Hyatts of Connecticut

The Bunny Trail

2011-10-26T14:02:00.000-04:00

This year, we celbrating the begining of Spring at the Capen Hill Nature Sactuary in Oxford, Ma. They put on a wonderful Easter Egg Hunt with well over 5,000 hidden eggs and prizes all planted by local Boy Scout Troops! I smell a new family tradition in the making...

First sign of spring!

Mystical Aquarium

2011-02-18T22:26:00.003-05:00

Lauren's Scout troop spent an amazing night camping out (inside) the Mystic Aquarium!

The girls had lots of "hands on" time!

The aquarium does a great job making science fun for little kids. The girls especially loved going outside at night and watching the Beluga Whale chase the glow stick through the glass and even dissecting squid!

Winter Wonderland

2011-01-12T14:28:00.006-05:00

See the pretty snowflakes, falling from the sky

On the wall and housetops, soft and thick they lie

Trimming the Tree

2010-12-25T14:11:00.001-05:00

Stockings are Fun,

and piles of presents are great,

but my favorite Christmas gift are those we place on our tree.

Whether it is a gift card, tickets or cash, it's always something that is for the "future", thus extending the joy of the season beyond Dec. 25th.

A Self Proclaimed Princess Turns Four

2010-11-08T14:02:00.001-05:00

Barbies, Princesses, Crowns, Tiaras, Tippy Tap Shoes, Rings and Treasure Boxes...

that is what makes our youngest's world go 'round.

So innocent and easy to please.

So cuddly and loveable it will melt your heart.

Autumn

2010-10-01T22:18:00.000-04:00

Pumpkins in the cornfields

Gold among the brown

Leaves of rust and scarlet

Trembling slowly down

Birds that travel southward

Lovely time to play

Nothing is as pleasant

As an autumn day!

Weekends with Grammy

2010-09-15T22:11:00.003-04:00

I've often felt cheated by being an only child, sad to have never had a sibling to grow up with. Now, as a parent of 3, ~~I have no idea what I was thinking~~ I can see the wisdom in my mother's choices. LOL!

The biggest benefit of being an only child is having my mother be an everyday part of my girl's lives.

Luau

2010-07-15T22:00:00.001-04:00

The Recreational Center of our town hosted a Luau.

We dressed the part...

We learned the dance...

Lauren won the hula hoop contest and was on the radio and in the paper...

( http://www.norwichbulletin.com/photos/x1005403467/Luau-in-Killingly?foto=4 )

( http://www.norwichbulletin.com/carousel/x242415687/Killingly-residents-live-with-aloha-at-luau )

We had a great time!

We may live in the "sticks", but we love our town!

American Pride

2010-07-05T21:51:00.003-04:00

It's time for the barbecue and the fireworks galore and the beer and the friends and the burgers for sure!

But most important, and what I really must say, is that America got it's Independence today!

Friends...with benefits!

2010-06-30T21:40:00.001-04:00

Our dear friends, the O'Connor family, live lakeside. It is but 3 minutes down the road, but it's like a whole world many of us only get to see while on vacation.

Docks, cottages, canoes, screen doors, outdoor party lights, "year rounders", flip flops, outdoor showers, rafts, fishing poles and warm crackling fireplaces!

It's great to have friends...with benefits!!!

Cousins

2010-06-20T21:25:00.000-04:00

Oh, tell me, please tell me, is there a trick to get cousins to sit still, even real quick?

One giggles, one wiggles, one tugs on another.

One crawls, one tickles, then they pile on each other.

At the end of the day, when all is said and done, taking pictures with cousins, is way too much fun!

A Great Escape

2010-05-31T21:09:00.000-04:00

As a final goodbye, our girlscout troop planned a vacation to Great Escape in the mountains of NY. Every girl and their family were able to come and enjoy the fun! The theme park was cool, but the Great Escape Lodge with indoor waterpark and it's own Johnny Rockets...now that was a blast!!

Aloha

2010-05-30T22:05:00.000-04:00

Aloha is the most common and probably the most beautiful word in the Hawaiian language. It is the first greeting you hear when you are in Hawaii. Alo means to share in the present moment. Oha is joy. Ha is life energy. Therefore Aloha translates to the meaning “The joyful sharing of life energy in the present”... Which was exactly what we wanted our very last bridging ceremony to be. A time to share and celebrate all of the years we've spent together as a group and to wish everyone the best as they move on to other adventures.

Troop 65084 ~ May 2010

She Sells Sea Shells by the Sea Shore

2010-04-06T21:56:00.000-04:00

The Stone House

2010-02-28T19:17:00.002-05:00

On a beautiful weekend in February, my girl scout troop had a "Mom and Me" weekend at the Stone House (a rustic yet comfortable and cozy lodge owned by the CT Girl Scouts). It was a wonderful time full of food, fun, and friendship.

Two of the best days chucked full of board games, badge earning, warm ovens, snowball fights, letterboxing, laughter and crackling wood fires.

Over the past six months, Megan and I have spoken of our time there repeatedly...it was everything we'd always thought Girl Scouts should be.

Sea World

2010-01-29T18:47:00.000-05:00

Why most people know better than to go anywhere near Orlando during Christmas!

This was an absolutely wonderful show and they make it look so easy and

not at all dangerous, which we all now know is not the case.

Magical Memories!

Jacksonville Zoo

2010-01-25T20:31:00.016-05:00

On Christmas day, after the presents had all been opened and the omlets had been made, we kissed Grammy and Grampy goodbye and embarked on a very long journey. We packed the car from floor to roof with every electronic entertainment device known to man and drove straight through to Florida. (Dan and I are VERY thankful for good audio books!)

We arrived at Grammie and Papa's house a mere 19.5 hours later, bone tired and sore, but surprised at how easy most of the trip was. Blessing us with a dip in the hot tub and a good cup of coffee, we actually went back to feeling human amazingly quick!

One of the first items on the girl's wish list was a visit to the Jacksonville Zoo...

Thankful

2010-01-18T19:28:00.006-05:00

2009 was year of job loss and major pay cuts in our home. It was a humble year of savings depletion and cutting corners. It was stressful and worrisome. It was and still is scary.

Thankfully we weren't alone. Our parents were there with a helping hand, just when we really needed them. Again and again. Their love and support for our family is a lifesaver and is something we can only hope we'll be able to do for our children when they're on their own.

The magic and wonder of Christmas as seen from a child's eyes!

In the end, we only bought presents for the girls and frugally collected and added the gifts mailed to us from out of area family. On Christmas Eve, Grammy and Grampy added their presents and it was perfect!

'Tis the Season...

2010-01-08T14:30:00.006-05:00

...For An Elementary School Christmas Concert!

