My Mom has survived three Cranial Surgeries (first to remove tumor and two more surgeries after due to complications) and my Niece Mariah is a flourishing, beautiful one year old after being born premature. 

My sister was flown to Boston last year and had to stay
in the cardiac ICU while docs contemplated on whether they would have
to take the baby or not. Weeks later my sister was stable enough to be
brought to a hospital more local to family and was put on
bedrest to keep baby in for as long as possible. She gave birth to my
niece weighing only 4lbs. As you can also see my sister has made full recovery too!

Today is Mariah’s birthday! =) She had a big, pink and purple princess cake, but this one in the pic was for her to eat all by herself.

COUSINS!!

Oldest cousin and youngest cousin sharing some snuggles.

The two preemies in the family. You would never know by how big Caleb is today that he was born premature a whole month more than Mariah and he only weighed 3lbs. Not to mention he survived orphange life as a preemie! God is good! I am confident Mariah is going to continue blossoming too! Just look at that beautiful smile of joy!! Caleb actually requested this particular photo to be on our blog because “the baby was so happy!”

Hi Baby. Phoebe was much more quiet and serious with her little cousin. Phoebe has this gentle, nurturing nature about her.

Chloe tried to get her baby cousin to laugh with a duck puppet.

What do you do with all those new birthday toys? PLAY with cousins!! =)

 
I had to share this one pic because it was so funny when Mariah got face to face with her new dolly her Mommy gave her. It was like… Whoa! This baby doll is as big as me. Not sure about that!

It looks like she is starting to cry here, but she truly wasn’t! Instead she started to “talk” as if to say, Hey, I’m still Queen around here! Got it?!

 

A year later…. We continue to give thanks to our Heavenly Father for the lives of my Mom, my Sister and my Niece!

(sorry for some of the pics being a little washed out. I’m too tired after the days events to fix ‘em. Maybe later… )

Saturday, Oct. 11th we went to the Orchard while it was still relatively warm. For those of you not in the Northeast that would mean low 60′s.

Hay ride up the hill first!

Eric and Jared (aka Eric Jr.)

“Hey, Mama! Can we put some of these apples in our bags?!”

This orchard always reminds me of a scene in a movie. On the property the migrant workers live in a large rustic, New England looking red barn. Well, it’s not actually a barn inside, but they have kept the outside looking very nostalgic for sure. At sun down you can see the migrant workers walking down the hill all together after picking these large square crates full of apples all day.

Chloe reaching up high with her “I can do it!” confident spirit.

Every time we go apple picking both girls have this thing of wanting to show me every single apple they pick. It’s so cute to see how proud they are of such a simple thing in life!

Phoebe, once again, gives me another pic that portrays, Apple of my eye. Look how her hands just show how much she cherishes that red gem of hers!

Jared is a pro at this by now, of course!

Caleb can pose without ever losing a hold of that perfect apple!

The wobbly camera bag took this family picture for us. Not bad!

What is Papa up to?!

We tried to go for Ten Apples On Top like Dr. Suess. I’m impressed that Jared was able to balance two and eat a third apple at the same time.

Look how talented we are! We can take a family pic all by ourselves and balance an apple on our heads at the same time.

Papa was playing helping Phoebe get an apple as she reaches waaaay up high. He had a little too much fun here with both girls. Chloe immediately with all confidence said she could do it, not catching onto what Papa was actually doing by pulling the branch up just before they caught the apple in their hand. lol

On the top of the lookout identifying all the Mountain ranges. Pretty neat!

Sun is going down. Time to climb back on hay for a ride down the hill.

Caleb is our apple eater. He eats about two to three apples a day ALL year long. I think he ate five while we were picking. As you see here he was tempted to eat more from his bag on the way back to farm stand.

Looking from the corn field back over to the farm that creates the maze every Autumn

Chloe showing a letter she found in the maze to help us find the secret message to a hidden treasure.

Jared on one of the look-outs in the middle of the maze.

The look-outs are HIGH up!

That is some TALL corn!

Which way do we go?!

THAT way!

Watch out for the fallen cornstalk!

Chloe and Mama find the hidden number on the second look-out that allows to enter a drawing for a free gift certificate to a restaurant.

We all took turns hiding in the corn. Mama hid first and then Papa quickly joined her, of course .


Who’s that peeking out at me?! Phoebe!

The absolute scariest part in the whole maze!! We met up with a dinosaur named, Caleb!

            
We finished!! It took us about an hour to conquer the corn maze.