Levi, Ray, and Triple J

39 Weeks

2012-01-22T14:19:00.003-05:00

Thursday, January 26th is just around the corner.... With a planned c-section looming, I've continued to feel pretty good. Joel and I are buckling down, so to speak, and actually packing for the hospital and installing the car seat today. Even though the surgery is scheduled for later this week, at 39+ weeks, this baby girl could decide to come at any time!

Lobsta'

2012-01-22T14:15:00.003-05:00

Last weekend Chad, a friend of ours from Oregon, made his way to Dover for a visit. We decided that a lobster dinner was in order. The boys enjoyed playing with their food before it was boiled....

3 Weeks to Go

2012-01-08T21:55:00.002-05:00

With less than 3 weeks until our scheduled c-section, I continue to feel great! I have been blessed with 3 healthy pregnancies. We can't wait to meet our baby girl!

New Year's Day '12

2012-01-08T21:49:00.003-05:00

50 degrees on the first day of the year. We couldn't pass this opportunity up, off to the beach we went. We had a great time finding starfish, snails, clam shells, and crab legs. Jack swam for the first time since August (Michigan). We were all enjoying some much needed fresh air!

Cousin's Gift Exchange

2012-01-08T21:45:00.002-05:00

A couple days after Christmas the Caswell's came down to exchange gifts. We had a fabulous time playing with the new toys and going for a swim (at the Works) together!

Christmas Mornin'

2012-01-08T21:16:00.003-05:00

6:30 am and the boys were running down the stairs with a huge sparkle in their eyes. Santa had come to our house to deliver our good boys plenty of gifts. Jude and Levi were beyond excited. Joel and I rolled out of bed just in time to bring some order to gift opening,...

Soren's 5th Birthday

2012-01-08T21:04:00.004-05:00

For our friend Soren's 5th birthday we were invited to his mustache party. Everyone had fun playing along...

Levi getting a stash painted on...Tina and me sporting our new looks....
Joel and Brian needed to plan in advance for their stylish new looks...

Owen with a handlebar...
The birthday boy with his pirate mustache....
Charlie, one of the youngest to participate in the festivities...
Group shot....
Even the straws were fashionably mustashy....
All in all we had a fantastic time!

Trimming the Tree '11

2012-01-08T20:52:00.003-05:00

Upon returning from our overnight in Maine, we headed to Emery Farm to pick out our Christmas tree. The boys were a big help!

Jude and Levi did a fantastic job hanging ornaments on the tree this year. They took turns using the step stool to reach higher on the tree....

Thanksgiving '11

2012-01-08T20:38:00.004-05:00

This year we enjoyed multiple days of giving thanks! We spent Thanksgiving with our small group. Everything was delicious....

Kids tables....

The kids we entertained (with a movie) while the adults enjoyed their meal...
Round 2 of giving thanks happened up in Maine. We were able to share turkey leftovers with the Caswell's. Here the kids are enjoying some time in the snow.

After our bellies were full we headed out to the bowling alley. All of the kids had a great time knocking the pins down.

Pirate Ship

2011-11-06T18:47:00.003-05:00

For reasons unknown to us, Jude and Levi thought it would be a good idea to pretend that this box was their pirate ship. Complete with decorations (coloring and stickers) it made the perfect landing for 2 pirates to enjoy their feast (dinner).

Halloween 2011

2011-11-06T18:35:00.003-05:00

Due to the snow, trick-or-treating was postponed a day. Usually our town holds trick-or-treating the day before Halloween (very odd if you ask me....). This year we got to trick-or-treat on the actual holiday. Perhaps there was some good to come out of an early snowstorm?

We hit the roads with our new (and awesome) neighbors after enjoying some warm grub together. Maggie (5) was dressed as a princess and Tessa (3), a flower-child. Aren't they adorable?

Jude decided to switch it up, last minute, and wear last year's race car driver costume. Levi, again, a monkey- an after thought.... if Joel would have gone as the Man in the Yellow Hat, they could have been a curious (George) couple.

October Snowstorm

2011-11-06T18:22:00.004-05:00

What a weird turn of events happened at the end of October. New England was caught in the middle of a Nor'easter. Over the course of the blustery night we got about 6 inches of the powdery white stuff (I have a hard time bringing myself to say the "S" word this early in the season). The boys were thrilled with the opportunity to shovel and scrape in October. (Inland, there were areas that received over 20 inches of snow. We were lucky not to lose power, millions of others had theirs knocked out.)

