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Surf Camp Day 3

2011-06-09T06:04:00.003-04:00

Here are a couple of videos...not bad for a few kids form the south...

Drew

Molly

Still working on one of Alex...

Surfin' USA

2011-06-06T20:28:00.000-04:00

Our first day of surf camp – everyone surfed – not sure if I got pictures of everyone though – they all look alike in the wetsuits! Molly wasn’t even signed up (I thought she would hate it) but she begged me to stay and can’t wait until tomorrow!

(L-R): Alex second to left, Drew 4th (and quite pale!), and Molly on the end at right.

Molly showing me her moves on land.

Molly far left, Drew center.

LEGOLAND!

2011-06-04T20:24:00.002-04:00

We are on our own now … no parents or Andy. First stop after dropping off Andy was LEGOLAND!!!!!! The kids loved this place. Simple stuff like building and racing a Lego car, rollercoaster and rides, Lego Mindstorm robots and the water park were all favorites. Alex had been looking forward for months before the trip!

Oceanside Pier and Mission San Luis Ray

2011-06-03T20:23:00.001-04:00

La Jolla again

2011-06-02T20:22:00.001-04:00

The kids loved La Jolla so much that they wanted to go back there so today we went to Torrey Pines and back to La Jolla.

Sea World

2011-06-01T20:19:00.001-04:00

Sea World was our adventure for today. I think we were a little tired though as we all pretty much agreed to see all the shows. We went on one wet rollercoaster early which was pretty cold so shows were probably a good call.

Point Loma, Cabrillo Monument and the tide pools

2011-05-31T22:52:00.002-04:00

We went to Point Loma and Cabrillo National Monument today. It was definitely a highlight of the trip. The Point was very nice, it juts out into the bay and you can see Navy ships leaving port. We saw this Amphibious something or other (Drew or my dad can tell you) leaving today. We also went hiking around nearby tide pools which was very exticiting. For dinner, we had Drew’s favorite meal so far – he keeps asking to go back for Mona Lisa’s Pizza in Little Italy.

Animal Safari

2011-05-30T23:45:00.001-04:00

We went to the Wild Animal Park today. This is a part of the same organization as the zoo but more oriented to keeping the animals in a natural habitat to promote breeding. They have helped bring some species back from the brink of extinction and introduced some back into the wild where they had been completely hunted out (presumably with some sort of security). It was neat to see the animals, especially the babies including gazelles, giraffes, ostrich eggs and more. We also saw a cheetah up close which Alex loved – who knows maybe someday he will be here at the zoo training wild animals …

Strawberries, strawberries everywhere

2011-05-29T23:59:00.001-04:00

We spent a laid back day exploring a nearby Strawberry festival and picking fresh strawberries. Check out Drew and Alex in the strawberry pie eating contest. Sadly they didn’t win!

Off to the zoo

2011-05-28T23:54:00.002-04:00

We went to the San Diego zoo today. Drew’s favorite thing was the elephant we saw getting its hoof cleaned – another trainer was feeding it celery and it would use its trunk to take the food. Molly’s favorite thing was posing at every animal statue she saw. Alex’s favorite thing was the Skyfari (gondola). Andy and Diane’s favorite thing was seeing a polar bear right against the glass eating carrots.

Cuyamaca hiking and camping

2011-05-27T20:15:00.005-04:00

We decided to go camping at the last minute today. Planning might have been better but it worked out pretty well. Rented equipment at REI and drove over to Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. This is a (still) beautiful park that was wiped out by forest fires in 2003. What remains is a ghost forest of still standing dead trees and an understory of mountain laurel, wildflowers and meadows. We went on a super long 4 mile hike in perfect weather. Afterwards we grilled hot dogs and marshmallows over the fire – the best dinner ever! Sleeping in the tent with the kids was not “the best ever” but still fun. Drew slept like a rock, Alex was a little worried about another fire, Molly tucked her feet under and over me and generally flopped around for the entire night but it was cuddly.

After waking up with the sun, we headed over for a short stop in Julian, Calif. It is an old mining town that seems to be somewhat of a tourist destination. We ate at the Julian Café and had the hugest pancakes ever and headed home to chill.

Busy, busy day

2011-05-25T21:30:00.002-04:00

Super busy day today. We went to the Scripps Birch Aquarium in the morning and learned about local marine life. This was fun but even more fun was going down to the water at La Jolla Cove and Children’s Beach. There was a lovely grassy area for lunch and tree climbing, then we walked down to children’s beach which is not a children’s beach at all! No it’s not a nude beach either … it’s been taken over by seals who like to raise their babies there.

After seeing the seals, we went to another part of the La Jolla coast and climbed on the rocks until it was time to go to the Padres game. Drew went down to the bullpen to say hi to his hitting and pitching coach, Griffin, (not kidding) who is a bullpen coach for the Padres. Griffin was fantastic and even got Drew a baseball from the bullpen.

Moonlight Beach

2011-05-24T19:34:00.002-04:00

Alex wasn’t feeling too great today but Drew, Molly and I went to Moonlight beach. About a mile down the road, it is a white sandy beach with a playground and volleyball courts. We played in the sand and water and then tried out some beach volleyball.

Off to the USS Midway

2011-05-23T19:27:00.001-04:00

Today we went to the USS Midway. It’s an aircraft carrier that’s retired and docked in the harbor and turned into a museum. The pictures don’t do it justice but I highly recommend the audio tour. It was geared towards kids, interesting and everyone from Drew to Molly loved it. We saw everything in the ship … pretty cool. Weather was a little cold and rainy but that really didn’t matter since we were inside most of the time.

Here are the kids in the brig...

...and the kids listening to the audio tour.

Arrived in San Diego

2011-05-22T12:00:00.005-04:00

We’ve arrived! Here are some shots of our house.

A view of the house from the front steps...

The view from the patio...

Fishing Part 2 by the kids

2010-06-07T18:55:00.005-04:00

Drew:
Today we went fishing by the ferry dock. It was a little windy but it still was fun. I talked with my granddaddy and he gave me fishing tips. One of the tips was "if you lower your rod you will not feel the bite". He was actually right.

Molly:

Today we when to the beach and we built a sand sculpture. It was a water bottle. We made a waterfall, we went in the water, and dug holes. Overall we had a fun time!

Mom:
We also caught fiddler crabs (held by Alex and Molly in the pictures).

Sand Sculptures

2010-06-05T20:40:00.005-04:00

We went to the sand sculpture contest on the Isle of Palms today. It was pretty cool (well pretty hot actually) and also inspiring. Here is one of our favorite entrants and also our starfish sculpture created on our beach later that afternoon.

John and Joan joined us in the island - our last guests ... we had a yummy BBQ lunch on Sullivan's at Home Team BBQ and then brought them to our temporary home on the island which was at least 10 degrees cooler than the mainland.