Katie's Birthday

2009-12-22T07:06:00.016-05:00

Our Katelyn

Katelyn, the youngest of our three daughters,

celebrated her 3rd birthday on November 8th.

She is a lover of all things Disney from Tinkerbell to Mr. Incredible.

She defines the terrible twos by her frequent habit of being whiny and demanding.

She is her happiest snuggled in Mommy and Daddy's bed watching a movie hidden deep in the blankets.

Refusing to be left behind, she consistently shadows her big sisters. Often to their dismay.

She is the most girly - girl of the three, donning tippy tap shoes, dresses, painted nails and barrettes daily.

The light of our lives, one of the three reasons for our premature graying, our Katie!

Ghosting

2009-10-26T07:24:00.007-04:00

This year, the girls and I discovered the fun and thrills of ghosting. Ghosting is a fun way to spread the Halloween spirit amongst friends and neighbors. Simply gather a little bag of treats, a picture of a ghost and a copy of the ghosting letter. Then, you sneak over to your neighbor's house, leave the treats on their front porch, ring the door bell and run for your life! The trick (and the fun) is to not get caught!!!

The girls and I had a blast being all sneaky and stealth-like! As if taking a walk in the dark wasn't fun enough, add a little "ding-dong ditch" to make it a memory of a lifetime!!!

You've Been Ghosted!!

Late last night, we left you a treat.
The tradition is fun, one we hope you'll repeat.

Take the ghost and pin it on your door,
to let others know, you need ghosting no more.

Now it's your duty to pass on the surprise,
to two more families, we must advise.

Gather some treats and deliver them soon,
within two nights, under the light of the moon.

Include a ghost with each package you give,
along with this poem for the tradition to live.

Our First Born

2009-10-26T07:20:00.004-04:00

Our first-born: Confident and able, often independent thinking. Extremely kind and sensitive, often allowing her emotions to get the best of her. Organized and crafty like her mother and stubborn and fun loving like her father. Mature and caring, often disruptive and loud. Dependable and trustworthy.

Megan, our first-born daughter.

Wachusett Mountain Applefest

2009-10-25T22:13:00.009-04:00

Pumpkins in the cornfields

Gold among the brown

Leaves of rust and scarlet

Trembling slowly down

Birds that travel southward

Lovely time to play

Nothing is as pleasant

As an Autumn Day

Give Me An "L"

2009-10-05T20:40:00.009-04:00

Football season has taken on a whole new meaning in our house now that Lauren is cheerleading...our autunm weekends are no longer spent running errands on Saturday so that Sunday can be spent in front of the big screen! Rather, you'll find us at the field shading our eyes, sitting on metal bleachers freezing our buns or working the concession stands.

2009 Steelers Cheerleading Squad

Half Time Stunt

Lauren in her Glory!

Watch the girls in action...

School Days

2009-09-17T22:13:00.010-04:00

Lauren, 2nd Grade (6 years old)

Megan, 5th Grade (9 years old)

Newport Mansions, Rhode Island

2009-09-15T23:27:00.000-04:00

Oh, to be born a Vanderbilt...

Alas, WE were destined to just visit and stare in awe.

It's for best, can you imagine mowing this backyard every weekend??

Summer Camp

2009-09-05T21:58:00.001-04:00

Nestled Deep In The Berkshire Mountains

Girl scout camp again this year,
There's nothing there for you to fear.
Be brave and bold for goodness sakes,
There’s only frogs, turtles, birds and snakes.

The clouds are white and the sky is blue,
Perhaps a frog will hop in your shoe.

Did you play tricks on your girl scout leaders?
Stay away from those pesky moskeeters.

Are you fed well, is the food to your liking?
Are you having fun swimming and hiking?

Be careful, your knees don’t ever scrape,

Above all, for supper don’t ever be late.

Eat all your food, wipe your plate clean,
Be sure in neat clothes, you’re always seen.

Above all have fun, make another friend,

Before you know it, scout camp will end.

Unless you’re eaten by an army of bugs,

I send you a kiss and plenty of hugs.

It Takes a Family to Grow a Garden

2009-08-26T22:43:00.007-04:00

We all know it's a ton of work and with all of the local farmer's markets, it may not even be cost effective anymore...but there is nothing like the thrill of successfully planting a garden, watching it grow and enjoying the fruits of your labor...besides, it makes for a couple of great scrapbook pages!!!

Country Bumpkins

2009-07-04T22:18:00.000-04:00

Each year we look forward to the local 4th of July Jamboree. It's a little bit small, and a little bit rural and maybe even a little bit redneck, but the truth is, we love it!

It's one of those things that we discovered when Megan was little and 10 years later, we find ourselves still doing. Like my grandmother's banana bread, it will most likely be a fond childhood summer memory for our girls.

After the one marching band and a few fire trucks and model T's, the kids get to decorate their bikes and march in the parade.
Lauren and Megan enjoy tossing candy to those watching on the sidelines (specifically, Katie)

Hay rides anyone?

Best pocket change ever spent!!

Fireman's Water Polo...being a fan has it's perks.

We're Singing Playing In The Rain

2009-07-01T21:53:00.004-04:00

Just playing in the rain,

what a glorious feeling,

we're happy again!!!

The Hyatt girls...soon to be three, seven and ten

"Mommy, where does all the water go?"

The Very Merry Month Of June

2009-07-01T20:59:00.001-04:00

The girls and I spent most of June with our girl scout troop working on our camping skills, earning badges and enjoying the outdoors.

We started in our backyard with building fires and learning how to set up our tents and by the end of the month, we were living large at the Girl Scout Camporee!

Here are some pictures from the Camporee where all of girl scout troops from our area get together to camp. This year's theme was "Pocahantas' Trail" (read Native American). We learned about different foods, symbols, clothing, dwellings and music. We even had a totem pole contest and our troop won 2nd place!

Fun at the water hole

Drying out our sneakers after a VERY rainy night

Making our own flashlights using lady bugs

It's Like So Junior High!!

2009-06-30T22:04:00.000-04:00

Megan graduated from the 4th grade and is headed to Junior High!!! She is very excited and has already started preparing...she has mastered the eye roll, the What-ever! attitude, the door slam, the stomp fit, the clothing obsession, the you-tube surfing, and of course, the cell phone craze!!

She's our little over-achiever!

Junior High, here we come...

Summer Fun

2009-06-29T21:38:00.007-04:00

Like the down home country folk that we are (not), we decided to have a little summer fun by attending one of the local agricultural fairs. After petting a cow and watching about 3 minutes of a tractor pull, we decided it's best to stick with what we know...the carnival rides!!

