Halloween 2014

Halloween was quite lovely this year.  Some of the fall leaves are still hanging on and the weather was pretty good, until a few houses into trick-or-treating when it started to rain.  Which was fine, since the kids really didn't need to go to more than a dozen homes to beg for free candy.

These first few photos are a walk we took the day before Halloween.  I wanted to go on a drive through the hills just north of us to enjoy some of the last of the beautiful fall colors and I dragged Brian away from work to join Simon and me.  The road we were on wove in and out, past the estates along the Bedford, NY and Greenwich, CT border.  We happened to find the Greenwich Audubon Society, which isn't very far from our home and is a gem in our own backyard.  

When we set out on our drive we weren't planning on going on a hike, but when life shows you a beautiful trail on a beautiful day, you have to go exploring.

A cemetery in Greenwich.

Jack-o-Lanterns

Halloween

Ready for school.

Kindergarteners do a little parade and sing along on Halloween.
This is the moment when Oliver spotted us in the crowd of parents.

My little Halloween getup.

 Trick-or-Treating

with about 20 cousins in Connecticut...

It was a little crazy.

Isabella as a "fashion vampire".

Oliver as a pirate.

Simon as a dragon.
This photo was taken after the 4th house.
He was ready to munch on candy not chase after more!

Time Flies

It is really, really incredible how quickly time flies.  I've been glancing at photos of just a couple of years ago and I have a hard time wrapping my mind around the enormous changes that have happened to my kids.  They are growing up so very quickly.  I am so glad I take as many photos as I do because those memories, those moments in time are frozen for the brief second and I can revisit it and love that moment all over again.  I hold those moments in my heart.  They are so precious perhaps because they are so fleeting.

I spend a good portion of documenting our bits and pieces of daily life on instagram.  But I'm hoping to do a better job of chronicling a bit more of the details here again.  I miss the greater depth blogging can add to a story.

Here's a bit of a look at October this year.  Halloween is tomorrow, so perhaps it will deserve it's own post.

Autumn in Connecticut

Celebrating Isabella's 8th birthday at Grandma & Grandpa's house.

Grandma came to celebrate Isabella's birthday and baptism

Celebrating at home

Brett, Alex, Kate & Annabell came to visit too

Isabella's Baptism Day

Bear Mountain

Wrestling on top of the mountain

Ramen at Ippudo

A different, but glorious day in the city.

Easter 2014

I'm so glad my mom was able to visit for Easter this year.  It has been 3 years since she has visited us and we soaked up all that precious grandma time.

Capturing the Everyday

It has been way too long since I posted.  I think of posting, but I feel like I should dedicate a post or two (or three) to thoughts on our travels.  But all that travel chaos is still pretty jumbled in my mind.  Someday it may come out, in a shareable manner, but for now I realize it is best to move on.  It is time to focus on the now and share what is wonderful, right now.

I've become lazy in my photo taking.  Not lazy, as in, not taking photos.  I still take way too many photos.  Lazy, as in, I just use my phone.  I switched from the iPhone 4s to the moto x a few months ago (and then I cracked--my unrepairable--screen.  Lovely, I know.)  But I miss the nice quality photos the iPhone took.  They were, for a phone, beautiful photos.  But I've be lazy and not been taking photos with my DSLR camera.

This past week spring weather has finally graced the northeast!!!  With spring weather I feel myself beginning to come out of my winter hibernation and stretching a bit.  I generally stray away from setting New Year's resolutions, because I know once spring comes I naturally feel this sense of renewal.  A desire to redirect some habits.  The ability to change and become better.  A bit of spring cleaning on my life--and habits--if you will.

This week I felt the desire to pull out my Nikon D40.  Despite it being an "old" camera (by today's rapidly changing technology standards) and the lens and sensors being dirty, it still takes lovely photos.  It feels good capturing the beauty around me.  And living in an apartment with an abundance of natural light sure helps a lot too.

SORRY!

morning stretches

At the Mystic Aquarium

***************************

homemade bread and honey butter 

typical morning

my beautiful Isabella

evening light

sunset walk

rolling out spinach pasta