Drew Caught a Fish!!!!!!! Or Three!!!!!

2010-06-04T18:58:00.002-04:00

The guys went fishing today. After much trying to figure out the fishing rod on my part, Andy took the kids out and they caught 3 fish! No Andy doesn't have any fishing experience ... as he said (was it only once?) "I am one for one on the crabbing and one for one on the fishing!"

Drew caught a toad fish which looks totally disgusting to me and 2 Sheepshead one which was small and one which was bigger according to Drew.

Drew's quote: "It was exciting and the fish was very heavy."

Toad fish in the first picture, smaller Sheepshead and bigger sheepshead in the next two.

Crab Dinner

2010-06-01T20:54:00.005-04:00

After much crabbing and sightings of Allie the alligator, Andy and Drew (yes the rest of us rested in front of the TV) caught 4 crabs for dinner.

Memorial Day Week-end Fun

2010-06-01T20:34:00.005-04:00

We had our good friends the La Kier's stay with us for Memorial Day week-end. The kids had a blast. We spent lots of time at the beach of course. We also got to experience a marsh nature program and Molly and Rachel discovered how great it is to "hum" periwinkles out of their shells! All the kids enjoyed trying to catch crabs - and even took turns putting the bait on the hook. On Sunday we went to a Memorial Day party and ate yummy food, heard veterans singing patriotic songs and played.

Molly and Rachel hum to their snails.

Charleston and island fun - May 25 & 26

2010-05-26T21:24:00.006-04:00

Tuesday this week we took the ferry in and went to Charleston to shop (girls) and to Patriot Point to see naval ships (boys). Shopping was a success, we had a great lunch at Sermet's Corner. The boys thought the navy ships were really cool and they got to eat real navy food for lunch. Here are some pics.

Wednesday we played around on the island. We went to the pool in the morning, home for lunch and then beach in the afternoon. At the pool, Alex is modeling his new swimsuit (from the Gap in downtown Charleston). The water at the beach was off-limits because of the low pressure system circulating off shore and creating a rip tide but the kids had plenty of fun digging in the sand and climbing the driftwood.

North Beach

2010-05-24T21:33:00.005-04:00

Some great pictures today although posting about Allie wore me out so I won't say too much more about our day. We went to the North Beach which is a completely undeveloped part of the island most reserved for seabird nesting (didn't see any chicks though). The water is somewhat protected by a near by island and sand bar so the waves were small and Drew and Molly had a great time in the water playing. Alex and my dad invented a game with sticks racing in the wind (it was very windy) that was a big hit - he is so creative. We also tried fishing - this was frustrating - I need a better manual I guess. Fishing line got tangled up like 5 times ...

Here is a great shot of Drew, Grams and Molly and one of my dad and Alex playing their game.

Allie - our new friend? May 23rd

2010-05-24T21:09:00.007-04:00

So for a deserted island, we are sure keeping busy ... I was too tired last night to post so I am posting about yesterday today. We sent Andy home on the early Ferry and went to the bait shop (off island of course since there are no stores here) to see about fishing and crabbing. We picked up our supplies and a couple of manuals (umm .. crabbing for dummies?) and headed back to our island. Once we got back and packed our lunch we headed to the crab dock. It is proper Dewees Island custom to ask if we can join the current occupant of the dock but this one was not in the mood for chatter and flew off before we could ask!

The boys really enjoyed crabbing - described as the best activity ever and we even 1. caught a crab, 2. got it into the bucket and 3. successfully determined if it was male or female (supposed to only keep the males). Here is our one lonely crab.

BUT THEN ... (queue Jaws music now). Alex says "I think Its a big one ... and it was ... it was the alligator now known as Allie ... eating our crab bait, crab hook, string and all. I quickly cut the string and Allie took off leaving a traumatized family behind. Yikes! Who knew crabbing was so dangerous. Where are the alligator hunters when you need them! Of course we leave - when we come back later there are 4 people crabbing in our spot (dead or chewed up you ask?) ... no ... they've caught like 10 crabs - no Allie! We are determined to try again ...

Grandpa and Grams join us for a visit after lunch. The kids tell the alligator story 600 times. We do try again but Allie seems to be lurking (although we "almost caught another big crab"). Better luck later (because you know the boys are NOT giving up).

Dewees Island - We've Arrived

2010-05-22T18:37:00.012-04:00

We arrived at Dewee's island yesterday. What/where is this place you ask?
View Larger Map
This small island near Charleston, SC has only about 50 houses, allows no cars and is only accessible by ferry or boat.

It is an amazing place - something like staying in a wildlife refuge. Our visitor orientation consisted of: what to if you see an alligator in the (golf cart) road (stop and let it pass), what time to meet for sea-turtle patrol (before 7am - say no more), how to realize you've disturbed a seabird's nest (apparently they act injured to lure you away).

On our first trip to the beach, we found several amazing shells.

We also went seining - a method of fishing using a long net. We weren't fishing but we helped the local naturalists collect glass shrimp, gar fish, and flounder for the nature center's touch tank and we also saw lots of crabs and silver fish who were caught in the net and helped back to the ocean (well the crabs didn't seem too receptive to our "help").

Finally, after all this nature, we napped on the hammock :).

Finally...sun!

2009-07-05T22:14:00.006-04:00

Now I understand why people love it here so much in the summer. Perfect weather today after a dicey few weeks. 72 degrees and sunny...so we went on a family ride in Acadia National Park today around Eagle Lake. An easy 6-mile loop around the lake on the park's carriage paths. The kids did a great job with the hills and Diane had Molly in tow on the tag-along. We had a picnic on the lake today and couldn't have asked for a more ideal setting.

Later in the afternoon I took a quick solo ride around the Amphitheater Loop carriage path and caught some great views of the Cranberry Islands. The carriage paths are such a great use of the park lands and gives incredible access to the park that would otherwise not be accessible by most.

It really was a relief to finally get a break in the weather. There is so much to see and do here, but the cold, rain and fog was starting to limit us...Tomorrow looks good too so we are going to try to squeeze some more of the park in before the rain returns and we have to head home later in the week.

4th of July in Bar Harbor

2009-07-05T22:06:00.003-04:00

We drove into Bar Harbor for the Fourth of July parade. A small parade but lots of candy for the kids from the parade participants. Afterward, the town put on a picnic and served hamburgers, hot dogs and lobster. The highlight was clearly the lobster races they were holding over 24 individual heats. Had never seen anything quite like it. The weather was pretty good for the day.

Made it into Bar Harbor for fireworks last night. Rain was almost a factor... However, in the picture below, picture if you will, the skies a little darker over the harbor and a dazzling light show and a daring escape just before the rain kicked in. It really was a spectacular setting to see the fireworks over the water and something about 4th of July in New England was special too.

Boston in the rain...

