Florida Fun

Beach time

2012-01-22T13:12:00.001-08:00

Just spending some time in Mama Sue's backyard. We were able to spend 5 days after D's training was over at Mama Sue's house. The view from her living room never gets old. The water temps were a little too cold for swimming, but the conditions were perfect for seashell picking. We had a great time visiting and can't wait to have Mama Sue back with us in NY in March!

Legoland

2012-01-15T21:38:00.001-08:00

Here we are taking in a little 4D movie. This was my favorite part of the day since I couldn't go on any of the rides.
C got his very first caricature done. The picture turned out so cute of him as a little Lego Jedi Knight with Lego Darth Vader.

C just recently got into Legos a longtime favorite hobby of D's since he was a little boy. This Christmas C had a Lego star wars advent calendar that sparked his interest in both Legos and star wars to the point that we knew we couldn't not take him to Legoland on this trip, plus Legoland is actually only about 5 minutes from where Mama Sue lives. The rides are all geared towards kids C's age so it proved to be the perfect amusement park for him. He could ride all the rides and loved every minute of our day there. The weather was perfect and we never had to wait in lines!

Resort living

2012-01-15T20:52:00.001-08:00

D had his annual flight training in Orange County last week. C and I decided to tag along on the trip to California so we could see D's Mom and get some R&R and sunshine before little guy makes his arrival Feb 27th. We arrived in CA last Sat. and were able to take Mom along with us for 4 days at a resort near D's training in Newport Beach. C picked up a tummy bug and got sick on the drive to the resort and was down and out for the first couple of days, but thankfully recovered and was able to have some fun in the pool and children's activity area.

Losing those teeth and cashing in

2012-01-04T12:45:00.001-08:00

C lost his very fist tooth at the end of Oct while Dad and Mom were here visiting. Shortly after his second gave way and now this week he lost one of his top front teeth! The loss of this tooth makes a much greater change in C's smile than the bottom two he lost. C loves to lose teeth simply so that he can cash in his 4 quarters at the dollar store for a toy of his choosing. This time around he chose the fishing pole set that he is proudly displaying.

A quiet Christmas

2012-01-04T12:22:00.001-08:00

All dressed and ready for church.

Loving his silly Nanos.

time to free the toys

We had a very low key Christmas at our house this year, just the three of us. We are expecting family to arrive after our little boy joins us in Feb. so it wasn't as practical to be with family this year. It was a little unusual for us to have church on Christmas morning this year as we usually have a Christmas Eve service and are free to lounge around on Christmas morning. C was able to enjoy a few stocking stuffers and then reluctantly got dressed up and headed to church with us. It was great to be with our NY family worshiping our Savior on His Birthday. We had plenty of time the rest of the day to unwrap the goodies and even unwrapped some via Skype with family. We have certainly had a year filled with changes, blessings, and our Lord's mighty presence with us through it all.

Christmas program

2012-01-02T17:41:00.000-08:00

C's preschool class with Santa and his elf.

C wasn't shy when it was time to sing on stage.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-26T13:29:00.001-08:00

O Christmas Tree

2011-12-05T09:43:00.000-08:00

Our very first glimpse!

We worked our way around the masses of people for the view with the angels.

Much to my delight we headed into the city on Sat. to take in all the Christmas sights for the first time ever! I have been counting down the days since our move last winter when we didn't get a chance to go in because we were moving into our home immediately following Christmas. We only had about 4 hours so we took in Macy's, Toys R Us, Times Square, and ended in Rockefeller Plaza and took in the Saks 5th Ave window displays. The crowd was CRAZY! I will NOT be venturing in EVER for new years eve. Caleb was a trooper and did lots walking and seemed to enjoy every minute of the madness, unlike his Daddy. :) D thinks he is off the hook now to ever bring me back into the city at Christmas time....we'll see. He prefers the view from the air without all the people. I, like Caleb, loved every minute of it!

The Magic of Macy's

2011-12-05T07:54:00.000-08:00

We were certainly not shopping alone on Sat. night.

taking a peek at the window displays

Our first stop after getting off the Long Island railroad was of course Macy's! We've taken several trips into the city, but hadn't made it into Macy's until now. I'm glad we saved it for Christmas time so we could see the store in all its splendor. We rode up and down the 10 1/2 levels of the world's largest department store, that takes up the entire city block, on the original wooden escalator. I learned that Macy's Herald Square was the first to put in the modern day escalator back in 1902. I can't even imagine how many people have rode up that old tiny escalator and am amazed that it still runs.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T18:05:00.001-08:00

taking care of business

2011-11-22T13:59:00.001-08:00

We really REALLY enjoyed our first fall on Long Island. As with winter, we hadn't experienced fall in over 11 years! We didn't realize what a variety of trees surrounded us until they changed colors and our tree canopied neighborhood became spectacular. Along with the good comes the bad though, lots of leaves to clean up. D bought a blower to aide in the cleanup effort since we have a huge yard and some huge trees. This photo was taken after just a few leaves had fallen. I should have taken a picture after they all dropped, but our friend Scott came over with his tractor Murray and miracle leaf collector attachment and polished off our yard within a couple of hours. Just imagine our entire yard looking like the pile in this photo. Let me just say we sure love Scott and his sidekick Murray!

birthday surprise revealed

2011-11-11T15:22:00.001-08:00

Why are we here?

Surprise!

checking out the ice rink before taping time

the north view of Manhattan and Central Park from the top of the rock after the taping

the south view

Mom celebrated her birthday while she was visiting us in NY. I decided to plan a little surprise visit to a taping of the Dr. Oz show as a special gift to her. I was beyond excited the day I actually got the tickets over the phone and was able to keep it a secret from her until we arrived at NBC studios! This trip into the city was a big deal for me as I'd never gone in without Dave and his stellar navigation skills before. Dad, Mom, and I rode the Long Island railroad into Penn station and walked several blocks through times square to Rockefeller plaza. We had a fantastic day in the city taking in the sights, sounds, and excitement of the city and of course Dr. Oz. :) Our taping just aired on TV today and we looked dashing in the audience! Great memories made.

