The Last Weeks of Summer: Saratoga

Fortunately, having an almost-two-year-old means that we're not going back to school, but we do have almost as many extra-curricular activities as a middle-schooler and they all start next week.

We've been trying to make the most of the warm weather and the summer-only activities.  We went to the Peerless Pool a few more times, went to the farmer's market, and spent a whole morning at West Side Rec where MiniM.E. FINALLY enjoyed the spray ground.

Sadly, MiniM.E. is sick, so part of our last empty week is being spent cuddling on the couch... but I don't get enough cuddles these days, so I feel bad for MiniM.E. but I'm secretly enjoying myself.

Welcome August!

Ah... What a nice breather!  So far, I love August and have made a mental note not to schedule so much stuff next summer!  What was I thinking?  I just want to play outside and have cook-outs and picnics and fires in the firepit!!

Last weekend in August we started our lazy August with a BBQ at an expecting friend's house.  MiniM.E. was the entertainment, and apparently a side dish:

Bob's brother visited us Sunday and Monday:

We spent some time at Congress Park after watching the horses warm up at the track on Sunday:

And we had a fantastic play date at West Side Rec on Monday.  We were there the whole morning and were almost the only ones at the park, so our girls had plenty of space to play!

Bring it on, Lazy Weeks of Summer.  We're ready!

Summertime Fun!

The end of July was incredibly busy.  We were going places or hosting visitors or I was making birthday cakes (more on that later).  But it looks like we might be in for a lazy August!  Until then:

fun in the backyard turtle pool

swimming at the Peerless Pool

baby-bathingsuit model?

we had it all to ourselves!

best photo of the summer

watching the horses warm up at the track

West-side Rec sprinkler park

throwing rocks in the stream at Congress Park

on the horse on the carousel

and in the sleigh

A Weekend Away

I'm back from our weekend away, and due to the lack of photos in my last two posts, be prepared for a photo-bomb in this post.  If you don't have at least 20 minutes to scroll through a lot of photos of the cutest baby ever, you should probably come back and read this post later.  Once you start, you won't be able to stop.  I promise.  *spoiler alert* There's pictures of MiniM.E. in a tutu with her daddy in a tux. It doesn't get cuter than that!

We went away for the weekend to Geneva.

Sadly, not the Geneva pictured above... Geneva, NY.

Which, from this picture, doesn't look nearly as awesome as Switzerland.  BUT, even though the downtown wasn't anything to write home (or on a blogpost) about*, it was right on Seneca Lake, which was beautiful.

*I will post that the two restaurants we ate at were pretty phenomenal.  If you're ever in Geneva, check out the Water Street Cafe for a cheap but tasty diner and Opus for amazing breakfast burritos and in-house-roasted coffee.

We drove to Geneva Friday for the wedding of one of Bob's high school friends.  MiniM.E. and I were just along for the ride since babies don't really belong at weddings.  Especially loud babies like MiniM.E.

Upon arriving at the hotel I snapped these few photos of MiniM.E. hanging out on the bed (read: attempted to shoot photos with one hand in while simultaneously lunging for baby attempting to throw herself off bed and trying to keep myself out of the frame).

Friday evening we were invited to attend the rehearsal dinner.  We hadn't really planned on going but fortunately I brought us a couple "just in case" nice outfits in the event Bob wanted to show off the baby at one or more of the wedding festivities.

Most of the rehearsal dinner was spent playing on the grass.  Luckily the dinner was on the patio, so it was easy to go back and forth from the table to the lawn.  I even managed to have a few bites to eat thanks to Bob's mom who took MiniM.E. on a few walks.

I mean real walks! This kid will be walking any day!

Saturday morning we went out to breakfast at the aforementioned Opus.  On our way back we took a detour with MeeMaw out to the pier.  MiniM.E. did some crawling around.

Later in the day while most of the wedding guests were off at the Finger Lakes Wineries, we took MiniM.E. on a long walk to the SprayGround.  Best. Idea. Ever. (well, not the walking part, it was almost 3 miles each way, but the SprayGround part...)

MiniM.E. LOVED it.  We could have stayed there all day.  Except it was windy which made it a little too cold to be wet for too long.

MiniM.E. totally had a fan base.  These girls followed her around the WHOLE time.

Later that evening we stopped by the cocktail hour to say hi to the wedding guests.  We were a bit early, so we played in the grass.

Finally, Daddy was done taking photos as part of the wedding party.  As if he probably wasn't done smiling for a month, we made him take a couple more.

While Bob danced the night away MiniM.E. and I ate ice cream for dinner and went to bed early.

Sunday we had a quiet ride home... since everyone was sleeping off the wedding excitement.  Except me of course... can't sleep and drive... maybe someone should invent that... a car that drives itself...

**Apologies to Grandma and Grandpa who visited on Wednesday on their way to the wedding from North Carolina.  We had a great time eating breakfast at the track and playing with MiniM.E. and hanging out in the yard... Bob might have lost our camera with all photo documentation of that day.  We had a great time seeing you, thanks for visiting!