Road Trip part 1

This summer we planned a vacation up to Maine with our good friends the Masse's.  Meet Tyler Jaime, Shae, and Kal.

They are from Boston and here in Charlottesville while Tyler goes to Law School. We met them at the 1L BBQ in 2010 and have been friends since.  Being as this was our last Summer before graduation we decided to join up with them after the boys finished up their Summer Associate positions.  Tyler worked in Boston for the summer and that is where our vacation began.  A few sights along the way...

This is the Delaware Memorial Bridge is the 10th longest suspension bridge in the U.S.  Wouldn't you know that while we were crossing it they had two lanes closed due to the man sitting on the edge trying to commit suicide!  I was thankful to read later that night that after 6 hours they were able to talk him down. 

This is a pretty sad picture taken through a dirty window while crossing the George Washington Bridge pictured below(the 4th largest suspension bridge in the U.S) sorry, you get what you get!

It was a long day of driving through 7 states and we arrived in Palmer Massachusetts where we stayed with Jaime's family.  The kids would have been content to spend our week here.  There was so much for them to do from swimming, atv riding, frog catching, club houses, kickball, oh and tractor rides!

They were busy from sun up to sundown!  It was so relaxing and wonderful, and I am so grateful for the generosity and warm welcome that Jaime and Tyler's parents gave to us.  They even joined efforts to watch all 7 kids so that we could escape into Boston for a day of seeing the sights.

There is so much history and so many things to see!  I loved every minute of it.  Next Tyler and Jaime took us to have the quintessential Boston experience a pint of Sam Adams and Raw Oysters!

My husband was kind enough to take a video of my very first oyster.

We ended the day having an amazing dinner overlooking the Boston Harbor.  Such a great start to our vacation...

The Missing Weeks

I fell behind on my blog 3 weeks into the summer.  To keep it brief here are the highlights...

Play Time

Swim Lessons

Girl Time!

Our week in Alexandria visiting Dad

It has been a LONG ten weeks!

Todd has completed his Summer Associate position in D.C. and is about an hour away from home!!  We are SO excited that this emotional roller coaster ride is about to end!!  Aside from the company of my beautiful children, I have had a loneliness settle over me that has made each day difficult.  I am so very, very thankful for the blessing of my neighbors the Woods, and also my Mother-in-law whom I am certain have been breathing life into me during this time.  They have both listened to my cries and held me up when I was the most down.  Thank-you from the bottom of my heart!

Paige and Claire are 7!!

7 years ago I was blessed with 2 precious gifts, that would continue to mold and shape who I was becoming as a mother.  I had much to learn and perhaps God thought I would catch on a little quicker if He gave me two at one time.  Then if that might still not be enough, He decided that these two little beauties would be strong willed, bound and determined to learn quickly and get what they want .  He must have also thought they would need a crazy silly sense of humor to turn a moment of stress into uncontrollable giggles.   To counter act the silliness he placed huge hearts within them with the ability to love and feel deeply.  

We celebrated their birthday a little country this year. I *may* have gone a little overboard.  You know me and parties.  I got nearly all my ideas here.  So grateful Gramma Pat was here to help me pull this off.  She sewed- I glued, she arranged flowers- I painted.  I think we made a great team.  I planned to have everything outside, Gramma even got the kids a waterslide to keep the kids busy.  The morning of the party we woke up to rain!!  It was a mad dash to get everything organized in the house and we had to have a few games as I had been relying on the slide to keep the kids busy.  It all turned out great and I had two very happy 7 year olds!

The following day Gramma took the kids for horse rides!!

Happy Birthday Sweet Girls!

A letter from your Momma

Paige and Claire you are both so special to me in your own unique way! Paige, I think of your determination.  You want to play the piano, and you begin teaching yourself!  You want to rollerblade and you will be outside for hours until you have learned. You will do anything you want in life because you will not give up.  Claire, I think of your tender heart.  You have feelings that sometimes you can't make sense of.  You see someone needs something and you are by their side helping in anyway that you can.  Don't stop listening to your heart, and believe in yourself the way I believe in you!
You girls make me so proud with how hard you work, and I am blown away with your bright minds.  You keep me on my toes at every turn.  Your sense of adventure helps you to enjoy life as a child to it fullest.  The love you two have for each other is so special and a wonder to watch.  A built in friend for life, how special.  Don't ever forget-  You are loved unconditionally by both your father and I and more importantly God.  There is not a thing you can do that will change that fact.  Love you forever!
Mom