-on' experience

I made some little t-shirts for all the cousins - and they all got the letter "e".

Cousins - all start with "E"

It was so fun to meet up with my good friend, Sarah Jahnke. We met their family for a bit and got to reconnect!

College roommate, Sarah

Jahnke kids & Elise

The weekend went by quickly. I took a quick snapshot of Elise's special bed. Opa built it for her. Thanks so much Oma & Opa for hosting us for the long weekend!

The special bed for Elise

The End of August & Start of September

On Saturday Elise helped her friend, Emma Grace celebrate her 3rd birthday with a dance party at the YMCA. Here is our little dancer having so much fun at the party!

We've also been spending more time outside with the ridiculous humidity levels gone - it's been great to get out on the greenway. Here is Elise and Emma Grace - they're pretty good riders most of the time.

Emma Grace chillin' with her bear

Front porch

My dad and I also found out that right now is the high season for hummingbirds, so we promptly got our sugar water ready & hung our feeders. It's been such fun to watch those little birds fly in all day to get their sugar fix!

Ariel

On Wednesday this week Elise got to go to her preschool class and visit with her teachers for the new school year. She loved it, and I just had confirmation again that this is such a great school with wonderful people & I'm just as excited as she is for her to start. After our classroom visit, we went to see friends, and Elise had the privilege of borrowing an Ariel costume and red wig! We almost can't get her out of it...she loves it!! I had to tell her this week that we couldn't wear the wig out to the store, only the costume, because we might scare away some small children.

Cousins

On September 1st, Curt & Robbe got the keys to their uptown apartment. They are both so excited to move into a new place, and it really is a great little set up for them. We visited them after their first night and celebrated their new place with Donatos pizza, which, by the way is just a block away!
Great apartment you two....now just to get settled and make it your own.

Welcome to Charlotte!

On Sunday evening, my cousin, Robbe arrived in Charlotte after a loooong weekend of driving. He left the Rockies Friday night, drove all day Saturday, and drove into my parents' driveway around 6pm. He was here for work last summer around this same week, and we just loved having him. We got a call two weeks ago that he had a job opportunity to work with his company here at the Charlotte office, and he accepted. He and my brother, Curt, are looking for a place so they can rent together. Welcome to Charlotte, Robbe!
Here's a little video of his arrival....little E was so excited!

Thankfully, Robbe had his friend, Andrea to co-pilot the long trip, and we enjoyed having dinner together, and then a quick tour of Charlotte before she had to fly out early Monday morning.