Christmas Day

The best gift I received this Christmas was a partially handmade gift from my amazing husband which allowed me to do this . . . 

Aquila Christmas 2013 from Christina A on Vimeo.

Who knew there was an app that allows you to use your phone as a remote control for your camera? Apparently my husband. He also figured out how to make the infrared transmitter that I had to plug into my phone to make the app work.  Awesome.

To round out the fun here are a few other photos from this morning.

We're going to head outside for some fun in the snow followed by our Christmas Day lunch. Merry Christmas to all!

Happy Holidays!

If I had had the time to send out a Christmas card this year it would have looked like the above. But instead I spent the last week working on other Christmas projects.

For the second year in a row we found and cut down our Christmas tree in our own backyard. With this being Violet's first Christmas I spent a good portion of this past weekend quilting her a stocking to hang on the fireplace next to the stockings I made for Marc and I for our first Christmas as husband and wife. I also decided now was the time to try out a new hobby and decorated sugar cookies for our neighbors using royal icing - time consuming but a great creative outlet for me. Lastly, I've been thoroughly enjoying the winter landscape outside our windows.

Tonight, Christmas Eve, we were able to start a few new traditions for our family of three. When I was a kid one of my favorite gifts each year was an ornament from my mom. It was the one present we were able to open on Christmas Eve. By receiving an ornament each year my mom made sure that once we left home we had something to put on our own Christmas trees and some memories to take with us wherever we were. So this evening, Violet received her first tree ornament complete with a family of three snowmen and this years date.

She also was able to open a second gift - a new pair of winter pajamas to wear tonight and into the morning. Lastly, Marc read The Night Before Christmas as her bedtime story (thanks PopPop!).

Marc and I have been making the most of being able to decide our own menu. This morning we had biscuits and gravy, followed by a light lunch of charcuterie and cheese and an early roast chicken dinner with all the fixings. Next up tonight is french apple pie fresh from the oven. Tomorrow we have even more of our favorites to look forward to - homemade bagels for breakfast and a spiral ham lunch with all the fixings. I hope you are enjoying your holiday season as much as we are!

Violet - 10 months

Weight - 20 pounds 14 ounces 

Height - 29 1/2 inches 

Dear Violet,

This month your little personality is really beginning to shine through. Since birth you have been curious about the world around you, but now you are determined to find out what you want, when you want it. Your crawling is more coordinated and you are picking up speed. You are also picking up whatever piece of fluff, dirt, or wood you can find on the floor and instantly trying to put it in your mouth.

Nana and Granddad came to visit for three weeks around Thanksgiving and you loved it! It was so much fun watching you hold Nana's fingers and explore the house. Everyday the two of you would "walk" to the floor length mirror to check in on "Baby Violet". Nana was also nice enough to let you explore and dump out the contents of her purse. You and Granddad had your own way of communicating with each other - you would mimic his nod "yes" with a very distinct blink and nodding your head "yes" in return. They also thoroughly enjoyed sharing their fruit with you - you would take whatever they would offer when it came to clementines, pears and bananas.

At ten months you've also been trying to figure out some social cues. When people around you laugh you'll let out a little giggle and then quickly look around to check and make sure you did it right. One night you got Nana, Granddad, Daddy and Me laughing uncontrollably with your antics. Out of nowhere you smiled as wide as you could while raising your eyebrows in a shocked expression. It was hilarious and as we laughed you continued to do it over and over again. You also continue to blow raspberries from the backseat as we drive around town.

Along with the crazy antics there have also been some really sweet moments. Crawling up behind me as I stand in the kitchen in the morning, sitting behind my feet, sucking your thumb and holding on to the bottom of my bathrobe. Reaching out for your bunny blanket as I lay you down in your crib each night before rolling on your side and falling asleep. Waving goodbye to Daddy as he leaves the room at night. And smiling so sweetly when you see us enter a room. These moments continue to melt our hearts as your parents.

