Sara's New Hairdo

Sara got her haircut today. Aimee's been wanting it short but I have insisted on keeping it long. Once again, Aimee was right!

Sara's New Dance Moves

We recently saw where this little baby was dancing to a song on television that became a web sensation. Aimee thought Sara was a much more lively dancer so we made our own little video. It's a minute and a half of fun (at least for Sara).

Our New Guest

Since we moved in, we have had the chance to pet-sit for a number of our neighbors. Most everyone on our street teaches at the seminary, though some of the CTI (Center of Theological Inquiry) housing is just next door. The Perrin family left for the weekend and asked us to watch Sparky. He's an older Beagle that's very mild-mannered, snores like a grizzly bear, and has a bad gas problem. But the girls love him. He's with us for a few nights and it's nice to have him around. However, he and Tanfield (the Stuckenbruck cat) don't get along at all!!!!

A Trip to the Big Apple

Aimee's sister and her husband came to visit last week and we took a trip to NYC. The train ride is just over an hour and takes us straight to Penn Station under Madison Square Garden. Needless to say, we'll be making a few trip while we're here. It's relatively cheap round trip ($50 for the whole family)and it is really cool. The girls went to see Shrek the Musical on Broadway with Aimee and Auntie Robin. I hung out in the hotel room with Eric (my brother-in-law) and watched Philadelphia beat the Giants! Then we went out and had a great time.



Yes, that look is, 'Dad, don't take my picture.' So sorry. Raina and Auntie Robin eating funnel cakes!



The food cooked by the street vendors on 6th Ave was awesome!



My good-looking wife and Grace!



My favorite, the Hard Rock!






They wanted me to stop in and perform but I declined.




Central Park



Mmmmmm, Corona and M&M's






The view from the room.




Raina and Grace waiting for Shrek.

Christmas in October

Aimee's mom came in for a visit and was her over Halloween. They went out shopping and her mother insisted on buying a Christmas tree, even though we will be gone over the holiday. Never mind, it had to be. Not only that, but they put it up on Halloween night. I'll get killed for putting this picture up!

Halloween

Raina, Grace and Sara had a great time on Halloween. Raina dressed up like some lady on the Phantom of the Opera (she loves that movie), Grace was a fashion model, and Sara was a little fairy. The Stuckenbruck family came over and Aimee and Lois took Nathan, Grace, and Sara trick-or-treating. Nathan dressed up as Darth Vader. They scored huge amounts of candy and we had tons of pizza.

Leaves are Falling

With the changing of the leaves comes the inevitable, a yard full of work (or fun, depending on who you are!). The girls have had a blast jumping from their swing into the leaves.

Science Fair at Princeton University

A few weeks ago I took Raina and Grace to the science fair at Princeton University. They had a really good event for school-age kids and the girls were allowed to participate in some experiments.



We thought this lady was going to burn the building down. She was really into it.



She was making things explode using household kitchen items. At this point I was not so happy that we came.

Beautiful Fall Colors

Aimee and I were amazed at how beautiful it is here in Princeton when the leaves began to change. We've lived in some pretty places before but so far this is the most beautiful. The colors are so bright it's just amazing. I carried a camera around with me for a week and Raina made fun of me. I thought you might enjoy the pictures.



This picture and the next two below are near the library at the seminary.





This one and the one below are the trees in our front yard.





This is on Nassau St. just in front of Firestone library at the university.

Left Alone for 1 Minute

Since Grace is now 10 years old, it's been a while since we had a toddler around the house. We forgot how important it is to detect those quiet moments. I suppose it was so nice to have a little silence that we just didn't think. But as you know, when it's quiet, they're into something. This is what we found! We had to empty out the carousel cabinet and move everything higher.

Cold Nights!

It's been getting cold here in Jersey so I've built a fire a few nights. It doesn't take much for me to build a fire since I would would have one every night of the year! We're very happy to have a nice fireplace in the new house. I think Sara likes it as much as I do.

Pumpkin Carving

We went out and got the pumpkins for Halloween and this year I let the girls do the carving. They did a great job. Sara wasn't real sure about the goo inside but she got used to it after a while. I was happy we got through the process without losing any digits!



Grace doesn't appear to be very happy here! I think she was afraid Raina was going to cut herself.



Her technique here suggests Grace may have had reason to be concerned.



Grace with pumpkin eyes.







The finished product!

Terhune Orchard

Just up the road is Terhune Orchard, which is known for its hayrides, pumpkin patch and other cider! They also have freshly made cider doughnuts that are delicious. We took the girls and Grace's friend Sophie. We got rained on but made the best of it.



Raina, Grace and Sophie









Sara and I having some cider doughnuts.

Philadelphia

We took a trip to Philly while Aimee's sister was here. We visited Independence Hall and many of the other historic sites. I must say, I felt a bit more patriotic after the visit. I'm not sure if it was the history or spending time at the Hard Rock!

Tanfield

We are keeping the Stuckenbruck's cat, Tanfield, while their house is being finished. I'm not much of a cat guy but I have to admit, Tanfield is really cool. He keeps to himself and hasn't destroyed anything yet. The girls just love him and as soon as we get settled somewhere I have to buy them a cat. It's been kind of like renting a car before you buy one to see if you'll like. My luck, I'll get a lemon!