Great Grandma Donna Visits!

Round #2 of visitors: May 19th-23rd

My wonderful Grandma, Donna Pleva, hadn't yet seen our place here in Fort Mill, and with the new arrival of Miss Eleanor Grace she couldn't wait to come and get her hands on her!  We had the pleasure of having her for a very nice long weekend visit. 

When Grandma arrived, she hit the ground running...as soon as she got to the house her and I got back in the car and headed to the spa where we had scheduled a double massage/facial/pedicure session.  Of course, the treatments were just heavenly, but most of all I enjoyed being able to spend time with my Grandma- just Grandma and her Nina!

our matching toes!

Great Grandma, Chase and Ellie!

 

On Friday we had a "girls day" and went out to the Savannah Room for a tea lunch!  Ellie was a perfect little angel and slept the whole time.  Grandma and I sat at the same table Mom and I had been at the previous week.  Once again, it was grand and we had a great time, just Grandma and her girls :)

Tea Time!

On Saturday, we wanted to do something fun, yet relatively relaxing, as a family.  So, at Latta Plantation they were having a World War 2 reenactment which we felt was just perfect!  We spent a couple of hours looking at the WW2 gear and checking out the plantation, then we found a picnic table and ate our picnic lunch.  Chase enjoyed ALL of it.  He was even able to see some horseback riders heading through the park. 

checking out the guns...boys.

lunch under the pavilion at a picnic table

Chase and I couldn't resist napping in the car

Saturday night we decided to check out the St Phillip Neri Italian Festival.  We perused the shopping while Chase tried a bounce house for a little while.  Ironically, this was one of the projected dates the world was suppose to end.  So at exactly 6 pm (right when we showed up) the DJ was playing "It's the End of the World As We Know It" by REM...too funny!  After our quick stop there, we went to Sixpense Pub for dinner!

dinner time!

Sunday was reserved for church.  Grandma, Eleanor and I  went to St Phillip Neri while Jason and Chase wanted to check out a "new church" down the road.  Jason enjoys contemporary church services, whereas I much prefer traditional Catholic Mass.  Every once in a while, Jason goes on a scavenger hunt trying to find a contemporary church that he may like.  I think Chase approved.  Chase had so much fun and now refers to St Phillip as "other church" and continues to ask for "new church".

After church we hit the neighborhood pool for a couple of hours for Eleanor's very first trip to the pool!!  It was a beautiful day in the sun...well, the shade with a baby...  Chase and Jason played in the pool the entire time.  Ellie and I took a short dip and then sat with Grandma watching the boys from our lounge chairs.

Mom, I am not too sure about this

the fam!

Grandma, and one very tired Eleanor

Grandma told me Ellie is going to be the next Cherry Queen!

Grandma surprised me with two more handmade creations while she was here.  The first was a quilt for Eleanor.  She has made blankets for all of her great grandbabies, so I was excited to get one for Ellie!  She also surprised me with matching aprons for Ellie and I.  Obviously, Ellie will need to be a little bigger before she gets to enjoy hers :)  They are cupcake material (RIGHT up my alley!) and I just LOVE them!  How creative...and just perfect for the baker that I am becoming.  Surely, Ellie will be a baking machine too!

Grandma and I and her works of art

Chase was dying to put the apron on

Monday came and it was time to say goodbye.  It is always hard to say goodbye, so of course, I cried.  I can't wait to see Grandma again when I come home in August for my high school reunion!

I have the EXACT same picture of Grandma with Chase when he was this age.

Saying goodbye!

May Maddness Begins... Grandma and Grandpa Visit May 7-14th

I know I haven't blogged since Easter, but I swear it feels like I was blogging just yesterday...this month has FLOWN by!  It was beyond a great month here in the Larsen household.  Not only did Ellie turn 2 months:

little miss!

  We also had a plethora of visitors travel through the Larsen residence.  After running a mere 13.1 miles (come on, that's practically a walk in the park!) at the Indianapolis Mini Marathon, my parents (Ann and Bruce) got on afternoon flight out of Indianapolis and flew down to meet their newest grandchild- Little Miss Eleanor.  I know waiting 2 months to meet her seemed like an eternity, but in the end it was worth the wait!  She is just SO alert now- smiling all the time, longer wake periods, and "talking" up a storm! 

