thanksgiving in texas

went to texas. did the turkey trot in downtown dallas. enjoyed the playground in seis lagos (parent's neighborhood). saw kara's apt downtown and ate at bread winners cafe (yummmm). guess i missed taking pics of thanksgiving meal. check out pics below.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=354529&id=810965573&l=a821de318d

caribbean vacation

we spent the last 10 days of october in the dominican republic visiting our friends, karin, eric and little eric.  for the first 5 days we were in juan dolio at the beach, staying in an apartment and for the last 5 days we were in santo domingo staying at karin and eric's apartment.  we were so blessed by our time there and enjoyed seeing our very good friends.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

four years

steve and i celebrated our four year anniversary last month.  we left maddie and felix with grandma and grandpa and spent the night at the park plaza in boston.  we went to dinner and movie and had a great time...just the two of us.  sorry...no pictures.

early fall

here are some updated pics from this fall.  maddie is really enjoying her learning tower that grancy and granddaddy got her.  she helps me make banana bread, pizzas, muffins, cookies and lots of other tasty treats.  she also just enjoys playing with flour (C:

maddie is learning how to do all kinds of things on her own now...eating yogurt is a messy one.

we went to a josti family beer fest where everyone brought different beers to taste and every food item had beer as a cooking ingredient...lots of fun.  maddie enjoyed walter and linda's sandbox....aka steve's next project for maddie (C:

we went with church again this year to cider hill farm in amesbury, ma.  maddie really enjoyed the animals and eating the apples.  she also enjoyed picking out her pumpkin and the cider donuts.

we went down to ashland day this year.  most of the activities are better for older kids (bouncy houses, bungee run, obstacle course, etc.) and there are lots of craft booths that were shutting down just as we got there...we hit the tail end.  but we did make it to the petting zoo and maddie loved it.  they had chickens, goats, rabbits and a duck.  they also had a llama and a donkey in a separate pen.  definitely a must for next year...

maddie and i did mommy and me gymnastics this year.  it was fun to watch maddie explore new things and see what she "went for" each week based on what she enjoyed last week.  i think her favorite was running up and down the long trampoline and swinging on the rope.

some other pics of maddie doing funny things around the house...i am constantly turning around to find her doing the funniest things....great sense of humor.

the josti lake house is almost at completion.  we are helping them move most of their stuff in this weekend.  i will post pics of that soon.

maddie and i went with kc, stacey and her parents to edaville in carver, ma.  we rode the train around to see the cranberry bogs (most of which had already been harvested because of the frost the night before - we were able to watch them harvest one of the bogs).  maddie loved the train and the kids area in the museum.

up next...dominican republic.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

fun videos

summer 2009

i have been very delinquent in updating our blog this summer.  fall is already upon us here in the northeast proved by the leaves starting to change in new hampshire (where we spent last weekend) and a few here and there in massachusetts as well as the colder weather settling in (although we had barely had a summer heat to speak of).  so in my effort to appease the masses and provide updated pictures of maddie (the only reason most of you read our blog), here is a collection that i feel best shows how we spent our summer 2009.

we started our summer with a vacation (1 week for steve, 2 for maddie and myself) to texas to visit family and old friends.  we spent most of the time steve was there at my aunt and uncle's lake house on lake lbj.  maddie and i made a short trip to arkansas to see some college friends.  the rest of our vacation was spent watching maddie take her first steps and visiting with family.

lots of photos...go to this link - http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=317490&id=810965573&l=6312f3dc05

i have started helping a friend with registration for 2 youth events in new england.  the theme for the summer camp (crosswalk) this year was 'set sail'.  so before camp started the staff went on a sailing trip out of gloucester (that's glostah for you southerners).  we left maddie with grandma and grandpa.  not really a place for toddlers.

capt. ellie

capt. maddie

we spend most of our weekends at the lake house helping with the new house doing construction on retaining walls, building cabinets, and anything else that we're kindly asked to do (C:  steve has thoroughly enjoyed the slalom course that some fellow "lakers" set up this year.  we've also enjoyed spending time with grandma and grandpa and playing lots of pitch (card game).