This month you also hit a few new milestones. You stood up by yourself for the very first time, standing for 3-5 seconds at a time without holding onto or touching anything. You had your first allergic reaction to a food - eggs, just like your Uncle Andrew. You are also becoming pretty adept at drinking out of a sippy cup even if you do try to trick Daddy or I into holding it for you. Lastly, two of our least favorite milestones have been you pooping in the tub during bath time and realizing that you can drop food off the edge of your high chair when you don't want it. Hopefully you will out grow these habits quickly.

Every now and then your Dad and I take a moment to appreciate just how much you are growing and how you continue to amaze us each day. We really hope you keep this curiosity about the world throughout your life and always explore what's out there.

Love,
Your Mom and Dad

Thanksgiving

In the two weeks leading up to Thanksgiving my parents spent a lot of time finishing up odd jobs around the house. We finally got all the walls and the ceilings painted in the living room and kitchen. With their babysitting help Marc and I were able to finish installing the wood floors. And the four of us came close to finishing up our multi-purpose space in the basement. The house was its cleanest and most complete its ever been just in time for Thanksgiving!

Christina, Erin, Katie, Stephanie, Elise, Bill, Will, Neil, 

Heidi, Violet, Jess, Uncle Billy, Marc (not pictured: Claire)

Being Violet's first Thanksgiving, Marc and I decided we wanted to do it up right. So we bought a turkey the size of Violet (20 pounds!) and invited 12 of our family members over to celebrate with us. We feasted on turkey, mashed potatoes, roast potatoes, gravy, original stuffing, stuffing with cranberries and almonds, green beans, green bean casserole, roasted brussel sprouts, southern sweet potato mash, broccoli salad, homemade rolls, and onion celeste. For dessert we had the option between pumpkin cheesecake with ginger crust, pumpkin pie, french apple pie or key lime pie. It was awesome.

Also awesome were the outfits. Thanks to her Aunt Katie, Violet had the perfect outfit to wear on Thanksgiving - a mock turtleneck complete with a turkey, her name and a matching tutu. Violet's outfit matched her cousin Claire as you can see in the above photo. I can't wait to redo this picture when these cousins are in their teenage years.

 

Overall I would say it was a very successful Thanksgiving and we can't wait to do it again!

Violet - 9 months

Weight - 20 pounds 9 ounces
Height - 28 inches
Head Circumference - 17 3/4 inches

Dear Violet, 

After returning from Hawaii you came down with your very first cold. Thankfully it wasn't too intense just a runny nose that turned into a slight cough. During the day we treated you with saline and nose suction - which you thoroughly hated. And at night we turned on your humidifier, put Vicks vaporub on the bottom of your feet and covered your feet with socks. Although we were sad to see you under the weather it was a fun discovery to find out just how ticklish you are on the bottom of your feet. I have to admit sometimes I put lotion on your feet just to hear your giggle. 

This month it seems like we have noticed some of the little milestones. You definitely recognize that "Violet" is your name. You've added the syllable "da" to your vocabulary and love to babble away to yourself, your toys, or to me from the backseat of the car. I'd like to think you have started calling Daddy "dada", however he's not convinced since everything seems to be called "dada" at this moment. Lastly, you have also started pulling to standing - on the coffee table, the brick fireplace, my legs and your crib to name a few. You'll even stand at the side of your crib closest to the door and yell at it when you are all done sleeping or greet us when we come to pick you up. 

Your left top tooth has arrived which brings us to four teeth in total. You also discovered that with four teeth you can grind them. I've been told this helps with the teething but it drives your parents insane! Thankfully you are still a great eater and you are taking after the Aquila side of your family. Whenever someone is eating you crawl right over to see what it is and try to get some for yourself. You are eating breakfast, lunch and dinner and are often eating whatever it is we are eating. You'll eat off of silverware but also feed yourself with your hands. And you are very specific about what you will and will not eat. So much so that you have even taken the items you didn't want off of the fork just to eat the one thing you did want. 