Pre-Halloween Parties

2011-11-06T18:03:00.004-05:00

This year Halloween seemed to be more of a long weekend event rather than a 1 day event. It started with Levi trick-or treating at a retirement home on Thursday. He loved wearing his monkey costume so much that it was hard to get him to take it off when it was time to pick Jude up from school.

Friday night our small group helped support a Family Fun Night Halloween extravaganza at the Seymour Osman Community Center. The entertainment and the games seemed to be a huge success (perhaps Joel's fake tats and mullet helped to spark some extra energy). Jude sported his dragon costume and we didn't have a difficult time convincing Levi to climb into his monkey costume once again.

Above: Jude, Henry Charlie, Owen, Tucker, and Hailey posed in there costumes
Below: Levi, Jude, and Tucker

An extra shot of Levi picking out one more pumpkin at Emery Farm. Our realtor gave us a coupon for a freebie.

Apple Pickin' 2011

2011-11-06T17:50:00.004-05:00

Butternut Farm was in full harvest when we went to pick apples this year. Our favorites by far were the Mutsu's (as you can tell by Levi's progress on the apple above).

Who needs a ladder when you have this father-son duo getting the perfect apples from up high?

Touch-A-Truck 2011

2011-11-06T17:44:00.002-05:00

Pease Tradeport once again held their annual touch-a-truck. The boys loved going around to test out all of the vehicles. They were so hands-on that it was difficult keeping up with them. This year they walked away with all kinds of freebies. They managed to walk away with stickers, chocolates, balls, balloons, hardhats, and matchbox cars. Fun, fun, fun!

MOPS to the Fire Station

2011-11-06T14:02:00.004-05:00

Every other Wednesday, the boys and I get to go to MOPS (Mother's of Preschoolers). The boys enjoy the time they have there learning lessons out of the Bible, while I enjoy time with other moms. On occasion, MOPS will have outings on other Wednesdays. This particular Wednesday we took a trip to the Lee Fire Station. Here the boys got to see what a fireman looks like while all geared up and ready for action. They also got to tour one of the fire trucks.

The trip to the station was so short that we decided to see what our friends Olivia and Hailey were up to. Jude was having a fantastic time going down the slide with Liv.

Class Trip to Emery Farm

2011-11-06T13:49:00.005-05:00

Levi and I jumped on the chance to chaperon Jude's class on a field to Emery Farm. While there we were able to go on a hay ride, pick out a pumpkin from the patch, eat a delicious cookie, pet the animals, play in the sandbox, and find our way out of the beehive themed corn maze. What a fun morning! (Jude's good friend, Soren is in his class... Nils and Abby came along to chaperon too.)

October Trip to Mich

2011-11-06T13:12:00.012-05:00

What a wonderful way to spend one of the most beautiful weekends in October! A quick trip to Michigan to visit family and attend our good friends Peter and Barbara's wedding was delightful. We packed in as many mini adventures as we could on our short visit. It was perfect timing too, Uncle Steve was able to come up from Georgia, and Uncle Mike and Aunt Angel were able to join us for a birthday dinner celebration for Papa.

We spent a morning playing at Yates Cider Mill. The boys loved the wagon. We enjoyed the most delicious doughnuts, cider, and popcorn while aboard the wagon.

Jude and Levi had a great time feeding the goats and sheep....

Jude saddled up for his first pony ride.....

After the cider mill we meandered our way over to the playground. The boys fed the ducks their leftover popcorn. The weather was so nice and warm that they decided to disrobe and take a dip in the creak.

Uncle Steve's phone was a huge hit with the boys. They could watch all of their favorite Sesame Street YouTube videos....
Back to the playground... this time with bread for the ducks and cars of course.

After another dip in the creek, Levi fancied the big boy swing. He LOVES his Grandma!

For some reason I never manage to capture many shots from weddings... I guess we're just having too much fun to bother with a camera. (That's what the professional are there for, right?) Anyways, here we are all cleaned up for Peter and Barb's wedding.
A couple more shots before we head off....

The boys were so worn out from the weekend that they both fell asleep on my lap during takeoff. They really did a wonderful job traveling this time around!

