Christmas with Grandma/Grandpa Murphy and Family

I've got so much to catch up on with the blog! Kate was 18 months old (now she's 19 1/2 months old), so I've got about 2 months behind and can't believe I'm just now getting around to posting pics from Christmas! I guess better late than never : ) Here are a handful of pictures from Christmas celebrations we had in advance of the actual holiday with Kyle's family that lives here locally. We actually traveled to Mississippi (and elected to drive 12 hours with an 18 month old - ahhh!) to celebrate with my family over the actual holiday. Stay tuned from pictures from that visit.

Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa Murphy and Kate's Aunt Carrie, Uncle John, Aunt Alli and Uncle Brian was so much fun! Kate loves a Santa Claus soft figurine that Grandma has that winds up and sings. There's a cute pic of Grandma winding that Santa up for her and you can see the enjoyment on Kate's face. He's pretty delicate and I was certain that Kate would rip his head off trying to play with him but Santa survived!!! Ha ha! Kate got a teeter totter and a kitchen set from the grandparents and I can't believe I don't have a picture of the kitchen set. It's pretty amazing - an elaborate set-up complete with a dishwasher, stove, microwave, refrigerator and all the food, tableware and utensils you can imagine! Kate plays for hours with it and loves it so much. The teeter totter will come in handy very soon - Aunt Alli is expecting so Kate will have a cousin very soon. We can't wait for baby Macy to arrive! This Christmas Kate was more intrigued with the wrapping paper than the actual gifts but it was so much fun to celebrate and be with family. She's a blessing!

Fall Fun

Way behind in posting so here's my attempt at a catch up that includes lots of fun photos from our recent fall adventures with Kate. It's a long one since we're so far behind. Let's see...where to begin? We went to the same pumpkin patch we took Kate to last year, although it was a whole new experience!! She was only about 4 months old last year, so it was fun to see her all grown up and running around taking in everything. Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Alli tagged along with our fam and watched Kate pet the animals, pick out pumpkins and of course, the hay ride! I was amazed at how Kate sat so big on a hale bale next to her daddy and others and was so content with it all.

We also checked out a new spot called Storybook Forest in Edmond around Halloween. It's out at Arcadia Lake and they decorate the forest with storybook characters who all pass out candy to the kids. They also have outdoor fires for making smores and hay bales where kids can sit and listen to stories. I think Kate will enjoy a lot more next year - not sure she knew exactly what the deal was ; ) but she had a blast navigating her way through the forest and seeing all the characters. It's such a popular event - tons of kids in costumes. I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for something fun and festive to do with kids around Halloween.

There's also a few pics from the Oklahoma City Myriad Gardens grand re-opening. I was bummed to miss this event with Kate - I was in NYC for business but she had fun with her daddy and others. We also had a great Halloween! Kate was a bumble bee and had such a blast answering the door and passing out candy to all the trick or treaters. She would be playing with all of her toys but as soon as she heard the doorbell ring, we would say "trick or treat" and she would hop up and run to the door to help Grandma pass out candy. Grandma is a first grade teacher, so all of her kiddos paid her a special visit and she was the star of the show!

I also included several other snapshots that I love - like this one of Kate in her OU cheerleading outfit. Ha ha! And, there's a shot of her that we captured at the 15 month mark back in September with her alongside her monkey. It's super challenging to get her to sit still long enough to take a shot with her monkey these days but here was our best attempt ; )

Beach Baby!

Just this past week, we went on our first official vacation as a family! We went to the beach in Seaside, Florida to hang with my family - we go every year (except last year, this time, I had just had Kate!). It was so much fun and I had heard mixed stories about whether babies would like the sand. Kate, thankfully, is officially a beach baby! She loved the sand, the ocean and the waves crashing into her as daddy treaded out with her! She would laugh hysterically as the waves approached and giggled so hard anytime I would build a mound of sand anywhere near her! So, we lathered her up in 100 SPF and hit the pool in the mornings and the beach after her nap in the afternoon! It was a blast and my family had such a great time with her. She was definitely the star of the trip and I can't think of a better way to have spent my birthday! Wanted to share some of the pictures we captured from our time there and on the plane ride out! This was Kate's second plane trip (her first was at Thanksgiving when we traveled to Nashville to be with my family) but this second go round, she was much more aware and intrigued with everything around her...to the point where she officially just wore herself out!