Hiers Family Newsletter

Thanksgiving Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse Adventure

2011-11-27T17:32:00.002-05:00

We spent Thanksgiving with Amy, Paki and the boys in O'Neill, Nebraska and had a wonderful time. We took Big Red (a rented Suburban) on a trip and went up to Mt Rushmore and Crazy Horse Monuments. What a terrific trip! Lots of great sights! The weather was in the high 50's with bright blue skies. Thanksgiving dinner was filling with Turkey and Pies. The boys enjoyed wrestling with Maury and playing basketball.

The cutest thing to ever happen to me

2011-11-12T10:11:00.000-05:00

After what felt like the 9 longest months of my life (which was actually 10 months because she was full term + 1 day.... oh yes, I counted!) our darling little Elise Ruby finally made her appearance on October 18th at 3:51pm weighing 8 lbs. 2 oz. and 20.5" long. I'm still amazed at how quickly my emotions surged after I had her- they went from an overwhelming feeling of love, and then immediately to panic because all of a sudden she's out of my body and out of my control (I'm still trying to shake this feeling... it isn't working very well). Kent and I are so proud and lucky to have her. Every little facial expression is adorable and every bodily fluid is recorded and celebrated. It's wonderful to have her in our lives, even though our lives now feel upside down and consumed with this tiny, lovely little person.

Dad's 60th Birthday Surprise

2011-10-02T00:07:00.000-04:00

Dad's 60th Birthday Party was a complete surprise to him! Mom and the girls code name for the party was: RED VELVET. The code name was devised to redirect Dad in thinking someone needed a recipe for a red velvet cake from mom. As the day came near, we realized Dad still had no idea that there was even a surprise party on the rise. To conceal the preparations for his party Mom had concocted the idea of a "Ward Party" that the Relief Society would be in charge of. The night came and many arrived from near and far to enjoy this rare and special occasion. Dad was shocked- so shocked he jumped. All of his five daughters were in attendance, as well as two of his Marine Corp. buddies, two of his cousins and their spouses, his sister and brother in-law, and wonderful friends in the local area. The night was perfect. Happy Birthday Dad.

Summer 2011

2011-08-11T10:54:00.003-04:00

We had a great summer with many activities. It started in early July when our niece, Heather was married in D.C. Wonderful wedding and reception, then straight to Martha's Vineyard. We were all together for a few days and had all the grandchildren with us for two weeks. We miss them already and look forward to next time. Alison was baptized in the pond in front of our house. What a special experience and memory that was.

Charlotte's 2nd birthday

2011-04-09T07:34:00.001-04:00

Needless to say, we had a good time at Charlotte's 2 year old birthday party. But who exactly is turning 2 in these photos?

We love you Charlotte! We love you too, Stuart!

Jan. Nor'Easter

2011-01-13T08:36:00.003-05:00

I think we are in for a snowy winter. This is the third snowfall since December that we have gotten more than a foot. This one ended up around 20 inches. We had to clear the driveway 2 times before we found the bottom and the snow finally stopped. But the sun is out today, so we are good to go!!

Aruba Vacation

2011-01-12T08:44:00.005-05:00

We had a relaxing time on the warm island of Aruba for the New Year's celebration. Hopefully, these memories will keep us warm in the New England winter. Aruba's license plate on the cars has a statement that says "Aruba, One Happy Island", and it really is.

More of Christmas with Tracy 2010

2010-12-30T10:20:00.003-05:00

Christmas at Tracy's with all the little girls brings back so many memories of our Christmas's past with our little girls. We had a wonderful time and loved hearing all the squeals of delight as each new gift was opened. Thanks for all the fun and warmth and good food, Tracy. We love you all.

Christmas with Tracy and Steve and the girls

2010-12-30T10:00:00.003-05:00

We had a fun Christmas with Tracy and her family. We were also able to visit Mama Jean and see her beautiful smile. We had Christmas Eve at David and Nadine's home and saw Heather's gorgeous engagement ring. Congrat's Heather and Pat and we look forward to the wedding in July of 2011. The IPad continues to be a grandparents best friend and all the girls loved playing games on it and reading stories there. We also had one day at the DC Temple and the picture with the tree is at the visitor's center there.