2009-07-05T21:41:00.004-04:00

We decided it might be a good idea to ride out the fog and cold and make our way down to Boston on Tuesday via Freeport. Freeport, by the way, was pretty awesome as far as outlets and shopping goes. The L.L. Bean flagship store is there and so are a couple of key other outlets. A little chilly, but a shopping mission accomplished. Made it to Boston and had dinner in the North End (Giacomo's for those interested...excellent) and grabbed pastries at Mike's Pastries. Cannoli's and cookies on the street! Wednesday was chilly and foggy but we ended up taking a Duck Tour which gave us a road tour of Boston and then went straight into the Charles River to complete the tour. A view from the Duck below.

(By the way, a huge shout-out to my friend Mike for ALL the Boston recommendations!) The rain kicked in and we spent most of the day in the Museum of Science. We finally made a run for the hotel (got soaked), but took the opportunity to ride the T. Dinner that night was in Faneuil Hall Marketplace at Durgin-Park. Very good meal. Would have been nice to have better weather, but...

Cold cold cold and foggy (and cold)

2009-06-29T20:08:00.006-04:00

Arrival of summer here in Northeast Harbor means foggy and 54 when the rain breaks up that is. Yesterday we were socked in pretty good. Mom and Dad left early in the morning, but unfortunately a combination of weather and a random bird strike delayed their return to Atlanta through Boston. While they were here we got to take a ride on the schooner Margaret Todd. As you can see, if it wasn't 100 feet in front of us, we couldn't have told you we really left port or not. Although the prevailing winds and sub-60 degree temperatures seemed to indicate we were indeed moving.

Believe it or not the first picture is not an actual shot of the Mayflower, but was actually Mom, Dad and Molly Saturday morning on the Margaret Todd. Rain took over yesterday and we packed it in for the day.

Today was a little more promising. We hit Ship Rock in Acadia which was about a 1.5 mile loop out to the harbor near Southwest Harbor and got some spectacular views of the waves and the rocky coastline. Fog had lifted a little but I'd swear the weather was closer to winter in Atlanta than summertime.

...and of course, how can we forget today is Alex's 8th Birthday! We actually devoured the cake Di made for him today.

More to come tomorrow as we hit Freeport and Boston

Sun, sun, Mr Golden Sun, please shine down on me ...

2009-06-26T09:14:00.003-04:00

Joan & John arrived yesterday and reminded me that I hadn't posted in a while so here is a quick update:

1. Rain and fog everyday here ...
2. Tuesday we went to the indoor pool. Molly swam to Drew. It was cold ... we also hiked the Compass Harbor trail. A short walk near the town of Bar Harbor.
3. Wednesday we went on what is so far the best hike of our trip. It was the Ship Harbor trail which went from the woods to the coast where the waves were crashing against the rocks. It was foggy but hopefully we will get back there one day when we can appreciate the view. We ate lunch at the Bass Head lighthouse (which we recognized from the lighthouse puzzle we had completed earlier in the week - rain good for something?). Again, we believe there was a view but we are not sure. For dessert we had ice cream in Southwest Harbor.
4. Thursday was another day to hang around the house. We walked through town, went to the library and went to the farmers market. After Joan and John arrived, we went for another walk. We discovered THE BEST toy store with tons of German wooden toys that were amazingly detailed and way too expensive for any kid. We took John out for what promises to be the first of many lobster meals (well he took us out) and introduced them to the bakery for dessert.

No pics as I forgot my camera on the hike - sorry.

Rain Rain Go Away

2009-06-22T12:43:00.005-04:00

It's been a rainy few days here on the Island but I have a few activities to report:

Saturday we went to the Oceanarium. Really more like a lobsterarium but still interesting. We saw a lobster hatchery with lots of teeny tiny lobsters swimming around and learned how they are raised and released. There was also a presentation by a real retired lobsterman. They do love lobsters here ...

There was a touch pool where the kids could hold sea animals. Molly volunteered to hold everything. Here is Molly holding a slimy snail and a horseshoe crab!

Drew is holding a sea urchin and Alex is holding the scallop.

On Sunday we went mini-golfing. I won but Alex and Drew came in a close second and third and both got holes-in-one.

Monday is a windy and rainy day. We walked to the library and got books and movies. Finished a puzzle and will stay cozy in our cottage for the rest of the day. I could wish for better weather but it is supposed to get sunnier for when Andy joins us so I can't complain too much.

Boat Ride to Little Cranberry

2009-06-18T16:52:00.004-04:00

We went on a small boat to Little Cranberry Island. But this is my question: why do they call it Little Cranberry Island? It seemed big to me. There were some blankets on the boat. We saw an osprey nest, we saw at least 10 seals and a baby seal in the water. The seals jumped. We started out in Northeast Harbor and when we went on the boat we sailed away across the water to little Cranberry Island. We saw a museum there with a boat in it and stuff people used in the olden days on Cranberry. Awesome fact from Alex: Osprey and falcons have such good eyesight they can see a fish from far off the ground. We also saw lobster traps and Molly picked buttercups. - Alex and Molly

Biking on the Carriage Trails - June 17

2009-06-18T16:45:00.002-04:00

We went to a trail that went around a lake. It was a six mile trail. It happened to have one big uphill and one huge downhill. We had lunch and me, my mom and granddad went on another bike ride that was supposed to be three miles but was actually five miles. Then we went home because we were very tired. - Drew

The uphill was about 350 feet. I just went on the six mile ride. We had lunch sitting on a rock. I went on a walk with grandma and molly and we saw tadpoles and two black dogs with curly hair. - Alex

It was a good day outside. I liked having a beautiful fast bike ride. I had fun riding the tag-a-long with my mama. - Molly

Skipping Stones

2009-06-16T20:37:00.006-04:00

Forgot to post yesterday ... it was a busy evening as my Mom and Step-dad arrived from Pennsylvania to stay with us for the week. It is much appreciated as I always seem more patient with the kids when there are more adults around.

During the day Monday the kids and I explored Southeast Harbor. About 2 miles away as the crow flies but a long U shaped 12 mile drive from here. We checked out the local bike shop, had a picnic on the water and ice cream in town. I had blueberry - yum. The boys spent most of an hour trying to skip stones and open mussel shells ... see the stone skipping in the picture?

Today we went into Bar Harbor and walked on a path to Bar Island. The path is submerged by the sea except for 2-4 hours around low tide. Hopefully, we will be back that way later when it is underwater so that we can see where we were - looked pretty open to me today. Skipping stones part two commenced on the shore of the island.

We also stopped in the whale museum and saw some gigantic whale skeletons. Jonah definitely would have fit in one! And of course ice cream part two ...

Where are they now?

