Merry Christmas 2012...

We've been 'away' from our blog for quite some time--nearly a whole year. It wasn't our intent, but a couple of factors played into our absence including a very busy school and business year, as well as just general frustration with Blogger as a blog interface. Alas, we will try to do some catching up from time to time, and are jumping right to the 2012-2013 holiday time frame which was a brilliantly happy time for all of us.

 

Blue Fred, our resident Elf, was kind enough to return to Chez
Agudelo, even though the royal kidlets were quite overzealous. The season was riddled with mischief (Fred induced), but his mischief seemed to encourage similar actions from our kiddos, leading to him going on temporary strike. We celebrated his return with a Blue Fred Returns breakfast complete with snowballs...but as you'll note, his mischief was more aggressive this year. He held household friends hostage, kidnapped them, and even leveraged his magical graffiti skills on not just our walls and pictures, but the kids and Tony too! oh my!

Blue Fred marks up all our pictures...AND some of our faces!!  :( 

He holds Darth Vader and Yoda hostage via light saber..... and destroys the remaining pumpkins from Thanksgiving. We couldn't believe it...he was completely out of control.....

This year, we also visited the Methuen Festival of Trees. What an amazing event. Hundreds of holiday trees theme decorated. It was a wonderful treat for all of us to enjoy and really helped us kick up the holiday! 

Christmas Day was busy, as expected. Santa was very good to the kiddos, who are obsessed with Angry Birds, superheroes and Legos. In short, everyone felt truly blessed this year..in more ways than one.

Alec was the first to rise in the very early/wee hours of Christmas morning. We caught him checking out the haul....so cute!

Tony also celebrated another birthday...and the kids chose his birthday theme: Creeper (from Scooby Doo). And here he is...in all his zombiesque glory....

Tony extinguishes his candles...with a little help... 

We also capped off our year doing something we'd never done before --  tackle a gingerbread house. What seems an enjoyable activity for most, we felt we needed to wait on this given the size and type of candy, as well as our kids' preference for gingerbread. They LOVE it. So, we had to prep them in advance--to understand that the activity was for decorating, not eating. They figured it out quicker than we thought, and ended up doing a super-fantastic job (with a little help from mom...). Alec took on the roof, while Abby and Aramis handled the sides. First gingerbread house complete. 

Next year, we'll give them each one of their own. 

Voila!! Pretty awesome for a first try!!! :) 

Oh, and we almost forgot. We saw our first stage production of The Grinch!! The kids LOVED it--the costumes, the music, and the lovely lunch at Abby Lane (Jason Santos' newest dining venture). Given that its our daughter's namesake, we felt it only appropriate to eat there afterward. You can see just how 'happy' she is at the prospect of upscale dining....hmmm..."where's my hamburger??"

Welcome 2013!!

How 'bout dem apples?.....

The title of our post was obviously cribbed from the Boston-based movie, Good Will Hunting, within which Matt Damon's character asks, "How 'bout dem apples?"  So, how 'bout dem?  Fall in New England wouldn't nearly be complete without a trip to an apple orchard to pick your own fresh-from-the-tree apples for pies, fritters, homemade apple sauce, chutney or apple crisp, among other treats. And we....are more than happy to oblige in the tradition. :)

Look at our bounty! A postcard for sure....

 The kids really enjoy picking their apples, and fortunately for us, there were a lot of apples in the low hanging underbranches of trees that most folks avoid since they have to get way under the tree and a little dirty in the process. Our kids were the perfect size to get in and pick--without much ado--so we got our bushel number relatively quickly.

 

On the hunt around the orchard for diverse varieties. Some are soft and good for applesauce, others are harder and better for pies!

  Can you see the kids inside the trees? The boys are both in there...and Abby shows us her most recent pick!

Tony asks the kids whether or not the apples are good for picking? Too small, no good. Too large, no good. They have to be 'just right' for the picking....Tough lessons to teach, we've learned. The kids would much rather just pick everything they can reach--which really IS the fun of it. ;)

Is this a good one, Aramis??

Who is going to climb under there to get the best apples we can see?

And check it out--just LOOK at this awesome in-motion catch! Tony sends an apple flying over to Aramis, who is ready to snatch it out of the air and add to our bushel. Baseball future? Maybe!!



Pumpkin Patch 2012

 

 

There are so many fun things to do in New England once Summer departs and cooler temps set in. Although King Tony strongly dislikes the winter/cold weather, the kidlets really enjoy the Fall adventures planned for them including visiting the pumpkin patch and taking a hayride or two. So, off to the patch we went on a gorgeous Fall Sunday to select several pumpkins to decorate our home--inside and out.  The kids got to eat warm pumpkin spice donuts followed by a hayride, hay maze, and of course, learning from King Tony how to pick out the perfect orange gourd. :)

The light shines especially bright on this group of beautiful souls....

 

Alec munches on donuts as we prepare for a hayride.  Happy day!

The kids got another lesson from Tony in pumpkin selection. Which pumpkins are the best for carving, for table decoration, and which ones to avoid! This year, he went all out and we needed a wheelbarrow to carry our 'booty.'  The kids opted to fill up the wheelbarrow with their favorites, and Tony only had to veto a few... :)

Looking for the perfect pumpkins, different colors, different sizes....

 

Capping our Fall fun was a visit with cousin Christian. We introduced him to the Boston Beer Works (blueberry and a variety of stouts) and he's already indicated plans to return for more next year. :)

Happy Pumpkin Season!

Buddy Walk 2012 - Step in Style....

 

Abby's Cadabbies Team Photo 2012

    She is our precious little princess--although not so little anymore. Abby, our beautiful miracle daughter, now in her 7th year, continues to prove to us just how amazing she is regardless of a medical diagnosis called Down syndrome.  Each year, we celebrate individuals with Down syndrome at the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress' Annual Buddy Walk. This year, our team was bigger than it has ever been, and the funds we raised were record-setting -- not only as a team--but the MDSC as an organization. This proves that our efforts to place an updated 'face' on Down syndrome while dispelling myths and historic stereotypes are making a serious dent--and that is all we can ever ask for.  Abby is an ambassador for the Down syndrome community--proving to us and all of those around her--that Down syndrome IS simply a medical diagnosis, NOT a measure of a person's abilities. 

To highlight recent medical advances in prenatal Down syndrome testing and how it will impact reproductive couples as well as the current population of individuals with Down syndrome, Mama Wendy penned a feature article in the October 2012 Baystate Parent Magazine: http://issuu.com/baystateparent/docs/1012_bsp/43  (pages 42-43). Hopefully, it will give couples updated information to consider should they learn that their unborn child may have Down syndrome.

Agudelo Family 2012

Nothing like a big hug for her brother, Alec...or is it a choke hold?? Hard to tell these days.... :)



Some special time with Papa on the Walk...priceless.



Abby and M-E...one of her good buddies and role models!

Abby 2012 -- Getting more beautiful every year

Of course, the Buddy Walk isn't just about walking and celebrating. We often get side tracked with eating, chatting, visiting and this year, Auntie Abra got busy defending herself and our treat table from the young'uns in our group. :)

It was a pretty darn impressive display! She held the fort from all that testosterone!! :) XO

Aramis decides he's a lover not a fighter..."Do you like my monkey?"

The Bedrosian family and friends on the Walk...showing their support and love for all of us. They are such great sports! Even Auntie Wendy (leg covered with post-surgical braces and wraps and on crutches) made an appearance and kept conversation flowing and completed food assembly at the Team Abby's Cadabbies Tent/Tailgate Arena for the non-walkers. THANKS Wend!! XOXO

Aramis, RJ and Alec decide to take a break at about 3/4 way through. They find perfect rock perches on which to sit and people watch and catch their breath. Smart fellas!

It is amazing to realize that only 7 years ago, the Buddy Walk and Family Picnic were separate events and significantly smaller in scale (Buddy Walk had approximately 300 people our first year--and now, 3,500 attend!) And look at this stage! It used to be a wooden platform!! :) Major progress in a very short window of time.

 Team Abby's Cadabbies getting underway on the 3 mile walk! :) Aramis loved the cheerleaders--who wouldn't?? :)

Lovely Carol joined us not only with her baby boy Jackson, but she brought a friend, who Abby just immediately bonded with.  Abby quickly became one of the girls and loved all the attention.

Abby with her bestest gal pal, Colleen....

...and her twin, Kaltrina.  Yup....separated at birth. :)