East Coast Trip Part 2: Vermont

After our time in New York, we spent a wonderful week in Vermont. We met up with my parents, my 90-year-old-very-amazing grandmother, and my sister, Rachel and her family. We stayed near the village of Stowe, tucked right up into the mountains. It was gorgeous!

One of the first things we did was head to Waterbury and the Ben & Jerry's Factory for a little tour and some fresh and delicious ice-cream. See their funky and colorful travel van above, and the "flavor graveyard" below. (As you'll see later, I seemed to have a thing for graveyards and headstones during this trip!)

We had great weather and spent a lot of time playing in the pool. Sawyer is a total water baby, he just loves the water (good thing I signed us up for some mom-tot lessons this summer!). He doesn't even mind it when we dunk him!

Cousin Jackson is also a water baby. It was hilarious to see him count off on his fingers to his mom, "1, 2, 3!" and run and jump into the water (he is 20 months old). It was quite funny (only because he didn't get hurt) to see him jump twice and miss the water, landing right on his little rear end. Luckily, he didn't seem to mind. He just got up and gave it another go until he finally got the splash he was after :)

There was also an indoor "Splash" pool. There were water slides and all these fountains and water-squirters, yet the pool itself was only knee high. Perfect for our little guys! They were pretty much in heaven (as were we!)

Aunt Rachel & Uncle Jared brought some bubbles for us to blow, and one evening we had great time blowing bubbles and popping them. Jackson actually got the blowing part down, Sawyer, on the other hand, always ended up with the wand in his mouth. One day...

On the only rainy day we had in Vermont, we headed to the Cold Hollow Cider Mill. There, we got to see the process of cider making. We also got to taste test a lot of their yummy goods. AND Grandma treated us all to Cider Donuts - which are SOooooo good! We also stopped by a glass blowing studio (those of us with little ones ended up spending most of the time outside. Note to self: toddlers and glass, especially expensive artsy glass, aren't a good combo!)

Another day, we headed out for a nice scenic drive. There were a lot more pictures I would've liked to take, of the green, green, countryside and old red barns, but we could only stop so many times! We did, however, run across this beautiful old, historic, covered bridge. There are many in Vermont. I found it slightly ironic that most of Vermont is so rustic and rural, yet so politically and environmentally "forward". My end conclusion was that Vermont is a most amazing, relaxing, and beautiful place - but I couldn't live there. It's just too rural for this city girl :) This is good to know, as at one time Jacob was considering a job in Burlington. No longer!

We also went to the Sugarbush Farm. It is a farm that makes 4 grades of pure maple syrup and also something like 14 varieties of cheeses. (Have you ever tried rosemary cheese? it's pretty tasty!) They also had some animals for the kiddies to enjoy. Sawyer is pretty much in love with dogs these days. Whenever he sees one, he starts panting :)

Jackson and Grammie watching the farm horse run in the arena.

The wax process that keeps the cheese fresh for shipping.

Taste testing all the cheese and syrups.

You better bet Jackson and Sawyer got to try the syrups and cheeses. I think they were the only ones who didn't hesitate to ask for a refill in their little spoons.

Our last day, it was rainy. We went to Burlington and to the Church Street Market. We went to the ECHO Aquarium and Science Center. Sadly, we also said good-bye to Jacob as he had to head back to Seattle for work. We missed him the rest of the trip!

Oh, Vermont. A great place to get away and relax. It was a great week. Can you believe there is going to be a part 3 to this trip? Stay tuned!

East Coast Trip Part 1: Upstate New York

This was Sawyer at 7am at JFK after an all night flight from Seattle (he slept the whole flight). He was an amazing little traveler! He got many a compliment on his dinosaur pjs as he roamed the airport during our 2 hour layover. Then, as we got settled for the last leg of our trip - to Buffalo - he fell asleep again. Seriously, I had fretted about traveling so far and for so long with my active little guy. He amazed me with his flexibility and willingness to roll with the punches during our 2 weeks of travel on the East Coast.

Our first stop: Orchard Park, New York

Jacob's Grandma Saville lives in Orchard Park. It's a smallish town about 15 minutes from Buffalo. She has lived there her entire life, as did her husband. She lives in the same house she raised her family in - an old, warm, and inviting home on quite a few acres, on which land is grown produce for the store she helps run with her son. Uncle Jeff & Aunt Molly live just a stones throw from Grandma. We had a wonderful time visiting them and their 3 teenagers - all of whom were wonderful with Sawyer. The Savilles have lived so long in Orchard Park, that the street Grandma lives on bears the name "Saville". It was quite a treat to go spend some time with Grandma Saville.

