Fall Happenings

Wow -- what a busy fall the Brins have had! We've hardly had a chance to catch our collective breath. Aaron had a wonderful Halloween, and his fireman costume was a huge hit. We sold our beloved little townhouse in Cleveland Park and moved into a bigger place a few minutes north of our old neighborhood. Our new house is a work in progress, but we are loving having plenty of room for our active toddler to wreak havoc. Aaron is growing by leaps and bounds and is talking more each day. His new favorite topic is how Obama flies in helicopters! We had a wonderful time celebrating Thanksgiving in DC with Katie's family, and everyone is looking forward to the babyfest of 2011. We've also managed to fit in some trips this fall -- Katie and Aaron visited friends in Colorado in November, and we spent a fun-filled weekend in NYC in December. Fall pictures here. Between the travels and the unpacking, we are trying to get ready for our new addition due at the end of February. Aaron is very excited about becoming a big brother; Sloane doesn't seem to share his enthusiasm.

Family milestones

We've had a lot to celebrate recently. In August, Michael and Andrea welcomed their first child into the world. Aaron was thrilled to meet his first cousin, Matthew Austin Brin, when we went down to Florida for Matthew's bris in early September.

A few weeks later we traveled to New York to celebrate Aunt Inie's 90th birthday. We had such a great time seeing family and helping Aunt Inie mark this wonderful milestone. Pictures here.

Up North

We had an amazing time in Northern Michigan in August. Our two weeks were filled with many hours of swimming, hiking and just relaxing. Aaron loved climbing the sand dunes, going for a dip in the lake and spending time with family (especially his dog, who was lucky enough to spend all summer up north.) Pictures here.

Walkin' and talkin'

Here is a video of Aaron showing off his walking and talking skills!

Summer fun

We've had a lot to celebrate this summer, including Grandma & Grandpa's 40th wedding anniversary, Grandma's retirement, and simply surviving the oppressive DC heat (not to mention an earthquake!) Aaron is as active as ever, running more than walking, and --unfortunately -- has the bumps and bruises to show for it. Pictures here. We went back up to the Berkshires for the Fourth of July and had a great time hanging out with Mimi and Poppa, Uncle Michael and Aunt Andrea (who is due with Aaron's first cousin in August), and other family and friends. The summer is going by way too quickly!

Berkshires and other adventures

We met Aunt Lizzie and Uncle Andrew in the Berkshires in late May for a relaxing weekend. It was so wonderful to get away and spend some time enjoying the beautiful scenery. Aaron has been having other adventures too, like spending lots of time at the park with friends and getting his first haircut (and living to tell the tale!)

Walkin' fool

Aaron has found his sea legs and is walking all over the place. Below is a video of him showing off his skills.

Spring has sprung

Our little guy has been having a exciting spring. We have been outside as much as possible, enjoying the beautiful weather. Aaron is really growing up, toddling around the house, saying more words every day. ("Dog" is a favorite.) Pictures here.




















At 14 months, Aaron is the size of a kid twice his age. Here is a picture of Aaron wearing a shirt I wore as a child -- in this picture I'm 3 1/2!! I think Aaron fills out the shirt even better than I did.

Macgyver

Aaron is getting increasingly mobile (and curious), so we've had to step up the childproofing. This has been met with a less-than-enthusiastic reaction from our little guy.

First steps!

Aaron gave his mom a very special birthday gift this year -- he took his first steps! And we're off....

A sad time

Our family suffered a great loss recently. Lory's dear Uncle Kenny passed away suddenly in early March. Aaron was lucky enough to meet Uncle Kenny when we were in Florida for Thanksgiving, and we'll always be grateful for the time they spent together, however short.

We went down to Florida last week to spend time with family, and Aaron got to hang out with his second cousins, Devin and Annabella. The kids were so cute together -- Kenny would have loved it. We miss you, Uncle Ken.

Aaron's 1st birthday

Our little boy turned one on February 27th -- how quickly a year has passed! We had a wonderful day celebrating with friends and family, and Aaron thoroughly enjoyed his first taste of chocolate cake. Pictures here. Happy birthday, sweet boy.

Cruisin'

Our little guy is getting more and more mobile. (Must be all the time indoors, hiding out from the snow!)

Snomageddon Redux

After the huge snow storm we survived in December, the DC area has suffered through some crazy weather recently. We were hit with almost two feet last weekend, and the latest blizzard is going full-force as I type this. Hey, Spring -- where are you???

Pictures of our winter wonderland are here.

New addition

We couldn't be happier to welcome the newest addition of our extended family -- Addison (Addy) Abrams. Kristen and Ben brought home their darling pup a few weeks ago, and she's been getting used to her new digs. Sloane is very excited to have another four-legged friend nearby, but Addy seems primarily interested in Aaron so far (must be the eau de milk and sweet potato that makes him so appealing!) A few pictures here.

Christmas Festivities

Aaron had a wonderful time celebrating his first Christmas -- he received just a small number of gifts (as you can see from this picture.) Aunt Lizzie and Uncle Andrew were in town, and everyone had fun celebrating the holidays together! Pictures here.