Eric~Whit~Taye~Ez~Coco

Halloween, etc...

2010-11-02T18:48:00.002-04:00

Here are a couple of recent photos with grandparents and halloween and such.

He's Here!

2010-10-14T20:28:00.002-04:00

Cohen Eugene was born Monday evening. He is healthy and both Mom and baby are doing well.

For My Aunt

2010-10-08T14:17:00.003-04:00

This post is for my Aunt who still, after all this time of failing to update, checks our blog regularly hoping for pics of the kids. :) Love ya Peg.

In other exciting news, baby number three will be joining us on Monday if he decides not to make his appearance sooner!!! What have we gotten ourselves into?!?!?!?!!!! Wish us luck, we'll need it. ;)

So Long Overdue!!!

2010-05-31T21:25:00.003-04:00

Okay, so I have totally been neglecting the blog. Life just seems to be so crazy lately and it only promises to get worse. I promise that I will try to be better about keeping up on all of the craziness.

In other news, a couple of weeks ago we had the big ultrasound and it looks like we'll be having another...... BOY!!! We're so excited that everything looks great and we can't wait to meet him!

Fourth Time's the Charm?

2010-04-05T10:07:00.002-04:00

We've had quite an interesting year thus far. We were so desperately looking forward to a more settled, low-key year in 2010. We should have known better! It seems safe to say that the fourth time seems to be the charm. We are anticipating the arrival of baby #3 in mid October!!! I'm safely out of the first trimester without a hitch so far. I have a hard time believing that a newie and a 14-month-old will contribute (even remotely) to a settled, low-key year, but I say bring it on!!! Wish us luck (we're going to need it)!

Aunt Lindsay

2010-03-17T13:44:00.001-04:00

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We're so glad that Aunt Lindsay came to visit!!!

Ezmai's 6 Month Visit

2010-03-12T15:51:00.002-05:00

So Ezmai is doing great, she is quite the eater, and her favorite past times are napping and chasing the cat in her little walker.

Stats:
Height - 29 inches (97the percentile)
Weight - 15lbs 13.5oz (50th percentile)
Head Circ - 16 3/4 in (50th percentile)

Pictures to come... stay tuned.

Ezzie

2010-01-08T09:53:00.028-05:00

Ezzie is growing up way too fast!!! At 4 months she weighs in at 13lbs 5oz and is 26 inches long. She is an awesome baby and has some of the greatest facial expressions ever!
She has become quite the smiley baby over the last six weeks.

Though she still has her trademarked concerned expression most of the time.

She is also quite the talker.

She can now hold her own bottle with occasional assistance.

She is extremely stubborn!!! She kept refusing to have her pic taken.

And she is the only girl I know that can be grumpy with a tiara on her head.

When she wears her headbands, I frequently find this when I go to take her out of the car.

And due to her very curly hair, we have some seriously impressive hair days!

She hates this little outfit, but it almost always puts her to sleep.

She was seriously fascinated with the Christmas lights and would spend at least 20 minutes watching them.

Grandma C bought her some Christmas pjs. I'm thinking the bottoms were a little big. :)

This pic was taken seconds after the last. What a sweetheart!!!

Despite being so young, Ezzie really got into unwrapping the presents. She seemed a little confused though.

As long as you wrapped her fingers around the paper, she would tear away. (She's going to need Botox between those eyebrows by the time she's 2!!!)

Santa brought her an Exersaucer and she looks sooooo cute in it. She loves to stare at herself in the mirror.

She is now officially eating food from a spoon.

Which really is nothing new since Daddy has been sneaking her food for months!!! Birthday cake anyone?

Though she enjoys her cereal, she is less than impressed with her highchair!

Though it's great to sleep in. I went to mix her cereal and minutes later this is what I found. So much for dinner.

She has the greatest pouty face ever!!!

And easily rocks the mohawk!

She's an excellent sleeper!!! Yay for me!!!!!!

And is currently working on solving world peace.

I love these piggy pjs. Check out the feet. I can only imagine what she's thinking right now. :)

She LOVES her big brother!!! If he's in the room, she's watching him. She loves to play with his hair and he is always more than happy to help.

Along with the impressive control of her eyebrows Ezzie is doing awesome!!! We adore her and love having her in our home. She makes a perfect addition to our family!

Tayeson

2010-01-07T14:18:00.017-05:00

Tayeson is still LOVING Kindergarten and is the best big brother ever!!! He is learning how to read and spell and is constantly shouting out words he sees as we go places.
He has also found many new uses for his little sister.

I bought this Christmas tree this year and he officially claimed it his since he is the same height as the tree.

He absolutely loves his baby sis. He is constantly fawning over her and making sure she has what she needs.

He had a great time reading the names on the gifts and passing them out this year.

He had a Christmas program at school in December. It was soooo cute!!! The little girl in this pic is his current squeeze. You heard me right. As they walked back to class he had his arm around her waist the whole time!!! Aren't they supposed to go through a girls are gross phase?

They learned the sign language for Jingle Bells and he did awesome!

He loved making gingerbread houses and was extremely proud of his creation.

Unlike Daddy, Tayeson was very good this year and Santa rewarded him handsomely as usual.

He has formed quite the attachment to his "rainbow shirt" that was given to him by Grandpa and Grandma Ames while we were in Denver.

He still loves having his very own "park" (backyard) to play in anytime he wants. Poor city kid!

They are learning about animals and their habitats in school and here is the lion he sculpted out of clay for his diorama. LOVE IT!!!

He is sooo proud of his little sis and is constantly needing to be by her side.

One of the local fire stations had an open house and we were able to play on and explore the fire engines. You like the chocolate chip cookies that are all over his face? He did too.

Tayeson continues to grow up entirely too fast. I'm insanely jealous that his teacher gets to spend most of the day with him. He is such a great kid and we're truly blessed to have him in our family.

Family Pics

2010-01-07T14:11:00.008-05:00

While we were in Philly we had our family pics taken. Danica was soooo awesome and squeezed us in last minute and as you can see we all braved the rain for some really cute shots. I'm totally heart broken that she will be moving soon and won't be available to us anymore. :( Thanks again Danica you're awesome!!! Check Danica out HERE.

Catch Up

2010-01-07T13:25:00.015-05:00

Time for some long overdue updates on the fam. This fall we took a drive up through Smuggler's Notch during the height of the fall colors. It was sooooo BEAUTIFUL!!! We hiked around a bit and attended a local fine arts fair while we were there. I couldn't pick just one so you'll have to endure several of my fave pics.
Right in our own backyard!

In October we spent a long weekend down in Philly. We figured we'd go down, show off the babe and spend some much needed time with old friends. Besides we couldn't miss our Halloween trip to Linvilla with the Montgomerys , it's tradition! We had a really great time and were able to catch up with many of our close friends that are still in the area.

Thanks again Montgomery's for letting us crash at your place!

We had a great time raking up all of the leaves this fall. T was a huge help and loved jumping in all of the piles in the yard.

Dad turned 30 in November and Mom turned 25 again this year. :) We also celebrated our 7th anniversary!!!

This Christmas we made the usual trip to see Santa at the mall. We took the camera to grab some quick picks with the big man. When we got there we saw a sign informing us that if we wanted pics we had to buy them, which I think is ridiculous!!! So, Eric took the camera and the super zoom lens and stood back in a little kiosk behind the girl taking the official pics. All of a sudden I see this bright flash and hear the camera's shutter click. The girl turned around and gave Eric the dirtiest look I've ever seen. I was trying so hard not to laugh! The best part was that even after the death glare, he still continued to snap a couple more shots!!! As a result of Eric's stolen pictures, he received several lumps of coal in his stocking Christmas morning.

We also spent some time this holiday season making gingerbread houses. We had a great time together and had a better outcome than the gingerbread disaster of 2008 (See previous post here). We had a great Christmas, just the four of us, here in Vermont. We also enjoyed a nice low key New Year as a family. We are anxiously looking forward to a less hectic year.

Now if we can just figure out what we're supposed to do with all of this.....

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Blue Steel

2010-01-06T21:37:00.002-05:00

Ezmai "Zoolander" showing her versatility. What a Hottie!

My Body Lies Over the Ocean

2010-01-06T21:17:00.002-05:00

So it seems Tayeson is learning a new song at school lately, the old traditional Scottish song "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean." I was pleased at first as I heard Tayeson singing the Scottish folk song in the other room. As I listened the song just didn't sound right as they often do from a 5 year-old's interpretation. But as I kept listening I just couldn't put a finger on what he was changing. Then he came into the room and clear as day he sang... "Bring back, Bring Back, Bring back my BODY to Me-e..." I couldn't help but attempt to correct him, cute and catchy as the new version of the song was. I didn't want him to break out into the chorus while we were in line at the grocery store or worse the hospital. "No son" I said, "it's BoNNie, not Body." No matter what I said, it's still body and he is sticking to it. So there you go, Tayeson's body lies over the ocean...

Fiesta Bowl!!!

2010-01-03T20:00:00.004-05:00

As you all should know, Boise State made the Fiesta Bowl again this year!!! Though this game could probably never be as entertaining as the nail biter of 2007, I can't wait to see BSU slaughter TCU. If you need a little convincing check out this article...

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/314532-tcu-is-more-talented-but-boise-state-will-win-fiesta-bowl

GO BSU!!!!