Into the city we go

2011-11-11T07:55:00.000-08:00

The NYC police are ready for action if the protestors get rowdy.

Our tour brought us to Wall Street and Zuccotti Park where all the protesters had been camped out for about 5 weeks. There were police everywhere and since the crowd was calm, C got to get in some one on one time with a NYC police officer.

Mom and Dad in front of the Hudson River with New Jersey in the distance.

The first Sat. after Dad and Mom arrived we drove into the city to take a 6 hour tour that would give them a great overview of the city. We saw so much and Mom took lots of pictures, but I will keep it to a minimum here. It was a great day and we learned a lot from our tour guide.

Look who came to visit!

2011-11-04T13:27:00.001-07:00

You may have guessed from the previous post, but we recently had some very special first time visitors to NY. C had been counting down the days until Grandpa and Grandma's visit and they did not disappoint. C especially kept Grandpa very busy for the week and half they were with us. Lots of silly silly behavior going on here. We had fun showing them our new stomping grounds and brought them into the big city twice. More pictures to follow!

A little spooky!

2011-10-31T13:59:00.001-07:00

A little R&R with family in Colorado!

2011-10-20T17:19:00.000-07:00

Back several months ago we scored a great deal on airline tickets to Colorado and have been waiting for October to get here for some fun with Dave's side of the family. We met up at his sister's home and were joined by Dad and his wife and even had a suprise 1 day visit from Dave's brother. C had an absolute blast playing with his 5 cousins for the week. It was a great week indeed.

The North Pole

2011-10-20T17:12:00.001-07:00

We took all the kiddos to a super fun park called the North Pole up a little way into the mountains. It was a perfect day with beautiful weather and no lines for the rides! The kids had a blast riding and the adults even got in on some of the spinny-ride fun. I think it's safe to say the kids enjoyed the spinning much more than we did.

fun at Santa's workshop continues

2011-10-20T17:07:00.001-07:00

A little flight over the Rockies

2011-10-20T17:02:00.000-07:00

Dave's Dad took us for a little flight in his airplaine over the Rockies one beautiful Colorado day.

In this house..

2011-10-17T17:15:00.001-07:00

I am officially half way through this pregnancy and today we got some exciting news! It's a boy! Although I kept all of C's clothes from when he was little, I couldn't resist getting the new baby a new outfit at Costco today after my appointment. Boys are definitely going to be ruling in this house. It was such a joy to watch our healthy little guy during my ultrasound. He looks so perfect already with all his little fingers and toes and seeing the four chambers of his heart just beating away. Daddy and C got in on the ultrasound as well so it was a fun little family moment together.

Takamine vs Gibson

2011-10-05T07:51:00.001-07:00

A bite of sweetness

2011-09-19T07:16:00.001-07:00

Long Island Apple Festival

2011-09-19T07:04:00.001-07:00

we started off the afternoon with a candied apple and popcorn.

followed up by some fishing for apples

a hayride around the farm

Apple cider was pressed right before our eyes in this very old and labor intensive press.

C took a spin at peeling his prized apple

Yesterday we enjoyed a beautiful almost fall day at the Long Island Apple Festival. It was a charming little colonial themed day at the historical Sherwood-Jayne farm. We even got to take a tour of the original house build in 1730. They have a very old apple orchard with some of the trees dating back over 100 years. We loved the fresh apples, apple fritters, and especially the fresh pressed apple cider. We also had our first candied apple and of course ended our day with an apple pie. Long live the apple!

Off to the races

2011-09-19T07:01:00.001-07:00

Ready....Set.....

Untitled from FloridaFun on Vimeo.

Look who is counting the days until February....

2011-09-02T17:51:00.000-07:00

There is a new little Loyd on the way! We couldn't be more thrilled around here.

Little Italy

2011-08-22T07:33:00.001-07:00

Little Italy at dusk as the lights started coming on. Check out the empire state building in the distance!

C scored this funky hat from a little boy who was flying home to AL and didn't think he could fit it on the airplane. I think he was right! C drew a lot of looks and smiles the rest of the evening.

After a fun time at the museum we headed to Little Italy to fill our bellies with macaroni. Our experienced friends led us to a yummy little restaurant that did not disappoint. We then strolled around working off dinner so we would have room for some amazing dessert at Ferrara.

China Town

2011-08-22T07:23:00.000-07:00

hanging ducks...I don't think C wanted onetreasures galore!

C went home with a knock-off angry bird.

The fresh market, however, we smelled many not so fresh smells while strolling through China town

More fun on deck

2011-08-21T14:58:00.001-07:00

There were lots of great views of the city from the top deck. We could even see the statue of liberty and the new freedom tower currently being built at ground zero.
the always cool helicopters
the intrepid served as the primary recovery vessel for NASA in the 1960's. C and I got a taste of what the brave astronauts felt like all cooped up in the Mercury and Gemini II space capsules that the intrepid recovered. This was a definite highlight for C since he wants to be an astronaut when he gets bigger.

USS Growler submarine

2011-08-21T14:39:00.000-07:00

C was VERY ready to head into the submarine after quite a long wait.

some tight sleeping quarters

C was most intrigued with the pottys and the torpedoes on board. I thought I'd spare you the other visual. 9 lucky crew members got to sleep in this torpedo room.

Squeezing around throughout the submarine was a very interesting experience. Tight quarters doesn't quite describe it. It's hard to image what's going on in our brave service men and women's minds when they sign up for this job.

Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum

2011-08-21T14:21:00.000-07:00

This photo of Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Yesterday we headed into the city with some friends to check out this fun museum on the Hudson River. I had been anticipating this visit for a long time since I reserved our tickets through the library many weeks ago. I was not disappointed! We had a perfectly beautiful day and there was so much to see and do.

A little getaway to the sunshine state

2011-08-05T14:29:00.000-07:00

Best buds reunited

C loves to "surf" the waves!

the kids all playing the same game on their small, medium, and large tabs

plenty of Nerf gun time

Daddy and C taking a dip in the hotel pool

On Friday we headed back to FL for a little vacation. D loves an opportunity to go back and teach firearms classes with his old business partner Michael. C and I hopped on the plane with him this time so we could visit friends and have some fun. We spent the weekend with our friends the Koenigs and had so much fun! While the guys were teaching on Sat., we headed to Daytona Beach so C could hang ten. Sunday we reunited with friends at our old church. On Monday we headed to Orlando and were able to stay next to downtown Disney at a hotel (for free thanks to all of D's work travel) and enjoy the pool, shops, and restaurants. On Tuesday we went to Disney's Typhoon Lagoon water park. It was the last attraction in Orlando for me to check off my list. I have officially seen it all! We had so much fun and were so glad our friends could join us. I didn't bring the camera, but the park was a blast. It was a sad day Wed.to head back to NY, but here we are back in reality. I must admit that it still feels like FL should be my home.....maybe one day again.

Because one cake just isn't enough...

2011-07-23T19:10:00.000-07:00

On Wed. we celebrated C's 5th birthday. I can hardly believe our little guy has been filling our days with joy and smiles for 5 years now. He is our tender hearted, kind, thoughtful, spunky, energetic, and most precious blessing. We are so excited that within our church home here in NY we have been able to connect with some very dear friends that are already like family to us and shower our little C with love that he delights in. They truly made his birthday a memorable one! C got to celebrate on Sun. with a chocolate cake and friends after church (see video) and then again with an ice cream cake at our home on his birthday.

Our birthday boy turns 5!

2011-07-23T19:09:00.000-07:00

Untitled from FloridaFun on Vimeo.

Beach day

2011-07-05T18:40:00.000-07:00

We finally made our first trip to the beach in NY! We picked the busiest weekend of the year to check it out, but honestly every day is a busy day on the beach in this neck of the woods. D flies over the beaches all the time and had already prepared me for the masses of people we would be sharing our waves with. He was right. We had a fun afternoon together, but I must admit that more than anything it made me miss my FL beaches. The water here was no 80 degrees like I am used to. Actually none of us were brave enough to go into the water so we will see what the rest of the summer brings.

Woo Hoo!

2011-06-23T06:24:00.001-07:00

Untitled from FloridaFun on Vimeo.

a bicycle built (extended) for two

2011-06-23T05:38:00.000-07:00

Last week I was talking with D's sister and she was telling me about the trainer bike their boy C's age rides. I had never heard of or seen one before and was totally intrigued with the idea. That night D was checking out Craig's list to see if there happened to be any good deals on one in our area. Turns out there was and just a few miles from us! This is a much safer option for riding since we don't have sidewalks and C tends to drift all over the road when he rides. He also gets tired quickly, but this is an easy ride for him and he can do as much or as little peddling as he wishes. As you can tell from the video, C LOVES it!

Arrgh!

2011-06-13T10:32:00.000-07:00

There were many adults at the festival who certainly appeared to be real pirates. Perhaps they are?...weird, but C was digging it.

There was a large building filled with old sailboats and I couldn't help but think about how much my brother-in-law Fred would love this museum. This particular catboat was built in 1840.

C's favorite band of the day. He could have listened to them all day. I was certainly glad C was a bit to young to understand all their lyrics though.

C and I had a fun little pirate adventure on Sat. at the Long Island Maritime Museum. C has had quite a fascination with pirates ever since the Disney channel added a new children's pirate show to their morning lineup, so when I learned about this festival I knew it would be a perfect outing for us. D and I couldn't resist getting him a costume for his big pirate day and boy was he a happy boy! Move over spider man...pirate C is in the house now.

Breaking in the new glove

2011-06-02T08:02:00.001-07:00

Our little C is a lefty and we finally picked him up a glove for his right hand. He seems to be doing much better now that he has a glove better suited for him. He enjoys batting these days too!

Untitled from FloridaFun on Vimeo.

getting our veggies in

2011-05-26T06:59:00.001-07:00

aerial view of the plot from the second story

With encouragement from both of my Moms, I decided to take the plunge and try my luck at gardening this year. In FL I grew tomatoes and peppers in pots, but was pretty nervous about starting a real garden. Thankfully Mama Sue showed me the ropes and in one afternoon we completed our garden. Hoping for squash, spinach, green onion, beans, carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, and peppers at harvest time! C is pretty excited about our project and helped out with his little gardening tools he got from Mama Sue.

Lighthouses

2011-05-21T17:54:00.000-07:00

The Eaton's Neck Lighthouse is the second oldest lighthouse on Long Island and was constructed in 1798. The Coast Guard now watch over it and we were able to get a personal tour set up after Dave pulled some strings.

We had to use the camera zoom to catch this lighthouse in the Huntington Harbor. It replaced the Lloyd Harbor Lighthouse after it burned down in 1947

The Old Fieldpoint Lighthouse was constructed in 1868 and reminded me of my old elementary school building.

