9 Years

Happy Anniversary Scott!  Who are those young people in that picture?!?!?!

It has been an amazing 9 years and I am so looking forward to the rest of this journey with you.  I love you!!

And What A Beautiful Day It Was!

The sun was shining down on us on Saturday at the 3rd Annual Sunflower Soiree for Kiki's Garden.  The event was wonderful and people really enjoyed themselves.  Belle was a huge hit with the kids (and boy there were a lot of kids this year!!), the hayrides were great, everyone loved the photo booth, the kids had so much to do and especially loved the swimming and crafts and the music was incredible.  They had an acoustic cafe set up inside and live band outside.  Scott even performed for a bit with his best friend, it was great to listen to them.  It was a beautiful day that raised money for a good cause and everyone seemed to have a great time.

 Here are a few more pictures from the day.....

A Beautiful Day to Honor Kiki

Today we honor the memory of my beautiful sister in-law with the 3rd Annual Sunflower Soiree.  There will be a sunflower labyrinth, children's art work, music (6 bands), an acoustic dessert cafe, games, crafts, raffles, swimming, boating and even Princess Belle will be there (Lil'C is over the moon about this one!). 

The sun is shining and I hope that we raise a lot of money for the scholarship fund. These scholarships support students who want to pursue their dream in the Fine Arts, something that Kiki was very passionate about.   I hope that Kiki is up in Heaven looking down on all of us and smiling. Knowing that she continues to do good in this world and make a difference in the lives of others.

Z's First Trip to Fenway

I teared up as I watched Z walk into Fenway Park for the first time.  His eyes were wide as he took in the sites of the field, bright lights and thousands of people.  As we walked to our seats I had flashbacks of my first game with my dad over 25 years ago.  Tears started rolling down my cheek, this day had been something I had envisioned and waited for since the day I found out I was pregnant.  I was so looking forward to the day when I could take my own children to Fenway Park and share my love for the Red Sox with them.  Thanks to my dad and sisters the vision was now a reality.....it was truly magic.

Z did not miss a minute of the game (other than bathroom breaks which he timed with Tampa Bay at bats).  He was focused, engaged and so very enthusiastic.  He watched each pitch, cheered on the strikeouts, hits and runs.  He LOVED every minute of the game and my sister, dad and I so enjoyed watching him.

Dinner for Z consisted of his first "Fenway Frank", a pretzel and a giant lemonade (hence the bathroom breaks).  He was fascinated that you could buy food right at your seat!  Dessert was ice cream that he got on a bathroom run with Chi Chi :)  In the fourth inning I bought him a Wally Stuffed animal as a souvenir for his first game.  My dad had bought me a Red Sox teddy at my first game and I had to keep that tradition alive.  What a smile it brought to my face to see him hug his Wally as I told him about my special teddy bear tucked away in my memory box.  He asked, "Can I see it when we get home mom?"

Z sang his heart out during Take Me Out to the Ballgame, loved singing Sweet Caroline and snuggled his Wally through the whole game.  At the bottom of the 8th when it was clear that the Red Sox were going to win, my dad asked if we should leave so that we could miss the crowds and get Z home to bed.  I shook my head, as did Z, I knew he wanted to hear them play "Dirty Water" at the end of the game.  For those of you who don't know, this is a Red Sox tradition if they win :)

When the game ended and "Dirty Water" was playing on the speakers, I smiled at Z.  He looked up at me and said, "That was Awesome!"  His heart was with mine now, a heart that loves the Red Sox through and through, a heart that will cheer them on through good and bad.  Z had such an amazing time and it is hard to say who had more fun.  It was a magical night and a memory that I hope that I will hold onto for all the rest of my days.  Thanks Dad, Kristen and Laura for making it happen!

A Moment with Lil'C

We have been potty training Lil'C (finally) and she and I were in the bathroom the other day and this is what was said.....

Lil'C---Mommy do I have a little bum?

Me---Yes you do have a little bum.  Do I have a big bum?