Germy Pancakes and Basketball Fun

2009-12-06T09:39:00.004-05:00

So a couple of weeks ago we get this phone call during the day, it's the school nurse... she has a crying Tayeson, who apparently hit his head while diving for a loose basketball during gym. Actually, he dove into the wall and she wanted to call to make sure we weren't alarmed at the bump forming on his forehead. She also made a futile attempt to not raise concern as she described concussion symptoms we should watch for. Scary.

I got home early that day, and after Whit related the worrisome phone call I decided I would wait for Tayeson at the bus stop, not knowing what to expect. Half expecting to have to rush him to the ED, I was surprised to have a smiling, happy to see his dad Tayeson come bounding off the bus. It had looked like he had been crying, and thinking I should take a closer look, I stooped down to take a look at this "bump" and give him a hug. Nothing. A small red area on his forehead (not worth taking a picture for), and a tear streaked smiling face is all I saw. Tayeson then related to me that he had bumped his head while playing basketball with his "guys". Whitney and I were both happy to see that the incident that landed Tayeson in the nurse's office was slightly exaggerated. We forgot all about it until Whitney was invited to have lunch at the school with Tayeson and met his gym teacher. She then related the head hitting incident this time explaining the unnecessary alarm. She said it sounded like somebody hit the brick wall with a hammer! She then rushed him to the nurse's office after which we were phoned. Little do they know, they should have the integrity of the brick wall inspected. Tayeson can be hard headed at times.

On another totally unrelated time, the other night Whitney was making her famous German Pancakes, and was telling Tayeson all about it. Strangely Tayeson started to complain, "No Mom, they'll make me sick" to which excuse he has used to not eat food items he doesn't like. Whitney assured him that he had had them before and that he likes them. "No Mom, the germs will make me sick" came his reply.

Now we all call them Germy pancakes! Gotta love that kid!

T's Monster Mash

2009-11-01T18:35:00.001-05:00

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Go Phillies!!!

2009-10-07T20:21:00.004-04:00

How can they lose with a Phan this cute?

To add a little irony to the situation we're playing the Colorado Rockies, which is where Ezzie was born. Who knew they grew Phillies Phans there!!!

Shout Out

2009-10-07T20:00:00.004-04:00

Okay I can't believe that I am going to do this but I have to give a shout out to MTV. I know, I know. Hear me out though. I am usually against 99% of all things MTV, but I was extremely bored the other day and was skimming through the headlines on People.com (I said I was really bored and I meant it). As I was enjoying my celebrity gossip THIS headline caught my attention. After reading the article I had to see the show. These two kids are amazing! Catelynn and Tyler went through so much opposition during their journey to adoption. I can't help but be in awe of these two. For those of you who think that placing for adoption is selfish and the easy way out take a look. You can watch Catelynn and Tyler's story HERE.

Watching this also gave me a whole new appreciation for our Sarah. Though she had some great supporters during her pregnancy, she also had some who were very vocal about their disapproval. I'm so grateful that many of them now understand her choice and have become some of her biggest cheerleaders. Thank you Sarah for all that you have endured for our family and our sweet little Ezzie! We love you.

Off To School

2009-09-20T22:00:00.004-04:00

Among the many changes in our home was Tayeson's first day of Kindergarten. I can't believe I'm old enough to have a Kindergartner!!! He absolutely loves school and the fact that he gets to ride the bus is the cherry on top. Unfortunately, I was still in Denver for his first day, but I'm grateful that Daddy was here for him. It has been strange for me to have him gone all day. With Ezzie home now it feels like I'm starting all over with my first kid. I'm so excited to watch Tayeson learn and grow this year. We love you buddy!!!
I love the recent cheesy grin we've developed.

Can you tell he's excited?

Home Again!!!

2009-09-20T21:48:00.002-04:00

We finally made it home with Ezzie last Saturday after spending two weeks in the NICU and 16 days in Denver. We're so excited to be home and grateful that everything is done for now. We have no complaints in the baby department; Ezzie is an exceptionally easy baby. She continues to make amazing progress. She was discharged from the NICU at 5 pounds 2 ounces and at her well baby visit one week later she weighed in at an astounding 6 pounds 4.5 ounces!!! Not bad for one week. Sarah has also been discharged from the hospital and thankfully is continuing to make a quick recovery. Thank you all for your prayers and support. Enjoy a few pics of our sweet little girl!!!

Our Sweet Sarah

2009-09-01T23:28:00.002-04:00

We need every one's prayers for our Sarah. She has had some very serious complications and is seriously ill. She has come so far that she can't quit now. Please, please keep her in your prayers!!!!

Siblings

2009-09-01T23:15:00.003-04:00

It has been so sweet to watch the bond between Tayeson and Ezzie. T has loved her since he first saw her. I expected some jealousy but he has been her biggest protector. He is constantly getting upset at someone who is making Ezzie mad. Eric took a pic of her and when the flash went off she scrunched her eyes. He turned around and said Dad stop it! No more lights! She doesn't like the lights! It was so sweet. As soon as she whimpers he is at her side stoking her hair and telling her it will be alright. He has been such a trooper. Though we spend most of our day in the NICU, the first thing he asks every morning when he wakes up is when are we going to see Ezzie? I love watching him with her.
He finally held her for the first time today. He has had several opportunities but he has been so afraid of hurting her that he didn't want to try. It was such a tender moment when he decided he was ready.

Have you ever seen a big brother this cute?

SHE'S HERE!!!!!!

2009-08-27T21:53:00.003-04:00

Ezmai Sarah was born this morning. She was taken by emergency c-section. She weighed 5lbs 1 ounce and was 19 inches long. She is currently in the NICU for the next couple of weeks. During delivery she inhaled some amniotic fluid and they think she may have pneumonia. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

The Choice I Made

2009-08-18T16:08:00.002-04:00

As I was searching the new LDS Family Services website I came across these amazing adoption stories related by several birthmothers. There is no denying that these are some amazing women!!!

https://www.itsaboutlove.org/ial/ct/eng/site/pregnant/what-are-my-options/adoption/the-choice-i-made/

In our own adoption news, we are expecting Ezzie to be born within the next 2 weeks!!!!!! Wish us luck. :)

Wedding #2

2009-08-04T19:47:00.005-04:00

This past weekend I was able to go back to Idaho for my sister's wedding. We had a great time and everything was beautiful. Congratulations Jen and Matt!!!
Don't they make a cute couple?

Aren't they sweet?

This is what happens when you buy 150 balloons. Jen's car looked like it belonged in Disney's Up.

Birthday #2

2009-08-04T19:38:00.006-04:00

When both sets of grandparents and all of your aunts and uncles live across the country, some presents are bound to arrive a little late. This usually means T ends up with at least two substantial "birthdays" every year. Lucky kid!!!
Can you tell he's excited about his new green truck?

I think it's pretty obvious that his Daddy adores him.

Thanks to Grandpa, Grandma, and all of the Aunts and Uncles for all of the school clothes.

He still loves Spongebob. Thanks Aunt Jeni and Uncle Mattie.

I Have to Brag

2009-07-27T11:44:00.003-04:00

I'm going to take this opportunity to brag about my husband regarding his previous/only post. Not only did he pass his board exam, he passed in the 98th percentile!!!! Not too shabby huh? We're all soooo proud of him and all of his hard work. Congratulations babe!

5!!!!!

2009-07-27T11:22:00.014-04:00

Saturday Tayeson turned 5!! It has gone entirely too fast. I'm sure you're wondering what could elicit this kind of reaction.
A shiny new green bike of course!!!

Can you tell he was a little excited? He spent the morning riding circles through the living room, kitchen, and dining room.

I love how excited he gets when it's time to open presents.

Hmmmm, I wonder what could be in this one.

Grandma C got him all of the bike necessities including a totally obnoxious horn!!! Can you tell he absolutely loved driving us crazy with it?

Modeling our new helmet. Thanks Grandma.

For whatever reason he felt it necessary to try and keep the balloon down while he was opening his presents. It was quite entertaining.

After lunch we were off the the "gray truck museum" (any car dealership with a gray truck). He became very cultured while living in Philly since we frequently attended many of the museums there and in Manhattan. He seems slightly disturbed that there are not many here so he has come up with some of his own.

Though all he ever talked about was the gray truck, he only wanted to look at the black one. He was soooo excited to finally go to the museum.

We decided to go with a Mickey Mouse cake this year. It didn't turn out too bad either.

We had some of his friends over for a barbecue and cake. They gave him an awesome new red truck that he was absolutely thrilled to death about. Happy Birthday Tayeson!!! We love you soooo much.

I also have to say Happy Birthday to Sarah (our birthmom)!!! She turned 21 today.

Sunset Boat Ride

2009-07-27T11:16:00.005-04:00

Earlier this month we had the opportunity to spend some time with Bill, the realtor who sold us our house, and his wife. We took their boat out on Lake Champlain and headed to dinner on one of the islands. It was fabulous and we really had a great time, not to mention how beautiful it was.
Here we are with Bill.

Sooooo beautiful. We love it here!!!

Sunset was so gorgeous on the ride back. We're so lucky to live here and get to look at this every day.

Our Marathon Weekend

2009-07-27T11:04:00.004-04:00

Okay, some quick catch up. Near the end of June we had the opportunity to spend 32 out of 72 hours either in an airport or on a plane!!! I know y'all are seriously jealous. Eric took Friday off and we headed out to Idaho to see his brother get married. Here is the happy couple. Congratulations Travis and Courtney!!!
Aren't they so cute?

Awwwww....

T was the obnoxiously tired ring bearer. Here he is enjoying a stolen cupcake.

