Bear Mountain Zoo

Friday the family went to the Bear Mountain Zoo in Bear Mountain State Park with the Antonuccio Family. It was fun to walk around and look at the animals especially the bears.

And they had a picnic lunch, which was cut short due to the massive amount of bees swarming around them.

Happy Birthday Papa

Thursday was Papa's birthday but we celebrated Wednesday night. Taryn and Jake made him a banner and hand print stepping stones for his birthday!

Unfortunately Jake fell and hit his mouth against the deck and was bleeding everywhere so we had to hold off on the cake for a while, but eventually cake was had!

New Favorite Places to Sleep

Jarrett loves to sleep on his activity mat.

And he has recently started sleeping on the chair like Taryn used to!

Taryn and Daddy Try Music Class

Taryn is all done camp for the summer and Daddy took the week off so they got to go with Mommy and the boys to music class. They liked it so much the whole family might do the Saturday classes in the fall!

Weekend at Grandma and Grandpa's

We made a little visit to Grandma and Grandpa's house this weekend, of course it rained so we didn't get to spend much time in the pool and Jarrett got sick. But Mommy and Taryn got to meet baby Logan and the kids got new shoes! They also had some more fun around the house.

Jake doing his famous "escape from Grandma and Grandpa's house because they have the easiest doors in the world for a kid to open" move and hanging out with his Uncle's in Brian's Jeep.

Taryn and Daddy build a little house out of stuff they found in Grandpa's yard. She was obviously so proud she wanted to tell Jules.

While Taryn was at the bank and running errands with Grandma Mommy, Daddy, Jake and Jarrett went for a walk to the swings, ran the bases at the ball park and went to the pond by Grandma's house. It was all pretty cool until the mean geese and swans ran them off.

And of course ice cream from the Creamery where Taryn, Jake and McKenzie learned teh fun of rolling down a big hill.

Zoo with Barry

Friday Mommy and Melissa took the kids to the zoo. Brian put Barry's car seat in our car so they all got to ride together. 4 car seats was a perfect fit even on the way home with almost all the kids fast asleep in the back! Of course Taryn didn't nap. :)

Taryn by the butterfly house and looking at the Wallaby in the Children's Zoo.

Barry and Jake checking out the tiger up close! Jake loves tigers so was very excited about this!

Mommy's Softball Championship

Last year Mommy started playing softball for a team called "Chappaqua Chili's" Mommy had to miss the beginning of this season because she had Jarrett... she actually went into labor (the first time) with Jarrett the night of their first game that she went to watch! Anyway after missing the first 7 weeks of the season Mommy got to play again and did really well for the remaining 7 weeks. Last year they were league champions, but lost the championship in the finals... This year they weer the 2011 Champs!
Since most of the games are at 8:15 at night the kids don't get to go to very many, but Taryn and Nick got to come to an early one, and Uncle Jim was there for a bunch of games to cheer her on.

A few shots of Mommy in the last two games that Jen got... nice faces huh?

Some of the players after the championship game. And one with the team we beat, our favorite opponents!
And the party after the final game (which was in Chappaqua and didn't start until 11:00 on a Thursday night... way past Mommy's bedtime:)Everyone got a silly award... Mommy got "Most Productive Performance by a Postpartum Player"

Fun Pictures and Videos

"Seriously Mom?!? More pictures?!?"... "But you have to admit this thing is pretty cool"

Jake loving his "boy bracelet" and Jarrett sleeping with Uncle TJ

Jake riding me (one of his new favorite things to do) and listening to Daddy's ipod

Trouble... Playing in the car with Isabella after the pool and teh stuffed animal Taryn made for baby Logan
Uncle Jim and the littlest Yankee fan in our familySome videos of Jarrett

Goodbye Downs Family!!!!!

Mommy is doing this post!

The same Sunday that Jarrett was baptized some of our very best friends moved away! Paul took a job teaching at Ringling College of Art and Design so the Downs family finally made it official and moved to Florida. We know from all the careful time spent making this decision that it is what is best, but we were all very, very sad!

We have been through so much together in the six years we have known each other most of it all good but there have been some emotional times too.

There have been many, many laughs and fun times. Including: parties, vacations, weddings, premieres, more parties :), late nights where the "had to be the last ones to leave," emergencies on rt 84 standing on the highway being spoken to by cops, funny pictures, more parties, train rides, Plane rides (not all fun... when you have to circle around and around due to tornadoes with Jen totally freaked out), Plain Whites concerts, Halloween parties with keys locked in cars, Karaoke, bars, long stories from Jen, Paul's awesome dance moves, I could honestly go on forever with all the great memories we have made together!
There have been many special times we shared: Our engagement with Jen being nervous she blew it! Our wedding, Cooper joining out family, telling Jen in the middle of the road that I was pregnant with Taryn, throwing each others baby showers, the birth of Taryn, Jake and Jarrett! Me being the first person to get to visit/ hold Eric and Sara, Having Eric's 1st and 2nd birthday parties at our house with Jen and Paul always bringing over way too much stuff! Nick and Paul becoming writing partners, finishing Some Assembly Required, getting agents and managers, winning pitchfest and getting to write their movie.

Basically we have been through everything together and it is hard to see them go, but we know from other friends leaving (and moving clear across the country on us... you know who you are!!!) that Florida is not all that far away and we can still be as close as ever. We love you guys!

These were just a few few old pictures of us. There were so many, but I didn't want to post too many so the first ones I found I put up!

Picture of Cooper and Paul * One of the first ever blog posts*

It was so hard to say goodbye to our friends that it took several goodbye attempts!
Sunday, July 31st- Official Goodbye #1
Nick and Paul took Eric and Taryn on a Date to see the Smurfs. Jen and I hung out with Jake and Sara at the house then we all had the famous Bob's BBQ for dinner one last time. Taryn even let Auntie Jen take her picture!

Friday, August 5th- Official Goodbye #2
I drove the kids to Jen and Paul's last day of work for the "Pimp Cane Party" which got changed and we missed but we still got to see them and ride down the elevator for the last time with Paul. Then we headed to Eric and Sara's daycare to get them. the kids had fun playing with their friends there and giving Eric and Sara their backpacks they had gotten them as gifts. Taryn was especially excited about all the "red candy" for Eric, which he shared very well. This was supposed to be the real goodbye... but it couldn't be sooooooo....

Saturday, August 6th- Official Goodbye #3- The actual Goodbye/ See you real soon!
The Downs family and the Simmons came over after the movers had taken all their stuff away, had dinner and the kids played some more. The kids stayed up so late that night because we all did not want to part... but it had to be done.

Can't wait to see you soon and drink our champagne!