East Coast Trip: Baseball Game

We finished off our trip with an evening at the ballgame with lots of NJ family.  Although the baseball was fine, the real highlights were hanging with the big girl cousins, the fireworks show ... and the cotton candy, of course!

Spring trip to the East Coast: The Crayola Factory

My Aunt Chris has been suggesting for years (yes, YEARS) now that we make a trip out to the Crayola Factory during one of our visits to the east coast.  Somehow, our trips always seem rushed:  too many people to see, things to do, and "necessary" places to go ... anAd the Crayola Factory never happened.

This time, in planning this trip, we decided to spend a few extra days to give us the time to go and do things that we always seem to run out of time for.

All that to say, we spent a super fun day at The Crayola Factory with Grandma, Aunt Chris, and cousins Courtney and Kelsey during this visit!  And, I must say, the place is AH-MAZING.  So much for the kids to do (so much that I loved to do!).  There are tons of different Crayola products to try, some special items that you won't see anywhere else, and although there was so much to do, it never seemed overwhelming.  We spent several hours and I felt like we had the opportunity to try just about everything.  This is somewhere that I would love to take the kids back to. 

Dry Erase crayons on a "white board" car ("don't try this at home."  I might have said that a few times to Mia!)





So many crayons and coloring supplies everywhere!

Watercolors

Chalk

One area that utilized hot wax had a height limit to go unattended. After Luke stood to check if he measured up, little copycat Mia had to do exactly the same

Model Magic area (Courtney and Kelsey are experts!)

The kids loved all of their take-home goodies, including unreleased colors of crayons and markers, and tons of Model Magic.  Other prized items include the coloring pages that print a photo of each child onto them with their favorite character (Luke's is with Lightening McQueen, Mia's is with Cinderella).  Such fun!

Cousin Love

We tried. We really tried to take a "good" picture of the cousins all together. It didn't work. Well, not really. Then again, this is how they were ... and that's good enough for me.

I love that these photos tell the story of their day together. I love how they so accurately depict the friendship between Luke and Jacqueline.

When I look at these my heart hurts that they don't live closer, but makes me that much more grateful for the precious times when they are together.

Love them all.

Chaos


Laughter

Boys

Chatting

Sweet cousins

Fall in New England

We traveled east last week

It was a long trip - Luke was so excited to fly on an airplane, but said after the first leg of our trip that he didn't like flying (it was "too high and too loud"), and that he really prefers riding in firetrucks to airplanes!

First stop - SacEast in Western Massachusetts, which was absolutely gorgeous in early October (and so much fun to spend some time with our cousins).

Pizza making (for those who are wondering, no, Luke did NOT eat his)

Mia and her Aunt Kate

Apple picking fun with cousins

The reception after Frederick's baptism

Frederick, his godparents, and his truck cake!

Next stop: New Jersey to spend a few days with Grandma and Grandpa

Grandpa took Luke for a ride on the train ... and then we all met them when they got off for breakfast at one of the old stations.

Cousins Jonathan, Stephanie, Courtney, Kelsey, Aunt Michele, Uncle Ernie, and Aunt Chris all stopped by to see us while we were in town - what fun to have so much attention and love!

The babies love Uncle Ernie

And this cute picture of Stephanie and Luke is very reminiscent of another from long ago of Michael and Jonathan - I'll have to post it one of these days.