Our trip to MT. Washington.....Wow!

An 8 mile trip up Mt. Washington, with an average grade of 12% incline. It was a bit scary at some places, but the view was amazing.




Now I know what it feels like to "be in the clouds." That was really cool.
Notice the concerned look on my face as Jared carefully drove up the steep incline.
I thought this was such a cool picture, I couldn't resist posting it.....looks like a ghost train.
Noah and Nate desperately wanted to ride the train, but we will save this "expensive" ride for a clear day.
I didn't bring their hiking boots...oops...so they were bummed that their rock climbing was limited. To wet to be climbing with crocks.
Please try to contain yourself from envying my lovely green poncho.
Noah thought it was so cool to be on top of the highest mountain in the Appalachian Mountains.
What a sweet little guy. He really enjoyed this trip.
Of course they found water....and had to walk through it.
What's an adventure without a stroll through some puddles...a trademark of my two boys!

Never a Lack of Fun!

Nate never seems to have a problem keeping himself entertained. His new thrill is riding down our hill on a mini skateboard. On his belly seems to be his favorite position, although he has tried sitting on his bum, standing, going down backwards.....all fortunately without incident. He is a joy to watch. I just love this little guy. And, yes Mother......I know he needs a haircut!!

Presenting the Actress.......Alexa

Alexa is the actress of the family....and what talent she has. She is such a character and so fun to be around. Noah and Nate enjoy playing with her, and the way she makes them laugh. Alexa is so good with Nate, always willing to help me out with him. We love and miss you Lex!

The Karate Kid(s)

Noah was so excited to attend a Karate class with his cousin Aiden. It was so cute to watch these guys...although they weren't trying to look cute, but tough...any way, Noah had a great time. He even has Karate Kid and Mr. Miogi action figures. You've been an inspiration Aiden, we love and miss you bud!

"Olivia"..A.K.A"Owidawa"

Out of all of the cousins back in PA, Noah and Nate spent the most time with Olivia. She would come over early, and they would play all day. She and Noah loved to love each other and loved to get on each others nerves. She was such a huge help with Nate. Olivia is going to be an awesome big sister to her new little brother. Thanks for spending so much time with us Liv, we love and miss you so much. The other day Nate saw a picture of her and said "Owidawa", then he went and got his shoes....he wanted to go see his cousin....how sweet!

To Noah.....From Max

Remember when you used to make me cry for fun.....take that!

And the way you used to come up behind me and tackle me....got cha!

I haven't forgot the way you used to push me down and make it look like an accident...uh take that tough guy!

Who's scared now?.....

I'm gonna teach you a lesson Noah.....don't mess with Max the Maniac....arrrrrr!!



Ok, so I have to come clean. Max is by far the sweetest and most gentle cousin Noah has, and yes, Noah used to pick on Max...alot. But Max he can hold his own, and he's been showing Noah that he is tough as the rest of them. He's still such a sweetie though. We love and miss you Max!!

Introducing Trevor......

This is my adorable and somewhat crazy nephew, "Trevor". He is a great kid, and definitely one of a kind. God broke the mold after He made this guy. He was always making me laugh....as you see above in pics, now you know why. I love anyone with a good sense of humor...some people are just too serious all of the time. Trevor is great with Noah and Nate. He enjoys playing with them and has lots of patience. He's so fun to be around. We miss you Trevor and love you bud!

Little Swimmers!

The boys spent alot of time in the pool while we were back in PA. It's so fun to watch all of the kids play together. As you can see by the pics, Nate was showing us how brave he was by jumping into the pool all by himself. What a big boy! And Noah of course was a little fish. He was really into wearing goggles....so funny.

Thanks Aunt Kathy!

The boys had a fun afternoon with their Aunt Kathy. We went and watched airplanes take off from a small airport, then we took the boys to a big castle. They were so excited. We walked around the grounds and looked at all the neat statues...and of course they had to climb on the rock walls. Thanks Aunt Kathy, we love you!

Cousins, Cousins, Cousins!!!

