Valley Forge

 

Valley Forge Monument Site

A couple weekends ago we drove into Pennsylvania and checked out Valley Forge. It was beautiful, and the green rolling hills and trees with just a touch of fall were lovely to see as we drove around the huge national park. There were miles of trails through meadows and forest, and lots of folks walking/running them. I would love to go back and run with my ipod and take in the beauty of God's handiwork! Here are a few pictures of our afternoon...

Cabins where Revolutionary War soldiers spent the winter of 1777-78.

Blessed to live in such a great country.

Lulu had fun wandering around and picking wildflowers.

"Mommy, I do a flower dance!"

George Washington's house where he conducted war business... aka the first Pentagon.

Pure joy.

Washington's office... So nerdy, but I love to see restored houses with period furnishings.

 


We have been spending our weekends exploring the area, and it has been so much fun. We didn't drive through it, but I saw a covered bridge... adorable! So far, it has been a blast living on the East Coast!

Princess Maddie

 

 

Madison wanted to give Lindsay's princess mobile a spin... she had fun rocking to the music! She is such big stuff! Enjoy!

Seven Months

Our little sweetie is turning 8 months next week, but here is a re-cap of what Miss Madison has been up to in her 7th month...

Madison Grace, 7 months

*Eating... She has been eating three meals a day, usually oatmeal with a fruit, a veggie and fruit for lunch, and mostly veggies for dinner. Her faves are sweet potatoes, green beans, peas and apples so far. Little Miss can feed herself puffs, and loves her mum-mum crackers. We introduced the sippy and she hasn't quite figured out how to use it, but enjoys drinking water when we help her out.

*Sleeping...Mommy and Daddy had to get tough on sleep training this month, and she has been doing fantastic!! She wakes only 1 or 2 times per night, usually around 11pm and/or 4am, and eats (both sides) and goes back to sleep and will wake up between 6-7am. This is especially wonderful because she is teething too. For both my girls, sleeping through the night (7pm-6am) didn't happen magically... it took lots of sleep training and consistency. I know Maddie can go all night, but at this point, I can't (too full!). Waking up one time a night is pretty nice...I think I will keep it!!

Taking a ride in Sissy's car. She thought she was big stuff!

*Physical Development...Growing girl! She has just begun to wear 9 month clothes. Most of her six month clothes still fit, but they are tight or high-waters. I am hoping the weather doesn't change too much in the next four weeks so I can find her 9 month hand-me-downs from Lindsay. She has begun to move from her tummy to her knees, and has almost figured out how to from sitting position to her tummy. Maddie has begun waving (about 1/2 the time) and loves to make noise.

*Personality...Our girl loves water, and has fun splashing. Ever since she was a tiny baby, she would quiet with the sound of water. Maybe we have a future swimmer? She is quite the sassafrass, and will arch her back and throw herself down and fuss when she is ready for a change of scenery.

Is there anything cuter than naked baby tush?! Really?

*Appearance... Madison has cut her first tooth!! It's her bottom right tooth, and she has been making us laugh with all the funny faces she has been making, rubbing her tounge against it! Her little hair is super straight, and downy-soft. It sticks up right now, but as it gets longer, it will lay down nicely like Lulu's did. Besides the color, she has Daddy's hair!

Mama's Girl!

Love you baby girl!! Here's a splashing video... Enjoy!

Apple Festival 2012

Last Saturday we visited Terhune Orchard for their annual Apple Festival.  Besides apple picking, pumpkin picking (a little too soon for us) and an adorable market with fresh produce and yummy jams and jellies, they had other fall festivities that we got to partake in while welcoming in fall!

By the Big Red Barn in the Great Green Field... Lindsay Girl and her Daddy

They had a hay bale maze, and Lindsay had fun going through. I was proud she didn't hop over any of the bales and cheat to get to the finish line like some of the other kids.

Running towards the exit! Success!

