December Birthdays galore

Birthdays, no matter what year, are meant to be celebrated and/or spent with friends far and wide.  I feel very fortunate to have friends all over.  I love my wine glass Kaci sent me from Alabama, my chocolates and fancy tea Jill mailed, flowers from a new friend, all the great clothes from my sisters and my introduction to London finery from Barbara:-)

As we know, it's not about the gifts, it's also about time spent with friends.  Michelle was fortunate enough to hop a flight with her husband (via the company private jet) and surprise me.  We spent a day in NYC skating at Rockefeller Center, shopping, avoiding puddles (it rained all day) and eating our way through the city.  Oh, the Indian food was delicious!  She even ventured back out to NJ to see our new digs, spend the night and see Wyckoff first hand.

A day later, Amy and Liz arrived from Atlanta.  Watch out Wyckoff, they are invading!  This WAS a planned trip, so we had lots and lots and lots to do.  Friends new and old (who are you calling old, ya say?!) met and we all toasted Dave on his birthday and for being so nice not complain as we ran off to NYC for the weekend.  Amy, Liz, the kids and I took him to our favorite Italian/pizza restuarant for his birthday dinner. 

Cheers to Jen and Dave on their early December birthdays!  Celebrating at Amano...with a cannoli to top it off.

Top of the Rock

Highly recommended if you are visiting the city.

Jen and Amy - silly girls with the toy soldier at FAO Schwartz

Pleasantly surprised with our upgraded 'suite' at The Eventi hotel.  Artwork, library, bar, dining room, two bathrooms, and huge corner (entertaining) patios.  This room, er suite, rocked!  We didn't want to leave, but Harry Connick Jr. was waiting....On a  Clear Day, You Can See Forever.  The play was....interesting, but dinner, wine, the room and our rickshaw ride was much more memorable:-)

Jen sitting on a pig waiting for the elevator...silly

Our view as I woke Sunday morning....The Empire State Building.  

The girls' visits gave me something to look forward to, helped celebrate birthdays as well as usher in the holidays in one of the greatest places ever...NYC.  Our next trip will be to a 'warm location'.  Let's start planning!

The following Thursday.....Barbara invites me to NYC to the season premier to meet actors of Downton Abby, a highly anticipated British show that has made it across the pond.  One show and I was hooked.  My plans for New Year's Day....a marathon to catch up on Season 1.  PBS is the station to watch here in the U.S. and I'm on that train:-)  

Another credit goes to Barbara for helping me realize I need a fire to get through these incredibly dark days in the Northeast.  She, being British, knows that a fire helps you settle in for the evening.  I've taken her advice and have a fire in one of the fireplaces nightly.  I say 'nightly', but that means I start it at dark, i.e. 4:30 pm....why does it have to get dark so early??  Oh well, we are embracing it.

Giving thanks for this year....

We have weathered, pun intended, many storms this year.  As Dave puts it, "it can only get better from here."  Looking back over the year, I have endured a torn ACL and subsequent surgery to repair it.  I have a cadaver replacement ACL in my body to prove it!  We, along with tons of help from our friends, family and neighbors, raised a puppy to the stage of a well behaved dog....we love you Kobe.  We have lived through a tornado hitting our beloved lake house and survived, the sometimes tedious and unforeseen, problems of repairing our house.  We've traveled extensively this year and lugged two children along.  The tooth fairy can attest to our travels.  I think she wants us to stay put.  Dave commuted from New Jersey to Atlanta to Alabama to the Pacific Northwest for three months to work and see his family.  I'm glad you have a reliable suitcase, dear.  Lest I forget our move, a BIG move, to New Jersey. As the song goes, "we loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly...", Bergen that is.....

It's been a wild year, and we are looking forward to a calmer 2012.  Our recent Thanksgiving break was a bit hectic, but then as we settled in, we realized that we all needed time to relax and be together as a family.  

Looking back to recent events, I am thankful for my children's school.  I am learning as they are, the nuances of the school, and I love it.  Recently, the school had the children's book author, Rob Scotton, visit and discuss his books and about being an author.  The kids came home with autographed books and wonderfully creative drawings of Splat The Cat.  Impressive...  O & Z are also impressed with their catered lunches from Simply Gourmet.  It's a bit of a change from the typical school lunch.....

I am also thankful to have new friends in the Northeast and for old friends that visit.  Recently, Eeva, from my Atlanta neighborhood, who currently lives in Connecticut, came for a day.  We had so much fun together and she was even able to visit on a day where we went into the kids' classrooms to observe.  Olivia and Zach were all smiles to have a visitor, well....and mom too.  Of course, Eeva being Eeva, she brought presents.  Olivia and I have gorgeous new scarves that she knitted and Zach loved his game.  You'll see me wearing my scarf often:-)

I'm thankful for our family to have attended our first NYC Rockette's Christmas Spectacular.  I'm thankful to have spent part of the holiday in NYC with our friends, Amy and Dave and to have attended the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade.  It was a holiday of firsts.

Radio City Music Hall 

Outside Apple Store in Manhattan 

Christmas window displays 

NYC dinner with Amy & Dave 

Olivia, Avery & Zach 

Macy's Thanksgiving Parade 

Amy & Jennifer - Thanksgiving dinner 

Olivia with curls...the girls were playing

I am thankful to have our holiday decorations and tree up.  I love enjoying them all month long.  The kids had all day (in pajamas, no less) to go through most of the ornaments and remember making some of them or remember who gave them a certain one.  It starts the holiday season off right.

