Thanksgiving 2011

We had a great Thanksgiving this year! Mimi and PopPop drove from Indiana to be with us! We were so excited to see them. They even got to catch Allie & Sydney's thanksgiving program at school.

On Thanksgiving day, PopPop kept Gavin busy so we could cook :)
 

Allie worked hard to make the tables look nice. She made the napkin rings at school.

A quick look at the bird before daddy carves it! It's become a tradition for our good friends, the McWhirter's, to come over and have a thanksgiving meal with us. They have Alex (8), Noelle (5) and Megan (3)

 Allie and Alex

 the "littles" table ;)

We also made it a tradition to make paper chains each year to count down the days until Christmas! The girls love it ;)  

We found out shortly after thanksgiving, that the McWhirter's will be moving to Pennsylvania.    we are sad, but also happy for their new opportunity...and feel blessed that we could hang out and get to know them the past 4 years.

Aunt KiKi and Uncle Brian's visit

My aunt and uncle visited for the weekend since they going to my uncle's reunion at Harvard. It was a treat to show them around. They live in Vero Beach, FL and have visited us in every house we've lived in ;) We first took them to York Maine for some lobster.

Right outside the restaurant is the Nubble Lighthouse

Next, we headed to Newburyport, MA. This is one of our favorite places.

My aunt and I got to sneak off and take a walk around town while the kids played at this cute park. Gavin is still hesitant to go down slides. I came back to find Allie encouraging him to go down :)

 (pretty fun, with big sister by his side) ;)

We had SO much fun! They headed out on Monday morning to see Vermont. We're looking forward to visiting them in Florida, hopefully soon!

Martha's Vineyard

Uncle Greg and Aunt Abby came to visit us on labor day weekend! We had been wanting to go to Martha's Vineyard for a couple of yrs so thought this might be a great opportunity! We had SO much fun. I loved it so much, I found it to be a tease to do a one day trip! Chris & I are thinking about a "get-away" trip in the future now ;)

 The ferry ride was gorgious!

Here's our first glimpse of the island!

The cutest bank I've ever seen. :)

Here's Chris' brother Greg and his wife Abby at the Black Dog Tavern

the girls and I found this adorable children's book store :)

I couldn't get them out of it! I think the word "ice cream" worked though. 

G was tuckered out

Of course we had to have an ice cream :)

Exploring the island

While waiting on the bus to go to the other end of martha's vineyard, G enjoyed going up the ramp and down the steps at the Black Dog store :)  he decided he needed to take aunt Abby with him :)

Aren't they the cutest couple ever!!! Yeah, we are definitely going to have some gorgious nephews/nieces some day ;)  lol

GAVIN'S 2nd Birhday!!!

So this post is a little late since G's bday was Aug 4th, but I was determined to learn how to post a video.  I can't believe 2 yrs have already gone by! Although he is the size of a 4 yr old, ;)  I'm still calling him our baby :(. He is obsessed with "tra-tras" (tractors), so I thought we should make him a tractor cake. It was a hit and we had fun spoiling him on his bday.

This was his one big present from mommy, daddy, sisters, and both sets of grandparents.  His favorite thing to do is mow with daddy and this is exactly like Chris' mower, so he looks hilarious on it! ;)  

First day of school! 2011-2012

I love it when I find our kids doing something, and I have to completely pause and enjoy the moment :)  Those moments that make you feel like your doing "something" right.  Finding my kids lost in a book is one of those moments for me. The night before the first day of school, I heard Gavin playing in the girls room but then it got very quiet, so I ran upstairs to check...and this is what I found.

Both girls were  so excited for their first day at SMCA!

Allie is now in 2nd grade and Sydney is in Kindergarten.

I think it's so cute that they try to coordinate their outfits every night for the next day of school :)  Having a sister, I know that this won't last very long!

Daddy stayed home to see us off! 

The girls couldn't be any more different. Just like last year, Sydney wanted dropped off at the door and told me "you need to go now" as I tried to show her around her room :)  Allie wanted me to stay and had some tears as I left :(.  

 They both did great though after I left ;)

The second day went even smoother and both are loving their new teachers!