Two Special Cousins

Mavrik and Brittney are the two oldest cousins, my first nephew and niece. It is hard to believe that Mav will be attending college in the Fall and Brittney will be beginning her senior year. It seems like only yesterday that I was chasing the two of them around, tickling and giving piggy back rides. I was 12 when Mav was born and 13 when Britt was born.....Wow! I love to watch the two of them with the younger ones. That's one reason why I think our family is such a special one...no matter what our ages...how old we get.....where God may have us move (Uh hmmm...Vermomt maybe), we are still a close family, and I am blessed to be a part of it. So Mav and Britt, I love you guys so much....don't grow up too fast :)

Spending time with Pap Pap & MiMi

The boys always enjoy visiting Pap Pap & Mi Mi. They love ride on the tractor with Pap Pap, swim, ride on the golf cart,ride bikes in the drive way....and down it. Noah especially likes to play with some of the toys that his Daddy played with when he was a little boy. The boys had a special treat when Pap Pap let them sit on his cool motorcycle. Bruce, just so you know, you are now cooler to your two grandsons. We were able to spend some time with Shawn, Jared's brother, who was on leave from Iraq. We hope for safety for the duration of his tour. It is always so nice to spend time with family. Thank you for having us and loving the boys so much! We love you!

The Mentel Farm

One of the boys favorite things to do while in PA is to visit what we like to call, "The Mentel Farm" Jared's sister Val, her husband Eric and 3 beautiful girls, Paige, Kara and Megan have an amazing home. It sits back in the country, so peaceful, but lots to do. The boys enjoy playing with their cousins. They ride horses, swim, visit the bunnies, ride on the golf cart, ride quads, crash the quad...(notice the front of the quad in the last picture.....yep....that was Noah) We had a great time. Thanks so much guys. We look forward to our next visit home. We love spending time with all of you. We love and miss you!

Explaining Myself

Ok...so I know I have been MIA for some time, but I can explain. We spent a few weeks in PA visiting family, and I once again, over-did-it with the taking pictures thing. This time well over a thousand. So, as you could imagine, going through them and picking out my favorites has been quite a task....I am still trying to narrow them down. So please be patient and I will have tons of pics coming up in the very near future :) Enjoy this one for now:

Now that's a Bubble Bath!!!

Photographer in the Making.....I'm so Proud!

Camping

We went to Pawtuckaway State Park this past weekend, and had an awesome time camping. We were blessed with a beautiful campsite right on the lake....of course the boys naturally gravitated toward it the moment we arrived. We spent our time together going for bike rides, sitting around the fire, rock climbing, hanging out at the beach, snuggling in the tent while it down-poured. The boys really enjoyed themselves. Jared and I would sit in our camp chairs, facing the lake, watching Noah and Nate throw rocks in the water......it was so peaceful. I will remember this trip always, and thank God for His grace in blessing me with my husband and two little men.

The Campers

Daddy's Helpers

Rock Climbers

Scary Creature in the Forest!

The Chef

Campin' Buddies

Sweet Rain

Precious

Rock Heaven

What a beautiful day it was. We went for a bike ride, then stopped off to take a rest. We hiked down a path in the woods and came to an amazing view.....rocks everywhere.....my boys were happy. So we spent some time there....you guessed it....throwing rocks into the river. Jared was giving the boys lessons on skipping rocks. We found another new spot that the boys will enjoy through the summer. This is us...this is what we love to do as a family. These times that Jared and I spend with our boys are so precious to us, and I hope you get a feel for this special outing we had by looking at the pics.

Nate's Language

As most of you know, our Nate is significantly speech delayed. However, this special little guy has his way of communicating. Times can be quite frustrating for him, but he uses sign language to let us know his wants and needs. Recently quite a few of Nate's signs have been turning into verbal words, and we are so proud of him. I love to hear him say Mom.....finally. I snapped this pic of Nate today when he was signing the word, "water" to me. I love this picture of him. As he was signing he was saying the word "water", while he walked across hundreds of rocks, excited to throw them in the river. Nate is hard to describe because he is so unique.....you have to experience him. I love him so much.

Brothers

Noah and Nate are a gift from God. They are certainly a handful.....but so full of life. I like to sit back and watch the two of them interact with one another, sometimes they fight and scream at each other, but there are those special times when I see them loving one another. There is something special about these brothers.....one talks constantly, the other choses to express himself without words....but they understand each other, and that amazes me.

For Mommy.......Love Noah

Noah loves to pick flowers for me.....so sweet. It melts my heart every time he approaches me with a big smile, and flower in hand.

My Boys

Here they are....outside....again. These guys are easily entertained while outdoors, I love that about them!

Amazing

Yum!