We're so glad that we were able to make it, but the most exciting part of our weekend was not the wedding nor the airports (shocking, I know). The real highlight was getting the chance to finally meet our birthmom!!! We had a great time getting to know Sarah and her family a little better. We were sorry that our time ended up being so short (we had a lovely 5 HOUR delay in Chicago!!!!) but we loved every minute we got to spend with her. She is truly an amazing person and we can't wait to see her again shortly!!! :)

One of These Things Is Not Like the Other

2009-07-27T11:02:00.002-04:00

We learned the hard way why Mom and Dad said that the hammer is not a toy. His fingernail has since fallen off and is in the process of making it's comeback.

2009-07-23T15:32:00.000-04:00

It's Official!

2009-06-11T10:43:00.002-04:00

Well it's over for now! Yesterday I spent 6 grueling hours taking the national boards for new graduate Physician Assistants. Like any test, you never know how you did, and you always have that feeling that it was hard and you didn't feel good about it. That chance you missed one too many and you failed! Well the test was hard and I didn't know how I felt about it. I thought I was going to wait (worry) 2 weeks about it but I got instant gratification this morning! Opening the results was like Christmas morning, my heart was racing. There has been a lot riding on this test, as most of you know Whitney and Tayeson have sacrificed a lot so I could go to school. But among the sacrifice we have made some great friends and shared in many great (and some not-so-great) experiences! I passed, I'm a certified PA, well actually Whitney passed me. If it wasn't for her constant nagging about my homework and inspiring words in times of discouragement, I never would have passed. Husbands you know it's true!!! We'd be less without our wives!

Lots to look forward to, no time to celebrate! I start work Monday! We meet our birthmom soon and then my brother Travis gets married next Saturday!!! (this blogging thing isn't so bad after all)

-Eric

Catch Up

2009-06-08T22:15:00.031-04:00

It's been awhile since I've had much time to post, so here comes the big update. We were lucky enough to have Aunt Lindsay spend a week with us before we moved. We all had a great time with her, Tayeson especially loved the extra attention.

Aunt Lindsay and T goofing around.

While Lindsay was here T had to have some x-rays taken of his hip. Afterward they gave him these stickers, which when stratigically placed, may as well say "x-rated star". :)
Shortly after Aunt Lindsay left, Grandma C came to spend a month. Tayeson was so excited to see her and was so spoiled while she was here.

Our last weekend in Philly was spent fishing at Washington Crossing. It was so beautiful and we had a blast.

T had so much fun throwing rocks and sticks in the water that he couldn't have cared less about fish.

On May 14 Daddy graduated with his Masters!!!! It was so awesome to see everything finally pay off for him. He has worked so hard these last two years. As you can imagine, we are all sooooo proud of him and all that he has accomplished.

The ceremony was held outside, and yes, it rained!!! It was so worth it though.

He did it!!!!!! T was so proud of his Daddy. When they called Eric's name he kept saying,"that's my Daddy!"

T was such a trooper through it all. We spent most of the day sitting through award ceremonies and such.We also got the first glimpse of our sweet baby girl. She is only about 12 weeks along in this ultrasound, but we will soon get to have some new 3-D pics when we meet Sarah next week!!!! We're so excited to finally get to spend some time with her.

For those of you who worried that T would be lost without the many Philly pigeons, fear not, we still have plenty of pigeons to pester.

And lots of water to throw rocks and sticks in.

And beautiful places to fly our kites.

There is an awesome beach close to our house and all of the rocks there are shale. It's amazing how easy it is to break them apart.

Here is Eric with his Mom on her last day here. We're so grateful for all that she did while she was here. She has only been gone a week, but we miss her already. In fact, every time T gets in the car, he looks over at the empty seat next to him and says, "Mom, I miss Grandma C."

Here is a shot of one of the many islands in the middle of Lake Champlain. We've been told that the water will get shallow enough at times to walk out to this island from the beach that is only about three miles from our house. It is soooooo beautiful here!!!!

We have had a great time hanging out at the lake.

Tuesday we closed on our first home!!! We are so excited and have been super busy making it our own. The living room is the only room that is finished for now. Here are the before and after shots. (I totally didn't think to take pics before we painted, so here are the pics sent from the previous owners.)

The living room from the front door.

And the new living room. We really love it and can't wait to finish the rest of the house.

We've also added to our family since arriving in Vermont. Meet Mimi, our hilariously neurotic 12 week old kitten.
We've also been busy feeding the many squirrels in our backyard.
And apparently some of the birds wanted in on the free food as well.

On last fav shot of the week. T eating his cereal in the driveway and yes, that is my dining room table. Don't ask.

We Made It!!!!

2009-05-21T22:19:00.005-04:00

After 3 hours of this.....
and 4 1/2 hours of this......

We finally made it to this......

It's good to be home. :) And yes, Kay, Marlee, Sage, and Dalyn we miss you already. Updates coming soon.

It's A Girl

2009-04-07T13:38:00.001-04:00

We just found out Saturday that our birthmother, Sarah, is having a girl!!!!!!!!!! We're so excited. Thank you Sarah.

Where To Next?

2009-04-02T10:29:00.002-04:00

Trust me things can only go up from here. As Eric's graduation date approaches in the next six weeks we have wondered where we will be headed after he completes school. Turns out that he just landed an amazing job offer in VERMONT!!! He will be working with one of the hospitals there doing orthopedic and general surgeries. We're super excited and ready for a slower pace than the city offers. Now if only there was a way to get there without all of the packing and moving hassle.

Another Battle Lost

2009-04-02T10:28:00.001-04:00

After 11 weeks of pregnancy and four weeks of bed rest, we finally lost our battle Tuesday night. Sigh.............

REALLY EXCITING NEWS!!!!

2009-02-27T12:09:00.002-05:00

Saturday night after the game we got the phone call that we've been waiting for for nearly a year!!! We have finally been chosen by a birthmother!!!!!!!!! She is an amazing woman and we're so excited to be able to be a part of her life and to share this experience with her. She is due on September 22. We're so excited because Sarah is everything that we've secretly hoped for. The really funny twist to the story is that the following Thursday we found out that we're due October 19!!!!!!!!!!!!! So after sharing our news with Sarah and learning of her excitement for us, it looks like we'll be having TWINS!!!! We like to keep it interesting around here. :)

Home Sweet Home!!!

2009-02-27T12:04:00.004-05:00

After almost two months away, we finally arrived home. To our everlasting amazement, our home was still standing with everything in it and both cars where we left them!!! You never know with Philly. We decided to celebrate by going to watch the 76ers take on the Miami Heat. We had a great time and we even won the game.

T was thrilled to death when they handed out free noise makers.

Tip off.

I think he may have enjoyed these more than the game itself.

Headed Home

2009-02-27T11:45:00.012-05:00

We got back to Idaho a few days before our flight home. We had a great time hanging out with Grandma again. We headed to Ann Morrison Park, skipped some rocks, and played on the toys.

T could spend hours throwing rocks in the water!! It doesn't even matter how much water there is. I've seen him throw rocks into a little rain puddle before.

Daddy tried to teach us how to skip rocks. It was totally useless.

T loves the swings and bless Grandma's heart, she pushed him forever.

We all got in on the fun.

T loves underdogs but will only let you do it if he's in the baby swing.

We also got to spend some time at Planet Kid. I had forgotten how much fun this place is.

T getting ready to jump into the ball pit.

On our last night in Boise, Uncle Travis and Aunt Courtney took us bowling again. As you can see, T loves his Uncle Travis.

We're definitely improving our bowling skills.

Aunt Courtney's turn.

Thanks for the great time everyone. We really had a blast!

Billings

2009-02-27T10:50:00.014-05:00

After our four weeks in Idaho we headed to Billings, MT so that Eric could do a three week orthopedic rotation there. Eric loved his rotation and we had a great time hanging out with some of our friends who recently moved there from Philly.

One of T's favorite parts of living in a hotel was the occasional powdered donut Dad would bring him for breakfast.
We had a couple of days of really nice 60 degree weather. The kids had a blast driving around the cul-de-sac.

We also got to take a hike up near the rim of one of the plateaus.

Here is the view of Billings from the top.

On our drive back to Idaho the mountains were spectacular. Montana really has some gorgeous scenery.

Another shot of some of the mountain ranges.

It wasn't exactly warm most places in Montana. As you can see, a lot of the rivers were frozen over.

On our way through West Yellowstone we saw a moose and her calf.

While in Montana T learned some new skills. Take a look.

He seriously has never really climbed before.

This is a great thing to teach your kids, but when you don't know that your husband has taught him this in your absence and your four-year-old lays on his belly and slips into the water near the five foot end of the pool, it really gets your heart going!!!

I love watching him bowl. I'm sure they had to close this lane down after we left because of all of the dents in the wood. :)

The Rest Of Our Time In Idaho

2009-02-27T10:27:00.006-05:00

Our last week in Idaho was spent going to bridal fairs and hanging out with family. We were also able to go see one of the CSI Men's Basketball games. It was fun to go again. I remember going to these games with my Dad while I was growing up.

Here is T hanging out with Aunt Lindsay. She got us free tickets because the store she works for was sponsoring the game that night.

T loved to watch the cheerleaders do their flips.

Here is Uncle Matty dragging Aunt Jeni along with a licorice rope. Is this a sign of future spousal abuse? :)

New Years Eve & Day

2009-01-23T13:47:00.015-05:00

Yea, I know. I'm seriously just getting around to it. This is mainly for our extended family that we have been seriously bad at updating, so here you go.

New Years Eve we took the family bowling. We all had a great time and I even managed to eek past Tayeson on the bumper lanes by three points (though he was ahead of me for most of the game)!!! Pretty sad huh?

