The Cat, The Witch and The Hula Girl

So we've had our first Halloween in Indiana.... Two weeks later, we still have candy! K had a few treats here and there, but for her it was all about the hunt. This means that the rest of us have been enjoying her loot.

At first K wanted to be Rapunzel, but after a dressed rehearsal she decided that the wig was too itchy. So we went with what we were able to find in her closet--"a hula girl."

M even joined in, (but he didn't have to go too far out of his comfort zone).

L went as a "black cat" for her first Halloween

And S dressed to match as a witch (the nice kind).

K got to sport her costume a few times. Here at the school parade.

And at the neighborhood Halloween party.

Aunty A came into town just in time to take K trick or treating. Aunty A stayed for the week, and K looks forward to her return. 

A New Way of Life

We arrived at our new home with just enough time to enjoy the end of the summer. Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa G and their help with the move, we settled into our new home in record time. (All our boxes were unpacked within one week of arrival!) Here are a few things we were able to jump into.

We attended our first Indy State Fair.

K experienced her first water-slide at the local park, and it quickly became her favorite place in town. 

L has been working hard making new friends of all different shapes and sizes.

We visited our nearest beach on Lake Michigan.

 

L has discovered the "diaper swing" and spends most of her park time in one.

K recruited her newest tea party member and she's learning all the proper etiquette.

L has started helping with the dishes, and M, of course, is very encouraging. 

We're quite surprised how fast we've adjusted to our new home. M enjoys his job and shorter commute. (Seven minutes!) S is playing basketball and volleyball every week and loving M's full time income. K started preschool and loves showing off her new room. And L is still our happy smiley baby. Overall we're enjoying the slower Midwest pace of life (and the warmer, drier, weather isn't so bad either).

Journey to the Midwest

After several days of packing and cleaning we left New England for our new home in the Midwest. Our first stop along our six day journey began in the Hamptons, New York. 

One of the things we'd miss most about the East Coast are the beaches.  So we played in the sand and soaked up as much sun as possible. The water temperature was noticeably warmer than our favorite beach in New Hampshire. It was a great way to unwind after our big moving day.

Besides beach time, we visited the Shinnecock Indian reservation. While living on the East Coast, we've tried to visit different Indian reservations and learn more about the nearby tribes. 

We departed the Hamptons and headed to Lancaster County, PA. We explored the countryside and ate the delicious Amish cuisine.

Our next stop was Gettysburg, PA where we visited the battlefield and the museum. We purchased K's first harmonica, and this is where the endless tunes began all the way to new home.  

Lake Powell Here We Come

There has only been one summer S hasn't made her annual pilgrimage home to Lake Powell. And even though we were in the midst of packing, S didn't want to miss it.

There's something about the lake that draws us home, and we want our daughters to feel the same way too.

K reunited with her AZ scooter and enjoyed riding around the neighborhood with Uncle V. She is also showing off her hairdo, courtesy of her first trip to the hair salon. 

K experienced her first tube ride and she loved it! 

This was L's first summer visit and she could've possibly been Lake Powell's cutest summer guest. 

Hail the Conquering Hero

A few weeks after returning from Hawaii M donned his fancy (and expensive) robes for graduation.

Family and friends from Hawaii, Arizona, Utah, and Rhode Island came for the big day.

K and L walked across the stage with M where they also received their "diplomas".

Six years and 325 pages later M was finally able to wear the crimson robes. We are very proud of our conquering hero!

23 Days in Paradise

After a month of living in the Southwest Desert, we headed to Hawaii for some beach and family time. Nothing beats Hawaii in April.

While in Hawaii we also met the newest members of our growing family. Babies J and S arrived in March, and just like that the number of grandchildren in the family doubled.

This was L's first trip to Hawaii; and M didn't waste anytime introducing her to the ocean. Sadly, she spent most of her beach time sleeping in the car seat under the nearest palm tree. L can't resist the moving car, she falls asleep within the first few minutes of every ride.

K spent most of her Hawaii time playing with her cousins. She learned how to play on a slip and slide and find Easter eggs.

K celebrated her 4th birthday among family and friends. She made all the party decisions--picking the menu, games and decorations. Her favorite gift was the Hello Kitty tiara she selected. (She still wears it everyday)

One of the highlights of our trip was Uncle J and Aunty M's wedding. It was a beautiful intimate ceremony officiated by our very own Uncle A. Afterwards, we quickly changed into our swimsuits and played in the ocean. We were so happy to be a part of this special day.

Here's a picture of everyone displaying their loot after the annual I family Easter egg hunt. It was the first time S, K and L celebrated Easter in Hawaii. Grandpa I puts on the best Easter egg hunt on island--even the adults get to play.

Our best family picture from the month on Easter Sunday.

Blessed Day

In the midst of our travels, we headed to Utah to bless L while surrounded by dear friends and family. We dressed L in a traditional Navajo dress with matching red coral jewelry and a pendleton blanket.

L was fortunate to have her Dad, both Grandpas, and six uncles present for her blessing. She is indeed loved, especially since family arrived from Hawaii and Arizona just for this event.

It was so much fun seeing so many of our dear friends from all the different stages of our lives. We reconnected with childhood friends, college friends and our Boston friends who moved to Utah. We were so happy to introduce our little beacon of light and celebrate this blessed day with everyone.

Results Are In

So, if I posted these two pictures instead, then the answer would've been obvious. Thanks for those of you brave enough to play, most of you were correct. (Even those of you who opted to call me instead of post your guess.)

The first picture is L.

And this K.

Their face expressions are the giveaway. L is all smiles and K was a very serious infant. But both are our two little cuties.

Two Little Cuties

Same onesie, same face expression. Can you tell these two cuties apart? Which one is K? Which one is L?

Flying South for the Rest of Winter

Yes, its been awhile since we updated our blog. We've been away visiting family and most importantly escaping the New England winter. We snapped this picture a few days before we left.

If you notice, K is holding a beach toy. Scraping snow instead of sand isn't quite the same.

While in the Southwest, K spent her time outside. She was either riding her scooter, flying her kite, playing at the playground with her uncles, or making new friends. With 4 additional babysitters, M spent his time editing his dissertation for publication. And S enjoyed playing basketball with her brothers and spending time with her parents.

Besides escaping New England winter temperatures, we were also anxious to spend time with Uncle V. We missed him so much. His two year absence was tough for all of us; and now L knows why we love him so dearly.

We took advantage of the warm weather and explored Lake Powell and the trails nearby.

As the newest member of the family, L spent most of her day is someone's arms. Here she is with Grandpa G sleeping through her first Navajo language lesson.

L also became an official member of the Navajo Nation. Becoming an enrolled member is quite the process; we'll have memorable stories to share with both girls. The qualifications and required documents change every time. We mark the occasion with an official picture outside.

One of the highlights of our visit was watching K play with the new lambs. It brought back so many memories of S's childhood. It's exciting to see the cycle of fun continue for another generation.

We loved our visit home to the Southwest and look forward to returning this summer!