UNH Hockey

2011-11-06T07:50:00.002-05:00

Joel scored some hockey tickets from his colleague. He and Jude enjoyed watching UNH's victory over University of New Brunswick. The zambonies, and the concessions were a huge hit with Jude. He gobbled down 2 whole hot dogs and a big bucket of popcorn. What a day!

Apple Harvest Festival

2011-11-06T07:39:00.005-05:00

This year we ventured downtown Dover to check on the festivities. The boys especially enjoyed the petting farm, the bouncy houses, the firetruck, and of course the apple cider doughnuts at the Harvest Festival.

Riding Bikes

2011-11-06T07:31:00.002-05:00

Jude was excited to finally be in the drivers seat.....

Matt and Alicia's Wedding

2011-11-06T07:21:00.004-05:00

September 17th we were able to escape to an island off of Portland, ME to witness the marriage of Joel's good friend Matt and Alicia. It was a beautiful wedding and such fun to catch up with some old friends.

Joel and Hilary

Jeremy, Joel, and Matt

Extras - End of Summer

2011-11-06T07:19:00.000-05:00

Half Way

2011-09-14T15:31:00.002-04:00

20 Weeks

For those of you who are dying to see a belly shot... here you go! I've been feeling great and everything seems to be right on track. We should find out tomorrow if we're going to be continuing on with the blue tradition or adding some variety by throwing some pink into the mix.... Any guesses?

Due date: January 28

Labor Day Weekend 2011

2011-09-14T14:31:00.006-04:00

Labor Day weekend was absolutely beautiful this year. We took full advantage of the weather and enjoyed some form of swimming each day. Jude has really become part fish this summer (he says that he swims like a Molly). Both boys are thrilled to be in the water!

Here the boys are chillin' poolside at The Works outdoor pool....

Here they are exploring the tide pools at Wallis Sands State Park....

Jude and Levi were busy collecting clues.... they discovered many snails, a starfish, and a dead crab!

What's a Labor Day weekend without enjoying one of life's greatest pleasures....ice cream!

Camping 2011

2011-09-14T14:20:00.004-04:00

With summer coming to an end, we couldn't resist taking a quick trip to White Lake State Park for an overnight car-camping excursion. The boys were so excited and couldn't wait to get things set up. Jude had his first s'more. (He wasn't a fan of the sticky mess that his hands got into....but he did make a very important suggestion. The s'more was missing a key ingredient, peanut butter. So next time you're enjoying a s'more, add a smear of the creamy goodness and think of Jude, it's delish!)

Soon after getting settled at our site, with a hop, skip and a jump we were down at the waters edge. White Lake is crystal clear, a beautiful place to swim!

The boys had such a fantastic time! Can't wait to see what next year's camping trip will entail (the kids will out-number the adults...crazy!)....

Summer 2011

2011-09-03T16:03:00.025-04:00

Alrightie already.... it's been long overdue, but finally a blog update is headed your way! Here are some of our summer highlights, or shall I say some of our highlights that were actually captured by camera....

Fun times over at the Anderson's house. The boys love to play with Soren and Nils....

Grandma and Papa came to visit just as it started to warm up here in New England. Jude enjoyed movie night with them. Popcorn and Toy Story, what more could he ask for....

Play date with church friends over at the Dean's house....

Out for a stroll with Henry and Tucker Krug. Levi loves to feed their chickens!
UNH opens their dairy barn to guests. Levi loved walking up and down the aisles to look at all of the cows. Jude thought the barn was too smelly and chose to wait outside with Daddy.

The tour is complete with free ice cream and a hayride.....

Hangin' with Owen and Charlie Sessler at Wagon hill and Emery Farm.....

Just being silly....
Eleanor, Gemma, and Auntie Marsey came down for a visit once school got out. Jude loves the fact that his older cousin will read to him!

Bryan and Brian, friends of ours moved to Vermont in the last year. We were thrilled when they drove down to see us. We enjoyed the coast and had to indulge in a lobster dinner.

Berry picking time! Jude and Levi love to pick strawberries. They had a wonderful time visiting Butternut farm with the Sessler and Krug boys.

Jude likes to pick, but doesn't like to eat....but Levi was eating as many as he could stuff in his mouth.

