One Weekend in Maine

With Michael traveling for work, we decided to head up to Maine for a long weekend. We got to spend lots of time with Nathan's Uncle Will, Aunt Lynn, Cousin Christopher, Mimi and Papa.

We stopped by Portland to have lunch with the crowd before heading to Brunswick. While there, we decided to check out the Children's Museum. Shockingly, Nathan loved it.

Driving the car with Mimi.

Wouldn't be a museum in Maine without a lighthouse!

Sitting in the reading nook with Mimi.

Back at home we just relaxed and enjoyed time with family!

Doing puzzles with Papa.

"Playing" with Cousin Christopher.

Helping Papa break up the ice.

Wouldn't be a trip to Maine without going to Freeport and LL Bean. Nathan gets a peek at the trout in the hunting & fishing section.

Nathan and Christopher enjoyed an appetizer of lemons at Buck's Naked BBQ (they both liked the lemons, they must be cousins or something).

Playing with the train set at the restaurant, great place for kids!

New Mexico comes to visit Winter in New England

Yes, it has been over 2 months since my last blog entry, and a move across the country... But winter in New England put my photography/blog skills into hibernation. But things are thawing out, and with a visit from the Malenfant grandparents, I had the perfect excuse to get started again!

It was a short visit, but we packed a lot of fun into four days. Nathan was beside himself with joy when he saw Grammie and Papa at our front door last Thursday morning. Daddy and Mommy were ignored for the rest of the weekend.

They spent a LOT of time reading, and Nathan showed off his ability to sit through an entire page and book. Grammie had a special gift she had made, a Nathan alphabet book. It was full of photos of Nathan and his world for each letter of the alphabet. He loves it, and now knows about 10 new letters!

Reading his special alphabet book with Grammie.

Reading Richard Scary with Papa.

That night we decided to try dinner at Gibbets Hill Grill in Groton. It is a wonderful restaurant housed in an old (replica?) barn and they use all local ingredients (and try to raise everything on their farm).

The boys walking up to the restaurant.

Nathan devouring all the cornbread.

The next morning we took Grammie and Papa to Nathan's new favorite place, the Discovery Museum in Acton. It is an old Victorian house that has been transformed into a place for toddlers to explore and learn.

Nathan showing Grammie how colors work.

Nathan on his 29th trip down the slide.

I'm on a boat! (up in the ocean room)

Learning about seashells.

Nathan's "flash" smile for the camera.

Saturday morning we headed out to New Hampshire. Aunt Gingy was visiting as well, and we wanted to get everyone together! So we met aunts, uncle and cousins up at Parker's Maple Barn for a great breakfast and learned how maple syrup is made.

Enjoying our big big breakfast together.

Corbin showing Nathan how the souvenir penny machine works.

Walking over to the sugar house to learn about maple syrup.

Sugar house.

The guide telling us all about hydrometers and sugar content (Corbin and Andrew right up front!).

My artsy maple syrup shot.

Aunt Gingy making Nathan laugh.

Thank you for a wonderful visit! We miss New Mexico all the time, but the biggest part is Grammie and Papa. The next time we see them, there will be six people in that photo!!

Christmas 2010

Merry Christmas everyone! I am blogging on Christmas morning, because like a little kid, I was up way too early. But I am resisting the urge to jump on the bed and yell "Santa came!" But Santa actually visited a week early this year. It was my special request to Santa so we could pack up our lives here in Albuquerque during the past week. You see, we are flying this afternoon to Boston, but it has become a one-way trip. Michael was needed in his old position in the Wakefield, MA office of his company, and he accepted the transfer back.

We are sad that our time living in New Mexico is coming to a close, it has been an amazing seven months. We have loved spending so much time with family here, and Nathan getting to know his Grammie and Papa, aunts and uncles, and all the Malenfant cousins (all eight of them!).

I will miss the mornings, with the Sandias greeting me, and a few balloons drifting over the Rio Grande. I will miss the potential for spectacular sunsets every night, and the blue blue New Mexican sky. I will miss that a string of cloudy days (or even one!) comes as a surprise. I will miss great New Mexican food, especially sopapillas dripping in honey. I could go on...

But for now I will post a few photos from our Christmas celebration last week. We are celebrating again today with the extended Malenfant clan, and then once again tomorrow with the Savage family in Massachusetts. I will post those photos whenever we dig out on the other side. I hope Nathan doesn't start to think three Christmases is the norm!

Nathan hanging by the tree "Christmas Eve" while we put out milk and biscochitos (a New Mexican holiday cookie) for Santa.

Christmas morning! Nathan checking out the load capacity of his new Tonka truck.

Over at Grammie and Papa's. How did they know that Nathan hauled this stuffed animal all around Kohl's before mommy could put it back?

Getting a little tired, resting with Grammie.

Second wind! Testing the elevator on his parking garage.

His favorite gift, the program from the 2010 Balloon Fiesta ($1!). He is seriously obsessed with balloons.

More balloons! For his new room in Massachusetts, from Grammie and Papa.

Merry Christmas everyone! See you in Massachusetts (with lots of snow, ack)!

Savage Grandparent's Visit

The Savage grandparents came to visit for a week, to check out Albuquerque, but also to spend lots of time with Mr. Nathan. Nathan set about immediately showing off the apartment and all his toys. He loved having all 4 grandparents in the same zip code!

Nathan asking Papa a very important question about a book.

Papa and Nathan heading off to see the glider exhibit at the Balloon Museum.

Nathan pointing to every balloon for Mimi.

Nathan showing off his new smile for Papa.

Dinner with all 4 grandparents.

That weekend we took a roadtrip to Taos, NM to visit with my Mom's childhood friend Barbara, and her husband Ted. The first stop out of town was Balloon Fiesta Park (Nathan is currently obsessed with balloons, so we keep going back there), with the hopes of seeing the launching of the balloons. Unfortunately, it was too windy, but Nathan thought the launching of the little birthday balloons was exciting enough.

Mimi and Nathan checking out the launching of the (birthday) balloons.

We stopped at Camel Rock on the way up.

A visit to the Taos Drum Factory and their teepees.

Nathan and Mimi checking out the inside of the teepee.

The oft-painted (Georgia O'Keefe) St. Francis of Asis Church in Taos.

On the way to dinner that night, we went to the Lighting of Ledoux Street, where they light the farolitos (paper bags with sand and candles) and luminarias (pinion wood bonfires) and have a great little parade.

Farolitos...

More farolitos...

Michael and Nathan checking out the luminaria.

Back in Albuquerque, Nathan shows Papa his favorite park.

Putting up some new ornaments on the tree before heading to Dinner with Santa and River of Lights...

Dinner with Santa at the Shark Reef Cafe at the Aquarium. Nathan is showing his grandmas the truck on his overalls.

Nathan was a bit confused by Santa. It didn't help that he wasn't a very good Santa and spent most of the time adjusting his beard and belly.

Nathan checking out the fish.

Next we went to the River of Lights, which is a light show at the Biopark. It was quite impressive!

Birds reflected in the pond.

The Malenfant family...

The cactus light show.

Nathan hanging ornaments on Papa's ears :-)

We get to see them again in less than two short weeks!