When Dave's Mom would visit us in FL we had a tradition of taking her to see lighthouses. During our years in FL we were able to show her 3 different lighthouses. Here on Long Island the tradition continues. In one day we were able to see all three of these very different looking lighthouses. There will be more to see for the next trip too since our island has 27 different lighthouses.

school carnival

2011-05-21T17:43:00.001-07:00

ice cream with sprinkles to start off the fun

C's preschool had a fun day on Friday and thankfully our stretch of rainy weather ended so we could enjoy all the fun activities outdoors. C had a blast enjoying all the games, music, animals, treats, and even his first face painting. He picked a blue rocket. Dave's Mom Sue is here visiting so she was even able to enjoy watching Caleb participate. Only four more weeks of school left until summer break. Then we should have some beach pictures to post!

When Dad's away C and Mom will play!

2011-05-13T17:38:00.001-07:00

Sometimes you just strike gold on the Target clearance rack. Yesterday was one of those days. The timing was perfect as C and I are yet again trudging our way through another two weeks of D being out of state training. Ah, there is nothing like a little Nerf shoot out to perk up your day.

Mother's Day

2011-05-09T07:24:00.001-07:00

On Friday C's preschool had a special little Mother's day tea for all the Mommies. C had been very excited for this event since they began preparing a couple of weeks ago. The children sang songs, answered questions about their moms, made us cards, flowers, necklaces, and even helped mix up brownies and cookies for the party. I'm so thankful for my sweet boy and the gift of being his Mom.

a little more fun in the big city

2011-05-05T13:30:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we jumped on the Long Island Railroad for a relaxing ride into the city to do some more exploring. Fun fact: the LIRR is the busiest commuter railroad in North America serving 83 million passengers a year. Wow. Taking the train on a Sat. proved to be relaxing, not crowded and Dave was pumped that he didn't have to deal with traffic in the city. Once we arrived our plans changed when we found out the unlimited daily metro pass is no longer available. :( We then decided to just check off some "must sees" within walking distance of Penn Station and have fun without the subway eating up our money. It turned out to be a kid friendly day as we ventured to Toys R Us in times square to ride the giant Ferris wheel and then onto F.A.O. Schwarz to play the little (big) piano. We also checked out the New York public library...beautiful! There we found the original Winnie the pooh and his original friends all locked up in a glass case. A quick stop for some NY pie, a peek into Grand Central terminal, and dinner and the lights of Times square to wrap up the day. No matter what we do we always LOVE NYC!

spring break fun

2011-04-28T12:16:00.001-07:00

bubble palooza!

C making a bubble wall. They also had a very cool contraption that allowed C to stand and make a bubble all the way around himself. I had to assist so I couldn't get a photo of that one, but it certainly brought a great big smile to C's face.

C said this maze was his favorite part of the day

I think the music room was a very close runner up though

Long Island Children's Museum

2011-04-28T12:14:00.000-07:00

Did you catch C on the news Monday night?

We scored not one but two tops in the gift shop so this kind of fun didn't have to stop

How many C's do you see?

Playing conductor in the "train" and gearing up to ride the real train into the city this weekend!

We got passes from the library to the LI Children's museum this past Monday. C had an extra long spring break so while the other kids were back in school around here we headed out for a little adventure together. The museum was a blast and totally worth venturing out onto the Long Island Expressway closer to the city. I guess I'm slowly getting braver. Yay for me and yay for fun days together with my boy!

Easter eggs in 3D

2011-04-24T17:39:00.000-07:00

I just couldn't resist the Star Wars kit that had special wrappers and 3D glasses. A fun time was had by all excluding the moment when I knocked over the yellow die cup....better than blue I guess.

maybe it's maybelline

2011-04-22T12:41:00.000-07:00

Curiosity got the best of C today and while I was occupied he had a little fun with my makeup. I enjoyed his interpretation of where I put my mascara and thought the timing of his makeup raid was especially comical since he was being spider man, but then again these days when isn't he being spider man.

Max

2011-04-16T12:32:00.000-07:00

C and I LOVE our local library. They have so many fun programs that we fully take advantage of not to mention the loads of books, DVDs, and CDs we check out each week. Last week they had a fun visit from Rosemary Wells the author of the Max and Ruby books. Along with her came Max! C was very tickled to have his moment with Max, but wondered why Ruby was a no-show.

Nastics

2011-04-03T18:55:00.000-07:00

C had the complete thrill of attending "nastics" with his cousin Sophia. Now I totally understand why my little niece loves Tue. mornings so much. Coach Judy was great and C had an absolute blast learning all the moves and even getting to jump on the trampoline. At one point he even commented to me that he was getting good exercise. It's just too cute.

kicking it old school

2011-04-03T18:40:00.000-07:00

When it comes to hungry hippos...Sophia calls the shots......Ready...Set...Go! Eat the marbles, eat the marbles!

Perfection....Wait for it....

proving I've still got the skills to build the BK whopper, plastic style.

C and I escaped NY for a full week so we had some extra time aside from the wedding to enjoy hanging out with family. Dad and Mom recently organized the attic and came across some of our old games of Candy Land, Perfection, and Hungry Hippos of course. As you can see the games were a hit. Lots of fun and lots of noise!

and we danced

2011-04-03T18:34:00.001-07:00

the old Border Central gang reunited

yep, it was wild and crazy

a beautiful wedding celebration

2011-04-03T18:15:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Kari that I grew up with got married and I was so excited to be in ND for her wedding! Although we have been many MANY miles apart for several years she holds a very special place in my heart and it was a true joy to watch her marry her Dave on this beautiful day.

Fighting Sioux!

2011-04-03T18:03:00.000-07:00

- A little prewedding fun watching the Sioux take another win! Nothing says family togetherness like watching hockey together in a hotel lobby. My sister and I scored these Sioux-per cute jerseys on clearance just in time to dress the kiddos up for the game. Aunt Jodi was proud.

