weekend | The Angel Forever

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Boating and beach fun with family

Posted on July 15, 2008 9:14 pm by TheAngelForever

My aunt and uncle own a house that is on a beautiful lake not far from where we live. Last year with the birth of JSL we were not able to go up there and on the boat. Aunt S decided that she wanted to make some special memories for our boys and invited us for an afternoon/evening of fun Saturday. The four of us and my parents went to meet my aunt, uncle and grandmother at the house.

We slathered ourselves with sun lotion before heading up and JL and NHL had their swim suits on just in case they wanted to go in the water while on the boat. Everyone made their way to the boat, a gorgeous pontoon boat that can have up to eleven passengers. The sun was out and the weather was perfect. It was hot, but not too humid. The boys immediately put on their life jackets before we went out and everyone took a seat in order to get out of the dock.

JSL was not too sure about things. He seemed to like the boat, but was very quiet after we put the life jacket on him. The poor little guy was lost in it and likely very warm from the extra heavy layer, but it was not an option.

After going around for a little while and trying to find a spot for JL and NHL to go into the water we were traveling around again. NHL was even able to go on Uncle M’s lap and drive the boat. He literally was steering the boat and controling the speed. . . more than we had originally thought. NHL loved this and was so thrilled that Uncle M allowed him to try again later on.

Did you know that being captain of the boat makes you hungry? It seemed to do that for NHL as you will see.

We all noticed that JSL was curious about what NHL had done. Uncle M was really nice and allowed JSL to sit on his lap and skipper the boat. Much to our surprise he quickly grabbed the wheel and knew just how to move it on his own. He was so happy he finally started to smile. Uncle M definitely made his day!

To cool off we stopped the boat so NHL could dip his feet and splash in the water at the front of the boat. He had an absolute blast. It was hard to pull him away and move the boat, but we told him we were going to the beach soon.

Here are some random photos from the relaxing and fun outing on the boat.

Of course the trip down memory lane would not be complete without mentioning what we found on the lake. When we were going fast we spotted something and went back to see it. JL thought it really looked like a turtle shell with a fin up. Well, he was dead wrong . . . . pun intended. This was the lovely view that had a smell to go along with it.

Once we docked the boat and closed it back up we went to the nice little beach that is part of the community. It is hard to believe, but this was NHL’s first time in the sand and building sand castles. He had a blast and did not want to stop. We were all quite shocked that he loved the water and went in without complaints.

JSL enjoyed relaxing in the shade for a while with Mimi, looking around the beach with papa and hanging out with me (those are my legs). He was not interested in the sand this time around. Next time we may allow him to explore a little more.

Finally both boys went into the water and had a blast playing with their daddy. None of them wanted to leave, but eventually we had to call it a day and head back to have dinner.

A huge thank you to Aunt S and Uncle M for such a wonderful time on Saturday. NHL continues to tell everyone about his fun in the sun and I know JSL enjoys splashing and swimming even more. Both of you are the best and we love you lots.

Categories:
family fun jl jsl nhl photos road trip weekend

Lions, and Tigers and Bears . . . Oh My!

Posted on July 13, 2008 5:49 pm by TheAngelForever

On the 4th of July we were visiting my brother, sister-in-law and niece for the long weekend. Uncle I had to work in the morning, so we decided to head to the zoo later in the day when he was done. We had a quick lunch at Moe’s and then went to the zoo.

When we arrived nearby the zoo and parked, NHL decided to lead the way. He has been to this zoo two other times (just a year ago when we went to Aunt M’s baby shower), so he knew the way. The stroller brigade followed with Cousin S sleeping for the start of her first time to the zoo. JSL was awake and curious about all of the fuss.

NHL was on a mission. He wanted to see the lions and tigers. He was a little upset that we missed the last giraffe feeding, but was fine with just going to view them. We made our way all around the zoo and saw a lot of animals. Here is a sampling of the photos that were taken by JL.

It was a very warm day, so many of the animals were resting in the shade, hanging out in their watering holes, or hiding completely out of view by this point in the afternoon. We did have an "interesting" educational moment. The bear area is a crowd favorite. First there were the grizzly bears that were lounging. They could have cared less that we were there watching them. Next the polar bear was pacing. He/she definitely seemed to be sizing up lunch on the other side of the barrier. I have to say it was a little unnerving. Then we saw the Spectacled Bear. This bear was smaller than the rest and was quite active. The spectacled bear put on quite a show of nature. He came over to the edge of the enclosure and proceded to empty his bladder and then do the rest of his business. No, no pictures of that. However, here is a picture when he was done and NHL’s priceless reaction to the event.