2009-06-14T21:26:00.006-04:00

Today was our first full day in Maine. We are staying in a little community called Northeast Harbor which is near Bar Harbor in the "down east" part of Maine. We arrived last night after a 13 hour car ride from Pennsylvania and had our first taste of Maine seafood. Yummy. The waiter also treated the kids to a lesson about lobster. Waiter holding the live lobster: “If this claw got your finger it would hurt and he wouldn’t let go …” Lobster: (waves menacingly)

We sadly dropped Andy off at the airport to return home to work (poor guy) and went on an epic trip to the grocery store armed with a three page grocery list. Alex commented that he thought we had enough food for a year but I bet we are back at the store within the week!

This afternoon, we went over to Bar Harbor and explored some shops. It was raining but not too hard so the kids just put their hoods up and we shopped away in the many souvenir/T-shirt shops. Me: “these are cute pajama pants …” Kids: “Look it’s a lobster and its getting your finger and it will not let go!”

Crater Lake

2008-07-01T23:07:00.001-04:00

Today we made the 2.5 hour drive to Crater Lake National Park. It was worth every minute of it. We came in from the North Rim which was closest to Sunriver and drove down the West Rim Highway. (As it turns out the East Rim Highway was still closed due to the snow.) There was plenty of snow still on the ground even though the temperatures up on the rim were still in the high sixties/low seventies. We had lunch in the lodge and enjoyed the spectacular views from there.

I stitched together some of the pictures to make a few panoramics, but it doesn't really do the view justice. (Click on the pictures for a larger version of them.)

A view from just south of the lodge. Note the lodge in the upper left.

Heading back north from the lodge. The island is called Wizard Island.

Another view. This one is on the way to the lodge. Snow still on the foreground.

Probably one of my favorites. Note the "Danger" sign in the foreground.

Rafting in Sunriver

2008-07-01T22:57:00.005-04:00

So we went on what was supposed to be a lazy rafting trip from the Sunriver marina down the Deschutes River for six miles. It was pretty much as advertised: lazy summer day. We stopped for a picnic along the way on the shore. But on the final 500 yards we struck a stray log along the side and successfully ruptured the raft. Thanks to Drew's dutch-boy imitation (he plugged the hole in the raft with his finger) and Diane's handy paddling, we made it. Seriously, if he hadn't plugged the hole a family of five would have been swimming swiftly in 55 degree water for the final 500 yards...

Playing in the River

2008-07-01T22:52:00.004-04:00

Just another easy-going day on vacation - it was a hot one so we played in the extremely cold river that afternoon.

Alex's Birthday

2008-07-01T22:40:00.003-04:00

Alex's perfect day: homemade waffles for breakfast along with a new iPod shuffle and iDog, off to bowling, home for PB&J, going to the "Kung Fu Panda" movie and then Alex made his famous chicken nuggets for dinner for all of us. Happy seventh birthday!

Molly Rides a Pony

2008-07-01T22:38:00.003-04:00

Molly went on a little pony ride while the boys went bird-watching with Grandpa and Grams.

Metolius River

2008-07-01T22:31:00.005-04:00

We also visited the head of the Metolius River which emerges from the side of a hill near Sisters, OR. Dad and Terrie are huge bird watchers and this turned out to be a great bird watching day both here and at the Wizard Falls fish hatchery. We saw a Stellars Jay at the river origin and a rare Dipper at the fish hatchery. As you can see, the kids really got into watching birds too. There aren't any pictures of the fish (trust me there were lots of them in large tanks and a pond) but the rapids are of the Wizard Falls and they really are this strange blueish color - very cool.

Newberry Caldera

2008-07-01T22:27:00.006-04:00

Diane’s Dad and step-mom visited next. The first stop was the Newberry Caldera. This is still part of the same National Monument that includes Lava Lands, the Lava River Cave and the Lava Cast Forest and is right outside Sunriver where we are living. This part of the park included an incredible obsidian mountain where the short loop trail was still covered in snow. It also included the best lunch stop yet – a picnic spot by Paulina Falls that was only a short walk away.

Lave Cast Forest and Benham Falls

2008-07-01T22:14:00.003-04:00

A lava "cast" tree - although if you took 3rd grade science you know that this is actually a "mold."

We had another fun day with Uncle Doug and Aunt Bonny. We toured the lava cast forest (holes where trees used to be) and hiked to Benham Falls. Yes, that's right we actually hiked to a falls with all the kids. Then Doug and Drew hiked ahead about 200 yards and noticed that there was a parking lot right there!

Around Our House

2008-06-25T23:45:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to include a few pictures of the sights just outside our door. Here is a deer that was in our yard - I saw a baby deer too but was too slow to catch it on film. This bridge and river is 2 blocks away!

Uncle Doug and Aunt Bonny Visit - Lava Caves

2008-06-25T23:38:00.004-04:00

After a few days without Andy (he went home on Father's Day - not everyone can take a month off work), Diane's brother Doug and sister-in-law Bonny came for a visit. It was wonderful to have some more adults in the house as Diane was feeling pretty outnumbered! Our first stop was the lava river cave. It is a huge 1 mile long cave formed by hot lava flow. We had to carry propane lanterns for light and it was cold - about 42 degrees the entire time.

The Rodeo

2008-06-25T23:31:00.003-04:00

On the 14th we went to the rodeo in Sisters, OR. I thought it was fun. The boys seemed to enjoy the kettle corn as much as the events!

So...where in the world are we?

2008-06-13T21:03:00.002-04:00

...just south of Bend, Oregon...Sunriver, to be exact.

We made the trip out here last week and have seen some of the coldest weather we have ever experienced in June. So cold, in fact, it snowed here this past Tuesday (well flurried anyway). What does that say for the family that packed one pair of jeans and a handful of long-sleeved shirts? It likely says we didn't check the weather very well before we left Atlanta. It's warmed up since, but you'd be amazed at how often you rationalize the fact that the day's high of 50 degrees "doesn't seem so bad...(it's a DRY cold)" after you've flown a family of five across the country to stay for a month. We've done a lot despite the cold, so I will try to recount it all here to get everyone up to speed.

So what is Sunriver exactly?
For starters Sunriver and Bend are in a climate called a high desert. It's part of the Great Basin and is at an altitude of about 4,000 ft. There is a large presence of what once was volcanic activity nearby (lots of lava rocks) and all around you will see juniper, wildflowers and sagebrush.

The best way to describe Sunriver itself is comparing it to a cross between the plantations in Hilton Head and...summer camp. It is located alongside the Deschutes River and contains over 30 miles of bike paths with easy access to hiking, kayaking and other outdoor activities. Bend itself is a neat little town experiencing explosive growth. The Old Mill District is the center of this growth and contains plenty of upscale shopping and connects to miles of walking paths connecting all parts of the city.

So what have you been doing in the freezing cold?
Connecting with the locals mostly.
...only kidding. Here's the list of sites we've seen and treks we've made.

