N.Y.C.

We decided we needed to stay near Philly for Spring Break because Mike was still working out a summer internship (he'll be at Disney by the way), so a day trip to NYC seemed to be the perfect solution for a quick getaway. The main focus of our NYC trip was Ellis Island. I thought it would be fascinating to see the place where so many Americans began their journey. It was just that, purely fascinating.


When you walk in you see a display of baggage piled up really high. All types of baggage from all over the world. For some reason when I saw all that luggage piled high I could just imagine the relief and excitement of everyone as they went through Ellis Island to have finally arrived in America, finally be off that boat! They all needed a new start, why else leave their motherland? Emma Lazarus pens it perfectly when writing about the Statue of Liberty which stands so close to Ellis Island:

Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore; send these, the homeless, the tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

I love America!!!


This is the assembly room where people would wait to get there names called before heading into NY. It used to be full of bleachers, but is now empty. Beautiful ceilings, eh?


A view of NYC minus the dearly missed twin towers.


The beautiful Statue of Liberty! I was pretty excited to see her, and I think it rubbed off on Ava. Whenever she climbs up on something high, she now says, "Look mom! I'm the Statue of Liberty!"



This Sculpture stood below the twin towers. It was a symbol of world peace and shared and growing economies. It had been destroyed by debris from 9-11. Pretty sad.




Ava and Ezra's favorite part of the day was chasing birds, climbing trees, and riding on the ferry. Ezra requested his picture on the ferry. I thought it was pretty funny.

When Elmo Grows Up

I got some pretty good deals on tickets to "When Elmo Grows Up," a Sesame Street Broadway, and Shelley decided to come up and bring the kids. Ava LOVED it, as you can see from the excitement in the picture where she's walking in and holding Shelley's hand. She also took to drawing the characters and was very detailed about it without any input from me. Oscar was drawn inside his garbage can, Cookie Monster had a Cookie in his hand, and Abby-Cadabby had to pom-pom pigtails, just like the real character. She's so cute!

I also had to include some random pics from our time together. Ava and Ezra love their cousins!

Washington D.C.

So, we've been up to lots of fun since I last posted. We made it to D.C. to see our great friends the Fitzgerald's, New York City, Baltimore for Skylar's fabulous three year birthday party (see Shelley and Jake's blog for that. I left my camera's memory card at home for that one.), friends from Boston visited us, and we visited them in Boston. Hopefully you'll get a taste of everything in the next few entries.


The Fitz's were excellent hosts, even though Maryanne was totally sick and in her first trimester of pregnancy with twins!!! It's just like visiting family when we are with them, and we had lots of fun times, Settlers, good food, and fun memories.



The kids' favorite part was going to the community center to play in the Bounce Room. A child's heaven!

Just because They're Cute

Yup, I've got the cutest family EVER!

Little Artista

So maybe I'm just a proud parent, or maybe I have an artistic genius on my hands. :o) I really am impressed in little Ava's ability to focus when she's creating. There is a unicorn all tied up in that picture with layers and layers of color and story. She could tell you all about it. How many kids would color the entire page before they were done? She water colors the same way-the entire page, and when she's really into her coloring book, it's the same thing. I think it's pretty cute.


She also makes her own gladiators. These ropes are from a "sewing" kit I bought her. Basically one of those toys where you thread the string through the holes in the cardboard. She does that, but she also makes these intricate things with them. She's made a necklace with this huge knotted medallion out of the pink and red strings. Don't worry the necklace is not tight. I am really amazed and what this little one creates.

This is what the big one (me) creates with her birthday money. Thanks for the new curtains and centerpiece contributors!! I also added a little color to the basement, but you'll have to wait on those pics because I've changed a few things around.

Haircut

I know what you're all saying...it's about time!! jk

Needed a change. Not sure about the layering, but like the bangs, and it's nice that every strand is fresh and healthy. What do ya think?

Snow Days

We've gotten lots of snow this year. My frugal husband has decided that we're only living here for two winters, so why would we need a snow shovel? (Please remember we've just moved from Utah where he said the same thing.) Just wanted to let you take a look at what he's decided to shovel with- a dustpan. Our driveway is really long, and the next day Mike was really confused as to why his back was paralyzed with pain. Hhmmmm... Any ideas??? :o) I'm just glad he shoveled. Maybe next snow fall he'll change his mind.




Ezra doesn't really like playing in the snow, but Ava's a real trooper. Look how wet she is. She rolled the snowman head all by herself. It's all great fun to her. Ezra isn't interested in building snowman, rather...

Eating them. Oooops! I tried to stop him, but was laughing so hard at him sucking on the snow it was too late before he accidentally pushed it down. Ezra, Ava and I had a great time playing in the snow that night. While we were all sleeping the snow melted and soaked into the ground. When we woke up, there wasn't a patch of snow anywhere except our snowman standing on our back porch. We rebuilt the one Ez knocked over.

Ava's First Talent Show

Well, I'm dying that the camera didn't last longer, but enjoy what we got. She's adorable. Oh, and by the way, the part that you see is the rough patch. She just needed to get started. She did great.

Tonight's FHE was on living in Heaven before we came to earth. I was telling Ava how we were all in Heaven and Heavenly Father gathered us together in a meeting and told us about a beautiful world he created for us so we could get our bodies and learn to make good choices. Before I could continue Ava shouts, "I'll go!"

Christmas Pictures

A Hidden Gem in Sleeping Beauty

Ava was asking me about her new Sleeping Beauty movie the other day. "Mom," she said, "You know in my Gaurora movie, where she's in the forest with the three birds and the squirrel?"

"Yeah?"

"Gaurora says those three aunties still treat her like a child." Giggle giggle.

"Well, what do you think that means?" I ask.

"They love her a lot."

She is so wise! That's usually why we treat our babies like babies, even when they're not so little anymore. We want to protect and snuggle them FOREVER!!!

Shea sure is loved!

Just wanted to post a video of all the love and attention she was getting on her first day home.

Shea Eden Koch has arrived!

Shelley and Jake's sweet little girl finally arrived on Friday, Dec. 19th. She is calm and alert and seems as content as can be-even while experiencing digestive issues, if you know what I mean. She's a true miracle in my book.

Ava, Ezra and I went to keep Skye and Evan company, and out of trouble while Shelley and Jake staid at the hospital. We had so much fun!
We baked holiday sugar cookies. Check out Ezra's stache. He's already growing into a man. Each child took a turn pressing their cookie cutter into the dough. After Ezra's turn I wasn't paying close enough attention to him and he'd half eaten his cookie raw!

Jake had arrainged for some dental school friend's to come over and with cake and decorations. So sweet! We helped them decorate and also helped them eat their cake!


For those of you who don't know, Ezra doesn't sleep well other places. He's great at home, but other places... no siree. I put him down for a nap his first day at Jake and Shelley's and 5 minutes later he's surprises me by coming around the corner saying, "truck...cars?" The next day for nap time I heard some a little noise coming from his room but didn't think much of it. I was just grateful he was staying in there. Mike went to peek at him a while later and this is what he saw. Ezra had hopped out of bed, taken bookload after bookload from J&S's shelf and dumped them into his bed. When he'd gotten a pile two or three books deep he decided to get back in his bed and go to sleep. Those books are heavy books! Check out the SAT book. I think he was hoping to learn through osmosis.

Loves

Snow