Letterboxing in Mianus River Gorge Preserve, Bedford, NY

It felt like Fall this morning. The air had that wonderful crispness about it and I was beginning to wish I had worn long sleeves!

We headed north to Bedford with Connor and Melissa for a letterboxing adventure. I had never heard of our destination but thanks to the superb navigational skills of Melissa we found it easily.

Melissa and Connor had been planning on going to check out the preserve for some time and were happy to have us accompany them on their outing.

We stopped at a nearby playground on the way for an early picnic lunch and to give the boys a chance to climb and run about.

Upon arriving at Mianus we were immediately impressed by the incredible upkeep of the trail head.




The trails were all edged with fallen timber of uniform size and shape - a true labor of love. There were numerous staircases helping hikers to ascend and descend the varying levels of terrain. A hikers paradise.





The boys had a brilliant time foraging for critters. They found several salamanders, frogs and loads of worms! Campbell was hoping to bring some of them home but we were able to persuade him that they would be much happier in their natural environment.



The highlight of the hike (at least for me) was the mica field. As we entered the quartz quarry the path was shimmering in the dappled sunlight. The ground was littered with tiny pieces of mica. It looked like something from a fairytale. We spent a while clambering over the quartz rocks and exploring this naturally beautiful location.

On looking at this photograph at home tonight after the hike I realized that Mother Nature had put up her own little security system around this rock in the form of POISON IVY! Cannot believe we did not see this at the time.



We enjoyed our day so much, we did not have the chance to walk the entire trail so we will definitely return to explore the area in more detail. Maybe we will get back there in the Fall.

Rewarding Mommy Moment!

Several days ago I took the boys to the library to exchange the wagon loads of books we had accumulated for a different wagon load! To think I used to walk to and from the library!

As I observed from the kitchen window, a picture perfect scene was evolving before my eyes! The boys were NOT driving each other crazy (the summer has its moments). Instead they were laying together on the picnic blanket perusing their book selection.

It was too precious to miss..........................

Kite Flying at Rockwood Hall

After abandoning our weekend camping plans due to RAIN we decided to get some fresh air this afternoon as it actually stopped raining after a 24 hour downpour. We headed to Rockwood Hall and were accompanied by Connor, Charles and their Pirate Kite.

There really was not a lot of wind (to say the least), but it was a good opportunity to let the boys run around and have fun after being in the house for the last couple of days. They managed to get their kites airbound despite the calm conditions.

Fun was had by all and plans have been made for future kite flying outings by the boys!

At the beach!

So happy to be back in Brigantine for our annual family visit with the Wurf Family!



After a very unpredictable summer with lots of rain we did not know what to expect for our stay in Brigantine this year. However despite the weather forecast for rain and thunderstorms all weekend we have been incredibly lucky so far. The drive down here was tough at times (for Michelle) due to several serious downpours, but since we have been here it has been almost perfect.






I was quite nervous at first at the new found "bravery" of the boys and their wave jumping. The ocean is such a powerful thing and I am not! They had a fabulous time splashing around in the surf, despite me reining them in from time to time!!!












As always we had a fantastic time with our wonderful friends. Thank you Dave, Michelle, Kyler and Mika.

Cousins come to visit

At the end of July we had the pleasure of hosting Alison, Sydney and Austin for two weeks. The children did not know that they were flying to NY - they had been told they were going camping for two weeks with Nanny and Granddad.

All was revealed at the airport! What a fabulous surprise.

We all had a fantastic time, most of it spent at the pool. Austin and Sydney loved it there. The waterslide was a huge hit with them.





A spontaneous visit to Horan's Landing after running errands was enjoyed by all. They would have spent the whole day there if we had packed a lunch!








We took the train into the city one HOT day and took in the sights of 5th Avenue on the way to the Central Park Zoo. We also introduced them to the whispering corner in Grand Central which was a lot of fun.




Ponding at Stone Barns was an exciting adventure. The kids caught (and released) a HUGE tadpole and a turtle.





Finding butterflies and hanging out with the pigs!





We had a wonderful afternoon with Michelle, Kyler and Mika at their pool.....


Cameron was thrilled to introduce Austin to his best buddy, Kyler. They played really well together, it was a pleasure to observe.

On the last Saturday night we had a fire in the back garden and let the children toast marshmallows and make Smores. This was a first for Sydney and Austin. They soon got the hang of it and ate a LOT of desert. They stocked up on Graham Crackers so that they could make them again when they got home.




We rounded off the two weeks with dinner at Gasho, a Japanese style restaurant where the food is cooked Hibachi style. The kids were entertained by our server. They loved trying to catch the broccoli in their mouths. They all ate so well. It certainly is the best way to get children to eat everything served to them, vegetables included!



Sadly, all good things come to an end. It was very emotional having to say goodbye, especially for Cameron, as he and Austin had bonded so well.





Hopefully we will be able to get together again next summer to continue the fun times.

Swim-a-thon

On Thursday morning the Tarrycrest Swim and Dive Team took part in a sponsored swim to raise money for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The society have chosen Katie Smercak as their honoured patient this year. Katie and her family are Tarrytown residents and also members of the Crest pool.

It was a beautiful, sunny morning and the swimmers were keen to get their laps underway, but not before we heard a few words about the purpose of the mornings event from Barbara from LLS in White Plains. Following her speach Katie's mom explained to the children how LLS had been there for them as a family when Katie was diagnosed 6 years ago. I think it really helped the children, especially the younger ones, to understand the meaning of raising money for a charity such as LLS.

The children swam their hearts out and were rewarded at the end with bagels, donuts and fabulous swimming pool cake made by one of the children.

Baby Annie

Thanks to Natasha I had the opportunity to photograph one week old baby Annie this week. What a delight she is. I could not believe how strong she was already. She managed to roll over whilst posing on the beanbag! I thought newborns slept all day...... I did manage a few shots of her with her eyes closed, but she was definitely very curious and alert.

Her adoring brothers watched on and loved having the chance to help out from time to time.

I look forward to watching her grow.