Sai's baptism and Nebraska trip

2010-12-30T09:46:00.003-05:00

We had a great trip going to Nebraska to see Amy and her gang and to be at Sai's baptism. We can't believe that he is 8 years old already and setting the example for the rest of his cousins in getting baptized in the church. What a wonderful young man he is becoming. We drove to Maryland to pick up Alison and have her come along with us to Nebraska. She loved using Papa's IPad and decided that she loves traveling and would be happy to come along with us on our next adventure. Sai loved having her there and we loved having her with us. Sai had both sets of his grandparents there. We love you Sai!

Charlene's Graduation as a nurse assistant

2010-12-12T20:50:00.003-05:00

Charlene graduated from her Red Cross course on Friday and is trying to catch up on her much lost sleep. The class started out with 20 students and at the end of the month, ended up with 13 graduates. Maury compared it to a boot camp from his Marine Corps days. Sometime after the holidays, she plans on getting a part time job in home health. It may take her quite some time to earn enough to buy Maury's Porsche that he is expecting.

The Boston Stake Presidency

2010-12-12T20:26:00.002-05:00

Maury works with a wonderful group of people in the Boston Stake Presidency. This is our Christmas photo (l to r: Pecks; Hopkins; Hiers; Rollins; Lucas.

Grandma Bessie's birthday celebration

2010-11-14T18:03:00.003-05:00

We had a wonderful time in New Mexico with my parents and three of my brothers with some of their families for my mother's 79th birthday. We were celebrating a week early as that was the best timing for most of us. The sunshine, Mexican food (Roberto's burritos) talking and laughing kept us energized and remembering good times. There is nothing like family. What a blessing to have a mother and father that we can gather with and share our love. Happy Birthday Mom!

Trip To The Amish Country

2010-11-09T06:02:00.002-05:00

We went to the town of Bird in Hand, PA to watch Steve run a half marathon and be with the girls. It was beautiful country side and we saw many Amish black buggies driving around. Such a special place.

Bathroom Redo in 48 Hours

2010-11-09T05:56:00.002-05:00

We work best under pressure when guests are coming. We've been wanting to redo this bathroom for the past 5 years and finally got it done. How does it look?

Seaside Seashell cake

2010-09-19T11:46:00.003-04:00

Here is a wedding cake I recently did for a friend of mine who got married on Martha's Vineyard. I schlepped all of my supplies over to the Island and assembled the cake on-site. It was right on the water and couldn't have been more picturesque.

The bottom tier is carrot cake and the top 2 tiers are red velvet and enrobed in a pale aqua cream cheese frosting. The sand is made up of a graham cracker mixture and the coral is royal icing. The seashells are molded from wafer chocolate and then I painted on a luster dust to give them depth.

Summer fun

2010-09-08T10:07:00.004-04:00

Going to the Flying Horses ( the oldest carousel in the U.S.) is one of our favorite things to do on a rainy day in Oak Bluffs. We also love going to Menemsha beach for cooling off on the hot summer days or going to have dinner on the beach and watching the sunset. Another cherished event is the Chilmark Road Race every year in August. This year, we had five runners, Leon, Maury, Tracy, Aubrey and Stuart. They all did a wonderful job, and Leon came in first in his age group. Yea Leon! But the best time on the vineyard was with our whole family and having all of our grandchildren together for about 9 days. It was crazy, noisy and wonderful. We loved it all! We look forward to next year.

Aunt Mildred's 90th Birthday Party

2010-07-07T08:38:00.002-04:00

Maury traveled to Aunt Mildred's 90th Birthday Party in June. He joined his cousin Jordan and his wife Susan in Atlanta where the staff and residents threw a nice Sunday afternoon party to celebrate. Aunt Mildred looked and sounded wonderful. Her memory is still sharp and she has the energy of a much younger woman. Maury has many wonderful memories of growing up with his Aunt Mildred.

Boston Stake Trek 2010

2010-07-07T08:18:00.003-04:00

So here we are on our second trek since Maury has been Stake President. We enjoyed it just as much as the first time we went and enjoyed spending the two and a half days with all the youth. We went 18 miles this time and Char had to take a break on the second day as a blister on her foot got too big and uncomfortable to keep walking on. The private property we stayed on for the second night was beautiful and peaceful as you can see in the picture. Other than the blister, we were able to keep up and have a good pace. The testimonies of the youth were very inspiring on the last day. They had all learned many things and grown in their appreciation for the pioneers, their families and all the leaders who had spent so much time in preparation for Trek. We were blessed with good weather for the whole event and savored our soft beds and a good shower when we got home.

