Photos from NY

You can see some here:

11.7.2010 NY

Spring Break 2010 = Youngers Gone Wild!

I know I have other updates to post (birthday, new car, etc) but right now - it's SPRING BREAK!!  

We started the trip by driving up to the Finger Lakes (NY) to visit Grandpa J.  We rented a little cabin in Lodi for about the same price as a decent hotel in the area but with more room and a wonderful porch. Much more comfortable!  We've gotten to know the owners of the cabins. They actually purchased the land for the cabins from Jim when he sold the old farm house and land.  They have donated weekends for the CF Wine Opener and Donna, I and some girlfriends have stayed at the cabins during a girls' weekend.

On Sunday we drove around the Ithaca area to see waterfalls.  They were beautiful!  Grandpa J was our guide. He didn't walk the trails much but still hung in there with us all day.  It was the first time that we've spent a weekend in the Finger Lakes and did NOT visit any vineyards!

Grandpa J has had 3 rounds of chemo and it's sapped his energy, he's lost his hair and a lot of weight. The kids (Ella and Si, especially Si) had questions about where his hair went. It didn't take long though for them to adjust and it was business as usual.

One of our first stops was Taughannock Falls - one of the highest falls east of the Mississippi at 215 feet. 

It's never easy to catch all of us with a smile and open eyes!

It was a lot of fun to walk right down beside the falls. A little nerve wracking with Silas running off and all around!

After Taughannock Falls, we went to Treman State park. www.nyfalls.com has a lot of great pictures and information of all the waterfalls in the area.
 

 Ella got misted as we walked the trails closer to the falls.

I can't remember the name of this one but it was one of my better pictures that I took.

The rug rats posing for a picture.

It was a great and tiring day.  The kids slept like the dead that night and on Monday we made the drive to Nags Head. They were zombies most of the 12 hour trip!

The week so far at the beach has been wonderful. A MUCH needed break away. More updates and pictures from Nags Head to come sometime soon!

Updates to Look Forward to...

Ella's birthday party and the fab orange cake

(Imagine the Price is Right voice):  A NEW Car!!

Spring Break 2010 is taking us to NY and NC.  Loads of fun!

Pictures are slow to upload while in NY with the aircard so photos will have to wait.

In the meantime, an Ella funny:

I'm talking to Ella after a long day of travel, whining and fuss butts...

Me:  No, you cannot have (whatever it was)...you and Si have not been on your best behavior

Ella:  hmm, I don't think I have a best behavior.

Okay, so I did upload one cell phone pic - Ella and Rosie at Grandpa J's. Ella totally loves this cow. My, what big cow nostrils you have!

 More updates as wireless internet access allows...TO BE CONTINUED...

Happy (belated) Anniversary to Us

Friday (October 23rd) was our wedding anniversary - we spent the morning driving to the Finger Lakes to visit Grandpa J and to celebrate our 10 years of wedded bliss by going to some vineyards.


We left at 4:30am so that we would have plenty of time to enjoy the day there on Friday. The weather was beautiful (after a bit of rain on Saturday morning). The kids didn't sleep much on the drive but were pretty good. We rolled in by noon and stopped at a vineyard to celebrate our arrival.

We always make sure to watch closely for Hector Falls once we get into the area.

There is something about this beautiful area that I find very peaceful and relaxing (something besides just the wine)...I made my first trip to the Finger Lakes 16 years ago this month (and if you know that Mason will be 15 in July and can do a little math...November, December, January, February, March, April, May, June, JULY!) and it has felt like a 2nd home since.

The scenery makes a perfect place for major picture taking. It was somewhat difficult to juggle both the camera AND the glass of wine.

I love this family picture!

Grandpa J was kind enough to put us up for the weekend (along with Donna and Lee), Amanda took the kids to the movies while Justin, me, Donna and Lee were escorted to the wineries by Grandpa J.

It was a perfectly perfect weekend and way to spend our anniversary - great family, great friends, great wine and incredibly beautiful views.

Happy anniversary to us!

(slide show of all the pictures)

Tortoise video and drive home

This is one video of the tortoises being fed - still amazes me to be around all the turtles/tortoises!




We drove from 11:30am until 9pm. Very tired of fast food, we stopped and bought bread, peanut butter and jelly and made sandwiches at the next rest area.

7 hours into the trip...Silas FINALLY falls asleep!!

With his sis holding his hand

NY Day 4 - Youngers Galore!

We had a fun filled day of Youngers, nothing but Youngers. We started the day off with a nice swim in the hotel pool after breakfast (of course we waited an hour after eating!)



Then headed to Mountainville (where Grandpa Jim grew up) to visit Uncle Jeff, Aunt Wendy and cousin Kirstie.

This is Lil'Will and Si at Jeff and Wendy's - everyone says how much they look alike!

Then dinner at the Japanese restaurant - so fun!

And then back to Uncle Bill's to see more turtles and tortoises

and to celebrate Aunt Abby's and Uncle Jeff's birthdays



And we ended the evening with a big group picture!

Wow, how awesome that we had all of us in the same place (but we missed our AZ Youngers!!).

Sunday - we are on the road back to OH-IO -
Happy Mother's Day to all!!