Winter Wonderland

We finally have snow!! We have just had a dusting up until now. Yesterday it snowed a bit but we woke up this morning and it had snowed a lot! We probably have about 8 inches. The bad part was we hadn't gotten around to getting the girls any winter boots yet. We went and got them today. So of course they had to test them out when we got home while Larry shoveled again.

Max LOVES snow!


Our Christmas lights

We have a Santa in a helicopter - the girls love it!

Happy Turkey Day

We had a nice, quiet Thanksgiving this year. We stayed home and it was just the four of us and everyone had a great Day! With everything that has been going on it was a good long weekend for us to relax. The girls ate up the turkey and especially loved the pie for dessert!

Planes, Trains, Boats, and....a Minivan!

As I posted earlier, we had to go back to Maine due to Larry losing his dad. It was very sudden and is going to take a long time to deal with. I am thankful everyday that Larry was with his dad when this all happened. That phone call I received at 3:40am will never be a call I will forget. The shock of what had happened and that Larry was in Maine and me and the girls were at home was hard.

Larry was scheduled to fly back the next day. I told him that I could handle getting the girls on the planes out to Maine but he insisted that he come home and then we would all fly back. I thought it was crazy - but I couldn't have been more wrong!! I had this brilliant idea of catching a red eye so then the girls could sleep for most of the way. Juella and Brad picked us up at the house at 10:30pm - we had put Hailey to bed at 8 so we woke her up and put her in the car. When we got to the airport we made it thru security with no issues. Ashley loved the train in the airport that takes us to our concourse - this is starting off great! We walk towards our gate and realize - this plane is booked FULL!! Ok no big deal - I ask Larry for a diaper and he gives me a blank look. CRAP! We packed all of the diapers in our luggage - none for carry on. Ok don't panic. We get on the plane and take off and the screaming begins! Poor Hailey had an ear infection. She screamed all the way to the Atlanta airport. By the time we got off I was crying, Hailey was crying and Larry was trying to track down anyone with a diaper. He offered $5 for anyone who had one. We finally found one and the people felt so bad they tried to give us 5 more. The flight from Atlanta to Portland included only 1 1/2 hours of crying but the plane wasn't full so that helped. I was never so happy to see a runway in all my life!

We ended up renting a minivan - yes the dreaded minivan - so more people could ride with us. We arrived at Larry's parents house in one piece.

The funeral service was as nice as a funeral could be. Larry SR. was loved by many people. There were so many people that he had worked with for 30+ years. So many people had a lot of nice things to say about him. He had served in Vietnam and there were military honors at the funeral. Saying goodbye to someone when it is way to early is very hard. I was so thankful that our girls were back at the house waiting for us - they have a way of making you forget the sadness.

The girls and I have never been to Maine and it was nice to see some of the places Larry grew up at. We went by the ocean a couple of times to have dinner. One of the restaurants was on a big boat - the girls really loved that.

It was nice to meet all the family we had only heard about. I am so proud of how well the girls did with all the travel and strange places. Poor Hailey missed carpet though (the house is all hardwood floors) - we found her laying on the bathroom rug just to lay on some carpet.

It was a needed trip and the only thing we regret is the reason we had to go. It was nice to get home though. It's sad that Papa won't be around to watch these great girls become more wonderful each day!

Ashley with a Lobster Claw in her mouth at dinner - hmm... wonder who taught her that!


Hailey and Larry putting the mower in the garage

Ashley, Hailey, and Cody

Ashley and Hailey riding Cody's old Motorcycle bike

Ashley, Larry and Nana in Portland looking at the boats Nana used to take to school.

Me, Hailey and Nana

We are going to miss our Papa!

It is with a sad heart that we had to all travel back to Maine this past week. Papa did not make it from his surgery. We are all so sad that Larry has lost his dad - he was a great man! Just one of the great memories we have is when Ashley kept calling him Santa - she loved him - as we all did.

Are we done with this election yet.....

The other night the news was on and they were discussing the candidates. They showed John McCain and Ashley says "Is that John McCain I approve this message?"

LOL!!

Larry's on a Trip

Unfortunately Larry's dad is going into surgery on Tuesday to "help his heart" as we have told Ashley. Larry flew out to Maine on Sunday morning - super early! We were in the car at 4:45am - and yes my worst fear, we see a herd of deer first thing! I have a horrible fear of hitting a deer! Happy to say that was the only ones we saw. We made it to the airport just fine and said a quick sad goodbye so Larry could get on his plane. He made it safe and we have talked to him often. Ashley keeps asking if we are going to go pick him up - he comes home Thursday morning.

We are happy that he is there to help and we are sending our best thoughts to help Papa's heart!!

Happy Halloween!!

For the first time - since I can remember - we had wonderful weather for Halloween. It is always a joke you need a costume that looks ok with a coat because it is always cold, wet, snowy, etc. on Halloween. Not this year - it was 70 degrees and perfect!

This year Ashley decided to be Dorothy and Hailey was the Lion. I was lame and didn't have time to get Max a scarecrow costume - so he was the Incredible dog again this year.

I took the girls to work were we had a potluck and did trick-or-treating around the office. They got so much candy - Ashley's bucket was filled to the rim!

After dinner we got the girls dressed and walked around to a few houses. Hailey and Max weren't into it (later to find out Hailey had a horrible ear infection!) so we went home. Larry and Ashley went on with out us and came home with way too much candy. I have no idea what we are going to do with all this candy!

Hailey on Halloween morning - she was pretty happy and didn't even have candy yet!

The girls in front of some of our pumpkins - ok so we aren't very good at pumpkin carving.

Everyone ready to go!

Pumpkin Carving

We had a little pumpkin carving party again this year. It was so nice out that I don't think we were in a hurry to carve our pumpkins. The girls had fun. Ashley played in the backyard with Katelyn which was fun. Hailey was a little upset she couldn't join in the fun. Then we got the jump-o-line out - thought it was a good idea until Hailey fell out on her head! She was fine - but again just frustrated because she can't do all the things her big sister can.

We had some great looking pumpkins! (I was especially proud of our pumpkins just because I grew them in the garden!)