2010 Wrap-Up

What an amazing year this had been. To fill our friends and family in on our recent happenings I thought that I would do a 2010 wrap-up.

Central Park November 2010

Our year starting out with freezing cold weather that invited us to go outside and throw snowball at each other and the passing neighbors. Claire was enjoying Kindergarten and Matt was enjoying studying the Classics at Columbia University. Lance, Jack and I enjoyed exploring the city. The American Museum of Natural History became one of our favorite places. Lance and Jack can tell you exactly what floor Rexy and "Dumb dumb you give me gum gum" are on.

When the weather warmed up we craved a road trip and headed south to Washington DC. We loved spending time with old friends and making new friends like Abraham Lincoln. While Claire was learning to read, Matt was learning to read and translate Latin and keep up with remembering the Greek that he learned in the Fall semester.

In the Spring we lost a wonderful man in our family, my Dad, J David Fraser . It was this bitter sweet event that took Matt and I to California for the week...kid free. It was wonderful to see family and share tender memories. We come home to 3 little children that enjoyed their week long slumber party and missed their Mommy and Daddy. We used some much needed family time we toured Virginia and our little ones were able to walk where great men walked.

Brooklyn Bridge

As Kindergarten was wrapping up for Claire, Matt was starting another round of classes, so the kids and I packed up for California (and less humidity) We had a "to do list" a mile long and I am not really sure what we did but we came home tan, missing NY city and most of all Daddy!

Cousins

September brought more changes to our little group. Four new classes for Matt, 1st grade for Claire, Kindergarten for Lance, jack being the only kid home....and a move to Manhattan for the whole family. We loved living in the Bronx, leaving our friends and community was tough, but we loving being in the city.

We went from a 3 bedroom 2.5 bath with all the modern convinces (garbage disposal, etc) to a 2 bedroom 1 bath and the cutest dishwasher I have ever seen...Matt. There has been much adjusting, but some things never change.

Jack is quite the story teller and thinks that he is just as big as his siblings (except when it comes to riding in the stroller) He loves to build wonderful forts and train stations out of his wooden blocks. Jack also enjoys doing "homework" and complaining about it like the rest of us. I love having him home to myself and touring the city with him.

Lance is our comedian! He loves to act out scenes from various movies and keeps us laughing. He loves to build and create cities with blocks, legos and every car and train in the house. He is also a hard worker and will work until the job is done perfect. We hear shouts from his friends excited to see him as we walk to Kindergarten. He breezes through his homework and often asks for more. I wish I could bottle his excitement and energy!

Steps of Lincoln memorial where MLK gave his speech

Claire is our princess, in every sense of the word. If something does not go her way she lets us know about it. She is also so sweet and loving and makes sure that her brothers are taken care of. Claire is our ballerina and turns circles all over our apartment and down Broadway as we walk home. She is always asking to help to clean and make dinner. She is quite the little mommy with all of her babies and keeping the boys in line.

Matt and I, well we just try to keep up with our babies. Matt does this while carrying a full load at Columbia (which includes memorizing Greek and Latin every semester among other things). He also keeps our Missionaries in line as the Ward Mission Leader. I love to run all over the city, find new thrift store finds with Jack, and laugh and learn with the Relief Society sisters in our ward.

This year has been a year full of unforgettable moments and moments that I wish I could hold on to a little longer. Looking back I remember how lucky I am and how good I have it!

Here is to many more years of memory making...cheers!

Yankee Games

We living in NY...we had to attend at least 1 (or 2 or 3) Yankee game. Yankee Stadium is in our back yard, we do live in the Bronx after all. So we dawned Yankee blue, packed the backpack full of food and headed to the game.

We arrived early so that we could find our seats, and tour the new stadium a bit. Getting to the stadium was part of the fun part. We parked a mile away and walked with all of the other fans past where old Yankee Stadium stood ( you can still see the rubble through the cracks in the boards). It is just such a neighborhood feeling if you can say that about a thousands of closest neighbors.

Jack chose cotton candy as a treat to share. He was so excited that he asked if we could open it all the way to our seats.

Lance was so excited to be sitting in his own seat of a Stadium that we drive past often.

The food was also a draw for Claire.

When the game lost it's interest the kids found other ways to entertain themselves. Jack sang songs and drove his cars along the seats.

Another boredom buster were Mommy and Daddy's ipods...

Fun was had by all. There was singing, dancing, a fight and beer poured on us. Ah, the stuff that family memories are made of.

In the end the Yankee's won and we walked home with our neighbors...all of us in a very good mood.

Months later Matt and I had a chance to attend a Yankee playoff game and we jumped at the chance. Thanks to 3 wonderful friends we were kidless and ready to scream ourselves horse!

We were one row away from the tip of the top, but we did not care, we were at a playoff game...with the Yankees!

As the sun went down the game started to get exciting, the temperature started to drop and we were kicking some tail.

In the end we (yes we are officially Yankee fans!) won that game. We drove home with our bellies full of hot dogs and garlic fries and less voice than we had when the game started. Just to hear Frank sing NY NY, is such a treat.

