Labor Day in NYC, Baltimore & School Starts!

Labor Day came so quickly after our move to New Jersey.  We were anxious for school to start and to explore our new area.  What better way to do that, than to head to New York City?  We were happy to have Dave all to ourselves.  Our first stop, Central Park Zoo.  It's a small zoo, but different than the ones we typically visit.  It was also different in the fact that instead of playing on the playground afterwards, we walked through Central Park, watched a movie being made (saw pictures in People Magazine the next week), climbed the rocks in the park and had a organic snack from the food carts!

Inside the bird sanctuary

Laughing at the seals

On to FAO Schwartz toy store to browse.  Believe it or not, we left empty handed!  We were in the process of donating so many toys at home, it felt wrong to buy more...can I hear an amen?!

Friday evening, we attended our first neighborhood happy hour and met so many new people.  We like our new neighborhood!  We left late Friday night for Baltimore to see a Grand Prix race, the first in Baltimore.  It was a neat race course on the streets of downtown and very loud from our hotel room overlooking the course! 

Zach and Olivia looking out at the submarine on the waterfront of Baltimore.

A visit to the Baltimore Aquarium - nice shark!

Jaguar's racing team...Dave is on the left "looking into a matter" - ha!  He eventually suited up in a racing suit and headed to the pit.

Zach, Olivia, Grace and Kaylee (Cousins in Maryland) having fun at the race.  Nice Jaguar hats!

Awoken at 3 a.m. with a fire alarm and mandatory evacuation from the Marriott...10 stories up.  It turned out to be a false alarm.  Nice to know at 3 in the morning.  8 a.m....the race cars started practicing and the engines were our alarm clock.  Ahh!

A visit to Krispy Kreme before our visit to see Gramps in the hospital.  Gramps broke his leg (13 places) - ouch, so we took him donuts too.

Our first day of school in New Jersey!

Here we come, George Washington Elementary.

Zach starts 1st Grade (Mrs. McAtee) and Olivia starts 2nd (Mrs. Rowland)

With a new house, comes a new t.v.  The kids made their case for a 3D t.v. and Dave fell for it!  Ha, just kidding.  We decided to go with a 3D t.v. on our own and it's really cool.  I can't say that about the glasses. Cute look, huh?

We attended the Greek Festival in Wyckoff the following weekend.  Take a look at the meat on the spit!  Greek food, games, rides, seeing our new friends, it was a nice Saturday in our new town.

Amy and Dave, along with Reed and Patty (Alabama) were in town and we made our first visit to the Jersey Shore (Avon By-The Sea, to be exact).  Dave and Amy have a house in Avon and we spent Sept. 11 at their house, pool and on the boardwalk.  Dave was in Frankfurt, Germany for the Auto Show, so he missed the first trip.  Hoping there will be many more visits.  Kobe enjoyed the waterfall.

We rode Moby Dick on the Boardwalk and oh my, it was a breath taker!  The kids were good sports (after they forgave me - ha!)  Patty and Amy enjoyed the thrill ride with us too.

Amy & Dave Orrico - my Atlanta, Lake Martin and New Jersey friends!

Olivia and Zach on the Jersey Shore

Walking to school - so sweet.  

Zach started biking to school.  Yes, that's my 1st Grader!  Lots of 'firsts' this year....

Wyckoff...Our House

The office, guest room and basement are still a mess, so no photos to prove it:-)

Summer Part III: Moving

August  rang in with our "lasts".  We went to Six Flags Over Georgia with our neighborhood BFF's and had a splendid time.  It was a wet, sticky (humid) mess of a day, but after burning our yucky clothing at the end of the day, all was better.  Just kidding.  We had so much fun with the McCurry's (Carly, Skylar & Jenna) and the Berry's (Garrett & Christina) along with Jill and Michelle.  We rode things I didn't thing my kids would go for, but with a little peer pressure, they tried it and love the rides!  Thunder River was a hit as well as Skull Island water park.  

Michelle somehow convinced me to ride Ninja and Superman.  Of course, the Superman ride somehow got stuck and we were suspended in flying motion for 10 minutes.  Gravity is not a friend to you at this point.  Regardless, it was a thrill and I'm so glad we had a chance to do it together....for Michelle's big 40 birthday!  Jill was staked out at Skull Island with all the kids, so thank you for that!