Bend Balloon Festival
On our first day here, we decided to take it easy and slept in, read books, etc. - no wait - the kids woke up at the crack of dawn (about 5:00am) and tortured us until we took them out. The was a hot air balloon festival in nearby Bend with jumping houses, sidewalk art and other arts and crafts so we thought we'd try to wear them out there. Afterwards, we got settled into who was riding what bike and went on our first bike ride in our new neighborhood.

High Desert Museum
Tuesday was a very cold day so we decided to check out the High Desert Museum. This was a great kid-friendly place. Tons of actual desert animals and interesting exhibits about the history of this area from Native Americans to Settlers and Miners. There's also an outside "living history" area that we will come back for later this month.

Newberry volcanic national monument / Lava Butte
So it's hard to describe how much evidence there is around here of the volcanic activity that once was. Lava Butte is within 10 minutes of our house and even from the road, it's an amazing site. Walking through it feels like a walk on the moon - in fact Apollo astronauts trained here to get a sense for the landscape they would soon see. We hiked a good ways along the butte outcrop and then drove to the top.

Biking around Sunriver
So the bike trails are really amazing in Sunriver. They pass through an incredible amount of scenery. We are less than a block from the Deschutes River and along the path you can see Mt. Bachelor. The house has enough bikes to fit everyone so we can always hit the trails as a family. Deer are easily spotted along the ride and we can ride to the shopping area for dinner. We've been able to go to the Sunriver Nature Center which even has its own observatory on site. On Monday, we went on a long bike ride to attempt to reach Benham Falls. Yes, this is a repeat of last year when Diane spends a vast amount of time trying to make it to a waterfall (any waterfall) with a multitude of children with varying hiking and biking abilities. We didn't make it, but we will keep trying!

Drive to the coast and visit to the Oregon Coast Aquarium
So this past Thursday we made the drive from Sunriver to the Oregon coast. We drove through Bend, a cute little town called Sisters, Oregon (named after the Sisters Mountains), over the Cascades, through Corvallis (home of the fightin' OSU Beavers) and down to the coast. We made a stop at the Oregon Coast Aquarium for the kids and they had some pretty amazing exhibits on deep sea life and the unique aviary and coastal fish and wildlife including sea lions that performed for the crowd and cute sea otters.

The highlight was camping out at Beverly Beach State park. We stayed in a "yurt" overnight (sort of a cross between a cabin and a tent - see below) and we all cooked hot dogs and s'mores over the campfire. Everyone had their own technique although Drew's seemed to involve setting his stuff on fire frequently. Friday morning was a particular treat as breakfast consisted of Pop Tarts and Lucky Charms. With regard to Beverly Beach itself, beach access was a quick walk from the campsite, and brother if you thought our first week in Sunriver was cold, ain't nothin' like 55 degrees and a constant, blustery 20 mile per hour wind to make summer in Sunriver seem balmy. The wind was so strong that when Molly wanted to make a sand castle the wind kept blowing her sand away so she had to make a rock castle - then the wind blew that down so we settled for a rock road ... We persevered though and found some very interesting fossils and a rock with crystals inside - the boys were very excited.

As we headed back to Bend and Sunriver, we stopped off at Yaquina Head to visit the pebbly coast and the still functional lighthouse. We saw an actual starfish in the tide pools that was about 10" wide and the kids saw their first sea lions in the wild. The wind seemed to have eased up to 19 miles per hour, but it was quite an adventure. Despite being windy the beaches here were amazing - the wind and wave activity is so rough that the lava rocks, shells and even bits of trash (glass or plastic) were worn smooth by the constant pounding. You can't really tell from this picture but the entire beach is made up of really smooth stones and very little sand. They were beautiful and among them were also stones like agates and jade formed by the "recent" volcanic activity that formed this coast.

Dead Horse Canyon State Park and River Rafting

2007-07-06T22:40:00.000-04:00

On Friday, the family split up. We wanted the kids to have a little more adventure than could be had from the car and short hikes that we were able to do in this heat so Andy took them for their first river rafting experience (more about this later). Molly and I had the morning free to do whatever we (read "I") wanted. I had considered shopping but to be honest, the shopping in Teluride is much cuter so we decided to drive the additional 45 minutes to Dead Horse State Park which adjoins Canyonlands. The park gets its name from some wild mustangs that were allegedly left in the canyon to die but don't worry, there were no dead horses there today. Just beautiful canyon scenery. Molly, of course, was not that interested in the scenery but she was a good sport and allowed me to stop many many times to taking in the views. In turn, I allowed her to push buttons at the visitor center as long as she wanted ... Here are some pictures from our drive and morning.

On the drive, two formations named after the USS Monitor and Merimack

We drove down a dirt road to get a closer look at this wall of rock - who says the minivan can't 4WD

Our first view of the park

View towards dead horse point

View from dead horse point - could this really be on the same planet as home?

Arches National Park

2007-07-06T22:31:00.000-04:00

Here are some scenes from Arches National Park. It was about 100 plus degrees so we didn't do too much hiking but it was beautiful.

Park Avenue

Balanced Rock

North Arch

The boys inside North Arch

South Arch

More scenery

And a little more

Drive to Moab

2007-07-06T22:24:00.000-04:00

On July 5th, we decided to take advantage of the fat that we are so close to Moab, UT, Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. We packed for a night and went on a "road trip." It was a fairly short drive, only 3 hours and very scenic. There were a few homesteads along the way and 100% of the towns we passed had less than 2 stores ... we kept seeing signs for "open range" and were joking that we should watch for cows ... at least we thought it was funny. Very close to the Utah border we ran across a genuine round up complete with cattle and cowboys. If you can watch the video, the cowboy had to lead our car thought the herd as the cows were completely blocking the road and were being led down the road (I guess to another pasture area). Check out the one black cow trying to get run over by me ... he headed over to get a quick drink as we were trying to pass.

The round up.

A view from the car.

July 4th

2007-07-06T22:08:00.000-04:00

July 4th in Telluride was everything we could have wished for. First we walked the 2 blocks to a prime viewing spot for the parade. It was very cute with lots of local kids riding their decorated bikes and riding in decorated wagons. Check out these cute "firecrackers." There was also a "Fly by" from the Colorado Springs AFB.

After the parade was a BBQ in the town park and some time playing with our feet in the San Miguel River (testing out the boys' new Keens).

The evening fireworks were amazing. First of all to hang out in the shadow of these huge mountains then as the sun set, Venus and Mars were visible. At full dark there was a great fireworks show - the most amazing thing was how the fireworks appeared to fill the sky - the sky is so big here with only the mountains on every horizon. I know I will not forget this 4th.

Bridal Veil Falls

2007-07-02T21:26:00.000-04:00

Sunday we hiked up to the base of Bridal Veil Falls. You can’t see the falls from town, but as you park at the end of main street before it turns into Jeep trails, both the falls and the defunct power plant come into view. Drew and I mostly hiked as a pair to the base of the falls. (Casey and Derek worked at their own pace). I’ve included pictures along the way. The falls themselves were dramatic. The mist coming off the falls cools the air temperature down by at least 10 degrees. Relatively easy hike even though you gain a bit of altitude.

