To do this fall y'all!

Good Morning! Happy first day of fall!  If you have been reading my blog awhile, you have known that one of the things I missed over the past 4 years in Okinawa was the fall.  As much as I hate the cold weather, I love the changing season leading up to it.  The crisp air, cozy sweaters, changing leaves pumpkins, and of course cheap apples.  

When moving back to the east coast, I was very excited to once again see the beauty the changing seasons has to offer.  Last year I tried to make a fall to do list, but found that there was very little I could do on a tropical island.  Pumpkins were often almost sold out by mid october, and we spent our fall usually planning for christmas because of how fast things would sell out.  The air was never quite fall-like, and we had palm trees in our front yard, not a colorful oak or maple like I was used to.  

Virginia, like Connecticut gets some beautiful weather this time of year.  The feel of fall is almost identical, though nothing will beat Jones pumpkin patch, and apple picking up the road.  All the same, I've created a list of things to do this fall! I hope you all join me in doing some of these things.  Have a great fall!

Easter 2013

This is a very late post, but better late then never!  Our Easter this year was a bit last minute, as we realized last minute that we will actually be arriving in the states on Easter this year.  So instead we hussled to have a small Easter celebration at home.  Nothing too crazy, but just a little something for Z man to be entertained by.  Here are some photos from our last minute holiday.  It was small but fun!

Egg hunt with Daddy's unit

This was the sweetest Great Dane

Some guys were playing LARP.  This was one guy's helmet! 

LARP guys (Live Action Role Playing)

Little bunny boy

He was so happy in this bouncy house

Bunny boy again

He had just learned to sit up!

I was snapping photos outside and Z was having a tantrum.  He wanted milk.  Yes he's also holding milk

Some Easter photos

Easter morning.  The easter bunny left some jelly bean eggs out for Z

Zach's easter basket.  No he didn't eat the candy

About to dye eggs!

The dye is all set

The boy's friend Hazel Mae nawing on some eggs

Just hanging out with my Gnome.  Mommy hates gnomes!

Christmas Day

It's here!  Christmas Day!  And guess who came?  SANTA CAME! And boy he was good to us!  Apparently these boys were very well behaved this year.  Zach proved Santa right I believe.  Though he kept me busy all year, he was a very well behaved toddler all year.  I'm quite lucky to have such a well behaved boy.  Eli was good too, but of course he only had 3 months to prove himself to Santa. 

We awoke to see that Santa had eaten a lot of his cookies. We also saw that the reindeer had eaten the reindeer food we threw outside. (ok, Neko ate it...) Santa really did come!  And the presents under the tree really proved Santa's arrival.  Wow!  And how creative is Santa?  He even used photos from the year as labels for our gifts this year!  I loved reminiscing on the wonderful year we've had in 2012!

We had a light breakfast, knowing we were going to have a heavy brunch later.  Of course before breakfast could happen, someone snuck some bites of Santa's leftover cookies!  We also decided we would open our stockings before our guests arrived.  Zach got some really cool stuff.  

"Mmmm!

Warming our butts by the fire!

Lots of neat stuff

Reachhhhh in!

And then our guests arrived!  We are so happy they were here to open presents with us.  The boys weren't really into present opening- as they are a big young still.  But Zach still did help us rip it!

Opening with his Auntie

Zach was reverse planking on his present!

Dog treats.  Those are for the doggie Zach!

RIP IT ZACH!

Clothes for a handsome man!

Santa's pooped already!

Eli even got toys

Opening a present form his Uncle Ric

This was the most popular toy with Zach.  Uncle Fedya got him this Mickey that break dances!  He's so funny!

Someone's exhausted

We then spent the day playing with our new toys.  There sure was enough of them!  Our evening was spent with our friends.  We had a wonderful dinner with friends and Dima even made his famous grilled Turkey for his Mom and Sister to try.  I think this one came out to be the best one yet.  We even used my homemade Turkey stock from our Thanksgiving turkey.  We had a great dinner, and busted out some Just Dance 4 afterwards. (Thanks Ric!)  I was amazed that they had the time warp song on it.  Of course- Joe and I had to dance to it!  We had so much fun.  

Our final Christmas in Okinawa was a wonderful and fun day.  We've had 3 amazing Christmas day's here now.  Though I look forward to having a Christmas Day in the states someday, I will really miss it here. 

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve.  It's one of my favorite holidays.  It seems that the spirit of Christmas is always strongest on Christmas Eve.  As a kid, we spent this holiday making cookies for Santa and spending time as a family.  Though we didn't make cookies this year (we had already made over 14 dozen cookies this holiday season) we did still spend time together as a family.  

First, we exchanged pajamas to wear to bed.  This has become our little family tradition.  I was really excited for this this year because I got Dima what I believe to be the perfect pajamas- footie pajamas.  Dima's been saying for years that he wanted some, so this year he got them. Even better is the fact that they are also a sock monkey costume!  Zach and Elijah got matching Santa outfits.  And I got a long pink tee!  

Opening a present like a big boy!

RIP IT!

Santa!

"Oh cool!"

Helping Daddy open his

His face was priceless!

Funniest thing ever!

The Boxes are always the best anyway!

 We then went to church with our neighbors.  The church had a big Christmas Eve party with lots of food and singing.  It was fun, and Zach especially enjoyed it.  He kept us busy by stuffing his face, and trying his own kind of singing.  It was a wonderful evening with great friends.  

Zach loved coloring

And eating cookies!  or "cook" as he calls them!

Wendy and Joey

Love all those trees!

Being silly under the table

Joe and Zach were having a ton of fun!

After church we headed home for the end of our festivities.  We put on our new pajamas and read a christmas book and went to bed.  Daddy and I then went downstairs to leave cookies and a protein shake for Santa.  My sock monkey had a great time- and even posed for some photos.  We then headed for bed with visions of sock monkeys in our heads! 

Cookies and a shake for Santa

Zach tried to steal some of Santa's cookies!

Dima posing

Best pajamas ever!

A few of the presents.  There were more on the way still.  The next morning there was a bike under the tree and lots of presents from one of the Grandma's!  Those boys must have been good!

Here comes Santa Claus!