Here is a pic of the fam minus Lindsay who dropped in after work.

T loves to bowl and as mentioned above, his skills, sadly, almost exceed my own. Side note, whoever invented this little bowling contraption is genius. With the help of this ramp you no longer have to wait 10 minutes for the ball to creep its way down the lane.

See. Seriously, I wasn't kidding when I said he was ahead until the end of the game.

On New Years we went to this great little place called Hop-2-It. They have room full of inflated bouncy equipment for kids (and adults) to play on. Everyone had a great time and we were all super sore the next day.

Eric taking out Tommy.

There was a scout group that showed up at one point. One of the set ups was an obstacle course. T got right in there and raced with the older boys. They all were really sweet to him and would cheer him on whenever it was his turn to race. Believe it or not he actually won most of the races he ran!!!

I think that this may be why he would win. This part of the course is really difficult to get up, so Daddy was always there to toss him over the top for the win.

Here is a shot of everyone.

I think the adults may have had more fun than the kids did.

T and Uncle Matty at the top of the big slide.

Below is some video of some of our races. It was hilarious to watch these huge adults try and make their way through this tiny course.

Congratulations Are In Order

2009-01-23T13:24:00.004-05:00

We're so excited that my sister, Jennifer, recently became engaged to Matt. We were lucky enough to meet him and spend some time getting to know him while we were in Idaho. He has our seal of approval and we're really excited for them both. The big day will be sometime this summer.

CONGRATULATIONS GUYS!!!!!

Aren't they so cute together?

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

2009-01-23T11:45:00.023-05:00

And I got it this year!!!! We woke up to some serious snow. It was so beautiful and peaceful outside. We had a fabulous Christmas with my family this year. We were also lucky enough to have Eric's Mom join us for the Christmas Eve and Christmas festivities. We absolutely loved having her with us. We had Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve and read the story of Christ's birth. As usual, Santa was extra good to everyone this year and T was absolutely spoiled rotten by everyone.

Santa brought Tayeson some of his favorite things in the world. For those of you who know T, I'm sure you can imagine the reaction we got when he saw this train.

Matt and Jen Christmas morning. More on them in a minute.

Santa also managed to find T a watermelon. This was about the only thing he wanted for breakfast.

T has had a blast with his new Viewmaster. This has been great for all of the time we've spent traveling.

Here is the blanket I made for T. I was lucky enough to finish it just in time for Christmas.

Everyone piled on top of each other. We had a great time with our family this year.

Here is the rest of the family. You can see Mom casually ducking out of the picture at the last second, as usual.

Here is one of the trees just over the back fence. It was really snowing. After we finished with presents my Aunt Peggy came over and suggested we all go sledding. We layered on the clothes and headed to a hill just a couple of blocks from my parents' house. We had it all to ourselves and we all had a really great time together.

T and Dad catching some air.

I love the look on his face as he heads straight for the little jump just ahead of him. Despite the look of terror, he had a great time sledding.

He was also really good about hauling his sled back up the hill on his own.

See, I told you he had fun.

We had a great time too. It's been so long since we've seen snow like this.

Here we all are crammed into this tiny sled. Impressive huh?

We made it to the bottom. T didn't want to wait for a picture, he was ready to go again.

Tayeson eventually got tired of walking up the hill and opted for other methods of transportation.

As we got ready to leave my two brothers, Brett and Ryan, and Eric all piled into the same sled to try and catch some air over the jump. Instead they were heavy enough to break it apart.

Here is a shot of everyone at the top of the hill. Thanks for the fun idea Aunt Peg. We all had such a great time.

As you can imagine, at the end of the day T was exhausted. He opted to sleep in the tent that we gave him. In fact, he slept in the tent every night for about a week. Too cute.

T discovering his gifts from Santa Christmas morning.

Pre-Christmas Festivities

2009-01-22T20:47:00.017-05:00

On our first night in Twin my youngest brother played in the championship basketball game. Unfortunately, they lost, but Ryan played a great game.

Ryan with the ball.

T loves watching basketball games. However, he is not very fond of the buzzer. Thankfully, we had Dad's earmuffs with us.

Here is Ryan getting his second place medal.

We also had a blast building gingerbread houses with everyone. Tayeson, Lindsay, and Ryan worked on the big house and Brett attempted to assemble the little gingerbread village that my sister found. It was pretty entertaining.

Here is T helping with the assembly.

He had such a great time being around all of his aunts and uncles.

Here is Brett trying to put together the tiny little houses that make up the village. He had quite a time getting the houses to stay together.

He also had multiple mishaps with the icing bag.

Yep, multiple mishaps. I would think that he would realize that you need to close off the open end of the bag before applying pressure. I guess I was wrong. (I love you Brett!!!!)

T had a great time fingering all of the candy before applying it to the house. I'm so glad he doesn't like candy.

He did such a good job decorating the houses.

One of Brett's houses had some structural issues.

And this was how he fixed it. I'm not seeing much promise for a job in the construction business.

And here are Brett's final creations (the ones that actually stayed together).

Quite impressive for a 17-year-old isn't it?

I'm sorry, but I have to pick on him. Because of his lack of skills we had some seriously great laughs. :)

And to be fair to Brett, the larger house also ended up with some structural issues as well. Despite it all, we had a really great time putting them together.

Finally

2009-01-22T18:37:00.016-05:00

For those of you who are curious, yes, we did actually make it to Boise after being rerouted to Cincinnati, then to Salt Lake, and finally to Boise. After a three hour wait at the Philly airport, we had an hour layover in Cincinnati, and then an hour and a half delay due to weather in Salt Lake, we finally made it to Boise at 5:30, a mere five and a half hours after our original arrival time!!!! Needless to say, it was an extremely long day.

We spent our first week in Boise at Eric's mom's house. We had a great time catching up with everyone. It had been about 18 months since Eric has seen most of our family!

T and Dad taking a break from playing in the snow. We haven't seen snow like this since we were kids. We all had a great time.

Grandma threw together some sugar cookies and we had a great time helping cut and decorate.

Tayeson had a great time frosting his cookies. He seems to prefer the clupming, mounding method.

Dad also got in on the action.

It is really important that you apply the proper amount of sprinkles. You must also make sure that you don't underdo it.

And here is the finished product. Notice the clumping, mounding method I mentioned earlier.

And my personal favorite. I'm pretty sure this is made of several bottles of sprinkles.

We also got to help Grandma put up and decorate her Christmas tree. I think he was a little confused about where the sock should go.

Tayeson and his cousin, Michael, taking full advantage of the unattended decorations.

T helping Uncle Travis with the bulb distribution problem.

Before we left for Twin Falls we opened our Christmas presents from Uncle Travis and Aunt Courtney. As you can tell, Tayeson was thrilled with his Knex. Thanks for everything guys.

Customer Service

2008-12-13T08:37:00.002-05:00

I'm so irritated right now that I have to voice my frustration!!! We were scheduled to fly out West for the Holidays this morning. Due to a last minute gate change we missed our flight!!!! Not only was it extremely frustrating that we were never notified of the change or that from 200 feet away from the new gate we never heard them page us, but when we addressed the situation with the Delta supervisor she was extremely rude and abrasive!!!! Oh yea and did I mention that she raised her voice at us in front of Tayeson and then tried to tell us that we would have to pay for three additional tickets!!!!! Through all of this she never even apologized once for the mix-up!!! Needless to say, I am slightly less than impressed with Delta Airlines and the treatment that we received today. You would think that in today's economy airlines would make sure that they take care of their customers. Apparently, that is not one of Delta's main concerns.

Mommies In Manhattan

2008-12-05T09:46:00.007-05:00

A couple of weeks ago some of the girls and I went to Manhattan for the day. We had a great time walking around and shopping. Thanks for a great day girls.

From left to right: Jessica, Janet, Me, Julie, and Kay in front with poor Sage buried in the stroller.

Radio City Music Hall.

We found this fabulous little Mexican restaurant.

Here is a shot inside of St. Patrick's Cathedral. It was huge and so beautiful.

There was a couple getting married when we went in. I think it would be weird to have tons of random people filing in and out during your wedding ceremony.

HaPPy TuRKeY DaY!!!

2008-11-27T19:10:00.003-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!!! It seems to have come too fast most days. We have so many things to be thankful for this year. We're so thankful for each other and the joy and love that we share. Eric and I are so thankful for Tayeson and for everything that he teaches us each and every day. We're grateful for wonderful friends and family and for all of the love and support that they give us. We're truly blessed to have a warm home and food to eat. We are also very grateful to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for His atoning sacrifice and the opportunity it allows us to be together forever. We owe all of our wonderful blessings to our loving Heavenly Father who always seems to know what's best. We hope that you all have as many things to be thankful for this Holiday Season.

The Phone Call

2008-11-22T11:00:00.003-05:00

This morning Tayeson kept begging to call Marlee. When we were finally able to get her on the phone T was so excited. It was soooo sweet!!! He has never asked to call his friends before. Here is a little clip of their conversation. I don't know what T would do without Marlee.

Once & This Is What He Got From It

2008-11-21T18:07:00.003-05:00

While eating dinner tonight T just dove, literally, right into his rice!!! He started making pig noises as he gobbled his rice up. Seriously, he has seen A Christmas Story once in his life and this is what he got from it!!!

He thought he was so funny!

Though it is totally not acceptable, I couldn't help but laugh at him. He was pretty proud of himself. It's a good thing he's cute.

