Baby Shower!

Jack, the dogs and I went back home to visit family and go to my first baby shower for little Duke. Ann planned a very nice and fun shower with friends and family back home at the Elks in Clearfield. We got a ton of wonderful gifts for the baby and had a nice time catching up with family that we just don't get to see often enough. The gifts were very thoughtful and we loved them all. His room is looking quite lived in despite him not being here yet.

The yummy cake that looked almost too cute to eat.

My sister, Megan, and I next to the cake.

Ann, Dad and I before the shower. I look HUGE in this picture but decided that I better start putting pictures of me up so everyone can really see how big I am getting. But seriously this might be the last one because I can't bear to look at it. I just pretend that I am still the same size prepregancy and don't look in the mirror too often.

Ann had the gift table set up real cute before the shower with a basket for all his new books and a place to put all his new goodies. It looked awesome and he got soooo many new books that I can't wait to read to him. I loved that idea.

Ann made this diaper cake with lots of cute goodies for her soon-to-be grandson. It's really cute so we'll see how long it takes until I have to take it down to get at the diapers!

OK. This was a gift that was "to" Pappy Wayne from Cousin Hilary and family in Missouri. Dukes Pap is a huge Cubs fan so we will wear this just for Pappy Wayne but "GO PHILLIES!!!". I think it is adorable and just made convince Jack to let him wear it just when the Cubbies play.

Mmm hmmm. It even has his name on it!!!

Aunt Megan made this just for her first nephew. It is very cute and one of my favorite gifts of the day! I think he'll love it.

Grandma Ann made this for Duke and we LOVE IT! It is so soft and beautiful that I can't wait to wrap him up in it. I think he'll be getting his picture taken in this right away!

I had a really great time at the shower and again feel so grateful for the friends and family in our lives who care so much about us. We are always counting our blessings.

Duke's Room (so far)

We are starting to get Duke's room put together and the more we put in there the more it is looking like a babies room. I still don't have any cute animal theme on the walls or anywhere but I like the blues and browns. He will have toys and books in there to look at and we will eventually get some wall hangings. I think I am going to do family photos in cute frames from Restoration Hardware Kids and Baby. Their boy stuff goes with my "theme" of blues and browns if you can call that a theme.

The only artwork he has to be framed and hung on his walls so far is by his cousin, Avah. She made this masterpiece just for her "Christmas Cousin".

His already large shoe collection. Yes, those are cowboy boots you see in there from his Mom-Mom. He has a whole outfit to go with, which will be photographed and posted once he fits into it.

His awesome dresser/changing table from his Great Grandma Harper, Grandma Beth and Grandma Ann. It is already getting piled with wonderful gifts.

He got lots of great clothes from Aunt Jen from when his cousin, Loucky was a baby. I have them spread out on the floor in front of the dresser.

His toy basket that is already getting filled with books and goodies, mainly from his crazy Aunt B (Aunt Peach). She always has something for him and blames it on Avah having to pick up a toy or book while they're out.

These baskets will go on his bookshelf that is coming soon. We got all the baskets from Restoration Hardware.


Duke's crib, where I hope he sleeps peacefully most of the night for us. His Mom-Mom Horgan got him his new crib. His first "silky" is hanging off the side ready to be cuddled from his cousin, Avah. His bed linens are hanging there too just waiting to be washed and put on a mattress.

So that's what we have so far. Hopefully we have more share soon. Our house is starting to fill up with new baby gear and toys and some great hand-me-down toys too. Thank goodness for sister-in-laws who want to get rid of their baby stuff!!! Our friends and family have been extremely generous and we love them.

A Saturday of Baking

The apple peeler! If you bake apple pies a lot - get one!

Before baking

After Baking - YUM!

It was kind of a rainy, fall Saturday and I had a ton of apples sitting on my table so I decided to try out mom's dutch apple pie recipe. I was dreading peeling all the apples I needed to make the pies so we went to BB&B and got ourselves an apple peeler. The best $16 I spent this year. It took 10 minutes to peel, core and slice 7 apples!!! The rest was easy as pie (had to do it).

I also wanted to bake some Halloween cookies for the Eagles game at the Francis' and for for my mother-in-laws birthday today. Happy Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday to my MIL today and to Aunt Lynny yesterday!!

The niece's and nephew's Halloween treats this year.

The day was spent with my house smelling like cookies and apple pie! What could be better than that? We haven't tasted the pies (2) yet but hopefully they taste as good as they look. I am going to warm them in the oven before I take them to the party.

The girls watching my every move. Bubba was at my feet.

I still have a bunch of apples so I need to find some quick, easy and yummy apple recipes.

Apple Picking

Avah in the pumpkin patch.

Avah reaching for the perfect apple.