They also had pony rides, and Lindsay got to ride a beautiful white pony named "Sweetie". I was a little nervous because this was her first time on a horse, and they had no safety straps to hold the kids on there... thank goodness Daddy stayed with her during her ride. About halfway through the pasture, she told Daddy she was ready to get down...lol.

Horses always make me think about my Grandpa. He was a great horseman, and one of my fondest memories was sitting on his lap listening to him read to me a book about horses. He was even by my side at my very first pony ride at the fair when I was about Lindsay's age. I can picture him looking down from heaven with a big smile watching his great-grand on that pony!

Lindsay had fun riding push-peddle tractors. She couldn't figure out the peddling part, so Jarrett gave her some help.

"Tractor Jam"... tee hee hee.

We saved the apple picking for last, mainly because we didn't want to have to carry around apples all morning. They had Empire, Red Delicious and Winston Stayman and we got a few of each. This week we have apple pie, pork chops with cinnamon apples and an autumn salad on the menu to eat up all our apples. Yum!

I think she had more fun using the bag as purse than picking.

Precious girl had to get in on the apple picking action...

Apples are one of Madison favorite food!

Apple picking is serious business...LOL

My sweet girls and me..

The orchards were so beautiful, and I was dying to get some pictures of the two of them. This is the closest I got. How do those photographers do it? Seriously. I think it is impossible.

Madison Grace... check out her sweet fluffy hair! Love it!

The weather was beautiful, 70 ish with a breeze. The sky is so blue in NJ.

 

 

Come on' Fall weather!! Let's bust out the sweaters and pumpkin spice coffee!

Go Tigers!

 

Jarrett has been busy this week with the start of school, and I wanted to highlight some of the super cool things he/we have had the opportunity to see in the first month at Princeton. This summer has literally been the longest we have had, with Pepperdine breaking for summer in late April, and Princeton starting school after Labor Day in September. So far, Jarrett likes his job, and all the new people he works with, and he is so excited to meet the phenomenal students.  

 

The house above was the place Jarrett stayed while he started work.  It is right across the street from the university, and me and the girls were so lucky to join him for a weekend before we moved into our townhouse. It is three stories of spooky, but had lots of cool architectural details. It was so fun getting to stroll around downtown Princeton and window shop.

One of the courtyards... the archway to the left is where the a capella clubs each year have a sing-off because of the great acoustics.

The chapel. Sigh. I have a slight obsession with Gothic architecture and stain glass windows. Jarrett's boss got married there... how romantic! One of the buildings Jarrett oversees is where they filmed the show House M.D.  Never too far from LA :)

One of the classrooms. I bet you feel smarter sitting in one of those chairs facing the ages old wood paneling. Jarrett got to see Einstein's office, (no picture) and there are so many cool places on campus where history was made, or famous people have studied like Jimmy Stewart, Woodrow Wilson, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Brooke Shields, Donald Rumsfeld, Steve Forbes, Ralph Nader, Meg Whitman and Michelle Obama just to name a few!

 

Yesterday were the opening exercises, and all the Freshmen parade through the front gates and listened to a speech by the president in the chapel. The banners above are each of the colleges within Princeton. Talk about regalia! One of the local folklore is that if anytime a student walks OUT of the gates before they actually graduate (when they walk out), it is bad luck. It is funny to see kids going out the side gates rather than the main one.

Jarrett video'd the Alma Matter, "Old Nassau". Go Tigers!!

The Fishers go to White Castle

 

Last weekend, we ate for the very first time at White Castle.  Being from the West Coast, the closest we had ever gone to eating at the famous burger place was in the frozen food aisle, where they sell their itty bitty burgers. When we were in college we saw the ridiculous movie, "Harold and Kumar go to White Castle", and we seriously wondered what all the fuss was about these so-called amazing burgers. When I think of amazing burgers, I think of In-and-Out... anywho, we gave it a try.