Our first day, we just rested up a bit from our journey, and visited. Sawyer helped us explore her old house. Grandma's house is filled with all the things Grandmas should have: little trinkets and interesting gadgets. Antiques of different sorts, stacks of newspapers and magazines, and, of course, many old toys waiting to be played with. I'm pretty sure Jacob's mom played with these toys when she was a little girl. I loved how old and nostalgic these toys were. They lured Sawyer right in - he was so busy with the toys and buckets of small random toys Grandma had for him to play with he completely neglected the pile of magazines (at home he loves to tear up magazines and try to eat them). Again, I was amazed our little son was such a great house guest.

As I looked at everything, all the trinkets and so forth, I felt so warm and comfortable. I thought of my own Grandmothers' homes. I thought how I am such a minimalist - what kind of trinkets would I ever have around for when I have grandchildren when I don't like trinkets in my own home? Perhaps one day I should start some sort of a collection...

The following day, Grandma went to help out at the florist shop (Saville's, of course!) as Mother's Day was quickly approaching and they needed a lot of help filling all of the orders. So, we went sight-seeing.

Next stop: Niagara Falls

I don't have a lot of words to describe Niagara Falls. It is breathtaking, and beautiful. The Canadian side is by far better kept up and cared for, but any which way you look at them: they are quite spectacular.

I came to Niagara Falls by myself on a solo road trip about 7 years ago. When I asked for someone to take my picture by the falls, she said "honey, why are you here all alone?" I then had to explain that I wanted to travel and see things and just because I was single I wasn't going to let that stop me. Of course, in my heart, I wanted to have a travel companion. Someone to get misty with when we went so close to the falls on the boat. I never ever imagined I'd return one day with my handsome husband and adorable son.

We all put on our ponchos and took a boat ride on the Maid of the Mist. We got misty all together :)

Later in the day, on the Canadian side, we went to a Butterfly Sanctuary and Botanical Garden. It was heavenly having all of those delicate and beautiful little creatures - hundreds of them - fluttering all around us.

The next day we hung out and ran a few errands getting ready for Mother's Day. Then, we visited Saville's - the market and the florist shops. We met some of Jacob's extended family. Uncle Jeff took us out to see the land, and into the greenhouse to see some of the herbs, flowers, and plants growing. It was windy and cold outside, but oh-so-warm in the greenhouse. It sure would be nice to have a greenhouse. I think I'd set up a hammock and a kiddie pool, and then grow flowers and tomatoes and herbs in the rest.

On Mother's Day, Sawyer & Jacob left our room and came back with smiles. Sawyer toddled over to me with a card in hand. My sweet boys! They gave me a gift certificate to the Gap (flowers don't travel well). Jacob got up early and made a wonderful breakfast for me and Grandma Saville. He made coffeecake, bacon, and eggs. Grandma told me to never have breakfast in bed on Mother's Day - she said she didn't like it because her kids would bring her breakfast, and then she'd be left all alone in bed eating her breakfast. She has a point! If it's going to be in bed, I say make it a party and have everyone join in! We enjoyed breakfast and then said our good-byes. It was a short and sweet visit. We had a lot of driving to do...pretty much across the entire state of New York. We did take one break during our 10 hour drive...(Sawyer was perfectly happy 9.5 hours - it was the last half hour he had enough - could you blame him? I had also had enough by that time!)

Next stop: Palmyra, New York (aka The Sacred Grove)

This is a LDS Church Historic Site. It was a great resting place on our journey. In fact, we were the only ones visiting! I used to imagine this spot as a small clearing in a thick of trees - but in actuality, it's a series of trails intertwined in a forested grove. There are so many trails, that we even got turned around for a few minutes! Sawyer enjoyed "walking" in the grove. He likes to hold our hands and walk everywhere these days.

I had a marvelous time watching the scenery fly by as we zoomed across the state of New York. It is truly a beautiful place. Lots of farmland, big, old, well-kept homes. Red barns against fields of green grass. Tiny towns through the Adirondacks. We passed occasional waterfalls and even part of the Hudson River. There were many pictures I would have loved to take, if not for the fact that we called ahead and realized we might miss the ferry to Vermont. No time to stop. We raced through backwoods praying that there would truly be a ferry there and that we wouldn't get caught in a long line. This is what we found in Essex, NY...