Mattie, Keith, and Sydney just happened to be coming through our way for a vacation. We were lucky to be able to spend a day with them at the beach! The boys love to have guests over to play with.

Time for our trip to MI. The drive each year seems to get better (but still not awesome). The boys were delighted to find out that their brand new cousin Cora was coming to see them the very day that they got to Grammy's house.

We were able to see lots of Grandpa Chuck and Grandma Eleanor now that they live through Grammy's backyard.

Uncle Thom took one for the team and joined Jude out on the tube. (His first tubing experience didn't pan out so well... he fell off within seconds of being on the tube. But to our surprise, Jude didn't panic one bit and was eager to give it another try!)

There is always a bunch going on during Coast Guard Festival. This year there was a Lego exhibit set up along the boardwalk. Jude and Levi had fun checking out the statues and competing in a build your own car - race.

Once we got home from MI it was time to celebrate! Time to celebrate Jude turning 4 and Levi turning 2. This year we combined birthdays so that Levi would have an easier time with Jude getting presents and visa versa.... They both had a great time opening gifts and eating cupcakes!

Garrison Touch A Truck/ Yard Sale

2011-06-13T08:06:00.008-04:00

About a month ago, we walked down the street to check out the action. The boys had a great time checking out some of the cars and trucks brought into the event. Jude's favorite was the race car limo.

While the boys were checking out all of the vehicles, I hit up the yard sale. Jude got a new bike ($5.00) and a few toys. He's already mastered the bike with the training wheels. Who knows, by the end of the summer perhaps he'll master it with only 2 wheels?

Horsing Around

2011-05-18T20:50:00.005-04:00

The boys are getting the hang of how much fun it can be to play with each other. Hopefully they'll continue to enjoy playing together!

Warmer Weather

2011-05-10T15:31:00.004-04:00

Any time the temp. reaches above 70 the boys beg to play with the hose. Once the hose makes its debut, the clothes quickly get wet and slowly begin to come off..... until you're left with....

Easter '11

2011-05-10T14:51:00.005-04:00

The Easter Bunny stopped by our house this year. Jude did a great job helping Levi find some eggs. (Joel was sicker than a dog and made his way quickly back to bed.)

After church and naps, the boys and I headed over to the Krug's house for an Easter dinner. (Unfortunately, Joel was still down for the count.) Before we sat down for our feast, all of the boys (there were 8 of them under the age of 5) had fun hunting for more eggs!

This year the kids all had their own spot at a couple of kids tables....

A picture of the daddies (minus Joel)....
and the mommies.....
While the adults were eating, the kids were entertained with an episode of Veggie Tales. Here they are completely mesmerized....

Wrestlin'

2011-05-10T14:43:00.001-04:00

For the most part, both boys get a kick out of wrestling....

Dover High School Barn

2011-05-10T14:01:00.005-04:00

Just down the road from our house at the high school, there is a barn full of animals. We were able to have a play date with the animals. While some of the animals were let out to roam wild, the kids ran around wild and silly. Levi liked the ducks (which I wasn't able to get a picture of).

Random

2011-05-10T13:35:00.001-04:00

One of Jude's favorite chores... helping to shred. Levi wanted in on the action too.
Jude being cute....

Fredrick Meijer Gardens

2011-05-10T08:12:00.005-04:00

This spring while Joel was away to his annual conference, the boys and I decided to fly to MI. It was great to catch up with the gang in Grand Haven. While there, we took a trip to the botanical gardens in Grand Rapids. The boys love watching the butterflies!

Car Wash

2011-05-10T07:46:00.002-04:00

It didn't take long for the snow to melt. The boys didn't waste any time making use of the hose. It was time for the cars to get a spring cleaning.

April Showers?

2011-05-10T07:38:00.003-04:00

This is what we woke up to on April Fools Day.... Above is a picture of the infamous toilet in our driveway. Luckily the toilet is long gone, and Jude has moved on to talking about things other than potties.

Spring Break 2011

2011-03-18T20:21:00.016-04:00

The beginning of Joel's break started with a bang this year. Without wasting time, we started some demolition in the downstairs bathroom. Time for a complete overhaul....

Knowing that part of our plan for the week included visiting some butterflies, Grandma and Papa sent along some gifts to prep the boys. Jude loved playing with the butterfly stamps. He's proudly showing off his stamped belly....

