Noah Turns 2!

Our little guy turned 2 - how can that be?! We had a nice, quiet birthday, just us celebrating. Noah received lots of great gifts, although surprisingly it took some coaxing to get him to open them! Being as much a train buff as his brother, we naturally needed a train cake too (eating that took no coaxing).

It's been a busy year for Noah too, making sure he was keeping up with his big brother, and delighting us with his antics. He's got quite the personality!

Getting Ready for Christmas

Thanksgiving weekend, we started decorating for Christmas! The boys really got into Christmas this year in a whole new way, making the whole season extra special.

















Helping bake pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving!

Fall Family Pictures

Taken mid-November 2009, Burba Lake, MD.


Almost 2-yr-old Noah!


Braiden, 3 yrs old!

Halloween 2009

Our blog is attempting to make a comeback (we'll see how it goes). So much to catch up on... Trip to Finland, potty training, big boy bed, lots of talking, fun trips!



The boys have been really into trains all this year. Steam engines, to be specific. We've made weekly trips to a local train museum this fall, and for Halloween, it was easy to decide what they would dress up as. All aboard!

Braiden Turns 3!

Braiden turned 3 on October 10th! On his real birthday, we celebrated at home. Made a cake, opened some presents (favorites were a train set from Nana and a bike from Noah, mommy & daddy!). A week later we took some good friends with us and celebrated at the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum, which we've been visiting a lot this year!

What a busy year it was for Braiden. Potty training, big boy bed, trips to Finland, Seattle, New England, and lots of local places. His obsession with trains only grew, and we enjoyed his "verbal explosion" shortly after he turned 2 - now he isn't quiet all that much. :-) He has made some really great friends in our area, although cousin Anna and Noah still remain his best friends.

Soccer!

This fall, Braiden was introduced to his first organized sport: soccer! He was one of the youngest among 3 and 4 yr olds (not even having quite turned 3), and while it showed, we still had a good time! The following are pictures from his first practice.




Goal!!! Who cares about the rules...


Listening attentively to Coach Matt.




Yes, that's our son... soloing in the back. He came to play soccer, not stand around!

Beach Day

One day this week, we packed up 2 cars, 7 kids, countless sandwiches, and headed to Fort Foster, on the beautiful Maine sea coast. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect day! The kids had a blast, and even Noah's toes touched the sand this time!





















Click here to see the rest of the (unedited) pictures of the day.