Lil'C--No Mommy, you have a medium bum.  Daddy has a large bum.  A LARGE, LARGE bum"

I told Scott about this conversation and he had a good laugh over it!  He actually lost wait on our vacation (all that surfing and healthy eating) and so before you know it he will have a medium bum too :)

A Week By the Sea

We just got back from the most AMAZING week away.  We were blessed once again to win this sweet little cottage on the harbor in a silent auction.  It was so exciting to be back there again and this time Scott was with us for 6 out of the 7 days!!!

The weather was incredible for Maine....90's and sunny almost every day.  We did have one or two days in the 80's but for the most part it was hot and sunny.  We spent as much time in the water as we could and had 3 beach days and swam off the dock at the cottage at high tide every day.  It was such a relaxing and amazing trip and so nice to see our good friends Sarah and her kids, Joe and Kate and my parents even came to spend two days.

Here are our favorite things from our week by the sea:

1.  Lil'C got to see the big boot at LLBean 3 times and I so wish I had filmed her reaction the first time.  She was jumping out of her skin and people all around were stopping to watch the excitement oozing out of her.  She got a big boot cookie too and sent a big boot postcard to her Mimi!

2.  Z had 3 surfing lessons from daddy.  Oh did I mention we bought a surf board on our way to Maine?!?!  Scott has been taking lessons and finally bit the bullet and bought one.  He surfed 5 days of our vacation and watching Z learn made my week!

3.  We saw seals!!!!  Uncle Joe took us out on his boat and we got up close and personal with seals!!! It was so nice to be out on the harbor, such a great treat.

4.  My Birthday....Auntie Sarah took the kids and I out to breakfast for my birthday.  Such a great way to start the most amazing birthday I have had had in awhile.  We then visited fairy island, got Scott from the train station, had a lobster lunch and had a picnic dinner on the beach.  AWESOME DAY!

4.  Lobster and Clam Dinner (twice!!!)--We had lobster and clams on my birthday and then again with my mom and dad.  Scott cooked up an amazing feast, it was delicious.

5.  The Botanical Garden in Boothbay....The kids and I did this alone and it was beautiful.  Such a fun day!

6.  Fairy Island (aka Mackworth)--We did this solo too and made fairy houses all over the island before we had to go pick up daddy at the train station.  It was a great birthday morning and Lil'C wore her fairy wings.

7.  Relaxing by the fire, on the deck or on the dock.  We spent a lot of time relaxing which was sooooo nice.  As I said we got to see Sarah and the kids, Joe and Kate and my parents.  It was nice to spend time with family and friends in this beautiful little cottage and watch the boats go by or swim off the dock.  It was such a great week!!!

Making Memories

Bowling with Friends

Strawberry Picking

We picked lots and lots of strawberries

Smelling the Sunflowers


Happy Birthday to my Mom!!!
Thanks for bringing me into this world on your birthday.
This year is going to be a year of big change for you and I am so proud of you!!!




Have a great weekend making memories!!

Scott Has Joined me on GAPS!!!

Well it has been over 3 months since I started my GAPS journey and I can honestly say it has changed my life for the better. I know GAPS is a two year program but I have a feeling I will be following this way of life for the rest of my days.  There is still much work left to be done but I am so happy with the results so far.  I am down 15 pounds (18 on a good day), have more energy and less pain, no longer crave sugar or coffee and feel pretty great.  Last week I added exercise to my routine and started Beachbody's Les Mills Combat.   I LOVE working out again, but it has been rough on my back.  I am thinking that a month or two of dedicated core work will help prep me better for Combat.  It  is a fun kick boxing program and a lot of fun, right up my alley and I sooooo want to do it.  So hopefully after some serious core, I will be ready to kick box again :)

In other news, Scott has joined me on GAPS!!!  This decision has been a month in the making but he has been on the diet for a week and I am so proud of him.  He has also started running and working out again, he is on a new healthy road.  Scott rarely puts himself first and I told him that our 36th year (my birthday is this week and he turns 36 in August) is all about getting healthy.  He has started surfing again and is even joining me for some core workouts which is fun.

