Thanksgiving in Alabama and Arkansas

A week of travel. First we went to Arkansas for hunting and visiting family, and then we headed to Alabama to visit Dave's family for Thanksgiving. My grandparents hosted us and we had a lot of fun, although a one-year-old in the house was a little crazier than Grandpa expected. Ty hunted every day (ducks and deer) and I brought Knox down a couple of times to play with his little friend Lola. Overall Knox travelled very well despite the double ear infection he got right before we left AR.
Alabama is always a lot of fun and we eat and eat. Ms. Mary, Dave's mom, owns a restaurant right next to her house and so we eat there. She cooks some delicious southern dishes and everyone just scarfs them up. The day after Thanksgiving we always eat catfish with fries, onion rings, and hush puppies. Knox really enjoyed getting to taste his first Thanksgiving meals. They have lots of dogs, chickens, a goat, and two cats; you can imagine how that kept Knox entertained.

Roar!- It's Halloween!

Knox was a precious little lion this year. I was very surprised that he kept his little mane on, but he was distracted and forgot about it. He was a little under the weather, but we got out for a bit before bedtime.

New England Visit

We just returned from New England for a "fall visit". Our friend, Scott, was married in New York City and we were so glad that we were able to attend to see he and his beautiful bride on their special day. After that we drove to CT to see my parents for a week.
Several day trips were taken and Knox travelled in the car quite a bit against his will. He's not a very cooperative back seat rider anymore. We went to Newport, RI; Shelburne Falls, MA; and Northhampton, MA. We even drove into VT a little bit in order to see some more leaf color.
As you can see from our pictures, we really enjoyed our time there and Knox loved being with Grandma and Grandpa as usual. His favorite location in the yard this time was the raspberry patch.

Future Hurdler?

Folly Beach Trip

We had our 3rd annual Beach Trip with the Bennetts and Waldridges. Before the babies arrived in 2006, we had ventured to Willmington, NC and then the Outer Banks. This trip to Folly Beach, which is very close to Charleston, was a great "adventure" as we termed it while we were there. The word "vacation" doesn't seem quite right with 3 one year olds running around.
Every day was so much fun though. We got up early (wonder why?) and had great breakfasts. Then we would take the babies down to the beach and play for awhile before their naps. After lunch we would usually play around the house and then go out to the beach. Low tide was in the late afternoon every day, and it was wonderful for all the kids because little pools, or gullies, were left on the beach for them to splash around in. They were as warm as bath water and not too deep, although some of them could get deeper than you would think and we almost let our kids slip under a couple times.
The evenings were beautiful and the dinners were always the best. Every couple cooked a meal or two and it was so nice to have help in the kitchen and help with the kids as well. Every couple was also allowed a date sometime during the week while the others watched the baby. Ty and I went to a noodle house and a little artsy shop called POE afterwards. It was much needed.
We had such a fun time that all the moms were like "what are we going to do with the kids when we get home". Nothing beats a houseful of parents, babies, toys, and a beach on top of it.

Silly Faces

Knox is such a little guy now. He has lots of silly expressions, especially when he eats. This is him enjoying his eggs and other various foods.

Ty is 32

I know I really shouldn't mention his age, but it is so much fun to be 3 years younger and rub it in. We went up to NC and visited Tee, Jenn, and Lola for some fishing fun! O.k.- the boys just fished and we played with the kids. It was really relaxing though, right near the river with a hammock and everything. Ty said it was one of his best b-day's ever.

Trip to CT

At the beginning of July, Knox and I went to CT to visit my parents. We went a week ahead of Ty and Aunt Katie even came for a few days. We had tons of fun! It was just so nice to eat out on the deck every meal and not get swarmed by mosquitoes, which is common for us in the summer here in SC. Knox ate like a horse and really loved blueberries and fresh vegetables out of their garden. I think he gained a whole pound in the two weeks that we were there.

We took several excursions during our visit. We went to the UCONN dairy barn and stables, drove to Dock and Dine in Old Saybrook to eat clam chowder, and saw fireworks on the Town Green. We also introduced Knox to his first Tony's Pizza and I must say that it was a hit. He is a third generation Tony's Pizza eater, as I grew up eating there from about the same age.

Ty and I were able to go on our first overnight trip away from Knox. We went to Long Island and stayed in Montauk, which is a little surf town at the end of L.I.. We were able to go to dinner and see the most recent Harry Potter movie. The next day we went to the beach and strolled through East Hampton for a little while on our way back to the ferry. It was a great anniversary get-away.

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and Knox had a big time with his grandparents and Aunt. It was a little lonely at our house after we got back, but we got into our routine again soon enough.

Birthday Party

Grandma had a wonderful birthday party for Knox and friends at her house. We had a delicious Korean lunch too! Koreans have a tradition of placing the one year old in front of yarn, pencils, and money. Knox went straight for the pencils which means he may be a scholar in the future. We hope so!
Knox had five friends at his party who were all around his age. They played with the balloons, ate cake, and swam in the baby pools. Aftern the swim, Knox opened presents on a big mat outside and all the kids enjoyed them together. What a day!

First Haircut

Wow- I can't believe we waited this long for a haircut. We went out and bought new clippers and everything. Ty got Knox used to the idea of the razor by putting it against his cheek. I guess it tickled because he thought it was rather funny. I think that it came out pretty even and he looks like such a little boy now. What do you think???