Carr Family Update

Zach's 1 m. pic

2011-11-02T09:46:00.000-04:00

Hard to believe that Zach is 1 month old! Also hard to believe this duck has lasted through 3 boys :)

My 4 Carr Boys

2011-10-04T10:48:00.000-04:00

On October 1st at 4:01am, we welcomed Zachary Augustus Benner Carr to family. Zach came after a busy day with Abuela in the ER (with 2 broken wrists) but thankfully, a short labor. Zach is jaundice but doing well. Thankfully, he sleeps a lot better than his brothers!

1st Day

2011-08-30T10:40:00.000-04:00

I have been lax in blogging but today, is Alex's first day of Kindgarten. He is attending Vida Charter School in Gettysburg. He seemed very excited this morning (and a bit tired). Thankfully, Pat was able to take him to the school bus and leave Mommy (the basketcase) home with Connor and her meetings.

Part 4: Drive Home

2011-08-04T20:03:00.001-04:00

The drive home from vacation is always the worst. It gets worse with a tired/hungry/cranky 1 year old. To keep Connor's attention, until we could stop to eat, we played with the camera. It was not until we reached the Bay Bridge that he eventually fell asleep and slept until Westminster.

Frontier Town

2011-08-04T19:15:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday, it was a cloudy and humid day...perfect day to try out something else. So we went to Frontier Town. Alex enjoyed the shows, riding the stage coach, the pony ride, and sitting in a paddle boat. Connor seemed to enjoy the animals.

Part 3: The Beach

2011-08-04T19:09:00.000-04:00

When not in the waves, Alex seemed to enjoy destroying/bombing sand castles. He would create his cities and then quickly destroy everything in the area.

Connor did not like the sane until a good 30 mins with patient Abuela. Then he would sit on someone's lap and use a shovel to take sand out of a pail.

Day 2 & 3

2011-08-04T19:06:00.001-04:00

Monday and Tuesday were perfect ocean days. The water was a little cool but that did not stop Alex from wanting to go in ALL the time. I was able to take him out some on Monday but on Tuesday, the current was too strong and Alex too adventurous for me to handle him. Thankfully, Abuelo enjoyed taking him in the waves.

Alex's Portraits

2011-08-04T18:56:00.002-04:00

Hard to believe... but here is a link to Alex's 5 year portraits
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
He did great :)

Part 2: Playground

2011-08-04T18:42:00.000-04:00

Another nice thing about the Sea Watch was the children's playground. Connor was the easier child to take pictures of but Alex enjoyed the playset and the 2 pirate boats. He quickly designated himself Captain and had a few mateys to order around.

Day 1 - Meet the Beach

2011-08-04T18:39:00.000-04:00

On Sunday evening, we had a chance to play on the beach. Alex LOVED the waves and sand. Connor... not so much. It was tough for him to walk on the sand and he didn't seem to care for the waves.

OC Vacation - Part 1: The Pool

2011-08-04T16:56:00.000-04:00

The past few days were spent with Abuelos in Ocean City, MD. They invited us along (unfortunately, Pat had to work) and we were able to get away.
We stayed at the Sea Watch and it had 3 pools (2 outdoor and 1 indoor). The one pool was shaped like a Nemo fish that had sprinklers. The boys had a great time there! Connor enjoyed playing with the streams and Alex enjoyed swimming (mostly in the other pools). Alex is a complete fish who swims without any assistance and can do forward and backward flips. Connor is fearless and likes to imitate his brother.

Spaghetti Body

2011-08-04T16:51:00.000-04:00

Connor is definitely known as the eater of the family and usually he is not the cleanest. Lately, he has gotten messier than normal (I think it is because Pat is not here to eat with us and help clean up.) This picture is a sample of Connor eating spaghetti. He is covered from head to toe (even his diaper was red). Afterwards, he was promptly put in the bath tub and left an orange ring around the tub :)

Rain +Sanity Relief

2011-08-04T16:46:00.000-04:00

Last Wednesday, after many many days of hiding from the heat in the basement, sanity was a rare gift. Thankfully, it started to rain (and not storm) and I was able to allow the boys to get outside and play. They have a GREAT time. They ran around in their PJs, splashing in puddles, and having a ball for 45 minutes. Afterwards, they were tired and cold, came inside, and had a great nap :)

Connor's 1st Portrait.

