January-June 2013

In early January 2013, a good friend of the family, Molly French, got married.  We were all invited to the wedding and reception.

Wanda Padilla, Carisa, Cathy Garrett

Since so many of the people at the wedding were friends from church or the extended French family, who we know, it was one of the most fun weddings I've attended!

The boys didn't want to have anything to do with the dancing while Mom and Dad attempted to dance. :-)

Calista, Jane French, Rachel Chicaguala, Molly, Jackie Chicaguala.  We've known all the girls (with the exception of Calista) since they were little.

Calista, Addy and Kennedy came to visit and for the wedding.  Daniel and Kennedy playing.

Kennedy playing music for Paul

A serious scrabble game with Calista and Addy

Daniel's 11th Birthday.  Still Harry Potter....

This was Daniel's year for a friend party

His guests were Ben Poite, Louis Cuoco, Ethan Hill, Noah La Touche and Dillan Buchanan

 

Snow in February

My winter garden with my aquaponics system

In February, our community group had a desert to raise money for Love 146.  We invited people, told them about Love 146 and they gave donations.  We had fun decorating!

Snow in March

In April, I got a day to myself to go to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. I took lots of pictures!

Then we went as a family with Paul's Mom for the Cherry Blossom Festival

Paul's birthday

Ordaining elders at Crossroads:  Paul, Ryan Stockton, Jim French and Wanda Padilla

Archery with the homeschool group

Ben, Daniel and Seth

Nate Poite and Stefan Edwards

Mother's day gift for Nanna.  We added Campbell, Piper, Ryan and Brittany's fingerprints during the summer.

The boys' working on Grandma's Mother's Day gift--getting ready for our big trip and visit out west in the summer.

Not sure what all this was about.  I'm just now seeing these silly pictures. :-)

We bought the boys Kindles so they didn't have to pack a ton of books for our big trip this summer.

Jae's 15th Birthday

There's very little time that this thing isn't connected to his ears with headphones!

Skyping with Grandma as he opens her gift

Chocolate, coconut pie! Yummm

Prospect Park scavenger hunt with the homeschool group

Dad helping Daniel with his science fair project...testing Dad's short-term memory!

Amanda Padilla taking the test...

Daniel recording data...

Ethan Hill...

The Paudlers came to visit in May.  We went to lower Manhattan and took the ferry to Staten Island

Paul, Jae, DJ, Noah, Daniel

Dakota, Aunt Carey, DJ on the ferry

Jae, Paul and Noah playing with Aunt Carey's Iphone

Dakota

Noah

1st subway ride!

Grandma and Aunt Carey helping with Daniel's science fair project

Noah

DJ

Lincoln

Max and Lincoln

Max

All the cousins:  Jae on top, Lincoln, Daniel, DJ holding Dakota, Lincoln and Max

Grandma and all her grandchildren

The neighbors helping with Daniel's science fair project: Tatiana and Isabella. Natalia helped too.

The science fair

Home school graduation award ceremony.  Stephanie Poite (the group leader) giving Jae and Daniel their academic and character awards.

Daniel's Gotcha Day

I think this might have been one of our last Gotcha Days at Chuck e Cheese!

Daniel's favorite game:  Deal or No Deal!

We've had those free refill cups since the boys were very little!

This summer Paul took a 3 month sabbatical.  Our big trip out west was part of it.  He took a week away in the Adirondacks and then later another week in KY.  I got a week away on Fire Island!  Paul preached at the church there one Sunday so I could have the church apartment for the week and he home schooled the boys for the week.  Thank you, Paul!

Fire Island was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy.  There was lots of rebuilding going on while I was there.  The church had water and electrical damage and electricians came to work while I stayed there.  For most of the time I only had electricity in the bedroom and bathroom and had an extention cord rigged up to plug in the fridge.  It was nice to have a free place to stay, though.

There usually are no cars allowed on this part of the island.  There were some this year so people could carry construction supplies.  But there is no public transportation.  It's a very narrow Island--I could walk from the ocean side to the bay side in about 10 min.  But it's a long island.  I decided to walk to the light house.  It was a much longer walk than I anticipated and walking in the sand was exhausting! On the way back I tried to walk on streets but they were mostly covered in sand, too. I got a sun burn and was sore for the rest of the week but it was fun.

It was weird to see school buses dropping of kids on the beach.  Yes, they are driving on the sand!

Deer are everywhere

This is the house I'd like to rent.  It has a bay view.

The little town I stayed in: Ocean Beach

I saw some amazing sunsets on the bay side.

Deer on the beach at sunset on the ocean side

As a part of our sabbatical we visited different churches.  On the way to Everyday Church in upper Manhattan we stopped by the Grant's Tomb.  We've lived in NY almost 20 years and had never been there before.