Falling for spring

2011-03-22T17:48:00.001-07:00

Ah springtime. How we adore you. Our weather has been beautiful here in NY, in fact we warmed up into the 60's last week! With Dave away training, C and I have had some long days, but soaking up the sunshine makes them so much happier. We have found some amazing playgrounds near us and have enjoyed time in our huge yard as well. It feels a bit more like fall with the CrAzY amount of leaves I have to rake up though. This may go on all summer unless Dave actually starts to live here again and helps me out a bit. As you can see, C got to have the experience of jumping in his first pile of leaves. Now to bag them.....sigh. It's not all work no play though in our yard. We have a new giant Frisbee. Makes for lots of exercise and giggles.

A day at the museum

2011-03-13T14:55:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we finally made a trip into the city! Our library has passes to many museums on Long Island and in NYC that allow us to see the sights for free. We thought the Museum of Natural History would be one of C's favorites on the list so we decided to check it out first. It was huge and I felt like we didn't cover much ground since we took in an Imax movie, the butterfly exhibit, and a planetarium show. We had a great afternoon though and ended our day in the city with Steak Shack burgers and custard on a park bench on a beautiful NYC day. C was a bit disappointed that we didn't ride the subway this time, but he really enjoyed the museum and dinosaurs. We are all looking forward to our next trip when we plan to ride the train into the city!

A captive audience

2011-02-19T13:57:00.001-08:00

When Daddy reads he draws quite a crowd.

Digging out

2011-01-28T16:16:00.001-08:00

D found a little mini shovel for C so we put him to work. It's very comical to watch these two in action as D shovels and C shovels snow right back into the spot D has cleared. So cute.

Life in NY continues to be unusually snowy and we got hit with yet another storm and at least a foot of snow. My sweet MN friend was kind enough to inform me that we officially have received 1/2" more snow than they have this winter. This is not the LI winter I was expecting, but it is our reality. Sigh.

Finally the conditions were perfect

2011-01-28T16:08:00.001-08:00

I think these guys need heads and arms.

Home sweet home

C has been anxiously awaiting the day he could build his first snowman. We had to wait for what seemed like forever for the snow to be sticky enough. Finally on Tue. the long awaited day arrived and we built these giants in no time flat. C seemed more intersted in sledding and supervising, but enjoyed the experience and finished product.

Look what we finally found!

2011-01-28T14:31:00.000-08:00

Yep, a real sled! We were almost to the point of ordering one online, but D did some more calling around and found a store with just a couple left. He headed right over and snatched one up. C's face lit up light Christmas when D walked in the door with it that night. As luck would have it....the next day was COLD and C was so excited about his new sled that I had to suck it up and brave the single digits for the sake of first time fun. The things Moms do for their kids. :)

Sold out

2011-01-17T16:38:00.001-08:00

It became very obvious to us that this area indeed does not typically get this much snow when we went to buy C his first sled. Do you think we could find one anywhere? Nope. I was so disappointed and then D came to the rescue and put a small piece of our insane cardboard inventory to work and voila, we had a sled! As you can see, C didn't mind at all.

Snow day!

2011-01-17T16:08:00.000-08:00

Last week we received our housewarming gift from the great state of NY. A lovely snowstorm brought 14 inches of snow to us overnight. If you know me, and you likely do because you are reading this blog, you know that I DO NOT like cold, winter, and snow. I must admit however that this, our first snow day in 10 years, was quite fun and I actually smiled a lot. We knew the night before that Dave wouldn't have work and that the entire island would pretty much be closed down, so that alone was fun. Then C woke up and looked out the window and quickly yelled up the stairs with great excitement about all the snow and asked if we could go out and play. We didn't head out at 7am to play, but within an hour or so we were out jumping around and shortly thereafter the shoveling began. It was a lot of work and if we thought this amount of snowfall would be a regular occurrence I think we might need to invest in a snow blower, but "they" say that this kind of snow fall is not typical. I guess we will see.

We made it!

2011-01-15T16:56:00.001-08:00

One of the more exciting aspects of this move is our proximity to NYC! Just to get to our new home we found ourselves crossing under the Hudson River through the Lincoln Tunnel and driving right through the heart of Manhattan. Thankfully we arrived on a Sunday afternoon so traffic wasn't much of a problem and Dave once again drove straight through like a pro. I snapped a few photos as we passed through. C pleaded from the backseat to stop. He has quite an interest in the city and after our visit this summer he as been excited to return. We decided to just drive through and get to Long Island this time, but I'm sure we will return soon.

Sledding in the south

2011-01-15T16:26:00.000-08:00

Untitled from FloridaFun on Vimeo.

listen for the littlest southern accent!

Army friends

2011-01-15T06:44:00.001-08:00

a ladies man don't you think?
After packing up the house and saying a final farewell to Fl we hit the road. We knew we would have to stay in a hotel for about a week so we decided to take our time getting to NY and decided to stop in NC to visit some old friends from the Army days. We spent two days with them and had such a great time. C loved their sweet kids. A great time with good friends was just the break D and I needed to relieve the stress of the move. We hope our paths can cross again soon.

Snow fun

2011-01-15T06:35:00.000-08:00

We headed up into the Smoky Mountains for some fun in the snow. There wasn't much, but there was enough for some sledding and as an extra bonus for me it was warm outside! C had so much fun with the kids and had a perfect first time sledding experience.

Packing up and moving out

2011-01-15T05:27:00.001-08:00

Yep, Buzz and Woody made it on the truck along with 19 feet floor to ceiling of all of our stuff! Wow, we have a lot of stuff. I can't believe I didn't get any photos of my Dad and Dave taping up boxes and piling them high. They spent many hours doing so and did a most excellent job. As far as we can tell nothing broke or got lost unlike our previous move. Thanks Dad for all your AMAZING help. I don't know how we could have done this move without you!