2011-07-25T21:29:00.000-04:00

It took over a month to finally get Connor to a portrail studio. I have been waiting for a time when he was not sick, did not have a bump/scratch on his head or was not black and blue. Thankfully, the day came and Alex was with Abuela.

I took Connor to Picture Me in Hanover and got some great pictures. Connor behaved fairly well. I dressed him in an outfit that Alex wore for his 2nd birthday pictures (it will be interesting to see when Zac will wear it).

Once we got home from pictures, Connor promptly fell down the steps and earned himself another bump on the head.

The "Little" pool

2011-07-25T21:24:00.000-04:00

To help us wear the boys out, we decided to invest in a little pool (to help conserve water than use a sprinkler). It was a great $20 well spent! The boys go NUTS together and while we are constantly following Connor's constant motion, they both do very well. Plus, after 30 minutes of playing, a nap or bed is usually guarenteed.

Happy 4th

2011-07-25T21:21:00.000-04:00

Same as last year, we went to Abuelos' for the 4th of July (pizza and swimming). The boys LOVE the water. Alex is a little fish that does not use any flotation device. He loves to go under water and swims fairly well. Connor is BOLD. He dislikes any and all flotation devices and wants to be like his brother. He gets very excited to kick and doesn't seem to mind getting a face full of water.

Gettysburg Carnival

2011-07-25T21:13:00.001-04:00

At the beginning of July, we went to the Gettysburg Carnival and ran into Uncle Rodger and Jacob. We stuck together and Jacob and Alex had a blast running together. They rode every ride they could and seemed happy and content. My favorite memory was watching the boys go through the crazy house of mirrors. The 1st time, they were completely lost and it took 10 minutes. They would try one direction run into a mirror, try another direction, run into a mirror and rinse and repeat. The 2nd time, they tried to follow an older girl through the maze but she quickly out paced them. This led them to running into more mirrors.

Mimi's Birthday!

2011-07-25T21:12:00.000-04:00

At the end of June, we were able to travel back out to West Chester to celebrate Mimi's birthday. Along with a nice party, Megan and Kate organized a Hula Hoop contest. For some it turned into a deadly sport (Pat and Kate) but overall, a nice friendly competition :)

Father's Day

2011-07-25T21:09:00.000-04:00

For Father's day, Alex and Connor gave Pat the Kinect Sport Game. All the boys seem to enjoy playing it and Alex seems to always beat Pat in the boxing game. There is no technique but a lot of movement during those matches.
Also, during that weekend, we were able to travel to West Chester to visit with Pat's Dad. Pat and the rest of the Carrs had lunch at Iron Hill and then the boys and I joined in to take Gramps for ice cream.
Then on Sunday, we were invited up to Abuelos' for dinner :)

Art Camp

2011-07-25T21:06:00.000-04:00

To help keep me sane between Alex's and my summer vacation gap, Alex went to an Animal Pinch Pot Camp. He spend a week working with clay, drawing and painting. At the end, during the exhibition, all of Alex's creations were labeled "Mystery Animals." Probably not the best learning experience but we got through the week happy :)

Connor's 1st Birthday

2011-07-25T21:03:00.000-04:00

Hard to believe Connor is 1! On June 12th, we had a nice family party. Alex did well helping to open the presents and Connor didn't go crazy after eating cake. It was a nice afternoon :)
On Connor's actual birthday, Pat was able to stay home and everyone enjoyed a relaxed day together :)

Pat's Birthday

2011-07-25T21:00:00.000-04:00

Poor Pat had to work on his birthday, June 10th, but the boys were excited to see him when he got home. Alex helped make a chocolate chip bar cake and both boys left the presents alone until Pat came home.

Preschool Graduate

2011-07-25T20:58:00.000-04:00

At the beginning of June (after 2.5 years), Alex graduated Jelly Bean Preschool. There was a ceremony with 10 other soon to be Kindergarteners. Alex was very excited but sad that he will not go to school with his other friends.