Drew, by the way, is an outstanding hiking partner. He didn't tire nearly as much as his dad and I believe his camp gave him some perspective and appreciation for the trail, the wildlife and the views.

Still pretty hot here. We almost hit 90 today. Wouldn't be so bad if this town had air conditioning...makes you appreciate what you have at home.

A view of the falls from the base. Note the power plant in the upper left. Word is it is being restored.

Me and Drew at the base of the falls. The mist felt great!

A view of the top of the falls from the bottom...

Mesa Verde National Park

2007-07-01T19:24:00.000-04:00

Saturday we went to Mesa Verde National Park which was about 2 hours away towards New Mexico. It is the site of many ancient Ancestral Pueblo cliff dwellings. The structures dated from 600-1300 AD and were truly amazing. They were multi-story homes nestled under cliff overhangs and are largely still intact. Amazingly, the ancient people lived in these places and farmed (corn, beans and squash) the land on top of the mesas (climbing up to work each day) and gathered water from below (climbing down and back up with the water). It was pretty hot there (I’d say at least 90-95) but the cliff dwellings were cool and the ancients had even devised partially underground kivas (the circular structures pictured but with roofs still intact) that served as ceremonial places and family rooms and stayed around 58 degrees no matter what time of year. We hiked down to the “Cliff Palace” which was the largest community – about 80 people. The boys really enjoyed climbing the ladders to get in and out and also the “hiding places” that they discovered – maybe ancient children used them too …

Alex coming out of a kiva

and Drew

Cliff Palace

A Kiva with the roof off

The boys on the hike back up from the Cliff Palace

Happy 6th Birthday

2007-07-01T19:20:00.001-04:00

It is Alex’s Birthday today. He is six. The kids and I went to Ouray – about 1 hour away to swim in a hot springs pool they have there. The water was warm and the pool was definitely a popular place for the local kids. The boys even saw some friends from camp there. This picture is from outside the pool. When we were at the pool, my hands were too full for pictures and you can see, even here, Molly is trying to escape. When we got back, Alex opened his presents and happily played lego for the rest of the day. His birthday dinner was fried rice and birthday cake.

At the park outside the pool

Alex's B-Day

Jump jump

2007-07-01T19:17:00.000-04:00

It was a quiet day around town for Molly and I today. We attempted a hike but didn’t get too far since she wasn’t crazy about the baby backpack. Instead, we detoured to the town park and played “jump jump” on the bridge. Mom and Derek went to Durango to ride the train to Silverton. It was a beautiful scenic drive if a little scary in places. The train was running late and they go stuck on the wrong side of a road closure and had to spend Thursday night away. The boys were away on their last day of camp. The slept over night at a ghost town and had a lot of fun. They had disposable cameras with them but apparently I can’t get them developed until we get home since the closest developer is in Montrose.

Week Two

2007-06-27T21:22:00.000-04:00

Well, it's hard to believe that I'm in the second week of our visit already. My Dad and Terrie left on Monday, Molly and I had a quiet time Monday and Tuesday while the boys were in camp. We gave ourselves permission to do nothing more strenuous than walk to the library, camp and watch Elmo. Seems crazy not to hike everyday when you are here but a vacation should involve some downtime too. On Tuesday afternoon, my Mom and step-Dad arrived. We had some nice walks through town on Tuesday evening.

On Wednesday, we sent the boys off to their second overnight camp out. This one is to the ghost town of Alta - I am jealous! Its funny how a hike I thought would be too tough for them, they can handle with their camp group. Did I mention that they hiked up to Bear Creek falls on Monday? I guess that is the "Falls Hike Take 3." Drew tells me that the falls were really cool. Maybe I'll make it to one - someday. Wednesday morning, the non-campers went up the gondola to catch the view and then on the river walk. During Molly's nap, Derek (step-dad) and I went on the Jeb Weibe trail. Amazing views and a good 3 hour walk up and back down the ridge on the north side of town. Of course, I need to do the hike again with Andy who is currently sitting on the runway in Philly :( on another of his marathon business trips. I also need a nap and I believe Derek needs Oxygen!

The view from the top of the hike towards the east side - bridal veil falls

towards the west side - supposedly Utah is visible somewhere...

Proof that I made it up!

A beautiful Aspen forest on the hike

Hike to the Falls - takes 1 and 2

2007-06-24T22:17:00.000-04:00

Well its been a fun and busy week-end here - sorry we haven't posted in a few days. My (Diane's) dad and step-mom are visiting and we've spent a lot of fun time hiking and showing off the town of Telluride.

We had a mellow Friday day further exploring the town and the boys discovered the town library. Here they are reading (quietly!).

Friday night, Diane and the parents attempted the Cornet Falls hike - supposedly a somewhat easy 1/4 mile up to a beautiful falls. The trail, however, was nowhere to be found about 1/2 way to the falls!

On Saturday we hiked the Coonskin Loop and enjoyed some great views of the valley. There was also still some snow on the ground! This is Diane with her dad and step-mom.

On Sunday we attempted to hike up to the Bridal Veil falls but it was too steep for the jog-stroller so we had to abandon that waterfall too. Here is Drew with Grams and a view of the bridal veil falls.

Dad and Terrie go home tomorrow and we will miss them. I will have to attempt to coerce another visitor into trying for a waterfall hike later in the trip!

A night at the Bluegrass Festival

2007-06-22T14:59:00.000-04:00

Well, the boys made it back from their overnight camp-out in one piece yesterday. Sounds like they had a blast! They made spaghetti for dinner over the campfire, roasted marshmallows and told scary stories late at night. Drew lost a tooth on the trip and then he literally lost the tooth somewhere on the camp-out. We THINK the tooth fairy will still come here to our house, but Drew wrote her a note to explain the circumstances just to be safe. We'll see on that one.

Di and I went to the Telluride Bluegrass Festival last night. We got there in time to see Emmylou Harris and Counting Crows play. It was truly incredible to see a show in Town Park in the valley.

Counting Crows played a great set. If memory serves me correct, the originals they played were:

Mr. Jones
If I Could Give All My Love (Richard Manuel is dead)
American Girls
Rain King/Raining in Baltimore
Hard Candy
Have You Seen Me Lately
Hanginaround
Mrs. Potter's Lullaby
A Long December
Miami

The absolute highlight was their cover of Madonna's "Borderline" sounding not too much unlike Neil Young. I laughed my way through nearly the whole song.

Diane enjoying the crowds at the Bluegrass Festival.

The stage from our spot. We were actually closer than it looks in this picture...

The mountains behind the sound board as dusk settles in.

Counting Crows as they play through their set toward the end of the evening.

Bluegrass Festival underway...

