Summer Fun - August happenings

Hi everyone!  Randy and I have had such a busy and fun summer that we're both feeling really ready for our favorite season to begin - FALL!  So in the few weeks since my last catch-up post, a couple cool things have transpired.  We went to Virginia!  We have been saying we'd go visit Randy's cousin Tammy and her family for a few years now.  But we never followed through with the plans and so now that they have a son just 2 months older than Red, we thought it would be a perfect time to visit.  So we went and had a great time with Tammy, Derek and little Andrew!  Tammy was quite the tour guide, taking us into Old-Town Alexandria and into D.C. to see the sites and visit the The museum of Natural History - sooooo cool!  Here are a few pictures:

Tammy & Andrew enjoying the train-ride into D.C.

The boys playing on the Metro

Red loves being on Daddy's shoulders!

Red got SO much energy out while in D.C. that he fell asleep on the metro with a death-grip on his zebra lovey.  We tried pulling out of his mouth while he slept but he had his teeth clenched down so hard on it!

We let Red eat a giant chocolate chip cookie (or at least a bite or two of it!) after what ended up being a rather tramatic bath-time experience with Andrew where the both of them pretty much beat each other up for stealing each other's tub toys. :)

Down by the duckies at the river in Old-Town Alexandria.  

Red didn't really care about the White House but Randy & I thought it was fun to see again!

I also have had 2 really special baby showers these last couple weekends.  My sister in-law, Megan, is going to give Red his very FIRST CASSOTTO COUSIN in just a couple months time.  So that was the first shower and it was really great.  The shower was at her mom's home nearby.  Her mom's back yard is big and flat and perfect for parties!  I hope Megan had a great time because I know I did!  Randy's mom actually relinquished cake duties (a duty I think she holds very dear!) to ME!  So I had my friend, Karen, make the cake topper again and it turned out super cute.  It was a lemon cake with lemon-zest frosting:

I had a hard time deciding how to decorate because they don't know the sex of the baby yet so I decided to go with green and yellow and use lemons and limes to decorate and go with the colors of the cake.  I think it turned out fun and summer-y.  We're SO EXCITED for Megan & Ryan to have their baby soon!

Before Randy made Ryan leave the party full of women, Ryan was so sweet to bring a tray of punch out to all the ladies!

The Happy Parents-to-be!

Red had fun riding in the empty box after the party.  (And enjoying some leftover lemon cake!)

Red loves his Auntie Meggie and Uncle Ry-Ry.  He even threw himself into Megan's arms (from mommy, no less!) and snuggled her with a big hug!!!

After the shower, I had about 100 lemons and limes so I decided to try my hand at making BRAZILION LEMONDADE.  YUUUUUUUM.  We always order it when we're at Tucano's in Utah and I found a GREAT website by two Mormon moms - OurBestBites.com - that had the recipe!  I ended up having somewhat of an impromptu luncheon with some old Gap friends and the lemonade was a hit.

Then it was one of my best friend's baby shower's.  She's due just 2 days after Megan in October.  So Erica's shower was fun too!  Here are a couple pics:  (and in case you couldn't tell by all the PINK, they're having a GIRL!):

Cakes by Donna - OMGoodness, DIVINE!

We missed Julie, who's enjoying a trip to California right now, but the three of us had a great time celebrating this exciting time in Erica's life! (Marcie, Erica, Saren)

Lastly, just a few fun recent pics of Red practicing his swimming skills in the bath tub.  We decided to do swim lessons with a friend of ours these last 2 weeks.  The lessons are every day, rain or shine.  And let me tell you, there's been a real lack of shine.  And a real lot of rain.

This is Red's new favorite face - he's very proud of the fact that he can do this!  It cracks me up.

A typical morning on the Cassotto house-hold and EXACTLY why I bought a steam mop to sanitize the floors- eating spilled cheerios off the floor while Talcott trails behind slurping up what Red leaves behind.