One of the sweetest actions I love about you right now is when I put you to bed at night. As I lay you down in your crib you momentarily rest on your back with your left thumb in your mouth and your right arm outstretched to the side. As I place your bunny blanket across your right arm you pull him to you in a hug and roll onto your right side, close your eyes, and drift off to sleep. It's simple but something I look forward to watching every night I put you down. 

It's the sweet little moments that remind us you are still our baby even though most of the day we are in awe at how fast you are growing up!

Love,
Your Mom and Dad

Halloween

This year we celebrated Violet's first Halloween. Thanks to her Aunt Carly and Uncle Andrew she had a very cute strawberry outfit to wear for the day. We started off by visiting Marc at his office. When we arrived we were just in time for the costume parade - unfortunately it was for the dogs so while Violet probably would have enjoyed trying a dog biscuit we decided to visit with our friends in the office instead. 

Later in the day we were invited over to a local friends house. Marie and I met during prenatal yoga and since then Bryce and Violet have had many play dates together. Bryce is a few months older then Violet so I get a little insight into what's coming up although each month the difference between the two gets smaller and smaller. I've really enjoyed spending time with both Bryce and Marie, watching our little ones grow this year.

After Marie's husband Adam returned from work, we all walked down to the center of Lebanon passing trick-or-treaters on our way. In town we stopped by the firehouse to look at the firetruck and say hi to their mascot. Then we headed over to city hall to try our hand at spin art and listen to a Halloween story. Marc met up with us while we were there. Then we all headed back to Marie's house to meet up with the other babies and enjoy a delicious soup dinner.

Apparently animals were the theme this year - Violet missed that memo. 

An astronaut, a strawberry and a banana walk into a Halloween party . . .

Back to Reality

We've been on a little hiatus over here recently. The leaves have changed and most of them have already fallen. Violet and I spent a week in California followed by a week in Hawaii with Marc and the rest of my family. 

Now that we are home we are trying to get back in the swing of things. Violet is battling the tail end of her first cold and Marc and I are busy preparing for the change of seasons. 

Today Marc climbed up on the roof and together we cleaned the chimney. It looks like next week's weather will require the wood stove to be working. While he was up there Marc also swept the roof of pine needles and cleaned out the rain gutters. 

While he was on the roof Marc suggested I sweep the deck. I decided to do one better and pulled out the leaf blower. Now I know why my dad thought it was important we had one ... that power tool is fun!! 

I'm hoping to get a chance to catch up on some posts this week as there is much to share. Violet has turned 8 months and we all had a fantastic family vacation to Hawaii. 

Violet - 8 Months

Weight - 19 pounds 9 ounces

Dear Violet,

I started drafting this letter to you on my iPhone as you were sleeping in my arms on our flight from Vermont to California. It wasn't the first time we had flown without Daddy but it was the beginning of our first week without him away from our home. Together, you and I spent one week in California with Nana and Granddad. Then Daddy joined us for a week in Hawaii with the rest of my family. Although I haven't been jotting down copious amounts of new moments with you, I really feel that during these two weeks you grew up. A lot. We've definitely hit some big milestones this month with teeth and crawling.

This month we had to give you your first dose of Tylenol. You had woken up at 11 pm after being put to bed at 7 pm and just screamed until 1 am. There was nothing your Dad nor I could do to calm you - not rocking, not turning the lights on and not even nursing. It was at this point that we decided you must be really close to getting a tooth. The Tylenol helped you and, let's be honest, us get some rest. But in the morning there was still no new tooth. Four days later we found ourselves in the same predicament, but still no tooth. Finally a week after the first screaming incident your second bottom tooth (right center) made its appearance.

The downside to teeth is biting. As I watch you play sometimes I watch you bite things you shouldn't be - the brick fireplace, the wooden coffee table, the metal chair and even daddy's shoes. Three times you have also bit me while nursing. I think my response is as equally surprising to you as the bite is to me and neither of us seems to be happy after you've bit me. Hopefully this will be a fleeting experience for both of us.