Cooking for two on GAPS is a bit more time consuming but the hardest part is planning for Scott's long days away from home.  I need to figure out some easy breakfasts for him and have to always remember to make more dinner so there will be leftovers.  He has been so patient with me as I work to figure this all out.  He is committed to GAPS for a month but I am hoping he can go a bit longer and maybe even do intro this winter.  I hope that this major lifestyle change helps Scott with many of the nagging issues he has been dealing with and helps him to feel really great.

Island in the Sun

Island in the Sun is one of my favorite Weezer songs....it makes me so happy!  Last week the kids and I were lucky to spend the day on an actual Island in the Sun.  My best friend and her husbands family share a beautiful "family compound" on the same lake where my family has their place.  It is hard to believe that this was our first time out there, considering we are on the same lake.  We were so happy to visit for the day and bring the sun with us!

The kids had a great time celebrating their youngest son's birthday.  Z spent most of his day in the water with his good buddies Nat and C and they spent hours jumping off the raft and organizing competitions.  The did take some time to hike the "mountain" on the island and pick blueberries though.  The day was a little piece of Heaven and I am so grateful for Lauren and Jeff for inviting us.

Some Days You Just Have to Drop Everything.......

.......and head to the beach!

Our calendar had Sunday marked as a potential beach day.  Scott and Z had plans to golf (Z's first time) in the morning and then our plan was to pack a picnic dinner and head to the beach for the late afternoon.  After an exhausting week of late nights, a trip to RI and so many parties...we decided to spend Sunday afternoon at home.  It would be nice to have some time to catch up on home projects, have the kids in bed at a decent hour and spend some family downtime at home.

When I woke up Sunday morning there was a voice inside of me that said, "today is a beach day".  The sun was shining, temperatures were suppose to be in the 90s and who knows what the weather will be like next weekend?!?!  Here was the perfect beach day right in front of us, so we ignored our tired bodies, packed a picnic dinner and drove east.

Once we are at the beach all of our cares and worries seem to slip away.  It was an afternoon of swimming (58 degree water?!?!), beach combing, sand castle making, football, kite flying, gull chasing and ended with a picnic dinner and trip for ice cream.  As we see it the kids have all week to catch up on sleep and one more late night was worth the few hours of fun!   This afternoon oceanside brought a smile to our faces and was a great way to relax and unwind before the busy week ahead.

Making Memories--A Happy 4th!

With the start of a heatwave, the 4th of July brought 90 degree temperatures.  We headed to my sisters for a BBQ/Birthday Celebration and tried to keep as cool as possible.  The kids played with their water guns, the sprinkler and then headed for a swim in the lake by her house.

After the water fun they held their own parade in 4th of July accessories given to them by Neene :)  It was super cute and they had a lot of fun marching around with instruments.  After the party we went to see Fireworks for the second time.  This firework show was a bit longer and grander than Friday nights.  It was hot and sticky in the car as we watched but I enjoyed snuggling up with Lil'C for this event.  There won't be too many Fourth of July's where she will want to sit on my lap....I treasured every moment of it.

Hope you had a wonderful holiday!

Time to Party!!!

Look who is swimming without a bubble!!!

On Saturday mornings I try to find a little quiet time to sit down and plan out the week ahead.  This Saturday I was so excited to see all of the celebrations on the calendar.  There were 5 BBQs scheduled (3 of them birthday parties) and two chances to see Fireworks!  It was going to be a festive week and this mama was excited.

My nephew turned 3

Here are some photos of this past weekends pool parties and fireworks.  Everyone had so much fun at both pool birthday parties and Z barely got out of the water.  Auntie Kristen invited us to watch fireworks at her house for Lil'C's first time.  Lil'C was not so sure what to think about this tradition.  She loved the bright colors and the fact that they weren't too loud from where we were sitting on the beach but she did not like the neighbor setting them off from his dock :)  On the walk back to the house Auntie caught a firefly!!  It was the first time the kids had seen one up close and they were excited.

It was a great weekend and thankfully today is a rest day before the rest of the party week!  We will go up to keep my mom company this afternoon but thankfully that will be low key :)  I hope you have a wonderful 4th of July week.