May 2011

With May came more visitors, my best friend Tiffany and her daughter Jordyn.  They were only able to spend a few days, but we had a good time relaxing and catching up.  We also had one more friend Annie, come down from Boston to join in the fun.

Tiffany and Jordyn with library frog

Tiffany and Annie doing the princess puzzle Tiffany got for Annabelle
It took some time, but they got it done  Annabelle is able to do it by herself now.

For the most part we stuck close to home, but on their last day before heading to the airport we visited the Bronx Zoo.

Three kiddos ready to roll at zoo

Comparing hands

Bug Carousel

Best Friends

 The following weekend the library had one of their fundraisers the Frog Frolic, happy to support our great library we took part by eating, crafting, and playing.

First fishing lesson

At the bubble station
Buckets and Buckets of bubbles
She did not want to leave

Inside a bubble

Face Painting

My Mother's Day was perfect.  After running in a 5k race that morning I relaxed at home with my babies, went out for icecream, followed by a wonderful dinner cooked by Sam.

Hudson and Annabelle out playing
(Yes she is in the same outfit as the day before)

Set up for dinner

On the go

Annbelle with the handprint flowers we made for Grandma and Oma

My camera had been on the fritz, since a huge repair company is here in Connecticut we decided to take a drive and see a bit of the state.  The day brought us to Dinosaur State Park, where we had a picninc lunch and walked the trails.

Exploring the park

Walking with Daddy

Ananbelle- the one thing she couldn't
wait to do since we had arrived

We ended the month with a couple of celebrations  Hudson's first birthday (a separate post soon) and our seventh wedding anniversary.

And because there is always more, here are other pictures from our life in May.

Watching Mommy workout makes him tired

In their fort

Two of Daddy's favorite things

Hudson's new sandbox, before the sand

Our Little Man turns One

It has now been a month, but Hudson along with the rest of us survived his first year.  Not a big celebration by any means, but we had a fun time anyway.

Waking up as a one-year-old

Helping make Huddy's cake

The before

Having fun with balloons

Dinner
(so glad we were able to eat outside)

Did I say I was glad we ate outside?

Present time!  Put all the gifts in his Cars tent (his gift from Oma and Opa)

Opening gifts, spent a lot of this time telling Annabelle to let him do it.
Good thing her birthday is just 9 days away.

Train made by and from family friend Jerry Wahl. 
He gave it to us wrapped before the move, was so excited to finally open it.

Let him eat cake!

The after

March 2011

We made quick work of getting settled and by the start of March the only boxes that were still packed (filled with mostly books) were in the basement and waiting for a shelf to unpack them onto.  This was great until we had a huge rainstorm March 6.  We got four inches of rain in a night, that with all the snow that was still around we ended up with four inches of water in our basement. Lucky for me Sam was unable to get into work that morning with the flooded roads so we were both able to start the cleaning process.  After hauling everything upstairs and Sam vacuuming up the water the drying process began.

Stuff was drying for weeks in these places.  Also had the tent set-up inside for a couple days.  In the end the only things that got ruined were college textbooks that had not been open in the past seven years.

Spring arrived early on March 17 (it disappeared again soon after) as we enjoyed what Annabelle calls "Green Patricks Day".  Hudson celebrated by taking his first steps.

Enjoying the bubble-blowing weather

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Green milk and cookie

Despite the flood we did have some fun this month, and while a lot of the house was a disaster I kept a couple rooms free of the drying clutter and was able to focus on the good things like...

Baking cookies with Annabelle

She is smelling the oil we sprayed the cookie sheet with

Hudson getting into the cupboard and helping himself to the syrup

Playing blocks with the kids
Annabelle built the giraffe all by herself
She is looking at Huddy making sure he stays away

Hudson taking advantage of a sleeping Annabelle
If she skips a nap, she is known to fall asleep during dinner

Hudon "playing" with his favorite toy

and the fact that after two years, nine months, and twenty-eight days I can give Annabelle pig-tails

February 2011

We spent the first week of February moving to the new house.  No moving company this time, but we did have help and a U-haul.  Sam and I spent the first part of the week making trips with our vehicles and then on the fourth we moved our furniture and spent the first night in the new place.  The month was mostly spent getting settled.  We also celebrated my 29th birthday with some good food and wine.  As I was going through pictures from this month, found that there are not many, showing just how busy we were.

Last picture of the kids in the old house
Hudson "helping" Annabelle in the kitchen

Birthday flowers from the Fishers

Annabelle's first time painting

Hudson doing what he does best, annoying his sister

They really do get along most the time

All cuddled up
(when she does get cuddled up like this she strips down to her panties first)

January 2011

Now that we are into May I thought I should update the blog and let anyone who still checks let you know how life is going here in Connecticut. 

We started the New Year by celebrating Sam's 30th birthday.  While he doesn't like to make a big deal about his birthday we had a nice dinner and tried to spoil him a little.  Hudosn even gave Sam a present, crawling for the first time.

Sam was welcomed by 30 cans of his "favorite" beer, or better said his
favorite beer that comes in a 30 pack.  Along with 30 things we love about him.

Snow was the theme for January.  We continued to get more and more as the month went on.  Not any worse than we were used to in Spokane, but it did get old quickly.

Our Patio

Our Mailbox
There were a few days mail was not delivered

  

Most of January was spent getting ready to move to another house.  The reason for the move was that the owners of the original house we were renting moved back from California and asked us if we wouldn't mind moving.  After only a couple days of looking in December we found another house within five miles of the first one. 

Helping Daddy clear snow for move
While out there said "I want to go to Hawaii"

Watching as Daddy and Annabelle clear snow

Getting things ready to move

Hudson had a big first (and hopefully last) during the moving process: surgery.  Nothing major and we had known about it since he was only a week old, but still difficult for both Hudson and mommy.

Waiting for Surgery

Headed to the Operating Room

Recovering at Home

 In between clearing snow and getting ready to move life went on as normal, here are some pictures

Watching the Danbury Whalers
kid's first hockey game

Annabelle doing dishes in her sink

Hudson "cooking"
Hudson started pulling up and cruising at the same time he started to crawl
He is only getting away with this because Annabelle is napping

Playing with Christmas gifts

Dressed for the weather

Giving kisses and paying her back for all the times she interrupted his sleep