I am thankful for being close to wonderful hiking trails and scenery and for having a husband that gets us out of the house to enjoy it.  We have hiked Ramapo twice over the last two weeks and we have many more trails to explore.  I am also thankful for the warm weather over the holiday to allow me to ride with the convertible top down.  Southern girls love their warm weather.  I'm soaking it in before the true NJ winter starts.  

 

 

Atlanta friends and Florida sunshine

Who doesn't need a little break every now and again?  We had a well deserved break last week after enduring the Halloween snowstorm that buckled our town and left us without power and school for three days.  So, off we head to Atlanta for a weekend and then on to south Florida to visit Aunt Kim.

My kids disappeared as soon as we parked in our old neighborhood.  Jill, Michelle and I were able to catch up, drink a little wine, and run off to an extremely nice dinner at Cibo (thanks to Steve, a neighbor that owns the restaurant).  

We had a visit from Amy and the boys.  Olivia and Brady hanging together like old times.

Skylar with her new braces...Olivia's BFF.

Off we head to Karen, Mike and Gavin's for some quality family time.  Gavin was 'climbing the walls' waiting on his cousins to arrive.  As you can tell, they knew right where to pick up...

It wouldn't be a proper visit with Mimi and Papa without a trip to Walmart.  Karen dressed Zach in Georgia gear...just for Dave's enjoyment:-)

Playing with their new toys along with Garrett.  We had a pizza party at Michelle's with my favorite Gluten Free Pizza...Blue Moon.  Oh how I missed you!

I cannot believe I missed the opportunity to take a picture of me and my chicas.  Liz, Amy and I must have been so busy talking and catching up, we forgot!  Oh well, I got a great one of Laura.  She was wide-eyed for the flash:-)  She kept us in line at J.Christopher's, our typical hangout.  Laura will be ordering for us next time.  I had a fabulous weekend with my girls and touring around Atlanta running errands like I still lived there!  Thank you Andy, for the use of your M3.  She was happy to be running around Atlanta instead of sitting at the airport!  Thank you all for being such wonderful hosts and friends.  I would say I miss you, but you know me, I'll see you soon!

Tuesday, we flew to Florida to visit Aunt Kim and the beach! 

It wouldn't be a proper visit without feeding the turkey/ducks.  What are these things, exactly?!

Ah, here they are in November enjoying sun and sand.  It was a bit windy, but still relaxing and enjoyable.  Olivia insisted on feeding the pigeons, much to the chagrin of our beach neighbors.  Imagine sunning yourself and having the vile creatures swoop over you, ready to poop on your head at any moment.  Olivia and I had to have a talk.  Oh, and she was petting them too....ugh!

Zach buried himself, then we stepped in to finish it off!

Running in the surf

Kim found this fabulous Nature Center across from Delray Beach.  We went two days in a row, and saw the shark feeding as well as meeting a male Macaw named 'Crystal'?  She gave us 'high fours' and the kids loved it.

I can hear the ocean.

Aunt Kim bought them new Reef flip-flops, their favorite!

Kim and I enjoying a long, leisurely lunch at Cabano el Rey.  I love cuban food!

Olivia was working hard on her artwork

Zach was coming down with a fever during this picture and 10 minutes later he was asleep on the table.  Poor guy, he seems to always get sick when we travel.  He's a trooper, though.

Another favorite spot is Sugar Sand Park in Boca Raton.  They have a huge outdoor play area, including water guns, carousel, and an indoor science center.  Part of the center has a traveling exhibit each time we go, so this year, it was robotics.  Look at Olivia operating the robot arm!

The annual picture on the carousel horse

We spent plenty of time at Kim's pool and hot tub, especially after the long beach days.

More time on the beach, feeding pigeons and making race tracks

It was a wonderful trip to see our friends and family and I hope it's at least an annual trip.  I'll be back soon!  Gracias!

Halloween...that almost wasn't...

Who would actually think we would have snow BEFORE Halloween in our first year in New Jersey?  Well, that is what happened and a hurricane the first few days after our arrival, both of which left us without power for 2 1/2 days.  It also left us without t.v. & internet for weeks.  We were out of school for three days and Halloween was canceled.  Additionally, our much anticipated adult's only dress up party was canceled.  Oh well, my outfit is ready for next year....and the party date is already set!

 The kids and neighbors know how to conjure up some fun when the first flakes start flying.  They were making snowballs with 'real' snowball makers.  We subsequently ordered some of these new found gadgets.  Come on Southern parents, get with it!  Things we learned from this experience:  buy a generator, don't hoard too much food in the refrigerator (this is the second time we have had to empty it), buy snow toys, buy kids snow boots in black...easy to hand down to Zach because they grow out of them so fast, and last but not least....always anticipate the power going out in Wyckoff for at least 2+ days.

Games by the campfire with neighbors...almost toasty, but not quite. 

Life seems to keep going (never mind running water and showers).  Tom had a birthday and we intended to party....with the reptiles.  The reptiles also kept warm by the fire.  Happy 7th, Tom.  Let's hope next year we have heat and toilets that flush :-)

Our Viking Princess and Black Snake...a Ninja?

After 2 nights of freezing sleep, we bolted for the Jersey Shore.  Amy & Dave O. kindly let us stay in their shore house in Avon.  It was such a nice way to finally warm up.  As soon as we arrived, kids were knocking on our door for trick-or-treating.  Luckily, I had our costumes packed!  I thought Halloween was canceled, but Avon made it extra special for us.  As Zach proclaimed, "This is the BEST Halloween ever!"  Now THAT made our day.   Thanks for sharing your candy, Zach.  

This Halloween beach photo will probably not happen again, but it was a real 'treat' for us. 

Kobe was a happy dog.  Maybe it was because we didn't force him to dress up?!