More 2009 Moments

We have a blizzard, so you get pictures.


B's Father's Day Present to Mr. Ed: A Yankees Game (2009 World Series Champions)




A cotton candy tongue.


ABRI
Catching Fall leaves

Exploring the arts


The attempt at potty training.



LISE'
After the Halloween Parade

Holding a butterfly

Pumpkin Patch


Sandy Hook


Flying a kite




Yankees Ticker Tape Parade

Vermont

It seems like years ago, but the week after Thanksgiving, we decided to visit Vermont. We were thrilled to have Grandma and Papa joined us.

First we celebrated Turkey Day by putting our guests to work painting. At this point, we knew there was a possible move on the horizon, so all hands were on deck. There was a reward at the end of the day in the form of a sunset stroll on the beach followed by dinner of lobster and clams. We can have turkey any day.




Once our bellies were full, we packed our bags and hit the road for Stowe, VT. Our home away for home for a week, Trapp Family Lodge. And yes, that's THE Von Trapp Family from "The Sound of Music."



Can I just tell you that Vermont is absolutely beautiful? We couldn't get enough of it. The resort was amazing too. It wasn't fancy by any means, but it had everything you could want and more, and it all started with the views of the Green Mountains.

When we planned this trip in February of last year, we thought surely there would be snow on the ground the week after Thanksgiving. Trapp Family Lodge is renowned for their cross country skiing, and it's something I always wanted to try. The joke was on us though. There was no snow on the ground, and we had only one day of snowfall, so we had to to find other ways to entertain ourselves.

We hiked, explored Stowe, swam in the indoor pool, put together puzzles, took a wagon ride through the property, got massages, and all out enjoyed a relaxing vacation.


One night B and I left the girls in our chalet to head to the main lodge to listen to John Cassel play the piano while we enjoyed drinks at the bar. It just so happened that we were down there when Maria Von Trapp was having dinner. She is the daughter of Captain Von Trapp and his first wife. She was portrayed by the character Louisa in "The Sound of Music." After she was finished, she joined Mr. Cassel at the piano. It was quite special to be in her presence and a highlight of our evening.

One of the days we were there, the weather was less than hospitable, so we hit the road for a taste of Vermont.


We started at Cold Hollow Cider Mill where we learned about the process of making cider and tasted (and tasted more) cider hot of the press.
*We didn't learn this at Cold Hollow, but a nice drink we learned to make while at the lodge was warm apple cider with a shot of Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum and a Cinnamon stick. Umm Umm Good!!!! I highly recommend.


Now it was time for Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Factory. You can only look from above down onto the manufacturing floor there, and since all the excitement happens inside the metal pipes and cauldrons, it wasn't too exciting for the kids. The treat came at the end though, so everyone was satisfied.
This was an actual customer who was visiting the factory.



After the ice cream, we headed to Cabot Cheese Factory. This was the best tour of the day. We actually got to walk down on the floor of the factory to see the process. It was Lise' favorite. At the end you had a table full of samples. For those of you looking for an alternative for your Spinach Madeline, I recommend the Habanero Cabot cheese. It's spicy, so beware. A little goes a long way.

We rounded out the day with a trip to a farm where they harvest maple syrup. The syrup process actually occurs in Feb/March, so we didn't get to see the actual process. We did watch a video about it and tasted the 4 different grades. I will never eat fake syrup again. So long Aunt Jemima!


All in all it was a GREAT trip. I highly recommend Vermont and the Trapp Family Lodge. You won't regret it. For more pictures of our trip, click here.

Turkey Day

This year, November was a blur. Midway through the month, Ms. Addie, her mom and her nephew came for a long awaited visit. It was a short one, but jam packed with fun. I don't think there was a moment that wasn't planned out to the minute. We took them on a tour of Sandy Hook and our area. They were able to climb the lighthouse at Twin Lights up the street, and Addie got to experience a one of a kind playgroup followed by dinner with friends. Luckily, the weather held out, and they were able to make it NYC several times. I even drove into NYC one night to meet them for dinner and the Lion King on Broadway. One of Addie's goals was to go to Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken. It's the home of the Cake Boss on TLC. So, on Saturday morning, we loaded into the mini and headed that way. There was a small line inside the store, and we recognized a few of the sisters that are also seen on the show, but the big moment was when Buddy himself came downstairs. He signed autographs and took pictures with anyone who wanted one. B took a picture of the girls and I with him, but unfortunately it didn't come out, so you'll just have to imagine it. He seems like just an ordinary guy who happens to be on TV. It was fun to meet him.

Like that, it was time to say goodbye to Addie and her family and hello to Mom & Dad. They arrived the day before Thanksgiving and got here just in time to pick Lise' up from school. It was the last day before the holiday, so the kids came pouring out of the building with pilgrim & Indian hats. It was cute.

We didn't have much prep work to do for the following day, so B and I took advantage of free babysitting and headed to NYC for the night. LSU basketball was playing in Madison Square Garden. LSU was outplayed by a mile, so we headed out just after half time and went over to meet our friend Richie in Hoboken for dinner. It was the first adult night we had had in a loooooonnnnngggg time, and I loved every minute of it.



