This and That....

I really feel like this summer is just flying by...it is probably because we are approaching some big changes here in Gunder-land!  Over the past few weeks we have been extremely busy!

One of my Hubby's best friends got married.  So we packed up the family and headed north!

I tried to pack "light"

After making at least 10 trips to Maryland from SC with a baby, I think we have our system pretty down pat!

Once in MD we wanted to devote almost all of our time to Phil and Jillian's Wedding...

VOWS

The new Mr. and Mrs.

I had the hottest date...

In Laws...BIL, SIL, FIL, MIL, Me and Hubs

Hot Mommas...my Mom, Me, My SIL, and My MIL

Although I swore that I wouldn't try to be superwoman and visit every friend imaginable in a short period of time...I absolutely HAD to go visit my best friends little miracle Wyatt!

3 whole pounds

Precious Dreams

Wyatt giving his Momma and I the grump face...we were too loud!

Look at those itty bitty feet

At this point Wyatt was 10 days old and a whopping 3 pounds...but he is BEYOND perfection!  He looks like a little man in a teeny tiny body!  Wyatt is doing so well and his continuous progress has been such a blessing for his parents (and all of us).  I felt so honored to be able to visit him and I, of course, LOVED having girl time with my bestie, Courtney!  Court was not up for pictures...I managed to take 1 but promised it was just for memory and not for facebook or bloggy world!  I will tell you this though...she looked as beautiful as ever and was such a pro when it came to handling her lil preemie!!!  Have I mentioned how much I love that girl!
There are a ton of things that I really want to blog about but right now I am enjoying the company of my big brother, who is visiting us this week!!!  One day I will make more time for my blog...if the fun ever stops!!!

23 Months...why did you arrive so fast?

I would put a million dollars on the fact that Aiden's second year of life has flown by much faster than the first!

It is almost heartbreaking to think that my BABY is a little boy!  In 1 short month he will be TWO!!!  I will probably be the millionth mom to say it, but every stage gets better and better.  Although I haven't done monthly updates consistently on my blog, I have to say that I have a mean baby book!  That puppy is thicker than any of my husbands fancy nuclear engineering books!
So here is a little bloggy update on what 23 months looks like for my pride and joy!

He is a "hearty" 22 lbs 9 oz (poor boy isn't even on the growth chart)
31.5 inches long

You are still our little Monkey...climbing and flipping all of the time!

Your vocabulary is crazy....you know exactly what you want and if you can't say the exact word you give it your best shot..you always want Momma and Daddy to "sit" "walk" "play" and of course the famous words of "No" and "Stop"...sometimes I have to tickle you just because I love the way you say "Stop"

You love "Choo Choo's"

And "Keys"...you are beyond obsessed with keys...you can spot a key a mile away....you love to attempt to unlock doors and have even fallen asleep with your keys in your hands!

You are a fantastic eater...I couldn't ask for a child to have better eating habits!  You love blueberries, strawberries, peaches, and even spinach!

You are a fantastic traveler...we have been to Maryland and back twice (500 miles each way) in a months time....and you were an angel in the car!!!

You are so incredibly sweet...you actually ask for kisses!!!

Your absolute favorite person...besides Momma and Daddy is POPS!!!  You are always asking for POPS...he is your best bud and I am pretty sure that you run him ragged when you two have "playdates"

You don't like the word "NO"...whenever we tell you "NO" you will say "Elmo" "Abby" Superwhy"...I have no idea why????

And you, my love, are Mr. Independent!!!

I know the age of 2 will be fantastic...there is so much to look forward to but I can't help but feel a little sad and even scared...I hope that my boy is never too big to love his Momma and give me lots of snuggles!

MYO Basket!!!

Who doesn't love a good gift idea?  I know I do!  Sometimes I put a ton of pressure on myself to try and give the perfect gift.  I hate the feeling of giving someone something that I am pretty sure they are not really that enthused about!  I also hate to give gift cards...I think the main reason for this is that I struggle when I am given a gift card.  I still have a few gift cards that I was given for Christmas that I haven't even touched!  It is like the curse of the gift card, the minute you get a gift card to a particular store is the moment you dislike everything in that store!  I have a really hard time spending gift cards on myself...unless, of course, it is a starbucks gift card!  I have always been a big fan of gift baskets....whether it is a baby shower, wedding shower, bachelorette party, house warming or birthday, a gift basket always seems like a good idea!
Last week, I went out to dinner with a group of my favorite ladies!  Over the past year I have developed such a great relationship with my bootcamp buddies and we try very hard to get together every so often outside of our sweaty bootcamp sessions!  This particular evening we went out to dinner to celebrate our girl Shelly's birthday!  After tossing around a few gift ideas, I threw out the idea of a gift basket....and knowing how much my girl Shelly likes mojitos, I had the perfect "theme" for our gift!  A "make your own" (MYO) mojito basket!!!

"The Ingredients"

 Cute little Mojito cup that I found at World Market!

One side says "Mojito" and the other has the recipe on it!