Christmas

2011-01-15T05:13:00.000-08:00

C was very interested in Santa this year and was able to visit with 4 different Santas. C was quick to ask each Santa for one thing, a Cowboy Woody. His wish came true!

Some Christmas morning snuggles

Spider man and Daddy

The star of Christmas was this cool Buzz Lightyear. Thanks Jodi, Cynthia, and Karen!

Grandma made C this super warm and cute quilt while she was with us this winter.

We enjoyed our last Christmas in our home in FL. Dec. was a very busy time as D finished up his school and started working in NY. He was able to fly home on the 23rd and be with us to celebrate Christmas together as a family with my parents and then the packing began. This was the first year that Christmas decorations came down on Christmas in my home!

Epcot

2010-12-18T17:36:00.000-08:00

a quick stop in Canada for a coffee crisp....yum yum!

Mom getting silly in Morocco.

The popular candlelight processional with a mass choir, 50 piece orchestra, and Steven Curtis Chapman narrating the Christmas story. Amazingly beautiful!

Germany at night.

In the spirit of doing anything and everything other than packing and getting ready for this move, Mom and I decided that we should check out Epcot and boy did we. We rode almost all of the rides and visited each of the countries. It was a chilly day so the lines were short making our 11 plus hours there very efficient. The boys stayed home and said they had fun, but I'm not sure they even came close to having as much fun as we did. This trip to Epcot marked my final Disney park visit as a Floridian. :(

time for a face-off....Fighting Sioux style

2010-12-16T18:03:00.000-08:00

C is getting really excited to head for New York. We've been talking about some of the things that we can do there like play in the snow and ice skate. Sounds magical right? Well, before you factor in the cold anyway. C will soon understand that reality. The other day he was begging grandpa to ice skate with him in their socks and play some hockey. Can you guess who he got his equipment from?

Sea World

2010-12-13T18:19:00.001-08:00

C LOVES The Polar Express movie and we all so enjoyed Sea World's fun polar express experience. Because the lines were so short, we got to do it twice!

The train ride brought us to the North Pole where C got to chat with Santa.

C loves a good thrill ride just like his parents. The crab is his second favorite after the Shamu express roller coaster.

C could only handle so much fun and we lost him around 9pm. We didn't leave the park until 11:45 since we stayed around for the ice skating show, fireworks, and light display.

We headed to Sea World on Friday and had a long (almost 12 hours), but very fun day. We were able to take in all the Christmas shows and lights. This was likely C and I's last time to use our annual pass before we move . We got so much use out of it and will really miss our fun outings to this neat park. This trip was extra fun for me as I got to ride the roller coasters since Grandpa and Grandma could watch C. I got in 4 manta rides and 1 kracken!!! Woo Hoo.

Santa's Christmas tree farm

2010-12-13T18:08:00.001-08:00

C loved dropping the food down the little chute to the pony

In keeping with tradition, we headed to Eustis to Santa's Christmas tree farm. The highlight was the pony ride. C had a choice this year to ride the pony or a big horse and he picked the pony and he even got to ride it twice! We also took the hayride, enjoyed the mini goats, warmed ourselves by the fire, and went on a maze scavenger hunt.

dinner under the stars

2010-12-01T19:12:00.000-08:00

We've had a couple of fun hot dog roasts since Dad and Mom arrived. Our weather has been so warm and perfect for late evening cook outs. C likes to look at the stars with Grandpa on the hammock, but was working on polishing off his third hot dog when Grandma took this picture of Grandpa!

Ice and snow!

2010-11-24T06:42:00.000-08:00

A rare shot of C without his gloves pressed to his face because it was "too cold".

Dad and Mom in the igloo pretending they are back home in ND.

C has a great fascination with nutcrackers this year.

Yesterday we decided to kick off the Christmas season and ventured down to Orlando to the Ice and Snow exhibit at the Gaylord resort. We bundled up and took in the story of "Twas the Night Before Christmas" carved out of 2 million pounds of ice. C wasn't a fan of the 9 degree temperature, but he LOVED the room of snow that was much warmer. He got to ride a tube down a little snow hill and throw lots of snowballs. He was jumping with excitement the entire time he played in the snow room, however, he did state when we left that he didn't want to live where there was snow. Hmm, we'll have to work on that. After all the snow and ice fun, C got to chat with Santa, drink hot cocoa, and take in a music and light show.

Pilgrims and Indians

2010-11-20T17:26:00.000-08:00

Nothing says Thanksgiving like a room full of preschoolers dressed up like Pilgrims and Indians.

Grandpa and Grandma are here!

2010-11-18T09:58:00.000-08:00

Last Friday our very special and long awaited winter visitors arrived. They had to come earlier this year in order to keep a lonely Caleb and myself company while Daddy is away. It's been so great having some life around our home again and C is in "Grandpa heaven"! Soon after their arrival, C told Grandma that Grandpa was his best friend. He even had to hold Grandpa's hand the other day while he rode his bike to the park. So cute.

Graduation

2010-11-01T16:42:00.000-07:00

C liked his Daddy's super silly looking agent hat and REALLY liked his cool new badge.

Agent Loyd finally receiving his badge!

Dave received the academic award of excellence and graduated at the top of his class!

The ceremony even included a bag pipe player.

Thursday was a very big and long awaited day in the life of our family. Dave graduated from the federal law enforcement training center (FLETC) in GA and is officially a CBP air interdiction agent! We spent the weekend celebrating together, but since Dave wasn't allowed to come home before his next school, C and I drove up to Charleston, SC with him and enjoyed exploring the area together. It was tough to say goodbye on Sunday, but we are now only 6 weeks away from the new job beginning in NY. There is so much that needs to take place before the move, but we are starting to get a little more excited. Our home here is officially listed for rent so we appreciate your prayers for great renters to come our way.