Biker Boys

Happy Mother's Day

I thank God for the mother that He gave me. I have learned so much from my Mom. The one thing that stands above all the rest is the example my Mother set for me when it comes to family. My Mom loves her family with her heart and soul; her husband, four children, and nine grandchildren and one on the way.
Thank you Mom for teaching me how precious the people that God places in our lives as family truly are. Thank you for loving us with your whole heart. I am a mother now, and my children are benefiting from some of the ways in which you inspire me. You have always gone above and beyond to show your love to us. You are whole when your gang is around you, and it is a beautiful blessing to be a part of such a loving family. It is a privilege for those of us who are able to call you Mom or Grandma. I Praise God for the love He expresses to me through you. I am grateful that you profess His name, and that you pray for the ones you love.
I miss you terribly and love you more than you could possibly know. Happy Mother's Day.

A Mommy who loves her boys.....

I thank the LORD for making me the mother of these two precious boys. I pray daily that God will give me the strength and wisdom to be the kind of Mom that God wants me to be.

Running mom

Ok...so I've done something that I have never done before...I registered for a 5K race...gulp. My neighbor across the street is a veteran runner, and a huge inspiration to me. See I run sporadically, I'll do it for a while, then lose interest, (usually through the winter months.) My neighbor has been such an encouragement to me, in so many ways. A pillar of strength and wisdom with life in general. I find her presence a complete blessing. She helped give me the confidence to enter this race. I may come in dead last, but I already feel like a winner, spreading my wings to try things that I would never have in the past. The training is difficult for me, however, as I'm running, I ponder the verse....
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
Philippians 4:13

Life with boys

Yep, that's a slimy worm in Noah's hand. This is just one of the many gross things my children have touched. Noah named his worm Jack.

So Cool

Ok, this guy amazes me. He caught on quite quickly on how to get around with out training wheels. Noah is a trip, and I love the way he thrives on physical activity, always on the move. He has such an imagination as well. Even though he has become quite the big boy gaining independence riding his bike and all, he still slows down long enough to snuggle with Mommy.....a favorite thing for this Mommy to do.

The Rock Hunter

Where ever we go, Nate always seems to be on a rock hunt, it's his thing. On this day, the boys were just playing around in the yard, and Nate was searching for rocks to throw in to "his puddle." Nate is content in doing this, he enjoys looking for rocks, and I must say I really enjoy watching him. He is starting to spread his wings....I have seen him picking up sticks lately......little nature boy, I love it!

Family Day at the Lake

Spending family time together is such a blessing. Jared and I love being with our boys. We enjoy watching them explore their surroundings, having fun, just being boys. We take walks daily, and have started hiking with them. Noah and Nate love to be outdoors; always doing something. They surprise me by their endurance. I wish I could bottle up their energy. I am cherishing every moment God is blessing me with my 3 special guys. Time seems to move so quickly.......at least I have taken enough pictures to remember everything. The following pics are from an afternoon at a lake near our home. We spent time collecting rocks, throwing them in the water, hiking, looking at beaver dams and turtles relaxing on a log, noticing all of the buds delightfully showing a hint of spring. It was an amazing day; no agenda, no hurry, just being together.

Enjoying Nature

Me and My Boys

I love being a mommy to these two guys. There are joys and there are challenges and I love all of it. It is such a blessing and a responsibility to raise these precious lives. I pray everyday for God to give me the strength, wisdom, and the overall ability to be the best mother I can be to Noah and Nate. I'm not a perfect mom, quite flawed actually, but I love my sons beyond anything that words can describe. I am able to love, because God first loved me.....how beautiful is that?

One Cute Kid!

Believe it or Not.....it was Hot Today!

Believe it or not, our thermometer read 80 degrees today. So of course we had to "fill" up the infamous puddle for our two little nature boys. Rocks, mud, water.....what else do you need. I hope you enjoy the following pictures of two little boys having a great time, doing what they do best......getting filthy dirty! I love it!

Mud Brothers

The Mud Monster

Nate and his Puddle

Fun at the Park

A Helping Hand from Big Brother

As I watched Noah take his little brother's hand to help lead him down the hill, I was moved to tears...(it doesn't take much for me). He calls Nate, "little buddy". Noah is growing up, and I witnessed seeing a side of him on this day that I praised God for. Noah has never been known for his compassion, but as he matures, I see him caring more about others, especially his "little buddy". The remarkable thing was, was that Nate trusted his big brother to help him......he knew Noah was guiding him, despite remembering all of the times his big brother picked on him. So as they locked hands my heart was warmed by my two special boys, I can see a bond forming that will last a lifetime.

Noah

Nate

Swimming Lessons have begun!!

