Today is Alex's 10th Birthday! Last night we made cupcakes for him to bring to school to share with his class. We had some cake mix and frosting left over, so we made him a little cake. You won't believe what happened next...

Maggie wants me to be sure to note that Alex told her to do it and I gave her permission to!

Fall Baseball

Paul coached a fall baseball team for Alex and some other boys in town. It was a small league with teams from two other towns, 4 teams in all. They played double headers on Sunday mornings and had a lot of fun. In the background is Alex's friend, Jared, whose Dad was one of the assistant coaches.

Happy Halloween

Alex went out with his friend Jared and his Dad, Todd. I forgot to take some photos before he left, so here he is after 3 hours of trick-or-treating. Todd said Alex would have kept going if he and Jared weren't so tired! Maybe next year Alex should go as the Energizer Bunny!

Maggie had a hard time deciding what she wanted to be this year for Halloween (it's not easy being eleven-teen!) We searched all the stores and Maggie fell in love with a treat bag that looked like "Toto" in a basket. Unfortunately she's much too cool to dress up like Dorothy so we came up with plan B. Maggie is a huge fan of animals, especially puppies and the Webkinz stuffed animals. We borrowed a few leashes and Maggie even got to wear her favorite jeans! She met up with some neighbors and had great fun.

Fall in New England

It sure has been very beautiful here this fall. Paul likes to take pictures around the house and yard each season. For those of you who are far away, here is a glimpse of fall in New England!

The Apple Picking Tradition Continues

Our tradition of taking Maggie and Lily apple picking together started when they were just babies! We all met up again last Sunday for a quick trip to a local orchard before watching the Pats game and hanging out together. The rain held off, the apples were delicious, and the company was better than ever. The girls aren't small enough for us to carry around any more, but they'll always be our babies!!!

Wow! Back to school and work really hit hard and fast. We're off to a good start, but not too much time for blogging these days. Paul did take me away for a mini birthday getaway. Karen and Alan (although I guess it was mostly Alan) took the kids overnight and we headed up to Kennebunkport Maine. We stayed at an amazing bed and breakfast cottage, poked through lots of shops, and ate seafood by the sea! A short but sweet escape!

Beach Days on Cape Cod

The weather in Harwichport was fabulous and our time spent with the McQuades (and Ladimers) was even better. We had lots of fun on the beach and ate lots of seafood. Alex and Paul rode the bike trail with John stopping for hot dogs and ice cream. Kathy and Maggie went antiquing and to a book store with Debbie stopping for lobster rolls and ice cream. Hard to know who had more fun! The last stop was bumper boats and batting cages with Gary and Keith. The soggy after picture is proof of the fun. We even made Gary use a Red Sox towel to dry off! We didn't want to leave and look forward to another visit soon.

Cooperstown Here We Come!

We changed up our summer vacation a bit this year and split the week between Cooperstown, NY and Cape Cod. The first stop was Cooperstown. The highlight for Paul and Alex was the Hall of Fame (although Alex may say his favorite part was Boomer the dog at the Bed and Breakfast). Maggie liked the historic village at The Farmer's Museum, especially feeding the baby cow a bottle and walking a sheep. Kathy liked being in the countryside at the Bed and Breakfast and just having time away. Alex's tour of the Hall of Fame included a pose and photograph at every team locker and other spots throughout the museum. We also toured the underground caves at Howe's Cavern on the way home.

Maggie turns 11!

Maggie celebrated her 11th birthday with her friends at Nana and Grampa's pool Luau style! They played water games and pool games, drank lava punch, made their own pizzas, and enjoyed Maggie's specially designed beach cake. It was one of the nicest days of the summer! Happy Birthday Maggie!

He doesn't get how lucky he is...

Alex and his buddy Justin had their photo taken with the 2004 and 2007 Red Sox World Series Trophies last week. Just the other day he said, "Mom, the Red Sox are in the playoffs like every year." Let's hope this ride continues and he never finds out what it's like to be a "true" Red Sox fan.

Julie's Wedding

Our dear friends, the McQuades, celebrated the marriage of their daughter, Julie, this past weekend. The festivities started here on Friday afternoon with a bridal luncheon before the rehearsal at Plymouth Church in Framingham (where Paul and I were married and where we first met the McQuades when Julie was only 3 years old!!!). After the rehearsal was a dinner atop a student dormitory at Harvard University with magnificent views of the cities of Cambridge (where Julie and Gary will be living come September) and Boston. The reception was held at the grand Boston Harbor Hotel where many, including all of us, stayed overnight. Back to Framingham on Sunday for a lovely brunch at the home of the McQuades. It was a very special and beautiful weekend in every respect and we were very honored to be a part of it all. Here are a few snapshots fo the wedding for you to enjoy.

I'm a blogger!!!

My good friend Jackie has inspired me to leap into the wonderful world of blogging. I've really enjoyed keeping up to date on her family's adventures through The Snow Family Blog and hope you all can do the same with ours. Paul just walked in the room and said, "You're a blogger?" I guess it's time. I can't promise you that it will be very technologically advanced, but I'm going to give it a go. Please visit us and keep us posted on what you are up to as well. Love, Kathy