SeaWorld Spooktacular

2010-10-26T06:54:00.000-07:00

Striking a spider man pose.

C got to decorate his own cookie! No, I didn't let him eat the whole thing.

On Sat. C and I decided to take advantage of our annual passes and spent a few hours at Sea World taking in their Spooktacular event. Dave was home for the weekend (his last before he leaves for SC), but he was teaching for his "old" firearms business that afternoon. Seems he just can't let it go. C forgot all about his Daddy while ripping around Sea World as spider man, his beloved costume he picked out at Target all by himself this year. We won't be home for Halloween since we will be at Dave's graduation so this opportunity was perfect for C to wear his costume and have fun. It was super hot and he was sweating like crazy, but he didn't want to take it off! As usual we rode the shamu roller coaster several times (C's favorite) and an added new twist was that C was totally into their playground area that has nets and obstacles SUPER high in the air. It's crazy! I was stressing on the ground just trying to keep him in sight amidst all the kids and tunnels. We had a lot of fun in 4 hours!

concentration

2010-10-26T06:50:00.000-07:00

C is really starting to enjoy practicing writing his letters and cutting with scissors. He is trying so much harder than he used to and doing so much better! I had to capture a shot of him working super hard in his concentration pose (tongue out).

So happy together

2010-10-03T17:55:00.001-07:00

hanging out in the tent, aka C's bed

jumping on the bed of course

C loves his cousins and was especially into little Sophia. They got along really well and us Moms didn't have to intervene too often. It was really neat how they knew each other right away because we typically skype at least once a week with each other. I guess that's the best we can do with all these miles between us. We sure did enjoy our time together though.

At the lake

2010-10-03T17:46:00.000-07:00

We got to spend some time with the Skoda's at the lake on our trip up North. Can you tell it was a little chilly? We did get one boat ride in though so C and I were happy.

10 Year Reunion

2010-10-03T17:29:00.000-07:00

Here's my shout out to 8 of the coolest girls on the planet that I love so dearly. This year in honor of our 10th girls' weekend reunion, we decided to gather in the city where our friendships all began, Grand Forks, ND. We had the best time reconnecting and enjoying some fun moments back at the University of ND. I marvel that the Lord blessed me with this circle of friends.

On the farm

2010-09-14T17:53:00.000-07:00

Just a swinging with Grandpa

checking out Dave and Chris's cool toy

From NYC to the farm....kind of funny how these two posts came next to each other. Two worlds couldn't be farther from each other, but both fun in their own way. C and I are enjoying the cool crisp fall air, wide open spaces, huge sky, and LOTS of fun with family.

Here are just a few "farmer" shots.

New York, New York

2010-08-19T15:58:00.000-07:00

Brooklyn bridge view as I hung out my window. Maybe next time we will walk across (although that's about how fast traffic was moving). It was amazing to think this awesome structure was completed in 1883.

view from the Staten Island Ferry

C's first subway ride!

C and I recently returned to FL after a week in New York with D. It was so great to see him and scope out our future home together as a family. We checked out a lot of apartments around Long Island and got a good feel for the area which hopefully will help when we make a very rapid move at the end of the year. The highlight of the trip was our day trip to the big city. We will be less than an hour from NYC so we anticipate lots of trips back in the near future with visiting family and friends. I didn't expect to love the city so much, but it was really amazing. D drove us right into the city like a pro and we parked right next to Penn Station where we bought our Metro cards and proceeded to jump on the subway. C LOVED the subway. I think he could've just sat on the train all day. Instead, we jumped off and hit the Staten Island Ferry for an up close look at Lady Liberty and later headed into Manhattan then finished up with Central Park.

2010-08-19T15:50:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, we did not pose C for this picture. He loves fountains and was tired by this point so he just layed down to take in the view.

I can't wait to come back here for some ice skating this winter!

The very beautiful Central Park.

D waited all day for his dirty water hotdog and knish. A great ending to a perfect day in the city.

blowing his horn

2010-07-31T10:07:00.000-07:00

I've been slowing digging stuff down from the attic to start sifting through things before the big move this winter. It must be at least 130 degrees up there. I think I will take a break until Nov. from that chore. Yesterday I brought down my euphonium and D's trumpet. C has been having a blast blowing and it was the first thing on his mind and the first thing he wanted to do when he woke up today.

Birthday boy

2010-07-21T17:17:00.000-07:00

I overheard C telling a friend the other day that he wanted a racetrack cake. So I made my first attempt at decorating a cake. Turned out pretty cute. C especially loved that it had m&ms and cookies on it.

C's friend Samuel has this spaceship and C has been talking about it since memorial day. He was thrilled to finally have his very own and has been playing with it nonstop.

We celebrated C's 4th birthday yesterday. We decided to just spend the day together as a family doing what C loves most these days...swimming. We headed back to the water park (we have season passes) and surprised C with a special treat. He got to ride in a go-cart with Daddy for the first time. He LOVED it! Unfortunately the camera battery died. We followed that up with lots of water fun including C's first ride on the big water slide. It took a lot of convincing to get him to try it, but once he did he was hooked! We later celebrated at home with presents and cake.

A great day celebrating a great kid.

Swimming

2010-07-17T06:41:00.001-07:00

C has been focussing this past week on learning to swim. He has always been content to float around in his tube, but we felt like it was time for him to have some lessons. He amazed me and after only 4 half hour sessions with a wonderful teacher he was swimming! I neglected to bring my camera to lessons to get a picture of him with Ms. Sharon, but this cute shot was taken yesterday at Daytona Lagoon with our friend Rose. We spent about 4 hours at the park and C pretty much swam in the lazy river the whole time. The current helped him to go extra fast and he was heartbroken when it was time to leave.