Noah and Nate had their first swimming lesson today. They loved it! I have two little swimmers on my hands. They have always loved the water, and that was quite obvious today. The boys really like their teacher, he worked so well with them. Noah and Nate are excited to enjoy the water twice a week. I am looking forward to watching them from the side of the pool, clapping for them and cheering them on.....I love these two little guys so much!

For all things lovely......Thank you LORD

I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
May my meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the LORD.


Psalm 103:33-34

The Little Chefs and Brownie Delight

My two little chefs love to make brownies.....even better than that, they love to eat them! In our house we have this rule, given by the main man of the house......"all brownies must have icing." That's a rule we don't mind having!

Here comes my big boy!!!

Here comes my other big boy!!

Little Buddies out for a stroll

Attack of the Shoe

As I was helping Noah slip on his shoes earlier today, he dramatically said, "Ahhh........my shoe is eating my foot!"

Sweet Face.......just keeps getting sweeter!

The Offspring of "Coolness"

Human Felt-Board

Once Noah and Nate realized Daddy's fleece was the perfect surface to place their felt pieces they went to town. Next we will try Daddy's head......don't worry, I share those pics too! (Poor Jared!)

Special Visitors

We were blessed with two special visitors today. My Dad, and my nephew Mavrik came for a visit. They are in Massachusetts this week for hockey, and were so nice to come to Vermont to spend a few hours with us. We had a great visit. We love our family so much and are so grateful for the tight bonds we have. There may be miles between us, but our family is special in that we are still close in heart.......always will be. Please enjoy the following pics, because I sure loved every minute I was able to spend with my Dad and Mav.

We Love You Pap Pap

Noah and Nate love their Pap Pap. Although he was here for a short time, I cherished every moment watching them enjoy their Pap Pap. Notice the powdered sugar on Noah's face, and popsicle and chocolate on Nate's face.........Pap Pap did not come empty handed. Thank you Dad for loving us so much, and for always showing us. I miss your hugs.......I'm crying too.

Noah's Hero

Noah just informed us that he wants to be a scientist......and a hockey player. He was sooooo excited that his cousin Mavrik came to his house. He was all over him, practically sitting on his lap at dinner. Again, it was so sweet to see all this love. Thanks so much Mav for being here, you have no idea how much this meant to all of us. We will be praying for safety and victory in the remaining games. We love you!

Thank you Dad and Mavrik!!!

Thank you both so much for coming to see us. What a blessing you are. We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful family. You show what it means to go "out of your way", but do not considerate it out of your way. I grew up learning from my parents that family is high priority, and now that I am older, those values still remain solid ......thank you Dad.

May the Force be with You.....

Ok.....so I live with three Jedi Knights. Nate is starting to get in on the "light saber" action. He is a jedi apprentice. Noah and Jared will train him well. We can not get through watching any of the "Star Wars" movies without someone cracking out the light sabers, notice the TV, they were watching VI, Return of the Jedi. (Yes I let my kids watch Star Wars.....excluding a few scenes here and there) Noah is quite the Star Wars trivia man......he even tries to quiz me! I just sit back and laugh, enjoying the entertainment.

Happy Resurrection Day

Praise the Lord, for Christ has risen! My hope of eternal life in heaven clings to this: Jesus died for my sins and was resurrected from the dead. Because of Him and only because of Jesus am I able to enter into the Kingdom when my time on earth is over. God changed my heart in 1999, this is when I became a believer. I confessed my sins before God and gave my life to Him. All glory goes to God for this amazing gift. I will rejoice always.

John 11:25
"Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

My Handsome Boys

Easter Eggs!!!!

Noah's Egg

Nate's Egg

Precious

Beautiful Savior

Today is the day, above all days, that I remember the love God has for me. On this day many years ago, Jesus Christ, was crucified on a rugged cross. He took my place, took the blame and suffered the punishment for my sins, I'm forgiven. What did I do to deserve this gift? The answer.......I did absolutely nothing to deserve the pardon of my sins......amazing. This is Grace. It is impossible for me to fully comprehend the massive love God has for His people......that He would send His only Son.....to suffer and die, for those who truly deserved only His wrath. If you ever question if love exists.....ponder the cross and what really was accomplished by this sacrifice, by the blood of Christ. The beauty of this love continues....three days after Jesus's death He conquers it, and He lives. I am filled with anticipation to the celebration that will occur on the day after tomorrow. As a Christian, I am completely overwhelmed by the love of God. He is good! I will be praying for all of you, as you hopefully ponder the cross.

