Softball Season!

It's that time of year, again! Daddy has started playing softball again - this time, for a Lakeland team with a friend from work. Mommy & Quintin love watching Daddy out on the field, and wish we could make it to more games (We go to St. Petersburg on Thursdays and, many times, haven't been able to make it to the field in time for the game). Quintin loves playing with the other kids and Mommy loves the chance to see Daddy in his element :-D. Kevin is, of course, AWESOME (says his adoring wife ;-) -- he's very fast & has a good eye. More importantly, he has a really good time playing ball, and it's a great chance to work off some of the day's frustrations.

Fall Fun!

Quintin loves pumpkins! He begged for one each time we made a visit to the grocery store, and was incredibly excited to find a few at a local church's pumpkin patch (he wanted "babies"). He insisted on carrying the "babies" around everywhere for days, and loved painting them with his special friend, Holden :-D. Autumn is Mommy's favorite season, and sharing the excitement with Quintin is such a pleasure!

Introducing, Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Cannon!

Nick & Sarah married 10/10/10, at 10 a.m., on a perfect day (Florida at its absolute most gorgeous!), at a perfect spot on the beach (did I mention it was gorgeous?!). Sarah looked beautiful in her awesome gown, Nick looked handsome in khakis and white dress shirt & love was in the air :-D We are blessed by such amazing friends!

More picts from Nick & Sarah's Wedding Reception!

Celebrating at Nick & Sarah's Wedding Reception!

Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas Cannon!

Nick (a dear friend of the family who's become like a brother) married his longtime girlfriend, Sarah, on 10/10/10 at 10 a.m.

Because they left for their honeymoon cruise just after the morning's ceremony, we celebrated their marriage at a luau themed reception held the night before & all had a blast :-) Great friends, great food, great fun! Quintin was most excited by the chance to play with his cousin, our precious niece, Makayla. He was very impressed by the flower leis & awesome palm tree coolers -- at one point he had at least a dozen leis around his neck, while his toys "swam" in the frigid coolers, lol! Nick produced an awesome slide show -- picts of him growing up, Sarah growing up & then the two of them as a couple over the years (Quintin & Little Nick could pass as twins, lol!). Quintin got a lesson in fire safety and development by fellow partier Josh Bailey (Thanks, Josh! Baby Ava will be stoking the flames before long ;-). Kevin stayed to enjoy the bon fire with the other boys while Mommy took a very tired Quintin home around 10 p.m.

Thanks, Cannon family, for an awesome night!

Wednesdays at Wiregrass

Every Wednesday morning at 10:00 a.m., the Shops at Wiregrass, in Wesley Chapel, hosts a free kids oriented event (in hopes, I'm sure, that Mommy & Daddy do a little shopping while they're there!). While we don't normally make it (the outdoor shopping mall is about a thirty minute drive & our schedule already involves a LOT of commuting, lol!), Quintin awakened extra early this particular day & was a little whiney -- Mommy felt the urge to leave work behind & get some fresh air :-)

There were lots of fun activities to enjoy, including a drum class, basketball game, face painting, balloon artist, and fire engine. Quintin was feeling a little sick and was slow to join in the fun with the drums, but was soon playing with gusto! We next waited patiently in line to explore the fire engine, but the firefighter in full gear waiting to take Quintin on the tour proved too intimidating & Quintin would not get into the truck with him, lol. His favorite activity was throwing balls at the basketball themed bouncy, where we stayed until they packed it up :-) We also stood in a loooooong line for a balloon animal; Quintin asked for a pink elephant (the other kids were all getting bumble bees, so I'm not certain where he got this idea from, lol) and then took it to get a drink of water from the fountain :-D Just before leaving, we enjoyed the requisite ride on "Thomas," the Shop's small train -- what fun!

Cake & Presents for Baby Makayla!

Happy First Birthday, Makayla!

Mommy & Quintin got very, very sick just before my beautiful niece, Makayla's, first birthday :-( We missed the official party, but were still able to celebrate her big day with Granddaddy & Nana Slicker, Great-Grandmother Slicker, and Mommy (Tanya) & Daddy (Mike) Slicker at the VA Park. Quintin & Makayla played together on the great playground before we all enjoyed dinner & cake for Makayla's special day :-) Makayla is already a strong walker and an expert climber, and she loved conquering all of the steps on the big playground equipment! We are so thankful have been able to spend time with our family celebrating her special day :-D

Family Fun at the Park

September was a pretty hectic month for us, so we tried to schedule in extra family down-time. Visiting the playground at Zephryhills Park is a great way for our family to unwind together. Quintin loves all of the opportunities to run and climb (his two favorite activities!) and Mommy and Daddy love seeing him enjoy himself so much :-) During this particular visit, Quintin climbed to the top of the very large jungle gym before the height made him a little nervous -- Daddy climbed quickly to the rescue! From his perch, Quintin yelled, "Do you see me? I climbed to the top!" We're so proud of our big boy!

Mr. and Mrs. John Lubatti

It was such a joy to witness my dear cousin, Rebecca Slicker's, marriage to her new husband, John Lubatti. The ceremony was beautiful; Rebecca & John added a number of small touches, including the lighting of a unity candle, the blessing of an Irish wedding bell, an incredible solo by Aunt Linda's significant other, Andrew, and a number of special readings. Perhaps most unique, Rebecca & John personally served Communion to each of their guests. The reception, held on the top floor of Bayfront Towers, in downtown St. Petersburg, offered incredible views of the entire area. Rebecca & Vanessa, two special sisters and amazing cousins, got married within months of each other and used the same venues for each of their ceremonies & receptions. Witnessing the many ways in which each personalized her own special day was a real pleasure! Congratulations to each of my beautiful cousins!

As an extra pleasure, I got to visit with my brother Rodney and his girlfriend, Sophia. Since they live in Tallahassee (a six hour drive to the north), we rarely have the chance to see each other. Having the opportunity to chat made the evening a particular joy for me :-)

A Few More Photos of Our Orlando Fun :-)