Whirlwind!

SO...this post was started almost a month ago...what can I say, we've been busy!

August and September were a blur!  Here's a brief recap (with pictures of course!)

August
- Catie had her second visit to Chicago and was introduced to the racetrack.

- Mother nature caused quite the scene in Maryland with an earthquake, hurricane and floods!

Catie's bed when we weren't sure if the winds were going to knock down our trees

Our very "comfy" air mattress

Irene's track

- Catie had her last days at daycare

With one of her favorite teachers

- AND most importantly...football season started!

Go Irish!

September

- Auntie Beanie and Uncle Rip came for a week

- I turned the big 3-0

Best birthday present ever!

Catie claws!

- We partied down as Katie Harris became Katie Harris Cartwright

The happy couple!

Ms. Karen!

Gotta have the ND t-shirt on!

We still saw kick-off!

Gangsta

West-siiiiide

Puppet-master

Let me get that for you

Aww honey...I think ya got something in your ear

No whammy, no whammy

Gotta love dress up

Another happy couple

Mr. Roy!

Rock'em Sock'em Robots!

Needless to say...a good time was had by all!

- Carley turned 4!

Birthday girl!

Cousins!

- We took the girls to Sesame Street Live

- And more football!

I think they are tired of their moms having them pose!

If you made it to the end of this 2 month long post...I'm impressed!

Start of Football Season!

This is a big time of year in the McDesi household! Football season is upon us. NFL, college football, fantasy football...we are into it all! Don't be surprised if there are several blog posts coming about this! For now, I'll leave you with a picture of Catie in her first football outfit. Sure you can't see most of it, but it is a purple Raven's onesie!

Not to worry! She has plenty of Notre Dame onesies to wear for the season too!

Yummy Cereal!

Exciting day in the McDesi household! Someone had their first taste of "solid" food

I'm ready! Bring on the food!

I'm not sure about this...

Actually, this is pretty fun!

Why do you keep taking pictures of me?

I like it better when Daddy feeds me. He makes airplane noises!

Ocean City Vacation

Last week Mary, Catie, and I joined Rick, Jen, and Carley for a week down de ocean, hon! It was Catie's first trip and she had a full week of the beach, the pool, the boardwalk, skee ball, and putt putt.

It started out rough...a stomach virus is not what you want mere hours before going on vacation! But we rallied and some of us even made it down to the beach on the first day (way to go Rick and Carley!) Of course, there was the aftermath...

By Day 2, we were ready to head to the beach...a little windy but BEAUTIFUL!

Did I say a little windy? Jon keeping our canopy from blowing over. Yes, we do learn from experience ;-)

Catie got her first beach and ocean experience.

I don't know Dad...

water's kinda cold...

Think I'll just hang out in the pool with Mom :-)

Well if Carley's doing it...

Must not be so bad!

We had lots of fun in the pool...

Carley has the best faces!

Catie even got used to the water.

We had fun at the boardwalk playing games. Our personal favorite is skee-ball. We got enough tickets that Carley walked away with the most awesome junk! I think she got a squishy caterpillar, a toy helicopter, 3 dinosaurs and 2 squishy pigs.

Catie was all tuckered out from mini-golf and the boardwalk.

Carley hit up the rides.

Too cool!

Catie got used to the water and had some fun with Mom and Dad.

Too cheesy Mom!

Last but not least...we stopped at our favorite breakfast place, Bayside Skillet. It's home of the neverending supply of strawberry paraphernalia...you can see it on the coffee mugs in the picture below, and trust me that's just the beginning!

Bye Ocean City! We'll miss you!

On the way home...