During our vacation in Hawaii you finally met your Uncle Andrew and Auntie Carly and spent a lot of time with your 2 year old twin cousins, Josephine and Nixon. It was your first time to the beach and the most time you have spent in a pool. I think it was the twins running around that encouraged you to really get a handle on crawling. Not only can you get where you want to now but you can also transition back and forth between sitting and crawling, which makes watching your cousins run around or checking out where Mom and Dad are even easier. It's been really fun to watch the things you will crawl after but it also came with the realization that we probably should have already baby proofed some of our house.

Your new word this month was "up". You have no idea what it means but you have definitely said it over and over again. You are also getting better at waving. If you are in the right mood and provided the right encouragement you will wave to other people. Your timing is still off for the "hello" or "goodbye" wave but you do enjoy a good middle of the conversation wave. And when you are really proud of yourself you have even started clapping. We can't wait to see how you master these skills next month.

Love,
Your Mom and Dad

Violet - 7 months

Weight - 18 pounds 8 ounces

Dear Violet,

So far this age is my favorite, but don't be surprised if I say that again in a few months. I don't think there's a day that goes by where I don't say, "Girl, you crack me up." Right now it's mostly while you are perfecting the comedic timing of your raspberries. It's so much fun to watch your skills come together and to see parts of your personality beginning to show.

We've learned in the first month of your life that if you didn't like something you would let us know, but now you really tell us. Whether it is arching your back when we are trying to strap you into your car seat, banging your hand on your high chair tray to get more food or yelling at us from your exersaucer you are definitely very clear when something isn't right. Usually picking you up and holding you for a minute, or distracting you with a combination of noises and faces, makes everything okay again.

Nowadays you are repeating your first syllable "ba" multiple times in a row with the occasional exclamation "BA!". We're still waiting to hear a "ma" or a "da" but I'm sure you're just saving that one for later. In the meantime I'm happy to listen to your innocent voice as it coos in the back seat of the car.

You still suck your thumb to calm yourself but now you have also started chewing on your fingers. We're trying to teach you how to wave but so far we only get a slight finger movement either with the hand that is behind my back or five minutes after the wave was warranted. Don't worry though, I still appreciate them.

This month you started eating solid foods. At first you would bring food to your mouth, gum it and then spit it out. I'm pretty sure in that first few weeks you maybe swallowed 1/4 of a teaspoon of food but that didn't stop you from trying bread, bananas, watermelon, carrots, broccoli, and cantaloupe. After a few weeks you seemed to get the hang of having food in your mouth and how to use your tongue to move it around. You also figured out how to use both your hands to get a single cheerio off your tray and into your mouth. It's fun to watch you try to figure out how you are going to get whatever is on your tray into your mouth. What I wasn't prepared for was the day you ate a fly.

There you were sitting in your exersaucer with the tips of your fingers in your mouth. I think you were feeling your new front tooth (bottom front left) when a small fly landed on your finger. Before my cat-like mom reflexes could grab the fly your whole hand went into your mouth. I tried my hardest to sweep it out of your mouth but sadly I had to watch as you flashed me a glimpse of the fly on your tongue and then swallowed. Ugh. Oh well - we marked it down in your baby book as your first protein.

The final big development this month was the first time you crawled. I wish you would practice it more often but so far you are only inclined to give it a go if you really want to get to something. You will push up on your hands and practically jump up onto both of your knees scooting them in towards your tummy. Then you will lean forward and flatten yourself out, scooting an inch or so closer to your target. Rinse and repeat. The first time you were after a bottle of sunblock. The last couple of times you've been after my phone and my books. I'm hoping in the next month this skill will develop to an actual crawl.

Our most favorite part of the day is watching you say hello and goodbye to your Dad. You and I stand at the living room window and as soon as you can see him either leaving the house and walking to his car or getting out of his car and walking to the house you break out in a large smile. You will watch him, mesmerized, until you can no longer see him. I don't blame you - he's pretty awesome.