At the end of the visit JL asked NHL what his favorite animal was. Without missing a beat he quickly replied it was the spectacled bear. When asked why he immediately replied "Because he peed!" Yes, he is a boy of almost 5 you know so not a shocking response.

Eventually Cousin S woke up to see some of the animals. I believe she may have enjoyed her first bomb pop at the zoo more than the actual zoo itself. Of course it is always fun watching my little brother as a daddy. My question to you, who looks better in the pink hat?

NHL also enjoyed going on the merry-go-round and the zoo’s playground. I have to say the playground is rather impressive. They did an amazing job making it follow a zoo theme.

Fun on the zoo playground

Just before JSL fell asleep from the heat and lack of napping all day, I asked to have a picture of both of the boys. Of course try to get them to look at the camera. Nope, that did not happen. Instead each looked in a completely different direction!

Just before the zoo closed at 5:00 JSL was sleeping and everyone else went to look at the sea lions underwater. JL captured my little niece with her daddy watching them. Too cute!

A fun trip to the zoo. The only part missing was the elephants because their home was being redone and will not be open until August.

Categories:
animals family holidays interesting jsl kid talk laughs nhl photos road trip weekend

Mission Impossible – the photo shoots

Posted on July 12, 2008 7:28 am by TheAngelForever

Last week before we left to visit my brother and his family my mother gave us a mission.

Cue the Mission Impossible Music please. . .

"Your mission, should you decide to accept it is to capture a photograph of our three grandchildren together. Do not attempt to return home unless you accomplish this task!"

No recorder self destructed in five seconds, but our attempts to get photos of the three kids last weekend quickly did.

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Attempt #1 – Friday morning while all of the kids were still in their pajamas and playing nicely. The resulting photos may be seen here:

Please note no children were hurt in any of the photo taking events shown.

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Attempt #2 – Friday afternoon before heading out to the zoo. The natives quickly got quite restless. A certain one year old dear too me was not cooperative, to say the least.

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Attempt #3 – Saturday early afternoon before heading out to lunch and cherry picking. The kids were all in a good mood so we thought it would be the perfect time. Unfortunately, they had other plans.

The results from this photo shoot were the best in that the kids were quite cute with one another. Unfortunately, there is no photo with all faces visible.

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Attempt #4 – Saturday evening post tub (another "interesting" experience for another day) we gathered the kids in the room NHL was sleeping in for one last attempt at a group grandchild/cousin photo.

So there you have it, another no-go on the photo for Nana and Papa. The problem this time around was the little kids, JSL and Cousin S were just too busy and wanted to be on the move and play all the time.

We technically did accomplish our mission though. We have lots of photos of the three kids together, so we did travel back home. A few of the ones above are ok and should satisfy the mission – whew!

Categories:
family photos road trip sarcasm weekend

Heigh-ho the cherry-o . . . a picking we will go

Posted on July 10, 2008 6:00 am by TheAngelForever

When I think of summer I automatically picture the fruits of the season. Watermelon, peaches, plums, nectarines and cherries to name a few. Talk about tasty healthy snacking. When the weather is so warm and nothing sounds good, fruit is always perfect and hits the spot.

My favorite fruit by far is the cherry. I love cherries! I have fond memories from my childhood of buying bags of cherries from the store to gobble up. One fun recollection is from a summer that my two cousins came to spend time here from the west coast. Cousin M and I went to the store with my mother and we stood there for a LONG time picking out the perfect cherries. We filled up an entire bag with probably 4-5 pounds or possibly more. When we went to our house we stood outside with my father and had a cherry pit spitting contest. I do not recall who won, but I know we had fun eating and spending time together as a family.

It is only fitting that this past weekend while visiting my brother, sister-in-law and niece that we made some cherry memories for our children (I wish Cousin M had been there). We heard that there was a cherry picking place not too far from their house that had dwarf cherry trees. Those would be perfect for all of us to pick from.