Granny Annie and Grandpa Bruce with the grandkids

While in town, Granny Annie and Grandpa Bruce were able to enjoy some seriously warm early May weather...I think it was in the 80's all week!  A big plus for them, considering they were lizards in a previous life.  I haven't been able to spend a Mother's Day with my mom in a few years, so it was nice having her around on such a special day.  We went to church in the morning with Eleanor (a girls trip!) and then went out for a brunch at my new favorite Fort Mill gem- The Savannah Room.  (It's a little tea room...very quaint and GREAT food!  If you're ever in town, I promise to take you- it's my favorite place to go with out of town guests!)  After the tea room, the Anderson Family came over for a little mingling, game playing, and of course dinner.  Nothing too fancy, just potato salad (that Bruce made...thanks Bruce!) and hamburgers and hotdogs- YUM! 

Mom and I at the tea room!

Alicia and Chase during our game of Apples to Apples

 During the week, Mom and Bruce were able to take Chase on a special Gma/Gpa/Chase outting to Discovery Place kids.  I don't have any pictures of this, but I am told they had LOADS of fun!  It is an interactive childrens museum (like BellaBoo's) but quite large.  Geared for children 2-8 years old.  They were gone with Chase until about 2:30pm which gave me plenty of time to sleep, as I had to work the night before.  Ellie was at our neighbors for the morning! 

Mom and I were able to do lots of baking during the week.  We made flower cookies for Ellie's baptism as well as caramel bars for Jason's work...yum!!  Being savvy cooks these days, Mom and Bruce made us dinner one night and it was fabulous!

Peeling caramels.

At the end of the week, Chase, Grandma and Grandpa were participating in the Twighlight 5K one mile kids fun run.  Now, Chase loves to run around the house (literally, in circles around the center of our house) but, this was Chase's first official race.  I wasn't sure how he would do for such a "long" distance, but he did AWESOME!  He ran the whole thing (minus a stop to high five a police officer, and once to stop and yell "the moon!").  For this 0.72 mile course he ran a 12:45...not bad for being 2 years old (we are pretty sure the youngest competitor) and he didn't come in last! woohoo! 

pre race dinner at wild wing cafe

Almost a blur due to their speed!

My little Prefontaine with his grandparents!

the group!

It was a great week.  No matter how long, it is tough to say goodbye.  Jason and I have said time and time again, no matter how much we love living here in South Carolina, saying goodbye to our families is too hard.  It breaks my heart each and every time I have to see them go :(  Luckily, I bought my ticket to go home in August for my 10 year high school reunion!  Watch out Chesterton- back in town August 11th with Ellie!

Bruce and Eleanor

Grandma, Chase and Ellie

Easter EGGstravaganza's 2011!!

Easter has been streeetched out for us over the past few weeks, which is great for me because it has always been one of my very favorite holidays.  I don't know if it's because it is close to my birthday, or because I love the great music at church on Easter morning, or if it's because I absolutely LOVE Easter egg hunts...regardless, I find everything about this holiday quite refreshing and special.

When my dad was here a few weeks ago, I was able to bake and decorate Easter cookies:

We also had the pleasure of having Sara, Matthew and Hunter in town with us the weekend before Easter for Sara's spring break.  Among other fun things, we were able to do some Easter egg dying.  Hunter wasn't so much into it, and Chase really was intrigued by the stickers... but Matthew and I had a blast!

 sideways...but you get the picture

Chase looks very annoyed that this picture interrupted his sticker session.

Thankfully, Jason had Good Friday off, and Chase man didn't have school, so we went into Charlotte for an Easter Bunny Brunch.  My sister and family were in town last year for this event and we had a ball, so I really wanted to go again.  Luckily, it was on Good Friday; we headed to ATL Saturday morning to spend Easter with family.  Last year, the Easter Bunny was a bit scary for Chase

Easter 2010:

This year, Chase had a little man crush on the Easter Bunny... Chase viewed the Easter Bunny like a celebrity- really it was quite precious...take a look:

Easter 2011:

 Look Mom, it's the Easter Bunny!!

Chase cut in front of another kid to go back up to the Easter Bunny and give him a high five!

