Fall Firsts - Part I: Apple Picking!

This year, we've decided to nix our usual holiday travel plans:  Thanksgiving in Ohio, Christmas in Seattle.  We've been all over the place the last couple of years and its time for us to take a break.  In order to make the most of this decision we've made plans to do things around NYC that we have never done before.  Instead of focusing on how we'll be missing out on our family traditions, we've broadened our horizons to participate in local traditions, and we'll be creating some of our own traditions as well.

I am so happy that my in-laws came out for a visit this past weekend, together we were able to do a lot of things we'd never done before.  So without  any further delay, I present to you a short series of posts which I will call "Fall Firsts."

We left bright and early from our place in Washington Heights, with a bounty of fancy coffee drinks, fresh baked cinnamon rolls and banana muffins, and headed over to the GW Bridge into New Jersey.  The drive was stunning, even in Jersey you can find beautiful red, orange and gold leaved trees lining the highway.  About an hour and some change later, we arrived at Stonyhill Farm & Gardens in Chester, NJ.

Apple picking was a blast, not only did we experience this very traditional NYC annual pilgrimage, we were able to bring our best friends and my lovely in-laws.  The weather was gorgeous, maybe slightly too warm, but not worth a complaint.  Zion had a great time, and I think we must of all heard, "Ahhh-pull" or "Aaahpuh-pie" a million times, plus as an added bonus she got to ride in a little red wagon for the first time.  :)

Stonyhill also had a wonderful farmers market with apple cider donuts, hot and cold apple cider and other delightful items.  After buying 10lbs of apples, I couldn't wait to get home and make my first apple pie using this fantastic recipe I found.  And it turned out DELICIOUS!!

Are you staying home this holiday season?  What local traditions do you enjoy?

XO,

Let's Connect!

       

Weekly Wrap Up

It was an excellent week.  Highlights: 1.  First DATE NIGHT with the hubs in like 6 months, seriously that is way too long!  2.  PEANUT BUTTER creme filled oreo cookies.  OMG.  Heaven in your mouth.  3.  I finally figured out how to take quality pictures using the iPHONE, lol, and I'm now having a blast with it.  And 4.  It is already UGG weather in NYC.  I'm not a fan of the cold, so the only thing that is making it better is: pumpkin bread, cinnamon sugar cookie lattes and snuggles with Jerry and Zion.

I'm jazzed for this weekend...Jerry's parents get here this afternoon for a weekend of fun, food, and our highly anticipated APPLE/PUMPKIN picking trip!

How did you week finish off?  Exciting weekend plans?

Much love,

Let's Connect!

       

Our Little Chatterbox

Zion, our sweet little girl.  You have discovered your voice.  And we could not be happier.  We are so thoroughly impressed by your level of understanding and your ambition in developing your vocabulary.  Each day we are surprised by your many new concepts and words grasped.  We know you are a gifted young lady, already surpassing our highest expectations of your brilliance.  Keep doing your thing little girl, Mama and Dada are so very proud!

As of today (only 16 months old!) you can say the following words (*and signs):

Amen

Apple

Banana

Baby*

Backpack

Ball*

Bath
Belly Button
Boat

Book

Bike

Bye-Bye*

Boo-Boo

Bible

Car
Choo-Choo

Coffee (Okay, so you still say Ca-Ca but I think it counts)
Cookie

Dada

Dog

Duck

Down*

God

Happy
Hi*

Help*

Icky (Which sounds like "y tu?")

Key

Love (which is more like Vah)

Mama

Map
Me

Meow
Mine

Moo

More*

Milk*

Nana

No (Which I have to stop encouraging, but you say it SOOOO cute while scrunching your little nose, lol.)

Oh
One

Owie
Pig

Poo-poo

Please

Pray*

Pretty

Shoes

Socks

Thank you
Three
Truck
Train

Turtle
Two

Up*

Violet

Water

Word

World

Woah!

Wow

You also count to 3!!

We are incredibly impressed and feel so blessed to be your Mommy & Daddy.  God has richly blessed you, daughter, both inside and out!  We love you!

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Deep Breath In, Deep Breath Out

What a day I've just had!  Seriously, today was full of challenges, crazy temptations, and emotions.  Before I plunge you into the madness, let me just say that, I have really changed.  Not like, "Oh you hit your 30's"maturity boom, but more, "Wow, God is really changing me from the inside out" kind of change.

I've always been sort of a "hard" person - extremely tough on the outside, stoic, unshakable even.  Not. Any. More.  Lately, I have been repeatedly blindsided by my emotions, the outward display of them as well as the intensity.  I'm not on any hormones.  I am not a wimp.  I am just easily moved to deep feelings over things that I used to appear numb to.

Don't get me wrong...this post is not a complaint at all, more of a revelation or an "ah-ha."  I used to think that my inability to display emotion was a permanent part of my personality, but I've come to realize, over a lot of grueling soul searching over the last decade, that it was actually a self-defense measure I acquired in childhood.  I am realizing how it made me seem phony, and callus to many people who I genuinely care about and longed to connect with.  I fear I may have even lost out on friendships because people took my lack of emotion as indifference or contempt.  Brutal introspect aside, and as uncomfortable as my newly flowing emotions are making me, there is so much joy in knowing that the huge wall that kept me so reserved, is now down.  I feel, ALIVE!

I am vulnerable and it feels great.  There, I said it.  So, about today, already...

Far Away From Home: Why Community Matters

I have a rather large family, which continues to grow.  Pictured above are my 5 sisters, 1 brother and 3 step brothers.  (Not shown is 1 brother and 2 brother-in-laws, 1 sister-in-law).  As crazy and ridiculous as it can be to have so many siblings, it is also a ton of fun.

When my sisters and I were younger we used to dream about living on the same street, raising our families together...growing old together.  We never anticipated that we'd end up spread out across the country, thousands of miles away from each other.

Mommy's Little Helper, Daddy's Little Princess

Zion is growing and changing with each passing day.  We are incredibly blessed to have such a beautiful, charming and spirited little girl.  We can't help but look at her now with pure delight, even as she begins to explore her independence and test her limits.

I have found that where she used to love to follow simple commands, and as a result receive lavish praise from Jerry and I, she now gives me a little smirk as if she's saying, "What if I don't?"  In order to combat this, I have noticed that I now need to make every simple task a fun and exciting one.  This is actually pretty easy...I just ask her if she will be Mommy's Big Helper, to which she enthusiastically nods her head.  Granted, it does take sometimes 3-4 times as long to do the simple things, it prevents a melt down and keeps her busy, while making her feel proud and purposeful.

Zion has always loved being a girly girl.  From the very beginning she has loved it when I have gotten her dressed in "Prih-tee" clothes or have spent time doing her hair.  She loves to gather all of the materials from my bedroom - her hair pretties, brush, spray bottle and comb.   She plops down on my lap and away I go doing her hair.  The minute I finish, she pops up quickly and toddles over to the full length mirror to admonish herself.

To see her big smile as she looks at herself and loves what she sees, is adorable.  She appears to be getting close to the age where twirling and showing Daddy her "Prih-tee" dress or "Prih-tee" hair is a part of the day to day ritual.  We sure love our little princess, who's personality is certainly blossoming before our very eyes.