Birthday Suggestions

With B's big number one coming up many people have asked me what they should get him!  Here are a few suggestions to give you some ideas, you may take them or leave them: Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Chair, Little People Alphabet Zoo, Little People Noah's Ark, books Sandra Boynton, Dr. Seuss (there were hardbacks for $5 at Barnes and Noble), I Spy books, books by Raffi, or Eric Carle books, Leap Frog Letter Factory DVD (have heard great things about this), Rody.  He is wearing 9 and/or 6-12 month shirts and 6 months or 3-6 pants and shorts so for fall/winter clothes probably 12 shirts and 9 or 6-12 month pants, shoes size 3!  The kid has big feet:)
We put together a wish list on Target.com or you can print it out at the store.  If you go to Target.com and go under Target Lists you can type in Bradford Bost or Caroline Bost and it will pull up Bradford's wish list! Looking forward to celebrating soon with you all!

Food and Friends

We signed up for an organic produce delivery called Backyard Produce.  You sign up for what size produce box you want, we did the medium one which equals up to 40 points.  Every fruit and vegetable has a different point value and you pick what you want delivered to equal your box's value.  It costs about $25 a week (we do about every other week) and that is about what I would pay in the grocery store or less!  The plus side is I have access to some produce I cannot buy organic at the store and it comes right to my door!  Also it is supporting local farmers as well.  I love it so far!  Here is this week's box, we got a honeydew melon, 2 mangoes, 4 peaches, 3 green peppers, 4 ears of corn and 3 cucumbers!  Yummy!

We have had some fun visitors lately.  My friend Lindsay that I taught with stopped by with Brynlee and her husband Jared  to play for a few minutes.  It is hard to believe this sweet girl is 6 months old! Isn't she a doll? Crazy hair and all!

Yesterday my Aunt Sandra came down from Salem with my cousin's wife Allyson and her 3 kids Faith 4, Benson 17 months and Davis 4 months.  It was fun watching them all interact and play together!  I don't think there has ever been that much fun in my house at once!  We attempted to get a picture of all of them at the same time but if Benson wasn't disappearing out of the view finder it was Brady!  

The best one out of six

Boys will be boys!

I weeded all the beds out front in preparation for mulch!  It took me two sessions but it was well worth it!  While weeding I found two snake eggs which I of course disposed of!  Here are the before and after pics.

GUILTY -charged with the murder of one backyard friend!

Friday the guy that mowed our lawn said he thinks we have gophers because he saw some little animals running out from the deck when he mowed!  I went looking and found no such thing.  Friday evening after dinner we were outside and Brolly was running around the yard playing with something that was not his toy!  I saw him drop it and it was a baby rabbit he had killed probably from throwing it up in the air.  I now have a rabbit killer on my hands!  He might not hurt a fly but he will hurt a bunny!  

Found Guilty

We properly disposed of the little guy (threw him out in the woods) and got Brolly inside.  Right after that Andrew found 2 more baby bunnies!  The first two pics of the same bunny show he is not scared of us and since Saturday has come to visit often.  We named him Buttons and he loves when to get leftover carrot shavings.  He also likes to scoff at Brolly not being able to get at him through the deck railing.  The third picture is the 2nd bunny who we have not found as much, but as you can tell is really good at hiding.

Buttons the baby buny

Scaredy cat/err bunny

Mr. Toad whom we also see often

Big Baby

Last week we took Bradford to the doctor for his 9 month well check (even though he is 10 months :\ oops).  He weighed in at 19.5 lbs and was at 99% for height, 19% for weight and 52% for the size of his cranium!  In other words long and skinny.  The doc joked that he is taking after Andrew in height and me in weight.  Most babies don't gain a lot of weight during this stage because they are so mobile but the doc said this was his biggest weight gain yet!  Little man is eating a lot of what we eat at meals, has started waving, listening a little better and continues to get his hand in the toilet every chance he gets, and pull all my books off the shelf!  He thinks he is funny...I guess he is!  He broke one of my blinds, so I taped it back together, I am rather crafty.  Here is a video of him walking last night!  This kid wants to be walking!  Sorry for the crazy camera moves!  The second video is from earlier this week as well.

