Good Friday...Happy Easter!

Happy Good Friday! We hope everyone has a great Easter weekend. Looks like the weather here in DC is going to be beautiful. Blue skies, warm weather and everyone is home to celebrate! Mitch should be home after lunch today. Sunday our good friends, Brian and Erin, are having us over to their house for Easter lunch. They have the most adorable little girl, Ella, who Riley loves to play with. I'll be sure to take my camera for some good shots of the girls dressed in their Easter best!

Mitch is slowing winding down his last few weeks at work. He has one more trip to complete. This week I celebrated my 29th birthday. It was a special birthday....29 on the 29th! Mitch brought me a cake and flowers home and we celebrated it together with the girls. They took me to Chilis for a good family dinner (cousaunt Sandy would be proud!). Mitch and I actually celebrated the day, just the two of us, at a really special dinner at the Charthouse last Friday. His Mom was in town so she watched the girls while we managed to get out and enjoy some time together.

Here are a few pictures I took this morning of our little growing bean. She is getting so big!

Let's Go Fly a Kite!

So Saturday we took Mimi to the Capitol to see the Cherry Blossoms. We didn't get a chance to park and walk near them because it seemed everyone else in town decided to do the same thing! So we decided to park and walk along the National Mall. We didn't realize that they were having a kite festival, so as soon as we saw everyone flying kites we had to find one for Riley! Thankfully the Air and Space Museum gift shop had plenty of kites for us to choose from. Riley saw the Panda bear one and had to have it. It was really cute and has little legs that blew in the wind. We had the best time! I think Mimi enjoyed her last day here in DC. She left on Sunday to go back to Texas. It was nice having her help with the girls while I managed to do a few things for our upcoming move!

Riley, Daddy and Mimi preparing to fly a kite!

My "I'm so happy I get to fly a kite" face!

Helping Daddy. He might drive ships well but he definitely needs my help with flying! Here Daddy...let me give it a go...

Look at me Daddy, I might be 2 but I can do it ALL by myself! This is how you fly a kite!

Lovin' my Panda bear kite

Chasing the kite through the National Mall

Mommy and Me flying Mr Panda

Cute little girl. Love her hair in pigtails! We put sunscreen on her part. haha

Kite Festival pic of the National Mall

Zoo day!

Today we went to the zoo! Spring is finally showing itself so we decided to take advantage of these warmer days. Mimi is in town visiting and we asked Susu and her granddaughter, Ella, to join us. We had a great day!! Here are some pictures.

At the prairie dogs with Susu, Mimi & Ella

Contemplating...do I want a monkey or a gorilla for a pet?

The Gorillas...such a neat exhibit!

Giving Ella kisses

Look Ella, do you see the monkeys? Don't worry, they can't come get us...I make sure we are not too close!

Sleeping Beauty...what she does most of the time!

Eating an ice cream sandwich..such a Goober!

Susan and Ella..so cute!

Mimi and Riley!

Come on Ella, hold my hand and I'll show you the animals!

Look at those eyes!

She always has her hands like this so I wanted to capture it for memories :)

Tomorrow it looks like rain, so I think Mimi and the girls and I might hit up the mall! We're in need of some retail therapy! More to come soon :)

Icky Sicky Weekend

I got this video of Morgan yesterday. It was almost like she was first discovering her hands, so cute! Then she realized her Giraffe was there, which she loves, and it just made me laugh.

Riley being secretary at Daddy's office. She is a mess! We need to get her an agent...haha

Well, Mimi came to our rescue on Saturday! Riley started a fever on Thursday last week. It was really high so I gave her Tylenol and on Friday morning took her to Fort Belvoir to the doctor. I wanted to get her feeling better and make sure it wasn't something that Morgan could get. Turns out she had a horrible ear infection. Poor baby! She got a cold while we were in Texas in February and the doc said most likely it has been festering since, just I wasn't able to notice until the fever hit. Now that explains why Riley was so fussy off and on! I put it down the the "2s"! They gave her medicine and today she is finally returning to her old self. For awhile there we were on the verge of tears all day. Ear aches aren't fun and I know that Riley really wasn't feeling well. Mimi came out on Saturday for the week to help me with the girls while I prepare things for our move. It's been so helpful having her help, especially with Mitch away on travel and Riley being sick and clingy.