Love,
Your Mom and Dad

Violet - 6 Months

Weight - 18 pounds 3.5 ounces

Height - 27 1/2 inches

Head Circumference - 17 inches

Dear Violet,

We've survived half of a year together but man is it bittersweet reaching this milestone. On the one hand you are more interactive and are beginning to "talk" more. There was a week of constant "raspberries" (aka fart noises), a week of gargling, and most recently a slightly disturbing week of inhaling squeaks. The best part is that now you recognize and look for both Daddy and me. On the other hand you are quickly moving away from being our little baby. Not only are you getting bigger by the day but you are also getting more mobile which means your cuddly-snuggly moments are getting more and more infrequent.

As far as Nana is concerned you've been teething for the past 2 months but so far, still no teeth. The drool can be unreal at times and this month especially you have a fascination with putting things in your mouth - my finger, daddy's glasses, tags on anything, washcloths, diapers, and toys. The legs kicking, arms reaching out, mouth open in an "o", raised eyebrow excitement for anything that Daddy or I am holding is priceless. I really hope that in the future you find other experiences to bring you this much excitement. I also hope I always remember your super wide all gum smiles that you have started to flash at us this month.

You have been a pro at rolling from your back to your tummy for a little while but now you are mastering the roll from your tummy to your back. You've also mastered moving around in the walker. The first week you were stuck in reverse but pretty quickly you learned how to tilt your weight and move forward as well. With all this movement it is rare but you still occasionally will fall asleep in my arms when I am nursing you. I cherish each and every one of those moments as I hold your tiny hand or run my fingers through your soft, thin, fair hair.

You've had some firsts this month too. We had our first trip together on a boat and you swam in Lake Champlain. We took our first family pop-up camper trip to Pennsylvania and Washington DC. We visited family and friends and we also took you to see the space shuttle at the Air and Space Museum. You spoke your first syllable - "Ba". Lastly, one first I'm still not sure how you pulled off, but you had your first food by diving mouth first onto Daddy's watermelon while he held it in his hand.

There are many nights when your Dad and I acknowledge just how lucky we are to have such an amazing daughter. You still don't sleep through the night, you can be cranky at times, but on the whole you are a laid back little girl who observes and takes in the world around her. We couldn't ask for more.

Love,
Your Mom and Dad

Weekend Wrap-up : Birds, Blueberries, and Babies!

One minute it's May and there's a threat of frost and the next thing you know it's the middle of August and people are talking about back to school. Where did the summer go? I feel like we've been so busy this summer going here and there that we haven't had a weekend at home. Thankfully my good friend Irene, whom I lived with when I was in grad school in Los Angeles, came to visit us this weekend and we were able to enjoy a weekend at home with her. 

Saturday morning when we got up for breakfast we spotted a heron near our wood pile. At first it appeared that he wanted to just stand there and act like he didn't exist. But when Marc went out to get the paper he took flight and I captured it on film. We've seen him around a few times this week but this was the only time we actually took his picture. It was beautiful to watch his expansive wings gracefully move him around the trees and through our valley towards the pond. 

After breakfast we headed out to Riverview Farm in New Hampshire to go blueberry picking. This was the first weekend the farm was open for the season and the blueberries were ripe for picking. Last year we went over Labor Day weekend with my friend Michelle. It's definitely better to go earlier in the season, not only did we have the bushes all to ourselves but they were full of sweet large berries. After an hour at the farm we returned home with about 6 pounds of blueberries. We'll probably head back again in a few weeks when more of the apples are ready. 

Me and Irene

On Sunday we said goodbye to Irene as she had to return to New York City. However, in the afternoon Violet invited her friends from our prenatal Centering Group over for a barbecue. Hard to believe our little newborns are already 6 months old but it was so much fun watching them play and interact with each other. Plus this time they were old enough to sit up for photos. It's still difficult to get 4 babies to look in the same direction but thankfully it doesn't take away from any of the cuteness. 

Zoey, Violet, Chloe, and Elsie

Two Year Anniversary

When I look back at the 67 blog posts we have shared since last year's anniversary I am amazed by just how much we were able to squeeze in during the last year.