Vodka, Simple Syrup, Fresh Mint, Lime Juice and fresh limes, club soda, mini shaker, mini muddler, basket, ribbon, shredded paper and cellophane!

Viola!!!

 The Birthday Girl...I think she liked it!

I was actually pretty proud of this creation...can you tell?  I am looking forward to making more fun little baskets like these...maybe a MYO margarita basket????  or a MYO ice cream sunday basket? hmmmm...I also made a cute little housewarming basket for my bestie, Nicole and her hubby, but I failed to take pictures of it so I am waiting for another friend to buy a beautiful new home so I can make another one and blog about it hehehehe!

Tiny Miracles!

I have said several times that I have some really amazing friends! I really don't know where I would be with out my girls!  They are always there for me regardless of how many miles separate us.  I have been so fortunate to have so many amazing people by my side to support me through the hard times and to share in all of the amazing moments through out the years.  I truly believe that the sign of a genuine friendship is when your friends treat your success and happiness, as if it were their own...and now to my point!
I am over the moon happy, excited, and thrilled for my best friend Courtney!  I truly feel like my heart and my head are about to burst with excitement for her.  Without going into the personal details I will just say that my girl has been through a lot.  She was born with a "broken heart" and has had countless open heart surgeries.  Today, Courtney and her husband Clint, welcomed a beautiful, perfect, tiny little miracle into the world.  John Wyatt was born at 10:59 am weighing 2lbs 15.5 ounces and 14 inches long.  He arrived 9 weeks early but is PERFECT!!!
Happy Birthday Wyatt!!!

Proud Daddy!!!

With all of the joy I feel today, there is a tiny bit of sadness!  These are the moments that make being away from your friends and family so incredibly difficult!  I wish I could be there to give my girl a big hug and to witness this amazing little miracle!  I try my hardest to let all of my friends know that I am just a phone call away but in moments like this, a phone call just isn't good enough!!!
To my best friend Courtney,
You were born to be a mother and the Good Lord knew it!!!  Wyatt is so lucky to have you as his Mommy!  You are the most amazing person I have ever met!  Thank you for being such a great friend, always being there for me and inspiring me to be a better person!  I am so grateful that you always include me in the important moments of your life...you (and your family) are the best!  There aren't enough words to express how happy I am for you...this new chapter will be the best yet...and you deserve it!!!  I love you so much and I will SEE YOU in a week!

He's Here!!!

The New Mr. and Mrs.

I LOVE WEDDINGS!!!  I doubt that I am the only one!  To be honest, I really haven't been to that many weddings!  My wedding was only the 3rd wedding I had ever been to, but since then that number has increased! Weddings and babies kind of come in waves...so for today I want to share some moments from a very beautiful wedding that the hubs and I had the honor of attending!
The wedding of our very dear friend, Matt and his very beautiful bride, Melissa!
My hubs and Matt have been friends since probably before high school!  We had the same circle of friends throughout high school and even into our college years...Matt lived in Charleston our first time here back in 2005...so to say we saw him often would be an understatement!
To spare you all of the details about Matt meeting Melissa I will just say that I remember him telling us he met a girl...he was smitten and he didn't even have to say it (although he did say it...multiple times hehe).  Over the past few years of their relationship, we have had the pleasure of getting to know Melissa and it has been so great to add another addition into our circle of friends, a very exclusive circle, if I do say so myself!
Fast forward to the wedding....It was held at the Sheraton Town Centre in Columbia, MD...a Beautiful hotel...perfect for a beautiful couple!  If I have said it once, I have probably said it a million times, I am a cry baby....I honestly could not help but to tear up when I saw Melissa and her Dad walking down the aisle...

The look of pride on her dad's face was priceless...and Melissa looked beautiful!!!  Her dress was gorgeous...she is the cutest little thing anyways but that dress was really perfect for her!!!
The ceremony was perfect...short, sweet, and to the point!  So for the highlights in pictures...

Matt waiting patiently...

The Vows...

THE KISS!!!

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Voelker!

Now onto the PARTY....if you run in our group of friends you know that we LOVE a good party!!!  There were so many wonderful things about this event...

 Spending time with my best girl friends

The first dance...

L.O.V.E

The speeches...

Daddy/Daughter Dance

Cutting the cake...

Mother and Daughter!

The reception was a amazing...the food was yummy, the dessert was decadent, the people were a blast, oh and did I mention the PHOTOBOOTH....

Welcome to "The Girls" Melissa

After we danced the night away, we decided that the party wasn't over...after a short walk we arrived at the after party....the fun continued....(obviously)

With the Groom

Cheers...

Do we look like we are having fun???

Best Buds!!!

Matt and Melissa,
Thank you so much for including us in your special day!  Not only was the wedding beautiful but the "party" was one to go into the books!  We had such a wonderful time and felt so privileged to be a part of your special day!  We want to wish you eternal love and happiness in your marriage and hope that the you remember the excitement and love that you felt on your wedding day, each and every day of your marriage!  Congratulations and may you always kiss each other good night!!!