Our final trip out to Lake Martin..Eden, I somehow, in a "Jennifer moment" found myself on the Interstate with a flock of Canadian Geese descending on the road.  Why would geese do that?  Who knows, but sure enough, there was one who decided to land on the interstate right in front of me.  Butt down, I swerved to avoid him (in the middle of my windshield).  He, instead, hit my passenger side mirror.  He slammed into my car, making us swerve and broke the mirror.  Needless to say, between me and the truck behind me, the Canadian Goose did not make it.  $500 repair, thank you very much, so I'm not such a fan of Canadian Geese.

A little sibling love with Kobe at Lake Martin

The Berry's arrive and the gambling begins....just kidding.  The kids were on a roll with playing cards this trip.

The last bits of freedom before school starts in Georgia.  It was a beautiful day and we spent the afternoon at 'Dam Island' (dam in the background), Olivia's favorite island.

Michelle caught red handed with the chips.  Snacking, swimming and having lots of fun!

Garrett, Olivia and Christina posing on the dock.  Our swimmers had a grand time.

All good things sometimes come to an end.  We spent the weekend packing up our personal belongings to ready the lake house for the rental market.  It was a sad weekend saying goodbye to Eden:-(  One last photo of Dave and I at the lake.  We will be back!

After returning to Atlanta, we spent so much time with our friends.  Sparkles was a hit!  Zach and Garrett with inline skates at the roller rink.  Get ready for ice skating in Jersey, kids!

Olivia looks pleased with herself:-)  She has become quite the skater.

A final sleepover....Skylar and Olivia say their goodbyes.

Snaggle tooth, Zach, plays a final round of PS3 with Garrett.  This was their favorite past time.

I had to get a few photos with all of my Oakridge Estates kids.  I going to miss you guys so much!

Jen & Garrett

Jen with the McCurry girls (Kobe's other family), Carly, Skylar and Jenna...and Kobe.

Friends Forever

Jenna getting her last bit of love....to Zach's chagrin.

604 Wishing Well Road

My first visit to our new house was only the week before we moved it!  Dave knows me well and I really like it.  It was also nice to have a dinner in NYC while I was visiting.  O & Z spent the next two weeks at Mimi & Papa's....doing whatever they wanted:-)

Moving truck arrives

Kitchen all packed and ready to go.

I leave it to the movers and head to brunch with Liz and Amy.  Our favorite spot, J. Christoper's, never disappoints, but it was so sad to leave my besties.  We've been the Three Amigos for SO long.  Now, we'll have to do it long distance.  No hiding from me, girls!  I miss you so, so much.

I give welcome back hugs to my Parker & Brady, coming back from their lake summer in Minnesota, and goodbye to them on the same visit. 

I'm off to Monterey, California to meet Dave for the Pebble Beach Concour the weekend before our move. 

Sitting by the fire at the Intercontinental enjoying the cool air.  Amy & Dave O. met us in Pebble Beach, but no pictures:-(  We had fun times at the races, shopping in Carmel, wine lunches and a wonderful dinner.

Dave and the Brumos Porsche he has previously driven for a commercial.

Last day in Atlanta...checking out their empty rooms.

Dropped the Jaguar off at the dealer in Atlanta, rushed to the airport and sitting waiting on our delayed flight. Ahh!  Dave and Zach drove our car from Atlanta with a stopover in Charlotte to the Nascar Museum for a little fun.  Zach raced 10 other racers and came in 1st place!  Our little racer...

We have arrived!  Olivia is raring to go in New Jersey.

She's a huge help while moving in... she had boxes in the front yard that made a fort and somehow found cereal, so she was set.  A fort and food!

Our first night in NJ was spent at the Residence Inn in Allendale, Daddy's home away from home for 4 months.  Kobe is along for the ride.

In true Zach form, he loses yet another tooth the first night in our new house.  I don't think our kids have been in the same location for any of the teeth they have lost so far.  Let's keep the travels going!

Olivia and Zach find ways to entertain themselves and avoid helping mom out.  See Kobe in his cage?  Hey, at least they included him!  It was a two story hotel...

A twilight walk to the pond down the road from our house.  I hope to have many afternoons at this duck pond.

School shopping, new shoes, so we are testing them out.  On your mark...

Camp fire to burn off all of those boxes!  Believe me, we recycled, but they just kept stacking up!  Plus we wanted to use our new fire pit (longing for the lake).