A Scenic Autumn Road Trip

Today we decided to go on a road trip south to see the fall foliage and some towns that had never been through before. It was cloudy and rainy but I still managed to capture some of the beauty of our new home! We headed down south toward Boston, NY and touched on the NW edge of the Allegheny Plateau. The towns down there were so picturesque!

Catching up With Lots of Pictures!

Somehow 2 weeks has passed since I blogged and a LOT has happened in that time! We are all keeping busy and enjoying the beautiful autumn weather here. I'll try to touch on all of the outings we've had and show you some pictures of our fun.

 

One of the last "nice" days we had I took the boys to a local park for them to run around in the sunshine.

 

On a weekend day that was windy I left Jacob at home with Nick and I took Bradley back to the park to break in a new kite! After a few minutes and a little help, we got it all the way extended and watched it fly high.

 On a sunny Sunday my new friend Stephanie came with Bradley and I to a pumpkin farm in Clarence, NY. It was so much fun! We went on a hayride to the pumpkin patch where we each picked out our own pumpkin, then Brad got to go on a pony ride. There was a petting zoo, and afterwards we all got fresh cider and donuts to snack on.

Last Sunday Stephanie invited Bradley and I to her friend's fall party in Lake View, NY on the shores of Lake Erie. Brad got to wear his costume for the first time (a lion!) and we all took our pumpkins to carve them. We all had a great time and the weather was perfect for an outdoor party. Besides a pumpkin carving station, there was also a bonfire with smores, Halloween music, a huge bounce house, and tons of delicious food! So much fun!

After that party we came back home and got settled, then for dinner Stephanie came to our house to babysit! Nick and I were granted a rare treat of a date night out on the town!! First we went to a delicious Italian dinner in Little Italy at Como's Restaurant in Niagara Falls. Then we headed south to Buffalo for an 80s horror movie at a classic 1920s theater! It was so beautiful there, and we are constantly amazed by the beauty, culture, and history in our new home.

After a few months of having a super wiggly front tooth and LOTS of battles to let us pull it....Brad finally lost one of his upper teeth! It came out shortly after dinner and he cried lots because he thought it would hurt....alas it did not! The tooth fairy came that night and all is well.

The weather is starting to get chilly here in Western NY, but that doesn't stop me from getting some fresh air and enjoying the sunshine when it peaks through! Yesterday the high was about 40 degrees outside so I dug the winter coats out of the closet and took Jacob on a long walk thru the neighborhood. It was fun and surprisingly he did not pull his mittens off!

We are all very excited about Halloween on Monday, and anxiously awaiting our first snowfall in NY! November will be here soon and we are loving life!

1 1/2 Years Young

Height: 33.5"

Weight: 25lb 5oz

At 1 1/2 years old you:

• Go to bed at 7p and wake up between 7:30-8am
• Take 2 one-two hour naps each day
• Put yourself to sleep very well
• Squawk to get up as soon as you wake up!
• Love to play with brother
• Need a lot of attention
• Throw things when you get frustrated
• Always try to feed yourself
• Just got your 4 canine teeth in the last month
• Wear size 18m clothes and size 6 shoe
• Do not like to wear socks or shoes
• Do not like to sit still or cuddle
• Can say many words, including "bite, cracker, momma, daddy, kitty, cold, hot, bubba"
• Still have fine dark blonde hair and just got another hair cut
• Like to eat most things, and will throw it on the floor if you don't!

He is a funny little boy that keeps us busy! He is full of smiles but quick to throw a tantrum if he doesn't get his way. He likes to run around at the park and try to keep up with big brother.

 

Taking a Walk

I try to take a walk every day. Sometimes in the afternoon, sometimes in the evening. Usually with one child or both depending on who's home and who's napping. But every time I walk slowly.

I walk to inhale the scent of a nearby bakery churning out sweets. I walk to listen to the quietness of nature. I walk to observe all of the other people who have made this neighborhood their home. I walk to appreciate the beauty of the fruit trees, the lush green grass, the kept-up flower beds, the different characteristics of each house. I walk to teach Jacob new words as he points to the cars, grass, sticks, and squirrels. I walk to let him chew on the fallen sticks and drag them on the ground so he can feel it scratch the concrete. I walk to let Bradley ride his bike way ahead of me and learn his way home. I walk to wave hello to people in their yard or driveway.

I walk to ABSORB. Sometimes it hits me that I'm actually here--that we did it! We followed our dream, no matter how crazy or stupid most people thought it was. A whole new world is opened up to us, and it is crystal clear looking back at our last few years that were so very hard and trying were to get us ready for this. We see now that God had closed some doors only because he planned to open up a window.

Four months have passed since the move. Sometimes in the evening when the kids are in bed and the house is quiet, Nick will look at me and ask, "Do you think we did the right thing?" I just smile because he and I both know the answer. YES. Our dreams are within reach and we are so excited to make them a reality!

Of course we miss our families. We missing the dinners, birthday parties, get togethers, big holidays, coffee chats. It really hurts us that some of them have flat out said they will NEVER visit us. I know that some of them would like to visit but are unable to because of work and children. We are working on making peace with that because even though we hoped for support, we still anticipated that some would never give it.

It makes me sad because I want to share this new place with family. I want to show them that it's really not as different and crazy as the "New York" stereotypes make you think. I want to show them the beauty of the Great Lakes, the waterfalls, the countryside, the vineyards. I know these feelings will intensify when we get our Victorian house.

As I finish my walks and cross the street to my sidewalk, I always smile as I look around at how much in life has changed. Different car, house, job, city, state, friends, neighbors, stores, weather, furniture--everything. But I smile because I am reminded that thankfully not all change is bad. And it's the good changes that help get us through each day. When the not so good things happen we have the comfort of knowing we WILL get through it.