Katie has a hard time with the "just one" concept

The Corn box!

Growing Up So Fast

2009-06-12T21:23:00.000-04:00

Our little Daisy, is now a Brownie!!!

How is it that as an avid scrap booker, I record everything so that it can be treasured, yet I feel like it all went by so fast that I can't even recall? Didn't I just become a girl scout leader for Meg's little troop of Daisys? Then how is it that I just received my 5 year leader pin?

Don't you sometimes wish there was such a thing as a pause button?

Dance Recital

2009-06-11T21:40:00.004-04:00

Lauren recently completed her first year of dance, which ended in a very cute Dance Recital. She was so excited to be the one to shine (which, I'm quickly learning is the common goal of middle children)! You should have seen her face beaming when Grammy and Grampy came to watch the show and to give her flowers!!!

This next year has a lot of great things in store for our 6 year old...she is attending her first week of GirlScout overnight camp, takes a shot at cheer leading and starts second grade!!!

Letterboxing 101

2009-06-05T15:30:00.004-04:00

"Letterboxing is an intriguing “treasure hunt” style outdoor activity. Letterboxers hide small, weatherproof boxes in publicly-accessible places (like parks) and post clues to finding the box online on one of several Web sites. However, clues to finding some of the most highly-sought boxes are passed around by word of mouth. There are about 20,000 letterboxes hidden in North America alone. Individual letterboxes usually contain a log book, an often hand-carved rubber stamp and may contain an ink pad. Finders make an imprint of the letterbox's stamp on their personal log book, and leave an imprint of their personal stamp on the letterbox's logbook."

A few months ago, a co-worker told me all about her weekend searching for letterboxes and proceeded to tell me all about this great past time! Since then, in addition to spreading the word, our entire family has been scouring the hundreds of letterboxes in our area alone!! It's great exercise and offers a great adventure, not to mention the endless scrap booking opportunities!!

See that tricky box hidden off the path between a few fallen logs?

Click to enlarge

It's amazing to me that this great activity has been all around me and it's taken me 9 1/2 years as a parent and 5 years as a girl scout leader to finally learn about it's existence!!

Conveniently, it didn't take both Lauren and Megan long to earn this:

Relay for Life

2009-05-20T23:18:00.010-04:00

My first ever Relay for Life walk was a wonderful, albeit very rainy, experience. I was amazed at just how many people in my little community have been touched by cancer...I simply never knew.

It was a great learning experience for my daughters, my girl scout troop and I to learn and be part of, and I'm confident it will be an annual event for all of us.

Thank you to everyone who financially supported me...I hope the girls and I did you proud by walking and walking and walking for such a great cause!

Survivor Balloon Release

Lauren fell in love with our friend's newborn nephew

Katie enjoyed the kid events

Megan and Lauren doing their laps at night

The entire track was lined with these luminaries purchased and dedicated to loved ones. We personally purchased them for:

For Dan's dad, aka Papa!

Judith Johnson (the sister of our family friend John Galvin)

Kerri Angelo (Lauren's kindergarten teacher)

In Loving Memory of Paula Murphy (the mom of our dear family friend Ellen)

Jennifer Kidder Goodwin (the good friend of our dear friend Hilary Wheeler)

BBQ...It's what the month of May is all about

2009-05-09T20:24:00.006-04:00

Isn't it amazing how a little bag of charcoal and eating your dinner lakeside can transform your regular dinner into an amazing one? In a spur of the moment decision, and a quick call to our friends, we turned a regular Saturday night into one of the best nights ever!!

A little chicken and steak, a little salad and watermelon....

A kite, a wagon and s'mores...

A few friends and the great outdoors...

This is what childhood is all about!

Scout Safari

2009-05-08T22:33:00.009-04:00

Every year, the Roger Williams Zoo hosts a Scout Safari Day. It's always in the Spring when eveyone is super busy with sports and such, but this year my troop was somehow able to fit it in...and I'm really happy we did. We learned so much and were able to see and touch many new animals!

Just in case you've never seen Elephant pajamas!!!

You know it's a great day when you can hang with your friends and earn a badge at the same time!!

Spring has Sprung

2009-05-08T21:36:00.017-04:00

Over the past few weeks the rain has fallen, the air has warmed and our yard has bloomed.

The garden has been raked and fertilized and the seedlings have sprouted.

The sun has shone, the sprinkler has spun and bathing suits and shorts have emerged.

All sure signs that Spring has indeed, Sprung!

Relay for Life

2009-04-20T10:07:00.004-04:00

Updated: We now have more reason to walk than ever...On May 5th, we learned that Dan's father has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. The same cancer that killed his grandfather.

Original Post:

This year, for the first time, our family will walk in our local Relay for Life event. Last year, when Lauren was in Kindergarten, her wonderful teacher was diagnosed with breast cancer and we will be walking in support of her and the thousands of other survivors and victims.

My Girl Scout troop will also be participating with me this year. I have hopes that this event will teach them the amazing power a community has when it joins together.

Please consider sponsoring me in this wonderful cause by clicking on the button on the right side of my blog.

Thank you!

Tide Pools

2009-04-20T06:44:00.008-04:00

New England FINALLY surpassed the 70 degree mark this weekend, so we thought it would be fun to head over to the shore and do some exploring. We clamored, climbed, searched, and seeked.

The ocean is an amazing place and the girls were beyond thrilled...we collected shells, climbed on and around the rocks, scraped our tender feet, picnicked on the sand, fed the seagulls, screamed out in shock at the freezing temperature of the Atlantic, dug with our shovels, threw seaweed at each other, stared in amazement as daddy actually picked up that humongous horseshoe crab and ran and ran and ran...

Taking the Plunge

2009-04-15T22:39:00.005-04:00

Yes, Dan is still jobless and yes our pockets are tighter than ever, but sometimes you just need a little release. CoCo Key Water Resort just opened a new location near us in Fitchburg, MA and they were offering a GREAT deal on an overnight visit over Good Friday...we didn't think, we didn't worry, we just took the plunge!

The best part was that we went with our good friends Sue and Scott White and met up with Lauren's Girl Scout leader Jen Adams and her family!! We had a great two days splashing with our friends...

Easter Tradition

2009-04-14T21:05:00.008-04:00

If you know me, you know that I LOVE scrapbooking and all that is the wide world of crafts...most of which has to do with my childhood memories of my wonderful Aunt Frances who was for the longest time, my craft Idol. She was simply amazing in my eyes whether it was knitting, quilting, sewing like nobody's business or simply painting an egg.

A few weekends ago, my mom and I were going through some boxes looking for my baby album and we stumbled upon this 30+ year old egg. It's simply amazing that it's lasted all of these years without being crushed and what's more amazing were the memories it brought out for both my mom and I...