St. Patrick's Day was warm and pleasant. With corned beef and cabbage waiting for us in the crock pot, we headed out for an afternoon at the beach.

Friday was the perfect day for our trip to The Butterfly Place. With temps. reaching into the 70's we enjoyed our day out and about....
There were hundreds of butterflies dancing about in the gardens....

It was tough to keep Jude from touching all of the butterflies. He was so eager to get one to land on his finger. Levi was in a complete state of bliss. One of his favorite things lately have been butterflies. It was so special to see his reaction as he met his first real butterflies....

Levi did a wonderful job of staying on the paths and keeping his hands to himself....he was totally mesmerized.
The warm, moist air made Jude feel a bit sleepy....

We left around lunch time.... Levi was starting to get a little cranky. He was clearly showing signs of hunger and thirst. (You can see him starting to break down in the last video.)

Levi 18 Months

2011-03-18T16:00:00.002-04:00

At the beginning of this month we took Levi for his 18 month check-up. Despite having to get 1 shot, he kept it together fairly well. Not unlike his older brother, Levi measured in the 5% for weight (22 lbs and some change) and in the 25% for height (I'm horrible...I can't remember how many inches that makes him). Although he had a cold, Levi looks healthy! We are still a bit concerned about his lack of speech. It sounds like we'll be taking him for a speech evaluation in the next month or so.

Highlights February/March

2011-03-18T15:19:00.006-04:00

For those of you that have been waiting for some new pictures, here they come....

We're looking forward to spring. Puddles in March are one sign that we're getting closer. Levi loves watching the airplanes and birds fly overhead!

Jude doesn't always listen to advice given to him. He got all wet after splashing in the puddle. In frustration, he took his wet pants off. It seemed like a good solution to him....

My goofy little cuddler...
Thanks to Grandma and Papa for the play food. We've been enjoying many meals the boys have prepared for us.

Movie night with Daddy....some old Muppets shows.
The new Car and Driver was delivered today....

Helping out is the name of the game when it comes to the vacuum. Finally, Jude is no longer afraid of this machine. Instead, when we vacuum, we have to drag two boys along with the vacuum across the rugs.

Divide and Conquer

2011-02-05T21:17:00.003-05:00

We've been hitting up the museum every other week or so this winter. The boys enjoy it so much more when both Joel and I are able to accompany them. Again, they like to run in opposite directions....so when we're both there, neither one has to compromise with where they want to go.
Levi could easily spend most of his time between the music wall and the drums. He goes back and forth between the two.

Today, Jude and Joel got busy building....something that would never happen if Levi was anywhere nearby. (Jude likes to build, Levi likes to demolish....you can see the problem we have at home?)
Levi was digging for dino bones. Perhaps he'll take an interest in archeology?

Pet Shop

2011-02-05T20:40:00.003-05:00

Lately, one of the boy's favorite outings happens to be a trip to Petco. They have discovered customer in training shopping carts. While both of the kids are running in opposite directions with miniature shopping carts plowing through the store, this trip is a mandatory double chaperon type of outing. Jude has been really into fish. He's been reading books from his Uncle Steve and has been identifying the fish at the store. Easily, Jude could spend over an hour looking around. He's been know to curl up in the doggie igloos. We can't leave without looking for the critters running in circles in their wheels. And don't even think about taking off before they get a chance to say hi to the kitties.

Indoor Play

2011-02-05T20:07:00.002-05:00

On the rare occasion when Jude and Levi play together rather than go at each others' throats, they are usually up to no good. On this particular day, they thought they were being naughty by making lots of noise playing cars on the coffee table.
Meow, kitty...

Snowmaggedon

2011-02-05T17:59:00.014-05:00

We're running out of places to throw the snow.....
Levi's always looking for an excuse to play outside! Another storm does the trick.... With about 1 storm a week since Christmas we've had many chances to play in the snow this season.
Both Jude and Levi each have a shovel. They love to help clear the snow.
With snow almost up to their knees, you wouldn't be able to tell that we cleared about 6 inches yesterday too. This weather doesn't seem to slow them down.

Finally over the fear of getting snow on his boots, Jude takes a plunge into the fluff.

