Santa!

Last week Grandpa and I took the kids to Meijer Gardens to visit Santa.  Lucia looks a little uncertain!

We walked around the Gardens to see the lights and the train. 

Today we went to the Mall to visit Santa again.  I thought Ethan might ask why Santa looks different than last week- but he didn't even notice.  An old man with a white beard dressed in red must look the same to kids!  Ethan was quite talkative today. 

Lucia, not so much.  She barely made eye contact and was answering all Santa's questions with "uh-huh."  At least she didn't cry!

Catching Up

Time has been getting away from me- so I thought I'd quickly catch up on the blog.  We had a pumpkin carving party at Aunt Kerri's before Halloween- it was a great time! I think our pumpkins turned out pretty good this year. 

Twins!  Not really- Grandma Sue decided to wear a wig to the carving party to confuse the grand kids.  You can really see the sibling resemblance when Grandma Sue and Uncle Dave have the same hair color!

Halloween flew by, here's my attempt to get the cousins in a picture together- where's Lucia?  She only sat still for 2 seconds.  

Ethan was Iron Man for Halloween. 

Ethan and Lucia sitting in Santa's sleigh at Meijer Gardens. 

Examining a fuzzy caterpillar on a path at Meijer Gardens. 

Thanksgiving- I hardly took any pictures, but here is one of the "kids table." 

Early Fall

Some pictures from early October, we had some lovely weather.  Here we are at Meijer Gardens.

Ethan and Lucia

Lucia and "Mr. Meijer's", I tried to tell her it was not Mr. Meijer, but I think giving it a name made it easier to sit next to!

Me and my babies!

Pulaski Days Parade- it was cold!

Ethan's funny face. 

Ethan and Addy at the parade. 

Harpers Ferry

On the way home from Virginia we stopped in a little historic town called Harpers Ferry.  It's a very cute town built on a hill. 

We walked up to Jefferson Rock to look at the view.  Here's what Wikipedia has to say about this scene. 

Jefferson Rock is a rock formation on the Appalachian Trail above lower Harpers Ferry in Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. It consists of several large masses of shale rock, piled one upon the other, that overlook the Shenandoah River just prior to its confluence with the Potomac River. The name of this landmark derives from Thomas Jefferson, who stood there on October 25, 1783. He found the view from the rock impressive and wrote in Notes on the State of Virginia that "this scene is worth a voyage across the Atlantic"

Jim atop Jefferson Rock. 

Some of the houses and buildings in Harpers Ferry, it was cool to see how they were built right into the hillside. 

This building is knows as John Brown's Fort- where John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry ended.  The raid was an attempt by white abolitionist John Brown to start an armed slave revolt by seizing a United States Arsenal at Harpers Ferry in Virginia in 1859. (per Wikipedia).  

More building in Harpers Ferry.  

We were glad we decided to stop in this little town- it was very cute and full of history!

A wedding in Virginia

We went to Virginia to celebrate my cousin Tory's wedding to a great girl- Tanya!  It was a fun time.  Ethan and Lucia were able to stay with Nonna, so Jim and I were really able to have fun!  Here we are at the rehearsal dinner- which was at a cute little winery.  

Alessia and all her siblings- from left- Chiara, Nicholas, Francesca, Marco, and me!

Dad and Maria were also able to come to the wedding- it was a great family reunion!

The wedding party with the Potomac River in the background.

Cousins- This is not everyone, but it's most of the Jasinski cousins.  It was great to catch up and see everyone!

Washington D.C.

When we were in Virginia in Late September for my cousin's wedding, we stopped in DC for an afternoon.  It was fun walking around our nation's capitol and enjoying the sights.  

The Washington Monument

Marco at the World War II Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial

The Washington Monument with the Capitol Building in the background. 

Fallingwater

At the end of September, Jim and I (sans children!) headed to Virginia for my cousin's wedding.  On the way, we stopped in Mill Run, PA to tour Fallingwater.  Fallingwater is a vacation home Frank Lloyd Wright built for the Kaufmann family of Pittsburgh, PA.  Construction on the home took place between 1936-1938.  The above picture is on the way to Fallingwater.  It was somewhat of a cloudy, drizzly day, but still very beautiful scenery!  The road to Fallingwater was so much fun, hills and twists and turns- nothing like our roads here in Grand Rapids!

Here is Fallingwater as we were approaching on the trail from the visitors center.  A guide met us near the entrance and took us through the home, explaining the architectural concepts, materials used (and why), furnishing, art work, etc.  It was fascinating.  The home is basically left as it was when Edgar Kaufmann Jr. entrusted it to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.   We could not take pictures during the tour (inside the home) because there are so many tours going on simultaneously that they have to keep the groups moving (people taking picture would slow that down!)  However, after the tour, you were allowed to walk around the grounds and take as many pictures outside the home as you wanted.  

Looking at the main living room and balcony.  The Kaufmann family could access the steps leading down to Bear Run stream from a hatch in their living room.  On hot summer days, they could also open the hatch to allow the cool air from the stream up into their home.  

Jim and I alongside the swimming pool.  The pool is located on the terrace of the guest house.  It is fed by a spring, so it was quite chilly!

Francesca and Jarrod also posing by the pool.  It was Francesca's suggestion to stop by Fallingwater on our way to the wedding, I'm so glad we did!

The covered canopy connecting the main house to the guest house.  The guest home sits up behind the main home.  

The Kaufmann's had an amazing art collection all throughout Fallingwater and its grounds. Here is Francesca imitating art!

Another view of the main living area and balcony, the balcony above is attached to the master bedroom.  

Fallingwater as seen from the site the Kaufmann's thought their vacation home would be constructed.  They assumed that Frank Lloyd Wright would build their home with a view of the waterfalls, instead he built their home directly on top!

Group shot! 

One more, such a beautiful home, on beautiful land.  If you are ever in western Pennsylvania, definitely check out Fallingwater, you won't be disappointed!