These Days

Until I finally get caught up on my blog--and can really record some of the fun we have had, I want to jot down some tid bits about our lives in NH:

1. Berry Picking {and apples}: this has been one of our very most favorite parts about being back East.  We have been several times to a small farm about 10-15 minutes from our house and have enjoyed every minute of it.  The blueberries and raspberries are fantastic and the kids LOVE helping me pick the fruit.  And then of course they also love helping me eat them as well! Maddie also found a patch of blackberries in the forest behind our house and we have enjoyed those as well.

2.  Montshire Museum: a fun science museum that is minutes away from our house.  We have been there twice and the children really like the fun water area in the back.  They can wear swimsuits and splash around in the water as they learn how to connect plastic PC pipes together to make the water fountains squirt in a different direction.  The kids have also liked the exhibits inside and with year long passes, we will definitely be frequenting this place.

3.  Lunch date at Paneros:  today I took the boys with me and met up with some really great friends for lunch.  The boys were very well behaved, the food was delicious and the company was even better.  These ladies have seriously made moving far away from our family and friends worth every bit of it!!

4. Lake Pinneo in Vermont:  a few weeks ago we met up with a bunch of people from our church and spent the middle of the day at the beach.  It was so much fun for my kids to put on their swimsuits and get to splash around in the lake and build sandcastles and moats on the shoreline.  Eli especially loved the playground there.  It was the perfect sized lake and we definitely enjoyed some extra rays of sunshine.

5.  Weekly get togethers with our fellow Tuckies:  we have really enjoyed all the events that Jesse's business school puts on for their students.  We have also loved how many of the people in our neighborhood are also in business school and some even have children.  It seems like something is always happening around here and I find myself spending a lot of time going to potluck dinners, visiting friends, taking kids on bike rides, etc.

6. Daily trips into the forest:  I don't know if I can stress just how much my children love the forest in the backyard.  It is difficult to describe how much joy shines on their faces as they are foraging in the forest for frogs, crickets, spiders, squirrels, etc.  Just today they caught two frogs that are safely placed in a big plastic container on our front porch.  Maddie has made a habitat for them inside the container, complete with grass, twigs, water, and leaves.  We will see how long they live. I have to admit that I am NOT a bug/animal person but I really do like how it entertains my children.

7.  Puppies:  they seem to be everywhere and Miss M in particular is obsessed.  We have a neighbor with a small little dog named "Owen" and they are all particular fond of him.  Maddie seems to have a sixth sense, in that she can almost sense when he is coming out of house and will quickly follow suit.  I am glad that his owners are very friendly, nice people that don't seem to mind my children always bothering them :)