Excuses, excuses. And August.

So I realize it's been quite awhile since I've updated. I had a couple large projects - due date Christmas - that required huge numbers of manhours. Then we went to Utah for a month so I'm just now getting to the task of updating again. It is nice, however, to see nice sunny pictures when there's so much snow outside. :)

Our Last Visit to the Zoo

We decided to take one final visit to the zoo before moving to New York. It was a typical zoo visit, fun and nice to be outside, but boy did Kate have a hard time leaving. Kate's reaction to the news we were leaving...

The Move

We made the long journey to New York via airplane. My dad, Stewart, Alicia, and Jon left a few days before us and drove all the goods out there so it was mostly set-up by the time my mom, Kate, and I got there. It was nice. Kate loved her new room and was so relieved to have her bed back. She was quite upset to see it leave in the big yellow truck. We lined her walls with animal pictures and got all her toys in her room and she wanted to play in there first thing. She even decorated her elephant.

Kate discovered the rest of the house and it's possibilities little by little. She found the chocolate stash at my desk in almost no time.

My new perch

We met a great family in Syracuse called the Lentzs. I actually know their sister-in-law in Salt Lake so they were aware of our coming and welcomed us with more than open arms. They had a little party at their house and invited us over. Kate adores every one of them. She got to play with the kids, play in the pool, ride a horse, and create general mayhem with the others.

Julie Lentz and Kate

Jamie Lentz and her dad Eric

Jamie taking Kate for a horse ride. Kate was so eager to ride a horse, I was completely flabbergasted. Go crazy pants!!

Her second ride, this time dry.

I gave it a shot, not the best horse-woman but it was a lot of fun! I think the horse must have had some Scottish blood - stubborn thing.

Our trip to Niagara

We decided to take what little time we had before Jon started school and visit a couple of local sites. We made a journey two and a half hours north to Niagara Falls one day. We lucked out - it had been really rainy there most of the week and was horrible the next day but the day we went was a beautiful perfect day. We stayed until sunset and saw the beautiful effects of light with the spray. We visited the aquarium there, went on the Maid of the Mist boat, put on the Yellow paunchos for the walk under/in the falls, and saw a movie about people who went over the falls and lived. It was a pleasant day and Kate had a ball.

Sunset at the top of the falls

Canada

The trip below and in the falls. INTENSE.

Getting geared up for our trip in the falls. They gave us little sandals with nice traction and didn't make them in Kate's size but she absolutely insisted so she ended up with large kids sandals flapping around. She didn't mind a bit. She loved her new shoes.

On the Maid of the Mist boat

Look at the enormous spray the horseshoe falls make!

Another shot of the falls

On the bridge at the top of the falls

I asked someone to take our picture in front of the falls. Well, I assumed they would include the falls in the picture...

At the aquarium

One stylin' chick

On the boat

Onondaga Lake

There is a lake very close to where we live called Onondaga Lake. It's a nice little area where lots of people fish and go out on boats during the summer. There's no real beach to speak of - it seems to be mostly petrified bird poop and small bivalve shells - but you can get right up next to the lake and the gulls are only too happy to see if you've brought any food items with you. There is a pretty neat playground next to the lake that we visit often when the weather is good. It's quite large and Kate loves to go. After playing at the park she likes to go down to the lake and throw rocks in the water.

Birds on the driftwoood

I love the beautiful geese here. Lots of Canadian geese.

A neat little cove

At the playground

Gull and goose

Palmyra

We took a Sunday afternoon to go to Palmyra which is about an hour and a half away. It was so hot and muggy I didn't really much enjoy the trip but it was neat to see things. The Sacred Grove was nice and cool though and the walk through there was pleasant.

Kate taking her own picture.

A stop in the forest

Just a pretty area

The farm

Kate walking through the wood

July!

July was a fun and hard month. We were moving to New York shortly so it was busy - packing, saying goodbyes, packing. Also packing. Did I mention packing? It wasn't too bad since most of our stuff was still in storage but the rest was mingled with my parents' stuff throughout the house. We went camping right before we moved too.

We had dinner at John and Janet's house for our last goodbyes to them before we left. It was fun to watch Kate be so affectionate with her family. She misses them!

Goodbyes: Alicia

Jen
Grandma

Grandpa

She's my beautiful little girl!

Eating her greens! (I'm thrilled to have a daughter who likes veggies!!!)

Hudson the chick magnet

Kate's view of Alicia

Mommy and Kate

We've gone camping each summer with Nathan's family for the past few years. It's always fun to do things outdoors with kids because of the sheer excitement of possibility they seem to exude. The only part I could do without is sleeping in a bag with my daughter. She is a talker and a kicker. Besides that it was really fun to hike and cook, play games and chat with everyone. Nick and LaRissé were able to come up at night and eat dinner with us. LaRissé taught us a new song about brushing teeth and had the kids jigging for awhile. Viva tinfoil dinners!

On a hike with daddy's hat

Kate helping out by sweeping up the dirt.

The hike

The view from the trail

Ains in good hands

Kate looking over a bridge

Grandma and Ainsley (love Ainsley's sunglasses)

One of my favorite flowers - the thistle

At one with nature. :)

Climbing trees

So pretty!

Another view from the hike

Climbing trees like monkeys!

Bird watching?

I miss my mountains!

Tin foil s'mores. Mmmmm!

Hiking to the waterfall by our campsite

I'm still trying to figure out what Grant was thinking on this one...