time with family

Oh man, where do I even start?  The last two weeks will be probably be the last time we'll all be together as a family for a while.  As I mentioned before, both of my sisters are moving back east so we made the last 14 days count.  We ate, we swam, we played, we snuggled, and we took lots of pictures.  This family is so important to me.  And I know that each of them mean something to Myer.  It'll be hard having aunts, uncles, and cousins far away but goodness that's what skype is for, right?  And I've always wanted to visit the Mall of America and I've always wanted to play on the Carolina beaches so we'll get out there.  One way or another.  Because these two sisters of mine, the ones closest in age to me, are my best friends and role models.  I hope I can be as strong and beautiful as they both are.  And if baby girl decides to take after these two, she'd be ahead of the game.

I'm so glad we have families.  And I'm so glad this is my family.  People say we have a certain "Thacker look" and it makes me proud.  I love the Thackers!  Good luck Jamie and Jessie with your new adventures.  I know you'll be a force of good over there.  Love you both to pieces.

-B

the mom-to-be's shower

My best friend, Anna, is expecting her first!  A little girl!  So we threw her a baby shower over the weekend to shower this girl and her little one with love.  Not to mention we showed that love with loads of yummy brushetta.  We tried to bring a little Italy flavor into the party.  The friends and family that showed up was truly telling--Anna you have a lot of people in your life who love you and cannot wait to meet this little mermaid.  Including me!

P.S. we are two months apart both with girls.  It's going to be a party.

our 4th of July at Yuba Lake

I love birthdays and I love celebrating America's birthday!  We celebrated all day at the lake on the beach and in the tubes. Don't let Myer's smile fool you, he was terrified of the water.  I'm clueless as to why because he loved the beach in California.  He was only happy if he was on some kind of flotation device, in someone's arms, or far far away from the beach. So we just didn't touch the water.  Easier said than done when you're at a lake but we made do with jumping from the tubes all the way to the pavilion of food back to tubes. He even, along with his grandparents and cousins, rode on the tubes while the boat pulled them (slowly) around.  At least he stayed out of the water doing that.  What a day.

Later that night we did fireworks.  We started out on the curb, then moved to the garage, then inside to watch through the window.  I learned so much about my sensitive son that day-- fear of the lake and noisy fireworks.  He sure slept good though.  All that panic wore him out.  We are going to have to take Pioneer Day a little easier this year.  Cheers.

a day late...but

love,

the red and white clan.

Guest Post: Enjoying the warm weather with your new baby

Rachael McAdams is new to the SAHM world. (Stay at Home Mom) When she's not chasing around her twin girls you can find her whipping up healthy meals in the kitchen, jogging around NYC, spending time with her husband, and well of course.. writing! Rachael is in the process of setting up her own blog but for now you can find her on Twitter at @livealittlenyc.

When my girls were just born, I so enjoyed the summer with them! We would go out and enjoy the warm weather and they just loved looking at everything and reaching out and inspecting all the new items around them. I loved taking them for walks in the park – it was the perfect backdrop for photos and fun days out.

I always made sure to have hats on hand to the girls. I wanted to make sure they were well protected from the sun. I just loved the reversible sun bucket hats from Patagonia I picked up for the girls. It’s very important to remember to keep your newborn well protected from the sun and use baby-safe sun screen only in small amounts if your baby is younger than six months old.

I always kept my camera with me when we would head outside. I just loved to watch them explore all that was new in their little world! Their reactions and expressions when they discovered something new were just awesome! I would also make sure to bring a blanket with us when we would go in the park. I would take them out of the stroller and put them on the blanket for a change of scenery and to get really nice shots of them in such a natural background. Before they were born, I picked up a Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 digital camera. I tried really hard to not just get take photos, but really capture who they were they were as newborns, so I could show how they changed as they age. If you haven’t been able to get out your baby’s birth announcement, this is a perfect time to take photos for it! I had the girls sitting on a blanket in the park with their hats and sunglasses on and used the headline “The Beauty Contest was a Tie!” It was adorable! I used TinyPrints.com to upload the photo and write up the girl’s birth announcement. Everyone loved it! Everyone told me they loved seeing the photos of the girls in the park! I take photos with them in the park every time we go for a walk. I think the girls started to enjoy our outings just as much as I did!

To the new parents that might be reading this, my advice to you is this – make sure to enjoy this special time in your baby’s life. Everything is new to them and they are naturally curious. Spend as much time with them as you can. You will never forget it!

Thanks Rachael! 

sometimes you gotta document the little things

Like when Great Grandpa Milne shows you how to water the lawn.

He had to squeeze the spray nozzle and everything.

Myer you're growing up.

Stop it.

Happy Friday everyone.

Hope it's a refreshing one!

let's not forget the dancing

It wouldn't be a Thacker get together if there wasn't some kind of performance or dance production.  So true to our form, we watched Oakley and Sierra dance in their End of Year Showcase for Center Stage.  At these kinds of places is where we really get our most current family pics.  It's in our blood.

Good job Sierra and Oak!  And so proud of Jessie for all her hard work as Senior Company Director for Center Stage.  What a talented family I have.  And good lookin.