new house in progress
on the boat with daddy
that's my man...
faster, grandpa, faster...
maddie and felix waiting on steve to come down the hill
yummy spaghetti

maddie's ready to be just like daddy...calculator and the briefcase (C:

i played on a softball team this summer with some friends from church.  we joined up with trisha (goes to our church) and her co-workers to form 'the biohazards'.  we almost won one game but are determined to come back next year with some experience under our belt and win at least one game (C:  steve is playing ultimate frisbee now with the same group.  the games are a little later than our softball games so we'll see how many games maddie and i make it to.  but we were there for the first and it was cold.

the team mascot chatting on the phone.
maddie looked like e.t. with trisha's vest on.

steve and i were able to make it to one red sox game (steve's been to a few more solo with co-workers...i'm not bitter (C:) thanks to john winning 4 tickets.  we had great seats and even though there was an "enemy" (aka a yankees fan) among us, it was a good time.  

we've also enjoyed our little blowup pool in the backyard as well as a trip to a friend's house with a pool and trampoline (it was the neighbor's).  we've had a few friends over to enjoy it as well.  hopefully next summer will provide more warm days.

on the trampoline with auntie courtney

giving uncle mike a kiss

we also enjoyed a short visit from my parents in august just before my dad had to return to school.  we served up a nice new england meal (lobstah, baked potato, corn on the cob) and did some work around the house.  we took a trip up to the josti lake house so they could see the progress and steal ideas for their texas lake house (to be built in the coming year).  maddie is going to have 2 lake houses....spoiled rotten (C:

maddie was not afraid at all to grab the lobster claw.  good thing they put those rubber bands on (C:

lobster on a stick

another momentous occasion happened this summer in new england.  we have been waiting for this moment for a long time.  it was the one thing missing here and now we have it.  peabody (that's pea-beh-dee) welcomed it's first (and new england's first) sonic drive-in.  of course we went for the grand opening where you had to wait in line (in your car) just to get into the parking lot.  we cut through the parking lot next door and waited in line to order on the patio.  it was great.  now they need to open one in framingham.

maddie and i recently took a week trip to go out to arizona to visit our friend, ellie.  it was hot but we survived and enjoyed the spectacular views, the pool at ellie's apartment, the phoenix zoo and playing with bebo (aka beebs - ellie's rabbit).  we'll have to make the trip again when it's not so stinkin' hot.

maddie's favorite part of the zoo...feeding the ducks.
she loved it!
sedona...so beautiful.

maddie meeting beebs for the first time.

this past weekend we went with some friends to a lake house in new hampshire.  we played cornhole which is essentially two boards at an angle a specified distance apart that each have a hole in them and you are trying to get a 'beanbag' (but with corn) to land on the board or in the hole...very fun and addicting.  had a campfire, watched a movie, played many board and card games, some went paddleboating and even swimming (maddie included).  we had a great time.

maddie and uncle john
gallier lake house
josti men at work

our awesome campfire...yes, we made s'mores

michelle and i playing cornhole...and maddie offering her expertise.

and now we're staying home for a few weeks before we go to the dominican republic to visit karin and eric and little eric.  and this is the view we have to look forward to.

hope you enjoyed the update and pics.  we enjoyed our summer.

maddie's new pastime

this is maddie's new magnet.  in the beginning it was her floor play mat, then it was (and still is) books...farm...train, now it's the stairs.  now it's time to install the gate...

funny face

first night away, wedding, and steps?

steve and i took a road trip with some friends this weekend to upstate ny for a friend's wedding.  aaron mercer (one of steve's hs friends) married kristin greeno so we loaded up the minivan for our trek to ny with carlos and his girlfriend, nathalie, and dave who had a whirlwind trip from dc to boston to ny and back.  maddie and felix stayed with grandma and grandpa at the lake and had a great time.  this was my first night away from maddie and while i enjoyed the break, it was great to see her smiling face when we walked in the door last night.

here are a few pics from our trip and a video of maddie's progression toward walking...oh and a few of us trying to incorporate maddie's texan roots into her attire.  enjoy!

carlos attempting to blow on some large dandelions

nathalie, carlos, steve and i at log jam (dave taking pic)

this place was sooooo good.

boat house at jimbo's club (standing where aaron and kristin got married)...what a view.

sans maddie...

the guys.

the bros.

father/ daughter - mother/son dance.  best pic i got of the bride and groom.
well i guess this is a better pic of the groom...fhs guys.

see ya!