A Day in Brooklyn with Aunt Stephie

 After racing on Saturday, we spent Sunday re-couperating by picnicing in Brooklyn Bridge Park.  This has become one of our fav't weekend destinations as it's a quick ferry ride over from Manhattan and has some great playgrounds and walk in it.  
One of the greatest things about New York is you never know what you're going to run into, and as luck had it, the DUMBO Arts Festival was going on over in DUMBO.  Artists and food trucks flooded the streets, and all the art studios/warehouses had their works on display.

Brooklyn Bridge Park added a new carosel over looking the water.  Gorgous views! 

It was the DUMBO Art's Festival and many artists had their pieces out.  This artist had a huge bubble blowing machine that the kids just loved! 

Popped right in her face! 

Walking through the arts festival 

Spartans, Prepare for Glory!

 Spartan Race, Staten Island, NY

The test of will- power and perseverance. An 8 miles of mud-running filled with 24 obstacles, sand, water, walls, tunnels to swim through, barbed wire to crawl under, and to many burpies to count.   Needless to say, it was a blast!

The hardest part for me was the 50 yard swim through the tunnels.  Water was up to your neck as you crouched down into a frog crawl to get through the pitch-black tunnels.  I am not a big fan of enclosed places filled with water, so I started to freak out a bit.  But my team had my back, talked me through it and I completed it.

We had teammates who didn't think they could run the full 8 miles and did amazing.  The fact that it was mostly single track, off-road running made it fun.  The track was full of mud, tree roots, puddles and bushes, so you were concentrating to just staying upright, you didn't even notice the miles flying by.  We all made it over/under/through each and every obstacle, including the final 10 foot, 45 degree wall covered in slick.

Go Team Teal!

Team Teal! Steve, Vicki, Missy, Christian and Steph.  Ready to rock before the race! 

Who's going to mess with these Spartans?! 

One of the 8- 10 foot walls we had to climb over 

And after the race... mud in every crevace imaginable.  

Done!  

Team Teal..shirts are a little darker!-  2 hours 28 minutes 

Making us laugh

Some notes on J.   She is hiliarious.  Plain and simple, the girl makes us laugh.  One of her favorite things to do right now is to say hi to everyone/everything; helicopters, planes, policemen, cabs, buses... anything.   The cutest is her saying hi to the helicopters and ferryboats, and sort of expecting them to say hi back.

The other thing she likes to do is repremand Pooh and Minnie.  " Minnie, no kick Mama in the face" (yup, that's a real one),  "no time out Pooh, no time out".   Listening to her in her crib at night just makes our hearts warm and our smiles grow.  

She's still not very into baby-dolls, but prefers to bring Pooh or Minnie for a ride, or push them in their own mini-stroller. 

Classic Quotes:
I say to Jocelyn "You are just so cute", she looks at me and says "Thank-you!"  what a pip! 23mos 

Apple Picking

 9/11 was a time of remembering and being with family for the city, so we decided to head upstate to spend time with the Klein's by apple picking.  We headed to Lawrence Farms in Newburgh, NY and had an amazing time.  It felt really good for us to get out of the city, after all the craziness that the 9/11 anniversary brought and it was a wonderful time for the kids.   The farm not only had apples, but in-season fruits and vegetables to pick as well.

Pooh, never leave home without him. 

Let's go Daddies, we're ready for some picking! 

Hmmm, broccoli, how many heads of this do I need? 

Picking the good apples at the top 

Logan, do you prefer the Gala or the Roma apples? I'm still undecided.  

Lots of apples! 

Crazy Uncle Billy, I don't belong in the tree! 

The farm had a great kids section, filled with pint-sized houses and toys for them to play on. 

Labor Day w/e

 The Summer has just flown by!   I can't even believe that we just celebrated Labor Day.  We headed out east to celebrate Chris's Grandparent's 62nd wedding anniversary, along with 2 engagements (Vickie/Steve & Michael/Michelle) and a few August birthdays.  It was a great weekend and we had some nice quality with G&G, as we stayed over Saturday night at their house.

Aaron and Kyle 'sharing' the car... neither one looks pleased about it

Cousin's discussing the benefits of riding in the Radio Flyer 

Jocelyn and Caleb out for a stroll around the yard 

Danny and Jocelyn convincing Burton he really wants to jump in the fish pond 

Daddy, the tickle monster 

Caleb and Jocelyn in the 'love hug' 

Monday was spent over at Brooklyn Bridge Park- amazing park!