Cruisin' the Kitchen

After taking apart my kitchen cabinets (Pen's favorite past-time, much like his sister's at this age), Pender decides he'll tour the mess on an independent walk-about! My, my how time flies.

Life as of Late

Enjoying oranges with a little brother

Good Sunday morning

Oh yeah - I'm so stylish in mommy's glasses!

Pender spicin' it up

Dressed for church

Playing peek-a-boo in the couch-tent

Pulling apart Mommy's cabinets

Laptopping together while keeping an eye on the baking

Eating a gigantic icicle from our house

Pender Practices Walking!

Oh my baby boy...

Myrick's First Downhill Skiiing Event

Highlights from VT

Let's just hit the hightlights, shall we? If only I could summon a tune to put these words to, I'd have an amusing hit...

Maddie's black eye, rutted/muddy Vermont roads with no sap house to speak of, Sasha's broken arm, forgotten underwear/toothbrushes/etc, torn sleeping bags, children who don't sleep, kids spreading their germs...

But then there was the terrific food, excellent family company, good skiing days, first skiing days for little girls, cousin mania, birthday and anniversary celebrations, and the promise of future ski trips to come to outweigh all of the "funnier" moments!

Love it!

The Day Before

The weather 364 days ago was a little different than today. This afternoon I am sitting home from school while my two babies nap upstairs, and the Groundhog Day storm wraps up with another foot or so of snow dumped on us here in NH. The roads are passable and certainly much smoother than they were this time last year. The reason I can remember what the roads were like? Bouncing along frost-heave affected roads while laboring is memorable to say the least! This time last year I was packing up my backpack to leave my classroom for the remainder of the school year since I'd spent the morning and afternoon in light labor while teaching my last classes. I knew I wouldn't be back but never said anything to anyone; I was too afraid that my labor would stall out, and I'd have to keep waiting to meet this baby I'd carried to term! I remember the thought going round and round in my head, "Please just wait one more day so that you're not a Groundhog Day baby." And he did!

What great memories to keep me company this afternoon in our quiet house. It has been a long, hard year in many ways, and some days it felt like we'd never make it. But somehow here we are, one year later with a beautiful baby boy who brings another layer of delight to our lives. Pender Avery's squeals, cries, babbles, and milestones are mini miracles that bless us each day.

18" of snow + Myrick's first skis =

Now that the snow finally arrived in earnest around here, today became the day to strap the boards on Myrick's feet. After breaking in our boots together as the Boot Monsters, she did pretty well on her first few runs (especially since Whidbey was there to keep an eye on her)!