For the First Time

It was a full, crazy and fun weekend here at the Singer home and it involved a lot of firsts...

let's begin.

Megan came in town for the weekend with 2 friends and she ran the Hartford 1/2 Marathon! A FIRST for her and a FIRST for me in watching a big race. She did great--I was a proud sister, even if I did miss watching her cross the finish line! Talk about inspiring...I hope I'll be having a first of the same sort next year--my goal is to run it!

An excited Megan, post-race

ING was the race sponsor--Andrew loved all the orange free stuff--here he is cheering on runners.

That same afternoon, we all went apple picking for the FIRST time. Why we have lived in ruralish CT for 2 years and have not gone until now is beyond me. It was a lot of fun.

Cute,dwarf apple trees--just the perfect size for kids.

Happy Annie!
Except for my insane-o hair, not a bad picture. Notice the background too--seriously, we live in one of the most beautiful places.

Can't pick apples without making caramel apples--the kids LOVE them (so do I!)
Monday took us to Boston (not a first) to see Katelynne and Julie Hunt. I was one of their Young Women's leaders back in NC like 842 years ago. They were in Boston for the weekend so I took the kids up on Monday and we spent the day with them. It was the FIRST North Carolina friends we have seen since we moved to Connecticut.

The kids didn't really remember them but obviously you can see they warmed up quickly.

Katelynne, me, and Julie outside Cheers (I forgot to tell Andrew to try and take a picture of the sign too). The girls made me feel old b/c they had only vaguely heard of the show.

Andrew's FIRST (and last) picture outside a bar.

I just liked this one of Whit (and I like that Julie's curls are long and pretty--something mine have never quite accomplished)

The long weekend continued as Mary was off school both Monday and Tuesday. Matt didn't teach on Tuesday and so we took the kid's to the Rain Forest Cafe for lunch (another FIRST). This was a celebration of the fact that we finished reading the Book of Mormon for the FIRST time as a whole family. We try and read a chapter a night at the dinner table--it took us 10 months, but we did it. The kids were so excited and really deserved a special treat.

A whole flurry of emotions about the restaurant!
I don't think Whitney would think the restaurant was a reward--she was SO SCARED! There were animals everywhere and sounds galore. She had to be carried in, with her eyes closed. We had to sit in a booth with a high back so she couldn't see anything. She liked the fish tank we were by, but everytime the animals did cool things and Mary and Andrew jumped up to look, she stayed LOW and refused to look. It was so sweet and cute. Just look how tiny she looked in that booth--just how she wanted!

I do think these are faces of happy kids...though it's hard to tell. :)

And, for a final FIRST...we got our FIRST snow of the year this afternoon--

October 15th...simply ridiculous.