1st Tball Game

2011-05-01T20:30:00.000-04:00

After multiple day cancellations, Alex finally got in a Tball game today! This year, he has a little better understanding of what is going on but it is still a slow game :)

Easter '11

2011-05-01T20:26:00.000-04:00

This was Connor's 1st Easter. Alex had a lot of fun coloring Easter Eggs on Friday night. And then both he and Connor did a great job hunting them and the baskets on Sunday morning.
Then for Easter lunch, we were joined by Mammaw, Abuelos, Tia and Joe. A relaxing Easter weekend :)

Hoppy Easter

2011-04-21T21:04:00.000-04:00

Before we went to visit the Easter Bunny at the North Hanover Mall, Alex wanted to create a list to tell EB what all he wanted for Easter. This led to quite a discussed about celebrating Easter, Bunny sizes, and Easter baskets. What a boy!
Thankfully, both boys were very well behaved (though tired). I think having Alex there helped keep Connor calm for the picture. Overall, a good experience :)

Jedi Party

2011-04-21T21:00:00.000-04:00

Last Sunday, Alex's preschool friends (10 total) came over for a Jedi Birthday Party. We played Give the Lightsaber to Yoda, Pass the Thermal Detonator, Jedi Master Says, Lightsaber Force Push, Find the Cake, and Duck, Duck, Goose (the last one was sheer desperation to keep the sugar high kids calm). Alex's favorite part... giving out Goody Bags.

Birthday Cakes

2011-04-21T20:56:00.000-04:00

3 Partys for a 5 year old = crazy!;
Thankfully, Alex seemed to enjoy his birthday and we are slowly coming down from the sugar rush in time for Easter :)

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-17T08:16:00.002-04:00

Wow... Just add a little food coloring to breakfast food and you become the best Mom... gotta love preschool :)

I have Alex this morning for breakfast before he goes to preschool to hunt for lephrecauns and then to Abuelos' to play to allow Mommy to teach. Now...what to do with Connor... ;)

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Trouble

2011-03-14T19:40:00.000-04:00

This is Connor's new trick today. I was upstairs making brownies and he decided he wanted to join me.

Crawler

2011-03-13T20:12:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the shaky video but Connor is on the move!

Jealous

2011-03-13T20:11:00.000-04:00

Alex has hit a point where anything Connor has...he wants it. Picture time... Alex demands his picture is taken with a balloon from the party store.

9 m old

2011-03-13T20:10:00.000-04:00

Today, Connor is 9 months old. He is a master at rolling and commando crawling. He is working on forward crawling, sitting, and pulling himself up.
He likes to eat cheerios (some make it in his mouth), strawberries, bananas, noodles, grapes, Mum-Mums, Nilla Wafers, mashed potatoes, and peaches.

Teeth

2011-03-13T20:06:00.000-04:00

Connor now 5 teeth. He likes to hide his teeth with his tongue. I was able to get him to show the 3 bottom but the 2 top teeth and still ellusive.

Mashed Potatoes

2011-03-13T20:03:00.000-04:00

Connor refuses to be fed food. He is very self sufficient but not the cleanest eater.

Pizza Crust Boy

2011-03-13T20:01:00.000-04:00

Connor enjoys feeding himself and his favorite food is pizza crusts.

Snow Snow Snow

2011-03-13T19:58:00.001-04:00

The boys had a few snow days this winter. Alex enjoyed eating snow and Connor only went out once but was not phased by it.
However,I decided we will be getting a snow blower for next winter.

Benner Brunch

2011-01-04T22:05:00.000-05:00

Yes... We took a serious/nice picture too but that is no fun to publish :)

On Jan 2nd, the Benner's came over for Brunch and had a nice time catching up to wrap up the holidays :)

Great Visits :)

2011-01-04T22:03:00.000-05:00

It is a blessing when friends visit :) Thankfully, Becky was able to come over for an afternoon and we were able to catch up. My boys LOVE "Miss Becky" :)

Carr Kids

2011-01-04T22:01:00.000-05:00

After the "dreaded" Philly snow storm, we wre able to visit the Carrs in West Chester. It was great to see te cousins together again. We are in trouble in a few years with this crowd :)

Donaldson Christmas

2011-01-04T21:58:00.000-05:00

The Donaldson's got together on Christmas Eve. It was a nice time together. The big news for the holiday season was the engagement of Rachel AND Jake. The family keeps growing :)

Christmas Brunch

2011-01-04T21:56:00.000-05:00

After opening presents in the morning, Abuelos, Tia and Joe, Magnee and Pap and Mammaw came for Brunch. It was a nice morning that everyone seemed to enjoy.

I hoping Mammaw's aprons serve more than a photo op ;)

Alex's Christmas

2011-01-04T21:54:00.000-05:00

Alex was SUPER excited this Christmas. I called it Christmas Crack. He wasn't too happy that Santa didn't bring EVERYTHING he asked for but seemed to be happy playing with his new toys.