...Aunt Frances taught us to gently poke holes in the top and bottom of a raw egg, blow on one end until the egg was empty, then paint it with some enamel paints like these...

So this Easter, we decided to follow in Frances' 30+ year old lead and painted our own hand blown Eggs...

Thank you Aunt Frances for all of the wonderful new and old memories!

Sight for Sore Eyes

2009-03-30T21:24:00.005-04:00

Megan came home from school with a note from the nurse saying that she failed her eye screening, so we took her to the eye doctor. Lo and behold, she did indeed need glasses. She was excited and loved going to B.J.'s with me to pick them out! She got two pairs, one red and one blue.

For the first few days, she commented continually about how many things she could see!! I guess things had been blurry for awhile, but she didn't really realize it enough to tell us.

Wizard of Oz

2009-03-30T20:57:00.010-04:00

This month, Megan appeared in her second production with the Broad Street Kids Theater, as a munchkin in the Wizard of Oz.

Lauren and I attended one of the first shows together and had a great time! We shared popcorn, saw many of her schoolmates and really enjoyed the show!

Lauren at the show

Dorothy

Megan and the other Munchkins

For Megan, it was weeks and weeks of rehearsals and although she had alot of fun, I think we might have seen the last of her acting career...at least for a while. The theater takes a tremendous amount of dedication and self sacrifice that Megan clearly admits is not worth losing time at Karate or Horse back riding.

So much for Dan and I retiring off of her lucrative acting career! (smile)

Oh, to be 2 again

2009-02-27T23:06:00.014-05:00

Allow me to give you a brief glimpse into the daily antics of our 2 year old...

Monster Mash

Howdy Partners

Tip Toe Through the Tulips

Party On Dude!

Startin' em young

Sherrif Woody

2 Museums, 1 Great Day

2009-02-27T22:29:00.012-05:00

When it's cold outside and you've been cooped up inside for what seems like months, you'll do just about anything for some entertainment! Not knowing what we'd find, we took the hour long trek into Hartford to explore two small kid's museums...and ended up having a wonderful time! The Children's museum was chuck full of exploration and reptiles, while the Kid City museum had gorgeous artwork and life-like murals! The two were just right for a cold winter day.

New England Winter

2009-02-27T22:09:00.004-05:00

Like an Energizer Battery, a New England winter just keeps going, and going and going....

A Hyatt Family Gathering

2009-02-08T17:58:00.007-05:00

We were fortunate enough to be able to get all of the Hyatt siblings and their children together for a visit shortly after Christmas. We are always so appreciative to Dan's sister Diane for hosting all 14 of us, especially since she is centrally located. This year Diane's husband Brian went all out with the entertainment by creating the Hyatt Family Carnival Games! He organized a weekend of egg races, darts, Nerf battles, take 2 (aka Bananagrams), foose ball and sling shots!! It all culminated on our last evening with a mini fireworks display, award ceremony and bonfire!!

It was wonderful to see everyone, especially the kids who all grow and change so fast. Many thanks to Brian and Diane for hosting and for all the hard work that went into the Carnival Games...I think I speak for the whole family when I say it was a weekend full of special memories.

8 Grandchildren all in a row

The 3rd Generation

Award ceremony for the Hyatt Family Carnival Games

Carnival Awards

A little bit wrestling, a little bit snuggling

Wii Sing...popular for those singing, not so much for those listening.

Emily was quite electrifying!

Megan Branches Out

2009-01-29T17:25:00.006-05:00

A few months back, I took Megan's girl scout troop to a Self Defense class at a Martial Arts studio. As I expected, it was full of "yes, sirs", bows and high kicks...What I didn't expect was how much Megan would enjoy it!

After alot of begging and pleading, Grammy came to the rescue and paid for her to take lessons near our home. It's been two months now and she has already earned her orange belt and thoroughly loves it.

Blessed

2008-12-25T10:51:00.008-05:00

Each year at Christmas we work hard to remind ourselves just how lucky we are. This year especially, in light of the economy, and eventhough Dan was one of thousands to lose his job just days before Christmas, we were reminded yet again, just how truly blessed we are...We're all healthy and happy and we have a beautiful home and many excesses and are lucky enough to live in America...We take none of it for granted because we are truly thankful.

Thank you Santa!!!

Katie's Rose Petal Cottage set

Katie and her dad enjoy the Elmo Live doll

Megan shows off her first cell phone

Lauren gets her own IPOD and docking station

Lauren's 6th Birthday

2008-12-25T10:21:00.003-05:00

Our middle child celebrated her 6th birthday on 12/16...this amazing daughter of ours is so independent, smart, optomistic, beautiful and strong. So much so, that I often stare at her with wonder and awe.

Highlights of this special day: decorating cupcakes for school, Barbie cruise ship, Santa cake and her very own video camera!!

Happy birthday sweet Lauren!!

Nebraska Chocolate Balls

2008-12-23T07:03:00.005-05:00

Made only once a year, Nebraska Chocolate Balls are one of my many fond holiday memories from childhood. Each year my aunt, mom and I would bake dozens of different types of cookies to box up and give as gifts to friends and family. Of all the cookies, these were the most labor intensive (reason enough for why they were only made once a year), but they are oh so yummy!!

Recipe:

1 lb Powdered Sugar

2 Cups Chunky Peanut Butter

1 Stick Margarine

3 1/2 Cups Rice Krispies

Mix all ingredients thoroughly with fingers and roll into walnut sized balls. Chill overnight.

In a double boiler, melt a 12 oz. package of chocolate chips, along with a small amount of cooking wax to ensure hardening and glossy finish to the chocolate. Dip each ball into the chocolate mixture and then drop onto a cookie sheet to cool and harden.

2008 Hyatt Girl's Holiday Photo Shoot

2008-12-21T18:07:00.006-05:00

Warmest Wishes for a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Deck the Halls

2008-11-30T20:57:00.005-05:00

It was my aunt Frances' tradition that I carried on, to have the kids each have a box of their own in which I place ornaments they've made or that I've bought specifically for them through the years. It's a box full of memories that each will eventually be able to take with them when they move away and start decorating their own tree. And each year without fail, it is the most anticipated moment when we can go through each girl's box to ooh and aah over their individual collection.

Of course, once they've hung their own ornaments (seemingly all on the same branch, smack dab in the center of the tree) they lose interest in the rest and proceed to play and touch everything while we attempt to keep our patience and finish the decorating.

Once everything is cleaned up and put away and only after all of the lights in the house have been turned off, do we allow the switch to be thrown and the perfectly lit and beautifully decorated tree to shine!

