This Christmas we are not traveling, but instead will be welcoming some visitors. I cannot tell you how happy I am that we will just be home and have some time to do things we haven't been able to do because we are still settling in. Did you know that we did Try Something New, Part 2? We did, but you wouldn't know it because we just haven't had the time to put the video together. So, stay tuned because in the next few weeks there are going to be some great blog posts.

There are still five more days of school, but I thought I'd get things started this morning by sharing some photos of Amelia and Bryce's new and improved summer bedrooms...it is finally starting to look like we moved in! I also post this because Amelia has been talking a lot about Mathews lately, so our summer haven has been on my mind.

We found these great mermaid prints in Yorktown.

Amelia's Mermaids

Blackout curtains were also phased out.

Cube shelves for Bryce

It was more challenging to find decorations for his room. 

We found these great planes in the Outer Banks in NC.

Sledding At Last!

Bryce's First Salon Visit

No more mommy haircuts for this little guy... He handled his first salon visit so well. Perhaps there is something to be said for waiting until you are three. It was fantastic! Both Bryce and Amelia got their haircut at the same time and then they waited patiently while I had mine done. We have definitely reached a new stage.

Farewell to Fall

Fall, and all of it's beauty, is quickly disappearing. Winter winds are blowing in from beyond the mountains and the air just has "that smell" that let's you know Winter is coming. The forecast predicts snow for the weekend. We have our gear, sleds and snow pants, ready for the first accumulation. It will be one of the most exciting firsts we experience this year. We might miss it, however, because we will be in Vienna for the weekend. I guess experiencing another first, visiting  European Christmas markets, is an easy trade off for the first snow of the season!

As we say "Farewell to Fall," I leave you with these photos from a recent forest walk and picnic...

So Many Firsts...

With the change of the seasons, it is amazing how many new "firsts" Amelia and Bryce have experienced these past few weeks.

First...
-Daylight savings time
-Morning frost
-Bike rides in the dark
-Touch of snow
-Sight of icicles on mountain top roofs
-Collection of dry leaves
-Planting crocus bulbs
-Scooter rides where you can see your breath

I must say that for Jim and myself it is also pretty magical to have seasons again after roughly 15 years!

Malta Merry-Go-Round

Halloween Revisited...

Last weekend our neighborhood community celebrated Halloween. It was a fantastic experience because it felt like what we would expect at home, with a little Bulgarian language thrown in! We got to go house to house and collect candy. The kids loved it and we enjoyed being out on a gorgeous, but chilly fall night with lots of our neighbors. We even received treats from the president, who happens to live around the corner from us. It was such a surprise to see his light on and we appreciated the easy way in which he greeted and interacted with the kids. I suppose he is a normal guy after all! After our bags were full, we returned how to pass out candy to the many children who came through. Jim joked with the older kids by trying to hand them dry pasta, which made them laugh after they realized he was only messing around.

"Happy Halloween!" 

"Look at all my candy!"