We all got into my car and wandered out into territory that nobody had been to before. After a while we finally arrived to cherry land. From the parking lot you could see the amazing trees ready to be picked. Our mouths were watering from the view. We had hardly had cherries this year thanks to the ridiculous price ($4.99 a pound and up for the bing variety). We slathered everyone with sun lotion and went to get buckets for collecting our fruit.

Then we were off to find the fields with the sweet cherries. Quickly we were walking in a cherry wonderland.

It was absolutely amazing. There were cherries everywhere. Hundreds of trees chock full of cherries ready for us to pick. We set up a place and I stayed with JSL and Cousin S. Aunt M, Uncle I, JL and NHL set off to fill our buckets.

The two little ones were quite content sitting back and watching everyone. At one point S wanted to hold JSL’s hand. He was sweet and played with his little cousin. This was also where they taste tested some of their first cherries. JSL was quite partial to the white cherries that tasted much like peaches inside.

NHL was really good and asked if he could try a cherry from one of the trees. We told him it was fine. He was too cute selecting just the right one, and then finding the perfect place to taste test.

After a short time both buckets were approximately half filled with both cherry varieties. We had no real clue how many pounds we had, so we figured it was best to stop at that point and check in. We got all of our things together and went to the line to check out, weigh in and pay. As you can see cherry picking made NHL quite thirsty!

And for your viewing pleasure, I present you with our gorgeous cherries. All 22.4 pounds of the juicy summer goodness!

Those buckets are very deceptive in the amount they can hold. We were quite impressed with our haul and went back to the house to eat more cherries before giving the kids tubs and ordering our dinner.

What will our next picking adventure be? Perhaps veggies next time! Do you have any memories of summer time fruit or veggie picking fun? If you do please share.

Categories:
family fun jl jsl looking back nhl photos road trip travel weekend yummy

Packing adventures for a family of 4

Posted on July 3, 2008 8:41 am by TheAngelForever

Do you like to pack? Stop laughing at me! I was being serious and asking a legitimate question.

Later today we are heading to visit my brother, sister-in-law and sweet little niece for a long weekend. We have a four hour trip ahead of us. Please insert the *groans* here! To be honest I am not sure what worries me more with the upcoming trip – (1) Packing for our family of four, or (2) The trip on a holiday weekend with a 4 and 1 year old in the car.

Last night after I was done packing up all of our clothing in one small suitcase I sat down by my computer to make a list of all of the other sh "stuff" that we will need. I was multitasking at the same time. It was the perfect time to reply to comments on my blog via e-mail. Candi at ~~All Day Night~~ mentioned in a quick e-mail (followed by instant messaging) back that packing before kids was bad enough, but with them she feels like she is moving. AMEN!!!

We are lucky with this trip that the arrival of my niece means we do not need to haul some of the otherwise essential items for a baby, you know like toys and a pack n’ play. Still we have plenty of other items to remember. I am also lucky that we can pack up without worrying about FAA regulations since this is a road trip.

Here is my list:

Snacks for the car ride – must feed the natives or they are more likely to get restless on the adventure.
Toys/books for the car – another sanity saver
MP3 player – filled with music for the adults and kids.
Wii Fit/Game/CD card – crucial or my brother and sister-in-law will not allow us in their house!
Sun lotion – must have in case we spend time outside, especially if we go to the zoo.
Cameras/batteries – we must capture a photo of the three grandchildren for my parents., otherwise we are not allowed to come home according to my mother.
Medicine – need all of our allergy meds and fluoride pills. Other items also being taken along for the ride since someone ALWAYS gets sick when we go to see Uncle I and Aunt M.
Cooler – although we may not need this it is good to have in case we want to haul anything back from Wegmans.
Kid essentials – this includes diapers, wipes, butt cream, sippy cups, binkies, toothbrush/paste, buddies/blankets.
Phone charger – the cell phones never hold their charge well, so we must be prepared.
Razors – hubby needs to control his face and me the legs.
Makeup – can you believe I actually forgot this once and have to actually write it down?
Pillows – we all sleep a lot better if we have our own pillows and they are easy enough to take with us.
Knitting – need to continue to work on my projects in the car if I am the passenger.

This is most if not all of the list as it stands now. The only other items are reminders to take our garbage out and vacuum before leaving. The booster seat and stroller are already in my car. Are you tired yet? I know I am ready for a nap (some of which has to do with a certain little teething monster being up a chunk of the night in our bed). Too bad I need to run some errands today before we hit the road.