Of course, this was brunch and one of my favorite activities this year was the little craft project they had us make out of our english muffins...something I will be sure to replicate for future Easters:

easy AND cute!

Then of course, there was the hunt.  We didn't find the golden egg at this Easter egg hunt...

Saturday morning we headed to Atlanta where my Aunt Cindy and Uncle Dan live.  My grandpa Chase and Uncle Terry also came down for the occasion, as well as my Aunt Shauna and Uncle Tom from Nevada and their children Matt (with his wife Kristen and son TJ) and Emily who flew in from Pennsylvania... wow...

TJ and Chase are about the same age, so it is always fun to see how they will interact together.  Most of the time, they are like two peas in a pod!  They were able to play together in the pool as well as dye some Easter eggs together:

 Uncle Terry and Chase playing with blocks

 In their Easter smocks (thanks Aunt Cindy) ready to dye some eggs!

yikes... this was stressful, yet fun to watch :)

Sunday morning we got up and had a nice private mass at the house held by Fr Terry before we headed out to the St Marlo Easter egg hunt.  Now, contrary to Jason's story, I DID NOT beat up a 7 yr old kid to get a golden egg...I did however tell him that he was a cheater (but he called me one first!)  It's a long story... call me if you want all the details :)

 grandpa and I looking sharp, as always :)

Chase collecting his goodies! 

After the big hunt, we went back to Aunt Cindy's and Uncle Dan's where the Easter Bunny had been and went on a hunt for Chase and Eleanor's easter baskets.  They were in Aunt Cindy's grand bathtub...

After we looked at what the Easter bunny brought Chase, we had yet another egg hunt in Aunt Cindy and Uncle Dan's back yard.... super fun!!  It was getting quite warm though, so some of the miscellaneous chocolate sitting out in the sun got melted.  The rest of the eggs made it!

 

After the egg hunt... all hot and sweaty

Our prize...err, I mean Chase's prize for finding the golden egg

The Easter Basket hidden by the bunny :)
 

 he was into the candy (which was VERY limited) immediately!!

Chase in his official easter egg hunting cap at Aunt Cindy's house... too cute!

Ellie in her adorable easter outfit (thanks again Aunt Cindy and Uncle Dan!)

loving pool/hot tub time!

the boys were exhausted, and Chase who rarely naps at all was able to fall asleep on dad... precious :)

After all of that craziness, we got to enjoy Aunt Cindy's marvelous cooking and had pork tenderloin, ham, sweet potatoes, grandma's special rolls, cream puffs and refrigerator cookies (among MANY other things...) It was a FABULOUS weekend and such a special way to spend Easter!!

My first month of being a mother of TWO!!

I am happy to report, I have SURVIVED....so far :)  This double duty business is definitely a little more challenging, but also quite fun.  Ellie turned 1 month old on April 17th, and for her first month of life we really have been busy!  Chase is busy being a big brother... and a great one at that!  I find him consoling her without my help (he gives her her pacifier or "shhh"es her when she is crying while rubbing her head), explaining things to her, and he even asks her at night to sing our Amen song with Jason and I... too cute!

Marie came to visit for a week and a half, and while I enjoyed having the help around, Chase enjoyed playing with his Grandma... and boy can he play hard!  He ran her ragged and Grandma ran him ragged.  It was so much fun to have her here!

 Ellie's first bath

Chase and Grandma working on planting flowers for Mommy!

 Mommy and Chase making daddy's favorite dessert...caramel bars

Grandma and her grand babies!!

Shortly after Marie came, my dad arrived for a little visit and bonding time.  Chase once again took full advantage of having Grandpa here and kept him busy with quality play play play time!!  It was a lot of fun having my dad around.  Of course, I got to reap the benefits of his AMAZING cooking skills... yuuumm!!  I ate like a queen with Dad around- it was bliss!

 Thanks for the wagon, Grandpa...now lets go take it for a ride!

Dad and Ellie

We also had Kelly and Bessie stop by for a night on their way back to Indiana...  it was really great to see them, and Kelly was able to get some great photos of my children! 

 My sleepy Little Miss

Classic Chase... pouts with the best of 'em!

All in all, a really great first month as a mother of 2... I truly feel blessed!

Yay! I'm a month old!!