2007-06-21T13:58:00.000-04:00

It's been a couple of days since we last posted. The boys are settling in to camp. In fact, they are coming back from their first overnight adventure today. We can't wait to hear how it went and if they survived the night okay. I'm sure we'll have a full report for everyone tomorrow.

People are streaming into town this morning as the Bluegrass Festival gets under way today. The town is likely to be packed over the next few days, so it's a good thing we secured our parking rights while we could!

It's been fairly warm this week out here. The afternoons have been topping out around the high-70s. Today has been cool as we have a chance for rain and some good cloud cover. Di and I have been spending our mornings with little mini-hikes/walks. Yesterday we got a little adventurous and made our way down the Telluride Trail from Mt. Sophia after riding the gondola up to the station there. Poor little Molly was good about enduring the descent in her jog-stroller. (We likely don't do that trek again with her!) The picture below is from the top of the mountain looking out over Mountain Village.

Settling in

2007-06-19T22:11:00.000-04:00

Well we haven't written in a few days because we are just settling in and relaxing. The boys started camp this week and are involved in adventures at the nature center and canoeing so far. Our adventures included a 1 1/2 hour drive to the nearest major grocery store yesterday. Andy and I disagree on whether it is worth it to drive so far for good prices, I don't think I'll be going back there soon!

Today, Andy, Molly and I went on a walk along the San Miguel River, played in the town playground and played ball in the backyard - a quiet relaxing day. The boys had a canoeing trip on Trout Lake and generally had a great time boating, throwing rocks in the lake, seeing a beaver dam and later having a pirate themed water balloon fight. They have an overnight trip tomorrow so we won't see them again until Thursday afternoon!

I can't believe that they have any energy after camp, but as you can see they were up for riding scooters into town for ice cream after dinner.

Day of Fun

2007-06-17T21:16:00.000-04:00

Well, Drew decided that today would be his "day of fun." He really deserved one after being in the car for three days. The day began with a morning trip up the mountain and back down the other side on the gondola. It was a fun ride but when we got to Mountain Village, the climbing rock was closed (more about this later). No problem though, we just rode the gondola back down and set off with the scooters (and stroller) to the town park. (and yes - they are both wearing glasses!)

The town park was about 8 blocks away and we kept the boys entertained with scooter practice and pretend scooter "Drivers licenses." Alex, predictably, has turned this into an extensive game of pretend with multiple levels! At the park we played on the play ground and made some new friends. The park was a great size for Molly who wanted to practice on the stairs over and over again.

After lunch, we went back to Mountain village and tackled the climbing boulder. It was hard! Of the three of us (Di, Alex and Drew), Alex was the most successful. There was also a Family Fiesta in the main town square and the boys got to hit the pinata and get some candy (which of course they loved).

As if this wasn't enough, after a short rest, we took the boys to a little skate park and they practiced some moves on the ramps with their scooters.

Maybe not what you'd think of as a perfect Colorado vacation day but it was definitely Drew (and Alex's) day of fun.

We made it!

2007-06-16T21:16:00.001-04:00

After three days and over 1,700 miles, we finally made the drive from Atlanta to Telluride. Our first day took us to Little Rock where Aunt Miriam and Uncle Leonard graciously hosted the five of us. The night was perfect and the boys and Molly got to play in the sprinkler until they dropped. We also cooked out for dinner and it really hit the spot.

Day 2 was our long day: Little Rock to Santa Rosa, New Mexico. We made it in just about twelve hours. We stopped off in Oklahoma City and ate lunch at the Coaches Corner which overlooked the outfield of AT&T Park. We have pictures of the view below. (Sorry co-workers, but the view was pretty cool.) We learned that Oklahoma is a VERY long state. West of Amarillo, the terrain changes dramatically as you head toward New Mexico and as dusk was settling in, it was a perfect setting. Also, another perfect night. Our hotel had an indoor pool and the boys were able to burn off some energy before they crashed. Molly slept perfectly as an added bonus.

Day 3: Santa Rosa to Telluride. Again the New Mexico terrain proved to be dramatic as we climbed in altitude. You definitely felt like you were in the southwest at that point. We stopped for lunch in Aztec, NM at a nice little cafe and then we headed off toward Durango. I think this was our shortest day clocking in at just about eight hours. The drive from Durango to Telluride was absolutely stunning - the mountain ranges still had some snow on it. The house here in Telluride was better than advertised.

On the whole, the kids were near-perfect on the trip. No one melted down and everyone settled in just fine for the rides. We haven't had a chance to really explore the town yet. We did grab dinner and I learned that Fat Tire on draft is indeed a two block walk from the house. Not sure I need much more at this point.

Here's a few pictures from the drive. They don't do it justice, but we thought they were worth sharing.

This first one was from OKC. They seem to be promoting the famous natives by renaming all the streets in the downtown Brickwalk area. This intersection in particular seems to cross a couple of mismatched icons.

Here are Drew and Alex at Coaches Corner. We ate outside and had a great view.

This is from Day Three just outside Ophir on the road to Telluride. Spectacular views.

..and the house in Telluride....

...and the view out our front door.

That's all for now. More to come...

Some new pictures

2006-10-16T20:53:00.000-04:00

Sorry for not posting pictures lately. We've been busy with school, soccer and other things! Here's the latest from a day at the park this past weekend. More pictures to come!

2006-10-16T20:41:00.000-04:00

Summer's over!

2006-08-18T22:30:00.000-04:00

Can't believe how fast summer break passed us by. Drew and Alex started back to school this week. Here's a few pictures to catch everyone up!

2006-08-18T22:19:00.000-04:00

More vacation pictures

2006-05-30T08:40:00.000-04:00

Diane has taken some more great pictures of the kids at the beach. Drew and Alex have been boogie boarding, "body-surfing," "snorkling," and generally swimming around in the water a few times a day. Molly has gotten pretty adept at putting fistfuls of sand into her mouth. (And for the record, she doesn't even do that with her own food at the beach house.) The weather here has been ideal and the views have been spectacular. More pictures to come as the week progresses.

Having a great time...wish you were here!

2006-05-28T16:17:00.000-04:00

Here are a few pictures from Day 2 of our vacation:

Molly at rest in her high chair, smiling for the camera.

Drew and Alex take a break from their nature walk this morning. Alex is holding a feather he found along the way.

Room with a view. The house is gorgeous...this is the view from our living room.

Drew and Alex at the Braves game

2006-05-05T21:59:00.000-04:00

Drew and Alex went to last Sunday's Braves game against the New York Mets. Fortunately, the Braves one, but more importantly, Drew's Little League had the chance to parade around the warning track on the field and then spend the afternoon in the stands with his teammates and their families.

Molly's Toes

2006-04-23T21:22:00.000-04:00

Here is Molly having one of her favorite snacks, her toes! She has also learned to roll over and sit up a little this month and tasted her first Cheerio this week. Yum but not as good as Molly toes ...