Apple Picking

Apple Weather! This was our 2nd Annual apple picking trip up to Connecticut to Silverman Farm. Many of our friends that went with us last year have moved so we brought along car loads of new friends to create memories with.

This year we noticed that they had added new tractors to the petting zoo. There were many places to hide and climb on top of those great tractors. Jack jumped in the driver seat and made himself at home.

We loved feeding the animals and the kids giggled as the goats, sheep and lamas licked the feed out of their hands. Claire the social butterfly enjoyed visiting with her friends.

Lance made himself at home and took in the sights and sounds.

We borrowed wagons to pull the kids along while waiting for the hay ride.

At the top of the hill the apples were plenty and the sun was high. Lance was a trooper carrying his full bag of apples. It became his trophy as he showed off all of the apples that he had picked.

The kids were hard workers and ate their fill of apples.

Great memories! The hay ride back to our cars showed the dirty, apple juice stained smiling faces and a great days work.

After the picking the apples came the second hardest job, deciding what to do with all of these apples?!

Beach Babies

Besides Grandma's house one of the kids favorite places is the beach. So one night we went with the Feist's and Gma to Laguna Beach and had a dinner picnic. The evening was beautiful and the kids were so excited to get their toes (and possibly their whole bodies), in the water.

As it got darker and darker the kids would not give up the chance to be in the water. With soaked clothes, chattering teeth, goose bumps and sand between their toes they were all happy campers. As I pulled them away from the sand to wash them off and put on PJ's, Jack said, "And then I want to build a sand castle". When I broke the news that it was 9 at night and that we were headed home, stamping feet and crocodile tears followed.

Adventure Playground

One of the many items of fun on our "To Do List" while we were in California was to go to Adventure Playground, or as the kids call it "Mud Park".

Wearing cut off jeans and borrowed shoes Claire was eager to jump on one of the Tom Sawyer rafts. Last year she figured out how to use them right when it was time to go home. She needed no help with year as she pushed her raft through the 2 feet deep puddle.

Lance found a great pair of Nike shoes in the pile and jumped on a raft as well. He handled that raft with great skill and took his task very serious.

He took a break from the raft and tried his hand on the mud slide. Although he made it more of a mud skid as he used his feet to wiggle down the steep slope.

When it came time for Jack to take a ride on the rafts Lance was all to glad to show Jack exactly how it was done. Eventually Jack tired of the work and went along for the ride.

As the raft become more and more waterlogged it started to scrape the bottom of the pond.

It was fun watching all of the kids cross the rope bridge and all the different skills that they enlisted. Each time Lance went across he tried a different technique.

Jack took it slow and steady and did it over and over again until he could make it across in record time.

Then it was off to the wood pile to create tree houses and what ever else they could make with a hammer and 4 nails. Claire was very proud that hers looked like something she recognized...hum.

Once again Lance was a great big brother in showing Jack exactly how it was done.

What a great day to spend with cousins and to become as dirty as you could (in fact Mommy encouraged it!) I wish we could have more days like this!

First Days

They did it...they made it to 1st Grade and Kindergarten. And they were both bubbling with excitement! We took a first day picture to show how much they have grown from year to year.

Don't worry Lance you will pass her up someday!

Claire is such a sweet girl and I found the perfect dress to let her shine. She was so excited to put on her first day dress that she put it out weeks before. Look how big she has grown from her first day last year!

Lance was given a new watch as part of his "1st day of School Countdown". It just matched his big kid look. He woke up with the sun and asked every 2 minutes if it was time to go. Yeah, he was a tad on the excited side.


We left the apartment 20 minutes early because he could not stand waiting any longer! To stretch out our wait we counted to steps across the bridge and the rungs on the fence around the school.


Lance used his hand to aid in the counting.

This Kindergarten thing in hard work, but Lance will figure it out in the end.

All Wet!

What would a trip to California be without many visits (entire days) to the pool. Grandma's pool is 2 blocks away and Aunt Karen has one in her back yard. We all went from NY pale to CA bronze in no time.

When we first arrived going to the pool was at the top of the list. We meet the cousins at the pool and the swimming party turned into much more. Tyler became the "water bus" and swam around the little pool. When he arrived at the desired Lance would yell, "This is our stop!"

Tyler was very patient and continued to let the 3 water babies take a ride on his back.


At Aunt Karen's house swimming lessons were a number 1 priority, having Ben throw the kids across the pool was the bonus.

I am not quite sure who had more fun...the thrower or the thrown.

Jack got braver and braver as the month progressed.

He would ask me "Mommy, I want to swim from you?"

Claire was the little Mermaid. She swam from one of the pool to the other, she did the back stroke, handstands and back flips. But the best was how she would cover her eyes with one hand and hold her nose with the other...a sign of true talent.

Rules of the Game: Climb on the green floating crocodile

Hang on as tight as you can tight as you can

Before Ben tips you over

New game: Ben steals crock from a 6 year old and two 5 year olds and makes them chase him around the pool.

Kids win!