November 2012

More Soccer

 Jackson played goalie for several games this season.

Burlington Christmas Parade

 The boy's afterschool program had a float in the Burlington Christmas parade. I see Jackson but can't find Adam. He's up there somewhere.

Fun at The Great Wolf Lodge

 Eating dinner in the dark. The power went off in the whole hotel. At least we were out of the water park! Thank goodness it was back on in about an hour.

 Watching the Story Hour Show in the lobby.

Thanksgiving at Aunt Jamie's and Uncle Roger's

 We brought our firiends, Will and Matthew to celebrate with us.

Picking the Perfect Christmas Tree

 Sarah was not cooperative with the camera. 

 There were so many pictures of this shot. This is the only one where everyone is looking at the camera and no one is covered entirely by a tree branch!

 Is this the one? Don't know- can't remember!

Girl's Weekend

I know the pictures don't quite go with the title of this entry. While Sarah and I were away for a girl's weekend Kevin took the camera with him, so I don't have any pictures of the girls.
Sarah and I picked up Mom and Nana and headed to Emily's condo in the mountains where she and Ivey were waiting. Jamie and Natalie joined us on Saturday. We had so much fun! Sarah loved watching Ivey laugh. When someone made Ivey laugh, Sarah would start laughing too. We shopped, bonded, and had a birthday party for Emily.
Kevin doesn't like to be home alone when I'm not there. He decided to take Jackson, Adam, and the dog to Hanging Rock to do a little hiking. They hiked down to the waterfall where they rested and played in the water.

I'm waiting for the day when Adam realizes he doesn't have to "cheese it up" to smile.

Jackson has this hiking business down pat!

The Big Birthday Bash

We gathered the whole family together at Dan Nicholas Park to celebrate Adam's fourth and Jackson's eighth birthdays. Gramma, Grandad, Nana, Aunt Jamie, Natalie, Philip, Philip's friend Val, Aunt Emily, Uncle Joe, Ivey, Grandma, Papa Jack, and Aunt Jeanne all came to help celebrate. Grandad left the hamburgers and hot dogs at home and had to go back to get them. Thank goodness they lived the closest! Grandma, Papa Jack, and Jeanne took the scenic route but made it just in time for Grandad's return with the food. We ate just a little later than planned which didn't leave us a lot of time to play. The kids (and several adults, too) rode the train, the carousel, and the paddle boats. Adam was a little upset about not getting to play on the playground, but heading for ice cream at the end of the day made it all better.

Sarah loved blowing bubbles.

Baseball and soccer was the theme this year. Baseball for Jackson and Soccer for Adam.

Sarah got some presents too! She was very excited about her purse.

Adam riding on the carousel.

Sarah refused to get on a horse so we sat in the sleigh to go round and round.

Kevin took Adam and Uncle Joe took Jackson for rides in the paddle boats. They raced each other all over that lake. The rest of us (Emily, Gramma, Grandad, Sarah, Ivey, and me) sat in the shade and watched.

Thank you to everyone who came and made the boy's birthdays extra special. We love you!

More Easter

Jackson and I concluded our Spring Break with a trip to Gramma and Granddad's. Sarah went to her 18 month check-up (she weighed 26 pounds and was 33 1/2 inches long) and then we went to pick up Adam and headed towards the lake. Kevin stayed home to work on the porch steps. On Saturday, everyone came down for an Easter lunch. After lunch we all headed out to find Easter eggs. We had to come home on Saturday night so the Easter bunny could find our Easter baskets and fill them with goodies.

Bedtime stories with Gramma.

Dying Easter Eggs at Gramma's. Adam and Sarah are taking their naps or they might have been dyed themselves!

Adam's job was to put stickers on the dyed eggs. Gramma used the dyed eggs to make deviled eggs for Easter lunch. Yum!

"First of all, Granddad, why are you holding Ivey and not me? Second, Ivey, why don't you have much hair on your head?"

Don't you just wish the two of them could talk so you'd know what they were thinking?

Sarah's favorite place: in Grandad's arms (as long as he is standing and walking around!).

Adam and Jackson looking for the hidden eggs.

Chillin' out in the shade.

Look what the Easter bunny left us!

Adam loves his Peeps!

