The Dupaix Project

As expected, the month of November has been crazy crazy! We've been jet setting all over the country so I'm going to mostly just post a bunch of pics because theres just too much to say and a picture is worth a thousand words!

At the last minute, I decided to go to Salt Lake with Zack for his nephew's baby blessing! I am so glad I did! Unfortunately, last minute plane tickets are rarely available on the flight you want, so Gunner and I were on different flights than Zack going there and coming back! I was so freaked out about flying alone with the babe, but the airplane was surprisingly the easiest part. The airports and security were the most complicated!

On both our flights to SLC we had an entire row to ourselves! It was heavenly! So Gunner and I snuggled up and went to sleep! Once he got a little antsy I put him in the seat next to me, buckled him in tight and he thought he was king of the world! He was waving at the other people and laughing and playing! It was hysterical!

Once we got to Salt Lake, Gunner was in absolute heaven! He had so many people doting on him and playing with him and talking to him. He was loving the attention!

The weather was absolutely gorgeous! We had a blast playing in Nana and Papa's backyard!

It was such a quick trip, but we were so glad we could be there for Nick and Brittany and little Leslie! I can't wait to watch as Gunner and Leslie grow up together!

I got back from Salt Lake on Monday night (after two delayed flights and a few extra hours in Philadelphia), and left for Chicago Thursday Morning! My cousin Randy was getting married so my Mom was coming out and getting together with her sisters. I was so excited to spend the whole weekend with them! I thought for sure I would be able to keep up with them, (since they are like grandmas!!!) but they wore us out! We shopped for 11 hours straight one day! Can you believe that?!?! It was an absolute blast!!! This is how we kept Gunner happy!

We visited with cousins and aunts and uncles and Gunner met so many new people; again, he was in heaven! The wedding was so much fun! I love these pics I snuck of my mom and her siblings getting down on the dance floor!

dying over Gunner's new bow tie!

Brunch with all of my aunties and my uncle!

We were so busy having fun I didn't take nearly enough pictures, especially good ones with my good camera (these iPhone pics are less than ideal)! That always seems to happen when I'm with my mother! She and Gunner are like two peas in a pod! It is so much fun to watch them play together! Thankfully, we all flew out around the same time so they helped me through the airport and helped entertain Gunner while we waited to board!

A few days after I got home from Chicago, my three oldest friends, (Caroline, Corie, & Leslie) arrived for the weekend! Corie is getting married next year so we used that as an excuse to have a girls weekend! It was such a blast! I saw Leslie just a few months ago when her family came to Hawaii; but I hadn't seen Caroline and Corie since like 2001! After just a few minutes it felt just like old times! It was so funny, none of us have changed that much! We have the same dynamic and it was so nostalgic to relive old times and learn about everything going on in their lives! I feel so blessed to have them as friends and that we've somehow managed to maintain a friendship over 17 years!

We met in 1996 when I moved to Chesapeake, Virginia where I lived for 4 years! We had the most amazing time together! I think back over those years and how much these girls influenced who I am today! Some of my fondest and dearest memories are centered around the adventures we'd get ourselves into! To this day I remember the day I moved away from that neighborhood and it is definitely in my top 3 most difficult moves. I wish I could find a copy of the picture we took as I was leaving because its so tragic. Haha. Our faces are all beet red and we're all crying hysterically! I am so grateful for them, for the memories we have together, and for the friendship that still brings me so much joy today!

We saw just about everything there is to see in the city. Not really, obviously, but we did the upper west side, central park, midtown, chelsea market, high line, times square, rockafeller center... and a lot of yummy food along the way!!

What a fun couple of weeks! We all had such a blast visiting with friends and family! Things aren't slowing down yet for the Dupaixs! We've got lots planned for the next few weeks and a giant trip home to Utah for Christmas (4 WEEKS!!!). I cannot wait!

I still haven't gone through my Halloween pics or our pics from the zoo, but I'm going to make it happen and I'll be posting it soon!

xoxoxox

Last Saturday was the annual Pumpkin Fest in Central Park and we decided (more like I decided) we HAD to go! We got up early and hit the streets by like 11 am (that's almost a record for us!!). Gunner fell asleep on the bus and ended up taking like a 2 hour nap! Normally I'd be thrilled with a two hour nap, but this time I wanted him to be excited about PUMPKIN FEST! But apparently the roar of a massive crowd just lulled him right to sleep.

We walked through the farmers market and craft area and watched a few minutes of Quidditch, still sleeping! We got in the line for the pumpkin patch that was probably a half mile long. Surely Gunner would wake before it was our turn. Nope. We picked out our pumpkins, posed for some pics. And he was still zonked.

So maybe I had to take things into my own hands... I woke him up. I know. That's like the first deadly sin of motherhood... But it was his first pumpkin patch!!! He couldn't sleep through it! Once he was awake he was hardly interested in smiling for pictures (at first at least), but you can't keep a smile off this face for long!!!

^^How cute is this photobomber?!?^^

The crowd was starting to get to us so we set off on some of the walking trails (which ended up feeling a lot like hiking trails!) We came across bow bridge, which is also in a ton of movies! The view of the water and trees plus the skyline... Priceless!!

We kept walking and soon found ourselves deep into a forest on a barely paved path! Hahaha it was so bizarre! I couldn't believe I was still in NYC!

Once we found our way to the west side of the park we were starving!! We decided to stop by a local fave for dinner, Shake Shack! I've heard people who love it and people who don't, so I wasn't sure what to expect. We loved it! I mean it wasn't like the most amazing food I've ever had, but it was a delicious burger and the fries were decent too! Although, the line was like wrapped around corner. I rarely find food that is worthy of such a wait! We didn't even end up having a shake because it was too cold out!

We ate lunch in the courtyard of the Natural History Museum (which I'm still dying to go to) and let Gunner crawl around for a bit! The boy sure loves his independence!