Lindsay was disappointed when we drove up, she really thought she was going to a castle with real "princesses". The food was super cheap which was great, and the burgers were indeed, tiny. Lindsay got excited when she saw one and said, "Look Mommy, my size hamaburger!". However, she took a couple bites and didn't eat anymore. I was with her... ick. Daddy on the other hand, liked them.(?) He could have ours. The onion rings were good, and the cheese fries were ok. We went for the experience, and to say we did it, rather than the food. Next time we go I will probably choose something else on the menu, besides the burgers... or talk J into going to Chick-fil-a!



2 1/2

Here's an update on my sweet eldest daughter...

Stats:
25 lbs
35 inches (2 feet, 11 inches)
Clothes: 2T Shoes: Size 6

*Eating... Lulu's favorite foods are: Chips and Dip, Mashed Potato's and Gravy, guacamole, tacos and ice cream- any flavor. Strange things: She likes to use whatever is on her plate ie. sour cream or ketchup as hand lotion during her meal (?). She hated eggs for the longest time, but last night we turned a corner and she ate a whole egg and cheese burrito!
*Sleeping... She goes to bed around 8pm, and sleeps until 6:30 or 7am *I think she would sleep longer if Sissy didn't wake her up lately*. Takes a 2 hour afternoon nap around 1pm.
*Personality... What a little doll! She is our fire cracker, and has many funny things she says:
"pack pack": Backpack
"banda": Band aid
"puter": Computer
Sayings: "Well maybe", "We a family!", "I love you", "I miss you", "Thanks, Doc" She told me tonight as I had Maddie on my hip and we were getting ready to go down the stairs, "Don't forget your oldest daughter, Mom." LOL. Such a smartie pants. Boy, am I in for it!
*Independent... Lulu is completely potty trained for a few months now (pm included), and can put on her shoes, clothes (with a little help) and wash her hands. She says, "Me do it Mommy!".
*Play... Lindsay loves to play with other kids, and is Miss Social Butterfly. Her favorite things to play lately involve pretending, like using our cell phones, taking pictures, playing baby (she takes them to the beach and the park..lol) and singing made up songs (which crack us up). Last night we heard a serenade about how we all go "Pee Pee and Poo Poo" in the potty. The show she has been into lately is called "Doc McStuffins", and is about a little girl who is a toy doctor. She plays Dr., and will give us "check ups" with her little doctor bag.
*Academic... She can sing the "ABC" song, and surprised me the other day while we were looking through a catalog by recognizing and pointing (correctly) to letters, especially ones in her name. We are working with counting and number recognition, and she has grasped the concept of counting 1 to 1. She knows all her colors, shapes and can name all our family members by name. It is so much fun telling Daddy about our day at the dinner table- it is amazing what she remembers!
*Enviorment... We were worried with all the moving that she was going to take it really hard. She is old enough to understand things are changing, but doesn't have the words to express her feelings, which has led to some frustration and acting out. She has been doing great, and tells me much less frequently, "I want to go to my house." I think she misses her toys mostly (although we have a few out), so it will be like Christmas when we get into our new house and she sees all her treasures.

So proud, put together a 'hard' puzzle!

Beautiful Big Girl

*Love bug... Lindsay is so affectionate, and gives great hugs and kisses. She is very concerned for other people, and notices any ouchies and will offer to kiss them. Lulu is afraid of loud noises, most dogs and being left behind. Her favorite book (lately) is "Fancy Nancy and the Posh Puppy". She loves to help me cook anything, and has been helping me make Maddie's baby food... although she won't try it..lol.
*She is still blonde, and has green-blue eyes. She is thin for her build, but just as tall as many of her peers.
*Favorite songs... "Jesus Loves Me", which she sings all the time, and makes it hard on me when I send her to time-out and she is belting it at the top of her lungs...lol. Daddy and Lindsay sing a nightly rendition of "Old Mac Donald" and "Deep and Wide" during bathtime.

Lulu, you are growing into such a beautiful girl, on both the inside and the outside. We love you!!