Easter Bunny

the easter bunny doesn't sit as well with beckham as santa! maybe it is because it is a giant white bunny that doesn't resemble a human. maybe it is "stranger danger" phase in full effect. maybe going to meet our white furry friend during nap time wasn't our best idea. whatever it was, mr. easter bunny (who started talking to jason & i through the suit...awkward!) didn't make friends with beckham.

oh, but the photo. really photos. singular in this case because i am only posting one of them. his little face is so, so sad but, at the same time, classic.

jason came to sweet b's rescue! he calmed quickly & our ever so curious little mister started checking out the pink eared, vested bunny.

we ended up with a nice family photo that now sits on our fridge! the ladies at the picture table thought that was a nicer choice than our red faced screaming baby option. we finished our afternoon eggstravaganza with a couple cute photo ops & some horse gazing.

 don't worry B. you have 365 days until your next bunny encounter!

Kensington Ryan Weddings & Events

so i mentioned in beckham's 9 month post that i have gone back to work. after a year of being asked "will you come work for us" i caved. i am incredibly fortunate to work for a company that is allowing me to work two days from the office & the rest of the week from home.

going back to work comes in two parts. the first part being the above company. the second part being my very own event planning firm. it has been a dream of mine for years & years & years to own my own events company.

i write this post with sweaty palms & a nervous belly. after several months of working on my site (which is the prettiest viewed from an ipad or computer) it is finally at a pretty happy place. i am sure over the next year or so it will have slight tweaks & changes, especially to the mobile version but for now it will do.

stop by & check it out. you can find the business blog, here. and if the urge strikes you can always follow me on twitter too! know someone that needs a planner? i'd love to be their gal! Feel free to tweet, FB or blog away about this new endeavor!

Happy Easter weekend, everyone!

Grandpa & Grandma

a few weeks back we all got a special treat when grandma & grandpa came for a visit. 

presents were opened. your great grandma spoiled you with some very cute clothes.

there were grandma cuddles.

books read.

beach trips.

baby gazing.

time taking in the ocean views.

grandpa snuggles.

three generations.

slobbery head kisses for grandpa.

shoulder rides.

and catching up on sleep...

 

it was a great visit! thank you for coming to visit, Patti & Craig!

Bits & Pieces

our sunday.

a tasty lunch at the counter.

a galaxy game. with a galaxy win.

time with uncle jer & auntie anna.

&

swing time. in our torn apart backyard. 

New York | A Family Vacation

new york is the city that made our family of two grow to a family of three. so, what better place to get our little mister's feet wet on the travel front, then the big apple. we got to bundle up & enjoy the city we called home for a year & a half as a family of three.

 

thursday was rainy & gray. we only hit one museum the entire time we lived in new york & with the rain coming down we thought there wasn't a better way to spend our first day.

 the natural history museum had an incredible butterfly exhibit. live butterflies flying past you & filling every corner of the temperature controlled tent. one finding beckham's napping head, as the perfect place to rest his exhausted wings.

oh how vacations have changed. no longer our we out till the wee hours of the night, enjoying lavish dinners & the city at night. instead, we gladly snuggled our baby boy to sleep & placed him down for the night in his travel bed. we enjoyed a sushi date in. our small new york apartment dining table worked perfectly for our tasty spread.

have a baby in tow? no new york trip is complete without a trip to FAO. beckham's eyes darted around as his senses absorbed all the eye candy that surrounded him. he got to dance (uhmm...crawl) around on the BIG piano. his was in love with watching the bigger kids run past him as the floor below changed colors with every note that was played. the lego statue of liberty was as close as he got to the real one. we promise to take you back, B...when you are bigger. mama & dadda still need a break for the lady trips!

i am slightly obsessed with lobster rolls. well, seafood in general. which is why being pregnant was slightly problematic on the food front because i felt deprived for 9 months. but, i digress. the point of this rambling segment is that this incredible lobster roll place is around the corner from our old apartment & we NEVER knew it. don't worry...we enjoyed the deliciousness that is Luke's twice during our trip.

beckham was incredibly spoiled while we were away. he was constantly given free treats as restaurants we dined at. free mashed potatoes at a diner & free cookies at ferrara bakery. you can tell this short bread cookie made him extremely content. our little mister cut two teeth while we were away, so a cookie seemed like a fitting reward for all his hard work.

jason's brother, todd, made the perfect edition to our family adventure. it was his first time visiting new york & we were glad to enjoy it with him. a must on our to-see list was the 9/11 memorial. the area around ground zero has transformed so much over the past year. the memorial pools are incredible. the designers of this space truly have created a place to honor & celebrate the lives that were lost.

the freedom tower stands tall. the progress they have made on this building is incredible. the frame work is nearly complete, adding a special addition to the NYC skyline.

central park, forever a favorite place for me. it felt weird walking around central park with out our basset hounds in tow. it was a weekend ritual. this visit, we snacked on nuts & pretzels. took pictures & enjoyed the performers that were scattered throughout the park.

we celebrated a birthday. my love turned 34 while we were away. we enjoyed a day exploring the city with todd & treated ourselves to rare. a tasty burger joint that has one of our favorite salads.

some how i ended up back on the top of the empire state building. i kept my fear in check because i don't want to pass my insecurity with heights on to our little man. i must say i think i did pretty well. it was a gorgeous day. clear, sunny & truly spectacular for the 86th floor of this iconic building.

it was a wonderful week. a week that flew by. a week that i wasn't ready to end. it's amazing the perspective you gain when you take yourself out of a situation. being back in new york was incredible. someday we'd love to live in both places. i must say part of my heart stayed in the city that never sleeps. i know soon enough we will be back to soak it all in, once again. until then, i will cherish the memories that we made.

Holiday Round-Up | Christmas Tree

jason & i were struggling to find the christmas spirit this year. after spending two holiday seasons in one of the most magical places in the world it was hard to feel christmas-y in 80 degree weather. but, we buckled down & pulled out the ho-ho-ho for our sweet baby boy's first christmas!

beckham & i were in the thick of our colds again, so we bundled our boy up & headed to the christmas tree lot down the street. not the most festive but hey, he's only 7 months! the red & white tent ushered us in & we were ready to tree hunt!

we let our snot-nosed boy smell, taste & touch any tree he wanted until we found our perfect tree, the tree that would be the home to beckham's first christmas gifts. jason spotted this very full beauty & we knew it was time to pack her up & take her home. 

after rearranging some furniture we found the perfect spot to dress our tree. after layers of ornaments & lights it was time to capture our sweet boy taking her in.

he was pretty smitten with the beauty that stood before him & i must say i can't blame him.