HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

I'm 8 months old!!! 

What in the world...?

Stay tuned for the big reveal!!!!

Fun in the Florida sun

Gavin and I tagged along with Don to a work conference in Orlando... our hotel was near the Disney parks, but we decided Gavin was a bit young to take in all of the hoopla so we just hung out by the pool, took walks and enjoyed the sunshine (and his naps finally allowed me to read my book club book for this month called "Queen of Fashion: What Marie Antoinette wore to the revolution," interesting stuff about how she used clothing to achieve power but her devotion to clothes also ended up being her undoing. One thing I learned: she never said "Let them eat cake," that is a myth apparently). It was hard to come back home to the rapidly approaching winter, but we are glad to be home, too!

Thanks for the cool jammies Aunt Kate! 

Wedding weekend in New Jersey

We spent the weekend in New Jersey for the wedding of Don's brother Chris and our new sister-in-law Kathy! We were so happy to help them celebrate and really enjoyed meeting some of their friends we had heard so much about. We had a great time seeing family we don't get to see often and Don had a great toast as the best man.

We also went to see Don's hometown of Bridgewater, N.J., where we drove by his two old houses, his church, the A&P where he bagged groceries and the schools he went to. (Gavin missed out as he was napping in the car). It was Gavin's first plane ride and he did pretty well considering we did not have direct flights and he was especially worn out on the way home after the busy weekend. We learned a lot of things about traveling with him that will help us in the future! And when we got home, he was so excited to be back and see his room and his toys and his dog, he was squealing and giggling with delight : )

Go Big Red!

It's never too early to start building that school spirit...

Bucky Badger admired Gavin's style and gave him some tips for doing push-ups and the polka. Gavin pondered how much cool stuff there is to learn between now and the fall of 2024 and whether Mike Leckrone will still be directing the Marching Band then.

bottom teeth! 

Top teeth! 

We had a great weekend relaxing at home this weekend. We are gearing up for trip(s) out East for Don's brother's wedding so we'll be on the go a lot very soon! 

Mommy and Gavin 

Photographic evidence that teething is hard work! 

A moment of serenity in a day full of teething! 

The Smith boys. Too cute for words. 

Labor Day Weekend

We had a great holiday weekend -- a good combination of seeing family and friends and enjoying some family time at home, too. The weekend started off with pampering -- manicures and pedicures for the bridal party (of which I was a member) for my cousin Melanie's wedding.

That was followed by the rehearsal dinner, served family-style at an Italian restaurant. The Iverson and Pavolonis clans gorged themselves on spaghetti and meatballs, filet mignon and chicken marsala. Then the dessert came, yikes! We brought Gavin along and he enjoyed seeing family and staying up way past his bedtime.

Saturday brought the wedding day and we had a great time celebrating with Mel and Mike and seeing cousins who live out of state: Nick from Virginia, Emily from Kansas City, Jodi from Vegas and Ryan and Angie from Indianapolis. It's not too often we're all in the same place any more, so it was a lot of fun to catch up and dance the polka together.

We spent the rest of the weekend hanging out with Heather, Rick and the girls, including some back to school shopping with Anna that made me nostalgic for the days when we used to shop at Prange's and get our cords and sweaters even thought it was still 80 degrees outside!

First time on the swings! 

6 months old!

Can it be? Where has the time gone? I was never more aware of how quickly Gavin is growing and changing then when I walked in the door today from a couple days away for a camping trip with some girlfriends. There he was with that same big grin and dimple, but I swear he grew in that 48 hours and became even more of who he is.

Futbol!

Gavin enjoyed a night out at the soccer field to watch his Daddy play --- he decided he better suit up, too, but his skills were not needed this time. His "kit" is from Mimi and Grandad, purchased during their May trip to Scotland so Gavin could match Don's Celtics uniform.

Blissful first taste of carrots... or what Gavin would look like with a goatee. 

All smiles on Wednesday afternoon...

Gavin and I drove out to visit with his Great Grandpa and Great Grandma this afternoon. He had a great time seeing them and hearing about all of their latest adventures. Here's hoping he takes after them in wanting to see the world, dance as much as possible and make lots of new friends!