Meet Andrew

It has only taken 5 months, but it is with great joy that I introduce you to the newest addition to our family.
Meet Andrew.
Andrew was born on Friday June 19th at 7:49 pm, weighing 7 pounds + 10 ounces, and measuring 19.5 inches long.
He's such a happy and healthy boy and I am so grateful to be his mom.
It has been challenging transitioning to two kids, but Eric has been such a big help and is over-the-moon in love with his baby brother.

Halloween Recap

Halloween was so fun this year, especially since we have a new baby in the mix!
I finally convinced my husband to do a family costume this year, even though him and I didn't go all our with our costumes. My oldest, Eric, has been heavily into Star Wars lately so with him as Darth Vader, Andrew as R2D2, Doug and I went out as a modern day Han Solo and Princess Leia.

It was a great night overall; the weather was fantastic, we had good company, and of course, Eric got a pillow case full of candy.
I may or may not have been eating some...or lots :)

Weekend Recap

Guys, I'm so excited to tell you about our weekend - it was a good one!
It started Friday when Andrew and I did our second Fit4Baby & Me Barre class, and then headed out for lunch with the rest of the ladies. It's so nice catching up and chatting with those who are going through the same baby experiences as you. If I ever need advice, a second opinion, or even just a different place to vent, I know I can go to any one of these ladies. We've literally created our own village and it's awesome.
Saturday was so cold, and served as a reminder that Winter is on its way (even if it is only the beginning of Fall). And even though it rained pretty much most of the day, it didn't stop us from being outside for a few hours! Sadly, Doug wasn't part of any of our weekend activities as he was up north closing our trailer for the season (a very sad thought indeed).
We started the day with Eric's swimming lessons. He's getting so good at it! He's slowly, but surely getting used to putting his face in the water, and I'm super proud of him. He hates getting his face wet and usually freaks out every time it happens, but he's really try so hard and making good progress. I know it will only continue to get better from here.
After swimming, my family and I went to Puddicombe Farms to go apple picking. This is a yearly tradition. The apples are so delicious and it makes for great family time. 
These pictures include Eric, and my two nephews Logan and Riley :)

On Sunday, my Dad and Brother's work (ArcelorMittal), held a BBQ for employees and their families, where we had the opportunity to tour the plant. This is the first time they've done tours, so after about 30+ years of my Dad working there, I was finally able to see what he truly does. 

It was so much fun and the boys really enjoyed learning and seeing what Papa and Uncle Michael do for a living.

 Me, Mom, and sister Shannon

Eric, Uncle Michael, Logan 

I hope your weekend was just as fun - I can't wait to hear about it!

A Special Announcement!

Doug and I are thrilled to announce...

We are SO excited to be expecting our second child in June! 
We will find out the gender next week and I will blog about my pregnancy journey throughout the next few months.
I just can't stop smiling!

A Jamaican Getaway

My husband and I took a kid-free trip in the Spring, and it was pure bliss (because having some alone time is hard to get sometimes!). We spent a week in Runaway Bay, surrounded by lush green mountains and blue skies and beautiful sunsets.

Runaway Bay is a town in Saint Ann Parish on the northern coast of Jamaica and is considered one of the most naturally beautiful places on the island. It’s also located 16 km west of Ocho Ríos. There, we stayed at the beautiful Grand Bahia Principe Jamaica.

When you walk into the grand lobby of the resort, you’re greeted with nothing but smiles from the resort staff. The service at this resort was nothing short of exceptional. They truly aim to please; especially when the first thing they hand you is a welcome drink.

The resort itself is family-friendly and I was actually surprised at how many children were at the resort (including many infants). Having said that, we hardly noticed they were even there. There were no screaming or crying kids, there are plenty of kid-friendly activities, and the resort is so big that we hardly ever saw them. I guess that can happen when your resort has 850 rooms.

There are a lot of activities to do at the resort; this includes windsurfing, tennis, snorkelling, catamaran, kayaks, and bicycles. You can also check out the shopping centre or the nightly entertainment. We really didn't do any of the resort activities; we really just had a relaxing vacation and spent a lot of time by the pool and on the gorgeous resort beach. To sit by the pool all day, for three days in a row was bliss I tell you. Pure bliss!

There are also plenty of things to do outside of the resort. We went on a tour to Ocho Ríos that included a botanical garden tour, a visit to a local flea market, a visit to Dunn’s River Falls. On this particular day we had a truly authentic Jamaican Beef Patty. You really haven't had a beef patty until you've had one in Jamaica. It was ah-mazing!

On our last full day there, we took a raft ride down Martha Brae River. It was so calm and romantic. A truly perfect way to end a perfect vacation.

The vacation itself came at a really good time for Doug and I. We are constantly striving to improve our relationship and I feel like this vacation really helped us communicate and get to know each other more as a couple. We really couldn't have asked for a better destination. I would truly recommend going to Jamaica if you ever get the chance. It's such an amazing country, the people are fantastic and the food is amazing.

A truly beautiful country.

Fall Family Photo's

Hey There! I have something awesome to show you; our fall family photo's. We get photo's done every year and had these done a couple of weeks ago. It's something really important to us as we grow as a family. This will be our third year using the very talented Charlotte. I'm really excited to share them as I am so happy with the way they turned out!

         

        

 

Aren't they just lovely? I absolutely order them and I can't wait to order prints for our new living room redesign (which will be posted of course). I really just love everything about them and I encourage you to take a look at Charlotte's work.

Thanks for visiting!

Five on Friday!

Hello friends! Happy Friday to you! I have a day off from work today so the day is already looking good. Let's get to it shall we?
{ONE} We had family photo's this past weekend at beautiful Paletta Mansion in Burlington. A full blog post will be done on this but here is a sneak peek. I am so happy how they turned out!

{TWO} I have been back in full swing with my blog and I think I have finally found a common scheduling ground with everything else I am doing, so I'm extremely happy that it seems to be working so far.
{THREE} I created an Everyday with Lisa Facebook Page. Please like and join the fun!
{FOUR} Monday was Thanksgiving and we had a wonderful time. We hosted Doug's Aunt Pat and his two cousins, Scott and Amber, for dinner on Sunday. I went all out with turkey, potatoes, carrots, my Nana's famous broccoli and cauliflower carousal, and of course, homemade gravy made from the drippings. I also made homemade apple crumble pie (recipe to be posted soon!). It was all so delicious.

{FIVE} We went for a small hike this week up to the Devil's Punch Bowl. Sounds awful, but it's a trail that leads you to one of the best vies of the city. I caught this cute picture of Doug and Eric while we were there.

How was your week? Be sure to link up with Lauren Elizabeth and Carolina Charm.

Have a wonderful weekend loves!