True Carr Boy

2011-01-04T21:51:00.000-05:00

Connor's 1st Christmas was a little crazy. Everything went into his mouth but he especially seemed very fond of Pat's bag of Hershey Kisses.

Exersaucer

2010-09-18T16:52:00.000-04:00

So... 3m and 19lbs, it is time to get Conner moving. We found an exersaucer online and he seems to be enjoying it.

Blue Geckos

2010-09-18T16:50:00.000-04:00

This Fall, Alex is playing soccer. He is again the youngest player on a U6 team but he hangs in there :) Overall, he likes it and is focused on scoring a goal.

Too much...

2010-09-04T20:52:00.000-04:00

This month has been a little busy and we have had a few meals on the road...in the car...

1st Day of the Last Year of Preschool

2010-09-04T20:50:00.000-04:00

This week, Alex started Jelly Beans for the last time... hard to believe next year in Kindergarten!
Alex and Sym made coconut tree on their 1st day.

Cousins Unite!

2010-09-04T20:48:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, we were able to get out to West Chester the same time as John, Michele & Maddie. It was great to see everyone and great to see the cousins together. Maddie is a cute and active 9m old who is the weight as Connor...

Iron Men

2010-09-04T20:45:00.000-04:00

At the Gettysburg Outlets, Alex get to meet IronMan. This made his day!

Brothers v Others

2010-08-14T13:48:00.000-04:00

This week, I was in Mechanicsburg for Professional Development. On Monday, Mimi was with the boys, Tuesday, Pat and Wednesday, Abuela. I am very grateful for all the help!

On Tuesday... Pat's comment to me that evening--- 'I don't know how you are going to work with those two."
On Wednesday... Abuela --- 'Here's your key. I am going home to sleep.'

Great times!

2 months

2010-08-14T13:43:00.000-04:00

Connor Catch Up

2010-08-07T15:42:00.002-04:00

Well... we started off the month with Alex getting strep throat. Two weeks later, Connor starts running a fever and the Doctor tells me he has a double ear infection. At 6 weeks old, he gets a shot of antibiotic and we go back the next day. The next day, the ears are not as clear as they are supposed to be. Poor Connor gets another shot and then has to go for blood work. Just as we get home from the hospital and McDonald's, the Doctor calls and tells me to take Connor to the ER right away because Connor's white blood cell count is too low. After 8 hrs in the ER, a spinal tap, urinalysis, and chest xray, everything appears clear, we are sent home, and go back on Saturday morning for a follow up. Saturday, Connors counts are slightly up but still low and his ear have improved. We then have a prescription and are sent on our merry way to check in on Monday.

Monday's blood work shows no improvement but the numbers stayed the same. However, Connor's ears got worse over Sunday and are back to being infected. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, Connor gets a shot of antibiotic until both ears are clear on Thursday. With both ears clear, Connor gets another prescription but breaks into a rash on his head that night. Friday afternoon, we are told to stop taking the medicine and come back in 2 weeks unless things get worse.

So, to celebrate a relatively healthy Connor, we were able to get him to smile and talk for a bit. Sorry for the shaky camera :(

Tummy Time

2010-07-29T15:26:00.000-04:00

Alex is very involved with Connor (which can be good or bad...). Here he and Connor are doing Tummy Time :)

Dr's Month

2010-07-29T15:23:00.000-04:00

July seems to be a month of doctor's visit for Connor. 1st, he was tested for strep (as a precaution). 1 week later, his 1 m. check up weighing in at 12lbs. And today, at 13 lbs, a double ear infection that resulted in a shot. Tomorrow.. we go back for a check up...

Gymnastic Camp

2010-07-29T15:20:00.000-04:00

Last week, Alex and Sym attended Gymnastic Camp and then had playdates. Alex really liked the balance beam; especially, jumping off. And the afternoons held great fun with Sym :)

Strep Throat

2010-07-29T15:17:00.000-04:00

3 weeks ago, Alex had a horrible fever and the Dr. discovered a really red throat. It was strep. Thankfully, Connor did not get it but Abuela did :(

1 month

2010-07-29T15:15:00.000-04:00

1st Swim

2010-07-29T15:14:00.000-04:00

One June evening, we were visiting Abuelos and decided Connor needed to start his swimming career.