Big Lake 1/2 Marathon

2010-05-09T10:23:00.003-04:00

Maury did a fantastic job running in New Hampshire on Saturday even though it was raining and a little on the cold side, only in the low 50's. He wanted to do it in 2 hours and he finished in 1 hour 59 minutes and 36 seconds. He accomplished his goal and felt good about his efforts. I went along and stayed dry and warm in my car while he was running. This is one amazing and fit grandpa!

Way to go Maury!!!

Spring time in Boston

2010-05-04T14:49:00.003-04:00

We had such a nice day last weekend in Boston. The weather was perfect and we met Aubrey, Stuart, Charlotte and Jen in the North End for food and to enjoy the beautiful day. We visited the Old North Church and had great cookies at a bakery on Salem Street. We road the T and found some good fruit at Haymarket. The only thing missing was a game at Fenway! That will be at the end of the month. Springtime in Boston is a nice time to be alive.

NCAA Trophy 2010

2010-04-23T14:32:00.002-04:00

Well, its been a great year holding onto this beauty. We got the second plaque made and we're sending it off to this year's NCAA Cobb's Hill Champion, Matt Mathews. Matt, you should hold on to the return address because it's coming back to the Laverty House next March!

Here's Lauren with the trophy before sending it off to Matt

The closeup of the two little plaques

Fancy Nancy

2010-04-08T09:29:00.001-04:00

Our new favorite words from the twins.

mom and Aubs to the Rescue

2010-04-06T14:11:00.002-04:00

Bailey, Charlotte, Lilly

Mom, Aubs and Charlotte (and dad- he came for a day to visit) came to visit the week before Easter. Steve was travelling for work again so they came to help with all these cute girls. We had a great time. We made a bunny cake, dyed easter eggs, and we had some of mom's home cookin. I am so grateful for their help and company.

Charlotte became obsessed with the windows at our house and wanted to keep peering out them.

The happy easter bunny cake is proudly displayed while Bailey is ready to pounce on it.

Grandma helping Alison with some homework.

Cute Aubs and Charlotte or "Lottie" as the twins call her.

Out with the old...

2010-03-26T21:07:00.005-04:00

After 3 1/2 years of wanting to re-do the kitchen, I finally got my wish! It took 2 long months and it was worth it. Here's the old kitchen to remind you what we worked w/ and where we came from:

sorry, about this video- it's sideways and I can't change it b/c I took it w/ my phone, so just turn your head to see the kitchen during the renovation process.

The Kitchen I thought I'd never get...

2010-03-26T21:01:00.004-04:00

All the appliances are new, including the sink and faucet. The countertops are a black granite (much better than orange!), the floor is hardwood, which is what we already have in the rest of the house, so that creates a nice flow throughout. The cabinets are the original cabinets, we just had them painted white- I think they look so much better.
I now have seating in my kitchen w/ this permanent island! My contractor made this island to look like the rest of my cabinets- so clever!

The kitchen and dining room still need some final touches (i.e., window treatments, cute girly accessories, etc.)

The BIG Reveal!

2010-03-26T20:57:00.002-04:00

This is a great picture because you can see straight into the dining room from the kitchen... there's no wall in the way!

Just another typical day at work

2010-03-21T18:29:00.002-04:00

The pink hair was actually for an event that we were doing to launch a new brand, Tarina Tarantino (no, not the brother of the Director) and she actually has pink hair in real life. I've always thought pink was a good color on me, maybe I'll have to make it more permanent....

Christmas and Disney World

2010-01-16T19:04:00.005-05:00

We had a wonderful Christmas with all of our girls and grandchildren home for the holidays. Christmas day was a struggle as Tracy, Aubrey and Charlene were all sick with the stomach flu and kept each other company in Char's king size bed while everyone else was downstairs having a good time and eating Christmas dinner. Since we were sick, we didn't have a chance for our family picture with everyone, so maybe this summer. We'll see! On Jan. 9, we flew to Orlando to meet up with Tracy and her family and Amy and her family for two days at Disney World. We had a fun and busy two days at the park even though Florida was having record cold temperatures. We all bundled up and kept moving to stay warm. The children did wonderful and never complained about the cold. Wouldn't you know that two days after we left, Orlando was back to 70 degrees? Now we have the OLANDO TEAM! Thanks to everyone for a fun holiday and memories to treasure.

Charlotte and the twins

2009-11-25T12:54:00.001-05:00

We arrived in MD today and the girls really hit it off. Although Charlotte seemed a bit overwhelmed.

I was at : 121 Fiona Way, Knoxville, MD 21758,

Mama Jean

2009-11-11T14:17:00.003-05:00

I visited Mom this week in Alexandria, VA and was pleasantly shocked. Mom was at the dinner table waiting for her meal with two others. Her eyes lit up as I approached and she even said my name (the first time in two years that I have heard her say it). Later, she introduced me to a table visitor and said, "this is my son". Wow! I was so surprised and grateful that she was able to say these things. It made me realize that though she is not as communicative and social as she once was she is still my mother and she remembers that. I am blessed! I thought I would share that with you. Love, Dad

Papa's Visit

2009-11-02T15:32:00.006-05:00

We had fun filled weekend with Papa(my Dad)! When Papa arrived on Friday, we all went to Sai's school to have lunch with him. Later that night we went to McDonald's for dinner and then to the Spring Hill H.S. Football game. Paki's team won again- and in the pouring rain! They are now in the play-offs- YEA!
On Saturday morning we woke-up early to go to the 1st Annual Grey Ghost 5K. Well, we didn't run the 5K (I am getting closer to running it, but just not yet), but Sai ran a 1K and Taima ran the 1/2K. Sai and Taima had a blast- especially with all of the fun carnival things to do before the race began. Papa helped Taima finish the race. Great job to Sai and Tiama for running the race!
Then we ended our day with the now traditional trunk or treat at the ward building and a chili cook-off. Sai and Taima were both Knights in shining Armor and Matai was a Ghost- their faces show how tired they were becoming from all of the constant fun we had been having.
We are so happy and grateful that Papa came to town.

Pebbles

2009-10-25T21:32:00.003-04:00

Work It

2009-10-18T17:30:00.003-04:00

The girls did a little modeling again for our friend Jen Anderson http://www.photographybyjennifer.net/blog/. She did an amazing job. She took some pictures of the babies just for fun. Check out the latest of the babies modeling some cute onesies at http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5125836- it's a company called Snazziedrawers.

I'll be posting pictures of our room and closet soon. Steve and his brother Mike painted our room this weekend. Next up is the bathroom. "We love it, we just change it all."

Before and After

2009-10-15T15:07:00.001-04:00

These pictures are for the sisters. Here's the before and after picture of Tracy's desk. We only bought 2 new items - the rest was clearing out and reorganizing.

Before

After

Goodwill/trash items from Tracy's closet - she was a good girl and cleared out a lot. I told Tracy that she needed to reclaim her room (a very Oprah thing to say). She will have to post before and after pictures of her closet.

Twins Playing with the Screen Door

2009-10-10T22:42:00.000-04:00

Visiting Tracy

2009-10-10T11:35:00.000-04:00

It was fun visiting Tracy and the girls. It was a little crazy at times, but nutella and ghirardelli pulled us through.

Bailey fell asleep in the car and had a hard time waking up

Lauren was so cute with Charlotte and loved helping her.

Christmas Gifts

2009-10-01T00:01:00.000-04:00

I can't believe I'm already thinking about this, but it is October now and some people are already thinking about Christmas gifts (Tracy) or listening to Christmas music (Amy). So, below is the list of the family gift exchange.

Mom and Dad....give to....Briggs
Moe's.....Laverty's
Briggs.....DerMarderosian's
Laverty's.....Layton's
DerMarderosian's.....Mom and Dad
Layton's....Moe's

Happy Shopping!

Look at your little hand...

2009-09-18T08:34:00.001-04:00

Poor Marmie with her "busted paw" as Kent says. Despite not being able to use her right hand - I've been impressed with what she can do with her left.

