The October Nor'Easter of 2011

Here is a photo of our swing set, it is now more of a jungle themed swing set!

This is the side of our driveway. This was a very fast moving storm with loads of snow, we not around 16-18 inches! With alot of the leaves still on the trees, we had tons of trees and limbs down, along with power outages!

Here is another picture of our driveway! Can't even get the garbage can out, there are tons of vines! Those vines are like the devil and never let go!!!

These are the steps up to our backyard, Brandon has gotten it cleared to go up there, but we still have loads more to do!

Was quite a scary situation to be out of power for around 5 days! Some people have been without power even longer. Makes you think and so grateful for what the pioneers did before us! Candles at night, games by the fireplace, cooking on the camping stove, wearing layers of clothing to keep warm. Some times it was warmer outside than in our house even! Also grateful to wonderful friends who helped us with firewood and bringing us gas for our cars! We were NOT prepared like we should have been and have been taught too! I think we learned out lesson!
A huge shout out to all the Electric workers from near and far working hours on end to help everyone get power!

A Favorite Family Past Time- Hiking!

Our hike around the beautiful lake in our town- Highland Lake.

Lil'G with his walking stick. Love to watch my kids observe nature.

Even Dandelion got to come along! Bummer the pic didn't turn out so well!

Miss P was not in the hiking mood, we brought her along anyways, so here is Miss Grumpy! She usually loves to go for hikes too!

Trunk-Or-Treat

Thank goodness our church had a Fall Festival with Trunk-or-Treating with the kids before Halloween, since we had a huge storm the weekend before Halloween, so Halloween was basically cancelled! Loved my tykes costumes this year- Lil'G as the red guitar, Miss P as Monster High- Frank E. Stein, and H as a skeleten!

Miss P sure rocker her costume!! Loved the wig and tights!

Lil'G and Big Brother H ready for a night of fun!

Just being plain goofy!

More posing for the camera!

Well, come to find out our town is holding a Trunk-or-Treat Nov. 12th to celebrate the Halloween we all had to miss due to the storm and all the power outages!

Boyz Overnighter @ Bear Mountain

These 2 took a little camping over nighter trip with a hike to Bear Mountain!

H even had to carry his own pack!

H getting his hiking on! So proud of you H! That is quite the hike!

Getting ready for some shut eye! What I love most about technology, was that I got to call them that night and was able to chat with them!!!

At the top! I am so happy for the relationship that H and his dad have! I hope you both always cherish and remember these fun memories you 2 make together! Loves!

Halloween Fun!

I love to decorate for the holidays and got this tradition from my mom who always made holidays so special by decorating our home! Thanks Mom! I am pretty proud that I also got my craft on by making a pair of yarn candy corn! I totally apologize to the person who first posted this on their blog, because I don't remember your sight, so sorry! They were fun and super easy to make!

I so love how my mantel turned out this year with some of my favorite Halloween decor pieces! Thanks to a crafty person and the Quilted Bear in Utah, me, and my mom for the fun decor!

Hope you are all enjoying this fun fall season!

*Do you like to decorate for the holidays too?*

American Girl Store- Boston, MA

For Miss P's birthday we went with our friends for the first time to American Girl store!! Miss P got a "Just Like Me" doll for Christmas last year. Here is Miss P and her friend Alex along with their little friends!

So fun to see all the dolls and set-ups they had! It was 2 stories of doll fest everywhere!

Miss P posing with Kaynoni, the doll of the year for 2011.

These 2 had a blast! Miss P picked out a"Bitty Baby" doll to add to her doll collection!

Thanks Holly and Alex for showing us the way and a great time!!! We even had dinner at a Chinese resturaunt with Gluten-Free food and it was yum!!

Ragnar- Lancaster to The Pocanos. PA

So proud of Brandon for doing a 24 hour Ragnar running race in Pennsylvania with a crew of church friends. Brandon is not a runner, he would of preferred it be a bike ride, but no, running!! He took up running while training for the race and their team even came in 3rd place in their catagory! Congrats to all! I am so impressed Brandon! You never cease to amaze me!

And what awesome views they had in Pennsylvania for the race, the Amish! What a new bunch of people.

Miss P's 9th Birthday!

Oh how I adore this girl! She screamed with excitement when she opened this movie. She has been wanting the Garfield movie for some time now, I didn't know she would react this way!!

Getting ready to make a wish! (Maybe she wished for a fish!)

9 things that I love about Miss P-
1. She has always had the best imagination!
2. Usually easygoing and always knows what she wants!
3. Loves school and will easily do her homework.
4. She has a nose like me!
5. Miss P was recently diagnosed with celiac disease and has taken it all in stride as we have to change her diet around. So proud of her!
6. Makes friends easily and is kind to others.
7. She is a great Big Sis to her lil' brother. She is going to make a good babysitter and mom!
8. She loves to quote movies! I think she memorizes everything!!
9. I love Miss P for being my girl and my snuggle bunny!

What she really wanted for her birthday- a Figit Friend! She hasn't turned it off since! It's her new interactive friend.

Happy Birthday Girl and to many more! Loves to you!

Awards Ceremony

So proud of H! Got a letter in the mail from the superintendent of the schools inviting us to an awards ceremony for students who achieved to the advanced level on their CMT (Connecticut Mastery Test). H took the test last spring, but we just got the results back. It is a week long test and something that is taken very serious. With the school even providing breakfast each morning of the test!

H- so proud of you and how hard you work, Congrats on getting an award! I thought it was very kind of the school to make the acknowledgement of these students.
Keep up the great work!!

Old Sturbridge Village, MA- Columbus Day Fun

So love this bridge picture! We went as a family to Old Sturbridge Village in MA. It was a beautiful fall day too! It takes you back in time to the 1840's to see what American life was like then.

Oh how we love to take these types of pictures! They crack me up!

Making the tykes pose, this was by the Carting Mill.

Here is Lil'G and Miss P trying their hand at churning butter. Not so sure if we would have survived back then!!!

Watching a Musket gun demonstration, yes that thing is Loud!!!

I love how my tykes are so interested in the world around them and like to learn about things! We will be going back for sure!