The next day was Thanksgiving, and this year we forwent the turkey. It was all lobster for us. After dinner, we headed out to watch the sunset at Sandy Hook.





Once the celebration was over, it was time to get serious. Mom watched the kids, and Dad, B and I spent the next day painting. After all, we are moving.

For all the pictures, click HERE.

Let it Snow

Thanks to that storm that pelted our friends on the Gulf Coast with rain in the double digits, we got lots of snow. I don't know exact measurements because the wind whipped it all over the place. I do know it was somewhere between 16 & 24". I think it's the most we've had at one time of any place we've lived.

It started falling lightly around 3pm and continued through the night. We had friends over for dinner, and when they arrived, you could still see the tops of the blades of grass. Throughout the night, the kids watched as the grass slowly disappeared. We have lights outside shaped like candy canes, and their benchmark for how much snow had fallen was whether or not the candy canes were still visible. By the time Nicholas and Evan left at 9:30, you could only see the faint glow of lights beneath the snow. B even had to shovel a path to their car.

The snow fell throughout the night, and we awoke to a winter wonderland the next morning. Thankfully, B is still around because there was a lot of digging out to be done. I'm not quite sure what I'll do if this happens when he's in Florida. This isn't Utah where I'd wake up to a nicely shoveled drive provided by the snow fairy.

After a hearty breakfast of pancakes, we suited the kids up, grabbed the sleds and headed to the hill. Last year I got caught without a sled because I didn't start looking until snow was coming. So, this summer, whenever we were at garage sales, I picked them up. Thank goodness I did because there wasn't a sled to be had in town, and we had three.

The best hill in town for sledding is down at the Marina. Some kind homeowners have chosen not to to fence their property in, and they are generous enough to allow the town to use it. What fun we had. The first run down for Abri, the snow wasn't very packed, and she got a face full of snow. So, for a good part of the time, she just sat and watched or crawled around making snow angels. Lise' was a little apprehensive at first, but it didn't take her long to go down alone. B and I even had a few chances to go down too. I think B would have stayed all afternoon if we'd let him. All in all, we had 4 different types of sleds. If you're in the market for one, we recommend the inflatable one that looks like something you tube in behind a boat or the round disc.

The snow will be missed. For more pictures, CLICK HERE.

Check out the Santa --->

He's a little weird looking. More like the Santa you see leaning against the wall on Bourbon Street than the Jolly Old St. Nick you see at the local mall.

Hopefully he'll take the attention away from the fact that I've been MIA lately. Let's just say a lot has been going on. It always is, but when the weather is nice, I'd rather do anything but sit in front of the computer. Good news for you is that winter is almost here, and therefore, I'm inside a lot more. Oh well. I guess I should catch you all up.

This is a work in progress, but the BIG news you may or may not have heard by now is WE'RE MOVING!!!! We're flying down south for the winter-Jacksonville, FL to be exact. So, for all of you who drug your feet and pretended you loved us enough to come visit, you waited too long. You snooze you lose! You know who you are. And, for those who have watched us go through this before, the answer to your first question is, "NO, ,the house is NOT done!" No comment. The reinforcements are arriving after Christmas.

So, forgive me if I disappear and reappear on occasions with lots of info. I'd love to sit here the rest of the night and catch you up, but I have loads of laundry to put away.

No fears, I've downloaded my camera, so pics are coming.

Take care, and if you're looking for something to do, we'll always accept volunteers.

Happy Halloween!

From Belle (Beauty & the Beast) and the Orangey Witch (Yes, that's what she called it).


I'll eventually get back to September and October, but I thought you'd be anxious to see the girls in their costumes.

We had a fun-filled week. B was off in Jacksonville, FL on business, so I was one busy Momma.

The Sunday before Halloween we attended a party at the Atlantic Highlands Yacht Club. The kids had a ball. The hit of the night was the fog machine. Abri couldn't get enough of it. Luckily, B was able to join us for this celebration.

Halloween Twister

Abri getting her first bite of chocolate for the night.

A Shirley Temple at the Bar





Tuesday, Lise' & Abri joined their friends at "Bring a Friend to Dance Class" week. It was at the local dance studio in town, and both of them had a grand time.

Friday was Halloween Party Day. Have I mentioned I'm the class mom? It was a success, but a little nerve-wracking considering I was also coordinating a Halloween party with 70 people for after school.

Abri waiting patiently for the school parade.


Lise' is toward the back of the line. They walk the block around the school. I was so busy trying to get pictures that I didn't realize Abri had joined the line and was walking away.




B arrived in time for Halloween, and we started it off with walking in the town parade. The entire town turns our for it, and the kids have a great time. Trick-or-Treating started immediately following, and the girls took no time to fall into line behind the rest of the kids.













Once we were all pooped from the door to door activities, we retired to my friend Karen's house where we had two award winning chilies (I've sinced improved my recipe), lobsters and clams. These northerners had never seen anyone boil lobster in crab boil in a turkey fryer. Ha! Between my chili and B's lobster skills, I'm not sure they'll let us move again.




Overall, we had a great time and we're looking forward to next year!