The Christmas Chain

2008-11-21T17:45:00.005-05:00

So for about a month now T has been telling us that he wants to ride on the gray airplane. This was in response to us telling him that we're going to spend Christmas with our families out west this year. This was obviously a mistake on our part. Every time we tell him to put on his shoes and coat he assumes that we're going on the airplane. Since Christmas is obviously not coming fast enough for him, we made this chain so that he can see how much longer he has until we leave. It has helped some, but he still constantly lets us know that he wants to go on the gray airplane to see the Grandpas and Grandmas and Uncle Tommy, Uncle Brett, Uncle Ryan, and Uncle "Trabis" (in this exact order). Yes, he does have aunts, but none of them have made it out to see him so far. I guess, in his mind, this excludes them?

Can you tell he's excited that it's getting shorter?

On a random side note, we bought him this $15 camera off of Ebay. As you can tell it is practically part of him. We'll have to post some of his pics one of these days.

Jumping the Gun

2008-11-20T20:33:00.006-05:00

Yes, we already put up our Christmas tree. I know, I know, Thanksgiving isn't even over. But I figured that since we are traveling for the first time this holiday season and since I have been listening to Christmas music for the past month that I should get to put my tree up early and enjoy it while I can. Plus, T wouldn't quit bugging me about it.

T was so excited to finally put the tree up. He did such a good job clustering the ornaments on one section of the tree. :)

You just can't tell him no when he looks this cute and excited about something. I'm not sure who wanted to put the tree up more, me or him.

Here we are fine tuning and thinning out the clustered section. With Mom's help, T was able to find quite a few bare spots on the tree. He seemed quite surprised that he had missed such a large section (the other 90% of the tree).

They're stuck Mom.

And here is the finished product. Not too bad. May I say I love that shatter proof ornaments have come such a long way!!! (Kay, I hope that this helps your plight some.)

$5 Tickets

2008-11-16T19:38:00.007-05:00

Yesterday we found $5 tickets to go see the 76ers play the Oklahoma Thunder. We went with one of our good friends and we all had a great time. It was surprisingly kid friendly and T absolutely loved it. We even won 110-85.

T intently watching the game. He was even brave enough to get the basketball painted on his face. The problem was he wouldn't wash it off for church so....

T and Daddy enjoying the game.

Here we are with our friends Charlton and Jessica. Thanks for coming guys we had a blast!

Here is a view of the Wachovia Center. T loved watching all the lights.

National Adoption Month

2008-11-16T17:31:00.002-05:00

November is National Adoption Month and I just wanted to share my support and testimony of adoption. I know that adoption has amazing benefits for all involved. It allows children to grow up in a loving, two-parent home where their needs will be met, it allows their birthmother the opportunity to complete her education and have the opportunity to provide her future children with a better life, and it also allows adoptive parents to fulfill their dream of having a family. In honor of National Adoption Month I thought I would share the names of some famous people who were adopted. I think some of these may surprise you.

Aristotle-Philosopher
Bo Diddley-Musician
Charlotte Ann Lopez-Miss Teen USA 1993
Crazy Horse-Lakota War Chief
Dan O'Brien-Decathlete
Daunte Culpepper-Football Player
Dave Thomas-Founder of Wendy's
D.M.C.-Hip Hop Artist
Edgar Allen Poe-Poet & Writer
Eleanor Roosevelt-First Lady
Eric Dickerson-Athlete
Faith Daniels- News Anchor
Faith Hill-Country Singer
George Washington Carver-Inventor
Greg Louganis-Athlete
James Michener-Author
Jean Jacques Rousseau-Philosopher
Jesse Jackson-Minister
Jesus-My Savior
Jim Palmer-Athlete
John Audubon-Naturalist
John Hancock-Politician
John Lennon-Musician
Langston Hughes-Poet & Writer
Larry Ellison-Chief Executive of Oracle
Leo Tolstoy-Writer
Lynette Cole-Miss USA 2000
Malcolm X-Civil Rights Leader
Melissa Gilbert-Actress
Michael Reagan-Author & Talk Show Host
Moses-Biblical Leader
Nancy Reagan-First Lady
Nat King Cole-Singer
Nelson Mandela-Politician
Peter & Kitty Carruthers-Figure Skaters
President Gerald Ford-Politician
President William Clinton-Politician
Priscilla Presley-Actress
Ray Liotta-Actor
Reno-Performance Artist & Comedian
Sarah McLachlan-Singer
Scott Hamilton-Figure Skater
Steve Jobs-Co-Founder of the Apple Computer
Tim Green-Football Player & Commentator
Tim McGraw-Country Singer
Thomas Monaghan-Founder of Domino's Pizza
Tommy Davidson-Comedian
Victoria Rowell-Actress
Wilson Riles-Educator

And here is a quick list of some that have placed a child for adoption:

Andy Kaufman-Actor
Clark Gable-Actor
Faith Ireland-Judge
Hank Williams, Sr.-Country Music Legend
Kate Mulgrew-Actress
Joni Mitchell-Singer
Roseanne Barr-Actress
Mercedes Ruehl-Actress
Strom Thurmond-Politician

We're so excited to bring another child into our family through adoption. We really need everyone's help to spread the word. If you know of anyone who is pregnant and considering adoption please feel free to share our information with them. We know that our birthmother is out there somewhere and we would love for you to be a part of bringing our family together.

My Experiences

2008-11-13T11:02:00.004-05:00

I have done the things in red.

1. Started your own blog 2. Slept under the stars 3. Played in a band 4. Visited Hawaii 5. Watched a meteor shower 6. Given more than you can afford to charity 7. Been to Disneyland 8. Climbed a mountain 9. Held a praying mantis 10. Sang a solo 11. Bungee jumped 12. Visited Paris 13. Watched a lightning storm at sea 14. Taught yourself an art from scratch 15. Adopted a child 16. Had food poisoning 17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty. 18. Grown your own vegetables 19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France 20. Slept on an overnight train 21. Had a pillow fight 22. Hitch hiked 23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill 24. Built a snow fort 25. Held a lamb 26. Gone skinny dipping 27. Run a Marathon 28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice 29. Seen a total eclipse 30. Watched a sunrise or sunset 31. Hit a home run . 32. Been on a cruise 33. Seen Niagara Falls in person 34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors 35. Seen an Amish community 36. Taught yourself a new language 37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied 38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person 39. Gone rock climbing 40. Seen Michelangelo’s David 41. Sung karaoke 42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt 43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant 44. Visited Africa 45. Walked on a beach by moonlight 46. Been transported in an ambulance 47. Had your portrait painted 48. Gone deep sea fishing 49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person 50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris 51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling 52. Kissed in the rain 53. Played in the mud 54. Gone to a drive-in theater 55. Been in a movie or on a TV show 56. Visited the Great Wall of China 57. Started a business 58. Taken a martial arts class 59. Visited Russia 60. Served at a soup kitchen 61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies 62. Gone whale watching 63. Got flowers for no reason 64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma 65. Gone sky diving 66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp 67. Bounced a check 68. Flown in a helicopter 69. Saved a favorite childhood toy 70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial 71. Eaten Caviar 72. Pieced a quilt. 73. Stood in Times Square 74. Toured the Everglades 75. Been fired from a job 76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London 77. Broken a bone 78. Been on a speeding motorcycle 79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person 80. Published a book 81. Visited the Vatican 82. Bought a brand new car 83. Walked in Jerusalem 84. Had your picture in the newspaper 85. Read the entire Bible 86. Visited the White House 87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating 88. Had chickenpox 89. Saved someone’s life 90. Sat on a jury 91. Met someone famous 92. Joined a book club 93. Lost a loved one 94. Had a baby 95. Seen the Alamo in person 96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake 97. Been involved in a law suit 98. Owned a cell phone 99. Been stung by a bee

Alright everyone it's your turn. Let's see what you've done. I want all of the dirty little secrets. I know some of you have done #26. :)

BSU Pride!!!

2008-11-13T10:49:00.002-05:00

After hearing the score of the BSU vs Utah State game (it was 49-14 in case you were wondering) I was reminded why I love BSU football so much. They are such an amazing team that never cease to amaze. Let us not forget the fabulous 2007 Fiesta Bowl. Oh, and did I mention that we're currently undefeated and ranked #9 in the BCS standings? I say it's time to get rid of the BCS system and let the Broncos show everyone what they're capable of!!!

GO BRONCOS!!!!!

Happy Anniversary To Us!!!

2008-11-09T14:38:00.008-05:00

Wow! I can't believe its been six years!!! Time has just flown by. Who knew that six years would find us here in Philly completing PA school with our sweet four-year-old and anxiously waiting for another one!!! It has been a great six years and I am looking forward to seeing what the next six will hold for us. Here are a few pics of us six years ago.

I bet you're wondering why everything is so pretty and green if we were married in November aren't you? Well, since November rarely provides much in the way of beautiful scenery in Idaho, we had our pics taken in August. That is definitely one decision I'm glad we made.

I love this pic. It's definitely one of my favorites.

Look how young we are.

I love this pic because Cinderella is my absolute favorite. It's six years later and he still puts my shoes on for me. :)

And here we are six years later and still going strong. I love you Eric and I can't wait to grow old with you (although Eric is already old).

Happy Birthday Daddy!!!!

2008-11-03T18:02:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was Eric's birthday. I just wanted to say how thankful I am for him. He is such a wonderful husband and an amazing, loving father. I love to see T's face light up when he comes home each day. I am so thankful for all of the hard work he does for our family. I'm so excited to be able to grow old with him (not that I'm ready to be old yet). Thank you Daddy and we love you so much.

