Girls' Shopping Trip...

Yesterday, I got up bright and early to travel to Cincinnati to the Gap Clearance Center. I was joined by Heidi Annison (thanks Heidi for getting this going!), Rachael Ice and Brittany Curfew. We all got some good deals (I scored 6 shirts, a cardigan, two pairs of pants and a pair of shoes for me, two polo shirts for Kevin, two shirts and a pair of shoes for Alexa...ALL for $36!!!!) and then had a yummy lunch at Abuelos, a Mexican Food Embassy. It was rather enjoyable. We had a great time and I am so grateful for the fun friendships I've made here in Kentucky...you girls are awesome!

Happy 4th of July!!

Despite the rain, we had a very fun 4th of July. We started out the day with a BBQ at our friends, the King's (we had initially planned to meet at the park but the weather wasn't cooperating!). We grilled and had some yummy food and yes, I made my traditional flag cake! It was quite enjoyable. In attendance were Michael and Brinn King (with Brooklyn & Brielle), Aaron and Brynn Wikle (with Samantha), Chris and Heidi Annison (with Blake, us (with Alexa, of course), Adam Ripperdan, and Amanda Tracy (with Cason).

Alexa is getting so big! I looked back at the pictures from last year's 4th of July and she was just a little baby...but she wore the same skirt two years in a row!!! :-)

And of course we had to get the fun, very attractive eating pictures...thanks Brinn for taking those...I notice there are none of your family!!! :-)

Later that afternoon, after Alexa's nap, we met up with Brittany and Brandon Curfew who just moved here from Vegas. We checked out our community's festivities which included a free trolley ride. We also had to get a funnel cake...it's the 4th after all!!!...and it was soooo yummy! Sorry Brittany & Brandon that you guys got jipped on yours!!

After spending most of the day outside in the humidity and heat, we decided to put Alexa down for bed at her regular time, let her sleep for a couple hours, and then brave the fireworks downtown on the riverfront. We again met up with the Curfews and had a great time, despite the rain delays and technical difficulties (we thought the fireworks were supposed to start at 10:00 pm and they didn't start until 11:05). Oh well! We still had fun and Alexa did really well...she was even saying "more" when the fireworks first started!

Happy 4th of July everyone!

The Hot Brown

During Kevin's week off, we wanted to do something unique to Louisville...so we went to The Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville to try The Hot Brown. What is a "Hot Brown" you may ask??? Well, it's "a Louisville Legend, invented at The Brown in 1926! The Hot Brown (Roasted Turkey Breast on Toast Points, Sauce Mornay, Parmesan Cheese, Tomatoes and Bacon. Baked to Perfection!)...a Louisville tradition with worldwide appeal has been featured in Southern Living Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, NBC's Today Show as well as being a regular entry in some of the finest cookbooks." Mmmmmm....it did not disappoint!

And here we are in The Brown Hotel, full and satisfied after our wonderful lunch!

More Canada Day...

Well, we celebrated Canada Day by going to an All-American baseball game!!! :-) I was a little hesitant to go again since Alexa only lasted 3 innings a couple weeks ago...but we were going with some friends, so we thought "why not?"!! We went with my new and wonderful friend, Taffney, her husband Roy, their adorable 2 boys, Quincy and Olan, and Taff's in-laws. Alexa is in love with the boys so they kept her entertained and we're happy to say we lasted ALL 9 innings!! Taff and I met at the splashpark a few weeks back and it feels like we've been friends forever...isn't being a mom great, there are so many perks like having kids to help meet new people!! :-) Anyways, we had a great time...Alexa and Quincy even shared a special moment - a sweet, tender little kiss...but when we tried to capture it again on camera, Alexa would have none of it, as you can see from one of the below pictures!

Daddy's Little Girl!

Earlier in the day, we found Alexa lounging in her "tuttle". We bought this for her last year to play in the pool and tried it again this year but as you can see, she enjoys it MUCH more in the living room. Oh well...at least we're still getting some use out of it!

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

A quick shout out to all my family and friends north of the border! Hope ya'll have a fun and safe Canada Day!

A Family Picnic...and Day of Fun!

Kevin has this week off of school so we are making the most of family time together. Today, we ventured south of the city to Bernheim Forest. It really is so beautiful here in Kentucky...we love all the lush greenery! We decided to have a picnic lunch and had picked out a very nice spot by a pond when all of a sudden the geese we had walked by earlier were almost upon us. Apparently our PB&J's smelled really good!! So we quickly gathered everything up before the Canadian Honkers could steal our lunch and moved to a less picturesque spot where we hoped the geese wouldn't follow. Thankfully, we were able to finish our lunch in peace and then walked around the park enjoying all the scenery.

We even popped into the Visitor's Center and Alexa enjoyed playing with the stuffed animals!

After the Visitor's Center, we drove up to a place called Canopy Tree Overlook. It was so pretty and this long bridge took us to 75 feet above the ground. It was crazy because the wind was blowing the trees but it made it look like the bridge was moving...not a fun feeling!

Alexa LOVED running up and down the long walkway though and would make this funny little noise that I can only explain as sounding like a little puppy! Enjoy the video...it was near the end of our outing and so she wasn't nearly as excited as the first time she ran up it.

Our sweet little girl...she loves being outside and had so much fun exploring and seeing all the different things!

Here's some of the beautiful scenery we enjoyed. We had a great day!

All dressed up and no where to go...

These pictures make me chuckle...they really represent the fun little personality that Alexa has!

Playing with Daddy...

Alexa is a happy little girl, quick to smile and laugh...but we never know what will REALLY get her going. I was cleaning up in the kitchen a couple days ago when I heard endless giggles from the hallway. I went to investigate with the camera but only caught the tail end of it. I love that Kevin loves to play and spend time with Alexa. He is such a great daddy and they have a very special relationship that I hope will continue through the years.