Posing before she makes the climb to the top where all the big apples are!

Yesterday my sister B, niece Avah, and I went to Solebury Orchards apple picking. It was the first time for all of us and it was a lot of fun. Tons of huge apples to pick and trees to climb. I stayed with my feet on the ground and let Avah do the majority of the work. I brought home a jug of apple cider for Jack and today I am baking my mom's dutch apple pie. We'll see how it turns out.

Avah and B in the orchards.

We have so many apples now that I am going to have to bake a pie everyday.

Talent

It's been awhile.

Avah back to dance class.

I am not so good at this updating the blog right now. I feel like we have been so busy this past month that I can't even remember all we did.

It's coming up to my favorite time of year so I hope that it slows down enough for me to really enjoy it! I love the fall events, the crisp cool air and all the anticipation for the upcoming holiday's! This coming weekend we are going to Merrymead's Great Pumpkin Lighting and I am more excited than the little kids.

Bridget on her 2nd birthday.

Since I last posted, we celebrated many birthday's! Happy birthday to my two younger sisters B - August 16 and Megan - August 21. My SIL, Kim, celebrated her birthday August 21 too and my BIL, Loucky, on August 20. Our niece, Bridget turned two on September 13 and "the other Jen Horgan", my SIL, just had a birthday yesterday - September 24. Lots more to come before the end of the year. A calendar is a must in our house.

No, I did not eat a basketball.

The family at Tony's wedding - Labor Day weekend

September came and we the first weekends of the month we had weddings! My cousin Tony married Erin Labor Day weekend in Pittsburgh. We spent the weekend at Dad's house hanging out on the new deck. Jack's buddy, Rock , got married the next weekend in Philadelphia. Jack had a great time catching up with all his LaSalle buddies and I enjoyed eating all the food I could find.

Mom-mom and Pop-pop moved all their belongings to a new house in Ocean City, NJ just down the street from their old place. We finally got down to visit last weekend and it was BEAUTIFUL! It was a very relaxing and fun weekend at the shore. When is it ever a bad weekend at the shore?

Poker night

Jack kissing a crab

Matt and Christopher playing at the shore.

That brings us to the present. I have a girls night tonight that I am looking forward to and this weekend is filled with nieces and nephews and the Great Pumpkin Lighting. I can't wait!

August!

August is halfway over already! I feel like this summer has just flown by, which is always the case. Our weekends are filled with trips, showers, parties, and lots of chores to get done outside and around the house.

We took the dogs and our niece, Avah, up to the Lake Wallenpaupack for the first weekend in August. We haven't had a chance to get there in months so we booked a weekend and got to relax and enjoy the nice weather on the lake. The dogs LOVE the mountains and so do we. I just like getting out of the house and Jack likes to fish off the dock. Avah is the swimmer. She jumps in the lake and floats around and swims to the steps.

Danny and Talia

The same weekend (it's exhausting, try and keep up) we had Lorelei's baby shower. So cute was the nature theme. All the details and snacks were so adorable that you almost didn't want to eat them. She is due in October so we are all very excited to meet the little guy or gal - it's a surprise!!


When I got home from the shower Dad, Ann and Megan were at the house for the night! They stopped in on their way to OCMD for the week. They haven't seen my big belly yet. It is growing so fast. Jack made us all a fantastic dinner and we ate ourselves full and then went to cold stone creamery to stuff ourselves some more.

Last night was our 4th anniversary! I can't believe it has been four years! We went to Maggiano's for dinner and ate so much I could barely get in the car. I couldn't ask for a better husband.

Oh my gosh and I can't forget all the babies that have been born!! Dianne and Chris had their twins on July 29th - Cecilia and Olivia Esbensen. They are tiny little peanuts and absolutely adorable. David and Katie had their little girl on August 7th - Baylor Rhoads. She has a full head of dark hair and I can't wait to meet her. The Rhoads' have been triple blessed this summer with another on the way in September!!

Cecilia

Olivia

And that takes us up to now. We are so lucky to have all that we have in our lives and to be so busy. I have to pinch myself everyday.

It's a BOY!!!!

We had our sonogram today and found out that we are to expect a boy in December! We are very excited. I am a wee bit nervous because I never grew up with any little boys so this will be all new for me but we'll be fine and get used it in no time.

At first the baby had his legs closed and they said it might be a girl but they'd look back to see when the baby moved a little bit and uncrossed his legs. So for about 15 minutes we thought we were having a girl and then they scanned over the area and we saw "the boy part"!!!! It was pretty clear and funny. The tech said "it's not a girl" and you could see that he was right.

Congrats to cousin Dianne and Chris for having twin girls today too!!! Welcome to the world Olivia and Cecilia!!!