It's a wonderful time of the year and the strongest reminder of the importance of traditions. After all, it's the basis for some of the girl's strongest and fondest childhood memories.

Hooked

2008-11-28T23:46:00.007-05:00

My friend Sue picked me up this morning at 4:15am to initiate me to all that is Black Friday. Now, I'm traditionally an early shopper and this year was no exception. The bulk of my shopping was done and wrapped. On my list was just stocking stuffers and a good deal of "just looking".

When we arrived at Walmart we were approx. 100 people back from the front door and by the time those doors opened, hundreds of other brave soles stood behind us. It was 20 something degrees and we were chilly, but the adrenaline rush when it was "go time" was so invigorating!! The running, the grabbing, the crowds, it was so much fun!

I'll admit to a few impulse purchases but like "the fish that got away", you should have seen the GREAT deals!!!

Yeah, I'm totally hooked!!!

Truly Thankful

2008-11-27T23:28:00.004-05:00

I have a happy family that I love and I'm assured every day that they love me. We are healthy and at peace. I have friends that I lean on as much as they lean on me. I live in a community where I volunteer to the best of my ability and never go out without seeing at least one familiar face and the benefit of it pays me back ten fold. I love my life.

I do sometimes have my bad days, but overall I'm happy because the good is always better than the bad. So today, I'm truly thankful that I am happy.

I hope you too are happy and had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Katelyn's 2nd Birthday

2008-11-11T09:54:00.006-05:00

Elmo and frosting...addictions of a two year old!

Katie loves her babies! She wheels them around in strollers and shopping carts (Thanks Grammie and Papa), tucks them into her basinet, feeds them, hugs them, throws them and wakes up calling for them!!

Snuggling with Grammy and Gramps!

Our sweet baby Katelyn is not a baby anymore. It's a mixed emotion for us, since we're happy and relieved to be leaving the all encompassing baby stage, but sad that it was our last baby, last chance to smell that baby smell and dream of what may be...or at least until grandkids!

Halloween 2008

2008-11-02T22:10:00.008-05:00

Halloween was very relaxed this year. Dinner with good friends and just enough trick-or-treating to fill the girl's buckets, but not the dreaded pillow cases they threaten to carry! A Pirate, Dorothy and Bat Girl...walk into a bar... (insert punchline here)
Check out the ruby slippers on this halloween cutie!

This pictures says it all...childhood joy!!

Pumpkin Festival...it's like going home

2008-11-02T21:25:00.007-05:00

This year, we decided to follow the crowds and attend Keene's Pumpkin Festival. For Dan and I, visiting Keene, NH is like going home. It's where we met some 18 (gasp) years ago, fell in love and began our life together. It's where Dan's mom is buried and where some of our fondest memories of adolescence are planted.

For our girls, it's the home of the PUMPKINS...and boy are there a lot of pumpkins...22,586 this year to be exact!

The sheer number of lit jack-o-lanterns is always an amazing sight!

Making our little contribution

Katie enjoyed touching the pumpkins, chasing balloons and warm pumpkin pie!

Lauren enjoyed carving her own pumpkin, face painting and fried dough!

Megan enjoyed the thrill of scoring us a seat in a coveted restaurant amongst the appalling crowds, jumping in the HUGE bounce house and fried onion rings!

Right of Passage

2008-10-20T07:05:00.006-04:00

Without our prompting and with lots of bravery, Lauren declared that she was ready for her ears to be pierced...right up until 30 seconds prior, when she totally freaked out and started calling the whole thing off. Then Daddy let her sit on his lap and Mommy held her hands while they pierced one ear and then the other. Not a tear was shed.

She is totally thrilled, and the icing on the cake is the little "kit" of ear cleaner and cotton balls that she must use 3 times every day.

Yankee Candle Factory

2008-10-20T05:00:00.001-04:00

To anyone who has even been to the Yankee Candle Factory in Deerfield, MA, need I say more? This place is phenominal!! Room, after room, after room of goodies, half of which are not candles or candle related. Santa's workshop (a.k.a. a HUGE toy/candy store), ranks highest on the list for the girls, as did the horse drawn hay ride!

This was taken in the Nutcracker Castle which even had a waterfall!

It snows (soapy suds) in this room every 4 minutes!!

In addition to making your own scented jar candles and dipping fun shaped candles, they had hand dipping for the kids...this was a big hit with Megan and Lauren!!

What a great day!!

Lauren's Turn

2008-10-15T17:21:00.006-04:00

Hot Tub anyone?
Bunny Ears
Lounging in Papa's pool

Lauren and her daddy
Being Chosen to feed and give commands to Dolphins
Lifelong childhood memory
Lauren and her grandparents
Toes in the ocean

Like big sister Megan before her, Lauren was able to get her chance to go on a special father/daughter trip to Florida to visit Papa and Grammie Diane. I've never seen nor heard (for hours, no, days, mind you) her so excited!! I suppose it's just the kind of one on one attention a middle child craves.

Throughout the trip, Dan would text me pictures of all they were doing whether it be swimming, boating, visiting forts, feeding dolphins or arts and crafts with Grammie. Dan said she had the time of her life, but boy did it wipe her out...she slept for what seemed like days upon her return, albeit with a huge smile on her face and the warm glow of sun on her skin.

Thank you Grammie and Papa for the wonderful memories...It's now Katelyn's turn to anxiously await her time for this special trip!

Mystic Seaport

2008-10-15T16:57:00.004-04:00

While Lauren and Dan were on their "special father/daughter trip" to Florida, Grammy and Grampy took the rest of us to Mystic for the day. It was a gorgeous autumn day and we enjoyed it immensely. We started off with lunch at Ten Clams located in Mystic Village, then we drove over to the Seaport to explore the olden days and returned later that afternoon to visit all the shoppes at the village.

Katie's favorite part of the day was feeding the ducks at the village, while Megan's was obviously the horse drawn carriage ride. By the way, the horse's name was Little Joe and we will remember him always, or so I'm told.

Katie, all tuckered out!

Girl Scout Badge Opportunity

2008-10-01T16:22:00.005-04:00

There is nothing like a big ole' Turkey Leg!!

We couldn't pass up such a fun opportunity to earn a girl scout badge! This Rennaisance Faire had it all; knights, mimes, wandering minsterals, peasants, court jesters, and even an evil queen!! The shoppes we're alot of fun to visit too as almost everything sold was being handmade before our eyes. It was a busy fun filled day and the girls had alot of fun interacting with the cast and look what Megan earned just for attending, watching and learning....

Life's Priorities

2008-09-25T23:34:00.004-04:00

She cannot yet speak in full sentences, nor is she potty trained, but have no fear...this 23 month old has mastered the fine art of the tea party!!

