Sugaring Off!

Spring can bring some very unpredictable weather in Upstate NY, but the good news is all the snow has melted!!!! Yeah!!!!!! Bill and I spent the last few weekends cleaning up the yard from the ice storm in December. We had piles and piles of downed pine branches and basically just a big mess. So, this weekend we were looking forward to having a little fun. Saturday night was "Date Night" - Dinner at Bangkok Thai and then to the movies. We saw Duplicity. (We don't recommend it, the ending was so not worth sitting through the movie) Sunday we made it to early service and then started our new Sunday School Session. Our Voyagers group is led by Pastor Mike and Cindy and we are doing the Love and Respect Series. We are really excited about it, but see already it will be a ton of work. We're just looking at it as an investment! Our Voyagers group is amazing, many young married couples and so many of our friends. It should be a great session. After Church we jumped the car to head down to Cooperstown for a Sugaring Off Pancake Breakfast at the Fenimore Farmer's Museum. For those of you who don't know, Spring is also the beginning of Maple Sugar Production and there are many early Spring festivals and breakfasts which feature homemade Maple Syrup. (Bill's Favorite!) We had breakfast and then took a tour of the school from 1845, the blacksmith shop and a ride on the vintage Empire Carousel. It was a great day, but you will notice in the pictures it was SNOWING.... Yes, It was SNOWING and very cold. We made the best of it but can't wait for Summer to arrive!

Maddy's Big Girl Room!

Since Maddy will be turning 3 a week from today, we thought a Big Girl Room was in order! Thank you to Gram & Mark from Tennessee for supporting the cause. She is so excited and very proud to show anyone who might come to visit. She's even sleeping in her bed with out any trouble, so that makes it's all worth it.

Enjoy!

The Girls Get Together!

We went to the Connie's and Jen's house for some play time for the Girls. Maddy really enjoys her friends and they always have lots of fun. Connie planned a nice morning, with a craft project for the girls and a beautful lunch for the Mom's. We had a nice time, but we usually feel like we've run a Marathon after getting the girls (and the boys :) together. They are so loud and love to scream, which is so cute but really hard on the ears. We always have a few strong personalities that go at, but it just makes things more interesting. Thank you to Connie for having us all over!!

On Monday we went over to Jen's for a nice relaxing morning. Maddy and Juliana played dress up, made sticker pictures, and had fun with Play Dough. Jen and I had a chance to chat and work on some Mom's stuff. It was a great morning and so great to get out without fighting all the snow. Spring has Sprung!

Maddy on her Big Girl Bike!

It was so nice to be able to get outside on Sunday. I think it just made it into the 60's, but it was glorious. After Church and then lunch, we came home to a few chores. Bill and I spent a couple of hours cleaning out the garage, organizing closets and watching Maddy ride her bike. She loves to get all of her "stuff'" on (helmet, knee pads, etc) and ride her "Big Girl Bike". It was such a treat for her just to be outside. We spent a good bit of time working on "watching out for cars" and teaching her how to cross the road. She seems to be getting the hang of it.

This morning we woke up and it was SNOWING, I think we have a couple of inches of the ground right now, so hopefully it will melt soon. Spring cannot come soon enough!

Steelhead Fishing on the Niagara!

Well, Maddy and I weren't home for more than a day from Delaware, when we started packing for Daddy's fishing trip on the Niagara River. Friday night we piled back in the car for a long car ride to Niagara Falls. When we left it was raining and very dark so it took us almost 6 hours. Yuck! We were happy to arrive safe and get to bed. Bill had to be up early to head down to Devil's Hole for some world class fishing. I was very concerned about the weather. It was only in the teens and very icy, and I was definitely not too big on him climbing down in a huge gorge a few miles downstream from the falls. But I guess these are the types of things you deal with when your married to an outdoorsmen. When he arrived at Devil's Hole he realized the steps to get down in the gorge were impassable. They were completely covered in snow and ice and very dangerous, so he decided not to chance it.. I am so glad he used his best judgement :) Despite his disappointment. He found another fishing spot closer to our hotel and with a trail that was easier to maneuver. He fished in the morning with no luck, and then came back to spend most of the day with us. We had a really nice time visiting the NY side of the Falls and touring Goat Island. The Falls are amazing in the winter and there are no tourists which was even better. We also visited the Power Vista power plant, which had a nice museum and some things for Maddy to play on. Later that afternoon, we headed back to the hotel and he went back out fishing for a few hours. Unfortunately, no luck! When he returned from fishing, we decided it would be fun to go over to the Canadian side for dinner and to get a view of the Horseshoe Falls all lit up. The only problem was Bill had his Motorcycle Learner's Permit Driver's License and we didn't bring Maddy's Birth Certificate. So, getting into Canada might be tricky. We decided to try it anyway. We pull up to the Border and I give them our Driver's License and the officer asks us a few questions about our plans in Canada and then asks for Maddy's birth certificate. I told the officer that we had forgotten it, and she said "well can I speak to her." I pulled the car up, and rolled down her back window. The officer asked her name and she answered right away and then she asked who we were and she said with such conviction "Mommy, Daddy, Daddy!" (Not sure why she repeated Daddy twice, but it was sooo cute.) The officer even laughed and said "well, she said that without any hesitation so go on and have a good night." We ended up eating at the Skylon revolving restaurant and had the most amazing view of the Falls. It was a fun night!

Sunday morning, Bill was up early to head out fishing. It was only 15 degrees and icy, unfortunately he had no luck this trip, but enjoyed being outside and learned a lot about Steelhead fishing on the Niagara. Better luck next year!

Here is a picture of the Skylon Tower! The Elevator ride is so scary!

Off to Delaware to see Mimi, Darlene & Ed!

We just returned from a wonderful trip to Delaware to visit Mimi, Aunt Darlene and Uncle Ed. Mom, Maddy and I spent a few days with them and did a little outlet shopping. We had a great time with everyone and it is always so good to see them.

Mimi has had a pretty rough year with having to move out of her house after 26 years, hip replacement surgery and then to find out she's battling cancer. She is living in Delaware and is undergoing her Chemo treatments. She is doing so well and is gaining a pound each week. She looked great and Maddy had fun playing with her great grandma. I think the highlight of the trip was when she got to paint nails, put on lipstick and got a necklace from Mimi. She also loves the Dora books she got from Aunt Darlene and Unlce Ed. All in all it was a great trip and we are so thankful to spend the time with Mimi. Can't wait to see them at Dan's wedding this summer!