Who doesn't enjoy a natural snow cone every now and then?
Heading out for a walk on the street....
Jack wishes he was out for a ski with Joel...."These kids are such a drag," Jack's inner voice screams out.

A break from the snow...time for some "I Spy" with Daddy!
The next day we we're back at it. There really haven't been too many days this winter that we haven't been able to fit some kind of outside play into our routine.

Making sure the Mercedes is ready to go!
"Where did our tunnel go?"

Time to get the construction trucks out. They need to do their part to clear the driveway too.

Lovin' every minute of it! (I can't believe that less than 2 years ago he was inside of me -17 months old and already shoveling.)

Clips

2011-02-05T15:17:00.002-05:00

A new Great Clips has opened up in town. Since discovering that they have set their prices super-low to gather a client base, I've taken a slight vacation from cutting hair. Jude got his cut for $2.99 and Levi and Joel each paid $4.99. (The prices are slowly climbing....$4.99 plus tip may be where we draw the line.) Here are a couple shots of Levi's first time in a professional stylist chair.

Many bribes were in play as I worked to keep him still. First off, he wouldn't stop whining about the balloons at the front of the store. They made him his very own helium filled balloon. I also had a hefty supply of Smarties to keep him preoccupied. (We never were able to get him to wear a cape.)

Season of Snow

2011-01-27T20:45:00.002-05:00

With each storm that rolls through the Northeast, we've been busy diggin' out the driveway. Jude and Levi have been helping with their shovels. The piles are so high that we're running out of places to put all of the snow. Jude thought that it would be a great idea to put a tunnel through one of the mounds. (Since then, we've had more snow and have had to fill the hole....we needed the space.)

Touch Tank

2011-01-27T20:40:00.003-05:00

Levi just couldn't get enough of the touch tank at the Seacoast Science Center. He was fascinated with the starfish. Jude was curious about the sea urchins, hermit crabs, and starfish. Although Jude didn't want to touch any of the sea creatures, both boys enjoyed a great morning exploring the world below....

A Kids Dream

2011-01-27T20:29:00.003-05:00

All the Christmas decorations have been put away for weeks. Before dumping the gingerbread house, Jude had the green light to eat as much stale candy as he could.

Toolin' Around

2011-01-27T20:16:00.002-05:00

Jude got a chance to use his new tools. Joel and he decided to start to put a birdhouse together.

The Infamous Pony Bead

2011-01-27T19:51:00.003-05:00

It was about 3 weeks ago that Jude landed himself in a chair in the ENT's office. During this necklace making craft, Jude decided that it would be a good idea to stuff a bead up his nose. Little did I know that the booger that he was complaining about all day was an actual bead. Shortly before bedtime he shared with us that it wasn't a booger but a bead. The bead was stuffed so far up his nose, into the bone part, that there was no hope of retrieving it that night. Luckily, the after-hours nurse informed us that it could wait until morning. Jude was a bit traumatized by the whole experience. Hopefully, he'll never do anything like this again!

Hartter Holidays

2011-01-03T20:23:00.011-05:00

With the newly fallen snow, we had to sled off some energy before Uncle Dave and Aunt Chris arrived. We checked out Garrison Hill in Dover, NH. We all (minus Jack) had a fabulous time.

Aunt Chris, Uncle Dave, and Greylock arrived on December 29 around dinner time! We were so excited to have them stay with us.
Levi was excited too...putting on quite an act.

While Levi was napping the rest of the crew escaped to the sledding hill once more.

Greylock was enjoying some cooler weather too.

It was about time for Jude to get his hair cut again. Joel and I both cringe at the thought of the task. This time Aunt Chris and I decided that we'd take him to the "Hair Doctor" instead of me tackling the beast once again. Jude wasn't excited about the process....but there was no kicking and screaming this time. (And they were running a promotion for $2.99 haircuts.)

Levi was in LOVE with Greylock. He rode him like a horse, tackled him like a tiger, and pet him like a kitty. Greylock put up with just about anything. In this picture Levi is lining up some dice on top of Greylock....
There was plenty of spying going on during their visit. Jude kept his aunt and uncle busy reading I Spy books every chance he got.
Jude had a fantastic time decorating a gingerbread house with Aunt Chris.

Levi continued to be his goofy self....
New Years Day was so warm we decided to take a trip to the coast. With temps. in the 50's the boys enjoyed running off some steam.