Romans 5:6-8
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die, but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Best Buddies

Time with Daddy

Nate tends to be a Daddy's boy at times. One of his favorite things to do is to crawl up and snuggle on one of our laps with a favorite book. Right now Nate is really into Dora. He is not saying much right now.......with all of this Spanish he has been hearing I'm not sure what language he will speak first. His current language of preference is something I like to call "Nathaneise"

Sweet Tears

I love this picture of Jared and Noah. My big boy was sad and was showing his emotion through his quiet tears.

Time to get outside!

So we live in New England.....that explains the 6 ft. of snow in our yard. The boys have been anxious to get outside. This day was perfect, the sun was shining, the air was comfortable.....it was time. Noah went out first and climbed the mountains in the yard. After a short time, he yelled my name. I poked my head out the door, (I was watching him from the window). He said, "Mom, you've got to bring Nate out here, he will love it!" He wanted his brother to enjoy the fun.....and I think he wanted someone to throw snow at. So of course Nate immediately gravitated toward the water. The ice had melted in some places and his eyes were fixed on "the puddles". Let's just say that I had two very "soggy" boys that afternoon. As I was wringing out their soaked clothes I was giggling to myself.....this is what it is all about...being a kid.....loving life. I praise God that my boys help me to open my eyes to the beauty of creation that surrounds us, and for being able to enjoy witnessing their passion to explore. They have no fear of getting dirty, wet or cold. The special time they have outside to play is totally worth it.

Two Happy Little Guys!

Mr. Funnyman

Celebrating with Daddy

So now Jared is the big 3...0. Good, now he can stop calling me an old lady! The four of us went out to dinner, then back home to open gifts and have the yummy cake the boys made and Jared's favorite ice cream, choc. chip cookie dough. We got him a couple of books by John Piper, a journal for collecting thoughts, earphones (so he will stop taking mine), and a pair of sweatpants.....oh yea. I am so thankful that God created Jared, and that he made him my husband and Noah and Nate's Daddy. What an amazing husband and father he truly is. He is a special guy, and I love him so much.

Happy Birthday Daddy!!!

Here are the boys making Jared's birthday cake, and enjoying the best part.....licking the batter. I have two little chefs on my hands. We have so much fun in the kitchen.....along with some big messes. That's quite alright by me, I am just having a blast with these two little guys. They can be quite the handful at times, but I love them to pieces, and I never have to worry about having an uneventful day. We can't wait for Daddy to come home from work so we can sing Happy Birthday, watch him open his gifts and..........eat the yummy spice cake.........Jared's favorite. (Notice Nate's orange Popsicle tattoo on his face.....he he!)

Hockey Star

We traveled down to New Bedford, Mass. a few weeks ago to watch my nephew Mavrik play hockey. He plays for the Junior Penguins right now, and has been playing this game for as long as I can remember. My Mom and Dad were with us, which made it all the more worthwhile. The boys had a great time watching their cousin on the ice. Jared and I had a great time as well, watching my nephew enjoy something that he is passionate about. Noah really looks up to Mavrik, he is quite the hockey star to him. He even asked if Mavrik could come live with us. So what do you think Mav?

Hockey!!!

Nate was here

Boston Children's Museum

Mr. Amusement

Popsicle Mania

Our little Nate Dogg has an addiction to popsicles......I am serious. He loves all the flavors and can't get enough of them. He has to have rainbow colors flowing through his veins. Because of his obsession, he has developed a "popsicle tatoo", on the side of his mouth. He prefers to eat the popsicles on the one corner of his mouth, as shown in the picture. So if you see this weird color on his face.......now you know!

My Little Artist

Noah has been quite our little artist these days. He enjoys drawing sharks....of course they have to be attacking something.

The Big 3....0

Ok, so I am the big 3..0. (The number 3 was the only candle we could find) I had a lovely birthday. My wonderful Mom and Dad were there, all the way from PA, as well as my amazing husband and precious boys. Jared and the boys got me a leather journal, (for my poems), a CD, (Ralph Vaughan Williams, British composer), and Paradise Lost (John Milton). Oh and I can't forget the beautiful flowers from my husband. I enjoyed turning 30, and look forward to all of the memories that will be made. I Praise God everyday for the breath in my lungs, and His Word in my heart

Brotherly Love

Snow Snackers!

A Winter Friend

My Baby

I'm Back!!

Thanks to a little motivation from my Daddy, I am now back to blogging. Enjoy!