It's A Haigood Life!: Family Time in Connecticut!

After leaving PA, we headed up north to Connecticut to visit my extended family for almost 2 weeks. Not only did we get to spend wonderful quality time with family, but we also had the chance to do some field trips as well. And- Alan and I got a date while my brother and sister-in-law took care of our boys! Wahoo! Thanks Matt and Jodi!!

Connecticut is such a beautiful state, and I love coming here! My Dad grew up in this home, estimated to have been built in 1798, and now he and his wife live here. I can remember having such a good time coming here to visit my Grandparents as a little girl. Over the years, additions and renovations have been made to the house. The backyard is a beautiful forest full of tall trees just waiting to be explored!

Among the lush trees in the backyard is this beautiful old windmill. The top of the windmill was damaged during a storm many years ago, but it is still a treasured family landmark, as it reminds us of so many memories from years past...

My brother and his wife live just down the hill from my Dad's house...

Matt and Jodi were high school sweethearts and they are still madly in love with each other today! I love these pictures I took of them. Too cute:)

The kids all had a great time together during our visit. Everyone joined in a fun game of tag one night...

"Crazy" Uncle Matt joined the game too:)

During the first part of our visit, we attended a CT Tigers baseball game. It was actually a little chilly that night, which was nice. After the game was over, we all enjoyed a fireworks show.

We also enjoyed beating the heat during the day by swimming in Matt & Jodi's pool. Here are some action shots of some pretty cool jumps into the water...

You go Grayson!!!!!

Now it is Nate's turn!

My beautiful niece, Sydney, is such a wonderful young lady! She is always so helpful with her little cousins...

Grayson and Micah are the same age...their birthdays are just a few days apart. My sister also has a son who was born the same week as Grayson and Micah. We like to call these three boys the "triplet cousins". Hopefully, we can get a photo of all the cousins together someday soon!

The boys loved helping Grandpa get the firewood for the campfire.

Riding around the property in the gator was pretty fun too:)

Joshua helped Aunt Jodi in the kitchen :)

Fresh corn on the cob...cooked on the grill...yummy!

Time for s'mores...

One morning we took a trip to the local Farmer's Market. There was a hay maze and free ice cream for the kids!

These guys had so much fun together! We just wish our California cousins were there too! (Have I mentioned yet that we miss you Stewart family?!?!)

Beautiful mother and daughter!!

While we were there, Alan was so excited to help out around the property! My Dad had a few projects he needed some help with, including tearing down the porch of a cabin, cleaning up the pond, and mowing.

Some of the work required driving a tractor. Alan was just a little excited about that!!!

Working hard...and loving it!

We also enjoyed time inside playing games, visiting, and sharing lots of laughter...

Adrien's little baby boy, Sully, was crawling all over and having a good time too! He is such a cutie pie! The boys enjoyed entertaining him, and making him smile & giggle:)

Our family loves to play card games, and one of our favorites is Hand and Foot. While we were there, my Dad and Ronnie organized and hosted the very first annual Connecticut Chapter Hand and Foot Tournament. Alan and I, along with Micah, participated in the tournament. It started at 10am and ended sometime after 5 o'clock!

My Dad and brother took the competition very seriously and made sure they dressed appropriately!!! Ha! :)

There were four players a each table. After 3 rounds per game, we all switched to different tables/players for a total of four games.

After four games, the top four winners played one final round to determine the overall winner. Guess what?!?!? I actually made it to the championship table!!! (And so did Jodi, my sister-in-law!) It got pretty intense!!;)

The championship game was serious business! The winner of this one game would take home the trophy!

It was a good game, but I didn't win:( Oh well! It was a fun time anyway! Lots of laughter and good times that day!

One day, we took the boys by to visit the local library which was dedicated in memory of my late Grandmother, Janet Carlson Calvert, who we affectionately called Beste.