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I'm leaving today

I want to be a part of it

New York

New York

10 is a big number, and on June 8th ... that's how long it will be for Joe and myself. Too many marriages don't make it to 10 years, and I really want to celebrate BIG. So Joe and I decided that if we can hack it, we want to visit the Big Apple.

I only have 1 slight problem. I've never planned a vacation before, let alone one of this magnitude. I don't know where to stay. I am not good at booking flights and waiting and getting that "perfect deal". I don't know where to eat in NY or what to DO in NY. How much spending money do I bring? What should I budget, because we gotta start saving soon! I need serious suggestions ... I want to have fun and see it all!

Big Hearted -- He belongs on the farm!

Back in September, our family took a trip to the state fair. We know how much Jace loves animals, and I knew that he would have a blast at the fair. I was ... mostly right.

Jace with the Big Bee.

We started with the birds and small animals. He was grinning ear to ear the entire time as we walked from one cage to the next. My little boy has such a big heart! He LOVES animals ... must be related to Great Grandpa Tom. The problem is that once we left one animal building to go the next his face would turn from this ..... to ....

This. Others around us just laughed at my poor little boy that was so sad to leave the animals behind. I think he was meant to live on a farm, really!

When we got to the goats he would watch them for a time, then steal the hay from their cages and throw it on the ground by his feet. There was little hope of getting him out of the building happy. He just wanted to play with his new friends!

Silly Boy :)

Little Sneeker

Awhile ago (I mean ... I don't really remember when because it has been so long since I've blogged ... but Jace is wearing a 18 month top and 12 month bottom, so it couldn't have been THAT long ago ... anyway, I digress ... ) Awhile ago things were nice and quiet upstairs. Apparently, Jace took his chubby little hands and got on his tippy tippy toes to pull down the raisins. He LOVES the raisins. I guess there are worse snacks to be sneaking!

Pumpkin Goop

Last night as a family we decided to carve pumpkins. Halloween was my mom's FAVORITE holiday and since being married, I just haven't really gotten into it. BUT, now that Jace is growing up, I want to be able to go big on every holiday. I want to make them fun and exciting ... and memorable, like mine were. (Quick side note ... is it just me or does my baby's hair look really red in that picture?). We haven't done a ton this year, and I don't have many decorations, Something I'd like to work on soon. One major thing we did every year with my family was carve PuMpKiNs. I remember my mom's pumpkins were always perfect and I wanted mine to turn out just like hers. She always had a fine eye for detail. Very creative ... my mom was!

We got the table ready to go and dug away. We were only able to get one photo of the actual pumpkin carving extravaganza because our battery on the camera died ... It didn't matter too much, there wasn't a whole lot to see.

Some kids love to play in the mess. Mine does not.

He wouldn't stick his hands in the

pumpkin, but was ok sticking the spoon in. Since he is a boy who likes to put things in it's spot, once it didn't surprise me that once I removed some of the seeds, he picked them up and put them back in! They don't go on the table! What a helper. Before long though, he wanted down and was playing

with his toys as Joe and I finished our pumpkins.

I did Jace's first and then

worked on mine. I'm quite proud of the finished product and they sit happily on my door step awaiting the loads of trick or treaters that we will get on Saturday night.