MBA completed and to Vermont and Back!

Well Josh survived his week at Liberty...it wasn't pretty...but he's done! :) They got assigned their first case on Wednesday afternoon - they were the first group to leave the school at 3am. He was in bed by 3:30am and up again at 5am to get in the shower and then head to school. They had to be there by 6:30am to get set up and ready to present by 7am. After they all presented then they got assigned their 2nd case...this time they were only there til about 1:30am...and again up at 5am. He was so excited Friday night - he was done. And he passed! Ella and I went to go visit him Thursday night after I was done work. They were in the business department working on their project...so we stopped by...Josh forgot to mention it was also the same day the Freshman were moving in - that was just great! Here I am driving around a campus that I don't know very well and there is all this construction so the usual road I go on is no longer a road and everything is only one way....I was getting frustrated! But - we finally found our way!

Saturday night we went to Red Lobster to celebrate Josh completing his MBA. Sunday was another normal Sunday for us....except in the afternoon - Josh didn't have any homework to do! So he helped me clean...next thing I know he's moving the couches around and re-arranging the living room! I like him being done with school!

Well now it's time to head to Vermont. Josh took Thursday off to do some sleeping during the day. I worked. After work - we headed to Vermont! We decided to drive through the night on the way up - which worked out perfect! Ella was asleep around 8:15. She did wake up at 12:30 when we stopped for gas. She was so excited - she thought we were there - we were only in New Jersey. However, she remained WIDE AWAKE until 3:45am!! She was very good - never made a peep - but her eyes were as big as saucers! And well she never whined...but she did ask if we were in "ma-mont" yet! She can't quite say Vermont! We arrived a few minutes before 6am...hung out for a little bit...Josh went and laid down to get a few hours of sleep. Nanny took Ella to the store with her while I took a shower and also laid down for a little while. Ella kept on going! She didn't lay down til her nap time.

Ella's two favorite things in Vermont...feeding the cows and riding the golf cart!!

This is the three of us riding the golf cart! And you can see the little barn behind us...we just finished feeding the cows!

Ella also got to ride a bike....slowly learning...

 

And yes I know - she doesn't have a helmet on...but we didn't let go of the bike! One of us was right by her side at all times! :) A helmet is on the list!

Nanny and Ella did get some baking time in...

 

The first scoop of cookie dough went into the pan...and then the spoon went right into her mouth! We had to have a lesson on you don't get to eat the cookie dough! :)

Friday afternoon Ella and I went to visit our friends, Scott and Cheri and baby Chace (who's almost a year old now!)...and I didn't get a single picture of it!

On Saturday night - Josh's sister, Joy and her family were over. They arranged for a sitter to come to the house for all the kids and the adults went up to Burlington and went out to eat - which was really nice!

 

On Sunday there was a special service for the Taylor's 25th anniversary for being at the church for 25 years - which made for a really nice day. And it was so beautiful out - about 78 and sunny. It was great!

On Monday Josh and I headed to Boston for a few days. Ella stayed with Nanny and Grampy while we went. We did a Duck Tour, Quincy Market, walked around for miles sight-seeing!, the USS Constitution museum and then the tour of the USS Constitution. It was perfect weather - slightly cloudy but right around 80 degrees. Nanny and Grampy took Ella to the Champlain Valley Fair...where she had fun. They said her favorite thing was the pigs! She looooved the pigs and piglets. And she even asked to go on a ride. So Nanny took her on a little ride. I think she had a great time! On Tuesday they headed over to New York and got a few hotel rooms. They cousins went over and met them at the hotel...and they went swimming!

Nanny and Grampy with the big grandkids - the twins were out of the pool.

Josh and I came back from Boston and met everyone at the hotel. Then we went to Joy and Joe's house for dinner and a campfire!

 

Ella loved her s'more!

On Wednesday we packed up and started our track home. Since we were near Albany - that saved us 2 hours. So we only had 10 hours to drive....which we chose to do in 2 days. We drove about 5.5 hours on Wednesday. We stopped at outlets on the way...yay! Got Ella stocked up with some cute Fall clothes! And a stop for Josh....

Which was just as much as a stop for Ella. She loved seeing all the animals inside. While Josh was looking around Ella was pulling me this direction and that direction to see all the animals! It was pretty impressive!

Thursday we got up and made it the rest of the way home. We were home around 1:30. I ran to the grocery store, and played catch-up on laundry.

That's it - that's the highlights of the last two weeks!