Summer update

2010-07-07T04:56:00.001-07:00

Summer has been flying by here. After returning from our Colorado trip I had an unexpected two night hospital stay due to some strange symptoms including sore fingertips, tingly feet, a rash, and later dots on the tips of my fingers and toes. It was frustrating to be cooped up in the hospital that long, but in the end I am thankful to have received a diagnosis of just a virus that I was able to fight off. Many thanks for the faithful prayers that were given on my behalf. I'm so grateful for friends, family, and the Lord's hand on my rapid healing.

Since then we've been trying to beat the summer heat. The above picture was taken at the movie theater. We took C to his very first movie, Toy Story 3 in 3D. We had two coupons for free tickets that I got online. I had to choose what theater we would go to and I didn't realize this particular theater was only showing it in 3D. D and I were nervous that C wouldn't keep the glasses on or that he'd be freaked out, but he did wonderful and LOVED the movie experience. It was quite a treat for D and I too. I had no idea how expensive movies are now, especially if they are in 3D. I was happy for the coupons. The picture is dark since D took it on his phone, but I thought C was just too cute not to show you.

I also wanted to give a little update on the big changes around here. D has only 12 days left of work with the sheriff's office. I think we are both starting to feel the pressure of the big changes ahead for our family. D will be heading to Long Island in just over 3 short weeks. C and I will hopefully join him for a portion of the 3 weeks he will be gone so that we can scope out our "future" as well. This is just the beginning of what will likely be about 4 and a half months of training away from home for D. C and I will likely be moving to Long Island the end of Dec or Jan when D officially starts working at the Long Island branch for CBP. We are excited, but sad too. I think I better go soak up some FL sunshine now while I can!

Jumping Jacob and sidekick Caleb

2010-06-30T20:36:00.001-07:00

jump the creek from FloridaFun on Vimeo.

Down by the creek

2010-06-30T18:54:00.000-07:00

Rocky Mountain camping

2010-06-30T18:30:00.001-07:00

We recently enjoyed some family time in Colorado. It was such a fun time being together and C was thrilled to be surrounded by all 9 of his cousins, most of the time anyway. D and his brother and brother-in-law took off on a 3 day motorcycle ride in the mountains. They left us three mommies along with Papa Don and Grandma Becky to take care of the kids and pack up the camping gear. It was a lot of work, but worth it in the end. We camped the first night without the boys at an amazing camping site near Buena Vista. The second evening the boys met up with us and spent the night and helped us pack up the next morning before they rode their bikes back to Colorado Springs. I got special privileges and got to take the 3 hour ride home on the back of Dave's bike. It was a beautiful ride.

Daddy's helper

2010-05-26T17:38:00.001-07:00

C adores visiting his Daddy at work. Every trip to the hanger includes C getting some quality time in with the helicopter. He loves to climb in all by himself, put on a helmet, and strap in. He then proceeds to "fly to North Dakota" to see Grandma and Grandpa. It's so cute. On this particular night Daddy mixed it up a bit and let C help him give the chopper a good scrub. C got rewarded for his help with a good old Gator ride.

Mother's Day

2010-05-14T20:31:00.001-07:00

Yep, I'm one spoiled Mommy. Dave worked over the weekend, but had a special day late mother's day treat planned for me. We headed down to Orlando for a night at a resort that had an awesome swimming area. We spent all day Monday playing in the lazy river and pool and continued the next morning until check out. It was such a great little getaway and C had an absolute blast. I think he'd like to live in a hotel now.

off to the races

2010-05-01T12:58:00.000-07:00

After nearly 4 years of living so close to the Daytona Speedway, we finally made it inside. We have a friend that races with the SCCA and invited us to be his guests. C was very excited yesterday when we told him what we were going to do on Saturday. I think this little adventure brought the movie Cars to life for him. We got to drive right into the center of the gigantic racetrack and C even got to sit in Mr. Derek's super fast red race car.

hopscotch

2010-04-26T20:14:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just need a little boost

2010-04-11T14:56:00.001-07:00

It's March madness in April around here. Every little boy, and girl for that matter, needs a good old Nerf hoop. We've been having hours of fun with it, plus it makes our living room look classy. :) All for 5 bucks.

my little baker

2010-04-08T07:06:00.000-07:00

C loves getting involved in the kitchen. A couple of weeks ago C received this cute hat in the mail from our local grocery store so I thought we needed to have a little fun baking together and getting some cute pictures. This was also a fun little teaching moment for C because he didn't get to eat the food we prepared because we made it for our local soup kitchen. He came along with me and helped serve the people. It's all still a little over his head, but I was pleasantly surprised when we arrived home and the first thing C told Dave was "some people don't have any food". I pray he continues to grow with a heart to serve others.

A morning out in the country

2010-04-04T13:24:00.000-07:00

C and I headed out on Friday to a fun play date/egg hunt with some Moms from my MOPS group. We met out in the country and had a perfect little plot of land with wildflowers to hide the eggs in. C broke his record of gathering eggs. Yes, he surpassed 2 eggs this year! After the egg collection fun we headed right down the road to pick some fresh strawberries. C did a lot of sampling, with the permission of the very kind owner of the farm, while I picked. Then he let C drive his tractor.

time to ride

2010-03-28T13:22:00.001-07:00

C is FINALLY getting the hang of riding a tricycle. He usually prefers to scoot around on it with his feet on the ground rather than pedal. Well, now that it's spring and the neighbor boys are out riding their bikes most every day C was inspired to learn. He also now thinks wearing his helmet is cool since the big boys do. I'm toying with the idea of getting him a real bike with training wheels thinking he may like that better than the trike. I'm not sure if that would be easier or more difficult for him. If you have any experience in this area let me know.