With all of those candles to blow out, Daddy enlisted T's help.

We love you Daddy!!! Below are some of the reasons we love him so much.

Where Did You Learn That?

2008-11-03T14:06:00.004-05:00

While we were at H&M the other day T started break dancing in the middle of the aisle. I'm pretty sure that he has never seen anyone break dance before, but he was totally going for it. Everyone in the store was totally cracking up. He is such a goofball. We were able to catch him breaking to music from his Thomas the Train book on Sunday. Check it out.

Halloween Night

2008-11-03T13:59:00.002-05:00

We went trick or treating with a group of our good friends and their kids. We had a great time watching the kids load up on candy. Philly is the best for trick or treating because it is made up of row homes so there are a million homes on each block. Additionally, everyone that is handing out candy sits out on their front porch so the kids don't have to knock or wait. All of this makes for some serious candy. We had a great time taking T around and topped the night off by watching It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

Aren't they so cute?

TrIcK OR TrEAt

2008-10-31T19:54:00.001-04:00

HaPPy HaLLoWeEN!!!!

#1!!!!!

2008-10-30T15:34:00.001-04:00

WE WON!!!! THE CURSE IS OVER!!!

Ewww, It's Gross!!!

2008-10-28T20:04:00.010-04:00

Tonight we carved our pumpkin. T wasn't too excited about it because it was slimy. Dad cleaned out the pumpkin while T and I picked out the seeds so we can toast them later. We had a great time watching the disgusted looks on Tayeson's face throughout the process. Now we're officially ready for Halloween!!!
When T pulled off the top he couldn't stop laughing because he thought it was so gross. What a goofball.

He absolutely refused to help clean out the pumpkin. He wouldn't even help hold the spoon while Daddy did it.

He actually helped pick out two seeds before he was too grossed out to help anymore. :)

The finished product. Not bad huh? Thanks Dad.

Here it is in all its "glowry". (Eric made me say it.)

He huffed.....

And he puffed.....

And after about 20 tries he finally blew the pumpkin out!!!!

Sesame Place

2008-10-27T10:18:00.003-04:00

Saturday we went to Sesame Place. Our apartment manager gave us four free tickets!!! We took T's friend Marlee with us so we could use the extra ticket. We had a great time even though it rained off and on throughout the day. The kids got to ride all of the rides (yes, T did eventually get brave enough to ride a few of them) and see a couple of different shows. The definite highlight though was getting to meet all of the characters. Thanks again for the tickets, Avra.

Picture Tag

2008-10-24T20:22:00.002-04:00

Here is the fourth picture in our fourth file. This was T's first Thanksgiving (sniff, sniff). We were at my parents' house and my Dad took a little bit of my Mom's jello salad and put it on T's binkie. After he tried it the first time he couldn't get enough!!! Every time my Dad would put more on T would lunge for it. It was too cute.

T's First Field Trip

2008-10-24T20:04:00.009-04:00

Wednesday was T's field trip to Linvilla Orchards. He was more excited about the bus trip there than he was about anything else. He talked about the school bus for days!!! While we were there we were able to take another hayride, play at the playground, see some huge pumpkins, and freeze to death. With the exception of the wind and subsequent dust we had a great time.

Here is T on the school bus. As we were getting ready for school Monday, I told him that he was going to ride the bus on Wednesday. After he got his coat and shoes on he started unlocking the front door. When I asked him what he was doing he told me that he was going to go outside and ride the school bus that picks the kids up just outside our house. He was not exactly happy when I told him that he had a couple of days until his trip. After a few tears, that's all he talked about for days. Can you tell he's excited?

Here are some of the rather large pumpkins that we got to see. T loved to see all of the different kinds of pumpkins they had at the farm.

They had a little maze for the kids that T decided to try out. After we both had been wandering through it for some time we were able to find our way back out the entrance. Better than nothing I guess.

T driving a semi-truck. They have a great playground for the kids with tons of awesome toys to play on.

T atop the castle that he couldn't get down from.

Notice that he is walking in between the wooden slats. He refuses to walk on anything that is slightly unstable. He lost his shoe a couple of times on the way up.

Here is a shot of the cool stuff they have built at the playground. How fun is that?

The End of the Curse?

2008-10-23T12:47:00.004-04:00

On the top of Philadelphia's capitol building is a statue of William Penn. By tradition, no building was to exceed the height of the statue. In 1983, One Liberty Place, a skyscraper that exceeded the height of the statue, opened for business. Since then none of Philly's pro sports teams have won a national title. Now there is a new giant in town. This title is held by the Comcast Building. Last year a new statue of William Penn was affixed to the top of the Comcast Building in hopes of breaking the curse.

So far it looks like it may have worked. The Phillies have made it to the World Series and are up 1-0. Here's to hoping...........

GO PHILLIES!!!!!!

I'm Tayeson and I Like to Fish

2008-10-20T14:27:00.008-04:00

Sunday was our ward's Primary program. The title was Tayeson's part, which he actually mumbled into the microphone!!! We were so surprised and proud of him. Later we asked him what he wanted to do to celebrate. He told us that he wanted to go fishing. We packed up and walked down to the Delaware where T caught our biggest fish yet!!!! He brought it in all by himself. He was so proud!

A very proud Tayeson standing a safe distance from his prize fish. :)

Here is his fish. The Lightning McQueen fishing "cole" strikes again!!!!

Here is the video of T reeling it in. He really had to work for it this time. Good job Buddy.

Three States in One Day!

2008-10-20T14:07:00.007-04:00

Saturday started way too early for me. We were up at five so that we could be in Maryland in time for a Families Supporting Adoption meeting at nine. We had a great time meeting other couples that are in the same position we are. We laid out some group goals and assigned some responsibilities while we were there. I am now the moderator of a Yahoo group for all those who are working with our agency. I'm excited to be able to help provide support to others as we all go through this process.

After our meeting we decided to make a stop at Gettysburg to see the battlegrounds and some of the history. We had a great time driving around and seeing all of the monuments and various sites. It is a beautiful place and the fall foliage didn't hurt either.

We eventually made it home after a long day of touring Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. We won't talk about Eric's shortcut so don't ask. :)

Mom and T checking out the cannon. He was okay with hanging out at the back of the cannon, but he would not go near the front.

Mom and T again. Notice the tiny ant sized people and cars in the background?

This is why. We climbed this huge tower to see the 360 view of the battlegrounds. It was worth the climb; the view was amazing.

These are both pics of the battlegrounds taken from the top of the tower. Not a bad view huh?

Romeo Oh Romeo

2008-10-20T11:55:00.005-04:00

Friday night Eric and I went and saw the Philadelphia Orchestra perform Hector Berlioz's Romeo and Juliet Symphony. It was beautiful and we really had a great time together. Right in the middle of the performance this cute little old lady sitting in the balcony section accidentally knocked her Playbill over the rail. Over the music you could hear the pages flapping as it sailed down toward those seated in the floor section. Hopefully it didn't hit anyone, but I guess that's what you get for paying $115 for tickets. :) Thanks again to our dear friend, Amanda, for watching T so last minute.

A picture of the Kimmel Center where the performance was held.

The inside of the Verizon Hall. It was so beautiful and the acoustics were amazing.

So Much Fun!!!

2008-10-14T19:49:00.005-04:00

T has been so much fun lately. I'm really loving this age!!! We've had a great time making things together lately. Here are some of his latest creations.

Today we made this necklace. He even cut the straws on his own. He is so proud of it.

We made and painted these for Daddy. When they were dry we hid them all over the house. T chose most of the hiding spots. My personal favorite was underneath the toilet lid. :) He really loves his Daddy.

We made this glow-in-the-dark sticker page. He loves going into the bathroom to look at it. As you can tell, he wouldn't hold still long enough for me to get a clear pic of it, so this will just have to do.

And on a random side note, this is the balloon that we got him for his first day of school. Yep, that's right; it's still very much alive after almost four weeks. A dollar well spent I guess.

The Good Witch

2008-10-13T21:01:00.008-04:00

Saturday night we went with our good friends, the Montgomerys, to Linvilla Orchards. They have this awesome apple orchard, hayrides, a pumpkin patch, and all kinds of other fun stuff to do. We took the hayride out to the witch's house in the orchard and listened to her tell a story and some really bad jokes. After the hayride we roasted marshmallows and got some fresh apple cider. We had a great time getting ready for Halloween.

Our new family portrait.

T and Marlee waiting in line for the hayride.

T on the way out to the witch's house. He loved riding on the tractor.

As we rode out into the orchard, T covered himself up with the straw in the wagon. By the time we got done he was covered in it from head to toe.

Here we are at the witch's house. They do a really good job with this every year.

T and Mommy roasting marshmallows.

T enjoying his marshmallow. He doesn't like most sweet stuff, but he LOVES marshmallows!!!

Traditions

2008-10-05T20:38:00.006-04:00

Every conference Sunday we always make homemade pizza. T had a great time helping by eating the dough. The pizza turned out great and we even had enough left over to make some cinnamon rolls. We are so blessed to have a living prophet on the Earth. We really enjoyed listening to conference.

T eating the bread dough. This is so gross, but he loves it. He will even ask for the frozen Rhodes Rolls.

T made sure that all of the cheese was firmly packed down. Notice the globs of cheddar.

T and Dad listening to conference and painting pumpkins.

The pumpkins proved to be a great distraction. We were actually able to listen to most of the speakers.

The finished products. We're getting a great start on the Halloween season.

