Silly Mikey

It's such a treat to watch Mikey grow up and develop a personality.  He's really funny and silly and has this very sweet, I'm trying to laugh really hard laugh. 

Watching an apparently funny video with Bryan.

He acted completely different with these glasses and fake nose on.  He was hilarious!

He found a box to put on and run around in.

He thought this was so funny.

He ruffled his hair.

Trying to make it even more messy!

PA Farm Show 2013

After New Year's I drove back to PA by myself to spend another 2 weeks there.  The first weekend of the new year we went to the PA Farm Show.  We had a blast as you can see from the pics. below.
We went to the Farm Show 2 years ago with Mikey but it was the first time taking Katie.

Picking out our favorite tree.  I picked #5 and Mikey liked #4.

In front of the butter sculpture.

Butter sculpture.

This cow was named Katie.

Llamas.

 So here are just a few pictures of food.  The food court is always a hit, as will anyone tell you who goes to the Farm Show.  They food court opens a full day before the farm show and some people just go to the food court to buy food then leave.  My sister does this and goes at least once during the week to run in and grab dinner and leave.  We enjoyed lots of fresh food from PA agriculture.  French fries has the longest line and I'm lucky we got ours at 10am, we had milk shakes, maple cotton candy, fresh waffles with ice cream, cheese balls, lemonade, and various sandwiches along with free turkey hill ice cream and iced tea.  Delicious and I'm glad we spent a long time at the farm show to walk it all off!

Enjoying French Fries.

Katie approved too.

Yes, I liked my milkshake.

So did she.

Honey waffle with vanilla ice cream and fresh honey on top.

Milkshake pic.

 Mikey loves the tractor part of the farm show.  He literally sat in every tractor, lawn mower, skid steer, snow mobile, 4 wheeler, show plow, and cart that he could find, along with touching every weed wacker, chain saw and leaf blower he could get his hands on.  He even found a steam train to play on.

Racing tractors with Bryan.

So busy pushing all the buttons.

He said "Mom, I'll drive."

Some huge tractors. My 6 foot 3 inch brother for comparison.

Katie mowing some grass.

Lots of trailers to run in.  You bet he ran in every one.

Ready to go 4 wheeling.

Little baby chicks a week old.

Baby baby chicks, a few days old.

Little pigs fighting to feed from their momma.  They were so cute, I just wanted to smack their bottoms.

Mikey playing in some cow feed. They use this stuff to mix with other bi-products to make cow feed.  Mikey asked for one of his small trucks to push around in this.

Checking out the corn.

Maple cotton candy.

The rodeo.

This was packed.  We couldn't find seats so we stood by the doorway.

Best in class bunny.  Isn't he pretty.

Watching the eggs about to hatch.

I think we were a day early.  Some were moving and shaking but most were still still.

Look at this huge potato we found!

Katie liked the sheep that just got hair cuts.

 

 Katie was pretty funny when it came to seeing the pigs. I don't think she could make up her mind as to whether or not she liked them. At each cage we walked past to look at the pigs she would do the same thing over and over again. She would laugh, wave while saying "Hi" and then yell at them and say "NO,NO!" and then start to cry. We'd take her to the next cage and she would repeat it over and over. 

Katie and Mikey checking out the pigs. 

This was the best in show pig.  He went for a pretty penny.

Little fingers touching the sheep while it's getting a hair cut.

Pic. with the Nittany Lion.  I think he's trying to help rebuild Penn State's image.

Jamie and Bryan next to Strites' Orchard display.  They are right down the road from my parents home.

I liked the sheep in the leopard body warmers.  Perhaps they want to be leopards and not sheep?





 



New Year, New do.

I made an appt on New Years Eve to get my hair cut....short.  Hair that I have been growing out since I had Katie.  Typically, every time I go in I ask for a "trim," "just clean up the bottom," kind of hair cut but this time I showed my hair stylist, Brittany, a very specific hair cut that was a little out of my comfort zone, meaning it was different from the same hair style since junior high. It was a long bob....shorter in the back that it was in the front. 

I left the salon 8 inches lighter. Yikes! Well that is what the hairdresser told me, but I don't feel like she took 8 inches off.  I didn't panic because she gave me exactly what I wanted and I honestly would not trust anyone else to cut my hair like that except for Brittany.  But anytime I get my hair cut shorter, I wish I had it longer and vice versa.  So hear's to a new year with a new do.

This was the only pic. I could find showing the back of my new hair do.  I was really trying to just get a pick of the back of my dress on New Years.  It was so pretty and had amazing lace details!

I do love the haircut by the way!  So much more versatile than having long hair!!!,

P.S. ~ Can I just say thank God for spell check.  I am a horrible speller!!

New Year's Eve in NYC

Scott and I happily drove back to NYC without the kids.  My parents graciously offered to watch them so Scott and I could have a whole 3 days in the city by ourselves.  Yes, I'd be lying if I'd say I wasn't looking forward to these 3 days for months, literally.  Wouldn't you know, almost as soon as we found a parking space my Mom call and say that my Dad fell and broke his hip.  So our 3 days turned into 2 days.  My Mom insisted that I stay in NYC and that her and my brother and sister had everything covered.  So thanks guys for watching them while we let loose on the town.

One evening we went to The Little Owl in West Village.  While there we noticed group after walking tour group of people taking pictures of the building.  I didn't know what they were taking a picture of so I googled it and the restaurant is actually on the ground floor of the building that the sitcom "Friends" was based on.  Pretty cool!  Oh and the food and atmosphere was amazing and I loved that they brought out a little book for you to draw in, sign your name in or write a little something in with the check.  It felt like our little secret place in the city.  Very romantic and relaxing.

We enjoyed brunch, walking around the city, tapas and great rose sangria at El Porron, had an amazing late dinner at the Porter House in Columbus Circle followed by celebrating the ball drop!  We are kinda pathetic in that this was the second time in five years that we have stayed awake to watch the ball drop so that in itself was an acomplishment!

I even splurged on this $500 Saachin and Babi dress for NYE!!  Okay, okay, for those of you who know me, know I would never spend that much on a dress....but I would spend $80 renting it for a few days!  Courtsey of Rent the Runway!  So glad I found this site, and pefect for wanting a special occassion dress you know you won't get many uses out of.

We also saw a broadway play called Nice Work If You Can Get It which had Matthew Broderick in it and a few other famous actors.  It was hilarious, entertaining and had a great story and lead actors/actresses.  Recommed it!

Sorry for such a poor quality pic. But this was the Little Owl and building from Friends.

Ready to see a show.

Times Square the nite before the big event! There was a huge stage and cattle fences everywhere.

Yet another stage in Times Square.  Nivea signs everywhere.

My Saachin and Babi dress.

It was a really cute dress!

Woolworth Mansion

So I caught an episode of Million Dollar Rooms on HGTV, and it showcased a room inside the Woolworth Mansion.  Low and behold this "mansion" is a little over 10 blocks from me!  It's on the corner of 80th between Madison and Fifth Avenue.  After seeing it on TV and learning that if it sells for what they are currently asking, a cool $90 million dollars that it could set a new Manhattan real estate record.  So Scott and I walked over to take a look at it from the outside, just to see, if the outside gave anything away to how blow-your-mind amazing it is on the inside and.....nope, it looked like the rest of the buildings on the street, except a tad wider.

Want to see the inside....click here.

After reading that it has 18,000 square feet of floor space, the only thing I think of is how much their utility bills must be each month....makes me cringe.

 

 

Pretty necklace

My girlfriend from college came over, whom I haven't seen since Katie's baby shower, and Katie was all over her pretty Kate Spade necklace and ring.  Eventually Katie won and it ended up around her neck.  She proudly paraded around the house feeling very pretty.

Devon and Katie.  Katie more interested in the ring than getting her pic. taken.

And there's the necklace.  See how proud Katie is.