2009-09-08T21:40:00.001-04:00

More of Mini

2009-09-08T18:55:00.002-04:00

Camping in Vermont & Visit to Ashuelot, NH

2009-09-07T21:48:00.002-04:00

Charlene and I went camping with our ward in Sharon, VT. We had a beautiful Labor Day weekend with the cool temperatures, a smell of Fall in the air and even some trees starting to turn. Jennifer and Conrad joined us on Sunday which was loads of fun! Monday, we traveled south to Ashuelot, NH where the Hawkins Family lived. The Hawkins originally came from England, settled in Providence, RI and then moved north to Ashuelot, NH to farm. This is the family history of Mary Cynthia Hawkins who married Robert Corley Inslee, orginal purchasers of the property on the Vineyard. We enjoyed the village of Ashuelot and its covered bridge.

Pool babies

2009-09-05T21:35:00.002-04:00

This is one of the fun things the babies are doing lately in the basement with their big sisters.

MV summer

2009-09-03T09:06:00.002-04:00

As you can tell from the pictures, we had a wonderful summer on the vineyard and a great reunion. The only negative was that Amy and her family, and MamaJean were not able to be there and they were missed. The horseshoe tournament ended with Maury and Charlene winning (Charlene had some great throws) and Jen and Conrad came in second. Steve and Stuart went to Little Sandy and brought back buckets of sand to fill in the pits for the tournament. It was such fun to have Cindy Lou and Scott there and we hope that Jordan and Susan can make it next time. We love that we have this wonderful vacation spot to keep us connected and close as a family. We look forward to seeing everyone next summer!

More Reunion Fun

2009-09-03T06:10:00.000-04:00

Summer 2009

2009-09-02T20:59:00.000-04:00

2009-09-02T20:56:00.000-04:00

2009-09-02T20:52:00.000-04:00

2009-09-02T20:49:00.000-04:00

Reunion Talent Show

2009-09-02T20:26:00.000-04:00

2009-09-02T19:15:00.002-04:00

Catching water balloons tossed by Stuart. It was a "cool" activity! Cindy Lou with Lilly and Bailey. Jeannine and Leon and Maury on the pond. The two little princesses.

Summer Fun Shots

2009-09-02T18:55:00.001-04:00

Why Does My Oven Hate ME? (Part 2)

2009-08-31T22:44:00.002-04:00

If you all remember to about 3 ½ years ago, when I lived in the apartment, I had lots of problems w/ my oven. 3 horrific different occasions it embarrassed me in the apartment complex by smoking like crazy and setting off the very loud fire alarm.

I thought that trial was over in my life when we purchased our home. Don’t get me wrong, I DO NOT like this oven/stove, but I’d accepted it’s faults and dreamed of new shiny stove one day. Well tonight that all changed!

Here’s how the dramatic events unfold: Aubrey and I were at my house and had gotten takeout for dinner, but Aubrey’s so used to me making something for her in the kitchen (must be all those times when we played “restaurant” and I was ALWAYS the chef!) that she wanted a dessert. I turned on the oven to prepare our cookie dessert. The oven didn’t even reach 200° F when all of a sudden it started to spark! Aubrey and I were panicked to say the least. We didn’t know what to do and even when I turned off the oven it continued to spark. I had horrible visions of the whole house going up in flames and almost felt my heart begin to palpitate. Aubrey wanted me to call practically everyone on my contact list to see what he or she could do…ridiculous! Finally I took control of the situation and called 911 while Aubrey pulled a ‘Sense and Sensibility’ move and ran to grab the baby if we had to make a quick escape (mini Char was a sleeping champ by the way).

About 5 minutes later, 3 enormous fire trucks show up and about 20 guys start to unload (in another life time, this would have been a dream, but today I was feeling like the victim). One of the firefighters came in the kitchen and the oven was still sparking. Immediately he called off the other firefighters and went over to the oven, apparently realizing that this wasn’t a big deal. As the firefighter reached for the handle of the oven I yelled, “Don’t open that! (I thought that if oxygen hit it we’d have a big flame on our hands, and then when I realized who I was talking to) I weakly said, “Well, I don’t know, you’re the professional”…obviously. The firefighter told me that my oven bottom coil was “cooked” (pun intended) and proceeded to turn off the circuit breaker for the oven. Sure enough, that did the trick. Crisis averted! He also told me that I could just replace the coil tomorrow if I wanted to, and I told him that I’d be throwing it out the window instead.