Notice the proper etiquette of the raised pinkie

Life...it's all about priorities

First Day Of School 2008

2008-09-02T21:40:00.003-04:00

Megan ~ 4th Grade

Lauren ~ 1st Grade

Kids Say the Darndest Things

2008-09-02T21:38:00.003-04:00

"Dad, why did you dye the grass yellow?"

Now, that oughta make a man feel proud!

Where The Wild Things Are

2008-08-22T18:29:00.002-04:00

Go on, the door is open, you can do it...

Bath time for the elephants is always big on our list of things to watch!

The Red Panda, a new resident at the zoo.

This past weekend we visited the Roger Williams Zoo in Providence, Rhode Island. This zoo is in the midst of huge change with expansion and improvement through out. It is by far the best zoo for putting it's animals first. Sure there are other zoos with rides and shows and animals at every turn, but when you look at the animals, I mean really look at where they live, does the zoo try to give them the as much space and natural habitat that it possibly can? Roger Williams does and that is why we love it. Besides, it's wide open, kid friendly and beautiful, what more could you ask for?

Wildebeest?

Anti Maternal Instinct

2008-08-20T20:08:00.003-04:00

I consider a day at the beach to mean; cool breezes, water shoes on feet, bucket in hand and an eyes on the sand for shells and other sea treasures...Call me crazy, but I like to be sure that when I step into water nothing is going bite me as retribution for disturbing it's home!!!

Because of this, Dan feels it extremely necessary to educate the girls on enjoying the ocean so that my "craziness doesn't rub off"!!!

Cousins

2008-08-20T18:41:00.006-04:00

Megan and Alex

Alex, Aliyah, Lauren and Zach

Katelyn

The night before Diane (Dan's Sister) came to visit with her 3 kids, Dan called to warn her that a ~~monsterous gastric plague~~ small stomach bug had been going around our house, but assured her that it had run it's course.

My oh my were we ~~lying~~ mistaken!! I woke up Saturday morning feeling a bit queasy, but still ok enough to make the trip into Boston for a day at the museum. It was a fun day with lots of discovery...did you know that an automatic toilet flushes itself continuously when a vomiting head hovers over it? Quite a nice feature if you ask me. It's a shame the rest stops along the highway from here to PA didn't have them when Diane and her 3 very sick kids made their way home!!

A few days later, we tried to call Diane and ~~make excuses to avoid blame~~ apologize, but she seemed a little put off. I know, we thought it was weird to.

Mmm, Mmm, Good!

2008-07-31T14:44:00.002-04:00

Katelyn (20 Months Old)

Outdoor Adventures with Grammy

2008-07-31T14:14:00.004-04:00

The single best thing about my parent's house is that it borders an Audubon. Grammy has taken the girls on countless walks through the forested paths to visit frog pond and the wooden foot bridge. A few months ago, Grammy even bought them backpacks and water bottles to go along with their walking sticks, in order to "authenticate" the hikes!

Now that the girls are old enough, Grammy enrolled them in some weekend activities the Audubon was hosting. The most recent was this canoe trip. It was a bit lengthy for the girls (2+ hours of sitting still!) but they really enjoyed it!

The funny thing is when I've asked them what they remember most about the day, they mostly tell about the group in the canoe that tipped over, but sometimes it's all about the ice cream that followed!!!

Nature Lovers

2008-07-31T10:24:00.011-04:00

Last spring I received a GPS for my birthday and for fun I would take the girls on car rides allowing them to tell me where to turn, with the ultimate goal of "getting lost", which is oh so exciting to them.

It was on one of these trips that involved turning right at the horse barn and two long and windy dirt roads, that we discovered the Connecticut Audubon's Bafflin Sanctuary...acres and acres of fields speckled with bird houses and lush wildflowers and upon further discovery, carved with walking trails!!!

Since then, we've spent many a day here running along the paths wondering what lay around the next corner and still haven't walked even a 1/4 of the way around!!

Such beauty right around the corner, who knew?

The Tooth Fairy's Biggest Fan

2008-07-30T14:40:00.002-04:00

Lauren (age 5 1/2)

Summer Camp

2008-07-30T11:37:00.005-04:00

If there was ever a year that you can mark as the year a child grew up, this would be the one for Megan. So many discoveries, understandings and firsts. Like her first time at Summer (overnight) camp!

She and one of her best friends, Lexi, spent 3 nights at the Girl Scout Camp, Green Eyrie in MA. It was a short stay meant as an introductory, and they had a really great time! They spent most of their time on the lake swimming and boating, but also enjoying themed meals and campfire songs.

Highlights:

Sleeping (for lack of a better term since no real sleep actually occurred) in a tent with 4 other girls and no adults!

The shock of what an outhouse really looks and smells like!

That there could actually be THAT many mosquitoes in one place at one time!

The "shipwreck" dinner that was to be eaten using only Kitchen utensils (Megan received a spoon the size of her face and Lexi got a whisk and they report their friend got a rolling pin!)

Best of all was the realization that there is an entire world beyond your door that is just waiting to be explored!!

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-30T10:59:00.003-04:00

Years ago, Dan and I stumbled upon a local town's Jamboree celebration and have made it part of our traditions for the 4th. This year, we went our great friends, the Wheeler and van der Swaagh families. It's very country and quaint, but chucked full; good (and bad) local bands/singers, men on stilts, chicken bbq, clowns doing face painting and balloon animals, kids games, hayrides and sno cones!! The best part is the afternoon parade that the girls loved...we decorated our bikes and rode along after the fire trucks. Very cool!

The previous night we laid out blankets, played games, ate snacks and got the light sticks ready all in anticipation of our town's fireworks display. It was a great show and everyone had a great time.

Later, when I was scrapbooking the day, it really occurred to me just how great this holiday was. Unlike many holidays in the past, it was stress free, immensly enjoyable and spent with great friends. You can't ask for more than that.

Girl Scout Camporee 2008

2008-07-30T09:23:00.006-04:00

(Trash Can Turkey - YUMMY!)

Tents, cooking outdoors and sanitizing dishes, hiking, fire building and swimming in the lake...this was the ultimate conclusion to three years of Brownies.

It was a ton of work planning, shopping, packing, setting up, cooking, organizing, cleaning, taking down, packing up, unpacking at home and putting away. However, with my co-leader and the help of a few great parents, we made it through, learned a lot and provided the girls with many memories.

(Note to self: in the future, leave the stress behind and try to enjoy the mayhem!)