A ferry unlike we've ever seen before (very much UNlike Washington State Ferries - where you can spend several hours waiting in line). First, we were the only ones there. On the edge of Lake Champlain, in a town so small there wasn't even a hotel to stay in should we have missed the ferry. But we waited, because the schedule said the ferry would leave at 8:30 and we had 20 minutes to see if that were true. Luckily, another car pulled in and confirmed we were indeed in the right place. If the ferry were full, it would have held 12 cars maximum. As it was, there were 3. It was a beautiful little ride over to Charlotte, VT. and then on to meet up with my family in Burlington, and then - finally - arriving at our resort in Stowe. Whew!

Part II of our adventure soon to come!

Buzzzz...

With summer approaching, I thought it was time for Sawyer's 3rd haircut...yep...another buzz. I'm getting better each time I do it! I didn't realize how much hair our boy had until I saw it falling to the floor! It seems to grow so quickly!

I have noticed 3 things each time I have buzzed my boy's hair:

1) Each time, his hair seems to turn a shade or two lighter
2) his eyes seem even BIGGER, and
3) he looks less like a baby and more like a little boy.

I have always thought about having a boy with long-ish hair, you know, the shaggy cute boy hair that falls in their face? But Sawyer's hair is STICK STRAIGHT and it just sticks out and starts looking funny...I think he is just one of those boys that looks great with a BUZZ. Wouldn't you agree?

Grandma Iris turns 90!

Today, I pay tribute to my Grandma Iris. Today, she turns 90! You can see what a fun gal she is - in the picture above, the snow was shoulder high in Utah in February 1955. She (on the left) and her girl friend (also sister-in-law), Irene, decided to get silly and put on their swimsuits and take some pictures with the snow all around them!

Ninety!!! Grandma Iris is who I get my "young looking" genes from. Seriously! At 90, she still hops on her treadmill for a few short "walks" throughout the day in the winter time...and is out working in her yard every day the weather permits. Planting flowers, pulling weeds, she does it all! She even feeds the birds and quail who come to her back porch to visit with her. She does all of this in between making delicious homemade pies (the BEST!), reading novels, crocheting and knitting projects for all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and of course taking the time to talk to friends and family near and far.

My Grandmother is a beauty. That's a fact. She is beautiful inside and outside - the best kind of beautiful to be! And I think it's true, that women get more beautiful with age. She just has the most sparkling eyes and genuinely happy smile. I guess you can't help but be very pretty when you are named after a flower!

This picture is last July, when we went to visit our family in Oregon. Sawyer was about 3 1/2 weeks old, and here he is meeting his Great Grandma. We are so excited to be able to see Grandma Iris this weekend, and do a little celebrating with her! My Grandmother is very special to me. When my mother was single (until I was 10), my Grandparents were a very big part of my life - always taking us for the weekend so Mom could study, and taking us camping and fishing. Grandma read countless stories to us and sewed many Barbie clothes for us. She let us be children and encouraged our imaginative play. She let us turn her dining room table into a fort and lap up water from her bowls when we pretended to be puppies. Her "busy bee" always came to kiss us on the nose. She showed us how to curl our eye lashes. And she even showed us how to tap to the beat of Bob Marley! Oh, how many wonderful memories I have of my Grandma Iris - and I am looking forward to creating more! Watch out, Grandma, because I'm bringing our camera and going to take some special birthday pictures of you! We love you!

Happy Birthday, Grandma! We love you many Bushels and many Pecks and a great big hug around your neck!

Outings // Skagit Valley Tulip Festival 2009

Sawyer and I went with some friends to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival mid-week. The boys babbled away at each other in the back seat, and then fell asleep for the rest of the hour+ journey north. There are a couple of major farms to go to, and the times I've been before we went to Tulip Town, however, this year we went to Roozengaarde. We had a wonderful time looking at all the varieties of bulbs and blooms in the garden, and then wandering the fields with the boys.

My favorite part was seeing how, in the midst of millions of beautiful tulips, the boys hardly seemed to notice. Forrest was more interested in playing with his stroller's wheels, while Sawyer was having a great time in the dirt.

Love the whole boy/dirt/barefoot combo! And the "discovery" pointer finger!

The best part of all, though, was how Sawyer crawled on the dirt. Whenever something is a different texture on his knees, he puts his little rear end up in the air to avoid touching his knees to the strange feeling surface, at least until he gets used to the new texture. I think it's so funny and cute when he does this! When we got home, we were tired, and VERY dirty. BUT...we had fresh cut Tulips in hand - a wonderful little reminder of the beautiful day we spent in the Tulip fields of Skagit Valley!