The Patels Visit

BJ and Divya came over for a long weekend recently and what a fun visit we had with them. We spent a day at the Dark Continent where the guys conquered roller coasters... B.J. was not scared at all...LOL!

We hand fed giraffes in an open truck safari.


Click the arrow above for a video clip...

Then we headed off to spend a few days at the Sand Pearl at Clearwater Beach...my favorite getaway :-)
An afternoon of poolside cocktails...

Toes in the Gulf

Dinner at the Sand Pearl

Tampa Bay Rays: you know its a good game when you make it on the Jumbo-Tron AND the Rays win!

B.J. and Divya spoiled our kids with awesome gifts. They introduced Carson to the wonderful world of motorized vehicles...he is forever changed. Our tractor boy now lives for cruising the neighborhood. Just look at the joy on his face!

And yes, that is a Tiffany's box...Mia got her first diamonds from B.J. & Div! Check out the smile on her face :-)

Click here for a photoshow of the weekend: http://www.photoshow.com/watch/DC9pd6Yj

Digital Scrapbooking

If I only knew then what I know now...
After investing ALOT of money and shelf space into all of the stuff you need to be a scrapbooker, I discovered the world of digital and wow, am I impressed. My most recent project was an ABC book for Carson using his photos. He loves it (all kids love looking at pics of themselves.) The pro's: you have as much artistic freedom as traditional scrapbooking, the books are so professional looking and sturdy, you can digitally scrapbook anywhere (even Starbucks), there is no mess to clean up, if your book gets damaged, you just order a new one, no more running to Michael's for MORE stuff! I'm sold ;-)
Click the right arrow below to flip through the whole book:

All About Mia~Months 4 & 5

Months four and five have brought us a fully interactive, engaged in her world, growing before our eyes little darling. Mia is officially 25 inches long and just over 14 pounds...can you imagine gaining 4 inches and doubling your weight in 4 months? No wonder she's so hungry! Her 4 month check up went well except for one little concern: asymetric leg creases. You know those pudgy little fat rolls on a baby's legs? Well who knew that if they are not symetrical on both legs it may indicate a hip problem requiring braces or possibly surgery? So we made the trip no parent wants to make...to All Children's Hospital. An ultrasound revealed that Mia's hips are perfectly formed ~ thank you God! At four months Mia loves: dancing with her daddy, playing on the floor, grabbing her toys, sucking her toes, smiling at that cute baby in the mirror, watching her brother play, swimming in the pool, and listening to Ella sing and play with her. Oh, and she also started sleeping in her own room which was a milestone for Mommy more than it was for Mia! I kept telling myself it was really convenient having her right next to me for her early a.m. feeding, but more than anything, it was really hard to let her go :-( She's growing up so very fast.
We have had a lot of fun getting Mia out and about this month...

Mommy and me: our first all day mall day. Loved it!

We poured on the sunscreen and headed to Sand Key Beach for Mia's first family beach day.

Little bathing beauty~ Thank you Keesha for the awesome beach ensemble!

Just tuggin' along in my first dip in the pool...the water's great!

Happy Monster's Day!

Mother's Day is always such a special day. Having Mia this year was double the fun. I was invited to a Mother's Day Tea at Carson's school and it was so sweet, adorable and hilarious. The kids sang songs, made gifts and we shared cookies and punch with our lovies. They were instructed to give their special gift to their Mommy and tell them, "Happy Mother's Day!" So Carson proudly presents a Mother's Day book and a handmade flower with his picture inside to me then loud and clear says, "Happy Monster's Day!!!" I about fell out laughing! I was a little surprised by this Freudian slip until I realized how Carson's teacher pronounced Mother's Day...with her accent, it sounded like "mohnzah's day." It all made perfect sense. I'm not a monster, I just have a kid who pays crazy attention to his teacher.

A big thank you to Kate, our sweet neighbor, who took Mother's Day portraits for us this year...

We had a fun time pampering our Mom this year with lunch downtown and a mommy makeover at the Aveda salon. Overdue for a new do, Mom has a snazzy new look!
Andi and Becky indulged in pedicures...beach ready feet!

The Beast

The other day, I asked Carson, "What is your favorite color?" He replied, "Blue, like Daddy's Corvette!" That kid is hooked (just like his Daddy) on the fast and the furious. I realized then that I forgot to post pictures of the corvette's most recent makeover. Flamed out on the outside and amped up under the hood (hopefully 724 hp is now fast enough?) Presenting the new and improved beast...
Click here for a video: http://www.photoshow.com/watch/wX8Wz4hM

Postcards From the Pier

Carson and I had a great day with Grandpa Fred and Grandma Dorothy at the St. Pete Pier. Carson was so excited to take his first trolley ride with Grandpa. It was a gorgeous day for sightseeing from the observation deck with views of Tampa Bay, downtown, airplanes and helicopters at the airport and the HMS Bounty. We checked out the fish and chased Carson around the aquarium and visited some of the touristy gift shops. Then of course we enjoyed great cuban sandwiches and black bean soup at the Columbia Restaurant. When the waiter served our lunch, Carson said, "Oh, chocolate soup!"

All aboard!

Clang, clang, clang went the trolley...

What a view~I see pirates!

Click here for more pictures from the Pier:
http://www.photoshow.com/watch/Wy8tb5Iw

New Baby!

We got exciting news from our friends Keith and Lisa in Kentucky just in time for Mother's Day...our horse Paris foaled a big colt on April 22.