Nonetheless, it was a dramatic evening and in the moment Aubrey and I tried to maintain control, but we were really freaking out, and of course trying to calm each other down at the same time! I also knew the neighbors would be in a tizzy over all the commotion and sure enough, when I looked out of the window I saw faces staring back at me. Soon, I’ll post a picture of my new oven J

Sit and Stand

2009-08-12T21:25:00.001-04:00

Goodbye Dear Friend

2009-07-07T16:52:00.009-04:00

Madeline Hiers (May 24, 1996 - July 7, 2009)

We miss her already.

Thinking of MVI

2009-07-06T10:19:00.007-04:00

Ever since Sai got legos for his birthday- our family has really had some fun creating space ships, army tanks and rockets. Well ever since June hit- I've been longing to be on the Vineyard. One day I was playing with the legos and realized I was creating ferry boats. Not bad replicas I think. Miss you all on the Vineyard.

Gorge at Rio Grande

2009-07-04T06:53:00.003-04:00

We took a drive over to Taos, NM and went across this gorge on the Rio Grande river. The bridge is as spectacular as the view. We liked Taos, especially the winding drive to get there through Kit Carson National Forest.

Scenes from Philmont

2009-07-04T06:34:00.007-04:00

Charlene and I hiked up to "Lover's Leap" early in the morning of July 1st for this shot. We woke up at 4am and hiked about 3 miles with 30 others. This is at 8000 feet. It was great seeing the sun, something we haven't seen much in New England during June.

Meet the Pefectons

2009-07-01T22:10:00.003-04:00

March 15 final FCF intro from John Saunders on Vimeo.

Feb 22 from John Saunders on Vimeo.

March 01 from John Saunders on Vimeo.

Maury and Charlene at Philmont, NM

2009-07-01T00:22:00.003-04:00

We flew to Albuquerque on June 27th and visited Maury's brother Rick. Then onto Philmont, NM for a week at a leadership conference. The sights have been spectacular! Beautiful Rocky Mountains and grassy plains. Here we are at the ranch.

Charlotte's Photo Shoot

2009-06-22T10:19:00.000-04:00

A friend of mine took some beautiful pictures of Charlotte - it was a great photo shoot and I hope you enjoy them.

Charlotte's Blessing

2009-06-08T10:29:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was Charlotte's baby blessing. Stuart did a wonderful job and gave her a beautiful blessing. I love the bonnet but Stuart thought it was over the top. She was a good girl and slept through the blessing; however, later throughout the day she peed all over her blessing dress. Oh well. Unfortunately we didn't get a picture of the three of us.

Madeline

2009-06-03T11:23:00.001-04:00

Jared took this picture of Maddie during Mom's birthday party. It's a great shot and unfortunately shows her age. She's starting to slow down, but is still cute as ever.

#8

2009-06-02T10:25:00.000-04:00

This is the onesie that we gave mom and dad when we told them that we were expecting little Char. It will actually be too small for her soon. Also, this is a rare picture because she doesn't usually take a pacifier - I'm a mean mother and force it upon her every so often.

I Love My Trees

2009-05-22T09:31:00.000-04:00

I am considering joinging this group... What do you think?

Mom's 35th Birthday Party

2009-05-18T19:16:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday Marmie

2009-05-18T19:14:00.000-04:00

Char Finding Her Present

2009-05-18T19:10:00.001-04:00

Maddie vs The Watermelon

2009-05-18T19:09:00.001-04:00

Taima's new "do"

2009-04-30T09:30:00.003-04:00

Taima discovered my razor in the shower last night. Paki left him for a very brief moment in the bath and came back to find him with a bald spot. My razor was at the top of the shower ledge! Oh, the things boys will do. I now realize that there is no limit- scary thought.

I am a Builder

2009-04-21T09:52:00.005-04:00

This is Taima sharing the latest primary song- it has become a family favorite.

"My Eternal family"

2009-04-21T09:52:00.001-04:00

Finally Home

2009-04-07T17:13:00.001-04:00

Here are some pictures we took of Charlotte now that she is home!

Another video of Baby Charlotte

2009-04-05T12:16:00.003-04:00

Charlotte's Hiccups

2009-04-05T12:16:00.001-04:00

Baby Layton Nursery

2009-04-01T12:21:00.000-04:00

I still need to add a few things, but for the most part everything is ready. Now we just need the baby. I wanted to do a vintage theme and most things are from Shabby Chic (Target of course).

Nesting

2009-04-01T12:20:00.000-04:00

Stuart fulfilling his rite of passage to fatherhood - putting the crib together

I'm sure most of you don't care - but I love this cover that I found for the car seat. Toile of course.

