It’s a New York Fall…
November 1, 2009 | Filed Under Deployment, Eliza Dove, Eve, Fall, Life in New York (the apple trees and dairy cow part... not the city!), Photos | 32 Comments
Fall in New York is breath-taking…
I have been getting out and enjoying every bit of this season because I know I won’t have this opportunity again for maybe the rest of my life.
I took the kids grape picking at the vineyard this past Sunday evening.
It was, in one word, beautiful.
We enjoyed every minute of it. We had been a couple of weeks before that and it was lovely then, but for some reason the moodiness of the leafless vines…
…and the fallen grapes made it seem all the more beautiful.
The kids helped me pick, they taste-tested, they played tag up and down the rows (we were the only patrons), and they gave each other wagon rides.
Such a good time.
This past Thursday, my Mom and Dad invited us to go to a park with them for a picnic.
We are always up for picnics in parks with a fire and roasted hot dogs! Miss Eliza wore (Eve’s) pink beret the entire night.
She may be slightly in love with hats of any sort. Eliza wore that hat, or, “Haaa…” as she says, with great pride.
Even when she fell down (it’s tough “trailing” through the woods when you are little!) that hat stayed right on her head.
As Eve would tell you, fashion is where it’s at, even when one is “trailing.”
Eliza has taken that nugget of “truth” to heart!
We had a great time at the park; I can tell you exactly just how much fun by the amount of dirty laundry I had to wash!
I am thankful that I have had the energy and determination to get out while Daniel has been deployed. It hasn’t always been easy, in fact, sometimes it took more than I had to give. I have three small kids, after all! But, I refuse to have any regrets. I don’t want to look back on this time in my life and wish I had not held back. Sure, my heart waits for him but my life has moved forward. How discouraging it would be for Daniel to come home and see that I am still the same girl he left six months earlier!
Anyway, happy November first! Not only is it my birthday month,Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday!), and Judah’s birthday month… most importantly, I get to say: my husband is coming home NEXT MONTH!
Hooray!
We found a new place to play…
October 18, 2009 | Filed Under Andrea, Eliza Dove, Eve, Fall, Judah, Life in New York (the apple trees and dairy cow part... not the city!), Photos | 18 Comments
I love finding new places to take the kids on hikes…. they call it “trailing.” That term always makes me giggle a little.
With three (active) kids, one who is particularly prone to wander,
…walking on the sidewalk through town doesn’t work out so well. Besides…. snore…. boring.
The other day, while on the hunt for a road-side stand that sells spaghetti squash (still looking, by the way), my eyes found a new trail! One that I have driven by approximately 48,297 times over the course of my short-ish life of 28 almost 29 years.
Hooray! The kids loved it. And I loved it because the wanderer…
…could wander all she liked and I didn’t have to worry a bit. The trail was quiet, except for one very sneaky biker (Scared me twice! Who knew a bike could be so quiet on crunchy leaves!). We played and played.
And took pictures… I like this one in particular. Miss Eliza is giving her brother the look that sums it all up… “the sideways look.” You know, the look that says, “I’ve got your number.” And oh, she does. She’s a force to be reckoned with, that one.
It was a fantastic time. We couldn’t wait to go back!
So today, after the kids did the jumping, begging, clapping hands thing, I said, “twist my rubber arm… we can go again!” Immediately I was crowned “Mother Of The Year.” And I stayed “Mother Of The Year” until the next time I told them, “No.” to something they wanted. Fickle, fickle small children.
The girls were so staid; quietly walking down the trail hand in hand.
The boy? Like a bull let out of the pen!
Three year old boys are such a phenomenon. He makes me laugh, he makes me cry… Long-suffering sigh… All I’ve got to say is, “Thank you, Lord, for little boys and their birthdays.”
I would be at fault if I failed to mention that Miss Eliza Dove chose her red shoes today. And I commended her, you know. Because every day is a good day for red shoes, I say. Even “trailing” days.
We had a great time until we hit the wall. The “cold” wall. And then it was time to take our chilly selves home. We had nachos and pumpkin bread with cream cheese frosting to eat, and “101 Dalmations” to watch. Nobody fussed, not even poor Eliza… though sometimes it’s really tough to be the little guy.
Happy Sunday! Here’s to a great new week….
Fall in my pocket…
October 5, 2009 | Filed Under Eliza Dove, Eve, Fall, Judah, Life in New York (the apple trees and dairy cow part... not the city!), Photos | 21 Comments
Fall in my pocket
Miss Eliza deemed me her treasure carrier tonight on our walk. My pocket was full of acorn tops, leaves, and a pine cone. I drew the line at the sticks and the rocks…
Fall is unequivocally my favorite time of year. I love it. Love it.
Fall in my hand
Here at my house (probably like yours!) we are eating apple pie, pumpkin pie, drinking apple cider, eating homemade applesauce, burning apple cinnamon and french vanilla candles, plotting our dinner plan for Thanksgiving, smelling woodsmoke, wearing fleeces… the list goes on and on.
Fall is our favorite
This week my goal is to find free apples. I want to make more applesauce to can, and lots of it! My kids inhale the stuff. While I love going to an apple orchard to pick apples, the amount of apples I want would put me in the poorhouse. So, I am determined to scour the countryside for abandoned apple trees or non-abandoned apples trees with very generous owners! Wish me lots of apple finding luck…
Fall underneath me
Today I bought two pie pumpkins from a stand on the side of the road. One dollar each. I am planning on roasting them and then making pumpkin pie for our breakfast this week. The kids think that pumpkin pie for breakfast is the most natural thing in the world. And I love that!
Fall all around me
Some of my favorite fall things include: the smell of woodsmoke and leaves, having to wear a sweater but not a jacket, the sound of leaves crunching under my feet, my kid’s rosy red cheeks, cool rainy days, the colors of the trees, and the food, of course!
Fall above me
Tell me, what do you love about Fall?
One year ago today: I didn’t post… for shame!
Two years ago today: A Fall Delight
Ugliest Pie I Have Ever Made
October 1, 2009 | Filed Under Fall, Photos, Recipe | 16 Comments
Seriously, ugly. I stuck the flowers in the photo as an attempt to distract you.
Wouldn’t you know, I even forgot to dot the apples with butter before I put the crust on. And then I forgot to do an egg-wash and sprinkle sugar on top.
That will teach me to stray from my beloved crumb topping apple pie. If it’s not broken….
Well, I guess all that this means is that I need to make another pie to try to salvage my reputation.
Darn.
It’s “M” week here… Mexican Rice and Beans, anyone? We had this meal for dinner last night… delicious!
A Fall Delight
October 5, 2007 | Filed Under Fall, Vermont | 4 Comments