Friends for the Holidays

2011-01-03T20:12:00.002-05:00

We were lucky to have Matt, one of Joel's highschool friends, drop by over the holidays. With his future family in the area, we're thrilled to get a chance to visit a couple times a year.
Jude seeked out the opportunity to rope Matt into reading a book of I spy...

Christmas Day 2010

2011-01-03T15:28:00.009-05:00

Look who grew a pair of antlers after eating the reindeer food that Jude and Joel sprinkled in the yard on Christmas Eve. (Rolled oats and sparkle dust....)

"I'd better get ready for all of the action that's about to come bounding down the stairs."

The boys were extremely pleased with the load of gifts Santa left under the tree.

Levi needed a bit of help to open his gifts. One of his favorite gifts this year...a meowing kitty-cat.
He was so excited to start using all of his gifts.
After all of the gifts had been opened we loaded up the van and headed up to Maine to celebrate with the Caswell's. Eleanor is showing off her new skirt from Grammy and her new riding boots.
Gemma is pretty in pink, also showing off her new skirt from Grammy.
After our bellies were full we attempted to get a couple pictures of the kids....

Then it was time to try to get a family shot...

Well, at least we had fun trying... a family photo wasn't in the cards for Christmas 2010.

An anti-climatic entrance to Christmas 2010. Jude was too distracted by dropping his Matchbox car to even notice that Santa had come last night.

Crafty Grammy

2011-01-03T15:16:00.002-05:00

Grammy sent us a few crafts to do before Christmas arrived. The boys loved using the seasonable stamps and making mangers for baby Jesus. Thanks Grammy for sending us a project to work on, keeping us occupied before the big day!

Aunt Betsy also sent some manger scene stickers. Jude and Levi enjoyed placing the characters in their appropriate spots.

Birthday Boy

2010-12-23T20:38:00.003-05:00

December 23rd is Daddy's birthday. Today we celebrated with cupcakes, cards, presents, snowmen, sledding, a long walk, and a dinner out on the town with the kids. Good times! Happy Birthday Joel!

'Tis the Season

2010-12-22T21:08:00.005-05:00

Jude can't wait for Christmas this year! We've been having such fun preparing for the big day. He's been wearing a Santa hat and pretending to be the man all in red.
In the last few days we've been receiving a little of the white stuff. Levi and Jude tested out their snow pants. Luckily we have some that will work for now...most likely we'll be in need of larger ones by the end of the season.

This morning Jude was extatic with the news that Santa was at the mall. He didn't even want to finish breakfast, he wanted to drive right over to see him. Levi, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with the bearded man. We decided not to subject him to more tears and Jude enjoyed every second he got to spend with Santa.

Arts and Crafts

2010-12-21T16:04:00.004-05:00

This season has been filled with opportunities for Jude and I to spend together doing arts and crafts. Here are a few pictures of the projects that we've completed.... many more projects didn't make it into the film yet.

He's been experimenting with the scissors and the all-time favorite glue stick!

2010-12-08T16:25:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving Weekend

2010-12-01T19:49:00.008-05:00

This year we decided to stay local and celebrate Thanksgiving with some of our friends. There were 10 adults and 10 kids (all boys ages 4 and under). We had a great time! Here's a picture of the kids table....

Instead of getting involved with any Black Friday chaos, we decided to lay low. We had a lazy morning of reading books, then off we went to the Children's Museum.
Saturday morning we hiked nearby at Kingman's Farm. What a terrific place for the whole family (Jack too)!

Later that evening, while I was making dinner, we peared outside to find our first snow of the year. Jude just had to get outside to make sure that his wheels would still have adequate traction. All was good!

Sunday afternoon Jude and Joel joined up with some friends to watch the Dover Holiday Parade. Jude is so excited about Christmas this year that he couldn't take his eyes off of the action!

Trimming the Tree

2010-12-01T17:30:00.005-05:00

Jack even got roped into decorating our tree this year. Jude was having a fabulous time lassoing him into the project with the rope we used to tie the tree to the top of our van.

The plastic ornaments were right up Levi's alley....he loves to play with balls.

