Gettin' ready for the great pumpkin!

We are so ready for Fall weather that we had to get out our Halloween stash. Sam, who loves crafts, made some awesome Frankenstein glasses, plus some special Jack-O-Lanterns for the family. (Shhhh...don't tell!) And, Luke...well, he's just too cute not to show!

P.S. I hear that our "lows" may be in the 40's by the end of the week!!!

Friday Flashback

This was way before Luke, when Sam was about 18 months old.

I believe this photo was taken almost exactly 3 years ago b/c we wanted to take a family pic for Nana's birthday. (Which was on the 24th!!) It was snapped in my parent's backyard, by the way. (They live only 1/10th of a mile from us!) And, yes, my hair was short. I donated almost 12 inches of stringy, dirty-blond "hair" to Locks of Love after Sam was born.

We grow 'em big in the South!

Luke had his 6-month doc's visit and I guessed his weight exactly...19 lbs. 3 oz.!! Oh, and he is almost 28" long. He's right at the 90th percentile on both, so that seems okay.

He's also super healthy and happy...oh yeah, and CUTE!!

She likes me. She really likes me!

I received another great blogging award from my sweet friend, Lin, aka the Jeweling Junkie. I just love Lin, but I'm jealous of her for two reasons:

1. She lives in Florida
2. She is very talented

So, since I was honored with an award, I need to pass it along to fellow bloggers that I admire/keep up with/enjoy, and they are:


Maggie at The Roe Round Up


Amy at Crunchy Domestic Goddess


Nicolle at Boyd's Crazy Mama

Final Destination: Kingston, NY

We ended our trip up north with a stay at Phil and Becky's house in Kingston. Phil is Neil's younger brother and he and Becky have two girls, Alexandra & Christina, plus they are expecting a baby boy in January! They have an amazing home pretty much in the middle of no where, but convenient to a lot. It's really great!

They hosted a cook-out for us, complete with steak, chicken kabobs, hamburgers and hot dogs. Neil's baby brother, Jeff, is a professional chef so he worked his magic on the grill. And, it was all delicious.

Neil's sister, Toni, and her daughter Elyse came down, along with Nana and Poppy. Plus, our good friend Dean and his family joined in. It was a great time!



Aunt Toni and Christina




Alexandra and Poppy




Dean with Neil and Sam




Dean's baby girl, Katie




Uncle Jeff and Luke (really love this pic!)

Visiting Nana & Poppy!

Neil's parents live in a lovely little town in upstate NY, just a couple miles from VT. (It's called North Hoosick, but I like to call it "North Hoosickfieldville" because I really love the movie Mr. Deeds.) The day we arrived at their home it was barely in the 60's, which made it all that much more beautiful.

The view from their road, which is still unpaved.

Luke and Poppy.

Sam and Nana.

Me "driving" Poppy's firetruck.

Their Post Office! (They still have to pick up the mail everyday.)

Friday Flashback

Every 9-year old girl should get a curly perm!

Sweet Aunt Rollande

One of the important stops on our trip up north was to Rochester, NH. That's where Neil's great aunt lives.

Aunt Rollande and I have been "pen pals" for over a year now, so I couldn't wait to finally meet her. She is French Canadian and has the most beautiful accent!

Planes, trains and shuttles!

Neil, Sam & Luke aboard the shuttle to the airport.

Me and the boys on the train in the airport. (We got through security surprisingly fast!)

Heading to our gate.

On the plane, eagerly awaiting take-off!

New England or bust!

We are flying to NH this morning as part of 'Lettre Family Visit 2008'. (Feel free to put that on a shirt and wear it proudly!) Sam is sooooo excited about the airport and plane! It isn't his first time to fly, but it's the first time that he'll actually remember.

We will stay in NH one night and VT one night, then we are onto Kingston, NY for the majority of our trip. We'll "room" with my in-laws, Phil and Becky. They have two girls and are currently expecting a boy! Fun. Fun. Fun!

I (probably) won't be blogging for at least a week, but there will be plenty of great pics when I get back to it!

The boys' clothing for our trip, with 90% being Sam's! (Is it any wonder he was chosen by the Atlanta paper for his "style"???) I should have snapped his shoes b/c he told me several times which ones to pack...4 pairs!

Woohoo! Delta will get us there and back! (That was a shameless plug. Can we get an extra pack of pretzels? Ah...come on. Please!)

We will land in Manchester, NH around lunch time! (That's almost 1,000 miles from our home.) It's the "birthplace of your American dream". Bet you didn't know that!

Super Sunday

It was such a beautiful day yesterday that we decided to visit American Adventures. Neil has only been there one other time, so Sam couldn't wait to play with his Daddy in the Foam Factory. And, they ended up climbing, sliding and shooting in it for well over an hour. (Neil looked worn out when they emerged!) Luke had some lunch while we waited, plus he really enjoyed seeing and hearing all of the big kids. He is just so observant and really takes in everything around him.

We also played some games and rode a few rides. Sam has no fear of rides, just like his Mommy! Plus, this was the first time he was tall enough for the bumper cars!

The 1/2-Birthday

Can you stand it??? Luke is 6 months old today! I really can't believe that it's been 1/2 a year since his arrival, nor that he can roll across the room and has his first tooth!!

We have had such an amazing time getting to know our big, beautiful boy.

Sweet Surprise

My dear friend, Megan, is pregnant with her second child. I am giving her a small gift each month in honor of her pregnancy and our amazing friendship. (She has been soooo good to me!)

Well, out of the blue she surprised me with a gift! It arrived via FedEx in a special "stay cold" package and it is soooo beautiful and yummy. (I've already eaten the chocolate-chip covered one, top row in the middle.) I can't wait for Neil to get back in town so he can have a taste.

The company is Berries.com and I would 100% recommend them!

Ready for the game...

I am an Auburn fan, even though I'm a Georgia State grad. My friend, Greg, turned me onto the Tigers many years ago. I seldom see a game these days, but I still cheer them on each week. (And, they should have no problem with Southern Miss on Saturday.)

Sharp Dressed Man

The Atlanta Journal & Constitution has a weekly section on their website called "My Style". Well, my Sam was chosen to be the My Style person of the week! It's the first time they have chosen a child and we are all so excited. (He thought it was so cool that a reporter called to ask us questions!)

Click here to check it out: My Style: Sam Lettre