Little I turns 3!

Little I celebrated his third birthday this month. He of course wanted a Thomas the Tank Engine birthday so everything was decorated in blue (for Thomas), red (for James) and green (for Percy).

Little I's friends enjoyed hot dogs, all the juice boxes they could drink and of course cake!

His cousins drove over from Georgia to help celebrate.

Mr. C and Cousin JDH battle it out in balloon vs. sword!

Little I blows out the candles on his Thomas Cake!

A Look Back at Autumn

Sorry for the delay in posts but we have been busy as you will soon see! This past October we moved out of our townhouse and into a larger home with a wonderful backyard. The boys have loved the room to run and even have a treehouse with a slide. It is a wooded lot with trees holding more than 30 large bags worth of leaves- after 30 we have stopped raking them up! I sure hope Santa brings a leaf blower!

DadD, Little I & Mr.C went trick-or-treating and met some of our new neighbors. Mr.C was a friendly dinosaur while Little I was a ferocious lion complete with a growl.

The boys enjoying the backyard

DadD's proud new ride.

Mr. C hard at work!

Reflections of Summer

Last year we had a beautiful fall. I expounded on the glory of fall and football in the South--the best time of year down here. Well, this fall has not been so glorious. It has been rainy, drizzly, and rainy. But, we've tried to make the best of it.

Already it appears that cold weather has set in for good. Where'd our beautiful fall go with its crisp cool nights and moderate days? Where are the bright shades of sunrise turning in the autumn leaves? Muted? Hidden? I don't know but it's been awfully dreary here recently. Perhaps it is time for a little reflection back on the summer of 2009.

Reflection #1--Enjoying being outside. While fall has been rainy, summer was surprisingly cool, which just means it was not unbearably hot. Whether feeding the ducks (above) or playing at the park (below), it's just nice to just get of the house.

Reflection #2--Pennsylvania Lake House. We were fortunate enough to be invited to some family friends' lake house at Crystal Lake in the Poconos in August. We enjoyed one beautiful day at the lake--just enough time to get wet, get sunburned, and capture some great photos--before heading back to GG and Papa's house.

Reflection #3--Hilton Head. In September, my parents and grandma came to visit. My sister and her family had a gift certificate to use for a condo in Hilton Head, South Carolina, and invited my parents, grandma, and us to join them. Fortunately for Mom E, Little I, and Mr. C, there was room enough for them. Unfortunately for me, there was no way I could get off of work, so I had to sit the trip out. By all accounts, the boys loved the beach and loved playing with their cousins. We may have to make the trip a regular event.

Apologies for not updating the blog as frequently recently, but as you can see we've been busy. We're also in the middle of a move--more updates on that to come. In the mean time, enjoy these parting reflections.

Baby Zombies

Mr. C has taken his first steps. Initially, he would try to run, rather than walk, and would fall right over. He's discovered that he needs to be a bit more deliberate and, thus, has begun the inevitable baby-zombie-walk. A little stilted, a little wobbly, but definitely walking. Go Mr. C, go!

Saturday Morning Mist

We awoke inside a cloud this morning. The sunrise was pushed back by a sopping wet haze that seemed to muffle even the cardinals. Every night for the past week, we've watched a quarter-sized spider spin a massive web from house to fence. Each morning after, I've checked in anticipation of a masterpeice, only to find the web missing. This morning I finally saw the web and the mist. The mist seemed a perfectly eerie backdrop to the dewy strands, so I snapped some shots, then kept going: