Hurricane Sandy

Our hearts go out to everyone affected by Hurricane Sandy in New York and New Jersey. Here in Bethel, we had very moderate damage to the house next door and a week without electricity, like most of the tri-state area.  Thanks to Aunt Mary and Uncle John for taking us in when it got too cold and Keels got a fever!

My Man on the camping stove :)

Family Halloween Party in Redding

One of the Moms from my Mommies group hosted a fantastic Halloween party yesterday, complete with costume contest for the adults, keepsake crafts for the kids, and potluck dishes to keep us eating all afternoon. Seeing all the children in costumes was adorable and we are so grateful to have such good friends in the area to make holiday memories with. 

 

 Emmet and my costume were inspired by Olympic fleeces we won from Grandpa Ferriter during one of his infamous "quizzes." The medals, of course, are homemade :) Keeley is a little girl froggy.

Her Favorite Things

One of the best things about Keeley getting older is watching her play independently. I love seeing what she will do repetitively for ten minutes straight or what she will do for one second and be bored. The past month, what she gets the most joy out of is listening to us read her one of her favorite books "Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?" by Eric Carle  or "From Head to Toe" by Eric Carle and carrying her two rabbits everywhere she goes, snuggling them always.

Trip up to Whethersfield, CT

With Emmet studying away on Saturdays and Sundays this fall for the STEP 2, Keeley and I have decided to take some road trips to see friends and family. This weekend it was off to my college friend, Meg Fallon's house in Whethersfield, CT joined by my other friend, Becca from Boston.

I LOVE FALL IN NEW ENGLAND!

UCONN Tailgate

Emmet's friends from home traditionally do a UCONN game and tailgate every fall and this year we were finally able to join back up with them after four years of being away or being with a newborn. Highlights included awesome weather, Keeley eating her first hot dog and passing out on a blanket for 5 minutes, and hanging out with the Safino babies all day! While waiting in the car line up to get a parking spot, we noticed college kids reaching back for beers in the cooler on the backseat. We were reaching back handing Keeley Cheerios... life has changed :)

 Go HUskIes!!

 "I wore this UCONN hat all day and we lost??"

Keeley's First Birthday!!

Emmet and I were looking forward to Keeley's first birthday for a long time. Naturally, Keeley won't remember her big 1, but it has been an eventful and crazy year for us and so we thought it was the perfect time of year for a celebration at our home in Bethel for family and friends.

 In her new outfit from Nana RoRo with her dog from Aunt Bri, which has been dragged around our house ever since :)

 Menu included Emmet's chili, chicken wings, cranberry-pecan salad and a big chocolate cake!

 With her Nanny!!

 With 25 guests, it was our first attempt at really entertaining a large crowd at our own place and even though the weather wasn't ideal, our backyard got utilized nonetheless!

 Was not as happy about the sugar as we anticipated... did not appreciate all the attention for once