more from fort myers

after we got back from new jersey, we spent a few more days in fort myers. we took bryce to Lakes Park. . . .which was a pretty neat park way-back-when (you know, like back in the day when i was a kid!) but now, it is AWESOME. they have done a ton of work (thanks to Hurricane Charley basically flattening the entire place) and Bryce had SUCH fun. They have an AMAZING playground (two of them actually!) And Bryce also liked playing at the beach next to the lake.

more from NJ

so you already know he played in the leaves. . .a LOT. (i love this picture, why oh why does it have to be so fuzzy!? i hate when that happens!!!)
but we also made a trip to our most FAVORITE Italian bakery and deli. YUM YUM YUM. I was seriously disappointed that they didn't have any cheese bread when we were there, but maybe its better that way. What if it wasn't as good as it is in my memory???

And then a big five minute train ride, from Little Silver to Red Bank. (In the rain!) Bryce LOVED going for his first REAL train ride!

Ummm, ya think its FALL?

the leaves were AMAZING in new jersey last week. nene and poppop's backyard was absolutely COVERED in the most beautiful yellow and red leaves. i will try to use restraint, and not post a thousand pictures of the leaves (but i definitely have a few more i'll have to share!)

everything was wet and cold, and it was raining off and on all day, but it didn't stop us from being outside - raking leaves, jumping in leaves, piling up leaves, collecting leaves, throwing leaves, and walking in leaves. it was FABULOUS!

leavin' on a jet plane

here's bryce in the airport, waiting to leave for new jersey. . .
and this is how he spent some of the trip - watching cartoons on the iPod. poor thing, he had to hold onto the earbuds to keep them in his ears, but he didn't seem to care too much!!!

as i edit and get more photos ready, i will keep posting them a little at a time!
XOXO

just checking in!

So after our travel plans were a little. . .ahh-hem. . .disrupted, thanks to dear Spirit Airlines, we finally arrived in New Jersey yesterday afternoon (a day later than our original plans) but we are here. Its cool and rainy outside, the ground is covered in leaves. . . and its absolutely beautiful!!!! Give me a cool misty fall day ANYDAY - i love it!!!

Bryce did FABULOUSLY on the airplane, and only asked once or twice "Is this plane stopping YET?" (And I responded, "Ummm, I HOPE not, since we are up in the sky!!!")

Today we are going to play in the wet leaves, and drive over to visit our old house, our favorite Italian bakery, and watch for the train at the train station. I just wanted to check in and let you all know that we are well, and here, and having a nice time!!! XOXOXO

See ya!!!

Here is Bryce at Lizzie's soccer game last weekend - he has such fun sitting in the stands, and cheering for Lizzie! (She's a goalie, so thankfully she's always easy to spot out on the field!!!) Bryce was ESPECIALLY excited because we got to eat chicken sandwiches from Chik-Fil-A while we watched the game!
Tomorrow we are heading out, Bryce and I. We are off to Fort Myers, and then flying with my parents up to New Jersey to visit Nene and PopPop (my dad's parents). It will be Bryce's second ever plane trip, but this time he is big enough to sit in a seat withOUT a carseat, so he is feeling ESPECIALLY big and grown up. (Yes, i will be SURE to take a picture of him on the plane!!!) It will be quite an adventure!!! I won't be online while we are away, but I will be sure to share lots of pictures when we get home!!!!! We love you all. . . .talk to you next week! (Unless you are my parents. . .and in that case, SEE YOU TOMORROW!!!) XOXOXOX

the cake that bryce made (well sort of)

Here is the cake that Bryce and I made for Daddy's birthday. Bryce placed each of those M&M's quite purposefully and thoughtfully - and only ate a few in the process. Bryce was SO excited about Eric's birthday - he's really into the idea of surprise parties lately, and he REALLY wanted to have a surprise party for eric - so when we knew he was almost home from work, we turned off the lights and hid behind the table, and did the whole jumping-out-and-yelling-"Surprise!" routine. And yes, i think eric WAS surprised. it's pretty much guaranteed that he was NOT expecting a two-person surprise party upon his arrival home. ;) We went out to dinner, and then came home for cake.

HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY ERIC!

Finally. . .at last. . .eric can't harass ME about being 30, because he is joining me as a 30 year old today!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

We love you!

We are off to breakfast right now, and then Eric is going to come to Little Gym with us. After he heads to work, Bryce and I have big birthday cake plans. It should be INTERESTING!! :) Tonight we will head out to dinner, but not sure where yet.

And thus begins the season of insanity in our household. My mom's birthday, and Halloween are done, but we have Eric's birthday today, my dad's birthday ON Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving, Bryce's birthday, and Christmas. (Plus a trip to NJ, a boy's golf weekend, and a weekend at SeaWorld thrown into the mix, just for kicks!) All between now and December 25th. WOW.

The uncooperative robot.

the pictures don't quite do it justice. . . .he looked totally adorable, but he was NOT particularly happy to have his picture taken. He just wanted to make a lot of grumbly growly faces at me. I think the highlight of his evening was actually handing OUT candy at Gigi and Doobie's house, rather than COLLECTING candy (which is FINE WITH US!!!) He really liked picking out which particular candy he would give to each person who came to the door. We all had a lot of fun! :)