Although we've only been in our house for 1 year (part 2) it's amazing how much we've accomplished. Inside the house we've been busy crossing items off of our to-do list. Marc has hung curtains in our bedroom, knocked down a wall between our kitchen and living room, and installed a new front door. We finished up our guest bathroom remodel and I took apart and fixed the washing machine. Outside we built a bridge, inherited a ride on lawn mower, and stacked six cords of wood. Marc created some paths through our land while I built my very first snowman. And, we made the most of being Vermonters by tapping our maple trees and making maple syrup.  

Our biggest change this year was expecting our first child and welcoming our little girl Violet into this world. My goal during my pregnancy (19 weeks, 24 weeks, 30 weeks, 33 weeks, 36 weeks, 37 weeks, 40 weeks) was to have a fully natural labor and delivery. Thankfully, with Marc's help and support, I was able to achieve just that. We both absolutely love our new role as parents and since that first day we have been watching and doing our best to document (1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months, 5 months, 6 months) Violet grow up. It's the little things, like watching her first swim in Lake Champlain, that remind us to slow down and enjoy the day to day.

On top of all that we've also been able to take a break from our lives in Vermont to visit friends and family. Marc went to a bachelor party in Vegas while I tried on the role of a single parent. We both traveled to San Antonio to celebrate the first birthday of the twins and turned Marc's business trip to Chicago into a fun trip to Green Bay. We've also celebrated three weddings - Mike and Katie Malm's wedding in New York, Andrew and Christina Walker's wedding in California and Brandon and Jennifer Krajewski's wedding in Wisconsin. Most recently we took our first pop-up camper trip to Pennsylvania and Washington DC.

Last year Marc was able to take the day off of work in celebration of our first anniversary. This year he's had to spend the day at work but it doesn't mean we haven't been celebrating. This morning we started off by having homemade bagels for breakfast as a family of three. We also watched this short video that my sister-in-law Carly made for us on our wedding day.

This evening we are looking forward to putting the baby to bed, opening a bottle of champagne and indulging in a meal of lobster, baked potatoes and corn on the cob. If we can't be on a boat in Maine at least we can eat like we are. Happy Anniversary Marc!

Family Vacation

This summer we decided our family vacation would be spent in a rented pop-up camper from Dean Hill RV. Not only did we want to visit Marc's brother Billy and his family in Pennsylvania but we also wanted to return to Washington DC to visit our friends and family that were still there. Since, we timed our vacation with the birth of our newest niece Claire, we felt that bringing our own accommodations would not only make it easier for Billy and Katie but would also provide some entertainment for his older children. Plus we figured camping outside of Washington DC would feel more like a vacation then staying in a hotel. 

We loaded up the truck in the pouring rain and pulled out of our driveway heading to New Hampshire to pick up the camper. Thankfully we thought ahead and packed in plastic storage boxes so not only were things organized and kept clean but we also didn't have to worry about our stuff getting soaked. For good measure we also threw a tarp over everything. Once Violet was loaded in the back we were ready to hit the road! 

Our orientation to the popup camper was pretty straightforward and before we knew it we were on our way south. I have to admit the truck made it pretty easy to tow our camper. The weird part was checking your mirrors and constantly seeing a camper following you. Thankfully it only took a little while to get comfortable with the weight and length of the camper and before you knew it we were changing lanes with ease.

Our first stop was Billy's house in Pennsylvania. Luckily his backyard was large enough and had the perfect spot for our camper - a little space behind the play structure, surrounded by trees, that provided us not only with shelter from the sun but also a little bit of privacy. Violet settled right in.