Lawn Care

2010-07-29T15:10:00.000-04:00

The week that started the long drought, Abuelo decided we needed to work on the lawn. Using the bobcat, dumptruck, and topsoil, he leveled off most of the holes and the rest of us planted grass seed. However, without rain, we have a great hay pit :)

Brothers

2010-07-29T15:05:00.000-04:00

An early picture of the brothers. The first 2 weeks were rough with adjustments... but we are slowly getting there :)

1 week down...

2010-06-21T10:15:00.003-04:00

The past week has definitely been an adventure...

For instance...
during a visit from my cousins at the hospital, Alex continuously said "watch me" and preceded to fall on the floor.

Alex told our neighbor "My baby brother, Connor, came out of my Mommy's butt".

EVERY time Connor cries, Alex believes that I need to feed him. So he will tell me to "Milk Connor".

When my parents arrived on Father's Day, Alex went back to get sleeping Connor. Alex climbed up on the crib, reached down, picked up Connor, and brought Connor down the hall for my Mom to hold. Normally, you have to lower the crib bed to keep the baby from crawling out of the crib... not lower it to keep big brothers from climbing in...

Boys are known for spraying people during diaper changes. So far the score is Mommy 0, Daddy 1, and Connor 3.

Every 10 minutes, Alex feels the need to "check on" Connor. Sleeping or not sleeping, Connor receives a visitor and normally a few kisses from his big brother.

New Baby

2010-06-14T22:57:00.001-04:00

Welcome Connor Franklin Benner Carr

Born June 13th, 2010 at 7:25pm
20 in
8lbs 1.9 oz

35th Birthday

2010-06-12T17:14:00.000-04:00

For Pat's 35th birthday, Abuelos got Alex and Pat a rescue fire helicopter. Needless to say, Pat does not get to play with it much.

The End of TBall

2010-06-12T17:05:00.000-04:00

T-Ball has come to an end. The last game was not very exciting but the kids LOVED their medals and trophies :) Now, everyday, Alex wants to go to practice and games.

Swingset

2010-06-12T16:43:00.003-04:00

Over Memorial Day weekend, Pat, Abuelo, Uncle Steve & Josh were able to get the Carbaugh's swingset. It took a lot of back work, muscle, and time...but.. Alex LOVES it :)
He has his swings, a slide, a wheel, and a newly added spotting scope.

Emmittsburg Carnival

2010-06-12T16:08:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago, we were able to go to the Emmittsburg Carnival. Sym was able to go along with us and the pair (Alex and Sym) seemed to have a blast. They were able to ride rides (the cars were their favorites), play games (the highlight) and eat a funnel cake. A very good night that left Alex asking for a carnival every weekend.

Clingy

2010-06-12T16:01:00.000-04:00

Lately, Alex has been a bit insecure and very cuddly. Weekends/holidays, Alex is constantly by our sides earlier and earlier in the morning :)

April 2008 to April 2010

2010-05-02T21:12:00.000-04:00

It has been a while since we did a duck and dog picture (mainly, because they have been in storage). So here is the growth shot. Where does the time go?

Belly Shot

2010-05-02T21:05:00.000-04:00

Ok...the second pregnancy it isn't fun to take belly shots... However, I feel bad for Connor since he will not have all the pictures that Alex has. So, I lined the boys up and we did a belly shot. Fun, fun, fun ;)

TBall

2010-04-26T21:15:00.000-04:00

This Spring, Alex has started to play TBall. His favorite part... the snack after the game. He does fairly well but seems bored. Plus, he likes to come up with some great excuses not run or wear his glove. However, he does like to "coach" and do his own thing.

Easter

2010-04-26T21:01:00.000-04:00

For Easter, the Easter bunny hid Alex's basket but left him clues. Alex had a blast running around the house until he finally found the basket in his closet. The rest of the day he enjoyed at Abuelos.

4 year old

2010-04-26T20:50:00.000-04:00

This year, Alex has been really into superheroes. Fittingly, his 4th birthday was centered around Superman, Spiderman, Ironman, and Super Hero Squad.

Paint...

2010-03-07T11:42:00.002-05:00

What happens when you send boys to pick out room colors... nothing matches...
Pictures to come...

Maddie's Baptism

2010-02-28T20:19:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, Pat, Alex and I took a day trip to NYC for Maddie's Baptism. Alex loved the train ride and got to spend some time with the Carr family. Overall, it was a learning experience but it was nice to meet Maddie and take part in her special day!

You're going outside!

