Work Work Work

So to all of those out there who are wondering what the heck we've been up to besides our normal routines...we're (meaning Miles and my Dad) are really trying to get the backyard in shape. The patio and sidewalk have been officially ripped up...and the framing is about 90% complete. The sidewalk along the side of the house still needs to be done. After that comes gravel...then hopefully a truck full of concrete.

I have been telling Miles for awhile that a fence would be glorious in the backyard given the babers and dog dwelling in our household. So for Mother's Day Miles surprised me with....AN AUGER!! So that means holes in the backyard with fence posts sticking out of them to complete the West Virginia look that we're shooting for. I love it...what do you think? Here are pictures of the progress...







So this is a glimpse of the yard I've had for the past year... it can only get better from now on!!

A wonderful weekend & The Sicher's house

Autumn and I just got back from Nellie and Jason's new house. They closed yesterday (Tuesday) and are already busy replacing the old lights, painting, and ripping down wallpaper. The house itself is a little bit past the airport, close to Raccoon State Park. It's a very nice home, and will be a fun place to visit. Spencer the dog enjoyed running around their backyard with Nellie's dog. Autumn kept herself busy walking around watching everyone else work!

We had a wonderful time this past weekend when Aunt Cate came in for a visit. It was nice to spend some time catching up. Friday night Miles stayed in with Autumn and we were able to have a nice girl's night out together. The weather was beautiful, so we made sure to spend plenty of time outside at different parks while she was here. Saturday we went downtown to Station Square for some fun drinks. I think Miles really enjoyed himself! It was a very pleasant trip and to put it in Miles' words, "This weekend went too fast!"

So I'm enjoying my week off before I start school again. It's kind of nice not to worry about catching up on papers or studying for tests in my free time. Instead I find myself thinking of more projects for Miles!!

And for an Autumn update...She really is starting to talk more now. Today she fell down at Nellie's and said, "I fell." It was really cute. I can make out some of what she's saying (like I want chocolate) but I'm still trying to get it all, which is somewhat frustrating for her I would imagine. But all in all she's doing beautifully!

Here is Autumn checking out the camera...
I thought this was a cute picture of Autumn and Spencer. The dog LOVES her and gets very upset if she wonders away from us. It's funny to see them together sometimes.
Here's our night out at Station Square with Cate. We went to Bar Louie. You can see Birmingham Bridge in the background (I think...correct me if I'm wrong)...

Bill Clinton

I have no pictures for this post, so you'll just have to take my word for it! Today was Pennsylvania's primary election (and Earth Day! Happy Earth Day!!) So I went to the polls at Lincoln Elementary. Along the way I heard a rumor that Bill Clinton was going to be there at 12:30...and it was true! So Autumn and I saw Bill today, crazy! There were only about 100 people there, so we waited about 30 minutes to shake his hand. We were standing about 5 yards away, but alas no hand shakes for us. He didn't move quickly down the line, and was having really long conversations with groups of people (seriously...about 10-15 minutes!) So we ended up leaving so I could put Autumn down for her nap. But...I just think it's cool that I we were able to see him! So how about that for a Tuesday afternoon...

Spencer the Dog

This is Spencer. He is an 8 month old Blue Heeler/Hound Mix. You can see in his face that he's not sure which breed he should be. We got him at the pound. He is soooo sweet, gentle, soft and great with Autumn. Autumn and Spencer played together this morning and I didn't know what to do with myself.

I had to carry him out of Autumn's room when she went down for a nap. He wanted to take a nap with her.

At the dog park he ran around like crazy with the other dogs and played very nicely. Grammy Williams and Autumn went outside of the fence to go to the playground and Spencer was very upset. He didn't want Autumn to leave his site.

Wild Woman

I dropped off our camera yesterday to be fixed at Best Buy...hopefully there will be no more issues and I can start to take more (clearer) pictures soon! We've been keeping busy here. Miles and Grandpa George have been working on the back patio and sidewalk getting it ready to lay concrete. I should have grabbed some pictures before I sent in the camera...but it'll be on my "to do" list when I get it back. So far the weather has been fabulous...let's hope it stays in our favor! So here are some pictures of Autumn...She's getting so big (and so CRAZY!!) We've really enjoyed being able to play outside this past week...
I just thought this was a funny picture. She had a loaded diaper so I rinsed her off in the sink to make sure she was clean, and then dried her off with a dishtowel. I think the picture speaks for itself! She loved the towel!

Here we are hanging out! Autumn thought my legs were the perfect bed, so silly!

Autumn Update~18 months

Autumn had her 18 month check up today. She's doing very well...just the way we like it! She's 27 pounds (85%) and 35 inches (97%). She had a bit of a growth spurt from her one year appointment. We had to get two shots today which is always a bummer, but I think our trip to the park in the beautiful weather made her forget all about it (it's nothing a little cookie won't fix).
I think she forgot all about her shots, poor dear.
It's really hard to get a good shot of her anymore because she's always moving...

Budapest and Vienna

We just got back yesterday from a trip to Budapest and Vienna to visit Matt, Hilary and Reese. This was a parents only trip (Autumn was able to spend some quality time with Grandma Lori and her Williams Grandparents). Our hug at the airport was awesome...when Autumn saw us she cam running over screaming with a huge smile on her face...too cute! I should have had my camera running!
We were able to check out Matt, Hilary, and Reese's home in Budapest and spend some time with them while they're in Hungry. Their apartment is really nice, and in a perfect location for Matt's work, Reese's playground, and of course sight seeing. We spent a couple days exploring Budapest before taking a train ride to Vienna were we stayed for 3 days. I enjoyed spending some alone time with Miles and checking out the sights. We had a fun night at a local pub just drinking some beers and talking. We had decent weather that didn't stop us from seeing everything we wanted.
We then came back into Budapest to finish off our trip. It was nice to spend a couple more days with the Dowiak clan. We were also able to catch some sort of festival the last weekend we were there. We had a wonderful time together...
Here we are after a fun around Margaret's Island in Budapest. It's about a 2 minute walk from Matt and Hilary's place. There are no cars allowed on the island, which is awesome because it makes it such a great park.
I believe this is a view from the top of the church in Vienna. Ask Miles about the stairs to get to the top!
This one's for Matt...you can see the castle in Budapest in the background.
This is an aerial view in Budapest. You can see the island in the center. To large building on the right is Parliament. Matt and Hilary's place is about 2 blocks from the end of the bridge on the right (behind Parliament).

I couldn't resist...here's a picture of Reese. She's so cute! She is doing very well and is a very sweet girl.