A Farewell

On the last day of 2013, I am reflecting on many things... What a big year it has been for me and my family, how lucky we are to have such a fun, exciting life, and how incredibly busy we are all the time. A little too busy for this blog, as a matter of fact. As much as I have loved keeping this blog over the last 4 1/2 years, I finally have to admit defeat. For a while, I tried posting twice a week and then just once a week and then, well, you know the rest. As a friend said last weekend, "You guys have been at the beach for a while." So, I am saying farewell to the blog... It has been a great way to keep in touch with all of our friends and family, but with three kids, a job and a household to keep up, I just can't do it any more. Follow me (annabelleapley) and Ben (benapley) on Instagram and I promise you will feel like you are in the loop on our lives.

In the meantime, here are some of my favorite family photos from our time in Michigan this summer...

Clara is such a silly girl.

Peter loved finding treasures on the beach.

Best Pals

Our family of five! 

"Faster, Dad!" 

My little Kate 

Such a sweet baby

Crazy family 

Sunset in Michigan. My favorite. 

Happy 2014!! Hope to see you again here one day!

A Day at the Beach

This weekend we were treated to a lovely afternoon at The Jonathan Club in Santa Monica by our friends who were visiting from Kansas City. We were so happy to see them AND enjoy a beautiful day of blue skies, sand and the ocean. 

My pics are not the best, but you can tell it was fun! 

Lunch was delicious. No surprise that the carrot sticks went untouched. 

Beautiful day with the ocean in the background. Kate got her own pack n play right on the sand.

 

Fun on the beach! 

Cowboys

Tonight, Peter and Clara dressed up as cowboys. Clearly, they need to get a little more in touch with their Midwestern heritage. Peter actually changed out of jeans and a t-shirt to put on his "cowboy" outfit -- track pants and a red necklace. 

At least she got the horse part right. 

With my two cowboys. 

Pics that Make Me Smile

These pictures make me smile...

Clara loves Halloween! She chose this outfit herself. The girl has style! She is also giving a shoulder ride to one of her babies. 

This is Clara and Kate hanging out on the floor together just kicking around. Clara had been wearing her Batgirl costume for about 8 hours at this point. 

Kate is the happiest baby ever, evidenced by this picture her teacher sent me yesterday. This is what she looks like when she wakes up from her naps. All smiles. 

When I picked up Peter from school the other day, this is what he was wearing. Who wouldn't pair a yellow tie with a brightly colored hoodie? 

And finally, check out these two expert pumpkin carvers... 

Black Bear

We were at a birthday party last weekend and there was a face painter. She was mostly painting small designs on kids' hands or cheeks. Peter asked for a black bear and she said, "okay, do you want it on your cheek?" and Peter said, "No, I want to BE a black bear."

Here are a few pics of his transformation, including some selfies and the black bear eating pizza. (I tried to get him to have salmon and blueberries -- both of which were available at the party -- for a more authentic experience, but no luck.) 

Summer fun

Grandma Dorothy has been visiting and we've had a great time. Here are a few pics from our time together -- a yummy lunch and a beach day in Malibu (Kate's first). Fun!

A Day at the Beach

Peter and I went to the beach today all by ourselves. Clara was at school and Kate stayed at home with a babysitter. It was such a beautiful day and really special for me to have time with just Peter. Here are some of my favorite pics from the day.

Biker

Peter got this cool Lightning McQueen bike for his birthday, and he is already an expert biker. I'm thankful for this park with a bike track near our house. Go Peter, go!

Yikes!

I am so glad that I didn't go to preschool drop off today. Ben just sent me this pic of the special guest.

Family Trip to the Park

Today we went on our first outing as a family of five. Peter & Clara were happy to show Kate their favorite park.

A Couple of Firsts

On Monday, Clara had her first dentist appointment. Check out her face... can you tell she was a little bit apprehensive?

I was prepared for the worst... crying -- maybe a bite or two... but she did great! No cavities. Hooray! 

It probably helped that Peter was there, too, and she got to watch him have his teeth cleaned first. Also, the dentist's office is pretty fun with its big aquarium and fun toys. 

Both kids got prizes. Clara was really proud of herself. When she looks at these pictures, she says, "I want to see when I did a great job at the dentist." 

Kate had her first doctor's appointment today. She is only 9 days old and is already above her birth weight. 

Dad is very comforting. 

Kate's doctor had nothing but good things to say about her. We are so thankful for this healthy girl.