Once Upon A Mattress

2008-06-29T21:56:00.009-04:00

In the Spring, Megan and Lauren both attended an acting class offered by the local Community Theater. Ever since, the acting bug has captured the heart of our family. Megan received her first role in the Theater's production of Once Upon A Mattress (a take on Princess and the Pea). It was a long and exhausting schedule, but the memories were well worth it.

Here is an amateur video of one of the acts, taken during the dress rehearsal: (Watch for Megan in a turquiose dress standing right next to the prince at the end of the clip)

Katelyn

2008-06-29T21:49:00.003-04:00

Here a few glimpses of 19 month old Katelyn enjoying the summer warmth.

Megan earns her wings

2008-06-29T21:25:00.007-04:00

It's hard to imagine how little Megan was 4 years ago when she entered the world of scouting as a Daisy and me as her leader. Now she's entering 4th grade, last year before junior high (sob), and she has earned her wings to "fly up" to the Junior level of scouting where my role as the leader steps back and lets the girls start to work on their own badges.

I'll give you one guess which badge she chose to work on first...

Our Town's Big Birthday Bash

2008-06-29T21:13:00.005-04:00

Our town just celebrated it's birthday with a great parade, fun carnival and a huge edition to the playground at our favorite park!! Add that to the fact that we have a new mall being built a few miles down the road from us and you've got one very happy family!!

Memorial Day Parade

2008-06-29T20:58:00.003-04:00

This was a big year for my 3rd grade brownie troop, they worked all year long on completing the last of their badges, working on earning their wings to "fly up" to the next level of scouting and preparing for their first camping trip!

It was nice to have a chance for the girls to show themselves off a little in the parade.

The Highlight of Kindergarten

2008-06-29T20:39:00.005-04:00

The marriage of Mr. Q and Ms. U is the highlight of Kindergarten at our elementary school!! Each year they renew their vows in a ceremony elequently spoken by a superintendent who specializes in words that begin with the "QU" sound..."they never quarell, quibble or quit"!

Lauren was quite proud of the fact that she scored the coveted role of Flower Girl!!

The Flower girl and ring bearer make their debut

Did I mention that Mr. Q and Ms. U are penguins?
(Note the Hula Hoop ring)

And the Bride cuts the cake!

Father/Daughter Dance 2008

2008-06-29T19:53:00.011-04:00

Megan, Abby and Lauren

Grampy and Daddy doing the chicken dance?? Can you say...Embarassing!!

Sometimes the highly stressful, time sucking job of being PTO President for my daughter's school actually allows me and other dedicated parents to host an event that makes me remember why it's all worth while.

Our bi-annual Father/Daughter Dance is such a big success!! Little girls dressed in pretty prom-like dresses with their hair and nails done "just so". They arrive, get their photograph's taken and begin to mingle with their friends. Flash forward an hour and you'll find the DJ has gained super stardom popularity and the gym is crowded with dads, grandfathers and uncles who stand around the perimeter with their hands in their pockets looking awfully uncomfortable and totally ignored...until a rare slow song makes it way into the rotation!!!

Truly memorable.

Practice, Practice, Practice

2008-06-29T19:36:00.004-04:00

Don't think a little thing like a New England winter can make Megan lose her love of Horses!!

The barn is quickly becoming our weekend destination of choice again, as the horse show season gets into full swing...stay tuned!

Locks of Love

2008-04-27T11:12:00.003-04:00

Well, I finally did it! It was a promise I made to one of my girl scouts, Jennifer White, who at the ripe old age of nine, has already done it multiple times.

I cut off my hair and donated it to Locks of Love, an organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.

To get the required 10.5 inches, I had to go shorter than I wanted, but it was exhilarating and the reflection in the mirror is surreal. Not since childhood have I had my hair this short! How easy it is to take a shower and comb right through your hair without a half hour struggle!!

I'm still on the fence as to whether I really like my hair this short, but I am definitely liking the way it makes me feel when I think that I've made someones day a little brighter.

A Quick Get Away

2008-04-26T20:58:00.011-04:00

In celebration of mommy's 34th birthday and for a school year nearly completed, we decided to surprise the kids with a quick get away to CoCo Key Water Resort in Boston, MA. On Monday April 7th we woke girl's up to get ready for school. I said to them, "Wouldn't it be nice if we could go on vacation today instead of school?" At first they thought I was just dreaming, but they quickly caught on and that is when the screams of excitement began!!!

We spent just two nights, but it was just enough to feel like a vacation and to break up the monotony of this time of year.

Easter

2008-04-26T19:43:00.010-04:00

We celebrated this chilly early Easter by having an egg hunt in the yard with our great friends. We have 7 girls under the age of 9 between us and getting together is always an adventure and can often lead to parental exhaustion as was the case of Alexandra and Gabrielle's dad, Kevin...

Most popular eggs? Those filled with money, of course!!! Followed by the ever popular chocolate filled.

Most un-popular eggs? Those found and pillaged by a girl and thrown aside in the mad dash for those filled with money!!

The next morning we woke up to find that the Easter bunny had visited us and had left these wonderful baskets of goodies!!

A Day in the Life of a Pre-Teen Girl

2008-03-02T10:21:00.004-05:00

The best sleep-over ever!!

Starring:

Lexi Wheeler (9) - loves softball and girl scouts

Abby van der Swaagh (8) - loves dance

Megan Hyatt (8) - loves horses and friends

Lauren Hyatt (5) - loves being part of it all

A First for Lauren

2008-02-08T20:01:00.001-05:00

On Thursday, February 7th, 2008 Lauren lost her first tooth!! It had only been loose for a few days and we were all very excited for her. Mommy even went to the store and bought her a toothfairy pillow so we would be ready.

The special moment happened in Kindergarten on Thursday and her teacher helped her put it in a ziploc to keep it safe on the bus ride home.

Later that night, the toothfairy magically came to Lauren's room and took Lauren's special tooth for her collection and left behind 5 golden $1 coins (one for each year she is old), lots of fairy dust and a beautiful strand of butterflies and crystals (because it was her first)!

It's the little things in life that make childhood so magical.

A Family Gathering

2008-01-27T12:24:00.002-05:00

During Christmas break, we drove down to Pennsylvania for a rare gathering of Dan's family...Dan's parents (from Florida), Dan's sister, husband and 3 children (from Pennsylvania) and Dan's brother, wife and 2 kids (from Idaho).

One would think that spending a week in a house with 16 people (8 of which are under the age of 9) would eventually lead to insanity, but it was suprisingly mellow and very enjoyable. The "cousins" had a great time playing and acted as if no time had ever passed since they'd last seen each other. Even the adults were able to relax a bit, although admittedly a lot of time was spent in the kitchen working on the never ending chore of feeding 16 people. It was a running joke for us to watch a platter of cookies or snacks be put down on the table and disappear within minutes!