T's Hard Work Pays Off

2008-10-05T14:23:00.004-04:00

Eric and I feel that it is very important for our children to understand the value of hard work. We have been trying to teach this to Tayeson for quite some time. For several weeks T had been asking us for a yellow school bus, so we decided that this may make a great incentive for him to learn about some important aspects of life. We went to Target and told him that he could pick out a toy he wanted. He quickly decided on a Thomas the Train boat. We brought it home and put it on top of the fridge where he could see it. We showed him his chart and explained that if he earned all of his stickers he would be able to have his Thomas boat in a week. He worked really hard all week. Every time he put on a new sticker he would look longingly at his Thomas boat. Today, he finally earned his last sticker and got to open his boat. Little did he realize that in earning these stickers he learned the value of work, patience, following directions, and setting and achieving goals. You can tell that this boat means more to him than any toy that has been given to him because he earned it.

We love this little boy so much. Everyday he does something that makes us laugh. I love that when I do his laundry the lint trap is always full of sand, dirt, and rocks (and recently spare change?). I love how he knows when I'm having a bad day and says, "Mom, you're a princess." I'm so excited to see who he becomes as he gets older and I'm so grateful to be a part of his life. Tayeson we love you so much and we are so proud of you.
T with his new Thomas boat and his completed chart. Can you tell he's excited?

Ringing Rock

2008-10-05T10:28:00.012-04:00

Yesterday we went to Ringing Rock. When we got there we hiked back into this huge pile of rocks. The fun part is finding the rocks that ring like a bell when hit with a hammer. Yep, you heard me right, some of them ring when you hit them. It was the weirdest thing. T had a great time climbing all over the rocks.

T even found some "dragon berries" while we were there. For those of you who don't have to watch Dragon Tales everyday, that's where dragon berries come from. Needless to say he was very excited to make such a discovery.

Hiking back into the rock pile. Notice T is dragging a huge stick that he found along the way.

Eric buried in the rocks.

"I found one Mom!"

After lunch we headed over to the river and spent a few minutes fishing. We didn't stay long after Eric took a plunge and soaked both shoes and tweaked his back.

On our way out of town we stopped at this little orchard and bought some apples. You just can't beat fresh, homegrown apples.

Below are a couple of videos of the ringing rocks. Consider this proof that I'm not crazy, they really do ring.

So Exciting!

2008-10-05T10:13:00.002-04:00

We were so excited to hear President Monson announce that there is going to be a temple built in Philly!!! Now we don't have to move. It feels so good to be able to have our cake and eat it too.

Jackpot!

2008-10-02T21:02:00.003-04:00

To celebrate the nice fall weather we decided to walk down to the Delaware and go fishing again. In a little over an hour we had each caught a fish! We had a great time and T was so excited to help with the fish until they were out of the water. We came home and cook one up for dinner. Who knew fishing could be so fun. :)

Tayeson Taco

2008-10-02T20:35:00.003-04:00

T loves it when we wrap him up like a Tayeson taco. He is such a goofball.

One Down

2008-10-01T09:59:00.002-04:00

Sunday I successfully completed my first block of classes with the University of Phoenix. I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have to pursue my education and still be available to my family when they need me. It has been a great experience thus far. Thanks to everyone for being so supportive. Well, I can't type too long; I have homework to do. :)

The "Fishing Cole"

2008-09-30T20:42:00.002-04:00

So after our fishing success at Bushkill Falls we decided to invest in a couple of fishing poles. We even bought a little Cars pole for T, which he calls his "fishing cole." So we've been fishing five out of the last seven days and have gotten nothing but nibbles. Finally we bought some chicken liver and headed back down to the Delaware to try again. Success!!!! Eric caught a fish with T's "fishing cole." It was awesome watching him reel in this fish with this tiny Cars pole!!! As soon as he realized he had one, I quickly reeled in my line to go help him with his. As I pulled in my line there was this tiny little fish dangling off the end. So we both caught a fish, though Eric's was more impressive than mine.

Before we left, Eric decided to clean the fish really quickly. I was trying to distract T while he worked. In the middle of trying to keep T's attention I felt a bite and started to reel the fish in. The fish managed to get away, but he had kept my attention just long enough for T to run over to see what Dad was doing. All of a sudden I hear, "Ewwww, yuck!!! Mom, Dad broke the fish! He broke it!!!" What would we do without him?

Oh yeah, did I mention that I grabbed the camera that didn't have any batteries in it? Nice huh? So we don't have any pics of the fish but here is a pic of T's "fishing cole." Yep, that's what Eric caught his prize fish with. :)

New Callings

2008-09-23T19:59:00.002-04:00

Eric and I have both recently received new church callings. Eric was released as the first counselor in the Elders' Quorum Presidency and is now working with the Valiant boys, ages 8-11, in Primary. I was also released as the second counselor in the Young Women's Presidency and will be working with the CTR kids, ages 4-7, in Primary as well. We're both excited for the change and look forward to getting to know the kids in our ward.

T's First Day of School!!!!

2008-09-19T15:15:00.006-04:00

Today Tayeson started preschool!!!! Man this makes me feel old. He had no idea what he was in for but he was so excited. He got up and ready with no major pitfalls. He was so excited that he got to wear his "packpack" to school. We were lucky enough to have Daddy home for the day so we all drove to school together. T had a great first day and really seemed to enjoyed it. Mommy, on the other hand, was a little bored without him. :)

Here is T waiting to go into class. Notice that his "packpack" is almost as big as he is. :)

He had a great time with the other kids. I think he'll enjoy his first year of school.

After school we went and had ice cream to celebrate.

We love you Tayeson and we're so proud of the sweet boy you've become.

NYC

2008-09-16T20:06:00.013-04:00

Last Thursday we went up to Manhattan for a couple of days. When we got there Thursday we hopped a cab and had lunch in Little Italy. We ate at Puglia Ristorante. They had great food and a gentleman singing some awesome Italian songs. Even Tayeson got into it. After lunch we walked over to Ground Zero. Since it was 9/11 there was a lot going on. It was so sad to see all of the flowers, pictures, and memorials everywhere. Then we hopped a cab up to the Museum of Natural History. We had a great time walking through all of the different exhibits. When the museum closed we headed down to Times Square to ride the ferris wheel at Toys'R'Us. T thought it looked like fun until it came time for us to get on. Needless to say, we had to get a refund on our tickets because he wasn't having it. We quickly grabbed some dinner and headed over to Broadway to see Mary Poppins. It was fabulous!!! T had a great time clapping with everyone and when the mean nanny came out his looked at me and said, "it's Trunchbowl." This had everyone around us giggling.

Friday we headed back into the city to meet some friends. We had planned on swapping kids so the each couple could spend some time at the temple together. They bailed at the last minute so Eric went to the temple and T and I walked over to FAO Schwartz since it was raining. We had a great time and could have spent hours there. They had tons of stuff for the kids to do and try. On our way back to meet Eric, we grabbed some lunch in Central Park. After Eric was done we hopped a cab to the Guggenheim Museum. It is such a cool building. We had a great time walking around and touring the exhibit. After we were done it was pouring rain out so we stopped halfway to the car and grabbed some dinner before heading home. We found this great little cafe on Madison Ave called City Market Cafe. They had awesome strawberry cheesecake and fabulous eclairs. When we were ready to brave the rain we took a nice soggy walk through an abandoned Central Park, which was really quite nice despite the wet weather. All in all we had a great time and can't wait to go back.

Having lunch at Puglia.

Here we are at Ground Zero. It's really hard to see anything because they have it mostly tarped off to the public. It was so weird to see this huge plot of undeveloped land in the middle of all of the huge buildings.

Here is T in front of T-Rex at the Museum of Natural History. I think he was disappointed that it didn't come to life and run off to fetch a bone. :)

This is looking up at one of the dinosaurs in the entry way of the museum. This thing is HUGE!!!!

Here is Eric in front of his favorite childhood dinosaur.

This is inside the New Amsterdam Theatre. All of the carving and details are so pretty.

Here we are waiting for Mary Poppins to start.

T had a blast attacking me with this shark at FAO Schwartz.

This display is entirely made of Legos. Who takes the time to do this?

A shot looking up at the rotunda at the Guggenheim.

T and Daddy preparing for the soggy walk to the car.

Alright, One More Time

2008-09-07T21:37:00.013-04:00

I know that I said Wednesday was the last time we were going to the shore this year, but we just weren't ready to give it up yet. A few of the girls got together Friday and headed back to the shore. We had a great time hanging out with our friends.

T jumping the waves.

Cute, happy Sage. This is one of Kay's girls.

T and Marlee heading off into the sunrise together. Marlee has already staked her claim girls so watch out. When Kay made a remark about how cute another little boy in our church was, Marlee informed her that she was going to marry Tayeson and at a later date told everyone that it was because they had been together for so long. She always has the greatest things to say.

This is Aubry. This was her first time at the beach and she was a little unsure of the waves. She quickly warmed up to it and by the time we left she didn't want to go.

T and Marlee braving the waves.

Marlee and T playing in the sand.

You know when Sage looks at you like this, that it's time to go. :) Despite the look on her face, I think she had fun in the sand too. Thanks to Kay for driving!!! We had a great time.

Beach Bums

2008-09-07T21:14:00.012-04:00

Since the weather here in Philly has warmed up again, we decided to head to the shore for the last time this year. It was beautiful on Wednesday and we took full advantage of it. We had a great time, as usual, and even managed to escape without any major sunburns. We're sad that the shore season is coming to an end but we're looking forward to the cooler weather.