In their words:
I happened to be at the barn with the girls at 5 pm when I noticed she was pacing in her stall. I tried giving her hay but when she wasn't interested. I realized she was in labor. So I hung out while the girls rode their bikes and at 6 or 6:30 her water broke. I told the girls, "Well Paris is having her baby so stand here and be real quiet." They watched the whole thing very quietly. I tried to narrate what was happening. Then, when he was born, both girls went in with towels and rubbed him off. It was so precious. Kayla (our oldest) started to ask me a question and then said, "Nevermind mom, I will find out when I am older." Whoosh...that was close! No tough questions to answer!! Anyway, here are some pictures I took today of baby turned outside for the first time. He has the funniest personality!! He loves to show off!

Earth Week 2009

This Earth Week was spent mostly appreciating the great outdoors right outside our own doors. In our butterfly garden, Carson discovered a beautiful plump black and yellow stiped caterpillar chomping on the milkweed plants.

I'm hungry! I will soon turn into a bright yellow butterfly.

Awesome!

Save the Earth for me!

Carson and I went to see the new Disney Nature movie: Earth. It was a beautifully done portrayal of the earth, its creatures and the fragile state we are in. The photography was stunning and for every ticket sold this week, Disney will plant a tree for earth day.

The movie was good, the popcorn was better and I have this cute girl checking me out! This is too cool.

Walking out the the theater, we saw a school bus waiting for children to get out of the Earth movie. The driver agreed to let Carson and his new little friend to take a seat. I think this was the highlight of the day for sure. Moms can make a field trip out of anything!

I love Spring!!! Every day, we stroll through the garden and find something new blooming. This is one of my favorites. It's a shell ginger bloom ~ a tropical treat!

In the category of very weird...the pitcher plant. The little "pitchers" hanging down are filled with water. When an unsuspecting insect goes in for a drink...he may never make his way out. This carnivorous plant shuts the trap and digests its prey.
Another strange one is the Dutchman's Pipe. Before it blooms, it looks like a Dutchman's anatomical part. But the next day...

Sure enough, it does look like a pipe (kind of.)

Busy, Busy April

Wow! The month of April has been super busy. Mia has been a very active three month old, Carson turned three years old, we celebrated Easter with a big open house and Greg and I had our fifth wedding anniversary. I have been on a picture taking frenzy the whole time, so I'll include some super cute snapshots and photoshows of our last month...starting from the top:

All About Mia: Month 3!

I think we can safely say the Mia is sleeping through the night...hallelujah! She now goes down at around 7pm and sleeps until about 5am for a feeding then sleeps again till about 8 in the morning. This new routine has changed our lives in the Wilbur house! Most of all, evenings are now a breeze ~ yipppeeee! Mia likes to spend a lot of time outdoors enjoying the beautiful springtime weather. I find it hard to believe that our three year old still naps more in the daytime than our three month old. I think she is going to be a real go-getter of a girl.
She had her first LOL moment ~ cracking up at her silly Mommy. She has also started to play with her toys and snuggle her blankie up with her fingers. She also had her first real massage from Auntie Andi, which she LOVED until the lavender scent got the better of her. She is such a little spa baby!

Ready for my spa day... Ooohh, that feels good!

She also had a fun play date with her little friend Abigail.

Easter at the Wilburs

We celebrated Easter Sunday at our home again this year with an open house and since Carson's birthday was just a few days later, we had a party for him as well. It is always so awesome to get both sides of our family together. For the kids, the highlight of the day was the Easter egg hunt.

I couldn't resist the opportunity to have some photography fun with my kiddos in the spirit of springtime.

A tisket, a tasket

A sweetie in a basket!

Our friend Linda brought over her bunny Penelope for a photo session...this sweet rabbit actually weighs more than Mia!


Click below for a photo slideshow of Easter this year:
http://www.photoshow.com/watch/ys4Xt8ZW

All About Carson: Happy Third Birthday!

Our son, Carson. Thirty five pounds of pure boy. Sweet and smart, funny and lovable. An absolute joy of a kid.
Big accomplishments this year: starting school, learning to swim, becoming a big brother and utilizing an ever expanding and expressive vocabulary.
Favorite things to do: playing at the park and beach, driving cars and riding on Daddy's motorcycle, playing ball, reading books and watching his shows (Little Einsteins, Wonder Pets and Wow Wow Wubzy.)
Loves: going to the airport to pick up Daddy, bedtime books with Mommy, being surrounded by a houseful of extended family.
Favorite toys: Matchbox racecar, Mickey Mouse Racetrack, squirt guns, lawn mower, Magna Doodle, and building blocks. Favorite foods: Meatloaf, mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, french fries, cornbread, fruit, waffles and of course anything with sugar as the main ingredient.

We had a great time celebrating Carson's birthday at Disney World. To relive a highlight of our childhood through our own child's eyes was truly magical ~ I teared up countless times! He loved everything about it...the rides, the characters, the parade. God bless Greg for toting Carson around on his shoulders pretty much the whole day (I love my big strong husband!)

Click below for a slideshow of memories from Carson's birthday party and day at Disney:
http://www.photoshow.com/watch/Xu6bQ7eg

A very happy Anniversary...five years and counting!!!

We celebrated at one of our favorite getaway spots close to home ~ The Sand Pearl Resort on Clearwater Beach. A big thanks to Grandma Judy for staying with the kiddos while we spent three relaxing days away.

A toast on our wedding day

A toast to our fifth! A perfect sunset and a great bottle of champagne. Oooh, so romantic :-)

Sweet!