Halloween Party

Lily's school has a wonderful Halloween parade and party each year.  Unfortunately Mom missed it and got a talking to after the fact (Mommy, you need to come to my party next year...) but Dad had a great time and was a great photographer.  And Lily really got into her Halloween songs.  She was truly amazing.

Sea Witch Festival at Rehoboth Beach

One of the highlights of the beach community we live near is the annual Sea Witch festival.  In addition to the hour long parade, there were eight pages of other things for the kids to do.  In addition, the Peninsula community we live in also hosted trick or treating and lots of crafting activities over the weekend.  On Sunday after a big day Saturday, Lily told me what a wonderful time she had.  Her favorite part was the marching bands during the parade.  Wait until she sees the Macy Day parade this coming Thanksgiving in NYC.  It's going to blow her socks off.  In the meantime, we had a really great time at the beach for Sea Witch festival weekend.

Our little Octopus on the beach

Riding on Dad's shoulders

Awesome marching bands

More fun at the Peninsula

Lily with her pool friends Melissa & Dawn

All the Peninsula Trick or Treaters

Sunday at the theatre

A couple Sunday's ago, between going to the beach... we had a chance to stay home for a weekend and go to the Theatre to see Lulu and the Brontosaurus.  By the time we got there, Lily seemed to be tired and I wasn't sure she enjoyed the show.  But the next day she was completed excited and singing all over the house... I wanna, I wanna, I wanna Brontosaurus for a pet...  We had a nice day out together.

Cape May

We were lucky enough to have Grandma Merry & Papa Ronnie stay for two weekends with us.  We took a four day weekend at the end and headed to the beach house.  The weather was a little rough the first couple nights with a storm blowing in that caused the loudest thunder in the middle of the night that I have ever heard.  Luckily the skies cleared up on the third and fourth day so we got to head over to Cape May, NJ one day on the ferry.  Its a 90 minute ferry ride from our beach house so a fun day trip to enjoy the waters.  We got a small viewing of a couple dolphins on the ferry ride... and had ourselves a great time in Cape May.  I didn't get many pictures of the Victorian architecture that dominates Cape May... okay it is truly what defines Cape May... you have to go see for yourselves.  Huge Victorian hotels on the beach side that date back 200 years.  It is truly nostalgic.  Plus the nature around Cape May from the light house to the bird refuges are wonderful.  It was a wonderful day.

Broadkill Beach

There is a little beach tucked away just north of Lewes, DE that is behind a protected bird sanctuary.  The houses are on a bit of a spit (bay water with lots of birds on one side and the Atlantic ocean on the other side).  It is a bit of remote beach side living (if that is even possible any more).  But a great place to see some birds and watch the waves come in.

Birthday Party Bliss

I can't believe our little girl is already four years old.  Unbelievable...

We celebrated with a Halloween themed costume party so all her friends could come dressed up.  We ended up with a witch, a ballerina, a princess, four super heroes, a bumble bee and a duck... plus a bunch of parents.  There were games, a pinata, pumpkin painting and some crazy games of hide and seek where I found four super heroes in our bath tub with the water running.  All in all a very successful party.  And Lily so enjoyed having all her friends over.

Day in Monticello

We had a fabulous day visiting Monticello on October 5th.  The drive was a little longer than planned due to lots of back roads skating along the Shenandoah's, but it was absolutely beautiful.  It was the next best thing to visiting Shendandoah's.  Our original plan... until the government shut down of course.  But we adjusted quickly and headed to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello (not government funded) to enjoy a great day.  After the visit to Monticello we headed to the Kruge Winery (now the Trump winery... as in Donald Trump).  This winery near Charlottesville, VA is one of the most beautiful winery settings I've seen... trumping even the greatest of Napa and Sonoma winery scenery that I have seen.  I was too concerned with the wine to get any good pictures, but I will definitely say it is worth a visit.  If not for the wine, certainly for the beautiful vistas.  Lily was a trooper all day... even at the winery.

Views from the gardens at Monticello

Jefferson's home at Monticello.  There was a bunch of underground rooms as well.

Lily, Grandma Merry & Andy enjoying a break from the heat (mid to high 80's in October... who would have thought)

More presents? For me?

Even before the birthday party, the presents just keep coming.  This time Lily opened the box from the Cremers to find some awesome clothes (and socks) for dancing...