Initially I was a little worried about what it would be like to take a 5 month old on a vacation in a pop-up camper but it couldn't have gone any smoother. We rented the clipper tent camper which had two queen size beds, a dinette, sofa, sink, stove and toilet. Although the camper sleeps six I really doubt we could have had anymore then the three of us in there considering everything we brought with us and the fact that Violet was sleeping in a pack and play. Had she been smaller and better at co-sleeping it would have been a different story. But as it was we used the dinette as the surface upon which to put her pack and play and the second queen bed held all of our luggage and other supplies - including a fan to help keep it cool.

at our campsite in Bull Run National Park (Manassas, VA)

Cozy - our bed behind the curtain on the left, Violet's bed on top of the dinette,
stove, sink and second guest bed full of our stuff

Sleeping area and sofa

Plugging into electricity at the national park and running an extension cord to our camper at Billy's house allowed us to not only run a fan but also allowed us to use our video monitor to keep an eye on Violet after she went to bed. The curtain between our beds was super helpful to keep her from seeing us and wanting to play in the early hours of the morning. Lastly the pack and play doubled as a fantastic place to make sure she was safe while we were just hanging out at our campsite.

At Billy's house we spent our time hanging out, playing games, reading books, eating delicious food and catching up. It was so much fun not only meet Baby Claire for the first time but to spend time some time with Billy, Katie, Elise and Will. I especially enjoyed watching Marc not only be a hands on dad but a hands on uncle.

After a couple days in Pennsylvania we packed up and headed to Washington DC. We were able to squeeze in visits with all of our good friends who were around that weekend and spent some quality time with Marc's cousin Jess. Marc and I were both excited to go to the larger Air and Space Museum out by the airport so that we could visit the space shuttle.

Violet may not look that excited but I'm pretty sure she was impressed by it all. I was grateful that we had finally invested in a stroller - it was by far the most used item in Washington DC. Violet was even able to take a nap in it which allowed us to slowly wander around the museum at our pace instead of trying to cram it in at her pace. Another fun part of our trip was being able to see my good friends John and Paige whom I've known since high school. We stopped by their house for dinner where we met their newest addition little Miss Mary for the very first time and saw their older sons for the first time since they were babies.

After a couple days in Washington DC it was time to pack up again and head north. We broke up our drive home by stopping again at Marc's brother's house in Pennsylvania before heading back to Vermont. It was such a fun trip I really can't wait to rent a pop-up camper again. As you can see from these photos the fresh air was great for us all to catch up on sleep!

  

My Husband is a Beekeeper

My husband claims he doesn't have a sweet tooth. However, he seems to be about as eager as anyone to find ways to get sweets from our land. When we finished up our maple sugaring in the spring Marc quickly turned his attention to a bee hive and maintaining our own supply of honey.

In the beginning of June Marc drove out to western Vermont to pick up a nucleus colony of bees (aka a nuc). The nucleus colony includes a queen and a group of honey bees on 5 frames. You move the colony to your hive by putting their frames into your hive with more empty frames and hope they fill it up and make it their own.

When the bees arrived they were living on wooden frames like this. You can see the perfectly built wax honeycomb on the frame.

Marc put those wooden frames into our empty super along with the empty plastic frames we had. He then placed a bucket full of sugar water on top of the frames so the bees would have some food to start building their wax honeycomb. This meant that while they were getting used to the new area and finding flowers they would have a backup food source. He then used an empty super to cover the sugar water bucket and placed a lid on top.

nucleus colony wooden frames and empty plastic frames to expand into

the lower super has the frames, the top super is just covering the sugar water bucket 

Over the past couple of months the bees have not only filled out all the frames on the bottom super with honeycomb wax, eggs, pollen and honey but we have had to add an additional super on top for them to move into. Marc goes out to the colony at least once a week to check on how they are doing and making sure they are happy. If they run out of room or don't have enough food sources they can swarm and leave your hive. 

And here's a closeup of some of the honeycomb wax they have built full of honey. Marc brought it in because they hadn't built it evenly all over the frame. He also wanted to taste some of the raw honey. It was the most flavorful honey I have ever tasted, even if it was only one or two licks of my fingertip.

I have to admit it's been pretty fascinating learning about bees and beekeeping through Marc's eyes. He's so enthusiastic about them and there is so much I didn't know about how the hive functions. We're hoping to get a little honey from the bees this fall. If we are successful at keeping the bees alive over the winter then next fall we should have enough honey for a real harvest.