Before & After

2009-04-01T12:18:00.000-04:00

In order to accommodate another human being - we had to play musical furniture in our apartment.

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

Paris Bebe Shower

2009-03-23T10:09:00.010-04:00

Char, Trisha, and Jen went all out and did an amazing job hosting a baby shower for me. The theme (if you can't tell) is Paris and they planned the food and decor perfectly. I think the pictures tell all. By the way - the quiche was homemade by mom and all the pastries were made by Trisha. It was a great party!

Maddie loved it too

Maddie Moo

2009-03-09T09:11:00.004-04:00

She was a good sport most of the time when Trisha and I would dress her up. This is just one of many dress ups (poor dog). We always had a good laugh.

This is a good example of her going in for the kiss (forward dog).

Maddie- pre diet

2009-03-08T18:10:00.002-04:00

From Hiers Family Newsletter

Maddie the Beagle

2009-03-06T18:44:00.002-05:00

We love Maddie and want to share memories and pictures of this wonderful friend. Please share your good times. We were told that Maddie has cancer and we don't know how much longer we will have her with us.

Maddie joined our family as a puppy about 13 years ago when Aubrey, recovering from back surgery, fell immediately in love with this little beagle. Maddie would tuck under the covers with Aubrey as she was recovering. She has grown into the family dog. She is a loving little tinkler that in her younger years would wet your shoes with excitment and happiness. Her bladder never gained any better control but she made up for it by being your friend.

Maddie was my pal as I recovered from my surgery this past summer. She would go on walks with me and eventually started to join me on my slow jogs. Sometimes she would sit near the bleachers at the high school and watch me run laps, occassionally joining me for one or two. She's been a real pal. Dad

NYC

2009-02-26T07:20:00.001-05:00

Here we are at the New York City Museum of Natural History over Valentine's weekend. Notice the brown bear behind Maury's head. Sai and Taima, doesn't this look cool? We had a fun time with our friends and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the city.

"Of Course you NEED these"

2009-02-24T11:16:00.004-05:00

Sisters + Marmie

I found these books via a friend's blog and instantly fell in love. I know many of you already have some of these books, but I thought you'd enjoy them.

p.s. I already bought 5 of these books and told Stuart "of course I NEED these" after the fact. (I hope you can hear the sarcasm). And in my defense...I don't own any of these classics.

Happy Birthday to Stuart and Jenny

2009-02-18T16:54:00.006-05:00

On Sunday we had a nice meal with the fam to celebrate Stuart's birthday (2/13) and Jen's birthday (2/16). Marmie did a wonderful job on the food and ice cream cake.

Not much of a difference here. Daddy and the beagle.

24 hours later......

2009-02-17T14:30:00.002-05:00

Mr. Sprinkles died :( I was so upset and mad that I listened to the DUM Petco worker and didn't buy a heater for him. I think he was just too cold. So, I guess we're not pet fish people afterall - we just enjoy eating them.

Meet Mr. Sprinkles

2009-02-13T09:26:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our newest member of the Layton family:

Well, this isn't exactly his picture, but you get the idea. He's a crowntail betta fish and we welcomed him into our home yesterday (I'm already worried that he's not warm enough). I guess he's Stuart's birthday/Valentine's present. I don't know about the name either, but we did name him while I was making Stuart's birthday cake - so I think that influenced it.

Mr. Sprinkles doesn't have as full of a tail as this guy - I think that's why I chose him b/c he looked sad. But he's a cute one!

Stuart promised me that someday we'll upgrade to a beagle.

Aruba man

2009-02-09T15:43:00.001-05:00

I realized that I had not included a picture of our only little boy along with all the girls in Aruba. Matai was such a joy to have with us and is an easy going little man. He was a little under the weather with a fever for a day and a half, which kept Amy in the room for a full day, but he started to feel better, much to the relief of his mother and all of us. You were the perfect age (5 months) to put up with all of us girls for a full week! We love you Matai!