2010-02-28T20:16:00.000-05:00

On Friday, the terrible winds caused all the schools in the county to close. However, Pat and I still had to work. So, with Pat in Fairfax, Alex and I were at home. After a morning of online meetings, emails, and grading, life was a little stressful by the early afternoon. So, I dressed Alex in his warmest winter clothes and sent to outside to the back deck with his sand toys. I brought my laptop over to the door to watch him and attend a meeting. He had a blast outside and then decided to protest... :)

Valentine's Day

2010-02-16T21:58:00.000-05:00

Though we were ill most of the weekend, Pat made Valentine's morning extra special with donuts (not the icing on Alex's face). While I slept most of the day, Alex and Pat spent the day playing video games...that's right both of them. For this holiday, we gave Alex an educational software package of various games. It was a sharp learning curve for Alex but by the end of the afternoon (Daddy took away evening playtime due to no nap), Alex had mastered the ins and outs of most of the games. It made his Daddy proud :)

Home Improvements

2010-02-16T21:50:00.000-05:00

Since Pat was off work from Feb. 5th-16th, there was lots of time to do some home improvements. To help with the heating bill, Pat replaced the old thermastat with an Electronic Energy Star thermastat. Then Tuesday, (the night of the 2nd storm)Pat and Abuelo started to put up drywall on the ceiling in the garage. Next, Pat, Alex and I put up drywall in the mechanical room. There's no finally with lots more to do...but a good start :)

2nd Snow Storm

2010-02-16T21:46:00.000-05:00

The second storm hit Tuesday afternoon and lasted until Wednesday night. This dropped a little less snow... around 2ft. It was not until Thursday afternoon that we were really able/wanted to get out. Pat and I finished shoveling the driveway, front walk, and back porch. Meanwhile, Alex and Zoë dug in the snow, Alex ate snow, and Zoë chased snowballs :)

1st snow storm

2010-02-16T21:41:00.000-05:00

Feb 5-6th brought the first big snow storm to our Gettysburg home. 26 inches of snow fell Friday afternoon into Saturday afternoon. On Sunday, we were able to get out and travel to Abuelos' house. By the barn, we stomped down a decent sledding path. It took a few trys but eventually, we were able to get it slick enough to get past the bumps to the bottom.
Alex did GREAT! He liked to go by himself and often went the furthest. The only trial was...walking back up.

It''ll be a Boy :)

2010-02-06T18:41:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, Feb 2nd, allowed Pat and I a chance to view our new baby. This little one prompted and proudly showed it was a boy :)

After much discussing, (Alex wanted to name his brother after all his friends and then threw out the name Jumping Jacks) we decided on Connor Franklin Benner Carr :)

Now it is a countdown to June :)

Alex's Pictures

2010-01-24T11:20:00.001-05:00

With my pregnancy scatter brain, my camera is never anywhere to be found...this might be why...

Hope you enjoyed Alex's Pictures :)

3 Kings' Day

2010-01-24T11:02:00.000-05:00

This year we had a scaled down verison of 3 kings day (no piñata or Dora or King's bread...) but Alex seemed to enjoy it. He even was able to relate it to the Kings bringing Jesus gifts.

Painting Progress

2010-01-24T10:54:00.000-05:00

In January, we have embarked on a painting/making the house our own. It was involved ripping down wall paper, washing, dusting, moving things, and painting. I do most of the prep work (that does not involve a ladder) and Pat paints. This has been our weekend project... Progress has been made and we might be done by Alex's 4th birthday in April :)

View from our backyard

2010-01-24T10:49:00.000-05:00

It's crazy to say "our backyard" but we start mortage payments this month :) It needs some work... (grass, fence, garden, clothesline) but that might need to wait for warmer weather :)

More pictures of inside to come.

Did you notice?

2009-12-30T14:31:00.003-05:00

Wow...what a backlog of pictures to post. Sorry for totally missing November and December...but we really have been busy.

Aside from the new house.... we are expecting Carr 2.1 in June 2010.

Over Thanksgiving, I had the swine flu but was fortunate enough to be the only one in the family to get sick. Pat was able to take off work without penalty and take care of Alex during this time. Unfortunately, since I am pregnant, the medical options were limited and the flu also morphed into a painful sinus infection. This took over a week to clear up...