Dad trying to teach T how to body surf.

Eric getting clobbered by a wave while body surfing.

T playing in the wet sand. I love the stripe on his back.

There are tons of these huge clam shells all over the beach. T had a great time digging them out of the sand and collecting them in his "truck."

T catching some air. Who says white kids can't jump?

The tide was out while we were there. When it goes out there is this huge layer of these tiny little shells. When you pick them up you can feel them try and dig down into the sand. T thought it was so cool to watch them move around in his hands.

Mom enjoying the sun.

Mommy and T collecting shells. T made me do all the dirty work. I look like a big kid pulling the wagon and holding the pail.

T's shell collection. I was pretty impressed.

Valley Forge

2008-08-26T09:46:00.004-04:00

Yesterday we decided to keep up the biking trend so we headed out to Valley Forge. For awhile we were afraid we might get rained on but it ended up being a really nice day. We biked another 8-9 miles around the park. Valley Forge is so beautiful. There are deer everywhere. They're so used to people that you can practically walk right up to them without them running away. T thought that was really cool.

Being in a place where 3,000 of our American soldiers died over the course of one winter is very humbling. I am amazed at the sacrifices our forefathers were willing to make for freedom. There was no great battle fought at Valley Forge, our soldiers died from starvation, sickness, or they froze to death. Freedom was so important to them that they were willing to endure unthinkable hardships. Even though they had no food or warm clothing they didn't abandon the cause of freedom. I have a deep respect for those who have paid the price for me. I want to say thank you to family, friends, and complete strangers who continue to pay the price for our freedom.

Let's Try That Again

2008-08-23T21:20:00.009-04:00

Since we were rained out last time we tried to go for a bike ride, we decided to try again today. We double checked to make sure that there was no rain in the forecast before we left. We headed back down to the Schuylkill River and set out for an adventure. We stopped along the way and had a picnic, while throwing some rocks in the river of course. We had a great time and really enjoyed the beautiful scenery. We also racked up 8.56 miles worth of exercise. Not bad huh?

T all ready to go. It's this smile that saves him when he's being a stinker. It's his only defense mechanism. :)

Daddy and T along the way.

Mommy and T stopping for a bite to eat.

T headed down a spiral staircase to throw some rocks in the river.

This is a shot of Boat House Row. At night all of the houses are lit up with white Christmas lights.

I loved the reflection of the bridge in the water.

The water was really calm while we were out. I just love how green everything is.

Just another shot of the Schuylkill River. I can't wait until fall. It is so beautiful here.

Meet Rock

2008-08-23T20:59:00.005-04:00

Everyone, meet Rock, our new pet turtle. Since we have not had the best of luck with pets so far, we decided to try a turtle. They're low maintenance and T thinks he is so cool. As you may have guessed, yes, T did name him.

Rock was very cooperative during his photo shoot.

We decided that $8.00 wasn't bad for the turtle and his tank. T is completely fascinated with him and loves it when we let him out to walk around.

He has some pretty cool markings on the bottom of his shell. So far he seems to be working out well. He hasn't tried scavenging for any food in the kitchen yet. This may be our best pet thus far!!!

Silly Kid

2008-08-22T10:01:00.003-04:00

Last night we decided to put T to bed early since he was unusually tired and grumpy. He was very cooperative and jumped right into bed. Eric and I both had some classwork to finish so we headed downstairs to work. When I was done and went upstairs to get ready for bed this is what I found...

T had turned on all of the lights and had fallen asleep half on, half off our bed. It doesn't look all that comfortable to me but he was totally out. Too cute.

Excuse Me

2008-08-21T19:22:00.008-04:00

Today we went to the zoo. We had a great time watching all of the animals and spending time with friends. T especially liked the elephants.

We watched the elephants forever. As he was watching this elephant he kept saying, "excuse me elephant, do you want to get in the water?" When the elephant didn't do as he requested he got a little frustrated. I kept wanting to say now you know how I feel some days.

He thought it was cool to watch the elephant drink.

After the elephants we played in the tree house.

We finished up our day by riding on a caterpillar.

Bushkill Falls

2008-08-21T16:02:00.002-04:00

Monday we spent the day at Bushkill Falls. It is this beautiful little place up in the Poconos that has about eight different waterfalls you can hike around. We had a great time hiking around the two mile trail. The area is absolutely beautiful. T had a great time throwing rocks in the water and picking up sticks. After we finished the hike and since I'd promised T we would see a fish, we decided to rent a fishing pole and try our luck. As you can imagine for the $6.00 we paid to rent a pole, it was not exactly a great setup. The poles were not very nice, the hook was rusted, and we were given a cheap little rubber worm as bait. Eric assured me that no one could catch a fish with what we'd been given. After a brief demonstration on casting T and I tried our luck. It took us awhile to get the hang of it but every time we reeled in the worm it was covered in algae. For whatever reason T thought this was hilarious and absolutely disgusting. He would laugh the greatest belly laugh you've ever heard. Once we got the hang of it we tossed the worm out there and T started to reel it back in. All of a sudden we felt the pull. T immediately realized that we had hooked a fish and he started laughing. He continued to help me reel it in until it got to the point that he could see the fish splashing around in the water. As soon as he saw the fish he started screaming bloody murder and desperately trying to get off of my lap and down from the rock!!! This whole time I'm trying to hang onto T to keep him from falling off the rock into the water and hang onto the fish while I'm laughing hysterically. We must have been causing quite a stir because we soon had a crowd of people wondering what we were doing to our poor son! Eric finally grabbed T and helped him down and we were able to pull the fish out of the water. We caught a big mouth bass that was about 20 inches long and weighed about one pound. Once the fish was out of the water T thought it was totally funny again. What an adventure. And he said that no one could catch a fish with that setup!!! The only other thing we were able to catch was a frog that got a little too curious. After our fishing expedition we rented a paddle boat and put Tayeson to work. He had a great time helping paddle around the pond. We were also able to mine for some gemstones before we left. We finished up our day with a stop at Dairy Queen for some ice cream. We had a great time that we definitely won't forget anytime soon.

More Birthday Presents!

2008-08-19T22:13:00.006-04:00

Today we had a surprise visit from the UPS delivery man. He dropped of yet another box of birthday presents!!! As you can image T was so excited. At this rate there may not be any kind of a break in the gifts before Christmas.

T excitedly digging in.

T loved this huge Cars puzzle. Can you tell he dressed himself in a hurry this morning.

We also added another five trucks to our already impressive collection.

As you can tell, he was very excited about his new trucks.

We had a great time putting the puzzle together. T loved that it was almost as big as he is. Thanks Uncle Travis!!!

Exciting News!!!

2008-08-19T22:03:00.002-04:00

We're so excited that Eric's younger brother Travis just got engaged to his girlfriend Courtney!!! We've had a chance to get to know her a little bit and we're totally excited to have her join the family. CONGRATULATIONS you guys!!!! (Sorry, this is the only pic I have of the two of you.)

The World Through the Eyes of a 4-Year-Old

2008-08-17T14:06:00.002-04:00

Friday we gave T the camera and showed him how to use it. He thought it was so much fun. He spent the next hour taking pictures of everything he could see. So if you've ever wondered how your 4-year-old sees their world, here you go.

Italian Market

2008-08-12T13:31:00.010-04:00

Today we went downtown to the Italian Market. You can find any kind of food your little heart desires within three blocks. There are some great little cafes and shops and everything is reasonably priced. We had a great time and found some great deals on fresh produce.

Here is a shot looking down the street. I can't even imagine how crazy this place must be on the weekends. There are tons of vendors and little shops that sell everything you can imagine.

Tayeson and Daddy trying to negotiate their way through the traffic.

Cheese anyone?

Check out this cake that we saw at one of the local bakeries. That's a whole lot of frosting!!!

They had sea food so fresh half of it was still moving.

We decided to grab some lunch at Di Bruno Bros. The food was awesome. We would highly recommend it if you're ever in the neighborhood.

Here is T waiting for his pizza.

I had to get a picture of this car because it totally reminded me of Cruella DeVil.

The Ben Franklin Bridge

2008-08-12T10:10:00.011-04:00

Yesterday we walked across the Ben Franklin Bridge. This is one of the MANY bridges that span the Delaware River. We had a great time watching all of the boats, trains, and cars. We also enjoyed the awesome views of the Philly skyline and the Delaware waterfront. The weather was beautiful and we loved having a day to spend with Daddy.

Tayeson and Daddy just starting the climb.

T was so excited about the boats and trains! And believe me there were lots of them to see.

Are you comin' Dad?

The New Jersey Transit train ran right under where we were standing and you could see it through the cracks in the walkway. T was so excited, but it was a little louder than he expected.

T and Mommy checking out the view.

The Philly skyline. Not bad huh?

This was taken right in the middle of the bridge. The Ben Franklin is HUGE as you can see.

It Sounded Like A Good Idea

2008-08-08T18:41:00.005-04:00

Today we decided to takes the bikes down to the Schuylkill River. We were so excited that it was a nice cool day with zero humidity. As soon as we got unloaded and rode down to the river it started to rain!!! Eric and I didn't mind so much but since we'd forgotten the cover for T's trailer we started back to the car. Thankfully we were able to get everything loaded up again before the storm hit. I guess we'll just have to try again.

T and Daddy in front of the Schuylkill right as it started to rain. T loves to ride in his trailer.

A shot of the Schuylkill River bank.

While Dad was loading the bikes T wanted to try and ride Mommy's bike. As we went in circles he kept yelling, "I did it!" He was quite proud of himself.