Blake and Katherine Lee get hitched

This past weekend we went to Boone, NC for one of Andrew's best friends wedding! He grew up with Blake in Cary and we have gotten to know Katherine Lee who is wonderful! We went down Friday with our friends Matt and Beth.  One of my old Young Life girls that went to Appalachian came to babysit B at the hotel so we could have adult time at the rehearsal and dinner.

They held their wedding way up a mountain nestled in the blue ridge mountains.  It was a beautiful place.  The rehearsal dinner was decorated Hunting Cabin Chic with duck decoys and a canoe!  It was a wonderful night of speeches with lots of laughing and memories from college and good old Cary days!  Saturday the boys went and played golf and Beth and Brady and I went shopping and out for lunch in Boone.

At the wedding Andrew and the groomsmen all wore bow ties of Blakes ( I know want to get Andrew one).  It was very original and did I mention Andrew looked adorable?  The bride wore her mother's wedding dress and she looked beautiful.  We ate an awesome dinner and enjoyed dancing, sitting by the bonfire and playing cornhole!  Bradford was a perfect angel and had a great time!

Blake, Katherine Lee, and Andrew's other two best friends from Cary Matt and Evan

Beth and I

One tired baby

July 4

To celebrate Independence Day we went to a pool party in Burlington at the Ruppes where we swam to our hearts content, and Andrew played some volleyball!  We had a great time!

Happy 4th

Fun in the pool

Andrew being Andrew

Biltmore House

Saturday July 2 Amy and I took Bradford to the Biltmore House to visit Kathleen!  After the adventurous 2 1/2 hours vs. the  normal one hour drive we reached our destination.  We had all done the house and gardens before so we went to the farm to visit some horses, sheep and goats.  I am proud to say he was excited about the horse (even though it was HUGE)! Then we went to the winery and to eat dinner at Cedric's Tavern named after one of the Vanderbilts' beloved St. Bernards!

The Chair

The weekend of July 4th Andrew went camping for a bachelor party and Brady and I went with Aunt Amy to Shelby!  Friday night we enjoyed a nice dinner and Brady entertained us in this 2nd gen rocking chair!  My dad's mom, Grandma Clatfelter got this for Amy when she was little and all four of us enjoyed it growing up.  He loved climbing up and sitting in it! I couldn't pick just one picture they were all so cute!

Sunday What a Fun Day!

Sunday morning we went to Whitey's for ice cream before Grandma and Allison had to catch their flight, and then Andrew, B and I headed to visit some of Andrew's old friends.  After that we headed to brunch at Austin's mom's house for brunch and to watch them open presents!

Yummy!

Bradford having a good time

Brady loves his Aunt Andrea!

Austin and Miranda opening gifts

The happy couple

Jessany swinging

Whee

The Wedding Day

The day of the wedding we took Bradford to the church for pictures and all the family got dressed up  for the day!  I was not sure how he was going to do but thanks to the fake sneeze discovered by Pop, he smiled on cue for every picture.  The photographer said he was one of the best babies they had ever worked with!  The groom and bride were as cool as cucumbers and everything went down without a hitch!

Good Morning to my two favorite guys!

Getting ready for pictures

Jessany the beautiful flower girl

Andrea, Laurie and Art wedding ready

Brady and Miranda

Brady with Miranda and all the groomsmen

So cute

After time with the bride we went to visit the groom!

Brotherly love

Andrew, Austin and Art

Say Achoo:)

My handsome boy and I 

The best family shot we could get

One more picture

Sneaking a quick nap before ring bearer duties!

Austin seating Art and Laurie

Down the aisle they go

Here comes the bride!

Mr. Risky Business asleep

Now husband and wife with their niece and nephew

The reception was a lot of fun with cake, dancing, and many wardrobe changes for Brady.  Austin and Miranda were so happy together!

Mr. and Mrs. Madesian

Daddy and Son

Great Grandma Marilyn making Bradford smile

These teething rings are so good!

Cutting the cake

Allison dancing with Jessany

Austin dancing with Laurie

Father-Daughter dance

Mother-Son Dance

We love our babies

Sisters

Allison with Jessany and Bradford

Me with the two cuties

Jessany holding Brady

Brady with the bride and groom