Molly - 6 mos

2006-04-23T21:07:00.000-04:00

Here is Molly at 6 months she was 15 1/2 pounds. She is sitting with her sleeping friend, a blankie bunny. Notice how her hair stands straight up. It always does this ... cute.

My cute boys

2006-04-23T21:04:00.000-04:00

Here are Drew and Alex at Alex's game. We try to get the brothers so come out and support each other. They usually last an inning or two before running off to play with friends or doing their own thing. Looking at this picture, I can't believe how tall Drew is getting!

Alex T-Ball

2006-04-23T21:01:00.000-04:00

Here is Alex playing T-Ball. He is playing for the "Giants" at the JCC. I love this picture because you can see that the ball lands just a few feet away ... pretty good swing though.

Drew - baseball star

2006-04-23T20:48:00.000-04:00

This is Drew playing for his little league team, the "Engineers." They are 4 and 4 at this point and really enjoying the games. It doesn't hurt that the weather this time of year is beautiful for baseball.

New Pictures

2006-02-24T17:47:00.000-05:00

Tonight is Molly's baby naming. Diane had everyone dressed up early to get good pictures in the daylight. Hope all is well.

2006-02-24T17:45:00.000-05:00

Molly looking cute as ever! She has gotten pretty active over the last few weeks and her brothers both know how to make her smile!

2006-02-24T17:41:00.001-05:00

Another cute Molly picture.

2006-02-24T17:41:00.000-05:00

Here are all the kids all dressed up (with no place to go!) The naming isn't until later tonight, but the lighting (and everyone's moods) are better earlier in the day!

2006-01-03T21:44:00.001-05:00

Our first day at the beach was a bit brisk with a little chill, heavy winds and cloud cover. However, we still had a blast. Above, Drew and Alex are watching our kite.

2006-01-03T21:44:00.000-05:00

Even Molly had a good time on the beach. She is smiling more everyday and is beginning to make a grab for some of her toys in her play gym. We kept her bundled up pretty good as you can tell on the beach, but don't let the smile fool you...she spent most of her beach time napping.

2006-01-03T21:43:00.000-05:00

We were able to get Drew's bike down with us and Alex and I rented a "tag-along" just so we could keep pace with Drew a little better. (I needed Alex's leg muscles to help keep pace!)

2006-01-03T21:42:00.001-05:00

Threw this one in of Drew and Alex for good measure. The boys got to visit the Palmetto Dunes fire station on a walk and this shot was too good to pass up.

2006-01-03T21:42:00.000-05:00

Another good beach shot of Drew. He really seems like he was made for the beach. It's absolutely his favorite place to be.

Happy New Year!

2006-01-03T17:39:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable holiday. We just returned from four days in Hilton Head. We wanted to get out of town for the new year with some friends and had a blast. The weather was great and we were able to get some good beach time in. You can see from the pictures below that we had the chance to take some rides along the beach and had good winds to fly kites. We also got a round of mini golf in for good measure. All of this was complemented with good friends and good food to help usher in the new year.

Let us know how you celebrated the new year. E-mail us!

Diane is tired and fussy ;-)

2005-12-24T17:12:00.000-05:00

A rare moment of sleep for Diane and Molly. Molly is 3 months old today! Still working on getting her to sleep through the night. She gets up and average of two times a night...sometimes three. In some rare times she actually only wakes up once. If I remember correctly, both Drew and Alex started sleeping through the night at 16 - 18 weeks. Still a ways to go...

Over the last few weeks, she has begun to smile which is nice to see. She also successfully found her fingers and has promptly put them into her mouth. Diane even got her to hold a rattle. She has been resisting "tummy time," but truthfully we should be working more tummy time in to develop those neck muscles.

That's all for now. Hope every has a happy new year!

Enjoying the fall...

2005-11-27T20:25:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pictures of the boys and Molly from November. As you can tell, we actually had leaves to rake up this year so I rounded them up in a pile for the boys to have fun with. Molly is still only working on 3 - 3.5 hours of sleep at a clip...but she's starting to smile now and some semblance of non-crying noises are starting to come out of her mouth. I will say that she has two of the most loving, caring older brothers in the world and they have been a huge help with her to-date.

It's been easier for me to keep this site updated since I can just upload pictures seamlessly and have them here for everyone to see. So keep checking back and I will make a point to keep it up-to-date.

Enjoy the pictures, send us an e-mail, and let us hear from you!

2005-11-27T20:24:00.000-05:00

Alex also enjoying the fall day in the yard..

2005-11-27T20:22:00.001-05:00

Drew enjoying his day in the leaves as we work on cleaning up the yard.

2005-11-27T20:22:00.000-05:00

Here's a picture of Molly in her Thanksgiving best!

Instructions on how to leave comments

2005-11-20T17:39:00.000-05:00

If you want to leave comments about a post or picture, just click on the "XX Comments" link at the bottom of the post.

The posts should be threaded. If you haven't registered, feel free to do so. Otherwise, I think I have to moderate unreigstered posts. Good luck and let me know if you have any questions!

Pictures of Molly at 4 weeks

2005-11-11T20:41:00.000-05:00

Let me know if you want to have the ability to post comments here. (Click here to e-mail me.) I can get you added to the list and you can comment on any of the pictures we put up here of the kids.

2005-11-11T20:12:00.000-05:00

Another cute picture of Molly...

2005-11-11T20:11:00.000-05:00

These are pictures of Molly at 4 weeks old. She's finally starting to fit into her clothes so we are able to get her in some of the cute outfits we got! Everyone is doing well. The boys are such good big brothers and can really be a big help we Mom or Dad need it. Now, if we could only get a little more sleep...

2005-10-04T15:36:00.000-04:00

Alex and his little sister Molly, age 10 days,

Finally...pictures of Molly!

2005-09-30T21:21:00.000-04:00

Sorry everyone for taking so long to get pictures out here of her, but we've obviously had our hands full. Hopefully you can see all these pictures. Should be able to click on each picture and get a larger one. She doesn't do much other than sleep or eat right now, but I thought some of the hospital pictures turned out well.

We'll put a few more out there once we get a little more time. Mom and brothers are all doing well and are pitching in to help out. thanks to everyone for there well-wishes and thoughts. Feel free to drop us a line!

2005-09-29T15:55:00.000-04:00

Molly at 4 days old.

2005-09-26T21:06:00.000-04:00

Baby Molly catching a rest at the hospital.

2005-09-25T17:54:00.000-04:00

Proud brothers Drew and Alex hold their new baby sister in the hospital.

2005-09-25T00:59:00.001-04:00

Molly under the heating lamp just minutes after being born

2005-09-25T00:59:00.000-04:00

Molly just after being born under the warm lamp.

2005-09-18T21:05:00.000-04:00

Drew and Alex just after each of their first soccer matches.