Then, in December, we had freak weather that hindered us from moving into the house prior to Christmas. Plus, I (again the only one) had another sinus infection with a 10 day course of antibiotics (truly missing the zpack!). So, I was very useless in moving in but thankfully, Abuelos and Pat were great with moving and we were able to spend our first night, in the house, on Christmas Eve. The weekend after Christmas, Pat was able to visit West Chester and with the help of his friend, John, they were able to get our furniture (bye bye folding chairs!). As of today, Dec. 30th, all the boxes are unpacked, most of the furniture is in place, and we only have a few remaining items to move in...

Wow...what a busy end to 2009 :)

Donaldson Christmas

2009-12-30T14:31:00.000-05:00

Christmas evening, we traveled up to Abuelos' for dinner with the Donaldsons. It was a nice evening and a good opportunity to spend with family.

Christmas Brunch

2009-12-30T14:28:00.000-05:00

To keep from traveling on Christmas morning, we had Abuelos, Tía, Joe, Magnee, Pap and Mammaw over for brunch. Without a stove, we were able to provide waffles, bacon, sausage, juice and other goodies for a filling lunch :)
After brunch, we moved out the folding chairs and opened some presents. The big fun seemed to be the reacting T-Rex.

Christmas Morning

2009-12-30T14:23:00.000-05:00

Christmas morning (the 1st in our new home), we actually had to wake up Alex at 7:30am. He was very excited and wanted Santa to come back to visit so he could thank him :)

2nd snow storm

2009-12-30T14:20:00.000-05:00

The weekend after we closed on the house, we went to West Chester to try to move our furniture from Mimi's basement. However, this weekend, the Philadelphia area had 20 inches of snow (the worst snow storm in 50 years....).
Needless to say, we did not get the furniture but had a lovely snowy weekend with Mimi :)
Back in Fairfield, Alex and Zoë had some fun in the 15 inches.

Our Tree

2009-12-30T14:16:00.000-05:00

So, we closed on our first house on Dec. 11th, in Gettysburg, PA. That weekend, we had an ice storm but we were able to at least get our tree setup for the holidays.

Abuelos' Christmas Tree

2009-12-30T14:14:00.000-05:00

This year, Alex was REALLY excited about Christmas. He definitely seemed to enjoy the preparations and decorating. Though he always wanted to redecorate Abuelos' tree.

1st Snow

2009-12-30T14:13:00.000-05:00

The first week of December brought our first snow fall. It was not too exciting but the boys seemed to enjoy it :)

Cookies

2009-12-30T14:10:00.000-05:00

With all the craziness, we were only able to make 1 batch of cookies...needless to say, Alex was a tad bit excited.

November's Creations

2009-12-30T14:08:00.000-05:00

Things have been busy but so has Alex. In November, Alex has continued to be busy with taking pictures and designing culinary delights.

Halloween Night

2009-11-02T22:01:00.000-05:00

Halloween night, we traveled to Fairfield and met Sym for trick or treating. Some things Mommy learned:
1. Boys LOVE to ring door bells
2. Costume props will be carried by Mommy (just leave them at home).
3. Bring a bag to keep the candy bag light.
4. Break in boots BEFORE making son walk a mile for candy.

Overall...a nice night.

2 days later, 7am..."what do you want for Breakfast, Alex" ... "I don't want breakfast. I want dessert." After eating a piece of toast..."What else do you want for breakfast, Alex?"... "a lollipop". After 5 minutes of complaining...the boy got a lollipop and went to preschool :)

Candy will go to work with Daddy and Abuelo!

Mammaw's Trick or Treaters

2009-11-02T21:55:00.000-05:00

Here's Mammaw with her 2 cute trick or treaters :)

Fireman Alex

2009-11-02T21:54:00.000-05:00

Ok...so we are not orginal this year but Alex demanded to be a firefighter for Halloween. Nothing too fancy :)

Friday, at Jelly Beans, Alex had his first halloween party. At 6AM, he woke up, charged into our room and demanded to put on his costume. He had a blast!

Zoë

2009-11-02T21:51:00.000-05:00

Haven't mentioned that the dog is GROWING! Zoë easily comes to Alex's hip, can snag food off the kitchen table, and loves to play fetch and tug of war. She is Alex's shadow :)

Pumpkin Carving

2009-11-02T21:49:00.000-05:00

The boys were VERY excited to carve a pumpkin together this year :) Alex designed the face and Daddy had the pleasure of carving it out. (Though Alex really really wanted to help...enter butter knife.) Over all a cute face!