Thank you to Diane and Brian for hosting and thank you to everyone for the very special memories.

Christmas 2007

2008-01-27T11:47:00.002-05:00

As is our tradition, my parents come over on Christmas Eve night. We prepar and enjoy tons of different appetizers and snacks, we watch a Christmas Movie (this year was Santa Clause 3) and allow the kids to give out the gifts that they bought for everyone.

If there was ever a Christmas that had a theme, this was it...horses, horses, horses!! If they made a toy in the shape of a horse, we now own it, along with assorted versions of horse pj's, shirts, socks, hats, sweatshirts, blankets, pillows, sheets and art!! Katie on the other hand was quite happy to sit in her new little red chair from the Pottery Barn and watch everyone else open their presents.

The best gift of all turned out to be the one we swapped with Dan's sister and her family..the Nintendo WII! It's amazing how much fun this little machine can be, not only for our family, but for whomever we have over. On any given night in our house you might find us in the living room practicing to become professional bowlers, tennis players, Barbie Island Pricesses, High School Musical singers or famous Rattatouille Chefs!!

Christmas in NY City

2008-01-10T08:30:00.002-05:00

Dan and Katelyn in the hotel hot tub

The Ferris Wheel Inside of Toys R Us in Times Square

Full Size, Roaring T-Rex at Toys R Us

Rockefeller Center

American Girl Doll Store

Window display at Saks 5th Avenue

(Click on the pictures to enlarge)

This year, in lieu of birthday parties for the girls, we decided to take them on a trip to see NY city. Because both Megan and Lauren were born in December, we thought that seeing the city at Christmas would be magical, and it was...for them.

From their persepctive the city is full of trains that go really fast, shops full of stuff to be bought, loud, crazy and oh so fun!! We took them to 5th Avenue to visit the American Girl Doll Store. This place is 4 floors of everything a girl could want! Hair salons and makeup for you and your doll and unlimited amounts of clothes and toys. When we had finished our shopping we stepped outside to find it lightly snowing. We walked a block or two and found Rockefeller Center and the magnificent tree. We passed by Saks and their gorgeous window displays and even stopped into St. Patrick's Cathedral to gaze at the beautiful ceiling and to light a candle or ten!

We were staying on Long Island at the Hyatt Regency, which was near my Aunt Frances and Uncle Dan. The girls thought it was very cool staying at a hotel with our name on it!!

The next day brought us (and about a million others) to Times Square. As you can see from some of the pictures I posted, Toys R Us is huge enough to house a full size ferris wheel, T-Rex and a 2 story Babrie house!!

Overall, the girls had a blast. They were blissfully ignorant of the difficulty of dragging a sleeping baby in a stroller up and down narrow stairs in the street to go from one filthy subway station to another. It didn't phaze them in the slightest when a mediocre dinner at TGI Fridays on 5th avenue cost about $140.00, which is about 3X as much as it would have cost at home. They weren't burdened with the fear of one of them getting lost in the throngs of people that surrounded us everywhere we went. And they were quite certain that everyone who lined the street with a cup and a sign asking for money REALLY needed it and it was our duty to help each of them!

If anything, by the end of the weekend we all realized that the grass in the city is not greener and that were pretty happy to be headed home.

Thank you to Fran and Dan for hosting us and a special thanks to Jonathan who made us laugh and laugh!! We love you!!

Dan's summary: "NYC makes Disney seem empty and cheap!"

Happy Holidays

2007-11-28T07:37:00.002-05:00

We hope you all have a wonderful holiday season that is filled with magic & wonder, peace & joy and love & happiness.

Love Dan, Jenn, Megan, Lauren and Katelyn

Katie's 1st Birthday

2007-11-18T08:49:00.001-05:00

Katie's 1st birthday was a ton of fun. We invited all of our close friends and their kids. Dan was in charge of games to entertain the 7 older girls...Pumpkin rolling relay, makeup hidden in the haystack, birdseed relay, $$ in the leaf pile, Indian corn toss and the great pumpkin smash as the finally. They all had a great time!!

Katie received a very special blankie embroidered with her name, many beautiful outfits, some great books and a ton of fun toys... she is a very lucky girl. Thank you all very much.

At the end of the day, Dan and I both commented on how this was the quickest, yet best, year of our life. Our family is healthy, happy and complete. It's a peaceful place to be.

Autumn in New England

2007-10-24T06:49:00.001-04:00

I know that most of you live here or at least used to, but sometimes we forget or don't notice just how beautiful it is.

This past weekend was so sunny and unseasonably warm, that is just seemed to make the leaves all the brighter. I was taking the back road drive to the Tack Shop (a.k.a. horse riding supply store) to get some things for Megan for Christmas, and it just struck me how beautiful the trees were. It was one of those times when I realized how much I love it here.

There is no substitute for the real thing. It's almost magical how it fills you with anticipation of things to come...Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas...football, warm stew and cool nights.

It truly is my favorite time of year!

For the Love of a Horse (Part 2)

2007-10-24T06:30:00.001-04:00

Megan's second and final horse show of the season was at Woodstock Acres on Sunday October 21st. She had spent the last few weeks practicing with her instructor and frankly obsessing about this show. I was nervous for her because I knew she had been trying really hard and would be heartbroken without a ribbon, but we had spent a lot of time discussing this possibility and how it was about being there, not the winning...

It turns out my worries were for not. She ribboned 3rd in her first two classes and won the Blue Ribbon and Trophy for the last!!! I don't think she knew what was happening, because she was all controlled and quiet while I was jumping and hugging her instructor!!

Later it was announced that she was tied for Division Champion and would need to have a "Trot Off" to see who the Grand Champion was. This made her more nervous than any of her classes and as soon as it began it was over. In her nervousness, she had lost everything she had practiced over the past few weeks and was again off on her diagonals. However, she took it like a champ and was actually happy for the other girl who won.

As I sit here writing this, I wonder if it's ok to be a little jealous of your own child? Dan's uncle John once joked, "When I die, I want to come back as one of my kids!" I don't think there could be a better saying for this experience.

For the Fun of It!

2007-10-24T06:14:00.003-04:00

Last spring we decided to enroll Lauren in soccer. It was fun to watch 12 little 4 and 5 year olds run around without a clue what to do, but it quickly became apparent that the coach needed some help keeping them all together. Most of the moms and dads just sat and watched, but Dan got up and helped. Little did he know that he would soon be named Assistant Coach and would find himself at each and every game and practice!!

What is even more funny is that Katie goes along for the ride too! She absolutely loves being in the backpack watching all of the excitement...He really is a great dad!!