Busy wEEKend!

So we had a really busy weekend!! It started off with a lazy Friday night. We had dinner and then we streamed (From Netflix) "Bob the Butler" which is a Tom Green movie. Neither one of us are big Tom Green fans...but the movie looked pretty good and all the reviews said that if you didn't like Tom Green, you would like this movie, haha! So we decided to go for it! It is a GOOD funny movie! We really enjoyed it. During th movie we also had to have some ice cream-brownie sundaes!! :) Then on Saturday we got up and Brian went to the DMV to get the title to the truck transfered to his name since we have PAID IT OFF!! woo hoo!! We then spent all morning working around the house and cleaning, straightening, and REORGANISING!! We rearranged the entire family room. Now it has has MUCH better flow and seems SO much bigger! It awesome! I only wish we would have done it sooner :) Then around 2ish we decided that it looked like it was going to be a nice evening so we took off to Busch Gardens after cleaning up! WE have season passes and this is our last weekend to go so we just took off on a whim :) It looked a little eary on the way and we even hit some rain...but it all cleared up just in time for our arrival. We took on all the coasters and were able to ride the Griffon and Apollo's Charriot at night! Apollo's Charriott is our favorite and at night when you are going down the second hill it looks like you are going into the ground it is so dark! pretty awesome! We got back home around 11ish and then pretty much crashed after a glass of wine while we heated our necks with snuggle logs! haha! (yes we are old!) Then on Sunday we got up went to church, went to Mom and Dad Ray's for lunch, played some double deck euchre, and then Brian worked on Trig. homework, and I cleaned and took pictures of the house! :) Great Weekend!!!

Looking from the Dining Room:

Looking from Beside the Stairs:

Looking from on the Loft:

Looking from the Botton of the Stairs / Entry Way:

Busch Gardens Here we Come!!

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

Beautiful Afternoon!!

Apollo's Charriott Here we Come (First and Last Ride of the Day!)

the kids

I thought pictures of the growing Baldwin family were justly due! Koa, the newest addition is growing up fast. He went from a scrawny fuzz ball to Mr. Destruct-O pretty quickly. He is my snuggle bunny though  Jux has become a little chubby, but is the same sassy cat as always. We found out she is asthmatic and has sever allergy to chicken products along with environmental allergies. So after doping her up on antibiotic shot, steroid shot, and antihistamines for a month, she now feels MUCH MUCH better. We are able to control the asthma and allergies with a small dose of medicine each evening which seems to make her feel good and wrestle around with Koa. They really have become buds, even sleeping together at times!! Enjoy the pics!!

for the very first time...Mr. & Mrs. Neice

So Ali and Tim tied the knot and are now officially Mr. & Mrs. Neice…YAY!!! They were married on August 1, 2009. It was an amazing weekend. I got to catch up with the girls all while supporting and watching Ali on the biggest day of her life! The rehersal and dinner were great and the wedding was absolutely gorgeous. Ali and Tim did everything themselves with the help of family and I’m telling you it was beautiful. It was a black and white wedding at their church and the reception was the Legion in North Terre Haute. They had a beautiful ceremony followed by a rockin’ reception full of good food, good drinks, good times, and karoke! Haha! We all really had a good time and Ali and Tim then were able to take off to Jamaica!! Oww oww!!

MAINE - JULY 2009

Maine was absolutely beautiful and so quaint. We really had a nice time. We got so relaxed that we had no reference for time half of the trip except for when we were at a bus stop! We would get up in the morning walk down to the ranger station, check what the weather was going to do that day and then ask for the time. We def. were on VACATION!  We flew in to Bangor where MamaB was happily waiting to pick us up. We then drove to Blue Hill, the town where MamaB spent many of childhood summers playing. MamaB was able to show us around the area which was so fun to learn of the history and childhood memories she had!! The town of Blue Hill was great! They had American flags on every light pole and it truly had the small town feel and love. We tried to stop in at a neat pottery place, but they were closed so we took off toward Acadia National Park. Driving in we were able to get a feel for the area. We went on in to check in at the Blackwoods where we would be camping for the next 10 days. We ended up getting an awesome campsite. We backed in to good ol’ campsite 62 and set up camp. We spent the extended 4th of July weekend with MamaB and were able to squeeze a ton of stuff in. We got fresh Maine lobster dinner with fresh Maine blueberry cobbler for dessert. We went putt-putt (TWICE!), we got an awesome full moon, we went to the top of Cadillac Mountain, we took drives around the national park, we hiked some and took in some sights around Acadia, we went to the fourth of July festivities (blueberry pancake breakfast and parade and fireworks) in Bar Harbor, we went wine tasting, and we were even able to spend time hanging out if you can imagine that!!! I was even able to scare everyone by FLYING A PLANE! Well kind of  I got a big surprise from Brian with an aerial flight of Acadia national park!! Jim, MamaB’s friend lives up there and performs flights on Saturday’s so he was able to take us up and he even let me help fly! It was so much fun. We got a beautiful day and were able to see everything, including Martha Stewart’s house and the man who writes CSI’s house! It was so amazing. After the long weekend, Brian and I spent the rest of the trip without a clock/watch and without a vehicle! Ha-ha. It worked out great though! We were able to use public transportation (Free!) and our feeters to get around. We went to the brewery, did some hikes, hung out at Sand Beach, took in the views, caught a movie and pizza at the cinema café, hung out on the green (large open grassy area overlooking the waters) in Bar Harbor, and took in as much of Acadia as we could. We rented bikes one day and rode all over on the Carriage Roads. The carriage roads inspired and created by John Rockefeller, Jr. are VERY well kept up “gravel” roads that are only accessible to horses, horse drawn carriages, bikes, and feet. Rockefeller Jr. hated the combustion engine and didn’t want any motor vehicle to be allowed on the roads. So when the roads were given to the state, this wish has been maintained which makes for an amazing time for bikers and families. It is a safe way for kids to have fun with parents and not fear getting “in the middle of the road.” Rockefeller Jr. had a love for the outdoors and with his help and others a lot of Acadia National Park was formed. At first the area was only accessible to the wealthy who came in by big cruisers. This was because there was no road system to get up through and out to the island Acadia is on. The park is still meticulously maintained and beautiful. Back to the carriage roads, we were able to bike more than 18 miles including up Day Mountain and back down!  It was so beautiful. The funny part of the trip was the only place I really got service on my cell phone outside of the town of Bar Harbor, was on top of Day Mountain! So I decided to call Mom Ray and chat on top of the mountain! Overall we really had an amazing, peaceful, relaxing trip. I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture