Friendships

Yesterday some of our friends from NH came to visit. Man I miss those girls. We had such a great time catching up.  And the jumping photos...so fun. Stole that cool idea from this  great mom and photographer.

These are two of Hannah's best girlfriends...I love that even though they don't see each other that often they just pick right up where they left off. I hope they'll always be friends. I know I'll always be friends with their moms...love you girls!

 They all HAD to jump off the bridge..(check that off the summer list..can you believe I'm STILL doing a summer list? ) ..Kyra went first..brave girl.

Then Hannah...she always holds her nose when she jumps.

Then Madeline...

Loved seeing you girls.

Thank you for driving down.

So glad we're friends.

After they left I started thinking about the friendships I've had...and how lucky I am to have had these women in my life. Starting way back while Steve was flying helicopters in the military. I met so many great women through that experience. And although I'm not a big Facebooker...one of our dear friends found me and I've loved reading about her life here. Her husband went through flight school with Steve. When we met, Eileen had just one adorable little boy, Will...and not only did we find out that we were both pregnant on the same day (my first...her second)...we delivered on the same day also! I have such wonderful memories of us rooming together in the hospital in Alabama. Eileen and Travis have 9 children now! They live in a gorgeous farm house with chickens and cows and she homeschools. Can I come visit you Eileen??

Not a great scan job but here are the babies with Steve and Travis...

* "Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only until this meeting that a new world is born." ~ Anais Nin

What to do when it rains on the Vineyard

The first few days of our vacation were beautiful...and then the rain came. I swear it was raining sideways. But, we made the best of it. One day we drove the entire island. Here we are in Aquinnah...

Gay Head Cliffs..a must see on your trip to the Vineyard. JFK Jr.'s plane went down a few miles out from here...11 years ago

Squiby beach...check off the summer list.

The Flying Horses..the oldest working carousel. Here is Hannah trying to catch the brass ring....And Griffy's first ride.

The kids...ok, and me..love going to the General Stores. Alleys' and the Katama general store. Old fashioned toys, candy, lobsta rolls..

We spent a small fortune at the Candy store in Edgartown...

who doesn't want Crab crap?

And it wouldn't be a vacation for me without a stop at the bookstore. And of course...ice cream. My sister and her husband run 3 ice cream shops there. There she is...scooping free ice cream for all of us. Thanks Jen.

Home

We've been on the Vineyard. My favorite place to go. The President arrived the same day we did...we saw his helicopter land.

Friday night is always the fireworks and they get better every year. There is a whole group of us that go...we camp out until dark.

The next day we go to the fair...I get a poster every year...one of these days I'll frame and hang them.

We do a lot of swimming at the beach and the pool..

More pictures to come...I'm exhausted. I need a vacation from my vacation. My house is trashed...the laundry is piled high...Kids go back to school a week from today. I must say..I'm ready. I think they are too.
I love going away..but I love coming home to my own bed.

Pickles and Mashed Potatoes

No..I'm not pregnant. I did make pickles today though. Can I just say how much I love those pretty little jars of pickles on my shelf? I haven't even tried them yet...they have to sit for a week. All day long Steve and the kids joked about how I could drive 2 minutes to the grocery store and there'd be shelves of them that I could just buy. Yeah but mine have no High Fructose Corn Syrup and they look cute!

Here is the mashed potatoes. That's Griffy's nickname that my Brother in law gave him. He said he looks like a big bowl of mashed potatah's...I like it.

And remember my dilemma over going to Utah? Well, good things come to those who wait. Now Utah is coming to me. Well, not really...the Power of Moms retreat is coming to Portsmouth, NH in October..which is just over an hour away from me. This time I'm going. I'm really excited to:

1. Get away by myself.

2. Meet some great people.

3. Learn more about being the best mom I can be

4. Get away by myself. (did I say that already?)

Wacky Wednesday

4 kids and the beach is what drives me here every Wednesday. I swear you could build your own sand castle in my car. Griffy does not like the car wash one bit....thank goodness for big sisters. 

Wednesday is our Farmers Market day too. Today was eggplant and pickling cukes....

And of course tomatoes. We've been eating lots of Caprese salads..BLT's...and plain ol' tomato sandwiches on old fashioned white bread with a bit of salt and mayo. There is nothing better.  Can you believe how early everything is this year? We've been trying to go blueberry picking and everyone is closed! Just might have to make the drive up to Maine. Here is what I did with the eggplant tonight...so good! I hope you're enjoying all the delicious fruits and vegetables right now! Before you know it we'll be buried with snow making chicken soup!

Summer Weekends

Our weekends have been filled with beach, and boat rides and family times. Saturday we took the kayak out and Hannah was out there paddling around for hours. When she was done she told Steve and I about all the places she wants to visit...India is high on her list of travel destinations. She is adventurous that girl.

I feel so lucky to live where I live. We've been here 2 years now and although we've lived in so many different places..I can't imagine living anywhere else. From Alabama to Germany to Kentucky to Pennsylvania to New Hampshire...this is where we belong. Back home...on this beach...close to these people..

Yesterday was my family's annual get together. The one time a year that my whole family gets together...We have fun...the 11 cousins play..and we laugh. A lot. I love these people.

Another great Summer Weekend.

Birthdays, Baseball, Boat rides and Beer

Our week has been full...Will turned 8! We had a family get together and Will got all things baseball. He loves to play it..watch it..(Red Sox of course)..talk about it..collect the cards...and he hasn't taken his teams hat off all summer. He even sleeps with it on. Happy Birthday Buddy!

My neice Cameron has been here visiting from Texas. We love listening to her accent. She thinks we sound weird. She and Hannah are the same age...it's nice for Hannah to have a girl around in this boy-filled house. We painted pottery..

And went to the Vineyard...they jumped off the bridge there. Steve had my camera in New York which was a total bummer.

But I loved seeing the pictures of him playing...

Yesterday we took the ferry into Boston to the Aquarium...this sweet woman from Russia came up to me on the boat and told me how lovely and well behaved my children were. (I didn't tell her that one of them was my neice...for a few minutes I pretended to have 5 kids)...Anyway, what mom doesn't love to hear that? Although, she must not have heard some of the arguing and Will talking about when he sneezes he farts. Not so lovely.

I love Boston.

And don't you love Sam's Summer? It tastes really good on a ferry after a long day!

The PEN Story

I just saw this on Design Mom... Love her blog and wanted to share this wicked cool video.

I.Need.Sleep

Kinda ready for this to end. His last game of the season is tomorrow night. They won in Cooperstown NY. I didn't go. What a bad mom..I know. The ride was just too long for me...I mean the baby. So Hannah and Griffy and I went to the Vineyard to visit my mom and sister. Steve had the camera in NY so no pictures.

Girffin is NOT sleeping. Like...at all. The night I slept at my sisters he woke up to nurse at midnight, two, four, four thirty and six. HELLO! Are you two weeks old or almost 14 months? I walk around in a complete fog all day long. I'm seeing double just typing this right now. I really hate letting babies cry it out...I just can't do it. I'm thinking of sleeping on the couch for a few nights..ya right. I love my bed too much...Anyone have some great advice on getting babies to sleep through the night? If you do..you should write a book..I'll buy it.