2013 Howdy

Reflecting on 2012, it was quite a busy year for the Silers.

January - Had high hopes yet another year watching the Ravens in the playoffs. Alas, it wasn't meant to be and we were eliminated after a particularly horrible kick by Billy Cundiff.

February - We sold our house (while we were visiting Florida, ironically enough).

March - Pack, pack, pack! Finally met Megan M. Egan!


April - Said many tearful goodbyes and hopped the Auto Train on the 23rd.

May - Lived with Mom-Mom SuSu & PopPop Bill while house hunting and exploring our new town.

June - Continued house hunting, exploring, beaching.

July - Found the house! Moved in July 20th, the same day we had to say goodbye to Great Mom-Mom Isabelle.

August - Unpacking and turning the new house into our new home.

September - Had our first visitors when Jeff, Jaime, Utaw, and Kora cook came to Florida. Then we traveled home to Maryland for a long visit, saw lots of people but didn't get to see everyone. Isabelle started her first Ballet/Tap combo class and loves it! She is signed up for the Spring session already which starts next week.

October - Fun Fall Festivals around town. Jen took a boot camp. Izzi got to wear four different Halloween costumes because of all the festivities (cowgirl, superwoman, punk rocker, snow white).

November - Izzi turned FIVE! And we had our regularly scheduled Puerto Rico vacation. This year we got to go for a hike in El Yunque Rainforest and we also went zip lining! Izzi was too young this time but in a few years!

December - We bought a ridiculously HUGE tree (11 feet!!!) just because we could. We've always had such a small house with low ceilings so we had to stick with small trees all these years. This year we went BIG and BOLD and it was beautfiul. We had a very Merry and relaxed Christmas this year, despite the horrific news in Newtown, Connecticut. It made us hyper-aware of our abundant blessings.

We had a very blessed 2012 with many good fortunes and happy memories. One can only hope for the same in 2013 -- Health, happiness, and hope to all for a very happy new year.

Fast and Furious

November 4th already, where does the time go? We whizzed through October so fast, I never even got a chance to post updates. After we got home from Maryland, Mom-Mom SuSu and Pop-Pop Bill headed out of town to visit Maryland themselves. They were up there for 3 weeks so we didn’t see them almost all of October!

We did get to go to the beach one Saturday (Mommy says it’s “just because we can”). It was warm and sunny with a cool breeze, it was perfection. We hit North Beach in Clearwater which has a lot less tourists and easier parking. There are 2 great restaurants up there – Palm Pavilion and Frenchy’s – which are both great beachfront casual places that have great food.

Mommy did an exercise boot camp this month, it was only for 3 weeks to get her motivated. We had to wake up really early for school so she could get there in time.

The third weekend of the month we got to go to Oktoberfest at Tampa Bay Downs which is the horse racetrack right down the street from our house. It was so fun, Mommy bought me a special bracelet that let me ride the rides all day long as many times as I wanted. Daddy had to work until 2 so Mommy and I did the rides while we waited for Daddy. Then we listened to some music and ate some festival food. It was a fun “Fall” day (even though it was 85 degrees).

Then last week Mom-Mom came home and I got to have a sleepover there! Mommy and Daddy had their 12th anniversary weekend in St. Pete Beach at the Guy Harvey Outpost while Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop and me played, played, played! I love having sleepovers there. I’m such a lucky girl to have a Mom-Mom who lives so close.

 This week was Halloween and we had so much fun. I got to go to a Halloween trick-or-treat event at the Westchase Park Village (I was Snow White). Then I got to wear a costume to my Ballet Class on Monday (I was Supergirl). Then I got to dress up for my Halloween Party at school (I was a cowgirl) and lastly, for Halloween night, we walked around with neighbors from our street and I got a TON OF CANDY! I can’t eat anything chewy though (Dentist’s orders) so I gave all the chewy stuff to Daddy to take to work and I kept the chocolate and crunchy stuff.

I was going to be Belle for Halloween night but then I saw my neighbor, Paige, outside and she was dressed up in a big girl costume so I decided at the last minute to be a rockstar princess instead. Mommy helped me get stuff out of my dress-up bin and we put my hair into funny ponytails. Being a princess is for babies, I’m almost five now, so I’m a big girl. Watch out world, here I come…

Congrats to Uncle Sean & Aunt Jenny

The wedding weekend was lovely, even if the rain was not. It was a little cool and rainy but we muddled through and still had a good time.

We started the trip on Thursday morning and drove 4 hours to Manasquan, New Jersey to stay with my Aunt Gail (Izzi's Great Aunt). We spent the entire afternoon and early evening on the beach. When we drove into town it was about 105 degrees (heat index) and even with the A/C on in the car, we were drenched with sweat when we arrived at Gail's. We quickly threw our bathing suits on and headed to the beach in Spring Lake, NJ and it was at least 15 degrees cooler there with a fabulous breeze off the Atlantic Ocean.

My cousins, Colin and Curran, both showed up with their wives and children and we had a great time catching up with family. We spent the night at Aunt Gail's house and finished the trip to Massachusetts on Friday morning. Aunt Gail followed us up and we arrived within a few minutes of each other.

We got to Massachusetts around 2pm on Friday and jumped into the hotel pool, again to cool off after a hot drive in the car. Then we had the Rehearsal and Dinner that night.

Saturday we had the whole day free since the wedding didn't start until 6:30pm. Mommy had plotted out all kinds of cool stuff for us to do that day, to explore the area. Unfortunately, all the cool stuff was outside. And it was raining. A lot.

So I got to go to a Dinosaur Fossil place with Grandpa and Daddy for a little bit that day, while Mommy went shopping with the girls. Then when we all met up again, Mommy & Daddy took me over to the Yankee Candle Flagship store. Boy was it HUGE! And so cool inside! They had a nighttime room with stars all over the ceiling and Christmas trees and villages and trains all over the room. And it SNOWED in there every 4 minutes. But it was a warm snow since it wasn't real.

They also had a huge toy store and we bumped into Santa and Mrs. Claus!!! He talked to me for a long time and helped me make a special butterfly out of a pipe cleaner and some tissue paper. It was so much fun, and I told Santa I'd been a good girl so far this year! Just 6 months to go!

The wedding took place at Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory in South Deerfield, MA. It was a greenhouse type room/area with tons of trees and waterfalls and ponds and gazebos and benches and beautiful lights. And they have over 4,000 butterflies in there!!! They were everywhere, landing on people's heads and shirts, floating all around us. It was really cool! Mommy was a little bit afraid but I told her butterflies don't make any noise so she would be safe.

I had a very special job in the wedding ceremony. Uncle Sean & Aunt Jenny asked me to be a flower girl along with Jenny's niece, Abby. I had so much fun getting dressed up like a princess and everyone said I did a really good job.

After the ceremony, we headed to a restaurant called Chandler's (at the Yankee Candle flagship store) for the reception. I was really really tired by that point and was kind of in a bad mood but I made it through to the end and even did a little dance party with the other kids.

On Sunday, we didn't get to split the trip up so we had a long 9-hour drive back to Edgewater. Thankfully, Mommy & Daddy had purchased a new portable DVD player for the trip so I watched movies most of the time. They also gave me dramamine so I didn't get car sick. That worked like a charm. No car sickness and I was drowsy and watching movies so the ride was peaceful (at least that's what they said).

Congratulations to Uncle Sean & Aunt Jenny!