Halloween 2014

Happy Halloween from Spiderman, Firestar, Iceman, Buzz, Cinderella and Prince Charming:)

Rochester, Palmyra, and Niagara Falls NY

I've learned to jump at opportunities when they come. So, when Chris was asked to interview for a job in Rochester, NY, I was quick to ask if we could all go. Fortunately for us the company he interviewed with allowed us to drive and reimbursed us the expenses rather than Chris flying. Amazing right?!!! I was so excited that the 12+ hour drive didn't sway me. Rochester is one of those places I haven't ever really thought about but I love NY and it was close to Palmyra and Niagara Falls. Two Places which I was dying to visit. With little time to prepare or stress about the long drive, we were off. The drive was long but beautiful. Our country is full of awe inspiring views. The kids did as well as expected and it was a great time to spend together as a family.

We stopped a few times for phone interviews Chris had scheduled with other companies, so we didn't make it to Rochester the first day. We did get there in time for Chris to prepare for his interview while me and the kids had fun at the Rochester Zoo, ate lunch and played at a park. I didn't get pictures from our stay in Rochester but I remember thinking it had it's charm and it seemed very clean and manicured. Even downtown. That night we went to a recommended "family" restaurant, called 'Dinosaur BBQ'. It was a local favorite that seemed more like a bar. I'm not sure why it is deemed as a family restaurant and I'm not sure what dinosaurs had to do with it but it was delicious.

The next day we were ready early, ate breakfast and hit the road to Palmyra. The weather was perfect. Sunny and slightly chilly and crisp. I love the fall! We took the tour of the Smith family log cabin and then the house they built after. It was amazing to be in the place where so many important and sacred events occurred. I don't know if or what my kiddos will remember from this trip but they were interested in seeing everything. We then walked to the Sacred Grove and that was a tough one. I mean it was glorious and just as I imagined it would look like. There's something about having to yell, but not trying to yell to your kids to stop running, stop yelling, etc. that kind of takes away from those contemplative moments. Typically I would try to get through whatever quickly but I did not want to rush through this experience. It was incredible and even though I was a little distracted with my hooligans, it was still a wonderful, happy moment with them. 

Poopy diapers, lunch time, and much needed naps made us leave and make our way to Niagara Falls. While Palmyra was more than I expected, I must say both Chris and I were a little underwhelmed with this 'gigantic' water fall. It was great to see and maybe we would have felt differently if we had taken the boat ride that is at the bottom. Instead we were at the top looking down and I just thought it would be bigger. Still enjoyed seeing the site I've always heard about and the area was also breath taking. It was a long drive home and we were tired from doing a lot in a short amount of time. It was a great experience.

Here's pics from the trip:

 

Apple Picking with Leigh, Ben and fam

Fun times at Sky Top orchard, especially since Leigh, Aidan, Arynn, Ben, Lizz, Mizu, and Kai joined us this time. I've talked about it so much they had to come and see it for themselves. I don't think they were disappointed. They might however, have been surprised with how cold it was. Good thing Leigh had a stash of beanies and gloves in her car:) Even though it was cold, we still enjoyed the beautiful scenery while picking apples, ate the delicious apple cider doughnuts, and had fun on the tractor ride around the orchard. We were having so much fun I only took a few pics.