So let me explain the history behind Pete's....my Grumpies was a friend of Bill, Pete's son and so Grumps would take his family to eat every time they were at the lake. Of course, once you eat at Pete's, you will be hooked and will drive the distance just to get a taste of the incredible, authentic, huge portions of Italian food. If you know me, you know this place elicts more excitment than anywhere else. Thus I am thrilled that I married a man that loves it as much as I. If you make reservations, they will seat you in a private room (they have many, as the building was an old house and still holds such charm, even under modernization and rennovations). They first serve you salad with delicious oil and vinegar salad, cheese, olives and the best homemade garlic bread ever. Then before your meal arrives, they bring you bottomless (yes bottomless) spaghetti, ravoli (the best in the world), and meatballs. That is in addition to what you order....ummm Heaven! My very first solid food as a baby was Pete's spaghetti. Perhaps that is why I love it so. I have been DYING to take Abby Kate (she went once as a 5 month old but was a bit to young to try the food). We went for our birthday this past weekend and all ate until we were sick. The first pic is of AK and her Aunt Ashley, who she ADORES. The second is her trying the spaghetti for the first time. The third is a glimpse of what is Pete's. The final of the fam with AK's head cut off. I was so bummed! Anyway, just wanted to share!
The first picture is earlier on our "warm" (50ish) day. As the evening rolled in, we added layers which, after all was said and done, left her looking like a crazy Hollywood starlet/bag lady. (Though what bag lady would have such cool shades?)
We took full advantage of the warmer weather today. I simply think we are a warm weather family. We all go into a bit of seasonal depression when the cold hits. We went on a picnic and little "hike" in the wooded area of a new subdivision (no houses yet so it was perfect). Abby Kate loved it so much. She sobbed when we put her back in the truck. Daddy rode 4-wheelers and after he returned home, he let AK ride a little, which she loved.
We went on a walk with our friend Rachel and Adi and then Miss AK refused to go in....we must have walked around outside our house for 2 hours. We finally came inside about 5:30, much to her protest. Bring on SUMMER!
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to the limits. It has encouraged and inspired me more than anything else on the earth. It bonds me more quickly to other readers than anything amount of time or experiences. As I faced a cancer scare earlier in the year, it caused me to reflect and journal a lot....leading me to write Bobby a list of things a father might not think to do and things I wanted Abby Kate to learn if I was not around to teach her. One of the most important things to me is fostering a love for reading in our children. My Mom was great at that. I would go to her countless times in a day, asking for ideas to break through my boredom and she always challenged me to go curl up with a book. Thanks Momma. 
Her Daddy says it is because she was born on Pearl Harbor Day, but who knows...she enthusiastically signs "more" (still her sign when she wants something, I really need to get on teaching her new signs) when she is in our bathroom, wanting some time with my jewelry. She ALWAYS goes for these pearls, will promptly put them around her neck, and then spend the rest of the afternoon walking around with them on until I take them off, much to her protest, for bedtime...
I know I have been doing a lot of video lately. I really just realized. I guess I figure 4D is better than 2D right? AK has had a hard past few days with naps. She woke up too early today too and is still wiped out. This was her watching Veggie Tales. Check out Snuggle Bunny as the pillow...that is no way to treat a friend :). Oh be still my heart!
This is the face you see any time you look at Abby Kate when she is happy. It is hard to keep a straight face. Any stranger (and there is no such word to her) gets this face in exchange of a tiny bit of attention (yes, even a glance). There is usually so much laughter from the stranger that it is hard to be worried about this child that would be perfect kidnap material (she knows no fear). You can reference this face from this past August here http://sweetabbykate.blogspot.com/2006/08/nose_22.html to see this face has been a favorite before....it has just resurfaced. We also had a ball on our vacation. You can see pics here http://breatheholyonthisrust.blogspot.com/2007/01/oh-sweet-vacation.html
Our season passes to the aquarium are SUCH a great investment! We haven't been in a while and we are in the middle of trying to go to one nap...nightmare. Anyway, she LOVED the fish. She seriously stood there and looked and talked to the fish for about 20 minutes. 
This is her new chair Sweetie and Poppy got her for Christmas. She loves sitting in it! She watched cartoons in it for a full 20 minutes without moving this morning! It helps that it is covered in the same fabric as her sheets. She has loved textures since birth. She also has an Elmo chair that Neannie and Pop got her that giggles. She loves it too but it tips over when she tries to sit in it so she mostly just tries and tries to make it giggle and shake!
This just cracked me up. She so has my hair. Stick straight and has a million cowlicks (not sure how you spell that but I think that way is best even if it is not right). I misplaced her brush over the holidays so went days without one and this effect was even after wetting it! She's a rock star!