Jude spent probably close to 2 hours hanging ornaments. He's so excited about Christmas this year. He did a great job clustering all of the unbreakable ornaments close to the bottom of the tree. There is a give and take relationship with Levi, Jude, and the tree. Levi likes to take the ornaments off of the tree, Jude likes to find a new place to hang them back up....

Our First Real Tree

2010-12-01T17:12:00.002-05:00

Upon learning that the day after Thanksgiving was going to be filled with rain showers, we hurriedly decided to select our tree the day before Thanksgiving. It was a chilly night, so we chose quickly. We ended up getting a beautiful Frazier Fir. This is our first year putting up a real tree. (We won't be traveling to MI this year, so it'll be easier to care for our thirsty tree.)

Love Your Brother

2010-12-01T15:50:00.005-05:00

When they are in the right mood, they are so sweet to one another. I managed to capture such a time while they were dining beside each other....

First Half of November

2010-11-30T13:24:00.010-05:00

"Jack-O-Lanter"

Olivia turns 3...A look at her "Incredible" party.

Tub Time
Fall yard work....

Making turkey's...
Birthday for Ray

Trick-or-Treat '10

2010-11-01T20:00:00.009-04:00

This year our small group joined us at our house to do some good 'ole fashioned trick-or-treating.

Our attempt at a group photo....

Levi's not a fan of hats, hoods, or anything else on top of his head....it's going to be a long winter if he doesn't figure out how to become one with a hat.

Levi as a bat... Jude as a race car driver aka: Bobby Jude (brought back from an early name that cousin Gemma used to call him).
Charlie as a bear....
Caleb as a giraffe...
Lining up for the goods...

Jude ate some along the way... a constant, "Can I eat this one?"
Still not excited about the costume....
Oops...don't worry, no candy was lost.
Good recovery!

Fun, Fall, and Forrest

2010-10-31T21:30:00.007-04:00

This past week a friend of ours came up from Florida. Now that Joel has secured funding through a grant, he and Forrest are continuing to do research together in Oregon. Work was a great reason to get him to come visit us up here in NH. Jude couldn't get enough of Forrest! (Forrest... you were super!) Having Forrest around was the perfect excuse to get out and enjoy the fall.

Jude's favorite spot this fall.... Emmery Farm. Above: corn maze

Forrest hadn't been to New Hampshire or Maine before this trip. We had to make sure that he crossed into Maine by taking him to York Beach.
Jude wasted no time getting into the water....

There was plenty of searching for Goldbug....
Fall colors in Pawtuckaway State Park....

Hayride and More...

2010-10-31T20:47:00.008-04:00

On a whim, last Saturday we called the Sessler's to see if they were up for a quick trip to Emmery Farm. We were delighted when the response was yes! Jude and Levi had a great time with Owen and Charlie. The hayride was great and the company was even better.....

Fall Visits

2010-10-31T20:30:00.005-04:00

We're lucky to be living in such a beautiful part of the USA. We're grateful that we've been able to share this fall beauty with some of the visitors we've had recently. When Joel returned home from his marathon was whisked away to Monreal for a couple of days. Upon his return from that trip, he was greeted with friends who had come from Utah. Ray, Aviva, and their 2 daughters Aisha and Tallya were welcomed by a bubbly Jude. He was so excited to have some friends spend the night!

Enjoying Fall Outdoors

2010-10-31T20:16:00.003-04:00

If it's not raining, we try to spend as much time as we can in the cool, crisp weather. It has been an absolutely wonderful fall!

Exeter Harvest Festival

2010-10-31T20:06:00.004-04:00

While Joel was away for the marathon, the boys and I took a trip to Exeter to visit some friends. Downtown a Harvest Festival was taking place, giving Jude a perfect excuse to slip into his costume and give trick-or-treating a try. He had a great time going store to store, scoring plenty of sweets with his friend Ben.

Detroit Marathon 2010

2010-10-31T19:49:00.003-04:00

October 17th marked the date Joel would run his first marathon. After training for many months, this was one day that he was ready for. With a smile on his face and bib number 7748 he made his way through the 26.2 mile course. He had an amazing race, qualifying to run the Boston Marathon if he so chooses. His finishing time was 3:04:29. (Thanks to Mike and Angel for capturing the race on camera.) I couldn't be more proud of his endurance. He did an amazing job of balancing work, family, church, friends, and athletics throughout his training. Way to go Joel, (and Daddy)!