More Aruba

2009-02-05T13:51:00.000-05:00

More Aruba

2009-02-05T13:46:00.000-05:00

More Aruba photos

Aruba babies

2009-02-05T13:44:00.000-05:00

What are we doing back in this cold weather? Aruba was so relaxing for all of us and a joy to be together as mother and daughters (and grandchildren). I think we have found a wonderful formula for keeping us close during the winter months, but I don't know if our husbands will let us take off any time soon. We always have the Vineyard to look forward to so that we can all be together.
It was amazing that all of our flights went off without a hitch. But even more amazing, was that all of our luggage made it to Aruba and safely home again also. This will be a memory that I will always treasure. Thanks to my girls for making this such a wonderful time.

Love, Mom

ARUBA

2009-02-01T12:52:00.002-05:00

Aubrey's pictures from the trip - go to this website and you can download the pictures.

http://picasaweb.google.com/stuart.layton/ArubaGirlsTrip2009#

SNL Sketch.

2009-01-14T08:49:00.003-05:00

Aubrey and I watched this last night and we almost fell off the couch laughing.

It has Neil Patrick Harris in it who you may remember as: Dr. Doogie Howser

Paris in Boston

2009-01-12T15:43:00.006-05:00

For my birthday we all went to dinner at one of my new favorite restaurants called Bouchee. It's a French bistro on Newbury Street in Boston. The food was delicious, the desserts amazing, and wonderful company! We had a wonderful time, but missed the Laverty's and Moe's.

p.s. You now have twin sisters b/c I just turned 24 and I guess Trisha is eternally 24 now.

Stuart's Rap Video

2009-01-10T17:38:00.002-05:00

So I saw this video today and totally thought of Stuart (especially around 1:12).

Jumping Baby!

2009-01-08T19:52:00.001-05:00

MD for New Years

2009-01-08T10:01:00.006-05:00

For New Years Stuart and I drove down to visit the "Laferty's." We had a great time hanging out with them and most importantly - I won in Nerts the night before we left - so we left on a good note.

Here's Steve multitasking

Tracy and the girls

I love this picture of Lilly holding on to her sister (maybe she's trying to steal the blanket, but it's cute nonetheless).

Lauren looking cute (or mischievous)

We had a great time. Thanks again Laverty's for letting us come visit you. Hopefully we (meaning Stuart) didn't corrupt your children too much.

Christmas in Tennessee

2009-01-05T12:37:00.002-05:00

We had Christmas day with Amy, Paki and the boys. What a fun little troop they are. Boys are definitly different from little girs. Lots more action and truck and plane noises and growling noises. We loved every minute of it. Little Matai is such a happy baby and loves to be held, so Grandma was happy to oblige. The weather was beautiful and so warm on Christmas night that we had to sleep with our window wide open. The day we left, it was 63 degrees in the early morning. Crazy! We feel so blessed to have these beautiful grandchildren and another on the way for 2009. As I take down the tree and all the decorations, I can't help but remember all my blessings and what a wonderful family we have been blessed with. We hope you all have a fabulous year for 2009 and we look forward to seeing you all.
Love, Mom and Dad

Christmas with grandchildren and beginning 2009

2009-01-05T12:36:00.002-05:00

Here we are at the beginning of our road trip and stopping to spend time with Tracy and Steve and the girls. We had a wonderful visit with them and the best part of the stay for me (besides hugging these beautiful girls), was winning nerts the last night of our visit. I beat Steve by 1 point. I'm sure there will a rematch for Steve to gain back his dignity. Tracy is doing such a amazing job with busy little girls and caring for twins. We also went to see Mama Jean and had a lovely visit with her. We were so happy to have her recognize us when we walked in the door and she gave us a big wave as her face lit up. We enjoyed being able to spend time together on the drive, even though we started out in a snow storm, but once we got through that, the rest of the drive was very easy. We had wonderful conversations and listened to our favorite music all the way.

The Samoan vs. the New Englander

2008-12-17T23:44:00.005-05:00

Last week we had a snow day. The boys got-up and put on their snow suits and went out to play in the snow. Paki decided to go out with them and play too. I told them that they should build a snowman- because it was perfect snow to build one. Paki's first response was how do you build a snowman? What! Only a samoan would ask that question. I then told him how, and this is what he came up with: If you look close it looks like the beginning of a snowball. His response is that the snow wasn't plyable.

So, I put on my gloves and coat and marched outside to show my kids and my husband how to build a snowman. This is one of those times that we balance each other out and fill-in the holes that the other one is missing. But he does have muscles- he helped attach the large snow balls onto each other to help build the snowman.