Sarah got some new barrettes.

Adam got a book with a dry erase marker that teaches him all about colors which he has yet to put down!

Happy Turkey Weekend!

We went to Emily and Joe's condo at the top of Sugar Mountain for Thanksgiving. Since we couldn't all (Mom, Daddy, Jamie, Roger, Natalie, Philip, and Nana) fit in their condo, Jamie rented another one just a little ways down the mountain. We spent a lot of time going back and forth. Fortunately Emily and Joe's condo was nice and toasty warm. The low of Friday night was 12 degrees. The wind was howling horribly outside. I'm sure the wind chill was probably below zero.
On Friday, Mom, Emily, Natalie, and I ventured out to Blowing Rock about the time the cold front was moving in. We hit the main shops we wanted to and then headed back to a nice warm fire and a yummy birthday dinner and celebration for Jamie. The warmth didn't stay around long though. The rental condo's sliding glass door started leaking all the cold air in. Emily, Joe, Kevin, the kids, and I headed to their condo for that cold night. The rest of the family showed up to thaw out on Saturday morning. The heat in the rental condo was having to work overtime that night and chose not to work too well. Luckily the maintenance people came and fixed it that day. The temp on Saturday rose to a toasty 25 degrees. I chose to stay in while Kevin and the boys headed out to "climb the mountain". We had our Thanksgiving meal and then the boys, Kevin, and Uncle Joe went to Valle Crucis to the Mast General Store. I believe Adam and Jackson were amazed at the amount of candy they had.

Mountain climbing (according to Adam) on Saturday.

I'm not sure who took this picture. Remember I was inside where it was warm. Did Joe go mountain climbing too?

About a quarter of the way down the mountain on the way to Valle Crucis, the boys jumped out of the van to take a picture with the bear. Jackson and Adam came in and immediately told everyone they went to see a bear.

Sunday was so much warmer. We all ventured out to do some mountain climbing- even me! We walked up to the ski slopes. Sugar Mountain actually started making snow on Saturday. They start down at the bottom and work their way to the top. We snuck out to the top of the slope where there were no people and no snow. That will be the closest I will ever come to being on the black diamond slope. In fact, these crazy knees will never even hit the bunny slope. The boys enjoyed running around, watching the ski lifts operate, and watching the people skiing down below.

Look, we started shedding our hats and gloves.

We can never leave the mountains without a Christmas tree on Thanksgiving weekend. Here is our "perfect tree" for this year.

Thank You Aunt Jamie and Uncle Roger!

Adam and Jackson received tickets to Carowinds for their birthdays from Aunt Jamie and Uncle Roger. We decided to make a weekend of it and visit Aunt Emily and Uncle Joe. The boys had so much fun! Adam rode a roller coaster with Uncle Joe and kept asking to ride it again. I think he especially liked it because it was yellow. Jackson loved the Woodstock Express (formerly known as the Scooby Doo Roller Coaster). I think he rode it about 3 or 4 times. Sarah enjoyed riding the carousel, the train, and the helicopters. Kevin and Joe did get to ride the Intimidator several times. After we put the kids to bed, Kevin and I headed back over to ride a few more roller coasters.

Jackson and Adam on Snoopy's Airplane.

Sarah riding on her horse on the carousel.

We are waiting to get on the helicopters. Sarah did not like to have to sit down during this ride. She kept trying to get out of the seatbelt.

Jackson and Adam standing with Snoopy.

Adam fell asleep, and we all ended up taking turns (well, all except for the pregnant woman!) carrying him back across the park. That double stroller I left at home and almost brought with us would have come in handy.

We couldn't not go for a boat ride. Sarah had to miss out on this one though because she left her life jacket at the lake house. Luckily Aunt Emily volunteered to keep her at home.

So Many Visitors

Sarah has gotten to meet almost all of her family. Grandma and Papa Jack, Aunt Jamie, Nana, Gramma, and Aunt Emily came to see her in the hospital. Granddad stopped by last Thursday. On Saturday, the rest of the clan came to celebrate Mom's birthday. We decided that this would probably be her "last" birthday celebration. Sarah will probably take all the attention next year. Sorry mom, but I have to say she is worth it, isn't she?

Jackson has Sarah and Gramma has "her baby".