Now it's raining today and I'm trying to decide what to begin doing! The mall is calling our names on this rainy day...so maybe we'll make a trip out after naps. I REALLY need to do some sorting for the move, but spending time with Mimi and the girls sounds like so much more fun!!

I am so glad that I have my little girl back to her old self and definitely being TWO...haha. Even if we just had a time-out on the stairs! She loves to push our buttons and knows just how to do it. :) She thinks it's funny whenever we try to discipline her. I think she must take after her Dad!

Morgan is doing just perfect and the best baby. Mimi said she cannot believe how good she is. You forget you even have a baby around! Sweet girl.

Big thanks to Susan and Rich. Susan helped me so much last week with the girls and especially the day I had to take Riley to the doctor. Then when Mimi got in on Saturday we went to supper at their house and had a lovely evening. We sure will miss them when we move!! Makes us sad thinking about it. :(

Our first attempt at Blogging...

This was taken in December when Morgan was 8 days old.

Well, today I finally gave in and decided to join the "blogging world" so family and friends could easily keep track of our expanding and moving family! After many years of different attempts to keep people informed of our "doings", I decided this might be easiest to follow us and follow our precious girls as they grow. This blog is mostly dedicated to Riley and Morgan as they grow and change in our journey being a Navy family. As most know, we are now approaching the beginning of our 7th year in the Navy, as well as our 7th wedding anniversary! We've had amazing memories, experiences and some of the most wonderful opportunities thus far in our journey not only in the Navy, but being married. Mitch and I married in June 2003 just a few weeks after graduating from college, moved to San Diego for 2 1/2 years, then to England for 2 years, and now we have been in DC the past 2 and a bit and are preparing to move, yet again! This will be our biggest move yet, with 2 kids in tow. Wish us luck (me especially!) as we prepare. I think the key is just putting a smile on your face and knowing all will fall in place, eventually!

Morgan is almost 3 months old now. She is growing so fast and changing daily. She is our "chill" baby. So content and happy and, I know it sounds weird for a newborn, but she rarely cries! God must know not to give you more than you can handle! Riley has always been so good, but a very high-energy child who only liked to take cat naps! Morgan is so happy to sleep for hours on end (still) and last night she slept from 9-6:30 without even waking. I eventually woke and HAD to wake her because I needed her to eat. She is still sleeping in our room in a bassinet and will until probably 4-5 months or so.

Riley is cute as ever and constantly keeps us laughing. She is one animated and outgoing little girl! She loves a crowd, loves to make others laugh, and loves to sing. I wonder where she gets that from! She has some very musical grandmothers that I'm sure passed down some musical genes to her! At the moment, her favorite thing is to rhyme. She rhymes everything. When we were in TX, she was calling my Mom, "Boo Shoe" and my Dad "Pops Schlops". She is very excited that we have purchased her big girl bed (a twin, adorable tent bed from Ikea) for her new room when we arrive in Newport. Her furniture is being passed to Sister, so we wanted to make it special for Riley. She still loves to read and spends countless hours reading each day. She's also become my go-to girl in the kitchen and loves to do crafts with me.

Mitch finishes his job in just over a month and then we'll be moving before he starts department school. We're really excited about living in Newport, but very sad to leave the wonderful friends we've made here in DC.

I'll hopefully be updating this often. It's easier than constantly emailing pictures of the girls. Hopefully I won't be as 'wordy' as this first blog, but I had to start somewhere! We hope everyone is well. Missing our family and all of our amazing friends we've been blessed to know during all our journeys. Our door is always open to our friends and family, wherever we may be!

All our love,

Kelly & Mitch

Mitch & I in November '09. I was 36 wks pregnant with Morgan.

Love Riley's smile here...and look at those LONG fingers!

Sister love...best friends forever

One of my favorites. Years down the road I'll look at this and cherish it! So sweet and precious.

Baby and boots!

Big eyes!

Happy Valentine's Daddy!

Here is Morgan at 2 Months

Riley at almost 2 1/2