Happy Easter

I hope everyone had a very happy Easter weekend. Ours was very nice. Crazy as usual, but wonderfully traditional at the same time.

We spent much of Saturday at Adventure Landing for Easter egg hunts and other fun. Alex made out like a bandit and Cullen had alot fun running around.

We had Easter brunch out with family and then went back to grandma's house for a hunt. The kids scurried around the yard gathering eggs and the men later gathered round for the annual "scratch-off hunt". Yes, this is actually the most comically fun part of the day. Mom hides a couple dozen scratch off tickets througout the house and the guys have to hunt for them. Between Shawn, Roger and Chris...laughs are plentiful! And only because Grandma is so evil and chooses the most ridiculously hard hiding spots.

Unfortunatley we never made it to my mom's (sorry mom). Alex was saying she didn't feel well all of the sudden and we thought it was becuase she didn't want to leave her cousins. We later learned she was indeed sick as she exploded with the force of Mt. Etna all over the van. So two days later, she is still recovering and I am finally catching up on all the wash she has created over the last three days.

Before the "incident" I was able to capture many photos. They can be found here through Shutterfly.

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas!

Well we are home and nearly all unpacked which was no small feat. Kids are back on track and we have jumped right into the holiday spirit. On Saturday, we payed a visit to Santa.

Then Gabi spent the night and Shawn went out and bought the girls each their own Gingerbread houses to make. It's so much fun to watch their creativity in action!

Fall Fun

Autumn cannot officially begin without a trip to Kelly's Apple Farm, home of the best crumb top apple pie in New York State! We took the kids on Saturday afternoon for some cider, donuts and fun. Grandma and Grandpa came along as well and we shared some yummy pumpkin bread. Afterwards, Cullen and Alex both enjoyed rolling around in the grass. And Alex burned some energy by racing Daddy up and down the hill over and over and over.

Happy 4th!

July 4th is one of my favorite days of the year! It was always filled with tradition as a child. My uncle lived on the parade route, so we would get to his house early in the morning before they closed the roads. The entire family would spend the day camping out in his yard, watching the parade, kids running around, burgers grilling. It always ended with the town firework display that could be seen from his backyard. Although my uncle has long passed, the house has been sold, we have moved out of the area...we come back every year for the parade. It is the best one in town!


Then afternoons and evenings are spent at The Spirit of America, which our church hosts. You stake your claim on a plot of grass and spend the night listening to music, eating 50 cent cotton candies and snow cones and catching up with old friends. The kids enjoy pouncing on a vast array of inflatables and getting their faces painted. And of of course, ending the night with the best fire works in town. There is nothing like watching an explosive display of colorful fireworks accompanied by moving partiotic music. Makes me so proud to live in this country we call the US of A!


Go Red, White and Blue!!!!